Early Preview of Justice League Infinite Chapter 5 + Step-by-Step Designs for The Trinity

Well, it’s that time again! Here’s an early preview of chapter 5 of my fanfic, Justice League Infinite, as we see the team returning to Earth to try and save Batman from the spreading cells of Starro trying to transfigure him, assuming he even survives such a process…

Baz blinked in utter bafflement as the shuttle descended through the skies slowly toward the edge of Gotham City. “I can’t believe he pushed us all the way back to Earth.”

“I can’t believe the heat shields held as well as they did,” Diana added.

“And I can’t believe where we’re headed!” Ivy finished, pointing out the window.

As Superman moved under the ship, instead carrying it through the skies above Gotham City, the team inside watched on as they headed toward a cliff near the edge of the city. However, what astonished them was the VERY well-concealed steel hatch on the cliff, and, more importantly, where this hatch and the ensuing tunnel seemed to lead: Right underneath Wayne Manor, quite possibly the most luxurious mansion in the United States, save for those owned by politicians and presidents.

“…Uhh, does Bruce Wayne know you’ve got a cave under his ma-” Flash started to ask, turning back to face Batman, just in time to see him pull back his cowl.

“I think he’s okay with it,” Batman replied as he revealed the half-infected face of Bruce Wayne himself.

Jesse was stunned, her jaw hung low for what felt like a full minute before finally saying, “…So, I guess I’m not the ONLY rich person in a mask, huh?”

“Actually, I think he just redefined rich superheroes by comparison,” Khalid suggested, likewise astonished.

“Are communications working?” Bruce asked, getting a quick nod as Flash flipped a switch. “Penny-One, authorize entry hatch opening.”

“Opening now,” a rather British-sounding voice replied, the large steel doors slowly opening. “Are you alright?”

“Alfred, I’ve been infected,” Bruce moaned, leaning on the console slightly. “Prep for blood testing, possible surgery.”

“At once,” the man, Alfred, replied, sounding quite concerned, all the while Superman carried the shuttle inside. The group inside watched as they passed through a long, wide tunnel, before arriving in what looked to be some sort of cave under the mansion. The cave housed several large computers, storage tanks, a small airship in the shape of a bat, and what looked to be memorabilia of various sorts and sizes. And, of course, the upper area of the cave looked to be a nest for what had to be at least hundreds of bats.

“Those must be a pain to look after,” Diana suggested, motioning to the bats.

“…A giant penny?” Ivy inquired, her eyes fixed on said object. “Please tell me Two-Face did NOT try to kill you with that.”

After a few moments, Superman finally eased the shuttle down into as clear a spot as he could find, landing next to it. Opening the hatch, Baz quickly created a green staircase leading down from it to the floor as he and Diana helped Bruce down and out of the ship. The Dark Knight groaned as he felt the infection getting worse, the green patches on his skin beginning to spread.

“BOSS!” a female voice screamed. Within seconds, a young girl, no older than 15, came running toward the group, wearing a red, black, and yellow costume, cape, and domino mask. Her hair was dark, almost completely black, save for the neon red streaks in the front. Her belt, clearly a utility belt of some sort, had a large yellow R on the red buckle. Her eyes clearly gave away her terror at the sight of Bruce in such a state. Much like a lot of what she’d seen in the last couple of minutes, the sight of this girl shocked Flash.

‘Boss’? Jesse wondered, watching as the girl came to a halt in front of Batman, seemingly fighting the urge to cling to him. Is this girl his…sidekick? Since when has the Goddamn Batman had a partner?

…Yeah, you knew I couldn’t resist calling him that at least once. 😛 Speaking of Batman, though, I’ve come to a decision on his costume design, as a step-by-step mashup of several different Batsuit designs.

Beyond those details, the Batsuit is a kevlar/nomex blend, making him bullet and fire proof, but still is light enough to allow him plenty of flexibility and agility. The cape is made of a likewise fireproof memory fiber; when an electric shock is sent out into it through the gloves, it causes it to form the bat wing-like paracape. The cowl possesses flip-down lenses with various vision modes, and has a comm system used to keep in constant contact with Alfred. The symbol can actually light up (like with the Batman Incorporated suit’s), providing him with a mini-Bat Signal that can sometimes be used to scare criminals. The boots come equipped with hidden ultrasonic emitters that summon nearby bats. And, of course, there’s the utility belt, which can at any time contain a various combination of gadgets and equipment, like multi-purpose Batarangs, taser knuckles, the Batclaw grapple gun, smoke pellets, and much more. And lastly, in lieu of deciding on which Batmobile to give him, I instead decided that the far more useful vehicle for Batman would be an airship version of the Batwing, roughly the same size as the Owlship from Watchmen. We’ll get more into that another time.

So, that’s a lot about Batman, but what about the designs for Superman and Wonder Woman, which were also mix-and-matches from various costumes they’ve worn? Well, let’s take a look.

 

And before anyone asks, yes, I’m aware that the updated New 52 Superman costume has been revealed. While I’m a bit sad they didn’t add the trunks, and the improvements seemed somewhat minimalistic in my opinion, I will admit that it is still an improvement. Regarding this costume, though, not much else to say except that I’m thinking of giving him El emblem tracking devices hidden in his belt that are set to a frequency that only he can hear, and other more advanced tech that he’ll bring into the field from time to time when his usual powers aren’t enough to get the job done.

 

I’m sorry, I just love the ponytail! It looks GREAT on Wonder Woman! lol But yeah, I also added the blue covering and collar to her costume, and gave her the red cape she wears sometimes, because I don’t care what the movie The Incredibles says, capes are awesome (although I suppose you might wanna be sure you’re near-invulnerable for some of the things that happened in those examples). Equipment-wise, of course Diana has the Lasso of Truth, her unbreakable bracers, and her sharpened tiara. If necessary, though, she is skilled in armed combat, usually preferring a sword and shield, but would just as soon avoid that if possible.

Anyway, leave a comment letting me know what you think so far, and be sure to check out chapter 5 when it’s finished. Ja né!

Thoughts On Batman #38 – What Is The Joker?

Well, I ended up getting my copy of Batman #38 late, due to the roads being kinda icky last night (although that didn’t stop me from reading spoilers, because dammit, after last issue, the hell if I was gonna wait any longer than I had to in order to find out what the hell is going on). Since its release yesterday, Scott Snyder has clarified a few details for the sake of those wondering.

1. This is NOT a dream, illusion, or hallucination. What Batman is going through is 100% REAL, so theories that this is another worst case scenario brought on by the Scarecrow’s fear toxins are incorrect, though it’s likely that the payoff for that is that Batman goes through the horrid nightmares of his end, but is able to cheat death where it counts most.
2. The Joker DOES know now that Batman is Bruce Wayne. There’re no more implications, suggestions, doubts, or theories, HE KNOWS. As such, all bets are off regarding what Joker can and will do to Batman now.

So, let’s get down to the question at the core of everything going on in this story: What is the Joker? Is he human, or some kind of monster? Is he mortal, or immortal? Well, before we get to that, I can clear this much up: Regardless of what he is, there IS something in his bloodstream that has a regenerative factor to it. He was shot through the chest and didn’t die. Ergo, whether or not he’s always had it, the fact is, Joker cannot be killed right now, so even if Batman was finally willing to cross that line, the end result is that he cannot kill him.

…That, right there, is where Grayson should realize just how boned they are: BATMAN does not have a plan.

