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

[Maxx Crowley]

Ah, I didn't actually know it was a titans name, guess my Greco-Roman history paper was a fkn waste.

What about I can't believe it's not superman?

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Looks like a completely pointless character that Marvel in no way needs. One that I have heard of, but in all my years of reading...have never actually seen show up in an issue. Gladiator I've at least seen. Trying to shoehorn The Sentry into the Hulk mythos just pissed me off.

Marvel already has a Superman analog....his name is Thor.

Seriously, read early Thor. Right down to the "Hurricane" Breath.

The problem with all the Superman expys in Marvel is that they are simply trying too hard. You take one look and go "Oh, Superman."

Be inspired by a concept. Don't copy wholesale.

 

[Jack of Olives]

I've honestly never understood the Buzz over the "Super" Soldier serum in universe. Like...it's not THAT impressive. Given that most of what makes Steve such an asset is his tactical mind and good nature. Neither of which the serum has anything to do with.

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I think the idea is mass-production. While one person enhanced by the serum is low-powered (among supers, anyway), fielding squads of soldiers with superhuman physique would be a game-changer as far as warfare goes.

It's what the original plan for the serum was, after all; give the USA (an possibly it's allies) troops that are significantly stronger, faster, and tougher then the Axis'.

Edit: Also, I agree; the 'Iron-Man' option would probably be a better way to go.

 

[Stsword]

Plus, in a world where the X-gene seems to be humanity's ultimate gift and destiny....it just seems like it'd be obsolete quickly.

Click to shrink...

You've not been keeping up with the X-men comics, it seems.

Humanity's ultimate destiny is transhumanism, joining the Phalanx Singularity that exists in the event horizons of black holes.

The fact that makes the Phalanx far less pathetic than previous depictions is just something to ignore.

That is, if the X-Men don't stop it. So transhumanism=bad in the X-titles.

Something that a Marvel Alt.Paul would appreciate immensely, I'm sure.

And don't get me started on how stupid that is, when the mutants have the like of Forge the superhuman inventive genius, Box the technokinetic, and Apokalips the technnomorph, so mutants would be @#$#$ing better at transhumanism like everything else.

 

[SotF]

No-one likes going to court. It's awkward and depending on the conditions, you're stuck up in front of several dozen strangers minimum like a turkey on display. That'd make anyone uncomfortable...

Click to shrink...

Family court tends to function a bit differently since it's normally without observers barring some major exceptions (You don't typically have the viewing gallery) in order to protect the minors involved.

Unless he's doing more than a simple adoption, there is likely to be those invited by either interested faction, the judge, the bailiff, the recorder, and a representative from CPS which is normally the one to check the suitability for the new parent, and the lawyer or lawyers involved.

If it's contested, there are normally witnesses.

Adoption proceedings and a lot of family court level stuff tends to also not have a jury involved, and have more leeway unless major felonies are involved.

 

[Vaermina]

You've not been keeping up with the X-men comics, it seems.

Humanity's ultimate destiny is transhumanism, joining the Phalanx Singularity that exists in the event horizons of black holes.

The fact that makes the Phalanx far less pathetic than previous depictions is just something to ignore.

That is, if the X-Men don't stop it. So transhumanism=bad in the X-titles.

Something that a Marvel Alt.Paul would appreciate immensely, I'm sure.

And don't get me started on how stupid that is, when the mutants have the like of Forge the superhuman inventive genius, Box the technokinetic, and Apokalips the technnomorph, so mutants would be @#$#$ing better at transhumanism like everything else.

Click to shrink...

Eh, that's just in a couple of fail dimensions, others have Humanity become the next Celestials.

 

[Queshire]

I imagine part of the focus on the superserum is the symbolic aspect, but aside from that, it's really not a bad choice as far as first step Transhumanism goes.

Even if it's argued that Zoat's buffed it here then wasn't um, I think it was called the Eternity Serum? Well I think there was supposed to be a knock off of the super serum that was responsible for extending the lifespan of the original Nick Fury to the 2000's.

