u/MetalScottic

Lost in the desert, the Wanda and Troy traveled in search of the others, and of answers. Unfortunately, something else was searching for THEM...

(Sorry I haven't been as regular with my comics lately, real life has been busy! I hope to continue supporting the game with them as often as possible! Thank you so much to any who still read them!)

-TRANSCRIPT-

Panel 1- (Sandy wind blowing)

Panel 2- - Ugh...how... is it so hot?

Panel 3- It's not that bad- by desert standards

Panel 4- Feels a lot like the Sand Kingdom back home...

Panel 5- That's just it. It feels just like the Sand Kingdom... But it can't be.

Panel 6- We were nowhere near a desert when we crashed.....

Panel 7- This... Combined with the vanishings- and the lightning... Something very wrong is going on here...

Panel 8- ......Huh- you might be right.

Panel 9- Despite the light and heat, I ain't seeing a sun in the sky.....

Panel 10- Wha- wait! You're right! What kind of illusion is this!?

Panel 11- ILLUSION? HA! WELL- I SUPPOSE YOU'RE HALF RIGHT.

Panel 12- THIS PLACE IS MOSTLY SMOKE AND MIRRORS.....

Panel 13- BUT WE ARE VERY REAL. WHICH MAKES IT THE PERFECT BACKDROP FOR SOME-

Panel 14- TARGET PRACTICE.

Troy held onto Wanda as the two of them plummeted through the storm, though the intense winds eventually piled them apart. Despite that, the two of them, as it turned out, had not landed far from each other in the strangely out of place desert they now found themselves in...

-TRANSCRIPT-

Panel 1- (Wind howling)

Panel 2- - .....

Panel 3- (quiet steps)

Panel 4- (chink)

Panel 5- Phew.... Glad it didn't fall far.

Panel 6- Now.... To find the others. If I survived that fall.... I'm sure they did too.

(Magic ring shrinking noises)

Panel 7- Hmm... I just need to figure out where they are.... And- where I am-

Panel 8- (Muffled mumblings)

Huh!? Wait-

Panel 9- Troy! Gah!

(Sand muffled murmuring)

Panel 10- Just hold on- Hrgggh-

(Pained murmurs)

Panel 11- HUP!

(Sand fwooshing)

Panel 12- COUGH COUGH- Ughh..... Sand.... Everywhere...

Panel 13- Troy: Oh+ Wanda.... Returning the favor huh?

Wanda: I suppose you can see it that way.

Troy: Nghh..... Heh. Glad you're alright......

Panel 14- Troy: But uh... Where are we?....

Wanda: Funny... I was just about to pose the same question.....

Lore: At its peak, the Eight Bit mafia was a massive crime syndicate made up of races created by Wart, as well as species that were recruited. By far, the most populous of the recruited races was the Shy Guys. Short, mysterious little creatures who always wear expressionless, white masks- making them the perfect candidates to become faceless grunts. 

   The Shy Guys have followed Wart for some time, simply because they respect his power and ruthlessness. During the crime family's time in Subcon, Shy Guys were used to move smuggled items between realms at extortionate prices. Those who refused to pay were often harassed by the mask wearing creatures using clubs and firearms. However, since the fall of Subcon to the anomalies, many Shy Guys have lost their lives, or fled back to the mushroom kingdom. The very few who made their way to Earth now serve Wart there, though mostly in a logistics and support capacity- they aren't afraid to admit that they aren't anomaly fighting material...

Most Shy Guy's wear dark red suits, though some wear a pinkish magenta color, and a select few are known to wear darker grey suits. Certain Shy Guys develop advanced lung capacity, and are promoted to an elite class known as "Snifits." Snifits operate mask-mounted projectile weapons using nothing but their breath! In recent times, Snifit's weapons have been upgraded into heavy machine guns for the specific purpose of slowing down anomalies with suprresive fire. No one knows what a Shy Guy looks like under the mask. The few who have seen it have been left so rattled that they are unable to recount it properly. Thankfully, Shy Guys prefer to keep their masks on, so this is a rare occurrence.

DESIGN STUFF: Hello!! Here are my official redesigns for the Eight Bit's main minions, the Shy Guys! I wanted to keep their iconic silhouette intact, but I extended their legs slightly and gave them proper hands for better handling of items and weapons. The suits they wear are simple, and designed after their master, Wart's. It took me a bit to come up with a mask idea, but eventually I settled on simply removing the face rather than redesigning it. I figured it would line up nicely with their role as faceless henchman!

