Genres may outwardly seem to differ, but the source is always the sky, like rain from On High, and the water courses through the Earthly plane, until it again reaches for the sky, from whence it came. - Richard Stiles, creator of The Retaliators®.
Male
44 years old
COPPERHILL, Tennessee
United States
Def Leppard, Evanescence, Green Day, Guster, Keane, Alanis Morissette, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance, Rush, Moody Blues, E.L.O., R.E.M., KISS, Beatles, Rolling Stones.
Movies
The Retaliators™!
(Note: As I continue to make progress on the Retaliators graphic novels, these t-poses will gradually be replaced with panel art.) Two capes, which one he wears depends upon which one it is his mood to flaunt. One represents his power, the other represents his glory. He commands kings, emperors, presidents and generals to kneel before him. And, they humbly do. He is accountable to no one, no one can make him answer for anything he does. His ways are dark and brutal. He thinks of himself as benevolent, but the legends that have portrayed him as otherwise are not entirely without basis. If he says he’s on our side, go along with it, it’s preferable to the alternative. In my imaginary universe, the S.P.I.’s don’t answer to the Establishment, it’s the other way around. And, it’s a better world because of it. Most of the other companies have had some scenario where the Establishment sought to register and regulate S.P.I.’s. In my world, something similar was on the verge of coming about. Then, my mythical legend Retaliator came on the scene and declared “You will not!” So... they will not. Yeah, it’s like that. What about the bad guys? Leave that to the good guys, that’s what they’re here for. To make this as realistic as possible, I imagined our own world, then I imagined our world with Super Powered Individuals. Would such beings be outcasts, freaks, in our world? Hardly. Try demi-gods. Then an actual god comes to lead them. Not only would the S.P.I.’s not be fucked with by the governments, they would actually be in a position to tell the governments who to and who not to fuck with. “Who will save us?” is a no-brainer. A question that would never even need to be asked. How would all the militaries in the world deal with an invasion by an advanced alien race? Hope the germs will get them or maybe upload a computer virus? Ha! What if the aliens have advanced immunities or ultra-secure computer systems? My mythical legend Retaliator destroyed their flagship, single-handedly! They had a force field, but it wasn’t designed to withstand a mace the size of a small moon, swung with power immeasurable. Like my #2 Retaliator, he is not size-limited. In fact, my #2 Retaliator is size-limited compared to him. He is not watered down for this, he is what he was. The alien admiral from one of the surviving ships asked him “Are all Terrans like you?” And he replied, “No. Even the other gods are not like me. But even if there were a million like me, the others would only need to stand back and watch me destroy your entire fleet. You made a fool’s choice. Get the fuck out of our space.” And, they do. Years later, they’ll come back with their own god. Wouldn’t’ve figured they’d’ve had one, but they sure as hell did. That’s a whole ‘nother story. I’ll just say the S.P.I.’s will get a chance to show their stuff, and that’s all I’ll say about that. (I have to be careful about balancing my teases. Have to leave enough out so there’s still reason to buy the books, plus, I’m being spied on, by people who are in a position to beat me to press, and/or production, so when they fill in the blanks with their own limited imaginations, it will come out ridiculous, and the good version will still be mine.) How would the human militaries deal with the insane time traveler’s attempts to unravel the timeline? The only place they could even begin to deal with that is just to bend over and kiss their asses goodbye! In the Retaliators’ world, the S.P.I.’s get their due respect. Realistically, if there were Superior beings in our world, Homo-Sapien-kind would be like the pet in a pet-master relationship, standing close to its master, trembling at the sound of lightning, or other things it doesn’t understand. Think about it. Am I not right? Hell, we're almost like that now, with celebrities. How would we be with superheroes, if they were real, and among us? I'd say I nailed it with my analogy, that's what I think. The representation of them by the greatest of the ancient gods would be the cincher. There are no elections for the position of Chairman of The Retaliators. He is the uncontested leader. Of course he is! Who could lead him and who would he follow? There is a hierarchy for the job of Acting Chairman, when he’s not around.
(“S” can rotate the planet. That’s as powerful as a guy can get, right? Nope. If “S” and my guy fought, they’d have to take it off the planet, to keep from destroying it. My guy is both irresistible force and immovable object, on solid ground and in space. Any part of space, any planet, with any kind of sun, or no sun at all. The bonus powers (heat ray, etc) are no comparison whatsoever. My guy has the same godly powers he had in the mythologies, he’s not watered down for this in the least. In the Star Trek mythologies, he is the father of both the Vulcan and Romulan races. I’m not part of that, so I don’t play on it, but I don’t deviate from it either. It is so that it could also be that way in this. The gods are only vulnerable to the power of other gods, and he is the greatest of them, third only to his father and mother. According to my own mythology which I created for this, my own fantasy universe, the S.P.I.’s are mixed breed descendants of the gods, born with a latent potential for power, which is triggered by whatever is the catalyst of their origin, which by my rationale would include “S”, even though he belongs to a different company. As such, his power can affect even one of the gods. But, even though some equate them as gods themselves, S.P.I.’s are not true gods, and would not stand a chance against a full blooded one. My mythical legend Retaliator's power is that of the source from which all lesser beings derive their powers. In space, both of them at full power, no one weakened by green rocks or anything like that, my guy makes “S” his bitch, makes him put on a pretty dress, then ass rapes him.)
- Note: The preceding is a completely hypothetical scenario, that will never actually happen. Reason #1; they are both on the same side, and probably wouldn’t fight. Reason #2; there is a stipulation in the Retaliators Charter forbidding ass rape of conquered foes. Because of this guy, yes, it was actually necessary to put that in there. He’s not gay, he just has strange customs. Centaurs owe their existence to him doing it with a horse, if that gives you any idea. “Horses, humans, what’s the difference?” Like I said, totally different frames of reference, for him. Reason #3; the owners of “S” would never permit “S” to fight a character from another company that outmatches him to the same degree that he outmatches common superheroes. To put that in perspective; power-wise, he is to #2’s “S” what #2’s “S” is to the current #1’s “S-M”. He might've been kidding about the ass rape, but he did bring it up, and it was unanimously vetoed. He wasn't kidding about the Centaurs.