 

[Mist of Shadows]

He's not even sure that Sublime exists at this point

Click to shrink...

Like a ring scan? That's one of the first things I'd check if I got dropped in Marvel and Mutants were being treated worse than every other group of altered humans/aliens.

 

[Mr Zoat]

I feel the mechanics of civilisation
clank and whir about me

Canterlot is a city perched upon the peak of a mountain. It has no farming and no mining. I can feel the twisting effect its location and nature are having on the supply networks of the country. Only dimly; it would be far more accurate if I had roots here rather than simply being an interloper -and if I was sovereign I would already be ordering the place torn down- but the discomfort caused by the inefficiency is palpable. Too much fuel being consumed, too many train lines in the wrong places. And the stupefying effect it's having on governance is worse, if anything. Something to bear in mind when I become ruler: make sure that there are other sources of authority. Not in the sense of division of powers necessarily, but make it so that there are government officers that can make policy decisions on their own.

I wonder if that's what Cadance is? Why she's in charge of a single city, even though her special talent doesn't lend itself to that sort of work? Is Celestia planning on assigning alicorns to every major city, recreating the elector system of the Holy Roman Empire? I'd need to know more about how special talents work to be certain, but I don't think that's a good idea. Celestia can get by on experience, but having civil servants defer unquestioningly to someone who doesn't know what they're doing is a recipe for disaster. Putting them in charge of areas of national government relating to their specialities makes far more sense, once they've got enough government experience to actually do something useful there. In the interim, using Cadance as an ambassador and Twilight as a champion makes the most sense.

Where would be the best place for a capital? Ponies don't eat fish, and waterways are already decreasing in importance for the transport of goods. That means that the usual go-to of the largest coastal city isn't appropriate. If Canterlot were abandoned then mining the useful minerals from the Foal Mountains becomes far easier, and the existing railway nexus in Ponyville makes it ideal as far as that's concerned. Ponyville has lumber and agriculture, but no mining or heavy manufacturing. The land between Ponyville and Canterlot could be zoned for heavy industry, but it would have to be built up before it became the new capital.

I wonder if I can claim-.

The world shudders as somepony intrudes in my psyche. I should have seen this coming, really. Given what I've been up to it's only natural that she'd want to take a peek. And that knowledge is why I don't fly into a rage at the idea of someone getting inside my head, but I still need to stop her before she does something infuriating. The lower depths of my psyche will remain inviolate unless she tries brute forcing it in a way that would almost certainly wake a normal person up, so I don't think she'll risk it.

I look around at the industrialised reimagining of Equestria I've instinctively created.

And I imagine that this will be at least a little curious to her: the way I think about her country and how it should be. Good job I wasn't dreaming of Apokolips again. All too often those end up as a mishmash of Apokolips and some other place, and… I don't want to see Equestokolips.

So where is the little lunar sneak?

I look up at the moon. Hm. No, nothing there. No structures, no air, no infrastructure. Some resources, but nothing that wouldn't be far easier to mine on the surface. Nowhere on Equestria has special significance to me personally, her presence is too diffuse to track by simply looking…

No. She's a ruler. Her being here after a thousand years of autocracy under her sister throws so many things into disarray. I should be able to track her with that. Mother Box, boom tube to the throne room.

Ping.

Boom!

I float through, curious to discover that my dream-body is still a pony. An equine anyway; I'm sure that I'm big enough to count as a horse. I'm not sure if horses are a thing here…

Ah.

The throne room is decorated in Apokoliptian style. Not the neo-brutalist style of the throne's current occupant, but in the techno-medieval style of Queen Heggra. Though.. not an exact replica. It's not in her colours, and some of the stylistic flourishes are different.

I smile as I realise that I unconsciously redesigned it for Sunset.

