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journeysintowebcomics · 5 years

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Worm Liveblog #97

UPDATE 97: Conspiracy

Last time Skitter seems to have managed to convince Parian to give her a chance. Does Flechette know? I’m not sure. She’ll find out sooner or later, anyway. So, what will happen now that Parian may actually lend the Undersiders a hand? You won’t find out today! Today it will be an interlude. Let’s get started!

It’s August of 1986, a couple decades before present day. What character may be this one, I wonder? It’s a female character, seems to be quite young at this point so they must be an adult right now. Let’s see...looks like she’s under some sort of treatment.

Somewhere along the line, they had stopped telling her that the chemotherapy would make her better. The smiles had become even more strained. There was more emphasis on making her comfortable. Less explanation of what was going on.

Oooooh that sounds rather...terminal. Death may be coming someday. There aren’t that many diseases that need chemotherapy as a treatment, so chances are it’s cancer. Golly, the interlude just started and it’s already throwing some heavy stuff at me!

This sick girl pretends to be asleep when her mother comes, and although she hates doing that, it’s better than pretending she’s okay enough to endure conversations. The silence gives her mother carta blanche to start talking, though. That can’t be much better than what this girl hoped.

“Becca,” her mother murmured from behind her. “You awake?”

Becca? Hmmmm...doesn’t sound familiar. I can’t remember a character that’s named Becca or Rebecca. If there’s one, I may have forgotten.

“You’ve been so brave,” her mom whispered, so quiet she was barely audible.

I’m not brave. Not at all. I’m terrified. I’m so frustrated I could scream. But she couldn’t. Everyone had painted her as being so courageous, so noble and peaceful in the face of the months of treatment. But it was a facade, and she’d passed the point of no return. It was too late to break composure, too late to stop making bad jokes, faking smiles of her own. She couldn’t complain or use her mother’s shoulder to cry on because everyone would fall apart if she did.

She was their support.

That’s quite the heavy load on a deathly sick child. I can’t imagine what that’s like, having to swallow all your frustration and then realizing you can’t let it show because everyone thinks you’re taking it much better than you actually are. It’s even more harrowing when you’re a child, I guess. You know what? This is a rather fitting situation for a trigger event. The thought of death looming above you, all that pent-up frustration, the physical and mental suffering...there’s plenty of stimuli here. Since this person must have survived until the present day – I guess – then she must have survived this sickness.

“My little superhero,” her mother said.

That’s quite the thing to say in this story.

The mom’s choice of words makes Rebecca realize she’s dying. It brings the expected mix of emotions: anger, relief...especially anger at the situation and at others, for not telling her sooner she’s dying. It affects Rebecca enough for her to cry once her mother leaves. It’s dark, she’s seeing the cityscape from her window, and there’s so much she hasn’t done at her age, and so much she’d like to do again.

It struck her that she would probably never get to eat there again, never get a special kids meal with the dinky plastic toy that was meant for kids ten years younger than her.

Oh. She’s older than I thought she was. From the way she was being treated, I thought she’d be like...eight. From this it sounds like she’s like thirteen or fourteen. Still rather young, but she’s not so young people would think they can hide the truth of her situation from her. No wonder she’s frustrated!

There’s a series of things she wished she could have done. Get fast food, read a book in a series, see a movie adaptation, have a real boyfriend...it’s the tragedy of dying, you always wish you had done more than you did.

While Rebecca is letting her pain and sadness show in a manner I’m sure nobody else has, she hears a voice nearby, offering her morphine. It’s a voice she doesn’t know, and turning around confirms it’s a stranger. Hmmm...

“I’m going to increase the drip just a little, Rebecca Costa-Brown.”

Rebecca Costa-Brown? I’m pretty sure if I had seen that full name somewhere before I’d remember. Costa-Brown is quite a memorable name. So, there are two possibilities: either Rebecca Costa-Brown is a character that’s been around before but whose name hasn’t appeared yet, or she’s a character hasn’t made her first appearance yet.

The description of the person who is currently messing with the IV bag is familiar. I’m like 50% sure this was how the Doctor from Cauldrom was described. If so, then that’d mean Rebecca is involved with Cauldron, possibly as an employee. Or maybe, if this is the Doctor, she’s putting some power serum into the IV bag, meaning Rebecca would be a superhero under Cauldron’s thumb.

Rebecca confirms this person in her room isn’t one of her doctors and barely has much time for more before she feels the effect of the morphine. Guess it really was morphine and not soup of superpower. If I’m taking correctly the way this woman said ‘Not yet’ to when Rebecca said she wasn’t one of her doctors then...yeah, I’m growing increasingly more certain this is the Doctor from Cauldron.

Yup, she is. She’s here to make a deal with Rebecca, and she says she can make superheroes. This interlude is happening during the time superheroes were a rarity – in a relative term –and it was predicted in a couple decades there’d be thousands. Well, she’s not wrong, by now all over the world there must be thousands and thousands of parahumans.

By now it’s very clear the offer she’s going to offer Rebecca is to give her powers. She’s showing her the risks of giving powers. This wouldn’t be happening if Rebecca was going to be an employee and not a hero, I think. Photos are shown, parahumans that’d fit the Case 53s very easily. It’s possible it’s precursors of them, or maybe they were already being called Case 53s.

