lindsay community theatre + station theatre rtc karnaks ily.

OK LONG POST HERE WE GO!!!

i had the absolute privilege of seeing WVU/metropolitan theater ride the cyclone not once, but twice this week (opening and closing nights!!)

and lemme tell ya it was AMAZING. definitely one of my favorite casts/productions i’ve seen. so here’s the thoughts:

number one: it was overall very similar to 2016 original cast!! many of the actions were played very similarly to that one,, but it was also very different. bc script changes (i still miss ricky conceding, love conquers all and oceans line about not knowing/caring abt people in life and regretting it though) but also bc there were puppets. more on that later lol

-the set was AMAZING, here’s a picture i took from today before it started

i just love looking at this.

and going off of that. fuckin look at karnak!!!!! he’s so cool! reminds me of a muppet in the best way lol

-i also swore that virgil was wearing an ‘in case i make it’ by will wood shirt. i don’t actually think he was for a few reasons lol but i do think it was a very similar design fghgfd

-i love the uranium suite choreo so much. ocean put SO MUCH into those little scoop thingys fhsjhd but whenever they Died,, the round and round part,, the choreo looked more like the choreo from way back during waiting for the drop and i LOVE THAT. i miss that song a lot too.

-THEY ALSO DID THE WOO!! BEFORE THE END AND I LOVE THAT TOO!!!!!

-the layout of the coaster was cool: it was

ocean mischa

constance ricky

noel

which i thought was a great was to show their personalities over their friendships sort of :)

OK,, JANE DOE: i love her design in this one. she had pink ribbons on her pigtails and big ole eyelashes and i LOVE HER.

-she also had a comb for her dolly and used it to stab it while she was talking abt the lion thing. it was really funny fhsjhd

-her way of talking was also really cool. she broke off the sentences in different places than what i’ve heard before and just kind of had more of a sort of curious and clueless way about her. it was like “and so. i walk alone and wonder. why?” and just. her <3333 she was so good.

-during oceans little monologue (her speech) before what the world needs,, jane also put her head on constance’s shoulder and just. amazing. it was so funny she’s so sweet fhsjhd

-during the new birthday song (or. after it while they’re all talking) she was also super cute.. like played around w her party hat and ricky’s little xylophone thing he was playing for the song. i just think she’s great fhsjdh

ok back to The Rest,,

-seeing the upop bits was hilarious. like i’ve read them and seen a few performances of it,, but seeing it live was so good fhjshd also constance’s costume had such cute details!! she had rainbow details on her shoes and a couple enamel pins on her pinafore!

-constance and ocean also did their little handshake thing as part of their dance during its just a ride and that made me almost cry too fhsjdh

-they added “prestigious university” into oceans list of Reasons She’s The Best or whatever. it’s funny bc wvu is Not At All That lol hdjshdjs (edit: finally reread the new script and Yes that’s in there but it is still Really funny lol)

-ok what the world needs was so funny. love love love ocean (she’s the worst!!) but this one was like. manic abt it in the best way. her riff at the end was hilarious too. a lot of “ooooh i’m better than youuuu and youuuu and allllll of youuuohooooohohohooooo” it was great. also the turntable was super cool in this show bc it was like a mini stage which helped w levels and stuff too! (another note abt this ocean, she definitely made her own choices but she also rlly reminded me of tiffany which was fun!!)

-this noel was. SO gay. they all are. but This One. GODDAMN!! he was awesome. he did the intro monologue in a much more dramatic way than khobly (still referencing my 2016 thoughts) ..like kholbys version was kinda done like. noel was slightly embarrassed not abt who he was but like,, more so circumstancial stuff if that makes sense? he got excited abt the whole missing teeth thing and all, right. (just to give a reference on how these noels are different!!) this noel was drawn out dramatic through the wholeeeee thing. he was amazing.

-the taco bell picture comes up and mischa’s like hahahhaa the Fuck lol and noel starts like pouting. “what is That” “i was hoping you could tell me” “NO!!☹️” bro sounded like he was bout to cry dhshdh he was so good

-OK THE QUICK CHANGE!! y’all know how he kinda strips in 2016 and Other versions? NOPE THIS ONE WAS ALLLL TEARAWAY!! it happened so fast,, he was like FINE *RIP* and BOOM lingerie. it was incredible. he also wore on of those long fluffy flowy “i just killed my husband for the money” robes. y’all he looked so good

-today was especially great. noel’s lament was insane. i have literally never heard a louder audience for anything. every time he’d do anything people would scream (bc he was fucking killing it) and when he went down to “die” the first time. he just kinda sat and did the little wave to get people to make more noise. it was amazing. i wish i could’ve fuckin videod or some shit bc it was soooo good.

-mischa. mischa bachinski. this guy was perfect for him (i am so sorry i don’t know the actors names by the way). tbh i love when mischa’s short. and bouncy. his rage was a lot of jumping and punching air and just. i loved that for him. TSIA was hilarious as usual, it always is. i really liked how they Made a jet with their arms on that line,,, but TALIA. she was actually an actress on stage and they did the whole dance together and then she ran away on the last OOOOOHHHHHHHHHH and it was SO good wtf. talia Always gets me so this was so exception for sure.

-this entire cast is definitely one of my favorites for sure. but tHIS RICKY IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE ONE EVER. he was incredible y’all. like they all were but. ricky. his choices like. landed SO perfectly every time. “i’m tellin’ you right now, monkeylovedrop! :)” SHIT WAS AMAZING (not to mention i didn’t know abt ricky’s new background in the script so that was also fucking hilarious.)

-not to mention the way he did the very end section of the song the way alex did,, like melody wise?? i LOVE THAT (i just like hearing it that way more lol) so that made me super happy.

-oh and remember how i said there were puppets? i fuckin WISH i could’ve taken a picture of it. the zolarians were cat puppets that came out from the alcoves on the sides of the stage and they were fuckin NEON BLUE AND GREEN with holographic details. no one was ready for that but it was PERFECT DFGHJGFGH

-also the actual sabm costume??? he was glittery and neon and flared pants and heeled boots and neon green cat ears and he LOOKED SO MF GOOD HAHAHAHA

-the energy of the whole fucking show was so amazing. especially today (closing performance). people were cheering through the whole damn thing it was perfect.

-TBOJD: the way she said MY TURN!!! was so cute. it was like !! MY TURNNNN !! all excited and drawn out a little. good for her.

—but mainly. there were 2 things happening here. 1) the actress was AMAZING. i think she also may be one of my favorite janes ever. she did this Thing with her hands at one point,, and i can’t really describe it,, but it was like she was just trying to make sure she could still Feel. and it was rlly cool. 2) MORE PUPPETS!?!?!?! this time it was when the music kicked up,,, the rest of the choir was doing their own sick choreo but there were also uhhh big ass worms among them too. they were actually pretty cool.. big teeth and the way they moved was really fun to watch but it did feel a touch overcrowded at times 🙃

-THE OTHER THING WAS THE FLIGHT!!!!! SHE STILL FLEW!! she didn’t go upside down or spin but the fact she went up as high as she did (like above the spinny thing on the stage part of the set) was incredible. and yes ofc she absolutely MURDERED THOSE HIGH NOTES IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. i was mentally taking notes on her techniques the entire time fhsjhd (fun fact,, after the song today when i cheered/screamed for my applause i did in fact hit the note dhjshd it was a surprisingly supported one too lol)

-sugar cloud: JANE STARTED THE CHOREO AND THEN THEY ALL DID IT AFTER HER <33333 i will always love how sugar cloud is just Them uninhibited. it’s so good that way. this constance was also SO good with the way she did the monologue too. there were a few strong hints of regret but overall it was just Acceptance and moving forward and just hnnnnnnn she was wonderful.

-AND THEN THERE WERE MORE PUPPETS!!!! legit just little blobs of color that danced a little bit too. very cute, very constance fhsjhd my friend said the orange one was her favorite character and stole the show even lol. they were very expressive hfjdh

-there were a LOT of points where the audience were clapping along too and it made me sooooo happy. there was a part in noel’s lament, talia, and sugar cloud and just <333

-another few points that i saw throughout the show,, noel and constance besties. they were always hangin around each other.. same w mischa and constance. she’d make her quips against ocean and mischa’d be like YEAAHHHHHHH!! legit heard constance go-after the upop drugs bit- “yeah! you liked that one!! i’d been working on it for a bit!” <333

-really maybe just noel besties with everyone bc he also gave jane like. a Good hug before she left.. <33

-last thing that had me Dying,, noel also went up to ocean and put his hand on her shoulder and stood real close to her after she made her final vote. and ocean looked at him and leaned into it. and just. the growth from them both for that <3333 they’re so special to me.

