#spider man countdown | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

twistedtummies2 · 1 year

Text

Top 12 Goblins

Apparently, last week on Tumblr was “Goblin Week.” I…didn’t even know that was a thing, hence why this post is so belated. XD However, once I learned that fact, I thought it would be fun to do a little list related to the little devils. Goblins are one of the most omnipresent and perennial magical races in all of folklore and fantasy; if you’re making some kind of fairy-tale or fantasy universe, it’s practically a requirement that one includes goblins somewhere. But, like many other such beings of fiction, goblins are something that can change from writer to writer, and artist to artist. Sometimes they are cunning and shifty tricksters, otherwise they are dull-witted near-feral brutes; sometimes they are nasty and nefarious, other times they’re actually not that bad. I’ve always liked seeing how goblins are reinterpreted for different worlds and stories, so…for really no reason, I decided, what the heck? Let’s cover some of my favorites!

Now, before I start this list, I just want to say that there will be some rather well-known and popular forms of goblins NOT included here, such as the ones from games like “Dungeons & Dragons,” or the Final Fantasy franchise, not to mention the anime “Goblin Slayer.” Why, you may ask? Very simply, because I don’t really know much about the goblins in any of those universes, and that, in turn, is because I’m just not very familiar with any of those franchises, in general. So my apologies to anybody who takes a peek at this countdown and feels disappointed those options are not listed here. With that said, these goblins can come from just about anywhere: movies, video games, books, comics, the list goes on. So allow me to show you some of my favorites! These are My Top 12 Goblins!

12. Babes in Toyland (1997).

It is mostly stubborn nostalgia (and a very minor kink crush on the Goblin King, pictured above) that gets these goblins on the list. The 1997 animated version of “Babes in Toyland” is a rather “meh” outing, altogether; not the worst thing in the world, but nothing all that special on the whole, either. In multiple versions of the “Babes in Toyland” story (which changes with just about every retelling), the main villain - Barnaby the Crooked Man - joins forces with a group of dark monsters in the climax, leading to a grand battle as the man-eating beasts attack Toyland, planning to devour every man, woman, child, and sentient cookie or action figure there. In the 1934 film, these monsters were called “Bogeymen.” In 1986, they were called “Trolls.” In the 1997 version, these gluttonous, predatory demons are referred to as “Goblins.” They live in the Goblin Wood, not so far beyond Toyland, and those who enter their domain never return as they are “gobble-ined up” by the hungry beasts. Their king is a powerful, massive, muscular monster with a deep, mighty voice, who longs to find a way to bring his fellow goblins to the magical land for a TRUE feast…however, due to an enchantment of some sort, the goblins can only enter Toyland if they are invited by one of its own residents, which is where Barnaby’s help comes into play. The goblins in this universe are allergic to some forms of light, which can melt them much the way water can melt certain Wicked Witches. I say “some” because sunlight, flashlights, and other such things hurt them…buuuut apparently fire is nothing to them at all. Like I said, this movie isn’t exactly the greatest ever, but I have fond memories of it, and these goblins have always stuck with me.

11. Spiderwick Chronicles.

In both the book series and the film adaptation, Goblins are frequent, pesky antagonists. Carnivorous, treacherous beasts that resemble something of a cross between a toad and a cat, they appear in several stories in various roles…basically all of them evil. Perhaps the most infamous of goblins is Wormrat: the second-in-command to the beastly ogre Mulgarath. Wormrat is a Redcap: a particularly intelligent and nasty breed of Goblin distinguished by their blood-colored headwear. Wormrat has a fairly minor role in the books, but is a major player in the film adaptation, being the secondary antagonist after Mulgarath himself. In the movie he is played by an uncredited Ron Perlman, who, needless to say, brings a lot of fun and ferocity to the vicious Goblin General.

10. Tales of Arcadia.

In this franchise, made up of three separate series - Trollhunters, 3Below, and Wizards (along with a TV movie) - Goblins are the lesser minions of the evil Gumm-Gumms: man-eating trolls who wish to turn the entire world into their personal buffet. Goblins are just as carnivorous, but thankfully, these little devils are nowhere near as large, nor as clever. This, however, does not necessarily make them less dangerous, as goblins are both very fast, and always come in hordes. They rely heavily on strength in numbers, the head goblin in a group - humorously enough - marking their status with a phony moustache. Goblins are formed in bunches from a strange, green gooey substance, and have a strong familial core. Not only are they usually chosen by greater beings to nurture human babies replaced for Changelings (a job they seem more than happy to undertake), but if one goblin is killed - ESPECIALLY the leader - they will not rest until they have literally ripped apart the person or device they believe to be responsible. Goblins can be funny, but one should never underestimate them; they are attracted to the smell of fear, which apparently they find quite appetizing...and while some trolls may be big enough to swallow you whole, you can be certain goblins will be nowhere near as easy in their feeding.

9. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.

Throughout this wonderful anime (and the light novels it is based upon), Goblins are a near-constant presence, and they are really the ones who seem to solidify one of the major themes of this series’ story: “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Many of the races and creatures our main character, Rimuru, encounters are ones you would typically expect to be unpleasant or dangerous creatures, such as orcs, ogres, dire wolves, dragons, and demons. However, while there are bad eggs in every bunch, it’s made clear that no one race is totally wicked, anymore than any one race can be totally good. One need look no further for this example than with the goblins and hobgoblins who inhabit the Goblin Village, which is where our story really properly starts and where most of it is ultimately based around. The goblins here are just simple forest folk who simply try to eek by and survive; they’re really not awful creatures, and in fact become the first allies, even a family, to our main character. Some of them, such as Elder Rigurd, his son, Rigur, and the young Gobta are all major players in the series, and it’s always fun seeing them interact with Rimuru and the other main members of the cast.

8. Sly & Gobbo from Noddy.

In direct contrast to the previous options, Sly and Gobbo are about as stereotypical as Goblins get. These twin menaces are the main antagonists of the “Noddy” series: a UK-born children’s franchise that talks about the adventures of a living bobblehead doll, Noddy, and his friends in the charming little world of Toyland (no, not THAT Toyland, we talked about that earlier). Sly and Gobbo - who live in the Goblin Woods (not THAT Goblin Woods, frankly that’s a very overused phrase) - are a couple of fiendish mischief-makers who are always up to no good, causing chaos for Noddy and his friends. They are the sworn nemeses of the local constable, Mr. Plod, and while they’re more a couple of muckle nuisances than TRULY evil, they’re still as sneaky and tricky as goblins can ever be. Gobbo - the one with the long nose - is the brains of the operation, while Sly - the one in yellow - is a dullard who can barely tie his shoes; their interactions are a lot of fun. I used to watch Noddy a lot growing up, and I have very lovely memories of these two goofy pranksters. It’s not enough to land them higher in the ranks, but they’re definitely deserving of some praise.

7. The Harry Potter Series.

While Goblins are a mainstay race in the Harry Potter universe, generally speaking, they don’t really DO much. At least, not within the core canon of the books and films alike. Goblins are here depicted as the masters of the Gringotts Wizard Bank, and they take their work VERY seriously. They’re described as being very clever creatures, especially when it comes to matters of money and metalworking; they not only guard the accounts and vaults at Gringotts, but they are the ones who actively make the money itself. However, for these same reasons, goblins are not always especially trustworthy beings. They can be ruthless, treacherous, and extremely selfish. Part of this comes from the sort of backhanded philosophy goblins have when it comes to their work: in their minds, they make the money, so it SHOULD belong to them, not to the people it’s being provided for. Naturally, others don’t quite share this viewpoint. The result is that dealing with goblins is always a tightrope walk: they’ll do their job, and do it with pride, and you can be darn sure your money and your assets will be secure…but do anything to cause them trouble, or give them any reason to turn against you, and they will happily (and possibly literally) stab you in the back. The only reason these goblins aren’t higher on the list is simply because, again, they don’t really do a whole lot; the most notable goblin in the series is Griphook, a minor character in the early stories who later became an antagonistic presence in the last installment. Griphook is a wonderfully wicked goblin, but even with him there’s not a whole lot to say.

6. Blix & Pox, from Legend.

“Legend” is one of my favorite 1980s-era fantasy films, and a big part of the reason why comes from its villains. Not only do you get Tim Curry as the Devil himself, here referred to as the Lord of Darkness (or, more simply, “Darkness”), but you also get a few nasty goblins as his chief henchmen. One of them is named Blunder, who later turns out to not ACTUALLY be a goblin at all, but a dwarf who - for some not-fully-explained reason - disguised himself as a goblin. (I never really understood what was going on there, to be honest.) The other two henchmen, however, are pureblood goblins through and through. First, there’s Blix, played by Alice Playten, whom Darkness refers to as “the most loathsome of [his] goblins,” with a heart that is “black, and full of hate.” Blix is a typical goblin, with green skin, a long nose, and pointed ears; his voice is a snide cackle, and he loves to speak in rhyme. Joining him is the less typical Pox, a dunderheaded buffoon who resembles an anthropomorphic pig, In a way, I see these two as sort of the darker, more adult versions of Sly and Gobbo: similar relationship, but much nastier in comparison. The only downside to both these characters - and especially Blix - is taht, about halfway through the film, they just…sort of disappear. Despite really being the secondary antagonists after Darkness, and being responsible for a lot of the bad things that happen in the first half, their story just doesn’t get any real closure. Apparently, there WERE plans for Blix and Pox to reappear in the final act of the film, but those fell through the proverbial roof. A pity, really.

