• 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)

I'm personally hoping he pops back to Maltus and enlists the aid of Best Snek again. It's been too long since we've interacted with Ophidi-chan. We need to teach her about playing with your friends.

This war game should cause someone PTSD or we aren't doing it right.
 
Paul should go for the old school ham - start stealing monuments. Subspace or phase-shift the Eiffel tower, the pyramids, etc. Just go full Superfriends with it.

YOU TAKE THE MOON
CcEJjUm_d.jpg

But really, he should coordinate with his actual super friends. Jade, Adom, Euanthe, Melinöe, the Beresfords, Leonard, Selina, Giovanni...someone already mentioned the Sivanas...maybe finally see what Chaos Control John Constantine's been up to...

A detachment of rookie Orange Lanterns...

Set up a proper dungeon crawl with puzzles, traps, mooks, minibosses, the works; leading to another plane or planet entirely for the collateral-free final battle.
 
Last edited:
I wonder if Paul will bring on some vilians that he is in the process of reforming. I am sure lots of them would love the glow of 'succeeding' against the heroes for once.

The difficulty there is in making sure there's not a risk of the subject relapsing into prior behavior under stress. While I'm sure there are some who could pull it off fine, for example, the CW version of Leonard Snart, it could be a mite tricky and irresponsible.
 
Well, a supervillain trope is taking control of televisions to give their evil monologue.
Paul has a power ring, and magic specialists who can probably make the message appear in all languages.

The insane songs, paul can pull off a song and dance number.
Massive Army, he has the Darkstars who need practice as someone mentioned.
Wholesale slaughter, well, there are plenty of people who say coffee is better than tea, who're clearly just asking for it...
 
The difficulty there is in making sure there's not a risk of the subject relapsing into prior behavior under stress. While I'm sure there are some who could pull it off fine, for example, the CW version of Leonard Snart, it could be a mite tricky and irresponsible.
Well even at his worst Dr. Snart did put in great effort to avoid casualties.
 
Joint Justice League/Maltus/NATO/Russia/China training exercise. The OLC, Dark Stars, and Maltusian regular army get to practice invading a planet, while the forces of Earth get to practice defending against an alien invasion.
Anything that large-scale would have to be done either as a staff-level "paper" exercise (where you're doing the exercise as, essentially, a tabletop strategic- or operational-level wargame without actually involving physical forces--a fine example that almost spiralled out of control would be https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_Archer_83 ), or, if done as an actual force-on-force exercise, would be of such large scale that it would have to A) be heavily advertised in the media, and B) feature a great deal of coordination with the population in the exercise area (as it would not be feasible to simply use an unpopulated area for the exercise, particularly with the need to conduct exercises in urban defense). Indeed, B) would probably require civilian cooperation on a par with some of the US Army's largest-scale exercises that involve pretty much half of North Carolina as exercise grounds... complete with the local civilian population taking on a task of being role-players who represent various civilian groups, from the media to law enforcement to even irregular forces who operate on each side of the exercise. (Ask anyone who's ever done a rotation at the US's major MOUT facility at... I want to say it's Fort Polk... well, ask them about "Granny Truckbomb" sometime and watch them shudder...)
 
Anything that large-scale would have to be done either as a staff-level "paper" exercise (where you're doing the exercise as, essentially, a tabletop strategic- or operational-level wargame without actually involving physical forces--a fine example that almost spiralled out of control would be https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_Archer_83 ), or, if done as an actual force-on-force exercise, would be of such large scale that it would have to A) be heavily advertised in the media, and B) feature a great deal of coordination with the population in the exercise area (as it would not be feasible to simply use an unpopulated area for the exercise, particularly with the need to conduct exercises in urban defense). Indeed, B) would probably require civilian cooperation on a par with some of the US Army's largest-scale exercises that involve pretty much half of North Carolina as exercise grounds... complete with the local civilian population taking on a task of being role-players who represent various civilian groups, from the media to law enforcement to even irregular forces who operate on each side of the exercise. (Ask anyone who's ever done a rotation at the US's major MOUT facility at... I want to say it's Fort Polk... well, ask them about "Granny Truckbomb" sometime and watch them shudder...)
I don't think that the Justice League would get much out of a staff-level exercise like Able Archer 83. I think that it'd probably start with something like OL taking a few high-ranking members of the Justice League, NATO, Chinese, and Russian militaries to visit Maltus to meet with the Controllers to work out the rules for the wargame, or alternately OL being given authority to do so in the Controller's stead - to work out logistical issues for things like "what is required to be performed to count a alien spaceship as being 'killed'".
 
Batman wants Paul for the opposing team in a war game? Has he read the report about just how easily he took down an entire Justice League in another universe? That's going to be rather one sided.
 
I realise that I haven't been explicit with how large spell eaters are
I've been assuming they were something that fit in the palm of your hand, circle or maybe oval shaped, and somewhere between a quarter and a 50 cent piece (American coinage) in size (and probably closer to the 50 cent piece, ~30mm). Something that can be worn around the wrist (even without redesigning it to be longer and narrower) by simply by attaching an elastic band to opposing ends.