-legit i think the only remote criticism i have is that it’s just a ride went SO FUCKING FAST???? like i don’t think y’all are taking enough of a look around at that speed lol.. it just wasn’t enough time to rlly enjoy how good that song is yknow.

overall wvu rtc completely blew me away and i desperately hope SOMEONE has a slime tutorial of it because GODDAMN THAT VERSION WAS GOOD!!! i need more ppl to talk abt it dhjshdj

ABOUT ME

AKA Actual Introduction Post Because It Just Came To My Attention That I Never Actually Made One

art tag: #milesedgeart

non-art post tag: #milesrambles

Fandoms

(Except they get increasingly more… not)

- Carmen Sandiego

- Ace Attorney

- Trigun Stampede

- Over the Garden Wall

- Dimension 20: Fantasy High

- Promare

- Undertale (I got into it very late 😔)

- Sally Face

- Lackadaisy

- Nimona

- Minecraft Story Mode (cringe is dead fight me)

- Dan and Phil (again cringe is dead but also please respect people’s boundaries, if you’re publicly posting creepy/invasive stuff I will block you. This isn’t directed at anyone specifically but I feel like I need to say it upfront because uh. some of y’all scare me)

- Cinema Therapy (do they have a fandom? I hope so)

- Bits and pieces of Danganronpa V1 and V2

- Groundhog Day (the musical specifically)

- Sneakers (remember that nerd movie from 1992? no? well too bad I’m telling you about it anyway)

- Wargames (you know how the people who made the previously-mentioned nerd movie made a different movie 10 years earlier called wargames which ultimately inspired the creators to take an interest in whitehat hackers which eventually resulted in the creation of sneakers? no? well too bad, you know the drill)

- The True Meaning of Smekday (THE ANIMATED MOVIE DOES NOT DO IT JUSTICE I WILL PERISH ON THIS HILL)

- The Lifeline Games but specifically the Taylor ones

- Brennan Lee Mulligan (just. In general)

- Whatever it’s called when you have not consumed a single piece of media from a fandom but you know more about it than some of the fans because you have a friend who’s really into it and you like listening to their opinions/theories. (ie. I have watched playthroughs of Poppy Playtime and FNAF and I have enjoyed them by proxy)

Theatre

Roles I’ve played & other stuff I’ve done in theatre (not counting anything I did in school because there would be way too many well-technically’s):

- Karnak / SABM art lead (Ride the Cyclone, Stone Soup Theatre Co.)

- Hanz* / Sailor (Cabaret, Stone Soup Theatre Co.)

- Lead puppet designer / puppet constructor / Pig 1 / Milky White Titty Committee** (Into the Woods, Stone Soup Theatre Co.

- Part of Christmas Future / Man 1 / Marley’s makeup, hair, and OHGODTHESECHAINSARE70POUNDSIMACTUALLYGONNADIEFORREAL manager (A Christmas Carol, Center Theatre Co.)

- Shakespeare’s Valet (Something Rotten! Stone Soup Theatre Co.)

*This was one of my favorite roles to play and I still don’t know if it’s meant to be spelled with a “z” or if our director just made a typo. Hans? Hanz? Hanzsz?

**Milky White’s udders kept falling off. It was a Whole Thing.

Hobbies

As an aspiring jack of all trades, I have a running list of hobbies which range from “I’m really bad at this but I have tried it and am familiar with it” to “I am Really Good at this Thing”. Here are all of those, in no particular order (to avoid personal bias, I will not be ranking which of these I’m best at. Feel free to guess though! I’m also happy to elaborate on any of them— I just don’t generally know how skilled I am in a broad sense.)

- Poetry

- Fanfiction

- Novel-writing

- Other writing-related activities

- Digital art

- 2D & 3D animation

- Traditional art (I like markers and pens a lot)

- D&D

- Painting D&D miniatures

- Violin

- Piano

- Singing

- Acting

- Guitar (and related instruments)

- Pennywhistle

- Origami

- Cross-stitch

- Comic writing/illustration

- Journaling

- Gaming

- Listening to Every Genre of Music Ever

- Attempting to take care of houseplants

- Space/astronomy

TO REITERATE, BECAUSE IT TOOK ME FOREVER TO GET THIS THROUGH MY HEAD. I AM NOT “GOOD” AT ALL OF THESE THINGS THEY ARE JUST THINGS I DO AND THAT IS NORMAL AND OKAY. HOBBIES DO NOT HAVE TO BE MONETIZABLE IN ORDER TO BE HOBBIES. IN FACT THAT’S LIKE THE SELLING POINT OF HOBBIES. I’M SORRY I DID NOT MEAN TO YELL THIS MUCH.

So uh

Yeah that’s me

Thank you for reading I will be updating this probably more often than I should

soooo @rtcshipweeks day 8 kind of got away from me... so have a snippet of my traveling circus au for my favorite constance ship: sugarspace!

also posting this listening to play to win... and sobbing. i have a serious problem i think

"Meeeeet The Dog!!"

ricky had known constance for years. six years, to be exact. they knew her inside and out- maybe better than she knew herself.

but no matter how close they were, ricky always got butterflies watching her perform.

it was like she was the only person alive while she was on that stage. it was incredible. seeing her with the horses, or working with penny or tammy with the birds or other animals was mesmerizing. she always had this soft little smile, and then when she turned to speak to the audience it turned into this huge, ear-to-ear grin with such a fire in her eyes that ricky couldn't bring themself to look anywhere but those eyes.

they might have a bit of a crush- puppy love, noel would call it- but nobody needs to know about that but the two of them. not yet.

even now, watching her riding around on stage with tammy and one of the newer girls' many birds, ricky could feel themself falling head-over-heels in love all over again.

she was.. well she was everything to them. they could almost hear the eye roll from noel at the cheesiness of it.

ricky adored her. the moment she told them she was ready to tell the rest of the circus they were going to make a banner and hang in from the highest roof they could find. they would take their time and force their stupid, dysfunctional jaw to work so they could scream it into the sky.

but she wasn't ready, and ricky could wait. they could spend their time watching her work, or watching her help ocean with some of her acts. they could listen to her singing to herself as she tended to the horses, and listen to her ranting about something she learned that day while she undoes her hair and they both take off their makeup.

ricky could bide their time, sitting quietly on a plane with her on the way to yet another country, and giggling at noel as he shouts about another card game lost to karnak. they could wait years if it meant they could be with her.

and they had told her as much. they held her as she sobbed, signing promises to her with shaky hands, and pressing kisses to her forehead. they kissed the tear tracks from her cheeks, scoffing at the mere idea of ever leaving her because of something so trivial.

constance knew how much ricky loved her. she had seen the numerous drawings of her and diary entries about her, and she could feel how deep their love ran.

and she loved them just as much, if not more.

she watched as they worked with ezra playing practical jokes, or working with ocean to give her an extra boost before a hard act. she watched them play with kids, and move to an emergency so quickly she could barely see it.

she got to watch them learn to bake- she got to teach them to bake. she got to see them working out every morning, laughing with ezra and hank about something she never really understood, and she got to bring them icepacks when they overdid it and caused a flareup.

she got to take them to doctors appointments, flying around to find specialists to make sure they were okay to keep working.

she couldn't understand what they saw in her, but she couldn't quite explain what she saw in them, so she supposed it was fair.

she could barely function without them anymore. seeing hank and astrid so publicly in love felt like a stab to the heart, and she quite valued her heart, thank you. ricky was a very important part of her life, and its not easy to survive without your heart like that.

(a scene I wrote between Mischa and MC Karnak, based off an earlier post)

Mischa was on his way home from work. It was late, even by his standards, and he knew that he was gonna get chewed out by his so-called parents if they were still up. It didn't matter if he was late because of his job; curfew was curfew. Well, actually his dad would chew him out. His mom never spoke a word to him. He cringed at even thinking of them with such familial terms. They were Sir and Ma'am. They were the main reason he wished his mother had never sent him to this country.

He was planning to go home, get high, then go to bed. It had been a bad day for a multitude of reasons, and he just wanted to forget about everything for a little bit. Every bone in his body ached, he was exhausted. He was so tired, he almost didn't catch the person hobbling down the sidewalk next to him. No one should be out this late in Uranium. He knew exactly who it was, too; only two people would wear an outfit so confusingly eye-catching. The first was Ricky who wouldn't be caught dead walking these streets so late at night. The second was--

"Karnak!" Mischa shouted out the rolled down window. The man came closer, leaning into the car with a wide grin. The teen recognized that look in his eyes. "Get your drunk ass in this car."

Karnak didn't protest or hesitate. The way he was shivering, he had probably been out wandering for a while. Mischa cranked up the heat.

"The hell are you doing outside this late?"

"Mmm, went to a party." He fumbled with the seatbelt before it finally clicked. "Thanks for the ride. I got a little lost..."

"Yeah, you're place is clear across town. What the hell are you wearing?"

Karnak didn't respond, he just stared at Mischa expectantly. Right, that stupid game. A question for a question. Mischa sighed.

"Fine, what is your question?"

"Why are YOU out so late?"

"Had work. Double shift "

The man hummed and blinked slowly. "This is the shirt Savannah gave me. It's my favorite." It was a garish button down with clashing patterns and colors. It was tacky as hell and definitely up his weird ass alley. "Was today... okay?"

The words were slurred, muddled, but Mischa heard clearly. His grip tightened on the steering wheel. "Why wouldn't it be?"

It wasn't an answer, but Karnak accepted it anyway. He didn't need to speak it aloud, but he couldn't hold himself back. "It's the anniversary..."

"... I haven't talked to... any of them," Mischa admitted. Any tears that might have formed, he blinked away. He had to drive. "I think they all want to be with family. You are first person I have seen today."

"And I'm a mess." Karnak didn't meet Mischa's eyes when the boy glanced at him. There was a double meaning there that neither wanted to address. "...I left early and went walking. I didn't want to be seen."

"We have that in common," Mischa tried to smile even though he didn't feel happy. Karnak closed his eyes and patted the teen on the shoulder the way he wished his adoptive father would.

"You're a good kid, Mischa. Sorry you have to... see me... like this."

"Don't mind. You get me home drunk many times."