5. The Princess & the Goblin.

Widely considered one of the most influential fantasy novels of all time, George MacDonald’s “The Princess and the Goblin” is the cornerstone of many modern goblin stories and portrayals. The tale takes place in a mountain kingdom, where a band of troublemaking Goblins have been banished to the depths of an ancient mine. Determined to get revenge, they formulate a devilish plan to kidnap the Princess Irene (who shall be forced to marry the Goblin Prince) and flood the castle of her father. It is only through the cleverness of a young, miner called Curdie that the goblins are foiled in their crooked schemes. The Goblins in the story are depicted as being an odd mix of both clever and rather dim. They are smart enough to come up with rather elaborate traps and plans, but in direct confrontation, they are not quite as dangerous, and rely largely on their sheer numbers to overwhelm their foes. While the story is mostly a comedic fairy-tale, it does have a few dark moments, as well as many absurd, bizarre moments, which have been likened to the nonsense of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice” stories. The story was adapted into an animated film by UK animation company Cosgrove Hall in 1994. The movie featured several notable English actors and comedians of the time, including Rik Mayall as the Goblin Prince. I only saw this movie once when I was very young, and remember little of it; I’m not sure of the reputation it has, but I do know that the film was a box office failure. This may at least in part be due to the fact that it came out around the same time as Disney’s epic “The Lion King.” Whatever the state of the film, the book is a classic for a reason, and is just as amusing and entertaining a read today as it was years ago.

4. The Goblin Wood.

While not as popular as The Spiderwick Chronicles or the Harry Potter series, “The Goblin Wood” by Hilari Bell is nevertheless an exciting and slightly morbid story that lovers of fantasy (and obviously goblins) should definitely read. The story focuses on a young but generally good-hearted witch called Makenna. After her mother is killed by suspicious townsfolk, Makenna first floods the town in vengeance, then goes into hiding. While seeking shelter in the woods, she encounters a pack of goblins, among them a particularly grouchy little scoundrel called Cogswhallop. After sparing his life, she accidentally ends up forcing him into a life-debt to her (which, for the record, leads to one of my favorite curses ever, as Cogswhallop shouts “May your children be devoured by ducks!” in frustration), and the two begin to form an unsteady bond of friendship that grows closer over the course of the story, as it is revealed that the church is planning to wipe out all “unholy” magic from the land, and that the roving goblins who live in the forest are next on the papalcy’s hitlist. Makenna thus joins forces with Cogswhallop and his people, as they begin to form a rebellion to knock the church down a peg. Cogswhallop and the other goblins are a lot of fun; while they can be vicious little blighters, they are by no means villainous. They’re a bit like the ones from “Reincarnated as a Slime,” except with more “bite,” so to speak. Makenna is a fun heroine, too, and the other characters are all engaging, if sometimes on the simple side. Apparently the first book was so popular it led to two sequels, becoming a trilogy simply called “The Goblin Books.” I have yet to read the second and third book of the series as I type this, but if they are anything as good and as interesting as the first, I can safely say it won’t be too long before I pick them up…

3. Green Goblin & Hobgoblin, from Spider-Man.

I actually might have given these characters the number one slot, except that (unless you count the Ultimate universe), they aren’t TECHNICALLY real goblins. Instead, these are a couple of supervillains with a sort of goblin theme. The Green Goblin, of course, is Spider-Man’s infamous arch-nemesis; the identity was first adopted by Norman Osborn, a scientist and industrialist who developed a dark and deranged alter-ego while experimenting with unstable chemicals. Other Green Goblins would follow in his stead, including his own son, Harry; Peter Parker’s best friend who would eventually redeem himself by sacrificing his own life trying to save the people he cared for most. The legacy would continue further with the mysterious Hobgoblin: a brand new villain with similar abilities whose long-running career of crime was filled with numerous twists and turns, as Spidey tried to figure out who the Hobgoblin truly was beneath his hood and mask. The culprit turned out to be the power-hungry Roderick Kingsley, who adapted Osborn’s gear and methods for his own evil ends. Both are classic Spider-Man villains with large fanbases, and while they may not be ACTUAL goblins (at least not typically speaking), it’s hard to think of the word “goblin” or “hobgoblin” and NOT think of these two. For that reason above all else, they’ve earned their right to a spot in the top three.

2. The Lord of the Rings Series.

Alongside “The Princess & the Goblin,” perhaps no other take on goblins out there has been as influential as J.R.R. Tolkien’s versions of the nasty brutes. Alternately referred to as both “Orcs” and “Goblins,” these are very different creatures from most takes on the fairy-tale beings that came before them. And yes, before you Tolkien fans start yammering at me, I know that goblins and orcs are TECHNICALLY two different races, but…let’s not be pedantic, okay? They are basically the same thing, and I’ll get to that in a bit here, as it is. ANYWAY…goblins, prior to this were often described as fairly small beings. The typical depiction of goblins as long-nosed, pointed eared little rascals we see in so many versions was a long-standing tradition of much folklore and fantasy up to that time. Tolkien completely shattered that image, transforming the goblins into monstrous beings that were more like ogres than evil elves (though, apparently, elves and goblins are somehow related races). These burly, man-eating monsters were not very bright in most things, but were extremely skilled in the arts of violence, war, and torture. Middle-Earth seems to be crawling with these hideous monsters. They constantly pop up to torment our heroes by the thousands in the books, and in various factions; from the Goblins who live in various underground reaches, to the warg-riding Orcs who march from Mordor, to the Uruk-Hai; essentially man-made “Frankenstein Orcs” who serve the evil wizard Saruman. The dull but war-loving Goblins found in many video games, RPGs, and even some cartoons and comics nowadays probably owe much more to Tolkien’s cruel and ever-hungry monsters than to the scheming imps of MacDonald and earlier storytellers. These are “buff type goblins” at their most elemental.

1. Labyrinth.

No, the magnificence of the late, great David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King is NOT the only reason. Of course, it is a major, MAJOR part of why this movie takes the top billing, but it is not the only reason. Containing some surprisingly subtle coming-of-age-story subtext, this cult classic fantasy film tells the absurd fairy-tale of a teenage girl named Sarah Williams, who ends up accidentally getting her baby brother kidnapped by Jareth the Goblin King and his monstrous minions. Jareth challenges her to get through his mystical labyrinth to reach the center of the Goblin City. If she can face him there by a certain time, she may have a chance to save her brother, before Jareth transforms him into one of his goblin goons. Thus Sarah embarks on her whimsical adventure, while Jareth and his goblins, along with many other obstacles, seek to impede her progress with all sorts of traps and puzzles. Though not especially well-received when it came out, the film has since been hailed as one of the best fantasy films to come out of the 1980s, and is widely regarded as one of the best works of many of the people involved in it, including Jim Henson, George Lucas, and of course David Bowie as the central antagonist. It’s never explained in the film why Jareth is so drastically different from the other goblins, but he lives a rather lonely existence, and appears to have a rather odd and sometimes chilling love-hate relationship with Sarah. Exactly what Jareth REALLY wants, as well as what he might represent, is left up to interpretation, but one thing’s for sure: he’s easily one of the most fascinating and fun villains of any film, period. The other goblins in the film are fun, too; all handled through masterful costuming and puppetwork, they have certain similar attributes, but also have a lot of variety in their designs. While perhaps not as influential on other interpretations of goblins, the way MacDonald’s or Tolkien’s have been, they are nevertheless unique and fantastic, and with Jareth at the head of their devilish band, it’s no surprise why Bowie and his little imps from Labyrinth take the top spot as My Favorite Goblins. Case closed.

11 notes · View notes

cinder-no · 2 years

Photo

You are not immune.

17 notes · View notes

oceanusborealis · 4 months

Text

Awards – The Musical Scores of 2023 That Wowed Us

One factor that I will always look out for in a film is the musical score. I can get caught in the world of music as it sits in my head in the days, weeks, months, and even the years that come. There is immense artistry in weaving emotions from music, having us slip into the world that is created, fear the oncoming dread even if we do not know why, or rejoice in the triumph of that final…

View On WordPress

0 notes

urrockstar-xe · 3 months

Text

forgotten valentines - p.parker x gn!reader

posted feb 1st, 2024 8:14 am.

heres the first day of my countdown to valentines day! whether ur single or just love these silly characters, i hope u enjoy :)

summary: upon the couple stumbling home from working late, reader and peter both realize they've forgotten all about the heart shaped holiday. Not proofread, may have use of Y/n.

masterlist

wordcount: 1.5k

It was nearing 10 pm when you finally made it home, wanting nothing more than to sit down and use your boyfriend as a human-weighted blanket, but just as you opened the front door you heard shuffling down the hall of your apartment complex, turning to look who was coming and seeing the boyfriend in question, Peter sighed heavily once you both made eye contact, earning a chuckle from you as you entered your apartment, Peter following not too far behind.

“That wasn’t planned?” you joked quietly, turning on a few lights so it didn’t feel so late that you’d have to whisper. Peter’s quiet laugh filled your ears as he headed for the fridge, opening it up with a sluggish movement. “No, fate just keeps on tugging us towards each other” He teased back, pulling out two sodas before shutting the door with his elbow.

You pulled off your coat, abandoning it by the door and making yourself comfortable on the couch. Peter soon joined you after taking off his own coat and shoes, he handed you one of the cans, already opened. You leaned into Peter’s side, causing him to throw his arm around your shoulders happily. The clock read 10:12 PM as you flipped through the channels trying to find something to watch.

“There is a lot of 50 Shades of Grey going on,” Peter said upon realizing how many channels had the 50 Shades movies playing along with every other channel playing romcoms and old romantic dramas. “Yeah, what’s this all about?” you wondered out loud, then the realization hit.

“Oh my god, Peter it’s Valentine's Day!” You sat up, looking at Peter with wide eyes as he checked his phone and his jaw fell, matching your expression now as the date confirmed it.

“I didn’t even realize it was February” Peter whispered, thinking out loud as you stood up, his eyes following your movements. “Okay, well, we’ve got 2 hours left,” You said, watching him nod in response.

“It’s too late to grab flowers and chocolate” Peter’s voice was laced with a guilty tone as he spoke, remorse-filled puppy eyes staring up at you. You smiled down at him, hands coming to rest on either side of his face, “That’s okay, it’ll all be on sale by tomorrow morning” Your reassurance and soft touch brought a smile to Peter’s face, “besides, you’re here and not out there” you motioned towards the window, exposing the city of queens who didn’t get the privilege of Spider-man tonight.

