#clint holmes

[howardhawkshollywoodmusic]

16. Playground in My Mind by Clint Holmes debuted Feb 73 and peaked at number two, charting for a lengthy 23 weeks, and scoring 1610 points.

Clint was born in Bournemouth, England, and raised in Farnham, New York. He is a one hit wonder, never charting before or after.

[jcs-study]

Hello, friends! Let an expert at this one! >:)

So, calling this small is a misreading of the eventual results of the production. There was nothing small about it. This event was the culmination of many "things bright and beautiful" -- to borrow the phrasing of a familiar hymn (and a Sondheim lyric) -- in JCS history. For all of that history, hit the jump!

Pre-JCS

It starts with "the owner of the theater," Jack Nakano. In 1962, he was a humble performing arts teacher at La Cumbre Junior High School in Santa Barbara, California. (I know, right? Once upon a time, these positions not only existed but flourished in American schools instead of falling victim to budget cuts.) He wanted to do something for local kids that would keep 'em off the streets during the summer, so he and four other area drama teachers teamed up to create Youth Theatre Productions, Inc., which made its debut with a production of Bye Bye Birdie.

The program was ambitious and rapidly expanded, eventually pairing Equity performers with student actors (practiced solely at a college level until then). In 1968, Santa Barbara High School -- where Nakano had transferred in 1964 and would teach until 1978 -- presented a production of Life With Father starring Leon Ames and Lurene Tuttle alongside students; a later on-campus production of Winesburg, Ohio, paired Eva Marie Saint (under the direction of her husband, Jeffrey Hayden) with the high schoolers. In 1969, YTP's production of Carnival, featuring future star Timothy Bottoms, was the first-ever school production to tour, performing at the L.A. Cultural Center in downtown Los Angeles. (You must understand how big California is as a state to know why that's a big deal, but rest assured that it is.)

JCS: Phase 1

After spending a year in England on a Fulbright teaching grant in 1973, Nakano created Gazebo Theatre One, his first off-campus venture into production. Together, YTP and Gazebo formed the basis for his new brainchild, the statewide California Youth Theatre, Inc., a nonprofit theater arts training program for ages 12 to 21 which Nakano described as "a grass-roots effort for the arts, covering all aspects of performing."

To launch CYT, it was decided to mount a benefit production of JCS, mixing experienced performers with 200 young artists. Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson, the 1973 film's stars, donated their time and talent, recreating their iconic roles of Jesus and Judas for an unforgettable series of performances under the stars at the outdoor Santa Barbara County Bowl. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice graciously waived all royalties from these performances to further benefit the goals of CYT. Recalled Neeley in a 2006 interview, "We were so excited about having the opportunity to help a youth organization provide access to kids to get into the theater. We had a beautiful time doing it."

(Fun fact: one weekend, Yvonne Elliman -- who, it should go without saying, played Mary Magdalene on the original album, on Broadway, and in the film -- attended a performance, along with JCS' original producer [and her manager] Robert Stigwood. As Ted, Carl, and Yvonne reunited backstage, it came up in conversation that, although all three had appeared in the original Broadway cast, they had never performed their respective roles onstage together. Struck by inspiration, "Stiggie" approached Nakano and the show's director, Gary Goddard, and asked if they'd allow Yvonne to join the company as Mary for its final weekend. They readily agreed, and in return, he waived the cost of the rights for the entire run. After seeing the show with Yvonne in it, CYT was proud to report that "Stiggie" had remarked that JCS would still be running on Broadway if it was this production that debuted. You can [sort of] judge for yourself, as a soundboard recording was privately released as a curio for cast members, and a copy that wound up in a used record store in California was brought to light by my website, JCS Zone, and became a rare example of found media. Listen to it here.)

The ten performances of JCS were a massive success, and the proceeds financed the new CYT's first statewide tour, a production of Peter Pan which played in six cities throughout California in July and August 1977. Indeed, JCS proved so successful that it was revived for a second run in 1977 at the Concord Pavilion, once more reuniting Ted and Carl alongside Paul Ainsley, who reprised his role as Herod from the original Broadway cast.

CYT went from strength to strength and continued to grow, and many future famous faces, including Jack Black, Nicolas Cage, and Anthony Edwards, passed through its doors. It proved to be equally a breeding ground for creative brains, as evidenced by the next section.