Regarding whether or not Joker could possibly be an immortal that’s been haunting Gotham City for at least a hundred years. Well, here was the argument that kept getting in the way of that for me: “How can Joker be immortal, have been seen in Gotham for at least a hundred years, and have that same pale face to boot throughout that time, when he only got it when he fell into the chemical bath?” And we HAVE established that this part of his history is still canon, having occurred during the Zero Year story-arc. However, here’s the counter-argument I eventually came to: “How do you know he got that face from the chemical bath? The only proof you have are flashbacks provided by Joker’s own narration, and his tales of his past have proven he’s either a liar or doesn’t remember his own past. In fact, how did he even survive the fall to begin with? Furthermore, how did he manage to survive everything he has, from falls off cliffs to escaping deadly explosions to even surviving the process of having his face cut off?” I’ll admit, at that point, I was kinda stumped to come up with a logical explanation for all of that, especially since so much of who Joker is and his past is kept a mystery. Remember, Zero Year suggested that he WASN’T the leader of the Red Hood Gang, but an impostor that had taken his place after the real one died. And then there’s the cave he had of other Harley Quinns he’d supposedly created prior to turning Harleen Quinzel to his side, all dead. Now, one could assume he was just messing with Harley, and in fact, he very well may have, but what if he wasn’t? What if they were all allies of his throughout his years of tormenting Gotham? Finally, how can someone trump Batman at his own game as often as he has, putting the opponent at a sheer disadvantage due to prior preparation, unless he’s been playing this game far longer than him?

This narration has been brought to you by Crazy Quilt, who got a MUCH appreciated revamp for this story.

 

So, here’s what I’m thinking has happened: Either Scott Snyder has finally explained how it’s possible for Joker to have survived all he has in his career as a Batman villain, OR has created a reasonable enough conclusion for people to come to before throwing the rug out from under them. Either way, though, when I realized he’d done one of these two things, I was torn between my admiration of his brilliance and my need to punch the beautiful bastard. lol And for that matter, I love what else he’s done, in involving Bruce’s uncle’s associates, having this story be a sequel to Death of the Family, and having Bruce finally decide to get his answers on whether Joker is immortal or not from, of all people, the Court of Owls. This is taking everything he and Greg Capullo have done in their time on the book and bringing it all together for one big climax. And the bizarre thing is, it’s not even the end! They’re still on-board for the book post-Convergence, which I keep hearing is supposed to get insane with how things change for Batman afterward. If THIS isn’t the part where things get crazy, then I gotta see what the hell those evil geniuses have in mind for post-Convergence.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on Batman #38. Lemme know your own theories on what’s happening with Joker in the comments below, and we’ll see how things turn out as Endgame winds down to a close over the next couple of months. Ja né!

Early Preview of Next DCIU Fanfic: Teen Titans Infinite

When there’s trouble, do you know who to call? Yep, once Justice League Infinite is finished (which recently had its fourth chapter uploaded), I plan to do a fan fic for Teen Titans set in the DC Infinite Universe that I created. Each member of the Titans will also function as sidekicks/partners to the members of the Justice League, much like how the original team was, and will also be getting training from the League, kind of like in the Young Justice cartoon. So, who are the members? Let’s take a look.

Mia, AKA Supergirl

As I’ve already mentioned, Supergirl’s design was created by Magnacide from DeviantArt. As such, I’ve decided to get permission to use designs from Deviant Artists for two more, which I’ll get to in a bit. Regarding Supergirl, though, she is roughly based on Cir-El, but with more than a few differences to both simplify her back-story and make her different in this universe. Specifically, her name is just Mia, and the terms by which she became a Human/Kryptonian hybrid will be explained soon enough. Her power levels are more akin to Superboy’s, as she’s clearly a level below Superman, but still incredibly powerful and a quick learner with her powers.

Garfield Logan, AKA Beast Boy

Garfield’s back-story will be slightly adjusted in that, instead of being found by the Doom Patrol, he was found by Poison Ivy on her travels. This is both so that he can act as a positive influence on her mission that always seems to be at odds with governments that fear and hate her, but also to make a sort of flora/fauna green team. lol Anyway, his design is based on his current appearance in Teen Titans, as drawn by Kenneth Rocafort, although I’m contemplating whether or not to give him the monkey tail he has in Young Justice. I dunno, lemme know if I should do that or not in the comments. As for his personality, he’s a bit less jokey than, say, his more well-known animated counterparts can be, and instead just a very warm, optimistic, caring individual, who has a knack for knowing people’s favourite animals and helping them cheer up when they’re down. Also, HEAVILY considering having him be a romantic interest for a certain little bird to be mentioned later, because I think that’d be ADORABLE.

Kyle Rayner, AKA Blue Lantern

I decided to go with a teenaged Blue Lantern version of Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern’s sidekick. Also, as you can see, his design is also done by a Deviant Artist, this time Jarein. And much like Jarein, my reasoning is simple for why a Blue Lantern: Similar powers as Green Lantern, only not to the same degree, and possessing plenty of side benefits that could assist him. With Kyle, of course, he’s the more artistic and technically sound of the team, able to overcome his power limitations on his own through more creative uses of his constructs.

Bart Garrick, AKA Kid Flash

Roughly based on the Bart Allen version of Kid Flash, with just a touch of Wally West for flavour, Bartholomew Wallace Garrick is Jesse Garrick’s little brother, having taken up the mantle of Kid Flash without her permission when she became The Flash. Jokey, impulsive, and a bit of a show off, he’s nonetheless a good person, and isn’t willing to sit idly by while injustice is being performed. As for his costume, I decided to go with the pre-Flashpoint Kid Flash costume he wore, though I may add red tinted see-through lenses to his mask, like the yellow ones he had as Impulse.

Carrie Kelley, AKA Robin

 

In this universe, Robin is Carrie Kelley, though she carries over several traits from the Ame-Comi universe in that she’s also Jim Gordon’s niece. Once again, I sought out permission from a Deviant Artist for this design, this time Bobkitty23, who gave her a look that combines the Ame-Comi uniform with Dick Grayson’s look in the Young Justice cartoon, which, despite the lack of green, I REALLY like. Plus, y’know, she’s got pants now, so there’s that. lol Anyway, this version of Carrie is a bit more openly resentful of her neglectful, apathetic stoner parents, and while she still talks in slang from time to time, it’s a bit more updated. She also possesses the trademark telescopic staff used by Tim Drake (and later Dick Grayson in several different animated shows), as well as the Stephanie Brown mix-and-matchable Batarangs.

Jackson Hyde, AKA Aqualad

Jackson Hyde in this story is already aware of his true heritage, that of being Black Manta’s estranged son, and while he was initially Aquaman’s partner, he’s recently been studying various mystical arts under Doctor Fate. He’s usually level-headed and confident, able to keep his cool even under the most dire of circumstances, but possesses a terrible grudge against Ocean Master and Circe for the murder of Aquaman. As usual, he wields the Water Bearers, which allow him to focus his hydrokinesis into various forms and weapons, and can channel electricity through his fingers like an eel. For his design, I pretty much just went with the version from the comics, but with the twist that his top has a more orange shade to it, and his leggings have a more teal shade, basically to make him look more like Aquaman.

