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frontproofmedia · 2 years

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Black History Month Tribute - Sugar Ray Leonard

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Published: February 11, 2023

Ray Charles Leonard, otherwise known to boxing fans as Sugar Ray Leonard, was always destined for greatness. Named after iconic singer Ray Charles and incorporating the great Sugar Ray Robinson moniker, Leonard lived up to the hefty billing.

Leonard’s boyhood idol, Sugar Ray Robinson, was a truly magnificent fighter. If one wished to adopt the “Sugar Ray” moniker, they had to be worthy. Many have tried, but have not lived up to the representation and greatness of the name. Sugar Ray Leonard did. The only other true Sugar Ray.

Ray won a Gold medal as part of the great 1976 US Olympic boxing squad at light welterweight, launching his career in becoming one of the greatest fighters in the history of boxing, a five-weight division champion from welterweight to light-heavyweight, a three-weight lineal champion and undisputed welterweight champion.

In a decade that featured the prime years of Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Julio Cesar Chavez, Larry Holmes, and Mike Tyson, the man named fighter of the decade for the 1980s was Leonard.

Leonard flicked a switch once he entered the ring. In a book named SuperFight by Brian Doogan, detailing the historic showdown between Leonard and Hagler, Tyson starts by stating: “Don’t ever be fooled by the pretty face. Ray Leonard was a pit bull with a pretty face. Outside the ring, he was cute, articulate, smart, great looking, but deep down inside he was a vicious animal. When it comes to this fighting thing, he’s like a monster.”

Many of the greats have one thing in common, which is toughness, and Leonard had that in abundance. Ray took big shots from the likes of Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, and Hagler, all devastating punchers, and never succumbed. Leonard was also perhaps the greatest finisher of all time. Once Ray smelt blood in the water, even if it was in the late championship rounds against all-time elites, he had a special reserve of energy to savagely finish off his beaten opponent.

Alongside his immense toughness and vicious killer’s instinct, he had two-fisted power, the ability to fight equally as effectively on the inside and outside, IQ, reflexes, balance, blinding hand speed, great foot movement, and an innate ability to take advantage of an opponent’s weaknesses like no other. Leonard was one of the greatest all-rounders in boxing history.

Ray was a man who performed his craft with grace but also had the brutishness to seriously hurt opponents and end fights instantly. The perfect blend of grace and savagery.

One does not need to look any further than the brutal stoppages of Andy ‘Hawk’ Price and Davey ‘Boy’ Green to see how savage Leonard really was.

History dictates that a fighter will not be judged solely based on their own ability, but on the ability of the competition they face.

Leonard would have fit into any era and been a stand-out prizefighter, but the stars truly aligned for him to be afforded the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with dance partners such as Duran, Hearns, and Hagler.

These men, the legendary ‘Fabulous Four,’ produced breathtaking, historic nights between them. All four were amongst the greatest fighters of all time and would have held their own in any era in history, but together they immortalized one another. Also, not to mention the criminally underrated and fellow great, essentially the fifth king, Wilfredo “El Radar” Benitez.

The only man to hold a victory over all of the others… Leonard.

Leonard’s greatness did not just shine through beating his fellow greats that he did, but the electrifying fashion in which he did so.

His first title shot against Benitez in November 1979 marked Leonard’s arrival as more than just a media creation and marketable Olympic champion. Benitez was special, the man known as the “Bible of Boxing,” the youngest ever world champion at 17 after defeating long-reigning champion Antonio Cervantes. At the time of this fight, Benitez was 21, undefeated, and at the peak of his powers. He was 38–0 with 1 draw and a two-weight division champion. Benitez was one of the most naturally gifted boxers ever, one of the greatest defensive fighters of all time, and a magnificent counter-puncher. Leonard out-boxed and out-fought Benitez and got the stoppage in the 15th and final round, six seconds from the final bell.

Ray’s first professional defeat came against Duran at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal in June 1980, in the same arena where Leonard had won Olympic gold.

Leonard lost to a legend who had the best night of his life with one of the greatest triumphs in boxing history. Duran was a killer with a record of 71–1, and Leonard fought Duran’s fight, going toe-to-toe on the inside against one of the greatest in-fighters of all time, and lost a razor-close decision. Even in defeat, the ‘Golden Boy’ showed that he was more than just a slick boxer with marketable looks. He was a real fighter who possessed immense toughness.

The infamous ‘No Mas’ fight came just five short months later. When Leonard usually fought, he wore red, white, and blue trunks and had tassels on his shoes, but for the rematch, Leonard wore black trunks, black socks, and no tassels. In his Autobiography, “The Big Fight,” Leonard stated, “I would have put on black gloves if they had let me. It was not the time for any more showbiz. There was a title to win back.” Prior to leaving his dressing room, Leonard asked his adviser Mike Trainer: “How do I look?” Trainer responded: “You look like a mix of the Grim Reaper and an assassin,” to which Leonard responded to in his Autobiography, “Exactly.”

Since becoming champion, Duran had partied vigorously for months, and it was clear who the more focused and in-shape fighter was on fight night. Leonard masterfully out-boxed Duran, then started clowning and humiliating Duran, much to the Panamanian’s irritation. In the eighth round, Duran’s pride could take no more, and he turned his back on Leonard and waved the fight off to the referee. The man famed for his machismo and incredible will to win turned human and wanted no more, and Leonard was crowned champion once again.

When Ray faced Hearns in September 1981, the tall, lean, and explosively powerful “Hitman” was 22 and undefeated, boasting a record of 32 wins with 30 knockouts. Against a monster in Hearns while fighting for the undisputed welterweight championship, Leonard out-fought Hearns and came from behind on the scorecards to mount a furious assault in the 14th round and stop the fearsome knockout artist. This fight was a perfect demonstration of a peak Leonard, young and hungry, showing heart and a doggedness that completely defied his pleasant nature away from the ring to turn the tide of a grueling, losing fight to stop Hearns. Ray showed a quality that is rare on such grand occasions and points to greatness. This was a real historic, legacy-defining fight. Sugar Ray’s sweetest victory and Hearns’ first loss.

Leonard got these career-defining victories before the age of 26, and in the space of a 22-month period. The epitome of greatness.

Leonard was subsequently forced into retirement in 1982 due to a partially detached retina, so his physical prime was cut short. He made a brief return in 1984 against Kevin Howard, suffering the first knockdown of his professional career before prevailing with a vicious barrage of head blows later in the fight. Ray subsequently ‘officially retired’… until 1987.

In April 1987, Leonard faced one of the greatest middleweights of all time in Hagler and, against all odds, prevailed as the victor via a split decision. However debatable the result, Leonard fought the undisputed middleweight champion of over six years, with 12 title defenses, in his first fight in three years, having never competed at middleweight before. With no tune-ups, Ray was fighting the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet. The fight was awarded “Upset of the Year” by The Ring. For Leonard to be so competitive against one of the most dangerous and dominant middleweight champions of all time after such prolonged inactivity was a sensational achievement.

Subsequently, past his prime competing against WBC light-heavyweight champion Donny Lalonde, Leonard showed heart, chin, power, and ferocious killer instinct when stopping a substantially naturally bigger man.

Leonard was arguably the most complete fighter since the days of Ray Robinson, and there has arguably not been as complete a prizefighter since Leonard.

Leonard filled the void left by Muhammad Ali’s retirement as boxing’s main attraction, and not only followed Ali in keeping boxing in the public’s interest, but followed Ali in being a real once-in-a-generation fighter, somebody who must be mentioned when discussing the finest fighters ever to lace a pair of gloves.

(Featured Photo: John W. McDonough/Icon Sportswire)

#SL #Sugar Ray Leonard #Marvin Hagler #Roberto Duran #Thomas Hearns

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itisformarvel · 3 years

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Agatha

#dark blue moodboard #Agatha #icons mcu #mcu icons #marvel messy moodboard #marvel icons iq #movies #marvel

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worldwarthree · 3 years

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DNI

astrology enthusiasts, people who prefer biology over other sciences, literature majors, psychology majors, poli-sci majors, theater kids, people who participate in ace discourse in ANY capacity, fans of children's cartoons, fans of more than 1 musical, fans of hamilton at all, fans of any politician, RPF shippers EXCEPT of politicians, players of any brass instrument except tuba (trombones count double), fursuit owners, elon musk fans/apologists/likers in ANY capacity, people WITHOUT at least one "incurable" disorder (physical or psychological), raphael bousso, people who put "x"s in words for inclusivity, anyone who primarily uses twitter, anyone with their meyers-briggs in their bio, anyone who tells people their IQ unprompted, "empaths", 21 pilots fans, taylor swift fans, people who are against pirating, people who call themselves "feral", people who call any music "feral", people who don't understand either computer binary or morse code, anyone who plays a bard and/or human and/or high elf in D&D, anyone who uses the pleading emoji, anyone who doesn't use a VPN, picrew icons, chrome browser users, disney plus subscribers, youtubers, patreon subscribers of youtubers, arknights players, people who don't jaywalk, BMW owners, californians, cis fans of patrick bateman, supernatural fans, marvel fans, h*rry p*tter fans, anyone with an ao3 account, white people who consider themselves part of a "fandom", people named "sock" specifically, people whose name could start with a C but starts with a K instead, people who don't like mushrooms, people who like tomatoes, people who have read homestuck in ANY capacity, chess players who open with any variant of the sicilian, chess players who capture en passant, chess players who don't castle, people who started smoking to "look cool", people in BFA programs, anyone who has ever lived in austin tx, anyone who regularly honks at people on the road, anyone who fully believes the warren commission's report of the jfk assassination, nurses who were popular in high school, therapists, trader joe's shoppers, genshin kinnies, people who desire a scott pilgrim-adjacent relationship, people who download apps from ads, tiktok users, teenagers, spotify users, and of course, people who have mirrors in their room

#slash j btw #but i do have a little beef with everyonr on this list

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sxveme-2 · 4 years

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blueberry pancakes // bucky barnes

MASTERLIST

Description: A single mother. Juggling being a mom, a full time pediatrician, and a difficult ex who believed now would be the best time to finally be a father. A soldier ripped out of time. Ex-assassin turned superhero. Learning how to balance a new domestic life with handling demons of his past, while facing the trials of the future. a love story began over something as simple as chocolate chip pancakes with hidden blueberries.

