#It also applies to 'Fires of both the Jet and Sky variety.

[seehowsupplethespineis]

Jetfire and Starscream fusion? They’re such an adorable and such a pure fusion!

Ah yes, a G1 fusion! Here's my boy!!!

Since Starscream and Skyfire are both emotionally and socially symbiotic, they turn into the most balanced and happy fusion. He's capable, content, and very very excited about science. Of course, he's a lot more bitter and unstable after Skyfire joins the Autobots...if the fusion ever happens again...

[skarmorydraws]

Little something I’ve been developing in my spare time over the past few weeks, and has been in development in my head over the past year. I’m proud to have it finally put out on the Internet and hopefully I should have it finished up over the next few weeks if work doesn’t get to me first. Wish me luck, y’all!

Hopefully this should get me back in the mood for kaiju-related artwork in the future, which is pretty awesome. Perhaps I’ll be able to get my writing muse back up and running for Magizoic after this, who knows? ;)

Game pitch details under the cut!

War of the Monsters (c) Incognito Entertainment

During the first War of the Monsters, the greatest irony was that the monsters themselves proved to be the salvation of man and Earth. Destroying each other had caused untold collateral damage, but in the long term they would never again be a menace to our planet… or so it seemed. Unbeknownst to everyone, the Zorgulons which had been stranded on Earth had constructed a series of tachyon beacons hidden in the far corners of the globe, sending out a collective distress signal to their home planet. The signal arrived too late, but the second wave of invaders was mobilized without hesitation. Now, as a full-scale army of extraterrestrial destroyers makes its way to Earth, the monsters from the first War have begun to rise again to meet them… and both sides have brought friends. Lots of them.

NEW MECHANICS:

Fighter jets are a new type of aerial vehicle that perform shooting flybys that can gradually whittle away at a monster’s health. Both GDF and ZA versions exist. They are swift and hard to catch, but can be taken down by any projectile or special; if successfully grabbed, they can also be used as guns. GDF jets will not shoot at GDF-affiliated monsters, and even if they’re intentionally attacked, they will attempt to avoid these monsters at all costs; in contrast, they will always attack ZA-affiliated monsters on sight. ZA jets operate via the opposite logic, avoiding ZA monsters and attacking GDF ones. Neutral monsters are affected unpredictably by the targeting system of both varieties, but if they attack or damage the jets, all jets nearby will attack them. Certain maps will sometimes generate an Air Raid power-up which will summon a squadron of jets to the level in question. Whichever variety is summoned depends on the level.

Certain aerial carriers will now unleash robotic drones that spawn indefinitely until the carriers themselves are destroyed. The drones act like miniature helicopters, attacking any monster that is with the faction opposite to the player monster. Either alien or human drones and carriers can be encountered depending on the level. Their targeting logic is similar to fighter jets, though they’re slower in the air and are instantly destroyed the moment they take any damage.

Many Sea Creatures have been mutated by the fallout from the first War, and any choice among irradiated Sharks, Octopi, Crabs, Jellyfish, Piranhas, and Eels can be found in levels that include part of the ocean. Any of these can be picked up and thrown, the only exception being the Jellyfish which will briefly stun any monster that touches them. Crabs can also come onto land and behave like neutral vehicles, but must be approached from the rear, as they’ll latch onto and damage monsters trying to grab them from the front. Mutant Piranhas will attack and latch onto anything in the same body of water, and will often attack in large numbers, but can be pulled off and thrown like small items once they’ve bitten a monster. Sharks, Crabs, and Eels can be picked up and used as comical bludgeons, and will also latch onto monsters if they’re thrown at them. If an Eel is used to lash at a monster, the target will be shocked as well as take damage. Octopi cannot be used to slap enemies, but they can be used as guns, spraying blasts of scalding water at whatever they’re aimed at. As with water tanks and fire trucks, allied monsters take no damage from these blasts, making them useful for putting out allies on fire. If an Octopus is thrown at an enemy, it will latch onto it and stun it, but deal no damage. Sea creatures will burst into alien goop after being used as bludgeons a few times, or if they’re shaken off by an enemy and dropped onto land (except crabs). If they are thrown or dropped into the water they’ll just keep swimming.

