#and the phantom zone storyline

[denkryn]

season 6 of supergirl kinda feels like kara character assasination

[ladylynse]

Summary: It’s just a wish that’s been granted with the wrong twist, but for Danny, it’s a nightmare that’s become reality. He’s stuck as Phantom, his family’s hunting him, and everyone who can help him is gone....

-|-

By the time Sam reached Danny’s house, Tucker was already there. “House is empty,” he reported as she came up to him. “I already looked.” 

Sam just nodded; she hadn’t expected anything else. 

“I’ve got Danny’s map of the Ghost Zone,” Tucker continued, pulling it out, “and I think our best bet would be to talk to Frostbite. He might let us use the Infi-Map to find Danny.”

[zahri-melitor]

My comments on the Extended Generational Sorting Algorithm:

Gosh there are some murky in-betweens here.

G-1 – JSA and teams like the All-Star Squadron and the Blackhawks. The WWII edition. This is occasionally merged with G0 as timelines shift, but includes Hippolyta, Ted Knight, Sandra Knight (as Phantom Lady), Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, etc. A lot of this cohort have aging issues and several have grandkids in G1 or G1.5. Zinda simultaneously belongs to this group and G1.5.

G0 – JSA, the gap between WWII and the first JLA. This is the younger JSA cohort who aren’t so tied to WWII and the gap after. Dinah Drake. Ted Grant. Johnny Quick. Giovanni Zatara. Walter Chase (the Acro-Bat). Bruce’s parents. The Kents. Jim Gordon. Etc.

G1 – JLA land! Bruce, Clark, Diana, Ollie, Barry, Hal, Arthur, etc. You know them. Your idea of a headlining JLA includes these folk.

G1.5 – Birds of Prey and JLI zone. Characters too old to be Titans cohort but younger/clearly different than the G1 headliners. Barbara Gordon and Dinah Lance are the stalwarts of this group, plus I’ll add Helena Bertinelli, Cameron Chase, Kate Spencer, Kendra, etc. I guess I’d probably put Harley Quinn, agewise, here too. Also would add Beatriz, Tora, Booster, Ted Kord, etc. Guy and Zatanna sort of bounce between here and G1 depending on storyline.

G2 – it’s the Titans! Dick, Donna, Wally, Roy, Garth, Victor, Gar, Kory, Raven etc. Their agebounds are probably Roy as the oldest and Gar as the youngest, though Gar’s given to them as a courtesy – he’s realistically a member of G2.5, he just hangs with G2. We also add Kyle and Connor and Jesse Quick etc to this cohort despite them not being core Titans given their strong connections to particularly Donna and Wally.

G2.5 – The JL Taskforce kids and Jason’s non-existent team. Ray Palmer’s Teen Titans. This is a group of individuals that has never properly coalesced. Overlaps in age with both the bottom of G2 and the top of G3 but distinctly don’t belong to either. Jason, Ray, Grant, Argent, Cynthia, Eddie, Snapper Carr, plus Danny Chase and arguably Gar all fall into this group. Rose Wilson overlaps with G3 but vibeswise probably also belongs to this group. I am tossing up whether Anissa and Jennifer Pierce belong here or in G2.

G3 – Young Justice. Tim, Kon, Cassie, Bart, Cissie, Greta, Anita. Cass Cain belongs here despite being the same age as several G2.5s. Steph, Charlie, Black Alice, Jaime, Zachary Zatara, even a handful of the newer folk like Jinny Hex slot in here. Several Supergirls including current Kara, Courtney Whitmore IS a member of this group and the three oldest Marvel kids (Billy, Mary and Freddy) are currently aged into this.

G4 – Damian’s Teen Titans. Damian, Jon Kent (yes even still with the age up), Emiko Queen, Ace West etc. If they are still a teen right now in DC storytelling or SHOULD be a teen, they belong here (if they’re a teen and SHOULDN’T be they’re probably a G3/G5). The Gotham Academy kids. Arguably the Titan Academy kids too? Agewise the DEO Titans kids but spiritually probably not (also the chances of us ever seeing them again is…low) The younger Marvel kids (Eugene, Pedro and Darla especially) are with this group.

G5 – so this group are either alternate G3 or G3.5s. Too new and too un-networked with G3 to be absorbed. Jace Fox, Yara Flor, Jackson Hyde, Duke Thomas and the We Are Robin cohort all belong here. Kong Kenan, Avery Ho, etc also are members.

G6 – Titans Offspring Gen. Almost everyone in this group has been artificially aged, which is a thing, hey. Lian, Irey, Jai, Cerdian, Robbie. Maxine, obviously. Otho and Osul-Ra.

G7 – Help I’m From Earth-One: Power Girl and Helena Wayne.

G8 – The Lost Children – also Help I’m From Earth-One in a lot of respects but they’re in their teens, not adults. May get folded into other groups if they get more use.

[chernobog13]

Neal Adams' cover for Superman (vol. 1) #233 (January, 1971).

This was the beginning of editor Julius Schwartz's 15-year stint as Superman editor, and was to be the beginning of a new era for the Man of Steel.

In this issue an experiment seeking to use kryptonite as an energy source goes awry, resulting in an explosion that renders all kryptonite on Earth inert. Superman's greatest vulnerability is gone, making him seemingly unstoppable!

However, as the story progresses over the next several months, Superman's powers decrease until he's only 2/3 as super as he was before the explosion.

Schwartz, and new Superman writer Denny O'Neil, believed that Superman had become so powerful that he was no longer believable or relatable. Along with jettisoning much of the Silver Age lore (Krypto the Super-Dog and the other Super-Pets; the bottle city of Kandor and the Superman Emergency Squad; the Superman robots; The Phantom Zone; etc) they thought that by reducing Superman's abilities readers would find him more interesting, as he would have to struggle more to defeat villains and solve problems.

(Interestingly, Supergirl's powers were not reduced during this period, so she would have been more powerful than her older cousin. To my knowledge this was never addressed.)

The new concept only lasted nine issues. By Superman #243 (issue #239 was a giant all-reprint issue) O'Neil was gone as writer, and Superman was back to full power with no mention of what had gone before. The only changes that stayed from the previous storyline was Clark Kent being a TV news reporter instead of a newspaper reporter, and kryptonite still being harmless.

Other writers eventually brought kryptonite back as a menace by explaining that new batches from space had fallen to Earth. Clark was promoted to anchorman at WGBS TV, but also allowed to do double duty as a reporter for the Daily Planet (which, conveniently, was housed in the same building as WGBS).

Krypto, Kandor, the Phantom Zone, and other Silver Age elements gradually made their way back as well into Superman's stories.

And that's the way it remained until Superman, and much of the DC Universe, was rebooted post-crisis On Infinite Earths.

[bigfemboyenergy]

why no gf x dp - a rant

why the fuck are there so many dp x dc things. GRAVITY FALLS WORKS PERFECTLY WITH DANNY PHANTOM. like, people know this, id hope? twin 13yos interested in supernatural things and a 14yo who is a half ghost and deals with this shit every day. guys. wed have more ghost lore in gf, and an expansion of paranormal activity in dp. this shit could be so good, so why is no one making good ones?? like..dip and dan could be friends. theyre science nerds, if you generalize their interests, and theyre close in age. they both get bullied, have few but rather close friends, and go on adventures. DOES NOBODY SEE THE POTENTIAL BUT ME?? and just imagine the depth of bill and danny both being able to possess people. could they both possess someone at one time? push the other out of the body, perhaps? this crap goes hard, theres so many possibilities here. like..gf expansion on ghosts with the help of none other than a ghost and his weird familys tech?. yes please. and even then, ford being in the ghost zone? adding to the journals and their significance to danny?! im actually upset that this thing is less popular than dp x dc. like, adding danny in would do so much just for mabel. we all know how she is about boys. and another teenage character, like wendy! even sidecharacters could have more screentime and development if someone new was added, and danny just seems like an excellent choice to me. you dont even have to play with ages or timeperiods! just toss in ghost king danny somewhere, or maybe combine both storylines and change em up a bit. it would just..be so entertaining and different, rather than simpler things that are fairly fake and based on hcs. whatever dont listen to this im lowkey writing out ideas for if i do choose to make my own since ✨no one else will✨

[meowmeowriley]

Please tell us about your Danny Phantom au you don’t have to actually write it out just your thoughts on it would be great! 😁

😈 The world will regret this. No but for real thank you for an excuse to word vomit about this cause fhdjddjfjfj I love it so much.

I've bounced this idea off of both @resident-idiot-simp and @tacticaltaxonomist so they'll both recognize the bits and pieces of this idea that I'm about to throw at your feet. But basically, what I've got is this:

Simon, John, and Kyle are childhood best friends that signed up for the army together. (Idk about elsewhere, but in the states you can sign up with your friends for a bonus, and you all get to serve together. Don't do it, but it's a thing.) They servery together, get their callsigns- Soap, Gaz, and Pretty Boy (Simon thinks he hates his stupid callsign), and eventually, Roba happens. So instead Simon going to Mexico alone, and being paired with Sparks and Washington (Ghost comics, my edgy lil heart loves them) the three amigos go together to work with the Americans, get betrayed, and captured. But woah, Roba is working in a portal to the ghost zone, wild! So Simon gets loose, goes looking for his friends, accidentally gets ghostified, and saves his friends with his new powers. They kill Roba, get home, get recruited by Price for the 141. That's the backstory. I like it. I think about it a lot.

Highlights:

GOTH/PUNK SOAP - V important. And he loves skulls, not Simon. That's just funny to me.

Techy Gaz - ye I like.

