Upcoming Plans For Jyger’s Rant + DC Rebirth Questionnaire

So, just thought I’d keep everybody up-to-date with what I’m doing for the next little bit. First off, if you’re wondering where the updates to my Nuzlocke run are, I’m still playing the game and getting screencaps of myself, but updates are gonna be kinda sporadic. This is because of two things that are happening that I’ll get into in a bit, but for now, don’t worry, the adventures of Mikey, Oswald, and the rest of my team will continue soon.

One major reason why the Nuzlocke updates will be spaced out, though, is because of Marvelous May. Speaking of, today is the cut-off date, so as of right now, I’m no longer taking votes. That means that tomorrow, I will be posting the finalized roster for the fan-vote tournament. Please remember that voting on individual match-ups won’t occur until May, when said match-ups are posted.

As most long-time readers of my blog know, N. Harmonik is my proofreader, and the two of us have done vlogs where we watch the newest Death Battles as of late. However, for this week, her and her mother have gone to Disney World. As such, I’ll be doing the Death Battle vlog solo this week (which is actually cool for me, since I don’t need to wait a few days to see it). But, when she gets back, N. Harmonik has agreed to do an article talking about her time in Disney World, along with photos she’s taken, so look forward to that. ^_^

On top of all that, expect there to probably be a quick vlog and/or slideshow of me going to Free Comic Book Day, as I am prone to do, and don’t be surprised if there’s some coverage of news regarding the upcoming DC Rebirth. Speaking of, I’ve been meaning to ask everybody here, if you were Geoff Johns and looking to steer the ship that is the DC Universe in a specific path, what would it be and what books would you want running as part of this new direction? Just something that’s been on my mind a lot lately is all. Oh, and lastly, sometime within the next couple of months, I plan to do a How To Drop The Ball In Comics about The New 52. Just one last look at everything that went pretty alright and horribly wrong with the reboot.

And in regards to my writing, after all of this is out of the way, I plan to go back and finish J.A. Phillips Presents Batman and Robin. After that, I’ll probably get to work on either Primal Strife or the long-awaited Season 2 of Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia.

Anyway, that’s all I can think of at the moment in terms of future plans. Lemme know if you have any thoughts on my current gameplan and projects, and I’ll try to get back to you. Ja né!

Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia Continues – New Rangers, Upcoming ‘Season 2’ Story

So, as you all know, I tend to get distracted a lot by varying projects and plans of mine. As such, one project of mine that has suffered a long hiatus is my PR fic, Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia. However, I’ve recently gone back to writing it, focusing most of my efforts on finishing this story by the end of the year…sort of. We’ll talk about that later. For those that have no idea what this is, I HAVE posted an article on it once before, but here’s the basic premise of the story, which includes newer details since the story was first posted: A parallel world to Earth called Gaia, which is tied to the natural elements of the world, is facing disaster. The dark zones of said world have been taken over by a powerful being called Dradarius, who is looking to take over all of the other zones, cities, and locales of Gaia. Its ancient protectors, the Guardians of Gaia, disappeared millenia ago, and the source of their miraculous powers, the Gaian Crystals, with them. However, the crystals weren’t lost, instead passed down through the Guardians’ bloodlines…who wound up on Earth. As such, when five of them are brought back together by five college students, said students are brought to Gaia to protect it, not only as the newest Guardians of Gaia, but as the newest team of Power Rangers.

The story is very much connected to Power Rangers mythology, with name and location drops, powers and weapons based off of ones previously seen, and the previous Rangers’ existence is very much a fact, with this team at first hoping to get home and calling them in to help with the crisis on Gaia. The Zords are based off of mythological, legendary, or ancient creatures, though some are simply animals that are related to various mythologies or religions. The monsters are also usually legendary creatures, though there are some basic animals tossed in as well. Now, if you’ve read the original article I posted, you know the five Rangers’ back-stories and quirks, though they have of course developed over the course of 18 chapters, and new details about their pasts have become apparent. I won’t spoil those, since I want you to read…but that said, I WILL discuss what else is new since the beginning: The two newest Rangers.

Jowar, the Wizard Ranger: Jowar specializes in Light attacks and, unlike the other Rangers, doesn’t possess a motif based on a creature, but of a wizard. He started off as the team’s mentor, teaching them about the world they’d arrived in and giving advice and guidance where possible. While he isn’t the most effective mentor to a Ranger team, he DOES help however he can, and genuinely cares for the team. However, as time went by, the truth of his past, namely that he is the father of Walker, the Shadowmancer that has been tormenting the team since they arrived, and his own past tragedies in how his desire for a family was twisted against him by Dradarius, were brought to light. His genuine desire to help the team, despite being unable to use his powerful light-based magic much outside the boundaries of the Ancient Library, their base of operations, led to him earning the ability to become the Wizard Ranger. His personal weapon is his staff (which I just now realized I’ve never given a name to in the story…whoops), which possesses a unicorn motif, due to being guided to the library by the Unicorn Zord. The staff allows him to harness light in various forms of magical spells, or to emit powerful light-based attacks, which most of the monsters are severely weak to, thus making him a powerful ally in the field when he’s able to join the team. He tends to experiment with the limits of his magic through various botany experiments, providing plants with the light they need to live, which has become a favoured hobby of his. While he currently doesn’t have a Zord of his own, the Unicorn Zord instead being one of three auxiliary Zords that form weapons for the Megazord, he DOES control the Magna Buster, a massive crystalline device that emerges from the library roof, which can erect powerful force fields, or emit bursts of light to either destroy monsters or recharge the Zords.