This here is still the early stages of the power serum. Two out of seven die horribly, four experience physical changes that ensure they won’t be in society anymore as normal people, and one gets powers without further consequences. Pretty low odds, all things considered. The Doctor tries to sweeten the deal by saying she could mix things up so there’d be less change of physical changes and there’d be restorative effects – meaning Rebecca here would be healed. Well doesn’t that sound too good to be true?

“I’m not asking for money. Only that you take this leap of faith with me and help me build something. I know the risks are great, I wouldn’t normally ask someone to face them, but I suspect you don’t have much left to lose.”

So, I don’t doubt Rebecca has been in the hospital for quite some time already. It’s to be expected, what with her very deadly illness and what not. Cauldron may be able to access to her medical records. That said, I do wonder why she was the one they picked. It’s unlikely Rebecca is the only child with a terminal illness in the entire world. Maaaaybe it’s more of a geographical thing, and she was the only viable candidate in this part of the world? Or perhaps something about her psychological and emotional state made her a better candidate than other sick children? I really wonder why Cauldron picked her and not someone else, hmmm...

The Doctor was right, though: she doesn’t have anything left to lose, she’s on the verge of death, and in Rebecca’s opinion she already looks so awful she may as well be one of the monstrous parahumans from the photos. Why not to go out in a blaze of glory or possibly be saved even if in the end she looks like a monster? She accepts.

The interlude changes to the next day. The very first line says things went well. Congratulations, Rebecca! You have powers. And it seems the Doctor was right about heightening the chances of everything going just peachy. I wonder what powers she got!

Rebecca extended one arm. Her skin was a healthy pink, her hand thin but not so emaciated as it had been.

“I’m better?”

“I would guess so. In truth, I’m not sure how the regeneration affected the cancer, it might even have exacerbated the symptoms. For the time being, however, you seem to be well.”

This is going to be one hell of a thing to explain to Rebecca’s parents. One day their daughter is dying of cancer and looking like she’s in slow agony, the next day she’s heaps better and may be cancer-free. I don’t doubt the happiness of having her alive and better would triumph over most emotions, but there’ll be a lot of demands for explanations.

Since it still is relatively early in Cauldron’s projects, they don’t even have yet a way to categorize the results. They’ll have to test the serum a few more times. Well, if they need people with nothing to lose, there’s no shortage of them in the world. They’ll find all the test subjects they want.

Oh, well then! Looks like the way to avoid giving explanations to the parents and the doctors is to not be there at all. The Doctor asks Rebecca to stay with them for two years, and then she’ll be free to decide if she wants to return or not. Hmmm...I wonder if the teenager who is with the Doctor right now joined under similar circumstances to Rachel’s.

And so, Rebecca stayed with Cauldron for two years. Before I continue, let’s see what powers she has...so, from what I see here, there’s strength. There may also be some physical immunity, so she doesn’t get hurt. I’m not sure if her mental processes are better now than before, because the reason why they feel sharper and faster now could be that her illness had her so numbed she didn’t notice a decrease in mental processing speed. So far there’s nothing particularly noteworthy or unique, no parahuman character from Worm comes to mind.

So, around one year and half pass.

“Alexandria,” the Doctor called.

It seems Rebecca is Alexandria! Alright, that’s fun! This should be an interesting interlude to read. It also confirms further the ties between the big fishes of the Protectorate and Cauldron go way back.

Alexandria waited patiently as Contessa adjusted her cape, then strode through the door. The Doctor was there, of course. Professor Manton, too. The boy with the math powers was there, standing next to a boy who was staring off into space.

Contessa may be the teenage girl who was with the Doctor. I see the Siberian’s real body is here, from the time he was an investigator in Cauldron’s payroll. There’s also...the Number Man, perhaps? Maybe he was like Rebecca – a teenager or preteen who was brought into Cauldron’s forces.

Turns out Hero™®© is here! He really was with the rest as a Cauldron hero. Legend is also here, and it doesn’t seem like Eidolon is around. Maybe Eidolon will arrive later into the group. So, by now Alexandria has managed to build a reputation of some sort. She also has a nice costume already, possibly provided by Cauldron.

The Doctor spoke, “She’s as strong as any parahuman we’ve recorded. Flies at speeds that match your own, Legend. Near-perfect memory retention, accelerated processing and learning.”

So she does have increased mental processing. Alright!

Oh, Eidolon is here already. Alexandria was the last person to join this group, then. So, the reason why all the powerful capes and also Manton and Possibly-The-Number-Man are here is because there’s a proposal Alexandria wants to make. The newcomer wants to propose something! This should be interesting.

She starts by saying how this room has the most powerful parahumans in the world, and that parahumans would tend to be villains because of the traumatic events they go through. That’s rather true, a trigger event sure would bring all kinds of negative emotions. Taylor wanted to be a hero because she had heroic role models – the Protectorate and others of their kind. I’m sure others were like that too, but yeah, most new parahumans would choose to be villains because of their traumatic experiences.

