Text Play: Pokémon Xenoverse #27

Hello, and welcome back to the Eldiw region! This is entry number 27 in my Text Play of Pokémon Xenoverse!

Now, as usual, I wish to warn you that I will be spoiling this game.

As such, I recommend you play the game for yourself first. You can download it here. And with that, let's go! 😃

Last time, we grinded (ground?) up a new team to take on Caspar and his Gym, which is also a prison. Yeah, don't ask me how the Pokémon League of this region allows it.

I spent much of last month grinding my new team to take on Caspar and his Ghost-type Pokémon. My goal was to get them between levels 40-45 as his tend to be at levels 37-40. As such, I felt ready to take on the Gym and whatever Caspar had inside waiting for me. Considering he is a Ghost-type specialist, and his gym is also a prison, I expected spookiness.

We entered the Gym...after making sure we stopped at the Pokémon Center and got lots of supplies (Potions, healing items, Revives, etc.) of course. Remember, once we enter the Gym, we can't leave without going through it and defeating Caspar.

The first cell we entered was a gigantic darkroom, presumably the cell of Rod Aruka, the photographer-turned-criminal. At the very back wall of the cell is a wall of what appears to be photographs.

There's also a female prisoner here, hanging out in the corner.

She tells us to "go straight". I wonder where we can apply this...

Anyway, hanging on the wall are also portraits of some of the prisoners. The first one is Charles Fire. Or at least the man calling himself Charles Fire.

Yeah, he looks like a friendly sort. Next is one of Rod Aruka himself.

Huh. I kind of expected him to look a bit...nerdier for lack of a better word. Third is a Pokémon.

It's a Houndoom. The fourth photo is of Isabelle Nostenfer. What a name.

She looks like she stepped out of Gun.Smoke, Sunset Riders, or Wild Guns. And finally, the fifth is of Gunther Moor, the man who ruined the life of Chempo.

Quite a rogues gallery there. Anyway, on the far right end of the wall is a rock. 

It covers a secret tunnel, likely dug by a prisoner as part of a botched escape attempt. It leads to a chamber with an Item Box inside.

The box asks you who the Houndoom we saw the picture of belongs to. You'd think it belongs to Charles Fire, right? After all, in the last entry, we saw a photo of him with a black-and-red Pokémon. Houndooms are black-and-red. And they are Dark/Fire. 

It's a bit of trickery on the game's part. The answer is Rod Aruka. Remember, we learned in the last entry that Mr. Aruka owned a loyal Dark-type Pokemon. Houndooms are part-Dark, and they're modeled on dogs, which are often portrayed as loyal. So, yeah. Presumably that photo of that Houndoom we saw was Mr. Aruka taking a picture of his own loyal pet. Anyway, the box contains the first El Purgatrio Pass. 

Yeah, I don't know, either. Either way, you get El Purgatrio Pass 1. This will allow us to open up another cell. In particular, the cell next to the one that was turned into a giant darkroom. 

Huh. I wonder if this was connected to the other prisoners we learned of in the darkroom at first, but this seemingly made no sense. Isabelle Nostenfer was Kalosian. Gunther Moor was Alolan. And "Charles Fire" was Unovan. Until I realized something. This cell is modeled after Ecruteak City...in Johto. Rod Aruka was from there! Maybe this was his actual cell and the other one was just a darkroom. 

Looks like Mr. Aruka had some pride in his hometown. The cell has statues of the three Legendary Dogs of Johto (Raikou, Entei, and Suicune), a replica of the Burned Tower, and even a (presumably fake) Ho-Oh feather. There is another prisoner hanging out here. 

Two steps forward, three to the left. Two steps forward, two to the left. One downwards, three to the left, straight upwards. Huh. Anyway, in the center of the room is a small computer. 

You may have noticed on the wall there are letters with what are presumably lights over them. Interacting with the computer asks up for a password. The solution is simple: Ecruteak City. The lights turn on, and we get the second El Purgatrio Pass. 

And that's where we'll stop for the month. I wasn't able to get through this Gym as far as I had hoped. Which stinks. Hopefully, we'll get through next month. Wish me luck! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all my blog readers!

Easter is basically the day that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after he got crucified. Here in the United States, where I live, the holiday often falls on a Sunday, so it has not been declared a federal or public holiday. State and federal employees don't work on Sundays anyway, that's why. And many cities hold Easter parades. You can read more about Easter, it's history, and it's traditions here.

One of the symbols of Easter is the Easter egg. The egg is meant to symbolize rebirth and new life, which makes sense, considering what Easter is supposed to represent. Another Easter symbol is of course, the Easter Bunny. Originating among German Lutherans, the Bunny is a Santa Claus-like figure who gives colored eggs (and originally toys) to good children. You can read more about the bunny here.