…Also, if you guys could do me a HUGE favour…can you give me suggestions for what the heck to call Jowar’s staff? I mean, it’s his primary weapon/Morpher, and it doesn’t have a name. And most of the names I come up with in my head sound dumb. Wizard Staff, Unimax Staff, Gaia Staff Morpher, Wizard Force Morpher, and so on. Please, HELP ME. lol

Drayden Snyder, the Indigo Gaia Ranger: Drayden specializes in Dark attacks and possesses a Dragon motif. He’s the son of a professor, Charles Snyder, who studied various archaeological digs in his own search for Gaia. Despite being proud of him, Drayden always felt like a cheap imitation of his father, never seeming to be a unique person of his own making. As such, when he’s dragged into Gaia through the sixth crystal, his mind and body are merged with the spirit of an ancient Shadowmancer, Dargoon, and is lured into helping him with the promise of becoming his own man. However, when people start getting hurt and it’s clear that Dargoon is insane, looking to actually destroy Gaia, he tries to break away, only managing to do so with the Rangers’ help. Despite this, he felt the darkness was still with him, and alienated himself from his father and the group, thinking himself evil. Once he learned that darkness was just another element like any other, though, and that it was the people that had usurped the dark zones in Gaia that were the problem, he joined the team, taking his place as the sixth Guardian of Gaia. While he isn’t the sixth Ranger by order of appearance, he is in the more spiritual and philosophical sense, and more-so by the fact that there were originally six Guardians of Gaia, and that the Wizard Ranger is something entirely new. His personal weapon is the Dragon Buster, a massive sword that can channel the energies of three separate Gaian Crystals at once. He pilots the Dragon Zord, which can fly and breathe dark flames, but also controls the Wolf and Lion Zords, which combine with the Dragon Zord to form the Dragoon Megazord, or swap arms with the Gaia Megazord.

Now, I said that I’m planning to have this story done by the end of the year. However, I should probably put an asterisk over that, as the story I’m writing now is actually only the first half of the bigger story going on. After this, I plan to post what I’m referring to as ‘Season 2’, or the second half of the story. And for those worried, NO, I am NOT calling it ‘Super Guardians of Gaia’, although I will say that such a title worked a lot better with Megaforce than Samurai, and that I can actually buy Super Megaforce as a legitimate second season, whereas Super Samurai was just the remaining 20 episodes of Samurai being aired a year later. So, why the second season story? Well, primarily because of all the ideas I have for GoG that will ultimately stretch the story out much further than I had originally planned. New weapons, twists in the story, possibly a new Zord, hell, maybe even a team-up with a previous Ranger team. Plus, there is a point in the story coming up that serves as a major turning point, which I felt would actually work pretty well as a cliffhanger.

So yeah, ‘Season 1’ will end before the year is up, and then next year, ‘Season 2’ will ultimately tell the second half of the overarching story, and provide closure for it. But that doesn’t mean it’s lame sailing from here until the end of this half. Trust me, this half is ending with a bang in a way that I don’t believe we’ve seen before in Power Rangers. I mean, we’ve seen occasions where the bad guys send a massive army of monsters to the front doors of the heroes, and we’ve actually seen it already at around the halfway point of ‘Season 1’. However, this ending coming up is something I don’t recall ever seeing in Power Rangers: A massive army marching on the front door…of the BAD GUYS. 😀

Anyway, lemme know what you think of this decision, the story in general, and of course, click the link below to read the story itself. Ja né, and may the power protect you!

Click this image to go to the story

New Fanfiction – Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia

So, as you know, I’ve been distracted by a number of things, which has limited my use of my blog. Some are personal issues, some are other things I’m doing that are taking up my time. One of them is a new fanfiction I’ve begun, which started out as a birthday present for Emmybomber, but has quickly become an ongoing fanfic of mine. It’s also becoming one of the bulkiest fics, and has the lowest rating of any fic I’ve done thus far (K+), meaning its potential audience has the biggest age range of any I’ve done thus far. The title: Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia.

