#Delhi Daredevils

[townpostin]

Jamshedpur's Rahul Shukla Retires from Domestic Cricket

Rahul Shukla, former IPL player, retires from all formats of domestic cricket, focusing now on veteran cricket. Rahul Shukla, the fast bowler from Jamshedpur who has played for Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils, and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, has announced his retirement from all formats of domestic cricket. JAMSHEDPUR – Jamshedpur’s Rahul Shukla, known for his stints with Mumbai Indians, Delhi…

[iplhub]

IPL (Indian premier league)

all about ipl, ipl facts, ipl records, ipl history, Virat Kohli, MS dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, etc click this link

[godofsmallthing]

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

if I remember right, a year or two ago you made a list of recommendations for the Edinburgh Fringe. Any recommendations for this year? Already got Steffan on the list, obviously

I did! Okay, okay, here's what I've got this year. Caveat: I personally have not been up there yet (I'm going in a few days), but these are things I saw in preview/have heard great things about.

Steffan Alun: Free Standup, but at What Cost

Venue 156: PBH's Free Fringe @ Banshee Labyrinth - Banquet Hall, 21.30-22.30

Back again! Eighth Fringe, this. The show is an hour, but that includes a 15 minute warm-up act, then Steff for 45 mins. He does this so that reviewers won't come and ruin the vibe.

Anyway this year he talks a bit about being Welsh and how he is therefore grumpy with Bristolian Tesco self-checkout machines

.

Jake Baker: Rule Breaker!

Venue 78: PBH's Free Fringe @ Canons' Gait - Lower, 16.30-17.30

I love Jake, he's lovely. He's a gentle soul and has an excellent delivery style; very warm and deceptively witty. Normally he goes with Just The Tonic and is given a searing hot basement in the sky that smells of mould for a room, but this year he's in Canons' Gait, which is much much nicer.

His blurb: A rule-breaker, a risk taker, a wave-maker and a convention-shaker – all phrases never before used to describe Jake Baker. But when a frustrating game of Alan Turing-themed Monopoly leaves him questioning the laws of the game, he finds himself turning that analytical impulse to bigger things.

.

Stephanie Laing: Rudder

Venue 300: Underbelly, George Square - The Wee Coo, 14.50-15.50

This show is particularly Tumblr-friendly, actually; it's described as 'neurodiversity-led'. However, it's a show with a content warning, although all the ticket page is saying is "themes" (insert Stephen Fry meme here); so, <SPOILER> she talks about withdrawing consent while sleeping with a FIB, and him continuing anyway. She talks about it in a very gentle way, avoiding Big Words, and it's very heavy on aftercare </SPOILER>

Her blurb: A comedy dance show about balance. Stephanie has a history of falling over a lot, accidentally kneeing herself in the face, and falling in love with total kn*bheads. In this show she uses a mixture of stand-up and dance to talk about bodies, sex, dancing, liking yourself, consent and healing. Also, there are cartoon bears and burlesque.

.

Erin McKinnie: The Faff Chronicles

Venue 108: Hoots @ The Apex - Hoot 4, 16.50-17.50

An Edinburgh local! Good solid standup for those who like such things. New-ish, but one to watch, she's very good. Don't be surprised to see her take off

Her blurb: What a faff! Erin McKinnie, a rising star on the Scottish comedy circuit, talks about faffing through early adulthood – from rogue adventures to living the "below-deck life" on cruise ships – she finds the funny in every bizarre encounter in this uplifting show that asks: Do we really need a life plan? Or... are we all just winging it? A brilliant, snort-worthy giggle-fest about exiting your 20s, facing life indecision and chasing answers for those big questions, all the while trying to convince your mother that this is a real job...

.

Alexander Bennett: Emotional Daredevil

Venue 24: Gilded Balloon Patter House - Coorie, 18.20-19.20

Dark feelings show with a really positive, optimistic message and a fun concept. It uses audience participation, but that's not compulsory, you're safe.

Blurb: I'm the emotional daredevil, and for my next feat, I need someone's help. A show about risk, for the unsatisfied and traumatised, from a Chortle Award nominee

.

Alex Franklin: Gurl Code

Venue 61: Underbelly, Cowgate - Delhi Belly, 20.25-21.25

Alex does a fun thing each year where she takes her publicity budget and rather than spending it on publicity, she hides it somewhere in Edinburgh and then reveals a clue to its location every day. This tells you something about her, I think

Her blurb: In 2024, trans girl Alex (me) started HRT. Now she (me) feels the most alive she's (me's) ever felt; and she wants to make you feel alive too, or die trying. A ludicrous, musical, chaotic, joyful show about the colours of the world becoming slowly brighter and giving people furniture via the tube. Also being trans.

.

Character Building Experience

Venue 49: Bedlam Theatre - Bedlam Theatre, 20.00-21.00

It's a D&D show - the MC Sasha Ellen makes a bunch of 40-minute simple campaigns and a selection of pre-rolled characters to do them, and then gets three comedians each time to play them. You know the drill. Good quality fun, and different each time, since you'll never see the same campaign/comedian mix.

.

2 Truths, 1 Lie

Multiple venues and times (search the EdFringe app or website to see them all), but I recommend catching the 3pm show on either the 25th or 26th August at Venue 108: Hoots @ The Apex - Hoot 1 for reasons I shall not share here (ooh, mysterious)

Fun panel-like show! Often MC'd by Steff, especially if you catch one of the 3pm shows. The format is:

Three comedians each declare a statement. Two are true, but one comedian is lying. The MC doesn't know the liar, nor does the audience. The audience gets to ask questions of the comedians; at the end, they vote on who they think the liar is.

(The prize for winning is a smug sense of satisfaction.)

.

Anyway, once I'm up there I will possibly have more, but currently, that's my list

[ichorai]

i was just a kid ; marc spector.

track one of BROKEN MACHINE.

pairing ; marc spector x vigilante!gn!reader

synopsis ; khonshu wanted you dead. marc just wanted you.

words ; 6.6k

themes ; action, mild angst/fluff, vigilante au, thief au

warnings / includes ; blood/injury, cursing, mentions of human trafficking/sexual assault but not at all graphic, marc is basically chasing after reader for half the fic, we're traveling the world in this fic baby !!! khonshu being Annoying, reader doesn't know marc has DID and thinks he's crazy, a steven cameo !! and one (1) mention of spider-man and daredevil <3

main masterlist.

NEW DELHI, INDIA.

The street market was crowded, bustling with chatty tourists, loud salesmen, and traveling vendors. The air was heavy with the sweet, saccharine smell of fresh mangoes, intertwined with the faintest trace of turmeric, ginger and garam masala from other stalls you hurriedly passed by. You would’ve given anything to stop and try some of the food, if not for the terrifying white-suited fucker hunting you down.

The bleeding cut on your cheek he’d given you from when he threw his crescent-shaped boomerang in your direction throbbed. You’d barely been able to duck away in time. At least here, in the busy street, he couldn’t risk hurting anyone else by striking you long-range. 

At least, you hoped so. You weren’t entirely sure how far this bastard was willing to go to get you. Sure, you’d made a lot of enemies in the past, but, to your recollection, you’d never met any moon-caped supers keen on taking your life before.

You were quick to duck through the tight-knit throng, panic setting in when you realized the market was thinning away—you were near the end of the street, and you no longer had the advantage of cover on your side. 

With agile steps, you sprinted into an alleyway, glancing up the side of an apartment.

Then, you began to climb. You scaled the small grooves in the bricks, expertly balancing your weight just right so you wouldn’t fall. You’d done this a million times before, with much smoother surfaces to climb—after all, that was the bare minimum required of a thief. 

You hauled yourself onto the rooftop, laying low so he wouldn’t be able to spot you from ground level. 

Only—he wasn’t on ground level.

A shadow loomed over you just as you crouched by the rusted air conditioning unit, and you had but a millisecond to roll out of the way before his foot came crashing clean through the metal.

Well, fuck me, he can fly, you wryly thought. 

“Glide!” the man behind the mask gruffed as he grabbed your arm and shoved you against the crumpled AC unit, the searing hot metal digging painfully into your skin. “I glide, I don’t fly!”

“I said that out loud?” you panted with a hoarse chuckle, before quickly twisting and kicking his knee, brandishing a sharp dagger from the utility belt loosely secured around your hips. Up close, his suit appeared to be fashioned from a multitude of bandages, not unlike the cheap mummies from old nineties halloween movies. “Sorry, would it be weird for me to ask why a toilet paper cosplayer is trying to murder me?”

The man offered you no response, only diving forward and landing a good punch to one side of your jaw, which made your vision go blurry with disorientation for a moment. 

There was no way you could best him with strength—you needed to get away from him. 

With quick, nimble fingers, you pulled two smoke bombs from your belt and threw them onto the ground. Large plumes of ashen white immediately ate up the space between you, and he was left blinded for a couple of seconds. You tugged a grenade out a moment later, pulling out the pin with your teeth before tossing it in his general direction and throwing yourself off the opposite side of the building, where you’d spotted a plastic-woven tarp over one of the stalls by the edge of the market.