Donna Troy, AKA Wonder Girl

 

Finally, for Wonder Girl, I decided to create my own design, which you can imagine in your head through the step-by-step guide above. And hey, if anyone wants to take a stab at sketching it, they’re more than welcome to do so. lol Donna will still have a sisterly, almost motherly vibe to her, but at the same time, she’s interested in the outside world away from Themyscira in a way that’s a bit different from Diana, as is reflected in her costume. She’s proud to be Diana’s sister, but, at the same time, wants to create an image for herself outside of just being Wonder Woman’s mirror duplicate as a teenager.

Anyway, that’s it for the sneak peek of Teen Titans. Be sure to check it out when it comes out, and comment below on what you think of the team. Ja né!

What Other Superheroes Should Be Getting TV Shows?

So, with the news breaking that Melissa Benoist has been cast in the lead for CBS’ upcoming Supergirl TV series, as well as news that Vixen is apparently getting an animated web mini-series with ties to Arrow and Flash that could result in a full television series (or Vixen being cast on either show), both of those series being renewed for another season, Agents of SHIELD still doing good, the Marvel Netflix exclusive series coming up, and with Agent Carter apparently doing well right off the bat, it’s becoming clear that more heroes of various walks of life in the DC and Marvel universes are hitting it off well with television audiences. We’re seeing a much greater variety than just Superman, Batman, or Spider-Man for the umpteenth time. People want more and the various networks and companies are giving them what they want.

Having said that, and it brings me joy to be able to say this, there’s STILL a bunch of untapped characters and settings that could be adapted into their own TV shows. Granted, some of these characters have appeared in previous series before, but not on their own. And I’m not gonna get into casting and whatnot either, since everyone’s opinion on that is different. I’m just going to make my cases for each character or characters and let people decide if they agree or disagree with the idea of them getting their own show. So, let’s start off with probably the most logical choice after Supergirl…

#1 – Nightwing

Okay, I’m aware of the fact that there IS apparently a Titans live action series in the works, which would probably involve some incarnation of Dick Grayson, but since I haven’t heard anything about it in a while, I’m just gonna put this here for the heck of it. Like what I hope they do with Supergirl, they should keep Batman out of Nightwing’s story, save for his obvious existence in his back-story. In fact, with that in mind, one thing I would love to see is for CBS to do Nightwing as well and have him cross-over with Supergirl from time to time. As for setting, the obvious choice is Blüdhaven, though in the absence of that, Chicago would also work, as Nightwing has operated out of there as well.

#2 – She-Hulk

I still can’t believe that when selecting the various heroes to be in Marvel’s Netflix series, they didn’t go with She-Hulk. Look at it this way: She’s the Hulk’s cousin, which means more potential use of that character since he apparently doesn’t have his own movie coming up, and she’s also a lawyer, meaning the show would effectively be a superhero show meets a Law & Order-esque series, and you know how well shows like that do. Plus, there’s just the nature of Jennifer and the She-Hulk’s duality and how it works in a way that’s very different from the Hulk’s. Plenty of potential exploration and analysis that can be made there.

#3 – The Justice Society of America

Seeing as how Captain America did so well, how about a show about a whole team of superheroes that operated during World War II? I think I’d want the emphasis placed on the lesser known heroes, excluding the trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman in favour of the likes of Mister Terrific, Wildcat, Black Canary, Sandman, The Atom, Doctor Fate, The Spectre, and Hawkgirl. Also, I’d probably include Alan Scott, but under his Sentinel alias (as to avoid confusing fans more familiar with the Green Lantern Corps), and one of the other speedsters in favour of Jay Garrick (again, to avoid confusing fans of the modern Flashes). And lastly, while she didn’t exist in the comics back then, I’m sure Aquawoman from the New 52 Earth 2 comics would be a welcome addition.

#4 – The World’s Finest, Power Girl and Huntress

Yeah, this would get confusing while Supergirl is on the air, so perhaps an idea best kept on the back-burner until Supergirl’s run was over. Rather than involve the existence of Earth 2, I would just play it straight, with the daughter of Batman and the cousin of Superman having to carve out their own legacies while working as a team. And much like with She-Hulk, I would introduce plenty of court show drama elements with Helena Wayne being a lawyer.

#5 – Spider-Woman (Gwen or Jessica depending)

This one would be tricky, since I’m not sure who owns the rights to Spider-Woman. If she’s owned by Marvel Studios, Jessica Drew would be a welcome series set in the MCU as a former HYDRA agent turned SHIELD. If she’s owned by Sony, it’s Gwen Stacy or bust. Either one would be welcome, honestly. Also, while I said I wouldn’t talk casting, with Spider-Gwen, she’d HAVE to be played by Emma Stone. She IS Gwen Stacy, in my opinion.

#6 – Martian Manhunter

Probably the biggest name in DC Comics right now to NOT be involved in the DC Cinematic Universe, likely because DC and WB are basing that Justice League off of the New 52 version…which is a bad sign right off the bat. It’s not even that I have a problem with Cyborg, either. I love Cyborg. But they’ve kinda been amping him up a bit, whereas Martian Manhunter’s been kinda put down a few pegs. And J’onn could hold a show on his own, as the alien brought to Earth by accident and becoming a private investigator/superhero. And again, I know I said I wouldn’t talk casting, but here, I have to. I’m just gonna say five words and walk away: Morgan Freeman as Martian Manhunter. Goodbye. lol

Anyway, that’s it for the shows I can think of, but what about you? Leave me a comment letting me know which comic book heroes you’d like to see get their own shows, and we’ll see if any of them ever materialize. Ja né!

What Should Infinite Batman’s Costume Be? YOU DECIDE!

So, as anyone who has been reading along with my Justice League Infinite fanfic, you should know that Batman has been wearing a high tech ‘Meta-Buster’ costume, which, on the surface, is a repaint of the Justice League 3000 Batsuit. However, as the most recent chapter that I posted revealed, the suit is actually a plot point: When Starro manages to take control of him, Batman’s Meta-Buster and his knowledge of the heroes’ powers and abilities are turned against the team. As such, the Meta-Buster is NOT Batman’s primary costume in JLI. But then, what is? Well, I HAD a plan going in, but now, looking over the various costumes Batman has worn throughout the years, I find myself doubting the plan. So instead, I decided to bring up a few costumes I think would work great for the DC Infinite Universe’s incarnation of The Dark Knight.

The Batman Incorporated/Earth One Batsuits

 

The reason I post both of these together is because I think I’d want to use a suit that incorporates elements of both, and also leaving out the…*ahem*, ‘Bat-Cup’ that the Batman Incorporated Batsuit had. I do kinda like the idea of the light-up Bat symbol, though. Maybe he could use it like that spot-light Spider-Man used to freak out bad guys with.

The Burtonverse Batsuit

 

The original suit that I had in mind. I think the only changes I’d make would be to very lightly tint it blue (because for some weird reason, blue actually blends into the dark better than black, don’t ask), and to make the belt pouches more rectangular. The cylindrical ones bug me. It makes me wonder how the hell he ever kept anything in them.

The Arkham Knight Batsuit

 

While it makes me wonder how the heck he’s supposed to change into this costume on the fly, I rather like it. The panels actually kind of remind me of the live action Iron Man suits, which I’m assuming is the idea, and is probably what I’d go with as well in using it.

The Zero Year Costume

I just love how this suit pays great homage to the original Batsuit. The only thing I’d probably change is to remove the weird line patterns going down the sides. I have no idea what the hell those were for.

