Hermit

Ru5150, I don't believe the Duke meant anything with Malice though perhaps he shouldn't name names in case someone did see it that way. It is certainly okay if anyone wants to raise old threads up for renewed or updated discussion. I've done it myself and there were necromancy jokes then too. I don't think they were at my expense, but more a light hearted observation on the passage of time. That said, if it truly offends you, I think the crew around here can be classy enough to ease off.

Ru5150, I don't believe the Duke meant anything with Malice though perhaps he shouldn't name names in case someone did see it that way. It is certainly okay if anyone wants to raise old threads up for renewed or updated discussion. I've done it myself and there were necromancy jokes then too. I don't think they were at my expense, but more a light hearted observation on the passage of time. That said, if it truly offends you, I think the crew around here can be classy enough to ease off.

Ru5150, I don't believe the Duke meant anything with Malice though perhaps he shouldn't name names in case someone did see it that way. It is certainly okay if anyone wants to raise old threads up for renewed or updated discussion. I've done it myself and there were necromancy jokes then too. I don't think they were at my expense, but more a light hearted observation on the passage of time. That said, if it truly offends you, I think the crew around here can be classy enough to ease off.

I've always been intrigued by the Byzantine Empire, so I'm inclined to consider using the reign of the Emperor, Manuel I Komnenos (1143-1180). Manuel had particularly good relations with Western European realms, including the Crusaders who held territories in the Middle East. He formed military alliances with those nations and with the Pope, and even adopted some of their cultural traditions such as jousting tournaments. The Empire thus presents an interesting "East meets West" flavor. Manuel's conflicts with Hungary in the Balkans, and the Seljuk Turks in Anatolia, leave plenty of opportunities for scenarios of battle and intrigue. And of course, there's no better location for big-city adventures than Constantinople.
 
The Byzantine Emperor's elite personal force, the Varangian Guard, were recruited from foreign countries with a Norse-Germanic tradition of personal loyalty to the lord they swore to serve. Originally these were from Rus, later Scandinavia, and by Manuel's reign, primarily Anglo-Saxons unhappy with Norman rulership of England. So there's plenty of rationale to have PCs from other lands emigrate to the Empire and experience its unique culture for the first time.

Well, she did liberate a bunch of stuff from Target.

I still remember this from the 80s:
"The Moral Majority is neither."

But my point is that this wasn't how it was presented by Beau. He goes on about it as if it's an actual possibility. That was my read on it. I may be being over negative due to lack of sleep b/c of my back. I do find the guy grating in the first place (no fault of his to be sure), so that doesn't help.

I had some significant issues with the Black Adam movie, but I loved the Justice Society. Vivid characters, great chemistry between them, impressive powers and action scenes. IMHO a movie based around them would have been much more interesting and entertaining than what we got.

Just saw Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and can't understand the negative press. Was it Oscar quality acting and writing? No. Did it have good action, a cohesive plot and characters with understandable motivations? Yes, to all three.
 
The worst thing I can say about this movie is that it redoes the plotline of the first with Orm in Mera's role and sibling rivalry instead of romantic tension. But it does so many good things to counteract that. It only teases a long fight scene against run of the mill thugs, The things they do fight are credible threats either in numbers or power, the humor is kept in check and doesn't seem forced, and the evil masterplan is over the top only in its timescale.
 
Best of all, the characters remain consistent in personality and in powers. Black Manta is given a powerup through Faustian bargain, but remains true to his vendetta against Arthur without slipping into melodramatic villainy. Orm has plenty of reasons to hate Arthur from his perspective but does still act for Atlantis" benefit as he sees it and comes to realize that he doesn't really know Arthur. Arthur realizes that he's a flawed king, but he keeps on plugging away as best he can. The rest of the cast is used fairly well and not overly distracting in any way.
 
Is it the best superhero movie out there? No, but it's a very solid entry in the genre an if DC had more like it, they wouldn't be in such a state. It's easily as good as any GotG movie and very similar with a more serious tone. Solid 7.5 out of 10 from me.

Well, I thought it was funny.
 
Saw AQ2 this afternoon.  It started off pretty clumsily but got significantly better by about the halfway point.  It had a bit too much action-for-its-own-sake, but the plentiful internal conflicts made up for that.  Definitely worth the matinee price.
 
Oh, and I really liked the vehicle designs in this one.  I want one of those!

I got another booster. Along with a flu shot to boot. Sore shoulders but worth it

I enjoyed Aquaman. It was fun, slick-looking spectacle, and Jason Momoa is a compelling screen presence.
 