Well, she is my investment in this world, isn't she? And all this 'alicorn=princess' business… No, focus. I can feel the pressure on the bureaucracy that comes from having a new and unpredictable master to serve. I can feel it come from the halls of government, but where does it go?

That way. Hm, naturally. Mother Box.

Ping.

Boom!

I walk through the tube and out into the cave containing the Tree of Harmony. The tree itself… Smaller than I thought it would be, but I suppose that it's just a representation. The shadows ripple slightly as the tube closes…

"My soul. My place of power. The place where my godhood shines most brightly."

The walls around me flare with light, denying Luna any shadows to hide in. She's ejected, tumbling forth to sprawl at my hooves!

"Did you think you could hide from me here? I'm genuinely curious."

She comes to her hooves, glaring at me.

"We felt-." She cuts herself off, looking concerned.

"You're cut off from magic until I choose to allow it. I've gotten very good at controlling intruders. What do you want?"

"We were hoping to learn more of your character. Who you are when you are not presenting a front. We see that We will not be able to, so We will simply ask."

I nod sarcastically. "It can save time."

"What have you done with the-? With 'Party Popper'?"

"Assuming I haven't moved in my sleep, she's lying next to me. I've got experience in comforting children, and apparently having someone big and nurturing next to her triggered her foal instincts." I narrow my eyes. "Naturally I will kill anyone who tries to hurt her."

"None will. Once Twilight Sparkle concluded her screaming and Pinkie Pie informed Us of the cause, We began making arrangements for Party Popper to become a citizen of Equestria in her own right."

"And the ones Twilight killed?"

"Despite what you thought that you knew, they truly were returned to the mirror pool."

Oh. Huh.

She studies my face, perhaps trying to see whether or not my deceit was deliberate or the result of ignorance. Guess I misremembered that episode. "Thou truly didst not know?"

"I knew that Twilight shot them and they went 'poof'. That was it." Hm. "What happens to them now?"

"They will be granted physical forms once more once we have prepared to receive them."

Okay, yes, good, but the important part…

"And am I getting shot with the Elements anytime soon?"

She looks around the still-blinding white chamber. "We were hoping to see some sign of your curse. If you are truly in need, We will see what can be done."

Hmmm…

"Alright. It should be safe enough to let you look at the thing. Don't touch it, don't touch the cage it's in. Am I clear?"

Her eyes narrow. "We are a Princess of Equestria. We do not need-."

"You BROKE INTO MY BRAIN. You are a SNEAK THIEF. You will follow my instructions because I know what I'm talking about."

She lifts her head up. "Very well. Show Us this curse."

I maintain eye contact for a moment, then allow the lights to dim.

Mother Box. Boom tube to Starswirl's Mirror.

Ping.

Boom!

I lead the way through, trotting into the palace corridor, through the mirror -our forms don't change, perhaps because we're not literally going through it- and into Sunset's laboratory. Luna glances around curiously as we head out into the corridor, and then into a lift that doesn't exist in reality.

"Going all the way down."

 

[Mr Zoat]

Like a ring scan? That's one of the first things I'd check if I got dropped in Marvel and Mutants were being treated worse than every other group of altered humans/aliens.

Click to shrink...

What do you think he's scanning for? Which out of the thousands of microbes in the human body is responsible? Does Sublime even exist in this setting?

 

[The Chosen One]

I actually took in a teen girl last year, from California. Not adoption or fostering, though; her parents just went down to the courthouse, signed a form transferring custody to a stranger, and drove her to my apartment after. She lived with me and my roommate for 8 months, finished high school, and went on her way.

I opened myself up to some amount of liability in the process, sure, but I've worked with kids my whole life and I, uh, well, I don't want to use the phrase "know how to avoid suspicion" because that sounds creepy in itself, and the point is that I actually am not a creep, but, that's the kind of thing they actually teach in the industry: how to keep witnesses and documents at hand so no one has reason to doubt your motivations when otherwise they might just on principle.