JCS: Phase 2

The director and choreographer of that JCS production, Gary Goddard and Tony Christopher, plus Forbes Candlish (Herod in the '76 cast, Peter in the '77 cast, Ted's understudy in both), went on to found Landmark Entertainment Group, which created theme parks, theme park attractions, live entertainment productions, and virtual reality attractions. If you name a big-ticket attraction, they probably designed it; some noteworthy ones include The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Jurassic Park: The Ride, and Terminator 2: 3D, and that's just the ones at Universal Studios theme parks.

In late 1992, they launched a North American "first-class" national tour of JCS to celebrate the forthcoming 20th anniversary of the film's release. Not sure what to expect, they initially planned a three- or four-month run. Ted and Carl once again reunited as the centerpieces of the production, with some star casting in supporting roles for added box office allure in case that wasn't enough -- Irene Cara (Fame) and, later, Motown star Syreeta (Stevie Wonder's former wife) co-starred as Mary, with Dennis DeYoung (former lead singer of Styx) as Pilate.

The "A.D. Tour," as it came to be known by its fans, far outstripped its planned run by several years, crisscrossing the nation to much success (playing a dozen or more performances over several nights at each stop in 2-to-5,000-seat auditoriums, returning to some cities numerous times), competing outside its field with Guns 'n' Roses and Janet Jackson at their respective peaks on Variety's list of 1993's highest-grossing concert tours, and finally closing in 1997 as the longest-running revival in North American theater history to date, with 1,753 performances under its belt, having grossed over $140 million. (Tim Rice still contends it's the most money he ever made from one of his shows, and for many North American fans of both the film and the musical, this is the JCS they remember, if only for its longevity.)

Sounds great, right? But there is an elephant in the room that we must discuss.

Interlude: "From ancient grudge break to new mutiny..."

I'll slip into opinion and speculation for a second here, and I hope you'll indulge me while recognizing it is simply that and nothing more.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has had a sore ass for several decades about people making decisions about his work without consulting him. Any JCS fan who knows its history is well aware of how he felt about the original Broadway production (TL;DR: loathed it with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns), and he resolved after its opening night that he would never let control slip from his fingers again, and though it took decades to completely extricate himself from the exclusive deal with Robert Stigwood and buy all the rights back, that's why he formed The Really Useful Group. It's worth noting at this point that he's also far from a fan of the 1973 film.

Per one of the tour's producers, I dunno if he holds a grudge about Ted and Carl being in the film specifically, but he was hugely against the A.D. Tour, both for its production values (for all its glitz, it could be rough around the ages) and for what we would call ageist reasons today. He even went so far as to publicly badmouth the production (while never returning a cent of the royalty checks he cashed).

Finally, ALW assumed total control of JCS' rights and exercised a stop clause to end the tour, the better to make way for his impending West End revival, which he hoped would catch on well enough to immediately go wide. Instead, it was the first incident in a recurring pattern over the past several decades where ALW tries to update the show, forces the update as far as it can go as his "ideal vision," and then eats humble pie and allows members of the film's cast to perform it live again, be it in America or in Europe. Whenever the latter productions go out, they are consistent moneymakers; they arguably pay in part for the failed updates.

All that to say, while live productions featuring the original cast members still occur, it's always a delicate dance, with ALW holding the reins on everything that isn't the film itself (thus why Ted and co. have successfully hosted reunion screenings off and on since 2013, celebrating the film's 40th and now 50th anniversaries, with zero interference). This brings us to 2006 and the subject of the initial post. (Doesn't that feel so long ago? Both the OP and the year. Sorry about my blathering. Anyway...)

JCS: Phase 3

Over the years, the team behind the A.D. Tour had tried to launch a JCS reunion on a grander scale. After Carl Anderson's huge success stepping into the role of Judas in a critically-acclaimed Italian tour endorsed by the Pope (and the forerunner of Ted's eventual European adventure), he wanted to take it wide. Per his L.A. Times obituary, they were hatching plans for a worldwide tour that would debut at the Vatican.

After his death, there were efforts to continue developing what was informally dubbed "The Last Supper Tour," now in his memory. A then-current bio for Gary Goddard suggests that concert promoter AEG and even The Really Useful Group were behind what was described as an arena tour. According to sources close to the production, the option of Murray Head, who'd last touched the part on the original album, stepping in as Judas was discussed at one point. But any action was up to ALW, and naturally, the result was conflicting reports (one being that "If he says yes, the tour will be limited to Europe"), all of which eventually ended at the same place: "It's up to him."