The New 52 Costume

Basic and badass. That said, because his Robin is Carrie Kelley, I’d probably change the Bat symbol to look more like the one from The Dark Knight Returns, just for the heck of it.

Anyway, that’s it for some of the ones I could think of. Which do you think would look best for the Infinite Dark Knight’s Batsuit? Perhaps a mixture of the bunch, or a completely different one I didn’t mention? Lemme know in the comments below which you think I should go with, and we’ll see what happens. Ja né!

Jyger’s Favourite 10?! – 10 Most Badass Red Rangers

I was recently having a conversation with my friend Sam about badasses in Power Rangers, when we eventually came upon the topic of who the most badass Red Ranger of all time is. I couldn’t really decide that, though, because in over two decades of Power Rangers, it’s usually a constant that the Red Ranger is a badass. Even the most unlikable of those that have worn the colour red have had plenty of badass moments. Nick, for all his belly aching, was still willing to charge The Master alone, and Mack, despite quitting with the other Overdrive Rangers in Once A Ranger, was willing on multiple occasions to sacrifice himself to save the world. Even Red Rangers that didn’t lead their respective teams, like Rocky, still had plenty of memorable moments where they put it all on the line to stop evil. So, with all of that in mind, I’m gonna try and determine who the 10 most badass Red Rangers are in all of Power Rangers. Before I do, though, here’re some ground rules…

1. Power Rangers ONLY, no Super Sentai entries. Main reason is because it makes the possible candidates even longer than it already is. In Power Rangers alone, there’s been like 30+ individuals that have worn Red or a variation of it, maybe even closer to 50 when you consider that the Samurai Rangers were a generational team.
2. Only one per team. In other words, if I, for example, picked one of the SPD Red Rangers, I can’t choose another.
3. No evil Rangers. Nothing against them, it’s just, when one generally thinks of badass Power Rangers, we usually think of them in terms of what they’re willing and able to do against the forces of evil.
4. The choices have to be made based on their credentials as Red Rangers, not any other powers they’ve had. As such, and I KNOW I’m gonna get a bunch of comments for this, Tommy is NOT on this list. Reason being, in having watched every episode of Power Rangers that Tommy was a participant in, his more badass moments happened when he was the Green or White Ranger, or even just as himself, plain Tommy Oliver, without his powers. Nothing against his tenure as the Red Ranger, he pulled off the role with the level of competence expected of him, just that in terms of those sheer “OMG, that was frigging awesome!” moments, they’re lacking when compared to other things he’s done.
5. The powers have to actually be THEIRS. In other words, as much as I’d like to include more potential female candidates, Gia and Emma assuming Legendary Red Ranger Mode doesn’t count toward this list.

And as always, remember that this is all opinion based, so don’t freak out if my opinion is different from yours. Anyway, with all of that out of the way, I suppose we might as well start off with the archetype and standard bearer of the badass Red Ranger…

#1 – Jason Lee Scott, the Red Mighty Morphin Ranger

There’s this constant argument over who was the more badass Ranger: Jason or Tommy. In fact, it’s an argument that spills out into real life, with people debating Austin St. John vs Jason David Frank. However, while I refuse to comment on that and thus get it started here, I will say that, much like how Tommy’s more badass moments occurred when he wasn’t the Red Ranger, Jason was probably a bigger badass when he WAS the Red Ranger, as opposed to, say, when he was the Gold Ranger in Zeo. When the Rangers lose their confidence after being subjected to horrific nightmares from Goldar, he still finds it in him to stop Goldar’s plot. He manages to fight off Goldar and Tommy as the evil Green Ranger when trapped on his own and without his powers long enough for the others to find him. He defeats a monster by himself when the Rangers have been kidnapped, and then goes to rescue them before their powers are taken. He defeated Tommy in battle and freed him of Rita’s control. He took Cardiatron out. And there’s just his opening line to the General Venjix in Forever Red: “You know, if you miss King Mondo that much, I promise we can help you join him.” In the end, all you can say about Jason is that he is a consummate badass, strong in mind, body, and spirit, and is able to stand up to any threat, no matter how imposing…Actually, here’s food for thought: In today’s day and age with Power Rangers, MMPR Season 1 probably would’ve ended with Jason fighting Rita while she’s in some powered-up form. Imagine THAT ending. lol

#2 – Carter Grayson, the Red Lightspeed Ranger

What else can I say about a guy that tried to run down a monster with a hummer, held off two giant monsters with just his side-arms, blew up a monster at point-blank range, charged through deadly energy blasts to punch a monster in the chest, and whose trademark response to a monster terrifying people was to pull his blasters and shoot ’em down?…Well, not much, other than to say that I’m pretty sure his theme song is Move Bitch by Ludacris. lol Add in the fact that he is both an action hero and a rescuer, more concerned with the protection of people than the kicking of ass, and you’ve got more than enough reason for Carter to be one of my all-time favourites.

#3 – Eric Myers, the Quantum Ranger

This was REALLY hard to determine, given his competition on his team, but ultimately, I decided to go with Eric. The first sixth Ranger to wear the colour Red while being sixth, he’s just a really ballsy, hard-assed SOB that will plough down anyone who gets in his way. And of course the Q-Rex is sheer metal awesome, too. For those that have never seen it, it’s a giant robotic t-rex with a pair of cannons strapped to its back, and can also turn into a warrior mode just for funsies. But, if nothing else, you gotta look at his Mega Battle armour and think, really, how many people can you think of who look badass while wearing ROLLER-BLADES? With that said, I DO feel bad leaving Wes outta this, because he had his awesome moments on the show. One thing I’m actually kinda upset about is that we don’t see his final stand from the timeline where he didn’t make it. Why? Because according to that, he managed to take every single one of the bad guys with him! Hot damn, that’s a hell of a way to go out!

#4 – Leo Corbett, the Red Galaxy Ranger

………………Just show it.

 

Oh yeah, and he also had that fight to the death with Trakeena that ended with him blasting her at point-blank range with his Battlizer set to full power, and…My God, I could make breakfast on those abs…………………………………………*slaps myself* NEXT!

#5 – Lauren Shiba, the Red Samurai Ranger

Okay, I MAY be a bit biased in this pic given my general favoritism and desire to see a girl on this list, but let’s be fair, she DID manage to destroy a giant monster that had taken down the Claw Armour Megazord with just ONE Zord. Right from the get-go, she’s shown to be someone with skill on par or greater than Jayden’s. Plus, anyone that can take the long-since dead running gag about how Mia can’t cook and make it funny again is plenty awesome in my book. Really, the only reason Jayden might rank higher with some people is because he was around longer. I guarantee that if Lauren had been on the show from the beginning that we would’ve gotten plenty more awesome moments from her. But, I suppose I should give credit where it’s due and bring up some of Jayden’s more awesome moments, particularly his deadly duels with Deker, where he showed he was a force the likes of which only a few other Rangers could compare with.

#6 – Mackenzie “Mack” Hartford, the Red Overdrive Ranger

Looking back, I’ve realized that Mack really deserved to be on a better season with a better team. The potential of his character, being an artificial lifeform raised to believe he was human, could’ve been explored a bit more, and he wouldn’t have to be remembered as the Red Ranger on the worst season of Power Rangers. Also, while he DID quit with the others in Once A Ranger, he made it clear he wasn’t going anywhere, and I DO believe he would’ve at least tried to help out around the mansion and their base however he could. Then there’s his credentials as a badass, and he does have plenty. Ignoring probably the more infamous (and complete bullshit) of those moments, when he chopped a giant monster in half unmorphed, there’s the aforementioned moments where he was willing to die to stop evil, like when he was gonna blow himself and the Fearcats up, or when he went to the volcano alone to fight Moltor and retake the crown, or when he used every last bit of his power to destroy Flurious. Granted, one can argue that he did these things seeing himself as disposable with nothing to lose, but there’s still something to be said for his passion and relentlessness in the face of evil.