"But you're a kid," Karnak protested weakly, "and I'm an... adult..." Now Mischa was worried the man was falling asleep. "A good kid. I'm sorry you... 'm so sorry... Virgil..."

And then the car was filled with light snores. Mischa just hoped he'd wake up when they got to their destination; he didn't feel like carrying or dragging a grown man inside. He wiped a few stray tears away. This day was hard for them all, surely. Maybe next year, they wouldn't have to spend it alone.

RTC SONG RANKING!!

this is all just my opinion, and I dont expect everyone to agree with me, but let's get into it anyway!!

STARTING AT THE BOTTOM (for climax reasons)

12. Every Story's Got a Lesson

- dont get me wrong, its a fun number (and I am an Ocean lover), but its kinda boring. The funny moments are spoken AFTER the song ends, so you dont even get to hear it in the cast album

11. This Song Is Awesome

- this song IS awesome, but it just doesn't sit with me that well compared to the other tracks. Its a fun song, but I never end up listening to it as often as the rest.

10. Space Age Bachelor Man

- DONT MURDER ME BUT LIKE- this whole track makes me feel so weird and I end up having to skip through it if im listening to it. It's only higher than TSIA bc of the riffs, Ricky himself, and how he sings "i am just a man. a space-age man, thats all I am"

9. Karnak's Dream of Life

- QUESTIONABLE I KNOW. It's really short, but im a sucker for ballad-like songs, regardless of length. If this was a full-length song, it would 100% be in my top 3.

8. The New Birthday Song

- you cannot tell me that this number isn't absolutely adorable. it may be the fact that Ocean and Jane are my favs, but I honestly really like this track.

7. Sugar Cloud

- okok you can fight me on this one. I just never was that connected with Constance, but I really like the beat and ive definitely had it stuck in my head a few times bc its SO CATCHY.

6. Uranium Suite

- while I do prefer Fall Faire Suite, its still a bop. I especially love the ending, with the overlaying harmonies and the line "earth is sky, the sky is ground. did we finally leave our town?".

5. It's Not a Game/ It's Just a Ride

- before I watched RTC, I just thought it was some sappy finale song and didn't LOVE it. afterwards tho- I cant listen to it without almost sobbing and thats a GOOD THING.

4. Talia

- this is the epitome of romance. i want someone to love me how Mischa loves Talia (regardless of whether she is real or not, but we'll talk abt that another time).

~TOP 3~

3. What The World Needs

- what did I say, im an Ocean lover. its so upbeat, and I can dance to it alone in my room at 3 am with ZERO SHAME. only the best for my favorite emotional support ginger <3

2. Noel's Lament

- its just groovy, and I love groovy stuff. its the perfect amount of raunchy and dark that it doesnt make me uncomfortable (looking at you, SABM)

1. Ballad of Jane Doe

- we all saw this coming. what RTC ranking isn't complete with this absolute MASTERPIECE at #1. i could get into the flawless vocals, the lyrics, or even the visuals when watching the show, but then this post would be about 200+ words longer. I LOVE THIS SONG.

So I got a little carried away this time.

I had planned for this sixth installment of the Fantastic Four Re-Mix (previous chapters may be found at the link) to zip through several storylines in short form, to get my remaining ideas out of the way so I could go into the big finale in the next chapter. But then I started writing, and my quick synopsis for Arc Thirteen started sprouting ideas and details. One thing lead to another thing, and that thing lead to yet another, and another, and that fourth thing circled back around to make me see the first thing in a new light, so I re-wrote and added more details that lead to yet still more details, and… The next thing I knew, I had eight single-spaced pages (close to 5000 words), just for that one storyline.

I could go back and edit, I suppose, but… I don’t wanna. I like it as-is. It’s a tightly plotted thing, with dialogue, back-story, and scene descriptions that sometimes launch off into flights of super-heroic purple prose that I’d be embarrassed to have written in a less ridiculous setting. But this is a story about monsters and mutants, populated with Mole Kings, Sorcerers Supreme, lost Atlantean royalty, and a metric ton of obscure Asian super heroes that I pulled out from the dark recesses of the internet in a single feverish burst of research. It is sprawling and self-indulgent, and epic in a way that I don’t think previous installments of the FF Re-Mix have been. So I’m afraid you’re stuck with it.

First, though…

Hi! Hello! And welcome to the Fantastic Four Re-Mix! If this is your first time reading these posts… Well, hell. Hit that link above (or this one right here) to go back and see what this mess is all about. Briefly, it’s just me getting some fictional baggage out of my head, and rebooting the Fantastic Four from the ground-up. The FF is my favorite super-team of all time, and I evidently have a massive number of stories I’d like to tell about them. So these are those. Got it? Good.

Also before we get started, there’s a small mess to clean up from our last installment. After I posted that one to the site, I discovered an editing error that had omitted an entire section on the sub-plots that were supposed to be running through the Inhumans storyline. So before we continue on, I’m going to include that section here…

ARC TWELVE ADDENDUM: SUB-PLOTS

(Note: In the spirit of excess that this installment has embraced so fully, I’m expanding on these scenes from what I had written last time out. When you’re on a roll, you might as well go with it…)

Sexy Thing

Frankie Ray and her best frenemy Tura meet Alicia for drinks, and we learn a bit about Tura and Alicia’s past relationship. Tura gives her crap for “playing for the other team,” but Alicia says she’s always been a switch-hitter, and sees no reason to stop now. Frankie, meanwhile, wants deets on Alicia’s sex life with Ben. “He’s just so big, and the rocks… I mean, how does it work?”

Alicia pauses before speaking. But she’s a little drunk, and no shrinking violet even when dead sober. So she dishes.

“Well… The rocks… don’t go all the way down.” (Pause to let that sink in.) “So we’ve got that going for us. But, yeah. It can be a challenge, y’know? There’s things we just can’t do, and…” (shrug) “I’ll be honest. The chafing gets pretty bad sometimes. But overall… it’s good, you know? It’s really good. And I’m…” (lop-sided smile) “…equipped to deal…? With the size difference?”

Frankie’s eyes get big. “Whoosh. More power to ya, girl.”

(Note: This isn’t just salacious detail – though I did think it was high time we got back to salacious detail on the sex life of the Thing. Still, the information that the rocks don’t cover his entire body will actually become a plot point in the next story arc (it may also, if you’re reading between the lines a bit, say something about how much control Ben actually has over his appearance as the Thing – even if it is subconscious). Of course, Alicia’s confession that she has the capacity to have sex with a giant – especially after establishing that Sue very much didn’t – also plays into the on-going sub-plot about the possibility that Alicia’s a shape-shifting Skrull. Which brings us to…)

Puppets and Masters

Alicia’s father Phillip Masters (The Puppet Master, who has already been revealed as a Skrull agent) uses his fame as a puppeteer to arrange a meeting with the anti-Skrull demagogue Gabriel. Though Masters is a B- or C-list celebrity at best, that’s the only kind of celebrity endorsement Gabriel can get. But we also learn that he really agreed to the meeting because he’d like Masters to convince Alicia to float the idea of the FF appearing with Gabriel on television to discuss the Skrull threat. Masters tells him that his daughter is strong-willed, but he’ll see what he can do. But mostly, he just keeps Gabriel talking, so that his psycho-active clay (which he uses to make his puppets) has time to bond with Gabriel from its hiding place inside Masters’ briefcase.

The Temptation of Frankie Ray

After their night out with Alicia, Tura puts the moves on Frankie in the car on their way back to the racetrack. Frankie rebuffs her… but only after a couple of passionate panels. And honestly… Who could resist this?

(Note: The above scene should fall somewhere after Johnny’s attraction to Crystal becomes obvious. But more on that below…)

Love and Beauty

Alicia gets a visit from one of the Men in Black (two mysterious agents who’ve been interviewing people who know the FF for several issues now). It’s the white-haired Man in Black this time, and he asks some pointed questions about Ben’s erratic public behavior, and about why she’s attracted to a man most people would say was a monster. The conversation gives Alicia a chance to expound on her sense of aesthetics, how her curiosity about the way things look – she’s blind, remember – translates into desire. She’s attracted to beauty in whatever form she finds it, and what she “sees” when she touches Ben is beautiful to her. Moreover, what she sees inside him is beautiful, as well. He’s troubled and imperfect, but his flaws only put his kindness and heroism into sharper relief.

The Man in Black nods and smiles, seeming pleased. For the readers, however, her attraction to non-standard (even non-human) beauty could once again play into the suspicions that she’s a Skrull. But her feelings for Ben also seem genuine, which may muddy the field a bit. If she is a Skrull, is she one that’s going to betray her own kind for love?

(Note: At this point, the differences between the two Men in Black are becoming apparent. The dark-haired one seems to not like the FF, and tends to take everything he hears in the worst possible light. The white-haired one, while still asking hard questions, is pleased to hear about the good in Our Heroes.)

Political Doom

This covers a few different scenes, to be spread out over several issues. The Latverian rebels, using weapons given to them by Doom, take control of the southern province of Rotruvia, and declare themselves a sovereign state. Afterward, Doom meets with Namor about the possibility of Atlantis sponsoring their call for aid from the UN.

Meanwhile, with Our Heroes…

The Inhumans arc (as well as this week’s follow-up) will be narrated with excerpts from Lands of Confusion: Exploration Under Duress, by Susan Storm.