Base shenanigans as the boys try to keep Ghost's secret from Price

Ghost accidentally phasing through things he'd lean on

Ghost accidentally falling through the floor

Ghost going invisible to avoid getting in trouble

Ghost learning to do the ghost wail on accident while working with recruits and they all pass the fuck out

Ghost gaining a reputation as a hardass because recruits keep passing out (via ghost wail or ghost ray oopsies) so Soap (who loves skulls) makes him a mask to go with his reputation

Ghost with white hair and green eyes when he's a ghost, and black hair with blue eyes when he's normal. Best of both worlds!

Simon actually misses being called Pretty Boy now that he's called Ghost all the time.

Ghost just really wants a nap

Soap and Gaz doing increasingly outlandish shit to cover for Ghost accidentally doing something ghostly

Remember the Dani the clone storyline? Ye. Simon's got a clone. But Vlad, in this case, Graves, named him Gary.

MTF trans Roach, because I read a couple trans DP fics and I wanna pay homage to that.

Uhhhhhhh yeah. I think that's all of my scattered thoughts thrown together. I mean like, there's more, but this is already pretty long. 😅 But this lives in my brain. Just don't think there's much of a want for it.

But thank you for giving me an excuse to get my thoughts out!

[nullen-void]

On my Discord recently, someone was attempting to pitch a crossover idea for The Amazing Digital Circus.

Crossovers are my thing, see, and I've made a small name for myself on Spacebattles jamming together wildly different franchises and somehow making them work.

And it's my opinion that The Amazing Digital Circus is incredibly insular. See, some settings are easy to work with; for Star Wars, all you've gotta do is say that your crossover setting of choice is on a random planet in the undiscovered regions. For Danny Phantom, he falls through a portal in the Zone and ends up somewhere else. Easy.

But TADC is entirely self-contained. It's a simulation inside an implied larger world, connected to between six and twenty people randomly distributed across that world (as far as we know).

But crossovers aren't impossible, and if you don't just want to stick to the method of having (Insert Character Here) put on the headset and forget everything that makes them themselves, here are a few settings the Circus could coexist with with minimal justification.

Sword Art Online

Five Nights at Freddy's (from Help Wanted onward)

That original Yu-Gi-Oh! storyline where they end up inside virtual reality for a bit

Wreck-It Ralph

(ugh) The Emoji Movie

TRON

Scooby-Doo (and the Cyber Chase, specifically)

ReBoot

That Kingdom Hearts game where the whole thing is a simulation for some reason

Code Lyoko

Digimon

And probably more. You'll notice these are all settings where there's cyberspace that people can actually physically visit, with the logic being that, as a computer, Caine might be able to connect with other computers and send the gang on adventures to them. Whether he's aware that these aren't part of his own game or not is author's choice.

[wanderingmind867]

My Interpretation of the Crisis on Infinite Earths:

The Crisis was kind of exactly what it was in the comics. A little bit like a second big bang, the crisis was responsible for the death of the universe (and every world contained therein). Only due to the power of all the gods and mortals and supernatural beings combined did the universe manage to save itself. All the universes (with some exceptions) managed to survive, but history had to be restarted from scratch on all of them. Time was reset back to the birth of each universe.

Now that we're back in the present day, here on Earth 2 (Our Earth), only a few people remember the crisis. People like The Phantom Stranger, The Spectre (and his human host, Jim Corrigan), The Swamp Thing, Deadman (Boston Brand remembers it because he died on Earth 1 Pre-Crisis. His spirit got to see it all), Madame Xanadu, Doctor Fate (and his human host, Kent Nelson) etc. Basically, all the supernatural beings and ghostly heroes remember what happened. Swamp Thing counts as a ghostly being because he used to be a human (but is now a monster, making him supernatural in nature).

What happened when the crisis hit:

When the Crisis hit, each universe was sent back to the beginning of it's existence. That is true. Each earth was divided by giant barriers (making travel between them nearly impossible), and they were then recreated from scratch. Sadly, a few worlds were destroyed so irreparably that they didn't survive the crisis.

And if you were living on any one of these universes that were destroyed when the crisis happened, you wouldn't be sent back to your universe's birth. No, for those who survived the crisis but had their earth irreparably destroyed, something much stranger happened.

They were sent into a void, a sort of formless limbo. Here they experienced a sensation not unlike the feeling of taking a very long nap, as they waited for the new universes to catch up to them.

It's not like the earths that survived the crisis had it much easier. Most of the people on those earths had their memories erased, and a curse of memory obfuscation was placed on everyone by the gods. Only those with incredibly high will power and mental fortitude would be able to see through the mist and have their old memories return to them. Although most people who remember their past lives wish they didn't remember them. Because now the fabric of reality is so confusing, their mind is bordering on going insane.

But now, let's discuss the last group of people. Those who died during the crisis, but had their world survive. These people might be the unluckiest of all. When the crisis ended and their universe was rebuilt, all memories of these people were erased. Nobody remembers quite who they were. So when these people revive (because most of them end up suspended in a reality like the negative zone), they come back to a world that doesn't know them anymore. Pity these poor souls. Souls like Barry Allen (alias The Flash).

There is a prophecy that one day, the Anti-Monitor will return. And when he does, the universe divide will be undone and people will remember all once again. But today is not that day. Who knows when that day will be?

So this is my take on rewriting the crisis on infinite earths storyline. It's always going to be confusing, but I like this idea. And I hope others do too. Because I honestly think my version of the crisis is better, because I can at least understand my own version of it.

[elzifelzi]

Like i really love Danny Phantom but i feel like one of the issues it had which is really a personal critique of mines is how often it feels like they completely ignore the supernatural aspect of the show in favor of the superhero aspect. Now I'm fully aware that Danny Phantom is at it's very core a superhero show that centers around the supernatural but imagine if you will if it was a supernatural show with superhero tropes/themes etc.

Because Danny isn't your average superhero, Danny is a GHOST FIGHTING superhero who also happens to be a ghost himself all his villains and storylines mainly revolve around him being a ghost. Ghost villains,Ghost hunting enemies etc Danny isn't going around stopping random burglaries or crime lords. Everything in the world of the show should more or less be affected by the fact that ghosts exist in the show.

And i feel like it's so much of a dope concept in theory that doesn't really get played around with alot.

A big episode that I feel suffers from this is Infinite Realms which despite being an episode that mainly takes place in the ghost zone feels so out of place since thematically it really doesn't feel like it revolves around the supernatural at all like obviously from a straight forward perspective it does to some degree cuz it's an episode of danny phantom but i feel like this plot could be used in damn almost any other action and it would play out the exact same way even without the ghostly elements. Like the episode is just one big World domination plot by vlad which is about as stereotypical as any superhero cartoon can get.

Meanwhile an episode like urban jungle or splitting images works because of how tightly it grips onto the supernatural aspect that draws you into the show instead of just following a typical superhero formula

Thinking Danny is using his ghost powers to pick on people Sidney who lost his own life to bully steals Danny's body to make him atone for his bullying.

Undergrowth is trying to purge the world of human influence so that his plants can grow and thrive.

These 2 are such interesting plots that rely heavily on Danny Phantom being not only a superhero show but a supernatural show.

Hell even when butch is doing his "sequel ideas" for the show you see him talk about more of the superhero aspect as apposed to the ghost aspect of it.

But then again this could all just be me and my random thoughts so yeah.

[scorbleeo]

TV Series Discussion: Supergirl

Season 6 (2021)

Source: Google Images

The adventures of Superman's cousin and her own superhero career.

Source: IMDb (2015)

A Bittersweet End

I am going to start this out by saying I had no expectations for Supergirl Season 6. I might have watched all the previous seasons, but I was disappointed with the last or last 2 season(s). Although I adore Supergirl and the Super Friends, the plots were often average. Now thinking back, I can't even name a Supergirl villain that stuck to me.

That being said, this final season of Supergirl was much better than the previous seasons. It got me hooked onto the show and there were times when I was actually emotional. Although the villains were way below mid, the storylines were solid. And the action, I absolutely enjoyed it. Even the character developments were good. As a Supergirl season, season 6 was one of the better ones. As a final season, I believe it could have been better plotted.

Lets start with the villains. I'm not saying Nyxly was a marvellous villain but because of her existence and actions, it created several great storylines, especially the role it played into Kara's self-realisation, then development.

Lex on the other hand, his arc was so weirdly written. The Lex Luthor I was used to disappeared in season 6, for real. Him being in love really ruined his arc, when he could have gone down as one of the show's better villains. But, I like what the writers did with this character. I mean, people have tried to kill Lex, he lived. People have tried to incarcerate Lex, he walked away scott free. Other than the Phantom Zone, I doubt there would be another way to get rid of Lex once and for all.

As for Lillian. I hated her throughout all 6 seasons. I really did not like the idea of her redemption in the end but her redemption meant enlightenment for Lena. For that, I eventually accepted that there was a redemption arc for this infuriating woman. Perhaps, if her redemption was shown gradually through this last season, I might not have disliked the idea as much.

Through the entire season, I enjoyed more than I was bored. I liked more than I disliked. Unfortunately, there was something I seriously wished the writers never wrote down. What happened to William did not need to happen, or at least, not to him. It's not as if William's death meant the whole Super Friends was going on a revenge path, so why bring him back from being shot only to have him go permanently by being shot? He was the one character I constantly wished nothing happened to him since his first appearance...

