Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

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So I've decided to share the contributions I made to that RPG.net thread I mentioned in the opening post. Hopefully you guys will enjoy them as much as the rpg.net guys seem to.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

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Crazetopher David Blazing the 3rd, known to friend, foe and odd acquaintance alike simply as Crazy Dave, was in his garden when one of said friends pulled up into his driveway. That said friend was a sentient time traveling hybrid of several vehicles (most notably a 50s sports car and an RV) didn't seem to phase Dave in the slightest. Then again, Dave had been the one to build her.

"User Dave," Penny, the aforementioned friendly true hybrid vehicle said. "I regret to inform you that a new crisis has arisen.

Dave looked up from the Twin Sunflower he'd been feeding, both of the flower's faces looking up at Dave with a warm smile. A literally warm smile, as the plant was radiating warm, soothing light that strengthened the surrounding plants.

Dave made an interrogative series of grunts and mutterings.

"Thankfully, it is not your Evil Twin."

Another series of grunts, this time slightly more agitated.

"Your taco supply remains entirely intact."

Dave made a very relieved grunt, but followed it up with another set of inquisitive mutterings.

"There have been reports of attacks on innocent people. Not by zombies this time, but by plants."

A lout grunt of disbelieve, followed by a series of gibberish even Penny struggled to decipher.

"All of our plants are accounted for. These evil plants appear to be entirely new creations from someone else."

Dave pondered for a moment, then muttered a question.

"The plants in question seem to lack the variety you have come up with. In fact, they appear to be composed entirely of . . . for lack of a better term . . . Killer Tomatoes."

Dave's eyes widened in shock, then made a single, solitary grunt.

"Gangreen? You are familiar with the person behind this attack, User Dave?"

A resigned, sad sigh, followed by more grunts.

"So this . . . Professor? . . . Doctor? Gangreen is some kind of mad scientist?"

Dave made a sharp, loud garble of sounds that so animated his face that it appeared to grow larger for a moment.

"Angry Scientist. I see. Regardless User Dave, it appears that this Gangreen is launching his own attacks with these . . . killer tomatoes. And it appears only we can stop him."

Dave nodded his head, reaching over to pick a long handled pot resting near him. Dumping out the plant food he'd had in it, he placed the pot atop his head, wearing it like a helmet, before standing resolutely.

And made a single, heroic grunt.

Plants vs Zombies vs The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

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Jim West was certain that, if he had a few moments to think, he’d be able to recall a time when he was in deeper trouble than he was now. It was just unlikely that he’d get those moments.

At present, he and his partner in justice, Artemus Gordon, were standing in the center of a forgotten ghost town that a gang of criminals had been using as a base to raid the surrounding territories. More specifically, Jim and Arty were standing on the town’s gallows, hands tied behind their backs and nooses hung around their necks. A hooded man stood next to them with a hand on the lever that would introduce them to a short drop with a quick stop.

Not that the man’s hooded mask made him stand out against the rest of the thirty or so other men crowded around the gallows. The Hooded Raiders were so named due to the concealing face masks that made them impossible to identify. Each of them wore identical clothing of black, military style coats, gloves, grey pants and black boots. They also each wore a cavalry saber and a pistol on their belts. The men seemed to have been selected for their similar builds as well, because it was basically impossible to tell one man from the other.

One of the men in particular stood apart from the rest, looking up at the two government agents. While the mask concealed his features, the sheer pleasure in his voice let Jim and Arty vividly imagine the face-splitting grin the man had to have.

“I can’t thank you both enough for this opportunity, gentlemen.” The man’s voice oozed oily refinement. “You’re about to make us all very wealthy men. Our leader’s had his eyes on troublemakers like yourself. Sanctimonious do-gooder types that can’t help but poke their noses into other people’s business. Getting rid of people like you means a nice reward for guys like us.”

“And here I thought you were the man in charge,” Jim said with a tilt of his head. “You certainly talk like you are.”

“An easy mistake, Jim my boy,” Arty said with a shrug. “These types love to hear themselves talk. Feeds that ego, you know. Makes them feel important.”

Even through the mask, the pair knew the masked man was no longer smiling.

“Still,” Jim continued, “if you aren’t the man in charge, who is?”

The masked leader snorted beneath his mask. “Tempting, but no. Even in victory, if my master found out I’d let slip anything, it’d be my hide. I’m sorry gentlemen, but you go to your graves in ignorance.” The oil was back in his voice, as was the smile. “Speaking of-“

“BOSS!”

The masked leader rolled his eyes and turned to see a trio of identical masked men walking forward, dragging a third man with them. Well, dragged was perhaps the wrong word. Though two of the masked raiders gripped the fourth man by the arms, their prisoner meekly and calmly walked with them without putting up any resistance. He was Chinese, dressed in simple, ragged clothes, and had the kind of calm demeanor that reminded the masked leader of particularly pious clergymen.

“We found this guy sneaking around the buildings near the edge of town,” one of the men said. “He didn’t have nothing on him. No guns, not even a knife. Think he’s some kind of beggar?”

“Out here? Don’t be stupid,” the masked leader said, walking over to the captured man. “He’s too healthy for a beggar. Just from where you’re grabbing him I can see his arms are all whipcord muscle. So tell me, stranger, who the blazes are you?”

The prisoner looked at the mask man with eyes so calm they made the leader uncomfortable. “My name is Kwai Chang Caine. I am here to save your lives.”

The masked leader drew his saber in one smooth motion, holding the tip of the blade scant centimeters from Caine’s throat. “Are you threatening me, boy?”

Caine shook his head. “No. I do not wish to threaten or harm anyone. But I did witness the damage you did to one town. I became aware of men that wished to pursue you and bring you to justice. I had hoped to convince you to surrender to them peacefully.”

The masked man laughed. “Surrender? To them? Mr. Caine, all you’ve done is won yourself a spot next to them on the gallows. What possible danger are two soon to be dangling corpses to me?”

“Even in a cage, a tiger only ceases to be a tiger when it is dead,” Caine said simply. “The two tigers you have caged will remind you of their natures the moment they are freed. But you misunderstand. These two are not the men pursuing you.”

“No, that’d be me and my friend.”

The voice that spoke was strong, not so much loud as it was powerful, as if somehow reaching every man’s ear with the same volume, no matter how far away they were from the speaker. The speaker in question seemed to have materialized from out of nowhere in the door of the town’s saloon, shadows covering much of his form. But even in the shadows, his distinctive white hat, powdered blue outfit and black mask were impossible to miss.

The Lone Ranger took two steps out from the shadows, standing boldly before assembled hooded raiders. The majority of the raiders instinctively took two steps back.

“Are you certain you don’t wish to surrender?” Caine asked again.

In a flash, the masked leader swung his saber away from Caine, pointed it at the Ranger like an accusing finger. “KILL HIM!”

Over a dozen hands went for their guns. In the space between reaching for their guns and starting to draw them from their holsters, a number of things happened.

First, Caine kicked the saber out of the lead Raider’s hand, sending it flipping towards the gallows.

Second, the Lone Ranger drew his own gun, and with a pair of quick shots, sent two bullets through the ropes dangling above Jim and Arty’s heads, severing them.

Third, Tonto burst through the window of a nearby building, tackling four Raiders from behind, slamming them all into the ground.

And finally, Jim and Artemus finished slipping free of their wrist bonds via concealed knives in their sleeves. Arty caught the saber Caine had sent his way out of the air, giving it a flourish as Jim punched the Raider on the deck with them. Jim followed it up with a second punch, smoothly used his other hand to slip the Raider’s gun from his holster, while with the same motion kicked the Raider off of the stage. A quick glance at Arty confirmed his partner was ready, and Jim pulled the leaver, opening the doors under their feet and dropping them to the ground beneath the gallows.

What followed next was a battle that anyone watching would have described as “epic”. The Raiders outnumbered the heroes 6 to 1. But before most of them even managed to get their weapons free, several were unconscious, disarmed, or bleeding. By the time the fight began in earnest, the heroes had disabled several more men.

The Lone Ranger’s hands moved like liquid moonlight, flashes of silver leaving men disarmed and injured, but alive. Tonto brandished his hunting knife and kept the fight to close quarters, but honoring his friend’s code by disabling his opponents rather than killing them. Kwai Chang Caine flowed through the battle like the wind, and everywhere he went, men were thrown about as if by a tornado. Artemus used this rare opportunity to put his fencing skills to the test, blades clashing with multiple men who had to give ground even as he cut their numbers down with precise, disabling hits. And finally, Jim West traded punches and lead in equal measure, but in the spirit of the men who had rescued him, Jim worked to keep his opponents alive, if not precisely whole.

Within minutes, every one of the Raiders was on the ground in some flavor of unconscious, sporting some combination of cuts bullet holes, bruises and broken bones. But they all lived.

“I can’t thank you three enough for pulling our fats out of the fire,” Jim said as he holstered his borrowed gun.