They come in many colors, but the suit wearing Shy Guys who follow Wart primarily come in Red, Magenta, and Grey, as a reference to their original sprite colors from Super Mario Bros 2! Snifits got a complete overhaul, as I wanted them to look much more dangerous and militaristic to match the darker, mafia-themed vibe, and so that the Shy Guys have at least one option to slow down anomalies with storms of bullets! I didn't give them a traditional nickname since they aren't playable characters, instead serving as assistants to the playable Eight bits, though "Grunts" would work well for their role!

(Sorry for the lack of updates to my Eight Bits! I've been busy with a bunch of other stuff lately. Once Faucet Freaks starts getting off the ground, and more attention comes to this subreddit, I'll make sure to spend more time on them!)

Lore: At it's peak, the Eight Bit mafia was a massive crime syndicate made up of races created by Wart, as well as species that were recruited. By far, the most populous of the recruited races was the Shy Guys. Short, mysterious little creatures who always wear expressionless, white masks- making them the perfect candidates to become faceless grunts.

The Shy Guys have followed Wart for some time, simply because they respect his power and ruthlessness. During the crime family's time in Subcon, Shy Guys were used to move smuggled items between realms at extortionate prices. Those who refused to pay were often harassed by the mask wearing creatures using clubs and firearms. However, since the fall of Subcon to the anomalies, many Shy Guys have lost their lives, or fled back to the mushroom kingdom. The very few who made their way to Earth now serve Wart there, though mostly in a logistics and support capacity- they aren't afraid to admit that they aren't anomaly fighting material...

Most Shy Guy's wear dark red suits, though some wear a pinkish magenta color, and a select few are known to wear darker grey suits. Certain Shy Guys develop advanced lung capacity, and are promoted to an elite class known as "Snifits." Snifits operate mask-mounted projectile weapons using nothing but their breath! In recent times, Snifit's weapons have been upgraded into heavy machine guns for the specific purpose of slowing down anomalies with suprresive fire. No one knows what a Shy Guy looks like under the mask. The few who have seen it have been left so rattled that they are unable to recount it properly. Thankfully, Shy Guys prefer to keep their masks on, so this is a rare occurrence.

DESIGN STUFF: Hello!! Here are my official redesigns for the Eight Bit's main minions, the Shy Guys! I wanted to keep their iconic silhouette intact, but I extended their legs slightly and gave them proper hands for better handling of items and weapons. The suits they wear are simple, and designed after their master, Wart's. It took me a bit to come up with a mask idea, but eventually I settled on simply removing the face rather than redesigning it. I figured it would line up nicely with their role as faceless henchman!

They come in many colors, but the suit wearing Shy Guys who follow Wart primarily come in Red, Magenta, and Grey, as a reference to their original sprite colors from Super Mario Bros 2! Snifits got a complete overhaul, as I wanted them to look much more dangerous and militaristic to match the darker, mafia-themed vibe, and so that the Shy Guys have at least one option to slow down anomalies with storms of bullets! I didn't give them a traditional nickname since they aren't playable characters, instead serving as assistants to the playable Eight bits, though "Grunts" would work well for their role!

(Sorry for the lack of updates to my Eight Bits! I've been busy with a bunch of other stuff lately. Once Faucet Freaks starts getting off the ground, and more attention comes to this subreddit, I'll make sure to spend more time on them!)

Thankfully the fleeing duo were able to get some distance on their hunter, giving Mortimer time to stabilize his badly Injured brother using his arm bandages. Though Laurence spiraled for a moment, his stoic ally was able to rally him to battle, as the two became determined to escape and find their siblings, before anything else did...

-TRANSCRIPT-

Panel 1- (stepping noises)

Panel 2- - Rgghh....

Panel 3- HOLD STILL... MORTIMER MUST TEND TO WOUND...

Panel 4- We- we don't have time! Agh...

Panel 5- WE MUST. MORTIMER USE HIS BANDAGES.

Panel 6- (Wrapping noises)

....THAT SHOULD WORK....

Panel 7- T...Thanks...But what now? T...That thing.... Actually tried to kill me! That's... not how this is supposed to work.

Panel 8- THIS THING IS... NEW. LOOKS LIKE LOUIS... BUT DOESN'T HOLD BACK.