Moving on to brighter topics, lets talk about Kelly. First thing first, that episode that was Kelly-centric? Wow. It was the first time Azie Tesfai impressed me. The way Tesfai portrayed Kelly in the episode, it was almost like I could feel everything Kelly was experiencing. Then came their wedding scene and I am never one for vows, not a romantic and could care less about wedding vows. However, Kelly's vows to Alex touched my heart. I really don't know if it's the words, Tesfai's acting, or the combination of both. Whatever it is, I finished Supergirl extremely aware of what a magnificent actress Tesfai is.

Next, Nia. Not only did Nia (and Dreamer) grow, Nicole Maines improved so much too. I never disliked Maines nor her character but the acting always felt a little awkward. Usually, I just let it go because if Nia is one awkward girl, Dreamer will be awkward too and thus the awkward acting. This last season proved me wrong because I still see awkward Nia but the acting very obviously improved. Completely off the tangent here but when Nia confronted Maeve? Atta girl! I loved it when Nia told her sister, she will not forgive her but she can give a second chance. That's the way, actually. How do people forgive without seeing how others handle their second chances?

Lastly, Kara's character arc. I have always loved it when Kara showed vulnerability. In this season, she's practically always vulnerable even when she's not actively attacked. It hurts to watch Supergirl lose hope so often but then the way the smallest things brought back some hope to her? Love it. The courage plot was something else too, something I did not see play out the way it did. As much as I loved it, I still don't know how I feel about the season ending with the world finding out Supergirl's identity.

After watching several Arrowverse shows consecutively, Supergirl was a nice end before a break from the Arrowverse TV shows. Although Kara and Mon-El are not endgame, I am still very happy that the finale brought back the old faces.

Rating: ★★★★☆

More Arrowverse here: Legends of Tomorrow Season 6 | The Flash Season 7

[thekitsunesiren]

Looking for Roleplay Partners

About Me:

Descriptive Roleplayer. My minimum is five computer lines and I can write up to two paragraphs when really interested invested to an rp. (My Writing Samples)​

I rp 1x1, and not groups. I've tried it several times, and it became hard to follow so I really don't do them.​

I am Eastern Daylight Time, but different time zones are completely fine with me. The more partners the better! :)​

I am looking for long term roleplay partners that I can be able to talk, plot and rp with.​

I love to plan out roleplays and make tons of headcanons and such as we go!​

I roleplay in third person. First and second just feels weird to me.​

I rp oc x oc (original only) and oc x canon. Canon x canon really doesn't keep my interest for long so I avoid it when I can.​

We can double up or do one on one. If we do the latter, I have a preference of playing my oc or being the female lead.​

For all fandoms I am apart of, I have an descriptive oc at the ready for whenever I rp. The same if we roleplayed an original storyline/setting.​

Some fandoms have their own storylines and plots to go with them as well!​

For some roleplays, I know some people like to take the romantic route, but I'm open to any. You can do romantic, platonic, or even familial routes with any character when we roleplay.

Fandom-wise, I'm also a big fan of crossover roleplays as well. But that can be up for you to decide.​

I'm always open to listening to my partner and their boundaries. So if there's something about an rp that makes you uncomfortable, we can work a ways around it to solve the problem.​

I have the preference of building up to a scene instead of just jumping into it. Whether it be casual or sexual.​

I don't like love triangles, but i'm open to polyamorous relationships in rps. I can play up to three partners.​

Preferred Genres:

Romance

Action/Adventure

Slice of Life

Drama

Comedy

Friendship/Platonic

Big NOS:

I do not enjoy being ghosted. If you don't want to continue roleplaying, or there's something about my style you don't like, please tell me instead of just never replying again.

I will have no homophobic, transphobic or any other negative talk about anything from my partner. If that is an attitude that you are going to have, I'd rather not rp with you.

Communication is a big thing with me. So if you want to be my partner, do not just message me and start commanding me on what to do. if you have something in mind, please tell me and we can plan it out together, but bossing me around before we even start is going to make me not want to rp with you.

I will not do horror or historical based storylines.

It isn't a big no, but I'm not a big fan of triangles.

Fandoms:

Anime:

Naruto

Naruto Shippuden

Overlord (Season 4)

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.

Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma

That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Boku no Hero Academia

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid

Hetalia

Cartoons:

Danny Phantom

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Tv & Movies:

Marvel Cinematic Universe

DC Extended Universe

Rise of the Guardians

Kingsman

Riddick Series

Harry Potter Series

The Walking Dead

Video Games:

Undertale

Cuphead: Don't Deal with the Devil

Dragon Raja

Genshin Impact

Pokemon (All Games, Regions, Shows, etc.)

Crossover Ideas: (Either Original Ideas or Ideas Gained by Reading Fanfics :) )

Danny Phantom x Dc

Danny Phantom x Marvel

Danny Phantom x Gravity Falls

Danny Phantom x The Walking Dead

Danny Phantom x Boku no Hero Academia

Danny Phantom x Stranger Things

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid x Harry Potter

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid x Genshin Impact

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid x Marvel/Dc

That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime x Marvel/Dc

That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime x BNHA

Harry Potter x Marvel

Harry Potter x Dc

Harry Potter x Criminal Minds

Harry Potter x The Walking Dead

Kingsman x The Walking Dead

Kingsman x Marvel

Plenty more can be up for debate if you're interested.

And that is it!! If you read through my entire forum and liked what you saw, do not be afraid to dm me. If not on here, you can find me on discord @ IcyFoxy18#6849. I hope I can find plenty of partners and that we all get along. And don't be afraid to ask me any questions.

[journeytothewestresearch]

My Changes to Marvel and DC's Monkey Kings

Sun Wukong has appeared in the published works of two major US comic book companies. The Marvel version is a queue braid-wearing crime lord from modern Beijing, China who is endowed with the powers and memories of the original Monkey King. He is a boastful, greedy, and thoroughly unlikable background character throughout his entire arc (2011-219), and his story ends with a rushed, pointless self-sacrifice during a battle. The writers involved were so painfully unfamiliar with the literary hero, that the abilities of his comic book counterpart are wildly inconsistent, even within the same issue of a single comic, and especially throughout his appearances in other storylines. Marvel's Sun Wukong is a prime example of people trying and failing badly to adapt a work from a culture that they clearly know nothing about.

The most recent DC incarnation of the Monkey King (2021-present) [1] has the benefit of Chinese-American creators, but it's still not a great adaptation. Sun Wukong is depicted as a staff-wielding, armor-wearing jokester even centuries after the journey's end, unlike the literary character which becomes an enlightened Buddha. And the main focus of the series, his son the Monkey Prince (here and here), is just a boring, inferior copy of the original, with the same exact abilities and weaknesses. His human mother is never mentioned (only adoptive parents), nor the reason why Sun would abandon his family. DC's Monkey King has largely been absent from the overall story as he was banished to the Phantom Zone by the New God Darkseid after a battle in heaven.

Here, I'd like to present the changes I suggested in my respective reviews of these comics. I feel they are far more faithful to the original narrative.

I. Marvel's Sun Wukong

(See here for background)

I would completely do away with the queue-wearing crime lord and replace him with a modern spirit-medium (Chinese: Jitong, 乩童; Hokkien: Tangki, 童乩; literally: “divining child”) from Chinese folk religion. Such individuals are believed to channel the spirit of the “Great Sage Equaling Heaven” (Qitian Dasheng, 齊天大聖), the celestial title of Sun Wukong. While inhabited by the monkey god, the spirit of the human host is believed to reside in heaven or some temple-based holy object (Chan, 2006, pp. 59-60; Graham, 2013, p. 330). Therefore, the person would be for all intents and purposes the Monkey King for the duration of the story. As a medium, the character wouldn’t wear a superhero costume. Instead, he would be bare-chested apart from a ritual stomacher (dudou, 肚兜) and a tri-panel dragon-tiger apron (longhu qun, 龍虎裙) over everyday pants and shoes (or no shoes). Such ritual attire is usually decorated with auspicious symbols and, sometimes, the Chinese name of the deity, in this case the Great Sage (fig. 1).

I would also like to make some changes that might seem weird for an adaptation of Sun Wukong. But I’m torn between pandering to the wants of comic book fans and my desire to portray an authentic East and Southeast Asian spirit-medium. The former would involve the character wielding the magic staff, but in the case of the latter, I’ve noticed that few mediums involve the polearm in their public performances. Those who do only use it to enhance the theater of their portrayal of the Great Sage. The weapon serves no ritual function. The latter would involve the character wielding the “Five Treasures of the Spirit-Medium” (Jitong wubao, 乩童五寶), a set of ritual weapons consisting of a spiked ball on a rope, a spiked club, a sawfish nose sword, a crescent moon ax, and a double-edged sword engraved with seven stars (fig. 2) (Chan, 2006, p. 73). Mediums use these weapons during a ritual dance in which they inflict wounds on their body. This self-mortification is believed to serve two purposes. One, holy energy from the weapons help the medium prepare “for a particularly difficult battle” by “supercharg[ing] him with spirit power” (Chan, 2006, pp. 108-109). And two, the resulting holy blood—for it is considered the blood of the god, not the host—is believed to have demonifugic properties. It can be used to write paper sigils commanding heavenly forces to attack demonic spirits (Chan, 2006, p. 108). Now, I’ll admit that this would no doubt be off-putting to the average comic book reader. So herein lies the dilemma. The only compromise that I can think of would be to use them both but more so in one case and sparingly in the other. An enchanted brass pole, like those used by Great Sage mediums during performances (fig. 3 & 4), would be the character’s main weapon. But when he runs into trouble, he could summon the aforementioned treasures to “supercharge” himself, and, if needed, he could draw blood in order to call on heavenly forces. This leads me to my next change.

