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#DC’s Spring Breakout
soranatus · 4 months
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DC’s Spring Breakout (2024) anthology, John Timms main cover
Spring has sprung! Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, Harley is breaking King Shark out of Belle Reve prison…all is right in the DCU as both heroes and villains face all sorts of different spring breaks. Breaking out of a coffin? Lex Luthor has that covered. Spring break training? Send in Superman! Breaking out of your shell? Batman and Mr. Freeze explore that possibility through a connection in their shared past. Breaking down a worthy adversary? Katana and her sword of souls might just be able to tackle that. And it wouldn’t be a spring break without a Teen Titans beach trip! All these and more in DC’s Spring Breakout! — eight breakout stories to put a spring in your step!
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batmancurated · 3 months
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BATman by dan mora
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smashpages · 3 months
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Another DC seasonal anthology arrives in April, this one with a spring break theme. DC Spring Breakout will feature stories by Meghan Fitzmartin, Cameron Chittock, Joey Esposito, Morgan Hampton, Patrick R. Young, Tom Krajewski, Mike Barr, Kenya Danino, Vasco Georgiev, Paul Pellietier and more.
cover by John Timms
Read more about DC's April 2024 solicitations
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graphicpolicy · 6 hours
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Preview: DC's Spring Breakout #1
DC's Spring Breakout #1 preview. Spring has sprung! Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, Harley is breaking King Shark out of Belle Reve prison… #comics #comicbooks
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dispatchdcu · 22 hours
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DC's Spring Breakout #1 Preview
DC's Spring Breakout #1 Preview #DCsspringbreakout #DCEU #dccomics #comics #comicbooks #news #dcuuniverse #art #info #NCBD #comicbooknews #previews #reviews #amazon
  DC’s Spring Breakout #1 Preview:EIGHT ALL-NEW STORIES TO PUT A SPRING IN YOUR STEP! Spring has sprung! Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, Harley is breaking King Shark out of Belle Reve prison… all is right in the DCU as both heroes and villains face all sorts of different spring breaks. Breaking out of a coffin? Lex Luthor has that covered. Spring break training? Send in Superman!…
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poisonousquinzel · 3 months
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Harley Quinn by Dan Mora
DC’s Spring Breakout (2024) Variant Cover
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batbabydamian · 3 months
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DC April 2024 Solicitations - Comics Featuring Damian! 🦇
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BATMAN AND ROBIN #8
4/9/24
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art and Cover by Simone Di Meo
Variant Covers: Kael Ngu, Ejikure, Jim Lee, Nikola Čižmešija (1:25)
As Batman finds himself in the clutches of a new cult that worships Man-Bat, Robin continues his own investigation into his High School's connections to Shush! Can the father and son dynamic duo uncover Man-Bat and Shush's master plans before Gotham pays the price?!
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WONDER WOMAN #6
4/16/24
Written by Tom King
Art by Daniel Sampere and Belén Ortega
Variant Covers: Julian Totino Tedesco, Pablo Villalobos, Joshua “Sway” Swaby (1:25)
Wonder Woman vs. The Sovereign! After being captured by a team of villains, Diana finds herself at the mercy of the scariest of them all. Unbeknownst to our hero, the Sovereign has been pulling her strings since the very beginning of our tale, and now it's time for her to see the world his way as she falls under the influence of the Lasso of Lies! Plus, Trinity visits the past and unexpectedly changes the future!
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NIGHTWING #113/Legacy #300
4/16/2024
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Various
Variant Covers: Bruno Redondo (original cover+1:25), Dan Mora, Jim Lee (Artist Spotlight), Jamal Campbell, Serg Acuna
Since the 1940's, you've seen him go from acrobat to orphan; from Dick Grayson to Robin; from Robin to Nightwing. You've seen him work alongside the universe's most powerful heroes, against existence's most sinister villains. You have seen Dick Grayson do so many things, but now, in his 300th issue, you will see him.. well, you'll just have to pick up the issue and find out. Join us for this legacy 300 milestone!
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*DC’S SPRING BREAKOUT!
*Cover feature - Damian hang gliding in the bg :)
4/30/2024
Written by Meghan Fitzmartin, Cameron Chittok, Joey Esposito, Morgan Hampton, Patrick R. Young, Tom Krajewski, Mike Barr, and more!
Art by Kenya Danino, Vasco Georgiev, Paul Pellietier, Nico Bascuñan, and more!
