#Anyway here's an early one for my Dracula Daily followers.

[theimpossiblescheme]

Swaddled in his coat, the thick fur collar wreathed around her head and her arm pulled into the long, heavy sleeves, Mina looks so like a child.  Knees pulled up to her chest as she lay on her side by the fire, visibly trying not to toss and turn against the rough ground.  No lines on her face save for the burn on her forehead, but the light of the fire throws the shadows under her eye into sharp relief, and her features are pinched into the sort of fear that pierces an old man’s heart.  The sort of fear he’d hoped to spare her.  It is hard to reconcile the calm, graceful, divinely patient, and devilishly clever woman she’d been before, all racing mind and sweet words, with this lost creature laying at his side.  It feels too cruel a reversal, to try and offer her comfort now when she had given it so freely only days before.

But Abraham has already failed her dearest friend, and sweet Lucy’s death still casts a pall over the whole company, even for all his efforts.  He will redouble them for Mina’s sake.  It is enough to know he might never see John or the brave Arthur again… a third loss may be his undoing.  It is all he can do to keep from imagining his own long-loved, long-lost faces in their place.

He stays silent as he pulls another wrap of furs from the wagon about his shoulders and straightens where he sits, signaling his intent to stay up and keep watch.  Mina’s head moves in what’s almost a nod before lolling heavily aside, just inches from him.  Tempting as it is to haul her into his lap as he would a small girl or run a hand over her unbound dark curls, Abraham abstains.  He will not touch her if she does not wish it–her cries upon having the wafer pressed to her skin still ring in his ears.  As do the resolute declarations of love and soothing hums from her husband shortly thereafter as he held her.  What would their Jonathan think to see her now, he wonders… and quickly resolves that it must not be so.  He will not leave her side tonight, and he shall return Mina to him as she was–bright and lovely, her energy and light restored.

This new oath is a balm, if only a slight one, to such an aching, weary old breast as his, and for the first time in hours he lifts his voice, hoarse with disuse, but gentle enough that only she can hear…

“’k Heb U altijd van noode, dag en nacht, slechts uw genâ verwint des boozen macht. Wie kan als gij mijn gids en sterkte zijn? Blijf bij mij, Heer, in nacht en zonneschijn!”

[knittingwithhighlighters]

Some musing about epistolary books

Hello everyone! My name is Markiplier KWH, and I’m here to discuss a theory...a book theory. More specficially, lately, I've been reading the Princess Diaries (return to the early 2000s!!). And while I was reading, I noticed something interesting. So, Princess Diaries is an example of an epistolary book, which includes books written in journal or diary entries, logs, newspaper articles, letters, e-mails—so on and so forth. Other examples of epistolary books include Frankenstein, The Martian, Bridget Jones’s Diary...and yes, Dracula. 

(For what it's worth, I subscribed to Dracula Daily more than a month ago, but I haven't even cracked the story open yet.... Good thing I have until November, lol. Maybe I'll start reading it properly once I finish the other four books I've already started.)

One thing I noticed about Princess Diaries—which would apply to many epistolary books in general—is that the protagonists are seemingly able to remember large swathes of conversations they were involved in, and verbatim. Word for word, they're able to remember these huge chunks of dialogue, even though in real life this would be out of the range of possibility for most humans—and even hours or days later, in some cases, depending on when the entries are written in the book.

Of course, a Doylist perspective (out-of-universe/meta) would state that, well, the author(s) wanted the story to flow and go a certain way, and it simply made sense for them to render those conversations within the context of the story. 

A gentler Watsonian perspective (in-universe, named after Sherlock’s right-hand man John Watson) might state that, for example, the character writing the journal isn't remembering all their conversations word-for-word. Instead, they're simply remembering the general gist of conversations, and filing in the blanks after the fact with sentences that would plausibly fit into the gaps in their memory.  

But I thought of it another way, relating to the concept of Required Secondary Powers, as discussed on TV Tropes, a website that catalogs different kinds of tropes and other conventions used in media. (Fair warning: TV Tropes has been known to be addictive; memes about it will go along the lines of, for example, you start reading, and then realize you're still reading it 4 hours later. Will this apply to you, not necessarily. But I just figure I'd throw it out there regardless.) 

Anyway, according to the netizens of TV Tropes, Required Secondary Powers are when, for example, a power with a given supernatural skill would need—if the real-world laws of physics were to apply in their universe—additional, unstated powers to make their explicitly stated powers make scientific sense. To make this clear via illustration, TV Tropes provides the examples of super strength (in real life, you'd need super-strong bones for your super-strong muscles); super speed (you'd need the ability to think as fast as you can move, and a way of naturally preventing friction-induced burns); and invisibility (real-world physics would have it that—if a person was well and truly invisible—they wouldn't be able to see via human eyes).

To wit, this discussion of Princess Diaries, and other epistolary books like it, brings up an interesting thought. Following a diametrically opposed Watsonian perspective than the last one I talked about, the protagonists of epistolary books must have the Required Secondary Power of a supernaturally good memory, able to remember thousands of words of conversations exchanged between them and other people at any given time.

(Final note: it would make sense that this kind of memory does exist in real life, but my quick search on Wkpdia was inconclusive, so I couldn't tell you whether or not it really exists. What I will say, though, is that, sometimes, people and animals do have what would be considered superpowers, if their lives were works of fiction. Take the adrenaline-induced strength that has allowed people to lift cars off loved ones trapped beneath them, for example. Not to mention science—I could totally see science someday allowing us to create mechanical tentacles like Marvel’s Doctors Octopus have got. And in the animal kingdom, take your pick. Bombardier beetles, for example, will emit a toxic chemical when disturbed.)

[jawritter]

Little Details...

Request: Could I maybe request a Chubby!Reader x Dean story? She's super sweet and kind of laid back, just going along with the boys as a research partner, but she's also super artsy and loves to draw Dean while she researches. Maybe some sweet and soft smut, oh! And maybe he plays with her hair? :) Thanks, dear!! 🌻💛

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Chubby!Reader

Warnings: a hint of insecure reader, a hint of self-loathing Dean, Smut, unprotected sex, light language, Angst, I think that’s about it.

Word Count: 2836

A/N: As always all mistakes are mine! Please do not copy my work! Feedback is golden! Hope you all enjoy this one! Also, the sketch featured in this pic does not belong to me and the complete credit goes to the actual owner! Whoever you are! You did amazing!

Want more? Check out my Masterlist!!

***MASTERLIST***

The bunker was dark and cold as you sat alone in the library, only the light from the kitchen that you'd left on and the lamp that was sitting on the desk shining as you sat in your usual seat behind a pile of books. A sketch pad stretched out in front of you, and the books have long since been forgotten. Your attention waivered to the drawing you had started yesterday while Dean was sitting across from you in the library, a glass of whiskey in his hand, and his feet kicked up on the table. 

Drawing Dean has become one of your favorite past times. It was some sort of an obsession, you realized that, but it helped you cope with the fact that drawing the detail of his face would be the closest you ever get to actually touching him.

You'd been living with the Winchesters as a researcher for over a year, and from the moment Dean pulled up in Baby to pick you up from your brother Garth's house you'd been in love with him. Garth said the boys needed help researching, and suggested you as the best he'd ever known, so Dean came all the way there to pick you up himself. 

It wasn't something you could control, it just was, you just were. There was nothing that could change it, no matter how much you wanted to.

Dean didn't like girls like you. Dean liked girls that were platinum blondes, with a huge chest and perfectly flat stomach. Those kinds of girls that look like they walked right off the pages of his favorite porn magazine. 