Fig. 1 – An entranced spirit-medium wearing the stomacher and apron (larger version). Picture taken by me in Tainan, Taiwan. Fig. 2 – The “Five Treasures of the Spirit-Medium” (larger version). Found on Facebook and slightly modified. Here, the original biological sawfish nose sword (photo by me) has been replaced by two modern, metal, single and double-edged versions. Fig. 3 – An example of a brass pole used by Great Sage mediums (larger version). Fig. 4 – A detail of joss paper and joss sticks attached to the pole (larger version). Pictures taken by me in Jiayi, Taiwan.

Despite the Monkey King’s immeasurable strength in Journey to the West, I wouldn’t want to make the character an unstoppable powerhouse like, say, the Sentry. I would instead make him moderately powerful for a few reasons. First, there’s no fun in an invincible hero who one-shots all his foes; there has to be some struggle in order to make the character more interesting and relatable. Second, spirit-mediums only protect their local community and, therefore, not an entire country or planet like more powerful characters. And third, there are many Great Sage spirit-mediums across East and Southeast Asia. What’s interesting about this concept is that each medium is believed by their respective communities to be the Great Sage. For example, one very small temple I visited in Taiwan has an astounding seven Great Sage mediums. This means that, if a particularly nasty evil befalls the earth, an entire army of Great Sages, who in turn command their own heavenly forces, can be called on to deal with the villain! This would not only be authentic, but also reference Sun Wukong’s magic power of creating endless doubles of himself. [2] And the best part? The story could follow a series of different spirit-mediums in different countries. So the “character” wouldn’t be limited to a single person. The medium could be Chinese, Taiwanese, Malaysian, Singaporean, basically any person of Chinese descent who practices spirit-mediumship. And they can be young, old, and even women, too. That’s right, there are female Great Sage mediums! (video 1).

Video 1 – A female Great Sage medium in Chinese opera-inspired attire.

II. DC's Monkey King and Monkey Prince - Part I

(See here for background)

I would do away with the Monkey King taking a Chinese wife centuries after he became a Buddha. Instead, the son could be born during the Tang Dynasty to Princess Iron Fan, the rakshasi wife of the Bull Demon King. Though seemingly impossible, there is precedent for this idea. An early 15th-century zaju play predating the novel describes Sun Wukong’s delight upon learning that the Princess is unmarried (Ning, 1986, pp. 139-140). He then resorts to seduction in an attempt to gain the iron fan needed to extinguish Flaming Mountain. For example, he recites a poem to her chocked full of sexual innuendo: “The disciple’s not too shallow. / the woman’s not too deep. / You and I, let’s each put forth an item, / and make a little demon” (Ning, 1986, p. 141). In addition, a 17th-century sequel to Journey to the West even describes the Monkey King having a number of sons with Princess Iron Fan. He faces one of his offspring, King Pāramitā (Boluomi wang, 波羅蜜王), during a final battle between all the armies of the world (Dong, Lin, & Schulz, 2000, pp. 123-124). In our story, the son could have been conceived during ch. 60 of the original novel when Monkey shares a tender moment with the Princess while disguised as the Bull Demon King (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 3, p. 144).

Being a half-monkey spirit-half-rakshasa demigod, I’d like to think the Prince’s base form would be more monkey-like. This would mean any lapse in concentration would cause him to revert to this state instead of a human form like in the original comic story.

I can already hear someone ask: “How can the Monkey Prince still be a teenager by the start of the story if he was born hundreds of years ago?” Well, this leads me to my next change. Instead of Zhu Bajie, it would make much more sense for his teacher to be the Bodhisattva Guanyin. After all, she tutors the children of several characters from the novel, including Muzha (木吒), 2nd son of Heavenly King Li Jing, and Red Boy (Hong hai’er, 紅孩兒; a.k.a. the “Child Sudhana”, Shancai tongzi, 善財童子), son of the Princess Iron Fan and Bull Demon King. [3] Already having a son under the goddess’ tutelage would make it easier for the Princess to send another child to learn from her. Also, Guanyin helped subdue both Monkey and Red Boy with golden fillets (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 316-320; vol. 2, pp. 251-252). Perhaps the Monkey Prince has a temper like his father and half-brother, so the goddess would make him wear Wukong’s fillet as it’s no longer needed once the latter attains Buddhahood (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 4, p. 383). Most importantly, the bodhisattva lives on the earthly paradise of Potalaka Mountain. The novel explains one day in heaven equals one year on earth (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, pp. 150 and 167). A similar constricting of time would no doubt happen in Guanyin’s holy land. Therefore, the Monkey Prince would still be a teenager even after hundreds of years have passed on earth.

Next, I would completely do away with the tacky superhero costume. As a disciple of Guanyin, he would just wear a monk’s robe, the golden fillet, and possibly even sport a tiger skin skirt (like his father) since he would technically be a heavenly guardian. There’d be no unnecessary logos, recycled costumes, or cursed sneakers. And the best part, this attire wouldn’t contradict the Monkey Prince’s hatred for superheroes, provided that was still a necessary plot element. Perhaps this hatred could be born from the fact that heroes like Shazam are given their powers (or happen upon them by accident), while the Prince’s abilities are the hard-won product of long years of spiritual cultivation.

My changes are less confident, however, when it comes to naturally fitting the Monkey Prince into existing canon. The first thing that comes to mind would involve the Shazam villain Sabbac, a hellish demon, causing havoc in Philidephlia’s Chinatown. Perhaps his assault could be related to the deplorable reports of Covid-related violence against Asians. A devotee of the goddess could pray to her in their time of need, and then the Monkey Prince is sent in her stead to exorcize the evil. But Shazam arrives while the Prince is battling the demon, and not knowing one from the other, he attacks them both. This might add fuel to the Monkey Prince’s dislike for Shazam.

I personally think the secret teen identity is a bit much. But if it is a necessary plot element, Guanyin could assign the Monkey Prince to watch over her flock in Philadelphia (and the rest of America?), and at the same time allow him to experience a slice of modern teen life. And, again, if necessary, we can borrow from the original story and have the Prince attend high school, where he feels drawn to Billy Batson because of his godly aura. A local earth god (tudi gong, 土地公) and his wife (tudi po, 土地婆) (fig. 5) could be tasked by heaven to act like his grandparents to keep up the appearance of a normal human family.

Fig. 5 – Religious statues of the earth god (right) and his wife (left) in my personal collection (larger version).

III. DC's Monkey King and Monkey Prince - Part 2

(See here for background)

I would do away with the Bull Demon King, Princess Iron Fan, and Zhu Bajie. Instead, the original heavenly army would meet the brunt of Darkseid’s forces upon their arrival. Playing off of the comic story, and acknowledging my own changes, Guanyin would send her disciples Muzha and Sudhana to take part in the battle. And taking more inspiration from the comic story, I would also have Erlang arrive but instead go toe-to-toe with Darkseid. The “Small Sage” (Xiaosheng, 小聖) is after all the only god to truly defeat the Monkey King, so he would be a worthy opponent. But lets say the invader somehow gets the upper hand, and so I would pay homage to the original novel by having the Jade Emperor call on Gautama Buddha to intervene. But he instead sends the Buddha Victorious in Strife, who obviously has experience with causing havoc in heaven. The Monkey Buddha shows off his power by easily nullifying the attacks of Darkseid’s army and even negating the omega beams by turning them into a shower of flowers, reminiscent of ancient biographies of Gautama Buddha:

The host of Mara hastening, as arranged, each one exerting his utmost force, taking each other’s place in turns, threatening every moment to destroy [the Buddha, but] … Their flying spears, lances, and javelins, stuck fast in space, refusing to descend; the angry thunderdrops and mighty hail, with these, were changed into five-colour’d lotus flowers…” (Beal, 1883, pp. 152 and 153).

I could borrow still more from the novel and have the Buddha Victorious in Strife make Darkseid a wager, recalling Gautama Buddha’s bet with Sun Wukong involving his cloud somersault. But instead of betting that he can’t leap from his palm, the Monkey Buddha makes a wager involving the boom tube.

This is where I run into trouble, though. I don’t know enough about the cosmic hierarchy of the DC universe to go past this point. I say this because Darkseid is considered a “conceptual being” that lives outside of time and is capable of creating avatars of himself (Darkseid (New Earth), n.d.). I’m not sure how this stacks up against DC’s concept of an enlightened being. But from a Buddhist cosmological perspective, I believe the Buddha would be more powerful because he has achieved “nirvāṇa” (Ch: niepan, 涅槃) and broken free of the wheel of rebirth (Buswell & Lopez, 2014, pp. 589-590). However, the New God, even as a deva capable of creating avatars, would still be subject to the “Desire realm” (Sk: kāmadhātu; Ch: yujie, 欲界) of Saṃsāra (Ch: lunhui, 輪迴; shengsi lunhui, 生死輪迴) (Buswell & Lopez, 2014, pp. 230-233 and 411). Therefore, I imagine the Buddha Victorious in Strife plays a trick on Darkseid and is able to trap or even destroy his avatar. As mentioned above, this would make the real villain (in his home dimension) think twice before tangling with Monkey again. 

I’m now obligated to insert my concept of the Monkey Prince into the story. Since he’s born during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), he would be alive during the attack on heaven. But as a young, inexperienced disciple, he wouldn’t take part in the battle, just hear news of it from Guanyin during the event and stories of what happened from his half-brother Sudhana after the fact. This way, the Monkey Prince would remember the invasion and yearn to do his part when Darkseid reappears in the present.