Cover by John Timms
Variant Covers by Dan Mora
Spring has sprung! Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, Harley is breaking King Shark out of Belle Reve prison. all is right in the DCU as both heroes and villains face all sorts of different spring breaks. Breaking out of a coffin? Lex Luthor has that covered. Spring break training? Send in Superman! Breaking out of your shell? Batman and Mr. Freeze explore that possibility through a connection in their shared past. Breaking down a worthy adversary? Katana and her sword of souls might just be able to tackle that. And it wouldn't be a spring break without a Teen Titans beach trip! All these and more in DC's Spring Breakout! -eight breakout stories to put a spring in your step (is there a zit breakout story? You'll have to read to find out!)
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TEEN TITANS: STARFIRE
7/2/2024
Written by Kami Garcia
Art by Gabriel Picolo
Kori Anders' summer job at a ritzy Santa Monica beach club is fun, but she doesn't care about keeping up with the current trends, and she's not interested in rushing around to all the parties. She'd rather explore her inexplicable draw to the stars or hang out with her new friend, Victor Stone. Her sister, Kira, on the other hand, is the most popular girl around. With the hottest clothes, an even hotter boyfriend (the Tate Fairweather), and a take-no-prisoners attitude, she's Kori's opposite in every way. Their summer heats up when Tate's uncle asks the girls to participate in an EDS study his pharmaceutical company is running. During treatment, Kori develops some strange powers she never had before...and she might not be the only one. Can Kori persuade her sister to trust her before it's too late? And when a carload of teens with their own powers come looking for her to warn her about a creepy stalker, she'll learn that trust is a two-way street!
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why-i-love-comics · 2 months
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DC'S Spring Breakout! preview
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goldsmoo · 4 months
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I'M CRAZY I'M CRAZY I'M CRAZY I'M CRAZY
from DC’s Spring Breakout
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honoka-marierose · 3 months
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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will soon make a splash on home video as the final DC Extended Universe flick looks set to become available on home video in time for the spring.
Per ComicBook.com, T he Lost Kingdom will be available on Blu-ray, DVD and 4K UHD on Mar. 12. An exclusive clip from the home release was included in the report, showing Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) and Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson) attempting an unlikely escape. The news comes after it was confirmed the Aquaman sequel would make its digital debut earlier than anticipated as the DCEU blockbuster becomes available for streaming on Jan. 23, just over a month after it opened in theaters.
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The home video edition of The Lost Kingdom boasts several bonus features, including Atlantean Blood Is Thicker Than Water, exploring the dynamic between Arthur and Orm. Along with the digital release, the home video version also includes a behind-the-scenes documentary with director James Wan exploring how The Lost Kingdom came together, a featurette chronicling the Black Manta (Yahya Abdul Mateen II) and other tidbits about key locations and sequences in the sequel.
The DCEU Ends With Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
The Lost Kingdom marked an up-and-down end to the ill-fated DCEU, following up from the commercially successful Aquaman, which grossed over $1.15 billion worldwide. The Lost Kingdom has earned over $378 million in global ticket sales against a budget of up to $215 million, with the film reportedly needing to make more than $400 million at the box office to break even. Thanks to its overseas appeal, The Lost Kingdom easily surpassed all other DCEU films released in 2023, including Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash and Blue Beetle. The sequel is closing in on Black Adam, which is next on the DCEU box-office charts at $393 million.
Also featuring Amber Heard, Dolph Lundgren and Nicole Kidman, The Lost Kingdom was panned by critics, receiving a 34% critical rating, though 81% of audience members liked the movie. The likelihood of Aquaman 3 seems low considering fan demand to see the film series has diminished. Wan insisted fan demand had to be high to ensure a potential threequel came to fruition.
The Aquaman franchise is also in jeopardy given the potential of Jason Momoa switching characters in the new DCU. Momoa has long been linked to playing a live-action Lobo in the DCU and has long been a fan of the comic book character, admitting he wants to portray the chainsmoking mercenary.
Bonus Features Revealed
The home video release will contain the following bonus features:
Finding the Lost Kingdom: Go behind the scenes as director James Wan reveals how he and the cast and crew pulled off their biggest endeavor yet, an epic sequel to the largest grossing film in the history of DC.
Aquaman: Worlds Above and Below: When the filmmakers set out to create a sequel that eclipsed the original in scale and scope, they knew they would have to send Arthur and the rest of the cast to all kinds of new wild and wonderful worlds both above and below the sea.