Panel 9- I CAN SEE THAT! W...we need a plan... O- or the others!

Panel 10- MORTIMER AGREE. BUT FIRST WE MUST ESCAPE CAVE.

Panel 11- B..But how!? That scythe wielding maniac is still out there!

Panel 12- TOGETHER. IT'S FIGHTING TO KILL. SO WE MUST TOO. WE MUST ESCAPE AND FIND THE OTHERS- BEFORE IT DOES.

Panel 13- .....

Panel 14- Alright. Let's do this.

Panel 15- No holding back.

Hello! Hope anyone seeing this appreciates my little art project! For context, I'm a newer Ultraman fan who really wanted to go back and watch through all of the shows from start to finish! So me and my brother have spent about a year slowly working through everything from the original Ultraman to Ultraman 80!

Obviously, that's a lot of media to take in and remember, so I decided to start sketching each Kaiju as I went. I'm a visual kind of guy, and the definition of an amateur artist, so spending time doing that after each batch of episodes really helped me solidify what I watched in my mind! It was fun too, because I feel like my art slightly improved with each show as I tried to stylize the characters into a semi-chibi art style!

My only regret is that the first series doodles are severely outdated, and since I wasn't displaying it at the time it's the only page that was two sided. I'm planning to go back and redo it eventually so that it matches the others, and then I'll take some pictures with better lighting hopefully! I should probably go back and watch Ultra Q as well at some point, and if all goes well I hope to move on to the Heisei period next!

(Hope I included everyone's favorites! I think I got everyone who was ever proper Kaiju size, though i omitted most aliens who never showed the ability to grow barring a few exceptions. I also included some notes on the first few pages, but eventually I discontinued that practice!)

In his rage, Mortimer managed to save Laurence and get them a head start. But in truth, the hunt was only just beginning...

-TRANSCRIPT-

Panel 1- W-WAIT! STAY BACK!

Panel 2- - (Menacing sythe noise)

Panel 3- NO!

Panel 4- (Rumbling footsteps)

Panel 5- (Very angry rumbling footsteps)

Panel 6- RAAAAAGH-

Panel 7- (Hammer slam accompanied by a bone cracking sound)

Panel 8- (CRASH)

Panel 9- Laurence: M...Mort! I... I can't-

Mortimer: IT'S OK.

Panel 10- JUST HOLD ON

(retreating stomps)

Panel 11- (Further retreating stomps)

Panel 12- (Fwooshing noise as Weegee stands up)

Panel 13- (Neck cracking nosies)

Panel 14- (Picks up sythe)

Panel 15- (Sound of sythe sliding against stone)

Panel 16- (Sound of sythe sliding against stone continues)

​

LORE: Wart may be helping the Vanquish twins at the moment, but make no mistake, he is the farthest thing from a hero. Wart's past is a mystery, but it's known that he's been a notorious crime boss since his youth back in the Mushroom Kingdom. He spent many years expanding his operations, recruiting Birdo, Mouser, and many others to his illegal dealings. However times got tough when the mad King Bowser began to haunt the land with anomalies. In response, Wart looked for a way to turn the disaster into a chance for profit- and he found it in the form of Subcon. Finding the dimension safe from the anomalies, Wart and his now rather larger army stormed the peaceful realm. With no heros to oppose them, the land quickly fell to the Don, who subsaquenlty made himself king.

With an entire world in his pocket, "king" Wart and his henchman used Subcon as a hideaway. They would send crews with supplies to the mushroom kingdom, and provide them to the suffering masses only in exchange for extortionate, regular payments, all while building up his forces further by harnessing the energy of the Dream Machine located in Subcon palace. Wart empowered Clawgrip and Tryclyde, and created Fry guy as well as his favorite creations: the Phantos. With his small collection of sentient masks, the Don can turn those who cross him into completely mindless puppets at his command.

However, his monopoly didn't last long. Eventually the anomalies found their way to Subcon too, and in a sudden wave of destruction most of Wart's empire was destroyed or scattered. Using the damaged Dream Machine, Wart and his closest underlings made a desperate escape, landing in Brooklyn's sewers. There they met the Vanquish twins, and though they were enemies at first, eventually Wart decided a truce was in his best interests... For now. Rebuilding what he can, Wart and his crew have set up shop under Brooklyn, hoping to eventually find a way to retake their home world, and their criminal status quo.

