Early Preview of Justice League Infinite Chapter 6

…Yeah, been a while. lol I kinda got distracted with a Yu-Gi-Oh! one-shot (and yes, I openly admit to being a dork), but I’m back on track. So, with that said, here’s an early look at Chapter 6 of my Justice League fanfic.

Robinson Park is easily the largest park in Gotham City. It covers a huge area, stretching out from central to southern Gotham, and is home to many landmarks, including a memorial site dedicated to many of the city’s policemen, firemen, and medical staff. Aside from a chase between the GCPD and a certain shadowy vigilante years ago, the park has otherwise managed to avoid much of the usual havoc that Gotham City is typically known for, even being seen by some people as a safe haven, to the point where many in Gotham have jokingly been taking bets as to how long this peace can last.

As such, it was only natural that all hell broke loose there first, as a scream in the middle of the night followed by the sound of trees being smashed clear out of their roots made it clear this was no longer a safe haven. And while there were police officers in the park that were quick to respond, they were likewise quick to find themselves in over their heads, as they came face to eye with a massive, starfish-like creature with a single red eye. Starro lashed out with his giant tentacles, managing to hit one officer so hard that he was dead long before he hit the ground. The others took shelter behind the trees, firing at the eye with their guns.

“Dispatch, Robinson Park patrol in need of immediate back-up!” one officer yelled into his walkie-talkie. “Dispatch, do you copy?!”

“Sending officers now, but we’re low on hands!” the dispatch officer replied. “There’s been some kind of break-out at Arkham! Reports of something not human!”

“Ya don’t say?!” the reporting officer demanded, rolling away as Starro tore out the tree he had ducked behind. Just as the star-shaped alien was about to smash said tree down onto the cop, though, a rocket shot through the sky and hit the tree hard, releasing a fast-acting freezing gas over the tree and Starro’s tentacle. As Starro backed off, the small, jet-black airship, the Batwing, flew down out of the night sky, shining a bat-shaped spotlight down on the massive alien.

“The hell was that?” Green Lantern asked as he and the others stood in the ship, Batman sitting in the pilot seat.

“Thermionic gas,” the Dark Knight replied. “Let’s just say that Dr. Fries has a fairly large investment in the development of cryogenics.”

“Think it’ll show him down?!” Flash inquired, just as Starro smashed the frozen tree into the ground, snapping it and the tip of his own tentacle clean off, before regenerating it. “…Nevermind.”

“Yeah, probably freezing something that can fly through the vacuum of space wasn’t a smart move,” Wonder Woman observed before turning to Superman. “…Cal?”

“They’re here,” Calvin replied, using his x-ray vision to look past the trees and spot several figures approaching behind Starro. “There’s at least six of them.”

“Guess we all pick a partner, then?” Ivy suggested.

“Be careful, they’ll all know everything I do about your abilities,” Batman reminded the team.

“Then let’s hope your paranoia didn’t uncover ALL of our strengths and weaknesses,” Doctor Fate retorted as he and the others, sans Batman, exited the Batwing through the side and bottom hatches.

And that’s the preview…Well, save for THIS:

Like what you see? Have any comments/suggestions for me? Leave them here, and I’ll see y’all when I finish Chapter 6. Ja né!

Early Thoughts On Couples I’d Like To Do In The DCIU Fanfics

So, with the reveal in chapter 5 of my fanfic, Justice League Infinite, that Bruce Wayne is bisexual, and because today is Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d take a minute to talk about possible couples that have crossed my mind for the DCIU. Now, keep in mind, these are ALL just ones I’ve THOUGHT about, not necessarily ones I’m going to do, or that are already canon, so obviously, Calvin and Loana are out because they’re already in a relationship, as are Diana and Mera. So, let’s start off with one I’ve actually been considering for some time now:

Robin and Beast Boy

Because honestly, I think it’d be adorable, especially given something I have in mind for Garfield’s character. Plus, there’s more than a few different aspects of the typical teen romance that I’d like to explore with two characters that would have a less-than-typical teen romance. And who better in that scenario than a guy that’s been turned green and can assume the form of any animal, and a girl who spends a lot of her time in a dark cave with a holographic Englishman and a psychologically damaged guy dressed as a bat? (Who would be the one most fucked up for life? YOU MAKE THE CALL! lol)