One of the big issues, starting with the Microverse arc and continuing on through this week’s storyline, is the question of how much the rest of the team can trust Reed. Or, more precisely, how much Sue can trust him. She still feels lingering resentment over Veronica, the ex-wife Reed never told her about. So when he overcomes Maximus’ charisma in the Inhumans arc and breaks from Sue and Johnny (who were still taken in by him), she takes it personally. Even after they escape Atillan, Sue and Johnny aren’t entirely convinced that they were on the wrong side of the fight.

Also in the Inhumans arc, we saw Johnny getting close to the Inhuman princess Crystal, which only makes sense. She’s a beautiful, intelligent young woman with a heart of gold, and her inherent nobility appeals to Johnny’s more heroic side in a way that the vivacious but (let’s face it) slightly amoral Frankie Raye never will. After Johnny’s moral crisis in the Microverse war, Crystal is exactly the kind of woman he thinks he needs. And Johnny seems handsome and exciting to her, just the sort of thrillingly unpredictable man she’d like to run to while escaping her arranged marriage to Triton.

But there’s something else to remember about her: while Crystal may just be entering adult life by Inhuman standards, that means she’s 70-year-old royalty from an alien culture who was, before she met the FF, slated to become the queen of Inhuman Hell. And as we go forward into the new storyline, that will begin to become apparent…

ARC THIRTEEN: HOT PURSUIT

After the intrigues of the last few arcs, this one’s going to be centered a lot more on action, as the Inhumans Karnak and Gorgon…

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…pursue the team out of Attilan to bring Ben back to stand trial for (the Inhumans believe) killing a ship full of Inhuman scouts during the Thingbeard Incident.

(Because, again… I can’t post this picture often enough.)

One other important thing about this arc: I decided to take inspiration for the current run of stories from another of my favorite Silver Age series: Doctor Strange. At that strip’s height, Steve Ditko plotted out an incredible series of cliffhanger adventures that linked together into an epic that ran for over a year, building on established characters and situations while still expanding the character’s universe, building to ever-greater heights that culminate in a battle between the Dread Dormammu and the living embodiment of everything(!). It’s exciting, bravura storytelling, and I wanted to emulate it here. This really started with the introduction of Medusa in the Frightful Four arc, straight on into the Inhumans arc, and running into this one. Will it go even longer? Read on, and find out…

ONE: THE CHASE BEGINS

An initial encounter with Karnak and Gorgon establishes the chase, and the danger: while the FF could most likely defeat their pursuers in open combat, Karnak’s ability to find the flaws in things enables him to plan devastating surprise attacks. So uncanny is their ability to find and attack the team, no matter how many miles separate them, that it makes them seem more threatening than they really are, and sets Reed to wondering how they’re pulling it off.

He’s got other distractions, though, thanks to Karnak’s psychological warfare. He and Gorgon very much play “bad cop” here, implacable minions of evil king Black Bolt, driving a wedge between the Storms (who were taken in by Maximus’ manipulations) and Reed (who saw through those manipulations). It also makes Sue suspicious of Crystal (a member of Black Bolt’s court), which further splinters the team because of Johnny’s growing affection for the Inhuman girl.

Karnak’s most dramatic psychological warfare tactic, however, is against Ben. In their initial encounter, Karnak punches the Thing square in the chest, putting a large crack in Ben’s rocky hide. While it was just a test-blow for Karnak, something to help him determine the limits of his foe’s toughness, he plays it as if he thought the attack would have split Ben open like a gutted fish. It doesn’t help matters that the crack slowly grows larger as the arc goes on, audibly cracking every time Ben exerts himself. This makes him hesitant in general, and over-protective in future encounters with Karnak.

And not without reason. Because we see Karnak, in several sequences over the arc, figuring out how to actually crack Ben open with a single punch. (Note: good opportunity for some trippy visuals here.) The real key, of course, is Alicia’s earlier confession that the rocks “don’t go all way down.” So while Ben’s protecting his chest, Karnak will eventually figure out that the place to strike is actually the groin.

At any rate. This initial encounter happens while the team is still in Triton’s realm (the Under-Sea), just after Triton leaves them, but before they enter the cave system he’s lead them to. So after a few pages of action, Triton returns to order Karnak and Gorgon off. They refuse, in defiance of Triton’s sovereignty, and the team escapes into the underground while their pursuers battle Triton behind them.

TWO: MOLES

Next, still traversing the caves, the team runs afoul of the MOLE KING, who has moved to his Asian home beneath Bangkok since his initial encounter with the team. There’s some monster-fighting…

…and we get to see the somewhat disturbing “do what thou wilt” society Elder’s outcast Mole People have built for themselves underground. We also meet the Moloids, a native subterranean race that serve as slaves. The Moloids subsist on a diet of pale fungus that the Mole King hordes to further control his underground slave-race. Not that he needs it; they worship him like a god due to his ability to control the monsters. He just limits their food supply because it pleases him to do so. (Scene: the FF break open the fungus vault, hoping to free the Moloids from Elder’s control. Instead, they attack the team for daring to interfere with their god’s plan for them.)

This whole situation breaks down when Karnak and Gorgon attack again. How did they get past Triton? Karnak hints that they won the fight, and have claimed the Under-Sea for Black Bolt. Crystal’s not buying it for a second, and neither is Reed (and they’re right). But things swiftly become too chaotic to give it much thought. Reed pits Elder and the Inhumans against each other, and the team escapes again as Karnak and Gorgon are tied up fighting the mole-monsters.

THREE: THE TOMB

Emerging from the underground miles off the coast, the team finds itself at the source of the Mole King’s strange menagerie of creatures: MONSTER ISLAND! They run afoul of bunches of bizarre Kirby creatures, and discover the source of the island’s strange mutations: a volcanic core composed of an unknown radioactive element. In trying to collapse the cave mouth behind them (thus thwarting Karnak and Gorgon’s pursuit), they unwittingly free the greatest monster of all:

FIN FANG FOOM! He Whose Limbs Shatter Mountains, and Whose Back Scrapes the Sun! Though he’d been trapped in peaceful slumber for centuries, something recently changed. He awoke one day in frozen agony, paralyzed as his flesh began to bubble and boil. And when the boils burst, they birthed monsters. These are the creatures, these SPAWN OF FOOM, that roam Monster Island and serve the Mole King underground, and they’ve continued to be born to this day.

(Scene: as FOOM tells them the story, he pops a boil on his shoulder in demonstration, and a massive, half-formed fetal monster falls, wet and dying, to the ground.)

FOOM thanks the team for freeing him, and in repayment, he deigns to let them live. The rest of humanity, it seems, will not be so lucky. His revenge for his years of torment will be genocide. The FF try to stop him, of course, but they’re badly outmatched, and he slips into the ocean, headed for the Chinese mainland.

FOUR: Pacifica

Giving chase, the team encounters a group of Atlantean soldiers under the command of NAMORA…

…Namor’s long-lost cousin, another human/Atlantean half-breed and a hero of the Pacific campaign in World War II. Namora rules Pacifica, a splinter kingdom that separated from their Atlantean cousins when Atlantis chose to hide from the world. The Pacificans moved halfway around the globe, with the intent of helping the Japanese rebuild after Hiroshima. An unexpected problem arose once they’d settled in, however: Monster Island. Post-war atomic tests caused strange mutations, Namora tells Our Heroes, and the monsters haunt the Pacific to this day, searching for prey. Devoting themselves to protecting the world from these creatures, the Pacificans live on a constant war footing, and (Reed surmises) suffer from more than a little PTSD.

Geographical Note: Back in the Atlantis arc, I said that Attuma’s people came from the Mariana Trench. Which I, mistakenly, thought was in the Atlantic Ocean at the time. Now I know better.

Just goes to show that research matters…

Reed explains (Reedsplains?) the truth of Monster Island: the atomic tests didn’t cause mutations. They affected that strange molten core above the TOMB OF FIN FANG FOOM, and caused the monsters to be birthed from his flesh. The SPAWN OF FOOM have plagued the Pacificans for decades (a span of time that seems “recent” to the immortal FOOM), and now the real cause of all their woes is headed for China.

Namora and her men join the hunt for FOOM, and they all fight him briefly in Taiwan, where he’s stopped for sustenance (they find him eating people like candy). But then Karnak and Gorgon attack once again, and FOOM decides that his little snack has fortified him enough to get him to the mainland. He wouldn’t want to spoil his appetite for the feast, after all…

FIVE: SPLITTING THE PARTY

Kind of a complicated issue here, with numerous small scenes moving the story forward. But we pick up where the last issue left off, with…

The Settling of Petty Concerns:

The team faces off against Karnak and Gorgon on the beach in Taiwan, filled with fear and resentment, and uncertain of the outcome. Gorgon blusters and Karnak taunts, still playing the villain, still working the psychological edge. They care not for human matters and human death. If FOOM wants to eat humans, let him! He’ll find Attilan no easy prey! This sets off Namora, who joins the face-off on the side of the FF. She doesn’t care what issue all these surface-dwellers have against each other, but if these two new interlopers are going to interfere in the chase for FOOM, she wants them dead. It looks like it’s about to go down when, suddenly, Crystal intervenes.

She tells (no, ORDERS) Karnak to drop the act. This is not the kind man she knows, the patient teacher who reveals his students’ shortcomings only to help them grow past their faults. And Gorgon is no lumbering monster! He’s a poet and a lover of animals, enemy only to the cruel. And cruelty is what they’re showing these fine people, these heroes, devoted to learning and the protection of the weak. A far greater threat than some centuries-old crime looms over them all now, a threat to all life on Earth, and as members of the Family Royale, the best Inhuman society has to offer, they had damn well better lend a hand to ending it.