Disclaimer: I do not own any original Marvel characters! All canon plots and canon characters belong to Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios. This is an original work. You may not publish it anywhere else

Status: Edited

Note: Takes place after endgame. I have elected to ignore Tony's death and Steve's leaving. Did not happen. Quick Reminder! My works are only published here, AO3 and on Wattpad, thank you.

Chapter Four: The One With the Wine

Warnings: N/A

Word Count: 2629

"I'm telling you! I was standing right there, he could not take his eyes off of you! Buddy was one hundred percent into you." Gen laughed while tossing a kernel of popcorn into her mouth, chasing it with a sip of cherry wine.

Lily crossed her legs, shaking her head, tucking her hands into the oversized grey sweater she wore. Never in her life would she believe someone could be so taken with her. Especially someone who looked like Bucky. He was more than just a man, he was a whole different kind of breed. From the story, his eyes were able to tell. Or how his mannerisms gave away the constant anxiety coursing through him. Everything about Bucky told a story. The scruff that outlined his jaw, the perfect cut of his hair. He was the type of man Lily dreamed of, that most girls dreamed of. Rugged, mysterious, brooding. But his voice, soft, yet deep and gravelly. Perfection, in the eyes of Lily. And yet, she didn't know anything about him.

"You're delusional. we had a two-minute conversation where I spoke two words, maybe," Lily chuckled while pulling her sweatpant-covered knee to her chest, "There's no way in hell he was looking at me how you claim. It's just...nope. Impossible."

A groan escaped Gen's lips as Lily watched her throw her head back and lean against the arm of the couch, "Would you stop with your self-deprivation? Lily, you are beautiful! You have a beautiful son, a beautiful home, a too-good-to-be-true dog, and look like you should be a model," Gen chuckled, sipping her wine, "I never understood your ability to be insecure."

Lily answered with a gentle shrug. It was in her DNA, she supposed. She's always been insecure and down on herself. Her parents booked her in for counselling because just like her son, she too faced development issues. She never spoke, kept to herself. She'd busy her hands and mind with drawing, reading, and writing. It was later discovered her IQ was off the charts for her age. Eventually, she began to talk again, but she never believed herself to be pretty, or have an overall appealing personality.

It's what kind of made Gen and her work as a friendship. Gen was confident and carefree, living her best life and just taking it every day at a time. She never fretted about the future or focused on the past. And on the other hand, Lily was neurotic. Insecure. Living in the past, especially the years of emotional trauma from her ex-husband. She planned the future and tried to always ensure what would happen. The yin and yang of newcomers high school in long island. No one understood their friendship, or how it managed to stay alive. But it did, and it saved Lily from venturing into dark areas of her mind multiple times.

"We should text him!" Gen squealed while grabbing Lily's phone off the table

"You're funny. I don't even have his number, doe doe." Lily grinned, leaning back against a pillow as she watched Gen try to think of a retort.

"Noo, but Sam Wilson gave you his. Maybe, just maybe, he could give you Mr. Barnes’s number." Gen winked while typing in the blonde's password, pulling up the contact that lily had created for the falcon.

Rolling her forest green eyes, Lily pulled herself off the couch and towards the kitchen next to it. She poured herself another glass of wine before pulling out the blueberry pancakes she had grabbed earlier, watching as Gen's fingers typed feverishly on the iPhone 11 that Lily gratefully owned. Shaking her head, the blonde put the pancakes onto a plate and stuck them in the microwave for a minute. She could hear the clicking of Gen's fingers against the phone screen and a small chuckle escaped the girl’s plush lips.

"What're you doing? Typing him a whole novel?" Lily called, turning down the volume on the Amazon Echo that currently played nineties tunes.

"No, he's just fast at answering. Aaaand...I got the number!" Gen squealed and hopped off the couch towards the kitchen where Lily stood, "What should his name be? Hunky Bucky? Mr. Barnes?"

Rolling her eyes, Lily pulled the plate out of the microwave, taking the margarine out of the fridge, along with a knife and fork from the drawer beside the fridge. Whatever Gen was planning, Lily knew she wouldn't be able to talk her out of it. Whenever her best friend conjured a plan or set her mind to something, she had zero chance of getting in the way. Gen reached new levels of stubbornness when it came to these sorts of things. Especially Lily's love life. Gen has set her up on dates and different escapades...but Lily never took to any of the men. She never felt as though she could see it going anywhere.

"How about just Bucky? You could even add Barnes if it makes you happy," Lily sighed, a piece of blueberry pancake wedged into the side of her mouth. Leaning on her elbow, Lily cupped her chin in her hands, sipping her alcohol, watching as Gen continued to type, "What the hell are you typing?" Lily laughed, cutting up a few more pieces.

Gen merely replied with a simple shrug, "He thinks he's texting you. Bucky won't send you a text. But I said that you would not be making the first move."

"There are no moves being made!" Lily snapped and stole her phone back from Gen's grip, glancing at her messages, "I'm not looking for a relationship. I don't want one. I have all I need. Like you said, a beautiful son, a lovely home. great friends. A relationship would only create dysfunction and chaos."

A wave of silence rolled across the two. gen stared at the blonde in front of her, who was gripping the fork in her hands so tightly, her knuckles turned a sickly shade of white, with a tinge of green. A sigh escaped her lips as Lily dropped the fork back down onto the counter, running a hand down her face. Her green eyes avoided the stare that Gen was sending her way, a knowing look. One that let Lily know that she knew exactly what was going on inside of the blonde’s head, even when Lily herself didn't know. A strange ability Gen seemed to have, knowing what was repressed deep inside of Lily's subconscious.

"Lily-"

"Just drop it gen!" the young mom exclaimed while lifting her hands with clenched fists, "Please just drop it..."

"Okay...okay I'll drop it," Gen sighed, filling her glass once more with wine, "but Sam did mention you coming by? With Hunter? What was that about?" she wondered, crossing her legs as she took her seat on a stool at the counter.

Dropping her now empty plate into the sink, a small laugh escaped Lily's lips, "Sam offered to give Hunt a trip around the compound. Give him a tour of everything, meet everyone. Might ask Scott to grab him a bit early tomorrow and take him by."

Gen nodded. and the rest of the night went on like that. A bit quieter than before, due to the fact Lily's mind was still reeling from the small outburst earlier. They sipped their wine, finishing the two bottles. They both fell asleep in Lily's bed, both drunk and sprawled out. It was picturesque really. The two of them. An iconic duo to say the least.

-----

The next morning, a bright beam of light streamed through the sheer curtains of Lily's bedroom. Joey snoring gently beside her, his soft fur tickling her forearm. Sucking in a quick breath, the blonde reached her arm up to rub her eyes, before pulling herself up from her laying down position. She glanced around, noticing how Gen was nowhere in sight. Furrowing her brows, Lily turned to pick up her phone, noticing a text from her.

GEN

had to go to the cafe. spoke to Scott for you, you're picking hunt up at 1. love ya

Lily's eyes glanced at the time on her phone, 11:30. she had an hour and a half. Throwing her duvet off of her legs, startling Joey, she stood up. Her head pounded and she glanced to her right, noticing the empty wine glass from the night before. Chuckling gently, she picked it up and headed down the stairs towards her kitchen. Having nights alone with Gen typically helped Lily relax, make her calm those nerves that were constantly in a loop of anxiety and fear. But the slight argument they had the night before kept replaying in her head. She got so angry. As if finally, after all of these years, all of the trauma she faced in the name of love was coming to a head. That the heart Scott broke had yet to heal properly. Four years later, Lily still believed herself to be unlovable. Incapable of finding someone. Her deep subconscious believing that she had her one chance at love, and blew it.

A warm petal slid down the blonde’s cheekbone. Her bottom lip quivering. In an attempt to stop the shaking of the plush muscle, Lily bit down. Her breathing became shaky, her hands gripping onto the cool countertop so intensely that it mirrored the same shade as the night before. Gasps escaped her lips as she fumbled for a cup, leaning against the counters for support as she wandered over to the sink. Flipping on the silver faucet, the clear liquid ran into the cup. The moment she deemed enough, Lily chugged back the water. Her eyes relaxed and her breath steadied back to a regular pace.

When Lily finally regained the composure she needed to continue with her day, the blonde stood up straight. Glancing around the empty home, Lily's head dipped down so her chin gently rested on her collarbone. Pursing her lips once again, Lily sucked in the air around her through her nose. She dropped the cup into the sink and gave her body a shake, letting all of those feelings that just bubbled to the surface return to their rightful place deep within her. Where she didn't have to deal with them, and the people around her wouldn't see them. It was her way of hiding what she was truly feeling. and that's exactly what she wanted. To hide those fears, those doubts. everything.

She had to be strong, had to keep that facade up to maintain composure. She couldn't let Hunter see just how broken his mother was. Even though he may already know...she had to play ignorant just in case.

After scarfing down a croissant, Lily jogged up the stairs (much to her head’s dismay). Her start to the day was already hectic, and typically, that meant an extreme day ahead of her. Lily wasn't sure if she was all too prepared to handle that, especially after her little moment just moments ago. But she couldn't allow that small anxiety moment to consume her mind again, and destroy the rest of her day. She had sent a quick text to Sam, confirming the tour before placing her phone against the mahogany dresser she and Hunter had painted white. The dark green of her iris found itself staring back at herself in the mirror that was hung too carefully above the previously mentioned dresser.

She looked rough. Mascara smudged below her waterline, hair sticking out in three different directions. Her eyes were puffy and her lips were swollen, with a gentle tinge of scarlet displayed on the tip of her nose. Her chest heaved up and down, her neck expanding and retracting as her breathing continued to follow the path of relaxation. Almost instantly, she averted her eyes. No one wanted to look at a broken shell of a woman for too long, which became depressing. Especially when the said woman was nursing an existential hangover from two bottles of wine split with a person that could drink Captain Morgan under a table.

She pushed open the door to her closet and sighed. Maybe she did need a new wardrobe. She had been wearing the same dresses and shirts for years. She never had time to go shopping, or, when she did, she chose not to. Because shopping meant trying clothing on, which meant looking at her own body. The stretch marks across her hips, and the few that littered her stomach along with her belly button. Of course, these were caused naturally when she was pregnant, and because she’s grown from a baby. Regardless of how they came to be, Lily couldn't help but feel worse about herself with them. The pale pink shade they showed against her fair tone, making them prominent. That's why she never went shopping. Shame.

Lily changed into a cream-coloured lace spring dress with spaghetti straps and a brown leather braided belt, slipping a red cardigan over top due to the fact it was September, and there was a new cool breeze alongside the muggy heat. Her feet stepped into a pair of black flats before trudging to the bathroom. Checking the time, it read noon. She let out a sigh and picked up her can of dry shampoo, shaking the cool metal canister, causing a gentle noise to escape. Her morning routine was basic, but today she added the fact of cleaning the oiled up and overused makeup that stayed on her face from the night before. When she was done, she let out a sigh and quickly turned from the mirror, not looking at it once again. She fed Joey quickly, kissed him, then headed out.

time to pick up the boy that kept her going.

-----

Scott lived in Brooklyn, New York. He lived with the mistress that broke the horses back of their marriage and the daughter that was created out of it. Bitter wasn't the word she would use to describe how she felt towards the entire situation. Resentment, denial, those were better. The affair only made Lily more sure of her lack of worth. Not to mention how it broke all trust she had in the male sex or anyone that she dated. She hadn't had a relationship since Scott and hadn't even been physical with someone. A goodnight kiss, sure, but that's where it ended. Nothing more. She couldn't do it. And she one hundred percent blamed the father of her son.

Him and his new wife, Mary, aka the mistress, bunked in a two-story apartment near the edge of the area. It was a quiet area, but more urban and modern than the cozy and domestic vibe of Lily's area. That was a source of many arguments between the two as well. Scott preferred the non-stop of the city, while Lily preferred the privacy of the more so suburban areas of the city of New York. But now, the two were able to agree. She lived in a rural area, and he lived in the city. Was it a bit of a venture when it came to sharing custody of their child? Sure, but being divorced, the two didn't have a say in where the other lived.

Pulling into the driveway of her ex-husband’s apartment building, Lily turned off her car and pushed open the door. The heat hit her like a wave before the cool air broke down the wall the mugginess had created. Pressing the button to be buzzed in, the blonde rocked back and forth on her heels. When she heard the door unlock, she pushed through. After a few moments and one elevator trip, she reached the door of the apartment. Her fragile hand knocked, and seconds later, it busted open.

"Hey, Scott.”

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bigskydreaming · 4 years

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thehollowprince said: And I also stand by the opinion that they could have just done a solo run of the O5 X-Men starting a new timeline with the information they got from the future.

thehollowprince said: Its not like Marvel doesn’t constantly do AUs and retcons

OMG Josh you have no idea how bad I wanted this. They could’ve done SO MUCH with that concept. Letting the 05 keep their foreknowledge and the world they could have created with that?

They could’ve averted the initial Krakoan mission and saved Darwin, Gabe, Petra and Sway in the first place. They could have all been X-Men from their Day One, Scott and Alex would have actually gotten to KNOW their brother and Gabe quite possibly would never have gone full Dark Side despite the writers apparently now seeming obsessed with the idea there’s just something innately bad within Gabe that’s always destined to bear fruit at some point, ugh, whatever, like who do you think you are, Kant?

They could’ve recruited the Giant Size X-Men lineup earlier, and saved John Proudstar, who side by side with his brother Jamie, are a force to be reckoned with.

They could have convinced Pietro and Wanda to join them instead of the Avengers and been like no but seriously that way lies nothing but shitty storylines and bad decisions that will be blamed on you by your teammates despite the fact that any and all of the bad decisions that were ACTUALLY yours could have been averted if any of your teammates were capable of functioning as an actual support system. Come join us. We have actual support systems, except for the times when we don’t, but we recruited Deadpool to break the fourth wall and he and Logan are currently cutting through the ranks of every writer who would write as hating and fighting each other instead of being a loving fucking family goddammit.

Jean could have faced the Phoenix head-on when the time for that came, using her knowledge of the future not to fear an inevitable death, but rather to know she had nothing TO fear, that the power to not control this force, but just be ONE with it, with no NEED to control it or be controlled by it, a symbiotic union, two beings in harmony deciding on courses of action together. The Phoenix’s innate powers and prerogative of rebirth and destruction tempered by Jean’s mercy, aimed and focused by Jean’s reason, the double-edged sword that is fire capable of warming homes or destroying them completely combined with Jean’s conscience guiding it to use its power for the former rather than the latter.

They could have stopped the Legacy Virus from getting out and killing millions as well as spared us from migraines induced by an AIDS metaphor so shitty at being a metaphor most people forget it was literally written to be an AIDS metaphor.

The body swap would never have happened and Kwannon could have joined the X-Men as a full member from the time she was introduced, rather than dragged along in the wake of Betsy’s tangled storylines for a couple decades.

They could have stopped Fitzroy from killing the Hellions. Hell, if they train Illyana early enough and have her mentored by Wanda who is perfectly fucking competent when left to her own devices, then like, maybe they can even take a jaunt to the future to save Fitzroy from dying in the first place and being resurrected with no soul. Not gonna lie, ever since then I’ve kinda been seriously interested in what the hell would a hero version of Trevor freaking Fitzroy even BE like, y’know? Call it morbid fascination, but like. I kinda want it, guys. LOL.

Add to that note, they could have taken another jaunt to the future and rescued Rachel from being made into a Hound by Ahab. Through the power of some convoluted plot tangle I just made up for convenience, Scott still ends up in a relationship with Maddy briefly, in one of those self-fulfilling prophecy type things where he went into it with the full intention of just averting the future and saving Maddy from her fate as the Goblyn Queen, but somehow ended up in a love triangle with a very alive Jean and Maddy who is fully informed of Sinister’s shenanigans and quite displeased with that asshole, and look, I don’t know how all of this goes exactly, but let’s cut to the chase, my only real endgame with this is making sure that Nate’s born properly, saved from Apocalypse and the techno-virus by the combined efforts of Scott, Maddy and Jean as well as Uncles Warren, Bobby and Hank, and Jean calls up the Phoenix through some psychic bond or whatever and is like hey girl, can I hit you up for a loan real quick? Got some losers that need toasting.

And in this AU the Phoenix totally has her back, and one brief cosmic power-up and gratuitous Sailor Moon transformation later, Jean glows and intones some epic one-liners with appropriate gravitas, and then just punts both Apocalypse and Sinister to the far side of the universe, never to be seen or heard from again. They like, hit a black hole on the way there I guess. It was very sad. Violin strings may commence with the requiem. Okay that’s enough, they can stop now.

So then through the plot contrivances of fuck you, I said so, Scott and Maddy ultimately part amicably and Scott and Jean get back together and the three of them civilly co-parent both baby Nate and Rachel, as Maddy keeps the healing powers she gained as Anodine and stays with the X-Men for her own reasons.

The telepaths are all better trained by the expertise Jean gained in her powers while in the future, so the next time the Shadow King comes bumming around looking to cause chaos, Betsy, Emma and Jean just look at each other and laugh and say nuh-uh before psychically squishing him into a marble.

Warren never becomes Archangel. Onslaught isn’t a thing. They make nice with Magneto and say okay you may have a couple points, let’s discuss. Bishop arrives in the past for reasons totally unrelated to his original story, has no traitor to seek out among the X-Men, and thus he and Gambit end up besties in complete defiance of that stupid fucking story and because I just think they’re neat together. Yes I said neat. Gambit and Bishop are just neat. Deal with it.

Bishop still hates that Fitzroy guy though, he’s like, I don’t even know what it is about that guy, he just rubs me the wrong way, even though Fitzroy is not evil here and has always done good with his powers, which are channeled through a device Forge made him that lets him just absorb life force from a wide range around him, spread out and diluted enough that its like, the grass feels weird for a second, like whoa what even was that, and then its over. Actually, y’know what, scratch that. Fitzroy’s powers are stupid and unnecessary the way they are now anyway, so fuck it, this Fitzroy doesn’t need life force or whatever, he’s just a dude who makes time portals. He’s like Illyana with green hair and that ugly goatee. Hey I said this Fitzroy was non-evil, not that he was perfect.

Bobby’s out and proud since he was sixteen, and with actual competence and proficiency with his powers, which make him a Literal Unkillable Gay Icon, he’s an inspiration to LGBTQ+ teens everywhere and inspires other gay, bi and trans heroes to come out. He’s a big brother figure to all the baby gays that later join the X-Men, like, Rictor comes to him for advice back during the time equivalent to early X-Factor, when Rictor’s a trying-too-hard sixteen year old who thought college age Bobby was like the coolest, which is valid, because X-Factor Bobby was like A+ Bobby characterization and deserves more reads.

So Rictor comes out earlier as well, and by the time they even meet Shatterstar, instead of a slow burn friends to roommates to lovers scenario, Rictor takes one look at the love of his life and wastes no time coming out swinging with an absolutely terrible pick up line. Look, I said his big brother figure Bobby was out and proud in this AU, not that he magically had a better sense of humor. Some things just don’t change, y’know? Luckily, Shatterstar is a weirdo, and thus he finds terrible pick-up lines charming. At least when its Rictor saying them. They walk off for a first date, already practically hand in hand, voices fading into the distance as Rictor asks “By the way, have you met Dazzler yet? According to Bobby, apparently she’s your mom. That Longshot dude with the mullet over there is your dad I guess. We should go say hi.”

Hank gets an assistant hand-picked by the rest of the original X-Men, and who has one job and one job only. To follow him around and observe all his experiments, and he has veto power over experiments that People With IQs As High As Yours Should Know Better But I Guess You’ve Got Reed Richards Syndrome.

Hank’s like, “Hmm, if I built a time machine I could go back to the Jurassic Period and observe whether my theory of - “

Hank’s assistant: “Veto.”

“Damn. Okay I was also thinking of making a deep space communicator that can reach into the farthest reaches of space beyond any known civilization and just say hi, y’know? See if anyone’s out there.”

“Veto.”

“If I combine these genetically modified antibodies here with this strain of of DNA from - “

“Veto.”

“Well Forge built this device that does this to mutant powers but I think I can make it do - “

“Veto.”

“These nanobots I - “

“VETO,”

“Honestly, at this point I think you’re just saying that just because you like saying it.”

“Dr. McCoy, I promise you, I’m really, really not.”

Logan finds out about his future clan of stabby children, and seeks them out. He rescues Daken from Romulus, somebody stabs that loser with the immortal-killing sword, I don’t even care who, and after a few tense months of Logan trying too hard, he and Daken eventually bond over how hockey just isn’t violent enough. If you’re going to make a sport all about hitting each other, just really go for it or don’t even bother, y’know? Logan claps him on the shoulder and sniffs. That’s my boy. Then they find and rescue Laura and Gabby and take a road trip to Earth 1610 to pick up Jimmy. They have a house on campus, and new students walking by it are used to hearing loud growling and even howls. They were assured during orientation that that’s nothing to worry about, it just means the House of Snikt are watching a game and are rooting for opposing sides.

Emma’s recruited practically the day they get back. She’s only just started at the Hellfire Club and has only done a tiny bit of Evil when Warren schedules an appointment with her, and then he, Scott and Jean make a better pitch than Shaw and his ilk could ever match. They’ve been to the future. Come join with us and we’ll give you an all access pass to memories detailing exactly what’s going to happen in these particular areas and many more. All you have to do is ask. Oh and also please don’t seduce any married teammates. Its bad form. To be honest, I don’t think it’ll be an issue because Deadpool assures us Morrison has been taken care of, and don’t worry if that makes no sense to you, its a head-scratcher for us to. Just roll with it.

Nate ages normally here so its not like he ends up besties with forty year old Wade, but the latter having his own plot-contrived knowledge of the future because He’s Just Like That, decides that he won’t be denied at least SOME kind of bond with The Bestie That Wasn’t. He becomes Nate’s official babysitter. Well, not official, seeing as how Scott, Jean and Maddy don’t hire him and are very clear that their son is not to be left alone with this man at any time, he is a terrible influence and he keeps giving our kid guns. But then Wade just shows up anytime they’re out because he just has a sixth sense for Making Trouble, and he terrifies away whatever babysitter’s there and greets the returning and exasperated parents with a cheery wave.

“I know what you’re going to say, but don’t worry, we didn’t do anything dangerous or against the law. All we did today was I taught him to make bombs, but we were very careful, we wore safety goggles and really, they were very little bombs. Not even anything atomic. I honestly don’t think any of them could have even blown up this whole house, and I’ve been meaning to say, I’m not impressed with the structural integrity of this place. Couldn’t you have picked something with a sturdier foundation? Its like you don’t even expect random space mercenaries to attack your place out of the blue every other month. Have any of you even read a single issue of your own comics?”

Scott’s jaw twitches Ominously. Wade starts gathering up his things. Jean rubs her forehead wearily.

“Wade, what do you even think ‘dangerous’ means?”

Wade pauses and cocks his head. Gives it a solid twenty seconds of thought. Then he shrugs.

“I don’t know actually. Don’t think I’ve ever really thought about it. I always figured it was just one of those things people just say. Like, ‘oh, it looks like rain today,’ even if they’re not a forecaster and have no real meteorological credentials to speak of. ‘Oh, this mission will be dangerous,’ and I don’t even have to use up all my ammo and I only get shot twice. Y’know?”

“Leave,” Scott says. More like intones. House shakes a little bit but that might just be Wade’s imagination. Its very active.

“Leaving!” He says hastily. He jumps through the closed window and then teleports away amid the falling shower of broken glass. Why didn’t he do that while he was still inside the room? No one knows. Not even Wade knows. Why did the chicken cross the road? Who the fuck cares, now is it Original Recipe or Crispy?

Scott, Jean and Maddy search the house while Nate angelically claims they won’t find anything, Wade doesn’t even bring him cool stuff anymore cuz he knows you’ll just take it.

Maddy finds a high-tech laser space gun under a floorboard in the closet. She holds it up with one eyebrow raised pointedly. Scott and Jean flank her and their own eyebrows raise in solidarity. Well Jean’s does. Scott’s probably does but its hard to tell sometimes. Depends on what glasses or visor he’s wearing.

“That was already there,” Nate tries. Most powerful telepath and telekinetic in the world, but the kid can’t lie for shit. There’s not much point in trying when one of your moms is the freaking Phoenix, and that’s a skill that takes practice he just doesn’t have.

The three sets of parental eyebrows make a V, judgingly.

“One month of no video games or TV?” Okay, so terrible liar but quick on his feet. At least he knows when he’s beat and jumps straight to trying to shape his own punishment proactively.

“Two months. And no flying lessons either,” Jean says. “And don’t pout at me, young man. You know the rules. No weapons inside the house unless your grandpa Corsair is visitng and we’re too tired to fight him on keeping knives under his pillow. This is a Do As We Say, Not As We Do house. Deal with it. Now, this is going with the others and you can have it back when you’re eighteen.”

It would have been three months, but Jean and Maddy caught a telepathic sniff from Scott. He’s just so proud of his kid thinking so tactically. He’s growing up so fast. Both women mentally roll their eyes. Why is he like this.

“I don’t see what the big deal is anyway,” Nate sulks. “Its just a stupid laser gun. I mean, Uncle Gabe blew up our last house with his brain.”

“Yes and it was an accident and he feels absolutely terrible about that which is why we’re not going to bring it up when he and Armando come visit this weekend, right?”

“You can have my full compliance for two weeks off my sentence.”

“Or we can have your full compliance or two weeks will be added to your sentence,” Maddy says.

“You guys suck,” declares the ten year old vessel of near unlimited psychic might. He goes to his room, stomping all the way up the stairs so his grievances can be heard even by the House of Snikt next door. Course, they’ve already been listening to the whole thing with their enhanced hearing. There was nothing good on TV. Jimmy made popcorn and chewed with his mouth open just to piss off Daken.

‘The second Father leaves the room, I am going to stab you in such a slow healing place you’ll still be bleeding at bed time.’ Daken mouths at his little brother from another universe. Jimmy scrunches his face in confusion.

‘What?’ He mouths back. He’s terrible at reading lips. Or anything that isn’t skateboarding, really. And yet Father’s so happy that ‘at least one of my kids is content with stupid normal stuff and doesn’t go around drawing cover fire just because a mission is going so well its boring and they haven’t even gotten to pop their claws out yet.’

“That’s only because you’ve coddled him. He’s barely ever even been shot at. Just the one time on vacation in Majipoor and he wasn’t even the target, the assassin was aiming for me. If you would just let me take him on a proper outing to gain some real experience - “

“Not gonna happen.” Logan shuts that down real quick.

“Really Father, just look at him. He has zero situational awareness. I’ve been glaring a hole in the back of his head for a full minute now and he has no idea. That could just as easily be an actual laser scope, you know. He’s a disgrace to the whole family.”

“Daken, we’ve been over this,” Logan says firmly. “You have your sisters to bond with over gratuitous violence. Leave your brother alone. I don’t want anyone traumatizing him until trauma finds him all on its own. It’ll happen sooner or later, he’s as much a part of this family as anyone and that means its as good as done already, so there’s no need to hurry it along. If later on he decides he’s got a taste for it, you can take him on all the outings to get shot at that you want. But he’s gotta figure it out for himself first, and he doesn’t need his big brother being the one who introduces him to all that. He idolizes you, you know.”

Daken scoffs. He can’t even get the brat to chew with his mouth closed.

“He cut his hair from that style he liked so much, just because you hated it so much,” Logan says obliviously. Daken nods like he’s conceding the argument and hastens from the room while he can still keep his mouth shut. It won’t benefit anyone at this point to tell their father that Jimmy really only cut his hair because Daken told him he would set it on fire if he didn’t.

Ugh, families are the worst. Don’t even get him started on Laura stealing some of his clothes to wear without asking. And then has the gall to yell back at him when he yells “Silk! Its the finest cut of silk! Does that mean nothing to you?” at her.

“Oh get over it. Its not like I asked for killer robots to interrupt my date.”

“Of course they were going to interrupt your date with that Julian boy. I keep telling you, he’s a magnet for trouble. I can tell. I’m one too, remember?”

“Fine, whatever, you’re right and I should just expect every date with Julian from now until the end of time to end with fire and disaster.”

“Well now you’re being melodramatic. There’s no way that boy makes it past twenty five. He doesn’t even have a healing factor.”

“Why do you hate him so much anyway? If you’d just give him a chance - “

“What are you talking about? I give him a chance every single time he’s here and I don’t kill him.”

“Ugh, I can’t even talk to you when you’re like this. You always do this, you just decide on something and then you commit to that like the fate of the world depends on you standing firm on what’s usually a completely arbitrary decision in the first place!”

Daken sniffs. “I can assure you, there’s absolutely nothing arbitrary about my disdain for the Keller boy.”

“His name is Julian,” Laura enunciates with a glare.

“I don’t care,” Daken enunciates with an expression of lofty superiority.

“You two are so dumb,” Gabby says from the end of the hallway. They both turn identical glares on her. They’d noticed her arrive several minutes ago but they weren’t about to be distracted from their battle of wills. “Laura, you know Daken isn’t actually going to kill Julian. He doesn’t do that anymore except for really bad people sometimes and he just talks about stabbing people or killing them cuz he thinks he’s funny and then he gets all pissy because nobody ever gets that he doesn’t really mean it. He doesn’t even hate Julian and he used to be fine with him before he started dating you, its just he doesn’t think he’s good enough for you.”

Daken frowns at the petite would-be peacemaker. Meddlesome toddler. “What are you even babbling about? None of that is remotely true.”

Gabby rolls her eyes up at her brother from her much lower height. She taps the side of her nose with emphasis. “You do know we all have the same abilities to smell and analyze scents as you do, right? And you know everything you can tell from peoples’ scent, right? Of course I’m right, I can smell it as clear as anything and so can Jimmy and Dad and we actually all know this and talk about it all the time, and its why Dad never actually gets mad at you for talking about killing people because he can smell you’re saying it just cuz you’re used to saying it but really you’re too marshmallowy on the inside now to do half the stuff you claim you’re gonna do. Hate to break it to you bro, but you’re a closet softie and you’ve been made. The nose doesn’t lie. Only reason Laura doesn’t know it is because you piss her off like its your favorite hobby and its probably impossible for her to smell anything beyond her own scent of Royally Pissed Off.”

Ugh. Meddlesome insightful toddler. Who asked for her intervention anyway? Daken crosses his arms in a way that’s decidedly aloof and not at all sulking.

Laura’s staring at their sister assessingly. “That’s really what you think is going on? And Jimmy and Dad think so too? You’re not just saying all that?”

Gabby bats her eyes up at them. “Would I lie to you?”

“Yes,” Laura says without missing a beat.

“Without a shadow of a doubt,” Daken says dryly, right on her heels.

“For the sake of a candy bar,” Laura adds, because that really did happen.

“Or just boredom, because god forbid you pick up another hobby that isn’t just Chaos.”

“This from the guy who only has fun when there’s blood and bullets flying about,” Gabby fires back from a position of petite petulance.

Daken smirks down at her. “Didn’t you just say I don’t really mean it when I say all of that?”

Gabby narrows her eyes. “Touché. My own words thrown back at me. I am undone.”

“Yes, well - “

Daken’s cut off as Jimmy chooses that moment to walk past them down the hallway to the bathroom. He’s laughing and shaking his head.

“You guys are both so dumb. She plays you like this all the time, and you never see it.”

“Silence, mortal!” Gabby thunders at their brother menacingly. The effect is somewhat diminished by the fact that she can’t hit a baritone note to save her life.

“No, I’m interested in hearing what he has to say,” Daken says coolly. “For once. This is a moment without precedent and one unlikely to occur again, so let’s explore it a bit.”

Jimmy sighs and shakes his head without ever losing that amused smirk. “Had to tack on that last part, didn’t you. Just couldn’t help yourself.”

“I am a faithful student of the Truth,” Daken says, matching his brother smirk for smirk.

“The point, Jimmy?” Laura prods aggressively before that can erupt into a wholly separate thing she wants no part of.

“Oh, right.” He shrugs nonchalantly. “Its kinda her thing with you two when you get like this. You pick a fight with Laura, Laura gets pissed off and succumbs to the family curse of Tunnel Vision at the Worst Possible Time, and you both go back and forth endlessly and like you have all the time in the world for your stupid tete a tete, because on account of you both being practically unkillable and immortal, you kinda do and you know it. And then whenever she gets bored of listening to you two, Gabby swoops in and draws both of your attention until you’re both so focused on being annoyed with her you don’t even realize you’re actually side by side agreeing with each other, and she keeps it up just long enough til she’s sure she can just say she’s bored now and just leave the room, leaving you both annoyed and frustrated by a fight you can’t even claim to have won because she really just kinda...left, in the middle of it, and you’re so focused on that, you’ve totally forgotten to be pissed at each other. And by the time you do remember, like, the moment has passed and peace has been returned to the kingdom. Or at least as peaceful as this place ever gets.”

Daken stares at his mistake of a brother in the hopes that if he stalled long enough, his senses would arrive at a different conclusion. But nope. Scents don’t lie, unlike baby sis, apparently. He’s telling the truth. And Daken really does not....care for that conclusion.

Gabby stamps her foot and glares up at their brother.

“You are such a tattletale. I am providing a service, by keeping this family free of these two constantly at each others throats, and how is that service repaid? With betrayal! I hate you, you’re dead to me. Never speak to me again or at least not until I’ve stopped being mad at you, but that could be like ten years or something, I don’t even know right now.”

She draws up to her full height and squares her shoulders as she thunders this Mighty Mouse style at the still laughing Jimmy. Then, seeing she’d yet to make a dent in his armor of amusement and he was failing to take her pronouncement seriously, she punctuated her declaration by spitting on their brother’s shoe. Daken’s eyebrows shoot up again, this time in amusement of his own. Gabby then spins around on her heel and stalks off down the hallway, muttering more dire threats under her breath as she goes, the sound of them nonetheless carrying clearly to three siblings with enhanced hearing of their own. And apparently, little sis could be quite creative. Who knew she’d been hiding such talent?

Jimmy barely even notices; he’s still staring down at his shoe.

“Dude, you spit on me! That’s so not cool.”

“Some things need to be expressed so strongly, mere words will not suffice,” Daken says loftily, savoring a slightly renewed sense of superiority.

One quickly dashed, of course, because apparently he just can’t have anything.

“Bold words from the seventy year old who needed the sixteen year old to clue him in he’s being regularly manipulated by the twelve year old,” Jimmy fires back. As a return volley, its obnoxiously effective, and Daken’s still grinding his teeth and searching for an adequate rejoinder as Jimmy just grins even wider and then strolls off down the hallway as well. Whistling either an absolutely hideous song or else proof that he’s absolutely hideous at whistling. Tough call. With him it could be either.

Daken and Laura both stare after him in silence as he rounds the corner and disappears, leaving only the lingering scent of smugness in his wake. Daken hates the scent of smugness. It has a particularly....cloying feel to it. Well not his of course. But everyone else’s, especially little brothers? Acrid is the only word adequate for that.

“Sometimes I really do want to stab him. Just a little bit. And I’m not even lying,” Daken says. Laura just nods, her own nose scrunched up in distaste as well.

“Honestly? Me too.”

Brother and sister enjoy the rare moment of solidarity.

“You know what’s really bugging me?” Laura says suddenly, still staring off down the hallway. Daken turns an inquiring eye on her, prompting elucidation. She frowns.

“Where the hell did he learn a phrase like tete a tete? I mean. Its Jimmy.”

Daken does know what she means, and frowns as the nagging awareness of that leaps from his sister to himself like memetic chain lightning.

“And he used it correctly. That’s....unexpected.”

“Sometimes I wonder if maybe he’s not as completely airheaded as he pretends, and the fact that he’s got everyone so convinced of that actually means he’s running circles around the rest of us,” Laura says. She shrugs. “Of course, then I have to question everything and who has that kind of time and also the very idea of genius mastermind Jimmy disturbs me on a deeply visceral level. So then I just. Stop doing that.”

Daken nods and sighs. “Sometimes, that’s all you can do.”

“Okay, this is annoying. I kinda still want to fight, but now fighting with you feels kinda anticlimactic. Ugh, siblings are the worst,” Laura declares with a glower. “They ruin everything.”

“On that, we can agree. With allowances for temporary occasions of some of them being bearable,” Daken says. “Some.”

“That’s the nicest thing you’ve never said to me, big brother,” Laura says lightly. Daken swiftly scowls but she holds up a hand to forestall any rebuttal. “Sorry, don’t mean to ruin the moment. I’m thinking about how else we can put all that frustrated energy to good use. Wanna go pick a fight with the Summers’ kids?”

A slow smile spreads across Daken’s face. “Well now. Finally, a family outing I can get behind. I believe that’s precisely what we need right now. Care to lead the way?”

He still hates her boyfriend, of course, but he supposes he can let that be.

For now, at least.

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pinkletterday · 6 years

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Oh thank God they aren't waiting till shit goes down to brief Team Flash.

LMAO Iris "what the newspaper says some shit? That's like Tuesday for us, bro."

Seriously though I'm tired of Iris being "tough". The best thing, maybe the only good thing, about Season 3 was that she was allowed to be soft and vulnerable and scared and sad. We badly need to roll back on this stoic tough chick trope. LET WOMEN BE EMOTIONAL FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

I miss Soft Princess Iris. :(

SINGH. I missed Captain Singh. He's like Barry's number one stan. "You got an intern working a crime scene without going through any hiring protocol whatsoever, Allen? Good job!"

Incidentally how can you "hire" interns if you don't pay them?

So. Now that we've seen a man become compressed into a block of meat, can we have some PG 13 post-coital Westallen nookie? This show's attitude to sex is so fucked up. Shishkebab people 96 times per season but zero hints of a sex life between a loving, committed couple.

Nora, I love you but you may actually be worse than your Dad at showing up to crime scenes with flimsy excuses...*flashes back to introductory episode on Arrow 2x8* nvm

That block of meat is making me hungry. Need breakfast.

"Please stop caring about me" LOL

Ralph is sort of growing on me. Granted, so could fungus.

Okay that was mean.

I really hope Barry also tables his family drama for five minutes to be there for his best friend. Caitlin and Cisco keep being deprioritized since S2 - S3 and its grating on me. Be there for your friends too, Barry.

Excuse you, going to Thailand and painting your toes is a great way to get over a break-up. However, I strongly advise against any drastic hair decisions.

Oh. Poor guy. Be gentle, Mad Dog West-Allen

(Get it? Mad Dog Lane? TNAOS? Ok then)

I do like when they show civillian casualties. It makes what they do seem more impactful.

Is Joe on paternity leave?

I like these West family subplots. Joe and Cecile are v cute.

Cecile reading the mind of your child without their consent is the opposite of being the perfect parent. Wait till she's out and raid her room for drugs like everyone else.

Barry is like me with teenagers. "When I was your age it took five minutes just to connect to the internet and your search history turned up on your phone bill shut your gob."

Oh Nora. *facepalm*

Idk why Barry always calls his villains out. He's a speedster with the advantage of surprise. Its stupid.

"Denser than people who still believe in love." I feel you so much Cisco.

I see the CW is still forcing us to be minutely acquainted with people's chins.

SERIOUSLY just let Barry take five seconds out to give Cisco a comforting pat on the back Im so tired of this.

LOL Barry you're giving Nora math homework? That's just harsh.

Lmao Cisco is getting Anne Hathawayed HANDS OFF THE HAIR BRUCE. **proteccs lush beautiful Cisco curls*

"Does that mean you think there's something wrong with me?" NO BABY YOU ARE THE MOST PERFECT AND BEAUTIFUL

"You cut my hair I cut you" YOU TELL HIM

Oh. Oh my. Oh.

I have never been so attracted to Cisco Ramon before. Clearly I have been a fool.

Heee she raised her hand. "But Dad, I wanna punch stuff!" Most precious bean.

Errm pretty sure your Dad killed the Sand Demon, Nora. I don't care about DC's no-kill rule but that was not his finest moment.

Lmaoooo welcome to fatherhood, Barry.

Maybe a stern little talking-to wouldn't hurt at this point.

Whenever she says "Dad" my insides melt a little more.

Okay, Barry and Iris need to draw some hard lines between their professional lives. The investigative journalist cannot just waltz into her husband's CCPD lab and look through his laptop. Literally you could have done this at home instead of the lab. One day they're going to be accused of evidence tampering.

Shit like this takes me out of a scene unnecessarily.

Barry: "NORA ISN'T LISTENING TO ME SHE THINKS SHE CAN DO ALL THESE THINGS BUT SHE CAN'T, NEMO!"

Joe: *internally laughs himself stupid*

So this is why parents want their kids to reproduce. The sweet, sweet karmic payback. xD

(Fourth grade? Barry came to live with them when he was eleven. Also pretty sure Barry kinda hated Joe for a while what with having arrested his Dad and being traumatized. I can see him hero-worshipping Joe a couple of years later maybe.)

I can't get over how hot Cisco is. Bruce better not have burned his iconic t-shirts tho.

Aww, Caitlin. That sucks. :( I know the theme this season seems to be fathers and daughters but you should really talk to Iris about absentee parents who faked their deaths.

No seriously this is a great bonding opportunity for them! I need to see a solid friendship between the two main female cast members so bad it's been four seasons please throw me a bone

Oh, step twenty seven is hitting me hard too. I think I might actually like Ralph soon.

Okay, real talk. Yeah the superficial stuff can't distract you from the truth that your relationship tanked. But that whole cry on your couch for two weeks, get away to a seaside with friends, getting a makeover, buying new clothes, redecorating your living space - these are also rituals of grief and helps you cope till you get enough emotional distance to deal with reality. Superficial stuff is what makes life bearable, okay?

The other thing is to give relationship advice nobody asked for

Moving on.

I love that Cait and Cisco are always there for each other.

Awww Barry's showing Nora what a fuck up he truly is loool.

Oh my God. Season 1 Barry. "Sometimes for people with our abilities the most impressive thing is restraint." WE HAVE COME SO FAR. I'M LOVIN' IT! *prouds*

Yessss Iris being as smart as the nerd herd!

GO TEAM WEST-ALLEN!

Young lady, you roll your eyes at your mother one more time and we're gonna have words.

Kinda hate that in order to give villains a chance against speedster powers you gotta significantly bring the latter down several IQ points.

Baby got moves! Nice!

Barry! What about those moves you used to lay out the ARGUS guards??

This fight would be more impressive is I could see jackshit. Lighting, people!

Hmm. Did Cicada just have a "Save Martha" moment?

Nora is so scared and worried for her father, poor babb.

YES MARVEL REFERENCE!

Wait, so they got their powers back?

Y'know he didnt have to vibe that to realize the obvious next step is confronting Caitlin's mother.

Actually that sounds like respiratory problem. New villain - Halitosis.

Oooh Future Spoilers Girl knows who Cicada is

Aaand that's a wrap folks.

Ngl I had hoped for more "West" in Team West-Allen but this was a solid ep.

Please have Nora call Barry "Dad" as many times as possible k.

#the flash #the flash spoilers #liveblog #the flash 5x2

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frontproofmedia · 2 years

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THOMAS HEARNS TRIBUTE

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By Sina Latif

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Published: October 18, 2022

Thomas “The Hitman�� Hearns the name of the most notable and iconic champion to come out of Detroit’s Kronk Gym, the legendary and intimidating birthplace of some of the most talented prizefighters ever.

Hearns was provided with the opportunity for greatness by competing in the Golden Age of the legendary ‘Fabulous Four’ alongside Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, and Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran. These men dominated 1980’s boxing, cementing themselves in boxing folklore with their historic encounters in boxing’s last truly great era.

However, Hearns would have been a stand-out great in any era. His warrior mindset, destructive nature, and phenomenal talent would have made him a force to be reckoned with in any era in boxing history.

Hearns was born on 18 October 1958 in Memphis, Tennessee. His mother, Lois Hearns, a single parent, moved her family to Detroit, Michigan, when Hearns was five. Young Tommy began boxing at age 10, becoming a renowned amateur hailing from Emanuel Steward’s Kronk Gym.

“The Motor City Cobra” had a stellar amateur career with a record of 155-8, having fought the likes of Aaron Pryor, Howard Davis Jr, Bobby Joe Young and Ronnie Shields. He won the National Amateur Athletic Union and Golden Gloves titles in 1977, the same year he laced up his first pair of gloves in the paid ranks.

Once Steward taught Hearns about the benefits of leverage and the proper technique to generate power, how to use his 6-foot-1 inch height and 78 inch reach to devastating effect, that demonic long right cross of Hearns started wreaking havoc, and ‘The Hitman’ was born. Hearns hit as hard as any welterweight that ever lived.

With a piston-like jab, he had one of the best ‘sticks’ in boxing history. "That jab is a thing of beauty, it’s not just fast, it's hard too,” said Leonard when reflecting on their iconic first fight.

With the famous decimating right hand which came behind the jab, Hearns was utterly formidable. There was also the laser-guided precision and fast-twitch explosiveness, which made his jab, right cross and hooks to the body all the more devastating with the speed, power and accuracy at which they were delivered.

Moreover, his boxing ability was elite. Hearns was more than just a power puncher. It was his pure skill and ring IQ which enabled him to compete as a world-class light-heavyweight.

Hearns was a truly phenomenal fighter. Athletic, tall, and powerful. His slim body frame, coupled with his style, made him a unique fighter who became a true all-time great.

Hearns turned professional in November 1977 with a second-round knockout victory against Jerome Hill. Hearns’ first 17 opponents failed to hear the final bell before Alfonso Hayman managed to last the 10-round distance in April 1979. Over the next year, Hearns blazed through the welterweight division, going through men such as Harold Weston, Bruce Curry, Angel Espada, and Eddie Gazo.

With a record of 28-0 with 26 KOs, Hearns’ first title shot came against long-reigning WBA welterweight champion Jose Pipino Cuevas in August 1980.

Cuevas was the champion for 4 years with 11 title defenses and ten knockouts under his belt. This fight was unlike anything the untested Hearns had faced before, or so they expected. The fight concluded, and Hearns was still untested. The Hitman’s power, speed, size, and ranginess proved too much for the long-reigning, dominant champion, scoring a 2nd round KO.

Hearns was voted Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year for 1980.

In 1981, the much-anticipated classic billed as “The Showdown” between Leonard and Hearns took place for the undisputed welterweight championship.

Heading into the bout, Hearns had left behind a venomous trail of destruction with 30 KO’s in 32 fights.

Leonard won via TKO in the 14th round, inflicting Hearns’ first professional loss in one of the greatest fights of all time, showcasing two in-prime all-time greats displaying their greatness in an ebb and flow of dramatic action.

Even in defeat, Hearns was a winner because he showed everybody he was more than just a slugger who could bang. He had heart and great boxing skills. Leonard was perceived as the superior boxer by far. However, Hearns used his jab to out-box Sugar Ray for long periods of their fight. Hearns had his immense toughness and unbelievable courage contained in his lean, long frame preventing him from crumbling in the seventh round when Leonard was teeing off on The Hitman and battering his hurt opponent from pillar to post. An ordinary man would have been bed-bound for a month after taking the beating that Hearns took in rounds six and seven, but Hearns is no ordinary man.

Nobody realized how much of a great boxer Hearns was, more so than Leonard. Speaking to Ring Magazine, Leonard recalled: “I don’t remember anyone being superior to me with their feet, but Tommy used his feet in our first fight. His height and reach, plus his movement, gave me problems. I said to myself, “This son-of-a-bitch can box too.””

If it wasn’t for Leonard pulling off one of the greatest victories in history, Hearns was capable of dominating at 147 pounds for a long time, until the point when he would outgrow the division. Hearns had appeared unbeatable, knockout power in either fist on the end of his tremendous reach. Leonard’s win on this night was truly great and pointed more towards Leonard’s standing as one of the true all-time greats of boxing and the greatness of one of the most complete fighters in history rather than any deficiencies on Hearns’ behalf.

For a man who has also beaten Hagler, Duran and Wilfred Benitez, Leonard stated years after his retirement in an interview with The Independent regarding beating Hearns, “I think that was my defining moment, the pinnacle.”

That is true testament to Hearns’ ability and what it takes to have beaten a peak, Hearns.

Following his first loss, aged only 22, Hearns moved up to have three tune-up fights at middleweight before challenging defensive genius WBC super welterweight champion Benitez. Hearns used his rangy jab and underrated boxing ability to control Benitez and win a majority decision with some room to spare, and then embarked upon a period in his career when he staked a serious claim to be the greatest super welterweight in history.

Hearns made three successful defenses of his title, which included a coldcocking of one of the toughest men to ever enter a boxing ring, the iron-chinned Panamanian legend Duran, in two rounds. Hearns was the only man to ever knock Duran out during the Panamanian’s legendary 30 year professional career. A harmless double jab to the body to disguise the savage overhand right, one of the greatest scored in history, which shockingly left the always-granite chinned Duran face flat on the canvas. After this, Hearns’ standing and reputation had fully recovered from his first professional career loss to Leonard.

Hearns was again awarded Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year for 1984.

Having dispatched Duran and with Leonard ‘retiring’, there was one man left for Hearns to face and determine the king of boxing, and that was ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler.

Hearns moved back up to middleweight, and they shared the most exciting and action-packed three rounds in boxing history.

The Hitmans’ unforgettable battle against the undisputed middleweight champion, accurately named “The Eight minutes of Fury,” is on everyone’s lips when talking about the most action-packed, mesmerizing wars ever.

Hagler detonated a final right to the chin of Hearns in the third round, and the fight was over.

Hagler later referred to that fight as ‘the very highlight of my career’.

Hearns lost to Leonard, the best welterweight since arguably the greatest fighter in history, Sugar Ray Robinson. There has not been a better welterweight than Leonard since. The other man to defeat Hearns was Hagler, and there has arguably not been a better middleweight than the ‘Marvelous’ one since he hung up his gloves, either. During his prime, Hearns only lost to two all-time greats, the best to compete in their divisions, who adapted their styles to put up career-best performances in order to defeat Hearns, and both felt a victory over ‘The Hitman’ was the highlight of their legendary careers.

Hearns proceeded to stop Dennis Andries to become WBC light heavyweight champion in 1987 before dropping back down to middleweight in the same year and ensuring that victory over Juan Domingo Roldan meant Hearns became WBC middleweight champ, becoming the first four-weight division champion in history.

Hearns’ legend was established, but he did not stop there.

In 1988, Hearns also became the first five-weight division champion in history when he defeated James Kinchen to win the vacant WBO super-middleweight title.

He ultimately became a six-weight division champion, from welterweight to cruiserweight, in a career that spanned an incredible 29 years, from 1977 to 2006.

The fighters that Hearns defeated to become champion in six weight divisions were Cuevas, Benitez, Andries, Roldan, Kinchen, Virgil Hill, and Nate Miller. Other men that Hearns fought included Leonard (twice), Duran, Hagler, Iran Barkley, and Bruce Curry.

Quite simply, Hearns’ accomplishments and resume stand amongst the best in history and make him a bona fide boxing legend.

What makes Hearns so adored by boxing fans is that he accomplished what he did whilst being one of the most exciting fighters in history, win or lose.