Because you did.

“Will you be my valentine?” Peter asked with a goofy grin on his face, that only grew when you laughed, giving him the exact reaction he had wanted. You nodded, “I’d be happy to be your Valentine, Peter” He smiled at you in return, standing up and causing you both to be nearly chest to chest with the action.

“C’mon, then, we’ve got a date to prepare for” Peter whispered, planting a kiss on your forehead before leaving the soft moment, walking back to the kitchen. You smiled, abandoning the two barely touched soda cans as you switched off the TV and went to look for a Vinyl to play on your old record player.

Neither of you had the sharpest memory but that never stopped you from being a damn good team, and times like these always did so well at reminding you both of this sweet fact.

The soft and not-too-loud music filled your small apartment once you finally made your decision. You made your way into the small kitchen as Peter rustled around the pantry looking for something to cook, “we could do pasta!” he exclaimed, too excited about finding something to make, before closing the pantry door and setting the bowtie noodles on the counter, turning to look for ingredients for the sauce. “What kind are we making?” you asked with an amused look on your face, hopping up onto the counter as you watched Peter move around the room.

“Whichever kind we have the ingredients for,” Peter said, laughing with you as you slid off the counter despite having just barely sat down. “I’ll boil the noodles” Peter hummed in acknowledgment of your announcement, the sound of him clumsily moving behind you filled your ears and blended perfectly with the music, this was perfect.

“Spaghetti it is!” Peter mumbled to himself before turning around, standing directly behind you as he went to turn on the burner beside the one you were using to boil water. You couldn’t have missed his hand resting on your side if you tried, even if he didn’t squeeze lightly every few seconds. Peter stood there longer than he needed, watching the flame on the left burner while you poured noodles into the pot on the right burner.

“Just makin’ sure you’re doin’ it right, doll,” Peter explained with a small smirk on his face as if he was reading your thoughts. You scoffed, smiling, “Why don’t you start the sauce so we can have dinner before midnight, yeah?” You asked in a similar teasing tone, not even attempting to hide your heart eyes as you glanced at him. Peter laughed in response, nodding and turning to continue his job for dinner, leaving the spot where his hand sat on your side feeling cold and empty despite your hoodie covering it.

You both stood wordlessly as you worked, eventually stopping the right burner and allowing Peter to help you drain the water with a strainer before mixing the noodles in with the sauce, “10:57, I think we’re doin’ pretty good on time, what do you think?” Peter smiled at you as you pulled out two bowls, “I think you’re gonna burn our only food option if you don’t turn off the stove” you teased, before smiling back. “We just make a good team” Your second response was more genuine, earning a nod as Peter looked away to turn off the left burner, his smile softening. “Yeah, a great team.”

Together you both set up the table, giggling when Peter ran off to get the candle before setting it down in the middle. “There’s just something missing,” Peter mumbled, watching you sit down at the small table just enough for two people, which is all you needed.

“I’ll be right back” Before you could argue Peter had run off again, this time to your shared bedroom before stumbling out a few moments later tugging on his suit. “Peter, what are you-” “Don’t start eating yet!” he pointed at you, pulling on his mask with one hand, ignoring the sound of your laughter as he struggled. You watched with an amused expression as he left out the window, the clock now reading 11:09, it’s still early enough to wait so you took it upon yourself to get up and light the candle, along with getting out anything you had to make the rocky road ice cream in the freezer more fun and setting it on the counter.

The sound of the window closing caught your attention, “Look! Ice cream bar!” You said, smiling proudly at your presentation before turning back to your boyfriend just as he pulled off the mask, out of breath and a proud smile settled on his lips too.

“Look!” he imitated your tone, pulling flowers from behind his back, a little droopy and absolutely taken from your upstairs neighbor, Mrs. Baker’s windowsill, but still perfect. “Flowers!” he finished, both of you laughing before you pulled out a mason jar, filling it with water, and setting it beside the candle. Peter put the 4 dainty white daisies in, smiling at you as he pulled your chair out for you.

“I love the ice cream bar,” He praised your work, sitting across from you while immediately reaching for your hand, and you happily gave it to him. “I love the flowers,” You responded, honey dripping off the words with how sweet you spoke, blissfully happy in this moment.

“This is perfect! Who needs plans for Valentine’s Day when we’re as great as we are!” Peter said, almost moaning as he finally took a bite of his food. You laughed at his reaction before trying your own. “Last minute dates are our thing, so.” You teased, earning an unserious glare from your guilty boyfriend.

“I love them though” You reassured, squeezing his hand.

Peter squeezed back and leaned forward as if to tell you a secret as he softly spoke, “I love you” His gaze was as loving as ever and it was all yours, it was as if he was telling you with his eyes that it always would be.

“I love you more”

“Impossible”

His immediate response was too cute to argue no matter how badly you wanted to, but instead, you leaned forward just enough to plant a soft kiss on his lips. Peter sighed at the sweetness of it all, closing his eyes and shaking his head as you sat back down.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetheart”

#tasm!peter x reader #tasm!peter x you #tasm!peter parker x reader #tasm peter parker #the amazing spiderman x reader #peter parker x reader #peter parker fanfiction #tasm x reader #andrew!peter x reader #andrew!peter parker x reader #Spotify

217 notes · View notes

the-power-of-a-pen · 6 months

Text

Oh, How I Love Thee

Fandom: Spider-Man 2 (PS5)

Summary: A series of cute moments between Harry Osborn and reader based on Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem How Do I Love Thee?

Word Count: 3061

Pairing: Harry Osborn x reader (romantic)

Trigger Warning(s): Cursing, 3rd to last scene is reader panicking

A/n: I don't remember the last time I wrote a fic, but I loved the new Spiderman 2 on ps5 and I'm obsessed with/gay for Harry Osborn. Also apologies: English isn't my first language. Also please give feedback -- I have quite a few more of these in my drafts that I'll only publish if these are well-received!

How do I love thee?

Planks, nails, screws, and metal bars were strewn haphazardly across the floor of the apartment you shared with Harry. His eyebrows were furrowed the way they always do when he's determined to solve something. You'd long ago surrendered the instructions to him after his persistent insistence that he could figure it out. Instead, you simply leaned against him as you began organized the mess of a dresser you had attempted to assemble.

"Okay, how the fuck am I supposed to know with one of these screws is the 40 millimeter one?" he complained.

You adjusted yourself so that you were lounging more comfortably next to him with your chin on his shoulder while he wrapped an arm around your waist. “If I had to guess,” you started, “I’d probably read what’s on the top of each screw.”

He scoffed playfully. “Thanks, Captain Obvious.”

You gestured for him to give you the instructions, which he reluctantly did. "It says we need to put the x12 screws into the L2 bar first. Then we- oh for fuck's sake, why does this manual have pictures only? We're trying to build a coffee table, not a fucking time machine."

"Let's just try using the power drill on these," Harry suggested. "There's probably tons of extra parts in here that we can use if we mess up."

"Okay, Brunel. I thought you were a biochem major."

"Hey," he laughed. "Let a man dream. Can you hold this piece up?"

You obliged, and Harry picked up the nearest 40 mm-looking screw and drove it into the wooden bar at an angle to connect it to the bottom of the coffee table. You gave each other a look. It didn't seem right, but it did what it was supposed to.

"Trust the process?" you suggested. "I'm not going to try and read that chicken scratch again."

Harry shrugged. "Fair enough. As long as it stands up, right?"

The two of you repeated the process for the other four legs and the rack under the table. Finally, you propped it up to stand. It was a horrible mess, slanted and barely standing up. Truly, it looked more like a modern sculpture than a piece of furniture.

After a moment of silence, Harry said, "I'm gonna order something pre-made and get us takeout."

"Yeah," you sighed. "That's probably for the best."

Let me count the ways.

"I claim Yoshi," Harry declared as he selected the character for the round.

"Basic," you jabbed back. "My main's Toad, anyway. Rainbow Road?"

"Obviously."

The rain pattered against the windows outside. It was a perfect night to stay in.

As soon as the countdown finished, Harry sent a green shell your way and curved around you.

"Cheater," you jabbed as you spammed your controller to get back up.

"Hate the game, not the player," he bantered. "Oh, fuck you, Peach."

"How funny would it be if the bots won over us?"

"Not gonna happen," Harry replied. He threw a banana at your mini-kart and, by pure luck, managed not to crash into you.

On Harry's side of the split screen, it showed that he was on his final lap, with you a decent distance behind him. With the finish line in sight, you pulled the last trick in your sleeve. You grabbed Harry's chin and pulled him in for a passionate kiss, making him entirely lose focus. By the time you two pulled away, you were out of breath, and your side of the TV read 1st Place.

"Now who's cheating?" Although he was trying to scold you, the way he was catching his breath took away from it.

"Oh, please," you remarked. "You didn't mind."

Harry dropped his controller and, cupping your face with one hand and pulling your waist towards him with the other, he mumbled before kissing you, "Damn right I didn't.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach.

Your phone buzzed, stirring you from your sleep. Rubbing some sleep from your eyes, you fumbled around for it, barely reading 7:23AM off of it. You tossed it over your shoulder and rolled over, hardly getting anywhere before Harry pulled you back into him.

He pressed a soft kiss to your neck and nuzzled into you. "G'morning, babe."

"Morning," you yawned. Your eyes adjusted to the morning light and you tried to massage some warmth back into your hands. A flock of pigeons brushed by your window, tracking in a breeze that brought shivers to your spine. You stirred again, trying to get up this time.

Harry tried and failed to grab for your hand. "Where are you going?"

You smiled to yourself. Harry's morning voice never got old. "I'm just closing the window. It's freezing in here."

He propped himself up on his elbow and commented, "Well, word around town is that I make a pretty good personal heater."