It's a Manta World: Black Manta is more powerful than ever now that he has discovered the Lost Kingdom of Necrus and taken possession of the Black Trident. From inspiration to execution, filmmakers reveal how they leveled Black Manta up to the realm of supervillains.
Necrus, The Lost Black City: Ages ago the great battle for the earth took place here, in this legendary lost Atlantean city. Discover how the filmmakers created the Black City from its "surface city" concept and its inhabitants: Undead Necrusians (Zombies), to its execution.
Escape from the Deserter World: From idea to execution, explore how the filmmakers created this barren desert landscape and the Deserter Prison, how its creatures and inhabitants were brought to life, and how they planned and executed the daring Orm "breakout" sequence.
Brawling at Kingfish's Lair: The Citadel is the last frontier of the ocean, a deep trench filled with sunken old ships, stacked high like a rusty city. From concept to completion, discover Kingfish's Lair, a bar within, where the worst of the worst hang out.
Oh TOPO!: The Tactical Observation and Pursuit Operative Octopus is a living legend and all-time fan favorite. Director James Wan and the filmmakers discuss the decision behind bringing TOPO back to the sequel and its promotion to Arthur's on-screen sidekick.
The Lost Kingdom hits digital on Jan. 23 and will be available via home video on Mar. 12.
Source: ComicBook.com
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realnewsposts · 9 months
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What can we Expect From Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom?
A wave of excitement is sweeping among fans and film enthusiasts alike as they await the highly anticipated sequel to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Our return to Atlantis is just around the corner. Upon its release next spring, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will follow the breakout 2018 DC film starring Jason Momoa. This eagerly awaited cinematic spectacle awaits us with thrilling possibilities,…
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soranatus · 4 months
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Harley Quinn & Batman variant covers by Dan Mora for DC’s Spring Breakout (2024)
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louistomlinsoncouk · 3 years
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Headline Wembley Arena Show Announced For April 2022
New Postponed World Tour Dates Confirmed For Spring 2022
Louis Tomlinson today announces that he is partnering with BMG to release his second album globally.
Recording is already underway for the record, and Louis joins a roster at BMG that includes KSI, Craig David, Richard Ashcroft, The Prodigy and Kylie Minogue.
Louis says: "I’m very excited to start the next part of my journey with BMG.”
Jamie Nelson VP A&R at BMG UK says: "We are delighted to welcome Louis to BMG. He is already busy working on new music, and we are excited to join him on the next phase of his extraordinary career."
Louis also announces today the first wave of new 2022 dates for his postponed World Tour in UK, Europe, USA and Australia, including a brand new date at London's Wembley Arena. This show replaces Louis's two sold out London shows at The Roundhouse, and tickets will be transferred to the new venue.
Louis's first show at Wembley Arena will take place on April 22nd 2022, and extra tickets for the gig go on sale on Friday 14th May at 9am BST.
After postponing his 2020 world tour due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Louis will now finally get back on the road with his first solo tour, which is already completely sold out. The new dates are listed below. Further international rescheduled dates will be announced at a later date.
Last year, Louis released his million selling smash debut solo album 'Walls' which hit Top 3 in the UK and Top 10 in the USA. A lyrically personal album that proved he had found his feet as a solo artist, the album produced a clutch of acclaimed singles including the emotive first release Two of Us, the raucous Kill My Mind, the reflective We Made It.
In 2019 Louis headlined the Coca-Cola music festival in Madrid to an audience of 25,000 people, and performed to 65,000 fans at Premios Telehit in the Foro Sol stadium in Mexico City. Louis picked up the Best Song Award at the 2019 Teen Choice Awards for 'Two Of Us', which has so far hit over 100 million streams on Spotify alone.
In 2018 Louis won an iHeart Award for 'Best Solo Breakout', and an EMA Award for 'Best UK & Ireland Act' in 2017. He was ranked No.5 on Billboard’s emerging artists of 2018 and has over 60 million combined followers on social media. Last year he won 'Artist Of The Summer' in Philly radio station 96.5 TDY's annual awards.
In December 2020, Louis hosted one of the biggest live stream concert events of 2020, selling over 160,000 tickets to fans in over 100 countries and raising funds for several important charities. As a member of One Direction, Louis has sold over 100 million records. Overall Louis’ solo music has garnered over a BILLION streams.