Shamed, Karnak and Gorgon bow to Crystal’s superior morality. Their issue with Benjamin Grimm is not settled, he says. But if this FOOM is as great a threat as Crystal says, they can do no less than to follow her example.

Namora, exasperated, rolls her eyes. “If you’re done with all this idiotic posturing, can we please get back to saving the world?”

The Plan:

Karnak, though he caught only the briefest glimpse of FIN FANG FOOM, believes that fighting the monster is futile. His weaknesses are few, and inconsequential. The forces they have arrayed against him now could do little more than slow the beast down. They need more power to defeat him.

Reed agrees, but thinks that, more crucially, they need better intelligence. Someone put FOOM to sleep before, and they must discover how to do it again.

Namora says that she can help with both those things. She’s been working in the Pacific for 70 years, and has allies all across Asia. Allies she can gather quickly to fight the beast and, perhaps, to give them more information.

So they split up. With Ben piloting the Fantasticar, Reed and Karnak go to gather information. To aid them in this, Namora pulls forth a medallion in the shape of an eye, and calls on THE ANCIENT ONE, Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme!

Yeah, but… Never mind Ditko’s usual Ayn Rand crap. Once he hears their problem, the Ancient One tells them to meet him on Monster Island.

Meanwhile, Namora leads everyone else in the fight against FIN FANG FOOM, gathering allies along the way. To aid in this, Karnak reveals how he and Gorgon had been tracking the FF so easily: he produces a whistle to summon LOCKJAW, the Inhumans’ teleporting dog, who will happily follow the commands of Crystal and Gorgon.

Raising the Alarm:

Namora’s team heads out across across Asia, gathering a mismatched collection of heroes, villains, and everything in-between (Namora doesn’t care much about such fine moral distinctions). These characters won’t get much more than cameo appearances in the big fight scenes, but since I fell down the rabbit hole that is researching funnybook characters on-line, and did it for a full three hours, I figure I should at least give you a list of names and descriptions:

The Red Ghost (Considering that Russian communism is long-dead, I figure that a modern-day Red Ghost would probably be Chinese. And as long as we’re making changes, let’s make him female, too. Get a little gender parity up in this Asian Sausage Party. Like the original, she’s a government spy with the power of intangibility. Unlike the original, she has another, secret power to be revealed later.) Sunfire (Japanese pop star super hero, with flame powers!) The Silver Samurai (Troubled warrior with a laser-powered sword!) The Mandarin (Chinese megalomaniac, with ten rings of power!)

The Yellow Claw (Chinese crime lord!) The Jade Claw (Daughter of the Yellow Claw – and his greatest rival!) Jimmy Woo, Agent of SHIELD (Head of SHIELD’s Asian office!) Xorn (Mutant holy man with a sun for a head!) Colonel Fang (Lycanthropic Chinese military hero!) Chen Lu the Radioactive Man (Scientist hero of Red China!) The Iron Monk (Invulnerable Tibetan Holy Man!) The Monkey King (Trickster hero of legend!) Darkstrider (An eight-limbed Korean Spider-Man!) Khrag Thung the Enlightened Vengeance (Tibetan Ghost Rider!) Go of the Radiant Light (aka Go-Devil, a Japanese schizophrenic torn between good and evil!) Mystical Lao-Tse (Chinese sorcerer!) Fat Cobra (The Super-Sumo!) Brother Power and Sister Sun (Solar-powered leaders of a Vietnamese religious cult!) Red Ronin (Giant robot piloted by Japanese boy hero Rob Takaguchi!) The Head (The severed head of a genius, with a weaponized flying life support system!)

(Yes, all those guys are existing Marvel characters, albeit with a tweak here and there to make them fit the tone a bit better. But I figured you had to see The Head to believe it. He was a World War II villain who fought the Young Allies.)

At the Tomb of Fin Fang Foom:

Meanwhile, the fact-gathering team meets on Monster Island, at the TOMB OF FIN FANG FOOM. Reed takes some readings of the strange radioactive element, and Karnak recognizes it immediately: it’s irradiated Terrigen. Karnak speculates that the Terrigen may have lain dormant until the atomic tests. The Inhumans themselves have to activate the stuff after they mine it, and they use mild doses of radiation to do so. This gross over-exposure, however, may have caused it to birth monsters. He doesn’t understand how this batch could have been here, though. His grandparents’ generation mined out all the local Terrigen deposits more than 400 years ago, and now have to travel the globe to find it.

Before they can explore the implications of that, however, the Ancient One arrives, mystically teleporting in from afar. He apologizes for the delay, explaining that he thought it best to collect a friend:

AGED GENGHIS, a man older even than the Ancient One himself! Genghis seems distracted. Lost in thought. “A very wise man,” the Ancient One says. “In his day. He taught me everything I know. But he had the misfortune to discover the secret of immortality.” When asked why that’s a misfortune, the Ancient One seems startled. “Ah! Yes. I forget sometimes. You are men of miracles, men of science. But you see… Immortality has its limits. Aged Genghis endures, but the human mind can only hold so much time, so many memories. And he’s lived so very long. Longer than any other human being in history, I suspect. So now he’s senile. And quite mad. But if anyone knows the story of FIN FANG FOOM, it is him.”

(Note on Aged Genghis: He swings unpredictably from comedic to scary, cheerful to grumpy, addlepated to deadly serious. And though he’s supposedly a senile old hermit who has no contact with the world outside his cave, his speech is peppered with modern phrasings and slang, much moreso than the Ancient One. He’s in the background of every panel, usually levitating, hovering in mid-air with his legs in the lotus position, not seeming to really pay attention to his surroundings. But before every new revelation or turning point (even in panels that cut to other locations), he makes a small mystical hand gesture that goes unnoticed by everyone else (and maybe by the reader as well). It may be something he does in his madness, or he may be shaping events with magic on a deeper, more subtle level than even the Ancient One can perceive. He takes a particular liking to Ben.)

“I know this place!” Aged Genghis suddenly exclaims. “This is where Tensu buried the dragon!”

Pressed for details, he can’t remember much. Only that they fed the dragon something to make it docile. “Something Tensu made. Clever, clever, that Tensu. Mostly, it was those mushrooms. The ones I had to go underground to find. Deep down where the mole-men live. They weren’t happy to give up their food, oh no indeed.” (Close in on his face, which suddenly looks hardened and dark.) “But I can be very persuasive.”

Reed knows immediately what he’s talking about: the Mole King’s fungus-horde. And something else clicks into place: if the mushrooms could be used to make FIN FANG FOOM docile, surely they could be used to command his Spawn. Another good reason to control the Moloid food supply.

And luckily, the Ancient One knows who Tensu is: an ancient being now known as Dragon Tensu, a dragon trapped in human form. Truly immortal, and with a dragon’s gift for memory. The Ancient One has only met him once or twice, but he thinks Tensu will help them… if they can find him.

So they split the teams again. Karnak whistles for Lockjaw, and travels to where Namora is gathering her forces to meet FIN FANG FOOM at the coast. There, he recruits Sue and the Red Ghost for a stealth mission back to the Mole Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Ben, Reed, the Ancient One, and Aged Genghis search for Dragon Tensu.And at the coast, the fighting begins. FIN FANG FOOM ravages the mainland, even with the full might of the the Asian super-powered community arrayed against him. It’s clearly a hopeless battle, one that can only buy time for the others…

SIX and SEVEN: THE LONGEST DAY

These two issues will jump back and forth between the three missions, but I’ll handle each separately here, for matters of simplicity.

The Mole King’s Larders: The Mole Kingdom is still in disarray after the fight with Karnak and Gorgon. Three of the mole-monsters lay dead in the central square, Moloid slaves out butchering the corpses. Whether for food or easier disposal, it’s hard to say. But the chaos means that things aren’t very well-guarded. So, as Sue makes them all invisible, they head directly for the larders. The Red Ghost passes through the walls and starts handing mushrooms out to the others. Unknown to them, for every one she collects for the mission, she’s collecting another two for the Chinese government, passing them along via her secret power: the ability to open up holes in space, ala the Spot.

Thaaaat’s right. Respect, bitches!

She lets the others know when the Larder is empty, and Sue seems confused. There were a lot more mushrooms in there than this when the FF opened it earlier. Assuming that the Mole King moved the rest, and hoping they have enough, they prepare to leave. And that, of course, is when the Mole King confronts them. Karnak explains what’s happening on the surface, but Elder doesn’t believe him. It looks like they’re going to have to fight their way out, but Karnak, ordering the other two back into the Larder, delivers a kick to the entrance, bringing down tons of rock to block passage. They’re sealed in, but it gives Karnak time to summon Lockjaw, and they’re gone. The Mole King rages behind them, gathering an army of Moloids, and calling for a mole-monster known only as The Mountain…

The Search for Dragon Tensu: Reed and his team retreat to the Ancient One’s Sanctum Sanctorum high in the Himilayas, where he works a complex spell of location. “If a dragon does not wish to be found, it is not an easy thing to pry him out of hiding.” (Note: good opportunity for some crazy Ditkoesque imagery as he works his magic.) The spell succeeds, and they find Tensu in Hong Kong, where he lives a life of opulent seclusion among that city’s sea of humanity, admitting only the occasional petitioners of favors, people who seek the miracles of Dragon Tensu.