“It was my pleasure, Mr. West,” The Lone Ranger said with a tip of his hat. “Though to be fair, you two weren’t far off from escaping yourselves when we showed up.”

“True,” Artemus said with a grin. “But the fight would have lasted longer, been harder, and a lot bloodier. Not to mention the risk to my dashing good looks. You gentlemen spared us a lot of grief.”

Caine bowed his head in acceptance, but otherwise said nothing.

Tonto finished cleaning his knife and re-sheathed it. “The battle is won, but this is not truly finished.” He gave the Ranger a knowing look.

The Ranger nodded in return. “You’re right. All that talk of someone higher up running things means there’s still work that needs doing. Given all of the other strangeness that’s turned up in recent months, this is larger than just some gang of thugs with ugly masks. We need to get moving.”

Jim nodded. “I agree. We do.”

Everyone turned to Jim, but only Artemus spoke. “Something on your mind, Jim?”

“Just this. There is something out there. We might have been able to handle this small piece of it ourselves. But the whole thing might be beyond any one or two of us. Maybe we should consider maintaining this alliance til this country is truly safe.”

The Ranger and Tonto traded looks. Somehow, those simple glances conveyed an entire conversation’s worth of meaning, and both men nodded in agreement. The Ranger turned to Jim and Artemus and said, “Until this country is truly safe. We’re with you.”

All eyes turned to Caine. After a moment, the former monk spoke. “This country speaks of many high ideals, and makes many promises of opportunity and happiness. It does not always live up to those ideals. Many people are denied that opportunity and happiness, often for unjust reasons.”

Caine paused for a moment, then continued. “But the potential to live up to those ideals exists. And the only way it can reach that potential is if it is given the time to do so.” He inclined his head respectfully to the other four men. “I will help you.”

Jim’s grin spread across his features. “I think this is one for the history books, gentlemen.”


Legends of the West


Starring:

Clayton Moore as The Lone Ranger

Jay Silverheels as Tonto

Robert Conrad as James West

Ross Martin as Artemus Gordon

Bruce Lee as Kwai Chang Caine
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

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There was an idea I had where Superman and the original Captain Marvel were just hanging out and chatting, when Mister Mxyzptlk pops up to start annoying Superman. Myx lets out a little shriek of horror when he sees Cap, who just grins at the 5-D Imp before the latter intentionally says his name backwards and teleports home. Superman raises an eyebrow at Cap, who shrugs and says that one time Myx showed up in Fawcett, saying he wanted to try a few different flavors of superhero, see how they compared to Superman. And he decided to go with someone he specifically called "Superman-lite".

Well, Cap agreed, but made Myx promise that the Imp couldn't mess with any superheroes he didn't already have a history with until he'd pulled one over on Cap, which Myx agreed to. And unfortunately for Myx, while he's a unique menace to Superman, to Captain Marvel Myx is just another magical being from another dimension. Between the Wisdom of Solomon, Cap's boundless patience, his eternal good humor, a greater resistance to Myx's powers thanks to his magical nature and Cap's experience with magic words, Myx was completely and totally frustrated with Cap at every turn. Cap actually looked forward to Myx showing up because he was more like a puzzle Cap had to solve rather than a villain he needed to thwart.

In the end, Myx just left Cap alone and is utterly terrified of him. And since Myx never managed to "win" a match with Cap, he can't mess with any other superheroes. Eventually Superman stops laughing, ponders a moment, and notes that the way Billy worded the promise meant that Myx could go back to messing with Superman. Billy acknowledges this with an apology, citing that he didn't feel Myx would accept the deal if there wasn't an "escape route" that would let him go back to messing with Clark. Superman just shrugs, admits that Myx helps him rely on his wits rather than his power, and that he'd rather spare anyone else his annoyance. He does ask if Billy wouldn't mind visiting Metropolis a little more often tho. Just in case.

I think I'd make the middle part showcasing Cap's adventure to be EXTRA frustrating for Mxy because everything he did to get on Cap's nerves, Cap would wind up turning into some kind of positive.

Like Myx gets sick of Cap making lemonade out of lemons, so he makes a little kid who was throwing a tantrum into a Godzilla sized creature causing havoc. "Hah, now he'll have to punch out a little kid! Let's see what that does to his approval ratings!" And instead Cap finds out everything he can about the kid, calms him down after speed-creating a giant teddy bear, and convinces the kid to sit still while they draw some blood from him. Turns out the kid has O Negative blood, and the amount they draw from the kid isn't enough to even make him light headed, but it's enough to keep hospitals around the country well stocked with emergency blood for months. And then Cap gets either the Wizard or the Atom to shrink him back down to normal.

It's admittedly fanboyish, but I'd have Cap not only not getting frustrated by Myx, but actually frustrated Myx to the point that Myx wants nothing to do with Cap. To the point I'd almost say that Myx views Cap like some kind of horror movie villain.

"He just never stopped smiling. Never stopped being anything less than perfectly polite and cheerful. Nothing would phase him. I'd hit him with the most childish, infuriating scenarios I could think of, and he just kept going. He'd twist my every action into some kind of gift for his city and then THANK ME FOR IT!"

". . . he never stopped smiling. Dear Dog in Neveah, he never stopped smiling."
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

Post by Ares »

A Captain Marvel/He-Man crossover is something I've wanted for a while. I actually came up with a story idea meant to follow up on the official ThunderCats / Masters of the Universe crossover that was released a few years back (it's really good, highly recommend it), though I made the setting more of a hybrid of the 80s Masters of the Universe and the 2002 MotU series. It also followed up on my own ideas on how to reboot the Marvel Family that brought back the classic Billy, Mary and Freddy but also added a lot of actual diversity to the group, both in terms of sex, race, nationality and superpowers.

In any case, the idea is that after Skeletor's defeat by He-Man and Lion-O in the last crossover, his essence was dispersed into the universe, and to re-form he had to find a strong enough source of evil to act as an anchor. And he found it in Mr. Mind, who at first psychically communicates with the ghostly Skeletor, but then sensing a fellow evil entity, gets Dr. Sivana and Ogarr to pull Skeletor back together. The villains talk, find out they have a similar problem, but come up with a plan.

A few weeks later, Prince Adam is flying home to Eternia on an interstellar spacecraft that he used to visit Earth. He'd done so to try and connect more with his mother's homeworld, and found the place . . . interesting, to say the least. But when he starts receiving messages from his homeland, he flies back immediately, only to see the place damaged and his friends all in different stages of injury. Adam is concerned, but that concern turns to anger, stating that Skeletor must have returned, and he's gone too far this time. Adam is then told that it wasn't Skeletor, it was someone calling himself Captain Marvel.

A few days later on Earth, Captain Marvel returns home after a mission in another dimension, only to find Fawcett City damaged and the Marvel Family all injured. He takes them to their shared compound, and watches the news footage of what happened. A person named He-Man showed up, demanding that Captain Marvel answer for his crimes. The footage then shows the Marvel Family showing up, and soon a fight breaks out, with He-Man leaving the Marvels beaten and broken. He then tells the news crews that Captain Marvel can find him on the planet Eternia.

Now, Billy is normally a paragon of restraint and patience. But there's a very old pain in his heart, and that's the fact that he lost his parents and sister while he was somewhere else. Even if he logically knows he likely would have just died with his parents, a part of him would rather have died with them than let them die without at least trying to save them.

So the surest and swiftest way to make Billy really, REALLY angry, is to harm his family while he's not there.

In no time at all, Captain Marvel is arriving on Eternia, flying around the planet to try and locate He-Man. He-Man meanwhile has had everyone on Eternia watching for Captain Marvel's return. And when he receives word that the Captain has returned, He-Man hops on a Sky-Sled and flies out to face him.

He-Man catches up to Cap over a place called the Stones of Silence, a mountainous and rocky region where the rocks actually absorb sound (possibly Vibranium?) In any case, the lack of sound means the two can't communicate, and so a fight begins in earnest. The two are soon tearing up the landscape in an epic battle, and even when they get to a point where they can talk, the two are so into the battle that the don't bother trying to talk things out. Eventually it reaches a point where it's clear that the two are very evenly matched, so Cap tries the "Get He-Man in a bear-hug and hit him with the magic lightning" trick. He-Man sees the lightning coming and manages to get his Power Sword up in time. The lightning hits the sword and there's a massive explosion, and the sword is sent flying off the side of a cliff.

When the smoke clears, we're left with Billy Batson and Prince Adam (the younger, slimmer version from the 2002 series), and they're both confused. Billy says his magic word . . . and nothing happens. The two finally calm down a bit and talk to each other . . . and realize they've been played.

We then get an issue where the villains reveal what happened. The Captain Marvel that attacked Eternia? Black Adam under an illusion cast over him by Evil-Lyn. The He-Man that attacked Fawcett City? Skeletor's Faker, but with some enhancements by Dr. Sivana and Mr. Mind. After that, all it took was hurting the other person's friends and family enough to make the heroes enraged. Billy and Adam have two of the biggest hearts in fiction, and seeing their loved ones hurt is the surest way to anger them.