The Doctor cut in, “And I’m producing more heroes than villains. For now, the proportion favors us, and you’ve been able to keep the criminal element in line. For the most part. But even as I expand my operations, I have come to the realization that I can only produce so much. And the rate of parahuman growth is expanding. The next twenty years are projected to produce a total number of six hundred and fifty thousand people with powers, worldwide.”

Sounds about right. It’s a lot of people. True, compared to the total population of the world it doesn’t seem like a considerable amount, but when you consider the amount of power each one has and what they can do, 6500 parahumans are way too many. Can you imagine how awful things would be if there were 6500 powerful villains all over the world?

Since Alexandria and the Doctor worked on the numbers, I’m sure they’re right. Things like these are easier when you have fast processing speeds in your brain. At the rate parahumans keep happening, the heroes Cauldron makes will be outpaced. I find interesting that what they are focusing is in that Cauldron makes heroes. Perhaps this group isn’t the threat they had seemed at first? It could be rather interesting, really.

So, to avoid the inevitable, Alexandria says they should be what the governments are trying to do: regulate. As expected, the reactions to such suggestion aren’t of joy and immediate cooperation.

Turns out having Legend as the leader was Alexandria’s idea. Either Legend or Hero™®© would have worked. Alexandria didn’t look as kind and positive as the candidates to leader, and Eidolon was too powerful. Alexandria is also the one who thought and planned how to incorporate parahumans into society. From what I have seen in Worm I can see it worked decently well!

Looks like the Protectorate and the Wards were also Alexandria’s idea. It really is like everything in parahumans’ lives was planned by Alexandria. II never thought a single person, superpowered or not, could have so much involvement in society.

“I expect we’ll be able to employ the remainder of the plan, the eight-stage integration of parahumans with the public, because I will be in a position of power in the government. I, my civilian self, can be in charge of the government-sponsored superhero teams within eight years.”

Could she still be holding that job, I wonder...does that mean Alexandria may have a job in the PRT in a national level, perhaps?

To give everyone else some time to think about her proposals, she prepared booklets and is willing to give them time to think about the plans. It’s a foregone conclusion there was enough support for it to happen, but I’m intrigued about if someone in the Protectorate objected! Eidolon did, of course. Did he change his mind at some point? What do Legend and Hero™®© think? So many questions and most likely there won’t be any answers!

Ah, the parahuman who can make portals is called the Doormaker. For a moment I thought I had read ‘Doormaster’. That would have been kind of cool, haha. This interlude is taking in an era when the building in Côte d'Ivoire still hadn’t been built – or at least I imagine that’s that place, because the Doctor says that will be her base of operations in the future.

“Where is it?”

“Another Earth.”

“Like Earth Aleph? The one Haywire opened the portal to?”

I’m not sure I like the thought of getting other Earths involved in this story, honestly...I mean, it’s okay for worldbuilding and stuff, but I hope it won’t have a big role in the story or anything. I just feel there’s too much already involved in this story to need something like alternate Earths. It would kind of...bloat the story?

Once everyone leaves, the Doctor and Alexandria talk. Turns out Alexandria and the Doctor kept a few things to herself about the long-term goals. Oho, keeping secrets, Alexandria? How devious! She’s turning out to be more calculating and with a bit of a devious streak, I like her.

“You have your end of the project. I feel they’ll come around. Focus on that. I’ll handle the projected issues on my side of things. Just need to find the right individual. Someone I can groom, perhaps. Between you and I, one of us is bound to succeed.”

There’s something very sinister about the Doctor saying anything about having someone to groom. I’m sure by the time things reach the present she already has someone, but can you imagine if she didn’t? Who in the present would she choose? Not Skitter, I think, because Skitter already has a million people going after her, but yeah.

Almost two years have passed, and Alexandria doesn’t feel particularly compelled about returning home. I still am curious how exactly they covered up Rebecca being gone all of a sudden. I feel bad for Rebecca’s parents – or at least for her mother, since she was the one that appeared in the story. Her daughter was dying of cancer and then she was gone or went away, and now she won’t return. That must hurt a lot.

December 13th of 1992. Something huge is coming out of the ground. It’s a bizarre, terrifying creature I’m pretty sure is an Endbringer, because the description reminds me a lot of Leviathan. Leviathan was aquatic, this one clearly is related to ground. The descriptions mention obsidian and magma.

His skin was crusted with black stone that might have been obsidian, layers of what might have been cooled magma sloughing off of him as he planted his feet on the ground and stood straight.

‘Straight’ might have been too generous. He was built like a caricature of a bodybuilder, or a bear-human hybrid. He rippled with muscle, his skin gray, thick and leathery like the hide of a rhinoceros or elephant. His black obsidian horns were so heavy his head hung down. They weren’t rooted in his forehead, but in the middle of his face, a half-dozen curved shafts of black crystal twisting their way out of his face and back over the top of his head, some ten feet long. A single red eye glowed from between the gap in two horns, positioned too low. His mouth was a jagged gap in his lower face, twisting up to a point near his temple, lined by jagged horn-like growths that were too irregular to be called teeth.

His claws were the same, not hands in the conventional sense, but mangled growths of the same material that made up his horns, many of the growths as large as Alexandria herself. He could flex them, move them, but they were clearly weapons and nothing else.

Can someone send me an image of this beast, please? I’m curious to see how the fans depicted this thing.