A few levels have a prehistoric theme, and are populated by Dinosaurs to go with it. These include T. rexes, Raptors, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Brontosaurus, and, despite not technically being dinosaurs, Pterodactyls and Plesiosaurs. All Dinosaurs behave like hostile military vehicles, attacking any enemy monsters they come across. T. rexes and Triceratops must be approached from the rear to be picked up lest they respectively bite and gore monsters, and Stegosaurus from the front lest they hurt them with their tail spikes. T. rexes, Raptors, and Plesiosaurs will attempt to latch onto any monster they target (though Plesiosaurs will only attack monsters that are in the same body of water), and Pterodactyls will attempt flybys to rake monsters with their beaks and talons. All Dinosaurs can be picked up and thrown, and all Dinosaurs except Raptors and Pterodactyls can be used as bludgeoning weapons, but the Plesiosaurs in particular can also be used to spray jets of water that can knock back enemy monsters and put out allies on fire. T. rexes, Raptors, and Plesiosaurs will also latch onto enemy monsters if thrown. Brontosaurus, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus will attempt to knock back, knock up, and trip monsters, respectively, but all of them can be lifted two-handed and thrown, though Stegosaurus can also be used as a one-handed bludgeon. All Dinosaurs will explode into goop after a few melee strikes or if thrown off after they latch onto a monster. If dropped they will continue acting as hostile entities. A rare “Pterodactyl” power-up has a chance of appearing on any map or level, which summons a piece of meat in the player’s hands that can be thrown or used as a bludgeon, but only once. Any enemy monster hit by the meat, either at close or long range, will immediately be besieged by a flock of Pterodactyls that swoop in completely out of nowhere; care must be taken as this applies to allied monsters as well! If the meat hits the ground or a surface, the Pterodactyls will wheel in the sky above where it landed and act as an environmental hazard.

Giant Bugs are used by the Zorgulons as shock troops, and many more have been spawned by the fallout of the first War; no matter what, all Bugs are hostile. Certain maps can spawn giant Mantises, Spiders, Hornets, or Ants. Mantises act like miniature versions of Preytor (indeed, they’re spawned by her new short-range special), Spiders act like one of the newcomer monsters and can shoot sticky webbing to temporarily slow players, Hornets can briefly poison monsters with their stings, and Ants swarm monsters en masse, like Piranhas, resulting in an “Infested” status. Being Infested means the affected monster gradually loses health, and at the same time their movements and attacks become more erratic and likely to miss targeted opponents. Bugs can be grabbed and thrown like small items (or used like guns in the case of Spiders), but squish after only one use, and if dropped they continue making the players’ lives a living hell. Bugs are found on most Earth-based levels, but reskinned versions of Mantises and Spiders based on certain skins for two of the playable monsters can also be found on some of the space-based maps.

Monsoon: (Lightning +, Fire -) The sky is darkened by thunderclouds, and massive torrential rain blankets the area. Any ground-floor parts of the map become covered in knee-high water, and deep-water levels become deep enough to dive and swim in. Fires extinguish a lot faster and fire-based attacks deal less damage; by contrast, Lightning attacks deal more damage and gain a greater range. While aquatic monsters benefit from this level, lightning strikes are also a prominent hazard, striking buildings, monsters, or the ground or water. Climbing and flying monsters in particular must gamble between the hazardous water and the risk of being hit by lightning, making maps under the effects Monsoons especially challenging. Ground vehicles and minions are destroyed in the flood.

Hurricane: (Wind +, Poison -) Storm clouds roll in from the horizon, and strong winds start buffeting the entire map. Debris, items, vehicles, and minions that aren’t secured are blown away (power-ups and health/energy spheres aren’t affected), and may hit and damage monsters as if they were thrown. The direction of the wind changes randomly, and any monster that tries to move against the wind will be drastically slowed. Flyers and monsters that inflict Wind damage thrive in Hurricanes due to the high winds sharply increasing flight speed and jump distance as well as Wind attacks being drastically increased in range and power. By contrast, chemical and radioactive fumes are blown away by the wind, meaning Poison attacks and hazards deal less damage.

Acid Rain: (Poison +, Wind -) The sky is covered by sickly dark-green clouds, and lime-green rain starts pouring over the map. This is similar to Monsoon sans lightning, but with one critical difference: the rain is toxic. Monsters that don’t take shelter before the rain falls will take gradual damage over time, and may lose a lot of health until they reach “safe zones” throughout the map. The ground floor of the level will also become covered with deadly acid that damages any monster that steps in it, and also generates a toxic fog that serves as a ground hazard. Poison-resistant monsters are immune to the effects of Acid Rain and gain a boost in power to their ranged and special attacks. By contrast, Wind-element monsters can’t stand inhaling the deadly fumes and take a steep penalty to their ranged and special attacks. As with the Monsoon, ground vehicles and minions are destroyed in the flood.

