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

Reader mode
Mr Zoat said:
Magic research if definitely an area
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Should that be 'is'?
The viewpoint switch to LL is interesting... His motivations are always fun.

At one point I speculated what might happen if the 'good' LL escaped from/survived the (Time Trapper/Legion) Superboy universe, say as a mind copy loaded into a Superboy robot (or, for real fun, a Krypto the Superdog robot)... And, what he'd do in a mainstream DC universe. :)
 
Darko said:
The death of all those children could have mentally harmed him and made it easy to keep him locked up.
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The man lost the will to live, probably never even tried to escape and just sat there a broken shell of his former self.

Though this does raise a few interesting questions.

Since He's been in jail and Iron died in the 70's did Iron ever marry Sandra Knight?

We've seen Kate Spencer in the fic during the Martian Womanhunter segment.
So that also likely means Walter Pratt is or at least was around for a while.

So how long till either Lex or Paul find that Trail.
Walt had the enhanced abilities of his father and grandfather.
Kate "only" had John wick levels of resilience.
Her son had some enhanced durability as well since he got hit by a truck and the truck lost.

from a scientific perspective this is a treasure trove of data on how the Danner formula passes down multiple generations.
 
The fun thing is. It was stated in the comics that one of superman's dreams is to just be considered a regular joe. Not lacking his power but everyone elevated to his level. Lex is arguably doing his best right now to fufill Supes dream. I find that hysterical.
 
Wonder how Lex would feel knowing that he is granting Supes his greatest wish. On one hand humanity becomes stronger, on the other Superman is happy. Comic Lex would do everything to make Supes miserable, even his uplifting of humanity would be abandoned if he thinks it will hurt the big blue boy scout.
 
Darko said:
Wonder how Lex would feel knowing that he is granting Supes his greatest wish. On one hand humanity becomes stronger, on the other Superman is happy. Comic Lex would do everything to make Supes miserable, even his uplifting of humanity would be abandoned if he thinks it will hurt the big blue boy scout.
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I think the various animated Lexes (Lexi?) are less cartoony than the comic version. Abandoning his own goals just because they'd make Superman happy would be Snidely Whiplash levels of villainy. I think Lex is above that.

Then again, if Lex were actually even remotely reasonable he wouldn't be a villain at all. There are, after all, a whole slew of perfectly legal things he could do to prepare for Superman going rogue without tipping his hand and painting a bulls-eye on himself if that's what he's really worried about.
 
Huh, back from the dead, how very...well...comic bookish.

Remember folks, always check for a body, or as the evil overlord's list would put it:

"All slain enemies will be cremated, or at least have several rounds of ammunition emptied into them, not left for dead at the bottom of the cliff. The announcement of their deaths, as well as any accompanying celebration, will be deferred until after the aforementioned disposal."


In light of Hugo's return from the grave by Mr Zoat, here's another old friend returned from the beyond.

Nu_zoat.jpg

Its a 'Zoat', from 40k, and a new model for it for the first time in decades. Will be part of the Blackstone Fortress game, so a minor role, but it IS back. No more being Squatted!
 
Siskulous said:
I think Lex is above that.
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Canonically, he is not.

Someguy Somewhere said:
In light of Hugo's return from the grave by Mr Zoat, here's another old friend returned from the beyond.

Nu_zoat.jpg

Its a 'Zoat', from 40k, and a new model for it for the first time in decades. Will be part of the Blackstone Fortress game, so a minor role, but it IS back. No more being Squatted!
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I have often suspected that Zoat is actually some form of crocodile centaur creature. English he says...
 
Darko said:
Wonder how Lex would feel knowing that he is granting Supes his greatest wish. On one hand humanity becomes stronger, on the other Superman is happy. Comic Lex would do everything to make Supes miserable, even his uplifting of humanity would be abandoned if he thinks it will hurt the big blue boy scout.
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Yeah in the comics Lex's sister Lena had a medical condition leaving her in a wheel chair.
He shows up at her house one day after superboy befriends her and her daughter.
Cures her of her condition and then a few minutes later undoes the cure leaving his own sister crippled.
all to prove to superboy the good he can do and that he won't do said good as long as supermans alive.