(“#2, current #1”; my position on positions and positioning: It is my intention to be #1. I don’t have a problem with #2 staying #2, I’d even be willing to be #2 to them. #2 was #1 in the 40's and 50's, and they didn't suck at it, they were great. It is my life’s mission, top priority, to see the current #1 out of the top 4, preferably out of business altogether. I have my reasons... The public will not lose anything from this, in fact, they will gain. Nothing will be lost, that won't be replaced with something better. The free ride of coasting on former glory ends in the valley. Change is inevitable. I predict that #2 will enjoy a brief, long overdue and much deserved return to the #1 spot, during this changing of the guard process, but they won't be able to maintain it, against me. I will be a benevolent #1. The only thing #2 has done to me, at this point, has been to take the current #1's side against me on the Captain Superhero trademark dispute issue. I can forgive #2 for playing such a minor role in the current #1's evil plots against me, but I will not forget. I will be watching them with narrowed eyes.)
It wasn’t my idea for his costume to be his civilian clothes with a Robin mask, it was his. Y’see, I develop the characters in my head, then let them pick their own costumes. He’s a no nonsense guy, he takes off his lab coat, puts on his little black mask, and that’s it, he’s ready to go bust some heads. After he gets the girl, she takes him to the superhero costume shop, gets him a form-fitting “clown suit”, as he calls it, but after he’s established himself enough with her to wear what he wants, he’ll go back to this. The purpose of a superhero costume is to make a statement that you are a super powered individual. Well, who needs to make such a statement, when the ability to do this pretty much leaves nothing left to be said?
She was powered when she met the Retaliators, including the one she’ll end up with. She met him when she met the others, at the incident that brought them together as a team.
I’m not promoting smoking, and neither is he. These are not the Marlboro Retaliators. But, on this team, in fact in this entire imaginary world, the ratio of smokers and non-smokers is about the same as it is in the real world. That’s the point. What good is a fantasy, if it’s not realistic? After a grueling super-brawl, some of them light up. Or whenever. And not just cigars, though that is more glamorous, and therefore more acceptable by Hollywood standards. This ain’t about glamour or what is or isn’t acceptable, it’s about making it count, by making it real. The eagle is a tribute to his childhood hero, Captain Superhero. And, he’s entitled, because his father actually designed Captain Superhero’s armor.
I’m not Kenyan or African or even black. So, left to my own resources, I’d certainly get this wrong. I’m researching Kenya, and consulting with as many real Kenyans as I can get to help me. (Special thanks to YouTube user kenyandamu.) Left to my own resources, I would try my best to get him right, but that’s not good enough. I don’t just want him to be my interpretation of what I think he should be, I want him to be what Kenyans think he should be. This may all be a fantasy, but that’s no reason for me to go about it half-assed. I want this fantasy to be, down to the last detail, exactly what it would be, if in some alternate reality it were real. He’s not a super-sprinter, per-se, although with his super power he could outrun anyone in our world. I mainly put him in running shoes just to break the superheroes wear boots rule. I’ll be shattering a lot of the tired old formulas. Really, what would you rather wear in a fight, some lightweight shoes with traction, or some heavy slippery boots? Big gun, big bullets. It’s called the Decapitator, because blowing off heads is not a figure of speech, with this gun. It's not his primary weapon, it's his last resort weapon. Because, in matters of defending one's country, and even their planet, on occasion, sometimes you just gotta damn shoot somebody. These aren't the superheroes for the mindless booger-eating bed-wetters, these are the superheroes for us grown-up kids.
He’s not an alien, he’s a sea dweller. This is just as much his planet as it is ours, and the Retaliators are all about defending the Earth. His race isn’t super powered, they can’t even survive out of the pressurized depths, much less on land. His power comes from this magic pendant. With it, he can fly, has super strength and durability, and that’s just for starters. It enables him to do pretty much anything he sets his mind to. Including live past his natural lifespan. In his 150+ years, some have correctly guessed the source of his power. A few were friends, a few were enemies that would love to take that pendant from him. Easier said than done.
He has a mental power, similar to telekinesis. Not just over objects, but also his own body. He can use mind over matter to make himself as strong and tough as his willpower allows. Before he was powered, he was already one of the coolest most popular guys in school. Actually, something happened after he was powered that made him not so cool and popular anymore... He’s here to show that a character doesn’t have to be a lovable loser to be relatable and human.
He was dumb as a brick and could uproot a medium sized tree, before he was transformed. He’s still dumb, but now he can shatter a large tree into splinters with one punch. He has only one skill, the insult, and he is a master of the craft. Because of his simpleness, he grew up being the brunt of many insults. So, his foulmouthed and sharp witted grandmother taught him the art of the verbal joust. We’ll be having loads of fun with his insults. The funny thing about it is, he’s big enough to back it up. Usually. There’re one or three Retaliators he can’t whup, the two above him would be at a very slight disadvantage in a physical fight, but because of their bonus mental powers, they'd win eventually, and he has no chance whatsoever against the one up top. No one does. That doesn’t stop him from running his mouth, though. It’s even more funny when he can’t back it up, because that shows how dumb he is.
(No physical being in any fiction or mythology can beat my top guy. That's why I picked him. "T" of the current #1 and "S" of #2, working together, can't beat him, without coming up with a helluva trick, or the assistance of some higher power, and there are very few higher powers than him. His father and mother are two such higher powers, and they're on his side. So, if you did somehow manage to beat him, you'd then have to beat them. Good luck! To other writers, working for other companies, a "beats all" character is a dead end, unless you give him a vulnerabilty. Good. I got this niche all to myself. It's easy for me to write for a character that can't be beat, all I hafta do is think of me. Heh, heh... )
The origin story is centered around the Retaliator pictured just above this text. The live-action trilogy is centered around the divergence of the guy below. The Powers That Be take a great interest in this particular divergence, because it provides an intense analogy of good versus evil, in what was once the same man.
"He is me as I am he, but we are not the same." - Master Of Time.
"It cannot be... This never happened!" - Doom's Dawn.
"No matter how far we diverge, there but for the Grace of God goeth I." - The Gemini Wars.