I just helped her with math, talked her through her first breakup, stocked the pantry, and made sure she didn't get in too much trouble with the weed and such. Overall a good experience, hope to do it again sometime.

EDIT: Oh, and we're back in canterlot. The ONE TIME I have a relevant anecdote!

 

[Rebu]

I think it's still relevant, actually.

"What have you done with the-? With 'Party Popper'?"

"Assuming I haven't moved in my sleep, she's lying next to me. I've got experience in comforting children, and apparently having someone big and nurturing next to her triggered her foal instincts." I narrow my eyes. "Naturally I will kill anyone who tries to hurt her."

Click to shrink...

Can you dual mantle? Because I'm pretty sure ol' Gravy's becoming the New God of Foster Dadding.

EDIT: I have now read the relevant section of the FAQ and know mantling isn't a thing in this story. Please stop telling me.

 

[Vaermina]

No. She's a ruler. Her being here after a thousand years of autocracy under her sister throws so many things into disarray. I should be able to track her with that. Mother Box, boom tube to the throne room.

Click to shrink...

Because surely you need an imaginary representation of Mother Box to move around in your own dream.

"Despite what you thought that you knew, they truly were returned to the mirror pool."

Oh. Huh.

Click to shrink...

Ah, so Grayven truly was talking out of his ass there.

 

[Shotiegun11]

Can you dual mantle? Because I'm pretty sure ol' Gravy's becoming the New God of Foster Dadding.

Click to shrink...

The FAQ cries out in despair. Someone! Read me! I exist! Please don't ignore me.

There is no FAQ.

Ah, so Grayven truly was talking out of his ass there.

Click to shrink...

Or not. They were only magical constructs and when they 'died' they merely returned to the mirror, as if they didn't exist in the first place.

BUT they could learn and grow and love and FEAR. So they were alive. At least in my own definition.

 

[Queshire]

Seems like bit of a weak showing from Luna. Shouldn't she be stronger in god stuff than that?

 

[Vaermina]

I think it's still relevant, actually.Can you dual mantle? Because I'm pretty sure ol' Gravy's becoming the New God of Foster Dadding.

Click to shrink...

You said the word!

Why! Why would you say the word!

Seems like bit of a weak showing from Luna. Shouldn't she be stronger in god stuff than that?

Click to shrink...

Yes, but remember Zoat nerfed the character so his SI could be more awesome.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Seems like bit of a weak showing from Luna. Shouldn't she be stronger in god stuff than that?

Click to shrink...

She spent a thousand years possessed and then got blasted by the orbital friendship cannon. Then she tried to get into a psyche of a being in her own weight class who specialised in stopping that sort of thing.

 

[Shotiegun11]

Seems like bit of a weak showing from Luna. Shouldn't she be stronger in god stuff than that?

Click to shrink...

If they were in the material world, maybe. She's a thousand years out of practice though.

In Grayven's Mind/Soul though? No. He is literally his strongest there. And she's probably he weakest. There was more than one reason she was hiding instead of just blatantly snooping around.

Edit: Ninja'd in literal seconds

 

[Queshire]

Hrm. I suppose. Chalk it up to a foalish mistake, but if she went into things armed for bear then I reckon she'd have a good chance. Night has a favorable match up against Conquest.

Edit: I disagree that she'd be at her weakest in his mind.

 

[Kalem_Lee]

Huh. THought Luna was narrating the whole thing.

But that is comforting to know that the Clones weren't given true Death.

 

[Flux Casey]

Because surely you need an imaginary representation of Mother Box to move around in your own dream.

Click to shrink...

Works fine as a mnemonic device. It's how he gets about normally so it's a handy shortcut to dream teleportation.

 

[Handlewithcare]

Seems like bit of a weak showing from Luna. Shouldn't she be stronger in god stuff than that?

Click to shrink...

Maybe if she went full on confrontational. For now she is staying her hoof.