The combined forces of Skeletor's Evil Warriors and Mr. Mind's Monster Society of Evil (Monster Society of Evil Warriors?) then prepare the next part of their plan. See, between Mr. Mind and Skeletor, the pair have figured out that Castle Greyskull actually has some link to the Rock of Eternity (maybe hint at a connection between the Wizard Shazam and the original Elders that created Greyskull and the Power Sword), and if they can capture Greyskull, not only will they have access to its power, but have access to the Rock of Eternity, which is not only more power but also a gateway to the entire multiverse.

So we get a scene of the combined forces of Evil laying siege to Castle Greyskull, and a lot of fun would be had with villains on both sides receiving upgrades from the other. King Kull and Ibac are given Eternian Style armor and weapons, Mr. Atom gets some Eternian technology upgrades, Ogarr gets some magical gear, etc. On the flip side, Dr. Sivana and Mr. Mind upgrades the various vehicles and machines the Evil Forces use, including upgrading the old Hover Robots with Mr. Atom tech. Mr. Mind is actually piloting the Faker robot, while Dr. Sivana pilots a modified Spydor.

Meanwhile the Marvel Family has arrived on Eternia, and actually managed to talk things through with the Masters of the Universe, realizing something is up. The heroes are alerted by both the Sorceress and Shazam that Castle Greyskull is under attack and it must be defended, so everyone heads off to engage the villains. I'd make it clear that the combined Marvel Family/Masters of the Universe team would have a solid chance of winning against the villains, but since most of the heroes are still injured from their previous beatings and the villains are sharing resources, it's a losing battle.

While the heroes fight, Cringer, Orko, Mr. Tawney and Uncle Duddley go in search of Adam and Billy.

Back with Adam and Billy, the two apologize to each other and realize they need to find the Power Sword. They have to work together to survive Eternia's dangerous environment, but show how clever, brave and resourceful they are, especially together. The pair are eventually found by Cringer, Orko, Mr. Tawney and Uncle Duddley, and together they all find the Power Sword, which is glowing with magic lightning. The pair of young men both hold the sword together, and say their transformation phrases at the same time. Magic lightning strikes, and when it clears, He-Man and Captain Marvel are back.

He-Man then transforms Cringer into Battle Cat . . . and then also transforms Mr. Tawney into a Masters of the Universe-style heroic warrior. The heroes then all return to the battle, where Oroko and Uncle Duddley use some cleverness to take down some of the villains. It's an epic battle of good versus evil that ends with the heroes triumphant, and the forces of evil fleeing.

The Marvel Family stick around to help repair Eternia, and everyone has some nice bonding moments. Prince Adam and Billy share a moment talking, and shake hands while over them, the images of their alter egos mirror the handshake.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mind wakes up in a strange location. During the battle the Faker Robot exploded, and one of the Hover Robots picked Mr. Mind up to escape. Only the Hover Robot wasn't one of Skeletors.

Stepping from the shadows, Hordak reveals himself, and laughs at Mr. Mind and Skeletor's bumbling attempt at conquest. Hordak will show them how it's REALLY done.

Cue set up for a sequel crossover between 80s/unused 2002 MotU She-Ra and Mary Marvel.

* * *

Another story that might be fun would be a He-Ro/Shazam crossover, seeing a story with the two younger men from a time before the histories of their respective worlds learn to be heroes together. Maybe even expand it to include Light Hope from She-Ra, tying all three of them together, the three of them gaining vast mystical powers to protect their worlds. The three must then leave to their respective worlds, but their time together shaped all three into who they would become.

Shazam would serve as Champion of Earth until such time as to empower Captain Marvel.

He-Ro would serve as Protector of Eternia, eventually forging the Power Sword and forming the

Light Hope would eventually serve as Guardian of Etheria, and would later be chosen by the First Ones to watch over the Crystal Castle and act as mentor to She-Ra.

I do like the idea of teaming up Captain Marvel Junior with another hero, and after doing some reading I see that there are actually TWO He-Ro's , the one from the ancient past and the one you likely meant, the son of He-Man.

I'm honestly not sure what I'd want to do with Freddy. A He-Man/Captain Marvel story is gold. A She-Ra/Mary Marvel story is a natural follow up. Unfortunately there's no official third franchise for Freddy to team up with on his how. The Netflix She-Ra series is so divorced from the main MotU franchises and adaptations as to basically be it's own thing with a familiar coat of paint, so it might work . . . but I'm not a fan of that series, so I'd pass on that.

Honestly, I kind of want to do something where Freddy maybe has an adventure with some of the other side characters like Glimmer, Orko and the like. Maybe use Freddy and the other Marvel Family members I wanted to introduce to explore what the other heroes do when He-Man, She-Ra, Cap and Mary aren't around, and have them handle their problems themselves. Maybe even have to have them rescue He-Man, She-Ra, Cap and Mary from danger and get to be the heroes for a change.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

Post by Ares »

And speaking of He-Man (as I just did . . . for a REALLY long while there . . . ) I have to say I was disappointed with the whole "He-Man and the Masters of the Multiverse" crossover. The idea of a crossover between the various He-Man franchises that have existed over the years is a fantastic one. A series like that should have been a love-letter to the franchise as a whole, celebrating what made the series so beloved.

In my opinion, it was not. It honestly felt more like a mean-spirited deconstruction of the franchise, with the idea that you could only enjoy it ironically. The main hero is an original version of Keldor, the only "good" version of the character in the entire Multiverse, while an evil version of He-Man goes around killing other He-Men from the Multiverse. And when 80s He-Man shows up, they constantly refer to him as "Annoyingly Chipper He-Man".

No. No, no no no, NO. That is not how you respect a franchise you're allegedly celebrating. This reads like bad fanfiction from someone who wants to have their own self-insert be the hero.

To try and put a good fanfiction spin on the idea, this would be more like a crossover between established versions of He-Man. We'd actually have the different He-Men coming together as a team to deal with some menace, there'd be a lot of dimension hopping, exploring each others worlds, showcasing what made them similar, what made them different, and what made them all fun. They'd include:

Pre-Filmation Mini-Comics He-Man: The He-Man from the original mini-comics who was a much more Conan-style character, and where Skeletor was actually the vanguard of an entire race of Lovecraftian skeleton men, hoping to use Castle Greyskull as a way to enter Eternia. This He-Man is overall less powerful than some of the other He-Men, but is possibly the best fighter, and he has a lot of barbarian/ranger/outdoorsman skills that come in handy.

Filmation He-Man: Filmation He-Man is the most widely known version of the character, and would function essentially as the Superman of the team. In terms of raw strength he's almost unmatched. But more important than his power is his leadership skills and moral center. While the other He-Men all are good, noble individuals, Filmation He-Man is a paragon of virtue, morality and self-control. When times are tough, all can turn to him for strength and inspiration.

Post-Filmation Mini-Comics He-Man: This He-Man is based on the mini-comics after the Filmation series, where more was done to incorporate elements of the cartoon. This version also was the one that incorporated a lot features from the Action Figures, since they had to sell the toys as well. This He-Man's baseline power is comparable to the Pre-Filmation, but he has the ability to change his powers at will, Kamen Rider style, into one of the action figure variants to gain different abilities. Thunder Punch mode gives him access to a stronger punch than even Filmation He-Man. Battle Armor mode makes him more durable than anyone else. Flying Fists gives him great speed and fighting ability, as well as a shield that can reflect attacks. Laser Power gives him a reliable ranged attack. This He-Man's strength comes his versatility and ability to adapt to a situation.

Live-Action Movie He-Man: This He-Man is based off of the Live Action film, and is physically the weakest He-Man of the bunch, explained by the fact that the magic of his Eternia is weaker than the rest. While his sword does have power, this He-Man is actually just a Prince Adam who trained himself to Conan/Captain America levels of human perfection and took the name He-Man as a title in his war against Skeletor. But because of his lack of power, he's had to rely on skill, training and tactics. He's at least as good a fighter as the Pre-Filmation Comic He-Man, possibly better, and has a wider range of skills than the other He-Men, being an expert tactician, strategist, some technological skills, and he carries a more diverse array of weapons, including a gun, grenades and so forth. This He-Man is basically the Batman of the group, or a hybrid of Barbarian, Ranger and Rogue.

New Adventures of He-Man: This He-Man is from the animated series set in the future. In terms of physical might, this He-Man is about on par the two Mini-Comics versions. But whereas the others either have more flexible skills or power transformations, this He-Man's sword has an incredibly diverse range of abilities, able to manipulate magical energies with much more control than the others. While still a solid fighter and physically powerful, he winds up serving more as "the mage" of the group. He also has access to the highest technology.

2002 He-Man: This He-Man is based off of the 2002 series. He's actually roughly on par with Filmation He-Man in terms of strength and power, being very similar to him in most respects. His big difference is that his Prince Adam is younger than the others, and on some level he's actually relieved to have other He-Men around. On his own world, the burden of being He-Man forced Adam to act more maturely when powered up. With other He-Men to take charge, he's more likely to crack jokes, be impulsive and enjoy himself.