Television
I like Law and Order. The old Battlestar Galactica, not the new one. All Star Trek; old, new and in-between. Twilight Zone. Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
Books
Descent Into Hell #1: "High School Ghoul"
Heroes
Too many whispery conversations. I get bored and go back to work on the Retaliators. In that, you get kicking, hitting, biting, scratching, blasting, yelling, screaming, cussing. It has conversations, but they are profound, and spoken with conviction. And, usually are about some all hell chaos that broke loose, or will, and why. What they do for the season finale, I do between conversations. In the third season, you'd think they'd be past the "Ooo, neat, I've got power!" fascination, and get to damn doin' somethin'. Gather them punk ass bitches up, put 'em on a star cruiser and send 'em out to fight the Alpha-Centauri's, or some shit!
When I started this, I’d expected to be met with skepticism; people who don’t believe in me, and what I’m doing. To those who don’t know, the answer to who I am is; I’m someone who tried to raise the level of standards within the industry, and not only got rebuffed, but robbed, by the currently exalted icons of that industry. The answer to what I’m doing is; I’m raising the level of standards OUTSIDE the industry, and the industry be damned, by me and my unmatchable standards. Far better would it have been for them, to have had me with them, than against them, but they chose this path, and thus have brought about their own demise. So be it. In the past year or so that I’ve been fighting my former heroes, I’ve not had one single person, here or on YouTube, to tell me I’m wrong. A few initial skeptics, only on YouTube, there's more of that there than here, but once they see how right I am, they all, without exception, convert to my righteous cause. In fact, I’ve had many more people tell me at their first introduction to me that they support me, and that I’m totally right. There is really no room for conjecture, in this case, because there is a level of right that is indisputably right, and a level of wrong that is indisputably wrong. There was a time when I myself would’ve stood with the corporation, against any who would oppose them. But, times change, and along with changing times, there naturally comes time for change. To all those who have supported me, and are awaiting The Retaliators with great anticipation, I assure you, you will not be disappointed. The Retaliators will change everything. The standards for quality will be raised, and all the others will be forced to follow suit, or fall by the wayside.
Retaliators #1 “The Origin Of The Retaliators”
Synopsis:
Chapter 1: “Sins Of The Gods” begins with the ancient god Vulcan, in his workshop lair, in the god realm equivalent of 1982 (modern day, by the Retaliators perspective, as this story is set in 1982), lamenting the past, and how he has been wronged by the gods, held back from his full potential, mainly by his father, who, in Vulcan’s opinion, wrongfully chose Mars for the prestigious role of “god of war”. More than he was betrayed by his father, he was betrayed by his wife, who forsook him for his brother, Mars, now the god of war. Naturally, he considers his greatest transgressor of all to be his brother, Mars, who permanently maimed him, thus not only preventing him from attaining his full potential, but causing him to be even less than he formerly had been. Vulcan relives the memory of the fight, which happened thousands of years ago, between himself and Mars, after he had caught Mars and Venus sleeping together. Mars is abruptly awakened by the hands of his brother, jerking him up out of the bed, and throwing him naked into the far wall, breaking chunks of rubble out of the white marble wall. Mars gets up, and conjures his battle armor, sword and shield. Vulcan shakes his head, disapprovingly. Mars doesn’t yet have the power to materialize things that don’t exist, only to transport things that do. Vulcan is the armourer. He created the armor, sword and shield. Vulcan: “You would fight me, with my own creations?” Mars: “No.” Mars vanishes the armor, sword and shield away, and is only wearing his pants, belt and boots, which apparently weren’t created by Vulcan. Mars: “You would fight me, unarmed?” Vulcan: “You are free to choose anything in this room as a weapon, as I do see that my wife‘s private chambers are conspicuously devoid of anything which my hand has touched. With the exception of her body, of course, which was touched by me in every place, before it was ever touched by you, brother.” Venus: “That’s what the bath is for.” Vulcan: “Bitch, whore! Vanish from my sight, or die!” Vulcan conjures a spear, and throws it at her, but she disappears, before it reaches her. He turns his attention back to Mars. Vulcan: “Choose a weapon!” Venus’ room is not exactly an armory. Mars takes a tiara from a dressing table, breaks it, and collects four very large diamonds from the debris. He then removes his belt, wraps it around his right hand, with the buckle on top of his knuckles. He presses each of the four diamonds into the bottom of the metal buckle, until the pointed ends protrude from the top. He then fastens the clasp of the buckle onto the leather strap, so the makeshift weapon will stay in place. Vulcan: “That’s it? You intend to pit that against all my power, and all my arsenal?” Mars: “I am the god of war. What more would I need?” Vulcan: “You need to be shown otherwise, I’d say!” During the course of the fight, it is shown that Mars was correctly selected for his position and title, but being a stubborn god, Vulcan would never concede to that point. At this point, Vulcan would prefer to believe that Mars must’ve had his strength and skills enhanced by Jupiter, but it will be revealed later that that was not the case. Vulcan, swinging his axe, only managed to cause one scar, on the edge of the right side of Mars’ jaw, which might explain the Amish beard we see him wearing in modern times, and the full beard he wore in Roman times. (This fight occurs at a point when the Roman Empire was relatively new.) Vulcan, on the other hand, has received many facial contusions, and a badly broken nose, from the diamond-studded belt buckle. His face and beard are drenched with his own blood. His helmet is off his head, and too mangled to put back on. Mars gets around to the back of the weakened Vulcan, as Vulcan is trying to sit up from being sprawled out upon the floor. Mars wraps his powerful right arm around Vulcan’s neck, and proceeds to choke him. Mars: “Concede defeat, brother. I don’t want to kill you. Don’t force me to.” Vulcan: “You fool. I don’t care if I die, if I can take you with me. I am the master of fire. It serves me, and would not harm me. But a fire, powerful enough to destroy even me, its master, would surely destroy you.” Vulcan lights his entire body with a flame so white hot, even the sun would be humbled. It also engulfs Mars. Both gods scream. Mars breaks away, and dives into Venus’ spa, the aforementioned “bath”. When he emerges, he is smoking, and his hair is shortened to half