So what do they actually look like?

"You want me to take on the role of a supervillain?"

"Yes."

In.. teresting. "Do.. ing.. what?"

"That will be up to you.
Sounds like a good opportunity for a OLC training exercise. Maybe he could even bring in the Vega alliance who ticked him off earlier. Justice League VS. Conquering Alien Invasion. And hopefully the Justice League gets their ass handed to them hard enough they stop making objection to proper defenses being made against it.
 
Batman wants Paul for the opposing team in a war game? Has he read the report about just how easily he took down an entire Justice League in another universe? That's going to be rather one sided.

To be fair, that version of the League had a smaller roster and no prior knowledge of his abilities or weaknesses. This version has three or four times as many people, is much better informed, and has time to plan for ways to take Paul down.
 
Correction: extraterrestrial
Thank you, corrected.
Batman wants Paul for the opposing team in a war game? Has he read the report about just how easily he took down an entire Justice League in another universe? That's going to be rather one sided.
If it is, then that's a kick up the bottom for the League. If it's anything less than totally one sided in the other direction, the League will learn something.
I've been assuming they were something that fit in the palm of your hand, circle or maybe oval shaped, and somewhere between a quarter and a 50 cent piece (American coinage) in size (and probably closer to the 50 cent piece, ~30mm). Something that can be worn around the wrist (even without redesigning it to be longer and narrower) by simply by attaching an elastic band to opposing ends.

So what do they actually look like?
A ring, eight centimetres across and two thick with a two centimetre hole in the middle.
That reminds me, anyone catch the name Anderson Gaines?

He's a Durlan terrorist in the comics from the distant past of the Durlan-Kryptonian War.
This version is somewhat modified, but recognisably similar. Or will be, if the team doesn't get there in time.
 
I'm still interested in that trick Alan wanted to show Paul. I am curious if it will come up as part of the potential Paragon/Renegade swap, this new invasion test, or some proactive efforts from the Orange Corps.

As for the supervillain invasion idea... Will Paul handle this like himself or will he leave room for the League to defeat him? Leaving aside the idea that defeating Paul in a fight could still result in losing the war ("I triggered it 35 minutes ago"), I'm curious if Paul will invite any of his allies into this scheme. As a training mission. Would inviting fellow orange Lanterns be a net-negative effect due to the world misinterpreting their dangerous actions against Earth? Will Paul use this opportunity to gather any special data or artifact-level items while the League is occupied?

Will Paul work out any lingering agression towards specific members of the League by hammering home on their weak points?

...Will Paul get defeated by Alan in the end?
 
To be fair, that version of the League had a smaller roster and no prior knowledge of his abilities or weaknesses. This version has three or four times as many people, is much better informed, and has time to plan for ways to take Paul down.

They are also quite a bit more powerful, more experienced and a lot of them have fixed their weaknesses because of Paul, Superman for example wears a environmental shield against radiation and I think a spell eater, and he still hasn't found a way to reliably defeat people as powerful as Doctor Mist without lots of preparation. Not to mention that all the lanterns also regularly train with him.
 
Last edited:
The "Renegade/Paragon Swap theory" reminded me of something from a long time ago. Mr. Zoat said that sometime this year (in story time), there would be a meeting of the many, many Pauls.

There is a Red Lantern, Blue Lantern, Anti-Green Lantern, one reality where an OL Paul runs off demons instead of a Lantern and controls most of Africa INCLUDING a meta-human fighting ring in Madagascar.........

I don't think the Renegade will show up (or if he does, not to swap, just a cameo), but this might be the start of a great CONGREGATION OF PAULS. With all the Pauls of the rainbow coming out to play.
 
The "Renegade/Paragon Swap theory" reminded me of something from a long time ago. Mr. Zoat said that sometime this year (in story time), there would be a meeting of the many, many Pauls.

There is a Red Lantern, Blue Lantern, Anti-Green Lantern, one reality where an OL Paul runs off demons instead of a Lantern and controls most of Africa INCLUDING a meta-human fighting ring in Madagascar.........

I don't think the Renegade will show up (or if he does, not to swap, just a cameo), but this might be the start of a great CONGREGATION OF PAULS. With all the Pauls of the rainbow coming out to play.
Crisis of infinite pauls
 
Sprited Away (part 8)
18th February
09:44 GMT -6


"He's right." Garth nods as we walk through Kennedy's main shopping street. "In the Atlantean military, we send battle mages in first. They deal with any immediate threats, and only then would an archmage or a thaumaturgist enter the area."

Leonid reaches up with his right hand for a moment and then pulls it back, not entirely comfortable with his earpiece. I realised that since few people speak Atlantean Greek and since I somehow ended up with a team where four out of five members do, we can talk pretty much openly about anything without worrying about being overheard.

Beryl smirks. "Did anyone else spot that he was sending a group of teenagers to a place where-"

I grin and nod at her.