Always a sleazy character, Wart constantly bothers the extremely uninterested Princess Peach, gaining the ire of Mario. The plumber is the only one who can truly get under the Don's skin. Wart is used to everyone fearing and respecting him, but Mario, who's always looked down on criminals, dosent have an ounce of either toward him. Wart would try to find a way to get him out of the picture, but he has correctly deduced that the Italian is much stronger than him. Even his Phanto masks have no effect on his unbreakable will power. Ultimately though, Wart has no loyalties to anyone but himself, and he would leave anyone to the anomlies wrath if it ment saving himself.

DESIGN STUFF: So here's Wart, the final member of the man 8 bit Cartel trio touched up and finished! I kept his body shape mostly unchanged from his game apperance, however he now lives up to his name much more accurately. I also added some more gold buttons onto his suit, and put a small crown emblem on his fedora. His necklace has been retooled into a pocket watch, which he always keeps on him in his chest pocket. He has large, expressive eyes, though they darken dramatically whenever he is angry or scheming...

Like the others, his moveset is work in progress, but he would of course be a heavyweight. Delsite that, his jump would be impressively high due to his species. His basic attack would be a rather weak claw swipe, but his real skill would be at range. He could bellow bubbles out of his mouth in a large aoe attack. If they hit the anomaly, they pop and knock them back. Even if they don't hit anything immediently, they may float about for a bit, littering the battle field with traps. Additionally, Wart could also summon a small swarm of Phantos, and sick them on the nearest enemy. If the Anomaly is hit, a Phanto would latch onto their face, requiring then to physically remove it before they can continue attacking!

(Sorry for the word sandwich! I have a lot planned for this guy! And if this gets some traction, I'll definently do the other 8 bit members!)

(MINOR BLOOD CONTENT WARNING)

Laurence and Mortimer were the first to encounter one of them. He was very similar to someone they had often battled in the past- but he was much more powerful. And unlike his look-alike, this entity had no intention of showing any mercy...

(I'm back! And with my longest part yet! Since it looks like the game is stabilizing for now during the developer's break, I'm eager to resume the story! Sorry if the build up was too long, but the time is finally here to open the gates and let the Hunters roam free! Stay tuned to see if the Seven make it out alive!)

-TRANSCRIPT-

Panel 1- (steps echoing through the cave)

Panel 2- There's an incline ahead... Hopefully the way out isn't far.

Panel 3- GOOD. MORTIMER STILL THINK SOMETHING OFF. MORTIMER CAN'T SEE BUGS... OR HEAR BATS. THIS CAVE FEELS.... FAKE.

Panel 4- Look, I know you're the cave expert, but I think you're over-

Panel 5-Wait! Listen! Someone's coming...

Panel 6- (louder, echoing steps)

Panel 7- Wait... Is that?

Panel 8- Ha! It's Louis! Told ya they'd all be still kickin'!

Panel 9- Laurence: Come on Mort! Let's get him and find out what he knows about Bruiser!

Mortimer: MORTIMER... NOT SURE THAT'S LOUIS...

Panel 10- Sure it is! He's probably just using a weird power-up!

(Wooshing noise as Laurence dashes forward)

Panel 11- But not for long!

(Poofing noise as Laurence summons his racket)

Panel 12- Mortimer: LAURENCE WAIT-

Laurence: HEY GREENIE! SERVES UP! BAHAHA-

Panel 13- (Quiet noise as a sythe suddenly appears)

Panel 14- WAIT WHAT-

Panel 15- (Loud cutting noise)

Panel 16- (Blood splatters)

Panel 17- (A thud as Laurence tumbles, followed by blood dripping from the sythe blade)

Panel 18- LAURENCE!

Panel 19- Y...you... H..h...hurt-

Panel 20- Aggh!

(A wooshing noise as the sythe prepares for another strike...)

LORE: Alongside Birdo, Mouser is usually Don Wart's go-to lackey alongside Birdo for more serious matters. Mouser grew up in a run down part of the Mushroom kingdom alongside his sister, and they became Involved with criminal activity at a young age. Once they matured, the siblings went their separate ways. Mouser's sister went on to become a master thief, while he became a dangerous mercenary who would do anything if the price was right. He became obsessed with explosives and fire, and became extremely skilled at both creating them and using them to demolish anything in his path. Eventually though, a job went bad, and Mouser ended up at the mercy of Wart himself. But rather than kill him, Wart offered the young mouse a spot on his crew as a demolitions expert- and of course he agreed.