You’d crashed straight through their booth, fruits and drinks spilling all over the street’s asphalt. The vendors started cussing at you in a language that was foreign to your ears, but you knew they were saying foul things nonetheless. With a groan, you pushed yourself up, ignoring the searing pain that ran down your leg and began running back into the crowd. 

The explosion on the building had blown Marc back several meters, and he cursed beneath his breath as he pushed himself back up. Just as he was about to set back off to track you down, Khonshu’s bellowing voice made him halt in his motions.

“Let them go,” the God rumbled. There was an undertone of mild disappointment that laid stagnant beneath his voice, as if he’d just lost a game rather than a target. “We have more pressing matters at hand. Ammit’s followers are stealing more souls in Cuba.”

Marc’s brow furrowed. “Let them go? You want me to go to Cuba? That’s halfway across the world! I can finish the job, they can’t have gotten too far—”

“We have more pressing matters,” he repeated himself, this time with an edge to his voice. A headache pulsed angrily through Marc’s temple. 

“Why’d you want them dead so bad? This target—that person, were they a follower of Ammit? Huh?” 

Much to his frustration, Khonshu ignored him completely, merely brushing past his avatar. “Go to Havana,” the bird-skull rumbled over his shoulder. “I’ll meet you there.”

And with that, he disappeared.

ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN.

A final stream of smoke fell from Elena’s lips as she pulled the cigarette away, dropping it into the floor to stub with her boot. She fixed you with a neutral expression as you made your way to her, though the unmistakable affection in her molten brown eyes gave her away. 

“Took you long enough,” she said, glancing at the large black cloak you were wearing. Her demeanor gradually shifted into one of a more somber variety. “Verdict’s been decided. The court decided not to charge—all those police that beat my friends to death… they’re walking away free of consequence. The government’s gone to shit. Everything is more expensive now—riots are breaking out over fuel prices, which means more people are getting killed. Nobody is willing to help anymore.”

You nodded grimly. “What can I do?”

There was a dark glimmer to her eyes as she squared her jaw. “You’re going to help me burn down government buildings. I don’t know how many, but… as many as it takes for them to change.”

A hint of a grin graced your lips as you regarded your past-lover with a nostalgic kind of fondness. “It’s the first time I see you in years and you’re already throwing me headfirst into war.”

She offered you a shrug and a wry smile. “Don’t kid yourself. You live for this kind of shit.”

“Yeah, I guess I do,” you hummed distantly. “Where do we start?”

It was pandemonium. 

Everybody was yelling—the protestors, the police, the civilians watching from the sides, the sparse firemen as they tried to put out the massive, roaring flames that were greedily swallowing the government building in its entirety. You had to admit, you were rather proud of your handiwork—absentmindedly wondering if Elena would be happy with it, as well.

Before you could dwell on it any longer, a foreign hand tightly seized around your wrist and began to drag you back away from the crowd. Your gaze wildly swiveled around in confusion to the man yanking you along, noting his heavy-set furrowed brows and his frustrated scowl. With as much strength as you could muster, you dug your heels into the ground and halted his motion, pulling against him with all your might. He didn’t relent, only staring you down with dark eyes that held the warbling reflections of the fire you set behind you. 

“Who the fuck are you?!” you barked, starting to get more frantic as you fruitlessly attempted to get him to let go of you. 

And when he spoke, it finally dawned on you.

Well, fuck me. It’s that bitch that chased me down in New Delhi. Wonder why he isn’t wearing his super suit… probably not to attract attention like last time. The news was all over him.

“You’re just getting more people killed,” he husked, clearly talking about the fire you’d caused, before brandishing a dark karambit knife, one that you swore gave you a cut just by looking at it. “No wonder he wants you dead.”

Fear wove down your spinal column when the blade poked your lower stomach in warning. “I’m sending a message,” you growled in reply, lips curled over your teeth in a snarl as you bristled. “And what about you? You’re gonna fix the problem by killing me? I don’t even know you! Some hero you are—those people protesting out there? They’re better than you will ever be.”

For a moment, his pupils darted back to the rioting crowd, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features, and you used the short-lived distraction to your advantage. You expertly kicked the knife out of his hand and landed a quick blow square in the center of his face, feeling his nose break beneath your knuckles. 

Not wanting to push your luck—you remembered how fast he was during your last encounter—you gave him one final shove, sending him sprawling into a trash can with a groan and a muffled curse.

By the time he forced himself back onto his feet a second later, you’d already disappeared into the shadows.

Fuck. Khonshu was gonna kill him.

PODGORICA, MONTENEGRO.

Marc still wasn’t sure why Khonshu wanted you dead so badly. Then again, he wasn’t sure about anything when it came to Khonshu. 

But he knew one thing for certain—if Marc truly wanted you dead, then you would’ve been six feet under weeks ago. Which meant… he wasn’t actively trying to kill you because he didn’t actually want you dead. All the others that he’d killed for Khonshu felt like they’d deserved it—rapists, abusers, pedophiles… and though Marc didn’t know you very well, he knew you weren’t anything like the people he’d killed before.

Marc didn’t know what he was doing. 

Jaw clenched, he pulled the cap lower down his face, shoving his fists into the pockets of his jeans. He followed not too far behind you, silent as a wraith, watching as you merrily strode down the streets of Podgorica. 

Finally, when you stopped by a little coffee truck to order an iced latte, Marc stepped forward to stand beside you.

For the first minute, you idly tapped away on your phone, smiling down at the screen briefly before pocketing the device. You glanced at him, thinking nothing of the person beside you, assuming they were just another civilian—

Then you froze.

You knew that face.

After all, you’d broken that very same nose less than a week ago. Strange, it looked just fine now. 

Immediately, you hunkered down into a defensive position, backing away from him with quick steps. Then, you ran, sprinting away so quickly that Marc could’ve sworn a trail of dust kicked up beneath your feet.

The man in the coffee truck incredulously yelled out after you, followed by a string of what Marc could only assume was a creative litany of Montenegrin profanity. 

Dropping a few shillings onto the truck’s counter, Marc grabbed your coffee and ran after you, shocked at how far you’d managed to get in such a short amount of time. 

There was no denying that you were a fast runner—but as the old tale went, the quick hare would always get overly confident. You slowed down to a moderate jog when you glanced behind you, Marc nowhere in sight. With a relieved sigh, you turned the corner and slumped against a building, wiping the sweat from your brow with the back of your hand. 

Damn, you’d kill for that iced coffee right about now.

As if on cue, Marc rounded the corner, catching you by surprise. You were just ready to turn tail and run away again, but his hand shot out and held onto your wrist, not unlike he did in Astana. 

You spewed out a myriad of curses, ranging from calling him an ‘insufferable cucumber-dicked motherfucker’ to ‘smooth-brained, butt-faced swine’, wildly trying to get him to let go of you. If you weren’t violently bucking against him with all the grace of a panicked mare, he would’ve laughed at the creativity of your insults. 

“Stop, I just want to talk!” exclaimed Marc, dodging when you pushed yourself forward to try and wrap your hands around his throat. 

“Last two times I saw you, you tried to kill me!” you breathlessly spat. “Sorry if I don’t quite trust you now!”

“I’m unarmed,” he gritted out, stepping back slightly to allow you to scan your gaze over him. Though you didn’t want to admit it, you knew that if Marc really wanted to kill you, you would’ve been dead long ago. “I just want to ask you a couple things. And look—I brought your coffee!”

A low hiss fell from your lips. “I’m not answering jack shit.”

With that, you lunged forward and shoved him hard—so hard that he stumbled into the jagged brick wall behind him with an oomf. The iced latte sloshed right out of its cup and spilled all over his chest. His head struck painfully against the stone and his vision went blurry for a moment, expression faltering. 

You stepped away, watching him with cautious, narrowed eyes. 

After a long, pregnant pause, the man blinked in a dazed fashion, seeming confused. 

“What? Where am I? What’s going on?” he said, accent suddenly… British. He fixed you with a genuinely miffed gaze, appearing slightly frightened at your withering glower. 

You didn’t stay to answer his question. 

As you were turning on your heel to run away, you faintly heard him mutter to himself, “Where the bloody hell am I?”

Crazy bastard.

VALENCIA, SPAIN.

Your knuckles were split. Blood dribbled down your fist, a mixture of yours and the man whose face you were caving in.

One of your hands was bunched into the collar of his shirt, holding him down as you rained punches on him. The sickening sound of his bones giving way with your strikes didn’t deter you, and you only snarled and hit him again as he blubbered out prayers in Spanish. Blood-flecked spittle dripped from his busted lips. 

“Who are you praying to?” you hissed, releasing his collar in favor of wrapping your hand over his throat, squeezing tight. The dull green of his eyes flashed with panic, legs flailing weakly. “The gods will not listen to the likes of you—I’ll make sure of it.”

A strangled wail erupted from him. 

And just as you were about to land another punch, you found yourself being shoved away from the man, and promptly lifted off the floor with the scruff of your shirt collar, shoving you against a wall. You began kicking and twisting blindly, cursing furiously when you saw the man you were beating up scurry onto his feet and haggardly sprint away.

Your struggling was of no avail, and you weren’t at all surprised to see the same person that’s been trying to track you down for months now. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he snarled, brows heavily furrowed and dark eyes stormy with anger. “You were about to kill that guy!”