"-teenagers keep killing themselves?"

"So if anyone feels like killing themselves, let me know. I can make it quick and painless. Or slow and painful, if you prefer."

Richard got Madagascar where his sneakiness and knowledge of criminal networks will be most useful, Kaldur got Nepal where his cold resistance and ability to manipulate water will be an asset and M'gann got Pakistan, for pretty much the reason I assumed. One magic user per team, one top tier brawler and… Nearly one Lantern per team.

Wonder where we can get another?

Shades covering my eyes to disguise the glow, I take a look around. Not looking deeply, just… Trying to spot any black. I got a reminder of what suicidal intent looks like from Ms Fuller, but… Not seeing anything like that. I mean, there's some black in the mix, but nothing exceptional.

"There is nothing to be gained by self-murder." People are looking at Linda, but that's mostly because she's a stunningly attractive blonde woman rather than them recognising her in her public identity or anything supernatural. "Your soul will endure, and everything you hoped to flee will accompany you to Hell."

Leonid turns the corners of his lips down for a moment. "I am an atheist."

I frown. "Really? You know we can prove objectively that souls and gods and whatnot exist, right? That's how magic works?"

"Then I do not see why some… Spirit should own my soul."

"I think of it more like insurance. Sure, you don't need it, but it can make life a lot easier."

Beryl nods. "Or death, in this case."

He frowns mildly at her. "What god have you chosen?"

"Nike."

"Really?"

"Best trainers I've ever worn."

Leonid frowns further. "There is a god of shoes?"

"Goddess."

"There is a goddess of shoes?"

"Probably, but Nike is the Hellenistic Goddess of Victory."

Beryl nods. "You sold the whole Hellenic pantheon pretty well. Oh, and the higher suicide rates go back for as far as they've got computerised records."

"And what does this goddess do in exchange for your soul?"

"Basically, nothing."

"Then you are being cheated."

Beryl beams at him. "Thank you."

"What for?"

Linda shakes her head. "Heathens. The disposition of your immortal soul is no matter for joviality."

"I'm not being jovial. Erebos sounds great. And wasn't invaded by demons a few months ago." She glances my way. "Was it?"

"No. As I understand it, demons would find Erebos even harder to exist in than they do the material universe. They're not especially vulnerable to Erebosian magic, but they don't fanatically hate the place either."

"And you can just do whatever you want without being stuck in a pod?"

"Hades hasn't said anything to me about putting people in pods. Though if you want to check, you can just go and visit."

"See?" She makes eye contact with Linda. "They do tours. Openness and honesty. That's the sort of thing I look for in a god." And back to me. "Have you met Nike?"

"No. With the Amazons, she effectively subs in for Ares as God of Fighting, because… They won't worship Ares because he's an arsehole." She nods. That's hardly a surprise at this point. "But I've never encountered her directly. Do you want to?"

"I dunno. I think I should actually win some more stuff first. Mm, no real seasonal variation, matches expected changes with the economic climate…"

"So it's deaths added to the base rate, not a flat level of deaths."

"It's more than that. If something was making people more miserable, normal self harm triggers wouldn't make deaths go up by a little, they'd go up by a lot because more people would reach that… Threshold. This looks more like a serial killer."

"A serial killer as old as written records. Not.. impossible. Garth?"

He shakes his head. "I haven't felt anyone using magic since we arrived." This close I can dimly see his tattoos glowing under his coat and concealing bandages. "My detection spells aren't infallible, but… So few people in the surface world use magic that the field has a certain untouched feel. This feels like that. I don't think that anyone's used magic around here for a very long time."

"Kind of sad when the old customs get abandoned." He looks at me blankly. "The Native American magic tradition wasn't up to much, as far as I've been able to tell. But they could use magic. If any were around here then it wouldn't feel like that."

He nods, but doesn't look particularly troubled by the idea. Atlanteans don't generally have a lot of respect for magic users whose knowledge of the subject is without a rigorously taught background in thaumaturgy. You don't get academic respect by throwing theorems at the wall and seeing what sticks.

"Linda, are you getting anything?"

"I have felt no demons or hellish magic since we arrived. Nor angels either."

Beryl looks curious. "Do demons do that? I wouldn't have thought-. I know the Catholic Church used to say that committing suicide sent you to Hell, but being mind controlled into doing so by a demon isn't the same." And now a little more concerned. "Is it?"

"Would it not be right to judge them on what they have become?"

"No, no it wouldn't."

"The Catholic Church took a hard line on suicide because it was the one form of violence it was impossible to do penance for. Since we now know that formal penance isn't necessary but rather just helpful, I doubt that it's a deciding factor. And Noriel? Your Linda's showing."

She bites back whatever her next comment was going to be.

"We need more information. Beryl, Leonid, head to wherever Kennedy keeps the written public records that haven't been computerised yet. See if you can find any other statistical anomalies." They nod. "Linda, Garth and I are going to do a tour of local teenage hangouts and popular suicide spots, see if we find anything odd. Contact us in an hour."
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top