Now Lex's biggest goal is to beat superman.
With his Genius and resources he could become an even bigger hero than superman.
It's shown Lexcorp has a cure to Muscular dystrophy that he hasn't released.

Even superman has flat out told Lex that he could make him look like a total chump if he'd just get past his hatred.

and of course this gem from all star superman

Lex Luthor:
Give it back. I saw everything. I saw how to save the world. I could have made everyone see. If it wasn't for you, I could have saved the world.
Superman:
If it had mattered to you, Luthor, you could have saved the world years ago.

Lex is and always will be his own worst enemy.
 
Jungle Gym (part 15)
Another day
And another and another and another

The light was.. getting brighter.

The light hurt a little, but the pain was as distant as everything… Else. And then… Water? He thought that he remembered… Water. Rain. He remembers being wet.

A.. pulling at his face. That meant something, or… Had meant something, but the ideas weren't coming together.

Just sink back…

"…real number on this guy's head, Mister Luthor."

"But you can help him."

"I can snap him out of it, but I wouldn't know where to even begin to fix this guy's problems."

"Mr. Praxis, if I'm unable to capitalise on the opportunities you provide me… Well, that's my problem."

"Your money. This'll only take a second, then… A couple of minutes for him to figure himself out. Then assuming he doesn't just fall back into it, he'll be able to talk."

"Proceed."

**Knock knock.**

And colors so bright they sear his eyes and his mind the tiny sounds of cloth against leather feeling so much louder than they should be and his skin feels clean and-.

No. No no no-.

"Mister Danner."

One man, blond hair tied back into a ponytail, stands from where he had been kneeling to his right. Sitting.. across from him, is a… Another man. White, bald. Wearing a suit. Next to him, a woman. Secretary? Blouse, jacket, skirt. The room… Office? Living room?

"Mister Danner?"

He should… Say something, but… He tries to remember last time he.. spoke to anyone.

"Mhuh?"

The bald man appears to take this in his stride.

"Not too bad, considering how long you were in there. I've taken the liberty of having you washed, shaved and dressed. I don't think that the conditions of your prison-"

Prison?

"-did much good for your state of mind."

He mentally floundered, images and barely remembered sensations. Explosions, he remembers explosions, and… Mud? And chains and.. a.. prison? Yes, a prison. Why was he in a prison?

"I can see that you're having a little trouble processing this. Do you remember your name?"

"Drnnr. Dan. Ner."

The bald man s-smiles.

"Yes. Hugo Danner. You're presently in the United States of America, in the city of Metropolis."

America.. was.. home? He remembered the flag, at… High school? And outside the houses of a lot of his neighbors.

"You were in Brazil, when I found you. Do you remember why?"

Shouting, people.. hitting him, but not getting hurt. Sadness and irritation, and-. He'd tried to help them and they'd accused him of-.

"To-. Get away. People didn't..."

"Yes." The bald man picks up a file and leafs through it. "I understand that society had a difficult time adjusting to your abilities. Of course, that was rather a long time ago now."

How long ago was..? He looked away from the bald man, focusing on the carpeted floor. He remembered… He left America to.. go to France, for the War. He joined the French Foreign Legion to get away, and… The other soldiers liked him in a way that.. people he knew in America never had. But they died, they all… He didn't. They weren't as tough as him. Then he went back to America but it was still just as bad, then… He left again. Took a job assisting an archeological expedition. Then-.

OhGodthechildren!

"Ah. I see that you're remembering-."

"They all died, because I-!"

"No. No." What? "Oh, quite a few did, but some survived the exposure to the outside world, and others simply retreated back into the jungle without being infected. I'm sure that if they'd known where you were they would have attempted to rescue you, but the Brazilian government didn't advertise it."

They-? They weren't-?

Olowin, he remembers when Olowin was born. He remembers holding him, playing with him, the sheer joy of being able to play with someone who wouldn't die if he threw a ball too hard. He remembers his first hunt, his growing infatuation with Awendea, sitting with him as he listened intently to stories about the Great War. He remembers the boy being knocked flat by an anti-tank round and laughing it off. And-and he remembers-.

"I… Understand that you were trying to share your abilities with other people. I very much share that desire."

Flashes of blue and green and red, dozens of other Americans, people with powers like he had powers, all.. sent to stop him. Why? Didn't they understand how Brazil worked, how the rich treated the common people? Why didn't they want to share the powers that elevated them?

He'd thought that he couldn't get on with people because he was too different. But he couldn't get on with people who were like him either. And those he could…

He remembered the coughs. The vomiting. The.. wounds that didn't heal because all their bodies could do was hold themselves together. The starvation that happened when they healed injuries but couldn't keep down the food necessary to replenish themselves.

"Mister Danner?"

"Why?" He raises his eyes, looking directly at the bald man. "Why do you want to share this?"

"Because I believe that everyone should try to better themselves. And ensure that their children have better lives than they had. Hugo, I'm all too aware of the difficulties you had… You were the first of your kind, the first person like you in the world. You… Had it rough, but those who came after you benefited from your experience. People told their children about the things they'd seen you do, and that… That's part of why when the first generation of superheroes appeared they were accepted. You changed people's idea of what a man might accomplish. And… Yes, you had setbacks, and made more than a few mistakes. Because the situation was as new for you as it was for everyone else. And because you were so often forced to do things on your own."

"Hugo, I want to help." The bald man leaned forward. "I want to help you recreate your father's formula. I want to help you use the best of modern technology to find out exactly what went wrong and how to fix it, so that the next generation of Children of Dawn grow up strong and healthy. I've-."

"It won't work. For you. It.. doesn't work on adults."

"I know." The bald man… Luthor? Nods solemnly. "I'm not doing this to benefit myself. I'm doing this for the betterment of future generations of humankind. Will you help me?"

18th March
15:23 GMT -3

He shrugged. It was going to come out eventually anyway.

"I'm Hugo Danner."
 
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Mr Zoat said:
"Mr Praxis, if I'm unable to capitalise you provide me… Well, that's my problem."

(snip)

One man, blond hair tied back into a ponytail, stands from where he had been kneeling to his right. Sitting.. across from him, is a… Another man. White, bald. Wearing a suit. Next to him, a woman. Secretary? Blouse, jacket, skirt. The room… Office? Living room?

"I know." The bald man… Luthor? Nods solemnly. "I'm not doing this to benefit myself. I'm doing this for the betterment of future generations of humankind. Will you help me?"
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Ten seconds later, the Queen of Fables bursts through the wall and stabs the blond man with the ponytail through his mouth with a spear.

"You have to end the bloodline!" she shouts.


That's a joke regarding the most recent Praxis appearance on the Harley Quinn animated series.
 
Maxx Crowley said:
No. Lex wants humanity completely dependant on him. As he is elevated to shiny bald headed god-king.
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There have been so many different Lexes throughout the years that it largely depends on the author's interpretation. Zoat's Lex is usually closer to the former than the latter.
 
Mr Zoat said:
Another day
And another and another and another

The light was.. getting brighter.

The light hurt a little, but the pain was as distant as everything… Else. And then… Water? He thought that he remembered… Water. Rain. He remembers being wet.
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Yeah, I was right, he was full-on cataconic. Not surprising that he'd retreat into himself, after seeing what he did... I'm guessing this takes place within a day or two of yesterday's chapter...

A.. pulling at his face. That meant something, or… Had meant something, but the ideas weren't coming together.

Just sink back…
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The bathing and cleansing drew his attention briefly, but wasn't enough to wake him up fully.

"…real number of this guy's head, Mister Luthor."

"But you can help him."

"I can snap him out of it, but I wouldn't know where to even begin to fix this guy's problems."
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So Lex calls in someone who can get past his shell of depression.

"Mr Praxis, if I'm unable to capitalise you provide me… Well, that's my problem."

"Your money. This'll only take a second, then… A couple of minutes for him to figure himself out. Then assuming he doesn't just fall back into it, he'll be able to talk."
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"In other words, don't blame me if he just conks out again."

"Proceed."

**Knock knock.**

And colors so bright they sear his eyes and his mind the tiny sounds of cloth against leather feeling so much louder than they should be and his skin feels clean and-.
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"Wake up, Doctor Freeman Mister Danner. Time to wake up, and smell the ashesfuture."

