"Spectacles of Doom" (an ongoing multi-part sci-fi adventure comic).

[Low_Roads]

You see! You see! That's what happens when you hessitate to desintegrate your enemies when you have your chance!!!

Too true! Unfortunately, it's impossible to be a Hero if you fire first (that rule is evidently written down in a sacred tome somewhere... we need to find the book and burn it!) Felicity will indeed have much time to contemplate her error... let's make it extra uncomfortable for her so the lesson sinks in!

The Commander really does have a mighty mountain to climb now! If I were him, I'd go straight home and forget all about this Sky Marshal nonsense...

 

[Janus4385]

Too true! Unfortunately, it's impossible to be a Hero if you fire first (that rule is evidently written down in a sacred tome somewhere... we need to find the book and burn it!) Felicity will indeed have much time to contemplate her error... let's make it extra uncomfortable for her so the lesson sinks in!

The Commander really does have a mighty mountain to climb now! If I were him, I'd go straight home and forget all about this Sky Marshal nonsense...

Where to begin looking for that book...? Oh there it is!!!!!!!!!! No... wait... it's just a cooking manual, but on the bright side, I can now make great chicken!!! 😀

That's why I prefer anti-heroes, they don't really follow any guidelines, they just do what needs to be done. Hopefully our dear Felicity will learn something from all this.

If I were him, I'd go straight home and forget all about this Sky Marshal nonsense...

LMAO!!!

The commander should have come to you for advise, not those dumb ameba guys, what do they know?

 

[Low_Roads]

A cook book? Careful... I've seen this episode of The Twilight Zone. If a pair of tall alien guys invite you for a trip onboard their flying saucer, don't go!

Yeah, I'm afraid the amoebas' advice has proved shakey at best, despite their lofty reputation. They were darned snotty about delivering it, too! I don't mind so much being misled, but I hate being abused!

I'm in agreement with you about anti-heroes, Janus. They're definitely more fun to create and their exploits are more satisfying to follow. I'm afraid that all Felicity will get out of this deal is that 20 years later she'll have metamorphosed into Mercy Mew, an anti-hero of sorts (if not an anti-hero, at least someone with neutral leanings).

In this story, though, the roles are pretty clearly defined: the heroes and the villains. And the villains have found themselves on top... but certainly not trouble-free:

Episode 15, scene 4, pages 1-4:

 

[Janus4385]

LMAO!

I can understand that Jones may have overlooked this, he obviously trusts his pilots. But the pilots themselves are not too clever, they should have known a station like that big needs a lot of hands. That's kind of the equivalent of a guy going to an airport and saying: -Hey, I've driven a car. How much harder could a plane be?- Of course then he steps into the cockpit and goes:-Oh, that much harder-

Can't really say I blame them though, if I were about to conquer a space station I'd be a little too exited to be thinking about anything else than not getting killed in the process and taking care of my own ship.

 

[Low_Roads]

LMAO!That's kind of the equivalent of a guy going to an airport and saying: -Hey, I've driven a car. How much harder could a plane be?- Of course then he steps into the cockpit and goes:-Oh, that much harder-

A very apt analogy! Add to it the idea of the plane being airbourne... the auto driver better learn to fly fast, before the altitude drops! But Jones and his crew aren't conditioned to think through the repercussions of their recklessness. They're too busy grabbing with both fists. That's the attraction of a sponging lifestyle... no reponsibilities!

... which is definitely more serious consideration than my poor little story will bear! :laughing: This is an action/adventure effort... any thematics are purely coincidental!