You were none of those things.

Your stomach wasn't flat, you had a little extra weight on your hips, you had nice breast, but you were convinced that was just because you were heavy. You weren't obese, but you weren't a size zero either. 

You weren't a platinum blonde. They wouldn't have taken your picture and put you in any porn magazine. You had nothing that would hold the interest of the God that was Dean Winchester. 

He saw you as a best friend, or maybe a little sister, not someone he would fall in love with. 

You were laid back and shy, you didn't have the guts to even ask a guy out, much less let Dean know how you felt about him. Not that you'd take a chance anyway, and mess up the only kind of relationship you will ever have with the eldest Winchester, so you settled to drawing him. 

You liked drawing anyway. It was an escape from all the crazy, creepy, evil that surrounded the life of a hunter daily. 

"Morning Sweetheart," Dean said, dragging his feet as he entered the library, and you quickly hid your drawing so that he couldn't see it. 

"Morning Dean, you're up early," you tell him as he took his usual seat across from him.

"Yeah, one of those nights I guess, I just couldn't get comfortable." 

You found that hard to believe, he had that whole bed to himself with a memory foam mattress on it. What in the world could stop him from getting comfortable?

"Well, what do you have planned for today?" you ask him, getting up to go and start breakfast for the two of you. Dean stood and followed you into the bunker kitchen. Sitting on the island in the middle of the room as you took out a pack of bacon and started to lay it out in the pan.

"I actually wanted to see if you wanted to just hang out and watch movies or something, you know have a lazy day," Dean said with a shrug. "Sam left today to go to Ohio and help Elieen with a witch hunt, and that just leaves me and you with the whole bunker to ourselves.

You stood stock still for a moment before you could answer. Dean had never wanted to just hang out with you before because you had the whole bunker to yourselves. I mean the two of you would occasionally watch a movie with Sam, and he sometimes would sit and talk to you in the bunker, but Dean was usually a pretty private person. He liked to hang out in the garage, and work on baby, and not really socialize much. Even though he called you his best friend in the kitchen a few months ago, he was always pretty distant, but Dean was distant from everyone, so you didn't worry about it.

"Sounds great Dean," you finally got out as he grabbed another pan, and started mixing up pancake batter next to you. 

"Great! I'm thinking we will start with a classic, Bram Stoker's Dracula maybe? See where it goes from there,'' Dean said, sounding excited. You couldn't help how your chest swelled thinking about Dean actually wanting to hang out with you.

An hour later Dean and yourself had eaten breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen. Dean was getting the movie going for the two of you, and you were sitting on the couch, making yourself comfortable. 

"Okay Sweetheart," Dean said, flopping down on the couch and throwing his arm around you, pulling you very close to his side. Your heart was pounding in your chest at the close proximity, but you just went with it. Dean was never like this, but you weren't going to question it, you were just going to enjoy it because you knew it might not ever happen again.

Many movies later, and several pizzas, Dean and yourself were watching the credits roll on Pet Sematary, and Dean was stretching next to you. He'd kept very close proximity to you all day, even letting you cuddle with him while you two watched TV together. It had honestly been the best day you had ever had, and you weren't excited that it was getting late. 

"Hey Y/N, can I ask you something?" Dean said, looking at you cautiously. Your heart was pounding so hard in your chest you were sure he could hear it.

"Sure, Dean." 

Reaching over the side of the couch Dean pulls out a little black binder. One you recognize immediately. It was the binder that you kept all your drawings of Dean in. Your heart literally stopped mid beat as he turned to look at you, opening it up, and revealing your work. 

You couldn't speak, you couldn't breathe...

"Sweetheart, These are really..." 

Not letting him finish his sentence you snatched the binder out of his hands and literally ran towards your room, slamming the door behind you and locking it as tears made their way down your check. Throwing the binder in your underwear drawer you fall into bed and pray for death because that was the only thing that was going to take away that kind of embarrassment. 

All you could do was cry, you couldn't even think straight. He'd sat there and watched TV with you  ALL DAY! Let you cuddle with him, laughed with you, ordered food for you. You had a great day with Dean, and the whole time he was sitting over there with your binder, waiting to ask you about it. Guess he was just trying to soften the blow before he approached you about it.

You had never been more humiliated in your life. 

You were so upset that you didn't hear Dean pick the lock on your bedroom door, and when you felt the bed dip next to you, you nearly jumped out of it.

"Y/N, please don't run from me." 

You froze where you sat, looking anywhere but Dean, you couldn't stand to see what you thought you said there. Judgment, mocking, just like all those boys in high school that found out you had a crush on them and started calling you fat, and other mean names. Dean not only looked like a jock, but he was probably no different. 

Putting his finger lightly under your chin Dean guided your face to him.

"Look at me, Princess," he said, his voice was softer than you thought it would be, not mocking at all. 

Making yourself look at him, meeting his piercing green eyes as he wiped the tears that had fallen off of your face with the pad of his thumb. 

There wasn't any judgment there, but there was so much emotion that you didn't understand. 

"Y/N, I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have sprung that on you that way. I found your binder laying on the bed when I came in here to grab the spare blanket, and I got curious and opened it. I shouldn't have invaded your privacy, and I wasn't going to make fun of you, or mock you, hell, I'm not even mad. I just want to know why me?"

That made your mind freeze up for a moment. "Why me?" He was really wanting to know why you wanted to draw him? Does he look in the mirror when he gets dressed in the morning?

You blinked at him, dumbfounded by the question.

"What do you mean why you?" you asked him, and he lowered his head for the first time like he was a little embarrassed himself. 

"Because I'm nothing, Sweetheart, I'm not even that great of a person. Why the hell would you want to draw someone like me?" 

You wanted more than anything to slap him at that moment. "Dean, do you look in the mirror when you get dressed in the morning? Your fucking hot!" 

Slapping your hand over your mouth you mentally slapped yourself for your little outburst. Looking at Dean like you would die right there if you could get away with it.

Dean snorted out a laugh that surprised you, raising his eyebrows a little. "So you think I'm hot?" 

"Oh God Dean,'' you said, covering your face with your blankets before he pulled them down and laid down next to you. 

"Sweetheart, don't get embarrassed. You're normally so laid back. Why are you so shy around me?" 

Taking a deep breath you decided it was now or never. He wasn't going to let it go. You wondered if he already knew and was just being manipulative, but you had never known Dean to be manipulative. 

"Because I like you, Dean, I mean I really, really like you! More than just a friend or a brother. I have feelings for you Dean. I don't expect you to feel the same way about someone like me, and I completely understand if I totally creeped you out by drawing you all time, I'll stop if you want me to, I completely understand if you don't want anything to do with me anymore. I can call my brother to come and get me, move in with him, and his family.."

Before you could stand up all the way, and keep rambling Dean grabbed you, turned you around, and crashed his lips into yours in a bruising kiss to shut you up. It didn't last near as long as you wanted it to, but it didn't take long to make you melt into him. His taste filling you, his warm lips gliding over yours and your lips worked together with him like it was something that they'd always done.

When he pulled away you were both panting, and he leaned his forehead against yours, brushing your hair away from your face. 

"Sweetheart, stop. I don't want you to go anywhere. I have feelings for you too, I always have, just didn't figure you wanted someone as fucked up as I am."

Snaking his arms around your waist he started backing you up to the bed and laid you down softly on the mattress before crawling up your body and hovering over you as you backed up against the pillows. 