Part of the fun would be seeing how these six heroes play off each other and how they respond to each others worlds. Pre-Filmation and Movie He-Man would likely bond over the fact that neither of them returns to a Prince Adam identity, and would spend a lot of time sparring. Movie He-Man and New Adventures He-Man would likely bond over their knowledge of technology. 2002 He-Man might confide in Filmation He-Man that, being the youngest, he feels like he's the least worthy of the bunch to be here, that he worries about mistakes he'll make, and how he isn't sure he can live up to the legacy of these other heroes. Filmation He-Man and Post-Filmation He-Man might talk about how similar their lives are, yet how different as well, since their universes are the most similar.

There'd also likely be an instance where the heroes get separated and are on the wrong world, and they have to rally the people of there different worlds together, adapt to the situation, reunite with each other after some difficulty and take the fight back to the main villain.

Not sure who the villain would be. I'd want to avoid the Evil He-Man cliche, as well as it just being some alternate version of Skeletor or Hordak. I might look deeper into the He-Man lore for something more obscure, have a threat that feels right for this kind of story.

I don't know, I think there's room for a multiversal He-Man crossover that isn't taking the piss out of older aspects of the franchise.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

Post by Ares »

John Constantine eventually got brought up in the thread, so I made a confession: I don't like John Constantine.

Originally I just didn't care for the guy, which is odd because I got exposed to him during the 90s. The idea of a trench coat detective dealing with occult stuff is a cool concept, but John's attitude and actions just kept me from liking the guy. It naturally makes more sense when you realize my favorite characters are guys like Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Fist, Kamen Rider Kuuga, Chang/Zhang Wuji, etc. But I didn't really dislike John because he was doing his own thing.

It really clicked when I discovered the Dresden Files series of books, because Harry Dresden basically had all the elements of John I liked, but with a personality I could actually appreciate and sympathize with. Harry Dresden is basically the most "asshole" a character can be and still be likeable to me. And also because Michael Carpenter is in that series and should be required reading for anyone who wants to play a Paladin.

Anyway, the point being that while John was mostly off doing his own thing, I didn't care for the guy but I didn't really see a problem with him. It was only after he got brought into the DCU more fully and really started interacting with John that I started to dislike the character.

See, John's whole schtick is that he's "a clever bastard", and he's often written by guys who don't really care for superheroes and who enjoy having an edgy smartass showcase how clever he is by outsmarting other people a lot more powerful than him, and he usually suffers just enough during the process so that the audience doesn't lose all sympathy for him. Even though I often found these writers tended to go with the Jim Starlin "Thanos is a clever bastard" rule of making Thanos look clever; IE they write the other people Thanos/Constantine is up against as acting like an idiot, or doing some massive retcon.

When that's applied to villains in John's own setting, that's perfectly okay. When that's applied to established DC characters, that's when I start to have an actual problem with him. It's a problem some writers have with Batman, where they often make Bruce look smarter at the expense of his fellows heroes looking less intelligent by comparison. With John, other heroes and villains will not only look less clever, they will usually wind up looking stupid and/or getting mocked in the process. Heck, over in the Injustice comic (which I generally don't like for a lot of reasons) John makes Batman look like a complete fool. Over in Future's End, John has a long story where he fights Dr. Fate and it's basically an issue long diatribe about how much Dr. Fate sucks and how John wants to kill Fate more than anyone he's ever met. And then proceeds to kill Dr. Fate by being "a clever bastard".

So, in what I will admit might be a moment of pettiness, I'd want to take John down a peg. Give him a taste of his own medicine.

And to the surprise of no one who has been following this thread for the last week or so, I'd want to use Captain Marvel to do it.

The story would open at Billy's home. My take on Billy is that he had himself legally emancipated, proved himself competent to handle himself, and owns his own home so that any of his enemies that might know his identity will target him alone. So while he's relaxing on a couch reading a book, a wind chime hanging in the room makes a strange noise and there's a loud *THUMP* outside the front door of his home. Billy goes to a nearby window, opens it up and pokes his head out to see John Constantine, flat on his ass, rubbing his head. Billy asks if John was planning to do some "appear mysteriously in my home" bit, which John admits to as he stands up and dusts himself off. John comments the wards around Billy's home are damned impressive, on a level of the Tower of Fate, and that he hadn't expected Billy to take that kind of precaution (the wind chime is a subtle magical alarm, for instance, that let Billy know someone was trying to get in). Billy comments that, even forgiving the various mystical entities that may or may not know his secret, he lives in a world of ghosts, demons, vampires, dark gods and evil sorcerers, and Billy apprentices under one of the oldest, most powerful mystics in existence. Of course his home is warded to Heaven and back. Heck, Billy actually has actually warded as much of the city as he could get permission for in his Captain Marvel identity, which is actually a huge chunk of said city because, well, he's Cap.

In any case, John politely asks to be let inside, which Billy does, on John's promise of good behavior as a guest. John starts to ask for a drink, remembers how old Billy is, and instead just pulls out his own flask. He explains to Billy that there's a problem brewing, two Fae Houses are about to go to war with each other over a particular spot of land, and if it gets too violent it could spill over to surrounding towns and get a lot of people killed. While John is explaining the situation he's mentally perparing a list of ways to coerce Billy's help, only for Billy to nod and say, "Alright, how can I help?" immediately after John is done explaining the situation. John is surprised at first, but then gets a genuine smile and explains his plan. Neither of the Faery Courts care much for John, but he has it on good authority that Captain Marvel is on better terms and can get them an audience. Billy agrees and transforms.

On the trip to the first Fae Lord, John explains that the problem is that the spot in question is seated on a set of ley lines at the border of both of their kingdoms, and rather than go to war over it, the two kingdoms agreed to share it reluctantly. Both of them created an artifact that can tap into the spots power, and split the artifact in two so that neither kingdom can access the power alone. Every year they come together, use the artifact to drain power from the spot, then leave, allowing the spot to recharge. They've been doing this for centuries with no problem, but now both kingdoms are claiming the other stole their half of the artifact to use the item themselves. They're preparing to fight over it and John is hoping Cap can talk them down.

What's really going on is that there's some Evil Eldirch Abomination (EEA) that has discovered the ley line nexus and is planning to use it as an entry point into the Earth dimension. John found out about it and he's the one that stole the artifacts from both kingdoms to get them ready to go to war over the spot. His plan is to get both of the Fae Houses armies in place at the exact time when the EEA will be attempting to enter the Earth realm. The two armies will provide a distraction while John uses the artifact as part of a ritual to use the ley line's energy to destroy the EEA. It'll likely result in most of the Fae Lords dying, but it means the humans in the surrounding areas will most likely survive with minimal deaths. However, to really make the ritual work, he needs another artifact from each kingdom, something he didn't realize when he first broke in. And with security raised, John can't break in like he did before. So his plan is to use Captain Marvel as a distraction during these meetings so that he can go steal the other items he needs to make the ritual work.

When John and Cap show up at the Faery Courts, they receive a warm welcome thanks to Cap's presence, and even John is tolerated because Cap has given his word that John will behave. At both visits, during the meal, Cap explains that he'd like to try and negotiate a peace between the kingdoms. Both lords should bring their armies to the spot to ensure the other side behaves. And before John can sneak off to do his thieving, Cap asks that each kingdom give him something that he will hold onto for the length of the negotiations as a token of trust, good will and impartiality. And the tokens he asks for are exactly the items John was going to steal. John briefly wonders if Cap is on to him, but decides that it's just the Wisdom giving him good diplomacy advice. After all, the kid is too straightforward and trusting to have picked up on John's scheme. John figures he can get the items from Cap and be able to work the spell when he needs.

So the time of the diplomatic meeting arrives, and on their walk to meet with the Fae Lords, Cap clamps a hand on John's shoulder and whispers "So, you've got the artifact on you, right? With an invisibility spell and other wards to keep anyone here from sensing it?" John just about jumps out of his skin, but Cap's hand keeps him in place and from drawing too much attention. "I'll take that as a yes. Anyway, when the creature first shows up, cast a spell like you're attacking it, but really throw the artifact at the monster. After that, just follow my lead."

John wants to ask more questions, but then it's diplomacy time. Cap starts off talking about how these kingdoms have lived in peace for a long time, but not in trust. Up until now it's simply been two sides holding something over the other. That kind of peace cannot last indefinitely. The only kind of peace that truly works is one where both sides view the other as a friend and ally, and sees the benefit of working with each other. Cap goes on to say that he's listened to both kingdoms, and he's sure that neither one of them stole the artifact from the other. For a moment John thinks Cap's about to throw him under the bus, when the EEA bursts up from the ground and starts to attack people. Cap gets everyone in immediate danger out of the way and yells at Constantine to cover him. John realizes what Cap wants and creates the illusion of a fireball spell that covers him chucking the invisible artifact into the creature. Cap flies at the creature, does battle with it, and punches his fist into the spot where John threw the artifact, ripping it out and revealing it to the two Fae Lords.