And yes, until recently Marvel Studios' body of work was deep overall. Its best films are among the best ever produced for the superhero genre. Which, ironically, is why this latest phase feels so disappointing. We got used to a high median level of quality and innovation from Marvel, while DC so often misfired that anything decent they did felt like a step up.
 
Marvel squandered the fan trust and loyalty they spent a decade building up, and now they almost have to start the process over again.

The Gent
 
John Reynolds was the kind of guy whose life seemed to pass by. He also had a limp. He tried on a bowler and was transformed into a man reminiscent of John Steed in the Avengers TV series. He can fight with the stick which transformed into an umbrella. He became debonair and able to disable someone with hand to hand combat with or without the umbrella. He was also able to operate like a secret agent.
 
New Topic:  The Enemies of the Villainous Mr Speed
The speedster Mr Speed has amassed quite a list of enemies, name and detail them.
Minimum 5
These are heroic versions of The Flash's Rogue's Gallery like Captain Cold, Heatwave, Mirror Master, Golden Glider, Gorilla Grodd, Rainbow Raider, The Trickster, Weather Wizard, Abra Kadabra and Golden Glider abd the like.

I found this meme on the Internet -- apparently it's been floating for a few years. No author attributed, but it's a pithy summation:
 
“Trump is the poor man’s idea of a rich man, the weak man’s idea of a strong man, and the stupid man’s idea of a smart man.” ~ Anonymous

If you enjoy the "magical detection" subgenre and haven't already done so, I'd recommend taking a look at Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy stories, which got a big compilation a while back that's probably in the library system by now.  Stylistically they're a bit Sherlockian, if Holmes was more lot personable and Watson was a magical forensic expert.  Michael Kurland wrote a few sequel novels after Garrett died, which are also worth a look - they're almost flawless pastiches of his style, something you don't see very often.
 
Or if you want a more "pulp noir" take on the subgenre, there's the lengthy series of Garrett, P.I. (no relation to Garrett) novels by Glen Cook, starting with Sweet Silver Blues way back when.  They're generally much lighter reading than his Dread Empire or Black Company work, but as a fantasy mashup of Nero Wolfe and Sam Spade tropes pretty good.  

"I need more creamer. I've been drinking regular milk like a peasant."

Common sense is a flower that doesn't grow in everyone's garden.

I've posted this before, but the basic idea is that this happens during a blizzard or at least heavy snow, so might work for Christmas time
(With apologies to Frozen)

Foxbat will hack into networks, and show his musical challenge!
 
"The Snow glows white on the city tonight
not a hero, to be seen
Gone is my trepidation
because it looks like I get away clean!"
 
 
"The wind is howling and I should stay inside
but can't stop scheming, heaven knows I've tried."
 
"I want to win, I want them to see
that I'm no villain of mediocrity
Steal a mil but they must know
Yes they'll know!"
 
"It's my show, it's my show
Can't hide my genius anymore
It's a show, it's a show
That's what I'm stealing for!"
 
"I don't care
about the pay
let's have some fun!
My Master Plan is making the news today!"
 
"Its sad how the cold sends all the folks away
To get to their warm houses while they can
but I'll never let the weather
thwart my Master Plan!"
 
"It's time to show the world exactly what I can do
Foxbat has no limits, heck I even flew
No right, no wrong, no rules for me... I'll be....
on News 3!!!!"
 
 
"It's my show, it's my show!
I'm the one with the dreams so high!
It's my show, it's my show!
You heroes will never see me cry!"
 
"Here I scheme, come let's play
Forget the storm!
Winter scenes are more climatic anyway!"
 

Retro Gal
Rebeccca "Becky" Garfield has been a lot of things. Born in poverty and a drunken mother, Retro Gal could not leave the rural hill country fast enough. She always felt smarter than them, but when she hit her teenage years, she found out why. Her intelligence, already impressive, grew leaps and bounds. She was a mutant with many brain enhancements... one of them? Super-Genius. She grasped scientific concepts and engineering with amazing ease. She also proved to have other psychic abilities, including close contact telepathy and telekinesis! At 16, she used the latter to set her whiskey soaked mother on fire with a nearby candle after one too many slaps. It was the 1950s, and 'muties' were not loved them. Very little 'different' was. Becky went on the lamb, looking for a better life, and by better, she meant profitable. Had she more maturity then, she might have realized that invention with a few patents would be a safe and legal way to build it up. Instead, she met Mr. Dread. Oh she fell for him hard and he ? He showed her the ropes of villainy. Becky doesn't blame him for her going wrong, per se. She made her own choices. But there's no denying she was taken advantage of.
 
