• The site has now migrated to Xenforo 2. If you see any issues with the forum operation, please post them in the feedback thread.
  • Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
  • For prospective new members, a word of warning: don't use common names like Dennis, Simon, or Kenny if you decide to create an account. Spammers have used them all before you and gotten those names flagged in the anti-spam databases. Your account registration will be rejected because of it.
  • Since it has happened MULTIPLE times now, I want to be very clear about this. You do not get to abandon an account and create a new one. You do not get to pass an account to someone else and create a new one. If you do so anyway, you will be banned for creating sockpuppets.
  • Due to the actions of particularly persistent spammers and trolls, we will be banning disposable email addresses from today onward.
  • The rules regarding NSFW links have been updated. See here for details.

With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

No, I think that's okay.
Remove the " at the end.
If I do it before you post then it doesn't count.
Thank you, corrected.
Maybe after losing one child they didn't want to go through the pain again.
But how is it a conscious choice? Eternia doesn't have reliable chemical or barrier contraception. The only way to avoid having more children would be to not have sex for fifteen years.
Just means they are failing in their duty as monarchs, a Kingdom needs an heir and a spar.
Spare.
Interesting Ring voice. I assume it's a nod to something.
There's a link in the quoted text.
Or maybe Marlena simply suffered a medical issue that left her unable to... It happens.
I hdan't considered that, and it's the most likely thing I can think of.
...his crossbow knocked from his hand by the surprise.
She slows slightly as she sees me, then accelerates to a run as I pass her.
...but if she's buying it then I'm not going to complain.
Thank you, corrected.
 
They may look a motley crew of oddballs and freaks, but they're more dangerous than they appear.
Hordak made one of his subordinates explode with like no prompting just for giving him bad news, so yeah. I think it is fair to say that while silly looking they are much more dangerous than they appear.
 
Oh, so his name was Dragstore and he was from The Masters of the Universe? I had a toy of him as a kid, but I had no idea. We didn't get the He-Man cartoon where I was, so I never saw a single episode.

That makes it a bit hard to follow what's happening when names are thrown around as if I was supposed to know who those people are.

He grabs a nearly table
"nearby"?
 
reliable chemical or barrier contraception. The only way to avoid having more children would be to not have sex for fifteen years

Eternia's level of technological capability is...odd, so maybe they do have reliable contraceptions.

Or just use magic for it.

Or it may be possible that they just didn't have sex.

Long-lasting relationships can be formed and maintained even without sex. Even among romantic partners.

I hdan't considered that, and it's the most likely thing I can think of

Or maybe they just didn't have much luck with having more children, but both are otherwise healthy in that department.

Or maybe he pulled ott before he finished.
 
Somehow I don't think Eternia lacks animals with intestines.

And if you have animals with intestines you can make a "lambskin" condom.

People might have been doing that for centuries, maybe even millenia.

Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt had a vaginal cap, linen or cotton soaked in honey and acacia, although that's not believed to be as effective as modern remedies.

If Bronze Age Egyptians could figure it out I'm pretty sure Eternians could too.
 
But how is it a conscious choice? Eternia doesn't have reliable chemical or barrier contraception. The only way to avoid having more children would be to not have sex for fifteen years.
Just because they forgot how to work the Clarke tech, doesn't mean they don't have some practical herb usage.
I mean, one is at the top of the tech tree, and the other is at the bottom.
Even if the people that survived the war didn't know that stuff anymore because it was obsolete knowledge, enough time has passed to re-invent the wheel there. Like how I'm guessing they can hew stone to make castle walls, and weave baskets.

Also, Magic Sorceress as their next door neighbor.
 
Hi, longtime daily reader (at least since 2015) - thanks for an awesome story and unbelievable consistency of schedule MrZoat!
This story/continuity/setting is my favorite version of DC (by a lot) and has shown me way more of DC than I was ever familiar with :D

I've recently started looking into certain parts of canon DC more and found myself with a question:

Is the awakening of mortals as New Gods (like how Grayven-Paul did with himself and later a number of other allies) actually a thing in canon DC, or was that something introduced in this story/continuity?
I haven't found anything about it yet, despite a number of searches, and figured it'd be easier to ask for confirmation here.

Thanks!
Tiny-Orange-Sigil.png
 
Hi, longtime daily reader (at least since 2015) - thanks for an awesome story and unbelievable consistency of schedule MrZoat!
This story/continuity/setting is my favorite version of DC (by a lot) and has shown me way more of DC than I was ever familiar with :D

I've recently started looking into certain parts of canon DC more and found myself with a question:

Is the awakening of mortals as New Gods (like how Grayven-Paul did with himself and later a number of other allies) actually a thing in canon DC, or was that something introduced in this story/continuity?
I haven't found anything about it yet, despite a number of searches, and figured it'd be easier to ask for confirmation here.