“He deserves it,” you bit out, glaring back at him with just as much intensity. “The fucker’s been stalking a friend of mine and sexually assaulted her daughter.”

There was a beat of silence. Marc’s cross expression seemed to drain away, but he still bore a stern face as he slowly let you go. You slid down the wall and got back onto your feet with a wince. 

“Why have you been following me?” you huffed, dusting off your pants. “You think I don’t know that if you really wanted to kill me, I would be dead by now?”

Marc squared his jaw and leveled his gaze on you. “Someone… close to me wants you dead. I want to know why first—he won’t tell me.”

“Sounds like you shouldn't be all that close to him, then,” you snorted derisively. 

“Not for a lack of trying,” the man dryly replied. 

With a scoff, you stepped forward and wiped your bloody knuckles onto his shirt, leaving a damp trail of darkening crimson. “There’s way too many reasons a person would want me dead,” you whispered, one hand patting his chest. The other trailed down, down, down…

To the high-rise potted plant beside you. You grabbed a fistful of dirt.

“See, he’s not exactly what you’d call a person—”

Before Marc could finish his sentence, you chucked the dirt straight into his face. He inhaled some of the soil and doubled over, pounding on his chest as he coughed it out. With a growl, he frustratedly swiped the remaining flecks of dirt out of his eyes, blearily looking back up. And, to none of his surprise but much of his dismay, you were already gone.

OSLO, NORWAY.

“Why aren’t they dead yet, Marc?” grumbled Khonshu in that grating, gravely tone of his. Even though the God had no eyes, Marc could still feel his stare burning straight through him. 

With a frown, Marc was quick to respond, “Because you haven’t told me why yet.”

“You’ve never needed a reason before—always blindly following my orders,” the bird-skull crooned. “What makes them so different?”

There was a bitter taste to the back of Marc’s throat. What made you so different?

“Because I don’t know if they deserve it, alright?” he retorted, crossing his arms to glare up at the tall figure. “You can’t just expect me to kill everyone who mildly inconveniences you.”

Harrumphing, Khonshu snapped back, “They are naught but an inconvenience—they are a disruption to the very balance of nature. Y/N has taken justice into their own hands, and that is a very dangerous thing for a simple mortal to do.”

Marc cast his gaze away in frustration, pacing back and forth. “But that’s exactly what you make me do.”

“Yes, because you are my avatar,” deadpanned the God. “And Y/N is not. Though, they might as well be because you are being a fool.”

He could feel one of his eyes twitch. There wasn’t ever a conversation Marc could remember where Khonshu didn’t insult him. 

“They’re doing what they think is right,” defended Marc. “They’re not hurting people just for the sake of it.”

“That is not for them to decide!” bellowed the God, which made him step back just a bit. “They have done terrible, unimaginable things in the past—though mistakes some may be—and they will continue to make them. Take a look for yourself.” With that, Khonshu swept his arm out, gesturing to the large bank across the street, large windows giving him a clear view of what was going on inside.

His heart dropped down to his stomach when he saw you. 

You were wearing a mask that covered the entirety of your features, except for your eyes and your mouth. The rest of your body was shrouded with simple, dark clothing, suitable for running. 

And, most notably, you had a gun in your hand, pointing straight at the trembling woman working behind the counter. Your mouth was moving and you gestured with lax, calm movements, despite the explicit terror written across the woman’s face.

Marc’s brow furrowed. Damn it. 

He watched as you snatched the bag of money the woman slowly slid over, and hightailed out of the bank with the gun still gripped tightly in your hand. You ran the opposite way, before disappearing down another block. Glancing over at Khonshu, only to see that he was nowhere in sight, Marc huffed out a sigh and began sprinting after you.

One downside of Oslo was that their buildings weren’t exactly the easiest to climb—which meant that you had to stick to the ground and trust your speed. 

Marc wasn’t as fast as you without his suit, that was for certain. But with his suit—he could glide. 

And so that’s how the white-caped figure dropped straight down in front of you out of seemingly nowhere, which elicited a shriek of surprise from you, nearly dropping the bag out of shock. You had pulled your mask off long ago, shoving it into the knapsack shrugged over your shoulders, along with the gun. 

This clearly wasn’t your first time doing this.

“You,” was what you incredulously breathed out, eyes wide. “You must be obsessed with me or something.”

Not in the mood to play around, Marc growled out, “Why are you doing this? Give the money back. It’s not yours.”

“Who said it was for me?” you countered, upper lip curled in contempt. You tilted your head at him, eyeing his suit with interest, before returning back to your scathing disposition. “Not that it’s any of your business, but this money’s for the small orphanage a couple miles from here. They’re barely getting by with the money the government gives them. I have a kid there I know.”

With bated breath, Marc willed the suit away, leaving him in a dark sweatshirt and a pair of woolen pants. He eyed you suspiciously, still not too sure if he should trust you.

Sensing this, you rolled your eyes and unzipped your bag. “If you don’t believe me—check my gun. It’s blank.” You fished out the small weapon and handed it over to him with the end pointed towards you so he wouldn’t think you were going to shoot him. “No bullets.”

Marc didn’t need to check it—by now he knew you were telling the truth. But he looked into the chamber anyway, finding it void of any ammunition. 

“Can I go now? We both know you’re not going to kill me. The cops will be looking,” you said, voice a bit more gentle than before. He noticed that the anger on your face had melted away, leaving only urgency and another tumultuous emotion that he couldn’t quite pinpoint.

When he offered you no response, finally relenting, you nodded once to him, a glimmer of gratitude behind your irises. And with that, you began running again, effortlessly disappearing into the shadows.

“Fool,” thundered a rumbling growl from somewhere above him. Marc looked up, but the bird-skulled God was nowhere to be found.

COLUMBUS, OHIO.

Damn. Nothing hit harder than classic, greasy, American cheeseburgers with a side of curly fries and a milkshake. You shifted eagerly on the sticky red leather of the booths, shooting the waitress who’d handed you your food a flirtatious smirk and a ten dollar bill, which she took with an equally salacious wink.

You grinned down at your food before taking the first bite into the burger, a muffled noise of content falling from your throat.

“Am I interrupting something?” said a frustratingly familiar voice, the man sliding into the seat across from you. “It sounds like you were just about to have the greatest sex of your life—with a cheeseburger.”

You pointedly glared at him, though it lacked any true heat. After about a dozen deliberately slow chews, you finally swallowed down the food. Marc looked like he wanted to say something else, but you merely held up a finger, slurping on the paper straw of your milkshake. He pursed his lips with a mildly aggrieved look.

Finally, you tilted your head at him. 

“Is there something you want from me?” you asked him casually, reaching to the end of the table to grab a napkin and wipe at the corner of your lips. “Because I’m not in the drug business anymore, if that’s what you’re looking for. Or is it something else, hm?”

It seemed that Marc hadn’t completely thought this through. Sure, he’d planned out what he roughly wanted to say to you, but now that you were right in front of him, he found his tongue running dry. He fumbled for words, fists clenching and unclenching by his knees. 

“I don’t want to kill you. Or hurt you at all, for that matter.”

You scoffed, remembering the instances in which he’d hurt you plenty.

“I just… I want to know your side of the story. I want to know why you do what you do,” he said, a bit quieter. 

For a moment, Marc thought you’d just tell him to piss off. But there was a gradual shift to your features, going from obvious irritation to gentle curiosity. 

“Alright. I’ll cut you a deal,” you said, popping a curly fry into your mouth. “I tell you about my tragic backstory, and you tell me all about this… thing that’s been wanting to kill me. And before I start—I’m gonna need your name. I can’t keep mentally cataloging you as the toilet paper man.”

And for the first time since you met him all those months ago—Marc laughed. It was deep and gratingly genuine, coming from the very bottom of his chest.

“Well, first of all, it’s not toilet paper. It’s the ceremonial armor of Khonshu’s temple. And second, it’s Marc. Marc Spector.”

“Ceremonial armor of whose what now?” you balked. 

A hint of a smile graced the corner of Marc’s lips. “Khonshu—Egyptian God of the moon. I’m his avatar. He’s the one that wanted me to kill you. He called you a disruption to nature—said that you were wrongfully taking justice into your own hands.” As he spoke, the smile began to wane away, and he regarded you in a more serious light. “I want to know why he thinks that.”

You stared down at your plate of fries, stunned. An Egyptian God wanted you dead? You knew you pissed people off, but Gods too?

“And if you don’t like what you hear?” you quietly asked, lifting your gaze to meet his. “Will you drag me out of the diner and strangle me to death?”

Though you could tell he didn’t like saying it, Marc’s face was set in stone when he leveled with you. “I’ll give you a head’s start.”

Another beat of silence. You picked up another fry and popped it into your mouth. The plate slid across the table as you nudged it towards him. 

“Alright, Marc. Settle in, have some fries, order a milkshake—it’s a long story.”