She grew to be a hardened criminal who went by the name "Ms. Rocket" , well she thought she was hardened anyway. She mostly assisted other villains in their plans, and yes, she robbed banks. She liked robbing banks. Made her feel like she was getting something back from Rich people. A lot of her devices were quickly taken up by the male members of the various teams she joined, some even stealing credit. THAT annoyed her and after a bit, she decided to get saucy about it. Perhaps a bit too saucy... when they had an encounter with a superhero team dubbed 'The Virtue Brigade' and started to lose, her team left her behind. Well, she ended up in Super prison, escaped twice, only to be caught again. At age 35, she finally was let out of jail, a reformed woman. She was a full decade behind the times and the new tech, and she raced to catch up. It was hard, an ex convict and a known mutant?  That's when she met Dr. Daryl Garfield. He was a brilliant man, a former boy genius now grown, shy and skittish. She was smarter than him, but rather than be intimidated, he delighted. He taught her what she had missed. And she? she caught up, and improved it. He didn't want anything from her but her company and for her to be happy. And she was.. .just not used to that. She actually found a decent man.
 
She had forgotten the world takes advantage of decent men. Time marched on. Marriage , children, and more. Becky found herself a happy enough home maker, but it was the lab with her husband where she thrived. Unfortunately, because of her criminal past ,she thought it best to let him handle face to face finances. They lived comfortably enough, but Daryl was, unknown to her, taken advantage of. Their tech was stolen, and with a sea of lawyers to hide behind and counter sue, the company that stole their idea seemed untouchable. Becky suited up, ready for revenge. And found... her powers, were fading. She had not realized her TK had grown weaker, that her telepathy was even more limited. She became alarmed. Somehow she was aging out of her powers and that would , eventually, include her hyper intelligence. Daryl talked her down twice. First, from becoming a supervillain again and risking capture. And secondly? from suicide.
 
She remained bright, but where once there had a super genius  with psychic powers, there came to be a simple grandmother. That company that had robbed them prospered, as the truly wicked who know how to work the system do. Daryl became ill.... and they didn't have the money to save him. Becky grand daughter, a muitant herself, found out the truth of how her grandmother and grandfather should have been MILLIONAIRES. She grew bitter on her grandma's behalf... and despite words of caution, went out to become a super villain herself.
 
When Timelapse appeared before Becky and made his offer, she leapt at the chance. Not for her vanity (Though it is nice to be a hottie again), not for her power (Though she really feels like she was incredibly dim in comparison now that her super IQ is back), or even for revenge (Though with her beloved Daryl gone, she's feeling no shame getting what was theirs from that company) but to help her Grand daughter avoid the same mistakes. Indeed, adopting a steampunk wardrobe (She came late to the genre but found it delightful and Verne esque) she has joined her grand daughter and her villain friends to make sure they don't get used and left to dry like she did. If they MUST be villains, they're going to be successful ones this time. Of course, her Grand daughter doesn't know this new ally is her old grandmother rejuvenated. She only knows they have a friend in the mysterious... RETRO GAL!

Retro Gal
Rebeccca "Becky" Garfield has been a lot of things. Born in poverty and a drunken mother, Retro Gal could not leave the rural hill country fast enough. She always felt smarter than them, but when she hit her teenage years, she found out why. Her intelligence, already impressive, grew leaps and bounds. She was a mutant with many brain enhancements... one of them? Super-Genius. She grasped scientific concepts and engineering with amazing ease. She also proved to have other psychic abilities, including close contact telepathy and telekinesis! At 16, she used the latter to set her whiskey soaked mother on fire with a nearby candle after one too many slaps. It was the 1950s, and 'muties' were not loved them. Very little 'different' was. Becky went on the lamb, looking for a better life, and by better, she meant profitable. Had she more maturity then, she might have realized that invention with a few patents would be a safe and legal way to build it up. Instead, she met Mr. Dread. Oh she fell for him hard and he ? He showed her the ropes of villainy. Becky doesn't blame him for her going wrong, per se. She made her own choices. But there's no denying she was taken advantage of.
 