In the meantime, Jack Nakano and CYT were still highly active, and he had a new vision: "We've gone statewide. Let's go nationwide!" He envisioned a program called YouTHeatre-America! that aimed to establish and complement a network of similar programs to CYT across the country and would also serve as a clearinghouse for technical and artistic resources and advice. And he had just the idea for a benefit that would kick it off. Hey, it worked in '76!

And forces rallied around him:

ALW and Tim Rice agreed to waive their royalties for the evening.

Ted, Yvonne, and Barry Dennen said yes to reprising their signature roles.

The choice for Judas came down to the wire between Murray and Ben Vereen, with Ben winning the race.

Master maestro Craig Barna, who had served as musical director of the A.D. Tour and of Carl's final American appearances as Judas, was engaged to lead the pit with a full 32-piece rock band and orchestra.

Most of the A.D. Tour and Santa Barbara creative team reunited once again, turning the evening from a conventional concert performance (singers standing at individual microphones reading from the score) into a mega-event, with an enormous set, projection screens to show clips from the film to enhance onstage action, and more lights than a rock concert. (Much photographic evidence of this, a scan of the program and publicity items, and even a production diary can be seen on staff -- and, eventually, a cast -- member Cindi Verbelun's website.)

A supporting cast was assembled both from stars of stage and screen, such as Clint Holmes (Simon), and a host of A.D. Tour veterans and Youth Theatre graduates and alumni, as well as the world-famous choir from Carl's church, Agape International Spiritual Center (Ted would later say there were enough people on that stage for twelve JCS productions).

One particularly noteworthy CYT alumnus -- and perhaps the most famous cast member of this benefit -- joined the production when the film's Herod, Joshua Mostel, couldn't participate due to a project conflict. Jack Black was glad to give back to the program that launched him.

The venue was the illustrious Ricardo Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood. In return for using the space, proceeds benefitted both YTA and the Ricardo Montalbán Foundation. Tickets for the general public ranged from $110-$520, with special "platinum circle" VIP tickets available for $1,000 that threw in an exclusive reception and a meet-and-greet with the stars.

The event was thrown together on a wing and a prayer, assembled in about three weeks (two after casting), with only five actual rehearsals. (This article about the technical aspects of the show's production attests to just how crazy things got.) The buzz was growing, with rumors that ALW might sign off on the show becoming a tour if the word was good and promotional material on the producers' website suggesting that plans for encore presentations of the concert in New York and Rome were not off the table.

There were some not-insignificant bumps in the road, but they were overcome. Per cast member Scott Spalding, Universal wanted to film the performance in HD for possible distribution on CD and DVD (and a PBS broadcast), with the proceeds again aiding YTA and the RMF. The cast all signed their waivers, which reportedly guaranteed them two copies apiece, but if any of the stars didn't sign, filming was a no-go. And Jack Black's representatives, in addition to demanding an initial private rehearsal sans cast, were leaning towards "no," which led to the plans initially being scrapped. Happily, the producers decided to speak to Jack himself, and -- not unusual for such Hollywood demands -- his direct answer was "Of course," so they brought in the cameras, stuck 'em at the back of the house, and the whole event was video- and audio-recorded.

(At the time, another cast member reported on a Ted Neeley fan mailing list that the run-through earlier on the day of the event was also recorded, which was a good thing because the sound guy forgot to turn on "Caiaphas'" mic for his first ten seconds of singing in "This Jesus Must Die.")

The Aftermath

You can see just the kind of Hollywood set that turned out for such an event on Cindi's site; ample photographic and reported evidence of huge names filling the seats. A very well-reviewed event.

So, why was there no official release, or at least broadcast? Well, I'll give you one guess who's to blame. (Hint: it's the person in charge of all things JCS.)

Both fans and insiders, wizened by years of his crap, suspected this benefit would probably be the beginning and end of "The Last Supper Tour." Even its presenters worded the press releases' hype with caution, perhaps even resignation, referring to it as a one-night-only event never to be repeated.