Both Lords apparently see Cap pull the artifact out of the creature that had somehow obtained it, look to one another, and order their forces to charge the monster and fight together. Cap tosses the artifact to John, telling him to "do something useful with it" while he fights the EEA. The combined forces of the Fae Lords and Cap battle the monster while John works his spell, but thanks to the Fae Knights being organized, fighting together and Cap being there, no one dies. In fact, several times the Fae Lords save one anothers lives, and gain some mutual respect. John is able to use the artifact and the other two items to complete the spell, and the ley line's energies flood into the monster, destroying it completely.

The Fae Lords examine the location, and due to the EEA's influence and the energy drain, it will be centuries before the spot regains it power. Cap comments that the Lords might have gained something more valuable in the process. The Lords turn to each other, smile, and then clasp hands, agreeing with the Captain. The two agree that after the wounded are tended to, peace talks will resume and a new alliance will be formed. They invite Cap and John to stay for the victory celebration, and in turn for his aid, all of John's sins with the Fae are forgiven. When the topic comes up of how the creature got a hold of the artifact, John simply shrugs and says that other dimensional beings have been known to nick items like that to gain access to a world, and the Fae Lords accept that explanation.

Later, when John and Cap have a moment of privacy, John has to admit that he underestimated Billy, and asks how long Billy new the score. Cap says that he knew it from the start, because he and Shazam actually monitor that kind of thing and knew in advance when it was coming. His plan had originally been to let the Fae Lords know what was coming and get them to work with him destroying the creature, but when John mentioned the artifact had been stolen, he suspected John was the thief when John made no mention of trying to find the thief, who would naturally have the artifact. So Cap played along, was as honest as open and honest as possible, engaged in the bare minimum of deception needed to keep the Fae Lords from killing John, and did his best to make sure nobody died.

John congratulates Billy, only for Cap to look at John. At which point John realizes that Cap isn't smiling. Worse, he is visibly angry. John tried to play him for a fool, was not honest with him, and worse, Billy had to be dishonest to two people who trust him, even if said dishonesty was kept to the absolute minimum. All of this could have been avoided if John had just come to Cap first, treated him with respect and was honest about his intentions.

John gets defensive, saying it's easy for Billy to say that. John's just a mortal spellcaster, and not even a really powerful one like Dr. Fate or Zatanna. And he definitely isn't a physical god the way Cap is, nor does he have Cap's spotless reputation. John has to get by on his wits, he's got to use every advantage he can to make sure as few people die as possible, and if that means using people like Billy or these Fae Lords to do it, then he will.

Cap counters that he got his reputation the same way John earned his own: through their actions. People don't trust John because he constantly abuses their trust. He has to trick them to get their help because he never asks for it openly and honestly. If John is in a hole, it's one that he not only dug himself, it's one he continues to dig even now. And John's lack of power is due solely to the fact that he spends more time trying to figure out how to be a clever bastard than he does trying to complete his training. But he'd rather take shortcuts to get things done because he doesn't want to invest the time and work into it.

In the end, Cap acknowledges that John has done some good for the world and helped a lot of people. But he also acknowledges that John's need to outsmart other people isn't just necessity, it's John's ego needing to prove he's a clever bastard. Why bother being honest when trickery will get you similar results and show off how much smarter you are than the other guy in the process?

Cap tells John to look him in the eye and tells him to deny that part of the reason he uses trickery and deceit the way he does is because he enjoys how it feels to prove that he's smarter than the other guy. And John can't deny it.

"And that's the problem John. It's one thing to be in a tough situation and having to use your wits and your resources to figure a way out. It's another when you treat people like disposable pawns just to showcase how good a chessmaster you are. That's not being clever. That's just being a jerk."

And somehow, Cap manages to make "jerk" sound like the most harsh criticism possible.

Cap turns to leave, and despite himself, John manages a sincere, "Hey, listen mate. I'm . . . I'm sorry."

Cap stops, looks at John, and gives him a small, sad smile. "You're trying to do good John. That's important. But the means are no less important than the results. You can't do terrible things in the name of trying to do good, and then brush off the methods by saying 'Well, I'm a terrible person, what do you expect?'. You can be better than that. And until you're willing to at least try and be better than that, I don't want you to even think about coming back to my city."

And then Cap leaves John alone to think.

Normally with team-ups I'm against one hero being shown to be obviously superior to the other, I hate to see characters strawmaned, and I prefer that the characters involved all have their good moments to shine. But John Constantine has basically been getting away with making other heroes look dumb for years, so I feel this is kind of warranted. Plus I feel that I kept John fairly in character here, though I could be wrong.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

Post by Ares »

This was something I'd posted on Discord a while back, but what the heck. Maybe it's worth sharing here.

So a little while ago I did a selective James Bond marathon, basically sticking to the ones I felt best exemplified the overall tone of the franchise, and while watching "The Spy Who Loved Me" I noted how the bad guy's base was something straight out of the Legion of Doom. And to be fair, your average Bond villain is basically a modern Pulp Master Villain, precursor to comic book Supervillains. Which got me thinking about how easily it'd be to fit Bond into a superhero setting. After all, Ra's Al Ghul was basically invented so Batman could go on James Bond style adventures, and Nick Fury used to do that kind of super spy stuff all the time. For that matter, goons like Jaws and Oddjob could easily be low-level superhumans given the strength and durability they displayed.

So, for your viewing pleasure, a few hypothetical moments of James Bond either in the Marvel Comics Universe or in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

***

Bond is restrained in a chair while MODOK, leader of A.I.M. monologues about his master plan.
James Bond: "I'd compliment you on your plan, Mr. MODOK, but I don't want to give you a swelled head."

***

Bond, having escaped from his chair, dodges a few bullets and then guns down the A.I.M. troopers shooting at him.
James Bond: "You know, for a group called A.I.M. , you people are atrocious marksmen."

***

Bond arrives in the command center of a Hydra Base, where Baron Strucker is about to initiate his evil scheme. Seeing Bond, Strucker activates his Satan's Claw.
James Bond: "My dear Baron Strucker. I'd offer you a chance to explain yourself, but it appears I've caught you red-handed."

***

Bond is dressed in a tuxedo at a fancy party, when he's approached by a beautiful blonde woman in a barely there dress.
Emma Frost: "Ah, James. So lovely to see you again. How are you enjoying our little get together tonight?"
James Bond: "Emma. A pleasure, as always. And yes, the Hellfire Club is providing plenty of amusing distractions. Though none as distracting as yourself."
Emma Frost: "Keep those thoughts clean, Mr. Bond."
James Bond: "And here I thought that little trick Shang taught me made it so you couldn't read my mind."
Emma Frost: "I don't have to read your mind to know what's on it. For a Secret Agent you're incredibly transparent."
James Bond: "Well, to be fair, so is that outfit you're wearing."
Emma Frost: "Touché. "

***

Bond fights his way through a group of Hand Ninja. One ninja grapples with Bond, sword in hand, before Bond disarms him and runs him through with his own blade. The ninja curses Bond with his dying breath.
James Bond: "Oh get a grip.

***

After a prolonged battle, an obviously wounded and weary Kingpin struggles to keep a large chunk of debris from knocking him to the floor.

James Bond: "Having a bit of trouble there, Wilson? Here, let me give you a hand."
Bond grabs one of the aforementioned ninja from off the floor and throws him into Kingpin's legs, knocking said legs out from under Fisk. Fisk falls to the ground as the debris lands on top of him, knocking the wind out of the big man. Fisk struggles futilely for a moment, before screaming in frustrated anger.
James Bond: "Well well. It seems like the king's pinned."

***

Tony glances at a corner where Steven and Bond are talking, a look of annoyance clear on the genius billionaire playboy philanthropists face.

Tony Stark: "I don't get it. We're both handsome, wealthy playboys with a love of witty banter, high-tech toys, fast cars, strong drinks and beautiful women. I thought we'd be at our third party by this point. Instead he's over there chatting with Steve. I mean, I'd understand if it was Natasha, but Steve?"

Bruce Banner: "I don't know Tony, it makes sense."

Tony Stark: "In what possible way does that make sense?"

Bruce Banner: "Think about it. All that stuff, the drinking, the cars, the women, that's not who you are. That's stuff you like. Yeah, you're both snarky and clever, but that's mostly a defense mechanism from a world that's hurt you both. At his core, Bond's a patriot. He loves his country, and he's devoted to completing his missions, no matter what. Now who does that sound like?"

Tony frowns thoughtfully.

Tony Stark: "When you put it that way . . . Hell, when you're a spy, having that kind of patriotism come from someone so gosh darn polite, humble and straightforward is probably a novelty."

