deviantART: Popular 50 Die Cut Icons

50 Free Die Cut Icons

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 07:05:50 PDT

I have been asked to create more die cut icons and so I decided to release a whole die cut icon set full of 50 scalable icons. These slick professional set of icons will be perfect to add to anyones social media collection. For these more involved freebies all you have to is pay with a tweet and you get a free download of these slick die cut icons. Cheers!

So what are you waiting for? Download the die cut icon set and let me know if you use it. I really do enjoy seeing these Photoshop freebies out in the public. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of this freebie.

You must go to this link to download the die cut icon set freebie.

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50 character meme

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:44:06 PDT

Decided to try this out, since I have no skill in anything other than writing, and that's very little. I know the cut and paste is very,very sloppy.

I like all of these guys, and the first three are my favorite in their respective mediums. other than that, it was very hard to chose who to put in this, I love them all so much! In order:
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1. Kakashi Hatake(naruto): all time favorite character. He has lots of character traits that I love!

2. Spiderman(Marvel): Favorite comic character and personaly nerd icon

3. Sonic(sonic the hedgehog): Dude got me into video games, no topping that.

4. Hal Jordan (Grren Lantern)

5. Brocken Jr. (Kinnikuman): No, he's NOT a nazi!

6. Terry Bogard (Fatal Fury): POWAH GAIZUHH! ARE U OKAY?!

7. Zoro (One Piece): He's got the badass factor to him. Liked since 4kids dub. I was young...

8. Ironman (Marvel): Second favorite marvel character, no matter how much civil war tried to ruin him. BTW AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!!! Can't wait to see that!

9. Sora (kingdom hearts): He's loyal, he's stong, and he beats up Nightmare before christmas characters! What more could I want?

10. Optimus Prime (Transformers): He is the embodiment of leadership. I'd look up to him I i were an autobot, i know that. Peter Cullen's voice is badass too.

11. Sari (Transformer: Animated): At first, i was pretty cruel to this show, but I actually watched it and loved it. Sari's the best human character in the franchise, especially post upgrade!

12. The Flash (DC comics): His power is generic, but He' still awesome. He also has the best villians in DC, so that's a plus. I'd say Barry Allen's my favorite Flash

13. Sir Crocodile (one piece): This guy is the coolest villain ever! Seriously, Croc set's the standard for cool villains as far as I'm concerned!

14. Captain Cold (DC): The Flash's arhc-enemy, and the leader of the Rogues (besst villians in DC) He's cool (haha) and has a strict code of honor which is refreshing from the standard "villain who's as insane and dark as batmans!" DC uses to much.

15. Erza Scarlet (Fairy Tail): Badass

16. Varric Tethras (Dragon Age 2): Favorite companion in the series

17. Neptuneman (kinnikuman): another example of cool villainy

18. Aerrow (Storm Hawks)

19. Lion-O (Thunder Cats 2011)

20. Soundwave (Transformers): Toss up between him and Shockwave for best decipticon

21. Captain Marvel (DC comics): I know he's superman clone at first glance, but once you read it, I found a very interesting story and a series that shows not every comic needs to be grim and dark to be good (until recently... ugh...)

22. Kraven the Hunter (Marvel): Favorite Spidey adversary

23. Kakuzu (Naruto): Best Akatsuki member, because all the other, cept Deidara and maybe Hidan, are TERRIBLE charcters, 'specially Pein and Itachi

24. Gray Fullbuster (Fairy Tail): Him and Erza are my favorites

25. Obi-wan (Star Wars): Since Phantom Menace

26. Aragorn (Lord of the Rings): All the best qualities of a fantasy hero rolled up into one.

27. Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil): This guy's awesome. He may not be in the spotlight now, but come RE6, he'll show us why he's a badass

28. Cyclops (X-men): Since I was a kid, I liked him, certainly better than Wolverine... 80's costume was the best.

29. Gambit (X-men): He's my favorite member of the team! He's probably the reason why i think rogue and theives are coolest when they're gentlemany and snarky like the good ol' Ragin' Cajun

30. Blue Beetle (DC): That's the second one, BTW, Jamie Reyes for the uninformed.

31. Litchi Faye-ling (BlazBlue)

32. Grunt (Mass Effect 2): It was soo hard to chose from the ME2 squadmates! It was a toss up between him, Zaeed, and Mordin. Anyways, Grunt kicks ass

33. Giles (Buffy)

34. Angel (Buffy/Angel): Good charcter, really liked the atonement story behind him.

35. Drake (Uncharted): He's lovable and snarky. And he stars in the PS3 definitive series.

36. Zuko (Avatar)

37. Takeda (Kenichi: Mightiest Disciple)

38. Rugal Bernstein (King of Fighters): SNK's got some of the best 2-D fighters and Rugal's my favorite boss character. He's a monster, for sure, but look at his sweet 'stache

39. Booster Gold (DC): This guy's so under rated outside of comics, but he's a great example of a "B-list" hero who's a more entertaining character than the well known ones. Read the first 52 to see why, as his story's the most interesting.

40. Count Dooku (Star Wars): Dear Lord is this guy awesome! Christopher Lee has such an awesome voice, and his acting made the sith lord even cooler. Forget Darth Vader!

41. Malfurion (Warcraft): WoW does have some very entertaining lore, and Malfurion features prominently in some of the more interesting ones. BTW I like both Horde and Alliance.

42. Aqua (Kingdom Hearts)

43. Tsubaki (Soul Eater)

44. Wesley (Buffy/Angel): He's so funny in the earlier season, while maintaining something of a badass streak. Later in Angel he's still a good character, just not as silly. I'm sad he dies in the end

45. Ghost Rider (Marvel)

46. Falco (Star Fox)

47. Connor Kent (DC): Super Boy, and I like him more than the guy he was cloned from. Young Justice (show, not his first team) ruined his character though. There he's just the Hulk in jeans...

48. Roy Mustang (Fullmetal Alchemist)

49. Free (Soul Eater): The villains in Soul Eater weren't all that entertaining to me, but Free stood out. He's a silly, yet awesome guy who doesn't really have sad past, which I feel is a good thing. And He's immortal, Ya know!

50. Big Boss/Naked Snake (Metal Gear Solid): This guy is a trooper, that's for sure. He's supposed to represent how much war can affect one soldier. He's the tragic hero in a series full of them. In the end, he would be remembered as a villain and rightfully so, but to him and many others he was a hero.
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So there ya go, my 50 and why I like them

All belong to their respective owners, I don't own any of them.

original meme here:[link]

Sudeley Castle 50

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 10:34:29 PDT

_{Location: Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire, England.

I was so excited to visit the place - I adore Tudor history so this was a dream come true for me! Sudeley Castle was the home of Henry VIII's sixth wife, Katherine Parr, who died at the castle in 1548 and is buried in the castle church.

Stock Rules
Please use my stock for DIGITAL ART/Photomanipulation only (however, you can use them for references for traditional art, no need to ask)
You must always credit me clearly by using my icon or by just linking to my account or to the original stock photo.
NOTIFY ME. I don't mind how. Note or comment, it's up to you.
Do not, under any circumstances, redistribute my stock or claim it as your own.
You can submit your work using my stock as prints on DA and you do not need my permission.
You can post your work using my stock outside of deviantART on your personal websites, it's your art, however you must post it on deviantART first and foremost.
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DO NOT cut the heads off my model stock, just to use the body/clothing, this is very disrespectful.
If you want to use my stock for commerical purposes, notify me beforehand, I may or may not say yes.
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Most importantly have fun!}

You will DIE from this

Sat, 10 May 2008 23:12:38 PDT

The picture that started it all~ Unless I kill myself, first! XD

Inspired by this really cute icon at this really awesome LJ!! [link]

Gaaah... because of my April brain fart, I forgot how to color quickly... It took me all day... psh... And it's not even that nice... I got laaaa~aazzzzyyyy~~ and just smudged everything... I didn't even draw pupils!! I should probably go back to my time-consuming shift+click technique... at least it's nicer looking... Gaah, I is lecture myself now. -raaaaant-

'kay Character Introduction!!

Name: Kaiko
Age: _{102, but appears 13} OHOHO!!! Because of the pendulum arc~ She should be more around... 50. yeah.
Cause of Death: Falling off of a roof while drunk |D;;
Zanpakutou: _{Hanagumo (Flower Cloud) _{I kinda want to change it to Kiribana (Cutting Flower) but that sounds like another word |D;;}} I changed it to Shinibana because I can, yo.
Zanpakutou Power: It can bend into any shape she wants. That shape is just the most commonly used one.
Seat/Squad: 8th Seat of 6th Squad
Personality: Random and ditsy, but very cynical. Likes to please people. Goes out drinking with her friend, Kuki, frequently. Daydreams a lot and doesn't pay attention much. A combination of too much drinking and daydreaming caused her to get held back a year at the Shinigami Academy, however because she longed to please her friend, Kuki, so much, she pushed herself and stopped drinking for a year and caught up... enough. Drops/hits herself frequently with Shinibana.
Playlist
Natural Pop - Orange Range
Seishun Line - Ikimono Gakari
Days of a Beautiful Human Being - Sambomaster
Australia - The Shins
Dive into Yourself - HIGH AND MIGHTY COLOR (Her fighting song >D)
Thanks - Orange Range (Her and Kuki's song~)

Can't wait for my Gotei 13 ID from ctJemm~!!

Can't wait to show you guys Kuki either!! I'm doing the same thing Jin is doing~ Loving my own OC to death~~

Kaiko (c) Me~

Icon (c) sylarismyhero2

Art (c) Me... I wish I did better though...

Texture (c)

Lavender Reference -2012 Revision-

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:19:49 PDT

07/25/12 - 07:14 AM GMT EST

Things to come:

-Bio fixes.

-Changes in personality ( I finally figured out a decent one for her. LOL. )

-Drawing updates, some added info etc, etc.

When? I don't know. Whenever the hell I feel like doing it I guess, since I'm busy. xD
---------------------------------
01/24/12 7:57 PM GMT EST

-Replaced old images with newer ones to match her current style and look.
-Better anatomy, and desaturated colors. Changed boot colors.
-Added alternate hair style, and revised the drawing with the layers of her hair.
-Deleted useless parts.

This should be good for at least two more years, at least..

_{_{If I live that long.. lol.}}

--------------------------------------------------
12/16/11 5:31 PM GMT EST

More bio updates and soon to come:

-Desaturation of fur.
-Some replacements of drawings.
-Better anatomy.
-Rid of Sonic eyes part.
-Deletion of useless parts.

-----------------------------------------------
6/23/11 6:34 PM GMT EST

Updated bio. Nothing much really.

-----------------------------------------------

(5/7/11 6:53 PM GMT EST)
I'm going to make her colors less bright. It's bothering the shit out of me and also I'm tired of fucking around with my printer just to get the colors decently correct. Her blueish-black parts and gray parts are fine. I'll make the gloves, pants, choker, wristbands and boots the same black color since I'm confusing the fuck out of myself when coloring now even I don't have it memorized by now. It's sad.
So minor updates to come yep.

Also I'm working on making her bio simple and sweet. It's too damn long. I'm pessimistic today yay. I feel like my old self again. Now to work on being more active. So much art to look at, I don't know where to start. ( I had saved all in a folder which has over 3,000 pictures so yeah. )

And she's older now. I'm tired of explaining why she and Rix are together when she looks younger than him. Even though she's really older than him by nearly 50 years now.

I'm also working on fixing her whole information, as I've finally got it down now as I was writing comic. I was getting tired of looking at it being unfinished and poorly thought out. Seemed a little unoriginal as well. But I can't make her perfect, I'll never be able to, because I'm human, humans aren't perfect.

I don't even know what stereotype she'd be it's more of my style really. I didn't go for anything at all I just.. made her design through experiments over time. So she's not goth, emo, rocker, metal none of that, she's just.. Lavender. xD

She'll also start showing feminine traits once I start drawing my comic, she grows up during the comic and such but till then, she's still in her child like stage.
But aren't you glad I deleted that long ass bio? I sure am. I need to figure out what to put in her bio that won't be as fucking long. Damn. Hahaha, I'm fed up with myself ha, I'm going insane slowly guys sorry. I think I'll be in a an asylum one day, I really do.

_{_{(03/21/11 1: AM GMT EST )

Oh Tallests, the insanity of of complexity of Lav's ref only gets worse. Added more on her outfit.
Probably will detail more of her accessories, or otherwise redraw them since they're starting to look weird now.
Then again I just prefer my pencil sketches over my norm, inking.

Yes, yes, useless deviation to show you. I just forgot to add these things on her ref. Now to email myself this so I can put on ipod and shizzz.

I probably have to redo the fur pattern part cause well.. it's a lil old but damn, it's hard to draw her right.

I want to post the other concepts but no bios. I should write some bios down in my concept binder, so I can polish them later. Yes, that is what I shall do in school today. 8D
Heeey I can actually do some art in Com. Tech. now that I'm not testing but everyone else is. Woo. I can get shit done, yessss. 8D

Ignore my blabbering.

--------------------------------------

(11/07/10 2:30 AM GMT EST )

I made her markings final. I was still deciding on how it would be for awhile. Her two species I based her species off is similar but not really much. One is an Iberian Lynx and the other is a Rusty-spotted cat.

---------------------------------------
(10/27/10 12:27 AM GMT EST )

I added the ref views for her outfit. Her fall/spring/summer dress in front, side, and back view. And her winter front, side, and back view.

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(10/16/10 3:38 AM GMT EST )

OH FIISSSHH. KILL ME. I spent three days updating this! D|
I made it neater, and gave it better anatomy and got rid of the Sonicy style. Her proportions stay the same because she has dwarfism, if you don't know what that is look it up. It's pretty obvious by the word "dwarf" though. Her general population is usually 8 ft tall, so she's really short compared to them, half really.

So yeah. Oh and some minor changes like tongue and blood. He blood is shiny ish. And aqua color. xD
Kinda like her mana just not as bright. Still glows though. xD

And kinda forgot to turn on the mature content warning for all this time lol.. xD
-------------------------------------
(7/18/10 12:53 AM GMT EST)

Temporary update, will replace the naked ones when I can draw right, but for now I fixed some things.

--------------------------------------

11/26/09 12:45 PM EST

Updated. Added some more info. After noticing how many people do this a lot.. especially the breasts part.. |D}}

--------------------------------

This will come in handy much.. this is really big but, I got a lot on Lav that is vital to know, otherwise her design is completely screwed up. It runs a certain way, and to get it wrong ( such as forgetting her necklace ) might be pretty bad.. since most of the things she wears is important and she can't really take them off, well she can take everything off but her necklace, as shown on the full body veiw here. She's rather complicated I know lol.

Especially the hair. You say she's hard to draw once, then you try being me who draws her like 20 times a day? XD She makes other characters easy to draw.. |D At least I learn something. And yes her hair is specific colors they're not just black and grey they have a blue tint in them to look less.. dull. |D
But I don't care if you don't make it exact anymore. So do whatever.

I don't mind if one of you try to use the same ref I did, it's pretty common, if they are detailed enough. But I do not want a complete rip off here, otherwise I will hunt you down. Seriously I will. 10 years into putting thought into this, yeah I'm not gonna be too flattered if I see a rip off. But I don't mind the whole huge ref based on how I did this. And most of it was traditional. Yay traditional~! XD

Profile info: ( WIP Word document for now, updated and reversioned. )
---------------------------------------------

Name: Lryindia ( Lavender ) Lynne Leon

Nicknames: Lavender (main) L.L., L.L.L, L.L.L.L., Lav, or Lavy ( L.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.-> lol it's a joke.)

Gender: Female

Speicies: Lavender is the only one of her type. ( full blood ) So she is a rare and a new hybrid of certain animals, due to the genes that have been mixed for years that have created a new animal gene. This was caused by her father's 'Mercury' that got into her genes and it wasn't poisonous but it manipulated the genes into a different species.

Personality: friendly, doltish, silly, acts before thinking, loves adventuring, and very random.

Height: 5' 1"

Weight: 111 lbs

Weapon(s): A staff/sword

IQ: 105 (yet she never uses her knowledge to anything; she's too carefree.)

Age:?? ( Mentally 76 [ Once a year age also called "Earth" years. ] )

Birthday: 2/29/2456

Wealth: No money system exists. It's more like the Native Americans would do, trade an item they want for an item you want kind of thing.

Status: living in her house ( a medium sized hotel that was abandoned ) and trying to avoid contact with Karai.

Martial status: Married

Weaknesses: fighting (she can't take much physical damage in fact she's THE weakest character I have LOL) Ice ( even though she LOVES snow ), her quick short thought actions failing her, clumsy,

Likes: Nice people, cookies, her friends, being crazy, lavaboarding, rixyn, helping people, hugs.

Dislikes: Mean people, getting hurt, being ignored a lot, being told she can't do something & being yelled at.

Favorite color: Purple ( typical XD ), and Neon Green

Favorite food(s): Cookies, spaghetti ( meatless ), lasagna ( meatless if any meat ), chocolates.. anything really as long as they're without meat.

Least favorite color: Pink

Least favorite food(s): Spinich, and meats

Main expression(s): Happy or silly, sometimes content or pouty

Least expression(s): Angry or evil minded

Main element: Plasma/clergy

Type of fighter: Cleric ( healing )

Life source: Mana/Physical health

Immunities: Most ( Plasma ) magic related spells and ageing physically ( she can turn it off anytime but chooses not to since people need her for quite a long a time so she will die one day just not too soon, ageing wise death anyhow.. she cannot prevent other deaths. )

Sheild power: Invinicible but cannot fight or move when activated ( so she's screwed until they leave or she runs for it XD )

Magic: 7/10

Physical: 0/10

Magic defense: 7/10

Physical defense: 0/10

Stamina: 8/10

Dexderity: 7/10

Health: 7/10

Mana level: 8/10

Speed: 5/10

Fly: 9/10 ( until she runs out of mana of course )

Total: 58/100 or 58%
( Yeah made her weaker. )

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bio: Lavender isn't known at first but once known ( part two will take flight of this ) she's called the "Idiotic hero" as she tends to be heroic in her actions but she's usually an idiot in the process. A lovable idiot somehow but her idiocy is caused by her quick non-thought-out actions. Which either fail or succeed. Usually fail. It is thought she may stay this way but due to the fact she's still considerably young she may grow out of it. Despite her fails she manages to keep hold of herself and continue to try to succeed, which is why she's heroic as she tries and tries until she DOES succeed.

She's also known for being the weakest person there is in physical combat. However she is better at Plasma and Clergy than most. Those and flying are her only good strengths, otherwise she's viewed and worthless and incompetent. She is a known friend of Hellen, the Commander of the World Army, whom acts as if she's a sister to her and keeps an eye out for her. She also pushes Lavender to get over her timidness when it comes to decisions. ( This becomes clear in the end of part one. )

Eventually things go wrong for her in which ways you will see. But as things go wrong she eventually pulls herself together again and makes do with it. ( You know she takes it and learns, uses the information and moves on. )
[ And take note when I say wrong I mean HORRIBLE. I really bomb shelled events in the first part. What may the second bring I do not know yet. ]
{Murphy's Law simply put: If things can go wrong, it WILL. }
|That's one plot type I used mostly for Lavender. |
_{I need to stop side commenting now./}

( She isn't quite the cutesy type character as some think, she's more of an idiot really. You'll see what I mean. She's a rather radical idiot. I made her so since she's always been crazy as is, and she's young, so most young people do things without thinking, and do it often. She does learn to stop but I cannot tell you when. She's somewhat of a butt-monkey in the comic, and a comic relief character, but is a major character as well. [ It is centered around her afterall. ])
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About her clothing, accessories, etc..:
Her Necklace and choker: Her necklace is her main source of life and power if taken off she will die within seconds. Why you ask is because it allows her to die 3 times a day and if exceeded she will stay dead unless revived by someone else. She tends to die easily so this is why the necklace is so important to her. She can't even take it off when taking a shower, she has to keep it her hands or still on her neck for her not to die. Without this she would be dead already and she would be not able to use her spells. ( Obviously because when she dies she has no time to cast a spell, duh. )
Her wristbands and tail band: These are second important. With them she is able to use her spells correctly and without having error or slip ups as much. If taken off a lot of her mana and spells would be wasted or over used. And she wouldn't be able to use them because of this. She could get a spark but nothing like she usually could do.
Her dress: She changes her dress type every season, for fall or spring she has a slightly cut off sleeve that hangs off the side and her shoulders stay bare. In winter they are long sleeved. Summer time there's cuts where it shows the side of her chest and the side of her abdomen. The mana connects with the chocker necklace as a way to control her and to help keep her powers sane.
Her boots: Her boots are just extra power. It has a line of mana on the outside and a plane of plasma (about 500 degrees ) helps her when she tries to kick someone to at least get some extra damage, if they are vulnerable to heat that t, if not then she's pretty screwed on her kicks. On the back has a line of plasma with a orb of plasma at the end this is just for more power and to keep her boots stable.
Her eyes: Her eyes change depending on how her mood or status is. Green means normal, grey means she's either unconscious or out of mana, a nearly full black means she's dead, and purple just means her pupil extended because it is so dark, they dilate, or she is trying to focus a bit more.

Lavender © =Lavenkitty
Do not take without permission. Do not take this without asking, no recoloring, claiming as your own, ect. You may Use this as an icon, ID, wallpaper or whatnot, just let me know so you won't have an issue of being accused of art theft. Respect the artist. Don't be a fool. And do not rip off or copy her story and profile otherwise I will nag you to death about it. No one likes copy cats. B(

*You may download this for the bigger and fuller size ( 4964 x 7467 pixels ) if you wish but please DO NOT recolor, steal, or post it anywhere else, with all due respect. I WILL FIND YOU IF SO. I am not dumb.*

::OPEN:: Offer to Adopt Hybrids 7 -- 1 LEFT

Sat, 16 Jun 2012 02:31:17 PDT

NOTICE
I am without a charger for my computer at the moment due to a technical error in the one I currently own. I won't be able to even start to replace it until after the weekend. Until then assume that I accept all offers that I haven't responded to and I will try to adhere to the one week rule as best as I can though if I am not back online for extended periods then I apologize. Wait until I have given it to you though before you take it even if you are the only one to offer after a week This way I keep from having any sort of drama.

These will be name your price adoptables! All you have to do is offer a price and if I like it, then you can go ahead and send the money/points/whatever you're offering! If you offer art and/or designs then please be clear on what you are offering so that there's no confusion!

I will accept the following:
Art for me (not of the creature)
Cash (no less then $1 please unless being offered with something else)
Points (no less then 20 please unless being offered with something else)
Designs (these will only be accepted if i absolutely ADORE the design(s) you offer)

How this works:
1. You make an offer. I will wait 1 week (7 days) to see if anyone else offers. If offer #2 is better or equal to offer #1, then the week will be reset (it is the same with my auction adopts). This is to see if anyone else can offer better.
2. If I LOVE your offer then I may bypass the week system.
3. If I HATE your offer then I will deny it immediately.
4. If you offer something that is/will be posted, I'll link it here if I pick you!
5. If someone else offers something, I will notify you of that. This isn't a notification of being outbid, simply me letting you know there is another offer. If you feel that their offer is better then your original offer, then feel free to change your offer <3
6. Hidden comments are old offers that are simply taking up space. If you wish for me to unhide your comment then I will gladly do so. It's just a way to save me some scrolling XD
7. means the adoptable is free for offers, means the adopt is taken, and means that the adopt is closed for offers but still pending ownership.

Rules
1. Once you own the creature you may do whatever you would like with it. This includes drawing it, rping with it, letting it rot, doing whatever, or even reselling it.
2. Yes you read that right, I allow you to resell your adopt. All I ask is that I am notified if at all possible, and if you sell it for points/cash then I would kindly ask for a small cut of the profits. I also would greatly appreciate it if you redrew it in the case of reselling. In other words, do not use my art to resell.
3. I would love to be credited when you use these, though I don't require it every time. Just the first time you post something related to the creature, and if someone compliments you on the design then let them know that I made it. Just give credit where credit is due.
4. Nothing much else other then have fun offering~

Elephantbeavergecko
None yet

Longhair Chihuahuagator (yips like a chihuahua and is a literal ankle biter XD)
~~A traditional commission (sendable) + an animated icon + digital realistic animal art + a shaped bookmark + a little keychain with some little characters + art slave for a month from *ask-araknia 6/17~~
TAKEN-> 100 + 2 commissions (complex) + 3 month premium membership + $20 from *Nekoyasha12 6/22

Fluffy Axolotlpenguin
30 + hybrid species w/permission to resell from ~Hybrid-Adoptables 6/16
40 from ~RingtailFox 6/16
TAKEN-> 60 from *BlankCanvasAmrye 6/22

Fluff Pixie
MINE

Catfishechidna (those are spikes on its back)
TAKEN-> 5 commissions + 2 batches of adoptables that I can do anything with + 5 from ~OcAngel260 6/22
~~10 + digital character sketch from ~careas 6/23~~

Porpoisealbatrossspider
~~Art + 25 from ~SNOWBlRD 6/16~~
TAKEN-> Design/art trade from ~somnolance 6/16

Ivysnakerabbittrap
30 from *Liebz 6/16
40 from ~careas 6/23
TAKEN-> $10 from *fenrirhound 6/29
_{This one has a bit of info to make it make sense so if you are adopting this one you must agree to try not to change this info and if you do then you have to let me know first. These guys start off life as buds from "suckers" (from the ivy) and once they're big enough they hop off but eventually they start laying down roots (tail and back legs first) which limits their mobility until they are literally rooted to one spot. Their bodies will continue laying down roots though they will retain mobility in the unrooted areas (like the neck). Roots will cease being laid down when they get up to the head which is the venus fly trap part of the hybrid. They hunt by leaving their jaws open and emitting a sweet scent. When something wanders into the jaws they snap shut trapping the creature in their mouth. With the nutrients they grow a single flower that some people liken to a forked tongue from the crease between the "jaws". This flower will stay and be pollinated until there aren't enough nutrients to sustain it anymore at which point it will wither and die, causing the jaws to open again. The leaves on the back only grow after it is rooted, though the fur is green and contains chlorophyll for photosynthesis.}

Scottishfoldsaberpanda
Design trade + art from ~GreekWolf 6/16
50 + 2 commissions from *Nekoyasha12 6/22
100 + 2 chibis or pony drawings from *Animeandanimelover 6/22
TAKEN-> 300 + 1 request from *Kyarako 6/22
~~4 pics of the hybrid + 5 designs + 8 drawings for me from ~Zantherax 6/22~~

Mammothrex
TAKEN-> Design trade + non-sendable clay figure of 1 or 2 of my characters from ~Animal-Cartoonist140 6/16

Rhinotter
~~20 from *Shiverice 6/16~~
TAKEN-> 4 commissions from =woodsybirds 6/18

Treedragonferret
30 from *Liebz 6/16
4 commissions from =woodsybirds 6/18
5 commissions + 2 batches of adoptables that I can do anything with + 5 from ~OcAngel260 6/22
50 from *Animeandanimelover 6/22
TAKEN-> 60 from ~careas 6/23

All designs and art (c) me

Yongary Sketch Study 2

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:52:11 PST

So, this is sort of a gamble. I tried many different approachs to the Hybrid design and 'it' didn't want to be shown in any way but this one. Thats the way a lot of my drawings are, they won't let me do anything worth while until I get the exact pose I apparently need. In Hybrid Yongary's case it was this menacing march of doom. While drawing the Hybrid, I also did a bit more digging into the bowels of the interbutts to see if I could find any other iconic traits about a monster that for the most part is rather nondescript. Most would think Yongary is pretty basic and almost boring but there are some subtle things in his design you can find that others might miss if you look closely. Yongary apparently had something of a small spiked wattle near the base of his throat. On the suit there are just a couple spikes that just sort of sit there. I expanded this in the Hybrid by turning it into a fully spiked gullet that expands when he's about to unleash firey hell. We have oily drool coming down the jaws there, thats from WOG from the previous study. The Showa also had this roof tile like scales on his body along the back which I turned into this evil sandpaper like triple layered armored hide. It matches three point shape of his spines. Speaking of the spines, I decided to give him something like a Stegosaurus and have them alternating down his back rather than have a single or multiple rows. This moves him further away from Godzilla and corelates with his improved thagomizer which is big enough to drive some pretty damn big holes through his opponents now and the tip of the tail is now a spike in its own right to increase the lethality.

The head is a mix of the Showa and Reptilian with artistic license on my part. With a thagomizer, a thumbspike, and horns all suggested, it made me remember something important. Way back when, Godzilla was born from the concept of combining a T-Rex, an Iguanodon, and a Stegosaurus. Now what if we actually took that shit literally and added some Styracosaurus in there for the lulz? Reptilian from the previous study is noted for having a very large head crest and a small nasal horn. Naturally we do away with the small nose stub in favor the inifinitely more manly WOG horn at the right angle but what about those head horns eh? I figured that by incorperating them into the eyebrows that we could complete the effect. No need for a central horn as the Showa's frill takes care of that little chore. His tusks got moved back to the molars where they tend to grow anyway in most animals, leaves more room for his other teeth. You may notice that he has a bit of a beak. This is another ceratopsian influence and it was added for one particular reason. Showa Yongary had a narrower head compared to many of his ilk. Now biologically its rather difficult to make use of such a narrow head and keep a decent bite force especially with tusks in the way. Yongary also has a lesser number of teeth than other kaiju predators so I felt something of a snapper hook would be a good lead in there and still keep his head iconically narrow. Now, I'm aware that this gives Hybrid Yongary something of a draconic look. Not the cat/man face faggots we see all the time but one the classic varieties that had heads shaped like arrow tips and ate virgins. If you checked out what Yongary was apparently named after, it was said he was named after some kind of famous Korean dragon. For Yongary, having a passing resemblance to the yee ole fire breathing lizards is understandable. Besides, the right light he almost looks like a fire breathing rhino lol. Now body type wise he is a retrosaur through and through. By that I mean the tail dragging, round backed, head held high, stop motion dinosaurs that ate horses, cavemen and whatever else Harryhausen put in front of them. It was only upon using this build that I was able to get a body that stuck. Something stocky and powerful like WOG, mobile like Dangerzone and capable of some basic human level manipulation like Reptilian. We have some tanks burning in the background, some flaming spittle and other stuff like shadows and perspective.

General list of features that made the Hybrid:

WOG- Stockiness and muscle, large horn, scaly texture, drool.

Dangerzone- Thagmozier, eye pits, claw arrangment and armored claws.

Reptilian- 'slight' indication of horn crest, spines on the forearms to aid in digging, chest emblem, armored shoulders.

Showa- Pointed head, tusks, horn angle, neck frill, spine shape, belly pattern, spiked throat gullet, red rimed eyes, spaced out teeth, facial contours.

Unique to Hybrid- beak, horn brows, tri-spike scales, alternating stego plates down back, forearm spines, thumb spikes, improved thagomizer, control crystal in chest emblem, retrosaur build.

Something to keep in mind with some of the features is I wanted to make it possible for a YINO (AKA Reptilian) to be derived from Yongary so there are features on him that when transfered into 'Yonggary' become the kind of thing you see with the Reptilian design. Nasal horn shrunk, body got more humaniod, tusks disappeared, forearm spines got larger but reduced in number, spines became a single unified column, tail shrunk, head spines exploded, etc.

Before I do the profile, I'd like to thank all of you who gave me suggestions and advice. Without you this thing would probably suck. Seriously, you guys are instrumental in making this process into something cool.

General profile stuff:

Name: Yongary

Alias: Yongary of the Deep, The Deep One, Scorch Horn, 'Mr. Bojangles', Subject X41

Height: 50 meters

Weight: 20,000 tons

Abilities:
-Is a powerful burrower
-Breathes a vapor chemically charged in the gullet that ignites once exposed to air, producing a natural flame thrower.
-Capable of charging and releasing energy through its nasal horn in a shearing beam that cuts through most base materials like paper.
-Can lift its own body weight.
-Surprisingly agile for its size.
-Plates on back absorb various energy types.
-Has a strong appetite for fossil fuels.
-Diamond hard claws and teeth.
-Nasal horn can pierce granite.
-Sharp scales make close combat dangerous.
-Has a nictating membrane over the eyes that protects them from bright light, perventing sudden blindness from surfacing, flares, or the glare of its own energy attacks.
-Deep and multiple lung capacity allows it to burrow for days and even hibernate underground for years without surfacing.
-Thagomizer tipped tail can shatter buildings and penetrate several dozen feet of steel.

Weaknesses:
-Not all that great a swimmer.
-The range of the fire breath is not all that long. (initially)
-While agile, it is slow to react and a bit ponderous at times. (while controlled)
-Is extremely allergic to a certain precipitate of ammonia, first exsposure was lethal, was given a tolerance to the point where a severe dose renders the creature numb and stiff for several hours.
-Annoying little 'itchy rays' due to energy sensitivity.
-Gullet is the least armored point on the body.
-Chest cavity holds a control device of alien design. Is protected by a force field that keeps it from getting dislodged or destroyed unless attacked by a concentrated blast of radioactive energy. While it is in place, Yongary is subject to the whims of his creators.

Bio:
Yongary is the product of an alien race that was notorious for using subtle 'sleeper weapons' to take over various worlds before they became advanced enough to challenge them. Yongary was Earth's sleeper weapon created from the genes of various dinosaurs and shaped into a powerful engine of destruction. It was given a diamond like device called a 'damon' to control it when it was needed and put into suspended animation deep underground in what later become the Middle East. In 1967, a previously undocumented oil spring was located despite all equipment at the time pointing to the area being barren just days before. Plans were immediately made to unearth the precious fossil fuel but all plans where snagged when it was revealed that the reserve was apparently incapsuled in some sort of bizzare shell that repelled even the strongest drills. Stubborn to a fault, the oil barons pulled strings and had the equally stubborn shell blown apart with a 'clean' nuclear bomb. The shell finally cracked but not without causing catastrophic earthquakes all over Asia. Being hit especially hard, South Korea sent a research team to investigate the massive disturbance caused by the 'neutral test'. To their chagrin, the largest oil companies in the world were busy trying to lay claim to what was revealed to the largest oil reserve ever discovered. Whoever owned it would be rich beyond measure. Unfortuantely draining the oil had a dreaded side effect, the sleep weapon's suspenstion fluid was the oil they so desperately drilled for and by removing it, the titanic creature was awakened too early and extremely irrate. With nothing but an simple early protocol of orders to go off of, the then unnamed kaiju rose from the fragments of its suspention shell and proceeded to lay waste to much of the area. Tracking what was left of its suspention fluid and thus precious nutritents by scent, it followed the trail of the research team and headed straight for Seoul. The South Korean army could not stop the wrathful creature and their forces were utterly annhilated under the creature's might. Named Yongary after an ancient Korean dragon of legend, Yongary proceeded to raze district after district; finally settling to feast on the oil refineries hard processed fuel. A bizzare incident stopped the creature dead in its tracks when it suddenly became helplessly itchy and appeared to be dancing as it tried to find relief. A young relative of the research team had tracked the creature for his own amusement and had decided to play his usual pranks on the creature via his uncle's 'Itchy Ray'. Much to his surprise it worked and the boy had great fun forcing the normally rabid creature to 'lay'. Thus a strange relationship formed between the two. As Yongary was being led into another dance session, he crashed into an area carrying ammonia. The compound had an adverse effect on the kaiju and it started choking and spasming. Only continued administrations of the 'Itchy Ray' annoyed the creature enough to throw itself into the river and wash it off. Having had its fill of civilization for the day, Yongary burrowed back underground as the young boy ran home, elated that he finally had someone to play with. The boy's joy did not last long however as the rest the team, desperate for answers on how to stop Yongary had recorded the spectacle and managed to uncover Yongary's weakness to a certain aspect of the chemical. Armed with several hundred pounds of refined ammonia, the research team succeeded where the army failed. Swooping in to stop the destruction bent kaiju back on the war path, the research team doused the kaiju in the substance. It was only when Yongary began bleeding from the eyes and mouth did the boy realize that wasn't itchy powder they were dousing his new friend with. Despite his protests, the team continued their bombardment until Yongary suffered a massive stroke and died, bleeding from every orifice imaginable.

The South Korean government took the corpse of Yongary and whisked it off to a hidden underground bunker, determined to learn whatever they could from the creature. In 1999 the alien race arrived to sweep humanity into oblivion...only to find their weapon missing from where they left it and dead once they located it. Utterly furious at being outdone by such primitive creatures through sheer dumb luck, the alien warlords blew the research bunker to smithereens and collected their broken tool of conquest. Finding the refined ammonia still in Yongary's system, one of the few elements that destablized their genetic miracles, they worked tirelessly to immunize the kaiju to it. Having only partial success at best, they reanimated the creature and sent it back to utterly decimate Seoul and burn it to the ground. Despite their best efforts, the armies cannot harm Yongary and even the ammonia compound proves to be only capable of slowing the creature down this time. After wasting Seoul, the Aliens decide to take their vengeance on the next enemy on their list, the ones that released Yongary prematurely. Heading toward America, the aliens teleport Yongary straight into the heart of Los Angles where he proceeds to turn up the temperature in the sunny city well beyond tropical. Desperate to end the creature and cover their own ass, the oil barons manage to convince the president, one of their own, that nuking it is the only option. The plan is go and a nuke is dropped on Yongary....only to reveal that he is completley unharmed and even more powerful than ever. Unfortuantely for his alien masters, he is also completely uncontrolable as the radiation from the nuke has irrevokably damaged the inner workings of the damon diamond on Yongary's chest. Taking it in stride, the alien warlords simply tease the radiation powered behemoth with oil and other energy directly from their ships, having him stomp and destroy everything in his path to get to it. Days go by and Yongary continues to rampage. Seeing no other choice, the South Korean government ropes in a professor at a local college, who just happens to be the young boy that befriended the monster decades ago. Still resentful of having been duped into killing what he considered his first friend, it takes much convincing from his doe eyed students and love interest to get him to go after the rampaging kaiju and deal with him the right way. Armed with nothing but his wit and his improved 'Itchy Ray' the Professor manages to dupe the massive dinosaur into dancing and thus remembering that there are things other than blowing up buildings to do and it finally settles down. Furious beyond belief the aliens attempt to kill the Professor but Yongary takes the attack personally and obliterates the offending ship. Realizing just how out of hand the situation has become, the aliens are forced to release 'The Cleaner' known as Cykor to rid themselves of the failure that is Yongary and the human race once and for all. Having never faced another monster like himself, Yongary is taken aback and floored by the experienced and brutally powerful Cykor who toys with Yongary as he tosses him around the city ruins like a ragdoll. Cornered and desperate, Yongary manages to blast Cykor's head clean off...only to have tentacles take its place and the beast to begin its attack anew without missing a beat. Bleeding and pushed to the limit, Yongary gives in to its chimeric instincts and manages to avoid the near lethal Plasma River attack from Cykor's tail and finishes the demented creature by holding its severed neck hole wide and aiming a Flame Pillar attack directly into Cykor's insides at point blank range. Forced for the first time to retreat, the aliens swear vengeance on the primitive humans and their traitorous sleeper weapon and leave to devise a new strategy and create more powerful organic weapons.

Satisfied with its victory, Yongary roared in triumph and through gradual coaxing via the 'Itchy Ray', Yongary was lead to a deserted island where he would settle and be fed regular tankers of oil and radiation until he was needed again.

-RenDragonClaw

Gamera the Great: Balgon

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:27:14 PST

Balgon:

Height: 1 - 75 Meters (On Hind Legs)

Length: 2 - 150 Meters

Weight: 40,000 Tons

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Abilities:

-Moisture Absorption: Though the means are unknown, exposure to water causes the monster Balgon to grow in extreme proportions. The more water it sheds through attack or exposure to heat, the smaller it becomes.

-Crystalline Cranium: Balgon's skull is embedded with a small crystal with an energy signature remarkably similar to the jewel in possession of Ken Stegall. As the monster grows, it spreads into a diadem with a powerful spike growing down the bridge of the snout. These spines are capable of piercing Gamera's shell and were met with extreme interest by both sides of the war machine.

-Refractor Ray: Balgon's signature attack. Utilizing rays of light gathered through his spines, the blue dragon fires a powerful ray of a composition still under study. Believed to be composed of hot water vapor, it resembles a rainbow, but can cause extreme damage to many types of targets, organic or otherwise. When emitted from the back spines, it can cause intense burns, but when emitted orally, it can freeze enemies.

Combat Records:

-JSDF Forces: 1 Win, 1 Loss, 0 Draws

-Gamera: 0 Wins, 1 Loss, 0 Draws

::To Be Updated As Events Warrant::

History: In the weeks following Gamera's battle with the red bat, Japan became the center of media attention the world over. Especially considering that Gamera, dormant in its shell, was still sitting in the middle of the Tokyo streets. Toru Onodera was eating up the newfound fame as the man that caught most of the battle on film, even though others had recorded it his media connections won out for him and he had turned into something of a celebrity. Intent on cashing it in, his station turned him into something of a mis-marketed celebrity, calling him a hero of the attack. This was not well met by young Ken Stegall, who had been in truth the one who called Gamera there with the jewel he found in China. At least, that's what it felt like.

Day after day the unlikely duo of journalist uncle and orphaned nephew went around the land of the rising sun via shinkansen train for one interview after another. These train rides were silent and awkward, Ken simmering at what he considered an injustice and Toru not saying a word about it. Any attempts at conversation were short and cut off quick.

Eventually, his fame ran its course. The interviews were drying up, and people were attending them less and less. Toru's news company arranged another interview, one last one, in Kyoto, in hopes of resurging it and keeping him alive, but they warned him that if he didn't do something different to bring in the crowds, the interviews would stop and he'd go back to warfront stories, something he did not want at all. On this train ride, he did something he would later regard as stupid. He told Ken his dilemma, and the boy was more than willing to give him a curt answer. "Maybe that's because you didn't actually DO anything." He said with enough mirth to fill the room. Toru winced for a split second, and then defended himself. "And what, you did?"

"Gamera came because I was in danger, you saw the jewel, you know that! We'd be buried under rubble if not for me!" Toru shook his head. "Oh, don't be so naive, kid. Your precious Gamera, if that's even its real name... Why would it come to protect one kid? It could just as easily been anything. It may have just been the fact that you're holding that shiny bead. If anyone else was it might have come for them instead." Ken's face turned red. "That is not true!" he blurted out, though deep down seeds of doubt were being planted. The intercom went off, announcing their arrival in Kyoto would be shortly.
Gathering his bags, Toru showed a note of panic on his face. "Great, I still don't have any ideas for how to bring the crowds. Dammit, if I don't its back to covering warzones!" He began mumbling extremely fast under his breath, and Ken couldn't help but smile.

Arriving at the station, the two stepped out of the train. A small crowd was waiting for them, mostly people from the local booking agency that were prepared to escort him. Ken looked up at his sweating uncle, and smiled snidely, "Looks like its war again for you, uncle." Toru looked down at him, with an expression Ken had never seen on him. "Then it's some orphanage for you." he said. "If I have to go out there again I am not dragging some kid into a warzone. The only reason you were in China is I was stuck there and my sister's will insisted you be taken to me. I was hoping this would keep us both alive and keep my sister from haunting my nightmares for dumping you into the system. But of course you're too selfish to see any of that." Ken got quiet, the din of people walking by seeming to not even happen. "You think people would believe that a kid with a little glass bead summoned that big thing? No, they wouldn't, whether it happened or not." The agency people started walking over to the pair, and Toru said, "Keep quiet, kid, I need to think this through."

He heard no response, which surprised him. One of the booking agents spoke, "Onodera-san, you have arrived. I heard there would be two of you." Toru looked at the woman like she was crazy, "What are you talking about, my nephew's right..." turning to point out Ken to the group, he was stunned to find that the youth had disappeared! Panicked, he began looking around the station, calling out for Ken. One of the other agents inquired if something was wrong, and the young journalist responded, "My nephew's disappeared, is what's wrong. He was right here! I can't go to any event until I find him or I'll never live it down." One of the group stepped aside to make a quick call on his cell, and the rest of them offered their services in helping to find him. Nodding, the small impromptu made their way through the train station, scouring it and finding nothing. Toru groaned, Ken must have gotten into the streets. This was going to be a very long day...

---

Ken knew nothing of the streets of Kyoto, but even if he had he still would have gotten lost. Half an hour of walking with his head to the ground tended to do that. His uncle's words had hit him in a way he didn't expect any could. He wasn't feeling guilt, though, or even sadness over his parent's deaths. In fact he wasn't sure WHAT he was feeling at all, but he knew he needed time to be alone and think. He didn't count on slipping into the older part of the city, though, and now was lost in a sea of unfamiliar olden styled buildings. He knew, in part, that his uncle was right. He had never really fit in anywhere, he never lived in one place long enough thanks to the war, and his uncle was the only real family he had left. Sure, the man had his flaws and had almost never even called him by his own name, but if what he said at the station was true then a lot of his recent behavior was an attempt to prolong their stay in safety. Of course he could only be referring to himself, but still, uncle Onodera's words hit Ken hard.

Pacing the streets absent-mindedly, Ken clutched at the glass jewel, hoping the same sense of closure would come over him from the battle. The jewel had become something of a security blanket for him, carrying it with him at all times. If his theory was true, Gamera would save him as long as he had it in his hands. Thoughts of Gamera flying in and carrying him away from the war, from his family problems, and everything, dominated his mind, and he sighed. He was old enough to know life didn't work that way.

Turning into an alleyway, he glanced up ahead, and saw a large black dog glaring at him, its intentions obvious. Going white in the face, Ken turned and ran, the sounds of paws hitting pavement and barking driving him like he was the devil's coach-horse. The dog gained on him slowly but surely, and his adrenaline would not last. Taking a risk, he scrambled his way up a wooden fence, the dog's jaws missing his shoe by inches. Slipping over the edge, he found himself in the middle of, for lack of a better term, a Japanese Garden. The iconic sounds of babbling water and deer scares settled Ken's racing pulse far faster than he'd have believed, and for a moment, the barking from the other side of the wall seemed like it wasn't even happening. The boy walked around the garden for a moment, taking care not to step on anything, but while he was relaxing, he felt something come to rest on the back of his neck. A strong voice broke the tense silence, though Ken only knew a little Japanese and he couldn't make much out, aside from the fact that it was obviously not peaceful.