The Protectorate is here, and so is the team of local heroes. The exact place they’re at is unspecified. The maybe-Endbringer roars, already injuring one of the heroes, and then points at that person with a claw. That’s a death sentence immediately:

The man ignited from the inside out, flame and smoke pouring from every orifice as he was turned into a burned-out husk in a matter of seconds. His skeleton disintegrated into fine dust and ash as it crashed to the ground.

...okay, I’m sure at least one person must have ended traumatized by this sudden death. Goodness, that’s horrible!

Soon Alexandria is targeted directly, and although she’s invincible, it seems she still needs to breathe. She actually was in danger for a moment while Behemoth – it is Behemoth! – drove her into the ground with fire. Interesting weakness...to think one of the most powerful heroes could die by, say, drowning.

There’s major oil fields near the huge monster that clearly has fire powers to some extent. I’m already marking those oil fields as a total loss, I’m sure those will explode.

Behemoth doesn’t control fire or rocks or earth or lightning. There’s a better way of having all those abilities under the same name.

Her eyes widened. Not individual powers. Those were all the same power. She pressed one hand to her ear, opening communications to the rest of her team. “He’s a dynakinetic! He manipulates energy! No Manton limitation!”

I didn’t even know that word existed. Clearly they managed to make Behemoth surrender. No idea how, but they did! Too bad I don’t get to see how, because the moment ends there. Oh well. Maybe it was like it happened with Leviathan – they hit the Endbringer enough and with enough force to convince it to turn around and leave after it caused widespread destruction.

They’d been right after all. Dumb luck had created a parahuman as dangerous as what the Doctor could create by design.

It’s not like I ever thought Cauldron had created the Endbringers, but it’s somewhat of a relief it’s confirmed they didn’t. Also, what kind of traumatic event would create something like an endbringer? Was this the moment it emerged for the first time? Was the person who turned into Behemoth under the ground? Maybe it was a worker from the oil fields or something.

Next scene. Alexandria swears on the constitution to defend the United States. This must be a public event of some sort, and since it’s her cape identity swearing, I imagine this is the end result of her plan to bend to the government’s regulations – regulations she would impose through her civilian identity. Things went according to plan, I guess!

Her mother is here. Doesn’t seem to me like she returned home, but at least she did see her mother again. That’s the least she could have done, so I’m glad about it. So, this was the moment they founded the Protectorate in front of everyone. Judging by the way everyone is cheering, they did manage to way the public’s feelings about parahumans towards supporting the heroes.

That was a short scene, it changes to seven years later. It takes me a couple lines to realize what this moment may be: the Siberian when it killed Hero™®© because the setting is what I kind of remember it was. Alexandria feels sick because they’re leaving a victim be with whatever’s there. Despite Alexandria’s gray alignment – as far as I’m concerned – she really wants to save lives. Nice to know she has the right purpose despite everything.

Until recently they didn’t know Manton was the Siberian’s real body, but it seems Alexandria thought she was familiar. She may have seen Manton’s daughter before. It was just a feeling of familiarity. I also notice Manton didn’t hesitate to brutally murder someone he had worked before in Cauldron. Did Cauldron care one of their best creations was killed by Manton?

As anyone may have imagined, Hero™®© dying was shocking to everyone. Panic ensued on the bystanders, it was a frantic moment. It’s the kind of situation that would cause more victims, I’m ready to scroll down and see something along the lines of ‘the Siberian lunged through the crowd, tearing apart several unfortunate bystanders’.

Alexandria moved in close, hoping to stop Siberian, to catch her and slow her down, saw Siberian swing, pulled back out of the way.

Her visor fell free, clattering to the ground. Then she felt the blood.

Saw, in her one remaining good eye, the chunks of her own face that were falling to the ground around her, bouncing off her right breast, the spray of blood.

...okay, it’s more or less what I expected, but it happened on someone I didn’t think it would. Alexandria has gotten mangled! Thank goodness Eidolon has some healing powers, but still! That must hurt!

The next day, it is said Eidolon’s healing couldn’t do much. She has lost her eyesight in one eye, it will be replaced with a glass eye. Can glass eyes see? I don’t think they do, from what little I know. Anyway, the glass eye isn’t what’s important here. What’s important is that the Doctor told Alexandria who exactly the Siberian’s real body is. Alexandria knew all along, yet Manton was left to go around and join the Slaughterhouse Nine, and killing who knows how many people. Trying to save people, huh, Alexandria? By letting a mass murderer go around freely? Well, I imagine Cauldron insisted Manton should be free to do whatever he wants, I guess.

“I suppose he thought he was qualified to oversee all that. Despite my strict instructions that staff weren’t to partake. Or he had other motivations. It could have been a gift from a father trying to buy his daughter’s affections.”

So what happened to his daughter was his own fault. He’s taking out his grief over whatever happened to her, and it was his own fault. It’s rather tragic, but I can’t really feel any sympathy over this because I don’t know Manton at all. The Siberian’s role in the story has been to be a mass murderer and no more. It’s a shame, really, because Manton has all the traits of the kind of villain you would feel pity at.