Lastly, I feel it’s necessary to give the character a name. The comic calls him the “Monkey Prince” in his hero form and “Marcus” in his human form. I think Sun Taizi (孫太子), or “Prince Sun”, is a great name as it plays off of San Taizi (三太子), the “Third Prince” (fig. 6), one of Nezha’s titles in Chinese folk religion. (Fun fact: This deity serves as a heavenly vanguard in Sun Wukong’s own religion.) Borrowing from existing religious beliefs sparks the titillating idea that Sun Taizi’s heroic deeds would earn him devotees. Beyond his own continuing spiritual cultivation, he would grow in strength as more and more believers pray to and leave him offerings! This wouldn’t be the first time a monkey god is worshiped in America.

Fig. 6 – A religious statue of San Taizi, the “Third Prince”, from the Nine Dragons Prince Temple (Jiulong taizi gong, 九龍太子宮) in Tainan, Taiwan (larger version). Photo taken by me. 

Notes:

His wager with the Buddha is briefly shown in Lucifer #75 (2006).

For example, chapter two reads:

Plucking a handful of hairs from his [the Monkey King’s] own body and throwing them into his mouth, he chewed them to tiny pieces and then spat them into the air. “Change!” he cried, and they changed at once into two or three hundred little monkeys encircling the combatants on all sides. For you see, when someone acquires the body of an immortal, he can project his spirit, change his form, and perform all kinds of wonders. Since the Monkey King had become accomplished in the Way, every one of the eighty-four thousand hairs on his body could change into whatever shape or substance he desired (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 128).

3. Muzha (a.k.a. Hui’an, 惠岸) is already Guanyin’s disciple by the start of Monkey’s rebellion. In ch. 6, the goddess sends him to help in case his skills are needed (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 175). Red Boy is taken in by her at the end of ch. 42 and beginning of ch. 43 (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 2, pp. 251-252).

Sources:

Beal, S. (Trans.). (1883). The Fo-Sho-Hing-Tsan-King: A Life of Buddha by Asvaghosha Bodhisattva. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/foshohingtsankin00asva/mode/2up.

Buswell, R. E., & Lopez, D. S. (2014). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press.

Chan, M. (2006). Ritual is Theatre, Theatre is Ritual: Tang-ki, Chinese Spirit Medium Worship. Singapore: Wee Kim Wee Centre, Singapore Management University.

Dong, Y., Lin, S., & Schulz, L. J. (2000). The Tower of Myriad Mirrors: A Supplement to Journey to the West. Ann Arbor: Center for Chinese Studies, The University of Michigan.

Graham. F. (2013). Vessels for the Gods: Tang-ki Spirit Mediumship in Singapore and Taiwan. In J. Hunter & D. Luke (Eds.), Talking With Spirits: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Spirit Mediumship (pp. 327-348). Brisbane: Daily Grail Press.

Ning, C. Y. (1986). Comic Elements in the Xiyouji Zaju. (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 8612591)

Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.

[crossedrealmsverse]

Introducing the Crossed Realms Blog

Good timezone, everybody~

To introduce myself, my name is Danny but you can also call me other names as well- once I link my hoard of names (/lh). I am the owner of this blog, 23 years old and use they/them pronouns!

To start us off, the Crossed Realms blog is a multi-fandom project featuring some of my favorite medias from the 2000's which includes Laika films, superhero cartoons, and more where they will cross-over in my fanfictions! One such AU is Unlocked Doors, which has become a spinoff to the Mystery Kids universe ft. Danny Phantom, Coraline, Paranorman, and Gravity Falls (#unlockeddoors will be the name I give it!)

As for the second project, it follows the Secret Trio - in other words, Danny Phantom, American Dragon: Jake Long, and Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja. As of right now, this AU does not have a name and little is known about it!

Now, anyone who stumbles across this blog will expect some of the following;

~ Posting might be sporadic but I will do my best to not abandon this blog! This will mostly be dependent on what I have to do during the day and then some

~ Most of the characters will be aged-up in order to have the storyline fit a little better, as there is going to be an emphasis on serious and mature themes

~ LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergency subjects will be breached- as well as disorders in general. Most are ones that I personally have, so any intolerance, disrespect, or bigotry will not be tolerated on the blog!

~ Most of the storylines will take place after the end of the selected medias (with some exceptions, depending on my plans); full knowledge of the series and/or movies isn't necessary, but this will be a spoilers zone!

~ Headcanons will be used a lot

~ These are independent projects I have created out of love for the medias. They are in no way, meant to be taken fully seriously- (other than the fact I do make most of them a lot more realistic)

[Information regarding each of the crossovers will be posted separately!]

✧ Mod Danny

[thevindicativevordan]

Mark Waid's new Superman storyline has a name and artwork. Thoughts?

Anonymous asked:

Any thoughts about the new Mark Waid project on Superman ?

Anonymous asked:

Any thoughts on the new Waid books (including the title and pitch for Testament)?

At long last we have an official reveal.

Interesting that Testament did not make the final cut for the title, prefer it to The Last Days of Lex Luthor myself. Not wowed by the pitch honestly, Waid already did a big Superman/Lex story in Birthright. Bit disappointing that his next attempt at a perennial Superman story involves returning to that well. Kinda seems like Waid's attempt at doing his own version of All-Star Superman doesn't it? A tour of Superman's world and mythos, with the connective tissue being that one of the leads is dying, and these are his final labors. Only twist is that it's Lex who is dying instead of Superman. Even that Hitch cover looks evocative of the iconic Quietly cover, showing Superman with the sun behind him forming a halo. If Waid is aiming to retake the crown of top Superman writer from Morrison, good luck to him.

Still the Hitch art looks fantastic, having Nowlan ink his pencils does wonders. Not quite a return to the quality of his Authority/Ultimates days, but looks like it will be among his best work post that period. How Hitch might approach the Phantom Zone intrigues me, that's an area of Superman lore that I think needs the treatment that PKJ gave Warworld. If they're going there then we are likely going to see General Zod, only question is if it will be more than a cameo. No doubt Waid still seethes about Snyder fans using Birthright to defend Snyder's take on Superman/Lex, would not surprise me if Waid opts to give them a very pointed "fuck you" by how he handles Zod if Zod is indeed in this.

One other item of note is that this is a "spiritual" sequel to Birthright rather than a direct one. My guess as to why that is? While Birthright was Waid compromising with what he knew was the generally accepted "correct" approach to Superman (Kents are alive, Lex is CEO, Clark is the "real" identity), this is Waid leaning completely into what he prefers (Kents are dead, Lex is a mad scientist, Superman is the real identity). If this is successful then Waid is probably hoping to get his own little universe where he can write Superman the way he wants without having to pay lip service to public expectations or DC's clusterfuck of continuity.

[theinsanecrayonbox]

X-Force #49

The short version: waste of time especially for the penultimate issue, Arkady is still alive though

The long version:

So yeah, this whole issue is super breezes because nothing happens. It’s the penultimate issue of the series, the penultimate issue of the storyline, and everything that happened could’ve been done in like 5 pages.

We start with old!Beast stealing nukes from California. He spends the issue underwater building a phantom zone projector to push Mars into for safe keeping while he lots world domination and extinction of the human race.

New!Beast heads to Chicago I think (it’s so hard to remember or care) to find Wonder Man. He uses his laptop for 5 seconds, then they steal a boat to go try to stop old!Beast. Simon’s appearance is pointless, everything new!Beast said could’ve been done in an Internet cafe and internal monologue. Maybe if the book was continuing he’d matter, but it’s not; his inclusion feels like a cheap marketing gimmick.

X-Force spends the book forgetting how to use their brains. It starts with Logan and Sage actually having what could be an interesting conversation, especially when applied to the whole team

But then Tom tells them new!Beast escaped apparently 20 houses earlier; how the heck had no one noticed until then??? Everyone assumes new!Beast is evil and headed to help old!Beast without any evidence to support that. They track him down, split the team, find him, and decide to fire upon him and Simon without asking any questions

But hey Arkady (who had no speaking parts, but to be fair nor did Piotr or Laura) gets to sit next to Laura on the jet ride.

This is stretched out filler. I’m wondering if the original plan wasn’t to cap the book at 50, so the arc actually would’ve ended in this issue or would’ve had a few more to build better, who knows. People are gonna die next issue, just gotta hope it’s the right ones…but since we’ve seen a few of the cast survive into Sabretooth war it’s not promising…

[actuallyastingray]

So with Ed Boon confirming that Injustice 3 isn’t coming anytime soon, I decided to create my own dream roster for future Injustice games

As far as the franchise goes, I feel that it’s time for a reboot. The whole “Batman v Superman” trope has been done waaaay too many times and for way too long. Personally, I would rather see something like the storyline of Injustice 2, where a tertiary villain forces everyone to work together. Not to mention, exactly how many times are they gonna throw Injustice-verse Batman and Superman at each other before the story goes completely stale? Also, for those of you who don’t read comics, they ended the Injustice franchise with Injustice vs. Masters of the Universe by killing Darkseid, Skeletor, and Superman. So yeah, reboot time.

This plotline takes the theme of IJ1: Heroes against a corrupt, immoral society, with the twist of IJ2: the surprise villain Brainiac as the final boss. I based character design around the MKX variations system. Out of MKX, MK11, and IJ2, the MKX variation system was the only one that I liked (and no, I did not create this post to rationalize. It’s personal preference) I’m pretty happy with how this turned out overall. Remember this is completely fan made, but I would find it hilarious if some of these designs make it into Injustice 3.

