#wonder vehicle

[herigo]

[panic-flavored]

Happy pride!! 🏳️‍🌈

[thevoidstaredback]

Spoiler took her cue about five minutes after Batman left for the Watchtower to ride into the Cave. The heroes were with Robin by the display of their costumes, paying special respect to Jason's memorial. She made sure to rev the engine of her bike further down the tunnel to announce her arrival.

"Spoiler," Robin greeted her after she'd parked and pulled off her helmet. "These are some of the heroes in the Justice League. They were invited by Batman and Nightwing to come see the Cave."

Spoiler grinned widely at the group, "Hey! Nice to meet you all, I'm Spoiler." She'd never met the group during her few months as Robin, but her suit sta proudly between Tim's and Damian's.

"We weren't aware that there was another hero working in Gotham," Martian Manhunter nodded to her in greeting.

She gasped, her right hand moving do sit directly on the purple bat on her chest. "There are heroes operating in Gotham?" At the confused looks from the group, she cackled and dropped her hand to sit on her hip, leaning her weight more onto her left foot. "We're vigilantes in Gotham. We work outside the law, not alongside it."

"But, Batman-"

"-works with the law when working with the Justice League," Robin cut Cyborg off, successfully pulling everyone's attention to him.

As soon as their eyes were off of her, Cass switched out with her. It was seamless. SpoilerBat (Cass as Spoiler) emerged from her place in the darkest shadows of the Batplane, tapping Spoiler on the shoulder and pointing to the training room. She caught Robin's eye as Spoiler left, nodding and using the LoA signs to tell him the switch was done.

Robin nodded and continued his explanation of the displays, not naming anyone. "Batman's suits are all lined up on the upper tier. He improves them based on his needs and the changes of technology he has at his disposal, resulting in the nine suits you see, as well as the tenth that he's currently wearing. Robin's and Batgirl's suits are lined upon the middle tier. From left to right we have Robin 1, Batgirl 1, Robin 2," He didn't mention that this one was obviously a memorial. "Batgirl 2, Robin 3, Robin 4, Batgirl 3, Batgirl 4, Robin 5.1, Robin 5.2, Robin 5.3, Robin 5.4, and Robin 5.5." He adjusted his stance as SpoilerBat came to stand next to him.

"The lower tier are suits for others in Gotham," she explained, expertly ignoring the whispers about her being a different person a few minutes ago, "Same order: Discowing, Nightwing 1, Nightwing 2, Nightwing 3, Nightwing 4, Redwing, and Nightwing 5." she pointed as she named them, skipping over all five of Jason's suits, as well as the sixth empty one for his current costume, "Red Robin 0, Red Robin 1, Red Robin 2, Red Robin 3, Red Robin, 4, Drake, Red Robin 5, Spoiler, Black Bat, Orphan, Signal." Of the named suits, four suits were missing; Nightwing 5, Red Robin 5, Robin 5.5, and Spoiler.

Because the stealth suits were made specifically to be stealthy, they were never displayed in the open. Instead, they were kept in the locker rooms. No one who didn't know they had them knew any of them were even missing.

"Why are there so many?" Superman wondered.

"We all operate out of the Batcave." Robin stated as though it were obvious, "Our costumes change as we need them to."

"So," Flash began, getting close to the displays but no touching them, "Who all shares costumes? Or do they all belong to different people?"

Robin and SpoilerBat shared a quick look, neither wanting to explain. Let them think what they want. Skewing the numbers via omission will only help their plans along, as well as work to keep their identities.

Moving on, Robin told of how the penny and the dinosaur had come to be in the Cave. He warned to keep away from the edges because of the chasm.

"Chasm?" Aquaman had a smirk on his face, "Why do you need a chasm?"