Eidolon maybe knew. I suppose Legend was the only one who didn’t know. Eidolon also knows about the plans and projects Alexandria and the Doctor are concealing. Whatever they are sure didn’t please him. Mr. Wildbow sure is beating around the bush when it’s about those plans! They must be quite a shocking swerve, then.

As I thought, the Doctor says they should let Manton do whatever he wants.

“So long as he’s active, people will be flocking to join the Protectorate-”

Alexandria slammed her hand on the stainless steel table beside her cot.

I’m just glad Alexandria didn’t accept that right away. I’m very glad about it. Unfortunately her objections will be ignored because Manton was left to do whatever he wanted until present day, but it means a lot that she didn’t approve at all.

“You’re right,” the Doctor said. “I… must be more shaken by Manton’s betrayal than I’d thought. Forget I said anything.”

As if!

It seems that by the time they saw the Siberian for the first time the Doctor still didn’t have the individual she wanted to turn into...whatever she’s trying to do. Instead she’s now thinking about making the right individual. Perhaps through giving that person powers? In that case, if someone in the present is this individual, then their powers were given by Cauldron, perhaps?

It’s present day, and bombs are raining down. I think it’s the present because this brings to mind the bombing against the Slaughterhouse Nine.

I was wrong, it isn’t. Alexandria is somewhere else that isn’t Brockton Bay, and she’s bringing people into Cauldron the same way she was brought in: find someone who is on the brink of death and offer them life. In the case that’s written right here in the text she doesn’t tell exactly what will happen, but that’s because the guy he rescued was almost dead. In Cauldron’s cells, there are many who are Case 53s, or at least that’s my guess because they’re monstrous. They all have alterations to their memories and fabricated weaknesses, too. The guy Alexandria rescued is given the dose of serum, and he starts undergoing changes. It’s not pleasant, although any powers he gets aren’t shown.

The irony of placing others in the same situation she used to be in isn’t lost on Alexandria. I bet she never thought she’d ever do this too.

Ah, now it is the present day! They’re talking about Manton and about Jack’s role in the end of the world. They just finished their talk, and were ready to stop.

The Doctor turned to Eidolon, “You want another booster shot?”

“Probably another Endbringer attack coming up, it’s best if I’m in top form.”

“A month or two, either Simurgh or Behemoth if they stick to pattern,” Alexandria said. She watched as Legend strode out of the room. Eidolon paused, then gave the hand signal. No bugs, and Legend wasn’t listening in.

So the other Endbringers are bound to attack someday? Goodness, one big problem more for the already filled future of Worm. Maybe the problem of knowing the number of arcs ahead is that I keep wondering when there’ll be enough time to cram all the plotlines that are being opened. My guess is that the arcs will get even longer and longer!

That aside, they’re all actively hiding stuff from Legend. He already suspects it, that’s obvious thanks to the lie detector he had been using, but I’m sure they’re hiding a lot of huge stuff. He’s not going to take it well once he realizes the extent of what they’re hiding. Heck, I’m the reader and I’m sure the secrets I have seen so far are just a small part of their bunch of secrets.

“We’ll manage,” the Doctor replied. “In the worst case scenario, we’ll explain the circumstances, explain our plan.”

“He won’t like it,” Eidolon spoke.

“But he’ll understand,” the Doctor said. “If the Terminus project is a success, the end of the world isn’t a concern. And I believe we will succeed.”

I’m pretty sure that the Doctor’s plans of grooming someone and the Terminus project are the same thing. I suppose this means she got someone – possibly the guy Alexandria saved -- and now the project is underway. There’s a chance they’re different projects, but yeah, I’m reasonable sure it’s the same.

“So that leaves only my end of things,” the Doctor said.

“Coil,” Eidolon said. “And if he fails?”

Ah, there it is. The Cauldron plotline is starting to be tied with Skitter’s plotlines. I was looking forward to finding out how it would be. Perhaps something Coil is doing in Brockton Bay is very important for Cauldron? He does have a huge money debt towards them. Maybe he would do a favor or two for them, even if money isn’t really something he cares a lot about – I imagine. He always can make more.

The end of the world is a troublesome matter because it gives no more time for projects. That should mean the Terminus project will end in the span of the next two years...interesting.

“If we assist him-”

“No,” the Doctor spoke. “If we assist him, there’s no point.”

“In short?” Alexandria leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “He doesn’t even know it, but everything rests on his shoulders.”

You know what this means? Skitter is going to inadvertently ruin the Protectorate and Cauldron’s plans at once. Whatever Coil has to do or they’re relying on surely needs his resources and everything he has, so if he loses it, he won’t be able to do anything. It’s possible that simply being alive is enough for him to be of use to Cauldron, but I don’t think so. I really can’t wait to see how Skitter ruins everything and possibly dooms the world when she defeats Coil. This is going to be fun.

That was the interlude. It was pretty interesting! I was glad to see more of Cauldron, honestly they’re starting to be the most interesting force in this story. Even more interesting than the Undersiders, I’d dare to say. I hope they and their plans appear more often in the story.

Next time I suppose the next arc will start? Last chapter had a nice ending for an arc, I would be kind of surprised if the arc continued further.