I wonder if that really is a dream Motherbox or just Motherbox being connected to his soul.

 

[TheEyes]

Maybe if she went full on confrontational. For now she is staying her hoof.

I wonder if that really is a dream Motherbox or just Motherbox being connected to his soul.

Click to shrink...

Or if he thinks it's a dream Motherbox but really because of the soul connection he and Party Popper are sleep-boom-tubing all over Equestria.

"Wait, why am I humanoid and at the foot of the Mirror? And why is there grit in my hair?"

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

I feel the mechanics of civilisation
clank and whir about me

Canterlot is a city perched upon the peak of a mountain. It has no farming and no mining. I can feel the twisting effect its location and nature are having on the supply networks of the country. Only dimly; it would be far more accurate if I had roots here rather than simply being an interloper -and if I was sovereign I would already be ordering the place torn down- but the discomfort caused by the inefficiency is palpable. Too much fuel being consumed, too many train lines in the wrong places. And the stupefying effect it's having on governance is worse, if anything. Something to bear in mind when I become ruler; make sure that there are other sources of authority. Not in the sense of division of powers necessarily, but make it so that there are government officers that can make policy decisions on their own.

Click to shrink...

Ooh, trippy... Grayven's Dreamscape is a strange and confusing place...

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

I wonder if that's what Cadence is? Why she's in charge of a single city, even though her special talent doesn't lend itself to that sort of work? Is Celestia planning on assigning alicorns to every major city, recreating the elector system of the Holy Roman Empire? I'd need to know more about how special talents work to be certain, but I don't think that's a good idea. Celestia can get by on experience, but having civil servants defer unquestioningly to someone who doesn't know what they're doing is a recipe for disaster. Putting them in charge of areas of national government relating to their specialities makes far more sense, once they've got enough government experience to actually do something useful there. In the interim, using Cadence as an ambassador and Twilight as a champion makes the most sense.

Click to shrink...

To be honest, Cadence is charge of a magical kingdom whose magic is fueled by friendship and love. She's basically sitting on the power source of said kingdom, and so closely bonded to it that her daughter came out an Alicorn from birth. That can overcome a lot of issues with experience in governing...

Where would be the best place for a capital? Ponies don't eat fish, and waterways are already decreasing in importance for the transport of goods. That means that the usual go-to of the largest coastal city isn't appropriate. If Canterlot were abandoned then mining the useful minerals from the Foal Mountains becomes far easier, and the existing railway nexus in Ponyville makes it ideal as far as that's concerned. Ponyville has lumber and agriculture, but no mining or heavy manufacturing. The land between Ponyville and Canterlot could be zoned for heavy industry, but it would have to be built up before it became the new capital.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, Canterlot just isn't well-placed for anything. I bet it was just a summer home for the Princesses, but over time, Nobles began to build their own homes around it, and then the commoners started setting up businesses... And before you know it, you have a city clinging to the side of a mountain...

I wonder if I can claim-.

The world shudders as somepony intrudes in my psyche. I should have seen this coming, really. Given what I've been up to it's only natural that she'd want to take a peek. And that knowledge is why I don't fly into a rage at the idea of someone getting inside my head, but I still need to stop her before she does something infuriating. The lower depths of my psyche will remain inviolate unless she tries brute forcing it in a way that would almost certainly wake a normal person up, so I don't think she'll risk it.

Click to shrink...

Yes, there's some imprtant stuff locked up deep down that he doesn't want anyone seeing. Like his knowledge of Pony rule 34!

I look around at the industrialised reimagining of Equestria I've instinctively created.

And I imagine that this will be at least a little curious to her; the way I think about her country and how it should be. Good job I wasn't dreaming of Apokolips again. All too often those end up as a mishmash of Apokolips and some other place, and… I don't want to see Equestokolips.

Click to shrink...

Ugh, I cannot imagine a worse place to live.

So where is the little lunar sneak?

