The city of her dreams II
While stareyednight was out treading the boards, LJ and I had some serious architectural work to undertake. You'll likely remember her amazing Lego city, and you no doubt shudder thinking back on its tragic destruction. Its population (both human and super-human) have waited patiently, these past five months, for their town to rise from the ashes and take on a new splendour.
It took four hours and all our concentration (we forgot to eat lunch!) but, today, the wait ended.
Behold - Super Hero City reborn! I think LJ's outdone herself with this masterpiece (and my contributions were none-too-shabby, either). Going clockwise from the top you've got: the parklands and petrol station/post office/snack bar/information booth; the newspaper building (with helicopter); Tony Stark's command bunker; the city bank; City Hall (more on that below) and Aunt May's house. In the centre stands the mighty Arc Reactor Tower, which provides all the city's power needs free of charge (and doubles as a rocket base).
City Hall devoured my day. I confess to having but mere competency when it comes to Lego construction, so I'm fairly proud of how this came out. Left-to-right you have the fire station, hospital (staffed by Dr Leslie Thompkins) and police station (with home-made Harvey Bullock minifig!) and, on the roof, you have the Mayor's office. Though you can't see it, behind the fire station is the city jail... the one that holds normal, non-powered criminals (like the bank robber and the gangsters). It's not very spacious, so it's just as well they break out a lot.
Though LJ has decided the town newspaper will be renamed The Hero Times, neither its ownership nor staffing have changed. The irascible J Jonah Jameson holds court from his top-floor office while his suffering secretary, Betty Brant, and reporters Lois Lane and Clark Kent toil on the ground floor. Only Jonah knows why there's a dollar sign painted on the window. Above them all perches an enormous digital billboard that blasts favourites like "Spider-Man: Monster or Menace?" 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Aunt May's home is an oasis of tranquillity amidst the usual daily madness of Super Hero City. Always ready to offer a friendly ear and a buffet of baked delicacies (including wheat cakes, of course), Peter Parker's favourite oldie does her best to keep everyone's spirits up - no small task when you're facing down Dr Doom and his cronies every day. Even so, rumour has it she once made Batman smile! The Dark Knight has refused to confirm or deny the possibility.
Now that the Dark Energon Quest has ended and the Transformers, Rebel Alliance and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have departed, Hero Headquarters has undergone a drastic evolution. The top floor is known as the Hall of Justice and serves as the central base of operations for the Justice League. Amongst its hi-tech features stands, incongruously, an old grandfather clock. Ah, but the time-keeper is more than it seems; when it slides back from its place on the right-hand wall it reveals a passage to... the Batcave! In that famous crime-fighting lair, Robin the Boy Wonder, Alfred the faithful butler and Proto-Bot are ever-ready to assist in the battle against evil.
The bottom floor of Hero Headquarters is now Avengers Mansion, home of Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Boasting the latest Stark innovations, this super-duper base puts the Hall of Justice to shame (according to Iron Man, anyway). In addition to its hard-light hologram training room (able to create replicas of any villain for either practice, sport or venting of anger), the Mansion has a high-security upper floor that stores the team's hover car, Captain America's beloved motorcycle and Iron Man's ever-upgrading procession of armoured suits. The whole thing is powered by a miniature Arc Reactor independent from the one in the city - that way, the Avengers can never be caught off-guard.
Don't be deceived by the neatly separated areas for the teams. Despite appearances, the Justice League and Avengers have never been more united in their determination to protect the work through co-operation. Some of the villains may have gone but their jobs are no easier. The Marvel and DC villains, still smarting from Luthor and Joker's betrayal, have rallied behind Dr Doom... and the Latverian despot couldn't be happier. Finally he has sole control over the world's ne'er-do-wells, and his future plans call for nothing less than total global domination! But first, he and his army will steal the gold, jewels, cash, technology and weapons needed to build a Villainville more rotten than any before...
His scheming hit its first speed bump on the weekend. Captain Cold, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang and Poison Ivy were dispatched on a "stealing spree" only to run into Flash, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern John Stewart. They had the upper hand until the arrival of the city's newest hero - Cyborg! Using his ability to "speak" to technology, Victor Stone overpowered the Rogues. Impressed, the JLA offered him membership. He graciously accepted and, in doing so, overcame his tragic past (he'd been critically injured while visiting his scientist father at a Stark Industries lab, then repaired with experimental devices - Tony has since apologised profusely).
