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superfam · 2 years

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THE SUPERMAN STARTER READING LIST

SO – you want to read Superman comics, but you’re intimidated by the near-century of history this character has. Or, you’ve read a few comics with him, but you want to go back to the basics to understand his character and the mythology surrounding him. There are so many continuities, origin stories, and standalones – where do you start? Well…

[Image ID: a cropped edit of the Superman ‘78 #3 variant cover by Lee Weeks, showing Lois Lane sitting on the letters of the Daily Planet globe, and Clark flying above her in his Superman costume, reaching out to take her hand. Hand-written next to them is: "THE SUPERMAN STARTER READING LIST", and hand-written in the bottom right corner is: "by MYTHIC / superfam.tumblr.com". End ID.]

This list isn’t intended to be a full, comprehensive guide to Superman’s decades of history, but a curated taster of Clark Kent in the comics medium. It aims to show you a variety of interpretations from different authors of different contexts, but with the broad goal of helping newcomers understand the heart of the character. Not every comic is able to sum up all aspects of Superman, and some could be argued to miss certain points, but each one has been selected for this list for the goal of conveying the history and breadth of his interpretations.

It’s intended to be accessible to both long-dedicated comics fans and people who are new to the DC universe, or even the medium as a whole. As such, new fans are welcome to enjoy each story as a standalone interpretation.

Please understand that this list is built from my own experience with the character, and I don’t claim it to be better or worse than any other – it’s just one way to approach his history. Essentially, I’m attempting to create the sort of list I wish I had access to when first reading Superman comics. I highly encourage the reader to form their own interpretations of each work.

With all that out of the way, please enjoy!

[Image ID: An edit of Gary Frank's artwork from Superman: Secret Origin. A slightly battered Clark in his Superman outfit embraces Jimmy with his right arm and Lois with his left. All three are smiling. The background, which depicts a disaster scene and a defeated Lex Luthor chained to a building, is covered in a translucent blue overlay. Hand-written next to Clark is: "ORIGINS". End ID.]

SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #1-6 (2009-2010) Geoff Johns & Gary Frank

Just a couple years before the 2011 reboot of the DC Universe, a new definitive origin story was created for a Superman post-Infinite Crisis (a major event which had changed the status quo of the multiverse).

Secret Origin is only six issues long, and a great, efficient introduction to Clark Kent and Superman. It focuses on telling Clark’s origins from his own perspective, as a hero but also simply as a person. It also does a good job of setting up important supporting characters including Lois, Jimmy, Perry, and Lex.

SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT #1-12 (2003-2004) Mark Waid, Leinil Francis Yu & Gerry Alanguilan

Though replaced by Secret Origin only a few years later, Birthright was written as the definitive origin story to overwrite Byrne’s 1986 reboot of the character. It was intended to bring Superman into the new century, and be more consistent with his modern interpretations. It is also influenced by the popularity of the TV series Smallville.

Birthright is longer and covers aspects of the Superman mythos in further depth, including dynamics between Clark, Lex, and the city of Metropolis, kryptonite, and Krypton in general. Due to its extended length, it also covers more on Clark’s relationship with his powers and heritage.

I highly recommend reading both modern preboot origins to experience different interpretations with different influences and intentions, even only a few years apart.

[Image ID: An edit of Tim Sale's artwork from Superman: For All Seasons. On the right, Clark lies on his bed, looking to the left with a wistful expression and with a hand on his dog curled up next to him. The background, which is his cluttered bedroom in Smallville, is overlaid with translucent grey. Hand-written to the left of Clark is: "INTROSPECTION". End ID.]

SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN #1-3 (2019) Gene Luen Yang & Gurihiru

This standalone story is set in 1946, and primarily draws upon the Golden and Silver Ages as inspiration. It’s an adaptation of an episode of The Adventures of Superman radio series, “The Clan of the Fiery Cross”, which famously dealt a major hit to the KKK’s operations in America by influencing public perceptions.

The story follows Clark as well as siblings Roberta and Tommy, two Chinese-American kids who have recently moved to the Metropolis suburbs, as they uncover and fight a local chapter of the KKK. The story explores themes of immigrant identity and self-acceptance in Clark and the kids’ narratives – it presents important concepts from Superman’s history, straight from the heart of his character, in a really effective way.

SUPERMAN: FOR ALL SEASONS #1-4 (1998) Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale

This miniseries has four issues, each corresponding to a season and narrated by an important person in Clark’s life (in order: Jonathan ‘Pa’ Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Lana Lang). Tim Sale’s beautifully detailed and expressive art captures the complex emotions drawn out by having your life touched by Clark Kent, which works really well with the personal, confessional style of the narration. It’s a very intimate work.

It’s a great insight into both the triumphs and very personal struggles of Clark through the inner voices of some of the most important people in his life, and captures what makes his character work really well.

FOR THE MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING (SUPERMAN (1939) ANNUAL #11) (1985) Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

This is a single-issue annual from right before the DC universe was rebooted, and (unsurprisingly for Moore) explores some philosophical and ideological questions regarding the Man of Steel. On his ‘birthday’, Superman falls prey to an alien organism called The Black Mercy, which feeds on its victims while keeping them complacent with vivid hallucinations of their greatest desires. Clark hallucinates a still-living Krypton, which he is a part of – but perhaps not everything is perfect.

SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC (ACTION COMICS #866-870) (2008) Geoff Johns & Gary Frank

Before retelling Superman’s beginnings in Secret Origin, Johns and Frank collaborated on this story arc which massively changes the status quo, partially by reintroducing a variety of pre-Crisis concepts including the original Brainiac and the bottled city Kandor. If you liked Secret Origin, you’ll probably like this one.

As this is our first story arc rather than self-contained story, it has more references to the ongoing continuity but is still easy enough to understand without that context. This story also prominently features Kara Zor-El as Supergirl and expands on some cosmic lore and Krypton in general.

SUPERMAN: UP IN THE SKY #1-6 (2019-2020) Tom King & Andy Kubert

This is an accessible, self-contained exploration of the extent of Superman’s moral fibre, following Clark as he attempts to save a single girl who was abducted from Earth and taken into space. It’s quite abstract at points with the questions it asks about themes of compassion and commitment, which I think is conveyed particularly well in the panelling and artwork.

[Image ID: An edit of Frank Quitely's artwork from All Star Superman. Clark in his Superman outfit is flying with his arms outstretched. The top half of his face is cut off. The background is an abstract depiction of the heart of the sun, and has been overlaid with a translucent orange. Handwritten beneath Clark is: "INTERPRETING AND RE-INTERPRETING". End ID.]

THE K-METAL FROM KRYPTON (drafted 1940, restored 2004-2011) Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster Studio

The K-Metal from Krypton is an unpublished and unfinished comic from 1940, written by Superman creator Jerry Siegel, and drafted by the studio of the other Superman creator, Joe Shuster. After being lost for decades, the story has slowly been recovered and restored by Superman fans.

Though this one is much more unconventional than the other items on the list, I think it’s extremely important to Superman’s history and generally understanding him as a character. It comes from a time when creative control of their character was being taken from Siegel and Shuster, and though it is unknown why this story was unpublished, that’s a major point of context to keep in mind.

This draft sets up the predecessor to kryptonite in the Superman comics – “K-Metal” – and also contains a scene where Clark reveals his identity to Lois, and they agree to be partners in helping others. This is a major departure from the status quo of Clark keeping his secret from Lois as she tries to uncover it, which would continue for the rest of the Golden and Silver Ages.

The restoration effort can be read online: http://theages.superman.nu/k-metal/splash.php

THE MAN OF STEEL #1-6 (1986) John Byrne & Dick Giordano

This limited series is the immediate post-Crisis origin story and reinvention of Superman. It wasn’t put in the Origins section because I think from a modern perspective it shouldn’t be an introduction to Clark, but rather something you read to understand the history of his character.

It originated major changes in the Superman mythology, some of which have become instilled in it (such as Lex Luthor and Lois Lane’s modern characterisations), and others which have been forgotten or discarded.

One major thing is the great effort this origin made to make Clark American over being Kryptonian… Byrne has expressed great distaste of portrayals of Superman which emphasise his immigrant identity, and that should be kept in mind while critically reading this work.

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #1-12 (2005-2008) Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely

Arguably the most critically acclaimed Superman comic, this has been saved for late in the list as I believe it’s enhanced with more context of and experience with Clark. This is a series which explores the nature of storytelling and legacy, which was created with the aim of creating a timeless Superman story.

When Superman learns he will soon die, what does he reflect on? What does he change? This is heavily inspired by, and is a love letter to, Silver Age Superman.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW? (SUPERMAN #423 & ACTION COMICS #583) (1986) Alan Moore, Curt Swan & George Pérez

Written in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths, this is another story about Superman ‘dying’, and is essentially a great mediation on and send-off to the Silver Age incarnation of the character. It refers to itself as an “imaginary” story, and can be seen as one concrete ending for this version of Clark Kent and the rest of the Superman characters, in a medium with few.

It can be found in a collection with For the Man Who Has Everything.

SUPERMAN: RED AND BLUE #1-6 (2021) Various

To finish off our starter reading list, let’s move from Superman’s end to his future. This is an anthology of short stories from various authors and artists, exploring a spread of visions of the Man of Tomorrow.

I think it’s an appropriate end for this starter exploration of Clark Kent’s many interpretations! As with all anthologies, it has its ups and downs in quality, but as a whole I truly believe it captures the heart of this character.

Thank you for reading all this way. I really hope this reading list helps you delve into the character of Superman and inspires you to read further beyond what I’ve suggested here.

Most of all, I hope it helps at least some people grow to love Clark Kent as much as I have.

A PDF version of this reading list is available here.

#it is finally here #my stupid 1600 word reading list #if you requested suggestions then this is your fault lmao #i put all my love of clark into this #i hope its useful #and feel free to send asks with any questions i will be happy to expand #took a long time to edit my ramblings down to this stage lmao #original #reading list #supers #kal #my writing #clark kent #superman #dc #dc reading list #superman reading list #the superman starter reading list

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usafphantom2 · 19 days

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The Story Of The Soviet Pilot Who Defected To Japan With A Secretive MiG-25 Foxbat

September 6, 2016 Military Aviation, Military History, Russia, Troubled Areas

Image credit: Alex Beltyukov

OTD in 1976, Viktor Belenko, “stole” a MiG-25 and landed in Japan.

The then Lieutenant Belenko was a pilot with the 513th Fighter Regiment, 11th Air Army, based in Chuguyevka, Primorsky Krai, in the east of the country. When he brought his MiG-25 “Foxbat” to Hakodate he gave the Western intelligence officers the opportunity to give a first close look at one of the most secretive airplanes of those years: a supersonic interceptor featuring a powerful radar, four air-to-air missiles and a top speed above Mach 3.

In order to assist the American experts in evaluating the aircraft, Belenko brought with him the pilot’s manual for the MiG-25 “Foxbat”, expecting to assist American pilots in evaluating and testing the aircraft. Even if the Japanese government didn’t originally give full access to the plane, the Americans were later invited to examine the aircraft extensively: the MiG was dismantled for such purpose and later returned to the Soviet Union.

In his “MiG pilot” book (1983) John Barron claims that Viktor Belenko’s defection was completely voluntary and was the result of Belenko’s distrust on communist regime.

The MiG was delivered to Japan without the missiles, which were to be introduced in the Belenko’s training later on. The mission was launched earlier than initially planned, because the KGB was about to stop Viktor Ivanovich Belenko from defection.

Although pilot defections during the Cold War were not a rarity, what made Belenko’s defection unique was the fact that the MiG-25 was largely unknown in the West. This is the main point to bear in mind when thinking about Belenko and, unfortunately, this fact is often forgotten.

The ideological background for the events which took place in 1976 is deeply rooted in the beginnings of the post-war period. As the Cold War was in progress there were many incidents and crises which closely led to a confrontation between the two superpowers. One of these events was Francis Gary Powers’s U-2 spy flight on of May 1, 1960.

Power’s U-2 took off from USAF Peshawar Air Base in Pakistan for a GRAND SLAM mission, to investigate the Soviet missile and plutonium production plants. Targets were Sverdlovsk, Plesetsk (ICBM sites) and Mayak – a plutonium plant.

The U-2 was a plane designed to fly well above the Soviet air defense Surface to Air Missile systems. Its operational ceiling was out of the range of the Soviet interceptors and missiles but Powers’ flight was expected, all of the units and surface-to-air defenses were put on alert. The MiG pilots were ordered to ram the aircraft if necessary. The U-2 was eventually shot down by an S-75 Dvina missile near Degtayrsk in the Ural region. Because of high g-force Powers had no chance of reaching the airplane’s self-destruction button and had to eject.

What is interesting is the fact that SAM crews did not know that the plane had already been shot down because the MiGs’ IFF transponders were not updated (May 1st is a national holiday), therefore several Soviet aircraft were also shot down by S-75 rockets.

The political consequences of the spy flight were severe.

Shortly after the incident the Americans created a cover up story for Powers’ failure. NASA had announced in a very specific press release that the pilot, having lost consciousness due to the problems with the oxygen equipment, had strayed into the Soviet territory with his autopilot engaged while carrying out a weather flight.

On May 7, Khrushchev announced that Powers had survived the crash and, nine days later, on May 16, 1960, during a Four Powers Paris Summit meeting with Harald MacMillan, Charles de Gaulle and Dwight Eisenhower he called the U-2 incident an act of a “deliberate aggression.”

Eisenhower refused to apologize for the incident, claiming that the U-2 flight was not of aggressive nature, having only a purpose of ensuring US safety. The meeting collapsed. At the time, Eisenhower was a proponent of so-called Open-Sky Policy, according to which both sides would allow for reciprocal reconnaissance flights over their territories. Khrushchev did not agree. Powers was sentenced to 7 years of hard labor in a Gulag, but he was exchanged for a Russian spy Rudolf Abel on the famous Glinecke Bridge in Potsdam, connecting West and East Germany.

Gary Powers incident sparked the development of the American Oxcart programme, with the goal to design the SR-71 spy plane, which in addition to flying high, also flew very fast, out of the range of the Soviet missiles’ operational envelope.

What is more, a D-21 drone reconnaissance system was developed, to be carried by SR-71 as a parasite. The drone would be dropped, fly over the Soviet Union, return over the Pacific and drop the reconnaissance materials on a parachute.

Both these designs led to the development of a Soviet countermeasure – the MiG-25, known in NATO code as the Foxbat.

MiG-25 take off

The main reason for the importance of Belenko‘s defection cannot be understood without going deeper in the aviation context of the event. The Cold War was the time when both sides used the nuclear armament as a psychological weapon. Therefore ways to deliver warheads were some of the priorities in the development in the field of military industry.

One of the ways to deliver warhead to its target was to use the strategic bomber. The bombers in the US – the B-52s – were subsonic, and could have been easily intercepted by the MiG-21, which was capable of reaching speeds of Mach number up to Mach 2 and altitudes of 60,000 feet.

Problems began to emerge when the B-58 Hustler was designed. This plane was capable of flying with the same level of performance as any MiG-21, which for the Soviet designers meant they had to look for a better countermeasure.

The Strategic Air Command of the United States Air Force at the time was into creating a nuclear-powered bomber of infinite range. The project had been dropped in 1964 when North American aviation announced that it could build a bomber capable of attaining speeds of Mach 3 throughout the entire length of its mission.

Secondly, after the failure of U-2 spy plane, launched the Oxcart program, which lead to the development of Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft, SR-71.

That put the Moscow designers on alert, and an assignment was given to the design bureaus of MiG (Mikoyan and Gurevich) and Sukhoi to develop a countermeasure.

The surface-to-air missiles were considered insufficient. The aim was to develop a single-seat interceptor capable of attaining extremely high speeds and altitudes.

New problems for the Soviet scientists emerged, such as thermodynamic heating, leading to immense development of the Moscow research institute, TsAGI – transliteration of the Russian abbreviation which stands for Центра́льный аэрогидродинами́ческий институ́т (ЦАГИ) – Central Aero-Hydrodynamic Institute. Mikhail Gurevich was the leader of the MiG-25 project.

According to Discovery Channel’s TV series Wings of the Red Star many Western experts argue that the Foxbat was inspired by the North American Aviation A-5 Vigilante. The design programme for MiG-25 was founded in 1958. The basic design of E-155 which later became MiG-25 was the work of Artion Mikoyan.

The E-155, the prototype of what was to become Foxbat was propelled by two large turbojet engines designed by Tumansky. The prototype itself was designed in the period of 1961-1962.

No aluminum, so popular in the West at the time, was used for construction. Steel and nickel alloys were used instead, with limited use of titanium on leading edges and places where heat loads were expected to be high.

The aircraft had to be light, to that extent that weight was traded for strength. The G-load it could withstand was only 5 g, two times less than other fighters which were designed to fight in close combat.

The maiden flight of E-155 was made by famous MiG test pilot, Alexander Fedotov on May 1, 1964.

The MiG-25’s mission as an interceptor required development of fire control system which would be able to work at the speeds the plane could reach.

The radar on the plane, RP-25 Smerch, designated in the NATO nomenclature as Foxfire, 1,100 pounds in weight, was the largest device of this type at the time. According to Barron, the radar was very powerful (600 kilowatts), as

“[Belenko] also dared not touch the radar switch because the impulses from the MiG-25 radar were so powerful, they could kill a rabbit at a thousand meters. Hence, it was a crime to activate the radar on the ground.”

Its purpose was to burn through any jamming systems known at the time and to provide a stable lock-on allowing the pilot to use the air-to-air missiles that Foxbat was carrying.

Also in May of 1964 the XB-70 aircraft was made a research airplane, and presented to the public in Palmdale, California, after being canceled three times (in 1959, 1960 and in 1961). At same time, the U-2 missions were still a danger, so as the SR-71, US Air Force ultimate Mach 3 spy plane. For these reasons the development of Foxbat was not canceled.

Mikoyan left his design bureau in March 1964 for health reasons. Never had he an opportunity to see the MiG-25 enter service dying in December from the heart attack.

In March 1965 the first public announcements of the plane’s performance were made, which was that it completed 150 kilometers closed circuit flight at the speed of 1,400 miles per hour.

The Foxbat made its first public appearance at the airshow organized in connection with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution on Jul. 9, 1967 on the Domodedovo airfield. When three MiG-25s appeared in the sky the show announcer referred to them as “Interceptors capable of Mach 3”.

Both the Western experts and Russians were puzzled, as even in the Soviet Russia there was almost no information about the MiG-25 available to the public whatsoever, up until 1972.

Mig-25 side takeoff

Besides being an interceptor, the Mig-25 was also a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft. It was operated in the conditions of direct radio communication with the ground and was capable of taking photographs of whole United Kingdom within one flight.

The West had an opportunity to see what the aircraft was capable of in a proxy war between Israel and Egypt.

Four MiGs, referred to as X-500, were shipped to Egypt in fall 1971. The Egyptians were forbidden to come close to them, and even though the aircraft had Egyptian markings, they were flown by Soviet pilots and serviced by Soviet crews.

When one of the Israeli F-4 Phantom fighters tried to intercept the MiG reconnaissance aircraft at Mach 2,5, the MiG simply accelerated to Mach 3.2 and disappeared.

The MiG-25 engines were capable of producing 12,500 kG each. The design assumptions of the construction were not to create a good close combat fighter, but to propel it throughout the airspace as fast as possible.

In the late 1960s the USA developed the F-15 which was a fruit of the vague understanding of what MiG-25 was. That understanding was based on the speed and altitude records Foxbat had broken (see below).

The Western experts assumed that it was faster in straight line than expected. They also thought that it was made of lightweight, modern composite materials and that it was powered by modern turbofan engines. It was also believed to have a long-range and good close air combat capabilities.

As a result of that, American engineers designed the ultimate fighter jet, which was very complex, and due to that – quite costly. In the beginning of its existence it broke many of the climb records established earlier by hte Foxbat.

It was late 1972 when F-15 entered service, and it was long until 1976 for the MiG to remain a mystery.

On Sept. 6, 1976, when Viktor Belenko defected taking off from the Sokolovka airbase and landing in Japan, the Western perception of Foxbat changed.

It turned out that the airplane was heavier and simpler in construction than expected, hence it had shorter range. It was far from being a close combat jet with its rugged construction. It also had very poor low-speed capabilities.

As Peter Ustinov of the Wings of the Red Star TV series summarizes: “MiG-25 was indeed an extraordinary machine, but not the one the West had imagined.”

Nevertheless the simplicity of Foxbat could not stop it from breaking many world records, nor could the Americans at the time.

MiG-25 front left

The prototypes were made lighter and their purpose was to break several records. As it is stated in the classification of FAI (International Aeronautical Federation), Foxbat belonged to the category C1 (III) which specifies jet powered aircraft with unlimited take-off weight.

The records broken by Foxbat were of various nature.

They included: speed record on a 1,000 km circuit by chief MiG test pilot Alexander Fedotov: 2319,12 km/h on Mar. 16, 1965; the Foxbat broke several time-to-height records, for example climbing to 20,000 m in 2 minutes 49,8 seconds. The MiG-25 also set several absolute world records that still stand. Absolute world altitude records with 1,000 kg payload, and without payload: 35,230 m and 36,240 m respectively were also set.

Air-to-air_left_side_view_of_a_Soviet_MiG-25_Foxbat-E_aircraft

As already explained, the West had almost no knowledge of MiG-25 whatsoever until 1971, and very poor knowledge by September 1976 when Belenko defected.

It was a great surprise, and present for the Western experts when Belenko flew a brand new MiG-25 to a Japanese airfield.

At first the Soviet officers at Sokolovka airbase, where Belenko was stationed, thought that it was navigation systems problem that occurred and lead to the event. The defection, however, was preplanned and premeditated.

Several authors say that Belenko, had been an aviation enthusiast from his earliest childhood.

He received his flight training in order to become a flying instructor and devoted most of his time to learning and perfecting his flying craftsmanship.

He got a job as an instructor in Amarvir Pilot School, flying Sukhoi Su-15 planes, always being a top notch airman. It was in the beginning of the 1970s when he heard about a MiG-25 for the first time.

Almost immediately, wanting to learn about the new plane, he asked for transfer to flight training on Foxbat in 1972. The unit he applied to was Rostov, near Iran, but he was soon moved to the far east, to Sokolovka, the 530th Fighter Regiment.

The permission for transfer given by the commander being an exception in those times was justified with the Belenko’s great interest in the modern air technology. His records were flawless, so he was selected, and he was appointed a party secretary of the squadron.

Belenko’s training program progressed without any trouble. After the individual flights program ended the group flights began. The group flights started at the end of August and were to be conducted for one month.

On Sept. 6, 1976 Belenko walked his child to the kindergarten and went to the base to fly.

The weather conditions were good for flying – the cloudiness was of about 7/10 with the lower cloud surface at 1,500-2,000 meters and upper at 5,000 meters. Take-off was to take place at 12:50.

Soon after the take-off Belenko reported engine problems and separated from the group. He dropped to an altitude of 50 m above the sea, so no problems that usually occur in a low-level flight were present. He was flying low, so the radars could not track him. The direction the plane was going was eastward. Directly towards the Japanese archipelago.

Getting closer to the shore Belenko climbed to 6,700 m, waiting for the reaction of the Japanese air defense.

370 kilometers from the island he was finally spotted by the radars. The Japanese at Chitose airbase scrambled a pair F-4J fighters to intercept him. Knowing that he had been detected he descended again but he soon entered the clouds, experiencing difficulties in navigation.

At 13:52 he spotted an airfield and attempted a landing, but had to abort it and go around because of a Boeing 727 airliner taking off. According to his assessment, the airstrip was a bit shorter from what he had seen on military airfields. He made a long landing, overshooting the runway and rolling about 240 meters beyond the threshold.

After getting out of the cockpit he spotted the name of the airfield. Unfortunately it was not a military base, but civilian Hoktado strip. Nevertheless, Belenko was in Japan, which was his main objective. Just after getting out of the cockpit he made a warning shot and warned the Japanese not to come close to the plane because it was secured with explosives (at the time the Soviet Air Force used to secure the MiG-25 from getting into the Western hands by using explosives and self-destruction system).

He also asked the personnel to cover the aircraft in such a way that the Soviet markings were not visible. Then, he asked to be put in contact with the US Air Force representation. The airfield was closed down for five hours. Belenko asked for a political asylum.

The time between the afternoon of September 6th and 7th was very eventful.

The media showed a large interest in the incident and disseminated the news all across the Western world. Aeroflot sent a delegation, but they were not allowed to see nor to come close to the Foxbat.

Diplomacy was a major problem. In order to justify keeping the pilot and plane on the Japanese territory the authorities accused Belenko of illegal border trespassing.

The plane was moved to a hangar and afterwards was transported to military airbase in Hyakuri, located 80km north from Tokyo. On Sept. 19 a C-5 Galaxy cargo plane was brought from the US in order to transport the MiG-25; eleven experts from Wright-Patterson AFB were brought in order to examine the aircraft.

Also 64 Japanese experts took part in the examination. The aircraft was partially dismantled and transported in escort of F-4J and F-104J fighters.

The examination included infra-red photos of Foxbat with the engines working at full military power. It was essential for western air-to-air missiles designers to know the heat spectrum of the engines, so that they could develop missile guidance systems according to the characteristics of the Foxbat engines.

The diplomatic struggle went on. The official statement of the Japanese was that the plane would be returned to the Soviets but no sooner than Oct. 5, 1976. Due to the fact that samples of materials were taken from the wings the Foxbat could not go back by air.

It was dismantled again and sent back on a container ship in parts, in 13 containers. The Japanese secured the containers so that the Soviet personnel would not do the review of the plane in the daylight.

But the Russian methodology was unknown to the Japanese. The personnel had opened the containers with crowbars and it turned out that some equipment was still in the hands of the West. The Soviets asked the West to pay for the missing aircraft instrumentation and avionics. The Japanese in a reply asked the Russians to pay for transport and formalities.

Belenko’s family was detained and KGB started an investigation. A personal diary in which fuel calculations were carried out was found in Belenko’s flat.

It was also found out that the pilot was in Moscow a week prior to the deception.

All these factors suggested that the incident was a long preplanned operation of the American intelligence as Belenko could have met a US agent in Moscow.

What is more, the Soviet pilot very often used the confidential library of the airbase, more often than other pilots. It was supposed that he might have been taking photos of the MiG-25 manual.

After Belenko arrived he was isolated from the third parties.

He got a political asylum in the USA, where he started working in an aviation company. Afterwards, in many interviews, like in one for Full Context magazine, he said that the main reason behind the defection was to get away from the communism.

He received American citizenship and opened his own company. He got married to an American woman, with whom he had 3 children. According to Barron’s book his family life in USSR was going towards a bitter end – a divorce – so he fled to the US.

After publishing this article we received an email from one of our readers who provided some more behind the scenes details. Here’s what he’s written to us:

Actually, they did, and Russia was totally unaware of it. It was rolled into a hangar, dismantled, and flown to Area 51 by C-5A Galaxy, where it was totally examined, taken apart, reassembled, and flown by Victor Belenko against our first line fighters of the time. It was then disassembled, crated, loaded back onto the C-5, and flown back to Japan, where it was placed on the dock to await a Russian freighter’s pick-up.

We expected to find high tech alloys used for the wings, but the rust through the paint revealed they were steel. Where we expected high tech electronics, we found vacuum tube electronics.

You must remember that Russia builds for durability, and survival under war-time conditions. Just like their AK-47 Automatic rifle…bullet proof, easy to manufacture, and repair under war conditions. Which is easier to construct, and repair during wartime..high tech, or low-tech items? You’ll find the inside of Antanov’s giant aircraft made the same way, especially loading ramps, which are hollow, with an aluminum thin covering and internal ribs, with a reverse dimple texture. Hydraulics actually glass jars !!

Area 51 was the site of many Russian MiG tests, obtained from many different sources. we had a number of pilots versed in, and trained in MiG operations and evaluations.

Yes, Japan DID allow the removal, and testing, by us, of Belenko’s MiG 25..but it was highly secret.

About Jacek Siminski

Standing contributor for TheAviationist. Aviation photojournalist. Co-Founder of DefensePhoto.com. Expert in linguistics, Cold War discourse, Cold War history and policy and media communications.

@TheAviationist.co

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femmehysteria · 11 months

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Best Character Named X Poll

FOLLOW @best-character-named-x-poll

I'm doing a series of "Best Character Named X" polls where all the characters have the same first name but are from completely different media, feel free to send in name/charcacter suggestions, I'm posting one poll a day. New polls scheduled for 1:30PM GMT everyday.

ask box closed for now

WILL BE POSTING POLLS ON @best-character-named-x-poll FROM FEB 1ST

If your favourite character is not included in the poll very sorry i have either never heard of them or actively chose not to include them as theres only 6 characters per poll. Characters will only count of that is their first name, surnames do not count.

Round 85: David

Round 86: Tiffany

Round 87: Charlie

Round 88: Sandy

Round 89: Cody

Round 90: Amanda

Round 91: Jeremy

Past Polls and Poll Ideas under the cut

Names that I have a complete list for*

Caroline, Tyler, Louis, Leonard, Rebecca, Steve, Nicole, Isabelle, Victoria, Katherine, Jade, Alex, Sophie, Greg, Jake, Ellie, Isaac, Robin, Tony, Annie, Lisa, Margaret, Oliver, Clark, Kara, Phoebe, Emma, Ruby, Bart, Alfie, Beth, Julian, Nancy, Penny, Margaret, Tessa, Erica, Theresa, George, Kevin, Sebastian, Felix, Martin, Michael, Erin, Caleb, Helen, Charlotte, Kyle, Martha, Diana, Elsa, Gary, Zoe, Connor, Colin, Daisy, Eric, Maya, Adam, Andy, Magnus, Alma, Nora, Alice, Spike, Leon, Marcel, Kim, Juno, Sue, Chris, Otto, Donald, Daphne, Kate, Todd, Ned, Ken, Angel, Judy, Jo, Hazel, Naomi, Diego, Miranda, Joel, Lila, Duncan, Dexter, Meredith, Pearl, Lily, Malcolm, Napolean, Joan, Nico, Jamie, Nadia, Velma, Jill, Kiera, Rory, Evan, Tam, Klaus, Neil, Derek, Michelle, Luna, Laila, Cordelia, Zack, Imogen, Felicity, Cindy, Alicia, Kelly, Alan, April, Astrid, Delilah, Jodie, Claudia, Juliet, Karen, Jonas, Milo, Celia, Hannah, Joy, Ethan, Katya, Aria, Atticus, Ian, Cynthia, Faye, Frank, Boo, River, Corey, Gabrielle, Minerva, Ebony, Zia, Beverly, Rudy, Georgina

Names I have an incomplete list for (welcome to send character suggestions)

Richter, Sean, Troy, Cain, Agatha, Warren, Percy, Reggie, Mina, Ryan, Felicia, Dylan, Josh, Shirley, Debbie, Jared, June, Mabel, Ray, Chad, Moe, Hugh, Fearne, Christine, Joe, August, May, Scarlet, Alana, Leela, Manny, Dean, Francis, Mason, Oscar, Quinn, Guy, Ulrich, Wally, Yasmin, Tobias, Woody, Sabrina, Quentin, Margot, Alina, Matilda, Freya, Kendra, Angus, Ophelia, Leisel, Zelda, Adora, Piper, Scarlet, Sheila, Valentine, Laurie, Laurel, Fitz, Violet, Gabriel, Ford, Artemis, Owen, Bianca, Newton, Summer, Darcy, Noah, Taylor, Miriam, Hugh, Aurora, Hank, Henry, Dawn, Delia, Cosmo, Wanda, Zeke, Cecil, Aiden, Calvin, Ayesha, Beatrice, Parker, Chase, Hunter, Tina, Misty, Amaya, Amara, Harvey, Talia, Tatiana, Tanya, Orion, Eugene, Kit, Bo, Duke, Blue, Cameron, Rudolf, Mara, Marianne, Carl

Feel free to send more suggestions

*subject to change, you can still submit a character if there is no strikethrough if you think theres a character that its an absolute crime i dont add. Please don't suggest anything for the names with a strikethrough as they are polls that are already in my queue waiting to be published.

Past Polls

Round 1: Peter : WINNER: Peter Parker (Spider-Man)

Round 2: Elizabeth : WINNER: Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Caribbean)

Round 3: Jason : WINNER: Jason Mendoza (The Good Place)

Round 4: Eve : WINNER: EVE (WALL-E)

Round 5: Fred : WINNER: Fred Jones (Scooby-Doo)

Round 6: Rachel : WINNER: Rachel (Animorphs)

Round 7: Arthur : WINNER: Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Round 8: Amy : WINNER: Amy Pond (Doctor Who)

Round 9: Tom : WINNER: Tom (Tom and Jerry)

Round 10: Claire : WINNER: Clare Devlin (Derry Girls)

Round 11: James : WINNER: James (Pokemon)

Round 12: Max : WINNER: Max (Black Sails)

Round 13: Simon : WINNER: Simon Belmont (Castlevania)

Round 14: Jane : WINNER: Jane Crocker (Homestuck)

Round 15: Victor : WINNER: Victor Nikiforov (Yuri On Ice)

Round 16: Mary : WINNER: Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins)

Round 17: Will : WINNER: Will Graham (Hannibal)

Round 18: Laura : WINNER: Laura Palmer (Twin Peaks)

Round 19: Ben : WINNER: Ben "Obi-Wan" Kenobi (Star Wars)

Round 20: Chloe : WINNER: Chloe Price (Life Is Strange)

Round 21: John : WINNER: Jonathan Sims (The Magnus Archives)

Round 22: Lydia : WINNER: Lydia Deetz (Beetlejuice)

Round 23: Mark : WINNER: Marc Spector (Moon Knight)

Round 24: Jess : WINNER: Jesse Pinkman (Breaking Bad)

Round 25: Theo : WINNER: Theobald Gumbar (Dimension 20: A Crown Of Candy)

Round 26: Sarah: WINNER: Sarah Jane Smith (Doctor Who)

Round 27: Richard : WINNER: Richard Gansey III (The Raven Cycle)

Round 28: Cass : WINNER: Cassandra Cain (Batman)

Round 29: Edward : WINNER: Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Round 30: Carm : WINNER: Carmen Sandiego (Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?)

Round 31: Hal : WINNER: HAL9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey)

Round 32: Sid : WINNER: Sydney Adamu (The Bear)

Round 33: Jack : WINNER: Captain Jack Harkness (Doctor Who)

Round 34: Stephanie : WINNER: Stephanie Brown (Batman)

Round 35: Ash : WINNER: Ash Ketchum (Pokemon)

Round 36: Veronica : WINNER: Veronica Sawyer (Heathers)

Round 37: Kurt : WINNER: Kurt Wagner aka Nightcrawler (X-Men)

Round 38: Eleanor : WINNER: Eleanor Shellstrop (The Good Place)

Round 39: Nathan : WINNER: Nathan Young (Misfits)

Round 40: Fiona : WINNER: Princess Fiona (Shrek)

Round 41: Gale : WINNER: Gayle Waters-Waters (Chris Fleming)

Round 42: Barbara : WINNER: Barbara Millicent Roberts aka Barbie (Barbie)

Round 43: Sam : WINNER: Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings)

Round 44: Grace : WINNER: Grace Chastity (Nerdy Prudes Must Die)

Round 45: Barry : WINNER: Barry Bluejeans (The Adventure Zone)

Round 46: Raven : WINNER: Raven (Teen Titans)

Round 47: Dan : WINNER: Danny Fenton (Danny Phantom)

Round 48: Mia : WINNER: Mia Fey (Ace Attorney)

Round 49: Matt : WINNER: Matt Murdock (Daredevil)

Round 50: Rose : WINNER: Rose Tyler (Doctor Who)

Round 51: Robert : WINNER: Robbie Rotten (LazyTown)

Round 52: Lola : WINNER: Lola Bunny (Space Jam)

Round 53: Scott : WINNER: Scott Summers aka Cyclops (X-Men)

Round 54: Olivia : WINNER: Olivia Octavious (Spiderverse)

Round 55: Finn : WINNER: Finn the Human (Adventure Time)

Round 56: Emily : WINNER: Emily Charlton (The Devil Wears Prada)

Round 57: Elliot : WINNER: Eliot Spencer (Leverage)

Round 58: Sonia : WINNER: Sonia (Pokemon)

Round 59: Gideon : WINNER: Gideon Nav (The Locked Tomb)

Round 60: Jen : WINNER: Jennifer Check (Jennifer's Body)

Round 61: Miles : WINNER: Miles Morales (Spider-Man)

Round 62: Lana : WINNER: Lana Skye (Ace Attorney)

Round 63: Spencer : WINNER: Spencer Shay (iCarly)

Round 64: Tracy : WINNER: Tracy Turnbald (Hairspray!)

Round 65: Luke : WINNER: Luke Skywalker (Star Wars)

Round 66: Natalie : WINNER: Natalie Scatorccio (Yellowjackets)

Round 67: Harry : WINNER: Harry Du Bois (Disco Elysium)

Round 68: Lucy : WINNER: Lucy van Pelt (Peanuts)

Round 69: Damian : WINNER: Damian Wayne (Batman)

Round 70: Tabitha : WINNER: Tabitha Casper (Dan and Phil Games: Sims 4)

Round 71: Nick : WINNER: Nicholas D. Wolfwood (Trigun)

Round 72: Gwen : WINNER: Guinevere (Merlin)

Round 73: Paul : WINNER: Paulette Bonafonte (Legally Blonde)

Round 74: Abigail : WINNER: Abigail Hobbs (Hannibal)

Round 75: Jordan : WINNER: Jordan Baker (The Great Gatsby)

Round 76: Donna : WINNER: Donna Noble (Doctor Who)

Round 77: Morgan : WINNER: Morgana (Merlin)

Round 78: Allison : WINNER: Alison Cooper (BBC Ghosts)

Round 79: Patrick : WINNER: Patrick Star (Spongebob Squarepants)

Round 80: Linda : WINNER: Linda Belcher (Bob's Burgers)

Round 81: Philip : WINNER: Philip J. Fry (Futurama)

Round 82: Clarisse : WINNER: Clarisse La Rue (Percy Jackson)

Round 83: Jeff

Round 84: Maria

#best character named x #poll #poll game #my post

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alister312 · 2 years

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MINOR CHARACTER MARCH MADNESS

Get ready for a March Madness Tournament for all the kid characters who exist only in the background, or only once, or just not nearly enough times in South Park. Each poll will last a day, with multiple polls going every day (at least for the start). I tried my best to pick truly minor characters but if you think one isn't minor enough or are sad I forgot one... sorry I don't feel like rearranging the entire tournament at this point 😅

Each character has been sorted into seeds 1-16 based on how prevalent I think they still are in people's memories and then paired up just like regular March Madness (i.e. 1 vs 16, 2 vs 15, etc) so apologies if some early match ups seem unfair. It'll hopefully make any upsets that much more exciting!

And now... the bracket!

See the match ups and follow the rounds below the cut.

ROUND 1—BRACKET 1

Damien Thorn vs Katie Gelson

Annie Knitts vs Sally Darson

Bradley ("Cartman Sucks") vs Baahir Hassen Abdul Hakeem

Mark Cotswolds vs Thad Jarvis

Nelly vs Flora Larsen

Jason White vs Josh Myers

Lizzy vs Cartman's kids (Post Covid)

Charlotte vs Lexus

ROUND 1—BRACKET 2

Gregory of Yardale vs Isiah Jordan

Gary Harrison vs Esther

Rebecca Cotswolds vs Alejandro White

Hebert Pocket vs Marcus Preston

Sophie Gray vs Heather Williams

Terrance Mephesto vs Corey Lanskin

Blanket vs Kyle's kids (Post Covid)

Mercedes vs New Kid/Douchebag

ROUND 1—BRACKET 3

Tricia Tucker vs Davey Solokov

Christophe/Ze Mole vs Lisa Berger

Estella Havisham vs Yao

Kevin Stoley vs Bridon Gueermo

DogPoo Petsuski vs Larry Feegan

Lola vs Tammy Warner

Filmore Anderson vs Chris Donnely

Bill Allen vs Porsche

ROUND 1—BRACKET 4

Leslie Meyers vs Kip Drordy

Thomas vs Brimmy

Trent Boyett vs Francis

Millie Larsen vs Gavin Throttle

David Rodriguez vs Tammy Nelson

Powder/Sally Turner vs Douglas

Kelly ("Rainforest Shmainforest") vs Jenny Simons

Fosse McDonald vs Ferrari

#minor character march madness #south park #sp #sp fandom #south park characters #feel free to make your own bracket predictions!!#sp mcmm #<- tag im coining for my own use at least

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gvtted-ratz · 7 months

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>request/idea rules<

requests: open

>marvel<

anthony "tony" stark/iron man, peter benjamin parker/spider-man, wade wilson/deadpool, helmut zemo, james "bucky" barnes/winter soldier, matthew "matt" murdock/daredevil, franklin "foggy" nelson, frank castle/the punisher, william "billy" russo/jigsaw, miguel o'hara, spider-punk/hobart "hobie" brown (smatsv)

>horror/thriller<

slashers/antagonists

billy lenz (black christmas 1974), brahms heelshire, martin mathias (martin 1977), harry warden/the miner (og and remake), asa emory (the collector), jason voorhees (og and 2009 remake), michael myers (og and rz remake), lester sinclair (house of wax), vincent sinclair (house of wax), mark hoffman (saw 4/5), lawrance gordan (saw 2004), hannibal lecter (nbc hannibal), will graham (nbc hannibal)

final/”good” guys

arkin o'brien (the collector/the collection), nicholas "nick" henry jones (house of wax), peter strahm (saw 4/5), adam faulkner stanheight (saw 2004), david radford (saw 0.5)

>games<

error 143

micah yujin

john doe +

john doe

duskwood

richy rogers, phil hawkins, jake "hakermen", thomas, daniel "dan" anderson

killer frequency

forrest nash, henry barrow

the price of flesh

machaete, thomas (tom), jackal (jack/dean), derek goffard, matt goffard, mason heiral, dragon (jace/jason), komodo (mike/michael), the announcer (fox/ren hana)

that's not my neighbour

physicist/dr. w. afton, milkman/francis mosses, hoon (milkman doppelganger), scarlet milk (milkman doppleganger), pilot/steven rudboys, d.d.d agent (hazmat guy), teutates taranis, abducius morail, yog sothoth

studio investigrave games

rody lamoree, vincent charbonneau, protagonist, co-worker, normal guy, fake protag, fake co-worker

call of duty (+modern warfare 2)

könig, simon "ghost" riley, kyle "gaz" garrick, john "soap" mactavish, alejandro vargas, rodolfo "rudy" parra, gary "roach" sanderson

>tv/movies/web-series<

the batman (2022)

the riddler/edward nashton

there will be blood (2007)

eli sunday

marble hornets (2009-2014)

masky/timothy "tim" wright, skully/jay merrick, alexander "alex" kralie, hoody/brian thomas

>will not do<

• incest

• suicide

• ddlg/ddlb

• scat/urine

• pregnancy

• heavy angst

• age regression

• teacher/student

• sa/rape/non-con

• full smut/sex scenes

• illnesses/issues we're unfamiliar with (ask)

• underage/child anything (papa, uncle, child, etc. reader &/or character) - this includes childhood friend AUs

• fem reader (including pronouns/detailed anatomy due to high discomfort) - anything else is fine

> can/will do<

• fics (1k+)

• past abuse

• headcanons

• past self-harm

• drabbles (100-1k)

• alpha/beta/omega

• polyamory relationships

• blood, gore, violence, etc.

• anything soft, comfort, fluff

• aus (soulmate, cafe, bookstore, etc.)

• some ships/otps/rarepairs (feel free to ask)

• death of character/reader (character/reader kills the other)

• nearly any pronouns (including neos, just provide pronouns)

• male/masc, gender-neutral, nonbinary, trans male reader, inhuman reader (this includes monster, alien, divine etc.)

• "steamy" scenes/dub-con <- will be posted on ao3 ONLY (link will be provided for requests)

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deligfunstuffdah3 · 8 days

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Sanemi "Samuel" Shinazugawa

Mitsuri "Elizabeth" Kanroji

Tengen "Francis" Uzui

Gyomei "Anthony" Himejima

Shinobu "Marie" Kocho

Obanai "Benjamin" Iguro

Muichiro "Nicolas" Tokito

Giyuu "Gary" Tomioka

Kyojuro "Alexander" Rengoku

That's it. that's the post

#reference of that joke skit from tiktok #demon slayer

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never-was-has-been · 4 months

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Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a tough time for me, on many levels and for many people that I have loved and am still thankful that I knew them. I remember my mother's passing in 1964. I remember my father's passing in 1999. I remember my father's story about my uncle Lester who I never met, being killed in WWII during the Normandy invasion 2 months after they landed (Uncle Lester was an ANTIFA, version 1944). I remember Gary Jameson, a guy I grew up with on the south side of Binghamton in the 1950's, getting killed in Vietnam, in 1969. I remember all the true patriotism of the 1950's, in honor of the men that served and died in WWII and the Korean War. To me, the phrase "fighting for freedom" made perfect sense…..then. However, after President Kennedy was murdered and we entered the Vietnam War, I began to see the different kind of country America was becoming. A corporate-interested War machine, hatched by the Military Industrial Complex (Pentagon)--- you know, the one that President Eisenhower warned us about on National TV during his "exit interview" on January 17th 1961. Since then I find the phrase "fighting for freedom" a bit ironic and even cynical. Especially when I think of ALL the servicemen and women's lives that were lost, broken and gradually destroyed in the name of global Corporation's business interests. For over 74 years I've had a twisted knot in my stomach when I see or hear about American men and women sacrificing their lives and limbs for a cause that never crosses their minds: Big Business. Global Business. War is Big Business--just like Pope Francis once said. And like many others before him, priests and lay people alike, the Pope was ridiculed and dismissed by the people that don't understand and never have understood the reason that 234 years out of 248 years, the USA has been at war, either here on our own soil or somewhere in someone else's sovereign country. It's business, Not patriotism. …..And I weep inside my soul for those that willingly gave their lives for such a cause. 😥 But…I still and will always remember them and honor them, just the same. A good thoughtful Memorial Day to you all. ~originally posted May 2015~

#war is business #War is Global Business #your tags here

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localariesenemy · 9 months

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Rivals Series Playlist

Okay, so this will be the first ever post I’ll do on this app and I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry about it being about a Yuri on Ice fanfic from years ago that haven’t left me since the first time I read it.

This is a list of songs you can listen to here that I thought fit Yuuri and Viktor’s feels in the Rivals series by @kazliin, which you can find here:

Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches

Of Bright Stars and Burning Hearts

Rivals- Past, Present and Future

I’m not kidding when I say it’s absolutely life changing (I reread it every year so safe to say it’s my absolute favorite). I would like to list down every single lyric and the intricacies of how I arranged the songs in order but the sane part of my brain is refraining me from doing so. Let’s just say that I followed the progression of both POVs and matched that up with the lyrics of the songs.

It’s almost 4 hours of pure feels so buckle up, here we go.

1. You’re Still a Mystery- Bleachers

2. State of Grace- Taylor Swift

3. Into My Arms- COIN

4. See Through- The Band CAMINO

5. Untouchable- Taylor Swift

6. O Mio Babbino Caro- Giacomo Pucini

7. You Are In Love- Taylor Swift

8. gold rush- Taylor Swift

9. Belle- The Shock Band

10. I Can See You- Taylor Swift

11. Crashing- ILLENIUM, Bahari

12. Movement- Hozier

13. Sun and Moon- Claude-Michel Schönberg, Lea Salonga, Simon Bowman

14. On My Own- Lea Salonga

15. Say Don’t Go- Taylor Swift

16. Let The Light In- Lana Del Rey, Father John Misty

17. K.- Cigarettes After Sex

18. Say My Name Cover- Hozier

19. illicit affairs- Taylor Swift

20. Foolish One- Taylor Swift

21. Never Change- COIN

22. Felt This Way- Carly Rar Jepsen

23. So Close- Jon McLaughlin

24. Magkasuyo Buong Gabi- Agsunta

25. Dark Eyes- The Broln Czech Radio Orchestra

26. Wake Me- Bleachers

27. First Light- Hozier

28. First Time- Hozier

29. Break My Fall- Doc Robinson

30. Pretty Boy- The Neighbourhood

31. TALK ME DOWN- Troye Sivan

32. Fucked My Way Up To The Top- Lana Del Rey

33. The Louvre- Lorde

34. august- Taylor Swift

35. The Other- Lauv

36. Somewhere Only We Know- Keane

37. Fire Meet Gasoline- Sia

38. Don’t Let Me Go- Cigarettes After Sex

39. Francis Forever- Mitski

40. Like a River Runs- Bleachers

41. You Are In Love- Taylor Swift

42. Daylight- Taylor Swift

43. One And Only- Adele

44. Water Under the Bridge- Adele

45. The Last Time- Taylor Swift, Gary Lightbody

46. Bravado- Lorde

47. The Archer- Taylor Swift

48. Falling Slowly- Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová

49. The Night We Met- Lord Huron

50. Yuri on ICE- Taro Umebayashi

51. Long Live- Taylor Swift

52. Holy Ground- Taylor Swift

53. I Love You Always Forever- Donne Lewis

Forgive me for the abundance of Taylor Swift, she clearly read the Rivals series and made those songs for them specifically.

I tried my best to incorporate both POVs but I think it leaned too Viktor-centric. However, my fav Yuuri song on here is Bravado, it captured his anxiety during the Scandal so well and I resonate with that. It was hard to pick for Viktor but One And Only really stood out to me, it reads like his plea to Yuuri. BUT if I had to choose one song to explain their dynamic it’s Untouchable, applicable for both Yuuri and Viktor and just as heartbreaking.

#yuri on ice #victuuri #fanmix #playlist #until my feet bleed and my heart aches #of bright stars and burning hearts #rivals series #help i’m still at the restaurant #i miss my parents #please listen ATTENTIVELY to the lyrics

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whatisreggieshortfor · 9 months

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2023 Fic Year in Review

(Just LITG because I at least somewhat value my mental health.)

Thanks for the tag @rebelrayne and @queen-of-boops, I don’t wanna jump off a roof at all 😭

In 2023, I...

Finished/wrote the following chaptered WIPs:

Bugger Off- Youcef/MC, Angie/OC, Band AU

Call 999- Elliot/MC, Firefighter/Dispatch AU

Hit Start Player Two- Elliot/MC, streamers AU

You Don’t Thrive- Nicky/MC, Apocalypse AU

Unfamiliar- Gary/MC, post Villa, aged up, Choose Your Own Adventure

Wrote/completed the following oneshots:

So Much More- Hamish/MC, no Villa AU

Came For You- Elliot/MC

Passions- Lewis/MC, no Villa AU

Double Booked- Marshall/MC, angst, no Villa AU

Study Buddies- Andy/MC, no Villa AU

Speak Now- Ryan/MC, no Villa AU

Tell Me The Truth- Elliot/MC

Getting His Hopes Up- Will/m!MC, after Villa

Curtain Call- Ozzy/MC, Chloe/MC, no Villa AU

Last Night- Rahim/MC

A Promise- Youcef/MC, after Villa

Are You a Man Whore?- Tim/MC, no Villa AU

One- Bella/MC

Nomad- Camilo/MC, no Villa AU

Notebooks- Harry/MC, University AU

Know Your Pros- Jamal/MC, no Villa AU

Caring Quietly- Gary/MC, post University AU

Cheating- Lucy/OC, angst

Your Choice- Jake/Rohan, Villa Fix

The Difference in What You’re Used To- Youcef/MC, past Kobi/MC, no Villa AU

Platonic Importance- Elladine & MC, no Villa AU

Twenty Five- Kobi/MC, no Villa AU

Little Things- Bill/MC

Color Coded- Francis/MC, no Villa AU

standing under the mistletoe- Bryson/MC, no Villa AU

Proper Odd- Elijah/m!MC, Photographer/Model AU

Dial F for Firefighter- Arjun/MC, Firefighter AU

Found Her- Ciaran/MC, Royalty AU

Interview- Genevieve & MC, no Villa AU

Book Covers- Rafi/MC, no Villa AU

Voicemail- Seb/MC, no Villa AU, angsty

from afar- Joyo/MC, no Villa AU, Curse AU

Gingerbread Man- Elliot/MC, Crime AU

Wrong Time, Right Person- Najuma/MC, no Villa AU, exes to lovers

Voyage Stand In- Graham/MC, Crew Mate AU

My Gypsy- Yasmin/MC, Singer AU

Thoughts Go Bi Bi Bi- Lily/MC, no Villa AU, FTL

Professor of Love- Jake/MC, Professor AU

Pride Plans- Talia/MC, no Villa AU

Rivalries Don’t Make Friends- AJ/MC, Hockey AU

My Brothers Keeper- Rohan/MC, no Villa AU

Over Her- Levi/MC, no Villa AU

She Was Everything- Chelsea/m!MC, no Villa AU, fake dating

Cinderella Snapped- Hamish/MC, no Villa AU, Arranged Marriage

UnConfidence Yourself- Youcef/MC

Goodbye Dylan- Angie & Seb & MC, no Villa AU, Abuse

I’d Lie- Seb/MC, no Villa AU, FTL

February Fifteenth- James/MC, no Villa AU

Perfect Birthday Celebration- Tim/MC, no Villa AU

Mothers Day- Jake/MC, post Villa

Dating Game- Tom/MC, Seb/MC, two episodes no Villa AU

Reached the following milestones:

Listen- let’s all just be glad I haven’t cracked under the pressure of these since I have another load in other fandoms.

Before anyone asks- these are all from 2023.

I’ll tag @perfectlysunny02 and @justtuesdays and leave an open forum here.

Clearly I’m a psychopath and don’t understand when to stop.

#reggie bullshits #litg

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signalwatch · 11 months

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Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Watched: 10/21/2023

Format: Amazon

Viewing: Second, I think

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Firstly, this isn't Bram Stoker's actual Dracula. This is Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).

I very much remember Coppola, with whose work I'd just become acquainted at age 15 or so, announcing he was going to remake the Universal Monster stuff using the source material. And as a teen, I was jazzed. Let's kick the dust off, ditch the stuffy 1930's stylings (I'd never seen the movies at this point) and lets make a Dracula for the 90's!

All I can really remember from that first movie is that it was... a lot. The reviews were mixed, but everyone was going to see it, and I was in a packed theatre when I watched it myself.

Honestly, I remember thinking "well... that was a lot. And I get why the reviews were mixed." Halloween night of '93, I went to see the original, and was like "oh, wow. This is rad. I get why people love this." and, in fact, my interest in horror movie monsters I'd had as a kid was reignited (along with a VHS copy of Phantom of the Opera) to the point where I'm annoying about it to this day!

Over the years, I've not returned to the Coppola movie because (a) I didn't like it all that much to begin with, and (b) there's so many Draculas. And one gotta catch 'em all.

Since seeing this back in '92, I've since read the novel, watched the 1930's original many, many times, seen some sequels to that, watched the Hammer films, watched a clutch of other vampire films and Dracula adaptations - including stage plays, read Carmilla, and basically laid down what I think is a solid foundation.

This movie is super strange.

Like, look. It's got some amazing ideas, and beautiful visuals. My exposure to the movie in the internet age has been largely through stills and gifs, and given the dedication to the visual that this movie embraces, its a reminder that the film has some stunning photography, FX, design, costuming, etc.... It's an absolute "spared no expense" endeavor.

I actually love the fact that the movie uses weird edits and dissolves - the peacock feather to the sun, etc...

You can't ask for a better cast in 1992. This is a post Silence of the Lambs Anthony Hopkins getting to play all the cool roles, a height of her fame Winona Ryder, Richard E. Grant, Cary Elwes, Billy Campbell, Keanu Reeves, and fucking Tom Waits as Renfield. And, of course, a young Gary Oldman showing everyone what Gary Oldman can do.

Look, the movie isn't the book, full stop. Since Lugosi made women swoon in the stage show of Dracula and then in theaters (no, really), the story of Dracula has become weirdly morphed from "agent of Satan slowly murders virgins" to "eternal love story".

The book provides nothing like the pre-credits sequence to explain why the Count became an agent of the devil other than it sounded like a fun sort of thing to do. There's no suicide of a wife, no war with the Turks. There's no attempt to humanize Dracula by giving him a reason he might turn to the forces of darkness with which the audience might sympathize.

There's just no love story between Dracula and anyone else in the book. There's Mina having a mix of shocking sympathy for her tormentor (because she's a good person) and a bit of Stockholm Syndrome in the final chapters. I have read that a lot of the past lives stuff is borrowed from a different Stoker novel about mummies, but it feels straight taken from the Boris Karloff movie The Mummy. Which makes me wonder what Coppola planned to do for his remake there, had they proceeded as planned.

There's nothing wrong with making the story a romance - that's what vampire stuff does, I guess. But Bram Stoker's Dracula essentially turns the story of Dracula into Mina cheating on her boyfriend while he's at work with a dude with no job and a soul patch. She'll insist they made such a connection (and, ironically, he's also juggling three other ladies she doesn't know about) and she's going to act nuts about it because she's invested so much into her secret little fling when she should write her dude and admit she's banging someone else.

The end result is that no one in the movie is anyone you care about except for maybe Van Helsing. Mina seems like a dupe, Jonathan is wishy-washy, Lucy is narrative cannon fodder as the horny girl in a horror movie, and the three suitors are stripped of any qualities other than they sure are in the movie, and one has a hat.

Because the movie leans into Mina and Vlad's secret affair, it chews through a lot of plot time and also sets the pacing of the movie somewhat different from the novel. By necessity, this means - so the movie isn't even longer than what feels like a very, very long two hours - the other characters get some short shrift and plotlines get condensed. And that's... fine?

Surely this movie's love affair works for someone out there, just as the Bella/ Edward romance works for a lot of people. And I'm not opposed to it on its face, I just don't think this movie pulls it off in a way that makes you (a) cheer for the romance or (b) be horrified by Mina's seduction. It just sorta rolls out, and the dramatic irony of Mina having no idea what's really happening becomes tedious. And tedious is not good for movies.

I don't blame either actor here (even if sometimes Ryder's Ryderism in her voice gives the game away). Oldman is maybe at an 8 at his lowest and an 11 for good chunks of the film, but that's what's called for. Ryder is playing what she's got, but it's hard to know what that is. We don't get much of who Mina is until she's already in crisis.

What we clearly do get is the idea that this is sexual repression, Victorian style. And Dracula is supposed to prey on the unspoken horniness of the women - with Mina clearly trying to push Jonathan's Victorian sensibilities, and of which Lucy seems keenly aware as she uses the barest hint of a sexual nature to keep three dudes with options on the line.

At the time of the movie's release, between fighting prudishness and lots of blood, this was seen by some as a movie for the AIDS/ HIV era, which... I don't think Coppola probably thought about even once. It's the sort of observation made that is more about how the movie reflects the times, and what the viewer might bring to the film. I don't think (but don't know) it was made for such a comparison - especially when the novel is clearly about science wrangling with unknown diseases, and the movie skips a lot of that element. Except...

Our intro to Van Helsing has him discussing syphilis in a medical classroom, and making clear connections between STDs and the moral nature of man, which was quite the rage in the 90's. I doubt that bit would make the cut in 2023, and it's an odd tie to Van Helsing as mystic scientist and Dracula-chaser.

Flipping the script of the seduction of Mina is the imprisonment and seduction of Jonathan. What is curious is that the movie never deals with what Mina knows about Jonathan's time away, how he delivered that info, etc... as it seems she's fully aware of the situation, and we are robbed of her own reaction. It's a lot, and she just seems like she's taking it all in stride. Which, I guess if you've been shtupping a mysterious Eastern prince, you don't make a lot of fuss when your man tells you three hot women forced him into sex daily for a month.

What the movie does offer is spectacle upon spectacle. And that isn't necessarily wrong. The portion of the novel that's Jonathan's POV gets really weird, really fast. But it can be the difference between Jonathan seeing a glimpse of what seems to be wolves in the woods and us seeing Jonathan's wagon from the shoulder POV of wolves, as the movie does. The suggestion that the count moves unnaturally versus the obvious floating and zipping around the count does on screen that leaves nothing for the viewer to share Jonathan's uncertainty. But this is a matter of taste.

I do enjoy the "this is a soundstage" look and feel to the exterior shots and the swing-for-the-fences design, including some of the stuff that's a bit risky to try as it can *feel* like it's trying. The movie really is gorgeous, and there's a reason the stills that people post every Halloween have made me want to revisit the movie.

Is it scary? I mean - I think it has its moments. And it embraces the weirdness of Renfield and Dracula himself as well as any version. But without really *caring* about Mina or Lucy, the horror of what's happening is more indicated than visceral. The scariest bit is probably, really, the dudes going into Lucy's crypt, with the first fifteen minutes in Dracula's castle a close second. There's a lot of space in-between those scenes and after.

What's odd is that this is really considered the other Dracula film, the primary version still the 1931 Lugosi version or the Spanish version. There have been innumerable versions before and since the 1992 version, but no one really seems interested in just telling the story in the book. That said, this one is certainly closer than most.

With endless streaming services, it seems like *someone* would just give it a go.

By the way, I still think the guy who played the best Dracula in a movie in recent years was Nic Cage in Renfield. I can only imagine if Coppola had cast his nephew for this what we could have had.

#dracula #francis ford coppola #movie review #horror movies

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voidfell · 1 year

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Starting Guide:

Carrd / Interest Tracker / OC Master List

PSA TO NON ROLEPLAY BLOGS

Please do not reblog my posts. This is a roleplay blog and having my rp’s or headcanon posts spread around is really frustrating. It super messes up my activity and it’s really disheartening to see a notification and realize it’s not an ask or an rp reply. Those posts are not for you, and it’s stated in my rules that I block non-rp blogs on sight.

To-Do List:

Drafts ( 22 ) / Inbox ( 24 ) / Queue ( 4 )

Other Blogs:

Mike Total Drama

Rules + Muse List below The Cut!

1.) Fandoms

My blog is, as a rule, not affiliated with any of the fandoms that my muses come from, and are largely products of my own headcanons, I'll list on the muse page which muses are fully canon divergent and which ones follow canon, as it can vary depending on how I feel about the media they come from.

2.) Basic RP Etiquette

Don't control or override the actions of my characters, don't kill them without asking, no forcibly shipping with my character without talking to me first, really basic stuff for everyone's comfort, really.

3.) NSFW

I generally don't like NSFW unless we're very close rp partners, and if we do engage in that kind of shipping it will lead directly to fade to black, I don't have a sinblog, and don't have an interest in one, so any smut will have to be implied at best. Otherwise, darker subject matter like gore and other darker themes involving mental health will be explored and tagged appropriately.

4.) Dropping Threads

I'm guilty of dropping threads when I lose my muse for them and get overwhelmed. I'm working on reaching out more and sending memes to my mutuals, but I'm a very shy person. The best way to start things with me is to approach me in DM's or send me a meme.

Muse List (muses marked with a * are Canon Divergent)

Primary Muses

Albedo via Ben 10 Omniverse*

Ben Tennyson via Ben 10 Omniverse

Brick Jojo via Powerpuff Girls

Prince Bennett Gumball via Adventure Time*

Chad Dickson via Codename: Kids Next Door

Jack Spicer via Xiaolin Showdown*

Anti-Wanda via Fairly OddParents*

Imaginary Gary via Fairly OddParents

Kendall Knight via Big Time Rush

Leo Hamato via Rise of The TMNT

Dipper Pines via Gravity Falls

Hunter via The Owl House

Luz Noceda via The Owl House

Lord Mozenrath via Aladdin the Series

Judai Yuki via Yugioh GX

Yusaku Fujiki via Yugioh Vrains

Ken Ichijouji via Digimon 02

Ryo Akiyama via Digimon Tamers*

Serena Chaumont via Pokemon Anime

Billy Batson via DC Comics

Adrien Agreste via Miraculous Ladybug

Douxie Casperan via Tales of Arcadia

Sonic the Hedgehog via Sonic IDW / Prime

Surge the Tenrec via Sonic IDW

Holt Hyde via Monster High

Felix Damery via Miraculous OC / Fandomless

Gal Alvarez / Dudepow via Fandomless OC

Hugo Nystrom via Tangled OC

Secondary Muses

Kaz Vazquez via Mighty Med*

Butch Jojo via Powerpuff Girls

Boomer Jojo via Powerpuff Girls

Dakota Milton via Total Drama Revenge of the Island

Steven Universe via Steven Universe

Zak Monday* via The Secret Saturdays

Francis Epsilon* via The Secret Saturdays

Danny Fenton via Danny Phantom

Dani Phantom via Danny Phantom

Johnny 13 via Danny Phantom

Gyro Gearloose Ducktales 2017 AU*

Randy Cunningham via Randy Cunningham 9th Grade Ninja

Daichi Misawa via Yugioh GX

Ryou Bakura via Yugioh

Rody Soul via My Hero Academia

Takeru Takaishi via Digimon 02

Dawn Suzuki via Pokemon Anime

Satoshi Ketchum via Pokemon Anime

Gladion Lumiere via Pokemon Anime

Dick Grayson via DC Comics

Amadeus Cho via Marvel Comics

Alastor via Hazbin Hotel

Sun Wukong via Lego Monkie Kid

Cody Jones via TMNT Fast Forward

Liz Ruin via Fandomless OC

Qi Xiaotian via Lego Monkie Kid

Selective Muses

Evelyn Clavell / Dudewhap via Fandomless OC

Marty McFly via Back to The Future

Chiro via Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go

Millie Bolton via Pokemon OC

Noah Mandal via Total Drama Island

Pink Diamond via Steven Universe

Pearl via Steven Universe

Timmy Turner via Fairly OddParents

Gladstone Gander via Ducktales 2017

Drake Mallard via Ducktales 2017

Princess Rapunzel via Tangled the Series

Sasha Waybright via Amphibia

Katsuki Bakugou via My Hero Academia

Taichi Yagami via Digimon Adventure

Leon Baines via Pokemon

Edo Phoenix via Yugioh GX

Gene Khan via Iron Man Armored Adventures

Joey Wilson via Teen Titans 2003

Jaime Reyes via Young Justice: Invasion

Hartley Rathaway via CW's The Flash

Harry Osborn via Spiderman 2017

Angel Dust via Hazbin Hotel

Jim Lake Jr via Tales of Arcadia

Harry Potter via Harry Potter*

Bernard the Elf via The Santa Clause

Jack Frost via Rise of The Guardians

Jack Harkness via Doctor Who

Aedan Cavanaugh via Pokemon OC

Eerie McLaughlin via Werewolf OC

Marcus Haprele via Miraculous / Fandomless OC

Incoming Muses (Tags in Progress):

Branch via Trolls

John Dory via Trolls

Sierra Hathaway via Total Drama: World Tour

Jo Kingsley via Total Drama: Revenge of the Island

Max via Camp Camp

Harrison via Camp Camp

Remy Bauxaplenty via Fairly OddParents

Chloe Carmichael via Fairly OddParents

Seto Kaiba via Yugioh

Fubuki Tenjoin via Yugioh GX

Skye Zaizen via Yugioh Vrains

Test Muses

Twilight Sparkle via My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Pinkie Pie via My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Sunset Shimmer via My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

London Tipton via The Suite Life Franchise

Alex Russo via The Wizards of Waverly Place*

Max Russo via The Wizards of Waverly Place*

Darkheart via the Carebears*

The Onceler via The Lorax 2012

Captain Jake via Jake & the Neverland Pirates*

Kara Zor-El via My Adventures with Superman

Lois Lane via via My Adventures with Superman

Lex Luthor via My Adventures with Superman

Matt Holt via Voltron: Legendary Defender*

Keith Kogane via Voltron Legendary Defender*

Rei Saotome via Yugioh GX

Ryoken Kogami via Yugioh Vrains

Akira Zaizen via Yugioh Vrains

Specter via Yugioh Vrains

Haymitch Abernathy via The Hunger Games / Doctor Who AU*

Lee Ping via Detentionaire

Li Ping via Detentionaire

#✧˖*°࿐ OOC // ROAD WORK ahead? uh i sure HOPE so.

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