Next time: next update

#worm #worm liveblog #webserial #webserial liveblog #liveblog

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frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 4 years

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20th May >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflections / Homilies on John 16:12-15 for Wednesday, Sixth Week of Easter: ‘He will lead you to the complete truth’.

Wednesday, Sixth Week of Easter

Gospel (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

John 16:12-15

The Spirit of truth will lead you to the complete truth

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I still have many things to say to you

but they would be too much for you now.

But when the Spirit of truth comes

he will lead you to the complete truth,

since he will not be speaking as from himself

but will say only what he has learnt;

and he will tell you of the things to come.

He will glorify me,

since all he tells you

will be taken from what is mine.

Everything the Father has is mine;

that is why I said:

All he tells you

will be taken from what is mine.’

Gospel (USA)

John 16:12-15

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you to all truth.

Jesus said to his disciples: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.”

Reflections (5)

(i) Wednesday, Sixth Week of Easter

The Acts of the Apostles suggests that Paul had a gift for adapting his preaching to his audience. When preaching to Jews, he regularly quoted from the Jewish Scriptures. In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we find Paul preaching to the town council of Athens on the Areopagus. They were enlightened pagans. He took his cue from an altar he noticed that was inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God’. He proceeded to tell them that this unknown God had made himself known in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. As Christians, we recognize Jesus as the one who has made God known. In the words of the first chapter of the gospel of John, ‘No one has ever seen God. It is God, the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known’. As we come to know Jesus, we come to know God. Yet, we never come to know Jesus fully in this life. We are always on a journey towards knowing him. This knowing Jesus, which we never fully attain in this life, is not so much an intellectual knowing as a knowing of the heart, a knowing that is the fruit of love. We are always on the way towards that kind of knowing of Jesus. That is why Jesus says in the gospel reading that when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead us to the complete truth. If Jesus makes God known to us, the Holy Spirit makes Jesus know to us. He leads us to the complete truth, to Jesus who said of himself, ‘I am the truth’. Every day, the Holy Spirit works to take us on this journey towards Jesus, the complete truth, if we allow him. It is the Holy Spirit who makes the love of Jesus tangible for us, and it is the Holy Spirit who moves us towards that love of Jesus which brings us to know him ever more fully.

And/Or

(ii) Wednesday, Sixth Week of Easter

I was in Athens a couple of years ago with a group of priests and at the spot where the Council of the Areopagus would have met we read that passage from the Acts of the Apostles that was our first reading this morning. In that speech Paul begins by acknowledging the religious sensibilities of the Athenians. He goes on to announce that the God whom he proclaims, the God who raised Jesus from the dead, is the God for whom they are searching without realizing it. Paul begins by recognizing the Athenians’ pursuit of truth and then offers them the gospel as the embodiment of that truth for which they long. In John’s gospel Jesus declares himself to be the truth, and in this morning gospel reading from that gospel Jesus declares announces the coming of the Spirit of truth who will lead us to the complete truth. The Spirit will lead us to the complete truth by referring us to Jesus, by leading us to a deeper grasp of all that Jesus said and did. The Spirit of truth, the Spirit of Jesus who is the truth, will satisfy our own longings for ultimate truth, for the truth that sets us free. That is why in the run up to the feast of Pentecost it is good to pray ‘Come Holy Spirit, enlighten the eyes of our minds and hearts’.

And/Or

(iii) Wednesday, Sixth Week of Easter

The gospels these mornings have a certain focus on the coming of the Paraclete and this morning’s gospel is no exception. It is an appropriate focus as we approach the feast of Pentecost, which is Sunday week. In this morning’s gospel reading Jesus declares that the Holy Spirit will lead the disciples to the complete truth. A little earlier in John’s gospel Jesus had declared ‘I am the truth’. He is the truth because he is the revelation of God and of God’s purpose for our lives. One of the roles of the Spirit is to help us to enter more deeply into the rich mystery of the person of Jesus who is the truth. The Spirit helps us to know the truth, to know the Lord, not just with our head but with our heart. We tend to know best those whom we love. The Spirit works to deepen our friendship with the Lord, our love of the Lord, so that we come to know him in that deep sense, in the sense in which the Lord knows us, because he loves us. As we approach the feast of Pentecost, we ask the Spirit to renew our relationship, our friendship, with the Lord, and, so lead us to the complete truth.

And/Or

(iv) Wednesday, Sixth Week of Easter

There is only so much that people can learn at a certain stage of their lives. The great truths of life take a long time to absorb. This is certainly the case with the truths of our faith. We enter into those truths gradually, over time, with experience of life. Jesus seems to acknowledge that in this morning’s gospel reading. He tells his disciples that he has many things to say to them but that they are not yet ready to hear them, ‘they would be too much for you now’. Jesus declares that the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, who will be sent to them after Jesus’ death and resurrection, will begin to reveal these things to them and will lead them towards the complete truth. The Holy Spirit is given to us all to lead us to the complete truth, the truth about Jesus, God, our world, ourselves. This is a life-long journey. Indeed, there is a sense in which we never attain the complete truth in this life. We are always on the way. We can never really afford to say, ‘I have the complete truth’. Rather, we must always leave ourselves open to being led by the Spirit ever more closely towards the complete truth, towards the one who said of himself, ‘I am the truth’.