Thanks!
Tiny-Orange-Sigil.png

Yes and no.

Turning people into New Gods is most definitely a thing.

The Black Racer, for example, is a wheelchair bound vet when he isn't claiming souls for the Source, he debuted in 1971.

The Japanese Super Young Team were introduced as the new Forever People of the Fifth World in Final Crisis.

Jimmy Olsen of Earth-2, post flashpoint, was turned into a New God, a Justice League storyline had most of them gaining godhood- Superman absorbing the firepits of Apokalips, Batman gaining Metron's chair, Hal having a 'box merge with his ring. Lex Luthor got possessed by the Omega Effect.

In Lanterns versus New Gods, Highfather used the Life Equation to turn people into New Gods. Darkseid turned Azrael, Cyborg, and Starfire into New Gods in Justice League Odyssey.

Zoat however largely made up his cosmology from scratch, including the mechanism for New God apotheosis.

So yes you'll find people becoming New Gods in the comics, but you'll never see someone talk about awakening someone's soul so that they can grow by absorbing ambient energy.
 
I've recently started looking into certain parts of canon DC more and found myself with a question:

Is the awakening of mortals as New Gods (like how Grayven-Paul did with himself and later a number of other allies) actually a thing in canon DC, or was that something introduced in this story/continuity?
I haven't found anything about it yet, despite a number of searches, and figured it'd be easier to ask for confirmation here.

Thanks!
Tiny-Orange-Sigil.png
Yes and no.

Turning people into New Gods is most definitely a thing.

The Black Racer, for example, is a wheelchair bound vet when he isn't claiming souls for the Source, he debuted in 1971.

The Japanese Super Young Team were introduced as the new Forever People of the Fifth World in Final Crisis.

Jimmy Olsen of Earth-2, post flashpoint, was turned into a New God, a Justice League storyline had most of them gaining godhood- Superman absorbing the firepits of Apokalips, Batman gaining Metron's chair, Hal having a 'box merge with his ring. Lex Luthor got possessed by the Omega Effect.

In Lanterns versus New Gods, Highfather used the Life Equation to turn people into New Gods. Darkseid turned Azrael, Cyborg, and Starfire into New Gods in Justice League Odyssey.

Zoat however largely made up his cosmology from scratch, including the mechanism for New God apotheosis.

So yes you'll find people becoming New Gods in the comics, but you'll never see someone talk about awakening someone's soul so that they can grow by absorbing ambient energy.
And don't forget Takion.
 

Actually he wasn't supposed to count, but be a "Source Elemental" instead.

The only distinction I can recall coming up is that as a Source Elemental he still had a mortal mind, so while theoretically he has access to the omniscience of the Source, he is limited on a practical level by the information processing limits of a human mind, so he can't just Cosmic Awareness all his problems away.

But then he got killed in Death of the New Gods, so maybe that got retconned.

Or they forgot. Or they thought he was lame. Or bringing back Highfather made him superfluous. <shrugs>
 
She's a villain because she cut down a tree? What's your house made of?
A giant spirit tree that clearly held importance and it's not like what happened with Unalaq and Vaatu was a big secret so she had a perfect example of why it's not a good idea to mess with spirits in general.

I have no plans for any of those.
Well I hope that if that doesn't mean they won't be considered at all then they will provide some ideas. Maybe TMNT?
 

Or The Might Endowed.


Maybe he can help Bishop make sure Earth is safe, and have him use non-evil methods to do it.

And giving Stockman a body could get him to work with him.

And I'm imagining that if he ends up in that particular universe then he and Karai will end up together, because that seems to be the thing of all Paul's.

If that happens then he would be the third Paul that ended up with a girl that would have ended up with a redhead in canon.
 
A giant spirit tree that clearly held importance and it's not like what happened with Unalaq and Vaatu was a big secret so she had a perfect example of why it's not a good idea to mess with spirits in general.
What importance? I don't remember there being any negative effects to cutting up the tree. I also think that having a gun that could actually affect things like Vaatu would be a major advantage for humans in the setting.
 
Or The Might Endowed.



Maybe he can help Bishop make sure Earth is safe, and have him use non-evil methods to do it.

And giving Stockman a body could get him to work with him.

And I'm imagining that if he ends up in that particular universe then he and Karai will end up together, because that seems to be the thing of all Paul's.