Deadshot #1 (November 1988)

In the DC Universe, when the government needs an extremely dangerous mission done, they turn to Task Force X, aka the Suicide Squad. One of the mainstay members of said Squad is one Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot. Created by David Vern Reed and Lew Schwartz from a concept by Bob Kane, Lawton debuted in Batman #59 (June 1950). Yeah, the character is a lot older than most realize. In this 1950s story, Lawton was a tuxedo-clad criminal who used standard weaponry. 

The character would not be seen again for nearly thirty years...until the events of Detective Comics #474 (1979). Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin revamped the character, giving him the silver-and-red costume and wrist-mounted guns he still wears and uses today. In the 1980s, Deadshot would be made a member of the Suicide Squad, where he underwent further development, becoming an assassin with a death wish, but also with his own code of ethics. 

Deadshot's time in the Squad significantly upped the profile of the character, allowing him to appear in other media like the DC Animated Universe, the Arrowverse, and the DC Extended Universe. 

The comic we're looking at is the first issue of a miniseries called, naturally, Deadshot: Beginnings. It's meant to explore the origins of the titular character, showing how he became the man we know today.

The cover is a Luke McDonnell piece. It's really cool. What I especially love about this cover is the usage of the issue number. We see Deadshot fighting Batman inside the giant number one. The cover is a real eye-catcher.

"Die But Once"
Writers: John Ostrander, Kim Yale
Pencilers: Luke McDonnell
Inker: Luke McDonnell
Colorist: Julianna Ferriter
Letterer: Tim Harkins
Editor: Robert Greenberger
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins with a woman walking into a grimy apartment building. 

“God, I can smell the rat poo…”

She's looking for our man Floyd Lawton. Lawton isn't in the building. In fact, he doesn't even live there. Lawton only uses the place as a mail drop-off. A man the woman meets tells her he forwards it to a Post Office Box. She asks him if he'll forward a note she has for him. He agrees to do so, asking if she's a relative of his. She says she is not...she's his ex-wife.

So, where is Floyd himself at? Well, he's presumably in a tropical area of the world, having a drink at a bar. An old acquaintance of his finds him.

Meet Silas, although Floyd likes to call him "Silage". The two have a bit of small talk about their time in an old gang together. Silas learns from Floyd that the rest of the members are all dead now, all having gotten killed in jail. Silas got out early, so he didn't know. Floyd's there because he got a message from Silas about meeting someone. The two leave, unaware they're being watched.

The watchers are the bionic-handed Sarge Steel, and Floyd's regular Suicide Squad sparring partner Rick Flag Jr. The two want to see Deadshot as their best chance to take down someone called "El Jefe". Sarge Steel points out that the odds of Deadshot surviving this mission is low, but that's why Deadshot will do it. The man wants to die, but he wants to go out fighting. 

At Belle Reve, the headquarters of the Suicide Squad, Marnie Herrs (the Suicide Squad's psychiatrist) goes over the history of the man called Deadshot. Flowd Lawton was the son of a rich family, the dad making his fortune in real estate, and his mother being from a family of bankers. Seeing Batman fight crime inspired Lawton in some way, and he started adventuring as Deadshot, a dapper tuxedo-clad crimefighter. But it was a ruse. In actuality, Lawton was running a criminal gang and was posing as a hero. Batman exposed him and sent him to jail.

When he got out, Lawton went after Batman again, this time wearing his iconic red-and-silver costume. He eventually ended up back in prison, until he was recruited for the Suicide Squad. When Batman invaded Belle Reve, Deadshot said he'd kill Batman because he'd love to put a bullet in the Dark Knight. Batman points out that Lawton is way too good to have not killed him already. Lawton pulled his shots around the Dark Knight, and Batman knows it.

The psychiatrist finds it rather revealing. Here's this rich kid who turns to crime. He certainly did not need the money. He could easily kill Batman, yet always fails. This leads Herrs to believe he not only sets himself up to fail, but he's trying to get someone to kill him. Meanwhile, Silas introduces Deadshot to a man working for "El Jefe".

“Lawton nearly ruined this cigar for me!”

This man is not El Jefe. His name is Ariosto, and he tests men who want to meet El Jefe. After all, a man like him has a lot of enemies who would be all too eager to end his life. Ariosto has a man brought to Deadshot. The gray-haired gangster believes this man was a mole planted by the US government. He orders Deadshot to kill him, and Lawton, well, does. 

Sarge Steel assures Flag that the man Lawton killed was not a mole, as they don't have anyone that high up in El Jefe's organization. But Rick Flag knows that Floyd didn't know that, and even if he did...he would still have killed that man. 

Meanwhile, Ariosto is not happy with this. 

Well, Ariosto didn't want Lawton to kill the man right there. Floyd answers that he should have said so. I agree with Lawton on this. You have to be clear in your orders, Ariosto. It helps avoid mistakes like this.