Hearns once said: “My thought was always to make sure the fans got their money's worth when they saw me fight. I never wanted anybody to say Tommy Hearns gave a bad show.”

Mission accomplished.

Hearns is one of the greatest, most uniquely gifted, and entertaining fighters to ever enter a boxing ring and his achievements, along with his lasting bond with Leonard, Hagler, and Duran, will never be forgotten.

(Featured Photo: The Ring Magazine Archives)

#SL #Thomas Hearns #Marvin Hagler #Sugar Ray Leonard #Roberto Duran

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itisformarvel · 3 years

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Mentis

She is very happy ♡

#Marvel #movies #Natasha #Yelena #moodboard #marvel icons iq #marvel iq #marvel messy moodboard #marvel icons

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captainlenfan · 5 years

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Garmin Vivofit JR 2 Kids Fitness Activity Tracker 1 Year Battery MARVEL Avengers

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Garmin Vivofit JR 2 Kids Fitness Activity Tracker 1 Year Battery MARVEL Avengers

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icantw84it · 6 years

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The “Acquired” Savant Syndrome

TBI induced talents…

Could such dormant potential exist within us all?

Darold A. Treffert, MD

A 10-year-old boy is knocked unconscious by a baseball. Following that traumatic blow, he suddenly can do calendar calculations. He can also remember the weather, along with other autobiographical details of his daily life, from that time forward. An elderly woman who had never painted before becomes a prodigious artist after a particular type of dementia process begins and progresses. Another elderly patient with dementia has a similar sudden epiphany of ability, but this time in music. A 56-year-old builder, who had no particular prior interest or skills in art, abruptly, for the first time in his life, becomes a poet, a painter and a sculptor following a stroke that he miraculously survived. An 8-year-old boy begins calendar calculating after a left hemispherectomy for intractable seizures. These are examples of what I call the “acquired” savant, or what might also be called “accidental genius.”

Is it possible such dormant potential resides in all of us but might not, except for CNS injury, otherwise surface? The acquired savant suggests just that. The challenge, of course, if that is so, is how to tap those hidden abilities without having endured some CNS catastrophe.

Before 1996, most of the savants I had met, except for Alonzo Clemens, were persons who were born with autism or some other developmental disability, and in whom some marvelous talent “exploded” on the scene during infancy or childhood, most often at about age 3-4. One could refer to these cases as congenital savant syndrome (present from birth).

Acquired savant syndrome, in contrast, are instances in which dormant savant skills emerge, sometimes at a prodigious level, after a brain injury or disease in previously non-disabled (neurotypical) persons where few such skills were evident before such CNS injury or disease. This circumstance, of course, raises the question of whether such dormant capacity exists in everyone, only to surface, perhaps as a backup system, when there is such CNS injury or illness.

Alonzo Clemens is such a case of acquired savant syndrome, since, according to his mother, Alonzo’s remarkable sculpting skills appeared after a head injury sustained in a childhood fall. Alonzo’s incredible abilities can be seen in the profiles section of this Web site. After I met Alonzo in 1984, I began to review the savant syndrome literature to see if other such cases of acquired savant syndrome had been reported in the past. Indeed, there were several such reports. Minogue (1923) presented a case in which musical genius appeared in a 3-year-old child following meningitis. And Brink (1967) described the case of Mr. Z. who demonstrated savant skills, behavioral traits and abilities that emerged at age 9 after a bullet wound to the left brain left the patient with a motor paralysis on the right side, along with becoming mute and deaf. Following that traumatic brain injury, some new special mechanical abilities and other savant skills emerged. In 1991, Dorman reported a case in Brain and Cognition in which an 8-year-old boy began to show exceptional calendar calculating ability after a left hemispherectomy.

Then, in December 1996, I read a case report in Lancet written by Dr. Bruce Miller and colleagues in which they described three patients “who became accomplished painters after the appearance of frontotemporal dementia.” They described one such case in detail, a 68-year-old gentleman with no particular art interest or ability in whom rather spectacular artistic skills emerged as the dementia proceeded.

In the October 1998 issue of Neurology, Dr. Miller and co-workers described two additional patients (now a total of five) with this same type of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) who likewise displayed new artistic skills in the setting of progressive brain disease. Consistent with the findings in other “congenital” savants reported to that date, in these five older patients whose artistic skills and abilities emerged after the onset of FTD, the creativity was visual, not verbal; the images were meticulous copies that lacked abstract or symbolic qualities; episodic memory was preserved but semantic memory was devastated; and they exhibit intense obsessive preoccupation with your art skills. SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) imaging studies showed a predominance of left brain injury.

These researchers hypothesized that selective degeneration of the anterior temporal orbitofrontal cortex decreased inhibition of visual systems involved with perception, thereby enhancing artistic interest and abilities. Such artistic interest and ability was relatively dormant until the FTD disease “released” those hidden abilities. Some would characterize that phenomenon as a release “from the tyranny of the left hemisphere”.

Frontotemporal dementia accounts for about 25 percent of the pre-senile dementias and differs from Alzheimer’s dementia in that, in FTD, the pathological processes are regional, rather than generalized, and are asymmetric, often affecting the left anterior temporal region, as in these five patients. This 1998 article discussed the five patients individually in detail, and also illustrates some of the artistic works that were produced during the progression of the dementia process.

These researchers hypothesized that “selective degeneration of the anterior temporal and orbitofrontal cortex decreased inhibition of the more posteriorly located visual systems involved with perception, thereby enhancing these patients’ artistic interest and abilities.” They also quote Kapur (1996), who used the term “paradoxical functional facilitation” to describe such a “release” phenomenon where loss of some skills permits emergence of others. Miller concludes this article by saying “FTD is an unexpected window into the artistic process,” and indeed it is.

By 2000, Miller had increased the number of his FTD/emergent artistic ability cases to 12. But now this expanded group included some persons with previously dormant musical abilities, instead of art abilities, that surfaced with progression of the dementia process. Even more interesting, however, was the expansion of this research to compare the functional imaging findings (SPECT) on six of those older persons, previously non-disabled, with the imaging findings of a 9-year-old autistic savant artist (DB). That comparison showed “remarkable parallels” between the older FTD patients and this young autistic artist. Both involved loss of function in the left temporal lobe of the brain and enhanced function in the posterior neocortex. The similarities of neuropathology as seen on SPECT imaging in a 9-year-old autistic savant, and these older FTD patients, who share artistic skills in common with very different disabilities, is striking and intriguing.

In 2005, Lythgoe and co-workers in London documented a case in Neurology of a 51-year-old artist whose skills surfaced, for the first time, after a sudden-onset sub-arachnoid hemorrhage involving bilateral cerebral artery aneurysms. The aneurysms were repaired with coils. Following that, the patient, fortunately, showed little associated dementia or impaired verbal abilities. CT scans 16 days after admission confirmed there was no focal injury. Neuropsychological testing revealed a normal IQ level, some verbal disinhibition, and some mild executive function impairment. The final impression was “mild frontal dysfunction.” The authors concluded that “it is possible whatever frontal damage our patient sustained led to a relative disinhibition or paradoxical functional facilitation of these areas.”

Prior to the stroke, the patient had no particular interest or ability in the creative arts. But several weeks after the corrective surgery, the patient began to “fill several notebooks with poems and verse; he had never written poetry prior to that time. Following that he began to paint expansively and expressively, spending almost all of his time painting and sculpting.” Several television documentaries have included segments on this acquired savant story. The London program My Brilliant Brainincludes an excellent segment on this individual whose paintings and sculptures are better seen than described.

In a different, but related vein, Mel, Howard and Miller (2002) raised the question of what would happen to an already accomplished artist, in contrast to the patients above in whom new talent surfaced, with a progressive frontotemporal dementia process? They presented the case of a trained and talented art teacher who, at age 49, at the beginning of a progressive FTD process, changed her style slowly from Western watercolor and traditional Chinese brush painting to highly patterned paintings using Chinese horoscope icons. The “impressive artistic growth,” which the authors describe in much greater detail, coincided with a decline in her ability to organize class lessons or grade papers. Paintings became “wilder and freer” in which “intricate designs and patterns of the horoscope figures were replaced by large, intensely colored figures; complex patterning was pushed into the background.” Choice of colors changed and “release from the constraints of formal training became clear.” Compared to Miller’s 12 cases of “new” talent emergence patients who generally had asymmetric left anterior temporal lobe degeneration, this patient with prior artistic talent, whose style changed drastically, showed predominantly left frontal disease. Yet as with the other FTD patients, in these individuals the brain damage was predominantly left sided. These researchers conclude: “Asymmetric left hemisphere degeneration may release previously untapped cognitive abilities. Our brain wiring appears to be a major factor in the determination of the nature of our creativity.”

Drago (2006) and co-workers carried these studies on “release” vs. “new” skills unearthed in persons with FTD a bit further. They assigned art judges to assess the artwork of a trained artist with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), during three periods of her life: pre-symptomatic period (18 paintings), perisymptomatic period when symptoms were just beginning (6 paintings), and fully symptomatic period (16 paintings). These three time intervals ranged from before symptom onset to eight years after the diagnosis. The judges rated the paintings systematically on six different artistic qualities without knowledge of the patient’s clinical diagnosis or when the paintings were produced.

Consistent with the FTD patients described above, this patient showed an increase of some visual artistic skills over time, reflected in technique, “that might be related to sparing and disinhibition of the right posterior neocortex.” However, there was a reduction of other aspects of the paintings including closure (completeness of the painting) and evocative (emotional) impact.

In 2005, J. M. Annoni and colleagues from the Lausanne University Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland, noted significant qualitative changes in artistic style in two professional painters as a consequence of minor strokes located in the left occipital lobe or thalamus. One of these individuals switched to a more stylized and symbolic art, and the other switched from an impressionist style to a more simplistic, abstract art. In discussing these changes, the authors state: “The artistic changes may have been associated with a direct effect of the infarct. Since the posterior brain regions seem to play a specific role in creative thinking, it is not surprising that a minor lesion in these regions might alter an artist’s creative thought, and thus his style of painting. Besides, the fact that patients 1 and 2 had left hemispheric dysfunction may provide some support for the theory of ‘right hemisphere functional release.’ Different possible cognitive mechanisms may be considered.”

Oliver Sacks, in his 1995 book An Anthropologist on Mars, describes yet another case of “acquired” artistic skills in a person “who had scarcely painted or drawn before” following an illness that included “high fever, weight loss, delirium, perhaps seizures” or some other “neurological condition.” The exact nature of the illness remains unexplained. Yet following that episode, Franco Magnani began painting immaculately accurate scenes from the village of Pontito, where he had grown up, but then left at age 18. This new dawn of painting ability and digital-like memory amazed even Franco. Sacks quotes him as saying “Fantastic. How could I do it? And how could I have had the gift and not known about it before?”

What makes Franco Magnini’s case especially interesting is not just his painting epiphany in his early thirties following his illness, but also that his incredible, digital camera like recall of the tiny village where he grew up was so exact, now years later, that when compared to present day photographs of that village, each street, building and archway is reconstructed with breathtaking fidelity. So amazing was this link of exacting paintings with documented early memories of his village buildings, streets and alleys that there have been a number of exhibits of his work. The Exploritorium in San Francisco held an exhibit in 1998 titled Memory: The Art and Science of Remembering, in which Magnini’s work was featured. To demonstrate the remarkable memory involved, his paintings were placed side by side with recent photographs of the same scene. The accuracy, now years later in a person with no earlier formal art training, was incredible.

But one of the most dramatic and convincing instances of “acquired” savant syndrome is Orlando Serrell. At age 10, Orlando was hit in the head by a baseball. Following that, Orlando began to calendar calculate, an interest and ability he had never shown prior to the head injury. He also developed the ability to remember the weather for each day following the injury, a detail most of us, of course, “forget.” In recent years, there has been added other “autobiographical” memory including what he did on a particular day in the years following the injury. That ability is called by some “hyperthymestic syndrome,” and is described in more detail elsewhere on this site.

Orlando’s acquired savant abilities have been the topic in a number of documentaries on savant syndrome. Probably the most in depth look has been in Beautiful Minds by Colourfield Productions in Germany. In those clips, Orlando shows not only his calendar calculating abilities, but provides evidence of autobiographical memory as well.

One final example of acquired savant abilities is Daniel Tammet, whose skills, and their onset and development, are described by him in his very popular book Born on a Blue Day. After several childhood seizures, which were ultimately diagnosed as temporal lobe epilepsy, Daniel began to experience a very powerful and unique synesthesia in which every number has its own color, shape and texture. Coupled with the synesthesia was lightning calculating and calendar calculating ability, along with massive memory for numbers. Daniel was able to memorize Pi to 22,514 decimal places, for example. He also has the ability to learn languages in a very brief time. He mastered Icelandic, for example, in seven days as chronicled in Focus Production’s 2005 documentary, Brainman.

There are other cases of acquired savant syndrome that continue to come to my attention as well, but the above instances provide some examples of the intriguing phenomenon, with all of its broad implications, of buried potential surfacing following CNS injury or disease.

In summary, in most persons with savant syndrome, the exceptional savant skill surfaces during childhood, quite unexpectedly and often explosively. Those savant abilities are superimposed on some underlying developmental or other disability that was present at birth. This is called congenital savant syndrome. But in recent years there have been a number of cases reported in which, after some brain injury or brain disease, savant skills unexpectedly emerge, sometimes at a prodigious level, when no such skills were present before injury or illness. This is called acquired savant syndrome. In many of these cases, the special abilities emerge following left hemisphere injury, particularly left anterior temporal lobe injury. Increasingly, there is speculation that these newly emerged skills, formerly dormant, are “released,” compensatory abilities rather than newly created ones.

Another way of looking at the congenital vs. acquired savant syndrome dichotomy, however, might be that all savant syndrome is “acquired” in that even in those instances where savant syndrome emerges in childhood, that emergence, or compensatory function, occurs after some CNS injury or disease process, just as with the acquired savant. It is just that such injury or disease happens at an earlier time in the congenital savant, i.e., during the pre-natal, peri-natal or post-natal periods of development. In the acquired savant, in contrast, the CNS injury simply occurs at a later period of life. While not universal, in both the congenital and acquired savant, such CNS injury or disease most often involves the changes in the left hemisphere with compensatory changes in the right hemisphere.

The fact that savant skills, entirely dormant before CNS injury or disease, can surface by some ‘release’ (disinhibition) process raises intriguing questions about dormant capacity existing within us all. The challenge of course, if that is so, is how to access that hidden knowledge and skill without some sort of CNS catastrophe. And work to achieve just that is now underway.

There is a very interesting story posted on the mental_floss blogregarding six acquired and sudden savants some of whom are described in even greater detail in Islands of Genius. The blog provides some excellent illustrations and photos to accompany the text.

(References are available on request from [email protected].)

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aion-rsa · 6 years

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Catwoman: Soulstealer is Another DC Icons Success

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Sarah J. Maas' Catwoman: Soulstealer is a refreshing change of pace from comic book canon.

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News Alana Joli Abbott

Catwoman

Aug 14, 2018

DC Icons

Books

Young Adult

Sarah J. Maas

This review contains spoilers for Catwoman: Soulstealer and Batman #50.

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Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu Book Review

Batman: Nightwalker — A Conversation with Author Marie Lu

Catwoman has had an eventful summer.

At this point, if you haven’t read Batman #50, you’ve probably already seen the news: DC’s eagerly-anticipated wedding event is the wedding that wasn’t. In the comics universe, Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne have spent fifty issues figuring out their relationship, only for them to both come to opposing realizations: Bruce realizes that it might indeed be possible for him to be happy by giving love a chance. Selina realizes the world needs a suffering Batman more than she needs to be with her true love. It’s heart-wrenching, and it’s beautifully done in an over-sized issue that features art of the pair from over the many years they’ve been on again, off again.

But, as much as the story culminates in a sensible conclusion for the run, it shies away from what might have been an even more exciting exploration in comics: What would a Batman/Catwoman marriage look like? What would it be like for Bruce Wayne to be happy? Is Selina right that it would ruin Batman, or has she made a sacrifice in vain?

Like Marvel’s ultimate retcon (in which Spider-Man rewrote revealing his secret identity), the failed wedding of Batman and Catwoman may open new doors for an even more suffering, angrier Batman... but is it really that far from a return to the status quo? Or is it a gambit to make sure that the solo Catwoman book has a successful run?

Luckily for Selina Kyle, she has an entirely different opportunity for reinvention in Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas. Part of the new DC ICONS novel line, which puts some of their primary protagonists at the center of YA/New Adult (college-aged protagonists, rather than teens) novels, Catwoman: Soulstealer introduces a Selina Kyle birthed by Gotham City’s East End and honed into a weapon by the League of Assassins, who returns to Gotham City on a mission that, while hinted at, is never made clear until the book’s climax. It’s a roller coaster filled with heist action, girl power team-ups, and the notable absence of Bruce Wayne. Luke Fox, also known as Batwing, plays against this incarnation of Catwoman instead.

The Catwoman: Soulstealer story opens on Selina and her sister, abandoned by their addict-criminal mother. Because Selina’s sister has cystic fibrosis and her medical bills are high, Selina has joined the gang the Leopards and has been fighting in crime-boss Falcone’s illegal boxing ring to get more money. It isn’t a sustainable strategy and, soon, Selina is arrested for crossing one too many lines—and offered a way out by Talia al Ghul, who takes her to train to become a ghul, an assassin who will take down the world order.

Selina chooses her moment to return to Gotham, under the identity of Holly Vanderhees (a possible reference to comic-Selina’s best friend Holly Robinson), when Batman is out of town, leaving only his younger vigilante mentee to defend the city. At first, Selina’s motive looks simple: sow chaos, play Robin Hood (stealing from the rich and funneling some of those goods to worthy causes), and bring Gotham City to its knees.

But when the first fellow ghul from the League of Assassins appears to bring her down, the idea that everything is not as it seems starts to take root. And, like one of Poison Ivy’s attack vines, that root shows some dangerous consequences.

Some of the most fun in the novel comes from the interactions between Selina and Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, with whom she teams up in her quest to put Gotham City’s underworld under her thumb. Ivy is as brilliant as Selina, and her expertise with chemicals and poisons makes her an excellent ally (and her unrequited love for Harley Quinn, with whom she hooks up but receives no further romantic promises, is a lovely driving point for the narrative and counterpoint to Selina’s own loves).

Harley, still pining after her ex, the Joker, is a loose cannon, but one full of manic joy, who refuses to take anything seriously. The Joker, currently locked in Arkham, is absent for most of the book, allowing the Cat and her friends to play as freely as they want. From the outside, everything may seem like a game to both both socialite Holly and purring burglar Catwoman, but Selina's point-of-view narration shows that things are always serious to the person underneath both personas.

Equally serious are the sections from the point-of-view of Batwing. Luke Fox, as a marine, couldn’t save his friends from the IED that left him horribly scarred. On returning home, the young African American man suffers from PTSD, and part of how he deals with those episodes is by becoming a vigilante. Maas takes on a lot with this character, but while she may only hit the tip of the iceberg on issues of being African American in the modern United States, what she does reference gives a sense of her Gotham belonging to the larger modern world.

At one point in the narrative, Luke remembers being pulled over and harassed by corrupt members of the GCPD for driving while black; when they check his driver’s license and realize he’s a member of the extremely wealthy and well-respected Fox family, they back off. Luke recognizes both his class privilege and the problems of race in moments like this one throughout the book, in ways that show Maas consciously wrangling with properly portraying a character outside her own lived experience.

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Maas’s departure from the Selina/Bruce relationship, especially with the tempestuous issues of the Batman comics run, is a refreshing change of cannon. The novel’s Selina, with her impoverished childhood, genius IQ, and trained social graces, needs a strong romantic foil who can take a back seat and let her manage her own narrative. Luke never falters in his honor and his insistence on doing what is right, but, because of his military experience, his heritage, and his access to Bruce Wayne, he knows that systems aren’t always good vs. evil. The attraction between Catwoman—a villain who also prizes loyalty and sticking up for the voiceless—and Batwing is well paced and plotted believably, and their ultimate end is a satisfying one.

It’s unfortunate the DC ICONS books don’t look set up for sequels, because Catwoman: Soulstealer could easily be the launching point for new adventures, even after Batman and larger world players returned to the scene. In the meantime, Catwoman #2 is set to hit stands in early September, and comics-Selina may indeed be getting a whole new start without Batman as her foil.

Catwoman: Soulstealer is now available to buy via Amazon or your local bookstore.

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