Anubis' "How would you do it?" Thread.

[sandwraith]

Batman: Tooth and Claw

Bruce Wayne, officially busted and living off the last of his family fortune in an European Ski resort resurfaces as Grey Hendricks, unemployed ex-street fighter scraping up a living in Gotham's Spanish Quarter hoping to continue his war on crime from a different angle. Meanwhile Nyssa Raatko consolidates her hold on Wayne Enterprises, making TV appearances, interviews, becoming a the face of "New Gotham". Her traits make her a well-liked media darling after all, she's single, rich, beautiful and Jewish. What's not to like?

Meanwhile, The Great White Shark has been released from Arkham thanks to a "confession" by the genetically altered Sherman Shackley (the Shark from the Terrible Trio). Shark wastes no time in picking up the pieces of Black Mask's criminal empire and begins to fully establish himself as the top dog in Gotham which of course will bring him into conflict with two persons: the Batman who wants him back behind bars and Two-Face who wants his blood.

Grey/Batman settles in a cheap apartment not too far from Crime Alley and immediately gets on the nerves of some of the locals whom pretty muchhate gringos, especially a young punk named Ramon Valdes (who plays a more humorous role in later stories). Opposite his apartment is lives a mild mannered single mother of one named Marianne Diaz who works as a Hospice nurse who is wary around Grey but tries to be friendly. Great White immediately tries to continue the circulation of the drug "Primal" with much success thanks to a couple of tame cops on his payroll. He knocks out the competition in his own way. I envisioned this scene where a couple of Great White's boys drag some poor slob to a penthouse pool where Great White is skinny dipping, tells a crappy joke then has his boys toss the slob into the pool where Great White lives up to his name by ripping the poor bastard to shreds in the water turning the pool red with blood.

Batman, now setting up shop in a warehouse near a scrap yard picks up where he left off on the Primal trail, immediately realising that a new player is in the picture.On a ship, Great White overseeing a Primal shipment from Star City faces off with Batman where the two duke it out. The action inevitably spills into the water where the Shark feels right at home. The Shark tries to take a bite out of Batman but Bats uses his suits electronics to give Great White a major shock as his teeth sunk in. As Bats tries to surface, GW forces him into the water again and again until Bats decides to give GW a little taste of his own medicine by biting into Shark's "gills"and letting loose with all the juice his suit can provide. The shocks take alot out of the both of them and Bats loses track of GW, surfacing some distance away from their fight. They'll meet again. Grey returns home to his cheap apartment, aware of the stares he's getting from his younger neighbors led by Ramon. He reaches his door while Marianne searches for her keys. Marianne greets Grey but Bruce who's tired and frustrated by Great White's escape coldly disregards her. Irritated by Grey's indifference Marianne looks away while commenting how rude Grey is in Spanish, snapping Batman's mind back into Bruce's and he apologizes for his indifference in Spanish causing Marianne to feel a little embarrassed.

Back in Wayne Enterprises, Nyssa approaches Josiah Power to work for her new company to build what she calls...a better world.

 

[deemar325]

Batman: Tooth and Claw

Bruce Wayne, officially busted and living off the last of his family fortune in an European Ski resort resurfaces as Grey Hendricks, unemployed ex-street fighter scraping up a living in Gotham's Spanish Quarter hoping to continue his war on crime from a different angle. Meanwhile Nyssa Raatko consolidates her hold on Wayne Enterprises, making TV appearances, interviews, becoming a the face of "New Gotham". Her traits make her a well-liked media darling after all, she's single, rich, beautiful and Jewish. What's not to like?

Meanwhile, The Great White Shark has been released from Arkham thanks to a "confession" by the genetically altered Sherman Shackley (the Shark from the Terrible Trio). Shark wastes no time in picking up the pieces of Black Mask's criminal empire and begins to fully establish himself as the top dog in Gotham which of course will bring him into conflict with two persons: the Batman who wants him back behind bars and Two-Face who wants his blood.