"I don't mind that you draw me. You don't creep me out, and I don't want you to change a damn thing about yourself. The only thing I want to know before I take this any further, because trust me I want to, is do you want this with me for real? Because I've wanted it a long damn time, and once I go there with you, your mine. There's no going back, I've weighed too long for you to lose you, sweet girl."

You couldn't speak because part of you couldn't believe what you were hearing, so you just nodded your head. 

That was all the permission he needed before his lips found yours again, kissing you softly. His tongue gliding over yours. His hands trailing over sides. Lifting up the hem of your shirt so that his hands can graze over the skin there. A moan leaving your lips as the feeling of his hands on your skin. 

Dean sat up and ripped his shirt over his head, and threw it to the floor. You sat up and did the same. Hand's trailing over the newly exposed skin of his chest as he laid you down on the mattress slowly. His lips trailing from your jawline to your pulse point, leaving little love bites and open mouth kisses as he went before slipping his hand behind your back and loosening your bra. Pulling it off of you slowly and throwing it across the room.

"You so beautiful Princess," he whispered as his finger trailed over the mounds of your breast, admiring each inch of you like he was trying to commit it to memory. Lowering his head, taking each nipple in his mouth, giving each of them the same amount of attention as he worshiped your body. 

Sliding his hands into the waistband of your pants he slid your underwear and your sweats down in one pull. Before ridding himself of his own sweats and boxers. Leaving both of you bare in front of each other. 

He was glorious, all muscle power. You were not, and you were completely bare before him. You automatically reached for the blanket. Feeling self-conscious for the first time tonight with him when he grabbed your arms stops you. 

"No, no sweetheart don't hide from me. You're beautiful, and I want to see you." 

Covering his body with your he leans down over you, grazing the shell of your ear with his teeth, sending a shiver through your body, landing a jolt of arousal straight in your core. 

"I want to taste you, but I don't think I can wait any longer to be inside of you."

Dean settled himself between your legs and started to rut his leaking erection against your soaked folds, nudging your clit with every slow movement of his hips. A gasp fell from your lips as with one smooth pull of his body against yours he'd lined himself up with you soaking entrance, pushing himself inside slowly, stretching you in the best way as he bottomed out and both of you groan at the connection of your bodies.

Never breaking eye contact he started rutting himself against your body. Not really pulling out all the way or at all. Slowly, deep, he moved inside of you. His head is buried in your neck, as moans and shallow breaths falling form both of you as he hit places deep inside of you no one had ever reached. Building you both higher and higher until you were both tumbling over the edge together as his seed coated your walls and your body jerked underneath him, pulling and milking him as he spilled himself into you.

When you both finally came down from your he pulled himself out slowly, not bothering about cleaning yourselves up. He just pulled you close to his chest, playing with your hair while you just enjoyed being close to each other. One hand on the curve of your hips, running his fingers lightly of the skin there. Relishing in your body in a way that you were ashamed of. He saw you as beautiful, and he wasn't ashamed to show it. He loved your curves that you tried so hard to hide, and he made you feel beautiful. No one had ever done that before. 

After a long time, Dean chuckled to himself, making you look up at him in confusion. "What Dean?"

"Nothing. Just wait until I tell Sam you've been painting me like one of those french girls." 

You reach up and slap him on his chest with a laugh. "I'll kick your ass, Winchester," you say, trying to sound threatening. 

He didn't respond to your threat, knowing well that you couldn't even slap him hard enough to hurt him. 

You just laid there looking at the ridiculous smile on his face. You loved how it made the lines around his eyes stick out. The way he always perches his tongue between his teeth, but only the tip. The way his eyes seem to sparkle and just for a moment, he looks ten years younger than he really is. 

Those are the things you love about him the most. The little details most people miss. 

"What?" he asked when he looked down and saw you staring at him, still playing with your hair.

"Just enjoying all the little details."

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Tag List: 

@deanwanddamons​​ @imabitch4jensen​​ @rvgrsbrns​​ @bi-danvers0​​ @onethirstyunicorn​​ @i-love-superhero​​ @akshi8278​ @alanegaming​ @magssteenkamp​ @lemondropirwin​ @squirrelnotsam​ @hobby27​ @spnbaby-67​ @mrsjenniferwinchester​

[angesradieux]

Upended

Summary: Another fic in my modern AU, because I’m just having too much fun with it. Floki is just an interesting person to talk to. It's nothing serious--at least, it isn't supposed to be. But a kiss calls all of that into question and leaves Athelstan floundering, struggling to decide what he wants and how to reconcile burgeoning feelings with his sense of self and his faith.

The beep of the microwave summons Floki back to the kitchen, and he returns in short order with a bowl of popcorn. Finally, he sits back down on the couch. “So, Dracula Untold? You’re sure you wouldn’t rather watch Saw?”

“Positive.”

Athelstan reaches for the popcorn as Floki hits play, but his hand swipes at air as Floki jerks the bowl away with a laugh. “You thought this was for you? Nope!”

“Jerk.” The quiet scoff is devoid of any bite of anger or hostility, and even the disapproving glare Athelstan tries so hard to conjure is far too amused to be taken seriously.

“Guilty.”

Still, with a smirk Floki offers the bowl to Athelstan. The banter quiets as they settle in to watch the movie. Although the way Athelstan leans forward a little, resting a fist beneath his chin and the soft, skeptical, “Interesting,” leaves little doubt that the conversation will resume soon enough.

His eyes narrow just a little and he exhales a puff of breath.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Athelstan waves a hand dismissively, but the hum that follows says otherwise. “It’s just… Why bother to research if you’re not going to go below the absolute most surface level?”

Floki shrugs. “Because no one except you would know the difference?” Athelstan turns his whole body to face Floki, who pretends not to notice. Instead, he muses, “Seems fine to me. Except not nearly enough blood.”

He gives a huff, but turns his attention back to the screen. For the most part, he manages to quell his righteous indignation on behalf of the historians who must have absolutely despised working on this film, although as the first vampire makes his appearance Athelstan can’t quite bite back the hushed exclamation of, “Really?” He groans, so focused on everything wrong with the movie that he doesn’t seem to realize that Floki has spent more time watching him than the television screen.

With an amused smile, Floki returns to the kitchen for another beer.

It’s an almost herculean task, but Athelstan does his best to keep his grumbling to a minimum, although Floki’s encouragement makes it incredibly tempting. Still, he manages to mostly hold it together until the credits roll. He sighs and slumps back, as if the effort of sitting through the movie has utterly exhausted him.

“Alright. Let’s hear it.”

“You’ll make fun of me!”

“Probably. But out with it, I know it’s killing you.”

Athelstan rolls his eyes. “I mean. There’s nothing! Absolutely nothing there that’s even close to vampire folklore! And they researched! I know they did!” Floki’s eyes glitter as he just gives a hum, gesturing for Athelstan to continue. “I mean, come on! They cast Dracula’s brother! No one does that. They obviously researched enough to know he had a brother. And Mehmed the Conqueror! How many Dracula movies even mention him? But even that was… I mean, yeah. They existed and Dracula fought them. But even that was mostly wrong!”

“Mmm. So you’re a Dracula scholar now?”

“I at least know vampires! And—”

“But they aren’t even real!”

“The folklore is! It was a thing! You can read about alleged vampire sightings in Greece, from the seventeenth century. They took it seriously enough that word of it came back to France. It fueled arguments about theology!”

Floki doesn’t interrupt, and that’s all the encouragement Athelstan needs to continue his tirade.