You hummed. "I'll take that into consideration." You sat down on his side of the bed and brushed some wild stray hairs out of his face. "But seriously, just because we have the day off, that doesn't mean we should spend all day in bed. I can make us hot chocolate the way you like it, and we can sit out in the park, maybe try to find something good in Midtown?"

"That sounds great, baby." Harry leaned into your touch. "After a quick nap."

You scoffed as he grabbed your waist to pull you on top of him. "Nothing's quick with you," you remarked.

Your boyfriend just smirked at you. "Part of why you love me." You settled down onto him, resting your head on his chest and intertwining your legs. "Just... five more minutes, babe," he implored you.

"Five more minutes," you agreed, already drifting back off to sleep.

When feeling out of sight for the ends of being and ideal grace.

The movie you had been watching had run its course, and you were beyond tired. You resigned yourself to quickly run through your skincare routine and find Harry so that the two of you could go to sleep.

You finished rinsing the cleanser off of your face and stretched with such force that you got dizzy. Shaking this feeling off, you called for your boyfriend.

"In the kitchen!" he called back. And he was there, but sheltered behind the kitchen island on the floor with his laptop and countless papers strewn around him. The fans in his computer sounded like a helicopter about to take off. "I'm just finishing these last few emails," he yawned. "Then I've got to review the results of bee drones, verify the statistics Dr. Loughran gathered on the organ reproduction project, and then I gotta check if they repaired the particle accelerator yet and-"

You sat yourself down next to him and gently shut his laptop, kissing his temple. "Why don't we deal with this tomorrow?"

Harry sighed and leaned on your shoulder. "I've been putting this off for a while. I'm so close to finishing, just like 30 more minutes."

You ran your fingers through his hair and felt him fighting to stay conscious. "You and I both know that's a lie, babe. The weight of the world doesn't rest on your shoulders. Take a break. The work will be there tomorrow."

"But-"

"What did May always say?"

Harry sighed again, but relented and put his head in your lap. "You help someone, you help everyone."

You arranged the papers around you into a pile and grabbed a cushion from one of the kitchen island's stools to put behind your back. "Let the person you help today be you, okay?"

But Harry was already fast asleep.

I love thee to the level of every day's most quiet need.

"Do you ever wonder what would happen if you used conditioner before shampoo?"

"Not really," you conceded as you took another bite of your ice cream from your place on top of the dryer.

Harry sat on the floor organizing the dark, white, and delicate clothes into piles. "I mean, it's probably better for your hair, no? Like, the whole purpose of conditioner is to break down unwanted particles and moisturize your hair. If anything, it's probably better to do it that way."

"Maybe," you agreed as you hopped down and put the first load in the wash. "But wouldn't that be the same as using fabric softener before detergent?"

"Nope. Fabric softener just coats your clothes in microplastics. It's a long-term way of damaging the bonds between the atoms for temporary comfort. Technically, we should be using something like vinegar instead."

"I'm not putting vinegar on my clothes," you objected.

"Maybe you need to be more open-minded," he teased.

"Maybe you need to keep your head in the game," you teased back, throwing his dirty T-shirt at him. You yelped when he threw a sock your way. "Oh, I'll get you back for that."

"I'd like to see you try," Harry challenged.

By sun and candle-light.

Harry raced past you in the hallway, tugging on a shoe while awkwardly hopping. You sipped your tea from the kitchen island as you stared down the morning crossword.

"Running late?" you asked as he grabbed an apple and tossed it into his bag.

"Yeah," he replied, out of breath as he roughly kissed your cheek and gave you a squeeze before rushing towards the door. "Pete's gonna have to deal with the donors on his own if I don't get there on time. Wish me luck."

"Good luck." You filled out the five boxes for 23-across whose clue read 'Oscar-winner Streep.' "I love you."

"I love you, too," he called as he shut the door. Almost immediately, he opened the door again. "Forgot my keys!"

"They're on top of your nightstand," you called as you heard him tearing your room apart. The jingle of the keys confirmed that he got them, and he bounded over to you again.

"I love you," he breathed, kissing your cheek. "You're the best."

"I know," you chuckled. You leaned around the corner to watch him leave for the second time before returning to your morning routine. You had just finished eating your breakfast when Harry came running in again.

"Missed me already?" you joked.

"Forgot my phone," he explained, grabbing it from beside you. He kissed your cheek again. "But that, too."

"Love you!" you called as he fumbled with the doorknob and you walked to the living room. "Kick ass today."

He gave you a charming wink then slipped out the door.

You turned on the TV and let a talk show play in the background as you cursed at your crossword. This time, it took Harry about 6 more minutes to realize he had yet again forgotten something important. He barged in for the third and last time, profusely apologizing.

"You wouldn't happen to know a five-letter port city of Japan, would you?" you asked without looking up.

"Try Osaka?" Harry filtered through the pockets of his coats in the laundry room until he finally found his wallet.

"That fits."

Harry returned from the laundry room and leaned down, pressing three kisses to your lips. "Okay, I'm leaving for real now. I love you."

"I love you, too, babe. Show 'em how it's done."

I love thee freely, as men strive for right.

"Oh my God, you should've seen the look on Hasan's face when Vijay showed up. Like, I get it, you dated way back in the day, but showing up in all white? So then MJ went to go pull the wine trick on him while I tried to distract Hasan so that he wouldn't notice anything was going on, but of course the universe wasn't satisfied." You huffed and caught your breath in the middle of pacing back and forth in the living room. "You know what happened after that?"

Harry, from his comfortable corner in the couch covered his mouth to hide his amusement. "Jess said something?" he guessed.

"Jess opened her fucking mouth," you continued. "And she was drunk off her ass because she always is, and she comes up to Hasan on his fucking wedding day and starts shouting about Vijay coming over. So at this point, Song is already asking Hasan 'Have you been cheating on me? Is that what this is?' And obviously Hasan would never do that but now Song's upset so the two of them go to argue in the backroom while Keith escorts Vijay out and MJ and I have to babysit Jess for the rest of the evening." You paused and took a sip of your mocktail. "It was literal hell."

At this point, you realize the smile taking over Harry's face. "What?"

He shook his head as he surveyed you in admiration. "You're hot when you're angry."

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

"Do I look good?" Harry asked nervously as he adjusted his tie.

You brushed his mess of curls away from his forehead. "You look perfect. You are perfect."

"I really need this interview to go well," he said, biting his lips. "Whatever this guy publishes is gonna be severely edited by Jonah, and if even half of what MJ said was warning enough, we're screwed."

"You're going to be fine," you assured him. When that didn't seem to work, you grabbed him by his shoulders and said, "Your mom would be so proud of you. Don't worry about what you can't control."

Harry took in a deep breath, and, hugging you before going into the meeting room, whispered, "Let's heal the world."

I love thee with the passion put to use in my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

"Good morning," chirped the barista as you walked in to the small café. "What can I get started for you?"

"Just a small pumpkin latte, please," you replied. You shivered and wrapped your scarf tighter around you.

"Anything else I can get for you? Maybe my number?"

"No, thanks -- that'll be all," you assured her, glancing behind you to look for Harry.

You jumped when he touched your arm. "I've got this one, baby," he winked and offered his card. The barista's eyes widened in realization, and she silently finished the transaction. One of her coworkers finished off the order and handed it to you on the other end of the kiosk.

You unlocked your car with your keys and laughed when Harry rushed to open the door for you.

"What's so funny?"

"You're jealous, aren't you," you jested.

Harry mocked offense as he got into the car on the other side. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're referring to, your majesty."

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose with my lost saints.

Harry crossed your arms on your chest and hugged you from behind to give you that comfort of pressure. "Breathe, babe. It's gonna be okay. This feeling will go away."

Your breathing was erratic, your face tingled, and you felt so dizzy you might pass out. "I could've lost you," you managed to get out between gasps. "So much could've gone wrong."

"I know," he said in a low voice. "I know. But everything's alright. Pete and Miles have a handle on things, they always do. That thing's gone. I'm okay. Everything's gonna be okay."

You rested your forehead on your knees, but Harry didn't let go of you. "I tried to get through to you but that thing just kept on speaking to me, and Dr. Connors said you were too far gone and then MJ told me what happened at the Foundation- fuck's sake you were in a coma for three weeks and you just show up-"

Harry crawled in front of you and gently took your face in his hands. "It was scary for me too, love. I thought it was going to hurt you and-" He took in a deep breath. "The worst is behind us, okay? Let's focus on that."

You nodded and tried to slow your breathing. After a moment: "None of that was your fault, you know? It wasn't you doing it."

"I know." He rested his forehead against yours and closed his eyes with a shaky breath. "I know."

I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life;

"Okay, what do you think of this option?" You came out from the hallway with a new outfit and gave him a spin.

"Gorgeous," he breathed. "You look like an angel."

You sat down next to him on your bed. "Babe, I love you, but if all you do is flatter me, I'm not going to know what to wear to the gala."

Harry traced his fingers over the folds of your sides as you fiddled with the invitation in your hands. "Not my fault that my partner's hot."

"But it will be your fault if we're late," you retorted. "This one, the dark blue one, or the black one?"

He hummed. "This one," he replied with a wink. "It'll be easier to take off later."

He got up to leave the room, but you grabbed him by the tie, saying an inch away from his lips, "We'll see about that, handsome." And with that, you strutted away.

And, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.

You moved the needle onto the vinyl, letting the smooth jazz of Thelonious Monk fill the room. You waltzed over to Harry, and, wrapping one arm around his waist and grabbing his other hand, you swayed to the beat.

"C'mon, loverboy," you taunted him. "Show me some rhythm."

"I'm trying," he laughed, shuffling his feet.

"Baby, a little less Electric Slide, a little more moving those hips."

"Why don't you lead me instead?"

You spun in his arms and put your dominant leg between his legs and hummed as you swayed in a circle. Harry put an arm over your shoulder and started singing along.

"Glee Club paying off," you joked.

He bumped your nose. "Very funny."

You spun Harry as the music signalled that it was near its end.

"Have I ever told you that I love you?" Harry asked as he caught his balance.