And/Or

(v) Wednesday, Sixth Week of Easter

In the gospel reading this morning, Jesus tells his disciples that when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will lead them to the complete truth. The complete truth is always beyond us and it is the Holy Spirit who will lead us there. We are all seekers after truth, the truth about ourselves, the truth about other people, the truth about our world, the truth about God. In John’s gospel Jesus says, ‘I am the truth’. Jesus is the truth in that he throws a penetrating light on all of reality, on our lives as human beings, on our world, on God. When Jesus tells his disciples that the Spirit of truth will lead them to the complete truth, he is really saying that the Holy Spirit will lead them to himself, to Jesus. As Jesus says in that gospel reading, ‘all he tells you will be taken from what is mine’. That is the role of the Holy Spirit in all our lives, to lead us towards the complete truth, who is Jesus, the Word made flesh. John’s gospel suggests that we cannot make our way to Jesus on our own. We need the help of the Spirit that Jesus sends to make our way to him. We need to surrender to the Paraclete if we are to really know Jesus, if we are to really grasp him with our mind, our heart and our soul. That is why the prayer, ‘Come Holy Spirit’, should never be far from our lips and our hearts.

Fr. Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, D03 AO62, Ireland.

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ie Please join us via our webcam.

Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC.

Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf.

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thesnootyushers · 7 years

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What are The Snooty Ushers looking forward to most in 2017?

2016 is well and truly in the rear view mirror now, and as the New Year haze is slowly clearing we are ready to stride into 2017 with renewed vigour. And what films should you pencil into your brand new calendars and diaries? Dan has already looked at a few films that might fly under the radar in 2017 here, the best upcoming horrors here, and some of this year’s riskier films here, but right here is where you can find our Most Anticipated Films of 2017!

(NB All release dates mentioned are the latest information on the planned UK releases, and are subject to change)

10. Thor: Ragnarok (Taika Waititi) Release Date: 27th October

James: This is all about the director. Taika Waititi has made two great films in What We Do In The Shadows and Hunt For The Wilderpeople, and the thought of what he could do in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is tantalising.

9. Trainspotting 2 (Danny Boyle) Release Date: 27th January

Dave: As a Scotsman and a product of the 90s, Trainspotting was huge for me. I loved how it took a group of pretty despicable characters and made you care about them. I was 19 when this was in the cinema and I saw 4 times and 100 more since. I have read the book twice and seen it on stage. I can not wait to see what has happened to these characters over the last 20 years. I am happy that Boyle has gone his own way rather that adapt Welsh’s lukewarm follow up novel Porno. We have waited long enough for this, I am positive it will be worth it.

8. Paddington 2 (Paul King) Release Date: 24th November

James: Paddington is a heart warming family film that leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy. The chance to visit the bear from Peru again can’t come soon enough!

No trailer yet for Paddington 2, so here’s the trailer for the first.

7. Star Wars: Episode VIII (Rian Johnson) Release Date: 15th December

Welshy: People will reminisce in 30 years time and say “it was the best in the series”. Hand to god, this will be our generation’s Empire Strikes Back.

No trailer yer, but here’s a trailer for the joyful The Force Awakens

6. Spider-Man: Homecoming (John Watts) Release Date: 7th July

Rich: Spider-Man joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe again for his first Marvel Studios solo movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming. The trailer is bursting with classic Spider-man quips and action, but it also shows you just enough of the characters and villains to keep a little bit of mystery about the plot .Directed by Jon Watts who directed hidden gem Cop Car it looks like he’s paid attention to some faults of previous Spidey instalments and is giving us a lot of things we haven’t seen before in this one. Lets hope the franchise can find new heights and stick around for years to come. Also go and watch Cop Car, it’s brilliant!

5. Alien: Covenant (Ridley Scott) Release Date: 19th May

Rich: Sir Ridley Scott is reunited with his baby, the Alien franchise which he helped create in 1979. It’s been tough going for this film franchise and its numerous directors and sequels, but I feel none came close to recreating what Sir Ridley Scott had done. Obviously the attempted reboot in Prometheus (2012) was a bit hit or miss with audiences but Scott seems determined to win back our trust with this glorious trailer which is dripping with the Alien style and aesthetic. Scott seems set on still fleshing out the universe but also returning to his roots of bloody and terrifying. Check out the trailer below and see what I mean.

4. John Wick: Chapter 2 (Chad Stahelski) Release Date: 10th February

Dan: Good lord was John Wick one of the best action films released in the past 10 years, and one that pretty much came out of nowhere. Who would have thought a film, starring Keanu Reeves, about a former hitman and his dog would be such an entertaining action packed watch. Not only did Reeves do brilliantly, the first brought us fresh directing talent, one of whom has been rewarded with Deadpool 2. John Wick only scratched the surface of this potentially massive underworld of criminals, assassins and hotels, and I for one can’t wait to see how they follow it up.

3. Logan (James Mangold) Release Date: 2nd March

Welshy: So here we are at the end of the line for the Ol’ Canucklehead. Well, for Hugh Jackman anyway. Having had a rocky start with his abysmal first solo outing, then gaining great momentum in his second we reach the third and final chapter. Now oh sweet Mary the source material this is based on is one of the most glorious narratives ever put to seven panels and thirteen pages. It looks like they are going all out with this final instalment, James Mangold has learned from The Wolverine and now will showcase the best there is at what he does. Just Watch.