Drought: (Fire +, Ice -) The clouds in the sky clear up and the sun begins to shine brightly and harshly upon the map. Shallow water quickly evaporates, and even deep water becomes shallow with the exception of the ocean. Fire attacks and hazards as well as explosions deal more damage, fires last much longer, and monsters that have been frozen can free themselves more quickly. Vehicles take no penalties, but minions have their attack speed and damage reduced. Ice-based attacks and hazards also deal less damage. This weather condition can only occur during the daytime.

Blizzard: (Ice +, Lightning -) Winter clouds overtake the sky and icy winds and snow begin to pummel the map. The random one-directional winds are similar to Hurricane, but while they don’t slow monsters’ movement speed as much, they reduce attack speed as well. Patches of snow may cover the ground, though monsters that trudge through them leave a trail of exposed ground as they go (unless they hover naturally and can float over them). However, patches of slippery ice may develop instead in some places, causing monsters that step on them to slip and fall over, slide around randomly without player-controlled movement, and in general find it more difficult to move. Ice-based attacks and freezing deal more damage with their status duration increased, while heat-based attacks deal slightly less damage. Electrical devices have a tendency to freeze up and fail in the cold, however, and Lightning-based attacks deal less damage and suffer a shorter range. Ground vehicles take a harsh penalty in terms of movement speed.

[sueboohscorner]

#Supergirl Ep. 221 Recap & Review "Resist"

Episode grade: 9

Lena Luthor awakens in a luxurious bed, totally gothed out. I realize fashion is pretty low on her list right now, but I still imagine she would rather not be seen like this in public. Rhea must have always wanted a daughter to dress up like a doll.

Lena's appropriately pissed at being abducted, and Rhea's reaction is that peculiar variety of sociopathic that can also be described as "mother knows best." Rhea's whole way of dealing with the world comes across as a weary frustration that people don't always immediately do what she says, that's she occasionally required to apply pressure to make them fall in line. (This parenting style is familiar to Lena, of course, because Lillian Luthor is a nightmare.)

Even Lillian, however, looks like a good mom now that you've got Rhea for comparison...Rhea plans to force Lena and Mon-El into a marriage that will symbolically unite Daxam and Earth. I bet Mon-El regrets being too heroic to shoot her last week!

Rhea's message of "Welcome to New Daxam; I will be your queen" is being projected all over National City, and her Daxamite army is raining down terror and destruction to bring the people to heel. Our heroes are mostly out there fighting back, except J'onn, who remains in a coma after last week's fight. 

The DEO HQ has fallen to the Daxamite army, so our team has set up shop in the alien bar with whatever equipment they could get their hands on. They're all there trying to decide on a plan when Lillian waltzes in. She offers a limited alliance to fight their common enemy, but our friends aren't that desperate...yet.

Guardian and Maggie feel it's their duty to get back out on the street and protect people. For some reason, Supergirl doesn't leave the bar. That is one of the strange aspects of this episode. I get it, narratively, because she needs to be there for specific moments...but still, it's weird that the city is under siege, and its primary hero is hanging out in the bar, looking at computer monitors.

Winn picks up a signal being transmitted between the Daxamite mothership and...Air Force One, zooming right this way! He hacks into this communication (...but two weeks ago, he couldn't trace a signal relay set up by some guy Alex and Kara grew up with? Sorry, I'll try to never mention that crappy episode again), and our team gets to be a fly on the wall for the first contact between President Olivia Marsden, Queen Rhea, and Cat Grant!

Cat is her usual awesome self, trying to play the girl power aspect of this situation. Of course, she's a person with a soul, so she can't comprehend a sociopath like Rhea. There's no negotiating with this bitch. Rhea starts shooting down the presidential escort jets, then Air Force One.

Supergirl gets there just in time to catch Cat Grant, but the plane goes down. This isn't a fatal event for Madame President, though, because she's a Durlan! (We've known since her first appearance that she was an alien, but now we get a confirmation on her species; Durla is the homeworld of a race with shape-shifting abilities. Their most famous citizen is Chameleon, of the Legion of Super-Heroes.)