The most reliable sources have it that ALW used the leak of that shitty-quality audio clip of Jack Black's performance to justify putting the kibosh on the release. Apart from the YTA infomercial clips and some irritatingly brief snippets of pro-shot footage in a corporate reel on the A.D. Tour team's now-long-dead website, it's never surfaced again. (I've spoken to several cast members about whether or not they got the copies of the CD and DVD promised in their contract, and either the NDA was so ironclad they all agreed on a lame excuse, or they never got their copies because no one has reported receiving them. At any rate, there were reports from production staff that neither RUG nor the unions had signed off on the video, so, to the extent that's true, releasing it would be technically illegal without protracted post-concert negotiations. For that matter, Barry Dennen reportedly didn't have a high opinion of the final cut when it was screened for him. Anyway...)

Because that release never went forward, YTA lost a lot of its initial momentum, which is why everything disbanded so rapidly, and what traces it left on the Internet give the impression of a small-time company today instead of the intended U.S. equivalent of, say, the NYMT in the UK. It was never allowed to thrive because one douche suffering from acute professional jealousy couldn't have a successful JCS production that didn't emanate from him, even for the benefit of a non-profit.

One more reason to hop on the ALW basher bandwagon, folks...

There is very little footage uncovered of Jack Black playing King Herod back in 2006 for the stage performance of Jesus Christ Superstar.

The only surviving recording is a really bad audio recording of it while people cheer over him, the promo, and a video of him and the other actors bowing at the end. I can't blame the bad audio quality because it was back in 2006. It was probably recorded with a flip phone.

The trail goes cold pretty fast because it was a smaller theater (YouTheatreAmerica) that did the showing. It's long gone now, the owner of the theater passed away in 2009, and everyone eventually disbanded.

The website was apparently still up in 2011 (according to the Wayback Machine) and it once had a link to the event starring Jack Black (perhaps a recording but I could never be sure.)

Apparently, the company helped out Jack when he was looking for roles way back when.

[sylki221b-of-the-shire]

No you don’t understand. They aren’t just characters. They are my everything. I loved with them, fought with them, hoped with them, cried with them and laughed with them. The emotions are real, and therefore they are too.

[musicmags]

[spectreofgreengables]

Me, adopting a new emotional support character: This is my new vaguely menacing emotional support character. They’re also definitely ace and queer and autistic but hey that’s just a coincidence I promise I don’t make the rules.

[avengetheangels]

Familiar Taste of Poison by laylabinx (MCU, Steve/Tony) Steve becomes incredibly sick after being exposed to an unknown biological agent and the team has to help him through it.

Like Today Never Happened by Nefhiriel (MCU, Gen) No one should be able to just steal Captain America's health. The Avengers are all agreed on that. And yet there Steve is: stuck in a hospital bed with a whole slew of medical issues - and nothing about this is remotely okay.

They've got to make this right. They've got to fix this. It's just going to take a while.

OR

Steve is reverted to his pre-serum state, and the Avengers deal with the fallout.

The Fortified Road. by Eshnoazot (MCU, Gen) But out of all the Avengers, they don’t expect Steve to fall first.

Shelter from the Cold by CatKing_Catkin (MCU, Gen) Loki is not used to being taken care of. He is a child, but most of Asgardia seems to ignore that and he tries to forget it as often as possible. He's forced to take care of himself, more often than not, because he has too many enemies even within the walls of Asgardia who would seize upon a moment of weakness to weaken him further. Loki cannot afford to seem the child that he is.

So when he falls deathly ill, Loki does not expect to be picked up off the floor of his room by Thor when his brother returns to Asgardia. He does not expect to be brought to Volstagg's house for safekeeping while he recovers, and he certainly does not expect the care and aid he receives in recovering from a man who last told him to stay away.

All of these things happen, however, impossible as they seem. For perhaps the first time in his reborn life, Loki knows what it is to be taken care of. It can't possibly last, but he can learn to enjoy it while it does.

Inclement by arsenicarcher (Arsenic) (MCU, Gen) Written for this prompt on avengerkink: "Clint spends too many hours out with a field pack waiting for a target and falls sick. Coulson comes back to take care of him. Bonus if Clint slips in and out of delirium and babbles nonsense to Coulson."

To Light Another's Path by BeautifulFiction (Sherlock, John/Sherlock) Teaching John to observe seems to be a losing battle, but when Sherlock falls ill and submits himself to John's care, will he realise that there is more to life than the science of deduction? Meanwhile, there is a murder to solve, and John must try and convince Sherlock not to sacrifice his own health for the sake of the case. Eventual John/Sherlock Hurt/Comfort case fic. Post the Great Game

Electric Pink Hand Grenade by BeautifulFiction (Sherlock, John/Sherlock) "If Sherlock's brain is a hard drive, then these attacks are an electro-magnetic pulse." Sherlock Holmes does not do anything by half, not even a migraine. It falls to John to witness one of the greatest minds he has ever known tear itself apart, and he must do his best to help Sherlock pick up the pieces.

previous rec posts

[a10wea]

fic reading challenge

Finished the summer @ficreadingchallenge ! a little late 😅 This was a lot of fun and got me reading great fics I wouldn't have thought to look for otherwise, as well as a bunch of stuff on my to-read list. I thoroughly recommend all of these!!!