Since that day, Mouser has been content to do what he loves while getting a consistent payout. But despite becoming part of a large team, Mouser found it difficult to make any meaningful friendships. Him and Birdo make an excellent duo in combat, but outside of it they struggle to connect (Mouser once tried a green pallet to make them match, but Birdo obviously was not thrilled with the idea). Wart tolerates the Mouse, and appreciates his efficacy- but Mouser's constant inability to hold his tongue often lands him at the receiving end of abuse from his much more powerful employer. However, since the fall of Subcon, and the forming of the alliance between Wart's Cartel and the Vanquish Twin's crew, Mouser has hit it off with the Warrior of all folks! They both share an appreciation for explosives, motorcycles, and a good fight! Though he won't admit it, Mouser has enjoyed using his weapons of destruction for "good" for once, as he bravely faces the anomalies with his teammates, both new and old.

DESIGN STUFF: While it's mostly the same, here's the revised version of my Mouser design! Due to his rebellious attitude, he's one of the only members of the Subcon Cartel to wear a leather jacket rather than a suit, fittingly decorated with flames and spikes. He has an appreciation for golden accessories, and his red tinted glasses help protect his eyes from the constant flashing from the explosions he sets off. His preferred explosives are old school dynamite sticks, which he keeps lined on the inside of his jacket (definitely not safe). The tip of his bent up tale is scorched black because he has a habit of accidentally setting it on fire. It's happened so many times that it sometimes takes him a moment to realize it's burning!

Still working on his moveset concepts, but I imagine for his basic attack he would throw a pair of dynamite sticks towards the anomaly, stunning and perhaps applying a very slight burning effect. Alternatively, he could also bundle several sticks up into a placeable bomb. Once placed down, he could remotely activate it to catch the anomaly in an explosion- though for balancing reasons after 25 or so seconds it would explode on its own. He would probably have a rather high jump to make up for low speed, and he could latch onto the backs of larger characters like the Warrior, The Yomper, and The Don to provide extra speed and protection for himself!

I want to apologize to those who have been keeping up with my Koopaling comics since I missed the last two weeks. I had a bunch of personal stuff going on, and when I finally had some time to work on my stuff again, all of this crazy drama stuff started going on.

All of the controversy left me feeling a bit unmotivated, so I'm taking a short break while we wait to see what becomes of the Catastrophes going forward. I'm not canceling it though! If there's one thing I hate it's leaving a story unfinished. I plan to be back in a week or two no matter what happens to the game, with the hope of concluding my story properly.

In the meantime, while I'm not putting down TC, definently consider checking out Faucet Freaks too if you haven't already! While I'm working with the Koopalings on this subreddit, I'm currently developing a story with the Eight Bits on the FF subreddit!

(Oh, and have this dry bones redesign I did for TC a while ago and completely forgot to post. Their lore and character is pretty much identical to the in-universe ones because Dry Bones is already the pinacle of enemy design)

LORE: Birdo is the right hand of the Eight Bit Cartel's leader, Don Wart. More often than not, when the Don needs something done or something said, he sends her in his stead. She was originally brought on along with her two siblings, and they assisted in the conquering of the dimension known as Subcon so that they could use it as a base of operations. However, when Wart's dealings became increasingly immoral, and Bowser began terrorizing their home kingdom with the anomalies he summoned, her sisters decided to leave and pursue their own interests. She wanted to go with them, but she felt that she had put far too much work into acquiring her position to abandon it. So she remained, gaining the favor she now has with the Don as his most loyal, and most cunning enforcer.

Eventually things fell apart when the anomalies finally invaded Subcon as well, and as a result Birdo and her allies were forced to make a hasty escape from the realm. As luck would have it, they ended up in Brooklyn, and a short while later, Wart, realizing that the anomalies had to be dealt with before business could resume, agreed to an uneasy alliance with the local Vanquish Twins. Birdo was content with the new arrangement, and continues to aid in the hunting of anomalies. She is very closed off from most individuals, especially the Vanquish twins- though she would eventually find an unlikely friend in Yoshi. Key word being eventually. At first his cheery attitude was a source of constant irritation for her. But in time they proved to make quite the team, and she warmed up to his antics.