You dipped him with the flourish of the music. "More than I can count."

#spiderman 2 ps5 #harry osborn #harry osborn x reader #harry osborn ps5 x reader #rio's writing

326 notes · View notes

evilwickedme · 1 year

Text

I've said this before, but I feel like the reason - or at least a reason - that people don't respect Batman's moral code is because the writers sort of. Also don't respect Batman's moral code

Like nobody argues that Superman or Spider-Man should kill all their enemies. Well, I mean, some people do, or sometimes you'll see an argument for a specific villain, but you don't see massive amounts of those characters' fandoms arguing that those heroes, who also believe killing is wrong, should start murdering all their rogues gallery. And I think it's interesting because Peter Parker specifically repeatedly struggles with the urge to kill his rogues, such as after Green Goblin kills Gwen Stacy. These are themes that are present in his story, but for the most part the fandom respects the fact that he believes murder is wrong. And the same is blatantly untrue for Batman.

And I think it's because, well, the reasoning that writers have given over the years for Batman not killing is, like, fucking bullshit? Like no matter how many times I reread Under The Red Hood I'm never going to think that the slippery slope argument is a good one. And it's not just an UTRH claim, this is something we've actually seen happen in Countdown, that if Batman starts killing he really doesn't stop! And that's just like. Bruce Wayne being a mentally unwell man who literally wouldn't be able to help himself if he started killing isn't a moral code.

Batman's writers oftentimes seem to, themselves, struggle to define why Bruce Wayne thinks murder is wrong, to the point that they imply that he doesn't think it's wrong on its own, it's just wrong because he can't control himself. He'll say the words "murder is wrong" to Jason or Kate or whatever but he won't be able to actually give even the most basic of reasoning for it. Most superheroes who don't kill believe that there is good in everyone, that everyone is one good day from being a good person, but Batman writers don't seem to apply the same philosophy.

Writing like this is writing that doesn't respect its audience, that doesn't treat us as intelligent people, and it's easy to disrespect disrespectful writing. And so yeah, obviously I personally believe that killing is wrong. And I have my own moral and philosophical outlook that lead to that conclusion. But it's really easy for me to disregard Bruce Wayne's beliefs in that context, because half the time it doesn't seem like Batman truly believes in anything.

#bruce wayne #batman #batfam #dc #utrh #gail speaks

273 notes · View notes

futureslaps · 1 year

Text

The Captive - Chapter 9

Chapter 8 Chapter 10

As always, enjoy 💙

“Wake up, kid”

Spider slowly opened his eyes as he felt Quaritch gently shake his shoulder.

“You have to go, Spider. It’s almost sunrise.”

As Spider stood up, he turned to look at Quaritch. He clearly hadn’t slept, but he had a content look on his face. For a moment they both stood still, smiling at each other through the bars.

Spider needed more of these moments.

“I’ll see you soon.” Spider promised.

Quaritch looked like he wanted to argue, but he held his tongue. Maybe he knew it was pointless.

“Alright kid, stay strong out there.” He gave a reassuring grin, but the words were still sad.

Spider was about to leave but stopped himself. He turned around to reply.

“You…you take care too.”

Quaritch looked down for a moment. Finally, he gave a small nod, and lay back against one of the hut’s walls.

Spider quickly slid under the canvas, and, once he had ensured the guards hadn’t seen him, started making his way back to the village. As always, his heart ached at having to leave Quaritch and face… everything again. Spider reflected on his relationship with his father.

He knew he should have stopped himself from growing attached to the man; he should have known it could never work. But he’d been naïve. The entire time he was with Quaritch he’d held onto the hope that things would somehow work out. That somehow, Quaritch would have a change of heart, or that by some miracle, the Sullys and Quaritch would never cross paths.

Even during their final days on the Sea Dragon, during the raids on the villages, Spider desperately kept hoping. But things had only gotten worse and worse, and now here he was.

He’d hurt the Sullys more than he ever imagined he could, and he’d only hurt them more once they found out the truth about him.

Quaritch was imprisoned and had nine days to live.

The knowledge of the upcoming trial weighed on Spider more with each passing day. It almost felt like a countdown to his own death, and Spider was completely powerless against it. He could only wait as the day he would be completely alone drew closer.

Spider hadn’t considered yet what he would do once it was over. He felt barely alive now, his meetings with Quaritch were the only thing he could look forward to. What would he do? Would he really have to spend his days doing nothing but aimlessly wandering? Always close to the Sullys, never escaping the constant feeling of guilt?

The thought filled him with dread, but what could he do? It wasn’t like he had anywhere else to go. Or anything else to do, for that matter.

Part of nothing.

Spider forced the thought out of his head. He took a moment to look out across the ocean. The horizon was just beginning to brighten in the early morning. Combined with the bioluminescence of the reef, the scene was almost ethereal. It was in places like these that he always felt Eywa was closest.

Spider thought for a moment about Eywa. Did she see him? Did she understand his plight?

It was desperate, but he had to try.

“Eywa, hear me.” He whispered almost inaudibly, trying to put as much feeling into his words as he could.

“Please, Eywa. Please don’t let him die. He doesn’t have to die.”

Spider searched for words to say.

“He can change, I know he can. He changed for me…” Tears began to roll down his cheeks.

“Please don’t let me be alone. I…please…” He fell to his knees.

Spider knew he was grasping at straws. Jake would find Quaritch ngay kawng, just as he had every right to. Quaritch had been kind to Spider, but it couldn’t exonerate him from everything else he’d done. Spider had known this from the moment Quaritch was imprisoned. He knew that Quaritch had to face justice.

But it still broke his heart immeasurably.

As the first rays of the sun began to reflect across the water, Spider slowly got back up and started walking to the village. The first Metkayina were starting to wake as he sat on one of the Hometree’s roots, trying to process everything.

“Please, Eywa.” He whispered one more time.

(…)

It was afternoon when Jake finally found Spider. He was sitting on one of the Metkayina Hometree’s many roots, lost in thought. Jake regarded the human with apprehension.

They had to talk. A real talk. Not the brief conversations they’ve been having.

Jake had been hesitant to approach Spider, but he’d promised Kiri he’d at least try to talk to him about how he was feeling. His relationship with his daughter was already frayed, and the last thing he wanted her to think was that he was putting this off.

Besides, for once, Quaritch had been sound asleep while Jake brought him food, and he’d managed not to wake him, so for once his mind was clear heading into the day.

“Spider, will you come with me for a second?”

Spider’s eyes briefly widened at the question, but he quickly stood up and nodded.

“What’s going on, is everything ok?” Spider asked as they walked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

“There’s just something I need to talk with you about.” Jake replied calmly, but the answer seemed to tense Spider up more.

They finally reached the Sullys marui, empty at this time of day. Jake took a seat and motioned for Spider to do the same. Jake took a deep breath, then spoke.

“I wanted to ask how you’ve been doing, Spider.”

Spider looked a little relieved at the question. When he spoke, it was the same answer as always.

“I’m fine, things are…okay.”

Jake frowned. He knew he had to push more.

“I’m serious, Spider. You can talk to me.”

“I’m good, really. You shouldn’t worry about me.” Spider replied, starting to look more uncomfortable.

Jake sighed. He had to bring it up.

“Spider…” he considered his next words carefully.

“You were with the RDA and Quaritch for a long time.”

Spider’s face grew pained as he brought up his time in captivity. Jake hated that he had to remind Spider of such painful memories, but he had to try to get through to him.

“I don’t know what happened while you were a prisoner. But if there’s anything you want to talk about, I’m here.”

Spider looked down, no longer looking Jake in the face. He was quiet, but Jake could tell that he was hurting. He tried to think of something to reassure him.

“The RDA can’t hurt you here. Quaritch can’t hurt you here. You don’t have to be scared, Spider. You’re safe. It’s okay to talk about it.”

But Spider remained silent. Jake heard his breath grow shallower. Finally, Spider replied.

“You don’t have to worry. I…I’m good.” His voice was rushed.

Jake tried to think of something else to say, but the boy was already standing up.

“I…I have to go. I…need to do something.” Spider said hastily as he left.

Jake watched him leave glumly.

At least he’d tried.

It was painfully obvious Spider wasn’t “good”. Whatever had happened while Spider was with Quaritch, it had clearly cut Spider deep. But Jake wasn’t going to push him any further if he didn’t want to talk about it.

He quietly cursed Quaritch for whatever he’d done to Spider. What kind of man hurts a child, his own child, like this?

As he left his Marui, he took comfort in the fact that justice would soon come for the Colonel.

I wonder if Jake is missing something else that cut Spider deep...

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

I’d love to hear any thoughts/theories y’all have! I have a good chunk planned out, but I’d love to hear any thoughts! Comments are always appreciated 💙

Thanks again to everyone who follows this story! I never expected to get anywhere close to this many readers 💙💙

Taglist: @buzzing-honeybee @yesthisismycurrenthyperfixation

#Jake fumbles the bag AGAIN #avatar #avatar 2 #avatar the way of water #atwow #avatar jake #avatar quaritch #avatar spider #avatar kiri #miles quaritch #recom quaritch #spider socorro #jake sully

91 notes · View notes

frankendykes-monster · 6 months

Text

Countdown to Halloween 2023, Ranked

43. Swamp Thing (1982)

42. Curse of Bigfoot (1975)

41. The Haunting (1999)

40. Orca (1977)

39. Teenagers Battle The Thing (1958)

38. The Beast (1975)

37. Don't Go in The House (1979)

36. Countess Dracula (1971)

35. Hillbillys in a Haunted House (1967)

34. Beware! The Blob (1972)

33. Alien Space Avenger (1989)

32. Baby Blood (1990)

31. Shriek of The Mutilated (1974)

30. The Mutations (1974)

29. Phase IV (1974)

28. Curse of The Faceless Man (1958)

27. The Sadist (1963)

26. Jennifer (1978)

25. The Wasp Woman (1959)

24. Noroi: The Curse (2005)

23. Girls Nite Out (1982)

22. The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959)

21. The Cat and The Canary (1927)

20. Tell Your Children (Reefer Madness, 1936)

19. The Company of Wolves (1984)

18. It's Alive (1974)

17. The Wolf House (2018)

16. Michael Jackson's Halloween (2017)

15. The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963)

14. The Omega Man (1971)

13. Gamera: Rebirth (2023)

12. Student Bodies (1981)

11. Night Caller From Outer Space (1965)

10. Inhumanoids (episodes 1 - 5, 1986)

9. Blind Woman's Curse (1970)

8. Maniac (1980)

7. The Child (1977)

6. Zombie 3 (1988)

5. Return of The Living Dead (1985)

4. Spider Baby (1967)

3. Basket Case (1982)

2. Messiah of Evil (1973)

Godzilla (1954)

Woof. Okay. This has been a mostly disappointing viewing experience.

