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Post by johnreiter902 on Apr 19, 2018 14:10:28 GMT
This is a fantastic fight scene, and a superb catalogue the the florokinetics of Earth-1. I am dazzled. I always wanted to write something like this.
Just one point. At the end of the 1984 Times Past story "Seeds" Wonder Woman said she was goign to have the scientists of Paradise Island try to cure Redwood. You might one to mention how they failed.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 19, 2018 16:03:02 GMT
Thanks, John. It’s a good thing I’ve got a scene on Paradise Island coming up. I’ll hsve to mention that.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 19, 2018 16:23:36 GMT
Also, I was really happy to be able to wrap up a couple of loose ends from my first Swamp Thing story back in 2003! Eventually I’d like to expand on the events leading into this chapter and its aftermath, in a tie-in story.
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Post by starskyhutch76 on Apr 20, 2018 1:04:01 GMT
Very cool. The only change I would make is that Blossom isn't green. She's more of a pinkish lavender. She looks like she was fashioned from flower petals.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 20, 2018 3:15:14 GMT
Thanks! I've made an edit to fix that!
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 21, 2018 2:35:20 GMT
I've got a chapter coming up dealing with the Global Guardians, so I thought I'd catch up on the current status of our international heroes. Boy, I never realized how many new international heroes there are -- Libby especially has really added a lot of them! It will take a bit more time to make sure I'm not forgetting anyone who should be mentioned, though I will not attempt to be utterly exhaustive.
I also want to address some continuity issues regarding Dr. Mist, who has been treated almost as two different characters in our stories. Libby followed the "contacting people from a remote location" model from the Super Friends series and his appearance in DC Comics Presents pretty closely, while I and others such as Brian K. Asbury followed more of a Post-Crisis "hands on" and "working alongside the Global Guardians" model. Both approaches seem at odds with each other, but I think I've found a way around it. Also, Brian wrote once in a Paladins story that Dr. Mist had some exciting news about the future of the Global Guardians, and I hope to do honor to that as well as tie up a few loose ends regarding the international team, its headquarters, and all the various local teams as well. It should be epic!
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Post by johnreiter902 on Apr 21, 2018 13:15:45 GMT
I'm really looking forward to that. I was getting the impression that the Global Guardians of Earth-1 wasn't even a real team, just the name for any group of international heroes, typically gathered by Dr. Mist.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 27, 2018 3:29:17 GMT
Chicago:
There was a large, gaping hole in the side of the First National Bank of Chicago. Through that hole walked four colorful figures over the rubble, two men and two women dressed in blue, green, yellow, and red costumes each emblazoned with the letter G. All of them carried bags of cash in each hand. The Gang had returned to Chicago.
"Wooo-eee!" cried Bulldozer, the short, stocky man wearing a bright blue costume and a darker blue helmet. Taking a moment to shake off the dust from the bank wall he'd just bulldozed through, he said, "Why didn't we think of this before, Gang? With Supergirl long gone, and no other capes around to bother us, the Windy City is easy pickings!"
"Well, someone sure seemed to want to relive old times," smirked Ms. Mesmer, the silver-haired, white-masked woman in a yellow costume. "I haven't worn this frumpy outfit in public since '86."
"Cease your passive-aggressive prattling, Mesmer," replied Brains, the blonde woman in a red costume. "There happens to be a method to my madness."
"So you finally admit that bringing the Gang back together -- like this -- is madness!" taunted Ms. Mesmer. "I'm as nostalgic as the next gal, but after this job I'm going back to being the all-new, all-amazing Spellbinder!"
Brains ignored her. "If the rest of you had any initiative of your own, perhaps you might have found another way to occupy your time today."
"You mean besides bein' locked up in jail?" said Kong, the musclebound man in a green costume.
“Or bein’ turned into apes?” added Bulldozer.
"Stone walls do not a prison make," quoted Brains, but she smiled slightly. She was feeling nostalgic, but that was not the reason she'd taken great pains to reunite the Gang, despite the heavy cost.
"Huh?" said Bulldozer.
“You ought to be grateful for the lengths we went to in order to save you from certain death in that Gorilla City,” said Brains.
“Yeah, guys. If not for us, you’d both be worm food now,” said Ms. Mesmer. Brains flashed her a look of warning to stay away from that dangerous subject.