If that happens then he would be the third Paul that ended up with a girl that would have ended up with a redhead in canon.
I really hope that happens, the 2003 version is without a doubt my favorite, but it's up to Mr Zoat whether or not it will happen.
 
Or The Might Endowed.

Endowed is an iffy case.

Was she empowered by the Super-cycle, a New God machine?

Yes, but she was never explicitly called a New God in any of her appearances.

So she might be a New God or she might just be empowered by New God technology.

Considering Darkseid's first appearance had Apokalips make a Jimmy Olsen clone that was basically the Hulk, obviously New Gods do have the technology to grant superpowers to humans.
 
What importance? I don't remember there being any negative effects to cutting up the tree. I also think that having a gun that could actually affect things like Vaatu would be a major advantage for humans in the setting.
The spirit wilds in Republic City went crazy and attacked tourists due to how agitated they were from sensing the attack on the tree. And as for Vaatu, the canon might have helped but it was built after he was defeated, yes he will probably return at the next harmonic convergence but humanity and the spirits have a lot of time to find an alternative weapon that could defeat him. Kuvira created a superweapon to threaten a people she was trying to invade and had no claim over and so was becoming more like Sozin and Ozai.
 
I've been reading this story for years now without ever posting, largely because my main email is Microsoft which this forum doesn't allow for some reason, but I just made a whole new email account so I could say how fucking hilarious Dragstor is. Reading today's chapter I laughed for at least a full minute at how absolutely ridiculous his stupid fucking wheel is. That is all.
 
The spirit wilds in Republic City went crazy and attacked tourists due to how agitated they were from sensing the attack on the tree.
So the spirits invading the material world, stealing people's homes and attacking the locals before she cut down the tree didn't like it. Oh.
And as for Vaatu, the canon might have helped but it was built after he was defeated, yes he will probably return at the next harmonic convergence but humanity and the spirits have a lot of time to find an alternative weapon that could defeat him.
They've been relying on the avatar for as long as there have been avatars.
Kuvira created a superweapon to threaten a people she was trying to invade and had no claim over and so was becoming more like Sozin and Ozai.
She had a perfectly legitimate claim. The territory of Republic City was ceded by the Fire Nation to the Earth Kingdom when Zuko took over, then he took it back and Aang negotiated a compromise to avoid the war kicking off again. Zuko was giving it back because it was Earth Kingdom territory before the Fire Nation started its invasion. None of the people who decided what happened to it in Aang's day actually lived there, two were children and the third was a moron.
 
So the spirits invading the material world, stealing people's homes and attacking the locals before she cut down the tree didn't like it. Oh.
The spirits were either displaced due to the spirit vines in Republic or were essentially brainwashed soldiers of Vaatu. And they only attacked civilians after Kuvira started hacking at the tree.
They've been relying on the avatar for as long as there have been avatars.
And so far, while imperfect, the system overall works and is not actually broken therefore not in need of being replaced by a super weapon.
She had a perfectly legitimate claim. The territory of Republic City was ceded by the Fire Nation to the Earth Kingdom when Zuko took over, then he took it back and Aang negotiated a compromise to avoid the war kicking off again. Zuko was giving it back because it was Earth Kingdom territory before the Fire Nation started its invasion. None of the people who decided what happened to it in Aang's day actually lived there, two were children and the third was a moron.
The republic had become it's own independent entity, it may not have been an ideal solution and something better could have been thought of at the time but the fact is generations have now lived in Republic city do not consider themselves Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation or Water Tribe but something else entirely and the Republic's independence was recognized by both the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. Yes they didn't exactly have the best leaders at the time but none of them were the most experienced of rulers and they had to diffuse the situation before the war escalated again. Besides, if Kuvira seized the Republic, I'm pretty sure it would have gone to her head and at least considered expanding into other territories, I mean she already seemed ready to do that with building a spirit canon she didn't even really need to successfully claim the city and tried to prevent refugees from fleeing a war they didn't cause.
 
As I recall, the way the Republic played out was that, as Zoat said, Zuko had agreed to give the Fire Nation colonies back to the Earth Kingdom. The people who actually lived there didn't want to go back to the Earth Kingdom, since between the settlers, the interbreeding with the locals, and the fact that there was about a century of integration efforts meant that the colonies were actually pretty well assimilated. So when he realized the people there wanted to remain part of the Fire Nation, Zuko decided he wasn't going to give that land back to the Earth Kingdom after all. That pissed off the Earth Kingdom, and they threatened to restart the war over it. I think they had a brief moment where Aang was all, "Is Zuko turning evil? Do I have to kill him."

Though I think that was in part because Zuko was seriously turning to his imprisoned father for advice on how to run the Fire Nation. Though his advice when Zuko wasn't sure what the right thing to do was could best be summed up as, "You're the Fire Lord. Anything you do is by definition the right thing to do."

Honestly, if it came down to it and they were forced to dissolve I think the Republic would still prefer the Fire Nation.

====

As for the Spirits . . . Fuck 'em.
 
Versus the Rake Men (part 11)
21st year of the reign of King Randor I
Season of Chill
307th day, 18th bell


Every so often, I hear a thud somewhere in the distance as He-Man chases down another trooper.

Every few seconds, I hear a 'clunk' as the head of Teela's staff hits somewhere on Dragstor's cybernetically reinforced body. It seems that he's neither immune to blunt force nor easily disabled by it. Adora takes a few moments to study him, and then-.

Then she lunges, swords piercing his chest near the gap made for his wheel. He shudders, a mixture of blood and oil splattering on the floor as she withdraws her blades. As he falls, purple and red mist rises from our bodies and dissipates into the air around us.

I think that's it.

I relax slightly from my crouch, a sign Queen Marlena picks up on immediately, striding through the broken door to-.

Oh. To a… Child's nursery, now somewhat damaged. The ring lights up immediately, tendrils reaching out to right the crib, mend the dresser and remove the tears from the carpet. I… Guess that this is where the kidnapping happened, then.

"Thank you, Teela. And who are..?"

Queen Marlena's eyes widen as she gets a clear look at Adora's face. She doesn't look the same as her father or her mother or her brother, but even beyond the hair and eyes there are features she clearly shares with them.

"You..?"

Adora for her part is trying to look at Queen Marlena, but her eyes are constantly jerking to some point of interest in the room she was taken from. Does she actually remember, or did Orko's spell actually shake something loose? Or is she just-? Unused to a room for children this different from the whelping chambers of Etheria and unused to duplicity.

Okay, how do I work out-?

The world glows orange as my point of view suddenly changes, and I see that Adora just lunged at the place where I was. Why-what-?

Construct shield and traverse towards the queen in case-.

Adora's eyes widen! "Mother, watch out!"

She throws herself at me again, swords slamming rhythmically into my construct as she tries to punch her way through!

"He works for Skeletor!"

"What? A-ador-?" Queen Marlena looks somewhat bewildered, and I-.

She knows. She's been playing along. That wasn't a 'I distantly remember this person', that was a 'this is my mother' reaction. And while I don't think she's strong enough to put a regular sword through my shield, I don't want to find out that she can draw on the Power of Grayskull under extreme stress without her Sword of Power.

"You work for Hordak."

"That was before I remembered-." Her eyes go to her mother again, before she forces herself to keep her eyes on me. "My memories started coming back. Shadow Weaver did something to my memories, but coming here-. I started to remember again. You told me that you serve Skeletor!"

"I told Despara, Force Captain of Hordak, that I work for Skeletor."

She pulls her swords back a little. "We have been lying to each other?"

"I'm afraid that it looks like that."

"Who are you?"

"Orange Lantern. Member of the Masters of the Universe… At least, until Sir Duncan gets here."

"Evil-Lyn?"

"Used to work for Skeletor, is currently on probation. I-I think-" I raise my right hand and point to the shocked Queen Marlena. "-that the Queen wants your att-."

Queen Marlena grabs her daughter, swords awkwardly forced out to the side. Adora appears to not know what to do. She either can't or doesn't want to move her arms to sheathe her swords. But she doesn't appear to be trying to hug back. But this is clearly a highly emotional moment for both of them so I move to step out of the ro-.

Ah, hello Teela's staff.

"Now Orko's spell has stopped working, I want an-."

"Marlena?" King Randor enters the room, right hand on the hilt of his sword. "I heard-."

He stares at the sword-bearing young woman his wife is embracing.

"Who is this?"

I gently nudge Teela's staff aside as I perform a shallow bow. "Princess Adora, your majesty. Teela and I will leave you to reacquaint yourselves."

"A-?" He blinks, then his eyes widen as he takes her in. "DorA?"

I attach a strand of orange to Teela and then transition us out of the room.

Teela scowls. "Warn me before you do that."

"Sorry. And… Sorry about this whole thing. I'm pretty sure that I've made a series of sub-par decisions-."

"I'm glad that you recognise that." I clench as Sir Duncan strolls down the corridor towards us, Teela Na close at hand. "But right now I'm most concerned about Evil-Lyn."

"I'll deal with that right away, sir, and recluse myself to the castle until tomorrow."

Sir Duncan thinks for a moment. "You should take someone with you, just in case. I know Adam doesn't have a date-"

Teela and I share a cringe.

"-so-." He notices our response, then looks uncertain. "Did he find a date?"

"He was-. He was flirting with Adora without knowing who she was." Sir Duncan winces. "And I think… After a certain point, you sort of have to trust people. I don't think that.. coming back mob-handed is.. going to help her recovery."

He nods slowly. "That's taking a risk, but alright. Send a message to the Sorceress when you find out what she's been doing. And I'll expect a full debrief from you tomorrow."

"Thank you, sir. Excuse me."

The world shudders, and I'm in front of Castle Grayskull. Whose drawbridge is down. Okay..? I walk forward, looking around just in case-. Something triggers the moment I cross the threshold, and-.

And an instant later the Sorcerer's staff appears in front of me. Taking hold of it, I feel it as I reconnect to the Power of Grayskull, and focus to dispatch an impression of success and safety to Teela Na.

"Surprised?"

Evelyn is still carrying her own staff, but makes no aggressive move towards me as the Castle finishes connecting to me.

"No. Pleased, certainly."

"Oh? Did you bring no one with you?"

"No."

"I think I should be insulted. I had a speech prepared, on the subject of how foolish I would have to be to throw away this opportunity. And now I won't get to give it."

I shrug as I walk past her into the Castle.

"You can give it to me, if you like. And tell me what you've learned about the Sword of Power."
 
Last edited:
Queen Marlena grabs her daughter, swords awkwardly forced out to the side. Adora appears to not know what to do. She either can't or doesn't want to move her arms to sheathe her swords. But she doesn't appear to be trying to hug back. But this is clearly a highly emotional moment for both of them so I move to step out of the ro-.

Ah, hello Teela's staff.

"Now Orko's spell has stopped working, I want an-."

"Marlena?" King Randor enters the room, right hand on the hilt of his sword. "I heard-."

He stares at the sword-bearing young woman his wife is embracing.

"Who is this?"

I gently nudge Teela's staff aside as I perform a shallow bow. "Princess Adora, your majesty. Teela and I will leave you to reacquaint yourselves."

"A-?" He blinks, then his eyes widen as he takes her in. "Dor… A?"
Nice to have a family reunion. Though I'm uncertain how Adora will go on to be a hero of Etheria now.

And an instant later the Sorcerer's staff appears in front of me. Taking hold of it, I feel it as I reconnect to the Power of Grayskull, and focus to dispatch a impression of success and safety to Teela Na.
That should say 'an'.

"Surprised?"

Evelyn is still carrying her own staff, but makes no aggressive move towards me as the Castle finishes connecting to me.

"No. Pleased, certainly."

"Oh? Did you bring no one with you?"

"No."

"I think I should be insulted. I had a speech prepared, on the subject of how foolish I would have to be to throw away this opportunity. And now I won't get to give it."

I shrug as I walk past her into the Castle.

"You can give it to me, if you like. And tell me what you've learned about the Sword of Power."
I always like it when risks that Paul, or in this case a version of Paul, takes end up paying off big time. How long is it going to take and how much is Evil-Lyn going to have to do before the other Masters begin to really trust her?
 
Nice to have a family reunion. Though I'm uncertain how Adora will go on to be a hero of Etheria now.
I mean, its not like Hordak has given up his plans to conquer their world so the threat is still there.

She could willingly go back to help those who are still fighting and to make up for her actions in oppressing them.
 
Mr Zoat, I just noticed that the TOC incorrectly says part 23 of Workhorse says 22 instead. The actual threadmark is fine, it's just the link you put on the home page that has the error.
Thank you, corrected.
The spirits were either displaced due to the spirit vines in Republic or were essentially brainwashed soldiers of Vaatu.
No. Oh, sure, they might have come there originally because of the convergence and been controlled by Vatu, but they were still there after he was defeated because they chose to remain.
And they only attacked civilians after Kuvira started hacking at the tree.
And? That doesn't justify what they were doing on the other side of the continent, and it wouldn't justify it even if they were targetting people who followed Kuvira. It's not their tree or their plane of existence. I don't go around punching spirits because I think that the spirit world should be more industrialised.
And so far, while imperfect, the system overall works and is not actually broken therefore not in need of being replaced by a super weapon.
If we ignore the 100 year war and don't call the avatar -Aang having a higher bodycount than Ozai thanks to soloing a Fire Nation fleet- a super weapon.
Besides, if Kuvira seized the Republic, I'm pretty sure it would have gone to her head and at least considered expanding into other territories
Why? She was an Earth Kingdom nationalist. Not wanting non-Earth Kingdom territory is a defining characteristic.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top