(Can I just add, here, that I love the way LJ subbed Harley Quinn for the Trickster? Genius!)
Should they venture off Earth, the villains will find themselves dealing with the Green Lantern Corps! Based on the planet Oa, in the very centre of the universe, the Corps makes sure every sentient being in creation is safe, comfortable and protected. Little do Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner and their alien friends realise their lives are about to become extremely complicated. Recent events have led to the creation of an all-new power source... one that could tip the balance away from them! Will Saint Walker, the mysterious "Blue Lantern", be of help to them - or is he, too, a threat?
And, on the other side of the universe, stands mighty Asgard! I tell you, guys, LJ outdid herself here as well. The castle was built for her by a friend of mine, but she took it to the next level. Having received Odin and Lady Sif as birthday presents from scraptracker, LJ knew precisely how she wanted to use the castle. Instead of being annoyed by the lack of Warriors Three chibis, she simply made (movie-style) Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg out of minifig pieces! I added the home-made Heimdal, she repurposed a lamp as the Bifrost and voila! Another world on which to play!
Our first visit to Asgard (on Sunday afternoon) was a doozy. It started when Loki interrupted Enchantress' tropical holiday (poor Konkar was wearing 12 litres of sunscreen). The trickster had a plan in mind, but first wanted to test a certain spell on "an unsuspecting dope". He'd picked the poor Mayor, of course. "It'll be so funny, seeing him cause trouble for the heroes just by being his usual bumbling self," he giggled. Enchantress lent Loki a portion of her power just so he'd go away and stop bothering her.
Back in the city, the Mayor was hard at work when Loki - hiding under an invisibility charm - zapped him with the potent spell. The magic left the dutiful public servant feeling unwell so he left his office and headed for home. Along the way he started sneezing, and each of his "achoos!" felled trees, overturned cars and even damaged the Arc Reactor! Dr Thompkins and Dr Skelios were unable to diagnose the problem so they called in a specialist - Dr Ray Palmer. Not even the Atom could figure things out, though. It was a passing Thor who solved the mystery by identifying his brother's magic.
Realising no one on Earth was safe from the hyper-allergic bureaucrat, Thor took the Mayor to Asgard. Though Heimdal allowed them through the Bifrost, the Warriors Three blocked their passage over the Rainbow Bridge. Odin had decreed no mortal could enter Asgard. Thor braved his father's wrath to bring the Mayor before him for help. When the politician sneezed again, Odin's spear barely halted the destruction. The All-Father ordered the Mayor be contained on the Isle of Silence until a cure could be devised. Thor bravely volunteered to accompany him and Lady Sif, out of unrequited love, went as well.
Loki was waiting on the Isle. Using magic to counteract the realm's soundless nature, the trickster boasted of his cleverness and vowed to destroy them all before returning to Earth and "using that power on a real monster". Loki's arrogance was his undoing - inside the bubble of sound, the Mayor could pummel the villain with sonic-boom sneezes and send him hurtling off into space! Impressed, Thor vowed to stay with his newfound "brother warrior" for as long as it took to find a cure. Thankfully, the Bifrost opened before them - Odin had solved the problem!
"An old family recipe handed down by your grandmother," Odin explained as he poured an elixir down the Mayor's throat.
"She was a fine and noble woman," Thor nodded. "Well do I remember her full, luxurious beard."
"That was your grandfather," Odin admonished.
"Really? Then why did he wear a skirt all the time?"
"He was a Scottish Asgardian."
"Oh."
Mysteries of lineage aside, the enchanted brew stripped the Mayor of his unwanted powers and restored him to normal. So normal, in fact, he started to quiz Odin on "the paperwork you people use here". A gentle tap from Mjolnir rendered the Mayor unconscious for the return trip to Earth. When he awoke - surrounded by Thor, the Atom and the doctors - he immediately offered up his grand plan to build a "mayoral palace" in the middle of the city, with "plenty of spires and towers" just like Asgard. A second encounter with Mjolnir spared everyone from his gauche taste in architecture.