#7 – Cole Evans, the Red Wild Force Ranger

Yes, I like Wild Force. Leave me alone. lol And I like Cole Evans. Yes, his character was a ham and cheese sandwich, but he was still likable, and Goddamn if he couldn’t kick some serious ass. He was also capable of brushing off some pretty epic beatings, too. Just look at his fights with Master Org. These two lay the most epic of beat-downs on each other. He even took the team’s combined weapon, the Jungle Sword, and Savage Slashed the heck out of Zen Aku over and over on his own. AWESOME. And of course, there’s the infamous moment where he destroyed Serpentara with a frigging motorcycle. Although, looking back on it, you wanna know what annoys me more than that? The fact that, after doing so, he only ever uses said motorcycle for transportation. He has a War Zord slaughtering motorcycle, and he never uses it when, say, Master Org was killing the Wild Zords??? C’mon, given his character, you don’t think he’d summon that thing and go straight for Master Org’s head? That woulda been awesome! Oh well, Cole still had plenty of sweet moments, which make it all the easier to look past his cheesy dialogue.

#8 – Scott Truman, the Red RPM Ranger

It’s admittedly hard to stand out as a badass on a team FULL of them. For example, take Scott, RPM’s Ranger Series Operator Red and leader of the team. His whole team is one big pack of badasses. Even Ziggy, the clown of the team, has his fair share of moments where he’s walking awesome. So how do you stand out on a team like that? Answer: You be Scott. Everything he does exemplifies his awesomeness. He owns the room when he’s in it. He has mastered the art of being an action hero, where in his own words, “When it comes to talking, less is more”. And despite being from a completely different dimension than the mainstream PR universe, he’s clearly read from the Carter Grayson book of badass, in that if necessary, he can and has charged giant opponents with nothing but his weapons. To quote Jim Ross in talking about Shawn Michaels, Scott is “like a pitbulldog, he doesn’t know how big or how little he really is… he doesn’t really give a damn”. And everything he does just has this element of cool and charm to it, unless story-wise he’s specifically SUPPOSED to be shaken or vulnerable. He’s like the Will Smith of Power Rangers. How can you not like him?

#9 – Casey Rhodes, the Red Jungle Fury Ranger

Again, a tough crowd of Rangers to stand out from. Hell, one of the Jungle Fury Rangers is a blind warrior. Still, while he started off Jungle Fury as the new guy that was unsure of himself and made mistakes aplenty, Casey quickly grew into a kickass fighting machine. Even the big bad of the series, Dai Shi, found himself on the receiving side of a most righteous of beat-downs from Casey on more than one occasion, though the best was near the end of the season: Casey just walks through a squad of Rin Shi without much effort or thought put into it, and then proceeds to have a brawl with Dai Shi that trashes the villain’s lair. He’s also willing to put his life on the line to prove that Jarrod could overcome Dai Shi’s influence, turning his back on him and telling him to destroy him. He even dispenses of the standard Battlizer armour and instead gets smaller armour components meant to work with a kick-ass motorcycle that literally steams through opponents. Yes, Camille, Red IS the tough one. 🙂

#10 – Andros ‘Aliens Don’t Have Last Names’, the Red Space Ranger

HE SAVED THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE! Case dismissed! And even beyond that, just look at Andros’ first appearance, where he managed to infiltrate the meeting of the United Alliance of Evil. Not only does he manage to do so and get away while confronted with the biggest bads in Power Ranger’s history at the time, one thing I take considerable note of: He knocked Lord Zedd on his ass……..I will repeat that. Lord Zedd, one of the most feared enemies of the Power Rangers, the villain that tossed even Tommy around like a ragdoll and was only forced to retreat due to a stalemate in the fight, got KNOCKED ON HIS ASS by Andros. Anyone that can do that is a badass in my book. It kinda makes you wonder how quickly situations on Earth would’ve been dealt with if Andros was on Earth from the beginning. My guess is that, after Green With Evil, Andros would’ve been like “Nope, not going through this again, I’m taking my badass spaceship/Megazord to the moon and hacking that palace in half”.

Anyway, that’s my list. Who are some of your favourite badasses in Power Rangers? Leave a comment below, and we’ll see if the Red Dino Charge Ranger can live up to the legacy of the Red Ranger in February. Ja né!

Early Preview of Justice League Infinite Chapter 4

Well, it’s that time again! Here’s an early preview of chapter 4 of my fanfic, Justice League Infinite. This one’s a bit smaller, but I kinda felt like showing it off anyway, just for the heck of it, as we see Superman having to deal with Starro in the depths of space.

…I could’ve been tilling the fields, Calvin thought. I could’ve been writing in my blog. I could’ve gone with Loana to a charity event. Hell, I could’ve built an extension to the barn, installed a Jacuzzi in the house, plucked any of the vegetables ready for plucking, and still have time to do anything else I felt like doing in the span of a day. Instead, I’m in outer space, fighting a giant starfish monster, and hoping I don’t get blown up by a ship that’s about to go nuclear!

Darting to his left, Superman evaded a massive tentacle being swung in his direction, albeit barely. With just he and Green Lantern dealing with Starro now, it was becoming even harder to try and keep him at bay. And it most certainly wasn’t helping that his mind was distracted, thinking of the bomb in the shuttle, the one he’d hoped wouldn’t be used.

Guess Bruce gets to tell me he told me so, Calvin concluded, blocking a swing from Starro and punching his tentacle away. Assuming we live through this…

“Superman, I’m running low on juice!” Green Lantern warned, smacking Starro away with a giant green boxing glove on a sling. “I need to recharge!”

“Get back to the ship!” Superman yelled. “I’ll hold him off!”

“Alone?!” Simon demanded. “Even for you, that’s suicide!”

“Just GO!” Cal bellowed, grabbing hold of one of Starro’s tentacles and swinging him away.

Gritting his teeth hard, Simon nodded, returning to the shuttle. With him gone, Superman found himself squaring off against Starro alone, the creature eyeing him like a piece of meat. The Man of Steel neither flinched nor sweated, balling up as he prepared for battle. Clearly, this was the most powerful foe he’d met up until now, and while that should’ve scared him a little bit, it also made him realize something that made him grin a bit in spite of himself: This was the first fight he’d ever been in where he wouldn’t have to hold back.

“…Alright, big guy, let’s dance!” Superman yelled, charging in with a fist raised.

…Yes, I had the ‘world of cardboard’ speech running through my head while writing that second to last paragraph. So sue me. 😛 Anyway, leave a comment on what you think of the story so far, and be sure to check out chapter 4 when it’s completed. Ja né!

Jyger’s Rant 500th Blog Entry – Bible Black (WARNING – MATURE SUBJECT MATTER AHEAD)

WARNING! The following article is a general review of the plot of a hentai series (Japanese animated pornography), that also deals in controversial and disturbing adult subject matter. While there will be no pornographic images posted, the story includes moments of rape, ritual sacrifice, and forms of torture, none of which the writer of this blog personally endorses. Reader discretion is heavily advised.