He turned, speaking slowly and clearly in English as best he could despite his fear, hoping what his uncle said about English being taught in their schools was true, "I come in peace." was all he could muster. His aggressor, a wiry teenage boy that couldn't have been four years his elder, eyed him with an unusual expression, a wooden sword in hand. "I'm Ken, I was running..." he said, pantomiming his words to better convey the story. The display was obviously humorous. "...from this big dog, and I climbed the wall... to escape." The young man's expression had not changed. Ken tried to reach out to him, hoping the wooden swords weren't as painful as kung-fu movies made them look. "Do you understand me?" Again, his face was unmoving. "No?" Ken asked, not sure how to react. Finally unable to stand the silence, Ken decided to take his chances with the dog again, and muttering a half-explanation for leaving, he tried to step away. In one motion, the youth was upon him, immobilizing his arms and knocking him to the grass. Ken sputtered, the taste of earth in his mouth. He tried to struggle free, hoping he could get through to his attacker, but nothing worked, he was trapped. The Japanese youth picked him up by the collar, and then noticed the jewel laying in the grass, fallen from Ken's pocket. Then, he spoke English, which was an unusual moment for Ken. "What is that?"

---

An hour later, Ken found himself in some of the nicest company he had ever known. The young man, who he found out was named Yohei Shichiroji, invited him inside his home after asking him about the jewel, where his grandfather and grandfather were waiting with lunch. The older couple had taken Yohei in as a baby when his parents died in a car accident, and raised him in their old estate in the old ways, where he was taught the proper old ways of Japanese society. Ken had slipped in during his morning kendo training, and as there had been thieves in the area recently it made their first meeting quite understandable. His grandparents, extremely eager to have another boy near their grandson's age in their home, were quite apologetic about the incident, and would never stop asking him questions about his past, which very quickly got uncomfortable for him. His father had enlisted in the NATO resistance as the war began and last he heard died in the battle for Prague, and his mother was buried under rubble in a bombing raid. Suddenly, he was reminded of his uncle, and guilt hit him hard. With haste, Ken tried to excuse himself, and Yohei agreed to escort him out.

As they walked across the estate, Yohei asked Ken about his uncle, and upon hearing the name Toru Onodera, he became very excited. His grandparents didn't have a television, but he still had seen the video of the kaiju battle through school, and he had to admit as dangerous as the battle was he still found it incredibly amazing. Ken, despite feeling pressure to get back to his uncle, couldn't resist the urge to share his special connection to the events. In an excited tone, he pulled out the jewel, "You want to know something even weirder?" Yohei seemed a little skeptical, but was curious. "The big turtle, his name is 'Gamera'. And he's out there because I woke him up."

Yohei didn't buy the story at all. "And... how did you manage to do that, Ken?" Holding up the jewel, Ken proudly stated, "With this. My uncle was leaving for China, covering the resistance to the Imperial troops, and because my mother's will INSISTED I be taken to him as soon as possible, I arrived as he was leaving. We didn't have time to arrange something else, I had no choice but to leave with him. We were in these caves with the soldiers, and I found this on this pedestal with a weird one-eyed statue. Gamera woke up right after that. He saved me, twice, since then, once from the troops, and then from the big bat monster." Yohei's face was pale, which surprised Ken, "It's not that big a deal..." he tried to say, but Yohei interrupted him, "It's my turn to show you something."

---

Yohei's grandparent's estate was much larger than Ken thought. It had gardens, it had a stream, multiple sister buildings, old servant's quarters, Yohei explained. Most notably, though, was an old shrine. The older boy explained that his family had, for generations, guarded a secret of Japan's history, one the public was not in the know about, but at one point had been a national treasure. His parents were supposed to guard the shrine after his grandparents passed away, but as they died, now only he was left to take up the mantle. He opened the old door, and the two stepped in. Raccoons had done some damage to the aged structure over the years, and little light or moving air came in at all, but in the center, sitting on a pedestal that had the exact same shape as the one in the cave, was the biggest opal Ken had ever seen, easily the size of a basketball. It was seamlessly round, and shone different colors depending on the angle. Ken couldn't believe his eyes. "This is... awesome. Your family guards this?" Yohei nodded. "Yup, for centuries now. No one knows exactly where it came from. Some theorize its one of the drops off of Izanagi's blade, but I don't really believe that." Ken stepped up directly in front of the stone, eyeing his own reflection. "Imagine what something like this could be worth."

"Hence why I was so rough when I spotted you in the garden. Thieves could retire off of this thing."

"Hah..."

The pair stared in silence at the stone for a moment longer, until Yohei asked, "That figure on the pedestal, does it resemble the one you saw." Ken nodded. "That is unusual..." The older boy said. "Now that I think about it, there's something my grandpa told me about the stone. Two things, actually. One is to keep it somewhere warm and dry. The second... is not to get it wet." Ken eyed Yohei skeptically. "Weird, I know. You wouldn't believe it's been dry for centuries as clean as it is."

Ken whistled. "It's amazing."

"Yeah... Now, I'm not exactly allowed to show this to people, moreso people I just met, so we should be going. You need to get back to your uncle, don't you?" Ken sighed. "Yeah, but I don't even know where he could be." Yohei thought about it for a moment, and then said, "Well, if he's family, then he's definitely out looking for you." Ken laughed a little under his breath. He had trouble believing that after their last conversation.

---

Ken had trouble reading the map Yohei's grandmother had given him, but it wasn't impossible to figure out. He figured he would first head back to the train station, and if that didn't work, he'd check in at a police station and see if his uncle was looking for him. He didn't make it far, though, before something happened. As he rounded a block, he was knocked to his feet by a man in dark clothes running full speed across the street despite the oncoming traffic. Righting himself, he heard a familiar voice shouting in Japanese. It was Yohei, and judging from the urgency of his tone he had a good guess that he wasn't coming because he forgot something.

The teen ran up to the edge of the street, out of breath and teeth clenched. He noticed Ken, and looked surprised. "Did you see a man in dark clothes run down this way?" he asked between gasps. Ken nodded. "Yeah, he plowed right into me and ran across the street. Did he...?" Yohei nodded, cutting him off. Ken turned. "He was pretty hellbent on getting away, ran into oncoming traffic. But he couldn't have gotten far."
"Then we cut him off, you run around that curb and I'll try to catch up to him. Will you help?" With a nod of assent, Ken ran as fast as he could around the curb. He hoped he hadn't in any way helped the thief make off with the stone. His eyes darted around the street, hoping for some telltale sign, but he didn't have to wait long before he spotted the same man running directly towards him, with Yohei not too far behind. Ken first wondered how Yohei could run so fast, but then his focus returned to stopping the perpetrator. The two boys yelled out for the man to stop, and realizing he was being flanked, he tried to turn down an alleyway. Without warning, though, he slipped, and the stone fell out of his hands. All three gasped and tried to make a claim for it, but it had started rolling downhill. Straight into a sewer drain entrance. Ken and Yohei both felt like they'd been stabbed in their respective guts. The thief looked for a nearby manhole, still determined to claim the prize. But before he could go anywhere, something unusual happened. The ground started to shake. Yohei, his first instinct telling him it was an earthquake, tried to mantain balance, but when the asphalt started cracking under his feet, he and Ken fled as fast as they could. The street seemed alive for a moment as it rose and then exploded into all directions, pieces of asphalt and concrete flying into houses. From the dust rose a massive blue creature, at least 50 feet high. The two boys couldn't be more surprised. "Wh..what IS that?" Yohei yelled out. Ken, for some reason, was composed, "No time to find out."

The two bolted down the city streets, constantly looking behind them to see if the creature had moved. For the most part, it was absolutely still, watching things move around it with curious eyes. A car driving down a neighboring street caught its attention, though, and it started, rather clumsily, to lumber after the vehicle. The driver, noticing the monster, hit the gas and tried to get away, but the blue beast only started moving faster in kind. Eventually, it shot out its tongue, a long, blue thing ending with spines, and snatched the car right off the road, landing square in its mouth. Upon tasting it, though, it spat out the metal contraption. It looked around, trying to survey its surroundings, when it noticed a few vehicles with bright flashing lights, followed by bigger ones with long tubes sticking out of them. Mesmerized by the lights, it walked towards them, its own back curiously lighting up all colors of the spectrum. The line of tanks fired at the beast, eager to get a piece of the action after not being needed in the battle with the bat, exploding into its side. The blue dragon painfully roared, and then turned to run, JSDF forces hot on its heels.

Ken and Toru watched from a safe distance, trying to make sense of the creature. Ken had a pretty solid idea behind it. "The pedestal I saw had something to do with Gamera. This blue guy has to at least be related to him. That stone must have been his egg or something."

"An egg that's been alive for hundreds of years? I have trouble believing that." But after a moment, he conceded, "But it at least makes more sense than any explanation I can think of." He turned to Ken, "More importantly, now that it's awake, what should we do?" Ken thought for a moment, "It doesn't seem to be trying to hurt anyone, but it is big and it is wrecking up the streets..." Then a thought hit him, "Back to the original subject. You said you weren't supposed to get the egg wet, right?" Yohei nodded. "Maybe water is the source of its power or something. It is awfully big to have come from such a tiny egg, relatively speaking, the sewer water must have been absorbed by him."

As they spoke, the blue monster ran full speed down a busy freeway, by now having attracted a lot of attention. So much attention that Toru, describing Ken at a police station, spotted it in a TV screen, and noticed a small pair of figures running after it to the side. One of them, he immediately knew, was Ken. "Dammit, I swear he's a magnet for this stuff..." he said, and he asked an officer to take him to where the monster was.

---

Ken and Yohei had no idea what they were doing as they followed the dragon on foot, they were trying to formulate plans as best they could. Ideas came and went, until at one point they realized perhaps if Ken put himself in danger Gamera would come and stop the beast. Ken was skeptical, he didn't want to kill this creature and Gamera showed the exact opposite of mercy to the bat monster, so he decided it was best not to unless they could think of nothing better.
The two then had to stop, they had come to the edge of the Katsura river and almost ran headlong into the guardrail. Yohei blanched at the sight of it. "Water makes it bigger, right? If a sewer made it pretty big, then a river..." They didn't have time to finish the thought, for at that moment the massive creature, not 100 feet away from them, barreled through the air into the river, the splash so large it hit the two boys, soaking them to the bone and nearly knocking them off their feet. The Defense Force troops pulled up along the bank, spotting the two boys and trying to move them to safety while still their guns remained locked on the river. It had gone in there to hide, but it had to come up to breathe eventually.

Without warning, the waters began to surge, and the reptilian creature rose up out of the water, now even bigger than Gamera! Realizing its newfound size, it roared down at the JSDF forces, and swept its tail across the bank, collapsing the street and destroying several tanks. The two boys, along with the few remaining soldiers, ran for cover, but the beast was angry and wanted the things that hurt it gone. Without warning, its back began to light up all colors of the spectrum, and a beam of energy shot out like a rainbow of death, freezing much of the street solid. It roared and then turned its gaze to the city, its eyes glazed with power. Then it spotted the boys, and Ken felt the same panic he felt when the bat was flying over Tokyo. He hoped and prayed that like before he would be saved but the feeling of peace from the jewel wasn't coming. Yohei yelled to Ken, trying to get him to run, but he heard nothing, all he could do was stand there, eyes locked on the blue monster as it got closer. And just when its foot loomed over his head, two things happened. One was his uncle running in behind him, grabbing him under the arms, dragging him away, and the second was the arrival of Gamera to the scene.

As the massive blue foot fell, the creature was sent reeling backwards into the street, landing on its side with a resounding shake. Looking up, the familiar green and black silhouette stood before it, its posture one of combat. The dragon reared back up, roaring at the challenger, and charged. But Gamera was ready. With little warning, the titanic turtle snatched the dragon under the neck and used its weight against it, throwing it into a nearby building with little effort despite it being bigger than him. The dragon righted itself, snarling in defiance, and charged, only for the same result to occur.

Ken, Toru and Yohei, having made some distance, turned and watched the ensuing battle. Toru turned to the boys, thoroughly out of breath. "You two are okay?" They nodded, and Ken started to apologize for everything, but his uncle interrupted, "It can wait. Right now I have a career move to make." He pulled out his camera phone, and moved to a better vantage point, ready to make more magic before others showed up. Yohei turned to Ken, "Is he always like this?" he said. Ken nodded, a half-smile on his face, but he knew that there was a good reason behind it.

Gamera and the blue beast circled one another, sizing each other up and waiting for the other to move. The younger monster struck out first, lashing out its tongue, striking Gamera across the shoulder and leaving a thin film of frost across it. Gamera was unfazed by this, taking a step back and entering a defensive position. He was much, much older than this whelp, and that, not size, would be what decided this bout. He needed only to wait for the creature to make the first move, but it seemed taking two tumbles had wizened it up considerably. Even now it had its limbs jutting out in front of it, thinking the terrorpin was just going to hurt him again if he attacked. The titanic turtle lowered his body, and in an attempt to surprise the creature, loosed a blast of green fire. The blue dragon reeled backwards, the heat of the attack putting him on edge, and roared in pain as his flesh seared from the flames. The flames then cleared, and the three guys noticed something. The blue monster was noticeably smaller than before!

Smaller, but not beaten.

In a flash of rainbow light, a beam shot up out of his back, all colors visible, striking Gamera on the torso and knocking him back into a building, flesh seared in kind. The blue monster, now roughly Gamera's size, lunged at the turtle, standing on top of his overturned shell. With a savage screech, it rained blow after blow of claw, tooth and tail on Gamera, hoping to repay him for the pain inflicted on him. But Gamera was ready. Without warning, he retracted into his shell, and jets of flame shot out of his leg shell sockets, sending him sliding across the city streets at high speed, barreling through at least 5 buildings before stopping. The blue reptile was thrown across the cityscape, landing hundreds of meters away, totally exhausted. For the boys and Toru, this wasn't good, the battle wasn't in their line of sight anymore. With a will, they ran in the direction of the earth shaking blows and roars, these two weren't done yet.

Meanwhile, the two monsters were going at it full power in the middle of Yohei's neighborhood. His grandparents, seeing the blue beast, reacted quite strongly, running for the cellar of the shrine. Digging under the floorboards, they extracted an old glass jewel, which was shining quite brightly, and held it aloft, speaking words in old samurai-dialect Japanese. But nothing happened from it, and the two grew confused. Speaking quickly in their native tongue, they quickly came to a conclusion and ran into the streets, trying to find Yohei.

---

The trio of kaiju watchers arrived at the epicenter of the battle a few minutes later, eyeing the destruction the two had caused collaterally. Toru sighed, "It's amazing what sells these days. There's millions of yen in damages here and people get excited about these battles." He wasn't answered by the two boys, who had spotted Gamera and the blue beast and had begun moving towards them. They were suddenly beset by Yohei's grandparents, who were speaking quickly. His grandmother handed him the jewel, only stating "Calm Balgon. Only you can." Yohei and Ken stared at the jewel, both of them seeing the similarity to the one Ken possessed. Yohei's grandfather explained. "Do you know the myth of the four great beasts?" Yohei and Toru nodded, only Ken had nothing to say. "Well, it is a myth of four beasts that guarded the sacred city in ancient times." He gestured his arm backwards, showing the two monsters. "You are seeing two of them. Genbu the black tortoise and Seiryuu the blue dragon. Seiryuu died in ancient times, now Balgon her son lives, but he is young and wild and must be contained, it has been our family purpose for ages. Only when pacified will Genbu pass his threshold on to the East." Ken nodded, "And Yohei can do that?"

His grandmother nodded in kind, "Only Yohei can. We are too old now." Yohei looked up at Balgon as it took a hammer blow from Gamera, and nodded, "I don't know how, but... I'll try." His grandfather smiled, his wrinkles abundant, "Don't worry, we'll teach you."

Toru smiled ambitiously, his camera phone poised. "If I get footage like this I could cover whatever the hell I wanted." Ken looked up at him, and half-smiled, a knowing look in his eyes.
As the two monsters continued to beat the tar out of each other, the group noticed they were dangerously close to Yohei's home, and with the Self-Defense Force closing in for round two things were about to get dicey. Yohei held the jewel aloft, uttering what his Grandparents had minutes before at their instruction, and it began to shine brightly. As though a switch went off in his mind, Balgon calmed down, breathing controlled and rage subsided. For a moment that seemed to go on far longer than it should have, the blue dragon turned to face the boy with the jewel, their eyes meeting. Then Gamera struck, hammering him across the jaw with a powerful fist. The force of the blow launched the now smaller monster right into Yohei's home, causing an eruption of wood into the air. The group was horrified as Gamera marched over, planted a foot on Balgon's chest hard enough to cause the beast to cough up blood, and stood over him menacingly. Ken was mortified, he didn't want Balgon to die after learning that the monster was connected to Yohei, and in a moment of sheer will shouted for Gamera to stop.

The terrorpin stood over his downed opponent, still as death, and in one movement he bathed the blue beast in a sea of green flame. Ken tried to run towards Gamera, but Toru grabbed him and held him back, the heat pushing them all to their feet shortly after. The fires vanished in a moments time, and it appeared as though Gamera was alone. With a dignified snort, he took two steps, standing directly over the crater formerly known as Yohei's home, and plopped down, retracting into his shell. The battle was over. But the victory was not as it seemed.

The five people were suddenly greeted by a rumbling underneath a broken board. Suddenly, Balgon, now a bit bigger than an iguana, emerged from underneath, and ran towards Yohei at full speed. The group sighed collectively. Toru spoke, "Gamera shrank him with the fire. Wow, just when you thought you understood things..." As Balgon approached Yohei, it leapt into his arms, appearing quite rattled but at peace. It was oddly cute considering what had happened just minutes before.

Ken eyed the family, and asked, "What will you guys do now that your home is gone?" Yohei's grandfather spoke out, a sly smile on his face, "We have property near Lake Biwa we've been meaning to go to. It's very private, won't be seeing much anyone out there. Perfect place to raise a kaiju." Yohei smiled at Ken, saying, "We'll be just fine. And hey, who knows, in time he might grow that big without water, and when it happens Gamera could use an ally his size. After all this, I doubt there aren't more monsters out there."

"Indeed." Toru said. "And I think they may just be what I'm looking for..."

---------

Here we are with one last thing before I go home today. This is the next chapter of Gamera the Great, the famous, or to some infamous, Barugon. This one went through a lot of trial and error to find a happy medium. Barugon is mostly known for his Showa incarnation, a monster that I have to say more than subtly resembles Godzilla that shot a rainbow beam from his back and an ice attack from his tongue. He was bizzare, and the rainbow beam has earned him some haters, but overall he's one of the more interesting kaiju of the Showa era. But, not everyone knows there was a Heisei design of him as well, in fact Barugon was going to be Gamera's first enemy in the trilogy instead of Gyaos until they decided the second had better recurring possibilities in sequels. The Heisei design had a lot of influence on this look, namely the blue skin, red eyes and conical spines alongside the prism spikes on his back. I worked from several angles on how to blur the designs together into one and still make it look distinct yet recognizable, and before I knew it I came to this guy. I also chose to name him Balgon, the anglification used in the Heisei version, mostly to better separate him from Baragon, something many fans have trouble with.

The story is one I'm iffy on all things considered, the direction is mostly human driven and I can't say I'm too fond of that all the time, but it was a necessary bit of world building and I dare say it accomplished what it needed to. But don't think its all you will hear on where the monsters came from, no sir, there are many chapters to come. Gamera won't alway win so easily either.

Enjoy. Thoughts, compliments, criticisms, complaints, bring em forward. Crim out.

Next: Garasharp

Creepy...

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:51:29 PDT

Hello. I will be using you because I am discovering about a show called .
Sometime during 1999, after Noggin was launched, Nickelodeon aired a new show on their program, called . It sounds like some nursery rhyme that a babysitter would sing, but it wasn't. It was a short show (10 minutes), and was normally played in duets, making each episode 20 minutes, minus commercials. A month after it premiered, it was pulled off the air, and was never aired again (even it's nicer episodes). However, some parents did record the show, but they were VHS copies.

But of those VHS copies, only some VHS copies survived. However, what was really rare was a intact DVD copy of any episode. I was one of the lucky ones that had a DVD copy. Yesterday, when I did some spring cleaning recently (okay, winter-spring cleaning, but who cares), I found some old DVDs, with sharpie on them. They read HA 1-10. I did some research by using Google, and on ROBLOX (Of all places!), I found out that those are the initials for Happy Appy. In the replies, they said that there are no DVD copies around, which is false, because I have some copies.

So I decided to put them into the disk drive, praying for them to work. Well, they did, and they instantly cut to the intro. By the way, I really haven't described the show, haven't I? There is this giant clay apple with hands and feet, being held up by a rusty bent stick. He helped children when they got hurt. But as the show progressed, it just got creepier. Like, death-stare-and-evil-smile creepier. However, they did change the stick to a non-rusted, but still bent stick. By the 8th episode, he wasn't even a clay model. He looked like he was CG, but he wasn't. Probably a very good animation? To describe more about the colors of Happy Appy, his eyes were dark blue, his mouth was dark green, and he had a leaf on his head. he intro song had the same tune as Mary Had a Little Lamb. It went something like this:

Happy Appy Appy App,

Happy App (said two times)

Happy Appy Appy App,

he helps kids all day!
Repeated three times. Anyway, enough with that. Let's describe the actual show episodes.
Episode 1 and 2 were called Happy's Vacation and Hurt Happy, respectively. Happy's Vacation was exactly what you thought; Happy going on vacation, and helping injured kids at the beach. Hurt Happy was Happy getting hurt, and the kids helping him, by giving him bandaids and fruit (Which is weird, because they give him a apple in one part). Nothing seemed out of place when I first saw it, but when I saw it a second time, it looked very odd. While Happy was driving his van in Happy's Vacation, some frames were skipped. I ignored it, saying that it could be a scratched DVD. But when I checked it, it wasn't scratched. Probably the animation?

Also, I noticed some out of place objects in Hurt Happy. In Happy's Van, there was what looked like the border of the HOPE poster. Also, the radio plays a country music-esque version of "Hot and Cold", which was made in 2008 and very out-of-place for a kid's show. I thought those were just coincidence. Well, I was wrong. Episode 3 and 4 were stranger. One moment that could send chills down anyone's spine was the "Booboo scene" in Episode 4. Happy aids a child that has a bruise on his knee. He looks to the camera, death stare on face, and says "What does Nate (I think that was his name. It wasn't Kevin) need for this booboo?".

For 30 seconds, he stared at the camera, motionless. His dark blue soulless eyes locking on with anyone watching. Finally, he spoke; "That's right! A bandaid!" Why did he need that long to speak, I don't know. The intros were cut out, and the main episodes were missing a few scenes. On Episode 3, 05:12 is when he does his first death stare/evil smile. For 30 seconds. It was somewhat eerie. Also, the OoP objects were getting more noticeable. There was a news broadcast about a tsunami that recently struck Japan. Happy said "Oh no! If you want to help the Japanese, call this number!" and a 1-800 number was listed.

February 24th, 2011Edit
I watched Episode 5. First off, it had Happy on his new stick. This episode was very violent. In the episode, Appy was doing his trademark death stare and smile for half the show. Afterwards, he helped 2 children, the first one he took out of sight behind a bush. Blood is seen from the bush and screams are heard. The other kid waits for Appy, then he's seen emerging from the back of her then it skips frames, next thing I see is a blood trail leading to another bush and Appy doing that DAMN smile!
Episode 6 showed Appy doing a death stare but it was hardly viewable. Then, it went static it for the rest of the show. I couldn't believe it.
One of the known pictures of Happy Appy (Ep. 8)
Added by Dronian
I moved on to Episode 7-8. This time, the episodes were so violent, so badly made that they couldn't have been aired on Nick. Episode 7 had Appy take a kid into his van. Flesh cutting could be heard, and so could blood splatters on the windows and screams, which turned into gurgles. Then, he emerged, doing a death stare and smile from 09:21 to the end of the show, or 10:00. Like I said, 8 had him be a CGish monster. But this episode was so coincidental, I couldn't believe Nick would even allow it.
It starts out with Appy going around the playground, telling kids about the cycle of life. By cycle of life, I meant frogs and plants. The kids then said "Thanks, Happy!" But then, smoke creeped behind Happy, so Happy and the kids turned around. Two towers (9/11 mentioned in 1999) were burning up, with people falling off. There was
Possible photo of 9/11 scene
Added by Dronian
a lot of screaming, fire, and a crashed airplane, the tail could be seen sticking out of one of the towers. Then, a piece broke off, hitting and possibly killing someone. When the kid asked "Appy, what are the towers doing?", it cut to a kid that was stuck under a huge metal piece, crying for help. Some other kids tried to help him. He was screaming so loud, it was almost heartbreaking. There was blood everywhere, and the fear on his face was so realistic, I cringed. Appy turned to the camera, and just like the photo in the top-right hand corner, said these 3 words: "That's natural, children." He then dragged them away, leaving the trapped kid screaming.
I jumped out of my seat. Was Appy a deathbringer of some sort? Or was he a master predictor? I had to continue. Episodes 9-10 were up.
Oh, and you want to know what happened when I called the phone number? The next post will be me calling the number.

February 25th, 2011Edit
Just a quick thing. I called the phone number mentioned on Episode 3. It was a recording, which I will translate for you.
"Hello! I'm Happy Appy, every kid's most helpful Apple! If you want to make a donation, press 1! If you want to know about the earthquake, press 2!"

Pressing 2 gave me this:

"A earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, and we need your help! If you can make a donation of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, or 100 dollars, you'll be a big help! Anyone who donates gets a Happy Appy badge!"

So, I decided to press 1 and donate a dollar to the donation. It then said this:

"Thanks for helping with the aid for the Tsunami! Now in the mail, you'll get your Happy Appy badge in a week!"

February 27th, 2011Edit
Episode 9 was corrupted, it started up but the whole thing had no audio, and the first part was so messed up that it was hardly viewable. The next part was just plain static for the rest of the video. Great, 2 missing episodes, I thought. 10 wasn't. It started with some weird, off-beat carnival music. It started with Happy Appy still looking like what he did in Ep. 8. But this time, as the episode went on, his CG-ish model looked worse and worse. Like, injury-wise worse. He was in his van, driving against the road, that looped on and on. Eventually, he reached the playground. Many children were at play. Happy looked like he was ready to kill all of them. Then, he said "Hey kids, who wants to see Happy do a magic trick?" The kids cheered, and ran into his van. He then closed the door, and drove off. After that, he came back, smiling like he just killed them all.
I couldn't take it anymore. For some reason, Happy was making me feel nauseous. But I continued. The remainder of the show (before the credits) was him reading the news, with future events that didn't happen for a long time. Examples were the Libyan riots, Chris Benoit's murders and suicide, and the SS Columbia disaster. Meanwhile, there were random breaks, which showed a "behind the scenes" look at him realistically murdering a child. At the credits, Happy was holding a knife, covered with blood. The camera shot down, where there was a table. A hand with cut marks was visible. Then, it cut to a blank screen, with white text.

"If you get these DVDs, I copied Happy over to them. I wanted to preserve this so that they weren't lost forever. Now you might wonder, how did Nick allow all 10 episodes (or 7)? I don't know. They just did, that's what. If you want to know more, see me.

-KC"

KC? Was that my friend, Kevin Costo? Well, he did say that he worked with Nick until the end of the millennium, so he probably helped with Happy Appy. I decided to visit his house.

When I entered, Kevin wasn't home. His wife was sitting, crying. I asked her what happened to Kevin. She replied with something that shocked me. "I don't know what happened, but something or someone kidnapped him last night. I don't know where, but he or she left this. Take it." I then got a folded up piece of paper. I unfolded it, and it was a picture of Happy Appy during the 9/11 scene, with the exception that he looked badly scarred. Before I left, I asked her how those horrifying episodes got on Nick. She replied with "He...drugged the producers! He was going to-" That was enough. I couldn't bear to take it anymore. so I left the house, and drove off. When I got out, I decided to walk toward my house. Then, I heard a gunshot and screams from a woman, probably Kevin's wife. I then glimpsed at the picture again.

This time, Appy wasn't in the photo. I instantly ran to my house, because I know whoever killed Kevin was trying to kill me. Before I opened the door, I saw one last glimpse behind me. It was Kevin's mutilated arm in a bush, and a unknown figure standing behind it.

March 3rd, 2011Edit
Hey. I wanted to know if anyone has any Happy Appy videos. If you do, send me the link to one. What happened to my discs, you ask? Well, I found them in pieces, like a claw slashed them in thirds, along with a note saying "No more evidence now, huh?"
March 4th, 2011Edit
I finally got my Happy Appy badge today. It came in a box that had a timestamp from 1999-2000. When I opened it, I got a letter from Happy Appy and the badge. The badge was Happy Appy smiling, but not with the death stare. On the back said "Happy Appy Helper Badge!" I decided to read the letter.
To my friend!

You have helped us help the Japanese!
Of course, let me introduce myself!
Unarguably, you have heard of me on Nick Jr!
Can't understand? Well, I'll give you the answer! Happy Appy Appy Ap!
Appy App, Appy App! Happy Appy Appy Ap, he helps kids all day!
Now, where do I start with my gifts?
Today, I have give you a nice badge, right from the playground! How did we get these, you ask?
Running across the playground, I tripped on a rock. I fell, but I noticed the ground was uneven!
Undoubtely, something was there, so I dug the ground up and there were a crate of thousands of these badges!
Now, it's time to be off! See me on my next adventure!

Love,
Happy Appy
March 5th, 2011Edit
Today, I got a email from a man who claims to be a user on Wikileaks. He heard about my conquest to find Happy Appy, so he tried to find any documents related to it. He did find one, which told employees to never air certain TV shows or movies. After browsing through a big description of Cry Baby Lane and other shows, I found this text:
"One show, originally named 'Happy Appy' was cancelled, due to blood and gore. The original show depicted an apple named "Happy Appy" that taught kids how to handle certain injuries. On their final, and only 8th episode, it was only 2 hours when Noggin removed all traces of the show happening. 2001 reports say the episode seemed to depict happenings of 9/11, even though the episode was shown in 1999".

I'm getting more suspicious.

June 6th, 2011Edit
Ah, crap. I've been having nightmares of Happy since my last post 3 months ago. The dreams range from Happy's smile to him brutally murdering a kid. Also, about the mysterious figure, I've been seeing him more, whether he's sitting on a mountain, or standing in a forest. The figure never seems to leave me. Also, I've seen more of him to tell you more about his physical features.
First off, he isn't shadow, because he has some sort of a face, with a mouth. However, the mouth seems to be locked on one expression; Happy's death stare. I wonder if he's Happy? But more about his body; he's slightly taller than me (I'm 6'2) and seems to be about midweight for his height.

I've boarded up my house because he obviously wants to kill me.

June 11th, 2011Edit
I'm at the local elementary school, the only place nearest here where he won't find me, and also has a computer. It's been five days since my last encounter with him, and my house is gone. Burnt to a crisp. The strange thing is, no one seems to notice: it's like it never happened, or worse, like the house never existed. But at least I'm safe here. Wait, I hear rustling. That's not good. Hey, I see Harold Kleiner, walking in the bushes. Wait, why is there blood on his face? It might be that figure again. I'm going to see.
June 28th, 2011Edit
I bought a new house today. It's two stories tall, and it's fireproof this time. One of my friends, , actually remembered Happy Appy. He said that there were more episodes I forgot. Turns out, the most violent episodes were actually at the end. The entire series was supposed to have 25 episodes, plus a TV movie. No one mentioned it, because Jim had the only surviving tapes. The series got more violent slowly. He sent me a disc with fragments of Happy Appy episodes. Here's what they are.
The first starts out with a school bell ringing. Happy Appy is standing next to a kid. The kid says that he can't understand math. The teacher said "Class is dismissed". Then, Happy sings a math song. It is distorted, but I could make out these lyrics:

Sorry, here's the fragment again.
2 minus 1, and then your homework is done!
After that, the kid says "Wow! Thanks, Happy Appy!'

The next fragment was one of the more violent episodes. They were mixed clips, but here's what happens in order;

3 kids were crying so loud, it was almost painful to see.
Happy Appy and 2 other kids were trying to help the kids.
The kids were crying because their families were gone (they died)
The 2 kids comforted the 3 other kids, and the 3 kids left. But, Happy had this weird, perverted, nearing the borders of greediness expression. He said "Come with me." The 3 kids followed Happy into a building. He then left it, with bags of money. The 3 kids were screaming for help again.
There were more to be seen. There was one fragment of a somewhat violent episode. Happy was putting a bandage on a kid's arm. In the far corner of his pocket, a needle with green fluids was seen. Happy then put the needle into the kid, knocking him out. He then drug him into his van, and a chainsaw was heard. The DVD just stopped.
Oh, you want to know more about the figure? First, turns out he was here, so I got out of there. Besides, I gave him a nickname; "Forenzik", which is better than calling him "the figure". When I saw him 17 days ago, he seemed to have fingers with claws. I don't mean like he had retractable claws in his fingers. His fingers were very sharp.

I also got a good look at how he ran. He seems to be hunchbacked, which means he would be taller when he would be standing up straight. I say about 6'9, although you could speculate that, because I don't have a picture of him.

July 14th, 2011Edit
, a man who used to work on Happy Appy, just called me, telling me that Blair Meyes, the man who voiced Happy Appy, and a star on Fright House Screamers (Need to research that. Sounds interesting), had died in his town. The body had 3 claw marks on his chest, with one of them puncturing his heart. I would have guessed Forenzik would have clawed him. However, Blair said that they were made by a being that would have had extremely sharp claws, because it managed to put a nice scratch on one of his ribs.
July 15th, 2011Edit
Jim Forester just gave me a DVD with 3 new episodes, including what could be part 2 of the Happy Appy TV movie. Unfortunately, they're corrupt as shit, because they need cleaning.
July 17th, 2011Edit
I've got most of it working. Here's what happens.
The first one was the episode I mentioned that had Happy and the needle. It started out with what I said, and after Happy Appy chainsawed the kid, he then drove off, and went to a crashed plane, where the second scene I mentioned happened (You know, the one that has the 3 kids). After that, he was playing with some kids. Then, his skin peeled off, like a orange peeler was being used on him, revealing a rotten apple core. The skin then lands on a kid like a blanket. The show then ended.

The next one was the full Classroom episode. What I said happened, but with better video. After that, Happy goes into a science class, where a kid is playing with a bunsen burner, but accidentally gets burned. Happy then puts an ice pack on the kid's burn, and the kid thanks him. Then, Happy notices some kid getting bullied on by a older kid. Happy then told him to not give up. The kid then runs into a classroom, probably to tell a teacher what happened. It then ended.

Finally, I saw part 2 of the Happy movie. It started out with Happy Appy driving his van on a road. Then, a kid throws a rock onto the road. Not a small pebble, no, I'm talking about a big rock. Then, Happy's van rolls over the rock, and the van crashes. And when I mean crash, I mean 'actual footage of a car crash' crash. After that, some kids run over to the burning wreckage of Happy's Van, where Happy Appy is shouting "GET ME OUT!". When this happens, the happy-go-lucky music that plays normally is replaced by parts of Revolution 9, reversed. One of the kids says "There, his hat! His hat!", and it cuts to Happy's bloody stem. It then screamed, which was loud enough to make someone's ear bleed. The mouth had some bloodied teeth on it. Another kid then says "His body, his body!" Happy's body was badly cut up, with big enough cuts to make blood pour out of it. His eyeball was dangling out of the socket, while his teeth was shattered. His left arm was cut off, bone visible, with blood squirting out of the stump, while both his legs were broken.

He tried to crawl out with his only non-broken/decapitated arm. Finally, Happy died, while screaming to weird sci-fi noises. After that scene, it just showed the road, with the mashed up van next to his body. After that, it cut to a funeral, where kids were actually crying over Happy's dead body. One kid said "Why, Happy, why?". The final shot before the credits was the dead Happy, with blood on his broken teeth. Instead of the theme song playing, a dark carnivally music played, with pieces of the reversed Revolution 9. A narrator said "His stomach was in two that day", "There were two, there is none now", "He's there, he's getting next to his sister with all he knows", and finally "He ceased to work in the underworld" Guess what the narrator was talking over? Happy Appy, with a bloodied scalpel in one hand, a bloodied X-Acto in his other hand. It slowly paned to the skin of the disguise Happy was under, like the magic trick episode, but it just stopped.

July 24th, 2011Edit
It's been 7 days since I watched part 2 of the TV Movie. I still can't get the photorealistic body of Happy Appy out of my head. Well, guess what? Someone claimed to have the first part, so I asked him to mail it to me. Turns out he was right. Here is what happened:
It starts with the same carnival theme, with distorted voices. The intro was spotted with giant flashes. After when the original intro would play, it went straight to Happy dying from a unknown disease. When he talked, his lips perfectly synched with "THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE ME AWAY!" It then shot to one of the 5-year-olds. He was trying to cry because Happy was dying, but he didn't cry tears. He cried blood. No joking.

It then played a sad piano after another kid with a high-pitched voice said "They're coming to take me away!" It then showed Happy coughing up blood. Then, he went into a surgery room. What followed was a hour of stop-motion surgery. It was so horrifying, but yet so compelling. How did they make a good surgery scene with puppets? After that, Happy was seen on a wheelchair, and the children said "Are you better?" Happy said "Yes, my nice friends!" and gave them a big hug. After that, it faded to a title that said "3 months later" and started to fade in on the second part of the TV movie, but it was cut.

July 26th, 2011Edit
Today, I went to a yard sale, and I saw a VHS called HA Bonus Features. I bought it for the cheap price of 50 cents. After that, I decided to play it. Unfortunately, it was screwed up, because it made some wierd alien-y noise. It made 5 wooshes and a weird noise. I decided to decode it, and after 2 hours of decoding, I heard
Don't trust Happy Appy.
He will murder you, he's a killer.
Never trust him.
Could that have been a kid trying to warn us about Happy Appy?
July 28th, 2011Edit
I just heard about the fire that ravaged through the studio that made Happy Appy. After taking a plane ride that took 10 hours, I decided to go in there, in case I find anything that could help me investigate the mystery of Happy Appy. It was completely abandoned; no one was trying to demolish it or anything. So I snuck in, because I though that could help my search for Happy Appy.
When I went inside, I saw 2 rooms that weren't burned to death or were crushed by debris: a soundset and a storage room. The storage room had a rusty lock on it, but I ignored it for the soundset. It was massive, about 100 feet long at least. There were some ruins of a blue screen stage, but what was really scary was that some of the cloth had blood stains on it. Most of the lights were on, which was strange, considering that the thing got damaged by a fire, except for the back. I wondered what was back there.

I then heard movement, and saw Forenzik again, with red eyes. I got the hell out of there, and locked the doors. I decided to look at the storage room. The lock, although made of steel, was rusted (like I said) and were brittle, so I broke them off using a hammer in a desk. After opening it, I noticed it was some sort of vault; it had some tape sets that had labels on them, so I took them. However, most of the stuff just burned, except for a safe. I decided to take the safe. Unfortunately, it made the building unstable, so I ran out in time before the entire thing collapsed, killing whatever moved back there. I hope it was Forenzik.

August 1st, 2011Edit
Today, I broke the lock of the safe. I just forgot about it, even though it was in my room. After opening the safe, I noticed what was in there instantly. Happy's puppet in the death smile mode. I got creeped out, but kept him anyway. I then looked at the tapes, but they were Happy Appy in a higher quality.
August 4th, 2011Edit
Today, I saw Forenzik. He seemed to be more agitated, because his normal smile was a frown. I wondered why, until I smashed and burned the Happy puppet and the tapes, because I think they're powering Forenzik. I could be wrong, though, which is probably true.
August 15th, 2011Edit
Sorry that I haven't been updating this blog lately. I really haven't had much to say recently. But now I am getting very scared. I thought I destroyed the tapes and the puppet a while ago. But when I went into the kitchen in my house, I saw them laying on a counter, in what looks like mint condition.
Recently, I have been having tons of nightmares about Happy or Forenzik. I don't know why, but it seems like he is the only thing which I can really think about anymore. It's like he's taking over my mind and rewiring my brain. Also, I found a message in the letter: "YOU CANT RUN".

Oh, and I've learned more about Fright House Screamers, but it's not related to Happy, so...

August 16th, 2011Edit
I decided to look for Happy Appy...on the TV. I decided to wake up when Nick Jr. started, and watch the shows. It all went well, playing Dora the Explorer, and Yo Gabba Gabba, when a bumper aired. It said "And now, we have a special episode to show you, back from 1999! Please welcome Happy Appy!" I was excited. I would most likely see a new episode. And I did, but this was one of the early ones.
The theme song played, and then it started with Appy in his van driving around, and he sees this kid, sitting and crying at a playground. He then drives and parks his van there. When he gets there, the kid had fallen off some monkey bars and his pinky finger was broken. Happy Appy then said "What does Jake need to heal?" Then, he stared creepily for longer than normal on most shows and then said "That's right!" and then the kid hugged Happy Appy. Then, Appy drove away in his van, and after the credits ended, that was the end of the episode.

So, after that, I wondered "There must be another episode. That was just one!" I was right. A new episode aired.

In the episode, a kid was running with a knife facing up, and he got cut. He held his wound, crying. Then, Happy parked his van, and said "Hey kids, this kid should have not carried the kife facing up while running!" However, he did heal him by putting a bandaid over the wound. The kid hugged Happy, and he said "Remember, never run with knifes facing up, or scissors for that matter. Always walk with knives and scissors facing down!" Then, Happy took the kid to his van, and the end played.

Second PostEdit
I have two things to tell you. First, I will make at least 1 post every day, all the way until when I quit the Happy Appy discovery. Second, I'm keeping track of the episodes. Here are my guesses (Note: Anything with parantheses describe the episode better):
Happy's Vacation
Hurt Happy
The Monkey Bar Injury
Happy Goes to School (The one with the math song)
???, title missing
Nate Needs Help! (The Boo-boo episode)
Never Run with Knives
Happy Fixes Kids
??? (Happy Fixes Kids, Part 2?)
Happy Fixes Kids, Part 3
The Two Towers
Happy the Doctor (The one with the green fluid needle, the crashed plane, and Happy's skin peeling off)
???
Happy's Trick
The Happy Appy Movie, Parts 1 and 2
I know there's 15 episodes mentioned there, but I haven't discovered the other 9 yet when I posted this.
August 18th, 2011Edit
I was on Youtube today, when I came across a Happy Appy video. It was named "The Happy Dance". In it, it showed Happy, moving around like he was breakdancing. The music was slightly distorted, but it had someone making (and failing at) beatbox noises. Accompanying it was some lyrics on how to do the Happy Dance:
Do the Happy Dance!
Jump to the left (x4)
Now jump to the right,
jump to the right (x3)
Now get down, and scoot to your left,
scoot to your left (x3)
Then scoot to your right,
scoot to your right (x3)
Do the Happy Dance!
After that, it said "Watch Happy Appy every day at 8 am!" and then it ended. I know it isn't a new episode, but it's a nice cute thing I saw.
August 19th, 2011Edit
I recently won a bid on eBay. It was a video games bid saying "HAPPY APPY 1990s RARE PROTOTYPE POINT AND CLICK GAME". Since it was about Happy Appy, I had to buy it. After a huge bidding war, which went to 100 dollars, I got the game. It came in a CD, which had a nicely done label on it, and said "Happy Appy and the Quest for the Golden Apple." I decided to use it on Virtual PC, because I didn't have a computer that ran Windows 2000, because it was only compatible with that.
After installing, a icon appeared on the desktop that was Happy Appy's regular face, no death stares and smiles. After clicking it, a program popped up, which took me to a menu. It was a very early alpha menu screen; it had no fancy graphics or anything, just the title and some buttons (plus a copyright) in Comic Sans MS font. I expected that, seeing it never passed as a prototype. At the middle were the buttons NEW GAME,
One of the 3 photos I took that day
Added by Dronian
CONTINUE GAME, OPTIONS, and EXIT. Options didn't work, so I hacked the game to find the page for the Options. It was just sound, controls, and brightness: Nothing too serious. So I decided to play it.
In it, you learned the story of the Golden Apple, a apple that can heal anyone, and how it is locked in a labyrinth under the playground. Then, it went to the game. The first three things I noticed was a place indicator and a glitched up score, which (to be honest) looks like Zalgo messed with it. The third was that the graphics were horrible; it looked like a bad Game Maker MS-Painted game. To access the labyrinth, you would need a shovel from a kid, but the kid wants a chocolate bar, so you needed to get a chocolate bar from a vendor, but you had to find a dollar. After you got a shovel, Happy would dig under the playground and the entrance to the Golden Apple's labyrinth. However, this is when the game started to get glitchy. Sometimes, Happy would end up being two sprites, and they would go off at different times. Also, some sprites would glitch up.
I passed those off as glitches. After all, it was a Video game prototype, so what else could you expect? I got to a large, steel door. I tried every command. "Use door" did nothing, "Eat door" didn't do nothing but Happy said "Yuck!", and "Knock on door" said "Wait for the time to rise." I saw a clock. There was a command that said "Lift clock", so I did. And nothing. I decided to hack the game and see if there were any levels. There was a lot more, so I selected the level after the door. It was a long hall with old statues of apples helping children. At the end was a cellar door. It needed a key, so I wondered where I could find a key.

Then, a message popped up, saying "Look for the key-shaped pebble in the playground!". So, I had to go back up the stairs, and look around for the key-shaped pebble. After finding it, I went down to the hall (the door finally worked), and used the key on the cellar door. After that, I went down to a new room, which was a floor that was a slide puzzle. I decided to help unscramble it. After taking 10 minutes to unscramble, it showed to be a picture of Happy Appy. Then, the platform started collapsing, so Happy left the room to another. This time, it was a seemingly endless set of stairs.