"To keep the dragons." Robin said. he and SpoilerBat led the way to the garage. "The platform the Batplane rises and lowers as needed. The area above it is a door that can only be opened via remote in the plane itself or via command on the Batcomputer. Over there is the garage. The Batmobile, the Batcycle, the Wingcycle, Ricochet, the Redbird, the Batpod, the Spoilermobile, and Spoiler's motorcycle. Honestly, he turned to SpoilerBat, speaking to Spoiler, "You still haven't named your motorcycle?"

SpoilerBat shrugged.

Green Arrow took his time to look over every present vehicle. "Impressive. None of these are mainstream."

"That's because they're all custom made." Robin preened.

"Really?" Flash asked, bouncing like an excited puppy, "Which one's yours, little man?"

Robin scowled, but didn't address the name. "The Batcycle is the one I am permitted to use. Although, Batman has given his consent for me to drive the Batmobile in case of emergencies."

Cyborg was looking over Ricochet, Red Hood's bike, closely. "This doesn't look like any of the others."

"How do you mean?" SpoilerBat tilted her head slightly to the right.

"It's got the obvious base of a Harley Davidson," he pointed out, "It's also a lot less tech focused than the others."

"The second Robin build that bike from scratch," Robin said shortly, "Do not touch it."

"Right, sorry."

SpoilerBat decided to lead the way to the training area. Robin followed behind the group.

The training area was a clump of four offshoots from the main area of the lower level of the Batcave. The widest area was full of standard gym equipment. In the offshoot to the left was a taller cavern full of gymnastics equipment. The offshoot to the right was weapons training. The offshoot directly across from the main area was for sparring matches on mats or in the ring.

Wonder Woman regarded the gymnastics set up with a keen eye. "You all are trained, yes?" SpoilerBat nodded. "Can we see a routine?"

"Sure," SpoilerBat said. She stepped up to the starting point of the obstical course they had yet to take down from last week. Taking a deep breath, she began. About halfway through, she was out of the heroes' sight long enough to land in the rafters that Duke, Tim, and Steph and occupied temporarily. When she landed, Steph jumped down to continue the routine as Spoiler.

Having finished the routine, Spoiler landed, breathed again, and then jogged to rejoin Robin and the Justice League. A minute nod from the littlest bat let her know that the visiting heroes didn't see the switch. "So, what'dya think?"

Green Lantern did a double take. After a few false starts, he finally managed, "Are-are you a different person?"

Spoiler tilted her head to the right in a perfect imitation of Cass. "What're ya talking about? I'm the same me you met!"

Green Lantern didn't say anything more, choosing instead to follow the others as they explored the sparring mats and the weapons room.

Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter were the ones to take the most interest in this room. The wall on either side of the opening was dedicated to storing all kinds of weapons. The left side of the wall directly opposite the opening was a shooting range for all kinds of ranged weapons. The rest of the room housed training dummies.

"Let me guess," Aquaman admired the shorter ranged weapons, "You all forged these on your own, as well?"

Robin scoffed and crossed his arms. "Of course not. The swords were gifted to me by the finest of swordsmiths. The daggers as well."

"Yeah," Spoiler nodded along, "The only ones we actually produced are the Bird and Batarangs."

"Where do you get the materials?" Martian Manhunter inquired, holding one of the Batarangs to the light.

"There wasn't always a chasm." Red Robin said from where Robin had been standing. The Justice League heroes all whipped to look at him, dropping into ready stances. Red Robin held his hands up but didn't flinch or move back otherwise. "Whoa there, calm down. What spooked ya."

"Where's Robin?" Superman demanded.

Red Robin and Spoiler looked at each other. "What'd ya mean?" she asked, "He's right here."

"No," Flash looked between the two, around the room, and then back to Red Robin, "Robin is a child. You, decidedly, are not."

Red Robin huffed. "Are you okay? 'Cause I've been here the whole time?"

"Really?" Superman asked.

"Yeah," Red Robin crossed his arms. "Spoiler can vouch for me."

"Ah, but she can't!" Green Lantern pointed as though he'd caught them in a trap. "She's been switched out with someone else!"

Again, the two Gothamites shared a look behind their masks. "Alright," Red Robin shrugged, "This is an enclosed space with exactly one accessible exit-" if you don't know your way around, that is, "-if we were being switched out, where would they hide and why wouldn't Superman have been able to hear them?"

The answer is the sheer number of bats. The rafters are high and hidden enough in the ceilings that they blend in with the natural formations. The bats hang from the rafters. Because there are so many of the animals, and because of their training and spite, the Batfam have been able to hide their heartbeats within the throws of bats'. Superman's hearing would be able to pick up any sound that doesn't match with the nocturnal animals. The flutter of a cape could easily be the flutter of a bat's wings. The heartbeats that are slightly too slow are easily taken to be an older, sleeping bat. Movement is just a bat that's been disturbed.

The heroes were all quiet as Superman listened intently. Then, after a few minutes, he sighed and shook his head. "I can't hear anything out of the ordinary."

"But-!" Flash tried.

Red Robin shook his head. "If you guys are too paranoid about being here, we can take you back to the Zeta Tubes. I don't think we'd be able to convince B to let you come back here, though."

"No," Wonder Woman composed herself, "We apologise. Please, continue."

Hesitant, RR turned to take them to the large med bay. "Alright, if you're sure."

Part 5 Part 7

[hellspawnmotel]

had a dream there was a kh kart racer. kingdom karts

[hazelnut-u-out]

Somehow never caught this before, but does this imply Birdperson’s mom killed his dad and he remembers seeing it?

The fact this memory is somehow tied to Blood Ridge in his mind makes me wonder if that’s part of why he didn’t accept Rick’s advances— maybe even subconsciously. If that’s what this implies, no wonder he had commitment issues. Makes the shit with Tammy hit differently, too…

I know it’s a throw away moment, but I really hope we get a follow up on that… Regardless of what that memory is, it’s dark shit.

[morningstarwhipped]

in regards to link's new ride

[briarrolfe]

In the morning staff meeting the CEO asked how we could start using AI as an organisation, which is why I spent so much time today drawing a 2001 Nissan Pulsar while muttering "could an AI do this????" under my breath

[relaxxattack]

also i know youve lamented needing to understand jade better and listen. first understand she only knows how to be alone she will interact with others and the world as if they arent really seeing her and consequently itll never occur to her to open up because that is not something you can do when you are alone she is desperate and doesnt know it, and if she does know it its always put on the backburner. everyone in the world will have problems bigger than her and people they care about more. she is good at faking sincerity, if she crafts herself as being the genuine and heartfelt one then no one will think shes hiding anything and this is something she made for herself and knows she did yet still resents it a little no matter how bad she feels shes always been able to chin up and put on a smile to help others around her so she is very angry when someone cant do the same. shes lived like this her entire life, so when someone else cant do it, not even for a moment, it feels like a kick to the gut. it is simple to her to set aside your own emotions to care about a "bigger problem" or care about someone else. she is not sure how to do anything else she knows she will always be left on the wayside and tries to convince herself this doesnt make her angry too--its partially her own fault, anyway… it has to be, at least, because if this wasnt her own doing, because if the universe has just been cruel to her all this time for nothing and no one and especially not herself, she wouldnt be able to take that. secretly and quietly she longs for someone to know her, but how could they when she isnt even sure who that person is? she wants someone to tell her who that girl is. there will never be an answer shes satisfied with -star

what the fuck.

[axemetaphor]

i know it's just because of book1 being Like That (gloriously chaotic and bizarre) but I almost wish Pargin would bring back John being able to talk to Dave telepathically. yes yes it's because John was in molly/untethered from his body but consider: he would be so annoying 

[landwriter]

i am sorry i was so close-

[keeps-ache]

blood of the covenant

[herigo]

[bogkeep]

it's been over a whole month since i had a stupid argument with my parents about driving, a skill that i legally possess but hate doing because i have a special brain illness that makes me fear death and injury, but i'm still chewing over an absurd claim that it's "equally dangerous to go on a 14 hour train ride like you just did". literally how is that more dangerous. in what way. in what world. public transport is nice and good and i like it and i don't have to enter my personal torment nexus

[phoenixcatch7]

We could make Sqq a transformer in his past life. Like optimus prime sorta transformer. Cybertronian.

He'd be the only surviving seeker (winged guy) on the autobots side (I don't know all the canons but I don't think they have, like, any). Pretty young when the war started - unfathomably ancient for humans, the kiddie of the group to them.

And he arrives on earth. Discovers the Internet. Immediately gets hooked on critiquing stupid Web novels in every language, which being a sentient machine he can do at great speed without forgetting anything. Decides to read the final chapter during a battle because he's so close to the end and airplane had better pull SOMETHING good. Is so infuriated (distracted) by the ending he messes up and immediately gets killed by some low level decepticon. After FIVE MILLION years of war he gets offed by some loser over a stupid human story that wasn't even very good. He dies SO furious.

And then he gets reborn a human.

He is, as the kids say, big mad.

How by Primus do they do anything??

[birindale]

So once upon a time they were going to make this vehicle for the third wave of toys called Effervescent the Bubble Carriage, sort of the Enchanta/Sea Harp of its generation, right? Well, they pulled the plug on the whole line before it came to fruition. But it made it in the style guide, and the minicomics, so... it gets a post, toy or no toy.

They did make a prototype, though! Seen here in a poorly photographed German toy catalogue. You're doing god's work, catone82, but man I wish you'd had a scanner.

[doomrichards]

Joseph Culp as Dr. Doom in The Fantastic Four

I've been seeing mentions of Doom getting white-washed for the fourth time: Fantastic Four (1994) - Joseph Culp, Fantastic Four (2005-2007) - Julian McMahon, Fantastic Four (2015) - Toby Kebbell, and the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Avengers: Secret Wars (2027) - Robert Downey Jr. I wanted to share Mr. Culp's interview on his performance Dr. Doom in the Fantastic Four movie, whose budget was 2 million dollars. He realized the responsibility he had as the first time any actor was going to play Dr. Doom on screen, and gave the comic books their due, investing in Victor's backstory not mentioned in the script, including his Romani background and the loss of his mother, Cynthia von Doom. That background ties directly into the persecution which Victor and his family faced in his country driving his need for power and control and to fulfill his destiny as ruler. It makes him DR. DOOM. Three decades later and the Marvel Cinematic Universe with its 80 million dollar salary to a stunt casting that white-washes and subsumes Dr. Doom's character with Iron Man's actor and its associations is an insult. Joseph Culp put an operatic, Shakespearean take on Doctor Doom and carried him with the gravitas due, as well as knowing how important his relationship to Reed Richards is--that of a wounded lover.

Source: josephculp.com

Transcript under cut.