She grew to be a hardened criminal who went by the name "Ms. Rocket" , well she thought she was hardened anyway. She mostly assisted other villains in their plans, and yes, she robbed banks. She liked robbing banks. Made her feel like she was getting something back from Rich people. A lot of her devices were quickly taken up by the male members of the various teams she joined, some even stealing credit. THAT annoyed her and after a bit, she decided to get saucy about it. Perhaps a bit too saucy... when they had an encounter with a superhero team dubbed 'The Virtue Brigade' and started to lose, her team left her behind. Well, she ended up in Super prison, escaped twice, only to be caught again. At age 35, she finally was let out of jail, a reformed woman. She was a full decade behind the times and the new tech, and she raced to catch up. It was hard, an ex convict and a known mutant?  That's when she met Dr. Daryl Garfield. He was a brilliant man, a former boy genius now grown, shy and skittish. She was smarter than him, but rather than be intimidated, he delighted. He taught her what she had missed. And she? she caught up, and improved it. He didn't want anything from her but her company and for her to be happy. And she was.. .just not used to that. She actually found a decent man.
 
She had forgotten the world takes advantage of decent men. Time marched on. Marriage , children, and more. Becky found herself a happy enough home maker, but it was the lab with her husband where she thrived. Unfortunately, because of her criminal past ,she thought it best to let him handle face to face finances. They lived comfortably enough, but Daryl was, unknown to her, taken advantage of. Their tech was stolen, and with a sea of lawyers to hide behind and counter sue, the company that stole their idea seemed untouchable. Becky suited up, ready for revenge. And found... her powers, were fading. She had not realized her TK had grown weaker, that her telepathy was even more limited. She became alarmed. Somehow she was aging out of her powers and that would , eventually, include her hyper intelligence. Daryl talked her down twice. First, from becoming a supervillain again and risking capture. And secondly? from suicide.
 
She remained bright, but where once there had a super genius  with psychic powers, there came to be a simple grandmother. That company that had robbed them prospered, as the truly wicked who know how to work the system do. Daryl became ill.... and they didn't have the money to save him. Becky grand daughter, a muitant herself, found out the truth of how her grandmother and grandfather should have been MILLIONAIRES. She grew bitter on her grandma's behalf... and despite words of caution, went out to become a super villain herself.
 
When Timelapse appeared before Becky and made his offer, she leapt at the chance. Not for her vanity (Though it is nice to be a hottie again), not for her power (Though she really feels like she was incredibly dim in comparison now that her super IQ is back), or even for revenge (Though with her beloved Daryl gone, she's feeling no shame getting what was theirs from that company) but to help her Grand daughter avoid the same mistakes. Indeed, adopting a steampunk wardrobe (She came late to the genre but found it delightful and Verne esque) she has joined her grand daughter and her villain friends to make sure they don't get used and left to dry like she did. If they MUST be villains, they're going to be successful ones this time. Of course, her Grand daughter doesn't know this new ally is her old grandmother rejuvenated. She only knows they have a friend in the mysterious... RETRO GAL!

From the Crisis on Christmas game I ran a few years ago:
 
Suddenly, the howling wind dies down, the growls and grunts of Desparia’s minions are silenced, and a single voice booms out.
 
“Ho, ho, HO!” laughs the jolly old elf in the red suit trimmed in white fur. “What have we here? You’ve been a very, very bad, sad girl Heather. Do you want to ruin Christmas for all the boys and girls out there?”
 
“Why not?” Desparia cries out, face twisted with anger. “It was ruined for me! Why did my mommy and daddy have to die? Why?”
 
Desparia’s tall, pale form seems to shrink in on itself, becoming more like a thin little girl with a tear-streaked face. In a burst of black smoke smelling of brimstone, a dapper man dressed in a dark suit appears, one eyebrow raised in a sardonic expression.
 
Infamy – “Because life isn’t fair, my dear,” he says. “Not for you, any way, so why should it be for anyone?” 
“Dearest Heather, the truth is obvious. There is no Christmas. This red clad clown is a fake, a fantasy of inanity. You have felt the reality of Christmas. It’s just a day like any other when accidents can happen and parents of an eleven-year-old girl can die. There is NO Santa Clause, no Christmas, no joy…. Only despare.
 