(This is a long one. Better get comfy)

Earth has always faced threats from other worlds, and the Justice League was always present to face them. This time however, the outcome was very different. In a final showdown against the lord of Apokolips, Darkseid, abord the orbiting Watchtower, the world was stunned when the League headquarters suddenly exploded, taking the lives of all aboard. Though Earth was once again saved, the cost was immense. Darkseid’s army had left many cities devastated and the planet without its defenders. In the wake of this disaster and in the rebuilding of the world, the New Order Government, or NOG, came to power as an answer to the void of protection the JL had left behind. The new authoritarian government instigated a crackdown on vigilantes and criminals alike, reasoning that metahumans and costumed criminals were to blame for the world's injustices. Those who resisted were rounded up and imprisoned or executed. A few criminals chose to side with the NOG and became the new face of “peace”. Now years later, in a world devoid the Justice League, it's time for new heroes to step up and resurrect the legacy they left behind.

The Heroes

Superman (Conner Kent)

Cloned years ago by Lexcorp and Cadmus, Conner Kent grew up in Superman’s shadow as the teenaged Superboy. Despite public perception, Conner and Clark were not as close as they wished they could’ve been; too much tension regarding Conner’s conception kept them at arm's length. With the loss of his genetic father figure, Conner spent years agonizing over taking up the mantle of Superman, and whether or not he would be worthy. With the NOG crackdowns increasing everyday and no one else able to stand in as the symbol of peace, it’s time to make a stand and remind the world that Superman isn’t just a man, he’s an idea.

Variations:

Yellow Son: “Standard” Superman, focuses more on heat vision based moves

Man of Steel: Focuses on super strength powered grabs and throws. Can use Invulnerability to negate chip damage and reduce knockback from attacks

House of El: Conner dons a sunstone suit from the Fortress of Solitude. Can use Kryptonian technology such as Phantom Zone projectors 

Batman (Dick Grayson)

First Robin, then Nightwing, Dick Grayson now finds himself as the inheritor of the identity of Batman. Unused to the new identity, he mourns for both his adopted father and the simpler times before the NOG. Regardless, he honors his father by continuing Batman’s patrols across an NOG controlled Gotham. His mission goes further than stamping out street crime; he knows the Watchtower did not blow by mistake, and that it’s no coincidence that the NOG rose so quickly in the aftermath. It doesn’t take the world's greatest detective to realize there is something else going on behind the scenes. Something much more sinister

Variations:

Vigilante: “Standard” Batman, focuses on grapple lines and batarangs

Dark Knight: Brawler based playstyle with multiple counter options and knockdowns

Acrobat: Double jump/air combos. Dick uses his escrima sticks during melees.

Red Hood (Jason Todd)

Jason never had it easy in life. Taken in by Bruce Wayne at the age of twelve, he had only a few years to enjoy life as the second Robin before being killed by the Joker. After his resurrection at the hands of Ra’s al Ghul and subsequent rampage against Gotham's underworld, he thought he could finally settle back into a life with his adopted father. Then the Apokoliptian invasion took that chance away. Jason still patrols Gotham as Red Hood, working in tandem with his adopted brother, but the loss of Bruce has left their relationship strained to breaking point. Not only that, but with the even increasing NOG threat in Gotham, Jason is well aware his vigilante days are numbered

Variations:

Vengeance: “Standard” Red Hood. Combines martial arts with handguns and knives for quick combos

Lock n’ Load: Jason can manually load shotguns and grenade launchers for ranged attacks or to be used as combo finishers

Demolitions: Jason makes use of various hand grenades, such as flashbangs, smoke, and electric

Harley Quinn

The NOG made short work rounding up Gotham’s criminals and even shorter work trying and executing those they deemed too dangerous. Harley shed few tears over the Jokers execution, but his death and her life on the run from the NOG has given her new insight into his psych. When faced with an oppressive, power mad government, the world could use a little mayhem.

Variations:

Enforcer: Harley gains combo extenders focused on her baseball bat. Harley can also use batarangs as a ranged weapon

Trickster: Harley can plant Jack-in-the-Box traps which trigger and launch opponents when they come near. Adds jack-in-the-boxes as part of her combos

Clown Princess: Harley uses a crowbar and several Joker themed gag attacks (Injustice 1 & 2 joker moves)

Catwoman (Selina Kyle)

Already on the road to redemption long before the Apokoliptian invasion, Selina Kyle has found she cannot outrun her past as a thief in the face of the NOG crackdowns. Forced to seek refuge with the Batclan, she puts her tricks and skills to use stealing intel on the NOG. Unknown to her new partners, her mission is much more personal than just avoiding jailtime. She and Bruce Wayne were due to announce their marriage shortly before his death, and with Dick Grayson’s suspicions that his death was not accidental, she’ll do whatever she can to find out who is to blame and make them pay

Variations:

Safecracker: “Standard” Catwoman, gains whip attacks and combo extenders

Alley Cat: Selina loses whip and ranged attacks in exchange for empowered melee strikes and Sharpen Claws to boost damage

Saboteur: Selina gains new pounce attacks and Cat Scratch (from previous games). Pounce attacks can remove buffs from opponents.

Batgirl (Cassandra Cain)

Cassandra Cain was trained for one single purpose in life; to help her father kill the Batman. David Cain was unrelenting in his pursuit of vengeance against the Dark Knight, so much that he molded his daughter into an instrument of his revenge. Truly ironic that instead of facing Batman, he crossed the Joker’s lethal gags and fell prey to the clown's sinister traps. Cassandra was left without a father and without purpose in life. She had no further drive to continue his mission and considered approaching her would-be target for aid. After his death aboard the Watchtower, she slipped back into hiding in the Gotham underworld. The rising pressure that the NOG is putting on Gotham has forced Cassandra out of the shadows and forced her to seek refuge with the Batclan. This new Batman is not the man she once was sent to kill, and while he has accepted her as a sidekick, she cannot shake her fears that he will one day see through her facade

Variations:

Elusive: Cassandra uses smoke bombs to teleport. Can also use smoke bombs offensively to stun opponents or turn invisible

Duelist: Cassandra can use Duelist Stance, pulling out a bo staff and gaining access to multiple parry options

Orphaned: A bat drone joins the fight alongside Cassandra. Can be commanded to launch attacks and can be grappled onto

Arsenal (Roy Harper)

Roy never had the best relationship with his mentor and guardian, Oliver Queen. Nevertheless, they remained close compatriots as Star Cities vigilantes. The loss of the Justice League cost Roy more than one guardian, losing his surrogate mother Dinah Lance as well as Ollie in the explosion. Following the rise of the NOG, Roy sought to distance himself from vigilantism, taking a job as a security guard and becoming a single father. As the NOG continues to remodel Star City, Roy watches as a new kind of crime and corruption takes hold and his suburban life threatened. For the sake of his daughter, and his mentor’s legacy, Roy steps back into the fold as Arsenal. 

Variations:

Robin Hood: “Standard” Green Arrow/Arsenal, can equip trick arrows to be used as ranged attacks or during combos

Streetwise: Black Canary based build focused on martial arts. Roy’s bow is repurposed as a melee weapon

Outlaw: Roy uses guns instead of archery. Can now fire rockets from his prosthetic arm 

Mera

King Arthur dreamt of uniting the land and sea for peace. Despite his death aboard the Watchtower, his dream lives on through Mera, now queen of Atlantis. Despite the outcry from her people for revenge, Mera has continued Arthur’s work of brokering a peace between worlds. However, her sovereignty is constantly tested by the NOG, who pressure her to surrender to their laws. If she is not careful, Arthur’s dream of peace is likely to be washed away with the tide.

Variations:

Hydromancer: Zoning playstyle revolving around water constructs/attacks

Queen of the Sea: Mera can summon sea life as part of new combo extenders/amplifiers

Memento: Mera loses hydromancy attacks. She now wields Arthurs trident as a melee weapon

Aqualad (Kaldur'ahm)

Kaldur lost more than a king when the Watchtower blew, he lost his mentor. Sharing a heritage of both land and sea, Arthur was one of the few people who understood his struggles in adapting to a new world. Despite the loss, he is committed to helping Queen Mera continue his Kings dreams of brokering peace with the surface, even if it means defending her from its denizens. 

Variations:

Royal Guard: Rushdown build focuses on melee combos using Kaldur’s water bearers

Bioelectric: Kaldur can extend grabs and throws using electricity

Tempest: Combines hydromancy and bioelectricity for powerful combo extenders

Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)

Following Hal Jordan’s death aboard the Watchtower, his ring chose a new bearer in freelance artist Kyle Rayner. Having always idolized the Justice League as a kid, Kyle finds himself woefully unprepared to become a hero, especially in an era where having powers can get you killed on principal. Nevertheless, the ring chose him because he could overcome fear, and he’s not going to disappoint the Green Lantern Corps.

Variations:

Rookie: Kyle loses most construct/construct combos in exchange for simpler ring blasts or beams for finishers or launchers

Willpowered: Stronger constructs and more construct combos

Freestyle: Amplified constructs are now autonomous, allowing Kyle to use new attacks while they finish. 

Booster Gold (Michael Jon Carter)

The death of the Justice League had lasting impacts far into the future. Though Earth has been spared the horrors of Apokolips, by the 25th century the NOG would have wiped out all metahuman resistance and become a tyrannical power that rivaled Darkseid himself. Unable to fight back in his own era, Michael Carter was “volunteered" to be sent back to the origin point of the crisis facing his reality, hoping that the use of advanced futuristic technology could turn the tide against the NOG before it becomes the threat he grew up with. Hiding his insecurity behind cockiness and showboating, Booster ultimately failed to stop the Watchtower explosion, losing his time bubble in the process. Now stranded in a distant past, he is determined to carry out his mission and save the future once and for all.