 

[Janus4385]

Well, as a very wise man once said: - WING IT!!!! -

I have personally found that making things up as you go sometimes works out better than if you had a plan in the first place. Not all the time though, and all the examples I can think of are from trips with my friends, so I guess hijacking a space station without a plan is "a little bit different" 😀

 

[Low_Roads]

Well, there is something to be said for improvisation. It certainly keeps one on his toes, and the ability to think "outside the box" is undeniably valuable at times when design breaks down. Jones' ambition is vague and shakey, though... par for the course, as far as villainous master plans are concerned. I mean, why is he so keen to own the universe? Where does he think he's gonna keep it? And what ne'er-do-well really wants that sort of responsibility? I don't think he's thought this through. Unless, of course, he's just after a kick-ass good time on the way to ruination. Actually, that would explain a lot...

 

[Janus4385]

I mean, why is he so keen to own the universe? Where does he think he's gonna keep it? And what ne'er-do-well really wants that sort of responsibility? I don't think he's thought this through. Unless, of course, he's just after a kick-ass good time on the way to ruination. Actually, that would explain a lot...

The thrill of the hunt, always a powerful motive. I remember reading once in DC comic something that really made me laugh(sadly I can't recall which comic 🙁 ), someone was saying that everyone has a motive for doing what they do, "even the joker has reasons, they may be insane reasons, but they make sense to him"(LOL, still makes me laugh). I think that's the best explanation you can get for things like this, and personally I do believe this to be true in real life too.
I'm quite sure it wasn't Batman, maybe nightwing, dunno, I'll try to look it up... 😀

 

[Low_Roads]

The Joker... 'course, he's psychotic. He enjoys the damage he spreads. The inverse of a Boy Scout, who's aim is to do a good deed every day... he's bent on filling every moment with harm, even if it's pointless. There's a certain single-minded purity in that... at least there's no question where he stands.

Compare that to the Napoleonic grandeur of Dr. Doom. Now there's a man with a plan (perhaps spurred by his background as Latvirian royalty). He sees domination as a natural extension of his personal excellence. He can justify rule by deferring to his smarts, his irresistible strength of personality and might of his personally-wrought weaponry. There's less of the evil elemental in him as compared to the Joker, whom it would seem can't be other than corrupt... one could easily envision Doom as a philanthropist, if he could do it in a big way. He's not a man meant to make a small impression.

Also, very cool armor! There isn't a more conceptually clean, better looking villain in fiction, anywhere (kudos to Jack Kirby!)

 

[Janus4385]

You.... you were actually able to take my post and turn it into a serious thing :wooha: .... DAAAMN YOU'RE GOOD!!!!!!!!! :super_hap

*sits and waits for more Spectacles of Doom*

 

[Low_Roads]

*sits and waits for more Spectacles of Doom*

Thanks Janus! More story as soon as I can prepare it; perhaps on Monday.

 

[Janus4385]

*thinks of stuff to do until monday*

 

[Low_Roads]

Delivered as promised...

Episode 15, scene 5, pages 1-5:

 

[Low_Roads]

Episode 15, scene 5, pages 6-10:

 

[Low_Roads]

Episode 15, scene 5, pages 11-14:

 

[His Divine Shadow]

Fiendish! Absolutely and totally fiendish! I wonder, though, how long they'll all last? Not long, from the looks of things.

 

[Low_Roads]

Thanks HDS! :happy: I'm glad this plot element went over well! The command staff does have its rigorous training to fall back on, but this will still be a trying ordeal! For our purposes, the moreso the better!

I introduced the fanciful torture and other upcoming pirate abuse to add urgency to a situation which was otherwise pretty static (since all the priates really have to do is sit back and wait for the Commander to arrive). Also because I'm mildly sadistic (a quality one might expect from a subscriber to the TTC) and such cartoon abuse provided an element of mischievous fun.

This scene took a tad longer to prepare than other comparable ones, as I've added a couple of pages of new artwork. I'd become dissatisfied with Uultarre's original trial (which was to have him doped up; see below for the original scene), since it was a little too similar to Fosko's. Too, I wanted a few more shots of Felcity in giggling extremis... which wouldn't have played so well to a straight audience, but presenting this on a fetish site provides the perfect excuse!