its previous length. Vulcan is walking toward him, with an insane smile. His hair and beard are still afire, and it appears that he has hair and a beard made of flames. Vulcan: “What? It’s just a little fire. I live for it, and it lives for me. But look at you. You look, dare I say, nervous. Is it possible that the god of war is afraid?” Mars: “Never!” Mars leaps out of the spa, and into his brother, and commences fist beating him on the floor, again. By now, the flames have died out, and Vulcan is completely bald, no hair, no beard, no eyebrows, no eyelashes. Vulcan gestures with his hands, which begin to turn red, and Mars gets off of him, avoiding the plume of lava, just before it would’ve hit him square in the chest. Vulcan laughs, while getting to his feet. Vulcan: “Fear me, god of war! I have the power! I am your master! FEAR ME!!!” Venus returns to the scene, to address Mars about her concerns over the situation. Venus: “You must destroy him. He will never allow us to be together.” Vulcan: “I give you to him, freely! I wouldn’t have you, if you were the only goddess in all the heavens! I only seek vindication. I want my REVENGE!!!” Venus readdresses Mars. Venus: “If that is the case, then you still must destroy him. Or, he will not rest until he has destroyed you.” Mars: “He is my brother. No matter what our differences may be...” Mars turns to Vulcan, removes the studded strap from his hand, and discards it. He then extends his hand to him. Mars: “We are brothers.” Vulcan: “I... am... your...” Vulcan conjures a large club, held in his hands like a baseball bat, and swats Mars through the ceiling of the palace. Vulcan: “...DOOM!!!” Above the palace, Mars’ momentum stops, and instead of falling, he hovers in place. He conjures giant eagle wings on his back, and they outstretch. (Part of Mars’ born power is the ability to assume animal forms, in whole or in part, he prefers eagles and wolves.) He raises both fists, his left up to shoulder level, the right one level with the top of his head. He strikes a mighty warrior’s pose. He turns and descends toward the hole he made in the roof of the palace, using his mighty eagle wings to build up speed. He dives into Vulcan, and embeds him ten inches into the marble tile of the floor. The wings vanish, and the studded strap reappears on his right fist, which is pointed at Vulcan’s grimacing face. Vulcan writhes in agony, inside the shallow crater. Vulcan: “Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh! You’ve disjointed my back!” Mars: “Concede, brother. Let this end with both of us still alive.” Vulcan: “I... I... am defeated. I can fight, no more. Help me. Help me out of this hole, and tend to my injuries, please. I don’t want to be crippled.” Mars vanishes his weapon, and helps his brother sit partially upright. Vulcan has his right hand on the floor, for support. Vulcan: “Oh, my back! Don’t pull me up, just let me pull up on you.” Vulcan gets his right leg tucked under himself, and can now kneel on his right knee, with his left leg stretched out in front of himself. With his torso turned to his right, his left leg is actually out to his left, from his perspective. His left hand is still in Mars’ hands, and Vulcan conjures a knife in that hand, and starts slashing at Mars’ hands, then at his stomach. Mars stomps hard on Vulcan’s left knee, and Vulcan’s left leg bones shatter from the hip to the ankle, leaving the leg with nothing inside to give it structure. Vulcan: “Aaaaaaahhh!” Venus: “It is as I told you. He will force you to destroy him. Get it over with, before he suffers any more, or he succeeds in destroying you.” Mars: “I will not.” He turns back toward his much suffering brother, and bare-fists him on top of his head, knocking him out. Then, he turns back to Venus, to finish their conversation. Mars: “With Jupiter's help, I will take him captive. In his captivity, I will strive to reason him out of this madness which has consumed him. He will see me again as his brother. Or, spend eternity in captivity. But, I will not kill him.” Venus nods acceptance of that alternative, and approaches Mars, but he rebuffs her advance. Mars: “Stop. I will not hold you again, until I have decided if you planned this.” Venus: “I only planned to be with you, my love. Did I foresee this? Of course, I did. Did you not know this day would come?” Mars: “I didn’t foresee it, no. Though it would seem obvious that I should’ve. Perhaps, I’m not thinking clearly. Perhaps, my mind has been clouded. By you?” Vulcan is in the background, stirring awake. Venus is facing his direction, but she may or may not be too distracted by the conversation, to notice. Venus: “Are you accusing me of enchanting you? Are you saying you wouldn’t love me, otherwise?” Mars: “I... I don’t know...” Vulcan is sitting on his right leg, his left leg still as formless as a worm. He puts his hands in the position of pulling a bow that isn’t yet there. First, a flame appears, in front of his left hand. Vulcan is in excruciating pain, and is struggling to concentrate, and not make any sound, to alert his intended victim. When the bow and arrow appear, the flame is on the arrowhead. He’s aiming for the center of Mars’ back, but he’s unsteady. He launches the arrow, and it embeds in the back of Mars’ left tricep, still aflame. Mars turns, and in a speed faster than the eye can follow, he dives at his brother with a right jab, studded strap included, which wasn’t there before, and he drives his fist so hard into Vulcan’s jaw, that the entire jaw is cleaved right off the head. Vulcan has such terror in his eyes, but he cannot speak it, his tongue is hanging straight down, a grotesque sight, resembling not man nor god, but some unearthly, inhuman, ungodly creature. Vulcan: “...wwwwghkghkghkghkghk...” He disappears. Mars also has terror in his eyes. With his brother’s disappearance, he’d have himself believe this didn’t happen, but for the evidence left behind. He picks up the severed jaw, which so resembles his own. It’s broken in the middle, and the unsupported side dangles and swings like a pendulum. Then, it turns to rotten dust and dissipates in the air. (Even when the gods were this young, they were already ancient. Any part of their body which becomes separated from the immortal whole reverts to its natural state, which is way past the point of decay. Pierce their heart, and they will heal. Remove a piece of their body, and it’s just gone. Also, it’s important to note that only the gods can harm other gods. Mars can swim in the lava of an active volcano, and not be harmed. But, Vulcan’s fire burns him. You can shoot him with a nuke, and he won’t get a scratch. But, Vulcan’s weapons penetrate him. It’s because of a rule made up eons ago, by Saturn, that the gods are to be impervious to all, except one another. It’s not the weapon itself, but the hand that wields it. Vulcan’s weapons in the hands of a mortal are just as harmless to Mars as manmade weapons, unless it's a special weapon, enchanted to retain certain qualities, even in the hands of a mortal, and then there'd probably be some ritual involved, to unlock