Games? Oh, there have
been such games of late.
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First, Gentleman Ghost sought to right
past wrongs by luring Rescue and War Machine into a fight with a bunch of villains. Having rendered Tony Stark and his research team (who were working to make their tech
un-hackable) vulnerable, Ghost attacked... and sealed the billionaire genius in an air-tight coffin made of Arc Reactor shielding! Fortunately for everyone, Tony had forgotten to clear his tab with the Heroes for Hire. An aggrieved Luke Cage and Iron Fist came looking for their money, but instead found friends in need. Promising to add the rescue to Stark's bill, they assisted Rescue and War Machine then ran to save "the boss". Freed, Iron Man used his latest weapon - a gun that sprays liquid Nth metal - to turn Ghost into a statue! The day had been saved by Tony's contingency plans, but the playboy philanthropist was deaf to the lesson; he still wanted to make the reactor tamper-proof. His friends shook their heads and walked away, leaving him to fuss.
Then, MODOK and Abomination tried prove themselves Doctor Doom's best henchmen by tunneling under the city in a mole/borer machine! They stole gold from the bank and hostages from the streets until Nick Fury moved in to stop them... and got caught! He quickly sent a signal summoning a quizzical Black Widow, Hawkeye and War Machine. Accidentally, it brought the Hulk along as well - poor Bruce Banner had been fixing the SHIELD Hovercar when it responded to Fury's call! The heroes saved the hostages and stopped the villains. A grateful Fury asked the group to be his "Secret Avengers" for not-so-public missions. In exchange for their service and silence, SHIELD would leave all other heroes alone (and Hulk would get official "secret agent pants"). The heroes grudgingly agreed, warning Fury not to pull any tricks. As they left, he used a drug to wipe MODOK and Abomination's memories of the event. "No sense the secret getting out straight away," he told himself grimly.
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My favourite flight of fancy launched just before bedtime. LJ always asks us to "give her a dream" as she's going to sleep and one night, having just watched
Sky High, I was ready.
"It is the future," I began, "and, high above Super Hero City, a first-of-its-kind educational facility is being constructed. Designed by Tony Stark, funded by the Wayne Corporation and officially sanctioned by SHIELD, it is Super Hero City High School - the place where the next generation of super-powered saviours learn their craft! Principal Hank Pym, formerly known as Ant-Man, oversees a curriculum administered by the finest full-time meta-powered teachers and guest lecturers from both the Justice League and Avengers!"
Both LJ and
stareyednight were laughing, so I continued. "The main characters? Well, they're the first class of students to pass through the soon-to-be-hallowed doors of SHCHS! There's
Ironclad, Sunburst, Shield Maiden and Quickdraw - four best friends learning the ropes as they live up to legacies! There's May "Mayday" Parker, daughter of the always-amazing Spider-Man! Arthur Curry Jr is heir to the throne of Atlantis and king jock... very stuck-up, very difficult to get along with." I smiled as I tucked my daughter in. "The rest of the class, kiddo, is up to you."
"There has to be a kid Batman," she opined.
"Wait, I've got an even better idea!" I exclaimed, flush with inspiration. "Batman and Wonder Woman are an item in your games, right? So their son is Damian Wayne - the utterly precocious, insanely obnoxious 10-year-old genius who's been rushed to high school!" I started chuckling. "Oh, I can see it now. 'I am Damian Wayne! I am prince of the Amazons! And I'm Batman!' The others will be all like 'I don't think you can be prince of the Amazons' and he'll just stick his nose in the air and proclaim 'Can too! I am an Amazon! And Batman!"
As my wife and child struggled for air through their laughter, I swept out of the room with a flourish. My work was done.
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF