#flash forward

[dailydccomics]

Wally West by Evan "Doc" Shaner

[bloodyplunder]

[adalineozie]

If I had a nickel for everytime Roy Harper survived a vampire apocalypse and became a vampire hunter, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird it happened twice.

Flash Forward #3

DC vs Vampires #11

[invisible-pink-toast]

who's who in the zoo wilderness

like many yellowjackets fans i am Obsessed with the flashbacks in the pilot episode - but while many theories are about who pit girl is or who the antler queen is i also wanted to have a look at who each of the creepy cloaked cultee's might be under their masks...

Info

in the flashbacks we have nine characters -

pit girl (called "The Runner" in the script)

antler queen (called "The Shaman")

the one wearing beaver fur ("The Overseer")

the one wearing a skunk fur ("The Hunter")

the one in the pink hood ("The Butcher")

one wearing an owl

one wearing racoons

one wearing what appears to be a wolf

one wearing pants/leggings in a way that looks rabbit-like.

The antler queen is the name the fans have given the mysterious veiled figure - but the creators have been firm in saying that is an interpretation and not a fact. What we know about this figure is she's referred to as "The Shaman" and she's obviously a significant figure in the group - but not necessarily the queen/leader. I don't think this character is automatically the leader of the cult.

The definition of a shaman includes:

A member of certain traditional societies, especially of northern Asia and of North and South America, who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events.

The term shamanism comes from the Manchu-Tungus word šaman. The noun is formed from the verb ša- ‘to know’; thus, a shaman is literally “one who knows.” 

So of these nine, seven of them must be our seven known survivors:

just a note: aside from sammi hanratty (misty) none of the other actors were playing characters in this scene - those roles were filled by body doubles. so i'm not going to be too specific in comparing looks to try and match these characters to our known characters. There's also the fact that these scenes were written and filmed for the pilot before the show was greenlit and since then the story has changed somewhat (for example - van most likely originally dying from the wolf attack but that being rewritten because they loved what liv hewson did with the character and wanting them to continue). So I'll mostly be focusing on the characters we know were absolutely intended to be there: Shauna, Tai, Natalie (confirmed to survive in the pilot) as well as Travis and Lottie (confirmed to survive later in s1).

Theories/Predictions/Headcanons

Only one figure is 100% confirmed - the Overseer being Misty, as she is the only character seen to remove her fur mask at the end of the pilot episode.

The other that is basically confirmed is the identity of the Butcher being Shauna.

Not only was Shauna... literally the butcher in the past and the present ("Shauna, you're the best with the knife, so you'll handle the body. I mean cut it up." - Misty in 1x10) but when Shauna kills Adam she has flashbacks that include the Butcher bleeding the Runner's corpse.

Then there's the Runner, and given that she dies gruesomely she is not one of the survivors, but is one of the yellowjackets who survived past the end of s2.

Aside from her face, she is the character we see the most of physically (so i will mention her physical appearance in relation with who her character might be) - she has long dark hair and lighter/olive coloured skin.

based on this we know that pit girl is most likely either Gen or Mari (my vote is mari, and i wrote a meta on why). now that gen has been recast for s3 :( i'm thinking it's almost definitely mari.

that's 3/9 and where the clearest examples stop.

Owl

I think the animals were chosen with intention, both by the costume designer and within the story by the characters. whereas the other masks seem more for the sake of warmth (like the raccoon pelts sort of sewed together into a hood) this one feels a lot more symbolic. like can you even skin an owl while keeping the feathers??

I think this is a reference to Tai's connection with the "Other Tai" - the one who comes out in sleepwalking, and somehow knows the lay of the land (where the symbols are, where the other yellowjackets are) in a way that Tai doesn't understand. The imagery of having a character appear to literally have two faces just screams Tai to me.

From some very basic research it seems that owl can symbolically mean: wisdom, a guide in the dark, death, visions, etc.

While this could relate to Tai, it could also relate to Lottie.

While as the audience we know Lottie is schizophrenic and without her meds, the others have taken Lottie's visions as signs from the wilderness and treat her as the resident seer. While she's clearly trying to pull away from that role and the responsibility it entails by the end of s2 - the other yellowjackets already look to her as someone with the knowledge to guide them through the wilderness.

There's also the clothing. While most clothes seem to be passed around communally (a sweater Misty & Mari wear in s2 is the legwarmers on the owl and the mask on the skunk) there are some items that are reserved for specific characters (like Shauna wearing Jackie's butterfly shirt).

In the '96 timeline Tai wears a lot of patterned blue and purple clothes, some of which almost definitely become part of the outfit for this owl character.

There's also the vest - it could be an animal fur but it has some of similarities to Lottie's fluffy coat, especially one that's become dirtier while stranded without the cabin. This coat is only worn by Lottie. The raccoon character also wears a similar vest, so it could just be fur, but Lottie's coat resembles the owl character's vest more based on the colour, or the coat could have been split in two.

Overall I think the owl character is most likely Tai.

in doomcoming and in the hunt in the future the upper half of tai's face is covered and it makes sense to me that trend would continue in all her hunt outfits. there's also the repeated imagery of eyes within her story - the man with no eyes, her grandmother's eyes, sammy's doll on the altar missing an eye, so her outfit having a taxidermy owl with no eyes tracks.