No. No no no-.

"Mister Danner."

One man, blond hair tied back into a ponytail, stands from where he had been kneeling to his right. Sitting.. across from him, is a… Another man. White, bald. Wearing a suit. Next to him, a woman. Secretary? Blouse, jacket, skirt. The room… Office? Living room?
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I bet he's feeling really disoriented right now. Between the cut of Lex and Mercy's suits, the odd technology no doubt visible, and the view out the window...

"Mister Danner?"

He should… Say something, but… He tries to remember last time he.. spoke to anyone.

"Mhuh?"
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How eloquent.:p It has been a very long time, hasn't it?

The bald man appears to take this in his stride.

"Not too bad, considering how long you were in there. I've taken the liberty of having you washed, shaved and dressed. I don't think that the conditions of your prison-"

Prison?
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Was Hugo even aware of that whole situation? Or has he been out of it since the All-Star Squadron Justice!-punched him into unconsciousness?

"-did much good for your state of mind."

He mentally floundered, images and barely remembered sensations. Explosions, he remembers explosions, and… Mud? And chains and.. a.. prison? Yes, a prison. Why was he in a prison?
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Ah, there we go, he's starting to remember now.

"I can see that you're having a little trouble processing this. Do you remember your name?"

"Drnnr. Dan. Ner."
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Taking his time getting the jaw muscles back in order, heh.

The bald man s-smiles.

"Yes. Hugo Danner. You're presently in the United States of America, in the city of Metropolis."

America.. was.. home? He remembered the flag, at… High school? And outside the houses of a lot of his neighbors.
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Goes to show how much he cared about his origins. Given the life he's lived, I'm sure he didn't miss it.

"You were in Brazil, when I found you. Do you remember why?"

Shouting, people.. hitting him, but not getting hurt. Sadness and irritation, and-. He'd tried to help them and they'd accused him of-.

"To-. Get away. People didn't..."
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Even if he weren't over a century old, I'd want to give him a hug. He was born about forty years too soon to fit in...

"Yes." The bald man picks up a file and leafs through it. "I understand that society had a difficult time adjusting to your abilities. Of course, that was rather a long time ago now."

How long ago was..? He looked away from the bald man, focusing on the carpeted floor. He remembered… He left America to.. go to France, for the War. He joined the French Foreign Legion to get away, and… The other soldiers liked him in a way that.. people he knew in America never had. But they died, they all… He didn't. They weren't as tough as him. Then he went back to America but it was still just as bad, then… He left again. Took a job assisting an archeologically expedition. Then-.
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Which is where he did the whole 'attempted suicide by spitting in the face of God' thing...

OhGodthechildren!

"Ah. I see that you're remembering-."

"They all died, because I-!"
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To be honest, it probably is partly your fault... If you'd just been content to live amongst people who accepted you... But, no, the rest of the world had to poke their noses into his little retreat... Making him lash out...

"No. No." What? "Oh, quite a few did, but some survived the exposure to the outside world, and others simply retreated back into the jungle without being infected. I'm sure that if they'd known where you were they would have attempted to rescue you, but the Brazilian government didn't advertise it."

They-? They weren't-?
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Not all of them, no. We, the audience, know that now. I'm suprised there wasn't a flash of Hope in there.

Olowin, he remembers when Olowin was born. He remembers holding him, playing with him, the sheer joy of being able to play with someone who wouldn't die if he threw a ball too hard. He remembers his first hunt, his growing infatuation with Awendea, sitting with him as he listened intently to stories about the Great War. He remembers the boy being knocked flat by an anti-tank round and laughing it off. And-and he remembers-.
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Brings a new aspect to stories about the fight, doesn't it? I hope he tells OL all this.

"I… Understand that you were trying to share your abilities with other people. I very much share that desire."

Flashes of blue and green and red, dozens of other Americans, people with powers like he had powers, all.. sent to stop him. Why? Didn't they understand how Brazil worked, how the rich treated the common people? Why didn't they want to share the powers that elevated them?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Would he even have seen superheroes before then? Except maybe in the newspapers? That must have been quite the shock.