----------
The cast may have shrunk somewhat, but I've a feeling the adventures will only get bigger from here.
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF
It took four hours and all our concentration (we forgot to eat lunch!) but, today, the wait ended.
Behold - Super Hero City reborn! I think LJ's outdone herself with this masterpiece (and my contributions were none-too-shabby, either). Going clockwise from the top you've got: the parklands and petrol station/post office/snack bar/information booth; the newspaper building (with helicopter); Tony Stark's command bunker; the city bank; City Hall (more on that below) and Aunt May's house. In the centre stands the mighty Arc Reactor Tower, which provides all the city's power needs free of charge (and doubles as a rocket base).
City Hall devoured my day. I confess to having but mere competency when it comes to Lego construction, so I'm fairly proud of how this came out. Left-to-right you have the fire station, hospital (staffed by Dr Leslie Thompkins) and police station (with home-made Harvey Bullock minifig!) and, on the roof, you have the Mayor's office. Though you can't see it, behind the fire station is the city jail... the one that holds normal, non-powered criminals (like the bank robber and the gangsters). It's not very spacious, so it's just as well they break out a lot.
Though LJ has decided the town newspaper will be renamed The Hero Times, neither its ownership nor staffing have changed. The irascible J Jonah Jameson holds court from his top-floor office while his suffering secretary, Betty Brant, and reporters Lois Lane and Clark Kent toil on the ground floor. Only Jonah knows why there's a dollar sign painted on the window. Above them all perches an enormous digital billboard that blasts favourites like "Spider-Man: Monster or Menace?" 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Aunt May's home is an oasis of tranquillity amidst the usual daily madness of Super Hero City. Always ready to offer a friendly ear and a buffet of baked delicacies (including wheat cakes, of course), Peter Parker's favourite oldie does her best to keep everyone's spirits up - no small task when you're facing down Dr Doom and his cronies every day. Even so, rumour has it she once made Batman smile! The Dark Knight has refused to confirm or deny the possibility.
Now that the Dark Energon Quest has ended and the Transformers, Rebel Alliance and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have departed, Hero Headquarters has undergone a drastic evolution. The top floor is known as the Hall of Justice and serves as the central base of operations for the Justice League. Amongst its hi-tech features stands, incongruously, an old grandfather clock. Ah, but the time-keeper is more than it seems; when it slides back from its place on the right-hand wall it reveals a passage to... the Batcave! In that famous crime-fighting lair, Robin the Boy Wonder, Alfred the faithful butler and Proto-Bot are ever-ready to assist in the battle against evil.
The bottom floor of Hero Headquarters is now Avengers Mansion, home of Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Boasting the latest Stark innovations, this super-duper base puts the Hall of Justice to shame (according to Iron Man, anyway). In addition to its hard-light hologram training room (able to create replicas of any villain for either practice, sport or venting of anger), the Mansion has a high-security upper floor that stores the team's hover car, Captain America's beloved motorcycle and Iron Man's ever-upgrading procession of armoured suits. The whole thing is powered by a miniature Arc Reactor independent from the one in the city - that way, the Avengers can never be caught off-guard.
Don't be deceived by the neatly separated areas for the teams. Despite appearances, the Justice League and Avengers have never been more united in their determination to protect the work through co-operation. Some of the villains may have gone but their jobs are no easier. The Marvel and DC villains, still smarting from Luthor and Joker's betrayal, have rallied behind Dr Doom... and the Latverian despot couldn't be happier. Finally he has sole control over the world's ne'er-do-wells, and his future plans call for nothing less than total global domination! But first, he and his army will steal the gold, jewels, cash, technology and weapons needed to build a Villainville more rotten than any before...
His scheming hit its first speed bump on the weekend. Captain Cold, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang and Poison Ivy were dispatched on a "stealing spree" only to run into Flash, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern John Stewart. They had the upper hand until the arrival of the city's newest hero - Cyborg! Using his ability to "speak" to technology, Victor Stone overpowered the Rogues. Impressed, the JLA offered him membership. He graciously accepted and, in doing so, overcame his tragic past (he'd been critically injured while visiting his scientist father at a Stark Industries lab, then repaired with experimental devices - Tony has since apologised profusely).