(Tensu is such an insanely obscure character – appearing in, as far as I know, only one eight-pager from the Timely era – and being a very different character than the one I’m writing, besides – that I don’t have a picture of him. So I’m gonna suggest you just picture Lo Pan from Big Trouble in Little China, and have done with it.)

Tensu greets the Ancient One with a sort of distant respect, but obviously sees Our Heroes as little more than another set of humans coming to him with their petty concerns. He either doesn’t recognize Aged Genghis, or pretends not to.

The Ancient One explains the issue to him, and Tensu flies into an arrogant rage, angered that some foolish mortals have undone his hard work (See? Now the Lo Pan thing is easier, isn’t it?). Ben cracks a joke about his attitude, and Tensu declares their audience with him over. And that’s when Aged Genghis walks up and slaps him. “Get over yourself! All you did was mix the damn potion! I’m the one who gathered the ingredients! The one who tricked the dragon into drinking it! I even picked the location of his tomb! And WHY?” He starts poking Tensu in the chest, and the Dragon suddenly seems cowed in the face of the old man’s assault. “Because YOU. WERE. LONELY!”

And so the truth comes out. Tensu, trapped in human form and outcast from other dragons, conjured up FIN FANG FOOM for companionship. FOOM was tiny at first, no bigger than a finger. He rode in Tensu’s pocket, and learned from Tensu’s wisdom. But over time, he grew. As Tensu’s arrogance and power increased, so did FOOM. Eventually, he was a giant. Seven stories tall. All of Tensu’s power and pride, given physical form. He ripped it all away from his creator, and set off to conquer the world. That’s when Tensu, diminished, sought the aid of Genghis, then Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme. Together, they laid their plans against FOOM. Tensu had made him indestructible, to protect his tiny, weak companion from harm. But now that he was a giant, that invulnerability made him unstoppable. So Tensu concocted a potion to control him, Genghis tricked him into drinking it, and Tensu ordered him to sleep, far away from people, where they thought he would never be disturbed.

Appropriately shamed, Tensu agrees to help.

Front Line Combat:

As all this quieter action’s going on, Namora leads the assault on FIN FANG FOOM. We’ll see this in short scenes of escalating desperation, FOOM laying waste to the Chinese coast, and advancing toward Hong Kong in spite of the heroes’ attempts to stop him. He’s constantly eating people, as well, scooping up soldiers and civilians alike in great handfuls, whenever he gets the chance. Namora takes notice, and comes to believes that he needs to eat to replenish his power. And she’s right. FOOM has radiation sickness from his time under the Terrigen Core, and is eating prodigious amounts to fight off its effects. It won’t kill him, but he needs food to keep his power levels up. So Namora calls for an evacuation in advance of his assault, getting as many people out of his way as possible, and her team falls back. In response, FOOM simply goes back out to sea to eat a few whales, and resurfaces in Hong Kong harbor, replenished. Issue seven ends with a desperate last stand in an abandoned Hong Kong, as FIN FANG FOOM rises from the depths.

(Like this, but less… Turtle-y…)

EIGHT: FOOMWAR!

The Double-Sized Conclusion!

It all comes together in Hong Kong. Karnak’s team delivers the mushrooms to Tensu’s sanctum. The potion is mixed, but Tensu warns that they may not have gathered enough mushrooms to make it effective. Karnak and Sue turn to confront the Red Ghost about the shortage at the Mole King’s Larder. But she’s gone.

Meanwhile, the Battle of Hong Kong has begun. Namora and her allies, desperate and exhausted, fight a losing battle, and are on the verge of defeat when Ben pilots the Fantasticar on a suicide dive directly into FOOM’s face. There’s an explosion and a scream from FOOM. The Fantasticar, wrecked, goes bouncing off to crash in the street below. The demoralized super-army looks on in horror. But when the smoke clears, they see Ben standing in FOOM’s screaming mouth, holding it open by the teeth. Reed, wrapped around Ben’s waist, tosses the potion bottle down FOOM’s throat and Ben leaps away to land safely on the street below.

FOOM staggers in disbelief, choking and clutching at his throat. The Ancient One, Aged Genghis, and Dragon Tensu materialize in mid-air, before his blinking eyes. Tensu speaks. “Hello, old friend. I believe you’ve caused enough trouble for one day. Time to rest.” He smiles and waves his hand…

And FIN FANG FOOM laughs.

The potion didn’t work! FOOM shouts in triumph, and swats the three sorcerers from the air. The fighting starts over again, the exhausted heroes having lost hope. All seems lost.

But then there’s a rumbling from below, and up, through the streets of Hong Kong, toppling buildings in its path, THE MOUNTAIN emerges from the depths! The Mole King and an army of Moloids ride its mighty back as it rises. Up, up… Taller than the city! Taller than FOOM! It towers over the great beast, its every movement a creaking, crumbling roar!

Then the Moloids, in numbers too vast to count, go running up its back, off the cliff of its brow, onto FOOM’s head… and into his waiting maw. FOOM laughs in triumph again, these tiny creatures like lemmings, feeding his strength! Feeding his power! Feeding his… Then his rant trails off, and his eyes grow cloudy. Something’s wrong. The Mole King steps to the edge of the Mountain’s brow, smiling. “Hello, my friend. My name is Rupert. But you can call me…” (the smile twists) “Master.”

Down below, Reed puts it together. The mushrooms allow control of FOOM, and the Moloids eat nothing but the mushrooms. So Elder fed him Moloids until he choked on them. And now… The Mole King controls FOOM!

Thinking quickly, Ben gets Red Ronin (the giant robot) to throw him to the top of the Mountain. Flying through the air, fist-first, shouting…

…he damn near takes Elder’s head off. The Mountain, not much of a thinker left to its own devices, withdraws below. Ben leaps off before it goes, but the Mole King goes down with it.

Back on the streets, FOOM still stands, dazed, waiting for instructions. Dragon Tensu, bloody but unbowed, appears at his feet. “As I was saying, old friend. It’s time for you to rest, now.” FIN FANG FOOM sits, obedient, and gazes upon Tensu like a loving hound.

The crisis over, we end with a series of epilogues:

The Pacificans aid the people of Taiwan and Hong Kong in rebuilding after FOOM’s assault.

The Red Ghost reports to her superiors on the mind-control potential of the subterranean mushrooms, and tells them where they can find more. In the background, we see three caged apes…

Dragon Tensu and his allies return FIN FANG FOOM to his tomb on Monster Island, and order him to sleep. The Ancient One sets wards on the volcano to ensure that he’s not disturbed again.

The Inhumans remove the Terrigen core from Monster Island, taking it back to Attilan for study, ensuring that no more monsters will be birthed from his flesh.

Jimmy Woo directs a SHIELD operation to cordon off Monster Island, keeping the curious out, and the monsters in.

Namora, suddenly freed from the responsibility of protecting the world from Monster Island, ponders what Pacifica will do next. Perhaps it’s time, Reed suggests, to contact Atlantis.

Johnny works to repair the Fantasticar, which is already starting to pull itself back together.

The Inhumans prepare to leave with the Terrigen Core, but Crystal elects not to go with them. Karnak acquiesces to her desires. Her wisdom, he says, has proven itself superior to his own.

Then Karnak turns to thank the FF for their role in the crisis, apologizing for his earlier manipulation of them. He takes special care to thank Ben, offering him a handshake. Ben hesitates, nervous, then accepts.

Karnak: “You are a mighty warrior, Benjamin Grimm. A worthy adversary, and a great ally. It has been my pleasure to work with you through the recent crisis.”

Ben (smiling): “Y’know, I had you all wrong, Karnak. Yer a soldier. Ya had a job ta do, and you were doin’ it. No shame in that.”

Karnak (smiling): No shame, indeed. There is, however–”

Ben’s smile becomes frozen. He coughs blood. Then his face splits in two.

Karnak (face now impassive, and splattered with Ben’s blood): “…much shame in this.”

We pull back to see that, while shaking Ben’s hand, Karnak has issued a ONE-INCH PUNCH just below the belt, and Ben’s rocky hide has split down the middle. He falls to the ground, unconscious, his outer shell of rocks falling away on both sides. Beneath is a bloody mess.

Before the rest of the team can react, Lockjaw teleports Karnak and Ben away. As they fade out, Karnak’s voice informs the team that they have earned the right to attend Ben’s trial in three days’ time, and offer whatever defense they can…

TO BE CONTINUED!!!

NEXT: Time Travel! Treachery! Doom Triumphant! And… THE TRIAL OF THE THING!

Fantastic Four Re-Mix, Part Six: Hot Pursuit! So I got a little carried away this time. I had planned for this sixth installment of the…

How Brands Use Hashtag Marketing to Increase Brand Awareness

Did you know that using more than two hashtags in a tweet can negatively affect your engagement? But on Instagram, you can use up to 10 hashtags before you see a dip in engagement. Small details like that can mean all the difference in building brand awareness on social.

To get the most out of your hashtag marketing, you’ll need to define your goals. Will you be using hashtags to discover content or to contribute to a conversation? You can certainly do both in different campaigns, but having a more narrow goal will help you pinpoint the best content and hashtag use.

Brands use hashtags in their marketing in a variety of ways. This article will provide you with a few real-life examples of how some popular companies used hashtags to increase their brand awareness. At the end, we’ll also discuss how you can keep track of each campaign’s success.