Wolf

unfortunately not many clear images exist for this character. i'm not even sure if the pelt they're wearing is a wolf, it could also be a bear, but i'm going with wolf for now.

i think this is Travis. travis is the other hunter of the group and it makes sense that the characters furs might come from their own hunts/kills. symbolism wise travis does fit a wolf as well - loyalty, protection, strength. wolves are closely tied to the bonds of packs and family, making sense that travis would be the lone wolf as he's lost his father and brother out here.

tai and van are also associated with wolves - but i don't think either of them would want to wear one all the time, given that van was attacked by one and tai is haunted by them.

the wolf character also has some small details that fit for travis' character. their face is covered from the eyes down, something travis often does throughout season 2. the wolf, owl and skunk characters are also the only ones (that we can see) wearing fingerless gloves. given that the last time travis saw javi happy was him being gifted gloves by natalie, and that much of their clothes would have been destroyed in the fire (but not javi's, which were most likely still outside) i can see travis wearing javi's gloves.

The Hunter / Skunk

i think this is Natalie. before the season 2 finale i would've said this was 100%. now knowing that natalie is their new leader, there is the possibility that she is the antler queen character, which i will talk about later, but for me this character only makes sense as natalie.

nat's the hunter! even as a new leader, she's still the most capable and knowledgeable in hunting. travis is very much her second while she leads the hunting trips. it also makes sense that as the leader she would be the first one to check The Runner, to stand over the pit. both an 'honour' and a duty.

natalie's also been the one standing over the bodies so far. she's the one waiting outside with jackie's body at the start of 2x03, she's the one who takes jackie's remains and has a short memorial for her. she's the one who stays outside the longest, standing over travis with javi's body. obviously not definitive but does work with the skunk character.

as for the clothes - the hunter wears the iconic co-ed soccer shirt, pink converse, and for a mask the cloth is currently a sweater within the show.

the shirt begins the show as van's - but almost every character has worn it now (including tai, travis, akilah, etc.). the pink connverse have never been quite as clear, but it appears that might have originally been shauna's (a darker colour that most likely faded over the 19 months) and have been worn by at least lottie, gen & tai. the sweater that the mask is made of has been worn by misty, mari & mel. so none of that narrows anything down sdjflsakhfl;h

i think the skunk is quite a specific choice too. could be about seeing things in black & white, about keeping your distance, etc. there's not a lot about skunk symbolism but it mainly seems to involve confidence, courage and direction. these are interesting when paired with natalie, given that she fits some very well but struggles with others.

it's also implied in the original pilot script that this character is natalie.

while we do see the hunter pulling up the runner's body with the rope, the scene with natalie does not make it into the episode. it does suggest that when filming the pilot this character was thought of to be natalie though. of course, as the show progressed this may have changed.

still in 1x10 when it's decided that shauna will cut up adam's body, natalie is the one who volunteers to help her, while misty is the one who directs all of them, mirroring this scene with the butcher (shauna), overseer (misty) and hunter (natalie).

some say that the hunter is van - has a similar build and the general blankness/darkness that van has by the end of s2, as well as being the shirt's og owner. but van wasn't supposed to be there in the initial conception of this character. while it may have changed now, for me this character is natalie.

Raccoon & Rabbit

I'm honestly not sure who these two might be. One is most likely Van, given that we know she survives.

Early on there were theories that Jackie was the Rabbit, due to her association with rabbits, which makes sense, but now we know Jackie's dead. Then they were possibly Javi, but he's dead too. As for symbolism, I'm not sure who of the remaining Yellowjackets fits either of these characters.

I think the creators were purposefully ambiguous to leave themselves with options. If the audience doesn't know who is who, they have the opportunity to change the story slightly as the show progresses (like with Van surviving).

The Shaman / Antler Queen

while initially thought to be lottie, as she is set up as the leader in the wilderness, the season 2 finale revealed that natalie was the new leader. both of these characters could be the shaman, but i feel as though it makes more sense for natalie to be the hunter. even though there are moment that in retrospect hint that natalie becomes the leader (misty's devotion, natalie stating that she lacked a purpose after they were rescued, tai and shauna's conversation about nat being the reason they're alive), there are no clear references to natalie being the antler queen character in the story so far (although that could have been hidden on purpose for the reveal).

in the adult timeline the others are terrified of the antler queen in a way that's different from their reactions to the symbol from the wilderness. when they receive the postcards or realise the symbol is under travis' body they are disturbed, they have a distrust of the symbol and everything it reminds them of.

but their reactions to the shaman are different. she appears in shauna's flashbacks when she kills adam, in natalie's visions/hallucinations after she overdoses, and in lottie's visions/hallucinations after hearing natalie's experience and in her office with the fake therapist. each of them are utterly terrified when she appears.

i think who the shaman is depends on what her role truly is. as i've already said, the "antler queen" is a title made up by the fans.

Leader:

The Shaman does appear to be the leader of the group, sitting in the centre of the semi-circle, being elevated, everyone waiting for her go-ahead to begin the feast, and everyone waiting for her to leave first.

If The Shaman is the leader, then she is Natalie.

This is supported by the editing in the pilot episode - at the '96 party when Natalie gets high, she stands by the fire and sees Misty standing across from her. It then cuts to the Overseer bringing the Shaman the cooked feast.

Chief Mourner:

If the Shaman is the chief mourner, it would depend on who the Runner is. If she's gen, the Shaman would most likely be mel in this instance. if she's mari, the most likely mourner would be akilah. the shaman doesn't appear to have akilah's dark skin, but body doubles were used and her face is veiled. if akilah has already died, the mourner might be lottie or gen.