I look up at the moon. Hm. No, nothing there. No structures, no air, no infrastructure. Some resources, but nothing that wouldn't be far easier to mine on the surface. Nowhere on Equestria has special significance to me personally, her presence is too diffuse to track my simply looking…

Click to shrink...

I don't see her enjoying anything to do with the Lunar surface. Too many bad memories of her exile.

No. She's a ruler. Her being here after a thousand years of autocracy under her sister throws so many things into disarray. I should be able to track her with that. Mother Box, boom tube to the throne room.

Ping.

Click to shrink...

Either Mother Box shares his dreams as a safety system, or he simply associates long-range transit with her so deeply, even in his dreams she's his ride.

Boom!

I float through, curious to discover that my dream-body is still a pony. An equine anyway; I'm sure that I'm big enough to count as a horse. I'm not sure if horses are a thing here…

Ah.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, other kingdoms of Equines raise so many questions...

The throne room is decorated in Apokoliptian style. Not the neo-brutalist style of the throne's current occupant, but in the techno-medieval style of Queen Heggra. Though.. not an exact replica. It's not in her colours, and some of the stylistic flourishes are different.

I smile as I realise that I unconsciously redesigned it for Sunset.

Click to shrink...

Ha! He really does care.

Well, she is my investment in this world, isn't she? And all this 'alicorn=princess' business… No, focus. I can feel the pressure on the bureaucracy that comes from having a new and unpredictable master to serve. I can feel it come from the halls of government, but where does it go?

That way. Hm, naturally. Mother Box.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I don't think Sunset would be a good ruler. Too mercurial, being a teenager, and probably not interested in temporal power, just the magical science of it all. Despite her Equestria Girls incarnation... This Sunset Shimmer is too different.

I walk through the tube and out into the cave containing the Tree of Harmony. The tree itself… Smaller than I thought it would be , but I suppose that it's just a representation. The shadows ripple slightly as the tube closes…

Click to shrink...

And the tree falls over, revealing it to be a cardboard cut-out hiding Luna.

"My soul. My place of power. The place where my godhood shines most brightly."

The walls around me flare with light, denying Luna any shadows to hide in. She's ejected, tumbling forth to sprawl at my hooves!

"Did you think you could hide from me here? I'm genuinely curious."

Click to shrink...

"Also, just barging in without asking? I don't know how things are done around here, but that's just rude."

She comes to her hooves, glaring at me.

"We felt-." She cuts herself off, looking concerned.

"You're cut off from magic until I chose to allow it. I've gotten very good at controlling intruders. What do you want?"

Click to shrink...

That telepathic defence training coming in handy in an unusual way.

"We were hoping to learn more of your character. Who you are when you are not presenting a front. We see that we will not be able to, so we will simply ask."

I nod sarcastically. "It can save time."

Click to shrink...

To be honest, could you trust him to not lie? Even here?

"What have you done with the-? With 'Party Popper'?"

"Assuming I haven't moved in my sleep, she's lying next to me. I've got experience in comforting children, and apparently having someone big and nurturing next to her triggered her foal instincts." I narrow my eyes. "Naturally I will kill anyone who tries to hurt her."

Click to shrink...

Grayven, still being best foster-dad. Even to relative strangers.

"None will. Once Twilight Sparkle concluded her screaming and Pinkie Pie informed us of the cause, we began making arrangements for Party Popper to become a citizen of Equestria in her own right."

Click to shrink...

Good to hear Twilight isn't completely broken. I hope she learned a lesson about taking a moment to think about the consequences next time.

"And the ones Twilight killed?"

"Despite what you thought that you knew, they truly were returned to the mirror pool."

Oh. Huh.

Click to shrink...

Well, he can't bat a thousand every time.

She studies my face, perhaps trying to see whether or not my deceit was deliberate or the result of ignorance. Guess I misremembered that episode. "Thou truly dids't not know?"

"I knew that Twilight shot them and they went 'poof'. That was it." Hm. "What happens to them now?"