This is when the glitches become more out of control. Sometimes, the game hangs, but no more than a second or two. Also, some of the wall sprites were replaced with a sprite earlier from the game, like Happy's van, or a kid. Still, I kept thinking they were prototype glitches. Eventually, I got bored of the endless stairs, so I quit. However, I wondered if the game broke, and the endless stairs were a glitch. I decided to test it out. I walked down the stairs for a long time, until a hole appeared, to which Happy fell into a room. There, he found a map. It showed all the rooms you were in, as well as the next room. After that, Happy found a door, to which he found a kid, crying because he hit his head on a wall. I thought that was a glitch, so I healed him using a ice pack. He gave me a hug and ran off, probably to the playground. I also got some glitched up points.
Screenshot 2 of 3. This shows the Happy Sprite and the Zalgo-esque score.
Added by Dronian
I wondered why he was down here, other than to get points. Then, I left the room. I was greeted by another huge hall. This is when the game started to look graphically good. There were big chunks of the walls missing, which had a pulsating purple glow behind it. That looked cool for a 1999 computer game. Then, I came into a teleporter. It would allow me to teleport from the playground to any place that had a teleporter. I decided to not teleport. Then, the screen rumbled, and the hall started to collapse. Unlike normal times, where Happy got out, he stood still, and didn't move. A beam then hit him, but he got out okay.
Then, I entered a circular room. I noticed parts of the roof was falling off, collapsing. Happy then went back into the room, and the rumbling stopped. I went back in, and the room led to another dimension. There was a road in a pulsating purple sky that led to the same labyrinth, but with some differences. First, the rooms were mirrored, and looked brand new. When I mean brand new, I mean like it was built yesterday. No walls were cracked, no doors were rotting, no metal was rusted. Not only that, the endless stairs weren't endless in the other labyrinth. Then, I wondered; what about the playground? I took the same route, and walked up the stairs. What I saw was unexpected. It was a woodland, completely abandoned, with the same landscape as the playground. Then, I wondered; Could the other labyrinth be from the past? I had some evidence to tell why, so I kept quiet. I went back into the labyrinth.

After that, I decided to actually look for the Golden Apple. By using the map, I found out that the 10th basement of the second labyrinth was where the Golden Apple was. Then, the game hanged for 10 seconds, before returning to normal. I decided to take the stairs. I was at the 10th basement, when all of a sudden, it absolutely glitched up. Sprites were replaced, Happy's face was replaced with a kid's, etc. It didn't help that a big rock pile blocked my way to the Golden Apple. So I wondered; Could I enter the room by walking from the same room, but in the old labyrinth? I decided to go back to the other labyrinth. Then, I got to the 10th floor by glitching through the endless stairs. Then, I entered the room. It was old and dusty, but what scared me were the skeletons on the floor. I wasn't joking; real skeletons were on the floor.

The zoom-in on the apple didn't help. It was rotten beyond belief, shriveled up to a almost-sickening shape. I then noticed the room was being disconnected from the lab, and was going to the other labyrinth. Finally, after crashing, I got the Golden Apple. Then, Happy started shaking uncontrollably. He was foaming at the mouth,
The last screenshot, showing the bad ending
Added by Dronian
and burn marks on both of his face meant that he was being electrocuted. Finally, he passed out, and he woke up in his van. The Golden Apple was in his hand. He then ate the apple, and then a golden shine slowly took over his body. He was gasping for air, until he suffocated. Then, text appeared on the top of him, saying "BAD END." I wondered why it said that, until I noticed the score below it. I didn't get a high enough score! Well, I'll replay it tomorrow.
August 20th, 2011Edit
Today, I decided to hack the game for any missing sprites and levels. There were over 40 levels that weren't used, including some roads which could have been in the opening, where Happy drove his van to the playground. Now, the sprites were a little disturbing. One was a skull which was on one of the missing levels. According to a script that was found on the same level, it would involve going into the fake Golden Apple room and taking one of the skulls. Another was a sprite which was Happy turning to the player. This sprite was distorted, however, but the sprite before the distortion was his teeth being red, from blood.
But the most sickening one was a sprite sheet called "failure". It was 150 or so sprites, showing a kid on his knees, pulling a sword out, and committing seppuku. After that, he stands for a while before collapsing. I'm not going to post the sprite anywhere, because of how realistic it is, even for a MS-Painted game. Then, I wondered if there were any sound effects. Yes, I was that sick to know. So, I looked through the sound effects, and found 3 that shocked me.

The first was Happy's voice saying "STAND STILL!", in a almost threatening way. The second was sound effects that would have belonged to the "failure" sheet, which includes the unsheating of a sword, and the sound of a blade cutting through flesh. The final was a 3-minute droning noise, with a reversed discussion at the end. I reversed it, and I could hear 2 voices:

"Are you sure he's in the temple?"

"Yes. Fill up the entrance and let him die."

I will be playing the game tomorrow, but with all sprites, voices, and levels correctly placed, to make the game more playable.

August 21st, 2011Edit
I'm almost done. There's some unfinished levels that need to be done, so I took a dab at them.
August 27th, 2011Edit
Today, I found the torrent of the 19th episode of Happy Appy, called Mean Miranda. It was about boys no older or younger then 6-8 being bullied by a girl named Miranda. Happy heals them, getting progressively angrier when the episode goes on. At the end, Happy Appy says coldy "Bully one more kid and you will get a surprise". Miranda kicks a boy, but then Happy gets in his van and drives the van at her. Right before the van hits her, the episode cuts into the credits, with promos for other tv shows. The promo was for 2 new episodes each for Franklin and Blue's Clues.
So, here's the new list.

Happy's Vacation
Hurt Happy
The Monkey Bar Injury
Happy Goes to School (The one with the math song)
???, title missing
Nate Needs Help! (The Boo-boo episode)
Never Run with Knives
Happy Fixes Kids
??? (Happy Fixes Kids, Part 2?)
Happy Fixes Kids, Part 3
The Two Towers
Happy the Doctor (The one with the green fluid needle, the crashed plane, and Happy's skin peeling off)
???
Mean Miranda
Happy's Trick
The Happy Appy Movie, Parts 1 and 2

--

I swear this made me shit bricks and have nightmares. Creepy...pasta.

Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:25:51 PDT

The Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde aircraft was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport (SST). It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation. First flown in 1969, Concorde entered service in 1976 and continued for 27 years.

Concorde flew regular transatlantic flights from London Heathrow (British Airways) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (Air France) to New York JFK and Washington Dulles, profitably flying these routes at record speeds, in less than half the time of other airliners. Indeed, Concorde held many speed records.

With only 20 aircraft built, the costly development phase represented a substantial economic loss. Additionally, Air France and British Airways were subsidised by their governments to buy the aircraft. As a result of the type's only crash (on 25 July 2000), world economic effects arising from the 9/11 attacks, and other factors, operations ceased on 24 October 2003. The last "retirement" flight occurred on 26 November 2003.[3]

Concorde remains an icon of aviation history, and has acquired an unusual nomenclature for an aircraft. In common usage in the United Kingdom, the type is known as "Concorde" rather than "the Concorde" or "a Concorde".[4][5]

Development
Concorde's final flight, G-BOAF from Heathrow to Bristol, on 26 November 2003. The extremely high fineness ratio of the fuselage is evident
Concorde on takeoff
Pre-production Concorde number 101 on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, UK
Concorde G-BOAB in storage at London Heathrow Airport following the end of all Concorde flying. This aircraft flew for 22,296 hours between its first flight in 1976 and its final flight in 2000.

In the late 1950s, the United Kingdom, France, United States and Soviet Union were considering developing supersonic transport. Britain's Bristol Aeroplane Company and France's Sud Aviation were both working on designs, called the Type 223 and Super-Caravelle, respectively. Both were largely funded by their respective governments.[6] The British design was for a thin-winged delta shape (which owed much to work by Dietrich Küchemann) for a transatlantic-ranged aircraft for about 100 people, while the French were intending to build a medium-range aircraft.

The designs were both ready to start prototype construction in the early 1960s, but the cost was so great that the British government made it a requirement that BAC look for international co-operation.[6] Approaches were made to a number of countries, but only France showed real interest. The development project was negotiated as an international treaty between the two countries rather than a commercial agreement between companies and included a clause, originally asked for by Britain, imposing heavy penalties for cancellation. A draft treaty was signed on 28 November 1962. By this time, both companies had been merged into new ones; thus, the Concorde project was between the British Aircraft Corp. and Aerospatiale.

At first the new consortium intended to produce two versions of the aircraft, one long range and one short range. However, prospective customers showed no interest in the short-range version and it was dropped. The consortium secured orders (i.e., non-binding options) for over 100 of the long-range version from the premier airlines of the day: Pan Am, BOAC and Air France were the launch customers, with six Concordes each. Other airlines in the order book included Panair do Brasil, Continental Airlines, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, American Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada, Braniff, Singapore Airlines, Iran Air, Olympic Airways, Qantas, CAAC, Middle East Airlines and TWA.[citation needed]

The aircraft was initially referred to in Britain as "Concorde," with the French spelling, but was officially changed to "Concord" by Harold Macmillan in response to a perceived slight by Charles de Gaulle. In 1967, at the French roll-out in Toulouse the British Government Minister for Technology, Tony Benn announced that he would change the spelling back to "Concorde."[7] This created a nationalist uproar that died down when Benn stated that the suffixed "e" represented "Excellence, England, Europe and Entente (Cordiale)." In his memoirs, he recounts a tale of a letter from an irate Scotsman claiming: "you talk about 'E' for England, but part of it is made in Scotland." Given Scotland's contribution of providing the nose cone for the aircraft, Benn replied "it was also 'E' for 'Écosse' (the French name for Scotland) — and I might have added 'e' for extravagance and 'e' for escalation as well!"[8]

Construction of two prototypes began in February 1965: 001, built by Aerospatiale at Toulouse, and 002, by BAC at Filton, Bristol. Concorde 001 made its first test flight from Toulouse on 2 March 1969, piloted by Andre Turcat, and first went supersonic on 1 October. The first UK-built Concorde flew from Filton to RAF Fairford on 9 April 1969, piloted by Brian Trubshaw.[9] As the flight programme progressed, 001 embarked on a sales and demonstration tour on 4 September 1971. Concorde 002 followed suit on 2 June 1972 with a tour of the Middle and Far East. Concorde 002 made the first visit to the United States in 1973, landing at the new Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport to mark that airport's opening.

These trips led to orders for over 70 aircraft, but a combination of factors led to a sudden number of order cancellations: the 1973 oil crisis, acute financial difficulties of many airlines, a spectacular Paris Le Bourget air show crash of the competing Soviet Tupolev Tu-144, and environmental concerns such as the sonic boom, takeoff-noise and pollution. Only Air France and British Airways (the successor to BOAC) took up their orders, with the two governments taking a cut of any profits made. In the case of BA, 80% of the profit was kept by the government until 1984, while the cost of buying the aircraft was covered by a state loan.[10]

The United States cancelled its supersonic transport (SST) programme in 1971. Two designs had been submitted; the Lockheed L-2000, looking like a scaled-up Concorde, lost out to the Boeing 2707, which was intended to be faster, to carry 300 passengers and feature a swing-wing design. Other countries, such as India and Malaysia, ruled out Concorde supersonic overflights due to noise concerns.[11]

Both European airlines flew demonstration and test flights from 1974 onwards. The testing of Concorde set records that have not been surpassed; the prototype, pre-production and first production aircraft undertook 5,335 flight hours. A total of 2,000 test hours were at supersonic speeds. Unit costs were £23 million (US$46 million) in 1977. Development cost was six times the projected amount.[12]

[edit] Design

Concorde was an ogival (also "ogee") delta-winged aircraft with four Olympus engines based on those originally developed for the Avro Vulcan strategic bomber. The engines were jointly built by Rolls-Royce and SNECMA. Concorde was the first civil airliner to have an analogue fly-by-wire flight control system. It also employed a trademark droop snoot lowering nose section for visibility on approach.

The principal designer who worked on the project was Pierre Satre, with Sir Archibald Russell as his deputy.[13]

These and other features permitted Concorde to have an average cruise speed of Mach 2.02 (about 2,140 km/h or 1,330 mph) with a maximum cruise altitude of 18,300 metres (60,000 feet), more than twice the speed of conventional aircraft. The average landing speed was 298 km/h (185 mph, 160 knots).
The flight deck

Concorde pioneered a number of technologies:

For high speed and optimisation of flight:

* Double-delta (ogee/ogival) shaped wings
* Variable inlet ramps controlled by digital computers[14]
* Supercruise capability
* Thrust-by-wire engines, predecessor of today's FADEC-controlled engines[14]
* Droop-nose section for improved visibility in landing

For weight-saving and enhanced performance:

* Mach 2.04[15] (~2,200 kilometres per hour (1,400 mph) cruising speed for optimum fuel consumption (supersonic drag minimum, although turbojet engines are more efficient at high speed)
* Mainly aluminium construction for low weight and relatively conventional manufacture (higher speeds would have ruled out aluminium)
* Full-regime autopilot and autothrottle allowing "hands off" control of the aircraft from climbout to landing
* Fully electrically controlled analogue fly-by-wire flight controls systems
* Multifunction flight control surfaces
* High-pressure hydraulic system of 28 MPa (4,000 lbf/in² for lighter hydraulic systems components
* Fully electrically controlled analogue brake-by-wire system
* Pitch trim by shifting fuel around the fuselage for centre-of-gravity control
* Parts made using 'sculpture milling' from single alloy billet reducing the part-number count, while saving weight and adding strength[16]
* Lack of Auxiliary power unit (Relying on the fact that Concorde will be used for premium services to big airports, where a ground air start cart would be readily available)
* Flush fitting lights

The Concorde programme's primary legacy is in the experience gained in design and manufacture which later became the basis of the Airbus consortium.[14] Snecma Moteurs' involvement with the Concorde programme prepared the company's entrance into civil engine design and manufacturing, opening the way for Snecma to establish CFM International with General Electric and produce the successful CFM International CFM56 series engines.

Although Concorde was a technological marvel when introduced into service in the 1970s, 30 years later its cockpit, cluttered with analogue dials and switches, looked dated. With no competition, there was no commercial pressure to upgrade Concorde with enhanced avionics or passenger comfort, as occurred in other airliners of the same vintage, for example the Boeing 747.[citation needed]

The key partners, BAC (later to become BAE Systems) and Aerospatiale (which was later merged into EADS), were the joint owners of Concorde's type certificate. Responsibility for the Type Certificate transferred to Airbus with formation of Airbus SAS.

[edit] Movement of centre of pressure
G-AXDN, Duxford, close up of engines

When any aircraft passes the critical mach of that particular airframe, the centre of pressure shifts rearwards. This causes a pitch down force on the aircraft, as the centre of mass remains where it was. The engineers designed the wings in a specific manner to reduce this shift. However, there was still a shift of about 2 metres. This could have been countered by the use of trim controls, but at such high speeds this would have caused a dramatic increase in the drag on the aircraft. Instead, the distribution of fuel along the aircraft was shifted during acceleration and deceleration to move the centre of mass, effectively acting as an auxiliary trim control.

[edit] Engines
Main article: Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593

To be economically viable, Concorde needed to be able to fly reasonably long distances, and this required high efficiency. For optimum supersonic flight, turbofan engines were considered, but rejected, as due to their large master cross-section they would cause excessive drag. Turbojets were found to be the best choice of engines.[17] The quieter high bypass turbofan engines such as used on Boeing 747s could not be used. The engine chosen was the twin spool Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593, a version of the Olympus originally developed for the Vulcan bomber, developed into an afterburning supersonic engine for the BAC TSR-2 strike bomber and then adapted for Concorde.
Concorde's ramp system schematics
Concorde's ramp system

The inlet design for Concorde's engines was critical. All conventional jet engines can take in air at only around Mach 0.5; therefore the air needs to be slowed from the Mach 2.0 airspeed that enters the engine inlet. In particular, Concorde needed to control the shock waves that this reduction in speed generates to avoid damage to the engines. This was done by a pair of intake ramps and an auxiliary flap, whose position was moved during flight to slow the air down. The ramps were at the top of the engine compartment and moved down and the auxiliary flap moved both up and down allowing air to flow in or out. During takeoff, when the engine's air demand was high, the ramps were flat at the top and the auxiliary flap was in, allowing more air to enter the engine. As the aircraft approached Mach 0.7, the flap closed; at Mach 1.3, the ramps came into effect, removing air from the engines which was then used in the pressurisation of the cabin. At Mach 2.0, the ramps had covered half their total possible distance. They also helped reduce the work done by the compressors as they not only compressed the air but also increased the air temperature.

Engine failure causes large problems on conventional subsonic aircraft; not only does the aircraft lose thrust on that side but the engine is a large source of drag, causing the aircraft to yaw and bank in the direction of the failed engine. If this had happened to Concorde at supersonic speeds, it could theoretically have caused a catastrophic failure of the airframe. However, during an engine failure air intake needs are virtually zero, so in Concorde the immediate effects of the engine failure were countered by the opening of the auxiliary flap and the full extension of the ramps, which deflected the air downwards past the engine, gaining lift and streamlining the engine, minimising the drag effects of the failed engine. In tests, Concorde was able to shut down both engines on the same side of the aircraft at Mach 2 without any control problems.[18]

The aircraft used reheat (afterburners) at take-off and to pass through the transonic regime (i.e. "go supersonic") between Mach 0.95 and Mach 1.7, and were switched-off at all other times. The engines were capable of reaching Mach 2 without reheat, but it was discovered that it burnt more fuel that way, since the aircraft spent much longer flying in the high-drag transonic regime even though reheat is inefficient.

Due to jet engines being highly inefficient at low speeds, Concorde burned two tonnes of fuel taxiing to the runway.[19] To conserve fuel only the two outer engines were run after landing. The thrust from two engines was sufficient for taxiing to the ramp due to low aircraft weight upon landing at its destination.

However, when operating Concorde at its design point at Mach 2, it was the world's most efficient jet engine.[14]

[edit] Heating issues

Beside engines, the hottest part of the structure of any supersonic aircraft is the nose. The engineers wanted to use (duralumin) aluminium throughout the aircraft, due to its familiarity, cost and ease of construction. The highest temperature that aluminium could sustain over the life of the aircraft was 127 °C, which limited the top speed to Mach 2.02.

Concorde went through two cycles of heating and cooling during a flight, first cooling down as it gained altitude, then heating up after going supersonic. The reverse happened when descending and slowing down. This had to be factored into the metallurgical modelling. An expensive test rig was built that repeatedly heated up a full-size section of the wing, and then cooled it, and periodically samples of metal were taken for testing. This cost millions of pounds per year to run.

In fact, owing to the heat generated by compression of the air as Concorde travelled supersonically, the fuselage would extend by as much as 300 mm (almost 1 ft), the most obvious manifestation of this being a gap that opened up on the flight deck between the flight engineer's console and the bulkhead. On all Concordes that had a supersonic retirement flight, the flight engineers placed their hats in this gap before it cooled, where the hats remain to this day. In the Seattle Museum of Flight's Concorde a protruding cap was cut off by a thief in an apparent attempt to steal it, leaving a part behind. An amnesty led to the severed cap being returned.

In order to keep the cabin cool, Concorde used the fuel as a heatsink for the heat from the air conditioning. The same method also cooled the hydraulics. During supersonic flight the windows in the cockpit became too hot to touch.

Concorde also had restrictions on livery; the majority of the surface had to be painted with a special highly reflecting white paint to avoid overheating the aluminium structure due to the supersonic heating effects of Mach 2.[20] In 1996, however, Air France briefly painted F-BTSD in a predominantly-blue livery (with the exception of the wings) as part of a promotional deal with Pepsi Cola. In this paint scheme, Air France were advised to remain at Mach 2 for no more than 20 minutes at a time, but there was no restriction at speeds under Mach 1.7. F-BTSD was chosen for the promotion because the aircraft was not then scheduled to operate any long flights that required extended Mach 2 operations.[21]

[edit] Structural issues

Due to the high speeds at which Concorde travelled, large forces were applied to the aircraft structure during banks and turns. This caused twisting and the distortion of the aircraft's structure. This was resolved by the neutralisation of the outboard elevons at high speeds. Only the innermost elevons, which are attached to the strongest area of the wings, are active at high speed.

Additionally, the narrow fuselage meant that the aircraft flexed more, particularly during takeoff. Pilots were able to look back down the cabin and see this occurring, but it was less visible from most of the passengers' viewpoints. The cabins of both Air France and British Airways featured lavatories and bulkheads midway down the cabin to reduce the appearance of the "long tube effect" to passengers in the aft of the aircraft.

[edit] Brakes and undercarriage
Concorde tyres and brakes

Due to a high average takeoff speed of 250 miles per hour (400 km/h), Concorde needed upgraded brakes. Like most airliners, Concorde used an anti-skid braking system which prevents the tyres from sliding when the brakes are applied for greater control during roll-out. The brakes, developed by Dunlop, were the first carbon-based brakes used on an airliner. They could bring Concorde, weighing up to 185 tons (188 tonnes) and traveling at 190 miles per hour (310 km/h), to a stop from an aborted takeoff within one mile (1600 m). This braking manoeuvre brought the brakes to temperatures of 300 °C to 500 °C, requiring several hours for cooling.[22]

Another issue during the research for Concorde was the undercarriage. It turned out that the undercarriage had to be unusually strong. This was due to the unusual loadings due to the high angle of attack that Concorde needed during take-off, due to its delta-wing. This increased the weight and required a major redesign.

One interesting note about the main undercarriage is that if both were to just swing up to be stowed away they would hit each other and jam. The combined length of both undercarriages is greater than the distance between both undercarriage roots. This problem required that the undercarriage be first retracted vertically and then swung inwards to be tucked in the wing and fuselage belly.[23]

[edit] Range

Concorde needed to travel between London and New York or Washington nonstop, and to achieve this the designers gave Concorde the greatest supersonic range of any aircraft. This was achieved by a combination of careful development of the engines to make them highly efficient at supersonic speeds, by very careful design of the wing shape to give a good lift to drag ratio, by having a modest payload and high fuel capacity, and by moving the fuel to trim the aircraft without introducing any additional drag.

Nevertheless, soon after Concorde began flying, a Concorde "B" model was designed with slightly larger fuel capacity and slightly larger wings with leading edge slats to improve aerodynamic performance at all speeds and featuring more powerful engines with sound deadening and without the fuel-hungry and noisy reheat. This would have given 500 km greater range even with greater payload, and would have opened up new commercial routes. This was cancelled due to poor sales of Concorde.[24]

[edit] Increased radiation exposure

The high altitude at which Concorde cruised meant passengers received almost twice the flux of extraterrestrial ionising radiation as those travelling on a conventional long-haul flight. Due to the proportionally reduced flight time, however, the overall equivalent dose was less than a conventional flight over the same distance.[25] Unusual solar activity led to an increase in incident radiation, so the flight deck had a radiometer and an instrument to measure the rate of decrease of radiation. If the level was too high, Concorde descended to below 47,000 feet (14,000 m). The rate of decrease indicator indicated whether the aircraft needed to descend further, decreasing the amount of time the aircraft was at an unsafe altitude.

[edit] Cabin pressurisation
Concorde fuselage

Airliner cabins are usually pressurised to 6-8,000 ft (1,800-2,400 m) elevation while the aircraft flies much higher. Concorde's pressurisation was set to an altitude at the lower end of this range, 6,000 feet (1,800 m).[26] Some passengers can have difficulty even with that pressurisation. A sudden reduction in cabin pressure is hazardous to all passengers and crew. Concorde's maximum cruising altitude was 60,000 feet (18,000 m) (though the typical altitude reached between London and New York was about 56,000 feet (17,000 m)); subsonic airliners typically cruise below 40,000 feet (12,000 m). Above 50,000 feet (15,000 m), the lack of air pressure would give a 'time of useful consciousness' in even a conditioned athlete to no more than 10–15 seconds. A cabin breach could even reduce air pressure to below the ambient pressure outside the aircraft due to the Venturi effect, as the air is sucked out through an opening. At Concorde's altitude, the air density is very low; a breach of cabin integrity would result in a loss of pressure severe enough so that the plastic emergency oxygen masks installed on other passenger jets would not be effective, and passengers would quickly suffer from hypoxia despite quickly donning them. Concorde, therefore, was equipped with smaller windows to reduce the rate of loss in the event of a breach, a reserve air supply system to augment cabin air pressure, and a rapid descent procedure to bring the aircraft to a safe altitude. The FAA enforces minimum emergency descent rates for aircraft and made note of Concorde's higher operating altitude, concluding that the best response to a loss of pressure would be a rapid descent.[citation needed] Pilots had access to CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) which used masks that forced oxygen at higher pressure into the crew's lungs.

[edit] Droop nose

Concorde's famous drooping nose was a compromise between the need for a streamlined design to reduce drag and increase aerodynamic efficiency in flight and the need for the pilot to see properly during taxi, takeoff, and landing operations. A delta-wing aircraft takes off and lands with a high angle of attack (a high nose angle) compared to other wing planforms, due to the way the delta wing generates lift. The pointed nose would obstruct the pilots' view of taxiways and runways, so Concorde's nose was designed to allow for different positioning for different operations. The droop nose was accompanied by a moving visor that was retracted into the nose prior to the nose being lowered. When the nose was raised back to horizontal, the visor was raised ahead of the front cockpit windscreen for aerodynamic streamlining in flight.[27]

A controller in the cockpit allowed the visor to be retracted and the nose to be lowered to 5° below the standard horizontal position for taxiing and takeoff. Following takeoff and after clearing the airport, the nose and visor were raised. Shortly before landing, the visor was again retracted and the nose lowered to 12.5° below horizontal for maximum visibility. Upon landing, the nose was quickly raised to the five-degree position to avoid the possibility of damage.[27] On rare occasions, the aircraft could take off with the nose fully down.[28]

A final possible position had the visor retracted into the nose but the nose in the standard horizontal position. This setup was used for cleaning the windscreen and for short subsonic flights.[27]

The two prototype Concordes had two fixed "glass holes" on their retractable visors.[29] The USA Federal Aviation Administration objected to that restrictive visibility and demanded a different design before it would permit Concorde to serve US airports, which led to the redesigned visor used on the production aircraft and the four "pre-production" aircraft (101, 102, 201, and 202).[citation needed]

[edit] Avionics

The avionics of Concorde were unique as it was the first commercial aircraft to employ hybrid microcircuits, these were a combination of discrete electronic components and laser-etched silicon microcircuits.[citation needed] These[clarification needed] were produced at the Sperry manufacturing plant in Bracknell, Berkshire (this later became BAe dynamics group which remained in Bracknell until the plant closed in 1989).

[edit] Flight characteristics
Concorde's cockpit layout
British Airways Concorde interior before 2000
Concorde toilet facilities

While commercial jets take eight hours to fly from New York to Paris, the average supersonic flight time on the transatlantic routes was just under 3.5 hours. In transatlantic flight, Concorde travelled more than twice as fast as other aircraft — other aircraft frequently appeared to be flying backwards.

In regular service, Concorde employed an efficient cruise-climb flight profile. As aircraft lose weight from consuming fuel, they can fly at progressively higher altitudes. This is (generally) more efficient, so conventional airliners employ a stepped climb profile, where air traffic control will approve a change to a higher flight level as the flight progresses.

During a landing approach Concorde was on the "back side" of the drag force curve, where raising the nose would increase the sink rate. The delta-shaped wings allowed Concorde to attain a higher angle of attack than conventional aircraft, as it allowed the formation of large low pressure vortices over the entire upper wing surface, maintaining lift. This low pressure caused Concorde to disappear into a self-induced bank of fog on humid days. These vortices formed only at low air speeds, meaning that during the initial climb and throughout the approach Concorde experienced light turbulence and buffeting. Interestingly, the vortex lift created by Concorde's wing just prior to touchdown supplied its own mild turbulence.

With no other civil traffic operating at its cruising altitude of about 56,000 ft (17,000 m), dedicated oceanic airways or "tracks" were used by Concorde to cross the Atlantic. These SST, ("Super-Sonic Transport"), tracks were designated:

Track Sierra Mike (SM); A uni-directional track used by westbound flights of both Air France and British Airways.
Track Sierra November (SN); A uni-directional track used by eastbound flights of both Air France and British Airways.
Track Sierra Oscar (SO); A bi-directional track used by westbound Air France flights which might conflict with westbound British Airways flights routing simultaneously on Track SM, and by eastbound Air France flights which might conflict with eastbound British Airways flights routing simultaneously on Track SN.
Track Sierra Papa (SP); A uni-directional seasonal track used by westbound British Airways flights routing from London Heathrow to Barbados.

Due to the nature of high altitude winds, these SST tracks were fixed in terms of their co-ordinates, unlike the North Atlantic Tracks at lower altitudes whose co-ordinates alter daily according to forecast weather patterns. Concorde would also be cleared in a 15,000-foot (4,600 m) block, allowing for a slow climb from 45,000 to 60,000 ft (18,000 m) during the oceanic crossing as the fuel load gradually decreased.[30]

Concorde actually flew fast enough that the weight of everyone onboard was temporarily reduced by about 1% when flying east. This was due to centrifugal effects since the airspeed added to the rotation speed of the Earth. Flying west, the weight increased by about 0.3%, because it cancelled out the normal rotation and, with it, the normal centrifugal force and replaced it with a smaller rotation in the opposite direction.[31] Concorde flew high enough that the weight of everyone onboard was reduced by an additional 0.6% due to the increased distance from the centre of the Earth.[citation needed]

BA flights flown by Concorde added "Concorde" in addition to the standard "Speedbird" callsign to notify Air Traffic Control of the aircraft's unique abilities and restrictions.[32] The flight numbers of BA's Concorde flights to/from the USA were 001–004; these BA Concordes therefore used callsigns "Speedbird Concorde 1" through to "Speedbird Concorde 4". The service to/from Barbados, special charter flights and test flights prior to a return to service following maintenance used the prefix "Speedbird Concorde" followed by the relevant four digit flight number. With the retirement of Concorde, the BA flight numbers 001 - 004 are now unused. Air France Concordes used the standard "Airfrans" callsign.

[edit] Operational history

Scheduled flights began on 21 January 1976 on the London-Bahrain and Paris-Rio (via Dakar) routes. The U.S. Congress had just banned Concorde landings in the US, mainly due to citizen protest over sonic booms, preventing launch on the coveted transatlantic routes. However, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, William Coleman, gave special permission for Concorde service to Washington Dulles International Airport, and Air France and British Airways simultaneously began service to Dulles on 24 May 1976.[33]
Concorde 1977

When the U.S. ban on JFK Concorde operations was lifted in February 1977, New York banned Concorde locally. The ban came to an end on 17 October 1977 when the Supreme Court of the United States declined to overturn a lower court's ruling rejecting the Port Authority and a grass-roots campaign led by Carol Berman efforts to continue the ban. In spite of complaints about noise, the noise report noted that Air Force One, at the time a Boeing VC-137, was louder than Concorde at subsonic speeds and during takeoff and landing.[34] Scheduled service from Paris and London to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport began on 22 November 1977.[citation needed] Flights operated by BA were generally numbered "BA001" (London to New York), "BA002" (New York to London), "BA003" (London to New York) and "BA004" (New York to London). Air France flight numbers were generally "AF001" (New York to Paris) and "AF002" (Paris to New York).

In 1977, British Airways and Singapore Airlines shared a Concorde for flights between London and Singapore International Airport via Bahrain. The aircraft, BA's Concorde G-BOAD, was painted in Singapore Airlines livery on the port side and British Airways livery on the starboard side.[35] The service was discontinued after three return flights because of noise complaints from the Malaysian government; it could only be reinstated on a new route bypassing Malaysian airspace in 1979. A dispute with India prevented Concorde from reaching supersonic speeds in Indian airspace, so the route was eventually declared not viable and discontinued in 1980. During the Mexican oil boom, Air France flew Concorde twice-weekly to Mexico City's Benito Juárez International Airport via Washington, DC or New York City, from September 1978 to November 1982. The worldwide economic crisis during that period resulted in this route's cancellation; the last flights were almost empty. The routing between Washington or New York and Mexico City included a deceleration, from Mach 2.02 to Mach 0.95, to cross Florida subsonically and avoid unlawfully sonic-booming it; then a reacceleration to cross the Gulf of Mexico at Mach 2.02. British Airways later implemented this new routing on 1 April 1989, with G-BOAF, on an Around-The-World luxury tour charter. From time to time, Concorde came back to the region on similar chartered flights to Mexico City and Acapulco.

From 1978 to 1980, Braniff International Airways leased 10 Concordes,[36] five each from Air France and British Airways. These were used on subsonic flights between Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington Dulles International Airport, flown by Braniff flight crews. Air France and British Airways crews then took over for the continuing supersonic flights to London and Paris. The aircraft were registered in both the United States and their home countries: a sticker covered up the European registration for the few hours it was being operated by Braniff, retaining the AF/BA full colour schemes. The flights were not profitable and were usually less than 50% booked, which forced Braniff to end its tenure as the only U.S. Concorde operator in May 1980.

By around 1981 in the UK, the future for Concorde looked bleak. British government had lost money operating Concorde every year, and moves were afoot to cancel the service entirely. A cost projection came back with greatly reduced metallurgical testing costs, as the test rig for the wings had built up enough data to last for 30 years and could be shut down, but still, having lost money for so many years, the government was not keen to continue. In late 1983, the managing director of BA, Sir John King, managed to get the government to sell the aircraft outright to (the then state owned, later privatised) BA for £16.5 million plus the first year's profits.[37]

After doing a market survey and discovering that their target customers thought that Concorde was more expensive than it actually was, BA progressively raised prices to match these perceptions.[14] It is reported that BA then ran Concorde at a profit, unlike their French counterparts.[38] The plane was reckoned to make an operating profit for British Airways.[39] BA's profits have been reported to be up to £50 million in the most profitable year, with a total revenue of £1.75 billion, before costs of £1 billion.[38]

Between 1984 and 1991, British Airways flew a thrice-weekly Concorde service between London and Miami, stopping at Washington's Dulles International Airport. The routing from Dulles to Miami was flown subsonically as far as Carolina Beach VOR; then there was a very rapid climb to 60,000 ft (estimated at 6,000 ft (1,800 m) per minute) and Mach 2.02 that was possible due to the aircraft's very light weight: an average of only about 25-30 passengers and fuel only for the short Dulles-Miami sector. After about 6-8 minutes at Mach 2.02, deceleration and descent was begun into Miami. On several occasions, bad weather at Dulles and a light passenger payload out of Miami enabled nonstop Miami-London sectors to be flown. The fastest such flight took just 3 hours 47 minutes to fly over 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) from Miami to London, with 70 passengers. On such trips, the flight plan was filed to Shannon, Ireland, with en route re-clearance on to London secured later in the flight after the minimum required fuel for London was clearly present. This flight was farther than a sector often claimed as the farthest ever flown nonstop by Concorde: a special charter for Middle Eastern VIPs from Washington to Nice, France.[citation needed]
Concorde G-BOAF. The final flight of Concorde landing at Filton Airfield, near Bristol, on 26 November 2003.

Up to 2003, Air France and British Airways continued to operate the New York services daily. Concorde also flew to Barbados's Grantley Adams International Airport during the winter holiday season. Until the AF Paris crash ended virtually all charter services by both AF and BA, several UK and French tour operators operated numerous charter flights to various European destinations on a regular basis.

[edit] Paris crash
Main article: Air France Flight 4590

On 25 July 2000, Air France Flight 4590, registration F-BTSC, crashed in Gonesse, France, killing all 100 passengers and nine crew on board the flight, and four people on the ground. It was the only fatal incident involving the type.

According to the official investigation conducted by the French accident investigation bureau (BEA), the crash was caused by a titanium strip, part of a thrust reverser, that fell from a Continental Airlines DC-10 that had taken off about four minutes earlier. This metal fragment punctured a tyre on the left main wheel bogie. The tyre exploded, and a piece of rubber hit the fuel tank and broke an electrical cable. The impact caused a hydrodynamic shockwave that fractured the fuel tank some distance from the point of impact. This caused a major fuel leak from the tank, which then ignited due to severed electrical wires which were sparking. The crew shut down engine number 2 in response to a fire warning but were unable to retract the landing gear, hampering the aircraft's climb. With engine number 1 surging and producing little power, the aircraft was unable to gain height or speed, entering a rapid pitch-up then a violent descent, rolling left. The impact occurred with the stricken aircraft tail-low, crashing into the Hotelissimo Hotel in Gonesse.[40]

Others have disputed the BEA report, citing evidence that the Air France Concorde was overweight, had unbalanced distribution in the fuel tanks, and lacked a critical spacer in the landing gear which caused it to veer. They came to the conclusion that the aircraft veered off course on the runway, which reduced take-off speed below the crucial minimum.[41]

Prior to the accident, Concorde had been arguably the safest operational passenger airliner in the world in terms of passenger deaths-per-kilometres travelled with zero. After the accident, the death rate was 12.5 fatal events per million flights, more than three times that of the second worst aircraft. However, no aircraft's safety can be accurately measured from a single incident, and safety improvements were made in the wake of the crash. The crash of the Air France Concorde nonetheless proved to be the beginning of the end for the type.[42]

The accident led to modifications, including more secure electrical controls, Kevlar lining to the fuel tanks and specially-developed burst-resistant tyres. In July 2008, a French prosecutor filed involuntary manslaughter charges against Continental Airlines and five persons, and a judge ordered them to stand trial. The defendants include two Continental employees, two employees of Aerospatiale and an employee of the French civil aviation authority. A Continental spokesman called the charges "outrageous".[43][44] The trial, which is still pending, has been postponed several times.

[edit] Return to service

The first test flight after the modifications departed from London Heathrow on 17 July 2001, piloted by BA Chief Concorde Pilot Mike Bannister. During the 3:20 hr flight over the mid-Atlantic towards Iceland, Bannister attained Mach 2.02 and 60,000 ft (18,000 m) before returning to RAF Brize Norton. The test flight, intended to resemble the London-New York route, was declared a success and was watched on live TV, and by crowds on the ground at both locations.[45]

Another BA assessment flight carrying passengers took place on 11 September 2001, and was in the air during the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. This was not a revenue flight, as all the passengers were BA employees.[46]

Normal commercial operations resumed on 7 November 2001 by BA and AF (aircraft G-BOAE and F-BTSD), with service to New York JFK, where passengers were welcomed by then-mayor Rudy Giuliani.

[edit] Retirement
Concorde G-BOAD on a barge beneath Verrazano Narrows Bridge in New York City in November 2003, bound for the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
Air France Concorde at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport

On 10 April 2003, Air France and British Airways simultaneously announced that they would retire Concorde later that year. They cited low passenger numbers following the 25 July 2000 crash, the slump in air travel following the September 11 attacks and rising maintenance costs.

That same day, Sir Richard Branson offered to buy British Airways' Concorde fleet at their "original price of £1" for service with his Virgin Atlantic Airways. Branson claimed this to be the same token price that British Airways had paid the British Government, but BA denied this and refused the offer. The real cost of buying the aircraft was £26 million each but the money for buying the aircraft was lent by the government (which in turn took 80% of the profits). Subsequently BA bought two aircraft for a book value of £1 as part of the £16.5 million buy out in 1983.[38]

Branson wrote in The Economist (23 October 2003) that his final offer was "over £5 million" and that he had intended to operate the fleet "for many years to come." Any hope of Concorde remaining in service was further thwarted by Airbus' unwillingness to provide maintenance support for the ageing airframes.

It has been suggested that Concorde was not withdrawn for the reasons usually given, but that during the grounding of Concorde it became apparent to the airlines that they could actually make more revenue carrying their first class passengers subsonically.[47]

Rob Lewis suggested that the precipitous Air France retirement of its own Concorde fleet was the direct result of a secret conspiracy between Air France Chairman/CEO Jean-Cyril Spinetta and then-AIRBUS CEO Noel Forgeard, and stemmed as much from a fear of being found criminally liable under French law for future AF Concorde accidents as it did from simple economics. Further, on the British Airways side, a lack of engineering (maintenance) commitment to Concorde by then-Director of Engineering Alan MacDonald was cited as undermining BA's resolve to continue operating Concorde from within.[48][49]

[edit] Air France

Air France made its final commercial Concorde landing in the United States in New York City from Paris on 30 May 2003. Fire trucks sprayed the traditional arcs of water above F-BTSD on the tarmac of John F. Kennedy airport. The final passenger flight for the airline's SSTs was a charter around the Bay of Biscay. During the following week, on 2 June and 3 June 2003, F-BTSD flew a final round-trip from Paris to New York and back for airline staff and long-time employees in the airline's Concorde operations.[50] Air France's final Concorde flight took place on 27 June 2003 when F-BVFC retired to Toulouse.[51]

An auction of Concorde parts and memorabilia for Air France was held at Christie's in Paris on 15 November 2003. Thirteen hundred people attended, with several lots exceeding their predicted values by an order of magnitude.

After the end-of-service, French Concorde F-BVFC was retired to Toulouse, and kept functional (including engine runs) for a short while, in case taxi runs were required in support of the French judicial enquiry into the 2000 crash. The aircraft is now fully retired and no longer functional. It is open to the public.

French Concorde F-BTSD has been retired to the "Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace" at Le Bourget (near Paris) and, unlike the other museum Concordes, a few of the systems are being kept functional, so that for instance the famous "droop nose" can still be lowered and raised.

This led to rumours that they could be prepared for future flights for special occasions.[52] Without the necessary maintenance organisation, or spares, this is no longer possible.

[edit] British Airways
British Airways Concorde, at Heathrow Airport

British Airways' last Concorde departure from Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados was on 30 August 2003. BA conducted a mini North American farewell tour in October 2003. G-BOAG visited Toronto Pearson International Airport on 1 October 2003, after which it flew to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport as part of the tour. G-BOAD visited Boston's Logan International Airport on 8 October 2003, and G-BOAG visited Washington Dulles International Airport on 14 October 2003.[53] G-BOAD's flight to Boston set a record for the fastest transatlantic flight from east to west, making the trip from London Heathrow in 3 hours, 5 minutes, 34 seconds.[54]
Concorde (G-BOAC) at the Manchester International Airport Aviation Viewing Park

In a final week of farewell flights around the United Kingdom, Concorde visited Birmingham on 20 October, Belfast on 21 October, Manchester on 22 October, Cardiff on 23 October, and Edinburgh on 24 October. Each day the aircraft made a return flight out and back into Heathrow to the cities concerned, often overflying those cities at low altitude. Over 650 competition winners and 350 special guests were carried.

On 22 October, Heathrow ATC arranged for the inbound flight BA9021C, a special from Manchester, and BA002 from New York to land simultaneously on the left and right runways respectively.

On the evening of 23 October 2003, the Queen consented to the illumination of Windsor Castle as Concorde's last west-bound commercial flight departed London and flew overhead. This is an honour normally reserved for major state events and visiting dignitaries.

British Airways retired its aircraft the next day, 24 October. G-BOAG left New York to a fanfare similar to that given for Air France's "F-BTSD", while two more made round trips, G-BOAF over the Bay of Biscay, carrying VIP guests including many former Concorde pilots, and G-BOAE to Edinburgh. The three aircraft then circled over London, having received special permission to fly at low altitude, before landing in sequence at Heathrow. The two round-trip aircraft landed at 4:01 and 4:03 p.m. BST, followed at 4:05 by the one from New York. All three aircraft then spent 45 minutes taxiing around the airport before finally disembarking the last supersonic fare-paying passengers. The captain of the New York to London flight was Mike Bannister.
Mike Bannister (left) in the cockpit of BA002

All of BA's Concorde fleet have been grounded, have lost their airworthiness certificates and have been drained of hydraulic fluid. Ex-chief Concorde pilot and manager of the fleet, Jock Lowe, estimated in 2004 it would cost £10-15 million to make G-BOAF (at Filton) airworthy again.[52] BA maintains ownership of their fleet, and has stated that they will not fly again, as Airbus ended support of the aircraft in 2003.[55]

On 1 December 2003, Bonhams held an auction of British Airways' Concorde artifacts at Kensington Olympia, in London. Items sold included a Machmeter, nose cone, pilot and passenger seats, cutlery, ashtrays and blankets used on board. Proceeds of about £750,000 resulted, with the first half-million going to Get Kids Going!, a charity which gives disabled children and young people the opportunity to participate in sport.

BA announced in March 2007 that they would not be renewing their contract for the prime advertising spot at entrance to London's Heathrow Airport, where, since 1990, a 40% scale model of Concorde was located. BAA, the owners of the site, wanted to charge £1.6 million per year to let it. The Concorde model was removed and transported for display in Surrey, under the care of the local Brooklands Museum.[56]

[edit] Restoration

A dedicated group of French volunteer engineers is keeping one of the youngest Concordes (F-BTSD) in near-airworthy condition at the Le Bourget Air and Space Museum in Paris.

Although only a "static" example, Concorde G-BBDG was restored from essentially a shell at the Brooklands Museum in Surrey.[57]

[edit] Environmental impact

Prior to Concorde's flight trials, the developments made by the civil aviation industry were largely accepted by governments and their respective electorates. However, the opposition to Concorde's noise, particularly on the eastern coast of the United States, forged a new political agenda on both sides of the Atlantic, with scientists and technology experts across a multitude of industries beginning to take the environmental and social impact more seriously. Although Concorde led directly to the introduction of a general noise abatement programme for aircraft flying out of John F Kennedy Airport, it was later found that Concorde was actually quieter than some aircraft,[14] partly due to the pilots temporarily throttling back their engines to reduce noise during overflight of residential areas.[58]

Concorde produced nitrogen oxides in its exhaust, which, despite complicated chemical interactions with other ozone-depleting chemicals, are understood to produce a net degradation to the ozone layer at the stratospheric altitudes it cruised.[59] It has been pointed out that other, lower-flying, airliners produce ozone during their flights in the troposphere, but vertical transit of gases between the two is highly restricted. The small fleet size meant that any net ozone-layer degradation caused by Concorde was for all practical purposes negligible.

From this perspective, Concorde's technical leap forward can be viewed as boosting the public's (and the media's) understanding of conflicts between technology and the environment. In France, the use of acoustic fencing alongside TGV tracks might not have been achieved without the 1970s controversy over aircraft noise. In Britain, the CPRE have issued tranquillity maps since 1990 and public agencies are starting to do likewise.