And you told him everything. You told him about your childhood—rumbling stomachs, nimble thieving hands, falling off of buildings when running away from cops. You told him about your teenage years—pulling off heists, brokering deals with gangs, breaking nearly every bone in your body being reckless. You told him about your early adult years—falling in love with Elena, getting more comfortable as a vigilante, as you liked to call yourself, meeting other superheroes and helping out on occasion. Marc seemed to recognize Spider-Man and Daredevil’s names when you mentioned them in passing, his eyebrows arching up closer to his hairline. 

You told him that you now spend your days traveling around the globe helping people. 

By the time you were done spilling your entire life story, your fries and burger were cleanly polished off. 

Marc was silent for a long time, as if unsure what to say. 

“I was in love once, too,” he said in a tentative manner, gaze trained on the table. “Her name was Layla.”

“Oh, yeah?” you curiously said, sipping on the last frothy remnants of your milkshake at the bottom of the glass. “And how’d that work out for you?”

There was a sad glint to his eyes. “Not so good. We’re divorced now.” He cleared his throat before you could press him about it. “What happened with you and Elena?”

It was now your turn to stare out the window in a despondent manner. “Same as you. Except we were never married. My lifestyle was… too much for her.”

Marc nodded in understanding. “Yeah, me too.”

The two of you stared at the glossy table in silence.

“You still in love with her?”

You lifted your gaze to meet his. “I love her, yeah—I always will. I’m just not in love with her anymore.”

The man across from you hummed. There was a newfound understanding between you two—unspoken, but the both of you could feel it. 

“Do you still love Layla?”

A ghost of a smile graced his features, but it was gone just as quickly as it came. “Not in the same way I used to. But I do.”

With a final slurp of your straw, your drink glass was emptied. “Seems like we’re a lot more similar than first meets the eye, huh?” 

Marc fixed you with a loose, awkward smile. Without another word, he pulled the bill of his cap lower down his face, and slid out of the booth. It seemed that he wasn’t going to be strangling you tonight. 

You didn’t look back when he walked out of the diner, the bell hooked by the doortop tolling with his departure.

YEKATERINBURG, RUSSIA.

The bird skull was saying something. His bony beak was moving. You could feel the vibrations of his thundering voice beneath your feet. And yet—you had no fucking clue what he was talking about.

You blinked up at the God with wide eyes. 

“Could you repeat that?” you winced out, having not picked up a single word Khonshu had said in the past three minutes. The God grumbled, and somehow glared at you despite having no eyes within his bony skull. Beside you, Marc let out a muffled snort.

“You insolent buffoon,” the bony figure snarled. “Have you not been listening?”

Despite the bristling God in front of you, you found the entire situation to be amusing. “Sorry, it’s just… your head’s really big. It’s kinda distracting. Just paraphrase yourself—I don’t need all the terms and conditions.”

Marc’s shoulders shook with silent laughter, but he immediately sobered up when Khonshu rounded his pointed beak to him, back straightening. 

“This is a gravely serious matter—!”

“You know what else is serious?” you snapped, pulling your thick woolen coat closer to your quivering body. “Catching hypothermia! Did you really have to pick Russia of all places? We couldn’t have met on a warm beach in the Caribbeans, or something?”

If Khonshu had eyelids, you were sure they would’ve been twitching with repressed agitation by now.

A deep baritone of a sigh fell from the lanky God. He leaned his weight against his crescent-tipped staff, as if willing his own patience to hold steadfast. 

“I said—” he started again, watching you cautiously, “—that I will be letting go of your past sins. But only because my avatar is so keen on you, and because you show a consistent effort to rid the world of evil. However, if you slip up so much as once, I will personally see that to an unkind descent into the afterlife. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal!” you harrumphed, tucking your frigid nose into the collar of your fur coat. “And I did those things to people who deserved it—which is exactly the same as what you do, you bony hypocrite! Can we go inside now?”

The God grumbled something unintelligible, though you suspected it had something to do with your impertinence, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

“You’ll get used to him,” assured Marc, placing a hand on your back to lead you back inside. “He doesn’t get any better but—you’ll get used to it.”

“That’s reassuring,” you dryly responded, teeth beginning to chatter. As soon as the two of you started to walk back to the small little city hotel, you elbowed his side with a playful grin. “So… you’re keen on me, huh?”

Marc gave you an unimpressed look. Snowflakes danced with the wind and landed in his neatly-combed curls. “Khonshu had to believe that I liked you—the last thing he’d want is a sloppy, grieving avatar.”

“Mmh, I don’t know…” you said, tapping your finger against your chin in thought. “He’d probably like that, considering he’s one manipulative son of a bitch. Maybe he just secretly likes me and wants to keep me around.”

“Yeah,” snorted Marc. He halted in his tracks, forcing down a smile. “That, or I blackmailed him.”

Your eyes widened, frost clinging to your lashes and brows. “You blackmailed an Egyptian God?”

“Let’s just say that he’s had a sticky romance with the Egyptian Goddess of love—ironically, she’s one of the few beings that he’s genuinely terrified of. I threatened to get in contact with her avatar if he didn’t absolve you.”

You kicked at a small build-up of snow by the sidewalk, an excited gleam to your irises. “Crazy how even the Gods have petty dating drama to gossip about,” you commented, turning to him. His nose was tinted a faint shade of red from the cold, bits of white frost freckling his hair and his clothes. “Thanks for not killing me, by the way,” you added as an afterthought, fixing him with a warm smile. 

“Just keep out of trouble,” he gently reminded, mirroring your soft grin. The two of you were now standing in front of your dingy little motel—and Marc apparently had something to attend to halfway across the world in Cuba. 

So this was goodbye. 

For now, at least.

Without thinking, you leaned forward to press your cold lips against the warmth of his cheek, the tip of your nose grazing his cheekbone as you laid a hand on his shoulder. 

“Thanks,” you whispered when you pulled away slightly, breath misting into an opaque fog. Marc was regarding you with an expression that bordered on fondness, which was certainly a new look that you found yourself craving for more. “I haven’t really properly talked to anybody in ages so… this was nice. Goodbye, Marc.”

With that, you turned on your heel and headed into the hotel, grateful for the blast of warmth from the overhead heater, though you could still feel Marc’s burning stare bore holes into your back, even as you turned the corner and disappeared from his sight.

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA.

Blood, everywhere.

Gunshots in the distance.

Snarling men rounding the corner—human traffickers.

Your dagger glinting beneath the hot Ethiopian sun.

A man screaming as you sliced his throat. 

Gurgling.

Red on your hands. On your clothes. On your shoes. 

Two successive punches—one to your stomach, and the other to your face.

Pain blooming beneath your skin.

A fist around your throat.

Squeezing. 

Choking.

Dark spots dancing about your vision.

Your nails clawing into their eyes. 

Air.

Gasping for breath. 

Wheezing.

You desperately parried away another assailant’s knife.

A song of steel against steel.

More gunshots flying every which way.

You dove behind large metal crates. 

Sand in your shoes.

Copper on your tongue.

Crashing. Yelling. Cursing.

Your fingers flexing around the hilt of your dagger.

Bated breath.

You looked around the crate.

Marc fucking Spector.

A ghost of a smile on your lips.

Your name being called out—surprise in his tone.

“Fancy seeing you here!” you shouted.

Marc’s fist curled into one of the traffickers’ collars.

“It’s been a while!” came his mildly amused reply.

A grunt. A punch. A groan of pain.

His white cape fluttered with the wind. 

“You down for a burger or something later?”

You spoke calmly, as if you weren’t currently strangling someone with a long power cord. 

The man fell limp in your hold. 

“Sure—I could go for a burger,” he called out, 

Blood trickled down your nose and grazed your lip. 

You wiped it away with the back of your hand.

The last of the traffickers was struck down with Marc’s crescent boomerang. 

A breath of relief. 

Drenched in blood (most of which was not yours), you made your way to Marc.

“You clean up nice,” he joked.

A roll of your eyes.

“Oh, shucks, Marc,” you simpered with a mischievous grin, dragging a bloody hand down his face once he retracted his mask. 

He grimaced in disgust, but didn’t push you away. 

A laugh fell from your throat, hoarse and echoing.

You looped your aching, bleeding arms with his. 

“Let’s go get that burger.”

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

“Ow—ugh, Marc, could you go any faster?” you barked through the dirty cloth wedged between your teeth, glaring up at him with watering eyes. You’d endured pain far worse than this, sure, but Marc was taking twice as long stitching you up than when you’d do it yourself. Though, admittedly, whenever you had to patch yourself up, it was a rather shoddy job and often left a much larger, gnarled scar than it would’ve, had you properly taken care of it. 

The man above you shook his head, dark curls hanging loosely over his forehead. “Stop moving and maybe it’ll hurt less,” he replied, the tip of his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth as he worked on your stitches. “You know, just because we work together now and I heal quickly doesn’t mean you do, too.”

With a grimace, you tore the cloth from your mouth, chucking it somewhere across the small motel room to freely speak to him. “It was just a mistake,” you replied, nearly doubling over with a strained groan when he punctured the skin of your abdomen with a small needle, where the deep gash resided, one last time. “I timed myself wrong. Happens sometimes.”

Marc let his eyes roam over your exposed skin, brows divoting ever so slightly upon seeing the multiple other scars littering your body. They were memories of your past, and you weren’t ashamed of them. 