"Don't remind me," said Bulldozer. "I'll never watch Planet of the Apes ever again! Though, come to think of it, how did you and I escape certain death anyway, Kong? I don't--"
"Say, Bully-boy, what was it you were sayin' about no capes in Chicago?" Kong said.
"Yeah, yeah, no capes at all -- ain't it great?" crowed Bulldozer.
"Then who the hell is that?" replied Kong, pointing to a figure flying toward them from the sky, whose blue cape could be seen trailing behind him.
"I've never seen him before," said Ms. Mesmer, peering at the figure who appeared to be wearing a full-body costume of red and blue. "Have you, Brains?"
The blonde criminal genius tossed her hair over one shoulder and said, "Hardly. He looks rather garish, if you ask me."
The figure glided to a landing a few feet before them, placing his body between the costumed criminals and the crowd of citizens and police gathering to see the spectacle.
"Wow! Look at this loser!" taunted Kong. "I don't think he's wearin' a costume at all -- he's got red skin!"
"He kind of looks like the Martian Manhunter," said Ms. Mesmer, "if he'd had an accident with red dye number two!"
"Maybe a bucket of red paint knocked over him!" laughed Kong.
"Or maybe he fell asleep in the park, an' -- an' some kids colored him red or somethin'!" added Bulldozer.
"Good one, 'Dozer," said Kong. Ms. Mesmer merely rolled her eyes.
"Do not underestimate our foe," warned Brains. "That jewel of his concerns me."
The strange-looking figure known only as Jemm, Son of Saturn, merely stood there, staring at the colorfully clad bank robbers with beetle-browed shadowed eyes beneath a glowing yellow gem embedded in his forehead.
"You can't just stand there, Jemm!" cried a boy's voice in the alien's mind. "Punch one of 'em! They're super-villains, and super-villains are crazy! I saw one up close once in Metropolis, and he nearly killed me just 'cause of my name! They'll do the same to you if they have a chance!"
Jemm stepped forward suddenly and punched Brains, knocking her flat to the ground before she had a chance to react to the unexpected violence.
"No, no, no, Jemm! You can't hit a girl! We don't hit girls here!"
The other three Gang members were too dumbfounded to react at first, but when they did it was in outrage.
"Oh, you're askin' for it now, punk!" growled Kong, racing up to the red alien.
"Get him, Kong!" shouted Bulldozer. "Hit 'im high, I'll hit him low!"
"Y'know, Uncle Dudley told me to watch out for gangs when we moved here, but I don't think this is what he meant."
Kong swung at Jemm's jaw line with all his might, but despite the loud smacking sound, the alien barely moved. Not so for Kong.
"OW!" cried the villain, falling to the ground and shaking his hand as if to shake off the pain. "This turkey is made of granite or something!"
"Granite, huh?" said Bulldozer. "That's my specialty!"
The stocky villain backed up a few feet, then barreled forward like a juggernaut. As Jemm was knocked off his feet, Bulldozer started laughing.
"Hit him, Jemm!" cried the boy within. "Hit him!"
Jemm wasn't so sure. "Will?" he uttered in a strange accent.
"It's okay to hit him, Jemm! He's a bad guy!"
"Bad?" muttered Jemm. He uttered several sounds in his alien language.
"The red freak seems confused, Gang!" observed Kong.
"Then stand back, boys, and let me have a turn!" At that, Ms. Mesmer opened the G insignia on her costume to reveal a spinning wheel of color. "Now, big guy, you're not going to hit me, are you? No, you're not."
"I saw this kinda thing on TV before, Jemm!" cried Will. "She's trying to hypnotize us! Close your eyes! Close your eyes!"
Jemm obeyed.
"Now stop her!"
Jemm hesitated, unsure of what to do.
"You got to stop her, Jemm! But don't hit her! We don't hit girls, even if they're bad girls!"
"Let's take him down, boys!" said Ms. Mesmer. "Take him down for Brains!"
"Yeah, for Brains!" yelled Kong.
"Braaa-aaa-aaains!" shouted Bulldozer.
"Now, Jemm! Now! Now! Now!"
The two male Gang members started pummeling Jemm, who started to feel the force of the blows as he fell into a fetal position on the ground. Then Kong and Bulldozer started kicking at the big alien.