the power. Inert weapons of the gods usually wouldn't fall into the hands of mortals, anyway. There will be a certain villain, about the time of the second roster, 3 years after the origin story, whose own power will be enchanted by Vulcan to affect Mars. But even then, that power will be less effective on Mars than on humans. It disintegrates humans, and even most S.P.I.'s, but only stuns Mars, and gives him first degree burns. Of the S.P.I.'s who are not disintegrated by that power, all are affected worse than Mars. Some are injured and/or sickened and die later, some are injured and/or sickened, and recover. The S.P.I.'s are the median between humanity and the gods. The greatest of the S.P.I.'s is less than the least of the gods, and the least of the S.P.I.'s is greater than the greatest of the humans.) After this scene, we’ll switch back to Vulcan's house. He is undressed down to his skivvies, and has his back brace and leg brace removed. He has a metal exo-spine grafted and bolted onto his back. He is seated in a chair, and has his mangled unusable left leg propped up on a chopping block. He has a large axe rigged so that when he pulls a chain, it will come down and amputate his left leg. He screams so widely from the pain, that it causes stress in the weld between the flesh of his face and his metal jaw, and some blood leaks from the seam. The severed leg rots and dissipates, but he uses his power to gather the dispersed energy, and transforms it into a living flame. He causes a prefabricated robotic leg to levitate in front of him, and he merges the living flame with it. The leg glows from the flame, and transparent windows in the leg show the flame moving around in there. He gestures the leg closer to him, and places the hollow part at the top over his stump. Fire erupts from the seam, as the metal leg is grafted onto him. He stands up, and savors a sense of totality, which he hasn’t felt in millennia. He then assembles his new "revenge" armor, which is basically a variation of his old armor, with a bunch of extra gear and spikes added onto it, a new demonic looking full-face helmet, and that robotic left leg. He wraps himself in a blanket of fire, and the narrative, which is spoken in third person, but from his perspective, vows for him his revenge. Chapter 2: "Innocent Blood" takes us to Jupiter's house. Vulcan will use his power of metal on Juno's throne, to entrap his mother, so she can't interfere with his confrontation with his father. (This is an homage to an ancient mythology, which told that Vulcan made a gift of a throne, to give to his mother, but it was enchanted by his metal power, and entrapped her. When she got free, she tossed him out of the heavens, and he landed hard on Earth, shattering both of his legs. In my version of the story, that couldn't have happened, because all of the gods have the power of flight, and I found it much more interesting to make Mars the one who crippled Vulcan, during that first fight, in Chapter 1.) Vulcan at first accuses Jupiter of giving Mars the power that was used to maim him, which would make Jupiter indirectly responsible. Jupiter explains: “There is born power, and there is given power. After you refused to make Mars’ weapons, I gave him the power to materialize anything at will. It is an awesome power, greater than any power belonging to any of the gods, except for your mother and myself. Greater even than your fire power. But, at the time of your fight, Mars didn’t yet have that power. His only given power at that time, was an efficacy to grow fruits and vegetables. Unless he found a way to assure victory, by the use of produce, he defeated you, not with my power, but his own. Even against your fire power, he prevailed. Realization of that should be explanation enough of why he was the obvious choice for his appointment. He was born to be the god of war.” Vulcan: “I see. You don’t owe me what I thought you owed me. But, you do owe me. I was ever as much your son as he. As much as you’ve done for him, you could’ve done more for me than you have.” Vulcan puts his hand on his father’s face, and burns an etching of his pincer symbol onto Jupiter’s left cheek. Vulcan then leaves, to confront Mars. Juno releases herself from the chair, with an ease that would imply that she could’ve done so, earlier. She goes to Jupiter, and touches the branded symbol, on his face. Jupiter: “I’m glad he gave me this. I need to remember my son, and his pain. Particularly, the pain which was wrought by me, though never did I intend it. Even the father of the gods can grow wise enough to see how unwise he has been.” Juno: “You may indeed need a remembrance of him, if our son insists on constructing his own demise. Does your wisdom proffer you insight to prevent it?” Jupiter shakes his head. Jupiter: “To attempt to deny Vulcan his revenge would only make him worse.” After the confrontation with his father, Vulcan will confront Mars, in Mars' own house. Mars tries to avoid the fight, but Vulcan insists. Vulcan is holding his own in this fight, better than he did in the first fight, even though Mars’ given power, the power to materialize anything, provides a perfect defense against anything Vulcan can throw at him. Vulcan is more aggressive, angry, and is not only attacking physically, but with his fire power. In fact, throughout the fight, he’s not only throwing flames and lava, but he’s fully lit, making him hard to handle. The spikes all over his armor also serve in that capacity, like a porcupine’s quills. He also has spikes on his gauntlets, probably for the purpose of inflicting injuries on Mars similar to his own. Mars can’t even fight him in his usual armor, he has to create a full body armor, just to be able to handle an opponent who is fully lit. Mars is the one on the defensive, this time. Fire and metal are Vulcan’s born powers, and he hasn’t had them enhanced by Jupiter. He enhanced them himself, by spending 3000 years in a meditative process of self-development, self-enhancement. (The source he tapped into as a result of that meditative process may have been his own dark half, which would mean he was enhanced by the dark gods, which would give him rank in the dark realm. Rank enough to command the demon hordes, if he so wishes. If such a thing comes about and you see it, be assured it's not a retcon. I started writing this stuff in 2004. By the time it gets to you, it's already fully formed in my mind, and in my text documents, and registered with the WGAE. J.R.R. Tolkien retconned his Hobbit tetralogy after the first printing. Thanks to my blessing-in-disguise setbacks, all my revisions are already out of the way. Oh, and the Retaliators series is my LOTR, definitely. One writer = 1 vision. True literary integrity does not permit greedily milking characters for every dime they're worth, to the point that we see them similar ages in different eras, lest we should have to endure the Wild West adventures of Hamlet, for cryin' out loud. I even chose to age the gods 5 years per millennium. The humans age at the same rate we do, and the S.P.I.’s, varying degrees between.) If not