Click this image to go to the story

Here’s the jist of the story: An ancient realm tied to the natural elements of the world is in peril, and only five college students can save it before the evil threatening it can attack Earth. The Rangers are all OCs, making it a completely new team, although references to the existence of past teams are made, and there are name-drops and whatnot that refer to seasons of the show, be it city names or the like. The team is made up of three girls and two boys, and the colours of the Rangers are a bit different. The team’s motif centres around crystals, legendary creatures, and the natural elements. Here’s a quick rundown of the main characters.

Nichelle ‘Nikki’ Markson, the Red Gaia Ranger: Nikki specializes in Fire attacks and possesses a Phoenix motif. She’s African-American, of which there were three canon Red Rangers, and there were two canon female Red Rangers, but never both. She’s into martial arts, specifically karate, and is also interested in fencing. She isn’t JUST a butt-kicker, though. She’s able to make quick decisions in the field, and can assess what her teammates can do in battle to determine where best to assign each of them in a fight. While she has moments of vulnerability, she’s ultimately strong-willed and can conceivably bounce back from anything. Her personal weapons are the Heat Sabers, a pair of swords resembling Phoenix wings while also resembling wisps of flame, that can combine into the Heat Bow. She pilots the Phoenix Zord, which can breathe fireballs, rake its talons across foes, and coat itself in flames for high-speed flying tackles.

“Let’s do this. It’s Morphin Time!“

Patrick O’Donnell, the Green Gaia Ranger: Patrick specializes in Wind attacks and possesses a Hippogriff motif. He’s a redhead of Irish decent, oftentimes relying on the Luck of the Irish in situations. He’s studied parkour, which he uses to out-manoeuvre opponents with a certain level of finesse, and fencing, which he puts into effect in close combat. He’s also fascinated by meteorology. Pat’s generally annoyed by the antics of Madilyn, the Violet Ranger, and is quick to follow Nikki’s lead, recognizing her brilliance on the field of combat. Otherwise, he’s usually pretty easy-going with his team-mates. His personal weapon is the Storm Lance, a lance with three points at each end resembling a Hippogriff’s talons, that can be separated into two smaller weapons. He pilots the Hippogriff Zord, which is capable of high-speed barrel rolls and aileron rolls to whip up whirlwinds, and can stomp down on foes.

“I’ll give you guys this much: you make me look REALLY good.”

Layla Bluestone, the Blue Gaia Ranger: Layla specializes in Water attacks and possesses a Leviathan motif. She’s Madilyn’s blonde younger sister, and a self-described computer geek with a love of gaming and technology, initially thinking Gaia might be some sort of virtual reality simulation, then growing fascinated by the team’s equipment. She can occasionally get embarrassed by her sister’s antics, and can at times have issues with Dirk, but they aren’t generally that mean-spirited or result in long-term grudges. Her personal weapon is the Flood Launcher, a large blaster resembling a tidal wave ending in a Leviathan’s mouth, that’s supported with both arms to deal with the recoil, and fires wide energy blasts. Thankfully, Layla’s a bit more adept with blasters than melee weapons, as she’s not that physically strong or athletic. She pilots the Leviathan Zord, a giant sea serpent that slithers across the ground too fast for most opponents to catch, can move through the water like a jet through the air, and fires ice blasts from its mouth.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to kick a lady there?! Especially not a lady who beats suckers on Halo for a hobby!”

Dirk Slater, the Orange Gaia Ranger: Dirk specializes in Earth attacks and possesses a Behemoth motif. He’s a brunet from a family of farmers, and thus grew up surrounded by animals. As such, he’s the member of the team with the biggest connection to nature. He can sometimes get into arguments with Layla, due to the sheer difference in personality between the two and their nature vs technology debates, but they tend to let their issues slide rather easily. Dirk also has a history in high school wrestling. Using this in tandem with his work on the farm, he’s the muscle of the team, able to tackle through enemies and slam them down hard. His personal weapon is the Quake Ax, a large battle-ax resembling a Behemoth’s head and horns, which can cleave through steel and stone with ease. He pilots the Behemoth Zord, a large quadruped with long, curved horns that can ram foes like a bull or stomp the ground to cause small earthquakes.

“Yeah, you worry about finesse in a fight, I’ll just knock the suckers down.”

Madilyn Bluestone, the Violet Gaia Ranger: Madilyn specializes in Lightning attacks and possesses a Thunderbird motif. She’s a blonde with pink and purple streaks in her hair, and is Layla’s older sister. She’s also the one who started the crystallography club in college that the others all joined, and tends to think of herself as the leader, despite Nikki’s natural knack for leadership. Madilyn can get over-excited and break personal boundaries in her enthusiasm, and is generally not that great a planner. As such, she often gets on the others’ nerves. However, she always proves to be a loyal friend and team-mate, and a skilled, well-rounded fighter in the field. Her personal weapons are the Lightning Daggers, a pair of feather-like daggers that come packed with a large amount of voltage. She pilots the Thunderbird Zord, which launches thunderbolt-like feathers out of its wings, and shoots blasts of electricity from its eyes.

