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VIPER and its images


Christopher R Taylor

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No rewrites or anything here, I just wanted to share a few images I've been coloring for Viper.  I don't know how many of these I'll do as I have to get back to my real work of writing but its something to do on the side.  I think most of these are by Storn.

 

ViperCommander.jpg

A VIPER commander.  Maybe he knows why VIPER is all caps.

 

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I'm not real happy with the neon color of the green on this one, so I'll probably shift it more olive drab, and I added canard wings on the front on the suggestion of someone on Facebook.  But it looks pretty nifty.

 

55mt68.jpg

 

Edit: dulled the color slightly on the Quetzalcouatl.

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Beautiful work, CT. Thank you.

 

BTW according to VIPER: Coils Of The Serpent, VIPER is capitalized because it's actually an acronym: "Venemous Imperial Party of the Eternal Reptile." Although many Nest leaders change that to something less anachronistic-sounding for their own agents' consumption.

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Beautiful work, CT. Thank you.

 

BTW according to VIPER: Coils Of The Serpent, VIPER is capitalized because it's actually an acronym: "Venemous Imperial Party of the Eternal Reptile." Although many Nest leaders change that to something less anachronistic-sounding for their own agents' consumption.

Nest Leader: What does VIPER stand for, Agent Expendable?

Agent Expendable: Venemous Imperial Party of the Eternal Reptile

Nest Leader: And what does that mean to you?

Agent Expendable: It means someone really wanted our initials to spell out, "VIPER." [Nest Leader gives him a look.] It means I'm not getting that promotion...am I?

 

[Apologies to Agents of SHIELD.]

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Crossposted from last April's superdraft

 

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Other cities have the Lion's Club. Or the Brotherhood of Elks or Loyal Order of Moose or even the Junior Chipmunks. But in San Angelo we get VIPER Inc

 

Publicly, they will tell you it stands for "Valuing Industry, Philanthropy, Education, Resourcefulness." Those who penetrate more deeply into the organization's complex coils are told it stands for "Visionaries Investigating Parallel Expanding Realities." Cynics jibe that it stands for "Vapid Idiots Provide Entertaining Rants" and I have written it stands for "Vulnerable Individuals Provide Extorted Riches." But I fear that even closer would be "Violent, Insidious Power Expands Relentlessly"

From an article by Aaron Allston in the "San Angelo American Statesman"

 

Okay, I'm still hoping to get some last minute fiction in, but let Me take a few more picks.

 

Hero: Joan Corrigan intrepid photographer and journalist from Justice Inc and a colleague and old friend of Aaron Allston.

 

"It wasn't easy to take these without being spotted, but I got that masked 'mystery man' going to and from VIPER headquarters. And I can prove a lot of the people working on that top secret project with Dr. Alexander are members of VIPER. But not Alexander himself, and not that Harmon guy, unless they're being very sneaky about it."

 

Option: Frederick Foswell AKA Foxbat from Enemies II

 

"Really, Mr. Allston, this has to stop...'violent insidious power expands relentlessly?' Some of our members are calling to sue for libel, but I want to keep lawyers out of this and keep it friendly, Aaron - may I call you Aaron?"

 

"It's a free country, Mr. Foswell, and I've been called worse. If you're not using lawyers, what's it to be today - a veiled threat to my life and limb, a discreet bribe?"

 

"None of the above....but did you know your publisher has been approached with an offer to buy the paper? Then again...soon enough none of it will matter..." The way Fred Foswell giggled made Aaron's flesh crawl.

 

"What do you mean - none of it will matter?"

 

"Oh, nothing you need be concerned about - yet. It's all part of the Master Plan."

 

Hero: James Harmon II the grandfather of James Harmon IV AKA Defender from Champions 6th edition I believe.

 

"Really, Mr. Allston, this has to stop."

 

"Oddly enough, Mr. Harmon, that's the second time I've been told that today...what is it you want stopped?"