I did have trouble finding a fic for "dressing up" so if you have any recs let me know!

list of fics under the cut

domestic/curtain fic: A Perfect Day by cakeisnotpie (MCU, Clint/Phil)

newest fic in the tag of your choice: gave me no compasses, gave me no signs by argentoswan (ATLA, Zukka)

crossover or fusion fic: Caught Up in Our Stories by gogglor (MCU, Stony)

fix-it fic: (what is hate) but jilted love by LemonGrenade (MCU, Stony)

superpowers / no powers AU: Hot Rod Red by @frankthesnek (MCU, Stony)

fake dating: Duty and Burden by @skylightpirate (DnDHAT, Xedgin)

character study: Never for the Dragon by @ladyshadowdrake (MCU, Stony)

secret relationship: Galeas III by @stitchyarts (MCU, Stony)

angst: Double Time by @sineala (Marvel Comics, Stony)

5+ year old fic: Emanata (The Comics Will Break Your Heart Remix) by @teaberryblue (Marvel Comics, Stony)

happy ending: Wolves in the World by ladyshadowdrake (MCU, Stony)

deaging / kid fic: Silver and Gold by @scioscribe (Thor Movies, Heimdall & Loki)

Free Space: Danger Mouse by @isozyme (Marvel 616, Stony)

fic written by someone who follows you: A Wish Your Heart Makes by @carsonian (MCU, Stony)

remix fic pair: Just for the Conversation by @msermesth (Marvel Comics, Stony)

less than 20 kudos: Falling Again; We've All Been Here by @onebuckybitch (MCU, Bucky & Steve)

dressing up: honestly I could not find a fic with this tag, if you have any recs, let me know!

multiple authors: Double Whammy by @festiveferret, @hollyandvice (MCU, Stony)

only one bed: Situation Normal: All Fucked Up by @kandisheek

podfic: More Than Skin Deep by @whenas-in-silks (Marvel Comics, Stony)

rarepair: Winter Quarters by @AcornsOnTheGround, @teeelsie-posts (Marvel Comics, DCU Comics, Clint Barton/Dick Grayson)

parallel universe: Through a Glass, Darkly by @calaisreno (Sherlock Holmes, Holmes/Watson)

BIPOC main character: Red Velvet by ladyshadowdrake (MCU, Nick Fury & Natasha Romanov)

inspired by another fanwork: on the mend by @meidui (MCU, Steve & Avengers)

unhappy / bittersweet ending: drag its private sweetness through my teeth by @loveinhawkins (Stranger Things, Steddie)

[bovaria]

Sometimes I wish we had audiobooks fanfiction. Like let me listen to a good fic while I make my dinner or drive to work.

[girl-next-door-writes]

I'm back, baby!

Woke up this morning and, for the first time in what feels like a long time, I have the deep desire to write.

Send me your gifs and I shall drabble.

I am also opening up my Alphabet Head Canons once more.

So... if you're interested...

Pick a character: Mycroft, Eddie, Steve, Remus, George, Poe, Armitage, Clint, Steven Grant, Gabe, Crowley, Dean, Sam, Spencer (or sneak in any of the characters I write)

2. Pick a list: SFW or NSFW

3. Pick a letter or two.

4. Send me an ask.

It's as simple as 1,2,3,4.

You can check out my other HC's here and alphabets are below the cut.

[nolanfa-fanart]

I've seen alot of ur art for like alot of sara_holmes marvel fics!! Have you read "the other man out of time" from them yet? It's a really good winterhawk fic :D

Thanks for the rec! Yeah, I have! I love it. A couple of bingo fills that were planned but didn't get made in time (and probably won't ever see the light of day now) were for it. Off the top of my head, they were: - the Tank Kiss (when Clint is atop a tank, falls, Bucky breaks his fall and they both fall, and they're laughing, and they kiss probably); that whole moment is just suffused with happiness and joy and I love it. Might be my fave scene in the whole fic. - "You're not Iowa?" Bucky, when he meets present!Clint for the first time, heartbroken that he's not past!Clint - "I'm trying, but you won't *listen* to me!" Clint having a fight with present!Steve about his own inability to prevent the past from happening again. They're just all so sad and angry and desperate in this scene.