…So, here we are. 500 articles, ranging from Pokémon, wrestling, various anime and video games, comic books, movies, and other forms of nerdom. However, one thing I’ve been kinda trying to avoid delving into is hentai…I know, I’ve been very careful about that (and to kinda spoil my own joke, if you looked up the uncensored pics from that last link, you’d know she’s not actually naked in any of them, tee hee). However, given the number of times people keep coming to this blog looking for porn, I figured, what the hell, I’ll get it out of my system and milk it for everything it’s worth. LOL

Now, I should clarify a few things before we get started with this ‘review’, a term I use loosely.

1. There will be no images with any kind of nudity present. I’m being extremely careful not to show any of that.
2. I’m not gonna be talking about the games, or any of the sequel seasons/series, just the original six episodes.
3. I’m probably gonna be skipping over a few details here and there, as to present a GENERAL synopsis of the plot, providing one paragraph per episode. However, after the synopsis, I will be going over my general thoughts on the story, so some details may be saved for then.
4. I cannot and will not provide links on where to find the series. That said, it probably wouldn’t take much effort to find it on your own.
5. YES, despite my proclamations of not watching and enjoying porn, I HAVE watched this series before. As such, I suppose I should probably define and specify my terms when I talk about porn: Specifically, I don’t watch live-action pornography. I do, however, read adult fanfiction (and have tried my own hand at writing some), I have watched movies with sex scenes (I typically blame Basic Instinct for my warped little mind, lol), and again, I have watched this series on a couple of occasions (and have had to watch it again for this review). So why don’t I watch porn? Honestly, it’s got nothing to do with any kind of moral standing or feminist views. Hell, as College Humor once pointed out, girls watch porn too. Really, it’s more of a personal issue: When I’m watching something that has sex in it, it kinda has to serve a point. I can’t just watch two people screw for the sake of screwing. There has to be a story involved. And yes, I know there are some porns that have plots…it’s just they’re usually REALLY bad. Don’t believe me? Ask Brad Jones. lol

So, after all that, I’m sure the most obvious question on everyone’s mind is “Does Jyger like Bible Black?”. Well, that’s the question I’m gonna try to answer when this is over. First, let’s take a look at the story, and save my overall thoughts on it afterward. So, for those that can hang onto their sanity throughout this review, let’s go ahead and dive into Bible Black…

The first episode opens with pretty much what this entire series is known for: Religious symbolism, occult rituals, and a shit-ton of nudity, as a girl is used as a sacrifice by a group of women in dark robes. The leader stabs a sword that’s so obviously supposed to look like a cross into the girl (because SYMBOLISM), and the screen fades to white. We then cut to a high school drama series already in progress, with pretty much the exact stereotypes of the boy and girl who are longtime friends and obviously crushing on each other, except that the boy, Taki Minase, has a book hidden in his desk that he won’t tell the girl, Kurumi Imari, about. He’s also apparently been practicing making some sort of magic charms, despite his apparent disbelief in magic. However, something otherworldly DOES seem to be at work, since not only do these charms seem to make the people they’re made for want to have sex uncontrollably (including president of the student council, Rika Shiraki, who is now madly in love with Minase), but the school nurse, who can use some strange ability to grow male genitalia, seems to be seducing the girls in the school in her search for a virgin. All of this is noticed by Kaori Saeki, who has a keen interest and talent in black magic, who seduces Minase into giving up information on the book: That he found it in the same room that the ritual from the opener was performed in.

“Once people begin using magic, they can never again escape temptation. You just have to obey me. I’ll show you how wonderful the darkness is…”

Episode two opens with Minase hitting Saeki HARD (what a nice man) when her interest in the book becomes more clear, leading her to warning him that he’s likely being possessed by a demon. He finds that his cousin, Yukiko (who he calls ‘sister’ for some weird reason, I don’t get it), is out, but little does he know that she also asked Imari to come over later to cook for him. Unfortunately, Shiraki comes by, still obviously under the love spell, and Imari ends up walking in on the two having sex. The next day, Minase tries to explain that Shiraki’s feelings for him aren’t real, but she doesn’t believe it, thinking he’s rejecting her for Imari, and jumps off the roof of the school…and lives…I honestly don’t know how. I think it’s suggested that the fall was cushioned with magic or something, but I’m not sure. Anyway, this is enough for Minase to decide to quit magic, despite Saeki asking him to join the new magic club. However, when he goes to the room in the school basement where he found the book, probably planning to return it, he’s intercepted by the school nurse, Reika Kitami. She tells him about the book, Bible Black, and what happened on Walpurgis Night twelve years ago, that she was the girl who was to be sacrificed, but survived by making a contract with the devil. She also tells him that once people start to use magic, it’s impossible to give up the temptation, and thus seduces him with her powers (and a good ol’ heaping of sex) to join her. After Minase uses these powers on his cousin to make her unable to control her sexual urges (ah, that’s why he calls her sister: Because incest with one’s cousin wasn’t creepy enough), he and Kitami go to do the same to Saeki and the magic club, bringing them over to their side. The next day, Minase’s art teacher, Hiroko Takashiro, confronts him, seeming to know that something is very wrong, but is knocked out by Saeki. That night, Minase tries to call out to Imari for help away from this path, but she shuts him out, and thus he continues into darkness.

During episode three, we learn more about the botched ritual from twelve years ago. I’ll summarize for ya: The ritual required Kitami to be a virgin, but the men that the head of the cult (now revealed to be the school’s old magic club) left her with raped her. The leader, who had already been on a downward spiral into bonkersville, completely lost it, and decided they needed more blood, murdering the other members, and thus turning her back on Kitami, who killed her. The devil then gave his offer to preserve her life, but clearly, these events took the once kind and gentle Reika and turned her into a demon of her own sort, as she proceeds to torture and violate Takashiro, who she believes (correctly) is a survivor of the magic club. Shiraki is also brought into the fold, but during an orgy the next day in the art room, Imari finally comes back to school and walks in on it, horrified by what she sees. Kitami has her taken prisoner, but not before she slaps Minase across the face during an attempted spell. Kitami later has Minase held by thugs, believing he’s hiding something, and it’s revealed that he had Takashiro moved to his apartment in secret, away from Kitami’s clutches. However, it seems that Kitami has something more valuable to her: Her new captive, Imari.

Episode four spells out why Kitami needs a virgin: Apparently, her contract with the devil is running out (musta been the fine print. They ALWAYS get ya with that), and she needs to transplant her soul into a virgin’s body in order to trick him and continue walking among the living. However, it seems that slap to Minase knocked some sense into him, as seeing Imari being violated (not vaginally, mind you, as that would ruin Kitami’s plans) makes it clear to him that he needs to save her. Unfortunately, he’s powerless against Kitami and is tossed out of the group, all while warned not to interfere. Back at his apartment, Takashiro tells him that the ritual will take place tomorrow, on Walpurgis Night, but it seems the aphrodisiac pills are still in affect, so she has Minase ‘relieve her’. I’ll get more into that later.

This woman has two modes in the entire series: She’s either a badass, or a helpless damsel getting raped. There’s no middle of the road. It’s BIZARRE.