for Mars’ given power of materialization, he’d have no defense against this fiery, molten onslaught. This is no common brawl. It’s like the final boss of a video game versus the final boss of another video game. As before, Venus is watching the fight. She seems to be impressed by this new and improved Vulcan. Mars notices that. While he’s thus distracted, he appears to be hit and vaporized, by a lava blast. Venus: “You... destroyed Mars?! I would not have thought it possible. It stands to reason that you would now inherit his title. And, his woman. I am yours again, my love.” Vulcan removes his helmet, revealing his face as grotesque as it was, and will ever be. Vulcan: “The title, I accept. You, I do not. In spite of all your beauty, and my lack thereof, you repulse me. You are the most innately vile woman I have ever known.” Venus gets close to him, intent to seduce him. Venus: “I don’t care about your appearance. Only your greatness matters to me. You are a masterful god. Worthy of my great beauty, and all the pleasures I have to offer one so great as you.” Vulcan gets angry. Vulcan: “Any so great as I will do, for you, is that right? Do you not mourn for Mars? Do you have no feelings for one who was for so long your mate?” Venus: “You would pretend to be so righteous that you could accuse me so? I’m not the one who killed him!” Vulcan: “You played your part in it!” He clamps his left hand around her neck, and draws back his right fist, as if he will punch her with those spikes. Venus: “Aaaagh!” She flickers a bit, as if she’s trying to vanish. His hand around her neck also flickers, denoting that her will to depart the scene is being overridden by his greater will for her to remain. Vulcan: “I will disfigure you, so that you will no longer have the power to come between brothers!” Mars appears, in his regular armor, knocks Vulcan away, and entraps Vulcan in a transparent casing. A hard punch with a spiked glove makes only a tiny chip in the casing. He cannot easily break free of it, but he will, in time. (The vanishing is a matter to energy, and energy back to matter transference. The adequacy of the trap will be demonstrated in the comic and the animation as a fade of Vulcan’s form to a wispy vapor, then a return to solid form. There’s no getting past the transparency, till it’s cracked. It was intentionally made to be too molecularly dense to transport out of. Air supply is not a factor. These gods travel through space, without a vessel.) Vulcan: “Deceiver. You vanished inside the armor, and left it behind, to be destroyed in your place.” Mars: “Deception is a tactic of war, yes.” Venus: “I knew you weren’t dead. I didn’t mean any of those things I said to Vulcan. I was only providing a distraction, so that you could escape.” Mars: “Shut up. I needed no distraction to escape Vulcan, I only needed to be free of you.” Venus: “What do you mean?” Mars: “Figure it out.” Mars addresses Vulcan. Mars: “Thank you, for my freedom.” Vulcan: “I’m happy for you, brother, that you are finally free of the witch. But, my vendetta with you remains as unchanged as my disfigurement by your hand. As long as you can stand unaided on your own legs, your body is whole, and your face is unmarred, you are a bane to me. Ever will it be so, till your debt is paid, or one or both of us are dead.” Mars: “I’m sorry to hear that.” After that scene, we're done with Vulcan for the rest of the issue, as we follow Mars to Diana's house, where she refuses Mars' proposal, because he is stained with Innocent Blood, and he vows to cleanse himself of the stain, and make himself worthy in her eyes. Chapter 3: "Incident At Gilboa Dam" takes us to Earth, finally. There is a special report on all the TV stations. The military is requesting the assistance of the S.P.I.’s, to deal with some mutated creature, which is threatening an upper New York state rural community. He’s entrenched near the dam, and if he breaks it, the entire community will be flooded, and evacuations are still in progress, many of the older folks are refusing to be evacuated, lives will be lost. The military can’t fire their heavy weapons at the creature, without risking damage to the dam. Only the S.P.I.’s can handle this. And, they must do so cautiously, to take out the creature, without taking out the dam. Five S.P.I.’s and one artificially powered government operative, who happened to be within relatively short flying distance, answer the call. Curiously, when they get there, the military has the creature pinned in on all sides. If the main objective is to get the creature away from the dam, why are they not allowing him a route of escape, away from the dam? Mars has been monitoring a seeing pool, scanning the Earth for some opportunity to pay on his debt to the innocent. He sees the news report of the trouble in upstate New York. When he gets there, he finds six others, who got there before him. Three of them are unconscious on the ground, the other three are fighting... the military? They must be in league with the creature. He’ll deal with them, after he destroys it. This is where Mars faces his first task of protecting the innocent from the threat of an evil entity. It ends up being more of a test of his worthiness of Diana. After all these thousands of years, learning from his many mistakes, growing and maturing as a godly figure, has he gained wisdom and nobility enough, to discern which is the true evil, and which is the true innocence?
The Ultimate Science-Fiction Series:
The story is like nothing that’s ever been done before. Bits and pieces might seem familiar, but the story overall? Yeah, it's unique. It’s like the “upright man”, in a time-travel movie evolutionary chart. Or, a time-travel theory evolutionary chart, for that matter. I took what others have only beat around the bush about, and I completed it. Which makes this story solely mine. I solved Einstein’s unfinished Chaos Theory, for the first installment of my Time-Travel Trilogy, and for the trilogy as a whole, I solved the Everything Theory. There’re baby geniuses out there, still working on that. Well, they can stop, I got it, already. I finished it for some movies I wrote. Chaos: “The Butterfly Effect” = “The Domino Effect” x every feasible contingency x Infinity. Everything = 1 Universal Recyclotron, made up of many smaller ones. It’s all about perpetual motion: Energy = Mass = Energy. Lemme expound: As Mercury draws nearer the sun, it becomes fissionable. When it falls into the sun, it will feed the sun. Not with ordinary fire, but with nuclear energy. “Nothing is lost”. That solar energy spreads out, and invigorates the remaining planets. A new planet is forming, on the outer edge, awaiting its turn, in the cycle. And as surely as black holes chew up galaxies and spit out new ones, the same thing is happening on a universal scale. There too, “Nothing is lost”. Oh, and to the “scholars” who theorize that the microorganisms found on Mars are the remnants of former life: Dumbasses! Those are the progenitors of FUTURE LIFE, duh! Which might come in handy, by the time Mars becomes the third planet, wouldn’tcha think?