Below: the replaced Uultarre scene (forgive the poor image quality... these panels have not been cleaned up). Note: the bottom panel in picture three was meant to serve as a moving background for the upper one).

 

[Janus4385]

:super_hap :super_hap :super_hap :super_hap :super_hap

Well worth the wait!!! And we got a few extra panels of Felicity's torment! It's like watching the deleted scenes in a DVD movie 😀

You certainly have a wonderful imagination my friend. I'm already eager for more 🙂

 

[Low_Roads]

Thank you, Janus! :super_hap I'm very pleased by your comparision to a DVD extended scene! That's just the way I hoped it would play for those familiar with the orginal!

I'm relieved to have this sequence behind me finally. Lengthier ones will be coming (the next-to-last will be 27 pages), but nothing that will require this sort of involved preparation. From here on out, it will be smooth sailing! (...... Crash!)

 

[Janus4385]

From here on out, it will be smooth sailing! (...... Crash!)

I believe Odysseus said the exact same thing... 😀

You are very good at this, I'm sure you'll have no problems at all with it. Keep up the great work my friend!!! 🙂

 

[Low_Roads]

I believe Odysseus said the exact same thing... 😀

(Gasp!) Hopefuly I have no gods working against me! 😱 Just in case, I'll be sure to stay off the water!

I'm most grateful for your gracious words of compliment and encouragement, Janus! Such thoughtfulness is most rewarding! With luck and diligence, I'll have this story wrapped up in another month's time. I know that many would prefer more relevant storytelling, i.e. The Low Roads. I'm anxious to return to them myself!

 

[Violetta]

I'm certainly not complaining. The Low Roads is awesome, but you nearly never see this kind of old school sci-fi and storytelling just anywhere. This comic already has a special place with me, and I find myself talking about it to people more and more often.

 

[Low_Roads]

Now that's wonderful to hear, Sammi! :happy: You have no idea how much it means! Such endearing sentiments justify this project entirely! It was work I had to do eventually (the elements are old and many of them are fading; happily I've gotten to them before any became lost or beyond recovery)... but the joy of offering it to so many special people, so enthusiastically like-minded, has provided all the impetus I've needed to complete this massive reconstruction! Indeed, such response has exceeded the fondest hopes I harbored so many years before, when compromised results and mute appreciation were the best I might have expected. Any tale is incomplete without an audience to share it... how lucky I have been to be blessed with the very best!

 

[Janus4385]

(Gasp!) Hopefuly I have no gods working against me! 😱 Just in case, I'll be sure to stay off the water!

I'm most grateful for your gracious words of compliment and encouragement, Janus! Such thoughtfulness is most rewarding! With luck and diligence, I'll have this story wrapped up in another month's time. I know that many would prefer more relevant storytelling, i.e. The Low Roads. I'm anxious to return to them myself!

Don't even think about rushing this fine adventure!!! No doubt I'd love to see "The Low Roads" soon, but this Spectacles of Doom series is something that I have come to attach myself to. I look forward to every update and new post you make of this fantastic tale, I don't want it to end really(though it's kind of a conflicted feeling, cause I do want to get to see the end of the story). Take your time and let us enjoy this for as long as possible. Keep bringing us the best sci-fi entertaiment on this side of the galaxy, LBH STYLE!!!!!! 😀

 

[Low_Roads]

Glory, that's gratifying, Janus! Once again (and how often I've been privileged to say this!), thank you! I certainly didn't mean to imply that reaction to "Spectacles" hasn't been everything I wanted! Commentary has far exceeded my expectations in terms of on-target analysis, frequency, and raw appreciation! Really, I was referencing some friendly impatience from the TMF, where this story never got past the introductory stage.

In no way do I intend to cut corners as we near the final chapters. I won't rush production just to have things over and done with. Preparing these submissions has become a pleasant (if tiring) routine, one which I won't be eager to quit. How rewarding that others have come to feel the same!