“And you guys all thought I was crazy nutso.”

There’s more to their arsenal than was mentioned above, but I don’t wanna give away too much. I will say that they gain access to their powers through crystals, their weapons can combine into a blaster, and the Zords can combine to become a Megazord. Will there be additional weapons, Zords, or even Rangers? You’ll just have to follow along with the story to find out. Ja né, and may the power protect you!

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Contemplating Avengers Fic For Next Year – Amazing Spider-Man or Ultimate Spider-Man?

So, as the title suggests, I’ve played with the idea of doing an Avengers fanfic. I mostly blame that on the fact that I can’t seem to get THIS song outta my frakking head…

…but I digress. The Avengers are a large group. In fact, I’m fairly certain every major superhero in the Marvel universe has been a member of at least one incarnation of it. Some have been a part of SEVERAL, *COUGH!*Iron Man*COUGH!*. As such, I can pretty much get away with having whatever Marvel heroes I want on my own Avengers team. The question is, who? Well, there’s plenty to choose from, but I think I’d want the team to be diverse and not have a lot of powers be shared by multiple members. Also, for obvious reasons, I wouldn’t want more than one character with the same alias. So, with that out of the way, I’m left with a simple question: Amazing Spider-Man or Ultimate Spider-Man?

Now, lemme clear something up: When I say “Amazing Spider-Man or Ultimate Spider-Man?”, what I really mean is “Peter Parker or Miles Morales?”. Now, if you’re wondering why I would even ask such a thing…Well, you probably haven’t been reading the comics as of late. Plus, as is my custom with writing superhero teams, I like a diverse team with multi-ethnical flavour, so the temptation to include Miles partly stems from that (though I will admit that I object to making a hero black JUST BECAUSE Obama was elected). There are other reasons too, but I’ll get into that in a bit. First, let’s look at why I would go with his predecessor, Peter Parker, The Amazing Spider-Man.

First appearing in 1962’s Amazing Fantasy #15, Peter Benjamin Parker was the average high school bully-magnet nerd, albeit with a real talent and passion for science. However, his life changed the day he was bitten by a radioactive spider. Initially trying to cash in on his success by becoming a novelty TV star in a costume, called ‘Spider-Man’, his failure to stop a fleeing burglar, seeing it as not being his problem, resulted in the crook murdering his Uncle Ben. Realising his new powers came with a responsibility to use them wisely, Peter instead dedicated his life to fighting crime. He has since been a member of both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four.

Thanks to the spider bite, Peter possesses superhuman strength, enough to bench press 10 tons, enhanced speed and agility, insane levels of durability, and can crawl along walls. Using his advanced scientific mind, he also created a pair of web-shooters, which are strapped to his wrists and shoot a synthetic polymer adhesive, very similar to a spider’s webbing, used either to tie up foes or swing between buildings. The webbing is fired by placing the right amount of pressure on the trigger in his palm with his middle and ring fingers, which was designed intentionally as to avoid accidentally firing them by making a fist. He’s also created spider-tracers, which are tiny devices that send out a signal for him to track down. He even developed his own martial art, ‘The Way Of The Spider’, which uses his abilities and arsenal to their fullest potential. But the greatest asset to his abilities is his Spider-sense. To quote Wizard of ScrewAttack!, the Spider-sense “gives Peter omnipresent detection of his surroundings. This is how he’s able to swing through New York without looking where he shoots his webs.” Of course, even with such an ability, Spider-Man has to be able to react to its warnings, so if he thinks he’s not in danger or simply isn’t able to move fast enough…well, you get the idea.

For all of his abilities, both superhuman and otherwise, Spider-Man isn’t perfect. He does possess an inferiority complex, probably at least partially due to years spent being bullied for his lunch money. He’s a bit anti-social, again, probably because of being a bully magnet, has a bit of a fear of women…which is odd, seeing as how many girlfriends he’s had (gotta be the tights. Oh yeah. lol), can be somewhat accident-prone without his Spider-sense, and has apparently dealt with severe amounts of Oedipal guilt, and if you don’t know what that is, for the love of God, DO NOT LOOK IT UP. And yes, I suppose I should bring this up: Because he’s CONSTANTLY agonising over the meaning of right and wrong, and has this little irritating problem with acting like a grown-up, he once traded life with his wife for life with his repeatedly dying aunt to the devil, and not because she was dying, but because it was his fault, meaning it was less about her and more about his own pain. And for those wondering, NO, if I EVER write Amazing Spider-Man, I am not including the events of One More Day and the deal with Mephisto to his back-story. You can make whatever argument you like, IT WAS WRONG, DAMMIT.

So, there’s the arguments for and against Peter Parker. Now, let’s take a look at his arguably lesser-known successor from another universe, this is Miles Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man.

First appearing in 2011’s Ultimate Fallout #4, Miles Morales exists in the Ultimate universe, which is usually used for modern retellings of long-time superheroes without having to reboot the entire franchise, something other comic book companies might’ve wanted to consider. Regardless, Miles is of mixed heritage, being half Mexican and half African-American, and is the nephew of the Ultimate universe’s Prowler. An Oscorp scientist was using Peter Parker’s blood to recreate the formula that turned him into Spider-Man. However, Prowler stole the formula, but one of the spiders created through it snuck into his duffel bag. It then bit Miles when he was visiting his uncle, whom he was unaware was the Prowler. At first, due to the urgings of his friend, Ganke, he engages in super-heroics, but quickly quits. However, following the death of the Ultimate universe’s Peter Parker when he saves his family and friends from the Green Goblin, Miles realises that he could’ve been there to help him, and after learning of Peter’s story from Gwen Stacy, decides to become Spider-Man, later being allowed to join the Ultimates.

Through the bite of the genetically engineered spider, Miles possesses most of Peter’s abilities, although his Spider-sense isn’t nearly as effective. He also has Peter’s web-shooters, which were given to him by Aunt May and Gwen after they accepted him as the new Spider-Man, and a similar aptitude for science. However, Miles has two abilities unique to himself. The first is that he can camouflage himself into his surroundings, including his clothes, to make himself unseen by most opponents. The other is the venom strike, an electrical touch that can be conducted through clothes, and even across certain materials like the Amazing Spider-Man’s webbing, to paralyse the target. Speaking of, it should be noted that, during a cross-over event called Spider-Men (one of the only post-One More Day stories I’m actually tempted to buy), an altercation born out of confusion between the Amazing Spider-Man and the Ultimate Spider-Man resulted in Miles actually disabling his predecessor with the venom strike, although one could argue this was simply due to a lack of understanding on Peter’s part of Miles’ unique powers.

With all of that said, however, Miles has his issues as well. For example, while mainstream Peter Parker is generally portrayed as having been bitten by the spider roughly in his mid to late teens, Miles was THIRTEEN. While quitting superhero activities as quickly as he did might seem odd, when you consider that he was 13-years-old, having to bear the weight and responsibility of being Spider-Man, and is the son and nephew of thieves, trying to determine if he really could be a good person (the whole nature vs nurture thing), it becomes a bit easier to understand. In fact, he’s arguably more sympathetic than Peter, as they both tend to deal with their problems in similar fashion, and often-times have made the same mistakes (aside from one rather big one I already mentioned), but one actually IS a teenager, while the other simply BEHAVES like one. Plus, just try not to feel at least a little sorry for a kid his age that has to fight the worst criminals and horrifying super-villains comic book New York has to offer. If he doesn’t grow up to be completely mentally unstable, it’ll either be the work of a miracle, or because he was killed in action.

So, there you go. Arguments for and against both the Amazing Spider-Man and the Ultimate Spider-Man. Who would you rather see written alongside Earth’s Mightiest Heroes? Leave your comments below, or simply vote for your favourite. I’ll probably be doing similar polls for other heroes of the Marvel universe, so keep your eyes peeled. Either way, you can probably expect the Avengers fic to come out either Spring or Summer 2014. Ja né!

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Infinite DC – Who Is On The Justice League? (FEEDBACK REQUESTED)

So, as I’ve mentioned in the past, several of my Infinite DC fanfics are eventually leading up to a Justice League story, in particular the ending to Man of Tomorrow. Now, while the main plot of this story is pretty much decided in my head, one thing that keeps changing bit by bit is who I want on the Justice League. Five members I know for a fact will be on the team are Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Batman, and Green Lantern. The sixth slot will go to either Martian Manhunter or Cyborg, the seventh slot is still completely up in the air, and now I’m beginning to wonder if I really wanna do the standard Magnificent Seven with the group, or include an eighth slot for whoever didn’t get the sixth.

As you can see, I’m in need of feedback. Before you give it, though, let’s talk about the seventh member. The criteria for the hero that fills seventh slot is as follows:

1. They have to be a woman. I don’t want Wonder Woman to be the ONLY superheroine on a team full of dudes.
2. She cannot be a member of the Birds of Prey: Dark. Ergo, she can’t be Black Canary, Huntress, Raven, or Batwoman. There will EVENTUALLY be mingling between the two teams, just not yet.
3. She cannot be part of the extended hero teams of the other members, so not Power Girl, Batgirl, Wonder Girl, Jesse Quick, or Miss Martian.
4. She has to have some sort of power or ability that is unique to the team. So, no one who is just a strong woman who can fly.

Anyway, with that said, here are some of my most considered options for the seventh hero, as well as reasons why I might not choose each one. Keep in mind, I’m aware I could change the stuff that gives me pause to add them, but some of these things lend to possible stories I can tell later, so I don’t know that I’d want to change them.