Critical difference between this year's countdown and the past two is that now that I have stable employment, there is far less time to be watching horror films. I normally begin the countdown in September but we started in July of this year and still barely managed to crack 40, with my original goal being a full 100 this year. Timing. As such a lot of my plans and possible viewings were cut short and compared to last year specifically we fell back on a lot of "seen it already" at least for the top of the list.

This year's batch of viewings were largely blah, but a step up from the shitshow I put myself through last year (watching nearly every Texas Chainsaw sequel does things to a person). As such it'll be difficult to conjure up words for a decent chunk of these mostly because yes, these movies exist, I watched them, I would not recommend that you yourself watch them. That is all. If I write briefly on a given film that's not necessarily an indictment of its quality as there a decent number of these that I saw and enjoyed it's just their impact might be a bit fleeting. You will know which ones I actively disliked. I mostly just want to write about the top five or so but I will play fair.

Our grand loser this year is Swamp Thing, the DC Comics adaptation by Wes Craven. I watched this pretty much entirely because I finally got the Alan Moore Swamp Thing run in paperback this year after quite some time of having it on my to-buy list. Longtime Rachael/Ray/Ratchet fans may recall me reading it in early 2019 alongside [REDACTED]. Still one of the best Moore comics, and a second volume of Swamp Thing wouldn't have been possible without the success of this film. For context I did read the early Swampies by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson and my general reaction to those was a'ight but there was definitely material for a serviceable film adaptation there. This is not that serviceable film adaptation. I'm not hung up on details like how Abigail has no connection to Arcane now despite being his niece in the comics, but this film is just kind of painful in how relatively unambitious it is which is saying something for Swamp Thing sword fighting another human mutation at the end of this. It's just silly and stupid and not scary or awe inspiring or anything, the Swamp Thing suit sucks, the action sucks, any sense of pathos is not there or gone, it stretches for 30 minutes too long like it's a padded TV pilot, the only highlight is being able to see Adrienne Barbeau's breasts. Fuck this it's a miserable experience to sit through. My mistake for watching a Wes Craven film that doesn't have "Scream" in the title.

Our next shitter is the two-for-one abomination that is Teenagers Battle The Thing (1958) and Curse of Bigfoot (1975); these are the same movie except Curse of Bigfoot has a 25 minute opening scene framing device that is bizarre given that "The Thing" of the original film is a Native American mummy of some sort unearthed by a group of white high school students. It's the rare personal pet project movie made for fun by some locals but the only highlights are the occasional kill scene, Curse of Bigfoot ranks lower just for making me sit through it longer. Blah.

Speedrunning through a bunch of these because theyre all varying degrees of bad and I don't want to spend any longer writing about these than you probably do reading about them: The Haunting is awful and I don't even super care for the original film so adding shitty CGI monsters and a moral lesson of "it's about family!" doesn't help. Orca is a shitty Jaws cash-in that's like a reverse Moby Dick where the sea animal hunts down the human, nice finale where the orca and shitty poacher guy are fighting it out in the Arctic but otherwise avoid. Don't Go in The House is a mysoginistic torture porn movie that really doesn't sell the "seemingly normal guy is a closet nutcase" thing even though movies made before and after have done it well (see Maniac several paragraphs below). The Beast is advertised as this really scandalous porno film but most of it is French aristocrats sitting around in stuffy rooms arguing about real estate. I think I only watched Countess Dracula for its inclusion in the "if this is her vibe I would fucking cum" meme and it's barely worth bringing up at all. Hillbillys in a Haunted House has an absolutely lovely Tennessee country soundtrack that I wish I could listen to without having to watch the actual movie which is devoid of both scares and laughs. Beware! The Blob gives off the feeling of sitting at a funeral for a family member that was just distant enough for you to be aware of them but not actually be upset but it's still a funeral so it's not like you're smiling, stick with the 1988 Blob film. Alien Space Avenger has some decent gore effects but that's all I can recall from it. Shriek of The Mutilated has one of the best titles for an otherwise uninspired yeti movie that has a needless third act twist about it being a cover for a cult and blah blah blah fuck you. Baby Blood has an alien mutant whatever crawl up a woman's vagina into her womb and she has to eat people to feed it and yeah I'm actually struggling to remember what happens here. The Mutations has a scene where a guy cuts into a tree and it bleeds, I think he's played by Donald Pleasance. Yeah, it's like Freaks except it plays to the freak show straight so you get to laugh at all the outcasts of society, no thank you.

Some odds and ends that I'd say are decent-to-pretty-good: Phase IV has some footage of ants and synth music. All you need is some footage of ants and synth music. Curse of The Faceless Man employs a rarely seen archetype of the living statue monster, it's cute. The Sadist is another starring vehicle for Arch Hall Jr., who was also the star of last Halloween's Eegah! (1962), though this film is a bold trendsetter for the 1960's with Hall being a unhinged killer holding people for ransom until they can fix his car and he can make a getaway. The film lives and dies by Hall's performance and it's mostly the latter until we get to an absolutely superb final act with him hunting down his remaining victims, it makes the whole film worth seeing. Jennifer is an oddball that plays out mostly like a character drama ("It wasn't my fault Daddy it was that stupid hillbilly bitch Jennifer") that suddenly remembers that it's supposed to be a cash-in of Carrie (1976) in the last 20 minutes and cue our titular character being able to summon and control snakes to send after her tormentors. Girls Nite Out is a plodding meandering slasher that's oddly hypnotizing considering so much of it takes place in pitch-black night and the killer is wearing a bear mascot costume with serrated knives hidden under the glove, not sure what fully to make of it. The Monster of Piedras Blancas is made up of leftover parts from the Gillman, Mole People, and Metaluna Mutant, but still manages to star in a decent enough film that gives a sense of what a series of monster attacks would do to a small seaside community. The Cat and The Canary is "cute" for lack of a better term being a horror comedy before the former genre had fully crystalized. Reefer Madness is horror adjacent more than anything but a hilariously good time about how the use of "marihuana" will drive today's youth into becoming crazed fiends and get involved in organized crime.

We can do this.

The Company of Wolves has an excellent story book like setting an atmosphere that you can't get in films nowadays and it's a shame that it's mostly remembered for its transformation sequences. it's Alive is the best Larry Cohen film by default of not sucking but it's still not "great", genius however for playing the concept of mutant newborn killer baby completely seriously without any sense of humor to the proceedings. The Girl Who Knew Too Much is almost a parody of giallo films which is interesting given those hadn't fully sprang up in 1963; absolute highlight is the main character being interviewed in bed by doctors and reporters and the like that yes she did see a murder and no she doesn't drink. I've always been fascinated and haunted by I Am Legend and while The Omega Man doesn't really capture the novel to a superb degree it's so beautifully shot that it lands high in the rankings for that alone. Night Caller From Outer Space is hilarious to me because of how it shifts halfway through from a Hammer-esque mystery about a meteorite with radioactive properties to a film about an alien that lures women in through a modeling advertisement. Blind Woman's Curse I've mentally confused with Irezumi for a while now (haha all 1960's Japanese genre films where woman have large animal tattoos on their backs are the saaame), and it's one I mostly watched for being directed by Teruo Ishii, but there's enough bloody yakuza fights and cats licking up blood for me to stick around; not the strongest Meiko Kaiji vehicle compared to Female Prisoner Scorpion or Lady Snowblood. Maniac I find mostly interesting as a precursor to American Psycho (2000) but also it's probably the only serious film to successfully pull off it's ending trope (which I will not spoil here). The Child is an absolutely lovely 1970's only-a-dozen-people-made-this-and-not-much-more-watched-it horror that oozes atmosphere, I could watch stuff like this all day. Aaand Zombie 3 is far and away the best film that Lucio Fulci has been involved with that I've ever seen. I love random scenes and set pieces of ghouls just massacring people that are shit out out of luck.

Okay, now for the ones I actually want to write about.

The Wasp Woman is one that sticks in my head way more than any other random monster movie that Roger Corman directed in the latw 1950's. I've said on here and Letterboxd that it could have served as a standard pop-feminist piece about how the cosmetology industry is built on misogyny and invariably a monster is accidentally created because of that, but this most recent viewing has made me sort of "get it" because that might be what the film is going for considering Susan Cabot's performance leads me to believe that she is aware that she is becoming a homicidal wasp monster but views it as a tragic means to an end where she still has the ability to have a new advertising campaign with her as the star. Tragic. This is why you don't wear make up.

Both Noroi: The Curse and The Wolf House are ones I didn't care for whatsoever but I put them in places on the ranking that I thought were fair given that people should probably watch them regardless of my personal thoughts. Noroi's format didn't really lend itself to the escalation of tension and reveal of information that the plot demanded and I found myself thinking it meanders quite a bit. The Wolf House was an odd one where everything that was happening onscreen bounced off of me mostly because I felt intimately aware that I was watching a movie, that someone had made something and that I was now being shown it. Blah. People like these so don't let me stop you.

Our animated offerings this year...