“Doesn’t look like it only happens sometimes,” he murmured, tying off his sutures and cleaning off the last bits of flaking, dried blood on your stomach before binding the open wound with thin bandages. 

“You worried about me?”

Marc didn’t spare you a response. He busied himself by putting away the medkit and tossing the discarded, bloodied clothes into the bathroom sink. When he came back to sit on the bed beside you, you had gingerly moved positions so that you were propped up against the creaking bed’s headboard. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Shitty,” you whispered. “England fucking stinks.”

Marc chuckled, a small smile curling his lips upwards, though you noticed that it didn’t quite reach his eyes. 

The two of you sat in silence for a while. 

“Thanks for stitching me up,” you told him.

“Thanks for not dying on me,” he replied. His hand sought yours and your fingers laced with his. “I know we’ve only been working together for a month by now, but I’m starting to really like you.”

With one last painful shift, you moved so that your faces were only inches away. You paused when your lips were just a hairsbreadth from his, giving him time to yank you away if need be. 

But he didn’t. 

His lips met yours with a tender sort of sadness, pouring months of frustration and anger into the embrace. A warm hand came up to cradle the back of your head, angling you closer, wary of your newly-stitched wound. 

Forehead resting against his, you gently pulled away, finding solace in the fact that he chased after your lips just a bit, before cracking his dark eyes open. 

“We shouldn’t do this,” he mumbled, gaze darting back down to your parted mouth. 

“Okay,” came your broken reply.

And despite it all, he threw all caution to the wind and kissed you again. Again, and again, and again—far into the night, until the two of you passed out on the stained sheets of the motel bed, limbs intertwined and your nose pressed against his throat, where you could hear the soft thrumming of his heartbeat. 

Unbeknownst to the two of you, Khonshu was hovering on the rooftop, finding himself rather glad that his avatar had finally found someone he could trust—even if that someone was the very bane of his existence. 

“I need a new avatar,” the God harrumphed to nobody but himself, knowing full and well that he wasn’t letting go of Marc Spector and his… counterparts any time soon. 

[docgold13]

365 Marvel Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…

Boxing Day Supplemental - The Best of The Rest

Once more I have endeavored on a project wherein I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.  There are just too many fun characters in the Marvel Universe and, apparently, not enough days in the year...  Below the jump follow many of the heroes I made cut-outs for but could not fit into the schedule.  And a very happy Kwanzaa and Boxing Day to one and all!

Blitzkrige

Franz Mittelstaedt was inspecting an electrical power plant when a stray bolt of lightning struck a faulty generator and bathed him in electricity. When he emerged from his coma weeks later, he found that he could summon lightning at will to wield as a weapon. He decided to use his power in the name of justice in his native country of Germany.  He designed a colorful costume and operated under the moniker of ‘Blitzkrieg.’

The hero was selected by the Grandmaster to participate in the first Contest of Champions event.  Later, Blitzkrieg joined the hero team known as The Schutz Heiligruppe as part of an effort to track down the renegade war criminal, The Red Skull.  The Skull was eventually stopped but sadly Blitzkrieg perished in the adventure.  

The hero first appeared in the pages of Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #1 (1982).

Pinpoint

Qureshi Gupta is a young super hero from New Delhi who recruited into the Champions after Ms. Marvel took leadership and decided to expand their ranks to make the team's reach global.  

Qureshi possesses the ability to mentally create and control teleportation discs, which allow himself and others to teleport anywhere on Earth instantaneously.  The nature and origin of these powers remain thus far unrevealed (although his green hair suggests that he may be a Mutant or Inhuman).  

Pinpoint first appeared in the pages of Champions Vol. 3 #1 (2019).

The Paladin

The mysterious mercenary known as The Paladin has acted as both a villain as well as a hero, always dependent on who is paying his exorbitant fee.  A master combatant, The Paladin is expert at many forms of martial arts ad fighting styles.  He often employs a specialized stun-gun that fires a microwave signal that incapacitates foes.  An early mission saw him hired to track down The Purple Man, leading to a confrontation with Daredevil.  He was later hired by The Wasp in aiding the Avengers against Baron Brimstone.  Other adventures entailed his teaming up with Spider-Man, as well as Generation X, and later Misty Knight’s iteration of The Heroes For Hire.  He also worked for Silver Sable’s WildPack.  Although he aided these various heroes, The Paladin always made it clear that his alignment was strictly determined by money.  His loose morality notwithstanding, he did manage to catch the eye of The Wasp and the two had a brief affair whilst he acted as an unofficial member of The Avengers.  

Some time later, The Paladin was hired to assassinate The Punisher, an assignment he failed in.  He was then sanctioned to take out Daredevil which resulted in Daredevil being apprehended by the police.  Some time thereafter, Paladin accepted an offer by Norman Osborn to lead a decidedly more nefarious version of The Thunderbolts during the Dark Reign era.   

More recently, The Paladin aided Misty Knight during the Shadowland event.  The Paladin first appeared in Daredevil Vol. 1 #150 (1977).

Ms. America

Madeline Joyce received super human powers when she was struck by a strange bolt of lightning near a lighthouse.  She found that was suddenly imbued with the powers of flight, super strength and invulnerability.  Dubbing herself Ms. America, she used her newfound powers to fight at the side of the Allied Forces during the Second World War.  

Ms. America has been a member of the war-time group of heroes known as The invaders, as well as The Liberty Legion and the All Winners Squad.  Following the War, Madeline married the fellow superhero, The Whizzer and the pair retired.  

The heroine first appeared in the pages of Marvel Mystery Comics #49 (1943).

Feral

Maria Callasantos grew up in a housing tenement in an impoverished neighborhood of New York City.  She came from a highly abusive home and she and her sister both manifested Mutant powers and attributes in their early teens.  Both of them gradually transformed into cat-like creatures with enhanced strength and dexter and sharpened claws and teeth.  The pair ran away and ended up joining the Morlock society under the city.  Maria took on the name ‘Feral’ while her sister came to be known as ‘Thornn.’  

Feral managed to evade the Marauders during he Morlock masseuse and ended up a founding member of Cable’s team of Mutant heroes, X-Force.  She first appeared in the pages of New Mutants Vol. 1 #99 (1991).  

Shamrock 

Molly Fitzgerald was born a raised in Dunshaughlin, Ireland. Her father was a fanatically militant Irish nationalist. When Molly was three years old, her father took her and her brother to the North Ireland mountainsides and asked the heavens to grant his son the power to strike down its enemies. Although nothing seemed to have happened, Molly learned during her first year at University that she was the one who was blessed. She discovered she was surrounded by a protective aura that caused random improbabilities to manifest themselves on her behalf whenever she was in trouble. Rather than return to the war-torn mountains, she used her "good luck powers" to become Ireland's super heroine, Shamrock.

The heroine first appeared in the pages of Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #1 (1982).

The Destroyer

Roger Aubrey had been an English national who was arrested in Berlin around the onset of the Second World War.  A prisoner of the villainous Colonel Dietrich, Aubrey was subjected to gruesome experiments as part of Dietrich’s efforts to create super soldiers for the schutzstaffel.  The process that Aubry endured shrunk his body, leaving him only a few inches tall yet retaining the strength of his original size.  In his diminutive state, Aubry was able to escape his captures and make his way back to England.  From there he utilized what had happened to him to act as the hero Dyna-Mite as part of The Crusaders, a team of heroes for battled for the Allied Forces during the war.  

Colonel Dietrich was later captured and forced to provide the formula that enabled Aubry to return to his original size.  Some time thereafter, Aubry used a variation of the super soldier serum to gain enhanced strength and speed.  He used these powers to assume the mantle of The Destroyer, running missions behind enemy lines.  The Destroyer would later join the hero team, The Invaders, during the closing months of the war.  During the war, Aubry maintained a secret romantic relationship with his teammate, Union Jack (Brian Falsworth).  It was a different age and Roger and Brain felt compelled to keep their romance a secret.

Following the was, Aubry found that the special serum he had taken had the effect of slowing his aging process.  As such, he continued on as the Destroyer and helped to establish the hero group known as The V-Battalion, whose mission statement was to prevent the rise of fascism across the globe.  Years later, The Destroyer joined a new iteration of The Invaders led by The Thin Man.

Aubry’s first appearance was in the pages of All Winners Comics #8 (1943); his first appearance as The Destroyer was in Invaders Vol. 1 #26 (1977).

The Wraith

Zak-Del is a Kree who was genetically altered by his father to become a living weapon.  The Wraith fought in the Annihilation War and was later recruited into Starfox’s Dark Guardians whose aim was to prevent Thanos from returning from the dead.  The dark hero first appeared in the pages of Annihilation: Conquest Prologue #1 (2007).

Synapse 

Emily Guerrero is a latent Inhuman who was bestowed superhuman powers when she came into contact with the Terrigen Cloud.  She discovered she now possesses telepathic and brainwave-manipulation powers.  She was soon thereafter recruited by Ca[tain America to act as a member of the Uncanny Avengers Unity Squad wherein she took on the code name of ‘Synapse.’  The heroine first appeared in the pages of Uncanny Avengers Vol. 3 #1 (2015).  