 

"For one thing, if you want to know what we're doing at the lab you can read our press releases. And some of our workers are complaining that you're not only trying to get them to talk about the project, but prying into their off duty associations. VIPER may seem strange, but so do the Oddfellows. It's a harmless, rather juvenile, fraternity."

 

"Is it? I have some pictures I'd like you to see."

 

In San Angelo we get VIPER Inc. I can only hint at the full extent of their activities - there is still much I don't know, too much no one outside the so-called "Inner Coils" knows. If only their opposition were as organized and efficient as they are, as united in purpose, as determined to root out their plots as they are to pursue them in secret. What San Angelo needs is an association of defenders of justice, champions who can stand up to the coils of VIPER. What San Angelo needs is a "Heroes Inc."

Aaron Allston in the "San Angelo American Statesman"

 

 

Reserving my Final Option, and right to use one original character, for a last minute cliffhanger surprise

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

No, the surprise isn't going to be a palindromedary. But I do plan on ray guns and dinosaurs.

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I thought deadilus was the one that crashed

Nope, Icarus (the son) is the one who flew too high, causing the wax holding the wings to soften, leading to his fall into the ocean.

 

As to the OP, I'm enjoying the color images, though I agree the green on the aircraft (is that the Quetzalcoatl?) is too bright.  And the canard wings are a nice touch.

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The Chimera.  A silly craft consisting of four turrets and little else, its perfect for a four color campaign.  You can just see one of these hovering over the battlefield and blasting everything in site then being shot down and four dazed viper pilots staggering out of the wreckage, hands up.  This is one of Storn's designs that was difficult for me to picture without the coloring to bring out the shape.  Or maybe my spatial imagination is just poor :)

 

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Last one, the Moccasin landing craft.  Not a lot of room in it for cargo or passengers really.

 

10393677_927156807302040_702219732366163

 

Given the two separate engine housings in back, I figure the middle section is larger than it appears from this POV.  If you consider the cockpit is actually to the right side of the front end rather than centered, the vehicle is wider (and overall much larger) than it appears from this perspective.  Going by the stats in the book, the Moccasin is nearly twice as long and nearly twice as wide as the Chimera.

 

Also, since the Moccasin is able to run underwater for up to 5 hours, I'm pretty sure the center section isn't open.  Personally, I'd have a hatch/ramp located between the two engine housings for loading and unloading troops.

 

As to the front of the ship, I'd look at it like a B-24 nose:  gunner down low where the bombardier would be in a bomber, probably accessing his spot via a crawlspace, with the pilot and copilot raised up.  Maybe a navigator/sonar operator sitting behind the pilot and copilot.  Here's a cutaway of a B-24 model for reference:

 

front-interior_fs.jpg

 

All of that said, I've really enjoyed all the colored artwork, and I'd love to see what you'd do with the Mech-Viper.  (If you're, y'know, taking requests or anything. ;) )

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All theas designes make me want to shout "COBRA!" at the top of my lungs. And that is not exactly a bad thing, considering...

 

Meaning, all theas vehicals and equipment would not look out of place belonging to COBRA than VIPER.

 

...and knowing is half the battle.

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I remember I had the toy version of Cobra's mech/power armor - you could fit a guy inside!  It was a bit clunky compared to Viper's more anime-inspired dealie.  The 'pilot' is pretty cool also - I count what, three sidearms plus a knife! 

 

Behold--the System: Neutralizer Armed Kloaking Equipment, aka the SNAKE--

 

3796933132_e3f69da341.jpg

 

The SNAKE at YoJoe

 

Comes with a missile, machine gun, flamethrower, grasping claw--all pretend, of course--and something VIPER can only just wish they had--mind control technology.

 

 

From the instructions--"When captured, GI Joes are placed inside the SNAKE.  Its powerful sensors easily brainwash them into thinking and acting like COBRAs!"

 

oddiomio.jpg

 

Oh, NO!!!

 

I want Champions action figures.  Especially a Starburst figure--twelve inches tall with eighteen points of articulation, light-up eyes and removable cloth costume.  I'm willing to settle for Heroclix size, as long as it's fully and accurately painted.

 

Is that too much to ask?

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