 
Santa’s speech:
 
“HEATHER, your friend is wrong. He’s been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. He does not believe except what he sees. He thinks that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by his little mind. All minds, Heather, whether they be men’s or children’s, or other, are little. In this great multiverse of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
 
Yes, HEATHER, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no HEATHERS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
 
The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
 
You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world, which not the strongest woman, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond…
 
Is it all real? Ah, HEATHER, in all this world there is nothing else more real and abiding. Look here, upon ME and see if you must. But better, look outward and embrace the love of those around you, right now. Use your magical might, search their beings, They stand before you ready to help, to give up their very selves — to think only of others — they seek to bring the greatest happiness to you — that is the true meaning of Christmas, Heather. That is the embodiment of Santa Clause.

Mrs. Clause walks up to embrace Santa and stand beside him.
 
Heather: Why did you come here?

Infamy: The truth is simple, Heather – They come to destroy you!

I've posted this before, but the basic idea is that this happens during a blizzard or at least heavy snow, so might work for Christmas time
(With apologies to Frozen)

Foxbat will hack into networks, and show his musical challenge!
 
"The Snow glows white on the city tonight
not a hero, to be seen
Gone is my trepidation
because it looks like I get away clean!"
 
 
"The wind is howling and I should stay inside
but can't stop scheming, heaven knows I've tried."
 
"I want to win, I want them to see
that I'm no villain of mediocrity
Steal a mil but they must know
Yes they'll know!"
 
"It's my show, it's my show
Can't hide my genius anymore
It's a show, it's a show
That's what I'm stealing for!"
 
"I don't care
about the pay
let's have some fun!
My Master Plan is making the news today!"
 
"Its sad how the cold sends all the folks away
To get to their warm houses while they can
but I'll never let the weather
thwart my Master Plan!"
 
"It's time to show the world exactly what I can do
Foxbat has no limits, heck I even flew
No right, no wrong, no rules for me... I'll be....
on News 3!!!!"
 
 
"It's my show, it's my show!
I'm the one with the dreams so high!
It's my show, it's my show!
You heroes will never see me cry!"
 
"Here I scheme, come let's play
Forget the storm!
Winter scenes are more climatic anyway!"
 

From the mid 1980s to the mid 2000s one of the most renowned martial artists around was the Crimson Cobra.
Unlike the stereotypical evil martial arts master who would other target martial artists and their dojos, the Cobra would target other people who worked with the martial artists and go out of his way to break their bones. He was also a 'good' team player who did play well with others which meant that he often got employed. The Cobra had to quit due to slowing do and the fact that injuries would take longer to heal. The deal was easy for him to make as he did not want to be the old mentor to new students. He also enjoyed the task he was set as it stretched his capabilities, after all anything worthwhile must need work.
People believe the reappearance of the Cobra is due to a son, a clone or an extra-dimensional version of the original turning up to take his place.  

I've posted this before, but the basic idea is that this happens during a blizzard or at least heavy snow, so might work for Christmas time
(With apologies to Frozen)

Foxbat will hack into networks, and show his musical challenge!
 
"The Snow glows white on the city tonight
not a hero, to be seen
Gone is my trepidation
because it looks like I get away clean!"
 
 
"The wind is howling and I should stay inside
but can't stop scheming, heaven knows I've tried."
 
"I want to win, I want them to see
that I'm no villain of mediocrity
Steal a mil but they must know
Yes they'll know!"
 
"It's my show, it's my show
Can't hide my genius anymore
It's a show, it's a show
That's what I'm stealing for!"
 
"I don't care
about the pay
let's have some fun!
My Master Plan is making the news today!"
 
"Its sad how the cold sends all the folks away
To get to their warm houses while they can
but I'll never let the weather
thwart my Master Plan!"
 
"It's time to show the world exactly what I can do
Foxbat has no limits, heck I even flew
No right, no wrong, no rules for me... I'll be....
on News 3!!!!"
 
 
"It's my show, it's my show!
I'm the one with the dreams so high!
It's my show, it's my show!
You heroes will never see me cry!"
 
"Here I scheme, come let's play
Forget the storm!
Winter scenes are more climatic anyway!"
 

Steel-Claw
Steel-Claw serves the glorious Golden Scorpion! Steel-Claw uses Steel-claw's mighty steelclaw, which Golden Scorpion gave Steel-claw to replace Steel-Claw's old left hand which was mangled! Steel-Claw prefers the Steelclaw! The hand was puny and weak. The Steel-claw is strong and snappy! Steel-Claw is strong! Steel-Claw is deadly at hand to hand..er hand to claw! Steel-Claw would die for Golden Scorpion! Steel-Claw does not use pronouns! Steel-Claw talks too loudly!!  Most find Steel-Claw tiring because of this!