2. Blade Runner 2049 (Denis Villenuve) Release Date: 6th Ocotber

Dave: Forget Star Wars and Superheroes, this is what 2017 is about for me. Blade Runner is one of my favourite films of all time. Now, normally I would be sceptical about a belated sequel and when it was first mooted I dismissed it out of hand, then along came Denis Villenueve, he is one of the most exciting and promising directors working today. Ryan Gosling most definitely has the talent to carry any film and then there is the returning Harrison Ford. The teaser looks like they have nailed the feel of the original. Here is hoping.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (James Gunn) Release Date: 28th April

Dan: As a fan of James Gunn with his work on Super, and Slither, I was intrigued by the first Guardians of the Galaxy. Then the trailer hit and I just knew it would be special. Watching it in the cinema was the best experience I’ve had watching a Sci-Fi film since my mother took me to see the re-releases of Star Wars: Episodes IV-VI when I was younger, if not better. I’ve never been this excited for a film for as long as I can remember, I’m actually more excited than I was for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

And that is our Top 10 – let us know what you are looking forward to in 2017! For more upcoming 2017 releases, check out the upcoming horrors of 2017, the 10 films to keep you eye on in 2017, and the riskiest films of 2017.

Until next time, stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold. See you soonish.

PS As a special treat for reading all the way to the end, here are our individual Top 10 lists:

James 1. Blade Runner 2049 – Come on. I was looking forward to this before I saw Sicario. Then Arrival was amazing. In Villeneuve we trust. 2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – Can they capture lightning in a bottle again? 3. Paddington 2 – One of the most charming films in years gets a sequel. 4. War For the Planet Of The Apes – After two amazing films I’m pumped for another! 5. Logan –His scene in X Men: Apocolypse was the best thing in it, and the trailer looks epic. Time to say goodbye to one of the best characters we have seen 6. John Wick: Chapter 2 – Will this be a Raid 2 style upgrade or a Taken 2 style retread? I imagine a bigger budget, but will it work again? 7. Thor: Ragnorak – Man, I just love What We Do In The Shadows and Hunt For The Wilderpeople 8. Dark Tower – Years of expectation means I can’t get my hopes up too much. But still… 9. Kingsman: The Golden Circle – Manners. Maketh. Man. 10. The LEGO Batman Movie – Yes, I AM still a 7 year old, so what?

Split – M. Night Shymalan’s comeback? Alien: Covenant – Prometheus has dulled my expectations of being blown away by this, but on re-watches that is an interesting movie. Kong: Skull Island – Godzilla? Justice League/Wonder Woman Spider-Man: Homecoming Star Wars: Episode VIII: Pressure is on, will need to stand on it own (can’t rely on nostalgia like The Force Awakens) but Looper is a great movie (and those episodes of Breaking Bad), so I have faith in Rian Johnson

Dan

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 2

Logan

Alien: Covenant –

John Wick 2

Blade Runner 2049

The Dark Tower

Star Wars: Episode VIII

Soldado

Ghost in the Shell

Dave

Blade Runner 2049 – Best director working today, a classic in waiting

Trainspotting 2 – cant’t wait to see these characters again

Guardians of The Galaxy 2 – More of the same please…

John Wick 2 – I could watch Keanu play this character all day long

Murder on The Orient Express – I love a murder mystery, just check the cast

Logan – Old Man Logan! Or as close as we will ever get on the big screen

Soldado – just watch Sicario and you will see why this is on the list

Alien Covenant – back to its horror roots? Can’t be as bad as Prometheus right?

Paddington 2 – First one was a delight, Whishaw’s vocal performance was spot on

Despicable Me 3 – These movies are just fun. Trey Parker’s villain looks a hoot.

The Mummy, Live By Night, Episode VIII, The Six Million Dollar Man, Lego Batman, Sing, King Arthur, Baywatch, Pitch Perfect 3

Welshy – Mine is very comic heavy

Star Wars episode 8

Logan

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Spiderman Homecoming

Power Rangers

Thor 3 Ragnarok

Wonder Woman

Justice League

Blade Runner 2049

The Coldest City

Rich

Alien: Covenant – come on… seems like its going back to its roots which is great

Spider-man: Homecoming – lets hope it skips the origin story

Eyes of the Mother – artsy, moody horror flick

Bladerunner 2049 – Trailer is dripping with style

Ghost in the Shell – big fan of the original anime

John Wick Chapter 2 – more shooty shooty

Baywatch – The Rock and Zac Efron!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2

Justice League – It has to succeed, right?

Dark Tower – Will this even release in 2017?

2017 is full of blockbusters, sequels and franchises, but what films are The Snooty Ushers looking forward to most? What are The Snooty Ushers looking forward to most in 2017?

#Alien: Covenant #Blade Runner 2049 #Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 #John Wick 2 #Logan #most anticipated films of 2017 #must see films of 2017 #Paddington 2 #Spider-Man: Homecoming #Star Wars Episode VIII #Thor: Ragnarok #top 10 films of 2017 #Trainspotting 2

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