"They will be granted physical forms once more once we have prepared to receive them."

Click to shrink...

That's possible? Wow.

Okay, yes, good, but the important part…

"And am I getting shot with the Elements anytime soon?"

Click to shrink...

It's going to take the seal on the Anti-life fragment getting loose to provoke them, isn't it?

She looks around the still-blinding white chamber. "We were hoping to see some sign of your curse. If you are truly in need, We will see what can be done."

Hmmm…

"Alright. It should be safe enough to let you look at the thing. Don't touch it, don't touch the cage it's in. Am I clear?"

Click to shrink...

"I was not kidding about the severity of it's effects. Do not taunt the unhappy pain ball."

Her eyes narrow. "We are a Princess of Equestria. We do not need-."

"You BROKE INTO MY BRAIN. You are a SNEAK THIEF. You will follow my instructions because I know what I'm talking about."

Click to shrink...

Yeah, she's in for a shock. This is not some cute little magical beastie...

She lifts her head up. "Very well. Show Us this curse."

I maintain eye contact for a moment, then allow the lights to dim.

Mother Box. Boom tube to Starswirl's Mirror.

Click to shrink...

Makes as good a symbolic portal as any.

I lead the way through, trotting into the palace corridor, through the mirror -our forms don't change, perhaps because we're not literally going through it- and into Sunset's laboratory. Luna glances around curiously as we head out into the corridor, and then into a lift that doesn't exist in reality.

"Going all the way down."

Click to shrink...

Phrasing! And this will be sure to be fascinating for Luna. She's technically seeing an alien world...

Corrections:

...to track my simply looking…

Click to shrink...

...to track by simply looking…

 

[Queshire]

So are all the duplicates returned to the pool still Pinkies, or would they be able to reformat themselves off of other ponies?

 

[Doccer]

It's not, the X-Gene is just a rounding error from celestial experiments on the real prize baseline humanity.

Click to shrink...

??? Explain?

 

[Queshire]

Ooh, trippy... Grayven's Dreamscape is a strange and confusing place...

Click to shrink...

It's so trippy that it has a different font!

 

[Ace Dreamer]

As I understand it, the FAQ makes clear that 'mantle' is not a concept which works well when describing Grayven. I recall reading Zelazny's 'Lord of Light, a science fiction novel where some of the characters have become (semi-)immortal gods. One makes a comment about the difference between the 'aspect' of a god, and the 'attributes', and how the second becomes stronger by taking on the first, effectively the 'role' of a particular god.

Seeing as the novel came out in 1967 I wondered if Kirby used ideas like that in New Gods...

 

[Sockmonkey]

I think the idea is mass-production. While one person enhanced by the serum is low-powered (among supers, anyway), fielding squads of soldiers with superhuman physique would be a game-changer as far as warfare goes.

It's what the original plan for the serum was, after all; give the USA (an possibly it's allies) troops that are significantly stronger, faster, and tougher then the Axis'.

Edit: Also, I agree; the 'Iron-Man' option would probably be a better way to go.

Click to shrink...

This right here. Most advances don't change things much until they can be mass-produced.
The Iron Man armor is great, but it requires a crapload of specialized gear to make and maintain. Tony has the funds, skills, and an AI to do it, but it's not practical for widespread use. A lot of super-tech is like that. Think of the goblin glider. It can likely only carry fuel for about thirty minutes of flight time at the most, but Osborn had hideouts all over the city stocked with supplies for it along with his pumpkin bombs and stuff.

 

[Doccer]

Why exactly won't they do it with out sufficient need? What is their worst fear of hitting him with the harmony rainbow with out him needing it?

 

[Queshire]

Why exactly won't they do it with out sufficient need? What is their worst fear of hitting him with the harmony rainbow with out him needing it?

Click to shrink...

They're ponies. They're nice. Not shooting people with your super weapon unless necessary is part of that.