Puma

Thomas Fireheart had been a successful businessman whose family heritage connected him to a long line of mystic warriors who had mastered the power of lycanthropy.  Through meditation, Fireheart could transform himself into a fierce half-man/half-puma being.  Seeking to further hone his skills as a warrior, Fireheart traveled to New York and accepted a contract to take down Spider-Man.  This led to a number of battles between The Puma and Spider-Man.  He additionally faced off with The Black Cat and then later battled Woilverine.  

After witnessing Spider-Man save a group of innocent bystanders The Puma decided that the web-slinger was an honorable warrior and he chose to discontinue his attacks.  Puma later teamed up with Silver Sable as a member of her mercenary force, The Wild Pack.  The Puma first appeared in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 #256 (1984).  

Patriot / Rayshaun Lucas

Rayshaun Lucas had been a young man living in The Harlem neighborhood of New York City.  He was greatly moved by Captain America/Sam Wilson when the hero brought to light the racially-motivated injustices of the private security firm known as the AmeriCops.  Rayshaun participated in the demonstrations that followed and became inspired to do what he could to bring about the social change he wanted.  

Not long thereafter, Rayshaun became involved in the underground resistance during the Secret Empire event.  Combat trained by The Black Widow and armed with a special shield that dubbed as a glider provided by Tony Stark, Reshaun became the new Patriot and battled alongside the heroes to bring down Hydra.

The hero first appeared in the pages of Captain America: Sam Wilson #18 (2017).

Cloud Nine

Abigail Boylen encountered a strange alien gas that bestowed her the ability of high speed flight.  She was ultimately recruited into the 50-State Avengers Initiative program and took the name ‘Cloud Nine.’  Following her time with the Initiative, Abby retired from super heroics yet continues to serve as a reserve member of The Champions.  She first appeared in the pages of Civil War: Battle Damage Report #1 (2007).

Rockslide

The hero known as Rockslide was Santo Vaccarro.  Santo was a Mutant, possessing an X-gene that caused massive changes in his physiology in young adolescence.  In Santo’s case he became a geokinetic psychic entity.  In other words, his consciousness animates a large humanoid body composed entirely of inorganic granite.  This bestows him incredible super strength and durability as well as the capacity to reform his body after injury or destruction.  Santo also found that he would fire of his fists as short range rocky missiles.  

Santo had been a huge fan of the superhero known as the Hulk and was excited about his transformation and the new powers he come to possess, seemingly unfazed by the loss of his more traditional human physique.  He was recruited into the Xavier School for Gifted Youngster where he became good friends with fellow classmates, Hellion and Anole.  Taking the name ‘Rockslide’ he would go on to have numerous adventures as a member of the younger generation of fledgling X-Men.  

Although Rockslide often said thoughtless things and presented himself as dim and insensitive, there were other times were he showed great insight and compassion.  Above all he was a loyal friend to his colleagues among the X-Men.

Rockslide became a citizen of the Island Nation of Krakoa.  He embarked on an adventure to the extra-dimensional realm known as Otherworld where he perished in combat.  Due to the strange nature of Otherworld, The Five mutants who could facilitate Mutant resurrection were unable to bring Rockslide back to life, making him among the first Mutants to truly die on the island.  Considering the parameters of his powers, however, it is not outside of the realm of possibilities that Rockslide may one day return.  

The hero first appeared in New Mutants Vol. 2 #3 (2003)    

Jack Flag

A one time partner to Captain America on Earth, Jack ended up allied with Star-Lord during a break out on the Negative Zone-stationed penitentiary, Prison 42.  Jack escaped with Star-Lord to Knowhere and the young hero stuck around to act as a member of the then current iteration of The Guardians.  He later returned to earth and was sadly killed during the set of the Secret Empire event.  He first appeared in the pages of Captain America Vol. 1 #434 (1994).

Swordsman

Jacques Duquesne was the son of wealthy French ex-patriots living in the small Southeast Asian nation of Sin-Cong. He learned to become an expert swordsman, combining multiple disciplines to become a near peerless master of the blade.  

He took these skills to America where he became the star attraction of The Carnival of Traveling Wonders. While with this circus, Duquesne helped mentor a young runaway named Clint Barton. While Barton would go on to become the hero Hawkeye, Duquesne became involved in petty theft, gambling and racketeering. After learning that his former pupil had become an Avenger, Duquesne fashioned himself a costume complete with an electrified sword, dubbed himself ‘The Swordsman’ and demanded that he too be invited into the ranks of the Avengers. He was rejected and it ultimately led to his fighting against The Avengers on numerous occasions.

Later, The Swordsman fell in love with the Avenger named Mantis and he chose to aide the team in a battle against Kang. He sacrificed himself in order to save Mantis’ life and was posthumously honored as an Avenger.  He was resurrected many years later by Pluto. The Swordsman first appeared in the pages of Avengers Vol. 1 #19 (1965).

Trinary 

Shilpa Khatri is a young Mutant from India who used her technopathic abilities to aide the X-Men Red team.  She currently resides on the Mutant nation of Krakoa.  Her first appearance was in X-Men Red Vol. 1 #1 (2018).  

Cosmic Ghost Rider

An older, alternate reality version of Frank Castle who came to possess the power cosmic as a herald of Galactus.  Driven mad by his experiences, the Rider was initially recruited into Nebula’s Dark Guardians yet lat switched sides and served Star-Lord’s Guardians in attempted to prevent the resurrection of Thanos.   The character first appeared in Thanos Vol. 2 #13 (2017).

The Anarchist

Tike Alicar was a Mutant who could produce an acidic sweat that could be channeled into a powerful corrosive blasts.  He used this ability in the service of the corporate iteration of X-Force (later X-Statix).  Herein he took on the alias of The Anarchist and became close friends with his colleagues The Orphan and U-Go-Girl.  The Anarchist was killed in battle yet later resurrected on the Mutant nation of Krakoa.  The hero first appeared in the pages of X-Force Vol. 1 #116 (2001).

Captain Universe

Gabriel Vargas was an American army veteran who found himself possessed by the cosmic Uni-Force, transforming him into Captain Universe.  After traversing the stars, Varga found himself recruited into Star-Lord initial team of Guardians sent to free Hala from The Phalanx.  Vargas gave up his powers to help ensure victory and fell in battle soon thereafter.  The hero first appeared in Annihilation: Conquest Prologue #1 (2007).  

The Collective Man

Identical quintuplets from a Chinese farming family, the brothers Tao-Yu were taken into governmental custody for study after their Mutant powers first manifested.  The brothers each possessed a capacity for molecular synchronization, wherein they can alter the synchronization of their bodies’ atoms, enabling them to merge into a single being. In their collective state, the brothers possess their combined strength, speed, endurance and intellect.

Dubbed the Collective Man, the brothers acted as a super hero agent of the Chinese Military and embraced on numerous adventures.  Following an encounter with The Incredible Hulk, The Collective Man was later caught up in the Contest of Champions affair.

The heroes first appeared in the pages of Incredible Hulk Vol. 1 #250 (1980).

Vivisector

Myles Alfred is a Mutant possessing the powers of lycanthropy wherein he can transform into a bipedal werewolf with awesome strength and powerful claws.  He used these powers as a part of the corporate iteration of X-Force (later X-Statix) wherein he took on the alias of Vivisector.  Myles has since retired from super heroics.  Vivisector first appeared in the pages of  X-Force Vol. 1 #117 (2001).

Atlas

Erik Josten had been a former villain who was bestowed super human strength by Baron Zemo.  He initially used the name Power Man in his battles against the Avengers, but later took on the alias of Goliath when using size-augmenting Pam Particles.  He was recruited into Zemo’s Thunderbolts scheme wherein he changed his identity to the heroic Atlas.  

Pretending to be a hero had a dramatic effect on Eric and he chose to become a super hero in earnest, turning against Zemo and aiding The Avengers.  As part of a plea bargain for past crimes, Eric was allowed to remain Atlas and serve in the new, heroic version of the Thunderbolts.  The villain turned hero first appeared in The Avengers Vol. 1 #21 (1965).  

The Blazing Skull

Mark Todd had been a foreign correspondent and pacifist reporter in the years leading up to the Second World War.  While covering the Second Sino-Japanese War, Todd encountered the strange supernatural beings known as The Skull Men.  These beings taught Todd there ways and he gained super human strength as well as a degree of pyrokenesis.  He used the powers to fight the Axis Forces during World War II where he became known as The Blazing Skull.  He later joined The invaders.  The hero first appeared in the pages of Mystic Comics #5 (1940).

Big Bertha

Ashley Crawford is a Mutant possessing the X-Gene.  In late adolescence, Ashley learned that she possesses the ability to mentally control the distribution of her body's adipose tissue.  Over time she learned to master this skill.

Ashley used her power to create a highly desirable form and went on to become a highly successful fashion model.  This success not withstanding, Ashley found the industry superficial and unrewarding.  Soon thereafter, she happened upon Mister Immortal’s newspaper add seeking out super powered heroes.  It sounded exciting and she tried it out.

Ashley used her powers to reform her body, creating a physique that is large, exceptionally strong and highly resistant to injury.  She renamed herself Big Bertha and was eagerly accepted into the newly formed Great Lake Avengers.  