Michael Jackson's Halloween more than anything feels like an unlicensed creation that later had an English fan dub commissioned, not something that actually aired on CBS twice. Any laughs that I found in this thing were the unintentional type as we open up with Bubbles talking and being Jackson's chauffeur; you know exactly what you're getting into. Very little of the plot is explained but I'm assuming Jackson (who has no lines given this was made posthumously) orchestrates a dark fantasy adventure to hook two...teenagers? People in their late 20's? And convince them to follow their dreams of performing instead of working a deadend dayjob. I'm not sure who the actual audience for this was given it feels like so much of it was made for children but I will say anything that has this much of Michael Jackson's music in it can't be all bad, though I'm not sure why they didn't largely stick with tracks from the album Thriller (in the contention for best album ever, I don't care).

Gamera: Rebirth is one I feel like I'm on the outside on compared to most other tokusatsu fans because I didn't really *love* to a serious degree even though, yes, Gamera is finally back. The first three episodes are mostly just kind of a slog for me with the backhalf not doing enough to retroactively make me think highly of it, though giving off End of Evangelion vibes may make me consider that a second viewing must be in order down the line. Rebirth's strongest attribute is that it feels like it takes into consideration and influence from every prior era of Gamera, no stone is left unturned, and it's a marked contrast from how every recent Godzilla property only captures a single facet of their respective character. But that also creates unique issues like how a lot of criticism of ongoing US military presence in Japan is undercut so there can be a white kid in the main cast (because white children were always present in half of the Showa series) or having the ancient civilization that genetically engineered the kaiju now being malicious and actively sacrificing children as a means of reshaping the world gives me vaguely anti-semitic tones, I don't know, Gamera is still here, I guess.

"I was just a little twerp who liked Scooby-Doo and Smurfs, now I was viewing Cthulhu mutants ruin the Earth."

Everyday that we have Inhumanoids is a gift. Inhumanoids is another Hasbro/Sunbow production like G. I. Joe, Transformers, or Jem and The Holograms, and it is truly tragic that it never got anywhere near that level of attention compared to its siblings. The fact that a 1980's action figure tie-in cartoon is named for its antagonists is only the start; the series follows a small paramilitary outfit of scientists named Earth Core that are tasked with more or less saving the world alongside the Mutores, elemental beings, when the Inhumanoids, eldritch abominations, are unleashed. The degree of world-building beyond your typical "good guys vs. bad guys" affair is astounding with villainous humans and virtuous monsters abounding, but Inhumanoids is mostly magical and remembered for saying fuck all to any type of broadcast standards. Seeing giant monsters destroy cities, undead armies, and spelunking deep into the Earth (where nightmares begin...) are just standard fair here, as are witnessing the actual Inhumanoids such as Metlar (basically the devil) or D'Compose (giant undead entity that can zombify people by touching them and uses his ribcage like a jail cell) in action. The first five episodes here are the pilot movie of sorts for the series which only lasted thirteen overall, and they get more grissly from here on out, but maybe it's best that Inhumanoids is the short lived cartoon and no the cartoon that went soft as early as its second season. I will never not love this show, to this day it's one of my favorite animated series from any decade, much less the 1980's.

Back to our regularly scheduled live-action programming...

Student Bodies is a fascinating film for a myriad of reasons the first of which is that there were somehow enough slasher films by 1981 for there to be a comedy poking fun at all the already established genre-cliches. It's essentially Scary Movie (2000) a full 20 years ahead of the curve only actually funny in spite of the subject matter frequently being as juvenile and prejudiced; but it also reminds me quite a bit of Scream (1996) with stuff like two killers working together. All I know is I was in for a decent time when the film opens with three identical shots of a house just with different framing text: "HALLOWEEN," "FRIDAY THE 13TH," "JAMIE LEE CURTIS' BIRTHDAY" and then the killer, The Breather, calls the opening kill girl doing nothing but breathing heavily, she hangs up, he calls back with "I SAID [heavy breathing]."

Return of The Living Dead is one of those films that should have destroyed the any artifically-imposed boundaries between "high" and "low" art. Every aspect of this film is brilliantly made, it just so happens to be made for stuff like Scooby-Doo music overlaid on top of thunderstorms over graveyards where one female character is stripping to the concept of dying. Media involving ghouls is incredibly oversaturated, and this was still the case in the 1980's where a film like this had to redefine the rules to make it so killing ghouls was basically a non-option. It only recently struck me on this viewing that that's the whole purpose of removing virtually all weaknesses they have, to keep the characters as the nail instead of the hammer. Compared to the Romero films, there's never a point where anyone is in control of the situation, it just escalates further and further until there is literally no way out. Taking that into consideration, there's no way this film couldn't have been a comedy that frames people getting swarmed and eaten by ghouls as hilarious.

The soundtrack and the faux-punk sensibilities lend this a daft feeling of "you shouldn't be watching this" in spite of it not being one of the MOST gory horror films of the 1980's. I still don't get how this never broke into the mainstream. I mean somehow people know that ghouls (in this film) speak and only eat brains but I can't go down to Target and get a Tarman action figure like I can one of Michael Myers. As such Return of The Living Dead remains a criminally overlooked film regardless of its subject matter. It's made me laugh and cringe and feel disgusted and revolt at the concept at dying but mostly it's made me feel a delicious sense of joy at seeing corpses rise out of the ground to the tune of "Do you wanna party? IT'S PARTY TIIIME!" Some of you need to sit in the corner and think about your life choices for making stupid shit like Re-Animator (1985) or fucking Shaun of The Dead (2004) more popular than this, fuck you.

The act of watching Spider Baby is like discovering the missing link. For as much as 1960 gave us an explosion of horror (Eyes Without a Face, The Ship of Monsters, Psycho, Jigoku, Black Sunday, etc.) and Night of The Living Dead (1968) reins as the perennial transition point of the genre, Spider Baby is the road by which we go from The Cat and The Canary and The Old Dark House to the likes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Eraserhead, it's magical finding an essential piece of a genre you love so much. Both the former and latter points of comparison are apt as a family of now only children [and their butler] suffering from Poe-esque hereditary illness have their condemned house set upon by distant relatives and everything slowly unravels.

Lon Chaney Jr. is an actor who for the longest time I felt never got a proper chance to shine wherein the last 25 years or so of his career was spent playing as side character actor in independent films. Spider Baby is his crowning achievement. Seeing him smile through almost tears on several occasions as he has to play bridge between worlds of sanity and madness and lie to everyone that he has some sense of control over the situation is brilliant in ways I always knew he was capable of but had never seen before this point. Bravo.

I will never not love Basket Case with everything I've got. This is the epitome of 1980's horror and my clear pick for best of the decade. It has everything from being a grungy putrid grindhouse spectacle to being an intimate character drama to everything presented through a wry ironic lense where you can't tell if any "bad" performances are all done on purpose. Between this, Brain Damage (1988), and Frankenhooker (1990), there is literally absolutely no reason why Frank Henenlotter shouldn't be more popular than Stuart Gordon, Brian Yuzna, and Lloyd Kaufman *combined*. It's tragic that the world of cinema being enclosed and captured by studios again in the late 1980's prevented us from getting more from him, but realistically could we ask anymore than what we already got from Basket Case? I could watch this every day and never grow tired of it. I will never stop making more and more people watch this.

If Basket Case is the apex of 1980's horror, then Messiah of Evil is the same for 1970's horror. This is one of the most efficient horror films ever made in how not a single frame is wasted, the opening scene is literally a guy running from unseen force, seeking refuge, getting his throat slit, cue title card with synth music that then leads us to a sunburnt hallway as our narrator descends into acceptance of complete lack of control of the situation. Every night shot in this film must be 50 - 75% completely black with whatever headlight or store front there is just making the scenery look like a dollhouse that our characters are trapped inside. There's so many shots of people running away or walking down streets that make them look tiny as the camera is so far.

Every scene is an exercise in building up dread. There's no point where the film relents, something awful is not only coming, it's already here and there's nothing anyone can do. What I love particularly is that the mystery being laid out doesn't offer any answers because there's another mystery on top of what our characters find out only too late. Layers upon layers of dread that even the titular Messiah of Evil isn't the center of. The world is a cruel fucking place where this film languishes in obscurity whilst shit like The Exorcist enjoys mainstream attention. A lot of my taste amounts to "why isn't this thing I like more popular" and cases like Messiah of Evil vindicate me.

"Godzilla is the son of the atomic bomb. He is a nightmare created out of the darkness of the human soul. He is the sacred beast of the apocalypse." - Tomoyuki Tanaka

Generally a yearly trend is that a #1 pick for Halloween is self-evident to me and this year it was Basket Case for all of 30 seconds until I picked Godzilla back up.

There's something to be said how Godzilla isn't quite a horror monster? Terrifying but not necessarily creepy, but what power do things that go bump in the night have against the destruction of everything you know? Everytime I watch Godzilla is like the very first time, when flashing lights out at sea destroy fishing ships I have no idea what happened, or at least any much of a clue as anyone in film does when we're told that the entire ocean exploded.

Godzilla is a reptile, but lacks scales and its entire body is coated in keloid scars. In 1954 Godzilla must have been the largest monster every committed to film, trains are derailed from running against its ankle and bell and radio towers are throttled for being a sensory inconvenience. Godzilla's first on-screen appearance on Odo Island is obscured by a hurricane but the impression is clear; you can't fight Godzilla in the same way you can't fight a natural disaster. When Tokyo is reduced to complete ruin amidst a sea of flames, it's an onslaught of destruction never before seen in a film of this genre. Survivors being afflicted with radiation poisoning shows that Godzilla will claim victims long after being driven back to sea.

There's a sheer apocalyptic dread to all of this sensed by all the characters. Love tries to exist on the edge of annihilation. There's nothing that can be done but persevere and maybe hope tomorrow will be better. A scene that always strikes me is when Serizawa is adamant about not using the Oxygen Destroyer until forcibly confronted with the results of one night of Godzilla making landfall in Japan. The absolute pain felt by everyone in the finale starts here, things couldn't play out any differently as the "scientist of the century" can't join in and celebrate his victory.