Random Musings (A Runaway Train Of Thought, With One Side Still On The Track And One Side Skimming The Ditch, But Too Much An Irresistible Force To Be Stopped, At This Point):
In the late sixties, John Glenn and Gene Roddenberry met. Glenn took Roddenberry to the side, and told him, in effect (this paraphrase is embellished by my own coinciding beliefs on the matter): “I’m a fan of your show, naturally, but any alien visitors would have to be nearby neighbors. I believe the stars out there have people, but they can’t get here from there, and we can’t get there from here. No technology, no matter how advanced, now or a million years from now, can traverse the impenetrable void. It’s too cold and too far. If it were attempted, and everything went as well as it possibly can, in a few million years, a comet that used to be your spacecraft might reach the other side.” To which Roddenberry replied, and this is an unembellished exact quote: “Shhhh! Don’t tell anybody. You’ll spoil my racket!” But, NASA knew it, as NASA insider John Glenn was privy to the knowing of it, and that’s why the Space Program has since significantly lost its fervor. Some imaginative screenwriters have found a way around it, though. In “The Astronaut’s Wife”, an alien arrived, in energy form, piggybacking on a radio signal. In “Slither”, an alien arrived inside a meteor that broke from a comet. It was notably a chrysalis-form of its master-being, which was likely genetically evolved to withstand the perils of such an arduous journey, and menaced not with its own physical form, but by “body-snatching”, just as the one in “The Astronaut’s Wife” did. No air-breathing flesh and blood being could survive a multi-million year trek through deep space, where it is not only immeasurably cold, but there is no temperature to speak of, because there is no sun, anywhere near. Presently, our hot regions; Africa, South America, The Philippines, etc., are regions of the third planet, as you know. But, so are the polar regions! What a difference, on the same planet! Even Pluto is relatively near the sun, compared to deep space. Think you can survive being nowhere near a sun? Try it! Bring your mittens! They’ll crystallize right along with you, as will any heat sources you might think of bringing.
Who I'd like to meet: People who believe in me and what I’m doing, and want to see these movies as badly as I do. + Indy Dobermans like myself, who want their own chunk o’ that ass. Indies unite!! Pissed off Argonauts vs. Blind Cyclops, Blind Cyclops loses!
Comment about me and/or what I’m doing, willya?
This space is reserved for my first Lightwave 9.5 animation, whenever I finally get one rendered. Lightwave® is the same Emmy™ and Oscar™ winning 3d software used in Star Trek, since TNG, the new Battlestar Gallactica, and many others. Once I learn it, I will totally effin’ master it, and I’ll be able to show NewTek how to rock their own damn program...
The mysterious warrior, standing before the emperor, after piling up a bunch of gladiator bodies. His usual helmet shows his face, but the one he wore for a disguise doesn’t. The emperor asks the mighty warrior to remove his helmet, so he can see his face. The warrior doesn’t respond. A nearby soldier, always eager to brown nose the emperor, and assuming the warrior might be deaf or foreign, touches the chin strap of the helmet, as if he intends to undo the strap and remove the helmet. Without even glancing at the soldier, the warrior punches him, with only slight effort, and the fist penetrates into the center of the man’s head. The body falls without the head attached, the head is attached to the warrior’s hand. He flings the head off his hand and outstretches his gauntlet in a fashion that would denote that somebody better get over here and clean this mess off his glove.
Centurion: Your order, Caesar, shall the warrior be arrested? Emperor: The better question is can he be arrested. Is he one of the gladiators or slaves? Centurion: Most of the gladiators and slaves lay dead at his feet. I have never seen this man before. Emperor: Then, he is someone who came here of his own volition, and fought in the games, without being paid or forced. And, performed as no mortal man possibly could. Centurion: You think him to be a god? Emperor: Likely the one who favors us. I am not of a mind to lose that favor, or my army, this day. Attendant! Step forward and wash the warrior’s glove! Attendant: Yes, Caesar!
The attendant takes the pitcher and bowl over to the warrior, wets a rag, and starts washing the glove, making sure to get into all the crannies.
Attendant: Please don’t kill me, my lord, I am just a slave. Warrior: Tell me, how is it that you became enslaved? Attendant: The Romans! They invaded my homeland, many brave men died... but it was no use! The Romans could not be stopped. Warrior: Yes, that is the shame of war; Always it is the valiant who die, and the malleable who live. You’re done. Get away from me, slave. Quickly, before I kill you. Attendant: Yes, my lord!
The attendant spills most of the water on himself, scrambling to quickly get away from the warrior.
Warrior (To The Emperor): I have enjoyed the games, Caesar. I will leave the arena, now.
Pause. He’s waiting for something. The emperor bows to the warrior. Then, so does the centurion, and everyone in the imperial box. Then, the spectators in the stands. Then, the soldiers that are standing around. The warrior nods to the emperor, turns, and walks toward the entrance/egress of the pit.
Emperor (To The Centurion): Don’t mention my suspicion to anyone. He doesn’t want his identity known, so the secret stays with us. Centurion: Of course, Caesar. Though it would seem obvious to all, that a Caesar would bow to no one, except the sire of the Caesars. Emperor: Those who can deduce that, should deduce the rest. The public account of the story will be that I was merely expressing my admiration for the greatest warrior I have ever seen. Anything else will be dismissed as rumor.