Variations:

Sidekick: Skeets can Scan opponents as a command or during throws. Booster gains bonus against Scanned opponents, such as block breaking attacks against fully scanned opponents

Buddy Cop: Skeets now assists Booster with his combos. Booster gains new combos/amplifies involving Skeets

Legionnaire: Booster wears a Flight Ring, allowing him to fly and gaining new air attacks

Captain Marvel (Freddy Freeman)

Prior to his final mission, Billy Batson trusted his secret identity and some of his powers to his closest friend, Freddy Freeman. Since Billy’s death, Freddy has assumed the mantle of Capitan Marvel, though a much more jaded and brooding version. The loss of his friend and the rise of the NOG has Freddy frustrated over his new identity. What good is being a superhero if the people you save don’t want to be saved? What Would Billy do in this circumstance? Just because he fanboy’s over superheroes doesn't mean he’s prepared to become one.

Variations:

Power of Zeus: Playstyle utilizes lightning-based melee attacks. Certain combos charge Freddy with lightning for additional melee damage

Stamina of Atlas: Freddy can use Stamina of Atlas to absorb projectiles, converting into health. Can summon healing zones which restore health to Freddy or damage enemies

Courage of Achilles: Heavy melee focused with multiple gap closing/dash moves

Mary Marvel (Mary Batson)

Mary Batson always had an inkling that her little brother was up to something every time she caught him sneaking out at night. While she assumed it was just impromptu sleepovers with his friend, Freddy, she was completely unprepared for the realization that her brother was Fawcett’s own superhero. Her carefully organized world was further turned upside down when he shared his power with her and Freddy, making them the cities new protectors. Always one to rely on logic and planning, Mary tells herself that opposing the NOG as a costumed hero is crazy. But deep down, she knows that fighting back is the right thing to do, and that her little brother would never forgive her is she let Fawcett down

Variations:

Speed of Mercury: Speedy/agile based playstyle, can use Speed of Mercury to slow down opponents (Nimble Reptile)

Wisdom of Solomon: Mary gains more ranged attacks, using magic and lightning attacks for zoning.

Strength of Hercules: Mary gains stronger melee attacks. Can deal additional damage to enemies with armor or whom are blocking

Captain Boomerang (Owen Mercer)

The Central City Rogues were well known for having a unique, almost friendly relationship with the Flash. Nevertheless, this relationship did not save them from the NOG’s crackdowns across the US as hundreds of criminals were rounded up for sham trials and execution. Having lost most of his family in the Rogues, as well as his secret idol in the Flash, Owen Mercer has finally decided that ‘enough is enough’. The Rogues are bound by their code of honor, and he’s determined to honor the Flash and all his fallen family members by taking the fight to the NOG

Variations:

Trickshot: Owen can set up boomerang traps (Hat Trick Kung Lao) and can ricochet boomerangs mid-air for homing shots 

Speedster: Owen uses speed boosts to disorient opponents (Kabal). Can use dashes to quickly close or make distance

Rogue Justice: Owen uses gadgets from the Flash Rogues as part of his combos

Raven

Most of the Titans died while assisting the League aboard the Watchtower. Only Raven, who was chosen to stay behind and use her magic to teleport her teammates in and out, was spared. She now lives on as the last surviving legacy of the Teen Titans. Raven knows she is ill suited to rebuild the team, she lacks the charisma, positivity, and leadership her teammates had, but dreams of continuing their legacy in a new generation. For the time being, she has other problems to worry about. The rise of the NOG has been accompanied by a sinister darkness pervading world. A darkness she is all too familiar with.

Variations:

Daughter of Sin: Raven can summon sin demons as part of her ranged combos or as throw extenders. Can activate Shadow Form for increased power.

Soul Self: Raven can use her soul self to absorb projectiles, to be fully consumed for damage buffs or to be later thrown back at opponents

Enchantress: Raven gains access to telekinetic attacks and ranged grabs 

The Villains 

Lex Luthor

If one were to ask Lex Luthor, the world under the NOG is perfect. Fewer constraints on business, more control on his employee, newer opportunities, and best of all; no Superman. The NOG is everything he worked for during the era of the Justice League, and he never had to lift a finger to make it happen. So what if that arrogant hag President Waller is taking all the credit? He knows how to deal with her. But first, he needs to deal with these new, so called “heroes” who would put an end to his good fortune. The Justice League is dead, and let them stay that way. 

Variations:

CEO: Luthor uses a Lexcorp satellite in his attacks, dropping missile call downs and orbital lasers.

Genius: Luthor can activate a defensive shield on his power suit to negate attacks and prevent him from being staggered

Copyright: Luthor uses gadgets and tech taken from Apokolips as well as from deceased heroes

Major Force (Clifford Zmeck)

Introduced to the public as a new, improved Superman for the NOG, Major Force loves nothing better than lording over the general public. Few realize his history as a convicted serial killer and rapist, and indeed it was only a plea bargain with President Waller to serve as a test subject that spared his life. Powerful as he is, Major Force feels starved for a good fight since joining the NOG. He never had a chance to test himself against the Justice League in their prime, and Waller doesn’t approve of him “sparing” with new recruits. In fact, he sees these new upstart “Leaguers” as a welcome change. He finally has a chance to cut lose and savor certain thrills he has long kept buried.

Variations:

Temporal: Major Force can use distortion fields to slow down enemies and projectiles, or speed himself up

Concussive: Major Force uses more explosive attacks and blasts. Can Self-Detonate to deal massive close range damage

Dominator: New grab combo that allows Major Force to steal life from an opponent, increasing his damage while lowering their own

Bane

One of many criminals rounded up during the initial NOG campaigns, Bane’s past as a member of the Suicide Squad meant he was lucky enough to be given a choice by President Waller: Serve the NOG or be executed along with his fellow Arkham inmates. Now years later, Bane is the tyrannical warden of Stryker’s Island. No longer a place the houses exclusively criminals, Stryker's has become a fate awaiting anyone who dissents against the NOG, including captured metahumans. Bane enjoys his position in breaking soldiers to serve the NOG, and forming his own Suicide Squad to round up anyone else who would dissent. And if need be, he is more than happy to demonstrate what it means to cross the man who broke the Bat

Variations:

Luchador: Grappler based playstyle with multiple throw options at the end of combos. Venom boost becomes a one time use berserk 

Backbreaker: New combo setup for his Backbreaker move (Sun God Kotal Khan). Venom boost stacks for bonus damage

Warden: Multi-string basic attack moves designed for heavy pressure. Venom Boost is now passive that increases Bane’s damage the lower his health gets

Killer Croc

Waylon Jones was one of many metahumans brought to Stryker’s island for processing. As he suffered under the brutal treatment of the guards, his progressing mutation only made him a further target for abuse. The more he mutated, the more the guards and inmates pushed him, until the day he snapped back. Now little more than a glorified attack dog on the NOG’s leash, he vents his long-suffered hatred and rage against humanity on whomever they point him towards. While he hates the NOG and Bane in particular, his conditioning under the NOG means that he also blames the worlds would-be heroes for being unable to save him and is ready to lash out at the newly forming Justice League to get even

Variations:

Cannibal: Croc gains access to more/longer grab/bite combos (Ravenous Millenna)

Predator: Croc can Submerge, allowing for teleportation or surprise low attacks/grabs

Uncaged: Croc wears a muzzle, preventing bites. Croc can now use his broken manacles to flail at opponents

Hippolyta

The Amazons have had few reasons to trust man’s world. Against Hippolyta’s wishes, her daughter Diana sought to broker a unity between Amazons and humanity. Her death aboard the Watchtower has only confirmed what Hippolyta knew; man is not to be trusted, only destroyed. With the NOG preoccupied with the new Justice League, Hippolyta stands ready to bring the Amazons ashore and exact vengeance on humanity for her daughter's death

Variations:

Hoplite: Hippolyta prioritizes using a sword and shield

Spearmaiden: Hippolyta uses a long polearm with high zoning

Demigod: Hippolyta uses Wonder Woman’s lasso and bracers

Circe

Ancient enemy of the Amazons and would-be tyrant of humanity, the goddess Circe has always plotted from the shadows as to how best to achieve domination. These days, she has no enemies. They fight and scheme against each other. The Justice League and her nemesis Diana are gone, the Amazons and mankind brace for battle, and the gods themselves have gone silent on the matter. For the first time in a thousand years, there has never been a moment more ripe for conquest than now. Circe has come to rule humanity, and the world is her oyster

Variations:

Blasphemous: Circe uses an enchanted Amazonian great sword and shield as part of her combos (Injustice Ares)

Goddess: Circe uses several control based moves to disorient opponents and set them up for combos

Witchcraft: Circe gains a new counter and a new reversal that Hex enemies, preventing them from using certain moves

Ocean Master (Orm)

Always living in his brothers shadow, Orm never gave up resenting Arthur for stealing his throne. Had it not been for Arthur, Orm would be king and Atlantis would have long ago conquered the surface world. Instead, Orm was reduced to bargaining with surface worlders and rogue Atlanteans in order to gain a sliver of power that he deserved. Now, with his brothers death, the tide turns in his favor. Mera sits uneasily upon the throne and has few supporters backing her peace treaties with the surface. All it will take is one slip, and she will topple as Arthur did. Though at this rate convincing her to declare war on the surface world is going to be laughably simple. The surface worlder seem almost desperate for an excuse to make attempts on Atlantis, and Mera’s confidence in them wanes by the day. After decades of scheming, Orm can afford to be patient.

Variations:

Monarch: Orm wields a trident and gains new counters and anti-air combos

Schemer: Orm uses Atlantean weapons, such as guns and rifles for set-ups and juggling

Abyssal: Orm can call in Trench to attack enemies or pin them down.