Beatriz da Costa, AKA Fire

Fire was one of my first choices, in fact the one I’d initially decided on, for a number of reasons: Her ability to turn into and control fire, her characterization being in stark contrast to Wonder Woman’s, her Brazilian heritage giving further international flavour to the team, and the fact that, while she’s served with extended versions of the Justice League and the JLI, she’s never really been on THE team of 7 or so heroes. This would give her a unique presence to the team. Reasons why I wouldn’t want to add her is generally due to the fact that she’s known nowadays for being a tag team of sorts with Ice, so having one on the team without the other might feel odd, and her name is sadly HORRIBLY generic, not to mention can be confusing when there are other heroes with ‘Fire’ in their name, like Starfire or Firestorm.

Kendra Muñoz-Saunders, AKA Hawkgirl

Hawkgirl was again another obvious choice, given her repeated presence on the Justice League (in particular being part of the Big 7 in the DCAU League), and her incredible strength in both armed and unarmed combat. Like with many things in Infinite DC, I’d want to make her a mixture of the more commonly known Hawkgirl and the Hawkgirl from the New 52‘s Earth 2. She’d probably wear the Earth 2 costume, but rather than wield a Nth metal mace or her crossbow blaster, I’d giver her an Nth metal crossbow blaster that turns into a mace. Why? Because mêlée weapons that turn into guns are awesome. Reasons why I might not add her is just how typical it would be, and an admitted temptation to have her be on the Birds of Prey: Dark instead.

Tatsu Yamashiro, AKA Katana

Okay, I’m kinda breaking my own rules here, but I feel that Katana isn’t necessarily part of the Bat Family team, or is at least independent enough now that she could be a member. Heck, she IS a member of the Justice League of America in the comics these days, and she would bring international flavour to the team, along with that frigging badass sword. Reason why I would be hesitant to having her on the team is because she’s one of the DC characters who is probably a bit more prone to slashing people, which could conflict BAD with some of the others on the team.

Zatanna Zatara

Zatanna, because hey, the Justice League could use a little magic, right? Not to mention fishnet stockings. lol But yeah, Zatanna would be the magical expert of the team, wearing her usual stage-magician attire, and minus her relationship with assface, I-I mean Constantine. Reasons why I might be hesitant to let her into the Justice League are because, like Hawkgirl, I’m tempted to make her a member of the BoP (especially since she was a member of the Justice League Dark in the New 52, which is where Birds of Prey: Dark gets its name), and because having to write her spells backwards, while not the worst thing in the world, could be a bitch to spellcheck. XD

Mera

*GASP!* Mera and not Aquaman?! Can this be?! Well, I kind of have plans for Aquaman later on that require him to be off the team, but that doesn’t mean Mera absolutely cannot be on it. Her ability to control water, no matter where it is, would make her a major player in the Justice League, a team that I don’t think she’s ever formally joined, despite having worked with them several times. Oh, and to be clear, she would just be Mera. Not Aquawoman, not Water Woman, and the one I find most insulting, not Aquawife. Reasons why I might not include her is due to her trademark anger issues and shaky history with Wonder Woman.

So yeah, vote which of these women you’d like to see in my Justice League below. Or, if there’s one not listed who fits the criteria and who you’d like to suggest, feel free in the comments. Also, lemme know if you think Cyborg, Martian Manhunter, or BOTH should be members, and we’ll see what happens. Ja né!

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Tales of the Caped Crusader – My New Fanfic (WARNING – SELF-PROMOTION AHEAD, LOL)

So, after talking a lot about How Would I Rebuild The DC Universe From Scratch, as well as rewatching some DC movies and Batman: The Animated Series, I got the idea for a fanfic that I’m actually writing right now on FanFiction.net: Tales of the Caped Crusader.

So here’s the basic premise: Bruce Wayne is in the 4th year of his tenure as Batman, and he’s begun to feel the effects on his mind and his body. He’s out later every night, he’s getting into nastier fights, and he’s doing it all alone. Dick Grayson has been in his care for about a year and is nearing the end of his training, but now Bruce is beginning to have second thoughts about letting a child (Dick is 13 in this fic) get involved in what he sees as a war of sorts against crime in Gotham City. At this point, Bruce has met Superman and Wonder Woman and knows who they are, but there is no Justice League, primarily because there has been no need for a large team of superheroes, since the three of them have been doing alright on their own.

 

Anyway, the story picks up as Bruce is beginning to have doubts as to whether or not his father would approve of some of his decisions, namely his training of Dick to become Robin. However, during a night’s brawl against some goons, Batman meets a detective claiming to know who he is. More-so, he suggests that Bruce was not the first person to become Batman. In reality, Thomas Wayne had taken up the cape and cowl for a single night. Of course, the obvious questions come to mind immediately: Why was Thomas Wayne Batman? How does this detective know this? Why is Bruce only just now learning about it? All those questions have answers, some of which will shock Bruce, and others will give resolution to his doubts, as he is forced to learn the hidden truth about The Batman.

