meirl

How was this movie so popular?

Raquel

Elizabeth Taylor (c.1952)

Coit Tower, San Francisco…

Claudia Cardinale (1960s)

6 Superhero Stories

6 Superhero Stories

“Forced Retirement” What if Alzheimer’s struck the World’s Mightiest Hero? His daughter, heroic Hericane, finds out the hard way. Gripped by dementia, godlike Epitome tears apart a city, and no one can stop him. Will his madness destroy the entire world? Not if Hericane recruits the one big gun who stands a chance in Hell of stopping her father in his tracks. But the battle of the century between the super-charged titans might just kick-start the Apocalypse instead of stopping it.

Being dropped face first into a super-hero universe can be rough, especially with characters that have oddball super abilities. At the end of the day this is a “what if superman got super mentally ill and his daughter had to fight him” story with some shenanigans from assisting heroes. Well done and sets the stage for the next five stories.

“Heroes of Global Warming” The world’s hottest hero has gone rogue! In an age of global warming, super-heated hero Skillet looks like a lukewarm loser. But when his teammates, the Castigators, turn their backs on him, he turns the Castigators into prey. Let the hunt begin! Skillet becomes public enemy number one as he rounds up his former allies. But the secret plan behind his hunt might just save the world.

Unrelated to the other stories in this collection, this one off story was tightly written and executed.

“Forced Betrayal” Who murdered the girlfriend of the World’s Mightiest Heroine? Super-powered Hericane will stop at nothing to find out who killed the woman she loved. But when she teams with Bonnie Taggart, internal affairs investigator for the Superhuman Protectorate, the search leads in unexpected directions. Fighting their way through the darkest corners of Isosceles City, Hericane and Bonnie tear the truth from criminal chimpanzees, crooked promoters, and hateful cops, only to fall prey to a terrible trap.

Related to the first story, and while it seemed to go on much longer than was necessary, the ending was worth the wait.

“The Wife Who Never Was” What happens when a truly super hero loses the love of his life in the continuity overhaul of his fictional universe? Mighty Pinnacle’s super memory won’t let him forget his lost marriage to Doris Dane, and his aching heart drives him to search everywhere for a way to bring her back. But all his power might not be enough when he runs up against a force from beyond his world, an enemy with the secret to his suffering.

It’s a familiar story and has a nice twist to it that feels unique.

“Forced Partnership” Hero-on-sidekick violence explodes in this hard-hitting super-hero tale. Why does Partycrasher, dark avenger of the night, give his sidekick the beating of a lifetime? Could it be the cowled crusader has fallen under the influence of sexy reformed bad girl Linda Loveblind, aka Partygirl? Or has the sidekick truly committed a heinous crime for which there can be no forgiveness? Maybe the answer is none of the above.

Which of these narrators can be trusted? Well done version of the twisted reality story.

“A Matter of Size” Who is killing the world’s smallest super-heroes? Down-on-his-luck masked avenger Man-Child takes the case, but can he save the remaining Small Wonders from a killer with a twisted crush fetish? Man-Child takes on villainous Mammon and Stigmata without missing a beat, but his own dark secret might be enough to bring him down for good.

It’s a short story, but a good one.

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There goes my savings

Oh, the humanity of it…

Carla Gugino

Inspector Amy Scott, who ran towards the Sydney spree stabber with no backup, and shot him.

World Trade Center in 1976, before newer buildings obscured the view from the harbor.

Mount Baker Wilderness, Washington [OC] (3024 x 4032)

“Star Trek: Defiant #6” Preview

blursed_chicken man

“Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” Review

I agree

The little Martian explorer 1956

What? Oh…

”Poor little guy… how could anybody starve in this land of plenty?” – American cartoon published in ”Chicago Sun-Times” (artist: Bill Mauldin), 1972

An ad for Istanbul cymbals from 1984, playing off of flying saucer imagery from the era. I bought this ad to frame and hang on the wall

meirl

International Day of Human Space Flight (Artist/date unknown)

Bozo the Clown visits the Oompa Loompas on the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory set, 1971

meirl

Leni Klum

Kate Yin

Hyatt Regency Hotel, Atlanta GA : Portman Architects, 1698

Rhapsody in Blue by Daniel Liang [3840×2160]

A Glowing Red Supercar In The Night [1920×1080]

Times Square from up above [OC]

Vera Farmiga

Blake Lively

Manchester, England

Presidential WHAT?

Polish M1A1 FEP Abrams and crewman from the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade. [ 2048 x 1366 ]

16 year old Matt Gaetz reading an article on dating 17 year olds.

Republican state representative left a loaded handgun in Colorado Capitol bathroom

Happens all the time

A man kisses his fiancée for the last time after being sentenced to life imprisonment, 2002

New York City [OC]

Menkent if it needs liberation again

The Many Shades of Manhattan (photo by Ed Jones)

Popcorn side table

Jessica Alba

ROAD

What a twist!

John Eaves Concept USS Stargazer NX-82893 by Pundus

The infamous two Korean men defending a grocery store during the L.A Riots April 30, 1992

Scuba Puppy