(I read that fic more than a year ago, and I did not need to reference my docs, I still remembered those scenes clearly enough to write this - for context, I have a really bad memory and read a lot of fic, so that means something)

[selenitebabysbreath]

Soundtrack to Pi directed by Darren Aronofsky, Clint Mansell (1998). Featuring original tracks by various artists (1993-1998)

[petite-madame]

(*1) Peter Parker ---> Andrew Garfield version

(*2) Hugh Grant (from the Glass Onion movie). I forget his name but someone in the comments reminded me his name was Phillip. What an idiot I am 😅

I hope I didn't forget any important pairing (for me). You have 24h to vote. Thank you so much for your help ❤️

[absent-o-minded]

Shoot From The Hip Character Tropes

One of the things that I find most interesting about improv comedy is that, after watching a show or a group over a long period of time, you start seeing certain character archetypes or tropes they gravitate towards. These are all uniquely individual to the performance troupe.

Therefore, here is a little post (with examples) on some of the character archetypes and tropes (whether self-confessed by the lads or noticed by the audience) that crop up across a lot of their longforms:

Misguided parent that finally realizes the error of their ways:

Mark’s Dad: Clarissa’s DIY Wedding

Angus: The Hobnob Affair

Jemima: The Milkman

Thomas: The Enigma of the High Visionary

(In the same vein) Children with immense trauma / Children who have had to parent themselves:

Alexa and Januscz: Ballet on the Battlefield

Pinnochio: The Grape Depression

Chip/Bradley: The Cardboard Stegosaurus

Peter Steven: The Milkman

L: The Creak in the Attic

The 'outsider' character who finally gets accepted for who they truly are:

Troll Son: Wine Under The Bridge

Bill Hannigan: Death For A Dollar

James: The Unrelenting Aubergine

John Jacob McAllister: The Off-Season

Characters who 'haunt' the narrative:

Annabelle Langbrook: Priscilla's Final Petal

Jimmy the Hare: The Hare Who Wore A Sweater

Hugh’s Tree Father: Marigolds, Bluebells and Hugh

Jorgen Skelter: Burgalry and Bobsledding

Marie-Clare: The Cardboard Stegosaurus

Grandfather and Grandmother: The Creak in the Attic

Lover's reunion underpinned by tragedy:

Bill x Maria: Death For A Dollar

Egbert x Samantha: The Leftenmost Window

Tarquin x Amanda: Lost In Your Eyes

Bubba x Jeremiah: The Mysterious Cube

Characters who have brilliant minds but not-so brilliant execution:

Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery of the Midnight Circus

Clint: The Lighthouse

Jimmy: Toby's Secret Pockets

Janae: The Neighbours Under The Bed

Humans that lack humanity versus Animals who are overflowing with it:

Johnny Jones: Too Big To Be A Jockey

Mario The Sheep: The Lighthouse

Juliet: Caesar and Juliet

Mr Polar Bear: And It Begun/Began/Begeune

[moroniccats]

“I think he’s a very modern person. He’s interested in the poor, the street, law and justice. He got there before Clint Eastwood”

Have some Jeremy Brett “he did it before it was cool”-ing Holmes

[phantombre]

Finally...

The long time conclusion...

The Beloved...

The Skeptic. The detective. The greatest.

He's goofy cynical fucker, and I love him for it.

Of all the Voices, he definitely stands out to me in a "you really don't belong here" type beat (but not in a bad way). Like, he desperately tries to rationalize the otherwise clearly impossible, searching for consistencies in nonsense and the like.

However, the thing that really caught my attention with this guy:

The fucking "wink".

This man, who had up to this point presented himself as a serious player in the game, just verbally "winked".

Instant favorite right there.

I can't help it. Most of my favorite characters are cynics, but a cynic that can cross the line into goofball territory? My heart... Not to mention the "missus" line in the Cage... ahhh...

I guess it also helps that my STP Beloved does share traits with my IRL Beloved, especially the silly parts. Perhaps that's ultimately why I like him so much...

The braid (if you can call it that, still brushing up on hair drawing techniques) is supposed to emulate the chains that the Prisoner has. Not sure if it's as apparent to everyone else, though...