“I mean, seriously! A Catholic priest observed it. And he was convinced it meant that western Catholicism was the true faith, as opposed to Eastern Orthodox, because if vampires appeared in the east, obviously it meant their souls were corrupt. Meanwhile, the Greek priest argued that the appearance of vampires was a good thing. Because the devil was trying to corrupt their souls, and if he wasn’t trying in the west, it meant their souls were already corrupt and the devil needn’t bother. It’s fascinating!”

“So the church says vampires are real, does it?”

Athelstan’s brow knits and he shakes his head. “Well, it did at one time. I mean, they were seeing something, weren’t they? I’m sure now there’s a scientific explanation for it—I think it’s the stories from Serbia, there’s some speculation that what they saw was actually the effects of death from scurvy?—but it meant something to people at the time. And when the source material is so rich and interesting, why wouldn’t you use it!”

His hands wave as he speaks, voice raising in volume as his frustration mounts, spurred on only by his own interest in the subject. Floki rests his chin on a hand, eyes glittering in amusement as he allows Athelstan to continue to dismantle an opposition that exists in the confines of his mind rather than anywhere in the room. Athelstan comes alive when he argues. If this is the result, then sitting through a lackluster movie was more than worth whatever minor suffering it caused.

“It’s a crime!”

He hasn’t noticed that Floki’s come to sit just a little bit closer. It doesn’t register until suddenly lips brush against his, surprisingly gentle. He stiffens momentarily, but then finds himself relaxing into it. There’s a second, however brief, where he starts to return the kiss. Just a second, and then he stops, pulling away.

“Stop.”

“Hm?”

Floki obliges, watching him curiously.

“I can’t.”

“Of course you can,” Floki says. There’s an air of mischief about him as he adds, “And I’m an excellent teacher.” He leans in again, but Athelstan just about leaps off the couch.

“I have to go.”

He looks rather like a frightened rabbit as he rushes for the door.

He hears his name, but he neither stops nor looks back. Floki hasn’t chased him, and yet that doesn’t stop Athelstan from locking his car immediately once he’s settled in the driver’s seat. He runs a hand through his hair. “Fuck,” he breathes. For a long while, Athelstan just sits in the silence of his car, waiting for his heart to stop racing and allow him to calm down at least enough that he trusts himself to drive.

That night, Athelstan sleeps poorly, but he can't say whether it's the tender softness that shrouds his dreams or the burn of hellfire that fills his nightmares with brimstone that disturbs him more. 

It’s barely past six when he rises, giving up on a restful sleep. He rolls over and turns on the bedside lamp. He grabs the laptop from his nightstand, settling it on his lap. If he’s not going to sleep, maybe he can at least get some work done. However, no matter how hard he tries to gather himself enough to crank out a few pages for the next chapter of his dissertation, his thoughts remain scattered.  It’s fine. It doesn’t need to be good right now, anyway--that’s what editing is for. At least, that’s what he tries to tell himself.

His fingertips remain still upon the keyboard as words refuse to come, chased away by the feeling of lips brushing against his own and the burning shame that comes from the realization that he may have put a stop to it, but he hadn’t wanted to. 

Clearly, this is all an exercise in futility and soon the laptop, just like sleep, is abandoned. Instead, Athelstan gets up and gets himself dressed. He scarcely takes the time to run a brush through his hair before making his way to St. Joseph’s church.

The doors are open. Father Cuthbert likes it that way, providing a refuge in the early hours for those who need a moment of quiet contemplation before diving into the hustle of daily life. The sanctuary has its own distinctive scent, incense that lingers and the warmth of smoke from candles lit for loved ones lost that hangs itself about the shoulders of the faithful. In the past, it has always been a comfort, a familiarity that seemed to welcome Athelstan home, centering him and calling his mind to the task of worshipping the Divine. 

Today, it leaves Athelstan sick.

Read the full fic here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29963424/chapters/73761141

[aion-rsa]

The Weird History of Monsters vs Marvel Superheroes

https://ift.tt/2pgj0kj

Dracula, Frankenstein, a Werewolf by Night, a Living Mummy have all taken on or teamed up with the heroes of the Marvel Universe.

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The Marvel Universe is known for superheroes but it's also home to some of the greatest classic monsters ever to shamble onto a comic book page. Beginning in the early 1970s, some scary residents moved in.

Marvel has its own Dracula, its own Frankenstein Monster, its own Mummy, its own werewolf (two actually) and even its own Manphibian (kind of like the Creature from the Black Lagoon...but not). These creepy residents lurked in their own little dark corner of the Marvel Universe, but the takeaway here is that they were IN the Marvel Universe and at times these vampires, lycanthropes, and corpses even met the famous heroes of the MU.

So join us my intrepid monster hunters as we recount the ultimate monster mashes and revisit a few special occasions where classic monsters met classic superheroes...

Dracula

Dracula Lives #3 (1973)

by Roy Thomas and Alan Weiss

We already recounted the many times Dracula has stalked the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe, but there was one team up we missed. Yeah, we know what you’re thinking: Conan and the other Robert E. Howard characters aren’t really part of the Marvel Universe, but listen, Spider-Man meet Kull and Red Sonja, and Spider-Man met Dracula, so this totally counts.

In Dracula Lives! #3 Roy Thomas and Alan Weiss gave us an ancient battle between Dracula and Howard’s famous demon hunter Solomon Kane. For those not familiar with Kane, imagine an Age of Imperialism Puritan Van Helsing that travels the world to spread the word of God while killing vampires and werewolves. Marvel published a bunch of Solomon Kane comics throughout the Bronze Age, and even though Kane had his following, the demon hunter never really caught on like Howard’s famous Cimmerian (probably because his adventures were always a wee bit racist).

read more: 13 Essential Dracula Performances

But in this one magnificent tale, Kane and Dracula clashed! In this Kane adventure, the chaste Kane must navigate the world of vampire seduction and then face off against the Lord of the Vampires his own damn self. Kane kind of kicks Drac’s ass (in Dracula’s own magazine no less), but readers also get a sense of Kane’s honor. You see, earlier in the issue, Dracula saves the Puritan's life. When Kane has Dracula on the ropes, the vampire reminds the honorable Kane that the demon hunter owes the vampire a boon. Kane lets Dracula go which pretty much dooms countless souls for like, the rest of eternity. So whenever Dracula needs a snack and kills some poor hapless soul, that victim can thank Kane for letting the fish off the hook when he was about to stake Dracula for good. Puritans, huh?

Anyway, this story remains a glorious Bronze Age oddity where two unlikely characters smack up against each other in glorious black-and-white.

Frankenstein’s Monster

The lumbering abomination of science known as Frankenstein’s Monster has a pretty long history in comics, one that predates the classic monster’s own comic at Marvel. Marvel’s The Monster of Frankenstein series premiered in 1973, but the bolt-necked behemoth stepped out of the late night picture shows and into the Marvel Universe a few times before it lived in its own feature.

X-Men #40 (1968)

By Roy Thomas and Don Heck

In X-Men #40, artist Don Heck and writer Roy Thomas (there’s that name again, it’s clear that Thomas is, was, and always will be the godfather of Marvel monsters) featured a clash between the X-Men and Frankenstein’s most famous creation.

Well, kinda.