It would be interesting with the idea that the antler queen changes from person to person. That they're all still terrified of "her" when what she represents is you losing the one you love most, you being the one with the most grief.

This is supported by what's happened with the two acts of cannibalism so far in the series. Shauna is Jackie's chief mourner, she is the one to light her funeral pyre, she is the one to give the go ahead that they should eat Jackie's body ("She wants us to." - Shauna in 2x02). Travis is Javi's chief mourner, and he is also the one to give the go ahead to eat Javi's body, everyone rushing in for the 'meat' after Travis has put Javi's heart on the pan.

However the Shaman is never seen eating. Both Shauna and Travis have the first bite of their loved one, whereas the Shaman only nods for the feast to start. It's possible this is part of a ritual that evolved over time, but it's still puzzling.

Spiritual Advisor :

if the antler queen is some sort of spiritual advisor, then she's most likely lottie. this fits with what we've seen in the '96 timeline already, with lottie's wilderness connection and the reverence shown to her by other team mates. even though lottie abdicates her role of leader in the s2 finale and claims she 'can't hear' the wilderness anymore - it's clear this is because of the weight of the responsibility to keep them alive, as well as her grief and guilt over javi's death.

still, several of the others seem confused at lottie's decision, and only seem to be accepting natalie as the leader because lottie said so. if this is something that creates tension within the group, it makes sense that natalie might appoint lottie a role where they can still look to her.

natalie as the leader/hunter is the one brining in the kill, but lottie as a spiritual advisor/shaman is the one leading the ritual.

this is supported by how in the adult timeline when they are having another hunt, it's lottie that leads it, not natalie. though that may be because lottie was the one to initiate the hunt. lottie also still acts as a spiritual advisor, with the others coming to her for advice.

the other option for a spiritual advisor is Tai. Not necessarily tai though... but Other Tai.

Much about Other Tai still remains a mystery. Is she another personality, a response to the trauma and repression, some sort of possession from the wilderness? In the adult timeline Lottie says that Other Tai is a part of Taissa, but Other Tai's conversation with Van in the woods raises questions about this.

Van: How do you know where you're going? Other Tai: He shows me. Van: Who's "he?" Other Tai: The one with no eyes. Van: Is that who you always follow? Other Tai: Only when she lets me. Van: Okay there's a "she" too, am I "she?" Other Tai: [shakes head] Van: Then who is "she?" Other Tai: Taissa. Van: Then who are you? Other Tai: [gives Van a look before walking away]

Other Tai's ability to track the whereabouts of the other survivors (Javi, Natalie), her connection to the man with no eyes, and knowing where all of the symbols are imply something more supernatural then just "sleepwalking".

Other Tai is the one to participate in cannibalising Jackie, she's strongly implied to be the one who pushes Taissa to continue running for senate even after she told Simone she would drop out, and she is the one to behead their fucking dog and make an altar in their basement. The creators and actors have talked about Other Tai and explain that she has Tai's best interest in mind, but she is willing to do what Tai wouldn't do to get it. Other Tai has a connection to the wilderness and the supernatural, she desires power and can become violent. She could very well be The Shaman.

"I don't know how bad it's going to get this time, but you know how bad it can get." - Tai in 1x06

Group Hallucination:

It's been theorised that the Shaman / Antler Queen doesn't really exist at all.

With the show toeing the line between visions, hallucinations and grief-induced psychosis with multiple characters (including Lottie, Tai, Shauna, Natalie, Travis) it's possible that as the group spirals more and more out of control and into ritualistic cannibalism - a way that they attempt to cope is through this Shaman. A 'physical' manifestation of the Wilderness itself. Something that gives them permission to feast on the flesh of their teammates, but does not eat herself, because she's not really there.

We only see The Shaman during the feast scene, and in other's visions/hallucinations. We know there are seven known survivors, but during the pilot's flash forward scene we see eight. Only if The Shaman doesn't exist, it's our seven survivors and a hallucination sitting around the fire.

So in the end my main theories/predictions/headcanons stand as:

Mari as The Runner / Pit Girl

Misty as The Overseer / Beaver

Shauna as The Butcher / Pink Hood

Natalie as The Hunter / Skunk

Tai as the owl

Travis as the wolf

Lottie as The Shaman / Antler Queen

the one I am least sure of is The Shaman, she could still be Tai or a hallucination, and I look forward to finding out!

[optichocolate]

Wally and Roy during/post HiC make me so crazy... they really do care about each other a lot.

Keep in mind, Wally was in a downward spiral the whole book and yet the moment he saw Roy (an alternate version but still) He starts smiling like crazy. And then we he comes back?? Happiest person alive

[trentonsimblr]

Part 1 of 2 (here)

AN: Hello lovelies! Here's a future Rhea scene! It's so long that it will need to be two parts. I'll post part two on Wednesday. For some context: Julien is son of Charlene, Ismene is a member of Shrimpessa's herd of children and Rhea's BFF. Also pictured is Cecelia (Blue Grecian dress) Charlene's daughter, Noel (next to Cecelia) is another member of the herd as well as Cecelia’s Beau, and Isis (talking to Cecelia and Noel) is Noel's twin. The girl next to Violette is her sister, Catherine or “Kat.”