His nickname is Holmes, which I hope is an obvious reference. I've been wrong before...

And wow...

That's all of them.

Finally.

Some other guys:

Narrator

Hero

Cheated "Jack"

Hunted "Frisky"

Broken "Fred"

Smitten "Rome"

Stubborn "Buster"

Contrarian "Joyboy"

Paranoid "Schro"

Cold "Clint"

Opportunist "Cash"

[bulkyphrase]

Avengers in Space - a fic rec list

I love the Avengers and I love outer space, and these are a few of my favorite stories that combine the two.

What do you mean we left Clint on Mars? by sara_holmes (@captn-sara-holmes) (WinterHawk, Teen And Up Audiences, 24,537 words)

Summary: “What do you mean we left Clint on Mars?” Cap’s incredulous voice cuts through the stunned silence of the cockpit, loud and shocked. He’s standing there with his cowl in hand, gaping at the holo-screen at the front of the jet. Next to him, Tony is standing with his hands on his head, mouth hanging open in a similar fashion. Over on the other side of the cockpit is Jane, who has both palms clapped across her mouth like she’s trying to hold back hysterical giggles. For his part, Bucky is just staring at the screen like he can’t quite believe what’s going on.

Straight on till Morning by @sineala (Stony, Explicit, 109,848 words)

Summary: Tony Stark resigned his commission in Starfleet five years ago, after a disastrous away mission, and he swore he'd never go back. He just wants to be left alone to build warp engines in peace. But the universe has more in store for him than that, as he discovers when Admiral Fury comes to him with an offer he could never have expected and cannot possibly refuse: first officer and chief engineer aboard the all-new USS Avenger, a starship of Tony's own design. What's more, the Avenger's captain is Steve Rogers, hero of the Earth-Romulan War. Believed dead for over a century, Steve is miraculously alive... and very, very attractive. But nothing is ever easy for Tony. As he wrestles with his secret desire for his new captain and his not-so-dormant fears, another mission starts to go wrong, and Tony becomes aware that Steve has secrets of his own -- and the truth could change everything. Also available as a podfic read by M_Samro (@msamro)

More below the cut!

A Far Better Thing I Do by @brighteyedjill (Gen, Teen And Up Audiences, 5,333 words)

Summary: A mysterious man with no paper trail was involved in a bloody attack on a meeting of Starfleet admirals. James T. Kirk and the crew of the starship Enterprise have tracked him to the Klingon home wold, Kronos, where they have threatened to unleash the experimental torpedoes Admiral Marcus sent with them unless the man surrenders. That man, Steve Rogers, has other ideas.

Into That Good Night by Nonymos (Stucky, Explicit, 73,540 words)

Summary: Steve Rogers has lived for entirely too long—long enough to see the world's end. The heroes are gone, and the Earth is pushing what's left of mankind towards the exit. But when a makeshift team rises from the ashes, when a mysterious presence all but drags Steve there, he begins to think there may be hope yet. As they shoot for the stars one last time, Steve will get proof yet again that the future is nothing if not an echo of the past.

Wandering Stars by @sabrecmc (Stony, Explicit, 24,470 words)

Summary: Alien Steve/Astronaut Tony (oviposition)

Cold Space, Warm Welcome by Annie D (@no-gorms) (Stony, Teen And Up Audiences, 15,572 words)

Summary: Tony’s spent a couple of years flying around the galaxy in his best friend Rhodey’s spaceship the Iron Advance, doing what could perhaps be counted as ‘hero’ work. Among their allies is Steve Rogers, captain of his own crew, with whom Tony has a… potentially friendly relationship. When Steve’s ship is irreparably damaged, Rhodey takes him and his whole crew onto the Iron Advance to recover. Tony’s not at all nervous about this, because so what if this is the first time Steve will see him without the Iron Man armor?

Space Between by NachoDiablo (Samsteve, Teen And Up Audiences, 9,157 words)

Summary: Sam has a quiet life on a newly inhabited planet. He spends his days tending the garden plots and avoiding his past. But right before an impending storm, a fugitive crash lands in his space and upsets his solitude.

The Truth When Captains Meet by Kimra (Gen, Teen And Up Audiences, 2,303 words)

Summary: Steve Rogers wakes up on an alien’s space ship being carried bridal style by Carol Danvers. As far as first meetings go, it’s memorable.