Louis Tomlinson Tour Dates 2022
NORTH AMERICA
1st Feb South Side Ballroom, Dallas, TX
2nd Feb ACL Live at The Moody Theater, Austin, TX - SOLD OUT
3rd Feb Bayou Music Center, Houston, TX - SOLD OUT
5th Feb The Pageant, St Louis, MO - SOLD OUT
7th Feb Coca-Cola Roxy, Atlanta, GA - SOLD OUT
8th Feb Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN - SOLD OUT
10th Feb Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY - SOLD OUT
11th Feb Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY - SOLD OUT
12th Feb The Anthem, Washington DC - SOLD OUT
14th Feb Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA - SOLD OUT
15th Feb The Met, Philadelphia, PA - SOLD OUT
17th Feb House Of Blues Boston, Boston, MA - SOLD OUT
19th Feb REBEL, Toronto, ON - SOLD OUT
20th Feb The Fillmore, Detroit, MI - SOLD OUT
21st Feb Murat Theatre at Old National Centre, Indianapolis, IN - SOLD OUT
23rd Feb The Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL - SOLD OUT
24th Feb The Fillmore Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN - SOLD OUT
26th Feb Uptown, Kansas City, MO - NEW SHOW
28th Feb Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO
1st Mar UCUU Center, Orem, UT - NEW VENUE
3rd Mar Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA - SOLD OUT
4th Mar Roseland, Portland, OR - NEW VENUE - SOLD OUT
6th Mar Orpheum, Vancouver, BC - SOLD OUT
7th Mar Roseland, Portland, OR - NEW SHOW
10th Mar Fox Theatre, Oakland, CA - SOLD OUT
12th Mar Performance Venue at Hollywood Park, Los Angeles, CA - NEW SHOW
UK & EUROPE
23rd Mar Valsheimilið, Reykjavik, Iceland
25th Mar Arenan Fryshuset, Stockholm, Sweden - SOLD OUT
27th Mar Spektrum, Oslo, Norway - NEW VENUE
28th Mar Forum Black Box, Copenhagen, Denmark – NEW SHOW
30th Mar Columbiahalle, Berlin, Germany - SOLD OUT
31st Mar Forum Karlin, Prague, Czech Republic - SOLD OUT
2nd Apr AFAS Live, Amsterdam, Netherlands - SOLD OUT
3rd Apr Palladium, Cologne, Germany – NEW SHOW
5th Apr L’Olympia, Paris, France - SOLD OUT
6th Apr L’Olympia, Paris, France - SOLD OUT
8th Apr Lorenzini District, Milan, Italy - NEW VENUE
9th Apr Halle 622, Zurich, Switzerland - SOLD OUT
11th Apr Gasometer, Vienna, Austria - SOLD OUT
13th Apr Torwar Hall, Warsaw, Poland – NEW VENUE  
14th Apr MTP5, Poznan, Poland – NEW SHOW
16th Apr Lotto Arena, Antwerp, Belgium – NEW SHOW
18th Apr O2 Academy Glasgow, Glasgow, UK – SOLD OUT
19th Apr O2 Apollo, Manchester, UK – SOLD OUT
20th Apr O2 Apollo, Manchester, UK – NEW SHOW
22nd Apr SSE Arena Wembley, London, UK – NEW VENUE
23rd Apr Doncaster Dome, Doncaster, UK – SOLD OUT
20th Jul Fortitude Hall, Brisbane, Australia – NEW SHOW
22nd Jul Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia – SOLD OUT
25th Jul Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne, Australia – NEW VENUE
29th Jul HBF Stadium, Perth, Australia – NEW SHOW
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smashpages · 3 months
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DC Spring Breakout (DC, April 2024) variant cover by Dan Mora
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the-friday-knight · 3 years
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Fuck it
Ben 10 OC Time
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Name: Jake Mars
Age: 17 (During OS)
Species: Human
Nationality: American
Eye Colour: Bright Blue
Hair Colour: Brown Black
Appearance: Jake wears a red and black hoodie as his common attire, under which he has a range of different t-shirts with various logos or statements on them, usually related to mechanics or rock music in some way. He wears thick blue jeans and brown steel toed boots. His version of the Omnitrix is on his left wrist. It is nearly an exact replica of the Omnitrix designed by Azmuth, but it won’t stay that way for long.