DESIGN STUFF: Birdo's design is the one I'm most satisfied with at the moment, so it's the one I decided to work with first! I gave her a similar posture to Yoshi to match their mainline counterparts, though she has a slightly more upright and "civilized" way of carrying herself. For the sake of the story and design, I went with the green sprite from SMB2 as the base colors, and then added the warm colors on her bow-shaped head plates and thagomiser to contrast! As an added detail, her plates convey emotion- when frustrated or preparing to shoot a fireball they glow warmer colors, and on the rare occasion she's sad they darken. In order to make her more expressive, she has a more typical mouth on the end of her snout, though it takes on the iconic shape when she shoots her fireballs.

I might do dedicated moveset concepts later down the line, but at least for now I imagine she would be be a relatively fast character with decent health. Up close, she has a basic melee attack where she uses her thagomiser to swiftly strike the anomaly. From a distance, since she is the green brido, she can shoot fireballs instead of eggs (which helps differentiate her from Yoshi gameplay wise). She would probably have the typical birdo triple shot which would be fast but do less damage, as well as a larger charged shot which would be significantly more powerful! Thanks to the few who read all that! Everything is subject to change, but I look Forward to continuing to work with these characters in the future! Any thoughts or critiques are much appreciated!

Hello! You might have seen me in the Catastrophes subreddit doing some other redesign ideas, but seeing as that might be a sinking ship I decided to try my hand at some Faucet Freaks stuff! Here are a couple of redesigns for the main Eight Bit trio! I decided to lean into the mob family vibe they had in the movie for both their outfits and story!

The general idea is that when Bowser messed everything up and released the anomalies, Wart and his crew planned to use Subcon, the world of dreams, as a hideout to continue their illegal smuggling operations while taking advantage of the chaos. Unfortunately for them, not even Subcon was safe from the multiplying anomalies. Forced back into the real world, they ended up in Brooklyn where they were forced to make an uneasy alliance with the Vanquish Twin's crew to survive. As a result, they got their own respective code names as they fight to save the world- for purely selfish reasons.

Wart (The Don) is based more off a toad to fit his name. He wears a business suit, a copious amount of rings on his fingers, and smokes a small bubble pipe Spongebob style. He would be a Tanky character with his bubbles as projectiles. His motivation for helping is simple: All his customers dying would be bad for business.

Birdo (The Dame) is inspired by her green variant- the one that shoots fire instead of eggs- to differentiate her from Yoshi. I gave her a proper mouth to express more emotion, though it returns to its iconic shape when aiming and firing her fire balls. I incorporated a bit of Stegosaurus into her design, and as a result her bow is made from biological head plates, and her tail has a thagomiser for melee attacks. She purely fights the anomalies because Wart tells her too, and a job's a job. (Also she befriends Yoshi later)

Mouser (The Demo) is the design I'm still working on the most, but for now I've darkened his fur and given him a more rat-like appearance. He goes against the usual mob dress code by donning a leather jacket decorated with flames and spikes, alongside a neck chain and golden bling. For the sake of differentiation, he uses old school dynamite rather than bombs, which he hides under his jacket. He's a bit unhinged, and only fights to save the world because it's his job to destroy stuff and terrorize people, and he won't let the anomalies take it from him.

Congrats to any who read all that! I plan to make character specific posts later to go more in depth and work on the designs, and if this gets any traction I might work on the rest of the Eight Bit Mob later down the road!

After the harrowing fall, all of the Seven suddenly lost consciousness in the swirling clouds. Separated, Laurence and Mortimer were the first to awaken, stranded in the depths of a dark cave system. Mortimer questioned how they ended up so deep underground after falling despite there being a ceiling above them, but Laurence paid it no mind. He was just happy to be out of the storm- though little did he know that they, as they say, had just gone from the frying pan into the fire...

-TRANSCRIPT-

Panel 1- (Cave ambience)

Panel 2- Ughhh...

Panel 3- Ngh- where... are we?

Panel 4- Guys? Oh crud- is anyone else-

Panel 5- GASP! MORTIMER! MORTIMER ARE YOU HERE!? SAY-

Panel 6- Mortimer: Ngh...don't worry- MORTIMER OK. JUST... LOST HAT IN FALL... COULD LAURENCE GRAB IT?

Laurence: Oh thank goodness.

Panel 7- Laurence: Here ya go bug guy.