In episode five, Minase goes running back to save Imari, but finds that they’ve all left, save for Shiraki. In a jealous rage, she stabs Minase, then begins to rape his slowly dying body, only for Takashiro to come save his stupid ass. It’s revealed that only something called the Forbidden Spell can stop the ritual. However, as shown in flashbacks during episode three, when one of the magic club was going to use it to stop their leader, she was murdered and her blood spilled onto the pages with the spell on it (I’ll ignore that this somehow doesn’t ruin the whole book, since magic and shit). So, Minase and Takashiro decide to try and use the latter’s memories and some translations to try and recall the spell. As such, they go to interrupt the spell, but it seems that Kitami was prepared for this. She begins to show Minase images of her men assaulting Yukiko and Shiraki, with orders to kill them after they’re done with them, but Minase tries to press on despite the horrific images, all while Kitami continues her own spell…

…Gosh, I wonder where I’ve seen THIS before? lol

As episode six opens, Kitami seems to take Imari’s virginity, but despite the images of his cousin and Shiraki being violated (and Takashiro being captured and raped, because that’s what she does when she isn’t saving Minase herself), Minase finishes the Forbidden Spell, and it seems to work, stopping the ritual and banishing Kitami’s soul to Hell. Afterward, everything seems to go back to normal, as the magic club have their memories erased of the events, and the police believe that Kitami committed suicide. Minase and Imari hook up and have sex (which can’t even avoid having kink involved for what is SUPPOSEDLY the most romantic of the encounters in this entire series, which I’ll get to later), after which Imari muses over some memories of Kitami’s that found their way into her head, the two realizing that Kitami was, in the end, just another victim. However, as the episode draws to a close with Saeki finding Bible Black in the school basement, before it was supposed to be sealed, she’s confronted by Imari, who burns the book in blue flame and proceeds to rape Saeki as the horrible truth is revealed: The Forbidden Spell failed, and while it’s clear that there’s still some of Imari in her, Kitami’s soul was transplanted into Imari, who proceeds to enjoy the benefits of her new body.

“Imari…If I see your face…If I hear your voice…I feel like I can turn back.”

So, let’s talk for a second about what is easily my least favourite element of this story. No, not the rape and various forms of exploitation, since at least this series (and the game it’s based off of) knows what it is and sticks to that. No, my least favourite part of the story is the protagonist, Minase. I HATE this guy. He knew, whether he wanted to admit it or not, that Shiraki was under a love spell, and had sex with her anyway. It was suggested by Saeki that he was under the influence of a demon, but that didn’t actually happen until after he had sex with Kitami, when she bestowed the lesser demon Rasha onto him. However, we see moments when he COULD very easily resist it. He only ever strays from the path of evil when Imari gets involved, and even then has to be thrown out of the group rather than leave it, and even then, he ‘relieves’ Takashiro when she’s under the influence of drugs, AKA he TOOK ADVANTAGE OF HER. Now, I think part of the problem is that Minase is based on the player character from the video game, and in the video game, his morality and the choices he makes are up to the player. As such, since this is an adaptation, several of his decisions are from different points in the game based on different paths the player takes. However, when put together, they don’t add up well to make a good protagonist, and he instead comes off as confused, bland, and unable to control his hormones, even in the face of evil. And, yeah, I know, he’s a teenager, clearly at the point where your hormones are raging the most, but it’s just taken to a level that I find horribly unlikable.

“That’s right, I’m crazy. But the entire world is crazy. People just don’t want to admit it. Take a look at our world. Genocides, science out of control, corruption as a way of life. God has forsaken us. Humanity ignores the Ten Commandments, and continues to commit mortal sin after mortal sin. Ruled by a bunch of hypocrites, this world is filled with sin. And in a world like this, we’re the only ones who fit in perfectly. This world needs people like me.”

Conversely, Reika Kitami is a horrifying villain in all of the best ways, both in what she does and what she’s become in comparison to who she was originally (see Bible Black Origins for more on that). She shows how we could all be turned into monsters if we allow ourselves, and serves as a great cautionary tale. But, as I’ve mentioned before, the most horrifying aspect of her character is how she makes people want her, that they know she’s bad news and still get drawn in by lust for her body and/or power. And just the fact that she believes she has to be this way because it’s the ultimate resolution of a person in this day and age accepting the truth of who they are in the world they live in is just nuts and terrifying. It’s kinda like the Joker, when he said he wasn’t a monster, just ahead of the curve, except that she believes that we’re all inevitably monsters. And just like all good horror villains, just when you think she’s gone forever, she comes back with a vengeance.

“It’s fun watching people suffer over and over again. A face filled with pain, a face filled with pleasure…They all turn me on in different ways.”

But let’s get right down to the controversy of the story: All the rape. Because let’s be honest, it’s not that this series has a ton of sex in it that makes it truly controversial. It’s not even really all the religious symbolism, or at least not to me anyway, since it DOES paint for some truly horrific villains. No, the problem is that pretty much every single sex scene in this series can be seen as a form of rape. The people involved are almost always pressured, drugged, or magically influenced into having sex every time. The only person I can think of who had any kind of sexual act performed on and didn’t resist was Minase, albeit he did a couple of times after he started to ‘break away’ from Kitami. He’s even a perpetrator of said sexual violence, even when he ISN’T possessed. And again, he’s supposed to be our main protagonist. With that said, though, even he becomes a victim once or twice. Hell, when Minase and Imari are having sex in the last episode, that can be seen as sex under false pretenses if it turns out Kitami was in the driver’s seat at the time (it’s honestly a little hard to tell, though). With that said, one can at least make the argument that the sexual violence is kept gender equal, since it DOES happen to him…except that he’s the ONLY guy it happens to, other than one guy under a love spell. In fact, aside from him, Minase’s the only guy that plays a part in the narrative. And frankly, the men in the other series don’t exactly do much better…Anyway, moving on…

As for the religious symbolism present, and all the occultism at work, the rituals, and so on, do I find this story blasphemous? Well, first off, I should explain that I’m not the most committed Christian around. While I believe in God, I do have a lot of questions, concerns, and even disagreements with certain aspects of my religion. But even if I didn’t, the satanic rituals are presented as being just that. These ARE the bad guys doing these horrible acts, so if you’re offended by what they do, it’s only because you’re supposed to be. If anything, I’m more concerned that people who do read about magic, belong to magic clubs, and so on may feel horribly misrepresented as evil sadists who like to lure people in with drugs and magic, violate them into wanting to join their cause, and commit virgin sacrifices to talk to demons. And frankly, I feel like the cautionary tale of being overcome by the desire to do magic was done better in Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

So, that ultimately brings me to the question of if I like this series, to which I respond……hard to say? As I said, the biggest problems are the mass amount of sexual violence toward women and the fact that our protagonist is more than a little bit defective. If the sex involved in the story wasn’t pretty much 99.9% non con, I’d probably enjoy that aspect a lot better. Really, what I enjoy are some of the more frightening moments, and some questions it raises. What WOULD the average person do in this situation? How would they react and respond? It’s easy to judge how these people do so negatively when we’re not actively in the story, but what if we were? How easy would it be, if we were in Reika’s position, or Minase’s position, to do as they did? Maybe a story like this needs to exist, so we can look at these horrible acts and find ways out of their predicaments that they didn’t, so we can say that we can avoid falling into the same traps of darkness and evil…….Or, maybe it’s just shameless smut trying to pass itself off as something more meaningful. Either way, though, it clearly has found success in that, and whether I agree with its content or not, I can’t argue that it’s left an impact. You just have to judge for yourself which you think it is, and if you like it, that’s okay, as long as you see the acts perpetrated in this story for what they are and don’t practice them yourself.