Concorde travelled, per passenger, 17 miles (27 km) for each imperial gallon of fuel[60] — 17 miles per imperial gallon (17 L/100 km; 14 mpg-US). This efficiency is comparable to a Gulfstream G550 business jet (16 miles per US gallon (15 L/100 km; 19 mpg-imp) per passenger),[61] but much less efficient than a Boeing 747-400 (91 miles per US gallon (2.6 L/100 km; 109 mpg-imp) per passenger).[62]

[edit] Records

Concorde was the more successful of the only two supersonic airliners to have ever operated commercially, the Tupolev Tu-144 being the other. The Tu-144 was nicknamed "Concordski" by Western Europeans for its outward similarity to Concorde. Soviet espionage efforts had resulted in the theft of Concorde blueprints, ostensibly to assist in the design of the Tu-144.[63] The Tu-144 ultimately flew first, achieved a higher maximum speed, but was hampered by higher fuel requirements that restricted its range compared to Concorde.[64][65]

The fastest transatlantic flight was from London Heathrow to New York JFK on the 7th of February 1996 on a (British Airways) G-BOAD in 2hrs 52mins and 59secs from take off to touch down.

Concorde also set many other records, including the official FAI "Westbound Around the World" and "Eastbound Around the World" world air speed records. On 12-13 October 1992, in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Columbus' first New World landing, Concorde Spirit Tours (USA) chartered Air France Concorde F-BTSD and circumnavigated the world in 32 hours 49 minutes and 3 seconds, from Lisbon, Portugal, including six refuelling stops at Santo Domingo, Acapulco, Honolulu, Guam, Bangkok and Bahrain.[66]

The Eastbound record was set by the same Air France Concorde F-BTSD under charter to Concorde Spirit Tours (USA), on 15-16 August 1995. This special promotional flight circumnavigated the world from New York/JFK International Airport in a time of 31 hours 27 minutes 49 seconds, including six refuelling stops at Toulouse, Dubai, Bangkok, Andersen AFB (Guam), Honolulu and Acapulco.[67] Concorde continues to hold both records.

By its 30th flight anniversary on 2 March 1999 Concorde had clocked up 920,000 flight hours, with more than 600,000 supersonic, much more than all of the other supersonic aircraft put together in the Western world.[68]

[edit] Public perception
Parade flight at Queen's Golden Jubilee

Concorde was normally perceived as a privilege of the rich, but special circular or one-way (with return by coach or ship) charter flights were arranged to bring a trip within the means of moderately well-off enthusiasts.

The presence of a Concorde flying overhead would frequently temporarily halt day-to-day business as people would stop to watch as the plane flew by. A noteworthy example can be found in the TV programme Scrapheap Challenge, where the mechanics drop all their tools and wave as Concorde flies over the yard.

The aircraft was usually referred to by the British as simply "Concorde",[69][70] whilst in France it was known as "le Concorde" due to "le", the definite article,[71] being used in French grammar to distinguish a proper name[71] from a common noun of the same spelling.[72][73] In French, the common noun concorde means "agreement, harmony, or peace"[74] and the aircraft's name was almost certainly chosen for its allusion to the collaboration between the British and French governments. Concorde's pilots and British Airways in official publications and videos often refer to Concorde both in the singular and plural as "she" or "her."[75][76]
HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh disembark Concorde

Concorde remains a powerful symbol, both for its technology and sculptural shape. It is a symbol of great national pride to many in Britain and France; in France it was thought of as a French aircraft, in Britain as British.[77]

As a symbol of national pride, an example from the BA fleet made occasional flypasts at selected Royal events, major air shows and other special occasions, sometimes in formation with the Red Arrows. On the final day of commercial service, public interest was so great that grandstands were erected at London's Heathrow Airport to afford a view of the final arrivals. Crowds filled the boundary road around the airport and there was extensive media coverage.

Thirty-seven years after her first test flight, Concorde was announced the winner of the Great British Design Quest, organised by the BBC and the Design Museum.[77] A total of 212,000 votes were cast with Concorde beating design icons such as the Mini, mini skirt, Jaguar E-type, Tube map and the Supermarine Spitfire.[78]

[edit] Comparison with other supersonic aircraft

The only other supersonic airliner in direct competition with Concorde was the Soviet Tupolev Tu-144. It entered service earlier, and was retired in 1978. Lockheed, North American Aviation and Boeing prepared supersonic airliner studies, but only the Boeing 2707 proceeded even to the mock-up stage, the sole American entry into the supersonic transport sweepstakes.[79]

As a result of a rushed development programme, the first prototype of the Tu-144 was substantially different from the preproduction machines, and even these were cruder and less refined than Concorde, with notably higher cabin noise. The Tu-144S had a significantly smaller range than Concorde, largely due to its low-bypass turbofan engines. It required reheat to maintain Mach 2.0 and cruised at Mach 1.6.[80] The vehicle had poor control at low speeds because of a simpler, dedicated supersonic wing design. In addition, the Tu-144 required parachutes to land while Concorde had sophisticated anti-lock brakes. The Tu-144 also had two crashes, one at the 1973 Paris Air Show, which made further sales impossible, and another during a pre-delivery test flight. Later production versions had retractable canards for better low speed control, and a research version used turbojet engines that gave them nearly the fuel efficiency and similar range to Concorde. It had 126 seats. With a top speed of Mach 2.35 (made possible due to titanium and steel leading edges) and a cruise of Mach 2.16 it was potentially a more competitive aircraft, but it did not sell.

The American designs (Boeing 2707 and Lockheed L-2000) were to have been larger, seating 300. They were also intended to reach higher speeds of up to Mach 3.0, which would have made the construction more difficult: high temperatures ruled out the use of duralumin with design calculations that showed that the extra speed would have only cut Concorde's transatlantic travel by 20 minutes. Running a few years behind Concorde, the winning Boeing 2707 was redesigned to a cropped delta layout; the extra cost of these changes helped to kill the project. The discovery from flights of the XB-70 Valkyrie that sonic booms were quite capable of reaching the ground and the experience from the Oklahoma City sonic boom tests debacle led to the same environmental concerns that contributed to hindering commercial success of Concorde. The American government cancelled the project in 1971, after having spent more than $1 billion.[81]

The only other large supersonic aircraft comparable to Concorde are strategic bombers, principally the Russian Tupolev Tu-22/Tu-22M and Tu-160 and the American B-1B Lancer; only the Russian designs are capable of sustained Mach 2 flight and none of these aircraft are designed for extended supersonic flight like Concorde.[citation needed]

[edit] Possible replacements

In November 2003, EADS, parent company of the Airbus aircraft manufacturing company, announced that it was considering working with Japanese companies to develop a larger, faster replacement for Concorde.[82] However, recent news reports suggest only $1m is being invested every year into research, much less than the $1bn needed for the development of a viable supersonic airliner.[dated info]

In October 2005, JAXA, the Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency, undertook aerodynamic testing of a scale model of an airliner designed to carry 300 passengers at Mach 2 (working name NEXST). If pursued to commercial deployment, it would be expected to be in service around 2020 - 2025.[83]

The British company Reaction Engines Limited, with 50% EU money, are engaged in a research programme called LAPCAT, which is examining a design for a hydrogen-fuelled plane carrying 300 passengers called the A2, capable of flying nonstop from Brussels to Sydney at Mach 5+ in 4.6 hours.

In May 2008, it was reported that Aerion had $3 billion of preorder sales on its supersonic business jet.[84]

Research into supersonic business jets continues.

[edit] Operators

France

* Air France

Singapore

* Singapore Airlines (short term wet lease)

United Kingdom

* British Airways

United States

* Braniff International Airways (short term lease)

[edit] Specifications
Concorde G-BOAC

General characteristics

* Crew: 3 (pilot, co -pilot and flight engineer)[85]
* Capacity: 92-120 passengers (128 in high-density layout[86]). BA and AF Concordes had 100 seats. with AF removing 8 seats after the safety modifications of CY2000-2001 due to weight considerations.
* Length: 202 ft 4 in[87] (61.66 m)
* Wingspan: 84 ft 0 in (25.6 m)
* Height: 40 ft 0 in (12.2 m)
* Fuselage internal length: 129 feet 0 inches (39.3 m)
* Fuselage max external width: 9 feet 5 inches (2.9 m)
* Fuselage max internal width: 8 feet 7 inches (2.6 m)
* Fuselage max external height: 10 feet 10 inches (3.3 m)
* Fuselage max internal height: 6 feet 5 inches (2.0 m))
* Wing area: 3,856 ft2 (358.25 m2)
* Empty weight: 173,500 lb (78,700 kg)
* Useful load: 245,000 lb (111,130 kg)
* Powerplant: 4× Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 610 afterburning turbojets
o Dry thrust: 32,000 lbf (140 kN) each
o Thrust with afterburner: 38,050 lbf (169 kN) each
* Maximum fuel load: 210,940 pounds (95,680 kg)
* Maximum taxiing weight: 412,000 pounds (187,000 kg)

Performance

* Maximum speed: Mach 2.2[88] (~1,450 mph, 2,330 km/h[88])
* Cruise speed: Mach 2.02 (~1,320 mph)
* Range: 3,900 nmi (4,500 mi, 7,250 km)
* Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,300 m)
* Rate of climb: 5,000 ft/min. (25.41 m/s)
* lift-to-drag: Low speed- 3.94, Approach- 4.35, 250 kn, 10,000 ft- 9.27, Mach 0.94- 11.47, Mach 2.04- 7.14
* Fuel consumption: for max. range (max. fuel/max. range): 46.85 lb/mi (13.2 kg/km)
* Thrust/weight: 0.373
* Maximum nose tip temperature: 260 °F (127 °C)

Cenion is EVIL

Fri, 28 May 2010 17:33:14 PDT

I THINK I WILL MAKE THIS MY NEW ICON!
BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST AMAZING, HYSTERICAL THING IN THE WORLD! IT IS EVIL IN 50 x 50 PIXELS!
...50 bucks that Zexion wants to kill me...
Zexion: Rose...*twitch* You have five seconds to run before I rip all of your vital organs out and-
Rose:
HEY GET BACK HERE YOU SON OF A BITCH! *chase*
Cenchax: Aw, come on, Zexion, it's not THAT bad...!
CENCHAX, we are FUCKING KISSING! I AM NOT GAY, DAMMIT!
I CONCUR!
YOU WILL DIE! *grabs knife*
ZEXION!
AUGH! MY INNARDS! *unconscious*
...
Is she dead...? *pokes*
Unfortunately, no...Just unconscious from loss of blood...
...
Wanna make out?
WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!
DUDE, I was KIDDING! Geeze...
...
*ressurects self*
WHAT THE FU-
ANYWAYS, yeah...I kinda have a thing for emo boys making out...
IAMNOTE-
And, recently, I've been thinking that Cenchax and Zexion seem almost a little TOO buddy buddy...AND THOUGH this pairing is NOT an actual pairing in the story...
Zexion made her say that, dudes. Otherwise, she'd never tell you something as big as that.
HE THREATENED ME WITH A KNIFE! AND HE CUT OUT MY STOMACH.
YOU GREW IT BACK.
YOU STILL CUT IT OUT!
YOU ARE INTOLERABLE!
*kisses* And that's why you LO-OVE me!
AUGH! *chases with gun*

...They seem not to be here anymore, dudes...
So, I'll finish this up! Hi, it's Cenchax, what's up?
While Rose and Zexion are busy playing Cat and Mouse, I'll explain...I do NOT love Zexion, and he does not love me. Is that clear? Good! Alright, dudes, moving on!
Rose is just in a funny mood where crack makes sense and logic comes from Atmos, where Narnia is queen of Gibberish.
Also, she loves abusing me...
She just took the icon of...Roxas...and...Me...
ANDINFIFTEENMINUTES she made this...
Notice how he chanced the subject suddenly li-
THERE YOU ARE! *pulls string in chainsaw*
Oh, sh-WHERE DO ALL OF THESE WEAPONS KEEP COMING FROM?!
YOU WILL DIE BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT OR, BY KINGDOM FREAKING HEARTS, I SWEAR...! *chase*

Alright, I'll wrap this up before it gets outta hand...Anymore than it already is...
Long story short, Rose was messing around on Paint with shading, did a few icons, and slashing me with Zexion appeals to her. I can't say I love it, but I don't mind!
Friends with benifits...?
Well, I wouldn't say tha-
HOLY SHIT BEHIND YOU!
*turns around* ZEXION?! WHAT THE FUCK, A GIANT TANK...?!
THIS ISN'T MAKING SENSE ANYMORE!
GET. BACK. HERE. *tank rolls along*
ZEXION! FOR HEARTLESS SAKE GET THE HELL OUTTA THERE!
...
GOTTAGOBYE!

...
These comments were too much fun...
But, yeah. I've been slowly getting into Cenion. Why not?
Zexion's PISSED, and, honestly, I don't believe he IS gay. But, why not twitch his nerves every once in a while?
Cenchax is comfy around his biffs, so he doesn't mind making out every once in a while. He's a special boy.
AND FINALLY, before BITCHING and MOANING, Cenchax is MY character, and if I want to slash him up with ANYONE, I can. That's what characters are for; crack pairings! Roxas has had enough time in the spotlight; it's ZEXION'S turn!
So, before Zexion finds that atomic bomb that I did NOT hide in my closet, I'm going to leave! BYE!

Icon Base (c) ~Ninja-Haruki
Original Link: [link]
Roxas (c) Square Enix
Cenchax (c) ~Cats-Eye-93

~Cat's Eye

Godzilla Month 2010 '03'

Sat, 06 Nov 2010 20:30:46 PDT

"King Kong"

--

Ah yes...this file is the most viewed and reviewed of all of the stories we've collected since Operation KOM. This story seems to be the most iconic and epic of all. Some of it may be hard to understand...In order to fully understand the information in this file, I need to provide you with some back story. This tale begins in New York, 1933.

It was shortly after the Stock Market Crash of '29, early on in the Great Depression. Businesses were going under left and right. The only business that seemed to remain strong is film making. Unfortunately, there weren't that many strong film makers.

Carl Denham was getting desperate. He had found a map to an uncharted island that no one had ever seen before. The appearance of this island in the movie would be spectacular and raise a lot of money...However, his producers weren't as...'adventurous' as Carl was...especially with their money. They killed the picture and scrapped the project...well they tried to.

Carl did indeed set sail for the island with the cast and crew. With no way to pay for the actors, the ship or the film itself, he only hope was that the movie would cover the expenses. However...he had no idea what he was getting himself into when he set sail for the island.

The island, shrouded in fog, was home to living Dinosaurs, huge insects and countless other creatures that would make anyone connected with the movie a millionaire! Unfortunately the film was destroyed...but Reckless Carl was never one to give up on anything. When they returned to New York...Carl had captured a great beast to showcase in the greatest show ever in History.
King Kong; the Eighth Wonder of the World!!!

Kong was a 25 foot Gorilla that lived on Skull Island. Anne Darrow (the leading Actress for Carl's movie) was sacrificed to the mighty Kong by the Tribal Natives of the island. Surprisingly, she managed to tame the beast and become friends with it. Kong seemed to form some kind of affection for her...which is why he was angered whenever she was in danger.

On the opening night of the King Kong Stage Show, Kong was angered and confused by his sudden abduction. The flashing lights irritated him and caused him to go completely wild, breaking from his bonds. Kong then went on a Rampage to find Anne. Now since Kong had so far been as tamed as Anne could tame him, he didn't cause as much destruction as you'd think he could. The mild destruction and panic stopped when he finally found Anne in a hotel and pulled her out through the window. (Although surviving eye witnesses claim that Anne went to him in the streets to calm the wild beast down.)

Regardless, in order to escape the military with Anne in his paw, Kong climbed to the top of the Empire State Building. Once at the top, he was shot down by Biplanes and plummeted to his death on the streets below...

But that's the story you know...Here is what you might not know...Apart from a young Albino Gorilla dubbed Kiko, who supposedly died when Skull Island sank into the sea, Kong was the last Giant Ape of his species...therefore he was a very important project.

While Carl Denham was being sued by almost half of New York, there was a great dilemma of what to do with Kong's corpse. Scientists wanted to study him. Others believed that the body should be preserved in the Museum. However, Anne Darrow had other plans. She managed to rally enough support to send Kong's body back to the Island to be buried on his home.

Unfortunately the only map to the island was lost and Carl Denham was even more desperate than before. He gave the crew responsible for sending Kong's body home false directions. Hoping that they'd eventually loose interest in finding the island after wandering aimlessly, they'd return to New York. At which point he would claim ownership of Kong's body and sell it to the scientists or museum to pay off his debts.

The ship went to sea and followed Denham's faulty directions. The map had them wandering aimlessly into the Sea of Japan...where they met with a vicious Typhoon. During the storm, Kong's body was completely swept off of the deck and drifted out into the sea. The ship couldn't find the body and had to get out of the storm as quickly as possible...it seems that King Kong's body was lost forever...

However...the waves pulled the large gorilla toward Lagos island...Washing up upon the shore during the storm, Kong's body was continually struck by lightning. No one can be sure...but a faint pulse was indeed reawakened. Then when the final lightning bolt struck, a bright light appeared and covered the island in a huge explosion and a mushroom cloud that rose thousands of feet into the air.

When the light cleared...Kong's body was gone. All that could be seen on the beach was a large body imprint...much larger than Kong's 25ft stature. Almost 16 times that size...And a path of giant paw prints leading back into the sea...
But it's ironic...as you'll learn later...that incident of the test of the Hydrogen Bomb was the rebirth of two great beasts...and this is their story.

Now...we can finally get into the file...

The year is 1962...29 years since Kong's 'death' and 7 years since Godzilla had been put on ice. Pieces of a glacial island broke off from its mass forming a large drifting iceberg. When an exploratory submarine drifted too close to it, the vessel exploded in a fiery flash and a monstrous roar was heard.
A helicopter flying over the icecaps was sent in to view the area. The two pilots noticed that the iceberg was cracking. Snow was moving...or something underneath was movie it! Suddenly a wall of the mountain of snow was broke open allowing a Monstrous roar to ring out. The pilots' had only time to make one last transmission before their copter was destroyed...their message was horrifying...
"IT'S GODZILLA!!!"

Yes...it was finally time. When Godzilla was buried under the ice seven years ago, they all expected the cold blooded beast would freeze to death. No one could have suspected that the monster would hibernate...For seven years, Godzilla remained in suspended animation, until the submarine woke it up. Now Godzilla was back. He first went to an Arctic Military base and warm up his old destructive skills yet again. Godzilla made short work of the base and now he was headed for Japan.

News of Godzilla reached Japan. He would inevitably come, however, being frozen in ice for so long, he could not move as fast until his body temperature warmed up again. Japan had time...But that didn't change the fact that Godzilla was back again...

Although, news of Godzilla tended to annoy some, like Mr. Tako, head of Pacific Pharmaceuticals.

"N-n-n-n-n-N-N-N-N-NO MORE! I'm SICK of Godzilla!!!"

His company was sponsoring a new medical drug and the commercial was finally airing...but Godzilla was soaking up all of his press!!! But...to him, this did not matter. He was prepared to fight fire with fire (publicity-wise) with Godzilla.

One of the doctors who developed the new drug from berry juice he found on Faro Island claimed that he also found a Giant Monster. Using a giant beast as a spokesperson to make money and more publicity was ingenious! He immediately sent two of his men to retrieve the monster...how? Well...they hadn't thought of that yet.

Upon arriving on the island, the natives were busy making their tribal offering to their Monster God. The only indication that there was a monster on the island was because there was a four hundred foot wall separating part of the island with the mountains.

However, that night a large Octopus came ashore and began attacking the villagers. They prayed to their monster god for protection...their prayers were answered. From behind the wooden wall appeared a four hundred foot Gorilla...King Kong ALIVE!!! The wooden frame of this new wall was weaker than the stone wall of Skull Island and this time, Kong was much stronger. He busted through the wooden gate like paper. He then made short work of the octopus...Then stopped to have a drink of the red berry juice the natives had prepared for him as an offering. (He was still upset by offering of girls) Then the natives beat their drums and sang him a lullaby. The juice intoxicated Kong and the relaxing sounds drifted him off to sleep...allowing Tako's men to take him.

They immediately put Kong on a makeshift raft and towed him back to Japan. News of Kong was getting more publicity for Pacific Pharmaceuticals and making Tako happy. He came aboard to oversee Kong. They didn't suspect the gorilla of being the original Kong; it was much larger and it's fur was brown, probably due to the cooler climate of Faro. But it was radioactive, and was sporting similar scars to an artists' depiction of the original Kong. But it didn't matter. Just like the original Kong, this big ape was going to be the biggest publicity stunt in the Nation's History...but Kong never did make it to Japan officially.

The Japanese Self-Defense Force responsible for sealing Godzilla up in the iceberg didn't want another monster brawl on the Japanese mainland. They ordered that Kong be returned to Faro Island, not permitted in Japan. However, the dynamite on Kong's raft detonated when Kong woke up. It destroyed the raft completely, but luckily Kong survived. He began swimming for the nearest island; Japan.

In the meantime, Godzilla had just come ashore and destroyed a train. He then retreated into a valley area. Kong had wandered into the same forest. He spotted Godzilla on the cliff. Tako and his men are excited that the two creatures have met, and in the same fashion of '55, begin betting on which creature would win. Money was mostly placed on Kong.

The giant gorilla, reminded of his old enemy, Vastatosaurus by Godzilla's reptilian appearance immediately prepared for battle. However, a misfortunate helicopter was blown out of the sky by a display of Godzilla's atomic fire breath. Upon seeing the flaming spectacle, Kong was astounded. Maybe he had miscalculated challenging this opponent. But he was never one to run away from a fight. He threw a boulder at Godzilla...The Monster King was less than amused by this. He shot his fiery breath burning the forest and then burning Kong's chest. A display of the flaming power that Kong faced, he knew he didn't stand a chance against his new opponent. He quickly retreated allowing Godzilla to roar happily in triumph.

the JSDF lured Godzilla into a pit of explosives, but it did no good harming him. Then they set up a string of 1,000,000 volts of electricity around Tokyo. Nearly three times as much electricity as the first time. This was the attempt to stop both monsters from entering Tokyo. The electricity manages to turn Godzilla away from Tokyo to the Mt. Fuji area...however this triumph was short lived. For the barrier had worked for Godzilla but Kong was another story. Kong seemed to feed off of the electricity, it made him stronger. He broke through, and Tokyo was at his mercy.

Normally less destructive in the past, Kong didn't hold any malice toward Tokyo. But the city brought back Kong's memories of New York. It angered Kong. He attacked and destroyed nearly everything in his path! He did everything to try to make the pain go away. He even picked up a beautiful Asian woman named Fumiko, from the train he had destroyed. She was beautiful but nothing took away the memories of her.

However, soon the JSDF explode a mist of the red berry juice on Kong, and Tako's men imitated the tribal drums to put Kong to sleep...The JSDF planned to remove Kong from the city using balloons harnessed to Kong with a new experimental wire that could hold just about any weight. Much to Tako's disgrace, the JSDF decided that Kong would be taken to Mt. Fuji to fight Godzilla, in the hopes that the two would destroy each other.

The ape began waking up when morning came. His first sight was Godzilla walking up the slopes of the volcano. The electricity from the previous night had given him the energy boost he needed to fight and now it was time for round 2. He last about angrily until the wires were cut from the balloon. Before Godzilla knew what hit him, he was struck with four hundred feet of Kong.

Both creatures skidded for a moment, but Kong was quick to recover. He retreated up the mountain from the angry Godzilla. Kong now had to use his brains. He quickly hid under the terrain of the mountain and lured Godzilla in. He attacked Godzilla from behind, but was quickly put down. He tried throwing boulders at Godzilla but they were flung back. Then Godzilla breathed atomic breath on Kong. While before Kong would've retreated...but Kong was too angry to give up now. He charged at Godzilla and gave it his all, and whenever Godzilla put him down, he would always get back up.

That is until Godzilla drop-kicked him over the side of the cliff. Kong seemed to be down for the count and Godzilla tauntingly began to bury him in rocks. Then Godzilla sets fire to the forest attempting to burn Kong alive...unfortunately for Godzilla, a lightning storm picks up. Electricity being Godzilla's weakness, Godzilla attempted to retreat...but the Monster King had bigger problems. Because now, the lightning was the King of the Jungle's ally. Kong, supercharged by the storm, immediately got back up.

He attacked Godzilla with such force that Godzilla actually began to worry about the fight. Kong was ready for Round 3. The real battle began. Both creatures clawed and pushed back against each other as the forest around them burned. Godzilla now realized that Kong was indeed his match. The storm had given Kong the Ace he needed and he now attacked Godzilla with electrified force that even the tips of his fingers would also send the current into Godzilla. This greatly weakened the King of Monsters. Also, Kong was more resourceful than Godzilla was; using a tree as a weapon to choke Godzilla. The mutant Dinosaur was in trouble now.

They took their battle up to the village one one of the cliffs. Godzilla tried his fire breath to stop Kong, but the giant ape just ran through it. During their battle around the Pagota, completely destroying the building, the onlookers believed that neither creature would ever stop. At this point, their fight would go on forever.

But luckily, as Kong tackled Godzilla one last time, both monsters tumbled off of the cliff. Godzilla then held Kong down as he braced for the impact. Godzilla had him now. Water was Godzilla's medium and Kong wouldn't stand a chance. Godzilla could easily drown him. However, suddenly a massive earthquake caused a landslide to tumble into the sea. (Similar to what happened during the Mysterian Invasion.) The sudden tumbling debris completely buried Godzilla underneath.

And with that, the Battle of the Kings was over. Kong quickly resurfaced and began swimming back to Faro Island.

The news of the battle between King Kong and Godzilla shocked and interested the Americans. Scientists began to speculate the odds of which creature would win. They claimed that Kong could actually think and had the advantage of thought over Godzilla, who had a brain the size of a marble. It was an incredible battle to watch around the world. And it was even better with the first ever colored live broadcast of both creatures.

Now...after this entire and incredibly long passage, I wish to tell you two more things.

After this incident, seeing the power of both creatures and the seemingly unstoppable fury both showed, and how the battle could have raged forever, a special branch of the JSDF broke off to form the KGSA. (Kong and Godzilla Separation Agency) For nearly 40 years, they insured that Kong and Godzilla stayed separated. Even going to the extremes of fitting Kong with giant chains on his home island. They couldn't do much for Godzilla. The Monster King would then go on to fight the Monster Goddess...But after all of their effort...they didn't succeed.

The one last thing that I wish to tell you, was that it was no secret that the wrestling match between King Kong and Godzilla made spectacular publicity in America...There was no one in the entire country who didn't see it. It was broadcast everywhere; for Gamblers betting on the Creatures in Las Vegas. In the White House for the President of the United States...And even in an old retirement home in New York City. And there, upon watching the news broadcast, and seeing King Kong alive, a 50 year-old Anne Darrow, suffered a major heart attack...

--

Godzilla Month Number 3. 26 more to go.

I'll have you know that I started writing this at 7 p.m. and it is now 23 past 11.

I haven't seen the film in a long time, so sorry if it's not entirely accurate.
And also before you start...I DON'T GIVE A SHIT THAT THE KING KONG FROM THE MOVIE WASN'T THE ORIGINAL KING KONG!!!

Frankly because, the original Kong was the last of the species, and was at full grown size of 25 feet. Another Kong wouldn't grow larger than that!!! (167 or 400ft.) And it is the last Megaprimatus Kong (aside from Kiko) because, I do not count the 76 Kong in my Godzilla Month Continuation!
Also, I had to justify the lightning ability! Now, I know someone's going to say that the reason that Kong uses lighting is because the part was written for Frankenstein. How was I going to justify THAT in the story?! It's like saying that Jet Jaguar is King Kong in a robot suit. (wah-wah-waaah)

Anyway...I hope you enjoyed this one. I had a hell of a time writing this.

King Kong vs. Godzilla copyrighted Toho.
King Kong character copyrighted Universal/Willis O'Brien.

137.

Sarah G13

Wed, 09 May 2012 09:34:25 PDT

And so, I present to you ungrateful bunch, the prototype for my level 5 art.
Level 1: Drawn and coloured by hand.
Level 2: Drawn and coloured by hand, cleaned up on computer.
Level 3: Drawn and coloured by hand, cleaned up and shaded on computer.
Level 4: Drawn by hand, coloured on computer.
Level 5: Drawn by hand, coloured, shaded and enhanced on computer.

This picture represents 30+ man-hours of work. If you lot like it, I'll see what I can do about standardising it...Or perhaps moving onto stage 6...

With this bio, I thought I'd try a little game. I will consider giving the first person to quote back all the video game and film references I've put in. If you quote one I haven't listed down as a deliberate reference, then it doesn't count. I want the obvious ones too!

For some reason, this is the first picture where I've struggled to start the bio...As always, I shall begin with Character profile, abilities, and general personality first...

I have to say though, this is one of my greatest technological artistic pieces to date. It won't get much better than this for a while...It did take ages to do. I'll have to look at Paintovers next...But the main reason I'm so proud of this picture, isn't the shading, it's not the perfect (If not slightly larger than I was aiming for) bust, nor is it the detail or texturing...It's the fact that I was able to successfully turn: A.D.A.M.G.R.E.E.N. into an acronym that sounds like you might encounter it in an advanced war lab...Score one for the boys back home...
Actually, I feel I have to find an excuse for the breasts dramatic oversizing (annoyingly, I was actually trying to make them modest in this picture and look where it gets me...). My excuse is the suit: it has thick chest plating. I'm sure 99% (there's always one) of girls would rather have boobs that look big, then bullet holes that are big.

I've recently completed Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and I have to say, Adam's Augs were so awesome, it was impossible for me to resist the chance to "Ah-Hem" Borrow some of the Augs...(those Augs are so awesome in fact, I'm contemplating putting my own Adam through a similar ordeal, even if they fail and he dies, he'll still be more productive then he already is...Marginally)...And then, just for extra awesome, I've added some CRYSIS to the mix...So Here we go, prepare yourself for: MAXIMUM AWESOME. I've also added a few other game references in here...see you can spot them. I might just reward you if you do...

So Here we go...

Ladies and Mentlegen, I present to you, Sarah Twyman, aka, Gamma 13! Due to how much though I've put into the Gamma Project, I shall give you a good description of them first. Although full of enhancements, here's just a few of them.

Part of the Gamma project, created by the London-based Biotec-lab: Horzine. The Gamma project was a response to a request from the Top-Secret Global Anti-terrorism force: Red Team, for an adaptable Super-soldier to compliment Red-Team's forces. only a few other companies responded to the request, and in the end, each for their own unique reasons, none of them were chosen. The Super-soldier Request went out in 1990, but was terminated in 2008 after a string of failed attempts from the competitors. The most note-worthy competitor to Horzine's Gamma project was Cygnus Industries' Advanced Infiltration and Combat Terminator Unit. More Specifically, the A.D.A.M.G.R.E.E.N. Prototype (Artificial Dynamic Assault Machine: General Reconnaissance, Elimination and Enemy Negation Prototype). Rumour has it that when Red Team cancelled their request for a Supersoldier, and Cygnus Industries shut down their ACTU program, not all of the units went into storage, and at least one of them was accidentally dumped somewhere and forgotten about...Hmm...I think I know where the easily confused-machine has gone...Other competitors included things like the SABOR program, the Universal Soldier program was also trialled...

The Gamma project itself was a miracle of engineering. Decades ahead of its time, the Gamma project left many of Horzine's rivals certain convinced that much of the technology used in the Gamma project wasn't even of Earthly origin. 15 Gammas were made, each one different, and more advanced then the last. For a long time, it is rumoured that they have been a Gamma 16: a perfect Gamma, made up of all the lessons learnt from the previous "Attempts". Due to the mental trauma that would result from constantly adding new augmentations to someone, it was decided early on that every new development would go into the next Gamma, rather than upgrading the previous Gammas. Only one of Each Gamma was made, bar the Gamma 9 triplets. The Gammas came in two waves: the first wave: Gammas 1-12 were the first generation. They were created over the course of 15 years as a proof of concept idea for the Board of Directors of Horzine. Although Red Team rejected all of the first generation Gammas, the Horzine Board was impressed enough to give the Gamma team money for further research. Although only half of what they had for the first generation of Gammas, the Gamma scientists resumed their research. Due to the increased budget, they decided to create only four new Gamma incarnations, rather than 12 like before. To further save time and money, children were used for the second generation, rather the veteran soldiers used for the first; Their younger, less-developed bodies and minds making it much easier to augment and condition them.

The lead scientist in charge of developing ideas for the project realised that for a truly special collection of Super-Soldiers, they would need to find, or create, a power-source that could sustain all manner of electronic augmentations and implants. In the end, the development team hatched an ambitious plan to effectively create the Gammas as Living Nuclear Reactors whose own bodies would power their cybernetic implants, as well as open a wide range of abilities not possible for normal people. The source of a Gammas radiation comes from a collection of glands positioned around their body. Alpha particle emitters, built into the walls of a Gammas first and second lung produce radioactive particles that enter the blood stream through the capillaries in the lung, replacing 50% of the oxygen they breath in. All of a Gammas' muscles are conditioned to be able to use the energy from the Alpha particles in the bloodstream for energy, being a much more effective energy source then regular oxygen, though oxygen is still required for survival. The position of the Alpha glands also enables a gamma to give someone a radioactive kiss when they desire, resulting in a long, painful death. Beta-Particle Emitters are only found in a few Gammas. They are often located in the wrist where they provide radiation only to the retractable wrist blades that certain Gammas have. This enables the wrist blades to cut through almost anything, as well as meaning that even a light graze from these blades with cause horrific radiation poisoning. The Gamma wave emitters, built into the second-generation Gammas are located in the palms of their hands. Incredibly powerful, they can produce enough energy to enable a Gamma to fire a beam of pure radiation from their hands capable of melting through a metre of concrete when fired a full strength. Fully capable of operating normally without the radiation produced by the glands, a Gamma can control them easily. Unique to the second-generation gammas was an additional, and much more powerful Beta particle emitter, located in front of the spine, between the shoulder blades. This emitter's sole-purpose was to provide energy to power the prototype Gamma suit, developed for the 2nd Gen test subjects. The emitter was linked to an implanted socket on a Gamma's back that linked to the Gamma suit. To prevent a Gamma from being an environmental hazard to allies and hostages, every Gammas' skin is thickened: the number of layers of skin for a gamma is quadruple that of a normal human. These layers are also much more densely packed. This, along with the microscopic lead-lining that surrounds each blood vessel serves to reduce the amount of radiation that a Gammas body "Leaks" by up to 45%. as part of an experiment, Gamma 13's hair follicles were enhanced to produce hairs similar to those of a Devil Dog (I.e. coated in a thin, but sturdy, naturally-occurring layer of organic diamond), conferring all the bonuses they entitle (They look beautiful, they're incredibly easy to groom, insects hate them, Fleas are poisoned by them, and they have a chance of stopping knives and slow-moving bullets).

The rest of a Gamma's body is a technical masterpiece. Over 90% of a Gamma candidates body is replaced by specially made organs/implants far superior to its counterpart in a normal human. All of the parts that are replaced are specially designed and grown/created to operate normal inside the highly-radioactive innards of a gamma. A Gamma's blood is completely drained and then replaced by an artificial substitute, far more effective at transporting oxygen and nutrients around the body, and capable of coagulation much quicker, stopping any bleeding sooner. A Gamma's central nervous System, as well as other major nerves are torn out and replaced with specially made artificial replacements. Though the replacement nerves are little more than reinforced electrical wires, they are many, many, many hundreds of times faster than a normal human's nerves, resulting in an incredible boost to a Gamma's reflexes and response times. An advanced control unit, installed into the base of a Gamma's skull enables a Gamma to override their pain threshold, as well as numb their injuries. Many of a Gamma's Muscles are also replaced with much stronger and more efficient bio-engineered versions. Key bones in a Gamma's body (Spine, Skull, arms, legs, etc) are also replaced with specially-constructed Carbon-fibre versions that use a lightweight Titanium "Foam" interior for improved Reinforcement. the replacement bones are essential to allow a Gamma's skeleton to survive the forces that the replacement muscles exert during strenuous movements. The Bone replacements were created for Gamma 2 after Gamma 1's horrific death. The bones themselves are all designed and constructed in such a weigh so that, if they are broken, they will break in a similar way as bamboo. i.e. still capable of bearing weight, but not without causing extreme pain. All Gammas have feature an advanced transmitter array. To ensure a perfect signal, anywhere on the planet, the transmitter utilises a long Antennae that runs up a Gamma's spine. The antennae connects directly into the Gamma's brain implants, enabling telemetry and other information to be transmitted to the Gamma's supporting base in real-time.

All Gammas feature a second heart. Although designed to boost the performance of the primary heart, the second heart is capable of maintaining full cardiac function should the primary fail. to make sure the chances of the second heart failing are as low as possible, the second heart is as a special augmentation grown into its walls. This Augmentation is capable of delivering a massive electrical discharge to the muscle in the same way as a defibrillator. to help get the heart back into a steady rhythm, the augmentation can physically contract and relax, making the heart beat normally. This system can be used to substitute the heart's normal beating, but only for a short period. From Gamma 3 onwards, the all Gammas received the ability to draw oxygen from water, granting the ability to breath underwater partly. Although this has never been perfected, it is efficient enough to grant an extra half-a-minute longer underwater. Sadly, due to an design oversight, Gamma 3 drowned when she was unable to get the water out of her lungs. Although tragic, Horzine scientists were undeterred, and from Gamma 4 onwards, each Gamma had a third Lung, devoid of the Alpha particle emitters found on a Gamma's first and second lungs. This Third Lung did not rely upon the diaphragm like normal lungs, instead, it's outer walls were like muscles, serving to shrink and expand the lung. Although small, it was still just as powerful as a normal Human lung and could just about sustain a Gamma alone. It's main purpose, though, was to act as a compressed air tank of sorts. An advanced system of micro-sized air tubes linked the Third Lung's Alveoli, to those of the primary Lungs. The Alveoli of the third lung are closed by default. When a Gamma surfaces after using their water-breathing, they can open the Alveoli on their third lung and, rather than breathing with the third-lung, used the compressed air stored inside it to force enough of the water out of the primary Lungs, for the Gamma to be able to breathe in enough air, to force out the rest of the water. Despite the fact that the third lung is only the size of a human heart, even when fully inflated (it is Bio-engineered to be able to compress its contents, enabling it to store 200% more air then normally possible), it can only be fit inside most Gammas by shrinking the Intestines. For Gamma 4, Horzine simply tried cutting a large section out of his intestines and then stitching them together again. From Gamma 5 and onwards, to prevent the embarrassing Bowl-troubles that Gamma 4 experienced, the intestines were replaced with a far more effective, and shorter, bio-engineered version, making much more room inside the Gammas' torsos. Along with the Intestines, Gamma 5 was also the first Gamma to receive a Bio-Engineered Stomach, the wall of which could filter out and nullify most poisons and toxins. This Filter was also used in the lining of the Intestines from Gamma 6 and onwards. To protect the extra lung and digestive track, all Gammas have their rib-cages replaced with two armour-plates. All such Gammas also have a set of metal plates implanted behind their abdominal muscles. In-addition to providing armour-plating, these metal plates back it almost impossible for a normal human to wind a gamma with a blow to the chest or stomach. A metal collar beneath their neck skin makes it impossible to garrotte or slash a Gammas' throat. The collar-implant was drastically altered for Gammas 13 and onwards with the addition of an air-filter. Through the use of a complex valve system, the Computer chip in the Gamma's brain could pump blood through the Air-filter, closing it up to the point where only normal air-particles can get through whilst any toxins, biological agents, etc, are caught in the filter and stopped there. Due to the fact that the Gamma must pull air through the filter, thus increasing the strain on the diaphragm, all Gammas with this collar implant had their diaphragms replaced with a specially engineered, more superior, artificial diaphragm. When the Gamma's filter is re-opened completely, or if it becomes clogged from prolonged use, the Gamma will reflexively give a deep, powerful cough, to clear the filter and evacuate any harmful substances from their air-pipe.

To enable the parts that weren't completely replaced to survive inside a Gamma's body, every Gamma undergoes an incredibly painful procedure where, through the use of Nanites, their remaining organic organs are reconstructed and altered to operate in a radioactive field normally. From Gamma 7 onwards, improvements in technology enabled the use of these Nanites outside the confines of a lab. The Nanites inside a Gamma are created by a special factory-unit, the size of a ping-pong ball. This is implanted in the chest-cavity, where it is linked to the Hearts, enabling the Nanites to circulate round the body more efficiently. The Nanites are produced using minerals and resources extracted from the things the Gamma eats (Iron, Zinc, Potassium, etc). Controlled using an advanced Wireless transmitter located at the base of the skull, and linked to the incredibly advanced CPU implanted in the Gammas' brain (Every Gamma had such a CPU implantation to enable them to control their enhancements. This has seen drastic improvement across the stages), the Nanites serve as an advanced repair unit, capable of repairing damage to both artificial and organic components inside a Gammas' body, giving them an unparalleled healing rate, as well as the ability to survive and recover from injuries that would kill a normal human being outright. at all stages of the genetic enhancement processes, extensive use of the chemical known as ADAM was carried out, it is unknown how they acquired their ADAM or if they were even aware of the corrupting influence it has upon people's minds, either way, it was the first time anyone had used ADAM so significantly, following the self-destruction of the underwater city that discovered it; Rapture. Despite its obscurity in the public, the use of ADAM was made highly illegal during the early 60s by the UN. Following the aftershocks caused by Gamma 15, Horzine found itself in a legal battle with the UN over the use of ADAM, and other illegal processes...Still, apart from Gamma 15, few people could argue with the magnificence of the results.

Found only in Gammas 8 and onwards are the Cybernetic eye enhancements. The Eye enhancements conferred numerous advantages to the Gammas equipped with them: Infra-red Vision, Enhanced Low-Light vision...The eye Enhancements also enable a Gamma to accurately identify the colour of Someone's eyes at a distance of up to a mile. Another key feature was the emergency light filter. Capable of fully activating in 0.01 seconds, the Emergency Light Filter shields a Gamma's eyes from sudden bursts of bright light by immediately dilating their pupils , making them impossible to disorientate through the use of Flash-Bang Stun-Grenades, as well as enabling them to look directly at spotlights without losing their night-vision or having it overloaded. The Emergency Light Filter, although effective did take a whole second to deactivate, making it troublesome in certain situations. In certain situations and environments, such as in bright midday Sun, or Night-fighting using weapons without flash-suppressors, the Emergency Low Light Filter would constantly be activating and deactivating, causing a Gamma's vision to flicker. Gamma 10 reported total temporary Blindness during a test exercise in the Sahara desert. Following data collected during field tests, from Gamma 11 and onwards, the Emergency Light Filter was reprogrammed with a selection of environmental pre-sets to allow a Gamma to adjust its sensitivity levels for certain situations. Gamma 11 was also the first Gamma to receive the Neural modifier enhancement. This consisted of an advanced Microchip attached to the inside of the Gamma's skull behind the eye Socket. Installed using a linear circuit design, everything that travels along the nerve to the eye passes through this microchip, enabling it to alter the images that the brain receives. Its primary purpose is to add a Heads Up Display to the Gammas' vision. All implants in the Gammas' eyes were linked up to the Neural Modifier chip, greatly improving their performance. Due to the processing requirements for each chip, each eye required a separate NMC. With advances in technology within military forces, as well as the use of smart Missiles, all second-generation Gammas' eyes were equipped with a system not unlike a target-finder, enabling a Gamma to use their eyes to mark a target for a guided Missile. Unique to Gamma 13 were the Sunglass bolted to her face (Yes, like Adam Jensen). When activated, the highly-durable glass is assembled by Nanites inside the frame. Each lens can be assembled in this manner in under a second. When deactivated, the Nanites reverse the process and deconstruct the lenses, atom-by-atom. The raw material is then stored inside Gamma 13's skull, in a special chamber located beneath the frame. Refinements to the Emergency Light Filter and the other eye-base enhancements made the glasses redundant, making them exclusive to G13. Gamma 13 was also the only Gamma to receive enhanced sensory buds in her nose, increasing her nasal sensitivity, enabling her to smell her targets from up to twenty miles away, as well as detect poisons in the air before they reach lethal levels. Her airs are also more sensitive than most other Gammas'. A few tweaks to her vocal chords mean that she can also use her fox-screams as a weapon that can disable and disorient foes.

From Gamma 13 and onwards, using the Nanite-based same technology as G13's sunglasses, the Gammas came equipped with a trio of Diamond-edged, Tungsten-Carbide blades. For further improvement, a set of dedicated Beta-Particle glands were implanted into each wrist, providing only the blades, enabling them to, as stated earlier, cleave through just about anything, with little resistance, as well as causing radiation poisoning with even glancing wounds. The raw material for the blades is stored inside the wrist bones themselves, making the wrist bones much stronger when the blades are retracted, enabling a Gamma to easily block a surprise attack and buy themselves enough time to then extend their blades and counter-attack. Another feature unique to the Second Generation Gammas was the addition of a highly-powerful Gamma-Ray emitter in the palm of their hands. As stated previously, this was used as a directed energy weapon.

Despite the incredible abilities the augmentations grant them, the feature that makes most Gammas truly unique is the use genetic mutation, resulting in the human/animal hybrids that many of the Gammas are. This was a feature from gammas 3 and onwards, though Gamma 13 was the last. the idea was that the Gammas would be able to use the traits of the animals they became a hybrid of to better complete their missions. For example, Gamma 8 was intended to be an ambush specialist, so She became an incredibly interesting Spider hybrid, capable of producing a sticky web that could immobilise a tank. Gamma 13 was always intended to be a Van-Guard/Scout unit, hence a fox; light, fast, and sly. After Gamma 13, the Hybrid-Idea is believed to have been dropped completely, bar a few "Additions" for Gamma 14 and 15. In regards to the legendary Gamma 16, it is not know if he, or even she, is hybrid. Following the various failures and disasters that came from private companies trying to fulfil Red Team's Super-Soldier request, the UN has put an official ban on all genetic engineering of a similar nature, as well as cybernetic augmentation towards a solely millitary client. Countries that break this law face restrictive sanctions, and private companies face potential life imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

In the face of all these physical, electronic, and genetic augmentations, a normal organic body would simply shut down. This is why all Gammas go through mental conditioning so great, they have total control over their bodies like no other creature. Through a mix of subliminal and conventional conditioning and training, a Gamma is taught to fight. Using solely subliminal conditioning, they are taught how to use their augmentations and powers as they were second nature. the third phase of conditioning, which is by the far the hardest, was the threshold conditioning; through a mixture of torture, abuse and an exercise regime too brutal for even a gamma, sprinkled with incredible levels of subliminal messaging, a Gamma becomes able to ignore physical pain. In battle, Gammas simply "Forget" to fear. When exhausted, their minds simply shutout the exhaustion and keep the body going at full pelt on nothing. the conditioning also serves to make the Gammas as close to mentally unbreakable as it's possible to be, and almost totally immune to shock. Phase 3 is far from perfect though; many of the first generation Gammas became totally detached, without feeling or emotion, they became mindless automatons, killing the spark of imagination and initiative that prompted Horzine to use humans rather than machines in the first place. Although incapable of thinking outside the box, they were still more capable of dealing with any normal opponent. Phase 3 was only partly complete on the second Generation when the program received its explosive termination.