"Watch me now!" yelled Kong. "I'm gonna curb stomp this red dingbat's head until that jewel of his pops off!"
And then it happened. The jewel embedded in Jemm's forehead glowed brightly, and the four members of the Gang were thrown off by some unseen force. Kong went flying into the air to crash into the bank building. Bulldozer went rolling head over heels until he struck a fire hydrant, which began spraying water onto the street. Ms. Mesmer was thrown back until she hit the side of a car. The already unconscious Brains merely rolled off into a pile of rubble.
"Holy crap, Jemm!" shouted Will. "You did it! You did it! I don't know how you did that, but you defeated them single-handedly! You're a real super-hero now!"
But Jemm, Son of Saturn, began to suddenly stagger forward, weakened by the psionic use of the gem. He reeled as he started to pass out.
"Jemm?" said Will, concerned. "No, you can't go to sleep, Jemm! You can't pass out here!"
His eyes fluttering, Jemm began to groan as he looked around at the approaching police officers, their guns drawn.
"You gotta get up, Jemm!" cried Will. "Fly away! Fly away now! You're an alien! If they get you, they'll want to dissect you like a frog or something, like in E.T.! And if they get you, they'll want to dissect me, too, when we change back! Get up!"
Shaking his head, Jemm pushed himself back up to his feet, and with another glance around at the approaching officers, he suddenly soared into the sky, wobbling as he flew slowly through the air toward the nearest patch of green parkland he could see.
Lieutenant Gabe Peters of the Chicago Police Department, watching him through binoculars, ordered a police helicopter to go after him. As far as Peters was concerned, Big Red could have been another super-villain fighting over turf, and with the sudden spike in crime, he couldn't take that chance. Besides, even if Big Red was a hero, Lt. Peters wasn't too fond of costumed vigilante types, either, especially the ones with super-powers. (*)
[(*) Editor's note: See "Radiation-Fever," The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #10 (August, 1983).]
In the crowd nearby, a young man named Leo Barone watched the whole battle with interest. It was obvious to him, as it was to many in the crowd, that the red-skinned alien's actions had been purely altruistic. It was also obvious to him how inexperienced this would-be hero really was, especially given how he had folded so easily during the fight, not knowing what to do. And that inexperience combined with the sheer power he apparently possessed made him a very dangerous weapon.
Leo had taught himself to read lips from a distance, and he had clearly seen through his own binoculars that the alien had mouthed a couple of words that seemed to be in English. Thus the first question he had was: Who is Will?
Perhaps it was time for the second Wildcat to look into Chicago's newest would-be super-hero, whatever his name really was.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 27, 2018 8:54:13 GMT
Paradise Island:
"I understand, Gar. I do. I just can't do anything directly right now. You're sure Cyborg and Raven can't help? I--" She frowned as she the line went dead. "--Gar? Gar? GAR!"
Donna Troy Long sighed in frustration. It wasn't all that often that she was needed on Paradise Island, but the one time she was, all hell broke loose back home. It was as if the relative peace and quiet that the New Titans had experienced over the last couple of months had just been the calm before the storm. It had certainly lulled her into a false sense of security, for one thing.
She was out of options. The New Titans had lost Nightwing, Starfire, and Kole over the last year, and Arsenal and Lilith were strictly part-timers these days. They'd added a couple of new members, but the Protector was a rookie street-level fighter, while Dyna-Mind was young and inexperienced. She needed a new recruit with powers on the same level as Koriand'r to really fill the gaps that her old teammates had left.
As she stood staring at the mental radio, thinking through her options, she suddenly stopped and snapped her fingers with excitement. "Of course! Why didn't I think of her before? Now, if only I can figure out how to contact her from here. Let's see..."
***
New York City:
The telephone rang. It rang and it rang and it rang. It stopped ringing for a while, and then it rang again.
The young woman on the bed, roused from a deep sleep, fumbled for her phone. Picking it up, she immediately placed it back down on the receiver.
The telephone rang again.
And then she sat up quickly in bed. As sleepy as she was, she couldn't help but to notice all the sounds from the street even from her high-rise apartment. The city sounded like it was in a war zone.
Brought back to awareness, she realized that the phone was still ringing. She picked up the receiver.