Personality: Jake is kind. Whenever he comes across an Alien, or some situation that seems odd, he gives the Alien the benefit of the doubt first, for all he knows they could just be scared being on a different world. Of course this isn’t always the case and has landed Jake in a few close calls that he quickly had to get his way out of. Jake is also well versed in mechanical engineering, owning a dark red Plymouth Superbird that he uses to travel the country. Jake decided to leave his home after acquiring the Omnitrix, at the start of the Summer after he had just received his drivers license. This is because he discovered that his Omnitrix was not the only one out there, though he still is not sure who has the others. He left because he wanted to find others with a device like his, and maybe they could work together and help each other figure out the strange Alien watch. He likes to consider himself mature, though that isn’t to say he isn’t reckless at times when it comes to people in danger our people he cares about getting hurt.
Likes: Driving, cars, finding and taking apart Alien tech, rock music, country music, apple pie, black coffee, meeting new people/Aliens.
Dislikes: Prisons, discrimination, Dean, people who question his mechanical knowledge.
Flaws: Jake feels like he has something to prove. This is shown most obviously when he is fighting against an Alien that he is also able to transform into. Even if there is an Alien he has that would be better suited to the fight, he will often transform into the same Alien in an attempt to prove that he can beat them at his own game. He also has a bad habit of antagonising those he is fighting against, to the point where it seems less like hero-villain banter and more just straight up arguing or insulting them.
Strengths: His mechanical knowledge helps him in his fights surprisingly often, especially when going against certain robotic drones that might be out to get him. He is usually quite adaptable to his transformations, and situations where he isn’t the Alien that would be best suited. He has a friendly aura about him, making him easily able to hold a conversation or befriend others, even if they are of a different species.
Jake’s Omnitrix: Jake’s Omnitrix is similar to the one built by Azmuth, however there is one key difference. It’s AI.
Omni: Omni is the AI within Jake’s Omnitrix. She has the appearance of an human female with twin green ponytails, a strange black and green shirt and skirt combo and bright green eyes. When she first met Jake, she requested him to call her Omni-chan. Jake promptly refused. Despite the term AI, Omni was actually a member of a once powerful and prosperous race, who transferred her entire mind into a satellite before her races downfall. She remained in that satellite for an unknown amount of time in deep space, but somehow was able to pick up earth transmissions of a form of entertainment called ‘Anime’. Hence her appearance and name choice. While out there, she also discovered encrypted messages of a design for a piece of technology that would allow someone to transform into a different Alien species. Omni realised this device might be a chance for her to bring her race back. So she immediately started constructing it, following the blueprints to almost a t. However, she was unable to connect with the Codon Stream on Primus, as she needed space to put her mind in. Once completed, she locked the Omnitrix and herself in a pod, and shot it towards Earth.
Omni’s Personality: Omni is a very energetic and intelligent girl. She helped Jake understand the Omnitrix when it first attached itself to him, though she may have also gave him a heart attack when she first revealed herself. If there is something Jake does not know, he will almost always ask Omni for help. She is happy to oblige. However, being cooped up inside a watch does tend to make her a bit bored, and sometimes she will either jump out of the watch or transform Jake at inopportune moments for laughs. She will also rarely change Jake into a different Alien than he requested, if she feels like he has been that Alien too much lately. As she has knowledge of what Anime is, she could be considered a weeb. This proves detrimental when Jake ends up fighting a magic user that imbibes origami creatures with magic to make them life sized and attack. She is a big fan of this Villain and often tries to talk to them in the middle of a fight.
Enemies: Canon Villains Dean: Another wielder of a different kind of Omnitrix that seems to only turn him into Aliens from the Anur system. His watch was dubbed the ‘Anurtrix’ and he uses it to commit petty crime. Jake has fought and defeated Dean several times, foiling his thefts. However, every time Dean manages to slip away some how. (Enemy level: Hands. On sight.) Kitsune: A magic user that uses magic to transform her Origami creations into life sized counterparts. She seems to be after magical artifacts, specifically those of Japanese make. However, she seems to be younger than Jake, making him think she is going through her weeb phase. (Enemy level: Why are you doing this crime it makes no sense? I’m still gonna stop you though.) Colonel Rozum: Jake accidentally staged a breakout at Area 51. Freeing wrongly imprisoned Aliens and helping them return home via the theft of an experimental aircraft capable of space travel. Jake did not join the Aliens in leaving Earth, instead trusting them to make it home without him. Colonel Rozum does not know it was Jake who enabled the breakout, as he was transformed at the time. But as far as he is concerned it only confirmed the danger of Aliens. (Enemy level: You’re a government official so I can’t actually attack you but one day I’m going to punch that stupid moustache off your face.)
Allies: The Tennysons. Detective Arnold Mason: A detective in a large city close to Jake’s hometown. It was where he preformed his first act of heroism in front of people. Unfortunately due to a misunderstanding Mason thought Jake was a part of a rival gang. Jake attempted to clear it up. Mason and two other officers are now aware of a supposedly heroic car. (Ally level: Vigilantism is illegal, but you’re literally fighting Aliens so you do you I guess.)
Trouble Gear: Three Planchaküle that were stranded on Earth. Jake brought them to a junkyard and aided them in returning home. The trio were gifted a CD of AC/DC’s greatest hits by Jake. They consider it their favourite item. Having returned to their home planet, they are not currently available to Jake, but would immediately spring into action to help if he requested it. (Ally level: You helped us get home and introduced us to rock and roll. We will die for you.)
Trivia:
Jake is voiced by Dante Basco.
Omni is voiced by Samantha Ireland.
The first Alien Jake turned into was a Planchaküle. He has named this transformation ‘Ratchet’.
It doesn’t matter if you’re human, Alien, or intergalactic war criminal. If you are being driven somewhere by Jake, you wear. your. seatbelt.
The DNA of Omni’s race is available for Jake to turn into. But Jake doesn’t know that, and Omni actively tries to keep that hidden.
Jake’s Omnitrix has access to the Life Form Lock mode and the Scanner mode.
This theme is red and black, which is usually associated with villains but I thought it’d be funny if Jake had it because of association.
His ethnicity is half-Polynesian on his mothers side.
He isn’t sure if there are alternate counterparts in different dimensions. Though he is pretty sure if there were he would immediately throw hands.
Jake currently has no love interest, though I am considering an eventual redemption of Kitsune that might lead to that.
His Omnitrix will go through a serious design change. I shall share it in another post.
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cecilspeaks · 4 years
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165 - Charlie
There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are written about on Wikipedia. Welcome to Night Vale.
Charles Rainier grew up in Becket, Massachusetts, nestled in the rolling small hills of the Berkshires. The fiery fall leaves, pristine winter snowfall, lush spring flowers and sparkling summer lakes belied the average life of young Charles. He went to school, passed his classes, he spent time with friends seeing popular movies and playing popular games. His family ate food together and generally got along. When he wanted to be alone, he went to a small pond, hidden in the woods, to fish. He studied sociology at Amherst College and graduated in the top 50 percent of his class. Nothing about his unremarkable upbringing indicated he would one day be standing in the middle of a desert, behind a roadblock, holding a rifle and a flashlight, and searching for fugitives from his own asylum.
Last month, a dozen inmates of the Night Vale Asylum escaped during a production of a play. As an attendee of that play, I would say that while the escape was clearly not part of the original draft of the script, it made for an exciting resolution. I mean, bout 30 minutes in Carlos and I were like, is there going to be a car chase or a shootout or something, I mean that play was bo-o-o-orring! And then suddenly, there was both! But the warden, Charles Rainier from Becket, Massachusetts, did not like the last minute edits to the plot, as he and the Sheriff’s Secret Police have yet to round up any of the inmates now on the run, somewhere in our vast desert. Night Vale citizens have expressed deep concerns about their safety. A scathing op-ed in yesterday’s Daily Journal by Leann Hart read: “Warden Rainier should never have been in charge of such an important institution. His unchecked irresponsibility will lead us all to be killed by psychopaths, who surely hide now inside our basements, our attics, our laundry hampers, perhaps inside our own pants pockets.” The editorial continued: “They wield knives, ropes, wrenches, candlesticks, or pipes. And when we least expect it, these crazed killers will leap out at us, screaming bout eating our faces or feeding us to rodents. Or whatever other evil actions those two very funny women are always describing on “My  Favorite Murrderrr”. Charles Rainier called Hart’s claims “neurotypical ableism”, saying that we become too biased from movies and TV shows that play up harmful tropes about mental illnesses. He added that none of the peoples inside were of immediate anger to any individual in Night Vale. The Night Vale chapter of the ACLU then responded, calling for in investigation into a public facility that would imprison people who had committed no criminal acts and were of no harm to society. Charles Rainier replied: “I said they wouldn’t hurt any individual. I didn’t say they were of no harm to society.”
