Hey. Look at me. Three posts in a row. That’s the hat trick right there.
Had a thought last night while I was struggling to sleep and I thought I’d drop it here for consideration amongst the writers.
Superman, upon returning to Avengers mansion, has an encounter with Mary Jane. She still wants to know what happened to her husband, and she holds Superman responsible. She tearfully pleads with Superman to give her some answer and tell her what he plans to do to bring him back, and he can’t answer her.
I liked this idea for one main reason. It contrasts nicely with Spider Mans dealings with Lois. Lois has really had nothing to fear when it comes to Superman. Dudes a friggin god. He always comes back. Who needs to worry? On the other hand, Mary Jane has always understood why Peter does what he does, but lives with the same sort of fear that the wife of a police officer/fireman/member of the armed forces lives with: someday he isn’t going to come home. He is far closer to mortal status than Superman. He regularly comes home bruised. His villains have come a lot closer to killing him than Supermans have. I just think that this would be a good chance to bring MJ into the plot more and provide a solid counterpoint to what’s taking place in the Spider Man story line.
And of course this is completely optional. Just thought I’d drop in another idea for ya’ll to chew on.
Well, I got nothing done on this this weekend, but I do have a firm outline for my Superman half, and a pretty good outline for my Spidey half, so looks like I’m still in.
Superman Half : Definitely taking place at the Bazter Building, with cameos by Reed and Iron Man, possibly some other FFers. Definitely involving the Imperial Guard. I’m seeing it as occurring later in Superman’s visit to Earth 616, as it will definitely end on an “up” note as far as his confidence in his ability to work on this Alternate Earth.
Spider-Man Half : Definitely main DCU continuity - Booster Gold and Blue Beetle come looking for Spidey as a potential recruit for the Super-Buddies. (So this is pre-Identity Crisis - let me know if that’s a problem for anyone.)
**CandidGamera. ** I think for all intents and purposes our crossover ignores most of what’s going on for Identity Crisis and Infinite Crisis and House of M and the like, although you could conceivably do fanboy references to them.
Everyone. So? What’d y’all think of the beginning PROLOGUES? I’m not working for money, I’m working for praise and criticism and feedback. At least tell me I convinced you that you could do better…
Groan. It’s because it’s too long, isn’t it? I was afraid of that… I got to riffing on different parts of it and it turned out muuuuch longer than I thought.
No, I seriously just hadn’t made the time to look at it yet. I’m reading it now - I dig the 50’s SciFi movie references - seems a touch more risque in a couple places than I expected. And you mentioned the Toyman! That will impact my Spidey story a little. But I can make it work.
Askia I bow to your creative processes. I’m a fan (non-fanboy level) of both Supes and Spidey. I really like how you’ve started the story - very believable to me. And while I’ve only read up to when Superman meets Wolverine in the Swap thread, I think you’re well on the way to Something Big. And no, it’s not too long.
I really hope the line about Wolvie recognizing Clark (“Glasses? Nice disguise.”) gets in there.
I have one question, and there is no blame in my voice when I ask this: How are you working in the various Marvel/DC crossovers, including the oversized Spiderman vs Superman book from the '70s, into this story? These characters have interacted before. Excelsior! to you and your Asylum.
Couple of typoes in your prologue, Askia. And the end of your Spidey section curtails my story idea, with Booster being there… and throws us into uncertain continuity, with Hal.
**CandidGamera. ** Hal’s back. We’ll just conveniently overlook why or how unless somebody feels they must. I’m sorry about Booster Gold – I thought I was doing you a favor introducing him at the end so you could re-introduce him later. :smack: How can I help you fix that?
Yeah… it’s Spider-Girl (Jessica Drew) who’s in the Avengers now. Right?
You’re making me nervous, dude. What else did I miss? Nitpick away, I’m here to get better.
Sean Factorum. Thanks for the kind words. The paradigm re: DC/Marvel crossovers of the 1970s and 80s has shifted ever since The big DC vs. Marvel Amalgam event of the early 90s that introduced the two cosmic “brothers.” They no longer share the same world so they won’t recognize each other. They didn’t recognize each other during JLA AVENGERS either. Chances are referring to previous team-ups won’t happen unless somebody evokes DC’s Hypertime or possibly Marvel universe’s the Watcher or (hmmm. Brainstorming now.) Morpheus of the Endless.
Actually, I might be able to deal with Hal. My planned epilogue for the Spidey story takes place at Warriors, which got blowed up at the beginning of GL : Rebirth; I can always posit that Guy rebuilt it. Hal being back puts us after Identity Crisis, though - which stretches the credibility of the continued existence of the ‘Super-Buddies’. Also squeezes my story necessarily in the short gap between IC and ‘Countdown’. I’ll live, I suppose.
The Booster thing - I had intended Booster and Beetle to be meeting Spidey for the first time in this case, and I’m wondering why Booster’s involved with the official League honor ceremony at all. I can work around it, but it puzzles me.
CandidGamera. There’s a badly expanded on line about there being reporters and DCU heroes in attendence at the conference announcing that Spider-Man is a new member of the Justice League. Booster’s own pronouncements of “we’ve got space for you,” notwithstanding, I meant for Booster to be a former Leaguer in attendance at best. In fact, when he was pouring Spidey champange, I meant to include a snarky allusion to him (and Blue Beetle) as being part of the wait staff. That pushes it back to “Super-Buddies” territory.
Again, I was just ham-fistedly trying to shoehorn Booster Gold into the proceedings, which should be a caution to anyone else who introduces characters someone else may have designs on.
In a collaborative project like this, it’s best to remember - any detail you establish, no matter how well-intentioned, is, in essence, an obstacle that subsequent writers have to work around.
I appreciate the thought behind it, but the scene’s really hard to for to reconcile. I’ll think it over. Maybe I’ll just do the Superman half. I dunno.
Askia, I really enjoyed what you have written so far. The whole world perception juxtification the two main characters are experiencing works quite well, even better than expected from your previously posted summaries. Of course, now I’m stuck waiting for the next chapter. Sigh. Maybe you should just ditch the dead weight and finish the story yourself
I kid, I kid. However, Stuffy, Tengu, **CandidGamera ** and Kythereia you all had better get crackin, I want more to read!
Yeah… it’s Spider-Girl (Jessica Drew) who’s in the Avengers now. Right?