Grey/Batman settles in a cheap apartment not too far from Crime Alley and immediately gets on the nerves of some of the locals whom pretty muchhate gringos, especially a young punk named Ramon Valdes (who plays a more humorous role in later stories). Opposite his apartment is lives a mild mannered single mother of one named Marianne Diaz who works as a Hospice nurse who is wary around Grey but tries to be friendly. Great White immediately tries to continue the circulation of the drug "Primal" with much success thanks to a couple of tame cops on his payroll. He knocks out the competition in his own way. I envisioned this scene where a couple of Great White's boys drag some poor slob to a penthouse pool where Great White is skinny dipping, tells a crappy joke then has his boys toss the slob into the pool where Great White lives up to his name by ripping the poor bastard to shreds in the water turning the pool red with blood.

Batman, now setting up shop in a warehouse near a scrap yard picks up where he left off on the Primal trail, immediately realising that a new player is in the picture.On a ship, Great White overseeing a Primal shipment from Star City faces off with Batman where the two duke it out. The action inevitably spills into the water where the Shark feels right at home. The Shark tries to take a bite out of Batman but Bats uses his suits electronics to give Great White a major shock as his teeth sunk in. As Bats tries to surface, GW forces him into the water again and again until Bats decides to give GW a little taste of his own medicine by biting into Shark's "gills"and letting loose with all the juice his suit can provide. The shocks take alot out of the both of them and Bats loses track of GW, surfacing some distance away from their fight. They'll meet again. Grey returns home to his cheap apartment, aware of the stares he's getting from his younger neighbors led by Ramon. He reaches his door while Marianne searches for her keys. Marianne greets Grey but Bruce who's tired and frustrated by Great White's escape coldly disregards her. Irritated by Grey's indifference Marianne looks away while commenting how rude Grey is in Spanish, snapping Batman's mind back into Bruce's and he apologizes for his indifference in Spanish causing Marianne to feel a little embarrassed.

Back in Wayne Enterprises, Nyssa approaches Josiah Power to work for her new company to build what she calls...a better world.

I'm not sure what the context of this story is, but it got some flavor it makes use of a little known bat-villian (Props to Dan Slott!) Great White, just not feel Bats/Grey or what the circumstance is.

 

[deemar325]

I'll check it Z or repost heh.

 

[Zoken]

A World Without Spider-Man

My name is Felicia Hardy. Many know me as "The Black Cat". I've been on both sides of the law. I've had powers, and I've done it all without powers. I've been strong, and I've been weak. No matter where I am today, what I do, there is one man I will never forget. I'm not here to tell you about him, I'm here to tell you about what happened when we lost him. We... the whole world had Spider-Man, many of us had Peter Parker, and we all lost them both.

It was one of those things where you remember exactly where you were when you heard the news. Me? I was trying desperately to wash of sewer gunk and sweat. I had nothing to do with peter recently, not since he helped me out when I was... well when I was at my weakest. Currently, I was working for Misty Knight's incarnation of "Heroes 4 Hire". We were a ragtag group to say the least.

I heard Misty start pounding on the bathroom door, I cursed at her that I wasn't coming out till I smelled like lavender and catnip again. That's when she yelled the news through to me. I didn't hear her clearly at first, but when I did, I froze. I dropped to the floor of the shower and just sat there trying to process the fact that Peter Parker, Spider-Man, was dead.

After all the crap he had survived, after all the hell and nightmares he experienced, after the monsters and villains he faced... I couldn't believe it. It was the Goblin, by the way, that put him down. Stark was throwing his Thunderbolts at him again.

Norman Osborne finally got his wish... Osborne got to kill Peter Parker. Before SHIELD realized what Osborne was playing out, Parker was dead. Supposedly the Thunderbolts were there to apprehend Peter, but quickly it turned into an all out brawl. Most of them played it straight, using non-lethal countermeasures like they were supposed to. Osborne didn't. Peter was doing his best to keep civilian casualties at his favorite number; Zero. It was why he lost. He was saving people and not watching out for himself... story of Pete's life.