But who were the people in the asylum? Carlos and I attended the production of the play “18713/NTSB”, partially to have a nice date night, just the two of us. But also because I was curious if I would see Amelia Anna Alfaro there. The air traffic controller has not been seen since 2012, after hearing voices from the missing flight, Delta 18713. There were rumors she was checked into the asylum. Other rumors, that she had gone off to find the missing plane, and other other rumors, that she was disappeared by a Vague yet Menacing Government Agency.
Amelia was not inside the asylum the night of the breakout. But Doug Biondi was there. He played the pilot of the missing plane in the play we saw. Doug was the impetus for this entire story, really, because it was Doug who, according to Sheriff Sam, had real information about the missing plane. Members of the National Transportation and Safety Board had also come to Night Vale to talk to Doug about what he knew, and Sheriff Sam obliged by sending those agents from Washington DC on an undercover investigation into the asylum. Yet, like Doug and the dozens of other inmates in that fearful place, they did not return.
According to to Doug Biondi’s journal, which Carlos and I found inside the asylum after the play, warden Charles Rainier developed a paradoxical logic for dealing with these inmates. He encouraged them to talk openly bout their feelings under the guise of healing them, but the more they expressed their thoughts and emotions, the more the warden used this information as proof of their insanity, and by extension, ineligibility for release. But as Doug elaborates, if inmates refused to talk, they were deemed uncooperative and of course, ineligible for release. Reading further into Doug’s journal, I realized it’s just like that novel, “Catch-22”, in that there’s a bunch of talk about airplanes. What stood out most to me, though, was the fact that every other inmate Doug mentions also talked about the missing Delta flight. Every single person in there either heard voices of the passengers, or had theories about what happened or were, in the case of NTSB agents, just open to find survivors of a missing plane. Doug railed against the collusion between the warden and the sheriff to imprison people simply because they knew something, anything, about flight 18713. “This is the last thing,” Doug wrote the day he escaped. “This nefarious conspiracy runs deep. Deeper than we can imagine. There are innocent people on a missing plane, and our government wants to destroy us for seeking the truth. Oh well. In other news, they fixed the TV in the rec room so I’m hoping to finally watch ‘Cheer’ on Netflix. Everyone says it’s super good.” Doug makes a compelling claim here, but he is wrong. About the conspiracy thing, not about “Cheer”, that show is super good.
So. Back in 2015, my devoted husband and devoted scientist Carlos, was heading a research project into a desert otherworld, a place very similar to our own. We spent almost a year apart while Carlos was in this alternate dimension performing experiments and drawing charts and pouring bubbling liquids back and forth between flasks. It was hard. We had only been dating a year when he left, but we kept in touch talking almost every day, sending each other text messages at night, like a kissy face emoji with a big red heart emoji. Or sometimes we sent racier messages, like [naughty voice] the safety goggles emoji with the police siren emoji and the first place ribbon emoji. Oh, sorry if that’s a little too graphic.
Anyway. Carlos made friends during his many months out of town, and so when he finally decided to return to Night Vale, some of those he met followed him. They came through a portal Carlos discovered in the Desert Otherworld: a one-sided door. It was difficult to find in a never-ending sandscape, but it is still there. And as Carlos said, once you know the way, you never forget it.
One of the people who came with Carlos through the portal in 2015 was Charles Rainier of Becket, Massachusetts. It was not easy for most of these new arrivals to find comfort or employment in Night Vale, but in just a few months, Charles had become friends with our new Sheriff and secured himself a job at the Night Vale Asylum. Few people looked deeply at the asylum, nor at Charles Rainier’s quick appointment as warden. Few people, in fact, looked closely at anything to do with mental disorders. It it almost as if we prefer not to see the mental illness at all. It is almost exactly like that. Well below the radar of public attention, Charles settled into his new position. And because there are no accounts of what went on in the asylum, and thus no stories of failure, it was inferred that he did a good job. But Carlos discovered something this week. In reading Doug Biondi’s journal, Doug makes passing mention of warden Rainier cautioning his inmates against listening to the voice of the pilot. The warden warns them that the pilot can control other beings with his mind. It is odd that the head of a mental health institution would patronize his patients with their own inner demons. Carlos at first thought the warden was manipulating the mental stability of his charges to stir up their fear and confusion in order to keep them there. We don’t know if the warden profited from retaining inmates or if he just felt an evil thrill from playing these games. But in Doug’s notes, the warden apparently said: “It is possible to escape the allure of the pilot. The power of his voice. Some have, but it is rare. And it is dangerous that you can hear him at all.”
Carlos remembered when he first met Charles Rainier, five years ago in the Desert Otherworld. Charles was so enthralled with Carlos’ stories of Night Vale. Charles Rainier could not wait to see this fantastic town and more importantly, to leave the terrible place in which he lived. He told Carlos that he escaped some – frightening people there. Charles Rainier said he had live in a commune for a couple of years. It began OK, they foraged and hunted their food, they helped each other and shared shelter inside the fuselage of an old plane. Everything was fine. They were alive, but soon the group became cult-like and aggressive, fashioning weapons and manufacturing enemies. The constant threat of violence toward other, towards themselves, shackled Charles’s every move. But he could not leave. Every time he tried, he heard a voice that called him back. So he trained himself to block out the voices. It took him weeks of determined practice, but finally he broke free. Carlos said to me: “Cecil, sweetie, my hypothesis is Charles Rainier was flying home from Detroit to Albany on June 15, 2012.” And I said: “What are you saying, honey-pop?” And Carlos said: “Babe, his plane blipped out of the sky and into the Desert Otherworld.” And I said: “Are you saying, kitty-cake, that Charles ws a passenger on Delta 18713?” But then Carlos aid: “You know, little piggy-pie, all this work talk is exhausting. Let’s have a glass of wine, sit out on the deck, and enjoy the nice weather.
[“Breathe” by Tanja Daub http://tanjadaub.bandcamp.com]
Listeners. I called Charlies Reinier, and I told him what Carlos and I talked about, and he confirmed what we discovered. He was indeed a passenger on 18713. They landed roughly but safely in the Desert Otherworld in June 2012. They ate their few food items and drank their water stores in two days. And soon they began spreading out to find civilization. But the desert was vast and seemingly uninhabited. They were too afraid to venture far from the plane, the only symbol of recognizable society. The pilot lead expeditions to find plant life and sources of water. He exuded calmness and clarity, and the passengers followed his example, occasionally finding peace in this unpleasant and frightening desert. Within a few months, they had developed a rhythm. They were finding food to eat, water to drink, the pilot seemed to know exactly where to hunt, exactly what to say, exactly how to behave.
Every passenger fell in line. They all had jobs to do, roles to fill, in this little commune. The fuselage kept them sheltered from the searing white days and the icy black nights. Sometimes they sang together, walked together, taught each other how to sew, how to cook, how to make tools. The passengers’ fear became comradery, which became unity, which became family. Which eventually became religiosity.
One day they were making salves from cacti, and the next they were crafting weapons. Charles hadn’t realized it at first, but every person on that plane could communicate telepathically. They could speak without talking – no, without learning. They were becoming a single organism separated into dozens of bodies. The loudest voice in their heads was the pilot. They had grown too complacent, and the pilot began to fill them once again with fear, fear of outsiders, of the rest of the world. They began to make barbaric expeditions hoping to find people or things to destroy. “I tried to escape,” Charles said to me. “I tried to escape over and over, but the voice was too strong. It was only when I thought about a little fishing hole down near Stockbridge that I would go to in summers by myself, to get away, to be alone.” Charles said he began to pantomime fishing, casting his imaginary lure on an imaginary line into and imaginary pond on hot desert sand. And when he did this, the voices quieted in his mind. He could free himself from the pilot’s voice, from the pilot’s control. I asked Charles why he and Sheriff Sam were locking away people just for knowing about the plane. He said: “Cecil, I locked up Doug Biondi before anyone else. He’s from that Otherworld, and he knows how to get back, and if he knows how to get back, he’ll join the 18713 and lead them into Night Vale.” Charles said he was protecting our little town from the threat of the passengers of Delta flight 18713. “If the pilot enlists Doug and gets into Night Vale, he’ll recruit who he can and destroy the rest.” “But why odes he communicate only through Doug? I-I mean why not Carlos or, or Dana Cardinal or Sheriff Sam themself? Why not recruit everyone who knows the way into Night Vale?” “I don’t know, Cecil,” Charles snapped back. “But I don’t will into existence by yapping about it either, so drop it!”
Listeners, Doug Biondi is about six foot tall. With an unsettlingly… long smile and dark nightmarish eyes. If you see him, contact the Sheriff’s office immediately. If you do not see Doug Biondi, then close your windows, hold your family close, and repeat a mantra that will clear your head of all outside thoughts.
Stay tuned next for a meditative oummmm. A single oummmmmm. For one full hour, uninterrupted by breath and commercial free.
Good night, Night Vale, Good night.
23:07 time traveler 30:32 pottery class
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