(Can I just add, here, that I love the way LJ subbed Harley Quinn for the Trickster? Genius!)
Should they venture off Earth, the villains will find themselves dealing with the Green Lantern Corps! Based on the planet Oa, in the very centre of the universe, the Corps makes sure every sentient being in creation is safe, comfortable and protected. Little do Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner and their alien friends realise their lives are about to become extremely complicated. Recent events have led to the creation of an all-new power source... one that could tip the balance away from them! Will Saint Walker, the mysterious "Blue Lantern", be of help to them - or is he, too, a threat?
And, on the other side of the universe, stands mighty Asgard! I tell you, guys, LJ outdid herself here as well. The castle was built for her by a friend of mine, but she took it to the next level. Having received Odin and Lady Sif as birthday presents from scraptracker, LJ knew precisely how she wanted to use the castle. Instead of being annoyed by the lack of Warriors Three chibis, she simply made (movie-style) Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg out of minifig pieces! I added the home-made Heimdal, she repurposed a lamp as the Bifrost and voila! Another world on which to play!
Our first visit to Asgard (on Sunday afternoon) was a doozy. It started when Loki interrupted Enchantress' tropical holiday (poor Konkar was wearing 12 litres of sunscreen). The trickster had a plan in mind, but first wanted to test a certain spell on "an unsuspecting dope". He'd picked the poor Mayor, of course. "It'll be so funny, seeing him cause trouble for the heroes just by being his usual bumbling self," he giggled. Enchantress lent Loki a portion of her power just so he'd go away and stop bothering her.
Back in the city, the Mayor was hard at work when Loki - hiding under an invisibility charm - zapped him with the potent spell. The magic left the dutiful public servant feeling unwell so he left his office and headed for home. Along the way he started sneezing, and each of his "achoos!" felled trees, overturned cars and even damaged the Arc Reactor! Dr Thompkins and Dr Skelios were unable to diagnose the problem so they called in a specialist - Dr Ray Palmer. Not even the Atom could figure things out, though. It was a passing Thor who solved the mystery by identifying his brother's magic.
Realising no one on Earth was safe from the hyper-allergic bureaucrat, Thor took the Mayor to Asgard. Though Heimdal allowed them through the Bifrost, the Warriors Three blocked their passage over the Rainbow Bridge. Odin had decreed no mortal could enter Asgard. Thor braved his father's wrath to bring the Mayor before him for help. When the politician sneezed again, Odin's spear barely halted the destruction. The All-Father ordered the Mayor be contained on the Isle of Silence until a cure could be devised. Thor bravely volunteered to accompany him and Lady Sif, out of unrequited love, went as well.
Loki was waiting on the Isle. Using magic to counteract the realm's soundless nature, the trickster boasted of his cleverness and vowed to destroy them all before returning to Earth and "using that power on a real monster". Loki's arrogance was his undoing - inside the bubble of sound, the Mayor could pummel the villain with sonic-boom sneezes and send him hurtling off into space! Impressed, Thor vowed to stay with his newfound "brother warrior" for as long as it took to find a cure. Thankfully, the Bifrost opened before them - Odin had solved the problem!
"An old family recipe handed down by your grandmother," Odin explained as he poured an elixir down the Mayor's throat.
"She was a fine and noble woman," Thor nodded. "Well do I remember her full, luxurious beard."
"That was your grandfather," Odin admonished.
"Really? Then why did he wear a skirt all the time?"
"He was a Scottish Asgardian."
"Oh."
Mysteries of lineage aside, the enchanted brew stripped the Mayor of his unwanted powers and restored him to normal. So normal, in fact, he started to quiz Odin on "the paperwork you people use here". A gentle tap from Mjolnir rendered the Mayor unconscious for the return trip to Earth. When he awoke - surrounded by Thor, the Atom and the doctors - he immediately offered up his grand plan to build a "mayoral palace" in the middle of the city, with "plenty of spires and towers" just like Asgard. A second encounter with Mjolnir spared everyone from his gauche taste in architecture.
----------
The cast may have shrunk somewhat, but I've a feeling the adventures will only get bigger from here.
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF