#shank comics father

[the9jafresh]

Shank Comics Biography - Age, Career, Education, Early Life, Family Comedy Skits, Instagram And Net Worth

Shank Comics Biography – Age, Career, Education, Early Life, Family Comedy Skits, Instagram And Net Worth

Shank Comics Biography – Age, Career, Education, Early Life, Family Comedy Skits, Instagram And Net Worth Let us discuss Shank Comics’s Biography in terms of her Age, Career, Education, Early Life, Family, Comedy Skits And Net Worth and much more. The Nigerian social media comedian skit maker, YouTuber, and media character, Adesokan Emmanuel was born on the twenty third of March within the late…

[spicymalepolls]

ROUND 2: POLL #4

ROUND TWO POLLS [HERE]

PROPAGANDA BELOW

🔞 18 + Content Ahead 🔞

Shanks:

I don't think I completely understood the meaning of a DILF until this man showed up. He is physically amazing and I 100% believe he would respect anyone he shares a bunk with. The way he took to Luffy and became his paternal roll model is beautiful. That shows that it's not always about the amount of time you spend with the kid, but the quality of it which is important. He is not a confirmed biological dad, but he is Luffy's (as just stated) and it is a popular theory that he is the father of Makino's child. (plus Uta)

Guys, I want to have his baby--and I don't even know if I want kids.

Image #1

Image #2

Image #3

Image #4 (Rule 34)

Image #5 (Rule 34)

Image #6 (Rule 34)

Dr. Atomic Robo Tesla:

He has an adoptive robot son (spoiler, happens later in the comic) and has a dad bod that given his ability to modify himself has to be a choice at this point. He is 83 (in the present at the start of the comic) but he has pure DILF rather than GILF energies. I mean just look at him.

Image #1

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Image #4

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Image #6

Image #7 [SPOILER]

Image #8 [SPOILER]

Image #9 [SPOILER]

Image #10 (Rule 34 Paheal)

Image #11 (Rule 34 Paheal)

[saunteringvaguelydownwards]

I think one of my favorite things about the Ides of March and the associated shanking of Caesar is that it's one of the most famous assassinations in history, not sure where it would rank exactly, but it's definitely in the top 5, and yet somehow this is a thing that happened: So no shit, there I am at a party in 2005, talking about the statute of limitations on spoilers and how certain pop culture references make the idea of specific things being 'spoiled' for people kinda laughable. Stuff like the boat sinks in 'Titanic', and Darth Vader is Luke's father, and they shoot Kong at the end of 'King Kong', and this girl whips her head around from another conversation and goes "Oh my god, I haven't seen that movie yet, why would you spoil it?"

Now in her defense she's talking about the remake Peter Jackson came out with that year, but in my defense the original came out in 1933, and I'm pretty certain that 70+ years exceeds any reasonable period of time people can be expected to refrain from talking about a movie. So I was amused at both her indignation and the fact that I got to literally reenact a recent Penny Arcade comic strip and ask her if she thought Kong just climbed back down the tower after the planes started shooting at him.

But that's just the set up for my story.

My roommate hops to my defense and says "Yeah, it's like when [acquaintance] got mad at me for spoiling 'Rome' (which was currently airing on HBO at the time, cuz 2005). I was talking about how much I liked Ciaran Hinds in the role and I was gonna be bummed when Caesar died, and she yelled at me for spoiling it."

*blink* *blinkblink*

"...she yelled at you? For 'spoiling' the assassination of Julius Caesar?"

"Yup."

"Beware the Ides of March, et tu Brute, 'we should totally just stab Caesar'? That one?"

"Yup."

"Well shit, does she know Jesus dies in 'Passion of the Christ' or is that news also 'too soon' since the movie only came out last year?"

"I dunno, maybe we should ask her."

[where-does-the-heart-lie]

I'm dying reading the last Water is thicker than blood comic, I can't wait to see what they're up to (I've been waiting for it ever since the chapter where they get dressed up and Ace asks Luffy is he has "the stuff")

It should be illegal for Ace to be as pretty as you draw him, even when he's making a dumb face he's gorgeous. I hate him and I want to be him.

I would love to see what the Whitebeards are up to in this AU! Maybe something at the tatto parlor with the commanders? Ace with his father?

Sorry if I missed it somewhere but have you mentioned where/who Shanks is in this AU?

Great job, thanks for sharing, and have a great day!

1) im so very glad youre invested in my story hehehe :D (you’ll learn about “the stuff” soon enough :3c dont worry)

2) in the religion i practice, one of the main commandments states the following:

“Thou Shalt Not Draw Portgas D. Ace In Any Other Way Besides As Cunty As Thine Possibly can.”

And since i am such a pious man, i follow this commandment Closely. If i didnt, my God would strike me down with one swift blast of light.

3) A lot of people have been asking about the Whitebeards in this AU. I’m not much of a WBP fan, myself, so i dont really have many ideas for them, sorry :(

I do have this ask for them, hope that gives you some idea.

4) I have!

Ive decided he’s the leader of a biker gang who’s day job was as a lifeguard when luffy was hanging around him at a young age

Here ya go~

5) why thanks so much, you do the same :)))

[stygianheart]

you watch one piece, what are your favorite ships? What don’t you ship and what don’t you care about?

YAY I GET ASKED A LONG QUESTION

Um. Ok, so my biggest ship might be goofy, but it’s CobyLu. I can’t help it. I seriously think Luffy is aro/ace, but if he felt attraction towards people, I would definitely be on board for Coby. But I also do think Coby has, like, a major crush on Luffy. And I know that those two barely get any interaction since Luffy met Zoro and Coby’s always greeted by a punch to the face, but cOME ON, IT’S CUTE!!! Just imagine Admiral Coby meeting up with the Pirate King, or Coby sneaking Luffy into a marine base so they can talk, like— IT’S SO CUTE?!!!

For ships I don’t like, it’s Luffy with any of his sworn brothers, like Ace or Sabo, and I don’t like SaboAce either. I see the ASL kids as brothers and brothers only. I am also not the biggest fan of Luffy and Shanks. *skull* Mostly because Shanks is basically both a role model and father figure to Luffy, like ???.

And for ships I could care less about… one is ZoLu. I’m not fully for it nor am I against it. It’s cute, sure, and their relationship makes my heart tingle, but I kinda just see them as platonic soulmates, best friends, heck, even brothers.

I also don’t really care for any of ships surrounding Luffy and/or his crew. They just seem like family to me, but again, I don’t hate it (unless it’s, like, Luffy x Jinbei. I’m astounded that’s a thing.) I just wouldn’t be the number 1 fan for any of them.

Also LawLu… ok, here’s the deal, the fan art is fricking adORABLE and their “ally-ship” (please they’re besties who is Law trying to fool????) is adORABLE and their whole thing is aDORABLE. But age gaps have always irked me, and Luffy’s, like, 19 and Law’s 26. I would be more for it if Luffy was older, like in his later 20’s and still having the age gap, but for now, not really… (but Law and Luffy are adorable, Luffy always gets what he wants and he wants Law as his bestie. And Law is aging, like, twice as fast because of that.)

But like, I don’t hate any of those ships. In fact, I find them cute. I will find myself scrolling through fanart over zosan or Lawlu or basically anything for hours. I have, like, several comics of zolu saved on my phone and if I’m bored enough, I might even go looking for fanfics. God only knows.

Anyway, I really hope I don’t piss anyone off 😭

[unggoydluffy]

extras + translation notes!

for this fanmanga translation!

part 1:

tl note - at some point, franky says its an honor to be a "god"father. pretty sure this is a reference to god usopp. im not exactly sure how lucy actually came to be, i just know vegapunk and devil fruits have something to do with it? and maybe law so id like to get that translated properly someday.

part 2:

ohara is an amusement park!

tl note - near the end, robin mentions luffys strength. i think shes commenting that luffys stupidity was his strength (because law mentions how he doesnt like that part of luffy, would rather not have it on lucy) but it she calls it straightforwardness

part 3:

they thought of maybe mirroring shanks and making him give something like the hat, but it was scrapped (made the comic too long and was mixed on what to give). i think the above panel is an upside down preview of the next part

part 4:

i think these are just their notes when they made the comic, feel free to go through the computer translation

you've probably realised it while reading, but the best friend zoro mentions on page 8 is kuina! it made me laugh

part 5:

part 6 + 6.5:

part 7:

they havent talked to zoro since the crew disbanded (!?) they think hes dead lol

tl note - the line sanji says to law near the end ("don't put too much on your plate") also translates as "Don't hold on to too many things". i think he's trying to say both.

part 8:

i think this is recounting how the strawhats pointed law to where the next strawhat is

part 8.5:

just some technical notes as always

part 9:

the route to cocoyashi village!

part 10:

thank you for reading! the author wanted to end it on lucys last line in part 9, but they had more ideas they wanted to draw which came through with part 10.

wipe your tears!

[milfhawks]

more on talon (mihawk’s son who wants shanks to be his dad)

talon’s appearance and demeanor are the spitting image of mihawk but their actual personalities are comically different.

talon has the personality of a bratty teenage girl acting out and rebelling against his (adoptive) family because “no one understands me” and he’s also hot-blooded on the inside despite trying to maintain a cold-headed and serious outward personality. his attempt at stoicism melts into anger quite easily due to his hot blood and heart.

his fierce looks and cold expression also belie how low his self-confidence is, believing mihawk left him because he saw him as an inconvenience unworthy of love (no matter how much his adoptive family would tell him the contrary). for this reason, he also holds some level of anger towards mihawk while at the same time seeking his approval, desiring to become a swordsman strong enough to be worthy of mihawk’s respect. this is also part of the reason why he seeks out shanks instead of mihawk: he thinks his dad will accept him where his mother didn’t. (it turns out shanks isn’t his biological dad but talon didn’t know that at this point.) this is also why the revelation that shanks isn’t his biological dad hits him so hard, especially after he and shanks got along so well and shanks made him feel accepted.

talon is also cut deeply by the revelation that his biological father was a monster who raped his mother and it made him believe that 1) mihawk left him because he was a hated reminder of the rape and 2) mihawk’s (in talon’s mind) hatred for him was justified. in truth, mihawk left him to protect him from having a target on his back because of who mihawk was, but talon is too deep in his self-loathing at this point to believe him.

tl;dr talon is an edgy conflicted boy with mommy issues who comes to really really adore shanks and finding out shanks isn’t his dad breaks him.

[pseudo-hero]

So I Just Read Superman Issue #8...

(I think it came out right after my predictions post for it. I'm hoping, because otherwise, that was just clueless of me.)

OH. MY. GOODNESS. SO MANY THOUGHTS.

Did this issue seem like a short one to anybody else?

2. I thought about the first interaction shown in the above image here between Clark and Lex since Lex got shanked. It's just so cute to me (even though Lex doesn't have a right to be that cute). Especially considering how we just saw him last issue, literally rushing to try to get to Superman so he could help him. Like, I think he's just being pouty and difficult here so Clark will feel compelled to apologize (probably because it reassures Lex that Clark does care—even if no one else does—and that he didn't willingly leave Lex on his own die). No one else in-universe understands because they're not Clark or Lex.

3. Conner: "Sorry for what? It's not like Lex didn't have it--"

I wanted to believe that Kon (who is called by his Earth name this entire issue for some reason, despite being in hero mode not civilian mode) was about to say "have it under control" but that's just too nice for Lex, right? Of course he was probably actually going to say "have it coming".

Conner: "Hope you know you're not worth all this, Lex."

Ouch, another jab from he and Clark's unclaimed son. Why not just tell him you wish he was dead, while you're at it? (I know, I know. Almost happened not too long ago.) Also, Mercy's name makes for a good joke a lot of the time.

(Side Note: I'm glad he called him Lex, at least. [Meanwhile, Clark's back to calling him Luthor. I wonder what triggers it. Maybe it's when he knows a bad deed is connected to Lex?] And this is, I believe, the first time in years since he and Lex have even spoken! Over a decade if you don't count the Nu52 version of Kon-El as being the real deal. Also, do Lex and Clark still have some paternal feelings left for Konner like they more or less did at times in past comics from the 2000's - 2010's? Doesn't seem like it in this run—but I'm still taking what I can get!)

4. He sprints in for the catch...aaand...he's caught her!

Oop, he lost her.

(Side Note: Umm... Nice glove, Lena? Not a bad fashion statement/reference to spontaneously appear out of nowhere. Really screams "Daughter of Lex Luthor".)

So yeeep. Everyone (except Clark) in Lex's birth, created and by-proxy families despise him. Even his daughter (who I guess was told about all the things he's done, including to her) now seems disgusted by him. I get it's him and all and that many of his past actions have been horribly despicable and unforgivable (and spoken of or hinted at in this issue and acknowledged by him, too) but DAMN. The guy just finished healing from an attempt on his life. AND his mother came to visit! Guy can't catch a break or breath (which means anyone in close proximity to him won't be able to, either). Still, he's stronger than me.

5. Luthor: "I did it because Sammy killed his father. He KILLED Sebastian Stryker."

Superman: "Then you should have had him arrested! Not kept him in some dungeon to rot! (emphasis mine)"

Luthor: "[]...He's a monster."

HAHAHAHA. SUPERMAN AND LEX LUTHOR ARE SUCH HYPOCRITES HERE!!!!!!! WITH EACH OTHER AND IN THEIR VIEWS OF OTHER PEOPLE!!!!!!!

Seriously! How many times has Lex been found to have killed his father or even both parents? Even if the excuse is that there's been a change in continuity, it still comes across as unintentionally hypocritical to those out of the loop! Hopefully they'll explain what happened to "this version" of Lex's father (if they haven't already) to help clear things up. As for The Superman himself? Uhhhh, Phantom Zone villains?? (There's even an on-going miniseries involving Clark and Lex right now that has the Phantom Zone in it, fwiw!!) This is at least the second time now in this run, that Clark has been blatantly hypocritical; and on the same subject. Here he even mentions and excuses himself for using the PZ:

So it's okay for Clark to permanently lock up his species' criminals in a distant, cut-off-from-society place with little to no stimulation, but humans can't do the same with theirs?? (Or is it just because it's Luthor?) Also hilarious how in this recent issue, they were so far in the game, yet Clark still wouldn't so much as admit that Lex may have been justified in thinking this was his only way to stop Sam/my! Or somewhat acknowledge that the situation they're in is largely happening now because Clark WOULDN'T LISTEN TO LEX AND RELEASED SAM.

However:

He seems to have finally conceded to obeying Luthor's advice here. But...was it worth it in this case, considering how this issue ends? Is Lex just destined to be harmful to all no matter how hard he tries to be beneficial, or is it just the current situation that he's put himself in making it seem that way?

6. Yes!! They reconfirmed that Conner is "a bit of [Lex] and a bit of [Clark]". It was said very "quickly" and in an almost clinical manner, but this still did the trick for me! All three of them seem to have already been aware of this, too.

Yep, and Superboy's powers are indeed based on Sam's but he DOES NOT (as far as I can tell, based on the wording) get any of his DNA from him.

7. Another reference to Lex's Smallville past from Superman Lore.

Why is the watch separating their sections in-panel and why is this perfect? (It looks so beautiful here, too. Almost as much as during its debut.)

Now I understand why Clark was concerned here. I assumed earlier that it was a case of hindsight being 20/20 and him not realizing yet that Lex was right to make that his weakness (not sure how that's possible if Sam is only a human, but oh well). But it was actually Clark thinking about the risks involved, for him and/or others that have the weakness.

8. The different types of art in this issue were overall on point! However, this style (above image) was...interesting. Not bad, just interesting. That large MOUTH of his.

9. (Wish I knew how to shrink images. This one should be wayyyyy smaller, imo.)

Yes, yes, yeeesssssss. SUPERMAN. SAVE ME. He knows Clark will (and does)!!

10. YEEEAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! That's our Superman!! Risking his life for those he technically risked the lives of to begin with!! (I forgive him and give him a pass here. His heart was in the right place and he doesn't usually screw up like that anyway.)

11. *whispers* The use of/dependence on kryptonite in 2023 is kinda lame. Arguably always was. However, it really helped push the story forward here, so I see nothing wrong with its presence. Plus:

It often adds to the DRAMA.

Seriously though, this upsets me greatly. I know he'll be fine but the damage looks severe. 🥺

12. So, Lex was down. Now Clark is. (Kon and Kenan were too, before Clark. If you count the events of Action Comics.) Looks like it's becoming a pattern. Like the LL's and K's in either families'/teams' names.

Anyway! As usual lately, I can't wait for next issue!!

[starcrossedjedis]

HI! Please tell me everything about Sun/Mira, including her fave food, does she ever get sea sick, if she has a hobby and does she see any of the crew as family and if so in what roles? (like adopted brother, son, daughter, sister, etc).

I had every intention to do this for both Mira and Sun, but the brainrot is real and Mira's part got sliiiightly out of hand and I had to stop myself at right around the time that her father dies (22 years prior to the show) which means there's probably a lot more to say, but this got LONG... 😅

so here is a whole lot on our favourite Mary Sue and her flaunting herself at Shanks and Buggy 😈💜

Gol D. Mira - "Beyond the Horizon"

A baby girl

actual pirate princess and the apple of the whole crew's eye

Her favourite food is kimchi ramen and things that you miss first on long sea journeys like fresh fruit (her favourite is mango). She also has a sweet tooth and loves chocolate and cakes. Same ballpark - light weight as she is, she can drink with the best of them, very probably because of her Devil Fruit that comes with a side of extra endurance

Mira doesn’t get sea sick, she's been born to be at sea - which makes it extra sad when she learns that she can't go in the water anymore because she ate a devil fruit

since she grows up on her father's ship, the crew is pretty much made up of all uncles - except for two special boys

Her mother was expecting when Roger found infants Shanks and Buggy at God Valley (a few years earlier than they did in canon, simply because I want them to be older for obvious Nora Roberts Tribute Act reasons). He thought it would be great to have other children around once his "little mate" arrived.

He also didn't think this constellation would grow to come with complications when it turned out his little mate was a girl, but oh well ^^

For the most part of their childhoods Mira, Shanks and Buggy grew up like siblings probably would in a living situation like that.

But there were plenty of things that always served as reminders that they were not, in fact, siblings / the same. While they would share a lot of the chores on the ship, there were certain things (🤢 like scrubbing the toilets 🤢) that were simply not asked of the captain's daughter (she would still be a trooper and at the very least keep her boys company though) and she also had her own cabin on the ship whereas Buggy and Shanks slept with the crew. Naturally everyone was extremely protective of the captain's daughter in a way that the boys didn’t know and that suffocated her to a point that had her look to break away and ultimately lead to her kidnapping.

Things between the three start to change when Mira comes back after her long abduction. When she was taken all of them had been slap in the middle of their awkward teenage years - Mira was all comically long, skinny legs and a changing body she tried to hide in baggy clothes, the boys' voices sounded absolutely hilarious, Shanks was all extremities and knobby knees and it seemed that no matter what, Buggy wouldn't stop sweating. But now they're all grown up. Mira is devastatingly beautiful - curtesy of good genes, but also of that Mythical Zoan she had forced on her in captivity - Shanks is all tall and dreamy and poor Buggy doesn’t sweat as much anymore, but is pretty damn aware that he has mostly grown into the third wheel in this new explosive mix.

They are also not as tight knit anymore after Mira's return. The boys had to spent a long time without her and it turned out that she used to be the glue of their little group, which results in the boys' relationship being a lot more strained when she comes back. And no one really knows what happened to Mira when she was gone - not even herself, except for some flashes and nightmares - so a lot of effort is made to find out more about her Devil Fruit and its powers and to help her deal with whatever changes this brings. And she doesn’t want her boys to know about what she is now or what she can / might be able to do with it, so this puts a distance between them that wasn't there before.

and then "tragedy strikes" for the whole sibling dynamic - Mira and Shanks fall in love. And adventurous, happy go lucky Shanks for once is too terrified to do anything about it. Being in love with your Captain's pride and joy is scary enough as it is, but what would this do to their little found family of three? What if it doesn’t work out? What if it does? Mira on the other hand feels increasingly alienated from herself ever since her change and her feelings for Shanks are a lifeline in this, because they tie her to the Mira she was before and so when she realises that he has no intention to shoot his shot, her pride and stubborness get the better of her and she begins to come up with increasingly more infuriating ways to try and make him break first.

Eventually ofc they do end up together and are very much, very sweet and very... appealingly 😏 in love.

After some initial "how do we break this to Buggy?" drama the dust settles and to their dismay and mild annoyance, Buggy developes a devilish joy in trying to get the two of them caught.

He might or might not have "accidentally" started a fire during night watch in the hope that people would catch Shanks sneaking out of Mira's cabin when the alarm went off xD

[as-i-watch]

Do you think Whitebeard has a "World's Best Dad" mug? Do you think he has a room full of them and he routinely switches up them so he can use every single one his sons have brought him? Do you think his sons buy the mugs or try to make them themselves? If they buy them are there battles on the island if the sons want the same mug? What's Father's Day like on Whitebeard's ship? Also don't imagine all those mugs getting destroyed after Whitebeard's death and Marco holding onto any remaining ones

Listen. Whitebeard was so many 'Best Dad' mug.

It started as a joke between Marco and some others like 'wouldnt it be funny if we got this for him?'

The rest of the crew reacted by each one gifting Whitebeard a mug, taking the piss out of Marco for that gift but also really meaning it bc Whitebeard got such a kick out of it.

After that it just became a bit of an inside joke and they get him a mug from every island they each go to. Ace got him one from Alabasta for example. (Never got the chance to give it to him tho *sad*)

Every new memeber 'officially' becames Whitebeard's kid after they gave him a mug.

Crewmembers of a same ship dont fight over the mug, they make sure at least one of them got a mug from that island before leaving. But if there happened to be two Whitebeard's ship on the same island?? Gift shop battlefild over which crew get him the most touristy looking best dad mug

One year on fathersday they pool money together and got him this comically huge mug, big even for Whitebeard size

Eventually, the word spreads about Whitebeard's 'Best Dad' mug collection and now people close to the Yonko, and brave enough tondo it, are showing up at his ship with a 'Dad of the years' or "#1 Dad' mugs. Shanks has done it more than once.

[monkeydluffy19920]

Reasons to love Mugiwaras: Usopp

It’s been ages but here we are again, back with the series  where I share thoughts about why I think a certain (main) character is popular in One Piece.

This series is mainly focused on the canon material but there might be bit about fillers/movies as well to make references on and since it’s impossible to include every single detail here, I try to pinpoint certain things but feel free to add stuff if something is missing :) 

The very first time talked about Sanji and then I wrote about Nami.  This part is inspired by  Luffy vs Usopp amv  (when I realized I  haven’t pondered Luffy vs Usopp much in past).  Now let’s continue the  journey and talk  about  what makes Usopp popular and lovable character (in my opinion).

This  long post might include some unorganized thoughts, repeat and perhaps spoilers, so you’ve been warned!:D

So first thing first about Usopp, in general. He is a great storyteller, a little cowardish but a great friend. Main reason I like in his character is that Usopp is very human. He isn’t the strongest one in the crew, has lots of things he is afraid of but he has a big heart and isn’t afraid to show his emotions.

Like other Straw Hats, he has a sad past too. There isn’t much told but we learnt that Yasopp has been in Shanks’ crew for a long time and Usopp’s  mother died of a illness when he was a kid. Hard to imagine this poor guy had to grow up all alone (basically) and he started lying at a early age.

It’s very heartbreaking to realize that reasons behind his "Pirates are coming”-thing was that deep down the little boy just wanted that his father could return back and he just tried to cheer his sick mom. He could’ve stopped after his mom passed away but maybe it was his way to handle the loss of both parents.

But I think it was really adorable that even though the villagers did seem annoyed by Usopp’s “prank”, then eventually when he didn’t do his daily basis (after beating Kuro) the villagers kept wondering where the sniper was, so this became sort of a “tradition” in his village. It’s great though that his friends a.k.a other members from the Usopp Pirate group decided to keep the traditions alive.

Oda’s way to write characters is amazing and Usopp isn’t an exception. It is clear that Usopp has had a very steady development. Whereas lying and cowardness is partly used as comical reliefs and “running gags” of his, at the same there is much deeper meaning behind his behavior. Lying and storytelling is important part of what makes Usopp who he is and someone would say it’s not healthy but it’s probably where how tends to mask his flaws. We learn later in that deep down Usopp has lack of self-worth and fear of getting abandoned which results that especially before Time Skip he was afraid of unknown and saw himself as a burden due to his physical weakness

Further thoughts are written in “More thoughts about Luffy vs. Usopp-post” but his pride was one of the reason why things escalated with Luffy so badly back then but also the constant fear of not being enough fed all these decisions and he in burst of emotions decided the crew will be better without him. 

Another reason for Luffy vs Usopp fight was his dream.  When entering the Grand Line Usopp told that his dream is to become a  brave sea warrior since he idolizes his father Yasopp a lot. However,  after his real journey on the seas begins so begins his inner crises  because what stands on his way are the limits.  So, before the Time Skip  he wanted to be something he wasn’t.

Usopp knows that brave  warriors are incredibly strong and fearless (like Dorry and Brogy, the  giants from Little Garden who greatly inspire him) and back then he was well aware of the reality (that he isn’t yet ready to be one) and that hurt him and fed his fears and self-esteem problems even more. 

This theme has been going along with Usopp throughout the story. So, although Usopp had learnt slowly to push back his fear and stand up for his nakama in tight situations (for example in Alabasta he was beaten to pulp and still refused to give up and stayed with Nami in Skypiea although Enel was a threat), at the same time they were adventuring, the inner doubts kept stacking, until it exploded badly in Water 7 arc. It’s because he tends to compare himself to the others, especially the Monster Trio (who literally have the monstrous powers).

The robbery of the Skypiea money and the suggestion of replacing Going Merry were definitely the final straws for Usopp and things escalated. Luffy apologized in middle of the bickering but Usopp wasn’t ready to give up on the argument and then challenged him to a 1 vs 1 (perhaps partly to test his strength but mostly because he really wanted to fight for Merry’s future).

Despite being already heavily wounded Usopp didn’t fled from the duel although he could’ve easily trolled them and escape. He still stood up for his policies. Deep down, he didn’t want to back off although he probably knew that Luffy would win eventually. The loss put his remains of self worth into zero point but then on the other hand, later he wanted to help to get Robin back (but was too ashamed to face his captain after the loss and the arguments) so he became an ally as Sogeking

This disguise made him braver but again he was put face to face with his fears and limits when he got almost killed by Jabra. Sanji comes to save him but instead of scolding, the cook motivated him to realize that they need Usopp to trust himself instead of hiding behind the alter ego he created and this is the moment when Usopp started to realize he has unique strengths too.

So, it’s after Enies Lobby that opened Usopp’s eyes for good. After it he starts to see also his strengths (of course sometimes he still gets surprised by his skills but now he is even more skilled). He already proved to be very fast as a battler, very intelligent (good with gadgets, Nami’s weapon is great example of this) and a  very talented sniper. Then after Time Skip Usopp became a source of inspiration in Dressrosa and on top of that he has always been admired by Chopper (who believes his stories). These are some positive influences that has made good for Usopp’s self-esteem. 

That’s not the only character growth though, Usopp has had in my opinion quite steady development throughout the series. First one is in his very own arc. There are more thoughts about it in  Emotional slaps in One Piece-post but shortly said Usopp tries to tell Kaya the truth about her butler but gets an emotional slap instead.  Lying has been a silly entertainment for him but now backfired him, after all it’s hard to be taken seriously if you tell stories all the time and suddenly burst out “the truth”.

Well the slap may have been a “wake up call” so after Syrup Village he gathered his bravery to stand up against Kuro in order to protect his loved ones but then later Usopp’s next big step was in Arlong Park when fools Chuu with his ketchup trick and plans a story how he barely survived and then realizes (when comparing himself to others) that no, he is now a pirate and he needs to do something, literally since his nakamas fight in the frontline too. So he faces his fears, challenges Chuu and wins and this is the first fight he survived all alone! (a great achievement especially when coming to the fact that his equipments were at that time still “rookie level”)¨

Perhaps his interest in building gadgets roots partly from his poor self-esteem. He wants to become stronger too and knows how to build things so why not using the skills for it (let’s not forget that he offered to help Nami to build her a better weapon). 

Another of Usopp’s time was to shine in Thriller Bark when he turned out to be immune to Perona’s ghosts whereas even the Monster Trio (whom he idolizes and compares himself to) couldn’t.  Then when they were separated by Kuma and after Ace died, Usopp became very determined to find a way to help his captain and rejoin and did show lack of fear when meeting scary obstacles. 

After the Time Skip he has changed a lot in a good way. He is now stronger and more confident. He still likes to lie every once in a while but it’s not always to feed his self-esteem, more like force of habit and to entertain (and for comical reliefs). In other words the matured Usopp doesn’t lie just to feel good about himself (now he knows he is a important piece of the Strawhat crew and knows he has abilities to fight off even scary enemies) like he used to.

As a crewmember point of view, Usopp has always been a good handyman in the ship but not only that, he has also been good with mechanics and therefore has had potential even before Enies Lobby.  He can be the responsible adult but also there is this kid-hearted side of his where Usopp puts up with shenanigans.

Luffy and Usopp are definitely best buddies and  and sometimes they have these moments when they share one same braincell *laughs* They also share one common goal: to reunite with Red Hair Pirates crew.  Despite the good and close bond, Usopp took a long time before he started to see Luffy more as his actual captain than a close friend. 

It is mostly because in some ways they are complete opposite: Luffy is physically strong and has an impulsive and carefree nature whereas Usopp tends to hesitate more and has more knowledge and agility instead of muscles. Like written earlier, Usopp had difficulties to keep up with Luffy’s spontaneous and carefree nature.

One of my favorite panels from the whole series is when Usopp takes off his mask and reveals himself to Luffy. He tries to act cool and denies he didn’t come for Luffy’s sake (although he partly did, because he wanted to help too with Robin’s retrieval and didn’t want his captain to give up, since they were so close to their goal). What probably made this whole scenario more powerful was that Usopp  knew how to get Luffy back to the fight and he didn’t hesitate with the motivating, even though they were separated and even offered himself to face Lucci to spare Luffy although he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance. That’s loyalty and bravery, just like when Usopp was beaten into pulp in Alabasta and still stood against Baroque Works once they mocked Luffy. 

What probably makes their nakamaship even more unique is that their arguments lead to the breaking point but they later both understood what to do in order to fix it. 

Zoro and Usopp, when it comes down to this duo, Usopp admires Zoro’s strength and skills (and at the beginning probably is a bit scared of him) and usually seeks protection from the swordsman who seems sometimes to get a little annoyed by this. However, Zoro already showed his loyalty to Usopp in Arlong Park arc where he was ready to slice Nami after hearing she killed Usopp. 

Zoro constantly keeps encouraging Usopp to face his fears and for example doesn’t let him off the hook when they decide by random who is joining Luffy’s shenanigans and also in general probably Usopp sees Zoro as the big brother and the voice of reason too.

Zoro is almost like a mentor to Usopp. Even though the swordsman isn’t that kind of guy who’d show outside the feelings but one can see that he was concerned when Usopp left. Obviously he also wanted the sniper to rejoin but first he demanded a proper apology from the Usopp because of disrespecting their captain (so Usopp could undersrand the consequences of their duel). It sounded ridiculous for some of their crewmates first and even Luffy was ready to welcome Usopp back without bigger fuss but it was very important moment for Usopp to realize this is now the real deal and made him set his pride aside. 

Interesting detail between these two was that Oda made this “role swap” in Sabaody Archipelago. There Usopp (who usually seeks protection from Zoro) is now the one who protects the swordsman and even tried to reason him not to go on the battle (when Zoro was badly wounded), basically it could’ve been anyone who carries Zoro but Oda chose Usopp which is great in my opinion. 

Nami and Usopp get well along together although sometimes the sniper is afraid when the navigator gets angry  but aside of the comical reliefs, Nami is like a big sister to Usopp and they share lot in common: both lost their moms, both are easily afraid of the unknown and both use gadgets in combat.  On the other hand they  both have been great peer support to each other and determined to quit being so dependent on other crewmates and become stronger. 

It is clear that Nami greatly respects Usopp’s skills with mechanics otherwise she wouldn’t have trusted him to build her a weapon so she could battle for Vivi’s sake in Alabasta.  They are often showed as together they are preventing Luffy from doing stupid things by beating him up but on the other hand they are also an efficient duo ending up into various problems in the field (like fighting Enel or when they ended up to explore Thriller Bark with Chopper, “the coward trio” and the latest, when they fought together in Wano against that headbutt-character).  

More importantly, both are very human in their nature (for example when Ace died both were very concerned about how Luffy will cope with an emotional trauma) and for example understand how hard it is to keep up with the rest of the crew.  Both of them also show openly emotions in good and bad. 

Usopp also is aware of Nami’s past (since he and Sanji were the only ones who listened to Nojiko’s story) so for example he got upset to Brook in Mermaid Island arc where Brook dropped unknowingly an insensitive joke about Arlong

So, they do share a special bond and therefore if someone then it’s Nami who understands Usopp’s struggles especially when it comes down to keeping up with the other stronger crewmates and that’s probably why she felt so emotional because of Luffy vs Usopp events (she could definitely feel his pain when he felt the guilt of not being able to protect the money that got robbed by Franky Family but there she proved that money isn’t her priority number 1 and showed much more concern in Usopp’s wellbeing).

Sanji and Usopp, when they first met they ended up arguing (because Usopp didn’t think Sanji treated them equally) but things change in time and they too start to see each others’ good sides.  

Oda makes an interesting way to portray their nakamaship: Usually Sanji acts like he cares only a little for Usopp, but then on the other hand the cook has sacrificed himself in Skypiea for the sniper’s and Nami’s sake and back in Enies Lobby Sanji saved Usopp from Jabra. Sanji was even willing to stand up for his captain and kicked Luffy and told him not to say anything reckless.

Maybe is another running gag it’s seen often that the cook will fearlessly rush into battle while dragging a terrified Usopp with him.  Eventually, in Enies Lobby Sanji was the one to ultimately inspire Usopp to see the value inside himself saying that while he (Sanji) was physically stronger and could do what Usopp could not do, Usopp possessed skill to save Robin and could do what he "couldn't do".

Re-reading Water 7 and Enies Lobby after WCI arc made me understand that Sanji and Usopp have actually much more in common that we thought: both had very isolated childhood without parents, both have had difficulties to keep up with others’ pace (Sanji in past, Usopp in the present).  

Who knows maybe seeing Usopp fighting with his insecurities and especially using in the mask reminded Sanji of his own “iron mask” and the pain behind wearing it. Perhaps this was the reason Oda first made Sanji to convince the others to not to reveal Sogeking’s real identiity (although probably most of them knew who he was) and later choose presicely Sanji to be the one with the speech in Enies Lobby. 

Interesting detail in this setting was that this became a parallel to Arlong Park where Luffy told that he can’t do all things, and now there is Sanji who openly admitted he wasn’t able to win Kalifa (and got bailed out by Nami), only for her and Usopp to be bailed out by Sanji in turn when the wolf man was way too strong for them. It’s just still amazing the way Sanji puts all his trust in Usopp to help them free Robin by telling the sniper: strength comes in many different forms and that even the strongest crewmembers are depending on one another to survive.

Chopper and Usopp also have their special bond and they too adore each other’s skills. Chopper keeps buying Usopp’s tales but also sees him as his hero.  Both of them are openly showing their emotions and are human in that side.

Because Chopper idolizes Usopp, it was hard to him to get rejected by the sniper when Usopp left the crew and Chopper later caught up and tried to talk him back there without good results.  After the Luffy vs Usopp fight Chopper had really hard time because he was forced to choose between his job and friends (when Sanji told him not show pity on a fallen man but later Chopper decided to go with his heart leave Usopp some first aid kit so he eventually chose friendship kindness and what  he thought was right at that moment.  

Sogeking was basically the embodiment of Usopp’s tales and probably he didn’t realize who was behind the mask. Chopper loved Usopp’s alter-ego too though. 

Usopp and Chopper are easily terrified (along with Nami) but even though they are usually scared, the sniper and the doctor make a great fighting team. A great example was that They defeated   Miss Merry Christmas  and Mr. 4 in Alabasta.  

Usopp and Chopper form the “Coward Trio” with Nami and although it’s partly a running gag, there again is some things that combine them and it’s their human nature and (outside chopper) their pretty human strength.

Usopp and Robin needed a little time for their nakamaship to develope. Probably because of Alabasta he was a bit afraid of her and her devil fruit powers (especially when she joked about her speciality to be assasinations). So Enies Lobby arc did also good for their nakamaship. 

Usopp was always willing to help Robin in Water 7 but since the circumstances were a bit difficult he had to do it in a disguise and didn’t even hesitate although he was facing Blueno who is powerful.  By that time Robin wasn’t aware of the crew being split up but despite that Usopp still told her to “have faith in Luffy”.

Just like written earlier, I think it was crucial for Usopp’s character development that Oda made him to be the final piece to the puzzle to help Robin escape from Spandam.  This strengthened their bond for good and it’s not the only time, also in Dressrosa Usopp saved her from being a toy.

What I like the most in their nakamaship is that although Robin loves to tease Usopp with her dark jokes, she also treats him with a big heart, like motherly. It’s headcanonish but I think for example that Robin helps Usopp and the rest of the “Dork Trio” collecting bugs and stuff.

Usopp and Franky had a very  rocky start since the cyborg’s family stole Strawhat Pirates’ money and beat the sniper’s butt. Then Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Chopper caused a ruckus on Franky House so Franky decided to return the favor by kidnapping Usopp (who at that point had left the group.

Suddenly they started to bond, mostly because they started to talk about ships and it was Franky who managed to make Usopp realize that Going Merry was way beyond repair despite the sniper tried to repair the ship. Despite they didn’t know each other for a long time, Franky was definitely impressed by Usopp’s skills since the cyborg later asked him to join the Franky family.

After Franky joined the Strawhats these two began to bond even more. They both love mechanic stuff (i.e both love to build stuff and Usopp is usually the tester when it comes down to Franky’s inventions) and they enjoy maintaining the Thousand Sunny together and Franky for sure has taught Usopp a lot about shipwrighting since he heard Usopp took mainly care about Going Merry.  

It’s probably just another running gag but Franky compares his bounty towards Usopp’s a lot and frankly spoken he should have at least a bit better bounty in general compared to the fact that he has loads of knowledge (previously held Pluton blueprints) but that’s another story to tell later. 

Brook and Usopp didn’t have it easy too since Usopp was terrified of Brook when they first met. He was openly against the musician to join the crew but once he heard that Brook and Laboon had a connection and after events in Thriller Bark in general, Brook gain Usopp’s trust.

Although they get well along, a couple of times Usopp has become annoyed by Brook’s careless behavior: in Punk Hazard when he was eyeing Nami’s body (when Sanji was swapped into her)  and when Brook accidentally made that joke about Arlong in Mermaid Island.

Jinbe and Usopp, the sniper was understandably hesistant about Jinbe at the first time since Jinbe is not only a former warlord but also was part of Arlong’s Pirate crew. Despite all that the sniper ended up supporting his captain's decision about Jinbe joining their crew and after they’ve known for more, Usopp has  admired Jinbe's attitude and strength and eventually encouraged him to join the crew while calling him Boss Jinbe.

I think from after the Syrup Village and Enies Lobby, one of the most crucial arc for Usopp’s development has been Dressrosa because there he managed to unleash his Kenbunshoku Haki. It was literally a crucial shot because Luffy and Law were in edge of becoming toys. 

Let’s not forget that chapters ago he shot one of the Merry's cannons and perfectly hit his target and the crew managed to escape from Alabasta because he landed a shot on a marine ship which made it crash into another giving them an escape route.  So as said earlier, Usopp has always been very skillful with gadgets and incredible speed. At the first glance slingshot as a weapon doesn’t sound powerful but now to think about it: to land a shot perfectly you needs to be able to lock the position of your target, calculate the exact angle and force and usually you are also put into pressure.  So, Usopp is one of the best examples of underestimated power and indeed deserved all the praise in Dressrosa.

His character history still has room for questions that could have answers such as what disease did Usopp’s mom have? (like could it be cured in future if Chopper’s dream about being able to cure all diseases became true?) or how it will be when Usopp meets his Yasopp for the very first time after a long break? It seems like his dad left when he was very young so probably he mostly knows him based on what his mother Banchina told about him.

Aside from sharpshooting, lying skills and being good at engineering (especially with handheld weapons) Usopp has other talents too such as being a skilled artist and according to sbs he has also is good with hairdressing.  He is also good with gardening because he learnt in that island to cultivate pop greens.

I think one of the funniest running gag is that Usopp is a scaredy cat but one thing he is not afraid is bugs especially spiders. When Nami and Sanji screamed their lungs out because of the tarantellas (while they were looking for South Bird) Usopp casually took that 8 legged thingy to his hands. Hard to say whether his skills in arachnology has come in handy in general but I do like the headcanon that him and Luffy (and Chopper) love to collect bugs together and play with them when they have some spare time. 

All in all, if one should sum up this huge post (that again got carried away *laughs*) it’s that Usopp has made a long journey to the point where he is now standing. He started as a hesistant youngster and has grown now to a strong and (almost) fearless pirate and one day he’ll definitely become the brave warrior of the seas (although he already is one). 

[irregularjohnnywiggins]

Really funny how More Fun Comics #73 introduced two of DC's most popular superheroes, both of whom had wildly different Golden Age origins than any other origin since, and yet both origins are on completely different axis of 'would be cool if they were an Elseworld story someday'.

To whit, Aquaman's Golden Age origin sees his father as an undersea explorer who discovers the ruin of Atlantis, and uses their advanced technology to grant his infant son the ability to breathe underwater and communicate with sea-life. I'd be really interested in a modern take on this idea - I did see a fanart a few years back that reimagined Golden Age Aquaman as a tech hero, old-school divers suit and all, and hell it would even be cool to have an Aquaman story not focused on Atlantis, but instead on Aquaman as Protector of the Seas.

On the other hand, Golden Age Oliver Queen is a white guy who has... ahem, ""gathered"" a huge collection of Native American* artifacts and cultural relics, which he keeps for himself and used to train himself in archery and the like, before all of the artifacts are destroyed when criminals burn his house down. Oliver seeks out a secret, long-lost Native American* city and runs into Roy Harper when his plane crashes. Roy has been on the island the city is buried under for years, with his only companion being Quoag, his Native American* ""manservant"" who talks like every racist Asian caricature from the Golden Age because I guess the writers were too used to writing WWII propaganda to be creative in their racism. Anyway, thieves show up, Quoag dies and is immediately forgotten, they force in some really painful references to Green Arrow and Speedy (like, if you thought the reasoning for Speedy's name in Arrow being 'Oliver's sister does drugs' was painfully forced...) and eventually Oliver and Roy find the Native American* city, which is made out of solid gold because... reasons. Rather than tell anyone about it, Oliver and Roy decide to dismantle the city, sell it brick by brick, and use the money to become wealthy, and also fund their superhero exploits because apparently they decided that was a good idea.

If DC ever brings back Golden Age Oliver Queen under any circumstances and the story doesn't end with Modern Ollie and Roy teaming up to shank him and redistribute his wealth, I'm going to kill someone.

*I say 'Native American' knowing that it's incredibly broad, but the comic doesn't offer a specific group. It also... doesn't call them Native Americans, which I'm pretty sure you can guess.

[autemis]

After @mazout-fm and @sobakensyn showed some unexpected interest in my Actor AU idea, I thought I should tell something about it.

(I would like to apologize in advance. This is getting very messy.)

Sanji started his acting career in his childhood, just like his siblings

His mother had been an actress herself

She always told him how talented he was and how much she enjoyed watching him. That's why he thought he can't just stop acting. Even after his mother died. He always felt he had to go on for her. That he owed it to her. (+ his father used that as leverage on him for years)

At his first big event, he meets Law

Law is the nephew of Doflamingo (his brothers' manager)

The two become friends, but not for long.

Law has a serious illness and has to go abroad for treatment

Years later, he finally returns (Healthy and with a degree in medicine.)

The reunion took place on a film set

They have a few Start-up problems but eventually give their friendship a new try. For the first time in his life, Sanji does things that he really enjoys. (Like roller skating, go to the movie or just sit in a cafe)

At some point, the feeling between them becomes stronger, but neither of them says anything

Later, Sanji invites Law to accompany him to his next movie premiere. Where his father requires him to propose to the daughter of an very important woman. (aka bootleg Whole Cake Island situation 😅 )

Completely distraught, he tries to sort out his thoughts. In this process, he meets Corazon, Law's adoptive father. The two talk for a while and Sanji finally realizes that he can't just throw his life away.

Later he uses the attention of the press to announce his exit from the acting business

In the commotion, he flees and meet Law in the parking lot. Full of courage, he confesses to him and Law finally dares to tell the truth as well.

Years later, Sanji lives with Luffy and Co in a nice apartment.

From time to time he receives a few requests, but he always rejects them directly. Except for one.

After a long back and forth, Sanji decides to step in front of the camera for one last time. Only for Law.

The role he was offered is "stealth black", a villains from "Sora, Warrior of the sea". Law's favorite comic book series.

Fun Fact

The inspiration for this AU came from the song "Goodbye" from the Broadway show "Catch me if you can".

I had also thought about a prequel with Buggy and Shanks as young actors. It should be about how Buggy became Sanji's manager.

So...I think this is a bit more than just some trivia and probably more a brief summary of the story. 😅

There are still a few little things that I haven't listed here, because I really hope to find the time to visualize this idea someday.

[specificiumray]

Trying to follow up in detail with a thought I had about how I’d ideally like to see Tony Stark written and my answer was Howard Hamlin from Better Call Saul.

Some spoilers for BCS and prior Iron Man comics (Armor Wars (1987-1988), Marvel Comics Presents #7 (2019) “Market Correction)

So on Howard. When BCS introduces him, he seems like any other suit at a corporate office, probably went to an Ivy League university on a legacy admission regardless whether he could actually make the cut, and generally seems like the sort of overbearing boss any employee has to endure.

But then we discover he doesn’t actually have anything against Jimmy at this point and it’s actually just Chuck blocking him off. We also learn that Howard feels as though he’s lived in the shadow of his father-- and for that reason he’s going to help Jimmy McGill, for whom his older brother Chuck McGill inhabits that fatherly role (derogatory as much as it used to be affectionate). But not by outright giving him a place at the HHM firm: Howard doesn’t want to actually antagonize anyone in that father figure role, let alone Chuck who HHM hails as a god among lawyers. So he offers a half-hearted fix purely on the basis of workplace successfulness versus the personal dispute between the McGill bros.

It’s for that refusal to fully confront a father figure he goes back to help Chuck. He still doesn’t want anyone to get hurt, but he still does so within the confines of a structure he’s familiar with, Kim Wexler gruelingly keeps up with, and Jimmy can’t fit into at all. And it culminates in Chuck going to a very self-destructive point that Jimmy was able to exploit and counter. After which point into s5 Howard battles with his guilt. The show places more emphasis on Jimmy’s deception at the state bar hearing to discredit Chuck’s character.

But that undercuts the fact that before this, he was largely a non-factor in his social circle’s personal lives beyond maybe getting drinks or a couple of parties. His claim to being chummy with Jimmy was his nickname he gave him, ‘Charlie Hustle’ since Jimmy at the time was an HHM mailroom clerk (working on the side to get an online law degree at the same time). He never dared to go against Chuck’s word. And then Howard attempts to adopt white surfer bro zen, taking up a ~namast3~ license plate and offering Jimmy a partnership at HHM long after the damage has been done in the Chuck situation and also after Jimmy realized he was happier running a smaller solo practice where he could make his own rules and Kim could be a public defender with Jimmy’s support.

But now you ask: Why do I think this is the makings of an ideal Tony Stark characterization?

Because Tony, like Howard, isn’t willfully malicious. They’ve both suffered in their respective fields for the work they’ve done-- work carried on from their fathers (Hamlin Senior and the surrogate of Chuck McGill / Howard Stark). And they do have enough wherewithal to recognize that maybe something is wrong, and that makes them want to do something about it.

But where Tony Stark depictions fail I think, is that they don’t let him be anything more than what weird nerds make of Elon Musk as some kind of hip tech/business-savvy savior. Tony is only allowed to be dubious enough to hook people in before it’s played off as lovable asshole comedy, or for major things like the Superhuman Civil War he turns out to have been right all along to (reads notes) criminalize his only friends and continue making weaponry exclusively for people who agree with him. Just look at how he gives awkward teenager MCU Peter Parker a suit that rapidly shanks people as prelude to the orbital drone army and privacy invading hacking tech.

And the thing is: those moves could absolutely be intriguing if he was allowed to be that sort of character Howard is. Someone who very much tries to do good but they’re so deep into draconian systems that their idea of right and wrong still comes from high society and the letter of the law-- even when they try to buck those things, it’s been ingrained into them over the years by their father figures and environments. 

Where Tony goes beyond Howard is that as one of Marvel’s OG characters he lives by the idea that he is a human trying to deal with something he considers to have made him a god. Versus DC’s OGs being godlike beings who aspire to be more like the humans they walk among. Where being Batman gives the disconnected Bruce Wayne a chance to interact with people on the street, the Iron Man armor and founding Avenger status further distance Tony from humanity than his upbringing and wealth have already done.

Tony Stark can solve engineering problems, short term like supervillains and whatnot. And he can even come up with some long-term infrastructure, charity efforts sometimes. 2019′s “Marvel Comics Presents #7″ features him attempting to work within the system (and failing) to stop another billionaire from a massive subprime mortgage moneymaking scheme-- eventually just giving the other man his own iron man armor so they can duke it out-- highlighting Tony’s struggle to enact something positive on his terms.

It’s a noteworthy subversion of golden age comic book heroes, as in the 1940s would have entirely sidestepped the legal system in recognition of its inability to exact justice, and directly attacked the mortgage man until he surrendered. The story ends before the power armor battle occurs, but the ultimate fate of both the villain and his scheme are up in the air for interpretation. The damage could be too late to counteract or he goes on to own up to it and do something. Maybe the mortgage man got away with his free armor and it’s going to come back to haunt everyone later.

Armor Wars (Iron Man #225-#232, 1987-1988) is a personal favorite of mine. A storyline where Tony attempts to track down and take out supervillains with power armor or advanced technology at the first sign that his designs were stolen and used by others. His response is filled with good intentions, but even at the prologue to the crusade it is as much a spiral of panic as one of Tony’s first moves is to question reformed supervillain Carl Walker (AKA Force) at his newly formed electronics company, later phoning him in the middle of the night to haunt him with memories of casualties brought on during his supervillain days.

The storyline eventually reaches a point where Tony is no longer content with simply going after supervillains, antagonizing SHIELD agents and attacking fellow Avenger Stingray, who he discovered after the fight did not even actually use his designs on his own costume. The West Coast Avengers team attempted to intervene, along with Captain America who Tony would subdue while going after wearers of the mandroid armor at a maximum security supervillain prison. He even goes to Russia and nearly causes an international incident when he picks a fight with supervillains turned state operatives in Titanium Man and a friendlier iteration of the Crimson Dynamo. All ending with a boss fight against one last bad guy in power armor. Tony makes a new suit, but in the process has alienated himself from the rest of the superhero community.

This once more mirrors how in s5/s6 Howard Hamlin attempts to make amends with Jimmy as he begins doing business as Saul Goodman. He offers not only a corporate position, but fails to take the time to understand why Kim and Jimmy are public defender/solo practice instead of the traditionally preferable position at the top of a successful firm. And then following Kim and Jimmy’s attempts to discredit Howard in front of fellow firm lead Cliff Main, Howard has his own spiral at the thought that his actions have cultivated no tangible good results.

And another aspect of Howard that I believe would stick with a Tony Stark characterization are attacks on his character even when he’s only done good-- a quality he used to share with the rest of the roster of Marvel superheroes in the first few decades, the 60s/70s/80s. But what makes it uniquely his is that it is not simply as Iron Man that he is castigated, but Tony’s ethos as a businessman is also called into question-- given how the majority of his super-colleagues were rarely in his position of affluence or technological superiority. This is made easier by the fact modern Tony doesn’t have a secret identity anymore.

The 2010s have leaned into his fame between the movies and comic runs like Dan Slott’s 2018 run. And as recently as Christopher Cantwell’s Iron Man run (2020-- the year of release, not Arno Stark) even gives him that Muskesque twitter bullying and an odd fit for love interest in Patsy Walker, AKA Hellcat. A far cry from the challenge, the intrigue of Armor Wars or Demon in a Bottle.

idk anymore perceptions of businessmen and techbros are wild

[ginger-snap-talkin-nonsense]

What’s your take on Big Nate? Exspcially, since its been turned into an actual show now, have you found it better or worse on the scale from Middle School to DOAWK?

I adore Big Nate it’s got more bite than DOAWK (not to say that series doesn’t have bite but less pronounced) and feels Calvin and Hobbes in terms of writing style and joke structure. All of the main characters are funny and has a very “what if Charlie Brown deserved it?” Vibe I just dig. I would say as a comic series it’s probably the one that held up the best consistently.

And hooooooly shit was that paramount+ show bad. Like me and my boyfriend spent an entire day watching every episode because we were stunned at how wrong everything was. Why is Francis a soft boy he’d shank you for a number 2 pencil and leave you bleeding until he finished his test so he could be the first done. Where the fuck is Gina the entire time she’s a delightful antagonist in the series and great foil to Nate, the decision to make DeeDee a main character is honestly a bad call and there’s so little of her in the comics they kinda just make up whatever they want about her and none of it is particularly funny. She’s a fucking gay theater kid do you know how poorly you have to be written not be enjoyable to me personally? Teddy gets maybe 2 lines the entire series, Godfrey is a raging bitch which is super missing the point that Nate hates her because she does her does job and cares about it, and absolutely does not deserve his bullshit. She cares about Nate. She’s the comics Edna Kerbappel and they just make her a Trunchbol. Nate’s dad has no dignity now he’s just weepy and pathetic which has removed his entire bite, his older sister feels stuck in an awkward place between actual older sister and mom figure (Nate’s dad is incredibly good at being a single father so we’re gonna take that away from em), Gordy is missing, Jenny is all over the place, not nearly enough fun is had with Artur, Chad is written like Mort in that weird Netflix show which isn’t Chad (many of the same writers worked for both), we decided of all things to keep the joke about the ‘haha unattractive tough girl who has a crush on Nate and he thinks she’s gross’ so that’s lovely, and Nate has been stripped of all character and bite to be a the character Nick actually clearly actually wanted to write about-Johnny Test. You can’t convince me this show isn’t Paramount+ attempting to cash in on JT during its brief reprise in popularity with the reboot on Netflix.

[bryansjapaneselitblog]

Ten interesting Japanese Novels

1.  “No Longer Human by” Osamu Dazai   Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human, this leading postwar Japanese writer's second novel, tells the poignant and fascinating story of a young man who is caught between the breakup of the traditions of a northern Japanese aristocratic family and the impact of Western ideas. In consequence, he feels himself "disqualified from being human"

2. “ Taiko: An Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan” by Eiji Yoshikawa  In the tempestuous closing decades of the sixteenth century, the Empire of Japan writhes in chaos as the shogunate crumbles and rival warlords battle for supremacy. Warrior monks in their armed citadels block the road to the capital; castles are destroyed, villages plundered, fields put to the torch.

3.  “Shōgun: The Epic Novel of Japan” by  After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen—Nippon. Thrust into the closed society that is late sixteenth-century Japan, a land where the line between life and death is razor-thin, Blackthorne must negotiate not only a foreign people, with unknown customs and language, but also his own definitions of morality, truth, and freedom. As internal political strife and a clash of cultures lead to seemingly inevitable conflict, Blackthorne’s loyalty and strength of character are tested by both passion and loss, and he is torn between two worlds that will each be forever changed.

4. “Shank's Mare: Japan's Great Comic Novel of Travel & Ribaldry” by Jippensha Ikku  A pair of irrepressible scoundrels are the heroes of this madcap adventure along the great highway, from Tokyo to Kyoto. This lusty tale of their disreputable doings was originally issued serially in 1802, and was so successful that the author wrote numerous sequels, appearing year by year.

5. “ The Incense Game: A Novel of Feudal Japan” by Laura Joh Rowland  When a massive earthquake devastates Japan in 1703, even the shogun's carefully regulated court is left teetering on the brink of chaos. This is no time for a murder investigation except when a nobleman's daughters are found dead from incense poisoning and their father threatens to topple the regime unless Sano Ichiro tracks down the killer.

6.  “ Frozen Dreams: A Japanese Adventure Novel” by Wahei Tatematsu  Based on a real-life tragedy in 1965, this novel tells the story of a party of climbers on the Hidaka mountain range on Japan's northern island. In spite of weather warnings, six men attempt an ascent on the highest peak, Mount Poroshiri—a fateful decision that costs all their lives as they are caught up in an avalanche. Miraculously, one climber, Odagiri, is known to have survived for four days after his companions had frozen to death.

7.  “ Tokyo Bay: A Novel of Japan” by Anthony Grey  A fleet of ships billowing black smoke steam past Japan’s tributary islands in July 1853, setting off panic among a people who have been sealed off from the rest of the world for over two hundred years. Commodore Matthew Perry has arrived, sent by the US president to open Japan to American ships and trade—by force, if necessary.

8.  “ Japan Sinks: A Novel about Earthquakes” by Sakyo Komatsu  A solitary fishing boat anchors for the night by a small island to the south of Japan. The next morning, the fishermen find themselves in the middle of an empty sea. Overnight, the island has vanished without a trace.

9.  “ Kannani and Document of Flames: Two Japanese Colonial Novels” by Katsuei Yuasa  This volume makes available for the first time in English two of the most important novels of Japanese colonialism: Yuasa Katsuei’s Kannani and Document of Flames. Born in Japan in 1910 and raised in Korea, Yuasa was an eyewitness to the ravages of the Japanese occupation. In both of the novels presented here, he is clearly critical of Japanese imperialism. Kannani (1934) stands alone within Japanese literature in its graphic depictions of the racism and poverty endured by the colonized Koreans.

10.  “ Accomplices of Silence: Modern Japanese Novel” by Masao Miyoshi 

The Japanese novel, lately so widely translated, is finding a broader and better informed readership than ever before. Until now, however, no comprehensive critical discussion of the form has been available in a Western language. Masao Miyoshi offers an intensive reading of several outstanding novels of the past hundred years.

Sources - 

All from Goodreads.com