- Retaliators flashback, by Richard Stiles. It will be included in both the comics and the animated film "Innocent Blood - The Origin Of The Retaliators." The comics will actually match the movies, yeah. Not as an exact mirror. It will be the same story, told 2 different ways. Some things in the comics won't be in the movies, and vice-versa. Not like two halves of the story, each version is a complete package, there's just more to know about the story, if you experience both the movies and the comics. For example, the title sequence for the animated movie "Innocent Blood - The Origin Of The Retaliators" will reveal the truth about what really happened to Arthur Reddingfield's father, and the comics never will. And the other example, in an alternate reality version of the above scene, which will appear much later in the comic series, but not in the movies, a different man is Caesar. He never asked to see the warrior’s face, because he wasn’t curious about his identity. He didn’t care. His response to the pause after “...I will leave the arena now.” was “You have earned your freedom. You have my permission to leave.” No eye contact, a brushing away gesture with his hand. The emperor is bored. The warrior threw off his helmet, revealing his identity. There is no mistaking the look on his face, he is offended. At the very least he should've been mistaken for a gladiator, not a slave. If anything, he'd demonstrated that he is unconquerable. He ascends 15 feet in the air, hovers, and materializes a spear out of thin air. He then throws it into the emperor’s chest. The brother of the dead emperor, who was in the imperial box, cries out “I knew it was you, oh great and mighty one!” The warrior declares that that man is the new Caesar, and he is the same man who is the Caesar in the above scene, which is not earlier or later, it parallels this in time. A consistent theme in all of my time-related storylines is “What is Meant To Be has a way of finding a way to be.” In either of these scenes, recognition with a bow wasn't necessarily a requirement, since he was in disguise, not playing himself. Any acknowledgement of his greatness would've sufficed, praise, applause, etc. In the first version, he wasn't just acknowledged as great, but superior, by an astute Caesar who knows a god when he sees one. Not exactly the plan, but appreciated nonetheless. In turn, the warrior acknowledges and appreciates the Caesar's astuteness. In the alternate version, he is not properly acknowledged, he is in fact insulted by a fool in emperor's clothes. Mythical gods don't take that too well.
HIS MOTIVATION: When they were together, he was the god of agriculture and she was the goddess of the hunt. When he became the god of war, he changed. He betrayed her for his brother’s wife. The goddess of the hunt became the goddess of virtue, sort of the mythical equivalent of joining a convent. Now that he realizes his mistake, he wants a second chance, to put things back to the way they were before. But no, he is now unworthy of her. Not just because of the betrayal, but because she is now the goddess of virtue, and he is stained with the blood of the innocent. Not one who is known for giving in to defeat, he will defend the innocent, save the Earth as many times as it takes to cleanse himself of the stain, and redeem himself in her eyes. If you look at the chestplate of his new armor, you will see her emblem, the Lily Of Peace. His constant reminder of what he is fighting for.
HIS MISTAKE: She never cared for him, only for his power and title. Now that her wickedness is clear to him, he no longer wants her. But, she is not accustomed to rejection, nor is she inclined to become so. And, hell hath no fury like a goddess scorned.
HIS CHARIOT: The car doesn’t enable him to fly, he enables it to fly. In fact, he materialized it from nothing, and it will vanish when he’s done with it. He was given the power to materialize anything at will, by his father, who favors him most of all, after his brother refused to make him weapons anymore. He also sometimes conjures giant eagle wings on his back (a born power, not a given power), for close aerial battles, to add maneuverability, and to intimidate his opponents. He can fly without a prop, usually vertical, not horizontal, which is kinda weird-looking, but he prefers to ride/fly in style. Mythical gods are such showoffs.
HIS NEMESIS: She may be the type of goddess that mortals write songs about, paint birth portraits of, and make armless statues of, but that's no excuse for treating a brother this way. Fire and metal are his to command, and he will have his revenge!
AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL: “Neither should I have been able to prevail against you, father. But you, like he, were already defeated, by your own sins. My symbol, branded onto your cheek, will serve to keep me first in your thoughts, instead of last. Your debt is paid. His will not be so easy. It is my right to do to him the equal of what he did to me, which does not exclude taking his life. He cannot bring further harm to me, without compounding his sin, and he cannot take my life, without condemning himself irrevocably. A debt is owed. He can delay the inevitable, but he cannot avert it.”
Just a preview teaser of the opening sequence of The Retaliators #1. The rest won't be revealed until it hits the stands. 30 Minutes
You’re my friend and I’m yours, but I just don’t do MySpace apps. Everything on my page is about what I’m doing. Even the music player tracks are each from one of my eight movie soundtracks. The music videos are of tracks which are especially key to my cinematic series, and are therefore on my page somewhat permanently, rather than changed out every week, like the player tracks. Besides, MySpace apps are against the Retaliators Charter. Because, what if they were called up for one of their many world-saving missions, but were caught off guard playing with MySpace apps? Luv ya. Still friends?
If you are my fan, I am your fan. And, if you are not... what’s wrong with you?
When Nazis see this guy coming, they run! So long as they’re running away from the front line, he lets them go. If not, he lances them. Or, shoots them in the damn head! Yeah, he’ll never get his image on Underoos or Pull-Ups, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. He’s an actual captain in the U.S. Army Enemy Dispersal Corps, Foxhole Cleaning Division. In addition to his fighting expertise, his powered flight capability and body armor, he has strength and durability equal to 4.5 normal human males of similar body type. He is the first of his kind, the original, the epitome. Emulated by all who came after him. Original artwork and character design are the property of Charles Richard Stiles a.k.a. Richard Stiles.
Captain Superhero is a registered trademark of the aforementioned entity; me. He comes into The Retaliators in the second roster, in the comics as well as the films, but a clip of him in his heyday will be featured in the Title Sequence for “Innocent Blood - The Origin Of The Retaliators”, the origin story which I will do my damn self, with or without studio help, in animated form. The subsequent 7 stories will be done live-action, with studio backing, unless I have to get rich off the comics and do that my damn self, also.
Thanks for all your support! The show went really well at the Laugh Factory, and the turnout was great!
If you couldn't make it, I have uploaded to my profile seven ten-minute segments from this outstanding variety show featuring Old Time Music, magic, dance, comedy and fun!
We agree! All of those gimmick covers in the 90s merely hid crap piles of suck! And then Image, whoooo boy! Suuuuuuuucky! The Pitt and Maxx and 1/2 and 0 and all of that. YUCK! Where can we find your creations? I do not know where we should look.
Hey thanks for wanting to be our friend:) please check out
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