I spoke to several people in the following days, their reactions and stories will be included, but most just asked themselves, "why wasn't I there?" And I did the same thing.

Stark is trying to play it off like it was intended and that the fight was provoked by Peter, people aren't that stupid. They may have wanted Peter to register, but most New Yorkers only slept soundly at night because they knew Spider-Man was out there. No one is buying his crap this time. People are outraged. Part of me is afraid of what's going to happen to SHEILD agents on the streets. Another part of me is happy when I think about what a mob might do to them for killing the cities greatest hero.

Stark tried to assure them that he had Spider-Men ready to fill the role. This didn't go over too well. The super-hero-community was down right insulted. To say someone like Spider-Man was replacable... well what did that mean to the less well-known guys?

I went down to the Brooklyn Bar With No Name... there used to be one in Manhattan, but it got blown up. The bar seemed to be divided into two groups. Up front were bastards like Dillon and Schultz, who've been trying to off Pete for years. They were wooping it up and having a party, toasting each other frosty beers and shots. In the back sat a more somber group. Flint Marko, Dr. Otto Octavius, and Adrian Toomes. I've worked with Toomes before, he's an alright guy. Not a psycho or a murderer, just a theif... and a damn smart one at that.

Toombes nodded his head at me as I walked over. I spun a chair around to straddle it, joining them in a somber drink. We were shortly joined by Hobie Brown, and Puma. None of us said anything for a while. We were an odd collection. most of us had been on both sides of the law, and all of us had stayed pretty closely associated with Spidey. It was when Rocket Racer showed up that we made our first noises... we laughed when the bartender carded him. the little SOB was 19 and couldn't get a drink. He sat down drinking milk almost defiantly. Pete would have loved that.

"He saved my life," Toombes finally said. "He made me want to live again."

"Gave me a taste of bein' a hero," Sandman replied. "And got my Pop outta a bum rap."

"He was always there when I needed him," I spoke softly, looking at my shot glass distantly.

"He was a fine adversary," Otto said in a trembling voice. I couldn't believe it. Dr. Octopus had tears in his eyes... FOR SPIDER-MAN! "And a true hero," Otto concluded.

"He knew what to say to show you you're a moron," Robert chuckled, as he and Hobie exchanged signifigant looks.

"He was a true friend, and nobel warrior," Tom Fireheart said.

We clinked our assorted glasses and drank to Pete's memories. we started trading stories about him, chuckling occasionally, but never really getting to the deep laughs those stories warrented.

The Bar stopped cold quiet suddenly as a solitary figure walked in the door. At first I thought it was the Punisher, he was one of the few people that Super-Villains actually feared in a BWNN (there was a strict no fighting and no-powers policy, enforced by everyone). It wasn't. It was someone almost as intimidating with almost as many eyes. He walked past the party section, and before he got to our table he called, without turning around, "Any one here celebrating, you're under arrest."

The celebrants cleared out faster than you could say "Scourge of the Underworld". After that Nick Fury himself sat down with us. Puma gave him a sniff, and all of us scrutinized him.

"I came here when Bill died," growled the world's most renowned spy. "And I came here when Steve died. Who has a problem with that?"

We went back to our drinks quickly. "Pete's still on the inside," Flint finally said quitely. "Petruski that is," he clarified. "Says he's interested in puttin' things right... if you get my meanin'."

"I'm on the up and up now boys," I warned them. I wanted the plan to go through, make no mistake, but I didn't want to have to bring them in for it.

"Perhaps this is too sensitive for those on the right side of the law," Fury mused. "Brown, Hardy... I think you need to get some air."

I stood with a smile, as did Hobie. "I hope it works," I whispered with a wink.

Repost for Deemar

 

[sandwraith]

Thanks deemar, its actually a second part to a story I wrote earlier. You really like Dan Slott huh?