Back at the bar, the president instructs our team to retake the DEO facility and gain control of the positron cannon, then immediately use it to destroy the mothership. Supergirl and Alex beg her to reconsider, as Mon-El and Lena are hostages on that ship, but the president stands firm that defeating this invasion force is more important than saving any individual lives. (Fair point, and I can't help but note Supergirl's failure to shed tears for the pilot or crew of Air Force One. Not that I think she should beat herself up about their deaths, but she saved Cat and then expressed horror at the thought that she'd failed to save the president...no concern about the others?)

Supergirl's deeply conflicted about carrying out these orders, and Cat gives her the pep talk she needs to make a hard decision; she goes to find Lillian (and Hank Henshaw/Cyborg-Superman!) and agrees to their short-term alliance.

For their part in the adapted plan, Alex and Maggie are carrying out the president's orders (desperately hoping Supergirl's mission succeeds before theirs!), and Winn is helping Cat commandeer the airwaves to send a message of hope and rebellion to the citizens of National City. She gives a beautiful speech to inspire the city to resist Rhea, this thug "who claims she will make our world great again."

When Daxamite soldiers show up at Catco to stop Cat's transmission, Guardian saves the day! He uses lead dust to trigger the Daxamites' "space asthma," which is an awesome use of their one known weakness. 

Cat looks right at Guardian and says, "Thanks, James." He and Winn stammer, but she just points out that his eyes are visible through the slit in his mask. (And unlike with Kara, no shape-shifter is on hand to prove her suspicion wrong!)

Lillian's plan involves the Phantom Zone projector in the Fortress of Solitude. They will hack its frequency to get it to beam them behind the shields around the mothership, so they can rescue Lena and Mon-El. Kara asks why Lillian hasn't outed her to Lena, since Lillian knows her secret identity. She sneers that she's waiting for Lena to figure it out, because then she'll see that Kara has been lying to her, proving that aliens can't be trusted, after which Lena will finally become a full Luthor.

Now, I just have to say one thing: I call BS on Lena still not figuring out Kara is Supergirl. I will accept that she can interact with Kara and Supergirl closely without knowing they're the same person, because I'm a comic book fan, and we accept that sort of thing as part of the deal. But now, Lena has met Mon-El both as Kara's boyfriend AND as the superhero who showed up with Supergirl to fight Lena's alien mentor, Rhea, who turned out to be Mon-El's mom, who talks a lot about her son dating the wrong girl and who has a beef with Supergirl...there is no excuse for her not putting two and two together at this point.

In fact, here's the rescue team: Supergirl barely restrains herself from kissing Mon-El, then says that Kara Danvers sent her. If Lena comes out of this without a full awareness of this secret identity, they better have a major explanation...or maybe they'll just have J'onn mindwipe her, so when she figures it all out the second time she can feel even more betrayed.

Lillian tries to screw Supergirl over, of course, leaving her and Mon-El behind on the ship. Winn had rigged a backup plan, because Lillian can't be trusted, but Kara sends Mon-El to safety alone! She says she wants to offer Rhea a peaceful surrender. I hate this. I get that it's meant to be the heroic choice, but it's so naive, and dude, you know that if you're not out of there soon, your sister will wind up shooting you out of the sky! Right now, I feel like Kara's greater allegiance should have been to Alex; she should have gotten off the ship to prevent her sister from having to make an awful decision that would haunt her for the rest of her life. 

(If you read my recaps of The Originals, you know I'm always bitching about how dishonorable the Mikaelsons are, so believe me, I recognize there's irony in my bitching about how honorable Supergirl is being. I like a happy medium, I guess, where you stand by your word and respect your allies, but you accept that sometimes the bad guy has to die, and you don't risk your life to offer redemption to someone who has shown no interest in it.)

Down on the ground, Alex has her finger on the positron cannon trigger, and the president is ordering her to proceed, but she knows Kara is still on the ship. She hesitates just long enough that we should probably assume she's going to be fired, especially because her hesitation gives the Daxamites time to destroy the cannon. Oops.

Up on the ship, Rhea laughs at Kara's offer to surrender, then introduces another secret weapon...she's got Superman under her control! 

This week had a couple of minor flaws, but the return of Cat Grant makes everything better. I love this character, and I could watch Calista Flockhart's gracefully formidable performance all day.

What was your favorite Cat moment?

Next week, Supergirl vs. Superman!