Mortimer: THANK YOU...

Panel 8- MORTIMER GLAD YOU OK. BUT WE MUST FIND OTHERS.

Panel 9- Correct! First step, figure out where we are-

Panel 10- Mortimer: WE IN CAVE.

Laurence: (disappointed silence)

Panel 11- Very observant. We must have fell in after the crash.

Panel 12- HMMM...BUT THERE NO HOLES IN CEILING...AND IF WE FELL THAT FAR, WOULDN'T WE BE MORE HURT?

Panel 13- I- I don't know. Places like this are always strange. Don't think about it too much.

Panel 14- let's just find a way out, and reunite with the crew. And hey, at least in here we're finally safe from that storm.

Panel 15- (approaching footsteps)

Panel 16- (Dramatic cliffhanger boot stomp)

As they fell, the Seven grabbed onto their belongings, or on to each other while they plummeted. It seemed they were surely doomed, but as they were separated in the billowing clouds of the storm something mysterious happened...

(I know there is a lot of drama in the community right now, but I figured I might as well keep posting my comic to provide some positivity to the subreddit. Hope you guys enjoy!)2

-TRANSCRIPT-

Panel 1- (collective screaming as they fall)

Panel 2- Well isn't this just great! Any bright ideas boys?

Panel 3- Don't worry Wanda! I'll break your fall!

Panel 4- What!? No! Don't grab me you idiot!

Panel 5- You'll just make us fall faster!

(Lightning strike)

Panel 6- Not like this! Not like this! Somebody catch me!

Panel 7- Mortimer: MORTIMER GOT YOU!

Laurence: WAIT-

Panel 8- Laurence: ACK!

Mortimer: Er- Mortimer sorry.

Panel 9- L-lenny!

Panel 10- *Gasp* DON'T WORRY! I'LL GET YOU!

(Lightning strike)

Panel 11- It's ok I-

Panel 12- There! Don't worry, you're safe now...

Panel 13- .....

Panel 14- Almost- Almost.....

Panel 15- AH-HA! GOT IT! Alright- everyone stay together and I might be able to-

Panel 16- ....Everyone?...oh dear-

Panel 17- Hrrghh- (flutter jump noises)

Panel 18- Oh forget it.

Panel 19- WAAAAAHHHHHH

(Lightning strike)

The Spiteful Seven had never had much luck when they flew together, and unfortunately this time would prove no different. As they bravely flew deeper and deeper into the storm, the anomalous weather began to dampen their magic, and send bolt after bolt of lightning in their direction. Igor dodged as long as he could, but eventually they could outmaneuver the thundering hazards no longer...

(Sorry if the text on this one is a bit hard to read in some spots, the black pencil I gave somehow manages to look way too bright on camera, but still obscure text. Make sure to use the transcript if you need too!)

-TRANSCRIPT-

Panel 1- (Thunder Rumbling)

Panel 2-(Lighting Strike)

WAGH!

Panel 3- The lightnings getting more intense the further in we go!

Panel 4- Wanda: Lucan! Don't you have some spells that could shield the car!?

Lucan: I am trying-

Panel 5- But something is blocking it. This storm is indeed malicious.

Panel 6- We just have to trust my bro! As long as he's driving we'll never-

Panel 7- (Lightning zaps the Doom Car, and everyone screams)

Panel 8- We're hit! Igor, what is our hulk integrity!?

Panel 9- I calculate we can only sustain one more hit like that!

Panel 10- Ha! Then we're good. Lightning never strikes the same place twice, right?

Panel 11- Lenny: Well yeah, but this is a moving vehicle, so technically-

Troy: Will ya just shut up before I-

Panel 12- (The Doom Car is struck by lightning a second time)

Panel 13- Gah! We're going down!

Panel 14- Everyone hold on in case it-

Panel 15- FLIPS!!!

Panel 16- Igor: AAGGHH!

Laurence: WAGGH!

Lenny: WEEEEE!

The border of the storm was not far from Bruiser's Kingdom. After a short flight, the Seven arrived. With their minds made up, and their nerves steeled, they entered the cursed clouds. They were ready for anything, but little did they know that forces beyond their comprehension were already awaiting their arrival...

-TRANSCRIPT-

Panel 1- (Wind howling)

Panel 2- (Propeller noises)

Panel 3- We are approaching the storm's border now.....