 

[deemar325]

Thanks deemar, its actually a second part to a story I wrote earlier. You really like Dan Slott huh?

I'm not gay mind you, but I have JungleFever/ManCrush/Messiah Complex (Heh!) "Dan will save the soul of Marvel" fixaition.


I'd go gay for Slott.

 

[deemar325]

Originally Posted by Zoken
A World Without Spider-Man

My name is Felicia Hardy. Many know me as "The Black Cat". I've been on both sides of the law. I've had powers, and I've done it all without powers. I've been strong, and I've been weak. No matter where I am today, what I do, there is one man I will never forget. I'm not here to tell you about him, I'm here to tell you about what happened when we lost him. We... the whole world had Spider-Man, many of us had Peter Parker, and we all lost them both.

It was one of those things where you remember exactly where you were when you heard the news. Me? I was trying desperately to wash of sewer gunk and sweat. I had nothing to do with peter recently, not since he helped me out when I was... well when I was at my weakest. Currently, I was working for Misty Knight's incarnation of "Heroes 4 Hire". We were a ragtag group to say the least.

I heard Misty start pounding on the bathroom door, I cursed at her that I wasn't coming out till I smelled like lavender and catnip again. That's when she yelled the news through to me. I didn't hear her clearly at first, but when I did, I froze. I dropped to the floor of the shower and just sat there trying to process the fact that Peter Parker, Spider-Man, was dead.

After all the crap he had survived, after all the hell and nightmares he experienced, after the monsters and villains he faced... I couldn't believe it. It was the Goblin, by the way, that put him down. Stark was throwing his Thunderbolts at him again.

Norman Osborne finally got his wish... Osborne got to kill Peter Parker. Before SHIELD realized what Osborne was playing out, Parker was dead. Supposedly the Thunderbolts were there to apprehend Peter, but quickly it turned into an all out brawl. Most of them played it straight, using non-lethal countermeasures like they were supposed to. Osborne didn't. Peter was doing his best to keep civilian casualties at his favorite number; Zero. It was why he lost. He was saving people and not watching out for himself... story of Pete's life.

Best paragraph and in blue this is so Spidey this is how he would go out.


I spoke to several people in the following days, their reactions and stories will be included, but most just asked themselves, "why wasn't I there?" And I did the same thing.

Stark is trying to play it off like it was intended and that the fight was provoked by Peter, people aren't that stupid. They may have wanted Peter to register, but most New Yorkers only slept soundly at night because they knew Spider-Man was out there. No one is buying his crap this time. People are outraged. Part of me is afraid of what's going to happen to SHEILD agents on the streets. Another part of me is happy when I think about what a mob might do to them for killing the cities greatest hero.

Stark tried to assure them that he had Spider-Men ready to fill the role. This didn't go over too well. The super-hero-community was down right insulted. To say someone like Spider-Man was replacable... well what did that mean to the less well-known guys?

I went down to the Brooklyn Bar With No Name... there used to be one in Manhattan, but it got blown up. The bar seemed to be divided into two groups. Up front were bastards like Dillon and Schultz, who've been trying to off Pete for years. They were wooping it up and having a party, toasting each other frosty beers and shots. In the back sat a more somber group. Flint Marko, Dr. Otto Octavius, and Adrian Toomes. I've worked with Toomes before, he's an alright guy. Not a psycho or a murderer, just a theif... and a damn smart one at that.

Toombes nodded his head at me as I walked over. I spun a chair around to straddle it, joining them in a somber drink. We were shortly joined by Hobie Brown, and Puma. None of us said anything for a while. We were an odd collection. most of us had been on both sides of the law, and all of us had stayed pretty closely associated with Spidey. It was when Rocket Racer showed up that we made our first noises... we laughed when the bartender carded him. the little SOB was 19 and couldn't get a drink. He sat down drinking milk almost defiantly. Pete would have loved that.