I’ll get you next time, Jyger…Next time…!

 

Anyway, whether you agree with my views or not, I wanna thank you for reading my 500th article on Jyger’s Rant. Leave a comment below, and hopefully, I’ll see you all again for my 1000th. Ja né, and let’s all try to be better people than Minase…who, thank GOD, wasn’t in the sequel. lol

How Would I Do A Homebrewed Pokémon Game? (Or Just A New Pokémon Game In General) + What Am I Gonna Do For Blog Post #500?

So, I’ve been watching along with so many others as Linkara plays the homebrewed Pokémon game, Pokémon Omicron. It was made on an RPG Maker (and speaking as someone who used to have one, I can tell you that’s damned impressive), and while it’s still technically incomplete, it apparently has about 80 hours of playtime to it, and only requires some post main game content to be finished. As such, I decided to pick it up myself, and have been rather enjoying the game. It has the occasional visual bug, and the story suffers from some emotional whiplash at times since it tries to be like other Pokémon games while injecting darker content, but it’s good nonetheless. And, while I personally chose not to use this, the game also comes complete with special options for Nuzlocke Challenges. So, if you ever wanna pick it or its other version, Pokémon Zeta, up and play, by all means, click the image below and check it out.

As a result, I started thinking: How would I do a homebrewed Pokémon game? Now, keep in mind this is all hypothetical, I could NEVER do this game by myself. That said, if you like some of the ideas I post, feel free to use ’em, though try to at least give credit where it’s due, eh? lol Anyway, let’s start with…well, the start.

#1 – Different Starters

 

While I like the idea the creators of Zeta and Omicron had, having three different Pokémon from the norm be available as starters and changing the methods and levels required for evolution, I gotta say, I don’t see the point then to have them be the standard Grass/Fire/Water choices. Personally, I would go with one of two things: Either have the player choose between Magby or Elekid (and by the way, Magby already IS the Fire-type Starter in Zeta & Omicron), or have them start off with Eevee, and incorporate the shards from Pokémon XD (with a few others to account for the newer evolutions) to allow the player to have whatever type they want as their starter, and your rival just gets something strong against it as one of their strongest Pokémon.

#2 – The Rival

First off, I’d have the rival’s gender as something the player can choose. Second, I’d go back to basics and have the rival be your final opponent at the Pokémon League. And that’s not me saying I dislike what Zeta & Omicron went with, by having the player’s mom be the champion, since I LOVE it when the mom does awesome stuff. This is just what I personally would do. And finally, I’d have them be encounterable at least once per town. Maybe not in a battle, but that you at least bump into them in every town, and there’s always this feeling like they’re one step ahead of you.

#3 – The Gyms

I dunno if many people do this anyway, I know I do, but I’d make all Gym Leader Battles so that you HAVE to use a set number of Pokémon, namely the same number as the Gym Leader. It just makes things more challenging for the player, and let’s face it, a bit more fair. The Elite Four is fine, though, since part of the point is being able to survive all four without being able to go back to a Pokémon Centre. Also, I’d make a fugging DARK-TYPE GYM. I cannot stress this enough, people. In fact, I’d make it the first Gym, since only one of the Eeveelutions has a specific type advantage to Dark. Likewise, I think I’d make the last Gym Rock-type, and have the Gym Leader use fossil Pokémon.

#4 – NO FREEBIES

One thing that has driven me crazy as of late about the newer games is just how easy they are because of stuff that’s given away without having to be earned. I’m sorry, but back in the day, wasn’t like that. As such, while I’d be fine with including items like the Lucky Egg and Exp. Share, I’d make them items you need to earn, either via catching a certain number of Pokémon, gaining a certain number of badges, or just accomplishing side-missions.

#5 – The Evil Organization

As for the evil team, we’ve had the thieves, the eco-terrorists, the psychos out to destroy the world, a group of PETA wannabes, and a group wanting to forcefully remake the world. I think I’d want a team that’s focused on trying to make Pokémon feral, believing that humans tame them from being the wild creatures that they believe they’re meant to be. Rather than specialize in types, though, like many teams in the past (there HAS been an overuse of Normal, Dark, and Poison by evil teams), they’d focus primarily on Pokémon from the Monster and Dragon Egg Groups.

Anyway, that’s all I can think of at the moment. Thanks for checking this out, feel free to leave a comment, and let’s see what new kinds of homebrews are made in the future. Ja n-……………..Say, it seems this was the 499th blog entry, meaning the next one makes 500. Wow, time sure flies. So what can I possibly do for such a huge milestone in my blog’s history…?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…………….Okay, what the hell. Let’s review Bible Black.

I knew you’d eventually see things my way…

Justice League Infinite fanfic Updates – A Look At Starro, Supergirl’s Look, And More

So, it’s been a little while since I posted on here. Sorry about that, but the holidays were a touch hectic, and I think I caught a flu bug of some sort. But whatever, right before I got sick, I posted chapter 3 of Justice League Infinite. Once again, if you wanna read the story, click the image below:

Now, with that said, let’s talk about the antagonist for this story: Starro the Conqueror.

Visually, the biggest difference to Starro from his comic book counterpart is that he’s green, not purple, as he’s normally coloured (though I believe he WAS coloured green on one occasion, as evidenced by the above image). As in the comics, he’s near-invulnerable, able to take punches from Superman and keep trucking, and he can absorb energy attacks (or, in my fic’s case, electricity) and launch it back out in an energy burst. But the biggest difference is how he controls his opponents: Instead of creating drones or the like to latch onto foes and mentally dominate them, he operates a bit closer to the Borg or The Thing (The Thing From Another World, not The Thing from the Fantastic Four, lol), assimilating other beings into becoming more like himself, at which point he’s able to use his telepathy to control them directly, or merely give them direction, and is able to freely access their knowledge and memories. Even the Lasso of Truth, which forces whoever is bound in it to reveal their true natures and can free people from mind control, is only a temporary means of stopping him, as his cells remain in the body and will continue to try and turn you and everything you are into an extension of him.

But most of this information is stuff you already know if you’ve read chapter 3 of JLI. Let’s talk about future characters for a second. As you know, I’m planning to do Teen Titans after Justice League. One of the members of the team is Supergirl, one loosely based on the character of Cir-El. However, instead of using her usual attire from the comics, I decided to go outside the box and get permission from a deviantArtist, Magnacide, to use their own interpretation of the character’s costume, as seen below:

So yeah, if you like that design, feel free to click the image and like it, and check out some more of Magnacide’s work. And speaking of checking out other people’s work, there is currently another fic being written in the DC Infinite Universe (or DCIU) by Doctor Sweet on Fanfiction.net. It’s an alternate version of Challengers of the Unknown, made up of seven superheroes of various backgrounds, and each possessing their own unique powers, skills, and methodologies. It’s also written a bit differently from this story, with the first chapter describing the same series of events as told from all seven characters’ perspectives, thus highlighting the different personalities of the group. If you’re interested, feel free to click the image below and check it out.

Anyway, that’s all for now. Leave a comment below on what you think thus far, and if you ever have an idea for a story in this universe that you’d like to tell, just send me a message detailing your ideas, and I’ll let you know whether or not it’s something I see working within it. Ja né!