Batman and Nightwing

This is actually one that HelenaWayneBlog came up with while we were talking about this last night, with the justification that Dick Grayson should really be first in line. And I can see how this could work, and probably should, just to change things up (these two tend to get a LOT of the ladies). Of course, I’d need to change more than a couple of things about his back-story and character. I’ve never minded the idea of Bruce and Dick, save for one important, minor flaw that cannot be overlooked: THE AGE DIFFERENCE. Even once they were both of legal consent, it’s still squicky as hell. So yeah, would definitely need to make them closer in age. Also, I’d need to change the manner in which they first meet, since Carrie in the DCIU is the first Robin (and the ONLY one that I have planned).

The Flash and Doctor Fate

This is one that actually didn’t occur to me until after I’d written their scene in Chapter 5 of JLI. I dunno, I just think there’s a natural connection and chemistry between them due to their circumstances. Plus, Jesse’s the type to not be defined as someone’s girlfriend, but isn’t explicitly against the idea of romance, which makes her probably the best choice of members of the Justice League to be involved with one of her team-mates.

Black Lightning and Vixen

Of course, this one is kinda out of my hands and would depend on whether or not Doctor Sweet wants to do this in Challengers of the Unknown. Still, if he ever chose to do so, I’d be behind it all the way. The two are good friends in the story, and I can easily see them pursuing a romantic relationship, even if it were only on the short term. Although, now that I think of it, probably not short term. After all, as anyone who saw Justice League Unlimited knows, Mari isn’t the type to get out of something before seeing it all the way through.

Anyway, that’s all I can think of for now. Got any you’d like to suggest? Leave a comment below, and we’ll see what happens. Ja né!

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!

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!

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!

Justice League Infinite Chapter 1 Is Up! + More Character Previews

So, I have now officially posted chapter 1 of Justice League Infinite! If you wanna read, by all means, click the picture below.

Now, because I’m a nice guy, let’s take a look at some more of the characters to appear in this story, starting with the zombified gangster born on a Monday: Solomon Grundy.

As you can tell from the image shown, I used Grundy’s appearance in from The New 52’s Earth 2 book for the character, and like said version, he is the chosen champion of The Rot. He can make the ground and the roots under him wither and die, and even turn them undead and warp them to his will. What’s worse is that his body can continually regenerate and recover from damage as long as he’s connected to The Rot, which is one of the varying essences that make up the world itself. He also has large butcher knives stuck in his shoulders (like in Injustice: Gods Among Us), and can thus use them for melee attacks if punches or the like backed by his incredible strength don’t quite get the job done. And while he talks in the same sort of Hulk-esque speech that he’s more commonly known for by people who play the video games or watch the TV shows and movies that he’s appeared in, he’s still actually rather intelligent, at least when it comes to fighting, able to catch opponents off guard with his various abilities. The only way to defeat him is to cut him off from The Rot. Green Lantern Alan Scott was able to do this by physically banishing him to the moon, where The Rot’s energy couldn’t reach him, save for allowing him to continue to survive.

Steve Trevor in this universe is actually a government agent, sent by Washington to convince Superman to take on a dangerous mission. He’s still a good guy, though, and doesn’t approve of the method of convincing Superman to take the mission, which would be to expose his identity if he didn’t coöperate and come for him and his family. He deeply admires superheroes and believes in their fight for good. He also has a past with Wonder Woman, although for the moment, it’s unclear what all that entails, and they remain good friends to this day.

Loana, much like in For The Man Who Has Everything, is basically a hybrid of Lois Lane and Lana Lang (and is also supposed to be African-American in this story, so please excuse the image). Basically, in this universe, she is both the childhood friend and sweetheart that Lana Lang is, as well as an award-winning journalist for the Daily Planet that Lois Lane is. As of the beginning of this story, she’s currently living with Calvin on the Kent Family Farm, and less-so works in the offices of the Daily Planet and instead commutes around to various locations for on-site reporting. Personality wise, she’s closer to Lois, being a little feisty and teasing of Cal at times, and also taking her work with the same level of dedication and commitment as Superman takes his own duties.

Anyway, that’s all for now, but keep an eye out for when additional chapters are posted, as I’ll continue to give little special looks into the characters and plot points presented as they début. Ja né!