The issue starts off with the X-Men enjoying a day of training in the Danger Room. Suddenly, they are summoned by Professor X who explains that he thinks he has located Frankenstein’s Monster. Professor X reveals that the monster is actually an android and furthermore, the android may have been built by a mutant. Holy Boris Karloff, that’s convoluted! The story would have been better served if Charles Xavier was all like, “I found Frankenstein, go beat him up,” and the X-Men were all like, “Yeah, sure,” and then they fight and stuff. But no, androids, mutants and aliens.

Wait aliens? Oh yah, it gets even more bonkers.

The X-Men attack the android and a big bad fight ensues. Iceman encases the monster in ice because he’s seen a movie or two and this defeats the Frankenstein android. Professor X then discovers that the monstrous android was built by aliens to act as an ambassador to Earth. The monster malfunctioned and went on a rampage thus creating the legend that inspired Mary Shelley to write her book. I like how Marvel took the elegantly simple tale of Frankenstein and made it intensely elaborate.

read more: Marvel's 31 Best Monsters

So there you go, Frankenstein’s first Marvel non-appearance in a tale where the monster was almost a mutant creation, almost a classic monster, and almost an alien ambassador.

The Silver Surfer #7 (1969)

By Stan Lee and John Buscema

After the monster’s almost appearance in X-Men, fans did not have to wait long for the real deal Universal and Shelley inspired Frankenstein top pop up, and this time it was for real. Wait...no it wasn’t.

Okay, so in this issue Ludwig Frankensein, descendant of legendary monster maker Victor Frankenstein, wants to renew Victor’s forbidden experiments. So, Ludwig and his hunchback assistant Borgo kidnap the Silver Surfer in order to siphon the Power Cosmic into their own creation. They succeed and the Surfer ends up fighting, not the Frankenstein Monster, put a Frankenstein created Silver Surfer doppelganger. But take note Frankenophiles, the famous monster does make an appearance.

read more: 13 Forgotten Frankenstein Movies

During the issue, Ludwig watches a film of Victor creating the world’s most famous monster. Yeah, we know movies weren't created until well after the mid-1800s, but shhh, you’re going to argue about something like that in a comic starring a naked silver guy that surfs in space? Rest assured that the Frankenstein Monster that appears in that film is the real deal, establishing that the Monster did indeed stalk the Marvel Universe.

Avengers #131 (1975)

By Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema

Frankenstein’s Monster is known for many famous cultural moments. It starred in what is considered one of the every first genre novels, it was the subject of one of the most famous horror films ever created, and it has appeared throughout media in every genre from pure horror to light comedy, but did you know that the Frankenstein Monster once served on a team with Wonder Man? Damn, that’s just oddly random.

read more: The Best Modern Horror Movies

Yup, as a plot to destroy the Avengers, the time traveling despot known as Kang plucked from the time stream some really haphazardly chosen heroes and villains just moments before their deaths, unified them, and sent them to destroy the Avengers. This ill-fated team consisted of the original android Human Torch, Wonder Man, erstwhile Iron Man baddie the Ghost, some dude named Midnight that once fought Shang-Chi, and Frankenstein’s Monster. That’s like creating a super team by randomly choosing Wikipedia pages.

The Avengers didn't have a really hard time with this group of almost corpses, but hey, listen, it’s a super team with Frankenstein’s Monster, that’s just odd enough to be awesome in our book.

Marvel Team-Up #36-37 (1975)

By Gerry Conway and Sal Buscema

True story, Marvel Team-Up #37 was one of the first comics I ever owned, and it blew my little mind that Spider-Man could actually team up with Frankenstein! How could Spider-Man team up with that monster that scared the poop out of me whenever Frankenstein aired on local TV? Not only did Spidey and Frankie appear in the same comic, they were helping each other! I think my love for superheroes and classic monsters may have sprung from my fevered re-readings of this very issue. So thanks Conway and Buscema, thanks for showing me the path.

read more: Spider-Man's Greatest Marvel Team-Ups

Anyway, so in this odd duck team up Spidey and Frankenstein’s Monster join forces to take on the menace of the monster maker: Baron Von Shtupf! Who? Von Shtupf, that’s who. Man, for a comic so integral to my development as a nerd, it’s pretty darn trivial. Anyway, Spidey and Frankie meet as Spidey accepts the whole corpse regeneration thing at face value because he recently ran into a clone of Gwen Stacy (comics!). Eventually, Man-Wolf (who is actually the son of Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson) joins the fray and things get even more Bronze Age-ier and crazier as Man-beast, man-wolf, and man-spider all battle man-Shtupf. Glorious, I tells you!

Iron Man #101-102 (1977)

By Bill Mantlo and George Tuska

And then there was the time Frankenstein met Robert Downey Jr. Yup, in Iron Man #101-102, Tony Stark finds himself in the Swiss Alps where he stops for repairs after fighting godless commies in Yugoslavia. There, he is ambushed by a group of diminuitive misshapen creatures known as the Children of the Damned (no, they were not Trump supporters, stop it). Frankenstein and Iron Man battle it out in a clash of billion dollar film superstars.

read more: Upcoming Horror Movies Heading Your Way

Then, some armored dude with a giant lance blasts Iron Man and golden super hero and shambling corpse must team up to face the Dreadknight! By the way, Dreadknight’s real name is Bram Velsing, so there you go. To be honest, these issues are filled with atmospheric coolness and just seeing the classic monster and Golden Avenger on the same comic page together is just so out of place that it transcends cheese and becomes awesome

Invaders #31 (1978)

By Don Glut and Chic Stone

You guys, this issue is called “Heil Frankenstein!” This is going to be so cool.

Hey, remember before when I said that the first mention of Frankenstein in a Marvel Comic was in X-Men #40, yeah, I lied. Way the hell back in USA Comics #13 (1944), Captain America and Bucky run afoul of the creation of the Frankensteins. In this forgotten Golden Age classic, Anna Frankenstein builds a new monster in hopes of selling an army of monsters to Hitler. Yes folks, Franken-Nazis! Cap foils the plan, but years later, in the pages of Invaders, Marvel decided to revisit this story and re-introduces those Franken-clones.

read more: The Best Horror Movies on Netflix

In this issue, Basil Frankenstein continues Anna’s work and tries to build that undead army for Hitler (that’s the oddest sentence I’ve ever typed). The Invaders (Cap, Bucky, Sub-Mariner, Human Torch, and Toro) arrive to take care of business and battle a swastika emblazoned version of the Frankenstein Monster. I know I make this sound crazy...guys, it’s crazier and ends with the poor monster killing itself so it can’t be used by the Nazis.

Nick Fury’s Howling Commandos #1 (2005)

By Keith Giffen and Eduardo Francisco

So we already discussed Frankenstein’s Monster as part of the Legion of the Unliving in the Avengers, but that doesn’t really count as a for real super hero team does it? I mean, Frankie was plucked for the past to join a non-team of not really dead dead people. Well, the Howling Commandos counts because it consists of a group of classic Marvel monsters conscripted by SHIELD to go on insane missions to bringsdown other monstrous threats. So this is the classic Frankenstein’s Monster, heavily armed and given a license to kill by Nick Fury, going on missions to keep the world safe from supernatural threats. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.

read more: The Best Horror Movies on HBO Go

It’s like if Freddy and Jason joined the Expendables. GASP! I think I might have just stumbled on a billion dollar idea. Crap man, half the Expendables already look like walking corpses. Anyway, yeah, Frankenstein’s Monster once joined SHIELD.

Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #1-4 (2011)

By Brandon Montclare, Michael Wm Kaluta, Ryan Bodenheim, and Simon Bisley

So now we have three super teams that Frankie called his own, but the Fearsome Four was by far the strangest. Yes, the strangest team amongst a squad of time lost corpses and a team of monster soldiers. Because get this, the Fearsome Four consisted of She-Hulk, the Defender known as Nighthawk, Frankenstein’s Monster, and Howard the Duck. Yeah, beat that!

read more: The Best Horror Movies on Hulu

During Fear Itself, these four incongruous teammates must join together to face a mutated Man-Thing and the Psycho Man. That’s a lot of menacing hyphens right there. But somehow this team that shouldn’t have worked, did just that and four heroes that couldn’t be any more different found the unity to save the world. Frankenstein and a duck, teaming up and kicking ass. This is why we love comics.

Wolverine and the X-Men #19, 21-23 (2012)

By Jason Aaron and Nick Bradshaw

We’ve recounted the times the Monster has stalked the Marvel Universe, but the descendants of the creature’s creator has also caused trouble for the heroes. We’ve covered Ludwig Frankenstein in Silver Surfer, Anna and Basil Frankenstein in Invaders, and Victoria Frankenstein has even aided some Marvel heroes over the years. But here we have the evil works of Baron Maximilian von Katzenelnbogen, a contemporary descendant of the Frankenstein clan.

read more: 31 Best Streaming Horror Movies

Von Katzenelnbogen may have just been barely a teenager but when he joined a youthful version of the Hellfire Club (it was like the Muppet Babies, but with more S&M and death), he and his vile pals send an army of Frankenstein Monster clones against the X-Men. Yes, an army of Frankensteins. But when the real Frankenstein finds out that his creator’s work is once again being used for evil, well, let’s just say the classic monster doesn’t take it well.

Werewolf by Night

Marvel Team-Up #12 (1973)

By Gerry Conway, Len Wein, and Ross Andru

We already covered the meeting of Frankenstein’s Monster and Man-Wolf in the pages of Marvel Team-Up. In addition to this creature feature, there was also another Spider-Man monster mash as Spidey teamed with Marvel’s leading lycanthrope, Werewolf by Night. We’re kind of going to gloss over Man-Wolf because, while the character is awesome, he’s more of a sci-fi character than a classic horror beastie.  

In this issue, the first meeting between Spidey and Jack Russell (and yes folks, Werewolf by Night is named Jack Russell), Spidey and Wolfy team up to take on the evil wizard Moondark. Really, the issue consists of Werewolf by Night popping up and Spidey punching the poor were-beast into the middle of next week, and then defeating Moondark single handedly.  

read more: 13 Essential Werewolf Movies

Spider-Man and Werewolf by Night don’t really spend much time together, but if they did, what were they supposed to do? Go for a long walk together? Play fetch? Punching is pretty much the order of the day when werewolf and classic superhero get together, and punch they did in the first meeting between hero and werewolf.

Spider-Woman #19 (1979)

By Steven Grant, Mark Gruenwald, and Carmine Infantino

So Werewolf by Night is pretty much the classic Wolfman character, just younger. Poor Jack Russell must battle his savage instincts when he turns into the Werewolf by Night and survive in a world that views him as a monster. But there have been times in the character’s long history where Russell has complete control of the werewolf. At these times, Werewolf by Night is kind of like a really hairy Spider-Man type, what with the crime fighting and the humorous quips. It can be said the Werewolf by Night is a perfect amalgamation of Marvel superhero and Marvel horror icon all wrapped up in a really fuzzy, fanged package.

read more: The Best Horror Movies on Amazon Prime

The heroic Werewolf was on full display in Spider-Woman #19 as the costumed hero and altruistic lycanthrope take on the heavily armed mercenary known as Enforcer. This issue, Spider-Woman and Russell strike up a friendship that would be revisited a number of times over the decades. I guess every woman needs a werewolf pal to confide in? No? Well, how about we leave it at that this is a pretty killer atmospheric issue that fully utilizes all the heroic aspects of Werewolf by Night.

Spider-Woman #32 (1980)

By Michael Fleisher and Steve Leialoha

Look at that Frank Miller and Klaus Janson cover. Look at those perfectly rendered drawings of Spider-Woman and Werewolf by Night framed by posters of some of Hollywood’s most famous monsters. Is that not the most glorious Halloween looking comic cover you’ve ever seen? The insides of this issue ain’t bad either as Spider-Woman and Werewolf by Night renew their heroic bond by teaming up to bring down the evil Doctor Karl Malus and the mysterious villain known as the Hornet. During the course of this issue, Malus controls Russell’s hairy alter ego, but Spider-Woman is able to free her monster pal and take the fight to the villains.

But for real man, I can stare at the glorious Frank Miller cover until next Halloween.

Marvel Team-Up #93 (1980)

Man, Werewolf by Night teamed up with a lot of Spider people, huh? Well, in this spider/wolf throw down, Jack Russell and Spidey join together to face the Tatterdemalion. What is Tatterdemalion’s deal you ask (other than being impossible to spell)? Well, he is really strong and he really, really smells.

Tatterdemalion hates wealth and fancy things and dresses in a suit of horribly dirty rags and attacks the rich. He also sticks to things, so he has that going for him. The Tatterdemalion first appeared in Werewolf by Night’s own solo title and that conflict leaks over into the werewolf’s second team up with Spider-Man.

read more: The 25 Best Horror Movies You've Never Seen

Think about it, Tatterdemalion is sticky and smells really bad, and Werewolf by Night is covered in hair. That can’t be an easy post-fight clean up. But Tatterdemalion is a perfect horror/super villain type of rogue. He’s a sewer lurker that is really unsettling and is right at home fighting super hero or monster, and he does a little bit of both in this monstrous team up comic.

West Coast Avengers #5 (1986)

By Steve Englehart and Al Milgrom

Here’s a fun fact. Two pretty important Marvel super heroes were introduced in books starring Werewolf by Night. First, the great Moon Knight was introduced in Werewolf by Night #32 (1975) and one time Avenger, Tigra the Were-Woman was introduced in Giant Size Creatures Featuring Werewolf by Night #1 (1974). Moon Knight went on to become one of Marvel’s most popular street level heroes (and inevitable Netflix star, you know it’s going to happen and the series better freakin’ feature Werewolf by Night) and Tigra went on to star in many Marvel team books.

read more: 25 Awesome Spooky Movies

In this issue of West Coast Avengers, the Westies believe that Tigra, who was transformed into a were-cat by a race known as the Cat People (well, what would you call them?) may have a link to Jack Russell. So the Avengers track down the Werewolf by Night and jump him. That’s not cool. It was a brief Werewolf by Night appearance but it was nice to see him reunite with Tigra. After all, she was introduced in a Werewolf by Night feature.

That’s our Wolfie, launching superhero careers like nobody’s business. Hey man, it just goes to show you that Werewolf by Night was a big deal once...and will be again when he get his own Netflix series (it’s going to happen, Den of Geek mastermind Mike Cecchini is currently willing it to).

Iron Man #209 (1986)

By Dennis Mallonee and Rick Hoberg

Hey check this out, Iron Man was a bit of a monster magnet himself, teaming up with Frankenstein’s Monster and now Werewolf by Night. In this issue, Werewolf by Night’s sister gets possessed by the evil magic of Morgan Le Fay. Tony Stark must team with the Werewolf to battle Le Fay and free Russell’s beloved sibling.

So you have a Universal Pictures inspired monster hero teaming up with a classic Marvel icon to take on a fatale ripped from Arthurian folklore. What’s not to love about this? Technology meets classic monster goodness meets ancient legend. Get thee to a back issue bin!

Captain America #330 (1987)

By Mark Gruenwald and Tom Morgan

Do you know that Werewolf by Night was a member of a superhero team? Huh, didja? Well, he was and they were a unique bunch of bananas, I’ll tell you that.

In Captain America #330, Marvel introduced Night Shift, a group of horror themed characters that were pretty much all the supporting characters and villains left over from the defunct Spider-Woman title. The team consisted of Werewolf by Night, Brothers Grimm, Gypsy Moth, Tick Tock, Digger, Needle, and Tatterdemalion and was led by the Shroud. The team fought crime by pretending to be a gang of criminals, but were in fact a team of strange heroes dedicated to taking the underworld down from the inside. Most of the team were reformed Spider-Woman villains, but the Shroud’s right hand man was Werewolf by Night.

read more: The Underrated Horror Movies of the 1990s

Night Shift was such a weird concept that it really needs to be brought back. Think about it, the ranks of this strange team could be home to many of Marvel’s almost forgotten horror heroes.

X-Factor #222-224 (2011)

By Peter David and Emanuela Lupacchino

In these issues of X-Factor, the mutant known as Wolfsbane was about to give birth to a half lycanthrope mutant and half Asgardian baby. In honor of this event, many of Marvel’s wolf characters gathered to welcome this part mutant part werewolf part god to the world. Included in the gathering was Werewolf by Night. It was like a werewolf nativity scene and I’m just going to leave that sitting there.

read more: 13 Brilliant Horror Movies Under 90 Minutes Long

Listen though, anything Peter David writes is worth reading and he really crafted a very interesting Werewolf by Night and I would read the heck out of a Jack Russell series penned by David.

The Living Mummy

Marvel Two-in-One #95 (1983)

By David Kraft and Alan Kupperberg

Yes, Marvel has a mummy to call its very own. N’Kantu the Living Mummy was once an African king who was imprisoned and cursed to walk the Earth as an unholy monstrosity. The Living Mummy starred in his own short lived series in the pages of Supernatural Thrillers and then appeared sporadically around the fringes of the Marvel Universe. Unlike the many Universal mummies, N’Kantu is a heroic if tragic figure. But he’s a dude that shambles around in dusty bandages so he hasn’t had the impact of Marvel monsters like Dracula and Werewolf by Night. But that hasn’t stopped the Living Mummy from getting around now and again.

read more: 13 Essential Mummy Movies

Take this issue of Marvel Two-in-One. Ben Grimm’s best gal Alicia is possessed by an ancient spirit, the Thing and the Living Mummy must team up in order to free Alicia and defeat the evil Nephrus. Well, they don’t so much as team up but appear on a few pages together before the Mummy shambles off into the desert. But it counts, the Living Mummy and the Thing, fighting the good fight together, kinda, almost.

Captain America #361 (1989)

By Mark Gruenwald and Kieron Dwyer

The late, great writer Mark Gruenwald was never one to leave any obscure character unexplored, and he found a way to incorporate the Living Mummy into the bright and shiny world of Captain America. When Cap and his partner and lover Diamondback were hunting down the fabled bloodstones, they convince the Living Mummy to hand over the Bloodgem in a story completely unrelated to Infinity Gauntlet.

read more: 28 Alternative Horror Movies Worth Watching

But there was something incongruously awesome about seeing a guy dressed as the American flag team with a dude dressed up like Boris Karloff’s second most famous monster.

Quasar #46 (1993)

By Mark Gruenwald and Andy Smith

Has everyone been a member of a super team at one point or another? Get this motley crew. Doctor Druid, Shadowoman, the Blazing Skull, and the Living Mummy- otherwise known as Shock Troop! This team of also-rans and never was-es helped Quasar take on the villain known as Quagmire (giggity).

read more: The 31 Best Segments From Horror Anthology Movies

I guess this team quietly disbanded soon afterwards because what else were they supposed to do? Marvel, bring back the Shock Troop. I mean, you’re leaving at least $2.13 on the table here.

Civil War #7 (2007)

By Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

You might think that Living Mummy is small potatoes as far as Marvel monsters goes but he actually took part in the biggest Marvel event of all time. N’Kantu can be seen as part of the anti-registration forces in the climactic battle between Iron Man and Captain America in the first Civil War. Now, imagine how cool it would be if Cap had a mummy on his side (no explanation, just a mummy) in the Civil War film.

The Living Mummy was present during Civil War because like Frankenstein, N’Kantu was a member of the Howling Commandos of SHIELD. The Mummy felt like he was being forced into servitude and not wanting to live the life (or unlife) of a slave, the Living Mummy rebelled. This led to imprisonment and the eventual riot that became the inciting event of the conclusion of Civil War. In the worlds of Ulysses S. Grant, “t’aint a proper Civil War ‘til a Mummy gets involved!” Or something.

Currently, the Living Mummy is a member of the Legion of Monsters and as such has met and fought with and against Deadpool (Deadpool Team-Up #894) and the Red Hulk (Hulk Vol 2 #52) but we just wanted to focus on the Living Mummy as a solo act.

Zombie

Daredevil Annual #9 (1993)

Yup, Marvel has a zombie and his name is Zombie. Well, his name used to be Simon Garth until a voodoo curse transformed poor Garth into the Zombie.

Before zombies were really a thing in comics, Garth starred in the Bronze Age black and white magazine Tales of the Zombie. Unlike the zombies that are turned into jelly by Rick and Michonne in The Walking Dead, Garth maintained his free will. So basically, he’s a rotting, shambling, fresh hungry walking corpse, but he’s fully aware of this situation. That sucks for him.

Garth’s free will was on full display when he helped Daredevil defeat the voodoo queen and sometimes groupie of Kraven the Hunter, the evil Calypso. With all that Walking Dead money floating around, it’s a wonder that Marvel doesn’t do more with its Zombie. But hey, Garth met Daredevil once in this ultra-esoteric annual, so that’s something.

Manphibian

Uncanny Avengers Annual #1 (2014)

By Rick Remender and Paul Renaud

And we conclude with Marvel’s version of the Creature from the Black Lagoon: Manphibian! Man is that fun to say, Manphibian, Manphibian, Manphibian!

Anyway, Manphibian (Manphibian!) is actually an alien being that crash landed on Earth while pursuing the murderer of his mate across the cosmos. Both murderer and Manphibian were tapped on Earth and became monsters of myth and legend. Manphibian appeared in the Frankencastle saga (don't ask) and also joined the Howling Commandos.

read more: A Brief History of the Creature From the Black Lagoon Franchise

But for a very brief moment, Manphibian was a member of his own team of Avengers. In Uncanny Avengers Annual #1, Manphibian joined with Ghost Rider, Doctor Strange, Blade, Satana, and Man-Thing to become the Avengers of the Supernatural. This group of monstrous Avengers teams with the Uncanny Avengers against Mojo and then disbands five minutes later, which is a shame because I would spend good cash money to read about this team on a regular basis.

So there you have it, some classic monsters joining forces with the super heroes that share their world. We’re sure many more monstrous adventure are on the way to the Marvel Universe, so remember, sometimes the things that go bump in the night are just as brave and selfless as the bright and shiny super heroes that get all the press. So be kind to the shambling, snarling creatures of darkness, they deserve love too. Excelsior!

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

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Feature Marc Buxton

Oct 14, 2019

Marvel

Dracula

Frankenstein

31 Days of Horror

from Books https://ift.tt/2SpjPBf

[blschaos3000-blog]

Its 3:31 pm

Welcome to a another edition of “8 Questions with…..” I’m pretty jazzed up for today’s interview with George Rother. I’m finally getting to talk with a fellow film buff and critic who is very much like myself. And just like most SERIOUS film buffs,George just doesn’t stick with the latest blockbusters or trendy releases,he isn’t afraid to explore quality foreign offerings or B-movie fun. If it can be seen on a screen,George is there to offer fair and quality insight and honestly,one can spend hours on his website Movie Guy 24/7. I know because the cheetah and I have spent a few visits checking out some classics from days gone by. George also has a crazy interactive Facebook page with over 10,000 followers who enjoy talking films in a respectful way which is rather refreshing to see. I’ll post a link down below after the interview. But for now,let’s go ask George his 8 Questions…….

  Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about Movie Guy 24/7

 My name is George Rother. I am a lifelong movie lover. I started Movie Guy 24/7 in 2010 after health reasons forced me to retire early. I’m primarily a film critic but I do more than review movies. If you go on the Movie Guy 24/7 FaceBook page, I post things daily. I offer up trivia, I ask questions, I give challenges, I put up songs, clips and trailers from movies. I do all sorts of things to interact with my fans/friends. 

What makes film so important to you?

Film has been a constant in my life. I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up so I often went to the movies by myself. I got used to it actually. Film has always been a subject of interest to me. Even as a kid, I wanted to see adult-oriented films like All That Jazz, The Rose, Apocalypse Now and Kramer vs. Kramer. Of course, that pesky parental R-rated movie block kept getting in the way. LOL! Anyway, I just felt at home getting caught up in a filmed story. I became a regular filmgoer at 13 and always seemed to know more about movies than other people my age. 

Are movies better today then when you started watching them? What are the three biggest changes besides budgetsand special effects that you like/dislike from films of yesterday and today?

LOL! I hate to resort to cliches but they sure don’t make them like they used to. Most of today’s movies are so impersonal. They’re not art, they’re made by committee. A lot of them are derivative. Comedies aren’t funny anymore; they’re just foul, gross and vulgar. PG-13 horror movies are the cinematic equivalent of watered-down alcoholic drinks. Blockbusters are little more than convoluted, CGI-heavy noisefests. I don’t really care for CGI; it looks too fake. Give me old school practical effects any day. 

What makes a movie a “classic” in your eyes?

 That’s a subjective thing. Everybody has their own ideas as to what makes a movie classic. If pressed, I suppose I’d have to say longevity. Will it hold up 5, 10, 20 years from now? Sadly, not many of today’s movies are future classics. 

Did you feel Hollywood has played a huge part in the rise of gun violence with so many violent shoot-’em ups?

 There has always been shooting in movies. Look at the old westerns from the 20s and 30s. Look at the gangster movies from that era. They seemed very violent at the time. Nowadays, filmmakers can get away with showing a lot more. However, I think the depiction of gun violence in film (and TV) has little to do with the rise in real life gun violence. I think it has to do with a person’s nature and/or their surroundings. 

What is a difference between a movie critic and a movie buff?

 LOL! Why can’t somebody be both? OK, here’s my answer. A movie critic watches a film analytically whereas a movie buff is passionate about film in general. In other words, business vs. pleasure. 

What five films/five stars/five directors are you favorites and why?

 WOW! That’s a tall question. Let’s start with favorite movies. If you mean all-around cinematic perfection, perfect in every way, I’d have to say Casablanca. If you mean what movie gives me the most pleasure, I’d say the 1982 version of Conan the Barbarian. I can’t really give you a top 5 here so I’ll just give you my favorites in a few genres. Sci-fi: (tie) Blade Runner and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Horror: The Shining, Comedy: A Fish Called Wanda, Cop: Sharky’s Machine, Action: First Blood, Action-Adventure: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Drama: Gandhi and Western: Once Upon a Time in the West. Okay, top 5 (no particular order) lists coming up. My five favorite actors are Jack Nicholson, Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Harvey Keitel and Samuel L. Jackson. My five favorite actresses are Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Scarlett Johansson, Audrey Hepburn and Ingrid Bergman. My five favorite directors are David Lynch, David Fincher, Quentin Tarantino, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Martin Scorsese. I don’t really have a reason why other than I like what/who I like.

 Is streaming going to kill both the theater experience and pyschical media in your opinion?

 I hope that there will always be movie theaters. Nothing matches the experience of seeing a film on the big screen. However, I think more and more small-to-medium budgeted films will premiere on streaming services. It will definitely cut into box office revenue. As for me, I will always see films at a theater.

What five films/fiver stars/fivedirectors do you dislike the most and why?

 Ah, my dislikes. Okay, here’s my Top 10 Worst Movies starting with 1979’s Caligula, In my not-so-humble opinion, that is the absolute worst film EVER! It is a vile, disgusting, degrading, depressing and artless piece of crap. The rest of the list is as follows: (2) Basic Instinct 2, (3) Windows, (4) It’s Pat: The Movie, (5) Gummo, (6) Wild Wild West, (7) Baby Geniuses, (8) Knock Off, (9) Dangerous Game and (10) Born American. My five worst actors/actresses: Tom Cruise, Roseanne Barr, Rosie Perez, Ben Affleck and Steven Seagal. Five worst directors: (1) and (2) are Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, the guys behind lousy spoofs like Disaster Movie, Vampires Suck and Meet the Spartans. The others are Michael Bay, William “One Shot” Beaudine (Billy the Kid vs. Dracula, Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter) and William Shatner (ever see Star Trek V?).

Your Facebook page is rising fast in popularity,what makes it such a hot spot for fans?

 I guess I’m just lucky. I try to make the page fun for everybody. It’s geared towards movie geeks like myself but I also try to make it accessible for casual movie fans.

What is your impression of TV in general?

 For years, I regarded TV as a cultural wasteland. I had no interest in it. As of late, it’s changed a lot. Episodic TV is rapidly becoming popular. Some stories just can’t be told in two hours. Look at Killing Eve and Big Little Lies. My wife and I do a lot of binge watching in the summer. Right now, we’re doing Stranger Things. It’s great. In May/June, we did all eight seasons of Game of Thrones. It was great too.  The other great thing is when a network cancels a good show like Designated Survivor, it might get picked up by a streaming outlet like Netflix. I’d say TV has come a very long way.

The cheetah and I are flying in to catch you hosting a film festival but we’re a day early and now you are playing tour guide,what are we doing?

 If I was to show you guys around Philadelphia, I’d probably take you to some places where movies were shot. Of course, we’d have to go to Philly’s best cheese steak joint, Jim’s on South Street. After that, who knows? Maybe we’ll catch a movie at one of the Ritz Theaters here in town.

I like to thank George for graciously taking the time to talk film and TV with us today. The cheetah and I seriously recommend following George’s Facebook page for Movie Guy 24/7.  Tell’em that we sent you…..you won’t be sorry and you’ll be very entertained! I should have asked George if Jim’s Steaks delivers……..

While the cheetah and I don’t have 10k fans as of yet,we too have a Facebook page called Have Cheetah,Will View which we hope you’ll drop by and join up…

Thank you all for your support,we have a whole new crop of interviews coming including two of my biggest names yet. Stay tuned…….

8 Questions with…………. film buff George Rother of Movie Guy 24/7 Its 3:31 pm Welcome to a another edition of "8 Questions with....." I'm pretty jazzed up for today's interview with George Rother.