Brisingr by @ironychan (Gen, Teen And Up Audiences, 155,649 words)

Summary: When Jane Foster discovers an object on a course for the inner solar system, it looks like a job for the Avengers. But when what looked like a comet turns out to be a refugee ship from another galaxy, it's not clear whose job this is anymore. Tony Stark and the Vision find they have an uncomfortable amount in common with the creatures called the Brisings, while Jane learns that the aliens are being followed by something they thought they'd left behind five million years ago. Set post-AOU, pre-CW.

Liberate Tutemet Ex Inferis (Save yourself from hell) by Terrenis, with art by @kaiwrites (James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson, Explicit, 55,989 words)

Summary: In the Year 2060, Stark Aeronautics and Space Administration's prestige project, the “Event Horizon”, was on its maiden voyage with the newly developed Arc Reactor Gravity Drive, only to disappear beyond Neptune’s orbit without a trace. Now, seven years later, a transmission from the eighth planet is received, along with a very disturbing audio record. Tony Stark, who not only wants to redeem his reputation, but also needs to know what happened on the ship, goes on a mission with the enhanced Inhuman ragtag crew of the Singularity to salvage his baby. Little do they know that this is literally going to be a trip to hell… Or that totally unnecessary Event Horizon AU that no one asked for. But I’m going to write it anyway.

Catch a Falling Star by tsukinofaerii (Stony, Explicit, 42,741 words)

Summary: When Tony was sixteen, he got to meet his hero, Captain Steve Rogers, the Empire's not-literally-golden boy from the Continuity Wars. When he was twenty-seven, the aforementioned Captain turned Pirate picked him up at the outer edges of space. It would have been a good time to appreciate the abundant nudity that came from spending too much time with space colonists, but Tony had bigger worries than even Rogers' amazing hip-to-shoulder ratio. Something was sending the star-encircling computers that power the galaxy into a tailspin, and it was going to take a lot more than luck and skill to clean the mess up.

Luminosity by CSHfic, VSfic (Stony, Mature, 60,922 words)

Summary: The Avengers organize a two month mission to investigate an anomaly in space that appears to be engulfing planets, Steve is worried about leaving Tony alone, and Hawkeye is just worried about being left behind. But then something goes wrong. Steve drags himself out of the wreckage of their ship, on a planet that shouldn’t exist, the Avengers are missing, Iron Man is torn to scraps, and Tony has a lot of explaining to do. Or, in which Steve has no clue that Tony is Iron Man, and it takes crash-landing on an alien planet for him to find out.

Gravitational Pull by @antigrav-vector (Stony, Explicit, 29,718 words)

Summary: A strange temple floating in space is discovered, and Steve and Tony are the logical choices to go investigate. What they find is going to make or break their relationship...

Inquiries into Orbital Dynamics (The Mission Controllers' Remix) by Muccamukk (Stony, Teen And Up Audiences, 5,591 words)

Summary: When a mysterious object appears in orbit around the Moon, NASA teams up with the Avengers to investigate it. This is NASA's story. Inspired by Gravitational Pull

everybody needs a reason why they run by napricot (Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Explicit, 77,888 words)

Summary: Pepper doesn’t often regret the improbable circumstances and choices that brought her, Tony, and Jim to the SGC and then to Atlantis. After all, being an intergalactic explorer is way cooler than being the right hand woman of Stark Industries’ heir Tony Stark. But when strangers show up during her Gate team’s milk run of a trading mission, she’s got a bad feeling she knows better than to ignore. Which is how Pepper’s Gate team ends up picking up a stray in the form of a metal-armed runner with a mysterious past and learning about a dangerous new sect of Wraith worshippers called Hydrans. But the Atlanteans aren’t the only ones interested in the Hydrans: there are stories spreading throughout the Pegasus Galaxy about the Nomad and the Widows, three maybe-heroes who have set their sights on the Hydrans and the Wraith. Meanwhile, Tony’s trying to figure out if there’s something more to Atlantis’s helpful new hospitality-oriented subroutines, and Master Sergeant Sam Wilson is trying to have just one offworld mission where shit doesn’t get weird.

a war could be our only hope by @aceofwands (Stony, Explicit, 62,817 words)

Summary: Steve emerges in the future, where the Federation is fighting a war against the totalitarian Dominion. Traumatised from his experience with the Borg, Tony already has enough trouble coping without Steve's return bringing up unexpected feelings.