This ends up leading to a standoff. Ariosto calms the situation and tells Lawton that he's shown that he can meet with El Jefe. Not just meet the man, but El Jefe here may have some work for him...in about six months to a year. You know, even in a criminal organization, you have to deal with bureaucracy and paperwork, yada yada yada. Deadshot decides to walk out. After all, he's got better things to do than wait around a year. Ariosto agrees to arrange a meeting tonight. 

Meanwhile, back in Belle Reve, Herrs is continuing to go over Deadshot's files. Another thing about the man is that he has an antipathy towards women. 

Floyd grew up a rich kid, and he's seen plenty of women marry rich men simply because they want money. He compares them to prostitutes, saying they only demand money once, yet the women who marry rich men demand it forever. Dr. Simon LaGrieve, Herrs's boss, wants her to stop trying to get into Lawton's mind, as he fears she is letting her personal feelings towards Lawton affect her job. And it's not hard to see why.

“Dude, you taste like cigarettes and moldy concrete.”

LaGrieve believes there is a mutual attraction between the two of them. Herrs is convinced there is a way to help Deadshot, and she takes a leave of absence. 

El Jefe's plane lands, and Ariosto leads him inside, Floyd tossing the hidden microphone that Flag and Steel planted on him. The plane takes off, and El Jefe reveals himself.

“Yes, I am fond of pink shirts. They bring out my smoldering eyes.”

You see, the man is a traveler. He never stays in one place for too long, and always changes up his transportation. It's how he's been able to stay alive so long in this line of work. And in this case, being in a plane is insurance. If Deadshot tried to kill him, then it would depressurize the plane's fuselage, killing everyone else on board. Thing is, Lawton does not care. Which he demonstrates...by shooting El Jefe and causing a cabin depressurization. As the plane goes down, Deadshot makes sure everyone on board is dead. Ariosto is sucked out of the plane and falls to his death. The last remaining man is Silas. Deadshot gives him a bullet, revealing that he was the reason the rest of their old gang is dead, as he killed them all. 

Floyd blows his way out of the falling plane and is rescued by fellow Squaddie Black Orchid. Waller is happy that the mission to take out El Jefe was a success, despite Deadshot's improvisation. It's here that Floyd gets the letter from his ex, and the story ends with him taking some time off. He's not going on vacation. 

I enjoyed this comic. It's a very interesting character study. This issue does a good job giving as an idea of Lawton's past and the kind of man he is. And it hints at further exploration of said past. We also get to see him on a mission, and this helps show his character. He's a bit of a defiant man who is willing to risk his own life for the mission. However, as this issue hints, he may not be completely heartless. It's very intruiging.

If you want to read this, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback Deadshot: Beginnings. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra Trailer, My Thoughts

The year is 1943. The world is embroiled in war. Hydra, an ancient organization, hides under the Nazi swastika to wrap its tendrils around the planet. It is during this war that two legends of the Marvel Universe will first cross paths: Steve Rogers, the first Captain America...and Azzuri the Wise, the Golden Age Black Panther (and ancestor of T'Challa, the modern Black Panther). These two men will need to bear both shield and claw to help free the world from the evil of Hydra. 

Inspired by the 2010 miniseries Flags of Our Fathers (the first issue I looked at here), Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is a video game being developed and published by Skydance Media, set to be released in 2025. Announced in October 2021, the game will be produced by Amy Hennig and Julian Beak. 🐦 Hennig will also be writing the game's story alongside Marc Bernadin, who may be known to Marvel fans for his work with Spider-Man and the X-Men. Let's look at the trailer!

Ahh, Paris. The City of Lights. Good food, good times, and lots of Nazis to stomp.

Okay, I get Cap is a super-soldier. And they likely assume Azzuri is, as well. So, who's number three?

"Hello, I am Azzuri. I will be crushing your Nazi face today."

Hey, is that supposed to be Gabe Jones?!

"Well, there was that one time in Calais..."
"That was Jakarra's fault, because he is a drunken idiot!"

I imagine when Azzuri learned Cap was nearby, this was what he was thinking:

It is Gabe! He's got the trumpet!

Well, this game certainly looks spectacular, I'll give it that. Hope it has some fun gameplay. After all, this is a video game. I get the impression we'll be getting a bit of beat-'em-up, a bit of Assassin's Creed-style parkour, and maybe even some stealth elements or two. Hopefully. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Happy Holi!

Happy Holi, everyone!

Holi is known as the Festival of Colors. 

Puppy Day!

Today is National Puppy Day!

This day was created by animal activist and author Colleen Paige in 2006. She wanted to use this day to not only celebrate the puppy, but also call attention to the many dogs and puppies in animal shelters still in need of loving homes. National Puppy Day is also meant to raise awareness of the cruelty of puppy mills.