Larfleeze

Wielder of the orange light of avarice, Larfleeze once faced off against Hal Jordan and came away with a healthy dose of fear and respect for the human. Hal’s recent demise has sparked Larfleeze’s curiosity surrounding Earth. What could possibly have killed the greatest Green Lantern of all? What he has found instead is a planet devoid of defenses and ripe for pillaging. Driven by his insatiable greed and utterly oblivious to the chaos his presence is causing, Larfleeze is committed to reap Earth of anything worth stealing

Variations:

Covetous: Larfleeze can steal opponents special moves, summoning an Orange Lantern construct to repeat those attacks

Agent Orange: Larfleeze can charge his power battery to summon Orange Lantern constructs. These constructs can be spent to perform attacks (Stunt Double Johnny Cage)

Vain: Larfleeze can charge himself with orange light, increasing the power of his attacks and causing all his attacks to become armored for a short time. After this effect wears off, Larfleeze will become exhausted and take bonus damage

Granny Goodness

Granny Goodness worshiped Darkseid with a fanaticism matched by few. So confident in her masters capabilities, that his death alongside the Justice League shattered her. In the aftermath of his death, Granny was among the many who seized at power on Apokolips to fill the void. While she can never be the ruler Darkseid was, she believes that finishing his goal of locating the Anti-Life Equation is the best way to honor her fallen master. Earth will fall, be it the will of Darkseid or Granny Goodness

Variations

Warbringer: Granny uses Boom Tubes to attack her opponents, to teleport, or summon Parademons

Headmistress: Granny uses a Mega-Rod for a weapon. Can be used to release ranged blasts of energy or hold enemies in place for setups

Tough Love: Granny uses several Apokolitian torture devices and gadgets as traps for setups and combos

Lashina

Leader of the infamous Female Furies of Apokolips, Lashina was first and foremost among her sister Furies, and is now the last of them. The other Furies were aboard the Watchtower when it detonated, leaving her their sole surviving legacy. Angered by the unjust death of her sisters and the loss of her master, Lashina dutifully follows Granny on her campaign back to Earth. This time it’s more than just conquest, this time it’s personal.

Variations:

Pursuer: Lashina uses a mourning star flail and flexible metal whips for mid ranged attacks and ranged pulls

Bloodletter: Lashina uses Mad Harriet’s gauntlets instead of her whips. Can charge her gauntlets to become electrified at the cost of health

Blademaster: Lashina uses Guilotina’s twin longswords in her attacks. Ranged grabs are replaced with thrown blades

Talia al Ghul

The League of Assassins has always lurked beneath the veil of society, seeking to twist the world towards their founders goals of anarchy. However, in a stunning coincidence, the great Ra’s al Ghul perished not long after his nemesis, the Batman when the Lazarus pits failed to revive him. His daughter Talia resolved to continue his work after his death but found herself at odds with the NOG and it’s message of forced global order. One would not assume her intentions at first glance, seeing as she enjoys her position of chief advisor to President Waller. But like many things involving the al Ghul’s this is just a clever ruse. Talia knows the NOG had a hand in her beloved Batman’s demise. Once she finds out who is responsible, she stands read to burn this pathetic excuse for a government down around Waller’s head

Variations:

Venomous: Talia uses twin daggers laced with poison. Her attacks apply an unblockable poison that stacks in intensity with each attack

Heiress: Talia can equip vials of Lazarus Water which can be drank to increase super meter, thrown to create damaging pools, or used as part of a new grab to debuff enemies

Agent of Order: NOG Talia uses a magnus sidearm, garrote wire, and tasers during her combos

Ra’s al Ghul

Immortal and unyielding, Ra’s al Ghul has seen the passing of thousands of years, gathered countless followers, and amassed an immense fortune of weapons and wealth alike, all in the name of global anarchy and chaos. So self-assured in his success and power, he never assumed his precious Lazarus pits would fail him. Their power waned and with it his immortality. Desperate for a means to retain his eternal life, he turned to any means to sustain himself, be it mystical or scientific. What he found instead was a force that existed far beyond Earth, that promised to grant him immense power and eternal life that his Lazarus pits could not. In his hour of desperation, Ra’s al Ghul has found deliverance.

Variations:

Heretic: Ra’s can light his scimitar or even himself on fire to deal bonus damage. Gains new fire based attacks

Demonic: Ra’s can summon dark spirits during his combos (Possessed Kenshi)

Accursed One: Ra’s applies a Dark Seal to opponents during combos/grabs/throws. The seal can be consumed via command to deal damage based on how many stacks were applied

And, the final boss and antagonist for this AU is... (Spoilers ahead)

Trigon

Trigon the Terrible, conqueror of ten thousand worlds, lord of the inferno, father of Sin. A demon who has laid waste not just in this universe, but in countless other dimensions that make up reality. An evil that surpasses all others, Trigon has tried multiple times already to invade Earth, only to be repulsed by the Justice League and Teen Titans. These are minuscule setbacks for Trigon, who has other ways of conquering his enemies. Whispering in the ears of those desperate for answers or deliverance from beyond, he engineered the placement of the device that destroyed the Watchtower and annihilated his long-time enemies. Now, under the guise of the NOG, Trigon’s servants work to eliminate or convert any who would or could stand against him. Once all resistance has crumbled and Earth is defenseless, there will be nothing to stop Trigon from adding this reality to the many he has already destroyed.

Variations:

Defiler: Trigon can create zones of corruption that damage enemies standing in them. These zones can also be commanded to erupt and launch enemies standing in them

Father of Demons: Trigon can summon his sons to empower him with sin energy, granting him bonuses while they are active

Hellbringer: A giant astral projection of Trigon assists in his moves, crushing or grabbing opponents with giant limbs

Mortal Kombat/Crossover Characters

Kano

‘It’s a simple heist’ they said ‘Just grab the Sunstone crystals and you’re outta there’. Well that bloody went to s@#$ right off the bat. Not only did they muck it up dropping me way off course, but now I’m stuck in the middle of a bloody warzone. I’m not getting paid to fight “superheroes”, ‘specially not one who could toss Shao Khan around like a ragdoll. At least this wasn’t a total loss. Got some nice new gear from a couple of these drongos that’ll make even Tremor jealous. Not like they were using it no more. Still, soon as I get back to the keep, me and Kronika are due for a heart-to-heart.

Variations:

Cutthroat: “Standard” Kano, uses knives for weapons and projectiles, as well as his eye laser

Upgraded: Kano uses Cyborg’s hand cannon. Can activate his implants for a movement and firing speed boost

Mercenary: Kano uses Deathstroke’s katana and Deadshot’s rifle. Deadshot’s optic scope prevents eye lasers but allows for homing bullets

Kitana

Born to the nation of Edenia, Kitana’s homeworld was conquered by Shao Khan of Outworld not long after her birth. When her mother was forced to marry the tyrant, she became the Khan’s daughter and princess as well. After years of standing by her fathers side, serving as his personal assassin and watching as other realms suffered the same fate as Edenia, Kitana had a change of heart in the midst of Outworlds invasion of Earthrealm. Standing alongside her allies in Raiden, Lui Kang, and others, Kitana help to unseat Shao Khan and claim his title of Khan. Still, in a world defined by Kombat, there are few moments to rest. Finding herself lost in a realm on the brink of disaster and facing conquest by a demonic tyrant so similar to one she only just deposed, Kitana finds herself once again standing as a champion of Earthrealm

Variations:

Empress: “Standard” Kitana, using her fans

Edenian Royal: Mournful Kitana, using a bo staff and glaves

Savage: Kitana uses Mileena’s sais and moveset, such as Tele-drop

Spiderman (Peter Parker)

Whelp, this is just classic Parker luck. One minute I’m stopping Vulture from robbing the art museum, next minute ‘bzzt’ I’m lost in some wacko, alternate universe. Yeah, that’s right, not ‘poof’, not ‘zap’, not ‘boom’, my life went crazy with a ‘bzzt’. This new universe is kinda the definition of “everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong” and that's impressive even for my standards. Oh well, I guess when I don’t show up for macaroni night the Avengers will come after me, wherever I am. Until then, the worst thing I have to worry about is the edgy guy in a motorcycle helmet who keeps chasing me around trying to get me to partner up with him. Or the world going to literal Hell, that too. Wish me luck folks!

Variations:

Webslinger: Peter can use web shots, ranged web pulls, and combos that leave enemies tangled in web

Avenger: Peter uses higher tech versions of his existing gear, such as taser webs and spider probes

Iron Spider: Peter wears the Iron Spider suit. Prevents most web moves but allows for hovering and use of additional legs for attacks

He-Man (Adam of Eternia)

On a planet lightyears away from Earth, the world of Eternia owes its salvation and freedom to the Champion of Greyskull, He-Man. One of the strongest beings in the universe, He-Man is the identity of prince Adam, maintain while he battles the forces of darkness led by his nemesis Skeletor. But He-Man is champion to all worlds in the Universe, not just Eternia, and in times of need will be called upon to aid any world in peril. That is how Adam finds himself contacted by the wizard Shazam, guardian of the Rock of Eternity and keeper of magic. The wizard bears a message of a shattered world on the brink of domination by the demon Trigon, a creature as dangerous as Hordak himself. Should Trigon be released on Earth, it will spell doom for all worlds. 

Variations

Champion: He-Man can place Greyskull banners to increase his power in combat. Banners can be interacted with during attacks

Guardian: He-Man wields a great shield in addition to his power sword, allowing for shield bashes and shield charges

Legacy: He-Man can summon phantoms of previous Greyskull champions for additional range on his attacks