As you can tell, the plot takes elements from a lot of different stories and continuities. For example, Thomas Wayne has been Batman before, and he’ll be wearing the costume from Flashpoint, minus the guns or anything else lethal since he’s not a killer here. Also, a lot of characters from various Batman and Bat-related stories are involved. For example, the new version of Copperhead fights Batman at one point, Rupert Thorne is mentioned here and there, there’ll probably be more that appear as time goes by, and even the detective relaying all of this to Bruce is someone you should all know, but I suppose I’m getting ahead of myself.

Now, will I do anything beyond this? I dunno yet. I have something in mind, but I don’t know if I’ll do it or not. In fact, I’m not gonna make that decision yet. I’m just gonna write this fic, and then whatever happens after that will be then, not now. Until then, click on the pic below and go check out Tales of the Caped Crusader, and lemme know what you think of it so far. Ja né!

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How Would I Rebuild The DC Universe From Scratch – The Joker, Lex Luthor, Poison Ivy, And More

Welcome back to more of How Would I Rebuild The DC Universe From Scratch, and honestly, the more I do this, the more I actually feel like doing a fanfic for a DC character. Actually, I have an idea in mind for a short one that I’ll probably do on FanFiction.net (and yes, I DO have a profile on there), but again, it’ll be a short one. Regardless, let’s move on to some of the villains of the DC Universe, and who better to start with than…

The Joker

I’d wanna take him back to being the Clown Prince of Crime, the guy who, while he was still a murdering psychopath, usually did his crimes in a sophomoric fashion. So really, something closer to his Batman: The Animated Series interpretation. That said, I would also wanna include some elements of the more horrifying Joker, in that he doesn’t want to kill Batman (because he’s too damned fun), and he tells different versions of how he got to be who he is, leaving the reader to guess if he’s a liar or if he honestly can’t remember. Is he a psychotic lunatic, or is he a parody of a psychotic lunatic?

Lex Luthor

Honestly, for all the crap I give some of the Superman books nowadays, I rather like the idea of Lex Luthor being under lock and key, but still having ways of interacting with the outside world and making life miserable for Superman. Plus, it raises a few interesting questions about him. Is he really unable to escape his cell, or does he stay there for his own protection? Think about it: While he’s under arrest, it’s not as if Superman can do anything to him. That said, I would also want to reintroduce Nasthalthia ‘Nasty’ Luthor, but as someone who might have her own plans for LexCorp with Lex behind bars.

Cheetah

Again, I actually rather like what The New 52 did with Cheetah. She’s fast, powerful, and most dangerous of all, smart enough to know how, when, and where to hit the Justice League. And that’s exactly what I’d wanna continue to do with her, since we just don’t get enough solo villains who can do harm to the Justice League without seeming absurdly powerful. Also, she tests the levels of Wonder Woman‘s compassion, which lets us see just how deep it goes…and as it turns out, it goes REALLY deep, and I’m awesome with that. 🙂

Catwoman

Did anybody read the Batman and Catwoman issue of Batman and Robin recently? They did? Okay: DO MORE OF THAT! Seriously, I love the idea that she’s simultaneously a jewel thief/government agent/thorn in Batman’s side/Batman’s main love interest! Maybe it’s just because it reminds me of Rouge the Bat (which is ironic, if you think about it long enough), but it just works for me, and I think it fits Miss Kyle VERY well. She’s the very blatant cat burglar, won’t make any excuses for that, and will find herself on the wrong side of the law frequently. And yet, if someone is threatening a kid, or about to kill Batman, or blow up a city, she will whip their ass clean off.

The Red Lantern Corps

Given what I suggested for The Flash before, having the Blue Lantern Ring, it makes sense to me that, in addition to his usual cast of enemies, that members of the Red Lantern Corps would be his enemies. After all, a Blue Lantern Ring can negate a Red Lantern Ring’s corruptive effects on someone, and as a group trying to spread murderous rage across the galaxy, they would of course see The Flash as a massive threat to them. As for which one would be the primary thorn in Flash’s side, probably Bleez, to give her something to do. Of course, members would also cause trouble for whoever the main Green Lantern on Earth is…which reminds me…

…By the way, is my constant whoring out of these polls getting annoying? Yes? Good! XD

Starro the Conqueror (who apparently has no logo other than himself, lol)

For Starro the Conqueror, I’d bring him back as the first opponent the Justice League had to face. And really, can you blame me? He’s a very legit threat, able to bend anyone to his will, no matter how powerful. And frankly, there’s only a handful of ways to stop him, specifically Wonder Woman’s lasso and a Blue Lantern ring, which would give these characters major reason to band together, since they’d fall to Starro’s sway separately. It just seems like the best set-up for a Justice League story, which is probably why they did it in the first place.