[msweebyness]

Myvan May Special- Myvan Family HC’s

Happy Myvan May everybody! Here’s my first special post! A bunch of headcanons about Mylene and Ivan’s future family! Enjoy! @imsparky2002 @booksrbetterthanpeople @nerdy-chocomallow

Check out part one of this story: https://www.tumblr.com/msweebyness/775462154714365952/weebys-valentines-special-myvan-wedding-hcs

After getting married, they got themselves a small but nice apartment in a quiet neighborhood in Paris, far away from the bustle of the main streets. They quickly found their rhythm in their life together, enjoying being married and supporting each other through each new endeavor.

It was almost four years after their wedding when Mylene noticed that she was feeling a bit ill in the mornings. When she realized her time of the month was also running a bit late, she decided to see if what she thought was happening was happening. And sure enough, the test was positive. She and Ivan were going to have a baby.

Mylene, of course, called Ivan right away, asking him to come home as soon as possible. He did, worried that something might be wrong. But when he arrived at their apartment, she showed him the positive test and they both cried out of pure joy and excitement. They were going to be parents, and they couldn’t wait to meet their baby.

After about a week of talking about what their new situation was going to be like, they decided it was time to tell everybody the great news! First, they invited their parents and siblings to come out for dinner. When they dropped the news, both Galina and Imelda were crying with joy, and Iosif actually teared up himself. Sasha, Jesse and Fred were thrilled as well, and immediately conversations began about what their plan was. Eventually…the conversation drifted to whether they wanted to tell Raúl. Mylene said it was up to Ivan. He decided against it, at least for the time being.

After that, it was time to tell their friends. They managed to find a time to get everybody on video chat. When they dropped the news, it took eight minutes for everyone to stop screaming with excitement and congratulating them. After that came the questions, and by the time the chat ended, Marinette was already designing baby clothes, ideas for names had been tossed around, and plans for a baby shower were already underway.

Mylene’s first pregnancy was a new experience for both her and Ivan, but they worked through it together, taking it day by day. They did all the research they could and talked extensively to their own parents. They both went to every appointment and looked over all the results together. They did all the classes, the Lamaze and new parent seminars. Ivan was extremely protective and attentive during the later months, taking care of everything he possibly could for her. Mylene always says she couldn’t have gotten through it without him.

Before long, the time came around for Mylene’s baby shower. It was a darling little celebration with all her friends. They came over and had the celebration in the little park behind Mylene and Ivan’s apartment. They played the usual games and gave gifts, but mostly just had a fun time catching up with everyone. For the gender reveal, they went with a traditional party popper, and the confetti in it was pink. Ivan actually cried because he was so happy and couldn’t wait to meet his little princess.

As the due date came closer and closer, Ivan and Mylene began to feel the fears that first time parents are bound to experience. Mylene was worried that she wouldn’t know how to be a mother because of being abandoned by her own so young. Ivan was worried that being a terrible father would be genetic with him and his child would end up feeling about him the way he did about Raúl. Eventually, they sat down to have a conversation about what they were thinking and feeling. They talked through everything, ultimately taking around three hours, but they both felt much better and more confident by the end.

Finally, it was time for their baby girl to arrive. On an early morning in June, Mylene had gotten out of bed with Ivan still asleep, when it happened. She shook her husband awake and told him that her water just broke. They immediately got in the car and drove to the hospital, calling their families on the way. Seventeen hours later, she had arrived. Juniper Liliya Bruel, ‘June’ for short. They were both absolutely in love with their daughter, and everyone could see it on their faces. Mylene still says one of her favorite memories was seeing Ivan hold their tiny infant daughter in his huge arms for the first time. He was so gentle and looked at June with so much love that her heart melted.

Having a baby for the first time is a major adjustment, to be sure. They had to work out a routine and learn how to do everything for the first time. It was hard at times and it could be stressful, but they loved their daughter and they loved each other. They found their groove and were incredibly happy with their little family. Both of them hated being away from their baby girl, not wanting to miss a single moment. But soon and painfully enough, it was time for them to be getting back to work. They enrolled June in a local daycare when she was five months old, and it was certainly an adjustment for them. But after a while, they got used to it. Years went by and June started preschool, and then kindergarten. But then things were about to change again.

June had a very strong sense of herself from when she was very young. She was always strongwilled and willing to stand up for people, and she can have a bit of a temper, especially when she feels something is unfair. It’s likely this that gives her the passions for activism that she shares with her parents. But she also has a gentle side, a strong instinct to care for others and to make sure everyone is okay. She’s incredibly organized and driven and is often put in charge of heading up different charity events and activism projects due to her knack for leading people. And when she eventually makes the choice to take up her father’s miraculous as an adult, her strength and determination makes her a formidable force against the evils that still dare to lurk in Paris.

When June was six years old, Mylene began to feel familiar sickness in the mornings and when she took a test, it confirmed it. She and Ivan would be welcoming their second child! They got to go through the whole process again, telling their family and friends, making plans and adjustments for the new addition. But there was an extra step this time around. Telling their daughter. They sat June down and explained to her that their family was going to grow. It took her a minute to understand, but she was ultimately very excited that she was going to be a big sister.