Branded Hashtags: Serena & Lily

The first and most basic aspect of hashtag marketing is having your own branded hashtag. Oftentimes, the hashtag is short, memorable and includes the brand name in some form. If you’re having difficulty coming up with the best one, do some research on what’s already being used for your brand. Your customers might already use a branded hashtag even without your knowledge.

Your basic branded hashtag should be used on an ongoing basis. It applies to any post and can be your fallback hashtag if you think you’re in need of one on your post.

Pick your pillowscape: which look is your favorite? Answer below in the comments. #serenaandlily #livingroomdecor (Tap to shop)

A post shared by Serena & Lily (@serenaandlily) on Jan 28, 2018 at 8:06pm PST

Serena and Lily’s branded hashtag #serenaandlily is used in practically every post the brand puts on Instagram. It also operates as a community hashtag, adding up to over 14k tagged posts.

Check out our Stories for a fun shopping trip with @JamieLSigler and designer @rwdwhitespace at #SLlosangeles: https://t.co/wUhLUxIwwl pic.twitter.com/7xIl7zmBft

— Serena & Lily (@SerenaandLily) August 18, 2017

In Twitter, though, the brand switches from tagging their own name to using a hashtag for a store location. Twitter’s shorter character limitations often force brands to prioritize their hashtags. In this case, adding #serenaandlily to a post would have been repetitive.

Community Hashtags: West Elm

A version of branded hashtags, community hashtags are often used by larger brands to engage their consumer base.

These hashtags still include the brand’s name in some form and often tacks on something like “AtHome” or “Community.” In practice, consumers will use the community hashtag on a photo that features the brand or service. The brand will then select from the hashtag and feature the best on its feed.

This practice has many benefits. Consumers often feel like they’re part of a larger community and use the hashtag to find like-minded community members. The brand incorporates user-generated content to add authenticity to its feed. And third, brand awareness is subtly spread in the hashtag.

Ideally, you won’t be only taking from consumers but also engaging on the photos with the community hashtag.

West Elm asks its customers to use the #mywestelm hashtag to share how they’re using the pieces in their own homes. Having this separate community hashtag offers West Elm the ability to showcase various styles and give their followers some inspiration.

For best practices on creating a successful user-generated content strategy, check out our complete guide!

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Campaign Hashtag: B Corporation

Used as part of a marketing campaign or a contest, campaign hashtags have a start and end date. Brands create these hashtags specifically to track contest entries and measure conversation around a marketing campaign. While these hashtags may have the brand name in them, it’s more important that the campaign slogan or message is conveyed.

When utilizing campaign hashtags, you’ll want to do some research ahead of time.

Beyond the standard search to make sure the hashtag isn’t already in use, also check how the hashtag looks in various iterations. Combining words together in lowercased letters shouldn’t spell new, off-brand words. They also shouldn’t have any unintentional double entendres.

For too long, business success has just been about profit. We urgently need more companies to consider how they make money & the impact they have on employees, suppliers, environment, & community. #BCorps are changing the face of business, and we're proud to be one! #BCorpMonth pic.twitter.com/9ccKtteKYh

— Divine Chocolate USA (@DivineChocUSA) February 2, 2018

February is B Corp Month and B Corporation runs a hashtag campaign that involves certified companies, giveaways and other content. It’s a great way to get the word out about what they do and allows other B Corporations to connect to each other.

Event Hashtag: ASCE

Like campaign hashtags, event hashtags often have a start and end date. If it’s an annual event, the same hashtag may be used. But some events also like to have a year-specific hashtag to separate new conversation from last year’s.

Brands often use event hashtags to join in and create conversation around the event.

For conferences, brands may even live Tweet using the event hashtag. In this case, a company is using another brand’s hashtag to share information. When conference attendees search on the hashtag, the company shows up as active participants and more notably, spreads brand awareness.

We will be tweeting live Friday and Saturday from the Multi Regional Leadership Conference in Omaha, Nebraska. Follow along and share your thoughts and experiences with #MRLC18. pic.twitter.com/pfRu2KYA4F

— ASCE Headquarters (@ASCETweets) January 25, 2018

Some talented local Younger Members from the Nebraska Section set an example for #leadership and #BuildingABetterWorld by organizing a charity gift bag assembly with goodies for the local @ChildrensOmaha hospital & those staying at their Rainbow House. #MRLC18 #Omaha #GivingBack pic.twitter.com/wcuH73k3Ln

— ASCE Headquarters (@ASCETweets) January 26, 2018

“The Infrastructure Report Card has not been above a D+ since 1998. What policy will you implement to put us in a position to raise the grade?” 2019 ASCE president-elect nominees answering some important and challenging questions prior to this May’s election. #MRLC18 #Omaha pic.twitter.com/Lvc1D6zuaO

— ASCE Headquarters (@ASCETweets) January 27, 2018

The American Society of Civil Engineers recently hosted the Multi Region Leadership Conference. It first posted about how it would live tweet from the events and post interesting and engaging updates for its audience.

You don’t need to host an event to live tweet from it. Attending an event and sharing updates from lectures and panels is another way to show to your audience how you participate and learn in a community.

Product or Service Hashtag: GoPro

Multi-product or service companies use hashtags to highlight different aspects of their brand. This is an especially useful strategy if your products or services have different audiences. In a way, this is similar to a branded hashtag as these separate products or services might have their own brand.

Product or service hashtags can help consumers do research on a product. If a company offers multiple products, it can be troublesome to sift through many photos just to find the few you may be interested in. A company may use both a branded hashtag and a product hashtag in a post.

From a mountain lake in #Oregon to the ancient ruins of #Jordan, travel the 🌏 with GoPro #FeaturedPhotographer @thebtown 📖👇 • Photo 1: There’s nothing like a bird’s-eye view of a beautiful mountain lake. On every drone flight, I remind myself to take some photos. It’s easy to get caught up just shooting video, but the photos help to immortalize the moment and capture the beauty of a scene. When shooting photos from the air, I try to switch up the angles and see the earth from new perspectives. Here I am shooting straight down at the lake in Single Photo Mode on the #GoProHERO6. • Photo 2: The Karnak Temple of #Egypt is mind blowing. 134 pillars shine pure gold in the light of a setting sun. For this shot, I set my #GoPro to two-second Time Lapse Mode and walked around the pillars in awe. In doing so, I was able to capture the moment organically. The moment is so impactful that it’s easy to forget you’re shooting, but I try to always look back at the GoPro every once in awhile to double-check the framing. There’s no shame in checking out your shots on the LCD screen to make sure you’re getting the shot. Some of these moments truly are once in a lifetime! • Photo 3: Every adventure is worthy of a good ol’ #GoProSelfie. They really encapsulate the moment, who you’re with, and what you’re doing. In this shot, I am with my fiancé @shaylyn.marie on one of our many adventures up to #MountTamalpais to watch the sunset. For selfies, I put my #GoProHERO6 in 1-second Time Lapse Mode and rotate the camera vertically. The great thing about Time Lapse Mode is that you can live in the moment without having to worry about hitting the shutter button. • Photo 4: Gazing down on the Treasury in the ancient city of #Petra, Jordan. It’s one thing to see the Treasury from the ground, but to make the hike up to the lookout and get a glimpse of the Treasury from a new perspective is something else entirely. For this shot, I used Time Lapse Mode, ISO 400, and dropped the EV Comp down to -0.5, so that the Treasury wouldn’t be overexposed as the camera metered for my body. This self-captured, over-the-shoulder, shot is one of my favorites because it tells the whole story.

A post shared by GoPro (@gopro) on Feb 2, 2018 at 1:08pm PST

Feed your #wanderlust with this week's GoPro #FeaturedPhotographer, @enrikui. 🏔👇 • Photo 1: One of my recent adventures led me to this wonderful place. Overlooking #Italy's Lake Garda, it's a breathtaking view! For this shot, I setup my 3-Way Mount as a tripod, placed my #HERO5 in Time Lapse Mode, and ran to enjoy the view! • Photo 2: This is me in the middle of a mountain road on the Passo Falzarego. I set up my #GoPro on the ground using the 3-Way Mount as a tripod and my girlfriend, @carlottacottini, shouted "GoPro shoot Burst!" to capture the memory! • Photo 3: I shot these #StarTrails on my #HERO4 during a trip to the #Dolomites. We were in the woods near a small village that was distanced from light pollution. Inspired by the magnificent beauty, I wanted to capture the unique moment. I started a Night Lapse and let it run for a while so that I would have enough shots to create the star trails later. • Photo 4: When there's not a lot of #snow, @pietrocaloi and I like to get creative with our GoPros. In this picture, we used snow fired from a cannon to block out the light, creating a very special background for the trick.

A post shared by GoPro (@gopro) on Jan 19, 2018 at 12:43pm PST

You break it, we’ll replace it. No questions asked. #GoProPlus now includes damage replacement, cloud backup, unlimited photo storage, accessory discounts, + more. Click the link in our bio to get started. ☁️ 🎬 🙌

A post shared by GoPro (@gopro) on Jan 31, 2018 at 1:12pm PST

GoPro offers a range of cameras and likes to use model-specific hashtags to show which cameras were used for certain posts. These hashtags may not be as popular as the simpler #GoPro hashtag but they help customers filter search results. The company also offers GoPro Plus, a subscription-based service for storage and sharing. This service has its own hashtag and is used whenever the company talks about it.