Fallen Angels #2 (May 1987)

Back in July 2023, I took a look at the first issue of the limited series Fallen Angels. A spinoff of the New Mutants title, it told the tale of Roberto da Costa/Sunspot running away from his fellow New Mutants after accidentally injuring Sam Guthrie. I enjoyed the story, even though I remember thinking Roberto was a bit overdramatic. Will the second issue be as enjoyable as the first? Let's find out in Fallen Angels #2! 

The cover is a Kerry Gammill and Tom Palmer piece.  

"I'll Take the High Road and I'll Take the Low Road (And I'll Get to Sunspot Before Me)"
Writer: Jo Duffy
Penciller: Kerry Gammill
Inker: Tom Palmer
Colorist: Petra Scotese
Letterer: Jim Novak
Editor: Ann Nocenti
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins where the previous issue left off: Chance and Roberto da Costa/Sunspot at the mercy of a bunch of knife-wielding thugs. Chance decides if she's going down, she's going down swinging. She engages the men in some brawling, but they manage to beat her down. 

As the men turn to hand a beatdown to Roberto, another figure makes herself known.

Meet Ariel. She's an alien with the power to create portals, but she needs something to use as a doorway...like a door frame. Yeah, I think it's a bit complicated, too. Chance and Ariel flee, leaving Roberto to be beaten down. Luckily, he'd get a savior.  

Sunspot's New Mutants buddy Warlock has found his, and he uses his shapeshifting power to scare the criminals away. Roberto notices Chance is missing, unaware she fled with Ariel. Back in the Xavier Institute, Magneto has called in Moira MacTaggert to help him help the other New Mutants come to terms with the events of last issue. Remember when Moira was one of the X-Men's human allies?

Jonathan Hickman has a LOT to answer for. Anyway, Moira has brought along Jamie "Multiple Man" Madrox and Theresa "Siryn" Cassidy with her, as they're age-wise, peers of the New Mutants. Magneto asks Theresa and Jamie to help find Roberto and Warlock, making like Q and providing a device to help them find them.

It's a portable Cerebro device. Makes you wonder why this hasn't come into play in future stories? I mean, nowadays, one of the X-Men could have an app for Cerebro on their phones!

Back in the city, Warlock and Roberto are feeling hungry. Feeding Warlock isn't as much of a problem. Being a member of the Technarch race, he needs organic "lifeglow" to survive. Basically, he feeds on organic materials. Garbage can provide that, as it presumably has some "lifeglow" for the alien. Banana peels, eggshells, rotten vegetables, etc. Roberto himself is a bit more complicated. Resigning himself to his destiny as a villain, he uses his strength to rip down a door to steal some food, only to reveal that he's broken into a church.

Roberto is horrified by this. The priest comes out and asks if the two need any help. After all, he's a man of God, and as such, he is duty-bound to help people in need. He asks if they need help, but the two mutants run for it.

The priest is left confused, and with a broken door. A trio of punkers bust in and knock out the priest, wanting to steal what they think may be some gold and valuables in the church. Another citizen is not happy to see this.

You may think that this kid doesn't seem like a crimefighter, right? After all, he's skinny, awkward, and...rather nerdy and dorky, for lack of better terms. No way he could be a superhero, right?

Yeah. Remember, this is the Marvel Universe. It's perfectly plausible this kid could blow these robbers up with a snap of his fingers. Not to mention the lobsters. The robbers laugh the boy off, but the priest wakes up to the sounds of the robbers screaming...and he finds they look like they lost a fight with a prime Mike Tyson. 

The boy walks away, talking to the lobsters as he does so. Meanwhile, Theresa and Jamie have arrived in New York City. A lady accidentally bumps in Jamie, causing him to create a clone. The clone helps the lady with her bags. I thought that's a nice little moment. Meanwhile, the prime Jamie creates a small batch of clones to help find Roberto and Warlock. One of the searching Jamies unknowingly passes by the blond boy with the lobsters. This Jamie ends up finding Roberto and Warlock. Several other Jamies gather around, which catches the attention of the blond boy and his lobsters. He rushes in as well, as he has a message for Roberto. We also learn the boy's name is Gomi. There is a reason for that. Jamie tries to get Roberto to come back with him, but Roberto refuses. And Gomi's boss steps in.

Meet Telford Porter, aka the Vanisher. First appearing in X-Men #2 (November 1963), he is the second supervillain the X-Men fought in their own comic. Unlike Magneto, he's become one of the more obscure members of the X-Men's rogues gallery. Roberto powers up, but Vanisher is not here to fight. They're spotted by Siryn and another Jamie, and the two young mutants attack the Vanisher. Chance gets them out of there with the help of a friend of hers named Ariel. Siryn pursues them, and finds herself in a restaurant.

Hey, look at it like this, Theresa. At least you can get a bite to eat.

I enjoyed this issue.