Godzilla is a rare perfect film. I will never tire of it.

#long post

25 notes · View notes

mixedkid-matchup · 1 year

Text

Redo: FIRST SECOND THIRD PLACE

disclaimer: redo SOLELY because i forgot to make it week and not because i personally was unhappy with results. sorry for any confusion btw

#👍🏼#mixed matchup tag #poll #polls #tumblr bracket #tumblr competition #final countdown #inuyasha #iy #miles morales #spider man #spiderman #atsv #itsv #across the spiderverse #into the spider verse #spock #st #star trek

83 notes · View notes

twistedtummies2 · 2 years

Text

The Devils I Know - Number 25

Welcome to “The Devils I Know!” For this spooky time of year, from now till Halloween, I’ll be counting down My Top 31 Depictions of the Devil, from movies, television, video games, and more! Today’s Devil is a Marvel to behold. Number 25 is…Mephisto, from Marvel Comics

It stands to reason that comic book superheroes would have to face the Devil at some point. In fact, throughout both DC and Marvel comics, just to name two, there have multiple demons and devil-like characters throughout their many series and issues. We’ll get to DC’s chief Devil in the future, but for now, let’s focus on Marvel’s arch-ruler of Hell: Mephisto.

Now, I’m going to be up front and honest…I haven’t really read very many comics with Mephisto. Again, I’m actually not that well-versed in comics THEMSELVES, I mostly know things about characters from other media. And unfortunately, Mephisto is one of those characters who hasn’t necessarily been treated that great in other media: he’s never shown up in any TV shows properly (somewhat surprisingly), and so far the only movies he’s been in were the two Ghost Rider films starring Nicolas Cage. And while both of those takes on the character were played by good actors (Peter Fonda for the first, Ciaran Hinds for the latter), neither picture did the character any favors. Although I DO want to say that Fonda’s Devil in the first film was, for me, the best part of a generally bad movie. Well…him and the Spiderbait cover of the song “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” but that’s another story. The character has had some better success in video games – perhaps most notably “Marvel: Ultimate Alliance” and the “Marvel vs. Capcom” series – but ultimately, it’s the comics where he shines most, and I just haven’t read many of those. HOWEVER, based on the ones I HAVE read, it’s really a shame Mephisto hasn’t popped up in more places, because he’s honestly one of the most fiendish villains Marvel has ever had. Intricately tied to the origins of Ghost Rider, and a frequent nemesis of Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and the Silver Surfer alike, Mephisto is one of the most impactful adversaries in the comics themselves. He is the classic Devil, so to speak: a vengeful and devious creature of fire and spite who loves to tempt mortals to the dark side, offering them wonderful things for a terrible price. Perhaps his most infamous appearance so far, outside of Ghost Rider, was the highly controversial storyline “One More Day,” in which Peter Parker (of all people) made a deal with Mephisto to alter all of space and time…and if you thought things went badly when he tried something like that in the movie “No Way Home” with Doctor Strange, you ain’t seen NOTHIN’ unless you read that storyline. Seriously, Peter, that was…a really, REALLY bad decision, I’m not backing you up there. Nope. Controversial stories aside, it really is a shame Mephisto hasn’t shown up in more stuff, because with what I’ve read, he’s a very fun and delightfully scheming version of the Devil, as well as an incredibly powerful adversary. He was actually able to very nearly beat FREAKING GALACTUS in one story, I’m not joking. He’d be higher on the list, if I just had more familiarity than I already do with his comic book portrayal. As for DC’s Devil…well…again, that’s another story.

Tomorrow, the countdown continues with Number 24! HINT: “One of these things is not like the others.”

#top 31 devils #the devils i know #number 25 #october special #halloween advent calendar #countdown #list #fiction #comics #marvel #mephisto #ghost rider #spider-man

9 notes · View notes

bexorok · 13 days

Text

Ideas I have for Rouge and Amy if they’re in the next movie because I’m so normal about this (and I really wanted to share them with @welcome-to-green-hills )

Rouge:

- word traveled fast through the galaxy back to Mobius that the master emerald and chaos emeralds were found on earth, and that’s the opportunity of a lifetime for a world renowned treasure hunter like Rouge 👀

- This gives her a reason to go to earth in the first place and have it narratively make since

- she and team dark (Shadow, Stone, Robotnik) coincidentally find a chaos emerald at the same time

- A fight scene ensues before Robotnik convinces her to join them. She helps him find the chaos emeralds, and she can have the master emerald when it’s all said and done

- Unlike Knuckles, Rouge doesn’t have quite the same moral compass. She definitely has some standards, but for the most part she’s willing to do what it takes to get what she wants. She also isn’t as easy to manipulate, and figures that Robotnik will most likely back stab her at some point

- She sees that shadow is different though. She’s the first person to really get close to him, and she realizes that he’s angry and set on revenge, but he shares some of her own moral standards (ex: in sa2 shadow saves rouge when she’s trapped on an island that’s about to explode when he could have left her behind)

- She’s the closest thing to a friend Shadow has at the time

- When the countdown to the Ark colliding with earth starts, she’s the first one on team dark to get on board with an alliance

- She’s also the most upset about Shadows sacrifice (besides Sonic) and shares the guilt that she couldn’t help him

- Afterwards, she becomes an agent set on dismantling GUN once and for all

- She still operates by her own rules, but the Sonic gang still sees her as a valuable ally (and even potentially a friend)

- Bonus points if she flirts with knuckles and it goes right over his head

Amy:

- Rouge wasn’t the only one that heard about the master emerald being found

- I think that it would be cool if there was a linage of hedgehogs that could control the power of the chaos emeralds without being corrupted or having to use the master emerald

- This is important to Amy, as she sees it as part of her own heritage. She’s learned the legends of how their power works, the history behind the war of the echidnas and owls, etc.

- To connect to her character in the games, I think that fortune reading could also be an important aspect of her heritage

- She isn’t sure at first if she should go to earth to seek out the emeralds, until one day she receives a fortune that someone related to the emeralds would need her help

- She goes to earth looking for whoever might be connected to the emeralds, and she doesn’t have to look long. By the time she gets to earth every news station is reporting on how an “alien hedgehog” had been arrested and is in government custody, and she’s like “that’s probably the guy that needs help”

- She breaks into the prison at the same time Tails and Knuckles are breaking in (Que the Spider-Man pointing meme)

- She just has to simplify it down to “long story, but I’m here to help” because she still doesn’t exactly know what she’s supposed to help with

- Breaks down the prison walls with her hammer, earning instant credit with Knuckles

- Sonic makes a comment along the lines of “what is it with random people showing up saying they’re here to help me???”

- She fits the team dynamic perfectly and banters with them naturally

- Bonus points if there’s awkward flirting and pining between her and Sonic

- She becomes the main source of information on the emeralds, as most of Mobius though the legends were just myths

- She’s the first on team Sonic to realize that there’s more to Shadow than they initially believed

- Sonic definitely sympathized with him, but Amy is the first to discover the extent of what happened. I’m thinking she discovers a security tape on the Ark raid and is able to hear what Shadow promised to Maria

- She realizes that Shadow had forgotten the promise because all he could remember was the moment Maria died in front of him and nothing leading up to it (cries)

- After she reunites with Sonic (post being shot via space capsule) he realizes that he can’t stop the Ark on his own and would need Shadow to help, as he’s the only other person who can use the emeralds power, but he confides in her that he doesn’t know if he can convince him

- This is Amy’s moment to shine. She tells him the way she sees how he never gives up, that she admires that he can always see the best in people and bring them together, including how he helped bring herself, Tails, and Knuckles together, and that if Shadow would rally behind anyone, it was him

- That’s when she realizes that her fortune wasn’t just about helping Sonic, it was about helping Shadow

- She races off to find Shadow and tells Sonic to “just find the emeralds and meet up” with them

- She finally confronts Shadow in her big speech, not just about giving humanity a chance, but encouraging him to remember what he said to Maria

- “I know it must hurt to think of her. It must be awful to remember what happened, and it’s tearing you apart. But remembering our lives with the ones we’ve lost is how we honor them. Please, try to remember what happened before the end”

- That’s when his repressed memories finally return, after he finally lets himself think of her. Their life together, them dancing in the hallways, them laughing together, them drawing together, them looking out over the earth together.

- And the scene we’ve all been waiting for. He’s trapped in the space capsule, unable to get out. Maria tells him how much she wishes she could go with him, but she couldn’t survive on earth. She makes him promise that he’ll give humanity a chance, to explore earth and protect it, and most importantly, to give the people of earth the same hope he’d given her (*crying*) and of course, that he’s her brother and she loves him (😭😭😭)

- Then, the inevitable. Before she can pull the leaver, a soldier walks in and commands her to step away. She uses every ounce of courage to defy him and pull the leaver, only for the sound of a shot to ring out as the camera cuts to shadow, witnessing the moment it happened before he’s shot into space

- Amy was right, it hurts to finally confront those memories, but it finally gives him the clarity he needs. He thanks her before rushing to meet Sonic and make good on his promise

- She’s also absolutely distraught when Shadow doesn’t make it back to the Ark

- Afterwards, I think she would decide to become a permanent member of team Sonic, inspired both by Sonic and Shadows act of heroism

- It would be neat if Rachel took a liking to her and decided to take her in. I know a lot of people imagine if Shadow survived she would take him in, but I think it’s more likely he would choose to be alone for a while, and I think Rachel would have a soft spot for Amy as she reminds her of JoJo.

- JoJo is of course excited that her mom has accepted these quirky little aliens as part of her family, and even more excited when they decide to move to Green Hills to be closer to them :)

- Amy is just as excited to be an older sister figure and to have a part in their family

Sorry this was so long, once I started writing the ideas just kept coming and I couldn’t stop typing

#sonic #sonic 3 #sonic movie #sonic movie 3

13 notes · View notes