Having spent much of her life in a slender body, Ashley was shocked and disheartened to discover just how cruel and intolerant people can be turned those who are overweight.  In response she decided to make her enlarged form her standard form doing what she could to promote body positivity.  

The heroine first appeared in the pages of West Coast Avengers Vol. 2 #46 (1989).

The Phantom Rider

Carter and Lincoln Slade were a pair of brothers who grew up in rural Nebraska in the middle 19th Century.  Carter traveled West to become a school teacher but fell ill on his journey.  He was nursed back to health by a mysterious Comanche  Shaman known as Flaming Star.  

Flaming Star informed Carter that he had been chosen by The Great Spirit to act as the land’s protector; to be ‘He Who Rides The Night Winds.’   Carson came to accept this proclamation and he chose to become a vigilante helping the innocent.  He crafted a white suit and mask and came to be known as The Ghost Rider (sometimes the Phantom Rider or Night Rider).  The hero first appeared in Western Gunfighters Vol. 2 #6 (1971).

Meteorite 

Doctor Karla Sofen had been a renowned psychiatrist, who enjoyed manipulating her patients rather than helping them.  She became a protégé of the villainous Dr. Faustus who helped her further refine her powers of persuasion.  She was assigned to provide psychiatric care to Lloyd Bloch, the villain known as Moonstone, who possessed an ancient Kree artifact that endowed him fantastic powers.  Using her guile, Dr. Sofen persuaded Bloch to give up on being Moonstone and bestow onto her the artifact.  

Now possessing this item, Sofen found that she was granted superhuman strength, speed and durability, along with the power to fly, project energy beams and make her body intangible and thus impervious to harm.  She used these powers to become the new Moonstone and, in her time as a super villain, went up against The Hulk, Spider-Man and The Avengers.  

Moonstone fell in with Baron Zemo’s Masters of Evil.  After the Avengers went missing and were presumed dead, Zemo orchestrated a plan wherein the Masters of Evil pretended to be super-heroes, naming themselves the Thunderbolts. Moonstone reinvented herself as the fake super-hero named Meteorite.

The Thunderbolts' hoax ultimately leaned them into genuine heroic activities. Meteorite then became romantically involved with Hawkeye, who had taken control of the Thunderbolts to encourage them to be heroes.

Some time later, Dr. Sofen was recruited by Norman Osborn to act as the new Ms. Marvel as a part of his Dark Avengers team.  These Dark Avengers were ultimately brought down and Soften was remanded to a new Thunderbolts team tasked with fulfilling missions as a type of work furlough program.  

More recently, Dr, Sofen has ended returning to the role of a psychiatrist, working at the Ravencroft Institute.  

The villain who has often acted as a hero first appeared in the pages of Captain America Vol. 1 #192 (1975).

[trustednewstribune]

Not KKR, Rahul Dravid Set To Seal His IPL Return With This Franchise

After successfully guiding the Indian team to T20 World Cup 2024 triumph as head coach, Rahul Dravid is reportedly gearing up for a new adventure in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Since his tenure as the head coach of the Indian team came to an end, Dravid has been linked with multiple franchises in the T20 league. Earlier, reports suggested that the batting great could decide to join Kolkata Knight Riders, especially as the franchise saw their mentor Gautam Gambhir leave the team to fill the void left by Dravid in the Indian team as head coach. But, it has now been reported that Dravid is in talks with his former IPL side Rajasthan Royals.

"Talks are going on between RR and Dravid, and an announcement in this regard is round the corner," Times of India quoted a source as saying.

As Dravid hunts for a new adventure, Gambhir has begun his stint as the Indian team's head coach. He flew to Sri Lanka with the other members of the Indian team ahead of the white-ball assignment. Before the team's departure, Gambhir did admit he has some big shoes to fill, considering what Dravid has done with the Indian team as head coach.

As India lifted the T20 World Cup 2024 title, beating South Africa in the final, Dravid did joke about being 'jobless' from the next month, and asked reporters if they had any offers. A man of the talent of Dravid, and the gold-worthy experience in Indian cricket, franchises are understandably lining up to rope him into the team.

Dravid didn't want to continue as the Indian team's head coach as he didn't want to spend 10 months a year travelling, keeping himself away from the family. But, the Indian Premier League is different. In the T20 league, Dravid only needs to be with the franchise for 2-3 months a year, a prospect he could fancy.

The former India captain has worked as a mentor and coach with IPL franchises in the past. Dravid was the coach of Delhi Daredevils franchise before leaving the job in 2017 over 'conflict of interest'. Since ending his IPL career, Dravid has worked as the coach of India's junior teams, including Under-19 and India A.

He was most recently working as the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru before taking up the India job in 2021.

Now linked with the Rajasthan Royals, it would be interesting to see on what capacity would the former India head coach work with the franchise.

[sportsnewsglobal]

IPL betting case: Thane police recovers betting rates from Sonu Jalan’s mobile for SRH vs DD game

IPL Betting Case: Police have recovered the betting rates of Indian Premier League 2018 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Daredevils from the phone of Sonu Jalan, the bookie who was recently arrested in the high-profile betting case.

In a fresh development related to the ongoing IPL betting case, the Thane AEC has managed to recover few snapshots of betting rates from the mobile phone of Sonu Jalan – the mastermind behind the entire scandal, of matches from 11th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). The screenshots of the rates are from match 36 of the 11th edition between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Daredevils.

Sonu, who is likely to be summoned regarding the matter along with others bookies, claimed that the screenshots were from the match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Daredevils. While the rates for SRH was Rs 1.68, the rates for Daredevils was 2.46. While Sonu added that many of his clients placed bets on the match, he refused to reveal any names.

Earlier, in an FIR, Ritesh Hasmukh Shah – a 39-year-old businessman from Thane accused Sonu and five other bookies of extortion and threatening him with murder. Ritesh said that Sonu, along with Munir Khan, Junior Kolkata (Surendra Bagri), Kiran Mala, Ketan Tanna (alias Raja) and Ravi Sulayya Pujari threatened to kill him.

Along with the bookies, a former cop and his brother are also under the scanner for their alleged role in the betting incident. As per sources, former cop Sohail Buddha transferred Rs 2 crore in Sonu's account and the latter was using his brother's car. The sources added that Sohail helped Sonu get in touch with present days police officers post which Sonu recorded their conversation and used it for blackmailing purpose.

In a shocking development, Bollywood actor Arbaaz Khan agreed to have placed bets on IPL matches for six years. Arbaaz revealed that he was in touch with Sonu and the latter was threatening him as he owed him Rs 2.8 crore. Arbaaz also agreed to cooperate with the police regarding the incident.

[timesofworld-news]

Sonu Jahan Claims Sajid Khan of Placing Bets with Him 7 Years Ago

The IPL betting scandal saw yet another development, as Sonu Jalan who was summoned by Thane Police for being the mastermind of the whole betting fiasco revealed the name of Sajid Khan who used to place bets with him.

Sajid Khan is a reputed Bollywood director and is a high profile celebrity. Sonu named Sajid for placing bets with him around seven years ago. The reports were made public by the Times Now. Meanwhile, it must be noted that Sajid is the brother of renowned Bollywood Choreographer, Farah Khan. However, despite his name coming up, Sajid is unlikely to be in the police net, as the incident happened seven years ago. Sajid is a pretty big name in the Bollywood industry. His name comes up just days after Arbaaz Khan, Bollywood actor and a brother of Salman Khan admitted to having placed bets on the cash-rich league for six years.

Sonu had threatened Arbaaz of owing him Rs 2.8 crores. Arbaaz has been summoned pretty recently by police for his involvement in the betting racket.

Along with five other bookies, Sonu’s name taken in the betting fiasco. Sonu came into the police radar when a 39-year old businessman filed an FIR against him and the five other bookies.

He accused them of extortion and threatening to murder. The FIR was filed against Jalan, Munir Khan, Surendra Bagri, Kiran Mala, Ketan Tanna and Ravi Sulayya Pujari of blackmail.

Meanwhile, cops of Thane have also recovered the screenshots of the betting rates of an IPL match on Sonu’s cell phone. The screenshots start fro Match 36 of IPL 2018 which was held between the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Delhi Daredevils. Sonu did admit of many clients placing bets. However, he didn’t take any names.

Betting is a common practice all over the world. Though cricketing betting is illegal, it is done by the whole world. It is an easy way of making money. However, the greed of money sometimes gets on the head of the person. At times people tend to even mortgage their homes, cars and many luxurious things for betting.

[shimlaandmanalitour]

Discovering the Beauty of Kullu Manali from Delhi

Explore the beautiful Himalayan region of Kullu Manali from Delhi with our well-planned tour packages. The journey starts with a comfortable Volvo from Chandigarh, Delhi and you will be driven through beautiful terrains to reach Manali, the land of wonders.

In Manali, one can have a gamut of activities that can be enjoyed according to one’s choice and preferences. Starting from the peaceful environment suitable for meditation to the adventurous activities for the daredevils, Manali is a perfect place. Visit popular attractions such as the Hadimba Temple, Club House, Tibetan Monastery and others, which are a testament to the culture of the area.