One of the most iconic pieces of technology to come out of the Gamma project was the Gamma Suit. Only usable by Second Gen Gammas due to the fact that it relies upon radiation delivered through a special socket on a Gammas' back. Linked to the user's mind through the connection point (Colloquially called the power-socket), a user can easily divert greater amounts of the suit's power to certain areas, and less to others, allowing for boosts in speed, strength, etc. The suit uses special artificial muscles for articulation. like the enhanced, bio-engineered muscles that are surgically implanted in the Gammas, the Suit's artificial muscles use Radiation for energy. The muscles themselves are relatively simple: made from a current-responsive smart material (basically a material that does something in response to something else. In this case, it shrinks in response to electrical current), the suit's muscles augment the wearer's strength magnifying it... When the suit's energy is diverted to improving the user's strength, subjects have reported a strength boost of almost 1000%. The performance of these artificial "Muscles" is further augmented by the use of Nanites (The nanites used by the suit are separate to those inside the gammas. When The suit makes extensive use of Piezoelectric materials (Materials that, when deformed, or put under stress, give off current or voltage, etc) to help boost the effectiveness of certain systems: each of the Suit's muscles has an outer-layer made of a Piezoelectric material: When struck hard enough, the outer layer temporarily deforms under the blow, producing a current. This current immediately flows into the muscle beneath it, making it denser, more rigid and better capable to resist impact. I.e. the Harder you hit the suit, the harder it gets. Such materials are used elsewhere in the suit to similar effect. Even without full power diverted to hardening the suit against bullets, it can easily stop most conventional small-arms fire totally (Armour-piercing, and certain hardened bullets can still penetrate the suit's Muscle-weave). The solid armour plates themselves are slightly flexible, enabling them to flex slightly to better absorb the impact and stop bullets that would normally punch right through normal body armour. When the user diverts all energy to speed, the suit makes use of a set of miniature thrusters on the back of the torso and calves. Although too weak to enable flight, the thrusters do enable the user to move 50% faster than normal in the suit (Gamma 13 can achieve speeds of almost 30 Mph. With the thrusters equipped, she has reached speeds of 50 Mph). With Clever application and brief overcharges, the suits can enable a user to perform massive leaps into the air. Test deployments have recorded Gamma 15 jumping almost 50 metres into the air. Although there are only two Gamma suits in existence (One male, one female), both of which are the same base model (Officially designated the V0.75), both suits have additional accessories to help them meet their user's requirements. One example of such a modification is the thickened thighs on Gamma 13's suit; the additional "Muscle" compliments G13's fast-moving, highly-acrobatic style, enabling her to move much faster, jump higher, and kick harder. The skeletal frame, as well as the armour-plates, on the suit are made from a lightweight Magnesium composite alloy making it both strong and lightweight. The downside is that, due to the augmentations a Gamma has, as well as the lightning fast response times of the suit, only a Gamma can use one without sustaining serious or fatal injuries.

A Human/fox hybrid, Sarah stands 7.2 feet tall, although a good few inches of this is because of her digitigrade legs. Despite her intimidating height and combat-ready enhancements, Sarah is an incredibly helpful and peaceful person and will only ever kill someone when it's to protect a greater number of lives, and even then, she will endeavour to incapacitate them, rather than simply kill them. A bit woolly-in-the-head, Sarah has a cheerful personality; it takes a lot to upset her...But very little to get her angry. Despite this, she will happily help out whenever she sees people in need of aid. Despite her training to deal with crisis situations, Sarah does have a habit of panicking when things go wrong, but with some mental assertion, she can easily be calmed and the situation brought back into focus, and, subsequently, back under control. Despite her friendly, helpful nature, no matter how much she denies it, she is still a soldier, and can easily kill if there is no other choice. Although hard to tell with the suit on, Sarah's limbs are all cybernetic-in fact, Sarah required more surgery than any other Gamma due to the magnitude of the events that delivered her to Horzine labs and other events she has subsequently endured. Sarah has exploited the increased functionality of her Artificial limbs and added some different features: the comparatively tiny Wrist-blades have been replaced by a strong, longer Sword blade (Like Adam Jensen). With a simple thought, Sarah can flick the blades round to face forwards, rather than pointing backwards. for added potency, the mounting the Swords protrude from have an extra socket on each of them, enabling Sarah to attach an extra blade that points in the opposite direction to the first. With practise, Sarah has learnt to spin these blades like a circular saw. Sarah keeps these detachable blades in form-fitting holsters on her thighs (they're incredibly easy to conceal). In her left arm, Sarah also has a complex claw-launcher. When fired, the claw pulls out a hyper-strong titanium cable attached to the elbow joint in that arm. Once the servo-driven, diamond-tipped, Tungsten-Carbide claw has latched onto something, Sarah can disengage the servo in her elbow joint (the servo only augments the artificial muscles, rather than substituting it) and use it to reel in the cable, allowing her pull herself to things, or vice versa. The Claw is connected to Sarah's Nervous system, enabling her to open it and retract it without pulling anything else around. The claw's Mandibles themselves are each a good four inches long, enabling them to find decent purchase on most surfaces. Fully deployed, you can hang a full tonne or more off of that claw. With her armour on, though, the claw is unusable. To keep her arms balanced in weight (Roughly) He other arm contains a small first-aid kit equipped with supplies for treating battlefield injuries. Although small, it is surprisingly well-equipped. Like the claw, it's unusable when she has her armour on. Sarah's Digitigrade cybernetic legs also feature a concealed blade: A Stiletto-like blade concealed in each heel (Shown in the picture). Both of Sarah's eyes are cybernetic, the right one was lost during a failed operation to augment it, the later was lost to Gamma 15. Her Cybernetic eyes are frequently being removed and replaced with upgraded versions, but despite the fact they are far superior to the eyes that she should have as a Gamma, Sarah laments their lost out of all the parts of her body: no matter how hard they try, no cybernetic enhancement could ever replace the eyes her mother gave her. Sarah's tail is her most recent addition; during her stay at Horzine's bio labs, her tail was cut off to improve her performance. as a gift, Professor William Harrack created an artificial tail that connects to her nervous system. consisting of a long prehensile, cable-like limb with millions of realistic, artificial hairs, each one individually attached to the tail, the Professor spent four months Watching Alex grudgingly stick each highly realistic artificial hair upon the tail. Sarah, deciding to go the extra mile, happily accepted the gift and had it installed into her body. Due to the fact she was about 13 when she was inducted into the program, Annoyingly for Horzine, Sarah had already decided that she didn't want to kill people-the conditioning required to change this decision would make her semi-vegetative. Rather than risk ruining semi-contaminated Livestock, the Horzine experts looked for a new purpose for Sarah. Due to the near-perfect nature of the second generation Gammas, Horzine decided that, due to non-violent ways, Sarah could be a good mother to future Gammas: A breeding Bitch (Can you get Breeding Vixens?). Because of this, Sarah is the only female Gamma (And Possibly G16) to feature fully working Reproductive Organs including functional breasts. Un-used to having such organs and other assets present in the body, the Horzine lab experts and surgeons forgot to take into account how Sarah's body would react to the hormones; resulting in an overdose, prompting her breasts to grow much larger than average. Sarah didn't seem to mind too much once she'd adapted to her new "Weights". She actually quite likes them, although she has admitted that getting clothes that fit can be a bit of a problem. The excess hormones also gave her a curvier hip structure. Again, she's not complaining...She just wishes people would stop staring quite so much.

Despite the fact that Red Team didn't adopt any of the Super-soldier programs submitted to them, Sarah was still given a job at Red Team as an elite recon unit. Sarah also helps the aging Professor by putting his mind to ease by following around his adopted daughter, Canestellia Harrack the Devil-Dog, and looking after her. As a reward for her agreeing to help Red Team and the Professor, she was given one of Professor Harrack's disguise units, enabling her to change her appearance and shape to that of a human (her weight remains the same, and the device frequently malfunctions if she's wearing her suit). as part of his contract, Red Team gave Alexander Nicholas Kimberley access to the technology in Sarah's body (Nanites, old Cybernetic augmentations, etc) in the hope he could improve their performance slightly...Something he did Incredibly Literally; although the nanites he received were terminated, Alex was somehow able to rebuild and re-activate them and then train them to do synchronised swimming, advanced acrobatics, and dancing... You just need a microscope to see them doing this though. Long before she even became a Gamma, Sarah and Alex had been good friends. When she stopped turning up at school, Alex had simply assumed she'd moved away like allot of the people in his life seemed to do and so thought nothing of it. Originally, before she'd become a Gamma, Sarah had a massive crush on Alex and had spent much of her time fruitlessly running around after him whilst he pointlessly ran around having fun pretending to be a spaceship...(He still does it now, he just doesn't make wings with his arms anymore...). With Sarah reintegrating with society and reconnecting her emotions, it is uncertain whether this love of Alex will resurface, or if it was simply a childhood game. What Alex thinks of this, if anything, is unknown.

Born to a normal family, in a normal British suburb (one of them modern ones, not one of the nice suburbs with the odd house with the occasional thatched roof). Sarah herself was slightly odd: Hyperactivity does that to you, but it was nothing that couldn't be worked around. She went to an ordinary primary school, where she met Alex, etc. Eventually, she and Alex parted ways when they went to different schools. A failure to exchange phone numbers left them permanently disconnected from each other. After that, nothing really happened until the day she turned 12. After injuring herself at home by tripping up and accidentally slashing her face open upon a pair of scissors she was carrying whilst rushing to open her presents, Sarah went to hospital where doctors easily fixed her up. Her parents decided to get Sarah immunised with all the normal jabs whilst they were at it. These went fine, but rather then disposing of the needles normally, the nurse tasked with them kept them. for the second Gen Gammas, the implants required that the host be undeveloped so that their body and mind could better accept them without disastrous side-effects. the subjects would also require an incredibly rare set of genes. Due to a budget shortage, Horzine used illegal methods to search for their potential candidates. The main method involved paying nurses under the table, to keep a hold of used needles, from which DNA samples would then be taken. It was through this system that Sarah was added to Horzine's genetic database. A year later, after stringent tests upon her DNA and thousands of simulations, Sarah was green-lighted as the Gamma 13 test-subject. This decision would ultimately ruin her life forever. Whilst in the car with her family on the way to pizza hut to meet her friends to celebrate her 13th birthday, Horzine-hired Mercenaries struck. Using a specialised weapon designed to disrupt the electrical signals in the human nervous system, the Mercs gave the driver of a Lorry a fatal Heart-attack. The Lorry, and the trailer containing several thousand gallons of petrol, swerved across the road, colliding with several other vehicles, including the Twyman's family car, killing Sarah's parents immediately. In the crash, a recovery truck's crane pierced the Lorry's trailer, leaking fuel everywhere, fuel which had no shortage of sources of ignition. Sarah, whom had been trapped in the car was roasted alive to the extent where her legs were melted into the seat. Despite the best efforts of the Firefighters whom responded, Sarah could not be saved, paramedics pronouncing her dead upon their arrival. Her lower legs were cut off and her corpse was extracted and then taken to the local morgue. The fate of Sarah's younger brother is unknown and remains so to this day, but many people close to Sarah, those privy to the details of the incident, believe that Sarah's brother is alive and well. With Sarah's body at the morgue, awaiting a post-mortem, a fire broke out, forcing the building be evacuated as a safety precaution. Whilst everyone was out, Sarah's body was stolen by Gamma 8 and replaced with a similar, if not identical, corpse. Sarah's body was then taken to Horzine's Biolab where it was operated upon whilst bathed in a Nanite-rich solution. Midway through the operation, Sarah came back to life and awoke as surgeons operated on her body. still horrifically burnt, Sarah could only scream in pain, anguish, and every other negative feeling her mind could feel. Unable to administer anaesthetic for fear of complicating the operation, the Surgeons continued to work, rebuilding Sarah into the fox hybrid she is today, replacing her missing legs with cybernetic ones, installing her augmentations...her enhancements. Mercifully, Sarah soon blacked out from the pain, just before her brain would have shut itself down. four weeks of continuous surgery with alternating teams of elite surgeons and scientists saw every part of Sarah's body altered beyond recognition...Only her left eye remained outwardly recognisable...and even then, it had undergone massive internal alteration and improvement. During the hormone treatment, the Horzine technicians responsible for choosing the doses forgot to factor in Sarah's remaining female anatomy: all other female Gammas had had such Organs removed or had otherwise had them "deactivated". This miss-judgment resulted in Sarah's chest growing much larger then it would've naturally been. Fearing that lumping all the operations and implants on her system at one go would cause total mental shutdown, the Horzine technicians ordered the planned breast reduction operation to be delayed until Sarah had awoken, and recovered. With the surgery completed and Sarah's augmentation program 70% complete, she was submerged into a special nanite-infused gel, rich in Amino-acids and Health-sustaining bacteria, called Bacta. Sarah spent four months in the Bacta in an artificially-induced Coma as the nanites in her body and the solution patched up her horrendous injuries and closed her surgical scars. Eventually, Sarah was revived. It took her several months to get used to her new body, let alone properly master her implants and all the data and lessons she had been brainwashed with., then, just as she was getting used to her implants, they put her back on the operating table, and added the rest of them. Although a Breast reduction operation had been planned, Sarah had been able to convince the right people to cancel it: Her humanity was gone, she reasoned with the project lead that she should at least be allowed to keep the (overly generous) female figure she had, and so her bust remained. Another side-effect was the activation of Sarah's maternal instinct. When the 48-hour operation was complete, Sarah was fully augmented. over the following years, every hour of her life became dedicated towards making her the ultimate soldier.

Rather then being trained individually, the Gamma 13 and Gamma 15 were trained together-the end game was that they would become parents of the third and ultimate stage of the gamma project. Gamma 14, whom was only 3 when he was brought into the program (using methods similar to Sarah's induction) was trained separately using only subliminal messaging and similar conditioning to make him a perfect soldier. During the training, Sarah revealed herself to be much more elegant and refined-always thinking for an alternative solution, whilst Gamma 15 used the direct, brute-force approach, every time. The amusing part of this section of her story is that she thought it was all some kind of game; obstacle courses, thorough exercise sessions...She was even convinced that learning to field-strip a weapon was some kind of 3D puzzle. Although no one is entirely sure what she thought weapon practise was...It wasn't until someone put a loaded pistol in her hand and ordered her to execute a total stranger that Horzine had snatched off the street. Horrified, Sarah automatically refused, only for Gamma 15 to sadistically cut down his victim and hers. From there on in, the partnership Horzine had desperately been trying to cultivate between the pair fell apart quickly. The sudden breakdown on this Partnership left Sarah with a large hole in her life. This was eventually filled by Gamma 14. Every day, whenever she could, Sarah snuck away and sat beside the sealed Bacta tank that Gamma 14 was kept in. Each day, she talked to him and made sure she was okay. Eventually, Gamma 15 began to grow angry, his own hormone treatment had been miss-calculated, just like Gamma 13's, resulting in him becoming much more of a dominating Alpha Male.

Hoping the more intense training missions, and the problems within them would reunite the pair, Horzine put Sarah and Gamma 15 into more and more challenging exercises, eventually moving them onto Test-deployments. The Test-Deployments, though, only compounded the problem; as the pair entered more and more situations where they were presented with the opportunity to kill to complete their missions more easily. Each time the opportunity to kill arose , Sarah would seek an alternative method, only to have Gamma 15 push past her and kill the very people she was trying to save. Eventually, Sarah confronted Gamma 15 during one such mission, angrily demanding he stop, going as far as to threaten him. Angrily, Gamma 15 attacked her, easily overpowering her and tearing out her left-eye, crushing it in his hand and splattering it over her face. Half-blinded, Sarah fought back before managing to escape. She fled back to Horzine whilst Gamma 15, furious at failing the mission, destroyed the US military base, killing all 200 personnel on-site. Empowered by the bloodshed, Gamma 15 pursued Sarah. By this time, Sarah had reached Horzine and warned them about Gamma 15. Realising he was out of control, Horzine mobilised its Security forces to stop him. These efforts met with failure. Desperate to stop him now, Horzine sent all the surviving first generation Gammas against him and, One by one, he killed each and every single one of them. Even with him wounded and worn out, though, the peace-loving Sarah couldn't bring herself to kill him. A problem that Gamma 15 didn't have. Despite everything he'd already gone through, Gamma 15 easily disabled Gamma 13, taking off her remaining organic arm in the process. With Sarah gravely injured, and the biolab collapsing around them, Gamma 15 turned and left Sarah for dead. Sarah dragged herself to Gamma 14s containment tube: Mercifully, Gamma 15 had forgotten of the childs existence. With death drawing near, Sarah sealed herself inside a containment tube adjacent to Gamma 14 and waited

Several months later, A Red Team squad was deployed to the Biolab: Horzine had been unusually tight-lipped about the Gamma project and had submitted no monthly performance evaluations for Red Team to consider. The Squad, upon discovering the ruined state of the lab requested a recovery team, which promptly arrived to search for survivors, and take care of the sensitive information relating to the projects in the lab. Due to their lack of cooperation, Red Team kept all information it recovered, including Horzines future projects, all which were turned over to Red Teams own science team for analysis and development. After weeks of constant work, the recovery team reached Gama 14s chamber, recovering the two containment tubes held within and returning them to Red Team HQ for opening. the two containers were opened successfully-however, the second Sarah's was opened, her body resumed dying. For a full day, Red Team's best surgeons, Aided by Canestellia's friend: Aurellia, did everything in their power to treat Sarah-but without background knowledge of her cybernetics, there was little that could be done. Just as the surgical teams and Aurellia were prepared to give up, the very same Time-traveller responsible for Canestellia's secret cybernetic leg made contact with Professor Harrack and asked him to clear the lab whilst they healed Sarah and repaired her Cybernetics. The professor was the only person left in the lab when the time traveller warped in. After a brief greeting with each other, the Professor and his time-travelling friend got to work. To compensate for Sarah's missing eye, the Time traveller donated their own cybernetic eyes to Sarah-eyes they had spent a full month constructing to perfect specifications. Within an hour, Sarah was on the road to recovery. Staying only briefly to discuss a few things with the command officers of Red Team, the Time Traveller soon returned to their own time. After about a month in a coma (She is used to them by this point), Sarah awoke with only minor memory loss, most of this returned within a few weeks. After plenty of questioning and tests by Red Team, Sarah was sent home with Professor William Harrack, so that he could take care of her as a person, rather than an experiment. Sadly for the Professor and everyone whom frequented his home, Sarah had entered a downwards emotional spiral, during the duration of which she spent her time complaining about how she was: Inferior, Useless, a Freak, Different, etc. During this time, the Professors adopted Devil Dog Daughter, Canestellia Harrack was currently pregnant with her first litter, and really didnt need the emotional blues that Sarah's moapping was causing her (Devil dogs are sensitive to the feelings of those around them which is why you never find a Devil Dog at an Emo concert; they would commit suicide if they got within a mile of such a place). Not really wanting to upset Sarah anymore, it took Canestellia a while to work up the courage to discuss the subject with Sarah. Thankfully, Alex did it for her and so tactfully, in fact, Sarah broke his nose...But gently. Thankfully, though, for Alex, his talk with Sarah had the desired effect and she soon began to cheer up again and stop complaining, or as Alex continually politely puts it: "Vixening" (Because she's a Vixen, not a Bitch...It made him laugh at the time).

Eventually, Sarah cheered up enough that people stopped avoiding her, and so, slowly, she regained the social skills she'd lost at the Gamma facility. It wasn't long after she stopped Vixening that Red Team offered her a specialist position as a Spy/Infiltrator as well as a place on the Specialist team being assembled by Red Team's Native Dinosaur Girl: Elizabeth Valentine, a team that has earnt a nichkname among those whom know of it as: "The Avengers." Personally Liz hates the name as she thinks that people would more likely compare her to Iron Man; she would prefer to be her own Superhero: Captain Everycountry (Being raised by the Multi-National Organisation, Liz has no home country, so she refers to each of them as home). Despite her improved attitude, there a certain comments that will anger her swiftly: Calling her Adam, or Mrs Jensen is a sure fire way to get yourself grievously injured.

SoYeah.

Poor Sonic

Sat, 19 May 2012 17:24:28 PDT

My four favorite games are closely linked to stages in my life. Commander Keen was the first game I ever played, Sonic 3 and Knuckles was the game I memorized down to a science, Saturn Bomberman was the reason I held onto my Sega Saturn as long as I did, and Megaman Legends was the killer app that finally made me trade in my Saturn for a Playstation.

Sonic in particular though... MAN it's painful to watch him these days. I know there are a lot of people out there that like modern Sonic games and that's fine. Actually I guess I should be happier that people can still like Sonic, but what I really want to see again is Sonic give Mario a run for his money. He doesn't even have to do anything particularly spectacular; he just has to be in a game that's as good as the comparatively basic New Super Mario Bros. series. And in that area, he's just failed over and over and over and over and over and over again.

So here are my thoughts on at least 24 different Sonic games that I've played, however briefly. I think writing these out allowed me to lock on to what I believe is the source of the boy's blues. Bringing up all this again made Sonic depressed too, which is why Razz had to comfort him here.

Sonic the Hedgehog: The first game immediately established Sonic as a challenger to Mario's throne. Key to Sonic's success was a physics engine built around momentum, offering a gameplay experience not seen anywhere else and that wouldn't be seen again after 1994 until The Fancy Pants Adventure. Sonic was a speedy little guy, but he was also a hedgehog for a good reason; curling into a ball and barreling down slopes as a deadly buzzsaw was how he reached his highest velocities. Half the time this marble chute-style gameplay was used as a reward system and the game would treat you to high-speed sections after finishing its tricky areas. In this way, the game balanced the rush of speed with the perils of platforming, holding player interest even when the zones forced you to slow down or die. It deserved every bit of its success.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Sonic's career of pummeling red guys with mustaches continued here, taking the engine from the last game and tweaking it further. The Spin Dash was an invaluable addition, aiding the marriage of speed and exploration via slinging yourself off ramps to find different routes and secrets depending on how high your velocity sent you. This game perfected the basic Sonic formula, taking the established conventions to their extremes. If you do not like Sonic 2, something is seriously wrong with you.

Sonic CD: The Genesis trilogy's quirky cousin. It was a bold endeavor that was not quite up to par thanks to a half-implemented Spin Dash, the time travel mechanic not changing much aside from level visuals, and the level design being all over the place in a Bubsy-esque way, so it was easy to get lost and exploration was a bit intimidating instead of being as much fun as in the Genesis games. The power-ups could have used a kick in the pants by this point too. Rings and plain shields get old after a while, and Mario never got as far as he did with only his mushroom and fire flower. If only the elemental shields had been introduced here, the game could have used them to great advantage.

Sonic Spinball: The first worthy spinoff game. What makes it really good is that Sonic retains his platforming physics in it, so he's not just a ball that ricochets around uncontrollably if you're bad at pinball. For this reason, even if pinball isn't your kind of game, you may want to give it a play through anyway.

Sonic 3 and Knuckles: My personal favorite. I can understand why some people think that Sonic 2 is better since Sonic 3 cheated a bit by being one game for the price of two and there's that infamous Carnival Night barrel and other nitpicky details to consider, but I say the epic scope more than makes up for all that. It also implemented water sections the best; instead of throwing them at you all at once via a Labyrinth Zone, they were shorter and more evenly paced, appearing in almost every zone (at least until Sonic and Knuckles). Regardless of which game you think is best though, the original Genesis trilogy remains the gold standard for the series to this very day, which is kinda sad when you stop and think about it.

Sonic Game Gear games: Not as forgettable as you may be tempted to think. Because the 8-bit handheld couldn't show off speed the same way, the developers had to be a little more inventive in how they went about things, so spread out among them are a nice handful of ideas that probably deserved to be ported over to the main series at least once. It's cute to watch the games gradually figure out how to reproduce shuttle loops too. The first scripted loop actually appeared here in Sonic 2 and wouldn't rear its ugly head again until Sonic Adventure.

Sonic 3D Blast: In retrospect, this game should have served as a warning that Sega was not as competent as many would have liked to think. While their rival Nintendo has always leaned more toward the art end of the scale, Sega has always been more like, well, a business, and at the time they just wanted to promote and plaster Sonic's face everywhere, even on games that weren't very Sonic-like. It makes me wonder if the Genesis trilogy owes some of its high quality to happy accidents.

Sonic Jam: A stellar compilation package, and you may actually be able to argue that its Sonic World minigame is the best 3D Sonic game ever made. It was essentially a stopgap measure though. The time between the last main Sonic game and the next ended up being long enough that the old development team likely quit entirely, leaving behind a new team with no idea what they were supposed to do.

Sonic Adventure: Definitely not great, but still a worthy addition, being flawed yet forgivable. Little did anyone know though that the seeds planted by this game (scripted loops and speed sequences, over-reliance on the homing attack, fishing and other weak gimmicks, awful camera controls, etc.) would result in Sonic's destruction.

Sonic Adventure 2: Also worthy of the franchise, especially with how it further expanded the Sonic mythos. Anyone who gave either of the two Adventure games a score in the 9.0 range was not a very good reviewer though. Even back then it should have been clear that Sega was beginning the trend of ignoring or covering up Sonic's most notable flaws instead of addressing them.

Sonic Heroes: It's not awful, but it's not as good as the two Adventure games either. The team system was an excellent idea, but by this point things were starting to get shaky. With this game, it became clear that something was very, very wrong with Sega. Many fans pinned this game's faults on it having too many characters, but they were more of a symptom than the problem itself.

Sonic Advance: Almost as good as the Genesis games! It just needed a little more fine-tuning, a little more reward for exploring, and a little expansion. Lack of secrets in levels is especially egregious for Chao Gardeners who could benefit from finding a secret stash of 50+ rings in most acts. It did so much right though, and really only needed a sequel to perfect the formula.

Sonic Advance 2: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. How could the developers take the winning formula from the last game and trash it for the sake of cheap gimmicks that show off how awesome Sonic thinks he is? Sonic is not fun when he spends every level simply running to the right just like how Garfield isn't funny when all he does is eat and sleep. This was probably the first deliberately bad Sonic game, the catalyst for all the disasters that would ensue.

Sonic Advance 3: A very cool tag-team system is put into a game that doesn't have levels designed to take advantage of it, no doubt thanks to someone on the development team thinking that the previous game's levels were some of the best ever. All in all, a shame and a waste.

Shadow the Hedgehog: All fail Shadow! This was the franchise's first major failure and the second for those fans who were really paying attention, but it could also be seen as a shrewd business tactic. By using this game to shatter the Sonic fandom into a gazillion shards, Sega created a consumer environment full of fans of every color, ensuring that someone out there will keep liking and buying Sonic games regardless of their quality. This may be a major reason why all modern Sonic games have merely been "good enough" at best.

Sonic 2006: This is the form the franchise took on when it finally hit rock bottom, and its echoing crash caused people to look back and wonder if Sonic was ever any good in the first place. It still haunts the series to this day.

Sonic and the Secret Rings: A better title for this would be "Sonic 2 Special Stages: The Game". That about sums it up. The Special Stages got away with their trial-and-error gameplay because they were optional and your reward for finishing them was often the ability to break the difficulty curve over your knee. Sonic and the Secret Rings had no such excuse though. It was alright, but also a grave warning about what Sonic could (and would) become in the hands of truly stupid people. In the end, this game became the prototype for modern Sonic gameplay even though it shouldn't have been.

Sonic Unleashed: I gotta be brutally honest; the people who say that the daytime Sonic stages could have been Sonic's return to form have no idea what they're talking about. They have no idea what they're missing. Probably the kindest thing I can say about this game is that it abandoned all pretense of the series having taken place on Earth. Could everyone please move back to Planet Mobius now?

Sonic Rush: This game tried to hex me with its boost system, but all the bottomless pits snapped me out of that trance, enabling me to see it for what it really was. The infamously bad physics from Sonic 4 actually originate here. Enough time had passed since Sonic's glory days that it's quite possible that the developers simply forgot about the physics engine that made Sonic the icon he was, but it's just as likely that they deliberately got it wrong for the sake of shoving the boost system down players' throats. Overall, definitely one of those games that is nowhere near as good as many might have you believe.

Sonic Rush Adventure: This sequel brings levels that are friendlier and more fun, tragically proving that you can't make a reasonably good game with this sort of engine without nerfing the difficulty and suggesting that Sonic may be a Mary Sue. The focus on material collection could have been used to create rich, expansive levels ala Sonic 3 and Knuckles with lots to see, do, and discover hidden in them, but instead it's the same simple boost-to-the-end fare. Another waste of good ideas.

Sonic Colors: In this game, the Homing Attack and Boost System are clearly cemented into the series as crutches meant to support the shoddy gameplay and physics engines. Boosting in particular feels like a replacement for the normal rolling attack and Spin Dash, except it's worse because its use is limited by a meter. It would have worked as an additional move, but having it replace Sonic's normal moves is like Mario having his punch-punch-kick combo replaced by F.L.U.D.D. The Wisp system is excellent, but it should have been in a better game than this. The game did at least bring about a good new attitude for the series though.

Sonic Generations: Along with Sonic Colors, this formed a hope spot for the series the likes of which hadn't been seen since the two Adventure games. We all know what happened last time though, so it's difficult to look upon them without wondering if history will repeat itself. Overall, both Colors and Generations are worthy yet amateurish, creative yet unpolished, warm yet broken, a glimpse at how Sonic could once again be as good as Mario but also a confession that he would never again reach that level of acclaim.

Sonic 4 Episode 1: Not worthy. Why does Sonic always, always struggle with the basics? Classic 2D Sonic is a momentum-based game, so due to completely lacking a momentum-based game engine, Episode 1 is barely a Sonic game. Even more damnable is how the physics were deliberately cut and pasted from Sonic Rush because the developers wanted to force players to use the Homing Attack. Basically, they cut out Sonic's famous gameplay for the sake of promoting a weak gimmick.

Sonic 4 Episode 2: Definitely better than episode 1, but also very definitely flawed, leaving lots of room for improvement. As usual, the game just doesn't feel right, though I was kinda surprised to realize that the way Sonic tends to lose speed when in ball form is actually fairly realistic. All rolling objects in the game tend to work like they do in real life, no doubt thanks to the Havok physics engine. But classic Sonic was so much fun mainly because it got the physics "wrong". It used to be that in a tall half-pipe, you could can gain a LOT of speed just by spinning back and forth inside it. With proper Sonic physics, it's as if Sonic reaches his highest speeds as a ball, like Kirby with the Wheel ability or something, so Sega won't ever get Sonic's physics right until they learn to get basic physics wrong. There are also other questionable and nonsensical design decisions scattered around this main issue, and to make matters worse, by this point Sega had spent so long trying (and failing) to reinvent the wheel that it became really tiresome to watch them flail. With this kind of output, why should anyone care about an Episode 3?

MW2 Class Designs

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:28:56 PDT

Listed here are some custom designs for classes in Modern Warfare 2. Some are simply there for comedy value, others are designed to have sensible roles. All info about weapons are gathered from:
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Give me your opinions on the classes, and which is your fav! I'll probs upload some more at a later date

Class-By-Class Rundown:

TF2 Scout: The idea behind this guy is that, like the character from TF2, he runs fast and dies a virgin (and by that I mean "goes on suicidal sprinting/point blank shotgun to face rampages.") In a game where most guns are two shot kills at worst and have an effective range of three miles, the shotgun seems to become 08531337, but killing people instantly with shotgun blasts to the back of the head are so thrilling, I based this class on that idea alone.

The M16 is his long ranged weapon option, but even then it has a shotgun tied to it for the purpose of making sure The Scout isnt caught off guard at close range. However, his main purpose is to sneak around at high speed, find snipers and heavy gunners looking the other way and unload into their back, so hell probably be using his main shotgun more often. The Striker and Ranger both resemble the Scattergun and FaN respectively, so choose whichever you prefer.

The Tactical Insertion is designed to be used as The Scout finds great vantage points on his explorations, and the stun grenade is a nod back to TFClassic, and will be useful when you need to rush into a room full of enemies and unload some buckshot. His perks are designed with speed in mind, and the player can choose to either be a sneaky runner or have better hip-accuracy (as shotguns works best from there) for the final perk.

TF2 Soldier: Another TF2 inspired class, this guy is all about shock and awe. He needs to have all bases covered, and be able to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies, with heavy, surprise attacks and superior damage at all ranges, as well as just looking the part. However, he shouldnt need fancy gear, just tried and tested stuff that works.

His FAL with Shotgun attachment, like that scout, is designed to be a dual purpose weapon for long and short range combat, while his secondary rocket launcher weapon can be chosen at the leisure of the player depending on their personal preference (so long as it goes boom). This way, he has close, medium and long range combat all covered, while retaining his iconic rocket launcher for times when bullets just dont cut it.

Frag Grenades are used by the soldier in TF2 and TFC, so they were the obvious choice for equipment, and the smoke grenade is a tacitly useful disruption weapon, which perfectly suits his mechanics. Since hell be near the front line, laying waste to man and machine alike, scavenger was chosen so he can stock his weapons ammo more frequently. Danger close was chosen in conjunction with his explosive weaponry and last stand was also chosen as an addition to his shock and awe persona, allowing him to make one last attempt to kill his killer before passing on.

TF2 Heavy: Heavy Machine Guns are totally ineffective compared to assault rifles in terms of accuracy, mobility, reloading, function speeds and level-headedness. That said, sometimes nothing beats running Rambo-style towards tanks and helicopters, leaping from buildings and charging down multiple enemies while unleashing hell from a gun that few can carry let alone use. There is also a time and place where suppressing and covering fire from a heavy is just what is needed. And, of course, if you turn a corner and run into someone wielding a machine pistol or assault rifle, its no competition.

The reason I choose the first available machine gun for this class is that, when compared to the others, it may have the lowest accuracy, but it also has high damage, high range and a high fire rate. As well as this, I would attach a grip to it to help with the kick, which hopefully will help with its accuracy. The secondary shotgun with FMJ is a close range, anti cover backup in case the heavy runs out of ammo or needs to hit someone though a wall, and helps due to the fact that there isnt anything resembling a sandvich.

The reason he wields a semtex is simply because I think they would suit his close range combat style, and would mean that sneak kills arent out of the question. The stun grenade is employed for a similar reason, since shooting stunned players is easier than shooting none stunned ones, and at least means youll have more of a chance to hit. Sleight of hand was chosen to help with lengthy reloading times and steady aim was chosen to help with snap-hip firing. Stopping power was rather essential to make sure the targets you hit died.

TF2 Demoman: This guy was challenging to re-create, and Im not wholly happy with the final result. Still, he has lots of explosives, so it cant be THAT bad. He has two grenade launchers (one of which has an assault rifle tied to it annoyingly, but that cant be helped,) and various tactful advantages against other classes who also wield explosive weapons.

The FAL, was chosen to carry the grenade launcher because its only single shot, so players hopefully wouldnt be as tempted to use it too often over the launcher weapons. The thumper secondary weapon was a perfect demoman style weapon, and the C4 or semtex (players can choose to use either) more closely resembled his sticky bombs gun that anything else, while the stun grenade has a demoman-esque sort of feel to it.

Danger Close, like stopping power for the heavy, was essential for obvious reasons, while Scavenger just usefully filled a perk slot. SitRep was chosen as a counter against enemy demomen, as well as giving him bonuses in tracking enemy positions.

TF2 Sniper: The classic camper rarely changes too much. He needs a good sniper rifle, a good close range defence tool, and benefits from being sneaky. Sadly, I couldnt give him the ability to throw his own bodily fluids at his enemies, so I gave him a covering smoke-grenade to make up for it, to use as a distraction or as an offensive tool.

The 50 .Cal with the specialised scope is highly accurate, but has lots of recoil. This means players must use special tactics when choosing their second perk. If they choose stopping power, it means that if you hit, you should kill, and makes your shots damaging against vehicles too, but makes you an easier target. Choosing cold blooded makes you weaker, but much harder to spot and immune to killstreak sensors. This is just the sort of benefit vs. loss that made TF2 great, and now Im trying to ship some of it to Modern Warfare.

The TMP is designed solely as a secondary defence weapon, in case attacked in close quarters while sniping, while the tactical insertion means you wont lose your sniping spot the first time you die, and gives you a second chance to kill your attacker. Steady aim should help with TMP use and no-scoping, as well as accuracy while sniping, and sleight of hand helps with reloading and gun-usage.

TF2 Spy: This was the hardest, but the most fun, of the TF2 classes to re-create in modern warfare. This guy, like most, is all about stealth. His weaponry are designed for stealth and sneak-killing, and his perks make it harder and harder to find out where he is and what hes up to. Hes also good with the knife, which helps. Sadly, theres no disguise or cloak options, so Cold Blooded is used to emulate a cloak, while the smoke grenade is the closes thing to the spys smoky disguise ability.

The Revolver was an absolute must for the spy, and the tactical knife helps with sneak kills when bullets to the back of the brain dont seem to work. The silenced Uzi was the closest I could get to the tranquiliser gun he used in Team Fortress Classic, and should also help with sneak kills. However, there are quite a few choices to be made with perks and equipment. Would you rather have the equivalent of the dead ringer (in the form of a tactical insertion,) or have the ability to throw your knives into the back of peoples heads?

Since youll be getting close up and personal kills, scavenger helps with reloading and keeping track of ammo. Yet again, however, you get trouble with choosing a perk. While commando helps with knifing mobile enemies and getting around more easily, Ninja means you are EVEN HARDER to spot, as you dont appear on heartbeat sensors and your footsteps are silent. Choose whichever you prefer.

The Tank/The Wall: Call him what you like, this guy is meant for one thing and one thing alone: survival. This guy is ROCK solid, or at least as solid as a squishy human being can be. Regardless, this guy is all about defence. Thats why his secondary weapon is left relatively open, and depends on player preference and situation.

The riot shield is chosen as the ultimate defensive option. Hiding behind it allows you to soak up a lot of damage. As well as that, the blast shield can be used to help against sneaky players using explosive weapons. Because he is so tough, hes more than able to get right up close and personal to use his real weapons. Flashbangs can also be used to allow for brief rushes of speed, and as a distraction.

Marathon was chosen for those moments when a quick advance is needed, and a combo of cold blooded and ninja make him hard to track. Alternatively, you can use SitRep if you dont mind sacrificing stealth for extra awareness ability, which isnt always a bad thing if your shield only works if youre looking in the right direction.

The Juggernaut: Based on the terrifying and highly powerful thorn in the spec-ops side, this perk attempts to recreate, in a small way, the biggest, baddest human foe youll face in Modern Warfare. Its time to don your anti-everything armour, grab your big shooty gun, brush up on your Russian and run headlong and without care into your enemys face.

First off, you need an M240. Why? Because ALL Juggernauts wield them, no exceptions. Bling and stopping power are VITAL here, because youll need the extra damage for good measure, the holographic sight for added accuracy, and the grip to emulate the immense strength of the juggernaut, and make sure the gun doesnt dislocate your shoulder while youre running and gunning with it.

According to game-fluff, the juggernauts were originally going to wield Strikers as secondary weapons, but they were cut for balancing reasons. This is why you need one, so you can go AGAINST the games balance! And since you have bling, lets stick some extra ammo and a silencer on it for good measure. The blast shield can help with suicidal charges, and since Juggernauts all seem to automatically know where claymores are, you might as well carry some yourself. Speaking about claymores, you might want to choose Sit-Rep for scanning purposes or Last Stand if you wanna add some extra stamina to your tanks.

PC Gamers Perfect Class: I read up in a PC gamers-magazine about their favourite weapons and class structure for Modern Warfare 2, so I just put it all together into this special class. The SCAR-H and AA12 were their favourite primary and secondary weapons, and their most used in-game. They also heavily praised the use of silencers, so Ive given one to each. They also said the tactical-insertion was a hysterical way to backstab backstabbers, and was their favourite equipment.

They didnt specify a special grenade, so I just gave them the stun-grenade. They suggest scavenger as a good perk as it means you rarely run out of ammo, said that stopping power was VITAL to make a really lethal class, and suggested Commando as a final perk for super-melee and stealth kills.

Yohan Gas Mask Mode: This mode is all about ME! This is the closest I can screw this game into making a class that is like me, and itll probably be the one I use the most. The great thing about this class is that its also very easily available, as most of the weapons are the first of their class, and most of the items are the same.

Sadly, there are no miniguns, so I chose my favourite heavy machine gun to make up for it! As well as this, I chose my favourite shotgun as a secondary weapon, since its a quite overlooked weapon in the game, but it has a long range for a shotgun, and Id add an extended magazine for good measure. Semtex grenades are seen as the most sadistic of the equipment items, as you can glue one to the enemy and theres nothing they can do but wait till they die. Thats why I use them. I also enjoy using smoke grenades, as Ive used them in real life, and I enjoy their dual purpose to both confuse the enemy and cover me.

Sleight of hand and Steady Aim would be used to increase accuracy and reloading speed to emulate my skill with firearms, whereas stopping power would emulate the lethalness of my weapon. In real life, my minigun can fire 50 .cal explosive rounds, but while my in-game variant here may not be able to do that, hell still rule the battlefield!

Big Pimpin: Carrying the best equipment, the sexiest guns and the nicest tech, this class is for pure show-offs, who like efficient killing, and looking good. Bling is essential, as it allows for multiple-attachments, equipable to the legendary M16 and the lethal AA12, making your guns just better than everyone elses. Semtex grenades are pure evil in a ball, and are great for humiliating kills, while the flashbang allows you to blind everyone with your awesomeness! Stopping power ensures that your weapons really are all-powerful, while sit-rep means you arent totally without brains in the combat. While this class is a difficult one to achieve and level up, he may be the best all-round class I have design.

Ghost Recon: The ghost recon is all about keeping unseen, moving passively behind the scenes, observing all and killing your enemy without them even knowing what hit them. The WA2000 seemed like the perfect sniper rifle, with high damage and firing speed, and the TMP as close range backup. Both have silencers to keep you as stealthy as possible when out in the field. The claymores can be set as sneak-traps to be played in the path of oncoming enemies once youve worked out where they are coming from, and the smoke grenade allows for distractions and aids sneak-killing. Cold-Blooded and Ninja help with remaining unseen, and Scavenger ensures that you never run out of ammo.

Chaos Marine: Chaos, panic and disorder. My work here is done. This is the motto for the Chaos Marine. In short, his main job is to cause sheer terror and panic on the battlefield. Unlike the ghost recon, which uses the shadows as a safe-place to plan his next precise attack and observing the fight before making his move, the Chaos Marine uses cover as a doorway to his next, thinking-on-your-feet chaotic attack, popping in and out of combat sporadically with heavy hits and confusing tactics before disappearing and popping up elsewhere. Explosions, radar jamming, appearing where you just killed him and ridiculous amounts of lead-dispersal are all tools he can use to freak out enemies by breaking the rules of fair-combat.

His dual P90s with extended magazines allow him to create imposing walls of bullets, aiding allies with covering fire and mowing down close range attackers. On the other hand, his rocket launcher allows him to attack out of nowhere and blow people and vehicles sky high before disappearing again. The tactical insertion mean you are never sure when and where hes really gonna appear again, and smoke grenades can be used to confuse targets in various different ways. Bling is required to utilize his lethal dual P90s with extra big mags, and Danger Close helps with blowing stuff apart with the rocket launcher in a chaotic attack. Scrambler is used to panic players he gets near, as they know something is coming, since their radar is down, but they dont know what, and from where.

Situational Awareness: Tired of getting sniped, killed with sneak attacks or vehicles? Wish you knew more about your surroundings that you really should? Then Situational Awareness is the class for you. With this class, so long as you keep your eyes open and dont be stupid, youll know EXACTLY what your enemies are up to. This makes you vulnerable to sneaking attackers with sneaky perks, but if you enemy fails to utilise stealth and specific perks, youll have the upper hand.

The SCAR-H is a powerful long range rifle, and the heart-beat sensor allows for super quick scan-reacting, as well as giving you an idea of whats ahead of you, giving you time to plan a counter attack. C4 explosives allow you to set up planned traps for enemies you detect on the heartbeat sensor, and stun grenades help if you dont have much time to plan. The Javelin, combined with Cold Blooded, makes you super effective against vehicles, and means you wont get caught off guard by a helicopter strafing attack. Scavenger helps with ammo-needs and Sit-Rep means you wont get caught by people using the same tactic as you.

Godzilla

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:43:00 PDT

Real name: Gojira
Charactirism: King of The Monsters
Species: Mutant Godzillasaurus
Category: Earth Defenders
Bio: Godzilla (ゴジラ, 'Gojira') is the King of the Monsters. He first appeared in Godzilla, AKA Gojira, which was produced by Toho Film Company Ltd. To date, Toho has produced twenty eight Godzilla films. In 1998, TriStar Pictures produced an American remake, set in New York City. The film's name was simply "Godzilla"; however, the monster that starred in this film (also known as Zilla) had been completely redesigned and did not closely resemble the original Godzilla. Fans of the old series, like the Showa generation, commonly call the the American version "Fraudzilla". The "Fraudzilla" resembled Orga more than Godzilla.Godzilla is a gigantic mutant Godzillasaur, transformed from the fallout of an atomic bomb test. As the Godzilla series continued, the great beast was developed as a character, and has become a savior of the earth saving the world from other monsters (usually from Outer Space) like King Ghidorah, Gigan & MechaGodzilla along with other monsters like Rodan & Mothra. Godzilla was voted as number three on Cinemassacre 's favorite Giant Movie Monsters. Other monsters that made it onto the list were Gamera, King Kong, The Giant Claw, The Host, and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.Godzilla is one of the defining aspects of Japanese pop culture for many people worldwide. Though his popularity has waned slightly over the years, he is still one of the most renowned monster characters in the world. To this day, Godzilla remains an important facet of Japanese films, embodying the kaiju subset of the tokusatsu genre. Godzilla has been called a filmographic metaphor for the United States, starting out as a terrifying enemy and later a strong ally and defender in times of need. The earliest Godzilla films, especially the original Gojira, attempted to portray Godzilla as a frightening, nuclear monster. Godzilla represented the fears of many Japanese of a repeat of the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.As the series progressed, so did Godzilla himself, changing into a less destructive and more heroic character as the films became increasingly geared towards children. Today, the character has fallen somewhere in the middle, sometimes portrayed as a protector of the Earth (notably Tokyo) from external threats and other times as a bringer of destruction.Godzilla's appearance has changed between films over the years, but many defining details have endured. In the Japanese films, Godzilla is depicted as a gigantic dinosaur with rough, bumpy (usually) charcoal grey scales, a long powerful tail, and bone colored dorsal plates shaped like maple leaves. His origins vary somewhat from film to film, but he is almost always described as a prehistoric creature, and his first attacks on Japan are linked to the beginning of the Atomic Age. In particular, mutation due to atomic radiation is presented as an explanation for his great size and strange powers. Godzilla's iconic design is composed of a mixture of various species of dinosaurs; specifically, he has the body and overall shape of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, the long arms of an Iguanodon, and the dorsal plates of a Stegosaurus.The name "Godzilla" is a transliteration of Gojira (ゴジラ), a combination of two Japanese words: gorira (ゴリラ), meaning gorilla, and kujira (鯨 or クジラ), meaning whale. At one planning stage, the concept of "Gojira" was described as "a cross between a gorilla and a whale". The two words "whale" and "gorilla" fit Godzilla. Whale represents the aquatic and bulk of his life. The Gorilla represents the sheer strength and strategic thinking he does when fight against some kaiju. A popular story is that "Gojira" was actually the nickname of a hulking stagehand at Toho Studio.The story has not been verified, however, because in the more than 50 years since the film's original release, no one claiming to be the employee has ever stepped forward, and no photographs of him have ever surfaced. Since Godzilla is neither a gorilla nor a whale, the name had to be devised in a different way for the film's story; Godzilla's name was originally spelled in kanji (呉爾羅) by the Oto Island peoplehowever, Toho chose these characters for sound only; the combined characters mean "give you net". This has been referenced countless times in Japanese books on Godzilla. The Original Godzilla in Godzilla was a prehistoric monster 50 meters tall and weighing 20,000 metric tons, which terrorized the ships of Japan. It was disturbed by an American Hydrogen bomb testing in the Pacific Ocean. After attacking Tokyo, destroying much of the city and killing tens of thousands, Godzilla was defeated when the scientist Dr. Daisuke Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata) who committed suicide out of shame and guilt after activating an experimental weapon, the Oxygen Destroyer, which completely dissolved Godzilla. It was stated at the end of the film that it was doubtful that there was only one creature, alluding not only to the many incarnations of Godzilla that would later appear but also to all the other kaiju monsters that would be featured in movies produced by Toho. When first released in wide distribution in the U.S., its footage was reworked and supplemented with new footage featuring Raymond Burr as "Steve Martin"(not the actor) for general commercial release as Godzilla, King of the Monsters! in 1956, and the giant monster would be known outside Japan by the name "Godzilla" ever after. In 1957, the American version worked its way back to Japan, where the Godzilla name also took root. This American version was the only version represented on North American home video until the release of the Gojira DVD in September 2006, which contains both the unedited Japanese theatrical version and the reworked U.S. version.The Americanized Godzilla, King of the Monsters! was honored with a plaque on its 50th anniversary at the former location of Visual Drama, where Raymond Burr's insert scenes were filmed by director Terry Morse. The location is now the Frank del Olmo Elementary School (named after the late Los Angeles Times columnist). The plaque is at the main entrance at 100 N. New Hampshire Ave., Los Angeles.As alluded to at the end of the original movie, Godzilla again surfaced at first as a menace in Godzilla Raids Again (shown in the U.S.A. as Gigantis, The Fire Monster, In which Godzilla is referred to as Gigantis and Anguirus, as Angurous or Angurousaurus). Setting the tone for future Showa-series films, Godzilla's fate is uncertain at the end. His next film was 1962's King Kong vs. Godzilla. The menacing ego of Godzilla's final film in the Showa series was 1964's Godzilla vs. The Thing (that being the original American release title, but since known by the Japanese and international title, Mothra vs. Godzilla). Starting with Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Godzilla took on the "good guy" persona he would wear for the remainder of the series. He would team up with Mothra, Rodan, and Anguirus along with other monsters to battle a variety of foes both mundane (Ebirah, Kumonga, and Kamacuras) and bizarre (Hedorah, Gigan, and Megalon). He even gained a son in the form of Minya. The series ended with Terror of Mechagodzilla in 1975. The final scene depicted Godzilla wading off into the sea, not to be seen until his return in the VS series ten years later. It is notable, however, that the earlier-released film Destroy All Monsters took place in 1999, twenty-four years after Terror of Mechagodzilla. The series could also be said to truly end with Destroy All Monsters's ending, which depicted all of Earth's monsters living out the rest of their days in peace on Monster Island. This "jump" of dates also explains how King Ghidorah appeared in movies such as Godzilla vs. Gigan after he was killed in the earlier film. After Terror of Mechagodzilla, he would later rampage through Tokyo again in.same topic and confuse if Godzilla is a good or bad guy. The movie also featured Raymond Burr as his character Mr. Martin.The Toho sentai series Zone Fighter is notable in that it features Toho Kaiju from the films, such as Gigan, King Ghidorah and Godzilla himself. Produced during the 70s, Toho has gone on record stating that the events depicted in the Zone Fighter television series are part of the Showa era, taking place between Godzilla vs. Megalon and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.The VS series is in the era known as the Heisei Period wherein, when not only does Godzilla return after more than a decade's absence, but marks a transition between the reign of the Showa Emperor Hirohito to that of his son Akihito, now dubbed the Heisei Emperor.In The Return of Godzilla, the famous monster is re-invented to be taller and more powerful, at 80 meters tall and 50,000 metric tons. Return of Godzilla ignores all previous films in the series aside from the original. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah explains that this second Godzilla is the product of a botched time traveling mission by a group of terrorists from the 23rd century known as Futurians. Under the guise of wanting to save Japan from Godzilla's devastation, the Futurians travel back to 1944 and transport an injured Godzillasaurus residing on Lagos Island to the Bering Sea, thus preventing its exposure to the A-bombs. The Godzillasaurus lies dormant in the Bering Sea till the late 1970s, where it is exposed to radiation after a nuclear submarine accidentally detonates in the dinosaurs vicinity. Hungry for nuclear energy, the new Godzilla attacks a Soviet nuclear submarine before turning towards Japan as its predecessor in 1954 did, attacking the nation's nuclear power plants. After his battle with the Super X, Professor Hayashida lures Godzilla to Mount Mihara, where he is dropped into the lava below. There he enters a state of dormancy.

During his slumber, Japan develops an underfunded agency, designed to track any and all of Godzilla's future sightings in Japan. Japanese corporations develop Anti-Nuclear Energy Bacteria (ANEB) in order to protect the country from nuclear accidents or attacks.
Reawakened by explosions detonated during a failed terrorist ransoming, Godzilla heads for Lake Ashino where he does battle with Biollante in Godzilla vs. Biollante, the hybrid monster of Godzillas own DNA and the cells of a rose that bonded with the soul of a scientist's daughter. After their first battle, a new Super X-2 confronts Godzilla and distracts the monster so soldiers can administer the ANEB through rocket-propelled grenades. Super X-2 is badly damaged during the battle, unable to further engage Godzilla. In an attempt to activate the ANEB, Godzilla is lured to a site with experimental lightning generators intended to increase Godzilla's core temperature so the bacteria can function properly. At the site, a new form of Biollante arrives and besieges the weakening Godzilla. The ANEB takes effect and forces the battle to a draw. Biollante is mortally wounded and Godzilla falls into the ocean, where he is believed to die from the ANEB. However, the cold waters of the Pacific lower Godzillas body temperature, retarding the effects of the ANEB and allow Godzilla to live on. In his weakened state, Godzilla swims back to the area of his origin, the Bering Sea.In Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, it is discovered that the time-travelers that had prevented Godzilla's creation had, during the Godzillasaur's transportation, left in its place their own creation three tiny Dorats, which are harmless pets of the Futurians to allow them to undergo Godzillas nuclear transformation instead, mutating and combining them into a three-headed golden abomination, King Ghidorah. Unfortunately, they are unaware that the Godzilla they had planned to erase was later mutated by a nuclear submarine crash.

The Futurians trick several scientists into aiding them on a false time-traveling mission under the pretense of preventing Godzilla's transformation on Lagos Island. In efforts to stop the Futurians' monster that is instead created, an extremely wealthy corporate developer, who previously fought on the island as a Japanese soldier, plans to send a nuclear submarine into the Bering Sea in an attempt to create the second Godzilla. Instead of finding the Godzillasaurus, the submarine would come face to face with Godzilla himself, mutated by the sub crash. The Futurians ignorance of the past leads them to create the second Godzilla in the first place rather than removing him from history. Godzilla absorbs the power of the nuclear sub, increasing his size further, becoming powerful enough to defeat King Ghidorah. Godzilla proceeds to attack Japan itself, but is stopped when Emmy, one of the Futurians who had turned on her fellows, resurrects Ghidorah as a cyborg in the future and returns to the past to battle Godzilla with the new Mecha-King Ghidorah. The two battle in Tokyo, with both falling into the sea, but Godzilla is still alive and reawakens using his atomic ray underwater at the movie's conclusion.

These films show mankind's efforts to defeat Godzilla while also being challenged by other monsters such as Mothra, Rodan, and SpaceGodzilla. This series features a specialized organization of monster-combating soldiers and engineers called G-Force. Several of the ways G-Force plan to stop Godzilla include the construction of two "mecha-kaiju", Mechagodzilla 2 (who would battle both Godzilla and Rodan) and M.O.G.U.E.R.A. Like in the previous series, Godzilla eventually adopts a "son" that is discovered by scientists in Rodan's nest, this time simply called "Baby Godzilla", "Little Godzilla," and "Godzilla Jr.," simply referred to as "Junior." It is never stated that Godzilla birthed (asexually) the monster itself, or even made clear whether Godzilla has any knowledge of the creature's existence before it is born. Both Rodan and Godzilla have a natural drive to want to be close to the monster, much to the tactical benefit of G-Force.
Ultimately, this Godzilla meets his end in the finale of the versus series, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. Everything comes full circle when Godzilla is faced with a monster, Destoroyah, created by the Oxygen Destroyer, which was used to kill the first Godzilla in 1954. Godzilla's end comes when his internal radiation becomes too intense for his body to control, and he finally succumbs to a total nuclear meltdown. This is not the end of Godzilla's legacy, however; the previously wounded Godzilla Jr. (who is killed by Destroyah earlier) absorbs all of the radiation from Godzilla's meltdown and fully matures into an adult Godzilla.The Millennium series is unique because rather than creating a single continuity that all the films would follow, the series would instead comprise a number of discrete narratives, each using only the original Godzilla film as a backdrop. It is often called the "Shinsei" (新生) series by Western fans (meaning "rebirth") however the name is not recognized by Toho. In Japan, rather, many call it the "X" series, due to the Japanese titles containing "X" instead of "Vs". The majority of the films in the series featured a revamped Godzilla design. This new "Millennium Godzilla" had a wilder appearance, with more massive, jagged dorsal fins and a fiercer, more dinosaur-like face than the Godzilla featured in the Heisei series.As a direct sequel of the original movie, the Godzilla depicted in Godzilla 2000: Millennium is not related to any other Godzilla films seen previously, or to those to come. Godzilla himself is 95 metres tall and weighs 90,000 metric tons. It is unclear whether this Godzilla is the same as the original, but what is known is that he has been attacking and feeding off Japans energy plants for some time. During Godzillas latest rampage an alien is found which attacks Godzilla and steals his Organizer G-1 (Regenerator G-1 in U.S. movie) in order to adapt to Earths atmosphere and becomes the monster Orga. The two monsters battle and Godzilla prevails by destroying his foe as it attempts to swallow him whole. Though Godzilla looks nearly the same in this film as he did in Godzilla 2000: Millennium, this movie takes place in a separate continuity from the previous film. The Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus attacked Tokyo in 1954, the Tokaimura Power Plant in 1966, and Osaka in 1996. In 2000, Godzilla would be the first to encounter the Meganula threat. However, shortly after this, Godzilla would be lured to Kiganjima Island where he would fall victim to a top secret weapon, the Dimension Tide. The attack would be interrupted by the Meganura allowing Godzilla to battle their queen, Megaguirus in battle. After Godzilla's victory he would fall victim once again to the Dimension Tide and be buried deep underneath the city.
Shortly after the credits, however, the main character (a child) goes to the window and hears Godzilla's famed roar.Again disregarding the continuity of previous films of the millennium series, the Godzilla in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack is confirmed to be the original monster (because of the American's mistake of misconfirming Zilla as the true Godzilla). Godzilla is depicted as a demonic beast possessed by the souls of those who died in the Pacific in World War II. This film returns Godzilla to his roots of being a genuinely malevolent being who deliberately seeks to punish Japan for the sins of WWII. Godzilla would do battle with the Yamato no Kaiju Baragon, Mothra, and King Ghidorah but would be nearly destroyed by the actions of General Tachibana, who piloted a submersible down Godzilla's throat and out through a wound in his neck. The next two times Godzilla attempted to use his atomic breath it shot out of his wound, and eventually tore him apart from the inside. At the bottom of Tokyo Bay, you are able to see the heart of Godzilla beating continuously.In the movie Godzilla X Mechagodzilla, a second Godzilla goes on a rampage in Japan. After that incident, the Minister of Science decides to make a bio-mechanical robot from the bones of the Godzilla of 1954. After a few years, Kiryu (Mechagodzilla) is born. Kiryu is sent to fight off Godzilla, however Godzilla roars, causing the DNA of the original to cause Kiryu to start attacking the city himself, until he runs out of power. Kiryu is shutdown and readjusted. Kiryu is sent again to fight Godzilla. At the end of the battle, Kiryu carries Godzilla and both crash in Tokyo Bay. Kiryu shoots his final shot, the Absolute Zero, and freezes the water. But Godzilla survives the shot with less damage and Kiryu loses his arm and damages the Absolute Zero.In the movie Godzilla x Mothra x Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., the two shobijin fairies warn that using Godzilla's bones as a weapon is a big mistake. The Prime Minister refuses to stop Operation: Kiryu. Then Godzilla arrives in Tokyo and Mothra comes and saves Tokyo from destruction. The Prime Minister launches Kiryu in order to save the dieing Mothra. An egg in Infant Island eventually hatches and two larvae go to save their mother. Mothra is blown up by Godzilla's atomic ray and now what is left are the larvae and Kiryu. Kiryu eventually runs wild and brings Godzilla wrapped in silk to the ocean. They both sink together and Kiryu permanently shuts down and Godzilla is able to sleep in the depths. At the end, there is a storage room with the DNA of Godzilla (1954) still there, so another monster will rise (possibly Godzilla again should he break free from Kiryu's grip).The Godzilla from Godzilla: Final Wars (abbreviated Final Wars) is the last Godzilla film as of 2004; Toho has decided to retire the franchise for a period of 5-10 years to renew interest in the future, possibly returning with a new film in 2013 or 2014 as Godzilla's 60th Anniversary. Godzilla takes on a similar but newer appearance in Godzilla: Final Wars. The difference can be seen while comparing his head to that from other series. Godzilla's in the Heisei series was smaller in appearance while Godzilla from the Millenium series has a noticeably longer build. Many people think this Godzilla is also possibly Godzilla Jr. due to the fact of his image of him being trapped was shown simultaneously with Godzilla Jr's ressurection.Decades before the main story starts, an older past Godzilla is buried in ice at the South Pole by the Earth Defense Forces aerial battle ship Gotengo. When the Xilians, an alien race, use many of Earth's own monsters in an attempt to conquer it, the EDF is forced to free Godzilla from the ice to fight for mankind. This Godzilla is lured towards the Xilians' mothership in Tokyo while he fights the Xilians' monsters along the way, defeating/destroying each one in his path including Gigan, Zilla, Kumonga, Kamacuras, Rodan, King Caesar, Anguirus , Ebirah and Hedorah.He at last arrives in Tokyo just in time for an asteroid to enter Earth's atmosphere. Godzilla attempts to stop it by blowing his atomic breath on it, causing it to explode and releasing the real threat, Monster X. Mothra comes to aid Godzilla while the Xilians summon the revived and rebuilt Gigan. Mothra is quickly dispatched by Gigan, who then joins Monster X to double team Godzilla. Mothra recovers and attacks both Monster X and Gigan, turning the tide of battle. Gigan resumes his battle with Mothra, using it's laser vision beam, turning Mothra to what some call "Fire Mothra," and both Kaiju are destroyed in a Kamikaze attack by the lepidopteran deity, while Monster X transformed into a new form, Keizer Ghidorah. He nearly would have killed Godzilla if it weren't for the superhuman Ozaki transferring his mutant powers into Godzilla, restoring his strength and empowering him enough to use his greatest weapon-his spiral ray to destroy Kaiser Ghidorah. Turning his attention back on his old enemies, Godzilla shot down the Gotengo and prepares to finish its crew off when Godzilla's infant son, Minya, intervenes, pleading Godzilla to stop. Both tired from his past battles and moved by Minya's courage to stand up to him, Godzilla returns to the ocean with his son. But not with out Minya finally using his atomic ray on his own.After the release of 2004's Godzilla: Final Wars, marking the 50th anniversary of the Godzilla film franchise, Toho announced that it would not produce any films featuring the Godzilla character for ten years. Toho demolished the water stage on its lot used in numerous Godzilla films to stage water scenes.Director Yoshimitsu Banno, who had directed 1971's Godzilla vs. Hedorah, secured the rights from Toho to make an IMAX 3D short film production, based on a remake of the Godzilla vs. Hedorah story. Banno was unable to find backers to produce the film. Banno met American producer Brian Rogers, and the two planned to work together on the project. Rogers approached Legendary Pictures in 2009, and the project became a plan to produce a feature film instead.
in March 2010, Legendary formally announced the project after it had acquired rights to make a Godzilla film from Toho, with a tentative release date of 2012. The project is to be co-produced with Warner Bros., who will co-finance the project.(TriStar Pictures will not be involved because their rights expired in 2003.) The planned film's producers Dan Lin, Roy Lee, and Brian Rogers and executive producers Yoshimitsu Banno, Kenji Okuhira, and Doug Davison will work with Legendary's Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni.Legendary said their film would not be a sequel to the 1998 Godzilla.Legendary first promoted the planned new film at the San Diego Comic-Con International fan convention in July 2010. Legendary commissioned a new conceptual artwork of Godzilla, consistent with the Japanese design of the monster. The artwork was used in an augmented reality display produced by Talking Dog Studios. Every visitor to the convention was given a T-shirt illustrated with the concept art. When viewed by webcam at the Legendary Pictures booth, the image on-screen would spout radioactive breath and the distinctive Godzilla roar could be heard.Gareth Edwards, who directed Monsters, was attached in January 2011 to direct the new Godzilla film. The first draft screenplay by David Callaham will be rewritten by a yet-to-be-announced writer.Edwards said of his plans, "This will definitely have a very different feel than the most recent US film, and our biggest concern is making sure we get it right for the fans because we know their concerns. It must be brilliant in every category because Im a fan as well. In July of 2011, it was announced that The Dark Knight Co-writer David S.Goyer will be the film's writer. Over the years Godzilla has possessed many powers and abilities to use against his foes. Godzilla is generally considered to be the most powerful kaiju, as is expressed by his title, " King of the Monsters. " Godzilla's signature weapon is his distinctive atomic breath. Godzilla's dorsal fins glow ominously, and then he lets loose with a concentrated blast of radiation from his mouth. This power is commonly mistaken for breathing literal fire.Godzilla has been shown apparently being able to adjust the intensity of his ray, varying from a blast of superheated vapor (such as in the 1950s and 1960s), to a beam with explosive and kinetic properties, (in the 1970s and onward.) The ray is usually portrayed as being neon blue, though in Godzilla 2000 and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, it is a reddish orange to signify an increased level of power.In Godzilla 2000 and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, Godzilla's atomic breath was shown as having incendiary properties and was strong enough to destroy a miniature black hole, while in Godzilla: Final Wars, it possessed incredible range, amazing power and pin-point accuracy, able to hit a target in outer space and kill most kaiju with a single shot. In a memorable (and somewhat infamous) scene in Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla even used his atomic breath to fly by aiming it at the ground and lifting off like a rocket.A variation of the standard atomic ray in the Heisei series was the red "spiral ray" which he acquired as a result of absorbing the Rodan's life energy. This ray was so powerful that only a few blasts of it were sufficient to completely destroy Mechagodzilla and Spacegodzilla, though Destoroyah was able to withstand several hits. In Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, a variant of his spiral ray was seen when King Ghidorah used his golden gravity beams on Godzilla. Godzilla was somehow able to draw strength from the gravity beams and used the absorbed energy to fire a blast of blue energy wrapped in a golden spiral that completely destroyed Ghidorah. The spiral ray returned in Godzilla: Final Wars, where it was strong enough to push Kaiser Ghidorah to the edge of space, destroying him in an explosion visible from the surface of the earth.In the video game Godzilla: Save The Earth, Godzilla can also use a varation of his Atomic Breath called the Final Beam, a beam of energy that resembles his regular Atomic Breath except for the fact it is far more powerful and is purple in colour. In Save The Earth he can also launch huge fireballs from his mouth as well.In addition to his very deadly atomic breath, Godzilla can also emit atomic energy in all directions from every inch of his body in a short-range pulse. The pulse was first seen in his fight against Biollante. Godzilla only used the nuclear pulse in the heisei series, although many consider the climactic scene in Godzilla 2000 to be a use of Godzilla's nuclear pulse; and also, Godzilla uses something similar to a nuclear pulse to prevent Kaiser Ghidorah from draining any more of his energy from him after being surged with Ozaki's energy.In the 1974 movie, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, Godzilla found a way to generate powerful magnetic fields from his body after being struck several times by lightning, which proved devastating against his metallic foe. This is the only time Godzilla ever used this power.In the 1993 Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Godzilla demonstrated another ability that may have been a variant of his nuclear pulse. After being struck with Mechagodzilla's Shock Anchor harpoons, Godzilla discharged a form of energy up the cables, severely damaging the robot's internal mechanisms. However, this was not the only time Godzilla ever used this ability. In the succeeding film Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla, the King of the Monsters discharged energy through his physical blows in his offensive.against the sinister space mutant SpaceGodzilla.
Godzilla has displayed an uncanny ability to sustain damage throughout his films.Starting in the first Godzilla film, Godzilla displayed an immunity to conventional weaponry, virtually impervious to everything the JSDF threw at him. He has demonstrated the ability to survive complete submersion in magma for an extended period of time, sometimes while under extreme pressure from tectonic plates (as seen in Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle For Earth). He has even survived being in ground zero of asteroid impacts. The only times his flesh has been visibly pierced were in battle with the Super X, Shōwa Gigan, Biollante, King Ghidorah, Destoroyah, and from Mechagodzilla's weapons in the Shōwa, Heisei and Millennium series.In addition to being extremely resistant to damage, Godzilla possesses an extremely advanced and highly efficient regenerative ability. This power was a crucial plot point of Godzilla vs Biollante and Godzilla 2000: Millennium. In Godzilla 2000, it is explained that Godzilla's regenerative abilities may have something to do with his radioactive properties, and Regenerator G-1 ("Organizer G-1" in the Japanese version) is the name given to a substance in his cells that is responsible for Godzilla's swift healing. In Godzilla vs Biollante, Japanese scientists use samples of the Godzilla cells (called G-cells throughout the Heisei series of Godzilla films) to help create the ANEB. This healing factor would be inherited by all creatures spawned from Godzillas DNA, those being Biollante, Spacegodzilla and Orga.Godzilla has displayed varied levels of physical strength. He has been depicted lifting and throwing monsters in excess of his own weight, (such as King Ghidorah, Hedorah, Mechagodzilla and others), and in Godzilla: Final Wars was even able to throw Kumonga clear over the horizon. He is shown using various martial arts techniques in a comical fashion during the Shōwa Series, or moving very quickly in spite of his size, such as in Zone Fighter. In the millennium series he has also been able to leap high into the air. Godzilla's long tail is also a formidable weapon. It has been shown to be very flexible and powerful, able to lash out quickly and topple over buildings and enemy monsters. In Godzilla vs. Megalon, he was able to slide on his tail a great distance to deliver a devastating kick, and in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus it was revealed to be prehensile as well. In all his incarnations he has been shown to have powerful jaws and sharp teeth and claws, although these are more prominent in some incarnations than in others. Rarely, Godzilla also showed the ability to use his dorsal fins as a weapon, such as in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, when he uses their jagged tips to slice off Megaguirus' claw, and Godzilla vs. Hedorah, where he used them to cut into Hedorah during the flying scene.However, many of the films show Godzilla preferring to battle his opponents from a distance, particularly in the Heisei series; either by using his atomic breath, or by hurling objects such as boulders.Though not an amphibian, Godzilla has an amphibious lifestyle; he spends half of his life in water and the other on land to either wreak havoc or save the day. He is as adept a fighter underwater as he is on land. Capable of marching on the sea floor or swimming by undulating his tail like a crocodile, Godzilla is displayed as being able to breathe underwater (occasionally hibernating in the ocean depths between movies), and being submerged apparently does not impede his atomic ray, as seen in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. He engages opponents in the sea on multiple occasions, fighting King Ghidorah, Ebirah, Battra, Biollante and Mothra either beneath or on the surface of the waves.The extent of Godzilla's intelligence varies throughout the character's history, but Godzilla is generally depicted as a thinking creature. The Showa incarnation in particular is depicted as being close in intelligence to a human, capable of abstract thought, and able to communicate with other monsters. Other versions of Godzilla display a simple animal cunning. Though the American-shot inserts from King Kong vs. Godzilla have little consistency with the timeline and rules of the Godzilla character in the Toho films, it may be worth mentioning that one of the American characters says that Godzilla has a brain about the size of a marble ("He's sheer brute force"); in comparison, the character states that Kong "Is a thinking animal." Again, this is largely inconsistent with Godzilla's character, although this is possibly done just to show Kong, being a primate would be be much more intelligent than Godzilla, who is a reptile.In the Heisei series Godzilla reacts on animal cunning and instinct more consecutively than in his Showa counterpart, as demonstrated by his conditioned response in The Return of Godzilla. He was still capable of independent thought, however and according to Miki Saegusa of human-like sentiments as well. This was corroborated by his mourning the death of Godzilla Junior in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. In Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II he seems to destroy Mechagodzilla out of rage at Rodan's death. It was insinuated in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah that he also remembers the distant past. The Heisei Godzilla was psychic on some level, possibly the most powerful in existence. His evasion of the JSDF in Godzilla vs. Biollante seemed to carry implications of precognition. Additionally, he had some manner of psychic link with Godzilla Junior and has several times demonstrated the ability to locate potential opponents from great distances.Other examples of Godzilla's intelligence was displayed in Godzilla 2000 when he was facing Orga. When Orga kept regenarating himself in a fast pace Godzilla decided to go after Orga's core and exploited that weakness thus defeating Orga.Despite his incredible strength, Godzilla has displayed a few weaknesses over the years. In King Kong vs. Godzilla and Mothra vs. Godzilla, he is shown to be vulnerable to electricity, shying away from even the smallest source; however, this is inconsistent with the resilience to electricity he displayed in the original Godzilla. This could probably be that this Godzilla was the second Godzilla and was not able to yet withstand so much electrical power. This weakness is apparently retconned and later films in the Showa series would portray Godzilla as being immune to electricity, or even drawing power from it. In The Return of Godzilla, Godzilla was shown to be vulnerable to cadmium. Anti-nuclear bacteria has had an effect on him, though Godzilla's immune system was eventually able to overcome it. Later on, Godzilla is revealed to have a second brain in his spine, and Mechagodzilla was able to kill his lower body by destroying it; however, he was revived by Rodan and further films seem to ignore this Achilles heel. It was also suggested by the character Yuki in Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla that Godzilla has a soft spot under each armpit. However, the validity of this claim was highly dubious and this weak point was never exploited. To date, the only weapon ever shown to be truly effective against Godzilla was Dr. Serizawa's Oxygen Destroyer, which disintegrated the king of the monsters down to the bone, and then into nothing. The technology for this weapon was lost forever when Serizawa killed himself along with the original Godzilla, in order to keep it from being used ever again. A popular series of giant monster films starring Godzilla, a Japanese creation usually portrayed by a man in a latex rubber suit. Starting in 1954, the Godzilla series has become one of the longest running film series in movie history.The first film, Godzilla, was first released in the United States in 1955 in Japanese-American communities only. In 1956, it was adapted by an American company into Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, edited and with added principal scenes featuring Raymond Burr, and this version became an international success.
When a Japanese fishing boat is attacked by a flash of light near Odo Island, two rescue boats are sent, but they too are destroyed. Few survive. On Odo Island, a village elder blames their poor fishing on Godzilla and recalls that in earlier times native girls were sacrificed to appease the giant sea monster. Survivors from the boats wash ashore. Word gets out and a helicopter arrives on the island with curious, but skeptical, reporters. Frightened natives perform a ceremony to keep the monster away, but it doesn't work. That night, while the natives sleep, a storm arrives and Godzilla comes with it. Death and destruction ensue.The next day witnesses arrive in Tokyo. Dr. Kyohei Yamane suggests that investigators be sent to the island. On arrival, Yamane finds giant radioactive footprints. When an alarm sounds, the villagers run to the hills, only to find Godzilla is more than they can fight. After a quick skirmish, the villagers run for safety and Godzilla heads to the ocean.Dr. Yamane returns to Tokyo to present his findings. He concludes that Godzilla was created by a nuclear explosion. Some want to conceal that fact, fearing international repercussions. Others say the truth must be revealed. They prevail and Godzilla's origins are announced to the public.Ships are sent with depth charges to kill the monster. When they fail, Godzilla appears again, causing nationwide panic. Officials appeal to Dr. Yamane for some way to kill the monster, but Yamane wants him kept alive and studied.Emiko, Yamane's daughter, decides to break off her engagement to Yamane's colleague, Dr. Daisuke Serizawa, because of her love for Hideto Ogata, a salvage ship captain. Before she can do that, Serizawa tells her about his accidental discovery, the Oxygen Destroyer, which can kill all life in the sea. He gives a small demonstration, using a fish tank in the lab. She is sworn to secrecy and never gets a chance to break off the engagement.That night Godzilla climbs from Tokyo Bay and attacks the city. Though the attack is over quickly, there is much death and destruction.The next morning the Army constructs a line of 40-meter electrical towers along the coast of Tokyo that will send 50,000 volts of electricity through Godzilla, should he appear again. Civilians are evacuated from the city and put into bomb shelters.That night Godzilla does indeed attack again. He easily breaks through the electric fence, melting the wires with his atomic breath. A bombardment of shells from Army tanks has no effect. Godzilla continues his rampage until much of the city is destroyed and thousands of civilians are dead or wounded. A squadron of jets fire rockets, as Godzilla descends unscathed into Tokyo Bay.The next morning, Tokyo is in ruins. Hospitals overflow with victims, including some with radiation poisoning. Emiko witnesses the devastation and tells Ogata about Serizawa's secret Oxygen Destroyer. She hopes together they can persuade Serizawa to use it to stop Godzilla. When Serizawa refuses, Ogata and Serizawa fight and Ogata receives a minor head wound. As Emiko treats Ogata's wound, Serizawa apologizes, but he refuses to use the weapon on Godzilla. Then a newscast shows the devastation Godzilla has caused. Choirs of children are shown singing a hymn. Serizawa decides he will use the weapon only one time and then its secret must be destroyed for the good of humanity. He then burns all his papers and research. Emiko breaks down and cries when she sees this, as she understands that Serizawa is sacrificing his lifes work to stop Godzilla.In Japan, Godzilla was a frequent guest star on the tokusatsu series Zone Fighter. In it, Godzilla occasionally fought alongside the protagonist against other monsters, including Gigan and King Ghidorah, two monsters who had previously appeared in Godzilla films, including the 1972 film Godzilla vs. Gigan, in which Gigan made his debut and, like in Zone Fighter, was teamed with Ghidorah.Godzilla made his American series debut in the 1978 Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning show Godzilla. In this series, Godzilla had a nephew, Godzooky. In addition to his trademark atomic breath, which simply changed to fire in the cartoon, he was given the power to shoot laser beams out of his eyes. Godzilla could be summoned by his human friends, sea-explorers on the ship USS Calico, with a signaling device or by the cry of Godzooky. Instead of his trademark roar, Godzilla's voice was done by actor Ted Cassidy. The series ran until 1981.A second series, based on the infamous American Godzilla, aired on Fox Kids. The series featured a baby Godzilla which had grown to full size. Godzilla traveled around the world with a team called HEAT, including scientist Nick Tatopoulos, battling monsters. Godzilla had the abilities and physical forms of his parent, but the creators of the show gave him more powers and an attitude more resembling the original Japanese Godzilla including the roar. Godzilla has been featured in comic books, most often in American productions (from Marvel Comics in the late-1970s, and from Dark Horse Comics in the 1980s and 1990s). Japanese Godzilla manga comics are also available.
The Marvel series told original stories and attempted to fit into the official Toho continuity, while avoiding direct references to it. It integrated Godzilla into the Marvel Universe. It was published from 1977 to 1979, fitting between the Showa Period movies and the Heisei Era. This series described the adventures and confrontations of Godzilla in the United States.Between 1996 and 1998 Random House published four books by Marc Cerasini featuring Godzilla and other kaiju of the Toho franchise: Godzilla Returns, Godzilla 2000 (unrelated to the film of the same name), Godzilla at World's End, and Godzilla vs. The Robot Monsters. The release of a fifth book, Godzilla and the Lost Continent was planned but was canceled when Random House's license for Godzilla expired.On September 23, 2004 Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters by William M. Tsutsui was released by Palgrave Macmillan. The book was released to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Godzilla and looks into some of the ways Godzilla has become a simple part of everyday life for fans.In 2009, author James Morrow released his novel Shambling Towards Hiroshima, a fictional retelling of the cinematic origins of a giant fire-breathing lizard (named Gorgantis)created by the U.S. Army during WWII to terrify the Japanese into surrendering.As an enduring and iconic symbol of post-World War II Japanese cinematic history, Godzilla, the King of the Monsters, has been referenced and parodied numerous times in popular culture. Godzilla and other atomic monsters have appeared in a variety of mediums, including cartoons, film, literature, television, and video games.Toho, the Japanese company which owns the licensing rights to Godzilla, has in recent years become aggressive about protecting its intellectual property and has sued or sent cease-and-desist letters to individuals, groups or businesses it believes may be infringing upon its rights.Godzilla has been featured in the occasional comic book. Perhaps surprisingly, most of those seem to be of American production (from Marvel Comics in the mid-1970s and from Dark Horse Comics in the 1980s and 1990s). Japanese Godzilla comics do exist, however. he figh The Marvel series told original stories and attempted to both fit into the official Toho continuity and avoid referencing it too directly. It also integrated Godzilla into the Marvel Universe, making use of many of its main regular characters such as the Avengers. It was published from 1977 to 1979, neatly fitting between the Showa Period movies and the "VS Series" of the Heisei Era. This series described the adventures and confrontations of Godzilla while he wandered in various regions of the United States, from Alaska to New York City.The general situations of the series were fairly similar to those of the Showa Period movies, but other than Godzilla himself all characters were new creations, albeit in sometimes strangely familiar roles - for instance, Red Ronin somewhat resembles Mechagodzilla in its story role. Likewise, the JSDF are absent but S.H.I.E.L.D. pretty much fills its role in the story, complete with a Behemoth IV Helicarrier to substitute for Super X.Godzilla's roar is a famous sound effect. Over the years, it has changed considerably, sounding different almost every time and having many variations for the different emotions. It was first created by Japanese composer Akira Ifukube by rubbing a resined glove over the strings of a contrabass.

Godzilla by Toho
Art by me

Flint Profile

Sun, 04 May 2008 03:02:06 PDT

Edit: After making some other character bios, and seeing others from the Colosseum, I'm gonna update this with some more information that should have been added the first time (like, for example, description about Flint's wings).

I would've changed it sooner but I thought that'd be a pain for my opponent to randomly change the entire bio when trying to seek information from before.

Flint Dartson
Age: 122
Race: Vampire
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 152 lb.
Birthday: November 8
Intelligence: Average
Body type: He's pretty small, in both body type and height.
Blood type: AB-
Weapon: Daggers

History: Flint was always at least part vampire. He was adopted and raised in a highly religious town. Because of this, he suffered constant abuse for his odd health issues (burning easily in the sun, allergies to garlic, ect.) Of course, Flint was never told himself that these traits point at being vampire-like until he realized it when he was older.

His family were top notch religious, so when the found out about this issue when trying to get him baptized, they treated him poorly then on. The priest at the time, Don LeMaro, was, oddly enough, one of the very few people that treated Flint well in the town and very willingly helped him out. Don's right hand man, Isaac Zinc (Riley Zinc's great great grandfather), was the same way and treated Flint like family.

Before graduating high school, Flint was bitten by a vampire and died. This vampire was notorious of killing victims by other means before biting, preventing them from returning from the dead as a vampire. For some reason, Flint was neglected of this treatment and came back as a full vampire. He quickly fled town to avoid being mobbed by the townspeople and settled in a smaller town elsewhere.

He spent roughly 50 years at this other town, slowly killing off anyone and everyone that tried to kill him until it became a ghost town. Then, he was offered a job by Dr. Arsenic to work for him. Bored with the dead town (and the fact they cut his electricity, therefore he couldn't watch TV), he decided to take the offer.

Flint worked at Arsenic's robotics lab, eventually acquiring his metal wings designed by Arsenic himself as an experiment. During his time there, Flint worked with Jasper Zinc until his death, then working with Cyrus Zinc until his death, and eventually getting stuck working with Riley Zinc who he saved from an appendix issue by finding the money to pay for the medical bill and even helping him recover after.

Flint today is constantly around Zinc, acting like a baby sitter to keep him out of trouble. Though he acts like he doesn't care and constantly complains, he does care about Zinc's well being and worries (to himself, that is) if something happens to him.

One more note, Flint doesn't like mentioning his past back at the town he grew up with, only mentioning it when he's making a joke or insulting someone he knew back in the day offhand.

Vampire attributes: Flint, as a vampire, cannot take things like silver, garlic, or religious icons like crosses. Burning from most of these and choking/gagging when he smells garlic. Sunlight won't turn him to ashes, but it will leave a nasty burn if he doesn't keep covered. Because of this, he always wears his coat despite the heat and if he knows he'll be out in the sun for a long period of time, he'll wear a hat and gloves, along with sunglasses (pictured here [link] ).

Flint does get vampire strengths, such as heightened sense of hearing, sight, and smell, seeing in the dark, vampire strength, taking hits better than an average human, and can stand on ceilings (he sleeps like this). He also gets the odd quirks, like not having a reflection.

One odd thing about Flint is that unlike other vampires, Flint refuses to transform. This transformation varies with vampires, from being mist/fog to bats. It's unknown what Flint turns into because he won't change, relying on his wings heavily.

Flint only bites people he intends on killing for drinking, which pretty much is only mailmen. Otherwise, he won't bite anyone else. He won't even to threaten to bite someone who annoys him, like Zinc, saying that he'd, "catch the crazy" if he bit Zinc.

His wings: Flint's wings are waterproof, built specifically for him for outdoor weather and for daily things like showering, being the wings don't come off his back. However, because they're designed for flying, the wings are flexible yet fragile. They bend easily but can't take anything like bullets. A hole in his wing will ground Flint until he has it repaired.

Personality: Flint is one of those people you wish was born without vocal chords. He's constantly talking, and everything out of his mouth are mostly snide remarks and insults. Flint is not afraid to insult anyone or express what he thinks. This can even go to the extreme of calling someone who could easily beat the living crap out of him that he smelt like rotten eggs. No matter who he's talking to, he'll insult in some way.

Not much to follow orders, Flint likes to do his own thing. He'll only listen if he agrees it's a good idea. Otherwise, good luck getting him to listen. This can often times get him into trouble, like Zinc pointing out a flaw in his plan and Flint still going with it.

Flint's temper can range from being terrible to surprisingly relaxed. He puts up with Zinc's antics on a daily basis yet can get quite defensive and supply counter-insults when called out on something. He's also got a bit of a dirty mouth, not afraid to swear in frustration (Zinc has this problem as well, but not nearly to the extreme as Flint cursing).

Unlike his partner, Flint doesn't really have any phobias that keeps him from doing anything. Even when faced against the worst of odds, Flint doesn't typically back down (and will, in fact, still insult the opponent even if they were to put a gun to his head).

Another contrasting thing is that Flint isn't ruled by emotions as much as Zinc, and will go out of his way to cover up what he's really feeling. Even if he's worried sick or nervous, he still puts on his same face and attitude. He's a remarkable actor, so it's nearly impossible to tell what he's truly feeling.

In the end, though Flint is overall a pain to be around, he doesn't have bad intentions. He'll fight for people he think are decent (though he'll complain about it and say things like "you owe me one for that" in a bitter manner). He takes the responsibility of watching Zinc to make sure he's safe very seriously, never straying too far from him or letting him wander off for too long. Oddly enough, he's also very willing to risk his life to keep Zinc safe despite constantly complaining about Zinc's antics.

Strengths: Flint is a magnificent actor, able to portray any mood at whatever time and put on the most dramatic, convincing shows. He also has his flying ability and is quicker/more agile in the air. Flint also doesn't back down and will fight to the very end with the same attitude as he started.

Weaknesses: His mouth always gets him in trouble, such as insulting people that could really hurt him. He also has an odd weakness to electricity. When shocked, Flint will be stunned for a few good seconds at the very least. There are his vampire weaknesses (garlic, crosses, ect.) and he also gets motion sickness.

Fighting style: Flint is incredibly cheap in a fight, not afraid to do dirty moves or trick the opponent. This includes but is not limited to distracting the opponent for a free hit, taunting them endlessly, cheap shots (tripping, punching even if it's agreed for a "time out", ect.), and his acting. Because of Flint's acting, he shouldn't be trusted when in a fight, as he will do things such as pretend he's too hurt to fight and luring the foe close to get a hit.

And, of course, the fact he just doesn't shut up.

Other notes: Flint will never drink or have any sort of alcoholic beverage. This stems to his past somehow, but he doesn't like being in bars or somewhere with rowdy drunks (and in fact is not afraid to pick a fight with them when annoyed even slightly).

He likes to give people nicknames, most of them insulting. For example, Zinc has the nicknames nut, nutjob, nutty, and looney. He mostly will give nicknames based on his first impression, such as calling someone highly intelligent "nerd" or someone even just slightly shorter than him "shorty." He's more likely to call someone by their nickname than their real name, being horrible at remembering names (or in Zinc's case, the sake of annoying people).

Double note: I know he's a pain whenever he opens his mouth, but don't kill him. He means well. ... Really.

Triple edit: For a contest, I need to add likes/dislikes.

Likes: He adores watching Lizard (a TV show where all that's involved is a dancing lizard for a half hour each show), loves theater arts and anything related to stage performances, mailmen (he drinks their blood each day), and his coat. The coat's special to him since it was given to him as a gift. Oh, he also loves to insult people. It's his pastime.

Dislikes: ... Almost everything else, probably. He complains a LOT. He especially hates drunks and alcohol, missing TV shows (especially missing Lizard), and TVs with little to no channels (like waiting room TVs).

Hagia Sofia-2

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:40:53 PST

Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia (Turkish: Ayasofya, Greek: Αγία Σοφία; "Holy Wisdom", Latin: Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia) is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest cathedral ever built in the world for nearly a thousand years, until the completion of the Seville Cathedral in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between A.D. 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, and was in fact the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site (the previous two had both been destroyed by riots). It was designed by two architects, Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. The Church contained a large collection of holy relics and featured, among other things, a 50 foot (15 m) silver iconostasis. It was the patriarchal church of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the religious focal point of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly 1000 years.

In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks and Sultan Mehmed II ordered the building to be converted into the Ayasofya Mosque[1]. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed, and many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over. The Islamic features — such as the mihrab, the minbar, and the four minarets outside — were added over the course of its history under the Ottomans. It remained as a mosque until 1935, when it was converted into a museum by the Republic of Turkey.

For almost 500 years the principal mosque of Istanbul, Hagia Sophia served as a model for many of the Ottoman mosques such as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque of Istanbul), the Şehzade Mosque, the Süleymaniye Mosque, and the Rüstem Pasha Mosque.

Although it is sometimes referred to as Saint Sophia (Greek for wisdom), the Greek name in full is Ναός τῆς Ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ Σοφίας, Church of the Holy Wisdom of God, and it was dedicated to the Holy Wisdom of God rather than a specific saint named Sophia.

History

First church

Stone remains of the basilica ordered by Theodosius II, showing the Lamb of GodNothing remains of the first church that was built on this location, known as the Μεγάλη Ἐκκλησία (Megálē Ekklēsíā, "Great Church"), or in Latin "Magna Ecclesia".[2]

As often happened in those days, the site was selected because there had been a pagan temple there.[3] The church was built next to the area where the imperial palace was being developed and next to the smaller church Hagia Eirene, finished first and acting as cathedral until the Hagia Sophia was completed. The Hagia Sophia was inaugurated by Constantius II on 15 February 360. Both churches acted together as the principal churches of the Byzantine Empire.

This church was chronicled by Socrates of Constantinople (380–440), who claimed that it was built by Constantine the Great. It was built as a traditional Latin colonnaded basilica with galleries and a wooden roof. It was preceded by an atrium. This first church was then already claimed to be one of the world's most outstanding monuments.

The appellation "Megálē Ekklēsíā" continued to be used for a long time, only to be replaced by the name "Hagia Sophia" after the conquest of Byzantium in 1453.[citation needed]

Second church
The patriarch of Constantinople, John Chrysostom, came into a conflict with Empress Aelia Eudoxia, wife of the Emperor Arcadius and was sent into exile on 20 June 404. During the subsequent riots, this first church was largely burned down. A second church was ordered by Theodosius II, who inaugurated it on 10 October 405. The basilica with a wooden roof was built by architect Rufinos.

The fire that started during the tumult of the Nika Revolt resulted in the destruction of the (second) Hagia Sophia, which burned down to the ground on 13–14 January 532.

Several marble blocks from this second church have survived to the present day, and they are displayed in the garden of the current (third) church. The blocks were originally part of a monumental front entrance; they were excavated in the western courtyard by A.M. Schneider in 1935. The relief depicting 12 lambs — 12 apostles as well as other remains of this church were discovered during excavation works in 1935. In order not to harm the present Hagia Sophia building, further excavation works were not carried out.

Third church
On February 23, 532, only a few days after the destruction of the second basilica, Emperor Justinian I took the decision to build a third and entirely different basilica, larger and more majestic than its predecessors.

Justinian chose the physicist Isidore of Miletus and the mathematician Anthemius of Tralles as architects; Anthemius, however, died within the first year. The construction is described by the Byzantine historian Procopius' On Buildings (Peri ktismatōn, Latin: De aedificiis). The emperor had material brought over from all over the empire, such as Hellenistic columns from the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. Large stones were brought from far-away quarries: porphyry from Egypt, green marble from Thessaly, black stone from the Bosporus region and yellow stone from Syria. More than ten thousand people were employed during this construction. This new church was immediately recognized as a major work of architecture, demonstrating the creative insights of the architects. They may have used the theories of Heron of Alexandria to be able to construct a huge dome over such a large open space. The emperor, together with the patriarch Eutychius, inaugurated the new basilica on December 27, 537 with much pomp and circumstance. The mosaics inside the church were, however, only completed under the reign of Emperor Justin II (565–578).

Earthquakes in August 553 and on December 14, 557 caused cracks in the main dome and the eastern half-dome to appear. The main dome collapsed completely during an earthquake on May 7, 558, destroying the ambon, the altar and the ciborium over it. The emperor ordered an immediate restoration. He entrusted it to Isodorus the Younger, nephew of Isidore of Miletus. This time he used lighter materials and elevated the dome by 6.25 metres (20.5 ft), thus giving the building its current interior height of 55.6 metres (182 ft). [4]. This reconstruction, giving the church its present 6th century form, was completed in 562. The Byzantine poet Paul the Silentiary composed an extant, long epic poem, known as Ekphrasis, for the rededication of the basilica, presided over by Patriarch Eutychius, on 23 December 562.

Hagia Sophia was the seat of the Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople and a principal setting for Byzantine imperial ceremonies, such as coronations. The basilica also offered asylum to wrongdoers. Foreign visitors were deeply impressed.

In 726 the Emperor Leo the Isaurian issued a series of edicts against the veneration of images, ordering the army to destroy all icons (iconoclasm). At that time, all religious pictures and statues were removed from the Hagia Sophia. After a brief reprieve under Empress Irene (797–802), the iconoclasts made a comeback. Emperor Theophilus (829–842) was strongly influenced by Islamic art,[citation needed] which forbids graven images. He had a two-winged bronze door with his monograms installed at the southern entrance of the church.

The basilica suffered damage, first by a great fire in 859, and again by an earthquake on January 8, 869 that made a half-dome collapse. Emperor Basil I ordered the church to be repaired.

After the great earthquake of 25 October 989, which ruined the great dome of Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine emperor Basil II asked for the Armenian architect Trdat, creator of the great churches of Ani and Agine, to repair the dome.[5]. His main repairs were to the western arch and a portion of the dome. The extent of the church's destruction meant that reconstruction lasted six years. The church was re-opened on 13 May 994.

In his book De caerimoniis aulae Byzantinae (Book of Ceremonies), emperor Constantine VII (913–919) wrote about all the details of the ceremonies held in the Hagia Sophia by the emperor and the patriarch.

At the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade, the church was ransacked and desecrated by the Latin Christians. The Byzantine historian Niketas Choniates described the capture of Constantinople. Many relics from the church, such as a stone from the tomb of Jesus, the Virgin Mary's milk, the shroud of Jesus, and bones of several saints, were sent to churches in the West and can be seen now in various museums in the West. During the Latin occupation of Constantinople (1204–1261) the church became a Roman Catholic cathedral. Baldwin I of Constantinople was crowned emperor on 16 May 1204 in the Hagia Sophia, at a ceremony which closely followed Byzantine practices. Enrico Dandolo, the Doge of Venice who commanded the sack and invasion of the city by the Latin Crusaders in 1204, is buried inside the church. The tomb inscription carrying his name, which has become a part of the floor decoration, was spat upon by many of the angry Byzantines who recaptured Constantinople in 1261. However, restoration carried out during the period 1847–1849 cast doubt upon the authenticity of the doge's grave. It is more likely a symbolic burial site to keep alive his memory.

After the recapture in 1261 by the Byzantines, the church was in a dilapidated state. The four buttresses in the west were probably built during this time. In 1317, emperor Andronicus II ordered four new buttresses to be built in the eastern and northern parts of the church. After new cracks had developed in the dome after the earthquake of October 1344, several parts of the building collapsed on 19 May 1346. After that, the church remained closed until 1354, when repairs were undertaken by the architects Astras and Peralta.

Mosque
Immediately after the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453, the Hagia Sophia was converted to the Ayasofya Mosque[1] as the symbol of the conquest. At that time, the church was very dilapidated. Several of its doors had fallen off. This condition was described by several Western visitors, such as the Córdoban nobleman Pero Tafur[6] and the Florentine Cristoforo Buondelmonti.[7] The sultan Mehmed II ordered the immediate cleanup of the church and its conversion to a mosque. The next sultan Bayezid II built a new minaret, replacing the one built by his father.

In the 16th century the sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520–1566) brought back two colossal candles from his conquest of Hungary. They were placed on both sides of the mihrab. During the reign of Selim II (1566–1577), the building started showing signs of fatigue and was extensively strengthened with the addition of structural supports to its exterior by the great Ottoman architect Sinan, who is also considered one of the world's first earthquake engineers.[8] In addition to strengthening the historic Byzantine structure, Sinan built the two additional large minarets at the western end of the building, the original sultan's loge, and the mausoleum of Selim II to the southeast of the building (then a mosque) in 1577. The mausoleums of Murad III and Mehmed III were built next to it in the 1600s.

Later additions were the sultan's gallery, a minbar decorated with marble, a dais for a sermon and a loggia for a muezzin.

The sultan Murad III (1574–1595) had two large alabaster Hellenistic urns transported from Pergamon and placed on two sides of the nave.

Sultan Mahmud I ordered the restoration of the building in 1739 and added a medrese (a Koranic school, now the library of the museum), a soup kitchen (for distribution to the poor) and a library, and in 1740 a fountain for ritual ablutions (Şadirvan), thus transforming it into a külliye, i.e. a social complex. At the same time a new sultan's gallery and a new mihrab were built inside.

The most famous restoration of the Hagia Sophia was ordered by Sultan Abdülmecid and completed by eight hundred workers between 1847 and 1849, under the supervision of the Swiss-Italian architect brothers Gaspare and Giuseppe Fossati. The brothers consolidated the dome and vaults, straightened the columns, and revised the decoration of the exterior and the interior of the building. The mosaics in the upper gallery were cleaned. The old chandeliers were replaced by new pendant ones. New gigantic circular-framed disks were hung on columns. They were inscribed with the names of Allah, the prophet Muhammad, the first four caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, and the two grandchildren of Mohammed: Hassan and Hussain, by the calligrapher Kazasker İzzed Effendi (1801–1877). In 1850 the architect Fossati built a new sultan's gallery in a Neo-Byzantine style connected to the royal pavilion behind the mosque. Outside the Hagia Sophia, a timekeeper's building and a new medrese were built. The minarets were altered so that they were of equal height. When the restoration was finished, the mosque was re-opened with ceremonial pomp on 13 July 1849.

Museum

In 1935, the first Turkish President and founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, transformed the building into a museum. The carpets were removed and the marble floor decorations appeared for the first time in centuries, while the white plaster covering the mosaics was painstakingly removed by expert restorers. [9]

Architecture
Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture. Of great artistic value was its decorated interior with mosaics and marble pillars and coverings. The temple itself was so richly and artistically decorated that Justinian proclaimed, "Solomon, I have outdone thee!" (Νενίκηκά σε Σολομών. Justinian himself had overseen the completion of the greatest cathedral ever built up to that time, and it was to remain the largest cathedral for 1,000 years up until the completion of the cathedral in Seville in Spain.

Justinian's basilica was at once the culminating architectural achievement of late antiquity and the first masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. Its influence, both architecturally and liturgically, was widespread and enduring in the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Muslim worlds alike. The largest columns are about 19 or 20 meters tall. They are at least 1.5 meters diameter. They are made out of granite, the largest weighing well over 70 tons. For more on the columns see the talk section. Under Justinian's orders, eight Corinthian columns were disassembled from Baalbek, Lebanon and shipped to Constantinople for the construction of Hagia Sophia.[10]

The vast interior has a complex structure. The vast nave is covered by a central dome which has a maximum diameter of 31.24 metres (102 ft 6 in) and a height from floor level of 55.6 metres (182 ft 5 in), about one fourth smaller than the dome of the Pantheon. The dome seems rendered weightless by the unbroken arcade of 40 arched windows under it, which help flood the colourful interior with light. Due to consecutive repairs in the course of its history, the dome has lost its perfect circular base and has become somewhat elliptical with a diameter varying between 31.24 m (102 ft 6 in) and 30.86 m (101 ft 3 in).

The dome is carried on pendentives — four concave triangular sections of masonry which solve the problem of setting the circular base of a dome on a rectangular base. At Hagia Sophia the weight of the dome passes through the pendentives to four massive piers at the corners. Between them the dome seems to float upon four great arches. These were reinforced with buttresses during Ottoman times, under the guidance of the architect Sinan.

At the western (entrance) and eastern (liturgical) ends, the arched openings are extended by half domes carried on smaller semi-domed exedras. Thus a hierarchy of dome-headed elements builds up to create a vast oblong interior crowned by the main dome, a sequence unexampled in antiquity. Despite all these measures, the weight of the dome remained a problem, which was solved by adding buttresses from the outside.

All interior surfaces are sheathed with polychrome marbles, green and white with purple porphyry and gold mosaics, encrusted upon the brick. This sheathing camouflaged the large pillars, giving them, at the same time, a brighter aspect.

On the exterior, simple stuccoed walls reveal the clarity of massed vaults and domes. The yellow and red colour of the exterior was added by the architect Fossati during the restorations in the 19th century.

Dome
The dome of Hagia Sophia has spurred particular interest for many art historians, architects and engineers because of the innovative way the original architects envisioned the dome. The dome is supported by pendentives which had never been used before the building of this structure. The pendentive enables the dome to transition gracefully into the square shape of the piers below. The pendentives not only achieve a pleasing aesthetic quality, but they also restrain the lateral forces of the dome and allow the weight of the dome to flow downward.

Although this design stabilizes the dome and the surrounding walls and arches, the actual construction of the walls of Hagia Sophia weakened the overall structure. The bricklayers used more mortar than brick, which weakened the walls. The structure would have been more stable if the builders at least let the mortar cure before they began the next layer; however, they did not do this. When the dome was placed atop the building, the weight of the dome caused the walls to lean outward because of the wet mortar underneath. When Isidorus the Younger rebuilt the original dome, he had to first build up the interior of the walls so that they were vertical in order to support the weight of the new dome. Another probable change in the design of the dome when it was rebuilt was the actual height of the dome. Isidore the Younger raised the height of the dome by approximately twenty feet so that the lateral forces would not be as strong and the weight of the dome would flow more easily down the walls.

A second interesting fact about the original structure of the dome was how the architects were able to place forty windows around the base of the dome. Hagia Sophia is famous for the mystical quality of light that reflects everywhere in the interior of the nave, which gives the dome the appearance of hovering above the nave. This design is possible because the dome is shaped like a scalloped shell or the inside of an umbrella with ribs that extend from the top of the dome down to the base. These ribs allow the weight of the dome to flow between the windows, down the pendentives, and ultimately to the foundation.

The unique character of the design of Hagia Sophia shows how this structure is one of the most advanced and ambitious monuments of late antiquity.

Marble jar
The marble jar was brought from Pergamon during the reign of Sultan Murad III. Originally from the Hellenistic period, it was carved from a single block of marble.

Narthex and portals
The Imperial Gate was the main entrance between the exo- and esonarthex. It was reserved only for the emperor. The Byzantine mosaic above the portal depicts Christ and Emperor Leo VI the Wise.

A long ramp from the northern part of the outer narthex leads up to the upper gallery.

Upper Gallery
The upper gallery is laid out in a horseshoe shape that encloses the nave until the apse. Several mosaics are preserved in the upper gallery, an area traditionally reserved for the empress and her court. The best-preserved mosaics are located in the southern part of the gallery.

Loge of the Empress
The Loge of the Empress is located in the centre of the upper enclosure, or gallery, of the Hagia Sophia. From there the empress and the court-ladies would watch the proceedings down below. A round, green stone marks the spot where the throne of the empress stood.

Marble Door
The Marble Door inside the Hagia Sophia is located in the southern upper enclosure, or gallery. It was used by the participants in synods, they entered and left the meeting chamber through this door.

Decorations
Originally, under Justinian's reign, the interior decorations consisted of abstract designs of the marble slabs on the walls and mosaics on the curving vaults. Of these, one can still see the two archangels Gabriel and Michael in the spandrels of the bema. There were already a few figurative decorations, as attested by the eulogy of Paul the Silentiary. The spandrels of the gallery are revetted in opus sectile, showing patterns and figures of flowers and birds in precisely cut pieces of white marble set against a background of black marble. In later stages figurative mosaics were added, which were destroyed during the iconoclastic controversy (726–843). Present mosaics are from the post-iconoclastic period. The number of treasures, relics and miracle-working, painted icons of the Hagia Sophia grew progressively richer into an amazing collection. Apart from the mosaics, a large number of figurative decorations were added during the second half of the ninth century: an image of Christ in the central dome; Orthodox saints, prophets and Church Fathers in the tympana below; historical figures connected with this church, such as Patriarch Ignatius; some scenes from the gospel in the galleries.

Mosaics
The church was richly decorated with mosaics throughout the centuries. They either depicted the Virgin Mother, Jesus, Saints, or emperors and empresses. Other parts were decorated in a purely decorative style with geometric patterns.

During the Sack of Constantinople in 1204, the Latin Crusaders vandalized the valuable items in every important Byzantine structure of the city, including the golden mosaics of the Hagia Sophia. Much of these valuable items were shipped to Venice, whose Doge, Enrico Dandolo, had organized the invasion and sack of Constantinople.

Following the building's conversion into a mosque in 1453, many of its mosaics were destroyed or covered with plaster, due to Islam's ban on representational imagery. This process was not completed at once, and reports exist from the 17th century in which travellers note that they could still see Christian images in the former church. In 1847–49, the building was restored by two Swiss brothers, Gaspare and Giuseppe Fossati, and Sultan Abdülmecid allowed them to also document any mosaics they might discover during this process. This work did not include repairing the mosaics and after recording the details about an image, the Fossatis painted it over again. This work included covering the previously uncovered faces of two seraphim mosaics located in the centre of the building. The building currently features a total of four of these images and two of them are restorations in paint created by the Fossatis to replace two images of which they could find no surviving remains. In other cases, the Fossatis recreated damaged decorative mosaic patterns in paint, sometimes redesigning them in the process. The Fossati records are the primary sources about a number of mosaic images now believed to have been completely or partially destroyed in an earthquake in 1894. These include a great mosaic of Christ Pantocrator in the dome, a mosaic over a now unidentified Door of the Poor, a large image of a jewel-encrusted cross and a large number of images of angels, saints, patriarchs, and church fathers. Most of the missing images were located in the building's two tympana. The Fossatis also added a pulpit (minbar) and the four large medallions on the walls of the nave bearing the names of Muhammad and Islam's first caliphs.

Imperial Gate mosaic
Imperial Gate mosaics: located in the tympanum above the gate, used only by the emperors when entering the church. Based on style analysis, it has been dated to the late 9th or early 10th century. The emperor with a nimbus or halo could possibly represent emperor Leo VI the Wise or his son Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus bowing down before Christ Pantocrator, seated on a jeweled throne, giving His blessing and holding in His left hand an open book.[11] The text on the book reads as follows : "Peace be with you. I am the light of the world". (John 20:19; 20:26; 8:12) On each side of Christ's shoulders is a circular medallion : on His left the Archangel Gabriel (founder of the church), holding a staff, on His right His Mother Mary. These mosaics express the timeless power bestowed by Christ on the Byzantine emperors

Southwestern entrance mosaic

Southwestern entrance mosaics, situated in the tympanum of the southwestern entrance, date from 944. They were rediscovered during the restorations of 1849 by Fossati. The Virgin sits on a throne without a back, her feet resting on a pedestal, embellished with precious stones. The Child Christ sits on her lap, giving His blessing and holding a scroll in His left hand. On her left side stands emperor Constantine in ceremonial attire, presenting a model of the city to Mary. The inscription next to him says : "Great emperor Constantine of the Saints". On her right side stands emperor Justinian I, offering a model of the Hagia Sophia. The medallions on both sides of the Virgin's head carry the monograms MP and ΘY, an abbreviation of "Mētēr" and "Theou", meaning "Mother of God".

Apse mosaics
Virgin and Child: this was the first of the post-iconoclastic mosaics. It was inaugurated on 29 March 867 by Patriarch Photius and the emperors Michael III and Basil I. This mosaic is situated in a high location on the half dome of the apse. Mary is sitting on a throne without a back, holding the Child Jesus on her lap. Her feet rest on a pedestal. Both the pedestal and the throne are adorned with precious stones. These mosaics are believed to be a reconstruction of the mosaics of the sixth century that were previously destroyed during the iconoclastic era. The mosaics are set against the original golden background of the 6th century. The portraits of the archangels Gabriel and Michael (largely destroyed) in the bema of the arch also date from the 9th century.

Emperor Alexander mosaic
The Emperor Alexander mosaic is not easy to find for the first-time visitor, located in the second floor in a dark corner of the ceiling. It depicts Emperor Alexander in full regalia, holding a scroll in his right hand and a globus cruciger in his left. A drawing by Fossati showed that the mosaic survived until 1849, and that Thomas Whittemore, founder of the Byzantine Institute of America who was granted permission to preserve the mosaics, assumed that is had been destroyed in the earthquake of 1894. Eight years after his death, the mosaic was discovered in 1958 largely through the researches of Robert Van Nice. Unlike most of the other mosaics in Hagia Sophia, which had been covered over by ordinary plaster, the Alexander mosaic was simply painted over and reflected the surrounding mosaic patterns and thus was well hidden. It was duly cleaned by the Byzantine Institute's successor to Whittemore, Ernest J. W. Underwood. [12]

Empress Zoe mosaics
The Empress Zoe mosaics on the eastern wall of the southern gallery date from the 11th century. Christ Pantocrator, clad in the dark blue robe (as always the custom in Byzantine art), is seated in the middle against a golden background, giving His blessing with the right hand and holding the Bible in His left hand. On either side of His head are the monograms IC and XC, meaning Iēsous Khristos. He is flanked by Constantine IX Monomachus and Empress Zoe, both in ceremonial costumes. He is offering a purse, as symbol of the donation he made to the church, while she is holding a scroll, symbol of the donations she made. The inscription over the head of the emperor says : "Constantine, pious emperor in Christ the God, king of the Romans, Monomachus". The inscription over the head of the empress reads as follows : "Zoë, the very pious Augusta". The previous heads have been scraped off and replaced by the three present ones. Perhaps the earlier mosaic showed her first husband Romanus III Argyrus or her adopted son Michael IV. Another theory is that these mosaics were made for an earlier emperor and empress, with their heads changed into the present ones.

Comnenus mosaics
The Comnenus mosaics, equally located on the eastern wall of the southern gallery, date from 1122. The Virgin Mary is standing in the middle, depicted, as usual in Byzantine art, in a dark blue gown. She holds the Child Christ on her lap. He gives His blessing with His right hand while holding a scroll in His left hand. On her right side stands emperor John II Comnenus, represented in a garb embellished with precious stones. He holds a purse, symbol of an imperial donation to the church. Empress Irene stands on the left side of the Virgin, wearing ceremonial garments, offering a document. Their eldest son Alexius Comnenus is represented on an adjacent pilaster. His mournful features, reflect his death from tuberculosis in the same year. In this panel one can already see a difference with the Empress Zoe mosaics that is one century older. There is a more realistic expression in the portraits instead of an idealized representation. The empress is shown with plaited blond hair, rosy cheeks and grey eyes, revealing her Hungarian descent. The emperor is depicted in a dignified manner.

Deësis mosaic
The Deësis ('Δέησις' in Greek, meaning Entreaty) mosaic probably dates from 1261. It was commissioned to mark the end of 57 years of Roman Catholic use and the return to the Orthodox faith. It is the third panel situated in the imperial enclosure of the upper galleries. It is widely considered the finest in Hagia Sophia, because of the softness of the features, the humane expressions and the tones of the mosaic. The style is close to that of the Italian painters of the late 13th or early 14th century, such as Duccio. In this panel the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist (Ioannes Prodromos), both shown in three-quarters profile, are imploring the intercession of Christ Pantocrator for humanity on Judgment Day. The bottom part of this mosaic is badly deteriorated, probably due to rain since the mosaic is next to the windows. This mosaic is considered as the beginning of the Renaissance in Byzantine pictorial art.

Northern tympanon mosaics
The northern tympanon mosaics feature various saints. They have been able to survive due to the very high and unreachable location. They depict Saints John Chrysostom and Ignatius the Younger standing, clothed in white robes with crosses, and holding richly jewelled Holy Bibles. The names of each saint is given around the statues in Greek, in order to enable an identification for the visitor. The other mosaics in the other tympani have not survived probably due to the frequent earthquakes as opposed to any deliberate destruction by the Ottoman conquerors.

20th-century restoration
A large number of mosaics were uncovered in the 1930s by a team from the Byzantine Institute of America led by Thomas Whittemore. The team chose to let a number of simple cross images remain covered by plaster, but uncovered all major mosaics found.

Due to its long history as both a church and a mosque, a particular challenge arises in the restoration process. The Christian iconographic mosaics are being gradually uncovered. However, in order to do so, important, historic Islamic art would have to be destroyed. Restorers have attempted to maintain a balance between both Christian and Islamic cultures. In particular, much controversy rests upon whether the Islamic calligraphy on the dome of the cathedral should be removed, in order to permit the underlying Pantocrator mosaic of Christ as Master of the World, to be exhibited (assuming the mosaic still exists).

Minarets
One of the minarets (at southwest) was built from red brick while the other three were built from white marble; of which the slender one at northeast was erected by Sultan Bayezid II while the two larger minarets at west were erected by Sultan Selim II and designed by the famous Ottoman architect Sinan. The reason for the varying dimensions and mass of the minarets was to counterweight the main structure's mass and distribute the weight uniformly. This application by Mimar Sinan was one of the earliest seismic and geotechnical engineering efforts in the world.

for more detail [link]

Santa Claus The Movie

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:36:55 PST

Directed by Jeannot Szwarc
Produced by Pierre Spengler
Ilya Salkind
Written by David Newman
Leslie Newman (story)
David Newman (screenplay)
Starring Dudley Moore
John Lithgow
David Huddleston
Judy Cornwell
Burgess Meredith
Jeffrey Kramer
Music by Henry Mancini (Score)
Leslie Bricusse (Lyrics)
Cinematography Arthur Ibbetson
Editing by Peter Hollywood
Distributed by TriStar Pictures
Release date(s) November 27, 1985 (1985-11-27)
Running time 108 minutes
Country United Kingdom
United States
Language English
Budget $30–50 million
Box office $23,717,291 (US

Santa Claus: The Movie (known on-screen as simply Santa Claus) is a 1985 British/American Christmas film starring Dudley Moore and John Lithgow. It is the last major fantasy film produced by the Paris-based father-and-son production team of Alexander and Ilya Salkind. The film was directed by Jeannot Szwarc and released in North America on November 27, 1985 by TriStar Pictures. The 2005 DVD release was released by Anchor Bay Entertainment, now known as Starz Home Entertainment, under license from the film's current owner, StudioCanal; however, the current, 25th Anniversary home video release (which also now includes Blu-ray) is by Lionsgate Home Entertainment, again under StudioCanal's license.

Santa Claus: The Movie is a straightforward attempt to explore the mysteries of Santa Claus with the key objective being to answer some of the basic questions many children have about the Santa Claus mythos, such as how Santa's reindeer fly, how he and his wife made it to the North Pole, how Santa ascends chimneys, among other things.

The film chronicles the origins of Santa Claus (David Huddleston), who, along with his wife Anya (Judy Cornwell), goes from being a simple working man to becoming an international icon of Christmas. At the same time, the film also tells a contemporary story in which one of Santa's elves (alternately referred to as the "Vendequm" onscreen), a visionary named Patch (Dudley Moore), sets out to employ Santa's toymaking methods on his own, unaware that he might be ruining the magic of Christmas in the process

Plot
Somewhere in the 14th century, Claus is a peasant woodcutter in his mid-50s who, with his wife Anya, delivers his gifts to the children of a certain village. One night, Claus, Anya and their reindeer, Donner and Blitzen, are rescued from certain death in a blizzard, only to be transported to the vast "ice mountains, way up at the top of the world." Their expected arrival is heralded with the appearance of several elves, or as Claus's people call them in their legends, the Vendequm, led by the venerable and wise elf named Dooley. Inside the elves' home, Claus and Anya also meet inventive elf Patch, and the more down-to-earth Puffy. Dooley tells Claus it is his destiny to deliver toys to the children of the world every Christmas Eve, which the elves will make in their large workshops. When Christmas Eve comes, Claus is approached by the oldest of elves, the Ancient One, who renames him as "Santa Claus". Santa takes off to deliver toys via his flying sleigh and reindeer, the latter able to via a special type of food.

Centuries pass as the mythology of Santa is created, until the 20th century, where Santa is exhausted by the continuous workload he must do every year due to the world's increasing population. Anya suggests he enlist an assistant, to which Patch and Puffy compete to earn via a competition to produce the most toys in a limited amount of time. Patch uses a machine he has invented although it begins produce shoddy works without his knowledge, and he wins. During his annual deliveries, Santa befriends a homeless boy in Manhattan named Joe and takes him for a flight in his sleigh. He attempts to have his reindeer perform the "Super Doopa Looper", an aerial trick that involves them doing a full 360° aerial spin, but Donner always fails due to her acrophobia. Santa and Joe perform deliveries, meeting nine-year old Cornelia, who is also Joe's friend.

Patch's toys begin to fall apart on Christmas Day, prompting him to resign from his position as Santa's assistant and exile himself from the North Pole. Traveling to New York, Patch meets B.Z., Cornelia's uncle and a scheming executive of a toy company that faces a Congressional investigation into the safety of his products. Believing B.Z.'s toys are popular due to witnessing several being removed from a shop window, Patch decides to help B.Z. make better toys, using some of the reindeer feed to create lollipops which can make consumers float in the air. Patch also constructs a hovercraft called the Patchmobile to deliver the products like Santa. Santa disapproves of Patch's actions, but feels disheartened about continuing his job if the children of the world do not care anymore. Meanwhile, Patch is disturbed when B.Z. plans to turn himself into the face of Christmas, and asks Patch to develop candy canes which enable flight.

While Patch works at night, B.Z.'s assistant Dr. Eric Towzer appears at his house and reveals the candy canes will explode if exposed to heat. Joe and Cornelia eavesdrop on the conversation, but Joe sneezes and is caught, locked up in the basement of B.Z.'s factory. Patch finds Joe and discovers Santa made a carving for Joe that resembles him. Thrilled Santa remembers him, Patch and Joe set off in the Patchmobile to the North Pole. Cornelia sets a letter to Santa informing him of the situation. Santa and Cornelia pursue the Patchmobile, which is powered by the candy canes which slowly ignite. Santa convinces his reindeer to perform the Super Doopa Looper in order to catch Patch and Joe as the Patchmobile explodes. Meanwhile, B.Z.'s crimes are uncovered when Cornelia calls the police. B.Z. eats several candy canes and tries to fly out of his office window only to fly up into the sky.

The film ends with the inhabitants of the North Pole celebrating the triumph with a joyous dance party. The film's final images are of B.Z. floating away into space, doomed to die of asphyxiation in the upper atmosphere among the floating remains of the Patchmobile.

[edit] CastDudley Moore as Patch, a creative, inventive elf whose passion for and faith in the 20th Century is put to the test throughout the story.
John Lithgow as B.Z., the main antagonist - an unscrupulous toy manufacturer who uses Patch in a larger scheme to take over Christmas.
David Huddleston as Santa Claus, the Christmas figure who delivers presents to every child in the world on Christmas Eve.
Judy Cornwell as Anya Claus, Santa's caring and supportive wife.
Burgess Meredith as the Ancient One, the oldest and wisest of the elves.
Jeffrey Kramer as Dr. Eric Towzer, B.Z.'s head of Research & Development.
Christian Fitzpatrick as Joe, a homeless 10-year-old boy living on the hard streets of New York who befriends Santa.
Carrie Kei Heim as Cornelia, B.Z.'s 9-year-old stepniece, who becomes Joe's conscience and best friend.
John Barrard as Dooley, Santa's #2 at the North Pole.
Anthony O'Donnell as Puffy, a bearded elf.
Melvyn Hayes as Goober, head of the Sewing Department.
Don Estelle as Groot, the elves' Senior Chef.
Tim Stern as Boog, first of Patch's three best friends.
Peter O'Farrell as Honka, second of Patch's three best friends.
Christopher Ryan as Vout, third of Patch's three best friends.
[edit] Production[edit] Development and FilmingConceived by Ilya Salkind in the wake of the apparently waning critical and U.S. box office success of 1983's Superman III and its immediate follow-up, 1984's Supergirl, Santa Claus: The Movie was directed by Jeannot Szwarc, who had directed Supergirl, from a story by David and Leslie Newman. David Newman, however, took sole screenplay credit. Pierre Spengler, Ilya's longtime partner, and the third key element of Team Salkind, joined Alexander's son as the project's producer. John Carpenter was originally offered the chance to direct, but also wanted a say in the writing, musical score and final cut of the movie. Carpenter's original choice for the role of Santa was Brian Dennehy.

Among the original choices to direct the film other than Carpenter were Lewis Gilbert, who, despite initial interest, could not agree with the Salkinds over certain aspects of the script. Robert Wise was also offered the chance to direct, but Wise had a different approach to the story, and doubtless would have made the project an altogether darker experience. Guy Hamilton, who'd had to withdraw from directing Superman: The Movie in 1976 (because he was a tax exile, and, as such, could only spend 30 days in England, where the movie would be filming), was very interested in directing and lobbied hard for the chance to do so, but only on the condition that the film be shot either in Los Angeles, Vancouver or Rome. Ultimately, the Salkinds chose Szwarc because of their excellent working relationship on Supergirl which many executives at TriStar Pictures believed was a masterpiece and would also become a megahit.

Santa Claus: The Movie was filmed in Buckinghamshire, England at Pinewood Studios, between August and November 1984. The film was photographed by Arthur Ibbetson, whose credits, among others, included the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971). Santa Claus: The Movie was his final feature film. Serving as film editor was Peter Hollywood.

The production was designed by Anthony Pratt, with costume design concepts by Bob Ringwood. The visual effects unit, as well as several of the production staff, were Salkind stalwarts from the Superman films: Derek Meddings, director of visual and miniature effects; Roy Field, optical visual effects supervisor; and David Lane, flying and second unit director.

The documentary, Santa Claus: The Making of The Movie, which chronicles the film's production, is introduced by David Huddleston, speaking straight to the camera in character as Santa, with Dudley Moore serving as on-screen host. The voice over commentary is performed by Ted Maynard, who had also done voice-overs for the film's original UK trailer. The documentary originally aired in the United States on ABC, on Christmas Eve, 1987. Anchor Bay Entertainment's now-out-of-print 20th anniversary DVD of the film included this documentary as a bonus feature; the Lionsgate DVD and Blu-ray versions currently feature the 50-minute feature as well. The Blu-ray version, however, also features a brief chronicle of the filming of the " 'Christmas II' Press Conference" sequence, as well as additional deleted scenes cut from the original theatrical version.

[edit] CastingMoore had always been the top choice to play the lead Elf in the movie, Ilya Salkind having remembered a scene in Arthur in which Liza Minnelli's character asks Moore if he is Santa's Little Helper. Moore was attached to the project virtually from the offset, and therefore had a say on both scripting and choice of director. Originally, David Newman's first-draft script called for the character to be named Ollie; but Moore decided instead that the name should be changed to Patch, Patch being the nickname of his own young son, Patrick. Ilya Salkind, from the very beginning, had wanted an American actor to portray Santa Claus because he felt that the movie focused on a primary piece of Americana in much the same way that Superman: The Movie did. Brian Dennehy was the top choice of John Carpenter when he discussed the possibility of directing the film with the Salkinds. Jeannot Szwarc, however, felt that he needed an actor with more warmth than Dennehy, and toward that end, he had screen-tested such actors as David White (who, being in his late 60's, was considered too old for the role), and Moore's Arthur co-star Barney Martin. For a while, Ilya Salkind actively pursued Carroll O'Connor for the role before Szwarc showed him David Huddleston's screen-test, which won Salkind over.

For the role of B.Z., the producers wanted a star with a similar stature to Gene Hackman when he had played Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie. To this end, they offered the role to Harrison Ford who turned them down. They made offers to Dustin Hoffman, Burt Reynolds and Johnny Carson --- all of whom, for one reason or another, turned the part down. Eventually, John Lithgow was settled on after Salkind watched Terms of Endearment and realised that he had a Grinch-type look to him. The role of the Ancient Elf was written with James Cagney in mind; however, with Cagney being very weak in his old age, the legendary actor could not adequately assume the role, despite the fact that he liked the film's overall idea. Nonetheless, Cagney had no other choice but to turn the offer down, so Fred Astaire was considered. When this eventually came to nothing, Dudley Moore suggested his friend Burgess Meredith for the role, which he in the end won. Finally, it is worth noting that at the time of the movie's announcement in Summer 1983, the British Press carried reports that diminutive actors such as David Jason, Patrick Troughton and Norman Wisdom would be cast alongside Dudley as fellow Elves. This ultimately came to nothing.

[edit] Santa's elvesThe elves in the film are portrayed as legendary beings known as the Vendequm. According to the Santa Claus: The Movie novelization written by science fiction/fantasy novelist Joan D. Vinge, the elves keep watch over all that happens in the world that borders their own magical realm. The Vendequm are described as being extremely fond of children since, after all, only children can see them, due to the innocence of their youth. The elves are fond of making things for children, and so they often journeyed out into the children's world, leaving their newly crafted toys where children would find them. According to the novel, with the passing of each new century, and as civilizations continued to rise and fall, it became more and more difficult and dangerous for the elves to venture too far out into the human world. Thus, the vast majority of the toys the elves made could not be given out, and were left to gather dust in their magnificent storeroom, the Toy Tunnel.

The novel also describes how, on a certain long-winter's night, the oldest and wisest elf of all, the Ancient One, foresaw the arrival of a man whose love for children would be equal to that of the elves. The Ancient One believed that this man would be the one to whom the elves would grant full immortality, along with the ability to deliver the elves' gifts to children all over the world.

In addition to Patch, Dooley, Puffy, Boog, Honka, and Vout, the film's screenplay and cast listing features three additional elves: Groot, the Elves' Senior Chef; Goober, the head of the Elves' tailoring shop, who crafts Santa's full red robes; and Goobler, who trains several of his fellow elves in the art of painting toys with their own beards.

[edit] ReceptionReaction to Santa Claus: The Movie has generally been negative, with a rating of 18% on Rotten Tomatoes, from the 17 reviews counted.[1] Box Office Mojo lists the film's total United States box office gross as $23,717,291,[2] less than its $30–50 million production budget.[3]

Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert noted some positive points to the film, writing that the film "does an interesting job of visualizing Santa's workshop" and Santa's elves. He also praised the film's special effects, particularly the New York City fly-over sequence involving Santa. Ebert also had some praise for Lithgow's "nice, hateful performance", but wrote that "the villain is not drawn big enough." He ceded that young children would probably like most of the film, but that older children and adults are "likely to find a lot of it a little thin."[4]

Vincent Canby of The New York Times was less positive than Ebert, calling the production "elaborate and tacky". He described the film as having "the manner of a listless musical without any production numbers". Unlike Ebert, he offered little praise for the film's production design. Canby quipped that "Santa's workshop must be the world's largest purchaser of low-grade plywood" and that the flyover sequences with Santa "aren't great." The only praise he had for the film's acting was for John Lithgow, who Canby wrote "(gave) the film's only remotely stylish performance."[5] A more recent review by William Mager on BBC.co.uk's review section echoed Canby and Ebert's comments.[6]

In his book Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas, critic Alonso Duralde lists Santa Claus: The Movie in his chapter of worst Christmas movies ever. His reasons include weak plot, garish production design, blatant product placement (particularly for McDonald's, though Coke and Pabst Blue Ribbon are also prominent), and scenery-chewing overacting on the part of Lithgow. Duralde ultimately concludes that the film is "a train-wreck of a Christmas movie that's so very wrong that you won't be able to tear yourself away from it."[7]

[edit] SoundtracksThe soundtrack score was composed and conducted by Henry Mancini, composer of the themes from The Pink Panther and Peter Gunn, with veteran lyricist and screenwriter Leslie Bricusse contributing five original songs. The song It's Christmas (All Over The World) was written by Bill House and John Hobbs with Freddie Mercury in mind. While it is known that Mercury recorded a demo for the House/Hobbs song at Pinewood Studios, he was never to make a full commitment to the project, as he and his Queen bandmates had already committed themselves to the Highlander soundtrack. In the end, Mercury turned down the project, stating that he felt that Queen had become overcrowded with requests to work on film soundtracks; as a result, Sheena Easton was ultimately chosen to record the tune. As mentioned on the DVD commentary of the movie by Jeannot Szwarc, Paul McCartney was asked to compose songs for the film. It is unknown why he did not do so in the end, but his song Once Upon A Long Ago had been indeed originally composed with the movie in mind.[8]

Track listing
1."Main Title: Every Christmas Eve 1 and Santa's Theme (Giving)" (Mancini/Bricusse)
2."Arrival of the Elves" (Mancini)
3."Making Toys" (Mancini/Bricusse)2
4."Christmas Rhapsody: Deck the Halls/Joy to the World/Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/12 Days of Christmas/O Tannenbaum/The First Noel/Silent Night"
5."It's Christmas Again" (Mancini/Bricusse)2
6."March of the Elves" (Mancini)
7."Patch, Natch!" (Mancini/Bricusse) 3
8."It's Christmas (All Over The World)" (Bill House, John Hobbs)5
9."Shouldn't Do That" (Nick Beggs, Stuart Croxford, Neal Askew, Steve Askew) 4
10."Sleigh Ride over Manhattan" (Mancini)
11."Sad Patch" (Mancini)
12."Patch Versus Santa" (Mancini)
13."Thank You, Santa" (Mancini/Bricusse) 2
1Sung by Aled Jones
2Performed by the Ambrosian Children's Choir.
3Performed by the Ambrosian Singers
4Produced by Ken Scott and performed by Kaja
5Produced by Keith Olsen for Pogologo Corporation, and performed by Sheena Easton.

The soundtrack was originally released on record and cassette by EMI Records in 1985. Soon after, it went out of print and remained unavailable until 2009 when it was released on CD by Singular Soundtrack of Spain. This was a limited run of 1000 copies which sold out immediately upon release. In a rare situation for the label, this production suffered from several issues, most notably a master which had been subjected to heavy noise reduction resulting in a loss of sound quality. Additionally, the left & right channels had been erroneously flipped, a superficial re-edit had been performed on "It's Christmas (All Over the World)", and the song "Shouldn't Do That" by Kaja had been omitted due to licensing issues. The former necessitated a replacement pressing to correct many of the problems, save for the licensing issue. The replacement pressing also had the unfortunate side-effect of introducing the lossy copies into the secondary market. (To differentiate, the original, lossy edition has SER 808 #1 stamped in the center. The replacement disc has SER 879 #1 stamped in the center. [9])

At the time of the 2009 release, Singular Soundtrack became merged with Quartet Records, allowing the label to produce increasingly high-profile projects. In 2012, following a run of successful releases, Quartet Records revisited the earlier release of Santa Claus: The Movie, this time with an ambitious goal: a complete score release from the original scoring tapes. Though problematic, the original release had been well-received and had garnered enough ongoing interest to warrant an expansion.

The resultant December 2012 release was an unlimited deluxe three-disc set including sixty-four tracks, totaling just under three hours of music, and a 32 page analysis by celebrated historian Jeff Bond.[10] Every piece of score music used in the film was included, as well as several outtakes and alternates. The original soundtrack, which differs from the music recorded for the film, was remastered from the original source material, and the pop songs found on the original soundtrack were all represented, including the Kaja song "Shouldn't Do That."

Track listing
DISC ONE: THE FILM SCORE

01. Main Title: Every Christmas Eve/Santa's Theme (4:27)
02. North Star/Arrival of the Elves (4:07)
03. Santa's New Home (4:14)
04. The Magic Workshop (1:43)
05. Reindeer Stable (1:52)
06. Making Toys (Film Version) (4:01)
07. Season's Greetings (1:36)
08. The Ancient One (2:32)
09. Santa Claus/First Sleigh Ride/Christmas Rhapsody (5:28)
10. Naughty or Nice (Does not appear in the film) (1:04)
11. Into the XXTH Century (1:38)
12. It's Christmas Again (2:39)
13. March of the Elves (2:55)
14. Table Scraps (1:19)
15. A New Sleigh Ride/Santa Meets Joe (1:41)
16. Sleigh Ride Over Manhattan (4:15)
17. Cornelia's Home (1:53)
18. Bad Toys (0:38)
19. Sad Patch (3:11)
20. Vanishing Elf (1:42)
21. No Free Toys (1:12)
22. Present for Joe (0:48)
23. Patch, Natch! (1:17)
24. Patchmobile/Patch Versus Santa (5:13)
25. Lollipop Flight (1:39)
26. Stronger Formula (1:37)
27. The World Is Different (1:02)
28. A New Doll (0:49)
29. Eavesdropping (2:35)
Total Disc One Time: 69:06

DISC TWO: THE FILM SCORE (Cont.)

01. Letter From Cornelia (2:30)
02. Elf Portrait (1:45)
03. Flight From Police (1:06)
04. To the North Pole/Super Duper Looper/Reunited Again (6:09)
05. End Titles: Thank You, Santa (Does not appear in the film) (4:47)
THE EXTRAS

06. Every Christmas Eve (Alternate Lyrics) (4:28)
07. Making Toys (Children's Choir) (4:01)
08. Making Toys (Carousel Version) (0:27)
09. Making Toys (Men's Choir) (4:01)
10. Making Toys (Instrumental Alternate) (4:00)
11. Patch Versus Santa (Alternate) (4:34)
12. To the North Pole (Alternate) (3:49)
13. Thank You, Santa (Alternate Vocal) (3:35)
14. Every Christmas Eve (Instrumental Version) (4:27)
15. It's Christmas Again (Instrumental Version) (1:20)
16. It's Christmas Again (Christmas Bells) (1:21)
17. Chopin's Waltz (Source) (0:30)
18. Patch, Natch! (Instrumental Version) (1:14)
19. Thank You, Santa (Instrumental Version) (4:29)
20. Patch Toys (Percussion Insert) (0:27)
21. Christmas Jingles (Rehearsal) (2:53)
22. Making Toys (TV Spot) (0:26)
Total Disc Two Time: 62:19

DISC THREE: THE 1985 SOUNDTRACK ALBUM

01. Main Title: Every Christmas Eve/Santa's Theme (4:11)
02. Arrival of the Elves (4:08)
03. Making Toys (4:01)
04. Christmas Rhapsody (3:53)
05. It's Christmas Again (2:31)
06. March of the Elves (2:55)
07. Patch, Natch! (1:15)
08. It's Christmas All Over the World (5:02)
09. Shouldn't Do That (3:33)
10. Sleigh Ride Over Manhattan (4:16)
11. Sad Patch (3:12)
12. Patch Versus Santa (4:13)
13. Thank You, Santa (3:09)
Total Disc Three Time: 46:21

Total Set Time: 2:57:46

[edit] See alsoSanta Claus in film
[edit] References1.^ "Santa Claus: The Movie - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. [link]. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
2.^ "Santa Claus: The Movie total gross". Box Office Mojo. [link]. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
3.^ Harmetz, Aljean (November 29, 1985). "At the Movies". The New York Times. [link]. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
4.^ Ebert, Roger (1985-11-27). "Rogerebert.com - Santa Claus: The Movie review". Chicago Sun-Times. [link]. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
5.^ Canby, Vincent (1985-11-27). "FILM: 'SANTA CLAUS,' WITH MOORE AND LITHGOW". The New York Times. [link]. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
6.^ Mager (2000-12-01). "BBC - Santa Claus: The Movie film review". [link]. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
7.^ Duralde, Alonso (2010). Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas. Limelight Editions. pp. 186-187. ISBN 0879103760.
8.^ Soundtrack: Santa Claus: The Movie soundtrack at Amazon.com
9.^ [link]
10.^ Soundtrack: [1] at QuartetRecords.com
[edit] External links Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Santa Claus: The Movie

Santa Claus: The Movie at the Internet Movie Database
Santa Claus: The Movie at AllRovi
Santa Claus: The Movie at Box Office Mojo
Santa Claus: The Movie at Rotten Tomatoes
Marvel Super Special #39 - A review of the Marvel Comics adaptation
[show]v ·t ·eFilms directed by Jeannot Szwarc

1970s Extreme Close-Up (1973) ·Bug (1975) ·Jaws 2 (1978)

1980s Somewhere in Time (1980) ·Enigma (1983) ·Supergirl (1984) ·Santa Claus: The Movie (1985) ·Grand Larceny (1987) ·Honor Bound (1988)

1990s La vengeance d'une blonde (1994) ·Hercule et Sherlock (1996) ·Les Soeurs Soleil (1997)

[show]v ·t ·eChristmas

michelle obama democratic national convention 2012

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 23:08:28 PDT

Michelle Obama: Not Watching GOP Convention First Lady Michelle Obama told David Letterman she's not watching the Republican National Convention. However, she recommends Americans watch both conventions. Video of First Lady Michelle Obama from the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Featuring interviews with President Obama, Craig Robinson, Marian Robinson, Valarie Jarrett, Dr. Jill Biden and more. Michelle Obama's goal in a prime-time Democratic Convention speech is to show the softer side of a president battered by nearly four years of partisan battles. Peter Nicholas has details on Lunch Break. Photo: AP. First lady excites delegates with a speech about the president's values at the DNC. First lady Michelle Obama took a brief tour of the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. She will address the delegates Tuesday night. (Sept. 3) The First Lady details the progress made by her initiative to help veterans find work. David Letterman - Michelle Obama's Joining Forces Update CHARLOTTE First lady Michelle Obama closed the first night of the Democratic National Convention on a warm-hearted, upbeat note. But it contrasted an evening filled with harsh salvos against Mitt Romney that blasted the challenger as out of touch with mainstream Americans.

By H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY
First lady Michelle Obama speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte on Tuesday.
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By H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY
First lady Michelle Obama speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte on Tuesday.
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After speakers from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to Newark (N.J.) Mayor Cory Booker blasted Romney and the Republican Party for everything from undermining the economic recovery to favoring the wealthy over the middle class, the first lady's speech was soft in tone. Yet it was strong in her belief that the country was better served by her husband's humble beginnings, "the guy who'd picked me up for our dates in a car that was so rusted out, I could actually see the pavement going by through a hole in the passenger side door the guy whose proudest possession was a coffee table he'd found in a dumpster, and whose only pair of decent shoes was half a size too small."
The message much like Ann Romney's speech at last week's GOP convention that revealed her husband's role as husband and father was a charm offensive aimed at reminding voters not just where Obama came from, but his core values, accomplishments and plans for the next four years.
MORE: Full coverage of the DNC
PHOTOS: Top images from Charlotte
"I have seen firsthand that being president doesn't change who you are no, it reveals who you are," Michelle Obama said. "Barack knows what it means when the middle class struggles. He's lived it." Yet she also emphasized that unlike Romney, who became a multimillionaire through private equity firm Bain Capital, Obama had shunned opportunities for high-paying jobs for a life devoted to public service.
"I love that for Barack, there is no such thing as us and them," she said. "I love that even in the toughest moments where we are all sweatin' it, he just keeps moving forward with patience and wisdom and courage and grace. He reminds me that we're playing a long game here and eventually, we get there."
With the November election a virtual tossup and Obama's re-election bid crimped by an anemic economy and stubbornly high unemployment, most of the night's speakers were far less cordial. Many offered sharp contrasts between a Romney presidency and four more years of Obama and who would better serve the middle class, women and minorities.
In an interview with USA TODAY aboard Air Force One, Obama telegraphed the party's mission this week: defending his record, attacking Romney and convincing voters that America is better off than it was four years ago. The central themes: Obama kept the economy from plunging into recession, bailed out the now-revived automobile industry, revamped health care, ended the war in Iraq and gave the orders to eliminate terrorist Osama bin Laden.
STORY: Interview: Obama says GOP drawing 'a fictional Barack Obama'
"Gov. Romney spent a lot of time talking about himself and he spent a lot of time talking about me. He didn't spend a lot of time talking about the American people and how their lives will get better," Obama told USA TODAY. "I guess their premise is that the American people will be convinced, if we just get rid of Obama, then somehow that will be enough."
San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, a rising party star, delivered the keynote address, highlighting Obama's successes, "despite incredible odds and united Republican opposition."
He was less kind to Romney.
"Republicans tell us that if the most prosperous among us do even better, that somehow the rest of us will, too," Castro said. "Folks, we've heard that before. First, they called it 'trickle-down.' Then 'supply side.' Now it's 'Romney-Ryan.' Or is it 'Ryan-Romney.' Either way, their theory has been tested. It failed. Our economy failed. The middle class paid the price. Your family paid the price. Mitt Romney just doesn't get it."
The anti-Romney tone was set early, and often.
"If Mitt was Santa Claus, he'd fire the reindeer and outsource the elves," former Ohio governor Ted Strickland told a roaring crowd of delegates.
Democrats even turned to liberal icon Edward Kennedy who died in 2009 to blast Romney's shifting views, a criticism that has haunted the candidate. As part of a video tribute, clips from the Kennedy vs. Romney 1994 Senate race debate showed Kennedy schooling his challenger. "I am pro-choice. My opponent is multiple choice," Kennedy said in the clip.
The Romney campaign said rolling out the Kennedy clip was a low blow.
Reid delivered some of the evening's harshest comments.
"Today's Republican Party believes in two sets of rules: one for millionaires and billionaires, and another for the middle class," he said. "And this year, they've nominated the strongest proponent the clearest beneficiary of this rigged game: Mitt Romney."
Said Booker: "Our platform is about moving America and our economy forward. We must choose forward. We must be inclusive. We must choose growing together."
Obama campaigned in battleground state Virginia earlier Tuesday.
Republicans are "counting on you, maybe not to vote for Romney, but they're counting on you to feel discouraged," he told a crowd at Norfolk State University. "And they figure if you don't vote, then big oil will write our energy future, and insurance companies will write our health care plans, and politicians will dictate what a woman can or can't do when it comes to her own health. They're counting on you just to accept their version of things."
Obama is scheduled to make his party acceptance speech Thursday at the 74,000-seat outdoor Bank of America stadium. There's a 40% chance of rain showers. Obama spokesman Brent Colburn said severe weather, such as lightning, would push the event indoors.
Wherever it's held, the speech will provide a "road map" for Obama's plans to restore security to the hard-pressed middle class, campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said.
The president and aides have acknowledged that Democrats are likely to be outspent by Romney in key battleground states. So the three-day convention amounts to some much-needed PR.
"We've got some truth-telling to do," Virginia's U.S. Sen. Mark Warner told Florida delegates earlier Tuesday. "America is better off today than it was four years ago when this president took over."
Modesto Tico Valle, an Illinois delegate from Chicago, said the convention is key to Obama's re-election.
"Most definitely, President Obama must say loudly and strongly that we are much better off today than four years ago," said Valle, the 48-year-old CEO of Center on Halstead, an advocate organization for the lesbian, gay and transgender community. "The economy is slowly recovering from where it was when we got it, jobs are slowly coming back. There has been great progress made in LGBT and women's rights, among seniors and with health care. The choice is clear between Obama and the dark ages. He is the one that is moving us forward."
Democrats released a party platform for ratification Tuesday underscoring Obama's call for higher taxes on the wealthy and support for gay marriage. And Tuesday morning, the party made its case for Obama through U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren on morning TV talk shows. Warren, who is challenging first-term Republican Scott Brown in Massachusetts, conceded that many Americans have it tough, but said Obama offers the better vision going forward. "Republicans are not helping us get back," she said.
Republican GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, also making the talk-show rounds, continued to hammer Obama's record on the economy. "Four years into a presidency and it's 'incomplete'?" he asked referring to the "grade" Obama gave himself in an interview Monday. "The president is asking people just to be patient with him?"
Romney's campaign reinforced that message with a new Internet video answering Obama's statement that "there are always going to be bumps on the road to recovery." The video showcases a series of ordinary Americans who've lost their jobs saying, "I'm an American, not a bump in the road." When people ask First Lady Michelle Obama to describe herself, she doesn't hesitate to say that first and foremost, she is Malia and Sasha's mom.

But before she was a mother -- or a wife, lawyer or public servant -- she was Fraser and Marian Robinson's daughter.

The Robinsons lived in a brick bungalow on the South Side of Chicago. Fraser was a pump operator for the Chicago Water Department, and despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at a young age, he hardly ever missed a day of work. Marian stayed home to raise Michelle and her older brother Craig, skillfully managing a busy household filled with love, laughter, and important life lessons.

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A product of Chicago public schools, Mrs. Obama studied sociology and African-American studies at Princeton University. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1988, she joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she later met the man who would become the love of her life.

After a few years, Mrs. Obama decided her true calling was working with people to serve their communities and their neighbors. She served as assistant commissioner of planning and development in Chicago's City Hall before becoming the founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares youth for public service.

In 1996, Mrs. Obama joined the University of Chicago with a vision of bringing campus and community together. As Associate Dean of Student Services, she developed the university's first community service program, and under her leadership as Vice President of Community and External Affairs for the University of Chicago Medical Center, volunteerism skyrocketed.

Promoting Service and working with young people has remained a staple of her career and her interest. Continuing this effort now as First Lady, Mrs. Obama in 2010 launched Lets Move!, a campaign to bring together community leaders, teachers, doctors, nurses, moms and dads in a nationwide effort to tackle the challenge of childhood obesity. Lets Move! has an ambitious but important goal: to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation.

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Lets Move! will give parents the support they need, provide healthier food in schools, help our kids to be more physically active, and make healthy, affordable food available in every part of our country.

In 2011, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Jill Biden together launched Joining Forces, a nationwide initiative that mobilizes all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned, and to raise awareness of military families' unique needs as pertains to employment, education and wellness. Joining Forces has been working hand in hand with American businesses who are committed to answering the President's challenge to hire or train 100,000 unemployed veterans and military spouses by 2013.

As First Lady, Mrs. Obama looks forward to continuing her work on the issues close to her heart supporting military families, helping working women balance career and family, encouraging national service, promoting the arts and arts education, and fostering healthy eating and healthy living for children and families across the country.

Michelle and Barack Obama have two daughters: Malia, 13, and Sasha, 10. Like their mother, the girls were born on the South Side of Chicago Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States. Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Obama attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School before returning to Chicago and to work at the law firm Sidley Austin, where she met her future husband. Subsequently, she worked as part of the staff of Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley, and for the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Throughout 2007 and 2008, she helped campaign for her husband's presidential bid and delivered a keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She is the mother of two daughters, Malia and Sasha, and is the sister of Craig Robinson, men's basketball coach at Oregon State University. As the wife of a Senator, and later the First Lady, she has become a fashion icon and role model for women, and an advocate for poverty awareness, nutrition and healthy eating.[1][2]
Contents [hide]
1 Family and education
2 Career
3 2008 Presidential election
4 First Lady of the United States
4.1 Public image and style
4.2 Work undertaken and causes promoted
5 References
6 Further reading
7 External links
Family and education

See also: Michelle Robinson Obama's extended family
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson was born on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois, to Fraser Robinson III,[3] a city water plant employee and Democratic precinct captain, and Marian (née Shields), a secretary at Spiegel's catalog store.[4] Her mother was a full-time homemaker until Michelle entered high school.[5] The Robinson and Shields families can trace their roots[6] to pre-Civil War African Americans in the American South. Specifically, she is descended from the Gullah people of South Carolina's Lowcountry region.[7] Her paternal great-great grandfather, Jim Robinson, was an American slave in the state of South Carolina,[8][9] where some of her paternal family still reside.[10][11] Her maternal great-great-great grandmother, Melvinia Shields, also a slave, became pregnant by a white man. His name and the nature of their union have been lost. She gave birth to Michelle's biracial maternal great-great grandfather, Dolphus T. Shields.[12]
Michelle grew up in a two-story house on Euclid Street in Chicago's South Shore community area. Her parents rented a small apartment on the house's second floor from her great-aunt, who lived downstairs.[4][13][14][15] She was raised in what she describes as a "conventional" home, with "the mother at home, the father works, you have dinner around the table".[16] The family entertained together by playing games such as Monopoly and by reading.[17] They attended services at nearby South Shore Methodist Church.[13] The Robinsons used to vacation in a rustic cabin in White Cloud, Michigan.[13] She and her brother, Craig (who is 21 months older), skipped the second grade. By sixth grade, Michelle joined a gifted class at Bryn Mawr Elementary School (later renamed Bouchet Academy).[18]
She attended Whitney Young High School,[19] Chicago's first magnet high school, where she was a classmate of Jesse Jackson's daughter Santita.[17] The round trip commute from the Robinsons' South Side home to the Near West Side, where the school was located, took three hours.[20] She was on the honor roll for four years, took advanced placement classes, a member of the National Honor Society and served as student council treasurer.[4] Michelle graduated in 1981 as the salutatorian of her class.[20]
Michelle was inspired to follow her brother to Princeton University;[5] Craig graduated in 1983. At Princeton, she challenged the teaching methodology for French because she felt that it should be more conversational.[21] As part of her requirements for graduation, she wrote a thesis entitled "Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community."[22][23] "I remember being shocked," she says, "by college students who drove BMWs. I didn't even know parents who drove BMWs."[20] While at Princeton, she got involved with the Third World Center (now known as the Carl A. Fields Center), an academic and cultural group that supported minority students, running their day care center which also included after school tutoring.[24] Robinson majored in sociology and minored in African American studies and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in 1985.[4][25] She earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Harvard Law School in 1988.[26] At Harvard she participated in demonstrations advocating the hiring of professors who were members of minorities[27] and worked for the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, assisting low-income tenants with housing cases.[28] She is the third First Lady with a postgraduate degree, after her two immediate predecessors, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Laura Bush.[29] In July 2008, Obama accepted the invitation to become an honorary member of the 100-year-old black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, which had no active undergraduate chapter at Princeton when she attended.[30]

Barack and Michelle Obama, 2008.
She met Barack Obama when they were among the few African Americans at their law firm, Sidley Austin (she has sometimes said only two, although others have pointed out there were others in different departments),[31] and she was assigned to mentor him as a summer associate.[32] Their relationship started with a business lunch and then a community organization meeting where he first impressed her.[33] The couple's first date was to the Spike Lee movie Do the Right Thing.[34] They married in October 1992,[33] and have two daughters, Malia Ann (born 1998) and Natasha (known as Sasha, born 2001).[35] After his election to the U.S. Senate, the Obama family continued to live on Chicago's South Side, choosing to remain there rather than moving to Washington, D.C. Throughout her husband's 2008 campaign for President of the United States, she made a "commitment to be away overnight only once a week to campaign only two days a week and be home by the end of the second day" for their two children.[36]
She once requested that her then-fiancé meet her prospective boss, Valerie Jarrett, when considering her first career move.[16] Now, Jarrett is one of her husbands closest advisors.[37][38] The marital relationship has had its ebbs and flows; the combination of an evolving family life and beginning political career led to many arguments about balancing work and family. Barack Obama wrote in his second book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, that "Tired and stressed, we had little time for conversation, much less romance".[39] However, despite their family obligations and careers, they continue to attempt to schedule date nights.[40]
The Obamas' daughters attended the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, a private school.[41] As a member of the school's board, Michelle fought to maintain diversity in the school when other board members connected with the University of Chicago tried to reserve more slots for children of the university faculty. This resulted in a plan to expand the school.[5] Malia and Sasha now attend Sidwell Friends School in Washington, after also considering Georgetown Day School.[42][43] Michelle stated in an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that they do not intend to have any more children.[44] The Obamas have received advice from past first ladies Laura Bush, Rosalynn Carter and Hillary Rodham Clinton about raising children in the White House.[43] Marian Robinson, Michelle's mother, has moved into the White House to assist with child care.[45]
Career

Following law school, she was an associate at the Chicago office of the law firm Sidley Austin, where she first met her future husband. At the firm, she worked on marketing and intellectual property.[4] She continues to hold her law license, but as she no longer needs it for her work, it has been on a voluntary inactive status since 1993.[46][47]
In 1991, she held public sector positions in the Chicago city government as an Assistant to the Mayor, and as Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development. In 1993, she became Executive Director for the Chicago office of Public Allies, a non-profit organization encouraging young people to work on social issues in nonprofit groups and government agencies.[19] She worked there nearly four years and set fundraising records for the organization that still stood 12 years after she left.[17]
In 1996, she served as the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago, where she developed the University's Community Service Center.[48] In 2002, she began working for the University of Chicago Hospitals, first as executive director for community affairs and, beginning May 2005, as Vice President for Community and External Affairs.[49] She continued to hold the University of Chicago Hospitals position during the primary campaign, but cut back to part time in order to spend time with her daughters as well as work for her husband's election;[50] she subsequently took a leave of absence from her job.[51] According to the couples 2006 income tax return, her salary was $273,618 from the University of Chicago Hospitals, while her husband had a salary of $157,082 from the United States Senate. The Obamas' total income, however, was $991,296, which included $51,200 she earned as a member of the board of directors of TreeHouse Foods, and investments and royalties from his books.[52]
She served as a salaried board member of TreeHouse Foods, Inc. (NYSE: THS),[53] a major Wal-Mart supplier with whom she cut ties immediately after her husband made comments critical of Wal-Mart at an AFL-CIO forum in Trenton, New Jersey, on May 14, 2007.[54] She serves on the board of directors of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.[55]
2008 Presidential election

Oprah Winfrey joins the Obamas on the campaign trail, December 10, 2007

The Obamas fist bump upon his winning the Democratic nomination.

The Obamas, with Joe and Jill Biden at the August 23, 2008 Vice Presidential announcement in Springfield, Illinois.

Obama speaks at the 2008 Democratic convention
Although Obama has campaigned on her husband's behalf since early in his political career by handshaking and fund-raising, she did not relish the activity at first. When she campaigned during her husband's 2000 run for United States House of Representatives, her boss at the University of Chicago asked if there was any single thing about campaigning that she enjoyed; after some thought, she replied that visiting so many living rooms had given her some new decorating ideas.[56]
At first, Obama had reservations about her husband's presidential campaign, due to fears about a possible negative effect on their daughters.[57] She says that she negotiated an agreement in which her husband was to give up smoking in exchange for her support of his decision to run.[58] About her role in her husband's presidential campaign she has said: "My job is not a senior adviser."[37][59][60] During the campaign, she has discussed race and education by using motherhood as a framework.[21]
In May 2007, three months after her husband declared his presidential candidacy, she reduced her professional responsibilities by 80 percent to support his presidential campaign.[16] Early in the campaign, she had limited involvement in which she traveled to political events only two days a week and traveled overnight only if their daughters could come along;[3] by early February 2008 her participation had increased significantly, attending thirty-three events in eight days.[38] She made several campaign appearances with Oprah Winfrey.[61][62] She wrote her own stump speeches for her husband's presidential campaign and generally spoke without notes.[20]
Throughout the campaign, the media often labeled her as an "angry black woman,"[63][64][65] and some Web sites attempted to propagate this image,[66] prompting her to respond: "Barack and I have been in the public eye for many years now, and we've developed a thick skin along the way. When youre out campaigning, there will always be criticism. I just take it in stride, and at the end of the day, I know that it comes with the territory."[67] By the time of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in August, media outlets observed that her presence on the campaign trail had grown softer than at the start of the race, focusing on soliciting concerns and empathizing with the audience rather than throwing down challenges to them, and giving interviews to shows like The View and publications like Ladies' Home Journal rather than appearing on news programs. The change was even reflected in her fashion choices, wearing more informal clothes in place of her previous designer pieces.[56] The View appearance was partly intended to help soften her public image,[63] and it was widely-covered in the press.[68]
The presidential campaign was her first exposure to the national political scene; even before the field of Democratic candidates was narrowed to two, she was considered the least famous of the candidates' spouses.[59] Early in the campaign, she told anecdotes about the Obama family life; however, as the press began to emphasize her sarcasm, she toned it down.[52][58] New York Times op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd wrote:
I wince a bit when Michelle Obama chides her husband as a mere mortal comic routine that rests on the presumption that we see him as a god ... But it may not be smart politics to mock him in a way that turns him from the glam JFK into the mundane Gerald Ford, toasting his own English muffin. If all Senator Obama is peddling is the Camelot mystique, why debunk this mystique?[59][69]
On the first night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Craig Robinson introduced his younger sister.[70] She delivered her speech, during which she sought to portray herself and her family as the embodiment of the American Dream.[71] Obama said both she and her husband believed "that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond, and you do what you say you're going to do, that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them."[72] She also emphasized loving her country, in response to criticism for her previous statements about feeling proud of her country for the first time.[71][73][74] That keynote address was largely well received and drew mostly positive reviews.[75] A Rasmussen Reports poll found that her favorability among Americans reached 55%.[76]
On an October 6, 2008 broadcast, Larry King asked her if the American electorate was past the Bradley effect. She stated that her husband's achievement of the nomination was a fairly strong indicator that it was.[77] The same night she also was interviewed by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show where she deflected criticism of her husband and his campaign.[78] On Fox News' America's Pulse, E. D. Hill referred to the fist bump shared by the Obamas on the night that he clinched the Democratic presidential nomination as a "terrorist fist jab"; Hill was taken off air and the show itself was cancelled.[79][80][81]
First Lady of the United States

Then-First Lady Laura Bush sits with Obama in the private residence of the White House.

Michelle Obama wore Isabel Toledo clothes made of St. Gallen Embroidery to the 2009 presidential inauguration.

The Obamas dance at a presidential inaugural ball.
Public image and style
With the ascent of her husband as a prominent national politician, Michelle Obama has become a part of popular culture. In May 2006, Essence listed her among "25 of the World's Most Inspiring Women."[82][83] In July 2007, Vanity Fair listed her among "10 of the World's Best Dressed People." She was an honorary guest at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball as a "young'un" paying tribute to the 'Legends,' which helped pave the way for African American Women. In September 2007, 02138 magazine listed her 58th of 'The Harvard 100'; a list of the prior year's most influential Harvard alumni. Her husband was ranked fourth.[82][84] In July 2008, she made a repeat appearance on the Vanity Fair international best dressed list.[85] She also appeared on the 2008 People list of best-dressed women and was praised by the magazine for her "classic and confident" look.[86][87]
At the time of her husband's election, some sources anticipated that as a high-profile African-American woman in a stable marriage she would be a positive role model who would influence the view the world has of African-Americans.[88][89] Her fashion choices were part of the 2009 Fashion week,[90] but Obama's influence in the field did not have the impact on the paucity of African-American models who participate, that some thought it might.[91][92]
She has been compared to Jacqueline Kennedy due to her sense of style,[85] and also to Barbara Bush for her discipline and decorum.[93][94] Her white, one-shoulder Jason Wu 2009 inaugural gown was said to be "an unlikely combination of Nancy Reagan and Jackie Kennedy".[95][96] Obama's style is described as populist.[29] She often wears clothes by designers Calvin Klein, Isabel Toledo, Narciso Rodriguez, Donna Ricco and Maria Pinto,[97] and has become a fashion trendsetter,[98][99][100] in particular her favoring of sleeveless dresses that showcase her toned arms.[101]
She appeared on the cover and in a photo spread in the March 2009 issue of Vogue.[102][103] Every First Lady since Lou Hoover (except Bess Truman) has been in Vogue,[102] but only Hillary Clinton had previously appeared on the cover.[104]
In August 2011 she became the first woman to appear on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, as well as the first person to appear on the cover in 48 years. [105]
The media have been criticized for focusing more on the first lady's fashion sense than her serious contributions.[29][106] She has stated that she would like to focus attention as First Lady on issues of concern to military and working families.[88][107][108] U.S.News & World Report blogger, PBS host and Scripps Howard columnist Bonnie Erbe has argued that Obama's own publicists seem to be feeding the emphasis on style over substance.[109] Erbe has stated on several occasions that she is miscasting herself by overemphasizing style.[45][110]
Work undertaken and causes promoted

Obama is greeted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, United Kingdom April 1, 2009

Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni
During her early months as First Lady, she visited homeless shelters and soup kitchens.[111] She also sent representatives to schools and advocated public service.[111][112] On her first trip abroad in April 2009, she toured a cancer ward with Sarah Brown, wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.[113] She has begun advocating on behalf of military families.[114] Like her predecessors Clinton and Bush, who supported the organic movement by instructing the White House kitchens to buy organic food, Obama has received attention by planting an organic garden and installing bee hives on the South Lawn of the White House, which will supply organic produce and honey to the First Family and for state dinners and other official gatherings.[115][116]
Obama has become an advocate of her husband's policy priorities by promoting bills that support it. Following the enactment of the Pay equity law, Obama hosted a White House reception for women's rights advocates in celebration. She has pronounced her support for the economic stimulus bill in visits to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and United States Department of Education. Some observers have looked favorably upon her legislative activities, while others have said that she should be less involved in politics. According to her representatives, she intends to visit all United States Cabinet-level agencies in order to get acquainted with Washington.[117]
She gained growing public support in her early months as first lady.[111][118] She is notable for her support from military families and some Republicans.[111][114] As the public is growing accustomed to her, she is becoming more accepted as a role model.[111] Newsweek described her first trip abroad as an exhibition of her so-called "star power"[118] and MSN described it as a display of sartorial elegance.[83] There were questions raised in the American and British media regarding protocol when the Obamas met Queen Elizabeth II,[119] and Michelle reciprocated a touch on her back by the Queen during a reception, purportedly against traditional royal etiquette.[119][120] Palace sources denied that any breach in etiquette had occurred.[121]

Obama and Ellen DeGeneres dance on the second anniversary of Let's Move!.
On June 5, 2009, the White House announced that Michelle Obama was replacing her current chief of staff, Jackie Norris, with Susan Sher, a longtime friend and adviser. Norris will become a senior adviser to the Corporation for National and Community Service.[122] Then in February 2010, the resignation of White House Social Secretary, Desiree Rogers was announced to be effective the following month.[123] Rogers had been at odds with other administration officials, such as David Axelrod, and then the White House State Dinner faux pas occurred on November 24, 2009.[124] Rogers was replaced by Julianna Smoot.[125]
After a year as First Lady, she undertook her first lead role in an administrationwide initiative. Her goal was to make progress in reversing the 21st century trend of childhood obesity.[126] She stated that her goal is to make this effort her legacy: "I want to leave something behind that we can say, Because of this time that this person spent here, this thing has changed. And my hope is that thats going to be in the area of childhood obesity."[126] She has named the movement "Let's Move!".[127] This effort does not supplant her other efforts: supporting military families, helping working women balance career and family, encouraging national service, promoting the arts and arts education, and fostering healthy eating and healthy living for children and families across the country.[128] She has earned widespread publicity on the topic of healthy eating by planting the White House Kitchen Garden, the first White House vegetable garden since Eleanor Roosevelt served as First Lady.[126][129] Her 2012 book American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America is based on her experiences with the garden and promotes healthy eating.[130] Her call for action on healthy eating has been echoed by the United States Department of Defense, which has been facing an ever expanding problem of recruit obesity.[131] Michelle Obama was born on January 17, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois. She attended Princeton University, graduating cum laude in 1985, and went on to earn a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1988. Following law school, she worked at a Chicago law firm, where she met her husband, President Barack Obama. The couple married in 1992. As First Lady, she has focused her attention on current social issues.

CONTENTS

Synopsis
Early Life
Gifted Student
Marriage to Barack Obama
High-Profile Work in Chicago
Supporting her Husband
Issues and Causes
First Family
QUOTES

"When I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don't invest any energy in them, because I know who I am."

Michelle Obama
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Early Life

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, bettern known as Michelle Obama, was born on January 17, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois. She would later become a lawyer, Chicago city administrator, community outreach worker andas the wife of U.S. President Barack Obamathe United States' First Lady.

Michelle was raised on Chicago's South Side in a one-bedroom apartment. Her father, Frasier Robinson, was a city pump operator and a Democratic precinct captain. Her mother, Marian, was a Spiegel's secretary who later stayed home to raise Michelle and her older brother, Craig. The family has been described as a close-knit one that shared family meals, read and played games together.

Craig and Michelle, 16 months apart in age, were often mistaken for twins. The siblings also shared close quartersthey slept in the living room with a makeshift sheet serving as their room divider. Both children were raised with an emphasis on education. The brother and sister learned to read at home by the age of four, and both skipped second grade.

Gifted Student

By sixth grade, Michelle was attending gifted classes, where she learned French and took accelerated courses. She then went on to attend the city's first magnet high school for gifted children where, among other activities, she served as the student government treasurer. "Without being immodest, we were always smart, we were always driven and we were always encouraged to do the best you can do, not just what's necessary," her brother Craig, has said. "And when it came to going to schools, we all wanted to go to the best schools we could."

Michelle graduated in 1981 from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago's West Loop as class salutatorian. After high school, she followed her brother to Princeton University, graduating cum laude in 1985 with a B.A. in Sociology. She went on to earn a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1988, where she took part in demonstrations demanding more minority students and professors.

Marriage to Barack Obama

Following law school, Michelle worked as an associate in the Chicago branch of the law firm Sidley Austin in the area of marketing and intellectual property. There, in 1989, she met her future husband, Barack Obama, a summer intern whom she was assigned as an adviser. "I went to Harvard and he went to Harvard, and the firm thought, 'Oh, we'll hook these two people up,'" Michelle said. "So, you know, there was a little intrigue, but I must say after about a month, Barack ... asked me out, and I thought, 'No way. This is completely tacky.'" Initially, she refused to date Barack, believing that their work relationship would make the romance improper. Eventually, she relented, and the couple soon fell in love. Their first kiss took place outside of a Chicago shopping centerwhere a plaque featuring a photo of the couple kissing was installed more than two decades later, in August 2012.

After two years of dating, Barack proposed. "We were at a restaurant having dinner to celebrate the fact that he had finished the bar," Michelle remembers. "Then the waiter came over with the dessert and a tray. And there was the ring. And I was completely shocked." The couple married at Trinity United Church of Christ on October 18, 1992.
Michelle soon left her job to launch a career in public service, serving as an assistant to Mayor Daley and then as the assistant commissioner of planning and development for the City of Chicago.

In 1993, she became Executive Director for the Chicago office of Public Allies, a non-profit leadership-training program that helped young adults develop skills for future careers in the public sector.

Michelle joined the University of Chicago in 1996 as associate dean of student services, developing the Universitys first community service program. She then worked for the University of Chicago Hospitals beginning in 2002, as executive director of community relations and external affairs.

In May 2005, she was appointed vice president of community relations and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she continues to work part-time. She also manages the business diversity program and sits on six boards, including the prestigious Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.

Supporting her Husband

Michelle Obama first caught the eye of a national audience at her husband's side when he delivered a high-profile speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Barack Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate from Illinois that November.

In 2007, she scaled back her own professional work to attend to family and campaign obligations during Barack's run for the Democratic presidential nomination. Michelle says she's made a "commitment to be away overnight only once a week to campaign only two days a week and be home by the end of the second day" for their two daughters, Malia (born 1999) and Natasha (2001). It has been reported that the Obama family has no nanny, and that the children are left with their grandmother, Marian, while their parents campaign. "I've never participated at this level in any of his campaigns," Michelle says. "I have usually chosen to just appear when necessary."

Since her husband's political role pushed the Obama family into the spotlight, Michelle has been publicly recognized for her steely, no-nonsense campaign style as well as her sense of fashion. In May of 2006, Michelle was featured in Essence magazine as one of "25 of the World's Most Inspiring Women." Then in September 2007, Michelle was listed in 02138 magazine as number 58 in "The Harvard 100," a list of the most influential alumni for the year. She has also made the Vanity Fair best-dressed list two years in a row, as well as People Magazine's 2008 best-dressed list.

With her husband seeking reelection in 2012, Michelle Obama has campaigned on his behalf. She has traveled the country, giving talks and making public appearances. That June, she spoke to a crowd in Philadelphia, telling them that "It all boils down to one simple question: will we continue the change we've begun and the progress we've made, or will we let everything we've fought for slip away." Obama urged those in attendance to give "a little part of your life each week to this campaign." Her husband faces a challenging race against likely Republican opponent Mitt Romney.

CONTENTS

Synopsis
Early Life
Gifted Student
Marriage to Barack Obama
High-Profile Work in Chicago
Supporting her Husband
Issues and Causes
First Family
Issues and Causes

As the 44th First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama has focused her attention on issues such as the support of military families, helping working women balance career and family, and encouraging national service. During the first year of the Obama presidency, Michelle and her husband have volunteered at homeless shelters and soup kitchens in the Washington, D.C. area. Michelle also has made appearances at public schools, stressing the importance of education and volunteer work.

Ever conscious of her family's diet and health, Michelle Obama has supported the organic food movement, instructing the White House kitchens to prepare organic food for guests and her family. In March 2009, Michelle worked with 23 fifth graders from a local school in Washington, D.C., to plant a 1,100 square foot garden of fresh vegetables and install bee hives on the South Lawn of the White House. Periodically, throughout the summer, the same students returned to harvest various foods and learned to cook fresh-grown organic vegetables. In 2010, Michelle has put efforts to fight childhood obesity near the top of her agenda.

Michelle Obama remains committed to her health and wellness causes. In 2012, she announced a new fitness program for kids as part of her Let's Move initiative. She, the U.S. Olympic team and other sports organizations have teamed up to get young people try out a new sport or activity. "This year, 1.7 million young people will be participating in Olympic and Paralympic sports in their communitiesmany of them for the very first time. And that is so important, because sometimes all it takes is that first lesson, or clinic, or class to get a child excited about a new sport," Obama said in a statement.

Making her message in print, Obama released a book as part of her mission to promote healthy eating. American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America (2012) explores Obama's own experience creating a vegetable garden as well as the work of community gardens elsewhere. She sees the book as an opportunity to help readers understand "where their food was coming from" and "to talk about the work that we're doing with childhood obesity and childhood health," Obama told Reuters.

First Family

Both Michelle and Barack Obama have stated their personal priority is their two daughters, Malia and Sasha. The parents realize that the move from Chicago to Washington, D.C., would be a major adjustment for any family. Living in the White House, having Secret Service protection, and always being in the wake of their parents' public lives has dramatically transformed their lives. Both parents try to make their daughters' lives as "normal" as possible with set times for study, bed, and getting up. "My first priority will always be to make sure that our girls are healthy and grounded," Michelle said. "Then I want to help other families get the support they need, not just to survive, but to thrive."

Godzilla

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:01:02 PST

The King of the Monsters
Godzilla

Scientific name: Gojirasaurus primitus (First Godzillasaurus)
Alternative Names: Minya, Minilla, Minira, Little Godzilla, Gojira Two, Godzilla Reborn, Goji, Ziller, G-Rex, Gojulas, Goziira, and Reptar

Height: 50 meters
Length: 100 meters
Mass: 25,000 tons

Classification
- U.N.I: Orange level threat
- W.K.C.S: Alpha-class kaiju

“To say that the Adona legend influence me greatly would be an understatement. Since I was a little child, the nagging idea of examining the island and finding living dinosaurs just amazed me, continually poking at my curiosity. Getting the go-ahead to actually examine it was very difficult: it took myself and my good friend Kyle Martin almost 15 years to get permission from the United Nations Security Council. Claims of how the island had been used for nuclear testing in the 40’s always followed their excuses.
When we finally arrived on site, I could barely contain myself. The one place I’d always dreamed of seeing now all around me. But had I known then what would happen, known what I know now… well, I doubt that I wouldn’t have gone, but I think I might have been a little more careful…”
– Kenichi Yamane

Story:
To the world at large, the Age of Monsters began on May 12, 2013. It was on this day that the Japan-United Nations Remembrance Expedition, partially funded by both BioMajors Incoporated and Ophion Corporation, arrived on the time-lost Adona Island, a near-mythical location that was once said to house a collection of dinosaurs according to the tales of Japanese naval officers from the second World War. Led by Kenichi Yamane, the grandson of the famed archaeologist Dr. Kyohei Yamane, and young millionaire Kyle Martin, the grandson of equally famous reporter Steve Martin, the expedition was momentous in that its’ allowance had been delayed for nearly 20 years, and that it now marked the first time a human being had set foot upon Adona Island in at least 58 years. Escorted to shore by several of the battleships permanently stationed in a blockade around the island, the team of scientists and explorers cut into the jungles of the island and discovered a tropical paradise, mostly abandoned and undisturbed by man. Though many long-thought extinct species were rediscovered, the true prize of the expedition came when a large nest was discovered in a valley plateau: within it were many cracked shells, but there was also a single, intact egg.

Immediately taken back to Japan for examination and study, Kenichi was amazed to discover that the egg contained a fully-formed specimen of something that he only knew vaguely from his grandfather’s notes: a Gojirasaurus. Kyle publicized the discoveries and shared the news with the world, streaming in gifts from organizations and private individuals around the globe for Kenichi to study the egg. But a complication soon arose…

The egg hatched.

To say that Kenichi and his science team were surprised was an under-statement. Not only had the egg hatched, but the baby Godzillasaur was completely healthy, and had taken an instinctive liking to Kenichi’s psychic assistant Miki Saegusa. However, taking care of this young “Minya,” as the team had named him, soon became the least of the United Nations worries.

The same hour of Minya’s birth, in a flash of light and a burst of sound, a small pod crashed from the sky and into the United Nations building in New York City. From it, bewildered and confused, emerged a bearded young man in ragged clothes named Tomos: after a frantic chase and scuffle, Tomos was taken into U.N. custody and questioned thoroughly, but he would answer to no one. No one, that is, until he spoke to Major Sho Kuroki: Tomos claimed to be from the future, and he had returned to the past to stop the destruction of the world. He had returned to stop Godzilla from being born.

Meanwhile, in Japan, Kenichi and his team were suddenly attacked by a group of soldiers. As the science team was held captive, Minya lashed out, attacking the soldiers until they managed to subdue him for capture. As Kenichi asked what this was all about and who they were, their leader – garbed in an admiral’s uniform – announced them as the Red Bamboo, and that they were claiming their world-changing prize. With that, Admiral Yamoto and his men left, Minya in tow.

Assembling together in the Diet to resolve everyone’s questions and plan their next move, Tomos states that in his time, Earth is all but destroyed, with a few elite ruling over the masses and starving them as they dine on the few resources that remain. But the cause of all this started with one thing: Godzilla, the destructive, fully-grown version of Minya. Tomos said that though other things followed, Godzilla was the start of the Age of Monsters: now, the Red Bamboo was being manipulated by a group of people from the future into creating Godzilla, but with the plan to control the beast to keep the world under their finger. Though the others present initially expressed a lack of trust, Kenichi believed in Tomos, and together they, Kyle, Kuroki, Saegusa, and Kuroki’s trusted companions Koji Shinjo and Kyoshi Sato lead a team to stop the Red Bamboo from detonating the Antimatter Bomb that they were developing.

Using some general information given by Tomos, Kuroki’s team managed to track and pinpoint the Red Bamboo team to their base just offshore of the Izu Islands. However, before the team could rescue Minya, Admiral Yamoto announced via video communications that time was up, and detonated the bomb remotely. The team watched as the island is engulfed in a blaze, barely escaping the blast radius in time: however, even as Miki collapsed unconscious from psychic feedback from Minya, and even as the Team began to think that Minya was dead, the smoke and fire wafted away and died out.

Rising from the smoke, a towering figure roared to the heavens: the King of the Monsters, Godzilla, was born.

And unfortunately for Yamoto’s Red Bamboo forces closing in, he refused to be controlled. Destroying all of the Red Bamboo’s battalions and battleships present, Godzilla oddly spared the Team, then disappeared into the ocean without a trace. But for Tomos, the journey to stop this beast had just begun…

Bio:
The last of his kind and the first of his kind, Godzilla – the specimen “Minya” in particular – is the symbol of the kaiju age. The first widely known kaiju to arise in the Age of Monsters, Godzilla’s appearance would signal a turning point for the world and would lead to dozens of other creatures arising as well.

A member of a species of amphibious theropods, Godzilla is equally at home on the land and in the sea. Having gained fins and gills through adaption as a species, Godzilla is capable of both breathing underwater and nautical agility, and while seemingly a cold-blooded reptile, the kaiju’s natural nuclear reactor allows him to survive for weeks at a time within the ocean depths. However, as this reactor is a product of his mutation, it is assumed that his forefathers would have only used the ocean for hunting in short stints, living on land instead.

The Pacific Ocean is the main home of Godzilla and as such his main source of food comes from the creatures of the deep. Although at times the Godzillasaur has been seen eating land mammals, his dietary habits show a vast preference towards deep sea beasts, particularly whales and giant squid. Godzilla’s primary hunting grounds reside in and to the east of the Philippine Sea, though he has at times been spotted hunting as far east as Hawaii and as far south as Tahiti.

Another major facet of Godzilla is his nuclear system. A unique by-product of his origin as a mutation, Godzilla’s heart developed something akin to a natural nuclear reactor, capable of absorbing ambient energy and redirecting or nullifying it. The system defies and baffles normal scientific ideas and the only source with a possible explanation, the Futurians, was eliminated prior to giving out any information. Although Godzilla would appear to be able to absorb energy from almost any source, including thermal energy from sunlight and volcanic vents, the kaiju will occasionally seek out nuclear reactors and drain them. While this was at first theorized to be a need to “feed” on the energy, this hypothesis has since come into question and currently remains unanswered.

While the nuclear system is primarily a mechanism for self-sustention, producing both Godzilla’s rapid healing abilities and his thermoregulatory system, Godzilla is well documented in his capabilities of manipulating the energies within his body and releasing them in concentrated bursts. However, it has been noted that these offensive capabilities have only been seen in a combat situation where Godzilla perceives a threat and have never been documented in a hunting situation.

Godzilla’s unique G-cells have also been the focal point of much research. Initially only known to have extreme regenerative capabilities and seemingly possessing highly mutagenic qualities, the G-cells were also later found to produce small amounts of energy on their own, similar to miniature versions of Godzilla’s own heart. Although known to be the cause of dozens of major mutations and hundreds if not thousands of smaller ones, as well as several plagues, G-cells would eventually be used to create an almost completely clean source of renewable energy as well reverse-engineered to cure several diseases, including cancer. In the end, this created an odd form of dependency upon the kaiju that the world had set out to kill.

Reproduction for Godzillasaurs was a largely hypothetical field for years. The few researchers that attempted to analyze Godzilla’s sexual functions came to the conclusion that heterosexual mating appeared to be what was used by his species, belaying fears of asexual reproduction creating an army of Godzillas across the globe. While this theory would be resurrected in the wake of the Gyaos resurgence, it would stay fairly low-key until the appearance of Junior, which would give rise to a whole new set of asexual fears until genetic testing revealed Junior to not be Godzilla’s child. Later, the Erabus incident as well as Godzilla’s relationship with tenuous Gigantis would eliminate the asexual reproduction theory, as well as temporarily ease fears of reproducing Godzillsaurs.

Abilities/Aspects:
- Atomic Blasts: The most iconic weapon used by Godzilla, his atomic ray is a concentrated blast of superheated radiation fired from his maw. Capable of incinerating many targets and badly burning more resistant ones, the ray also causes limited radiation fallout in the surrounding area. Several variations of the ray have been noted, including the standard, silver-blue blast, a brief, concentrated fireball, a blue spiral ray, and a red super-blast.

- Energy Absorption/Manipulation: Through some quirk of his mutation during the Antimatter Bomb’s detonation, Godzilla became something of a living energy conduit, capable of absorbing, redirecting and manipulating almost any form of known energy to some degree or other. Though he is best known for radiation absorption – literally pulling the radiation out of the environment around him – Godzilla has also been known to use solar, antimatter, Mana, spacial, and other forms of energy. Built into Godzilla’s body because of this are specialized vents that will eject energy if he becomes overloaded; these vents allow him to trigger his “nuclear pulses” and a few other odd abilities he has exhibited, such as magnetism and limited flight.

- G-cells: One of Godzilla’s most unique features are his G-cells. For no reason discernible by mankind, Godzilla’s cells are highly mutagenic when introduced to another organism’s body, particularly when mixed with their DNA structure, and as such clean-up operations has quickly become one of the highest priorities for all countries world-wide. However, though extremely dangerous, G-cells also offer two other, unique properties: the first is the Regenerator G-1, a strange system that is responsible for Godzilla’s extreme healing factor, while the second is the innate energy that G-cells offer, allowing them to be used as a “clean” source of energy in later years.

- Amphibiousness: Mutated from a Godzillasaurus, Godzilla retained his species’ natural amphibiousness, capable of existing in water just as easily as living on land. To aid his survival in this

- Speed/Strength: Godzilla is both surprisingly fast and strong, even given his size, and is capable of enduring long-term physical strain from travel, fighting, or swimming.

- Intelligence: Far more intelligent than his demeanor would insinuate, Godzilla is capable of forming rudimentary attacks, effectively manipulating his internal energies to form new attacks or maneuvers, and communicating on a base level with psychics and other kaiju. In addition, his indomitable will pushes Godzilla to never relent his assault, and also gives him the strength of mind to resist most psychic assaults or attempts at control.

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First one! Woot! Please, feel free to give me some comments and constructive criticism – this is my first piece after all.

For this pic I started off referencing a lot of other Godzilla pics, from canon ones, to concept art, to other DeviantArtists remakes, like KaijuSamurai's Godzilla Neo, Rendragonclaws’ sketches, Vagrant-Verse’s design, and a dozen others. I tried a few failed poses or ideas, like my scraps show, but I eventually settled in on this one and got to work. I’m really proud of the head: I tried a whole lot of different ideas before I found one I liked, and I’m surprised it turned out somewhat feline. Some of the things I took away was chest plates, which I got rid of fairly quickly since I decided that was better for Rodan, and some more spines on the arms and legs, since they looked tacky. I took Vagrant-verse’s concepts of the “GMK energy conduit,” combined it with some other quirks from the Showa films and developed the “Atomic vent” idea – kinda disappointed I couldn’t find a way to make them stand out more, they’re at the hip and shoulder, the darker plate-lines. I also tried to emphasize some amphibiousness without losing the saurian side, so I added a tail membrane and a little along the underbelly, plus some gills along the neck that got lost in the drawing process (maybe I’ll fix that later). The spikes were difficult too – they started out a lot more super-sharp and asymmetrical – but I’m very proud of my final work for those; the coloring is nice too, since it was such a challenge, but I might change it some later, since it’s not exactly what I’m looking for.

Well, a lot of story, lot of things that might not make sense, but I needed to set up for the things to come. Hang in there, and thanks for looking!

Up Next – Ookondoru