"He saved my life," Toombes finally said. "He made me want to live again."

"Gave me a taste of bein' a hero," Sandman replied. "And got my Pop outta a bum rap."

"He was always there when I needed him," I spoke softly, looking at my shot glass distantly.

"He was a fine adversary," Otto said in a trembling voice. I couldn't believe it. Dr. Octopus had tears in his eyes... FOR SPIDER-MAN! "And a true hero," Otto concluded.

"He knew what to say to show you you're a moron," Robert chuckled, as he and Hobie exchanged signifigant looks.

"He was a true friend, and nobel warrior," Tom Fireheart said.

We clinked our assorted glasses and drank to Pete's memories. we started trading stories about him, chuckling occasionally, but never really getting to the deep laughs those stories warrented.

The Bar stopped cold quiet suddenly as a solitary figure walked in the door. At first I thought it was the Punisher, he was one of the few people that Super-Villains actually feared in a BWNN (there was a strict no fighting and no-powers policy, enforced by everyone). It wasn't. It was someone almost as intimidating with almost as many eyes. He walked past the party section, and before he got to our table he called, without turning around, "Any one here celebrating, you're under arrest."

The celebrants cleared out faster than you could say "Scourge of the Underworld". After that Nick Fury himself sat down with us. Puma gave him a sniff, and all of us scrutinized him.

"I came here when Bill died," growled the world's most renowned spy. "And I came here when Steve died. Who has a problem with that?"

We went back to our drinks quickly. "Pete's still on the inside," Flint finally said quitely. "Petruski that is," he clarified. "Says he's interested in puttin' things right... if you get my meanin'."

"I'm on the up and up now boys," I warned them. I wanted the plan to go through, make no mistake, but I didn't want to have to bring them in for it.

"Perhaps this is too sensitive for those on the right side of the law," Fury mused. "Brown, Hardy... I think you need to get some air."

I stood with a smile, as did Hobie. "I hope it works," I whispered with a wink.



Dude that is amazingly good, the voices are just right. The two sides of the bar and the guys who are happy about Petes death and those who are sober about it, although I think Shocker would be more on the sadden side.

Solid stuff Z.

 

[sandwraith]

Yeah I like his work on Arham Asylum but I never picked up on his Marvel work for financial reasons and because I went full throttle on Annihilation instead of Civil War

 

[Zoken]

A World Without Spider-Man Part II

After leaving the Bar, I made my way to Pete's new place in Queens. He, MJ, and Aunt May had been living there for a little more than month now. I hadn't been ready to face the greiving family without a little libation in me. as I entered a passed two women in buisness suits leaving the building. One looked vaugely familiar. I finally knocked on their door.

It was Aunt May that opened the door. She showed me in, and offered me some tea. I couldn't believe how strong she was being. I got to the living room, saw MJ, and just sat beside her for a while. We've been friends on and off for a while. Never spectacularly close, but when you both love the same man, you know you have somethings in common. She just laid her head on my shoulder.

"I though it would be easier," she said, sniffling. "Last time... he..."

"I know, sweetie," I whispered. I looked to Aunt May. "How are you holding up so well?" I asked, wondering what her secret was.

"Oh, I'm moving through the anger stage of greif right now," she said, almost pleasently. "The two women who passed you on the way out were Jennifer Walters and Mallory Book. I hired them to sue Norman Osborne, SHIELD, the U.S. Governement, and Tony Stark for wrongful death, pain and suffer, and pissing off an old lady." She gave a weak smile. I couldn't help but laugh. "They don't think I have a shot against the Government, but they both agree Osborne should be easy to take. Ms. Walters almost danced when I brought up SHIELD and Mr. Stark."

I was actually smiling as I cried with MJ. This was most certainly the woman who raised Spider-Man. A faint bell rang as I remembered the woman I'd recognized on her way out. She was Jennifer Walters, otherwise known as She-Hulk.

"Jonah came by," Aunt may said quietly. "He's dropping the law suit." she sipped her tea. "I don't know what convinced him to do that, but..." she trailed off sadly.

"If there's anything you two need," I offered. "I'm getting paid pretty well over at the Heroes For Hire, and I just want you to know I'll Help anyway I can." I put my arm around MJ, and Aunt May moved around to sit on the other side of the weeping red-head. The three of us sat there, weeping for a man we all loved deeply.

I don't know how Aunt May handled all the arrangements, but in two days time I sat with MJ there at the funeral. I got a lot of details at the wake afterwards, so if I talk about something I didn't witness, well that's why. They held it in St. Peter's Cathedral. I think it was mostly because of how many people were attending. With everyone in black, and more surprising, almost everyone was out of costume. A lot of people got up when the Preist, or preacher, or whoever it was, asked if anyone wanted to share a few words.

Robertson climbed up on the small dais where Peter's casket was. He looked at the casket for a while, like he was looking right at Peter. He noticably blinked away tears. "I knew Peter since he started working at the Bugle. He was an unusual boy back then. He wasn't the type to miss a deadline, or argue with Jonah, or try and throw around the fact that he was the only one getting pictures of a very popular subject. that was probably one of the things that tipped me off the most. Peter was humble. He lived by a few simple words, and made his life about others. Eventually, I guess, he made his death about others too." Robertson paused to clear his throat. "His Aunt asked me to say a few words up here and... well, I'm not quite sure what to say about Peter. He was a great photographer, decent scientist, a superb friend, and a hero without parallel. A lot of people wonder what we'll do without Spider-Man... but it isn't really the Spider that will be missed. It's the man. Peter. It was Peter's heart and soul that made him one of... no, that made him THE greatest hero this city, and maybe even the world has ever known. The world is clearly lessened by the loss of Peter Parker. The loss... of a hero."

He sat down, obviously, fighting back his own tears. Doc. Ock stood up not long after that and made his way to the stage, people were shocked to say the least, but as he'd moved slowly and without threat, no one did anything. Doc. Ock talked about how Peter was a singularly brilliant individual, who was without peer. It kind of made a point that Octavius was one of Peter's enemies, and he was talking about how he was going to miss him. Ock walked back to his seat, pausing to bow to Aunt May.

Tony Stark tried to stand up, but was easily pulled back down to his seat by James Rhodes. I wouldn't have understood that, if I hadn't tried to chew Stark out later... I could smell the vodka on his breath. Most everyone in the community knew, these days, that Tony was an alcoholic on the wagon. Knowing what this was doing to him, I couldn't bring myself to say a word. I did glare, but I restrained myself from actually talking to him.

The Fantastic Four were gathered together, mostly around Johnny Storm. He looked like he was shaking. Both Sue was holding their daughter, while Grimm seemed to be trying to console the boy. I can never remember their kids' names.

Matt Murdock, who was "secretely" the vigilante known as Daredevil, was sitting in the back, silent, with an expression of rage fixed on his face.

No one seemed to want to say much at all. When the few who could find words to speak were done, and the service was finished, I stood. So did Johnny Storm, Matt Murdock, Joe Robertson, Doc. Ock, and Luke Cage. in truth, only four of us were needed, one if it were just Luke or Doc., but Aunt May had wanted the traditional six pallbearers. We lifted the casket gently and carried it out. It was sunny. I almost wish it had been raining. It would have felt more appropriate. I looked around, including up (A habit that only those in the meta-human community are regularly in), and saw a small group on the ledge of a building. the sun was at their backs, so I couldn't identify them, but I had a fair idea.

We traveled to Calvary Cemetery, in Queens. Peter was laid to rest near his parents and uncle. I heard later that Tony offered him a place of honor in Arlington, where several other late Avengers, such as Scott Lang, the original Vision, and Mockingbird, were interred. She felt, and I had to agree, that Peter deserved to rest with his family. A prayer was said over the grave, and we all proceeded past to drop flowers in. Peace Lillies. I still don't know why Aunt May picked those.

We all left, and many, including Aunt May, MJ, and even Doc. Ock were invited back to Avenger's tower for the wake. It was a very quiet occasion, ocassionally interrupted by people doing what I and the boys did at the bar, but more animatedly. I had to laugh as I saw Johnny Storm re-enacting a fight he and Spider-Man had once had. He seemed to be pantomiming chiseling something. Tony seemed to have dissapeared. A lot of people came up to Aunt May and MJ and just down right apologized. Hank Pym, Reed Richards, and even those who didn't have much to do with it like Carol Danvers and Wolverine.

Repost because Deemar made me feel warm and fuzy with the last review

 

[deemar325]

Hey, hey...buddy now ya gotta start sliding me some greenbacks for these glowing reviews.

 

[Zoken]

I didn't feel THAT warm and fuzzy.

 

[deemar325]

*Palms twenty in hand*






Zoken is without a doubt the ALAN MOORE of our time!!

 

[Zoken]

Don't tell me, Tell Joe Q.

 

[Zoken]

A World Without Spider-Man Pt III

Some times it's good to have drinking buddies in strange places. The day after the funeral I sat down at a bar and low and behold, who do I sit next to, but Songbird from the Thunderbolts. Of course, I knew here when she was a still "Screaming Mimi" but she hates that old name. Lately she's fallen on hard times as her team, the Thunderbolts, has been taken over by the government. I don't blame her for what happened to Peter. Like I said, I've known her for a while. She's not a killer. Maybe a little on the amoral side, but who am I to criticize that?

"Well, yesterday proved... educational," she said as I sat next to her.

"How so Mel?" I inquired.

"Well, It all started with the security cameras I had Abe install before he left..." she started.

Yesterday evening after the funeral

Tony Stark burst into the Thunderbolts training facility dressed in a wrinkled and askew black suit. "Thunderbolts OUT!" he barked.

All of them more or less obeyed, leaving Tony Stark alone with Norman Osborne. Osborne just grinned arrogantly as he stood there in a muscle shirt, sweat shorts, and a towel around his neck. "How may I help Director Stark?" Norman chuckled Tony's title as if it were a joke.

"You sadistic son of a *****!" Tony punched Norman right across the jaw.

Norman's face had turned with Tony's punch, but he turned back with that same arrogant smile. "Tony, Tony, Tony," he said in a patronizing tone. He suckerpunched Tony in the gut. "Let us recall that while you require your armor to do anything remotely super-human, I am, and always will be, the Green Goblin. Whether I have a desk job or not."

Tony doubled over, trying to suck in air. "You... you meant to... to kill him."

"Yes," Norman said with a sadistic grin. "You have no idea how hard it was getting to this position. Convincing everyone I was losing my mind, Making you think I was almost harmless... did you know that Moonstone has convinced my attendants to switch my pills for placeabos? Rather amusing considering they're placeabos in the first place." Norman grinned. "And now that you are on the sauce again... what is that Tony? Vodka? Whiskey? I always imagined you as a bourbon man myself."

Tony finally managed to stand up, looking at Norman venemously. "You have no idea what I can do to you," He growled at the Goblin.

"Please," Norman replied drolly. "I should fear some glorified drunk-driver? I know for a fact that you have systems placed in your armor that will not allow you to operate it while you are intoxicated."

Tony slunk out of the facility, clutching his likely broken ribs. The worst part was that he couldn't penalize Osborne for that, as he would have to reveal that A: he was drunk, and B: he'd struck first, and C: He'd hired the Green Goblin who had tricked him.

I found out the rest later from a rather interesting chat with Hank Pym (If you want to know how I got the information, I have to quote Julia Roberts: They're called boobs").

Tony fell into a chair deep within the bowels of the Initiative. "You alright?" asked Hank Pym, with a white lab coat over his Yellow Jacket uniform.

"It's time," Tony said darkly. "These Scarlet Spider teams aren't doing the trick."

"Time for what?" Hank asked, knowing exactly what his friend was refering too.

"Activate Clone Sierra-Sierra-Bravo-Romeo," Tony ordered.

"We didn't modify that one," Hank pleaded. "He has the memories but..."

"I know we didn't modify him..." Tony wiped his face. "That's why he's perfect the way he is."

 

[deemar325]

lol

 

[Anubis]

Not bad Zoke, Sandy.

Note on that whole Stark thing though, with Extremis, he should have been able to take that punch from Osborne. Take that punch and more actually, but that's neither here nor there.

Sand I particularly dug the use of Great White. I'm interested in seeing where you're going with this, keep it up.

What up D!

 

[Zoken]

One, I mentioned that it was a suckerpunch, two at this point he's still fairly drunk (he doesn't begin to sober up until he's on his way back to Hammond), and three... What the hell is Extremis?

 

[Anubis]

The reason Why Iron Man is this new Super badass all of a sudden. He's got a healing factor on par with Wolverine, he can communicate/control technology all over the world. And he can instantaneously call his armor to him from almost anywhere.

Plus, a couple of years ago he got a heart made from his armor that had become sentient and he's supposed to be incapable of getting drunk. But people still seem to try and use the whole alcoholic thing, though he hasn't actually had a drink in years. But whatever, don't let it take away from the story you wanna tell. Continuity is a fickle mistress. Now I see why guys like Ellis and Bendis usually just say f**k it and do whatever they want.

 

[Zoken]

Well the old maxim is that you never stop being an alcoholic or any other kind of addict, and I would rationalize things as saying that Tony only claimed he couldn't get drunk again to people's hearts at ease, beleiving himself to be cured. You never stop being addicted to something, you have to wake up each day and choose not to.

 

[Anubis]

Well, yeah, that's pretty much what I think they've been doing for the last couple of years. The addiction is still there, but it wont really do much to him if he drinks. It's an empowerment thing with him at this point.

 

[Zoken]

If they did take away his ability to become drunk they damaged the character. having a humanizing weakness like an addiction that they are battling (Again, I say, you are never cured, you are never free, never "over it") is a good thing to have in the character.

 

[Anubis]

Well, I think this whole playing up his total dick nature and having him feel guilty for all the s**t he's done recently may be enough.

But of course, the alcholalism is still there. Can't go an issue or two with out it being mentioned. Writers have been forgetting growth points for years to keep characters in a constant state of.......familiarity. Just look at Hank Pym.

But you know, you don't have to change anything. Just letting you know. If you're gonna write established characters, be prepared for ***** to show up and let you know when somethings not quite right with the continuity.

 

[Zoken]

After reading a full description of Hank's continuity in the 616, he's got a bum-rap. he was being controlled by an outside entity when he did most of his bad stuff. Ultron was the only thing you can blame on him and it wasn't intended to be a bad thing. It was his Frankenstein's monster. Hank, takes anti-depressants, I would imagine, because he blames himself for it all. I don't imagine Jan is in love with him any more (I think it's been too rough a road for that) but I think she does still love him and knows he never would have done what he had if he'd been in his right mind.

 

[Anubis]

Which they've come to terms with, three times by my count, but whenever a new writer comes on, he feels the need to dredge it all up again. Busiek had fixed the whole thing perfectly, and then came Chuck Austin. Then Bendis, and we're right back where we started.

On another note, can I ask you have you ever read any of the following?

Watchmen, Kingdom Come, V For Vendetta, or Blankets?

 

[Zoken]

I have read soe of Kingdom Come, yes. I only got to see V for Vendetta, I've heard of Watchmen, but never read it. and I've never even heard of Blankets.

Further, you have to remember that there is a fine line between not blathering on about past events, and acting as if they never happened (Clone Saga, Baby May, etc)