Nine months later, on a cold December night, Hector Frederick Bruel was born. Once again, the whole family came to welcome the new baby. Everyone agrees the highlight of the whole night was seeing June hold her baby brother for the first time, how excited she looked and all of the questions she was asking. Not long after, they brought Hector home and the family settled into the new routine. They ended up moving into a bigger apartment in the same quieter area of Paris because June and Hector would need their own rooms. Just like the last time, it took some adjustment, but the family of four was happy and settling in just fine.

Hector, in many ways, is the opposite of his sister in terms of personality. Despite the size and bulk he inherited from his father, he tends to be very timid and soft-spoken. He doesn’t like confrontation and will try to deescalate situations whenever he can. He’ll carry a friend away from a fight he knows they aren’t ready for. He’s a deeply caring person who always wants everyone around him to be okay. He’s the kind of person to take you aside when he can see you need a minute to catch your breath or to give you a hug he can tell you need. His passion is working with animals and he aspires to be a veterinarian one day.

It’s no secret that the entire family shares a love for the environment. Some of their favorite activities include going camping, doing Seine-side cleanups, planting trees and flowers in the parks of Paris, or just going on hikes on the nature trails outside the city. They’re always doing volunteer work as a family and just helping out the community, that’s ingrained in them as a whole. Of course, they also have the typical family activities, particularly movie nights with their sweet, loving and protective bloodhound, Boz.

Anyone could see that June absolutely loved being a big sister. She was always wanting to help her parents with her brother and would often just sit with him on his playmat and talk to him about whatever she was thinking about at the time. That closeness stayed as they got older, with their relationship remaining solid throughout their lives. June is incredibly protective of her brother and will be the first one to encourage him when there’s something he wants to do. And Hector will always go to June when he needs someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on when he’s had a hard day. They love each other immensely and will always be there for one another.

June is definitely a daddy’s girl, and you can certainly call Hector a mama’s boy. June and Ivan have similar protective natures and seem to be able to communicate without words. She’s always been his princess, and he thinks the world of her. Hector and Mylene have always had a strong connection due to their shared shy and gentle natures. Hector enjoys helping his mom out in the garden and doing knitting projects with her. June loves to help her mother with her various community service projects, and they often attend rallies together. Hector enjoys writing and poetry like his father, and they’ll often spend time in the dining room just writing together. There’s close bonds all throughout.

June is very close with her aunt Sasha, and the two frequently go shopping or to lunch together. Hector is very close with his maternal step-grandmother Imelda. Their quiet personalities complement each other and he enjoys helping her with plant studies. It’s for this reason that he’s also close to his uncle, Jesse, who he often helps out at the theater he manages. June is incredibly close to her paternal grandmother Galina due to their similar strongwilled and protective personalities. They just have an understanding of each other. Iosif is very close with both of them, as they just find him a calming presence to be around. They both loved spending time with Fred because he was the best at telling stories and entertaining them when they were young. June did eventually meet Raúl when she was 19 years old. Ivan wasn’t happy about it, but he knew she had the right to do it for herself. June just wanted to meet him at least once and she decided that was enough.

One of the most important things to have in a family is love, and it’s absolutely plentiful in this family of four. They have each other’s backs no matter what and their personalities seem to compliment each other. There are disagreements from time to time, but they work them out together and that’s what important. That bond of love and understanding that holds a good family together, they have that here, and that’s the bottom line.

A happy, loving family if ever there was one! Leave your thoughts in the comments and reblogs!

[dc-polls]

"That Really Happened?!" DC Comics Tournament Entry #23

Wally Mobius Manhattan West

[ID: Cropped comic panel of Wally West as the Flash but in a blue suit sitting on the Mobius Chair. He has one hand to his head, and the other conjures an image of a house. /END ID]

What Happened?

Alright. So. The Mobius Chair. In post-Flashpoint continuity, the Mobius Chair wasn't made by Metron, but by Mobius the Anti-Monitor (which I have beef with, but will set aside for the time being). So it was already all powerful. Then Metron took it across the multiverse in his pursuit of knowledge, and the chair gained basically all the information that's ever existed in past, present and future, as well as in realities that didn't end up coming to exist. Then one day when some other shit was going down, Wonder Woman lasso'd Metron out of the chair and Batman took it for a while. Then finally Metron got it back and made a deal with Owlman on the moon to give it to him. So at this points it's changed hands a number of times, and all the while has absorbed a shitton of knowledge in the process. Next thing you know, Metron and Owlman are steaming piles of dust. The End. Or is it?

Cut to everyone's favorite, Heroes in Crisis. We're not going to get into all that because it's not the point here, but it matters because it's why Wally was in jail at the start of Flash Forward and was at a pretty low point in his life. But not to worry, the Mobius Chair told (?) Tempus Fuginaut to do some shenanigans to convince Wally to sit on it (and also save his family and this and that, you know how it is). Though reluctant, Wally does decide to sit on the chair. When this happens, he is imbued with ALL the knowledge the chair has absorbed. So like, that's a lot right? Yeah. But what we weren't shown because it was implied, is that Dr. Manhattan was the one who took the chair on the moon, so not only does Wally get everything the chair already had, but ALSO Dr Manhattans powers. Wally immediately becomes blue and starts sitting like the biggest douche in history because I guess that's just what the chair does to people lmao. And he becomes not only the fastest man alive, but also the most knowledgeable and arguably most powerful. He literally fixes the multiverse.

And then it's like "To be continued in Generation Zero" which didn't even get put out because free comic book day got all hecked up due to Covid. But it did get printed in the Flash Forward trade paperback, and idk the Batman Who Laughs shows up, and tbh that's about where I lose steam on this whole thing.

BUT the point is... even though continuity got kind of rewritten, Wally in his infinite ability to transcend reboots, has been hinted at (or maybe even outright said) that he still retains the Mobius Chair/Dr Manhattan knowledge in current times. So that's pretty darn fascinating.

--

Tournament polls will be posted after all entries are up. As always you can find all posts related to the tournament using #dc-polls-trh

[jewelstaite]

Behind the Scenes of Flash Forward

[optichocolate]

Look I know we would colectively love to forget HiC ever existed, but there is just so much angst potential that I think we haven't fully explored yet. Yes, it was executed HORRIBLY AND I HATED DC SO MUCH- but also, I think it could do for a lot of introspection about the characters. The idea of superheroes getting therapy (which you'd think is a must...) and dealing with it all in different ways? What I would give for some well-written emotional talks.

I also think it would be cool to analyze the events that followed. It's so obvious that even Dc writers realized they screwed up. Many different people retconned it to the point where nobody even died, but the events still happened. This could have been a huge wake-up call for the superhero community about how maybe these coping mechanisms were no not be the best... And also Wally especifically could have had been a bit more impacted by these revelations. Not to say he wasn't fazed at all though, he may not have killed everyone, but he did have to deal with the guilt and all that jazz.

[ask-digimon-hunters]

The digivolution line for Kai’s hackmon:

[trentonsimblr]

Part 2 of 2 (part 1 here)

Julien lied by omission when he told Rhea his mother approved of the engagement to Violette. When he approached Charlene for her approval to propose, she was gave him an ultimatum. She knew he was still seeing Rhea and that he had real feelings for her. Charlene told him that if he wanted to propose to Violette, he needed to end things with Rhea. Having been in Violette’s shoes, Charlene didn’t want to trap the poor girl in a one sided marriage and offered Julien another option. Charlene gave Julien permission to propose to Rhea if that was what his heart wanted. When Julien offered to get down on one knee and ask Rhea to marry him, he has his mother’s full support. Julien would have married Rhea in a heartbeat if she had said yes. Rhea wanted to say yes, she didn’t want to lose Julien but couldn’t bind herself to someone, she was afraid of being trapped in a loveless marriage. 😞

AN: Thank you for humoring me as i procrastinate working on the next few scenes of chapter 6! I may circle back to Rhea from time to time. It’s been fun to work through the Rhea/Julien/Violette relationships and there’s a lot more to their story that I’ll probably, more like never, get to.

[evilhorse]

“Delta Force” sounds like a movie your grandfather makes you watch to convince you you’re straight.

(Wonder Woman #5)

[lfthinkerwrites]

First Contact

As requested, the winning oneshot

By the time she was set up at her terminal, Barbara was caught up to speed. The situation was dire, to put it mildly.

Protocol Ten would be unleashed in five hours. Helena and Kate were stationed in Crime Alley, helping the people Anarky’s group were breaking out of Arkham City. Nigma was alive and was leading Bruce on some wild goose chase in the prison camp. Bruce had been infected by Joker’s blood. Tim and Dr. Young were en route to Wayne Manor to begin synthesizing a cure. Reports were starting to come in from hospitals that people were becoming infected by Joker’s blood.

Worst of all, she couldn’t contact Dick, Cassandra, Jason, or Damian. All four were dark. Stephanie was on her way to their last known location, while Bruce continued whatever scheme he was cooking up with Nigma. If they’d been captured though…

“Nightwing,” she spoke into her communicator. “Black Bat. Robin. Red Hood. If any of you can hear this, please respond.” There was no sound. “Batgirl?” Stephanie tried to respond, but through the static Barbara could only vaguely pick up that TYGER had a hammer set up. She’d need to take it out.

Barbara slammed her hands down. “Can anyone hear me!?”

There was a rustling noise in her headphones, and Barbara’s heart lifted. Then a clear voice responded, one she didn’t recognize. “Uh…hi?”

Barbara frowned. “Who is this?”

“Yeah, we haven’t met,” the voice responded. It was a high-pitched voice, either a woman’s or a young boy’s. “I’m Enigma.”

The shock almost knocked Barbara back. “Enigma? You’re Nigma’s kid? How did you get this frequency!?”

“Steph gave it to me before she and the others went down into Arkham City. You’re Babs, aren’t you? I’ve heard Hood talking to you before. Or should I call you Barbara?”

She didn’t have time to unpack all of the implications of that sentence. “Where are you right now? Crime Alley?”

The next words the girl said were spoken in a rush. “No. I mean, I was, but Red Robin came back up and went off with Doc, I mean Dr. Young, so I went down-“

“Excuse me?” Barbara interrupted. “You went down? Down where?”

There was only a slight hesitation before the girl responded. “I’m in the subways. I’m heading into Arkham City.”

Oh Jesus God almighty. “Absolutely not,” Barbara ordered. “Turn around right now.”

“No offense, but you’re not my boss,” Enigma answered. “I’m not going back up.”

Barbara wanted to scream. “Listen to me very carefully,” she said. “You are going into an active war zone. People are dying down there.”

“And?” The girl answered, masking her obvious fear with an insolent tone.

"Do you think this is a game!?" Barbara shouted. "I'm not wasting my time babysitting you when I have people I care about down there!"

"Who the fuck asked you to?" the girl responded. "You fucking Bats, I swear to Christ. You think you're the only person who has people they love in Arkham City? My father is down here! Stephanie is down here! Hood is down here! As long as they're here, so am I!"

In the top right drawer of the desk in her living room, Barbara kept a purple stress ball that Steph had bought for her. If she had it in her hands now, she'd pop it. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm. A shouting match now could give away the girl's position, and she wouldn't let her die. "Enigma," she breathed out. "Ellen. Listen to me-"

"No," the girl interrupted. "You listen. I'm not asking for your permission to be down here. I don't have anything to prove to you. I'm here to find Stephanie and help her and the others. Either help me or get out of my way."

Barbara was silent, processing the girl's ego and the words she'd said. Stephanie? She was here for Stephanie? Not her father? She rubbed her chin. Was this girl really who Steph and Cass thought she was? Barbara looked to her monitor. She could send Helena down to get the girl out. She should, but that would take a vital resource away from Leslie. Ted, Alan, and Orpheus were busy in Gotham City, fighting off TYGER forces. By the time she could send anyone, Enigma would be long gone.

"Barbara? Are you still there?"

The woman who had been Batgirl sighed. "Ellen," she said softly. "If you die-"

"What, Dad will freak out?" Her tone shifted. "If I die, worry about Steph."

There was a wistfulness in her tone that Barbara picked up on. "You really care about her, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Enigma answered. "She's my friend." There was so much unsaid in those few words. How old was Ellen? Only 17, right? And yet, here she was. Tim had been wary of her, he'd been convinced that she'd turn on them, and Barbara had agreed, but here this girl was. Even after Jason. Even after what she and Bruce had almost done to her father. She loved Stephanie so much she'd followed her into Hell on Earth.

Barbara could never bring herself to trust the father. Maybe, maybe, she could trust the daughter.

"Barbara?"

Time to make a decision. "Stay where you are," Barbara ordered. "I'll contact Stephanie and have her meet you. When she gets there, I need you two to find Nightwing, Black Bat, Robin and Red Hood." God, Nigma, Cassandra, and Steph forgive her. "Where exactly are you?"

"I'm down-hold up." Barbara heard fabric rustling and a few quick puffs of breath. "Sorry," Enigma answered in a whisper. "Had to get out of sight. I saw a few TYGER guards. I think they must have a holding cell down here. I heard them talking about prisoners."

Barbara had picked up the signal Enigma's communicator was giving off and had her pinged down in the shuttered blue line station in the Bowery. Jesus, she'd gotten further than she'd thought. "You're not that far from the Arkham City processing center," she said. "What kind of equipment do you have?"

"Five smoke bombs, explosive gel, four flash bang grenades, my tonfa, and two butterfly knives." Barbara raised an eyebrow. Jason hadn't neglected arming her at least. "I'm gonna need more than that if I'm gonna break out the prisoners."

"You're not breaking out anybody," Barbara said sternly. "Stay hidden until Steph gets to you. The two of you together might stand a chance." Maybe. She had no idea what Ellen's skill set was. If she'd survived with Jason as long as she had, she couldn't be useless, but she was a blank slate. "How many guards do you see?"

"Just the two. They're going through someone's stuff now: wait."

"What?"

"What is that, a bandolier?" the girl asked, more to herself. "Are those-" She made a noise that sounded like stifled laughter. "No way. No Goddamn way."

"What?" Barbara asked again peevishly. "What is going on down there? Is it your father?"

"No," the girl answered. "Sorry Barbara, but I have to go dark for a few minutes. I'll check back in when I can. Enigma out!"

"Ellen, wait!" There was no response. Barbara rubbed her hands down her face. She wasn't looking forward to explaining this to Stephanie.

It was almost twenty minutes, and one screaming match with Stephanie later before a voice crackled from her speakers. "Hey Dad!"

"Enigma?" Barbara asked. "Where have you been!?"

"Lay off, Old Man," she said, louder than she'd spoken in their previous conversation. "Dad, you're never gonna guess who I found down here!"

Barbara arched an eyebrow. Who had she found? Why was Enigma calling her 'Dad'? "What's going on? Who's with you right now?"

"It's your old buddy, Digger Harkness!"

Barbara's jaw dropped. Harkness was in Arkham City!? When had he been transferred-he hadn't been. Strange had taken care not to import any criminals from outside Gotham. Waller had sent him here. And if Harkness was here, Lawton, possibly Flag, and who knew how many others may be lurking in Arkham City. Enigma had no idea just what she'd stepped in-

Barbara's stomach lurched. Ellen was alone with Digger Harkness. "Enigma," she said slowly. "Can he hear me?"

"Nah."

"You know who he is, right?"

"Yeah," Ellen answered. "I do."

"You know that he's a killer."

Ellen's next answer chilled her to the bone. "So am I."

A painfully familiar voice could just be heard. "Wot are you blabbin' on about!? Where's yer old man?"

"Settle down, 'Uncle' Digger," Ellen sassed. 'Uncle' Digger? What had happened while Ellen had been out of contact? "Dad's telling me where to go."

Now Barbara understood. At least, she thought she did. Ellen was either a very smart girl or she was very dumb. She took a quick glance up at the monitor. Stephanie was almost at Ellen's location. Ellen could keep Harkness distracted, Steph could blitz him, and the pair could interrogate him, figure out what Waller was up to-

Wait. Where was the rest of the Squad? They may not be too far. They may be lying in wait, watching what was happening. Barbara had no idea who else Waller had sent. There was no way Ellen could know about Task Force X, at least as far as Barbara knew, but she had to wonder if the girl knew, or at least suspected that Harkness wasn't alone.

"Ellen," she said finally. "What are you thinking?"

"Sorry, what was that Dad?" Ellen asked. "Where did you say you wanted me to go?"

Ellen wanted her to send them somewhere. Where?

Then she understood. Barbara smirked. Harkness and the Squad had no idea what they were in for. "The last location I had for Nightwing, Red Hood, Black Bat, and Robin at was outside Amusement Mile. Go back the way you came, then head north. I'll update you along the way."

"Got it. We'll see you there. Thanks, Dad."

"Oi!" Harkness' voice called out. "Let me talk to yer Old Man."

Barbara heard Ellen swallow hard. Didn't think this through, did you? "You want to talk him? About what? You want to bitch at him about what happened in Keystone some more?" Barbara felt the urge to slap her forehead. Careful, kid, careful! Mindboggler's fate was vivid in her mind.

"Mebbe I want to make sure you ain't tryin' to pull something, ranga." Barbara frantically began to type a command on her keyboard. Voice modulator. Voice sample. Edward Nigma. "Put 'im on, now!"

"It's alright, Enigma," Barbara said. "Put him on."

She could hear the girl take a breath, then a rustling sound. "Just don't stick it in your ear, you nasty old fuck!"

Harkness' voice was louder now. "Watch yer language! Oi, Ed! You there?"

Barbara pressed the command key on the voice modulator and spoke back in the brassy tone of Edward Nigma. "Digger Harkness! What a surprise! What exactly are you doing in Arkham City?"

"Never mind what I'm doing here," Harkness said. "What are you doin' lettin' yer boy runnin' around a prison camp? You outta be ashamed of yerself! That's some shoddy parenting, mate!"

Harkness calling Nigma out for being a bad parent? That was rich. Also, he seemed to be under the impression Ellen was a boy. Best not to correct him. "Yes, well, he is a rather willful little thing."

"And another thing! You need to teach 'im some bloody manners! If he were anyone else's kid, I'd beat some into 'im! He stole three of my 'rangs!"

And now Ellen had three of Captain Boomerang's weapons. Terrific. Barbara checked the monitor. Stephanie was maybe two minutes off. "Yes, I will be speaking with him about that. What can I say? He is my child, after all. My only child. I'd appreciate it if you helped keep him in one piece."

There was a snide chuckle. "Well now, that depends on you, now don't it?"

Barbara's eyes narrowed. Oh, you want to play that game, Harkness? Alright. Let's play. Now, which card? She wasn't sure what if anything Nigma knew or remembered about Task Force X. Given that they were officially disbanded, it was possible Harkness didn't have a bomb implanted in him.

Besides, Nigma was a petty son of a bitch. Threaten his child? He'd respond in kind. "Tell me, Digger," she said casually, as if Nigma was trying to pick something off a menu. "Have you heard from your son lately? Owen, right?"

All of Harkness' confidence seemed to disappear. "Y-you know about Owen?"

Barbara chuckled. "I make it my business to keep up with Rogues, in and out of Gotham. When I heard there was a new Captain Boomerang running amok, I just had to look into it. He's what, 18? 19?"

"Oi," Harkness warned in a low growl. "Don't talk about me boy, Ed."

"But it's alright for you to threaten mine?" Barbara asked, lowering her voice. "I've killed people for less than what you just said. Now you listen very carefully to me, Digger. I've given my son my location. You are to escort him to me safely. Then we can discuss whatever it is that you want to discuss. If anything, anything happens to him, even if it isn't your fault, I'm holding your son responsible for it. I may be here in Arkham City, but I can make his life so miserable, and there won't be a thing you can do about it-"

"Alright!" Harkness interrupted. "You win! I'll bring yer boy to ya! No need to get aggro! Here, talk to yer boy again!"

There was a rustling sound, and then, much to Barbara's relief, she heard Enigma's voice. "What did you say to Captain Fuckface? He looks like he's about to shit himself!"

Barbara switched off the modulator before responding. "You don't want to know," she said. She looked back up to the monitor. Stephanie was right above where Enigma's signal was coming from, and she was trying to raise her. "You need to get going before anything else happens. Stephanie's at your location."

"Yeah, I saw her," Enigma whispered. "I waved her off, but she looks so pissed."

"Yeah, I bet she is," Barbara said. "I'll fill her in and have her tail you. Start heading towards Amusement Mile. Watch your back, but don't let on that you suspect anything. Ellen, whatever you do, don't take your eyes off of Harkness. Keep him in front of you if you can."

"I got it. Barbara? Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet, kid," Barbara sighed. "You still need to survive this."

[raurquiz]

#HappyBirthday @johnthecho #johncho #actor #sulu #startrek #intodarkness #StarTrekBeyond #betterlucktomorrow #americanwedding #haroldandkumar #west32nd #nickandnorahsinfiniteplaylist #TotalRecall #columbus #Gemini #thegrudge #ghosted #TheGraduates #offcentre #AmericanDad #flashforward #SleepyHollow #TheExorcist #TheTwilightZone #CowboyBebop #thesympathizer #startrek57 @startrek @startrekonpplus @streammaxla