Poison Ivy

For my favourite villainess of all time, I think I’d want Poison Ivy to be a Justice League/Birds of Prey villain, not just a Batman villain. Why? Think about her abilities for a moment: She can manipulate and control any and all plant life and even create plant-like monsters. Now think about how much of the world is plants of some kind or another. She’s also a master manipulator and seductress, able to bend anyone to her will, even Superman if she has her hands on Kryptonite. Suddenly, kinda makes you wonder how one man dressed like a bat can handle her all on his own. Granted, given the right circumstances, I can see him one-upping her, but for the most part, she seems like she should be way out of his league.

Anyway, that’s enough villains for now, though expect me to come back with more later. In the meantime, there’re still a few more heroes I need to talk about, aren’t there…?

…Ja né!

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How Would I Rebuild The DC Universe From Scratch? – Cyborg, Power Girl, Green Lantern, And More

Well, I’m back with more of How Would I Rebuild The DC Universe From Scratch. Basically, me talking about what I’d do for a fanfic, a novel, a tv/web series, or an alternate universe series of comics, should I ever be given the chance to do any of those things. I’ve already said what I’d do with the Big 3 of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman (and Robin), but what about some of the other fan favourites?

Cyborg

Okay, here’s where I’d probably be stepping on some toes and ticking people off, but since this is alternate reality, I think I’d wanna combine the characters of Victor Stone and Henry Irons as Cyborg, the Man of Steel. Basically, Victor Irons (or Henry Stone, whichever) would be the son of a scientist who works at S.T.A.R. Labs and is inspired by Superman to be a hero, but when he’s badly hurt by a foe using stolen tech of his father’s, his body is rebuilt into that of a Cyborg. He would have most of the gadgets and abilities you’d expect of both Cyborg and Steel, in particular the white noise cannon and the high-powered sledge-hammer. Costume would probably be something akin to a fusion of Cyborg’s Teen Titans appearance and Steel’s Justice League Unlimited appearance, and possibly operating like the Omegadrome, wherein he’d be able to appear human when he wanted.

Batgirl and Spoiler

For Batgirl, I’d go with Barbara, BUT I would also have Stephanie Brown be her partner as Spoiler, essentially the Robin to her Batman. Basically, they’d be operating as a team without the complete consent of Batman, trying to earn his respect while also refusing to let him tell them what they can and cannot do. For Babs, I’d go with something akin to her costume in The New Batman Adventures, while Steph would wear the usual Spoiler outfit, but with a black version of the Robin mask instead of the Spoiler costume’s head-covering mask.

The Flash

Sorry Barry fans, I gotta go with Wally West here, although I would wanna go with the Wally from the Justice League cartoon who, like Barry, worked with CSI. Also, because I REALLY liked this idea when they did it for Blackest Night, I’d have The Flash simultaneously be a Blue Lantern, and that the accident that gives him his powers would be the result of the Blue Lantern Ring seeking a suitable wielder when it collides with a lightning bolt and nails Wally and the chemicals. As such, his ability to tap into the Speed Force would be dependent on his hope, his suit would be generated from the ring and would look akin to Barry’s Blue Lantern Flash costume, and he would simultaneously be giving power boosts whenever he was accompanying this next individual…

Green Lantern

Now here’s what I can’t decide on: Which one? Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and even Simon Baz all work for what I have in mind: Namely, that the other members of the Green Lantern Corps are called away to fight an epic war, and thus one Green Lantern, who is the newest member to the Corps, has to stay behind as the sole guardian of Sector 2814. Of course, the other members would all appear from time to time, it would just focus primarily on that one individual fighting intergalactic threats to Earth…In fact, here: Which of the following Earth-born Green Lanterns is your favourite?

Oh, and the reason Jessica Cruz isn’t on there is because she hasn’t debuted as of this writing…Anyway, moving on…

Power Girl

For Power Girl, I’d probably take out the part where she’s from Earth 2. She’d just be Supergirl grown up and running her own business while also being Power Girl. As such, much like with Superman, I might wanna do stories for her both as being Power Girl AND Supergirl, or maybe doing the teenage copy thing with her too. Costume would be the one she recently got in Supergirl, since it’s both similar to the original while clearly being made of something sturdy enough to take a severe pounding. I’d also wanna alter her power-set a bit so that she’s physically faster and stronger than Superman, but her other abilities aren’t as potent. Basically, she’d be the hard-hitter for situations even Superman can’t handle, while she wouldn’t be as versatile.

Anyway, that’s it for now. Check in next time as I tell what I’d do with some of DC’s groups, including their flagship teams: The Justice League, and the Teen Titans. Ja né!

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