Bruce Banner: "Plus, think about it. Do you really want to go to a party with a second You as your wingman? Odds are you two would focus on the same girl and turn it into some awkward pissing contest that wouldn't end well for anyone."

Tony sips his drink noncommittally.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

Post by Ares »

That bit with Steve and Bond now makes me want to do some kind of Buddy Cop / Spy / Superhero movie where James Bond and Steve Rogers wind up working the same mission. And despite what most people think, Bond and Steve get along just fine.

A lot of the fun would be injecting Steve into typical Bond situations and see how other people react to them. Like when they go to their Q meeting where Bond gets his new car and Steve gets a motorcycle. During the meeting, Steve is polite, pays attention, asks pertinent questions and makes sharp observations. He even elbows Bond into being quiet a few times, apologizing for the other man and asking Q to continue.

Q: "I say 007, could you invite this chap down here more often? Your little visits are practically tolerable when he's around."


Naturally at some point Bond would wind up with Steve's bike and Steve has to do some stunt driving in Bond's car. Since Steve was paying attention during the briefing he knows how Bond's car works, but when he offers Bond some advice on his bike, Bond uses the appropriate gadget before Steve can get half-way through said advice.

Bond: "Just because I give the old man a hard time doesn't mean I'm not listening to every word he says."


There'd also be a bit where Bond and Steve have to go to a part dressed in tuxes, and Steve winds up being the one who gets all of the attention from the ladies. Bond raises an eyebrow, but uses the distraction to go sneak around, get some other information, and comes back, only to find Steve played the "aw shucks" role to the hilt and got the Evil Bond Girl to drop a lot of info.

Bond: "We'll make a proper spy out of you yet, Captain."


During the final mission, Steve suits up in his Captain America costume, getting a remark from Bond about how stealthy his outfit is.

Steve: "I can hide where I am without having to hide who I am. I haven't agreed with everything my country's done, but I'm not ashamed to wear its colors."

Bond nods his head, leaves for a bit, and when he comes back his spy suit is sporting a Union Jack patch over his heart. Bond smiles and holds up his gun in a kind of toast.

Bond: "For the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave, Captain America."

Steve smiles and taps his shield to Bond's gun.

Steve: "For Queen and Country . . . Captain Britain."


There'd also be some moment where Steve sees Bond pinned down and tosses him his shield, which Bond uses to great effect. Bond looks at it and makes some comment about wondering how it'd look with a Union Jack.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

Post by Ares »

Gotham City - Today

Several blocks away from Gotham Academy High School, a limo idled in the parking lot of a Big Belly Burger. In the driver’s seat, Alfred Pennyworth glanced into the rear view mirror to get a good look at his passenger.

Bruce Wayne sat in the back seat, thumb sliding over a the screen of slim Wayne-Tech computer tablet. That Bruce was seeing to some Wayne Enterprises information to pass the time was nothing unusual. What was unusual was the causal clothing his master was wearing. Instead of his usual three piece business suits, Bruce had on a comfortable pair of jeans a t-shirt with the logo of the local basketball team, the Gotham Knights. Furthermore, on the seat next to Bruce were two bags of fast food they’d just picked up from the restaurant they were currently parked near. Two soda cups were in cup holders near Bruce, while a third was in Bruce’s hand, which he sipped absently while he worked.

After a few moments of silence, Bruce asked, “Something on your mind, Alfred?”

Without any visible surprise that his glance had been noticed, Alfred said, “Yes, Master Bruce. I’ve noticed a recent change in your disposition ever since you returned home from that adventure in Egypt.”

Bruce looked to meet Alfred’s gaze in the mirror. “You disapprove?

“On the contrary, Master Bruce,” Alfred said, a little warmth slipping into his voice. “It’s been quite welcome. When you first took in Master Dick, I was very impressed with how you tried to be a good father to him, and did you best to treat him as a normal young mand dealing with his grief. Then when he discovered you were the Batman and you decided to train him, I noticed that your relationship became more akin to teacher and student than father and son. For several months you’ve pushed the boy hard, and though he responded to it well, he has had little time to be a teenager. But ever since you came back from Egypt, you’ve split Dick’s time between training and having a normal life much more evenly.”

“For instance,” Alfred continued, “You had me park here, several block from Master Dick’s school so as not to embarass him. You picked up his favorite fast food. You purchased two tickets see his favorite basketball team tonight rather than working, and seeing it in the stands rather than a private box.”

“Three tickets, actually,” Bruce corrected. “There’s a seat for you if you’d like to join us.”

Alfred started slightly in his chair. He thought for a moment about being in a stadium packed with screaming people, watching a game he had no real interest in. He thought about sitting next to two exceptional young men it had been his privledge to care for. Alfred Pennyworth gave the decision no thought at all.

“I’d be delighted, Master Bruce.”

Bruce Wayne simply smiled, and Alfred was compelled to mirror the expression.

After a moment of companionable silence, Alfred continued, “What happened in Egypt, if I may ask, sir?”

Bruce Wayne closed his eyes a moment, remembering.


● ● ●


Egypt – 41 Days Ago

Batman strained against his bonds, but it was no good. He was pinned to a wall of one of the chambers deep beneaht the pyramids, with his hands and feet covered in a foot thick coating of the same stone that made up the structure. The sorcerer Ra’s Al Ghul had brought with him had used some kind of power (he refused to call it "magic") to make the stone of the wall flow like water around his limbs, holding him in place. He couldn’t reach any of his myriad of devices he might have used to escape, and the stone was so molded to his body that none of his usual self-control escape artist tricks were working. He was trapped good.

“Come on, Marvel,” Batman yelled at the only other figure in the chamber. “You’ve got to get us out of here before Ra’s completes the ritual and resurrects Oggar!”

In the center of the room, Captain Marvel strained against the chains wrapped around his body, connecting him to the floor. Electricity arced from the yellow of his uniform, but despite the obvious pain and strain he was under, the chains remained intact.

“It’s no use,” the Captain said. “These are the same chains Sisyphus used to bind Thanatos. They’re indestructible to any being whose powers are divine in origin. Even the Strength of Hercules and the Power of Zeus can’t break them.”

Beneath his cowl, Bruce had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. He’d been Batman for several months now, teamed-up with Superman several times and fought all manner of menace. But the idea of magic and mythological gods being real was a bit much even for him to take, at least at face value.

After another moment of fruitless straining, Captain Marvel relented. His face had the expression of a man who had just come to a difficult decision. “Look, I have a way that might get me free of this, but it’s going to be . . . a little weird. You don’t have any problems with lightning, do you?”

A dozen unkind flicked through Batman’s mind, but he settled on, “Not as long as it isn’t heading directly at me.”

Captain Marvel nodded. “Alright then.” He took a deep breath, then yelled a single word.

“SHAZAM!”


● ● ●


Fawcett City – 39 Days Ago

Billy Batson was relaxing in his apartment, reading an old collection of Doc Savage pulp stories, when there was a knock at his door. Upon opening it, there was a tall, athletically built and handsome man dressed in an immaculate business suit.

“Billy Batson?” the man asked.

“Yes?”

“I’m Bruce Wayne. May I come in?”

“Oh! Sure thing Mr. Wayne,” Billy said, opening the door for his guest.

Bruce glanced around the apartment. It was cozy enough, a lot of second and third-hand furniture, a refrigerator that was over 10 years old, several old and banged up book shelves housing a collection of everything from pulp novels to How To guides on cooking.

“So,” Billy said, rubbing a hand at the back of his head. “Are you here to follow up on that little adventure we had a few days ago?”

Bruce turned and looked at Billy, an inquisitive eyebrow lifted. The kid had figured it out. “This that Wisdom of Solomon you mentioned?”

Billy shrugged. “Call it Reporters Intuition. When one of the only people from Gotham wealthy enough to be the Batman shows up at my door a couple of days after learning my secret identity, connections are made.”

Bruce smiled. The kid was sharp. “Mind if we sit?”

Billy nodded, and the two pulled up mismatched chairs around his small dinning room table. An uncomfortable silence followed, until Bruce finally asked, “How do you do it?”

Billy arched an eyebrow, then said, “Well, it’s like I told you. A Wizard-“

Bruce shook his head. “Not that. I mean . . . How do you do it? How are you so . . . happy?”

Billy blinked in surprise. “I’m not sure what you mean, sir.”

Bruce sighed. “Before I found out who you were, I believed you must have been another Kryptonian like Clark.” Both Billy and Bruce had had adventures with Superman and all were aware of each others identities at this point. “I started to wonder if all Kryptonians had a similar sunny disposition and positive outlook on life.”

“But after I learned who you were, I began to look into you more fully. I wanted to be sure that the person with the power to rival the Man of Steel could be trusted the same way I trusted Clark to not abuse his powers. I knew Clark’s past. I knew his family life. I knew how he wound up to be the man he is.”

Bruce looked into Billy’s large brown eyes, and there was depth of pain there that Billy recognized too well. He still saw it in the mirror some times. “Then I looked into you and . . . how do you do it? How did you manage to lose what you did and still come out so happy and optimistic on the other side?” Bruce refrained from asking what he really wanted to ask.

How did you lose what you lost, and wound more like Clark than like me?

Billy took in a deep breath, glancing down at the table.

“It wasn’t like I went through the whole thing with a smile on my face, Mr. Wayne,” Billy said after a moment. “I was sad at first. Still am when certain memories hit me unexpectedly. I was angry too. It almost turned into hate a few times. But I was lucky. No matter where I wound up, there were people that wanted to help me. People in situations just as bad as mine, if not worse. They reminded me that we’re all in this together, whether we know it or not.”

“And when they reminded me of that, they reminded me of my parents, of the lessons they taught me, love they had for me. They wouldn’t want me to be angry and bitter. Not when there’s so much hope in this world you can find it in the bottom of an alley.”

He looked up into Bruce’s eyes, and smile a sad, but sincere smile. “I’m now happy because I’m alive, Mr. Wayne. I’m happy because even if my family isn’t here right now, I still carry their love and memories inside me. I smile because we live in a good world, one with people worth getting to know and worth befriending. Whatever happens to me, the good and the bad, they don’t decide my behavior. The only one responsible for my choices is me.”

“So I choose to trust in people and hope for a brighter tomorrow. Because I really do have faith we can get there if we work hard and believe in each other.”


● ● ●


Gotham City – Today

Bruce smiled and said, “I made a friend, Alfred. A friend who reminded me that our tragedies only have as much control over us as we allow them to. Dick still has a lot of love and optimism inside of him. I owe it to him to make sure those qualities have a chance to thrive.”

Though he didn’t say it, Alfred knew what Bruce silently added at the end.

So he doesn’t become like me.

“And you’re sure you’re fine with not going out on patrol this evening?” Alfred asked.

“Absolutely,” Bruce said. “I’ve got someone making sure the city will be safe while we’re at the game.”


● ● ●


Gotham City – Later That Evening

Captain Marvel flew over the city, eyes peeled for danger, even as a small reciever in his ear listened to the police band. It had been a relatively quiet evening, only a few muggings, a couple of purse snatchings and that one attempt by Killer Croc to rob a bank.

There was a vibrating sound from inside his belt, and Cap pulled out an older model flip phone.

“Hello? Oh hey there Bruce! How’s the game going? Fantastic! I’m glad you’re having a good time. Don’t worry about the city, I’ll take good care of her. Oh, that reminds me! Uncle Duddley wanted to say thanks again for the renovations you’re doing to his apartment complex. The place is as good as new and he’s already got some new tenants lined up.”

There was a brief pause as Bruce asked him a question, and the grin on Cap’s face blossomed into something truly heartwarming. “That’s . . . yes, I’d love to go. I haven’t been to a basketball game in years. Next week should be just fine for me. I can’t thank you enough for that.”

Cap glanced at one building, noticing that it was swiftly becoming encased in ice. “Well Bruce, got to go. The city is refusing to sleep. You have a good time! Take care!”

Captain Marvel hung up the phone even as he started flying towards the rapidly icing building, wearing his broad smile openly and sincerely the entire time.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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Ken
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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

Post by Ken »

Ares wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:40 pm He-Man then transforms Cringer into Battle Cat . . . and then also transforms Mr. Tawney into a Masters of the Universe-style heroic warrior.
Considering how Alan Oppemheimer gave Mr. Tawny and Cringer the exact same voice, that seems very apropos.
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Goldar
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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

Post by Goldar »

Ken wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 4:08 pm
Ares wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:40 pm He-Man then transforms Cringer into Battle Cat . . . and then also transforms Mr. Tawney into a Masters of the Universe-style heroic warrior.
Considering how Alan Oppemheimer gave Mr. Tawny and Cringer the exact same voice, that seems very apropos.
And don't forget Alan gave us our second Dr Rudy Wells, too! :o :geek:
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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

Post by Ken »

Goldar wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2020 4:00 pm
Ken wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 4:08 pm
Ares wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:40 pm He-Man then transforms Cringer into Battle Cat . . . and then also transforms Mr. Tawney into a Masters of the Universe-style heroic warrior.
Considering how Alan Oppemheimer gave Mr. Tawny and Cringer the exact same voice, that seems very apropos.
And don't forget Alan gave us our second Dr Rudy Wells, too! :o :geek:
I hadn't forgotten, I was just speaking in reference to Ares' proposed crossover, and the fact that Filmation did the "Kids' Super Power Hour with Shazam!" circa 1981, and then a few years later the He-man cartoon.
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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

Post by Goldar »

Ken wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2020 7:25 pm
Goldar wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2020 4:00 pm
Ken wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 4:08 pm

Considering how Alan Oppemheimer gave Mr. Tawny and Cringer the exact same voice, that seems very apropos.
And don't forget Alan gave us our second Dr Rudy Wells, too! :o :geek:
I hadn't forgotten, I was just speaking in reference to Ares' proposed crossover, and the fact that Filmation did the "Kids' Super Power Hour with Shazam!" circa 1981, and then a few years later the He-man cartoon.
Now you know, that I know, that you did not forget that Ken!

I was speaking to all the others, like "Ya'll, don't forget this!"
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Re: Crossovers that you'd love to see and/or would be cool

Post by Ares »

Hughie Campbell, who some of his associates insisted on calling “Wee Hughie”, looked at the prisoner his boss had just acquired. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Billy Butcher just grinned at the shorter, skinnier man and shook his head. “I’m dead serious.” Butcher pointed at the prisoner with his crowbar for emphasis. “That little [CENSORED] right there is one of the most dangerous guys on the planet. Taking him out will send a message to the whole bloody cape community.”

Hughie looked back at the prisoner. He was so . . . young. Couldn’t be older than 15. A short but decently fit teen with mop of black hair that fell almost to his deep brown eyes, wearing a red shirt and jeans. He was tied to a chair, arms bound behind him while his mouth was gagged. The gagging was especially thorough, so much that the kid couldn’t get a single word out.

It was the look in the kid’s eyes that really got to Hughie. They were kind, empathic eyes that somehow managed to look brave and defiant. The kid didn’t hate them, but he wasn’t scared of them either.

Hughie turned back to his boss. “He’s just a kid, Billy.”

Butcher rolled his eyes. “You let him talk and you’ll think differently. Besides, how many of these [CENSORED] [CENSORED] teenagers are running around in spandex? Age is no defense, Hughie.”

Butcher offered Hughie the crowbar. “You know what you’ve got to do.”

The blood drained from Hughie’s face. “Me? Why me? Why not-“

Butcher’s face immediately loss all of its humor. He immediately flipped from a broad, sadistic grin to deadly seriousness. “Because I [CENSORED] said so. Because this is what we do. Because I need you to show me that you’re still [CENSORED] committed to this.”

Hughie looked at his boss. Then down at the crowbar. Then slowly, almost reluctantly, back at the kid. The kid knew what was about to happen. He still wasn’t afraid. And he still didn’t hate either Hughie or the Butcher.

“No.”

Butcher’s eyebrows rose slightly. “No?”

Hughie looked the Boy’s leader right in the eyes. “No! Jesus [CENSORED] Christ, what the [CENSORED] is the matter with you? I signed on to get back at the [CENSORED]s that killed my girl! This is-“

Butcher shoved the crowbar roughly at Hughie’s chest. “THIS IS THE JOB YOU [CENSORED] USELESS [CENSORED]! You do it, or you’ve just proven you’ve got no place with the rest of us!”

Hughie’s face lost all emotion. He knew exactly what Butcher meant. If Hughie wasn’t one of the Boys, then he was a loose end. And he’d seen how Butcher dealt with loose ends.

Without breaking eye contact, Hughie’s reply came firm and solid. “I said ‘no’.”

“Well, I for one am real happy to hear you say that, Hugh.”

Both of the Boys blinked in surprise. Neither of them had spoken. As one they turned and saw the teenager standing up from the chair, the ropes that had bound him piled at his feet, the gag resting in one hand.

Billy Batson gave the pair of them a friendly wave. “Don’t look so surprised, guys. I’m friends with the two of the best escape artists on two worlds. You don’t think one of the first things I did was ask for pointers? I’ll admit, the gag was pretty much fool proof. But those wrist restraints were pretty lousy.”

The shock finally wore off, and as it did, Butcher pulled his arm back to launch the crowbar at the teenager’s face. But before he could let it fly, Billy simply smiled and opened his mouth.

“SHAZAM!”

There was a flash of light, the crash of thunder, and a bolt of lightning came down from the ceiling (not through the ceiling, but seemed to originate from a point just blow the ceiling) and struck the teen, creating a cloud of smoke. When that smoke cleared, where had once stood a young man now stood the World’s Mightiest Mortal, Captain Marvel.

Hughie just stared at the tall, muscular superhero with wide eyes. As realization hit him, he let out a small, “Oh [CENSORED] me.”