Trending Hashtag: Warby Parker

Another common strategy for hashtag marketing is to jump into trending hashtag conversations. These conversations are often fast-paced, short lived and unpredictable in their occurrences.

A major advantage in contributing to a trending hashtag conversation is that when timed correctly, the brand exposure and payoff can be astronomical. The day after a viral trending hashtag on Twitter, news networks often capture the most popular Tweets.

However, there are quite a few downsides to this strategy. Unless you’re already tracking conversations in your feeds, this strategy requires you to be more attentive, more often. It can be risky jumping into a trending hashtag without knowing why it’s trending in the first place.

Finally, your company might not be the best fit for a hashtag. Sometimes it’s better to watch things unfold than to risk being tone deaf.

We've had some unexpected visitors in our stores this week! #pokemongo pic.twitter.com/YtMT2iJR7D

— Warby Parker (@WarbyParker) July 13, 2016

When Pokemon Go first became a sensation, Warby Parker jumped in on the hype and posted some fun photos of Pokemon being spotted in their stores. The result was a more authentic and fun brand.

To find trending Twitter hashtags, check out this post to dive even deeper:

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Holiday Hashtag: Foodstirs

When planning your content calendar, you may find that certain holidays use their own hashtags. Everything from #4thofJuly to #maythefourthbewithyou to #nationaldonutday can become an opportunity for your brand to have fun.

One cautionary piece of advice is to make sure that your content is still relevant to your audience. If your brand doesn’t seem like it would celebrate National Pie Day, don’t force it into your feed just to capitalize on the holiday.

Using holiday hashtags correctly can help you brand be discovered in search results. To find some of the most popular holiday hashtags, we prepared a calendar for you.

Eat more HOLE foods 🍩🍩#nationaldonutday 〰 Shop our Out of This World Donuts before they’re gone! 👉foodstirs.com

A post shared by Foodstirs (@foodstirs) on Nov 5, 2017 at 9:25am PST

Foodstirs offers baking mixes, so National Donut Day was right in their wheelhouse. Its colorful, attention-grabbing photo tempts their audience to try the mix out for themselves at home.

Tracking Hashtags

There are various hashtag tracking tools available to you. Depending on which kind of hashtag you’re using, you may use only one or a combination of any of the below methods:

1. Outbound Hashtags

Reports like Sprout’s Instagram Outbound Hashtag Performance are good at helping you determine your most engaging hashtags. This is helpful if you’re testing between different branded hashtags.

2. Campaign Hashtag Monitoring

Any hashtag campaign needs an effective monitoring method. In Sprout’s Smart Inbox, you can have posts with the same hashtag across multiple platforms show up in one place. It makes social media monitoring easier than switching between networks.

In Instagram, you can also choose to “follow” a hashtag. If you follow an interest hashtag, like #latteart, you’ll likely find new accounts to engage with.

3. Hashtag Listening

Use social listening to track conversation around specific hashtags or phrases. Sprout’s Twitter reports let you know which phrases are most commonly used with your brand. These might give you a good idea of which hashtags to use.

Hopefully, this article gave you some ideas to try out for your next hashtag use and real-life examples to emulate. We’d love to know how you’ve been using hashtag marketing and what you’ve found to be successful. Leave us a comment down below!

This post How Brands Use Hashtag Marketing to Increase Brand Awareness originally appeared on Sprout Social.

from SM Tips By Minnie https://sproutsocial.com/insights/hashtag-marketing/

Luxor_01

June.09.2017 Hello hello-- I am in Luxor! Still in Egypt, but a few hundred miles south, and that makes all the difference. This morning, I got up and did one last sweep of my things to make sure I didn't leave anything behind. It was early, so I took my time to really look. When it was around 8, I went to the lobby to ask about my cab. The guy working the desk made a joke about not having called one, and I kinda freaked out for a second in my mind, but he was just joking. The cab driver was actually already there, having a cup of tea. When he finished his tea, we got in his car and went to the airport. It took a lot shorter than getting to the hostel, so I was at the airport for a lot longer than expected. I checked in, went through security, and found my gate. I had about two hours so I wrote a post card, read my book, watched some things on my phone, and just relaxed. Egypt has been really tiring so far. The sun, the culture difference, the people. It's exhausting being so suspicious of everyone! It's my least favorite part about travel is believing everyone is out to rip you off or be bad. Unfortunately, this is oftentimes the case in Egypt. Anyways, my flight started to board and so we got onto a bus, got onto the plane, and I quickly fell asleep. I woke up as we were starting to descend, which didn't take very long, as the flight time was only about an hour! Upon landing in Luxor, the feeling was very different. I was in the domestic terminal, and my least favorite part of the journey was coming up. I had to catch a cab. After some haggling, I got into a cab for about 150 Egyptian pounds. Again, only about 8 USD, but still probably twice what I could have paid. Annoying. I got dropped off at my hostel which is much nicer than the one I was at in Cairo. I booked my own room, and although it doesn't have ac and only has a fan, I felt like being alone for a bit was better (I was right... but we'll see how easy it is to fall asleep in this heat). I put my things away and then made my way out to the temple down the street. I knew I needed water, an ATM, and maybe a sketch or two. In the end I only accomplished one of those things. While walking, I found a pharmacy and decided to buy toothpaste and sunblock for tomorrow. I could already feel myself burning under the intense Egyptian sun. It was around 115 degrees! I needed to get cash so I was walking towards a machine when a man from the hostel approached me. I never learn my lesson. He offered to show me where the ATM was, so I said okay. He the kept asking if I wanted to do this or that to which I said no. He kept saying he was a Christian and an honest man, and surprise, he isn't honest. He took me to some kind of pharmacy other than the one I wanted to go to. He bought my toothpaste for me for some reason, and it wasn't the one I wanted. I was suspicious and annoyed and tired. Then, I somehow wound up on his boat. He said 250 Egyptian pounds for an hour. I thought what the heck. It was too hot to sketch and I wanted to be on the water for a little bit. I got on. It was... okay. I was kind of uncomfortable with the situation so I felt strange. He took my phone from me and I posed for some photos. I said I wanted to get off after about 15 minutes because he kept wanting to take me to an island quite far away. We got off the boat and he said I could pay him. He asked for 450, and I said 250, and he said I was confused. I called him a liar and a thief. I gave him the 250 and asked him to leave me alone. He asked for more, for his children and I just shook my arms at him. The worst part is that he cooks for the hostel and now I am suspicious of the hostel itself. I am very ready to leave these type of people behind in Egypt. I understand it's because times are tough since tourism is so scarce in the summer, but I also don't care. After I left, I went back to the pharmacy, got my sun block, for which they tried to short change me. It cost 30 pounds and I paid with 100. They gave me 60. I told them they owe me 70 and they were confused but then they gave me another 10. I feel bad because that's only 55 cents for me, but it's the principle. I would up getting more cash because the boat ride cost so much, and headed back towards the hostel. I was in desperate need of water. All of the shops were closed because of Ramadan and I was getting harassed by all of these people so I hid in a McDonald's. I got 4 smaller bottles of water and a Fanta for 50 pounds, whereas in the shops I can buy 1.5L of water for 5 pounds. I was desperate and didn't care. I chugged the water, put what I had left in my bag, and basically sprinted to the hostel. I went in my room, shut the door and just relaxed by laying still. The bed and the walls were so hot from absorbing the heat all day. It's unreal. Soon the heat made me sleepy and I took a nap. I knew I was going to go out and explore later at night, so I wanted to rest up and stay out of the heat before. After sunset prayer was heard, I ventured out again. I went to the Luxor temple down the street, and then caught a cab to the Karnak temple for the sound and light show. I actually read some bad reviews about it, but it is an experience, so I figured I would do it anyhow. Plus it's a full moon so what lucky luck! I found a cab and took it to the temple. He said he would be waiting for me after it ended. I felt kind of weird about it since I figured there would be other cabs, but I'm glad he waited as there were none after. I tipped him a lot the first ride there so I didn't feel obligated to tip the second. I was about a half hour early so I walked around the complex before the entrance. Soon there was a tourist group from Europe! Poland, the Netherlands, and Germany. They all spoke English and were very kind. The show in and of itself was not my style. I wish that all the lights had been on and we could have just walked around. It was very touristy, but still so beautiful and somewhat entertaining! A way better alternative than to just sitting in the hostel. We walked through the temple. It was mysterious and large and beautiful and spooky. It was still very warm and windy, which made it more dramatic. The tour ended with a sort of projected video. I was very bored during this portion as it wasn't well done, and would have preferred more time in the temple! After it was done, I got in the cab, went to the McDonald's for dinner, got a lot of food (for breakfast tomorrow since nothing is open), got 4.5L of water, and headed back to the hostel. I paid for my room, confirmed my taxi to the airport at 4am on the 11th, went up to my room, closed the door, ate dinner, caught up with people, showered, and now I'm here. My all day tour tomorrow that I paid a lot of USD through Expedia starts at 7, so I will have to wake up very early! I am off to try and get some sleep, and will look forward to a day of exploring, minus all the heat. I don't think I will sketch. I don't think I have it in me! I also will refuse to go to any stores or things like that my guide may want to take me to. I am overwhelmingly disinterested now in dealing with these people. Also... good news! Thanks to my support team at home and all the prayers, my Indian visa was approved. I got an email about it today. I guess it takes at maximum 4 days, and mine didn't take the maximum. I will no longer have to spend 24 hours in customs. Phew! So on that note, goodnight! Until whenever --