"Mmm-hello?" she mumbled. "Who? Oh, Donna? Yes, of course I remember you. How could I forget? Sorry, just got back from Australia -- an unplanned visit, mind you -- and on top of that I've got a severe case of jet-lag." She listened for a few moments, nodding and saying, "Uh-huh," at appropriate times as she took in the information, her eyes growing wider with surprise.
"I will do what I can. Yes, I promise. And yes, I'll think about that offer -- it's very flattering that you'd think of me -- but I will have to talk it over with you sometime later. Circumstances have changed somewhat, and I--" She listened for a couple more moments. "Right. I understand. Talk to you again soon, Donna. Yes, I will. Right away. Bye."
The phone back on the receiver, the young woman shook out her long, messy red hair and sighed deeply before picking up the phone again to make a call of her own. Listening, she waited as the phone was picked up on the other end.
"Hi... Doreen? This is Lorraine. Remember how I asked you to give me some time before we... change again? Uh-huh. Well, I'm sure you've seen the news today. It's time to step up to the big leagues, honey, so I hope you're up for it."
***
Donna hoped the call to her old friend would make a difference, but she still felt awful for not being there for her team when they needed her, like a leader would. She didn't have to wonder if Dick Grayson had felt this way from time to time; she knew he had. Of course, given all the troubles he and Barbara had experienced a few months ago, she wondered if Nightwing really had an easier job working in Gotham City.
Leaving the communications room, the Titan known as Artemis returned to the throne room of her mother, Queen Hippolyta. She gave a quick smile to young Princess Diana, who smiled back and waved to her. It was still hard to believe the precocious three-year-old tyke next to the queen had once been her older sister and one of the world's greatest heroes, the original Wonder Woman. The little girl would usually have something exciting to share with her "big sister" Donna, but she knew to be quiet when the queen was discussing serious business. Her mother and their guest turned to look at Donna when she walked into their presence.
"Hola, mother. Hola, Mala. Any news on the escaped prisoners?"
"Hola, Donna," replied Mala. "No. We've sent out search parties, but almost every prisoner has vanished. Paula had been on the verge of completely curing Paul LeGrand before he, too, was snatched from her laboratory on Science Island. I'm afraid all the work I've been doing with our prisoners on Transformation Island has come to naught."
"Well, not quite, Mala," said Queen Hippolyta. "What about your model prisoner? She's come a long way in an amazingly short time since Nubia brought her here nearly half a year ago."
"I wouldn't exactly call Deborah Domaine a model prisoner," said Mala. "She's far too unorthodox for that. But she has begun to take responsibility for her actions, and seeks to make atonement."
Donna pursed her lips as she listened. It was little more than a year ago when the Cheetah had murdered Marcia Long, Donna's husband Terry Long's ex-wife, and the mother of Jennifer Long. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to forgive her for that, even if she underwent a miraculous reform the likes of which hadn't been seen since Paula Von Gunta went from a fascistic criminal scientist to the chief scientist of the Amazons.
Queen Hippolyta glanced at her daughter; she knew even without looking what troubled her. "Oh? Does she seek to pledge herself to the service of Aphrodite, love, beauty, and justice, and join our society of Amazons?"
"She does wish all those things except the latter, sire," said Mala. "Deborah hopes to return to Man's World with a contrite heart in order to use the abilities Kobra gave her along with her Amazon training to do good in that broken world."
"I understand the desire to make a difference in Man's World, with its endless wars, and man's exploitation of women, children, and even other men. After all, I've watched three of my daughters leave this blessed isle for those wretched lands." The queen looked at Donna once more. "And what do you think, daughter? Is Deborah Domaine truly contrite?"
"I cannot say, mother," replied Donna, falling into courtly formality in this setting. "I wish nothing more than all of our prisoners could reform so quickly, but I cannot truly tell if such a reformation comes from the heart or is merely a tactic meant to stave off further captivity."
"Mmm... quite," said the queen. "One must always consider that possibility. However, does not Aphrodite teach us that love -- true love -- is stronger than evil? Besides, we must not forget that Deborah once found the kind of atonement she seeks by fighting crime as a hero in Man's World alongside this... Captain Comet."
"And yet when she fell back into crime," replied Donna, "she killed an innocent woman -- a mother! She--"
"Mala," interrupted Queen Hippolyta, "what is your opinion of this Deborah Domaine? Is she sincere?"
"I believe she is, my queen," said Mala. "Besides, even if she is not, she remains bound by the bracelets of submission until she can prove herself."
"Then, in the absence of my daughter Nubia," said the queen, "may I ask my daughter Donna to bring Deborah back to Man's World in order that we might see whether Deborah's reformation is true?"
"Mother!" cried Donna. "You can't ask me to--!"
"I haven't asked you, daughter -- yet. But I understand your team needs you, and--"
"--and the Cheetah isn't going to be of any help!" said Donna.
"--and Deborah Domaine may be of some service in this crisis," Queen Hippolyta continued. "Recall that she has asked us never to refer to her by that hated name again. Recall also the mercy and grace that Aphrodite bequeaths upon all her subjects, including Deborah."
"I'm never going to be able to explain this to Terry," said Donna hotly. "You want me to team up with his ex-wife's killer, mother?"
"No, Donna," said Hippolyta. "I want you to escort a prisoner to Man's World so that she can make things right, and so that you may witness the transforming love of Aphrodite at work."
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Post by lawrenceliberty on Apr 27, 2018 21:20:54 GMT
I like these new chapters especially the Cheetah development. Ms. Mesmer had become Spellbinder II though.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 28, 2018 2:29:16 GMT
Thanks, Libby! I've made a couple of edits. I admit I had forgotten the fates of the Gang when I first wrote this, but it's given me a few story possibilities for the future.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 28, 2018 9:58:26 GMT
Part of my motivation for writing that fun chapter featuring Jemm, Son of Saturn versus the Gang was because I've always had an idea on how to bring back Jemm inspired by '80s kid movies such as E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Explorers, and my personal favorite, Flight of the Navigator. I'm hoping to do a spinoff story featuring the "secret origin" of his current situation.
Fair warning: I may introduce one or two more new characters in this story that I also hope will make an impact on Earth-1.
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Post by johnreiter902 on Apr 28, 2018 13:57:09 GMT
So much to say! Excellent updates. I'm glad that Cheetah is getting another chance. Maybe she'll try to be a hero again, but with a different identity this time? I assume that Firebird is joining the Titans? Also, is Kole definitively still gone, or has she returned?
As for the earlier update on the Gang, that was also great! As far as I know, we have seen nothing of Jemm since the Crisis, so I'd like to know how he ended up in this state. I caught the reference to Uncle Dudly, by the way. Will is the Earth-1 Billy Batson, who we last met in DC Comics Presents, right?
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 28, 2018 18:23:38 GMT
Thanks, John! Good on you for catching the clues. Jemm, Son of Saturn is one of those extremely rare characters who had their own title but has never appeared in a Five Earths story. The last time he was seen was during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, specifically issue #10, but I doubt any of the other heroes gathered there (except for Harbinger) knew who he was.
I've got an idea about Kole that I hope to explore soon. Let's just say it's complicated, but she's not part of the team at this time. I'm hoping Firehawk will be able to join the team, since she makes a good replacement for Starfire, and she's one of my favorite "supporting cast heroes" of all time.
I may post another chapter to clarify some things about the Gang, as I dropped some clues in there, too.
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Post by DocQuantum on Apr 28, 2018 18:31:14 GMT
By the way, there are some characters I really wish I could use, but continuity dictates that they must first appear after the Legion of Doom story: Booster Gold, Robin III (Carrie Kelly), and Young Justice. That last one makes me sad, but I think Kent Shakespeare's "birthday" party must take place sometime in July, by my reckoning, and thus too late to appear in Underworld Unleashed. And the opening chapters and later chapters of the Legion of Doom saga also make it clear that Batman is without a Robin -- any Robin -- at this time. And, of course, Booster Gold only first appears on Earth-1 after Ryan Chase's funeral, which must happen after Superman returns from Hell. Shoot, I guess that means I can't kill him off. (Joking, joking...) On the plus side, Libby's Global Guardians: The Eternal Problem has (by the author's permission) been retroactively made into an Underworld Unleashed tie-in story! I'll just be adding a few chapters that take place before, during, and after that story to make it fit with my plans to smooth out some continuity issues regarding their headquarters.
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