INTERVIEW WITH JOSEPH CULP FOR FANSITE VICTORVONDOOM.COM by Joshua Hicks (2008) First off your performance as both Victor and Doctor Doom felt very genuine. What type of preparation did you do for the film? After I was cast in the role, I started by going back through all the issues of Doom in the comic books and I realized just how important a task this was. This would be the first time any actor was going to play Dr. Doom on screen, so I got more excited and also realized what a responsibility I had to try to do something that would honor the glory and grandeur of the character. There were limitations of time and budget, and so much came down to what I could do without special effects. . I definitely wanted to capture his classical style, the villainous "panache", in his voice and physicality, but I also wanted to know what kind of inner life drove him. Doom is right up there with some of the classic archetypal villains who are filled with contradictions: The gifts of genius, the lust for control and power, but the desire to be loved. I invested a lot in Victor's backstory, even if it wasn't mentioned in the script. The loss of his g---- mother, the desire to contact her through mystic arts, the need to fulfill a destiny as the rightful ruler of his country. I wanted to show in the beginning scenes with Reed, that he had a softer side and even valued the friendship, which later his madness transformed to bitterness and feelings of betrayal. Not all these ideas are supported by the comic, but I felt they would give a fuller human picture. I wanted to try to bring out some of his pain and suffering even as he pursued power and the destruction of others. I also saw a wicked sense of humor in the comics, (as is befitting a tortured genius!), so I wanted to give him moments to tease, be sarcastic and enjoy his power, reveling in some moments of explosive mad laughter. But if you listen, the laughter is also full of rage and sorrow as well. In preparation, I remember spending some time in a ski-mask to see what feelings would emerge from living in a "mask" and armor. The sense of affliction, imprisonment, of not being truly seen, and also permission and power. Lots of improvisation, physical and vocal exercises and finding my own personal link to the extreme qualities of this character.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ DOOMSAYER Magazine Article

Actor Joseph Culp puts a Shakespearean twist on the FF's arch nemesis, Doctor Doom. [Picture of Doom taking off the mask to reveal dark curls and a handsome face with a small scar by Jack Kirby]

This never-before-published drawing of Doctor Doom reveals that the vain villain wore a mask to hide just one tiny scar. Doom was for me an operatic dip into my own latent sadomasochistic tendencies," says the intense actor. And Joseph Culp means it. When pressed to talk a little about his personal life, he refers to himself as one of Doom's "impersonators." Culp, who grew up in California, had starring roles in Dream Lover and Monte Hellman's Iguana. However, his role of Doctor Doom is one that he takes very seriously. "As a kid, the FF was probably the only comic I really cared about." In this journalist's opinion, genre actors are not as appreciated as dramatic actors. In science fiction, fantasy and horror, the actors are expected to bring believability to unbelievable characters and impossible situations. There was no doubt in Culp's mind that he was up to the task. "I have some Shakespearean training. Doom is a very operatic character, a glorious tyrant king. This was a very challenging role because I was incarcerated in an iron suit most of the time, which was very grueling, frustrating and maddening." Does Culp have any interesting body scars himself? "I got a scar on the crook of my left leg from wearing the suit. It dug into me suppose my motivation could have been brought on by actual pain during the performance." Doctor Doom has never been unmasked in the comics. However, Jack Kirby's interpretation of the face behind the iron mask is that Victor Von Doom hides only one tiny facial scar because he is so vain. Culp offers his own insight. "Doom is a narcissist to the extreme. I believe he is completely scarred and mutilated. Being such a brilliant scientist, he could certainly reconstruct his face. But he chose to keep his scars as a living testament to his vengeance on the world and, specifically, Reed Richards.

"With Doom you really can't go too far. He's a raging ego and a wounded lover."' -Joseph Culp, the actor playing Doctor Doom [Picture of Victor von Doom during college in the Fantastic Four (1994) movie] Above: Joseph Culp plays Victor, Reed Richards's college buddy who falls victim to a terrible accident. Right: Culp as the operatic Doom. "Reed stands for everything Doom wishes he could have acceptance from the world, good looks, a sexy girlfriend. He's very envious of Reed and felt betrayed when their experiment went awry. He always wanted to be Reed's best friend, and when everything went wrong and he nearly died in the experiment, Reed went on to collect all the laurels that he might have had. So there's a lot of jealousy involved in his relationship. I think that deep down he actually loves Reed Richards. The person you love the most is the one you hate the most. Doom's inner sorrow and frustration-a kind of unbridled psychotic rage-propels him to do the things he does." Culp ends our conversation with a very serious diatribe on the depths of the demented Doctor. "Remember that Doom is all that we wish to be and all that we cannot face. From the depths of our fear he is the towering Freudian id. With Doom you really can't go too far. He's a raging ego and a wounded lover."