Captain Marvel looked at Butcher and shrugged. “What? You’re ex-CIA. You’ve got to know a sting operation when you’ve fallen for it.”

There aren’t enough [CENSORED]s for the sheer volume of expletives that left Butcher’s mouth. After they were done, he added, “We’re not finished here yet you [CENSORED]. The rest of us-“

“-will not be arriving,” a new voice said.

Butcher and Hughie turned to one of the room’s doorways, to find it filled with the grim visage of the Batman. The Dark Knight calmly entered the room, blue-black cape flowing around him in a way that made him appear to be floating rather than walking. “Your friends are all indisposed at the moment, Butcher. Surrender now and I won’t have any reason to leave you in the same state I left them.”

With an incoherent roar of anger, Butcher hefted his crowbar and charged at Batman, fully intending to bury the business end of the bar in the Dark Knight’s skull. What followed was a five-minute-long, one-sided demonstration in what happens when someone whose big claim to fame is ‘being a bastard’ attacks one of the deadliest hand-to-hand fighters in the world. Both Cap and Hughie’s faces showed several different shades of discomfort as they watched the Butcher receive a cracked jaw, two dislocated arms, five broken ribs, one broken knee, and finally the concussion that ended the fight.

As Butcher’s crowbar clattered to the floor near his unconscious body, Batman turned to Hughie in way that invited the smaller man to try. Hughie held up his hands. “No, no, I’m good. I give up.”

“Smart man,” Batman said, just as a gust of wind filled the room, and suddenly a third man had appeared. Like Captain Marvel, this man was wore red and gold with a lightning bolt on his chest, but he was a bit shorter and slimmer than the Captain, with a red mask the covered most of his face, leaving only his nose and mouth exposed.

“Everything’s taken care of down below guys,” the Flash said. “J’onn is going through their computer systems and GL has the prisoners restrai-“

“YOU!”

Hughie suddenly surged forward, hands set to strangle the Scarlet Speedster. Before he could get far however, Captain Marvel interposed himself between the two and gently but firmly placed an open palm on Hughie’s chest. For Hughie, it was like pushing against a mountain, and he couldn’t make a lick of forward progress.

That didn’t stop his mouth though.

“I’ll kill you, you [CENSORED]!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” the Flash said, holding his hands up defensively. “What did I do?”

The look of sheer hatred Hughie sent the Flash’s way matched any death glare the speedster had received in his life, even from the likes of Darkseid. “You killed her! You killed my Robin you-“

“What?” The Flash look genuinely confused. “I’ve never killed anyone. I-“

“That’s a damn lie!” Hughie said, before collapsing against the Captain, weakly and flutily beating at Marvel’s chest. He let out a pained sob and said, “That’s a damn lie.”

“No, it isn’t,” the Batman said. “The Flash wasn’t the one who killed your girlfriend, and I can prove it.”

Hughie suddenly looked up, the anger back. “Don’t lie to me! I saw the bloody bastard run right through her. He stopped just long enough to give some limp dicked apology and ran off! He-“

“The Flash was in Central City dealing with his Rogues at the time. There is news footage corroborating the time. I also have CCTV footage of when your girlfriend died.” Batman’s voice became softer, genuine empathy creeping into his usually controlled voice. “I don’t want to make you relive that, but I can show you the evidence that proves the Flash’s innocence.”

Hughie looked at Batman with wide eyes. Then he looked at the Flash, and this time looked harder. The day Robin died was burned into Hughie’s memory. And even though the Flash was wearing a mask, what he could see of his features . . .

“Your face is different,” Hughie said. “Slimmer. Your eyes are a different color.” He looked at the three heroes. “I don’t understand.”

Batman held out a small device that resembled a key fob, and tapped it. The device projected a hologram that showed a coroner’s autopsy table, a dead boy lying atop it.

“This was Reggie Franklin, a drug addict called ‘A-Train’ by his friends, because he always talked about getting high like ‘going on a train ride’. He was found dead in an alley a few days after Robin’s death, with trace elements of Velocity 9 in his system.”

The Flash’s eyes widened in horror. “Velocity 9 gives you temporary superspeed, but the side-effects are terrible, even lethal. Plus the stuff is highly controlled. How did this guy get a hold of it?”

“The same way Franklin got his fatal, crowbar inflicted head trauma.” Batman looked at the still unconscious body of Billy Butcher. “He gave them to him.”

Hughie just stared at Butcher, his face a mass of conflicting emotions as Batman continued. “As far as we can tell, Billy Butcher blames superheroes for everything wrong in his life. His anger issues, his failed marriage, his firing from the CIA. Some of his correspondence with his CIA superiors before his firing state that he felt superheroes were perfect examples of hope and empowerment in a world that he felt increasingly lacked either. He apparently developed elaborate theories about what superheroes are ‘really up to’ and projected a lot of his dark feelings onto us. And then he started manipulating people into joining his cause, even if he had purposefully mislead them about superheroes to do it. Like he did with you.”

Hughie just buried his face against Captain Marvel’s chest, and the hero gently gave the poor, sobbing man a gentle hug to comfort him. “I don’t understand,” Hughie yelled. “Why would he do that? Why would he try to make you people out to be monsters like this if you weren’t? Why would he try to make us hate you if it was all lies?”

There was silence for a long moment as the three heroes looked with sympathy at the suffering Hughie. Finally, Captain Marvel spoke. “Some people refuse to believe that good exists, Hughie. They need to believe the world is a terrible place to justify how terrible they feel and act towards other people. Because if the world is actually a mostly good place full of mostly good people just doing their best to get by, then all of the anger, hate and cynicism they feel is completely unjustified. It would mean having to take responsibility that they’re responsible for their own suffering and misfortune, and they refuse to do it. So they have to destroy everything that disproves them, and try to drag everyone else down to their level of misery. They can’t stand the idea of genuinely good people because it shows them for the hypocrites they are.”

The Captain looked down at Hughie. “That’s why he went after you specifically, Hughie. You’re a good man, and the only way he could feel good about himself was by trying to make you into the same kind of miserable jerk he is. But he couldn’t. Because at the end of the day, you are a good person.”

Hughie shook his head. “The things I’ve done . . .”

“Were things you did under extreme duress and while being manipulated,” the Flash said. “All of which will be taken into account in a court of law.”

It took Hughie another moment to get control of himself. But eventually, he was able to stand up and gently pull away from the Captain, who released him. Looking at the heroes, he asked simply, “So what happens now?”

It was the Batman who spoke. “Now the Martian Manhunter is going to go through all of your team’s minds and erase all trace of Captain Marvel’s secret identity from them. Then you’re going to be turned over to the authorities, along with all the evidence of the people your team have hurt or killed. What happens next will be up to you.”

Hughie closed his eyes, and nodded. “Okay.”


● ● ●​


Three months later . . .


The trial had been quick, as far as trials go. Along with the evidence and Hughie’s testimony, the entire team had quickly been sentenced. Butcher’s deception was taken into account, and most of the other team received lighter sentences, as well as genuine therapy and mental help for their own issues. Hughie had refused to take any plea deal, instead accepting full responsibility for his actions. He was actually surprised that the judge gave him the lightest sentence of the team, having considered himself just as guilt as the rest of them.

Though he was most surprised when he got his first guest visiting him in prison.

“Hey Hughie,” Captain Marvel said from the other side of the glass, speaking into a telephone. “How are you holding up.”

It took Hughie a moment to collect himself, but eventually he spoke into his own phone. “I’m . . . I’m okay. Most of the guys in here are treating me decent. The therapy is helping a lot. I don’t have as many nightmares as I used to.”

Captain Marvel smiled that ever present smile of his and nodded. “Good. I’m glad to hear that.”

Hughie looked at the Captain, and eventually asked, “I’m not trying to be rude, sir, but . . . why are you here? You’ve got to have better things to do.”

Cap shook his head. “I can’t think of anything more important, Hugh.”

Hughie felt his eyes get a little watery around the edges. “But why? I mean, you know what I did. You saw the files about what we were going to do. God, the people we were going to-“

“But you didn’t,” the Captain interjected. “You had the chance to give in to every ugly emotion Butcher tried to fill your head with, and in the end, you didn’t. You chose to do the right thing.” The Captain’s smile somehow became gentler and kinder still, which seemed impossible. “You’re a good man, Hugh. A good man who made some mistakes. You don’t give up on someone like that when life has knocked them down. You offer them a hand and do your best to help them back up. So, until you’re back on your feet, I’m going to be here every week offering you my hand.”

Hughie closed his eyes and covered his mouth, not trusting himself to speak with the flood of raw emotions going through him. For the first time in months, since Robin died, he felt something good deep in the core of who he was. He felt like he wasn’t alone.

Once he’d gotten control of himself, Hughie looked at the Captain, and smiled. “My friends call me Hughie.”

And Captain Marvel smiled right back.


The End


Justice League: Boys will be Boys

Because the only thing you need to do to deconstruct the Boys is put them in the same room as actual heroes.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)

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