He'd thought that he couldn't get on with people because he was too different. But he couldn't get on with people who were like him either. And those he could…

He remembered the coughs. The vomiting. The.. wounds that didn't heal because all their bodies could do was hold themselves together. The starvation that happened when they healed injuries but couldn't keep down the food necessary to replenish themselves.
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Grim. No wonder Alan and the others don't like to talk about it.

"Mister Danner?"

"Why?" He raises his eyes, looking directly at the bald man. "Why do you want to share this?"
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And that is the sixty-four million dollar question...

"Because I believe that everyone should try to better themselves. And ensure that their children have better lives that they had. Hugo, I'm all too aware of the difficulties you had… You were the first of your kind, the first person like you in the world. You… Had it rough, but those who came after you benefited from your experience. People told their children about the things they'd seen you do, and that… That's part of why when the first generation of superheroes appears they were accepted. You changed people's idea of what a man might accomplish. And… Yes, you had setbacks, and made more than a few mistakes. Because the situation was as new for you as it was for everyone else. And because you were so often forced to do things on your own."
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And a subtle nod to the early origins of characters like Superman there.

"Hugo, I want to help." The bald man leaned forward. "I want to help you recreate your father's formula. I want to help you use the best of modern technology to find out exactly what went wrong and how to fix it, so that the next generation of Children of Dawn grow up strong and healthy. I've-."

"It won't work. For you. It.. doesn't work on adults."

"I know." The bald man… Luthor? Nods solemnly. "I'm not doing this to benefit myself. I'm doing this for the betterment of future generations of humankind. Will you help me?"
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Not mentioned: the fact that it will make him wealthy and famous even beyond what he is now. And make anyone wanting their kids to be superhuman have to come hat-in-hand to him and his companies.

18th March
15:23 GMT -3

He shrugged. It was going to come out eventually anyway.

"I'm Hugo Danner."
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Three little words. One gigantic bomb to drop on OL.

Now, how is OL going to react to this little factoid. Never mind the fact than Hugo never once thought to mention it in all their prior meetings. What must he have been feeling, hearing OL's thoughts about him?

Correction:
Took a job assisting an archeologically expedition...
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Took a job assisting an archeological expedition...
 
Maxx Crowley said:
No. Lex wants humanity completely dependant on him. As he is elevated to shiny bald headed god-king.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...


While that's often the case, the "nicer" versions of Lex (like the one in this fic) typically wants himself as the god king because he's so arrogant that he believes it's the absolute best way forward for humanity. If he had to choose between making humanity the premiere species in the galaxy and not ruling it, or ruling over a stagnant humanity, he'd choose the former.

Again though, it can't be emphasized enough how rooted this is in arrogance and ego.
 
david said:
While that's often the case, the "nicer" versions of Lex (like the one in this fic) typically wants himself as the god king because he's so arrogant that he believes it's the absolute best way forward for humanity. If he had to choose between making humanity the premiere species in the galaxy and not ruling it, or ruling over a stagnant humanity, he'd choose the former.

Again though, it can't be emphasized enough how rooted this is in arrogance and ego.
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If that were true, then Lex would have rolled over on the Light when OL made it abundantly clear they couldn't be trusted with the betterment of humanity. He had a choice then, to see humanity reach greater heights without his involvement, or the outside possibility of ruling over its ashes, and he chose the later. That was the day the strength of Lex failed, and he has doubled down on it ever since.
 
Hey Zoat what happened to Dark Druid in the paragon timeline?
Was he captured during that episode where Swamp Thing invaded Gotham?
What will OL do with the wizards that are imprisoned in Fates Tower?
He could give them to the Chinese or some other country to execute and boost their influence on an international scale by killing mass murderers and OL gets a favor out of said country.
 
Darko said:
Hey Zoat what happened to Dark Druid in the paragon timeline?
Was he captured during that episode where Swamp Thing invaded Gotham?
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Yes, and imprisoned in the Tower of Fate.
What will OL do with the wizards that are imprisoned in Fates Tower?
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Nothing. John Quinn knows where he is if he needs help.
He could give them to the Chinese or some other country to execute and boost their influence on an international scale by killing mass murderers and OL gets a favor out of said country.
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The SI is content to leave that to other people.
 
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