Solang Valley is one of the most beautiful places in the world and you will be able to see the beauty of nature. Try some thrilling activities like paragliding, skiing, zorbing, or take a peaceful walk to Anjani Mahadev temple. Drive through the Atal Tunnel and get a glimpse of the Rohtang Pass and enjoy the natural beauty of the snow-capped mountains.

On another day, visit the holy shrine of Manikaran Sahib Gurudwara and get spiritually charged up by taking a dip in the hot water springs. Visit Kasol, a beautiful town, shop around the local markets, and go for thrilling treks in Parvati Valley.

Join Nature Canvas Travel to explore the beauty of Kullu Manali and Shimla and make unforgettable memories in the laps of the Himalayas. So, book your tour package from Delhi to Kullu Manali and Shimla today and get ready to experience one of the most beautiful journeys of your life.

[businessnewsupdates]

Virat Kohli's Gesture Wins Hearts As 'Retiring' Dinesh Karthik Gets Guard Of Honour

Royal Challengers Benglauru's star finisher Dinesh Karthik might well have had his last dance on a cricket field in the Indian Premier League (IPL). After flying high with six consecutive wins, the RCB, in chasing the sun, came away with their wings charred and melted. Their hopes of a fairytale season turned into despair after the Bengaluru franchise crashed out of the tournament in the second eliminator on Wednesday.

In what was billed as a clash of 'Royals', Rajasthan prevailed, inflicting a four-wicket defeat on Bengaluru in the Eliminator at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

With the chants of "ee sala cup namde" falling silent and failing to go all the way to Chennai, which is set to play host to the title clash, emotions were in free flow amid the cricketing action at the world's biggest stadium.

Karthik took off his gloves and acknowledged the fans who were on their feet to applaud the veteran for his contributions throughout the season.

Soon a moment to savour for the RCB fans unfolded, as the franchise's marquee star and modern-day cricketing icon Virat Kohli embraced Karthik as he struggled to fight back his emotions.

While Karthik hasn't yet officially announced his retirement from the IPL, he did drop broad hints throughout the tournament that the ongoing season would be his last for his franchise.

As he walked back towards the dressing room, Karthik received a guard of honour from the RCB players.

He was a crucial figure for RCB, especially in the death overs in a turbulent season. His influential cameos at the end played a role in inspiring the team to an unprecedented spot in the playoffs.

If this season ends up as the last one for Karthik, he will finish his IPL career with 4,842 runs in 257 matches, studded with a whopping 22 fifties.

In his illustrious IPL career that spanned over 17 years, Karthik featured for six franchises in the cash-rich league.

He made his debut in the inaugural season in 2008 with the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). He made a switch to Punjab in 2011 and, thereafter, went on to play for the Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions, Kolkata Knight Riders and the RCB.

He ended the ongoing season with 326 runs in 15 matches at an average of 36.22 and a mouth-watering strike rate of 187.36.

[internationalnewz]

Dinesh Karthik Bids Farewell: IPL Career Concluded as Confirmed by Broadcaster

Dinesh Karthik, a key player for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), ended his Indian Premier League (IPL) career with a loss in the Eliminator match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Wednesday. Karthik, who had suggested this IPL season would be his last, received a guard of honour from his teammates after the match in Ahmedabad. While Karthik himself didn’t comment on his retirement, the league’s broadcaster confirmed the news through a social media post following the game. Karthik, who debuted in the T20 league 16 years ago, is celebrated as one of the best finishers in this format of cricket.

Jio Cinema, the IPL’s digital broadcaster, paid tribute to the RCB wicketkeeper-batsman on social media. Karthik, who has one IPL title to his name, acknowledged the fans by removing his gloves as RCB players expressed their gratitude to the spectators.

A heartfelt moment for RCB fans occurred when Virat Kohli embraced Karthik, who appeared emotional. As he walked back to the dressing room, Karthik received a guard of honour from his RCB teammates.

Karthik’s IPL career concludes with 4,842 runs in 257 matches, including 22 fifties. Over his distinguished 17-year IPL career, Karthik played for six franchises in the league.

Karthik made his IPL debut in the inaugural 2008 season with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). He then moved to Punjab in 2011, and subsequently played for Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions, Kolkata Knight Riders, and RCB.

In the current season, Karthik scored 326 runs in 15 matches, boasting an average of 36.22 and an impressive strike rate of 187.36.

[e2betindia]

Top 5 Closest Wins by Runs for SRH in IPL History

Sunrisers Hyderabad has secured some of the most exciting wins in IPL history. Among their top 5 closest victories in terms of runs, they have managed to outshine their opponents by the slimmest of margins, demonstrating their unwavering determination and fierce competitiveness.

5. 4 runs vs RCB, Abu Dhabi 2021

In IPL 2021, Sunrisers Hyderabad clinched an exciting win against RCB with a margin of just four runs. Even though AB de Villiers made a late charge, needing six runs off the last two balls, SRH remained composed and emerged victorious. The combined efforts of the bowlers and batsmen ensured a close win in Abu Dhabi.

4. 4 runs vs RPS, Vizag 2016

In IPL 2016, Sunrisers Hyderabad secured an exciting four-run win over Rising Pune Supergiants. Despite Adam Zampa’s impressive performance of taking 6 wickets for just 19 runs, SRH’s strong pace attack, led by Ashish Nehra, successfully defended a modest total of 137. Although MS Dhoni made a valiant effort, RPS fell just short in the chase, allowing SRH to claim the top position in the points table.

3. 4 runs vs DC, Dubai 2014

Sunrisers Hyderabad claimed a nail-biting four-run victory against Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2014. Aaron Finch’s 88* and David Warner’s 58* helped SRH reach a total of 184/1. Despite a strong start by DD’s openers, errors in tactics and dropped catches proved costly for them.

2. 3 run vs MI, Mumbai WS 2022

Sunrisers Hyderabad clinched a vital three-run win against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2022, ensuring their chances of making it to the playoffs remain alive. Thanks to Rahul Tripathi’s impressive knock of 76 and Umran Malik’s fiery bowling, SRH successfully defended a total of 193 runs, despite a late onslaught from MI’s Tim David. The strategic changes made by SRH proved to be fruitful, bringing them one step closer to securing a spot in the playoffs.

1. 1 run vs RR, Hyderabad 2024

In a thrilling finish, Sunrisers Hyderabad emerged victorious by a narrow margin of one run against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024. SRH set a challenging target of 201/3, thanks to Nitish Kumar Reddy’s unbeaten 76* and Travis Head’s impressive 58. Despite RR’s valiant effort in their chase, SRH’s bowlers, particularly Pat Cummins and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, displayed exceptional skills to secure the win. It was a tense and exciting match that ended in SRH’s favor.

[ipl24]

#Dinesh Karthik set to end IPL career after 2024 season #TATAIPL #IPL24

#IPL24 # India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik is set to play his final IPL season this year when he appears for Royal Challengers Bangalore over the next two months. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Karthik, who turns 39 in June, will also make a final decision soon on his international future. Karthik, who started his IPL career at Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) is part of a select…

[newnewz]

Dinesh Karthik Sets Retirement Date, Rumored to Bid Farewell to IPL After 2024 Season

Renowned Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik is reportedly gearing up for his final appearance in the IPL, with the 2024 edition set to commence on March 22. The 38-year-old, currently affiliated with the Royal Challengers Bangalore, has been a consistent presence in all 16 editions of the IPL since its inception in 2008, only missing two matches across 16 seasons. A source within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed, on the condition of anonymity, that Karthik plans to make the 2024 IPL his last and will make decisions regarding his international retirement following the tournament.

Having played for six different teams in the IPL, Karthik’s journey began with the Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) in 2008, followed by stints with Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, a lucrative return to Delhi in 2014, and subsequent spells with Gujarat Lions and the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Before the IPL 2022 season, Karthik was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders and acquired by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for the second time at a cost of Rs 5.5 crore. His impactful performance in 2022, particularly as a finisher, saw him score 330 runs in 16 matches at an impressive average of 55 and an explosive strike rate of 183.33, contributing significantly to RCB’s journey to the playoffs.

Karthik’s prolific form earned him a spot in the India squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. However, the team fell short in the semifinals against eventual champions England.

Apart from his on-field contributions, Karthik has also made a name for himself as a commentator, showcasing a lively and technically sound approach.

In his international career, which ran parallel to that of MS Dhoni as a wicketkeeper-batsman, Karthik played 26 Tests, scoring 1025 runs, and participated in 94 ODIs, accumulating 1752 runs. His last appearance for India was in a T20I against Bangladesh in 2022. Across 60 T20Is, he scored 686 runs and showcased his skills with 30 catches and 8 stumpings.

Karthik boasts an impressive IPL record, featuring in 242 matches since the inaugural edition, amassing 4516 runs at an average of 25.81 and a strike rate of 132.71, with 20 half-centuries. Additionally, he has contributed with 141 catches and 36 stumpings.

While speculation surrounds Karthik’s IPL retirement after the upcoming season, fans eagerly await his final stint in the tournament, marking the end of an illustrious and impactful career in the world of cricket.