Panel 4- (THUNDER)

Panel 5- Good. If anyone has any second thoughts, now is your last chance to voice them.

Panel 6- Laurence: Oh come on dude, we've made it this far- no ones chickening out now!

Troy: Yeah! Let's get this field trip over with!

Panel 7- Mortimer: Mortimer is prepa-

Lenny: YAHOO! LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!

Panel 8- N-no matter how scary it is...

Panel 9- We're in this together, as always. Now let's not keep King Bruiser waiting.

Panel 10- You heard them Igor. Full speed ahead.

Panel 11- Everyone.... Brace for anything...

Panel 12- (fading propeller noises)

Panel 13- (THUNDER!)

Panel 14- HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH....

Panel 15- THEY FINALLY ARRIVE...NOW THEIR TRIAL CAN BEGIN....AND THE SHOW THEY PUT ON WILL DETERMINE-

Panel 16- IF IT'S THE FIRST OF MANY... OR THE LAST THEY WILL EVER PERFORM!...

The time for launch came and went without issue. The Doom car departed the castle, with the Sinister Seven squished together inside it just like they used to. Their takeoff was watched by many of Bruiser's forces. Some held onto hope and wished them the best, while others already accepted what they believed was the inevitable outcome...

(And that concludes the first act of the story! The Seven are all together, and en route to the storm! Only time will tell what darkness awaits them inside it...)

-TRANSCRIPT-

Panel 1- (silence)

Panel 2- (opening shutter doors)

Panel 3- (dramatic eye flash noise sfx)

Panel 4- (propeller nosies)

Panel 5- (Wing flapping)

Panel 6- Starspeed...

Panel 7- Man, I'm really gonna miss them. Well... Most of them.

Panel 8- (more propeller nosies)

Panel 9- (sad silence)

Panel 10- I don't want to doubt them, Karam... But I still feel horrible not going with them!

Panel 11- I understand. But we must have faith.

Panel 12- I am confident they can face whatever waits in the storm...

Panel 13- As long as they face it together.

After the Spiteful Seven had completed their preparations, said their goodbyes, and grabbed their weapons, they were assembled by Lucan and Igor to prepare for departure. All airships sent into the storm had never returned. So the pair had decided to rebuild and upgrade a vehicle that the Seven had used previously, a long time ago...

(At long last the comic's main cast are united and ready to begin their expedition. Hope you guys look forward to the next act of the story! Also, sorry for the bad picture quality. I use natural light for my photos, and the weather has been really crappy lately!)

-TRANSCRIPT-

Panel 1- Igor... It's time.

Panel 2- Are all systems ready for departure?

Panel 3- Yep! I've done all I can to increase durability and maneuverability!

Panel 4- Good. Then we are ready. Is everyone here?

Panel 5- Ready to get this show on the road! Didn't see Wanda though- I think maybe she chickened out!

Panel 6- Wanda: WHAT was that, Troy?

Troy: Oh- er- I...I was just saying that you were right behind me! Heh...

Panel 7- Whoo hoo! Let's go blow something up! HEH HEH HEH-

Panel 8- Igor: Lenny! No explosives indoors!

Lenny: O-oh... right... I know that...

Panel 9- Lucan: Mortimer? Are you ready?

Mortimer:....

Panel 10- Lucan: Mortimer?

Mortimer: OH! YES, MORTIMER READY!

Panel 11- And last but definitely not least, I am ready as well. And I share Troy's sentiment. Let's get this over with!

Panel 12- Though I do question your choice of vehicle. Why this crudy old thing instead of an airship?

Panel 13- Simple. All previous airships sent into the storm have failed. Clearly we need a faster, more compact transport.

Panel 14- So we have restored our old chariot instead. Now get up here. It is time to take our leave. Everyone-

Panel 15- Get into the Doom Car!

So I've been trying to practice doodling Tactical droids lately, and this is the best I've gotten so far. All I have to work with is colored pencils, and I'm still working on the proportions, so they are bit chopped. But I think they came out ok for my first serious attempt. 

   I realized that we have yet to see a dynamic between a Tactical and Super Tactical Droid in the series, so I decided to come up with my own design and story for that exact reason! Eventually I settled on these two color schemes, named TH-31 and General Midas. If you care about any more I made for them, you can read it below! Feedback is appreciated!

   "The droid that would become General Midas was created in the final six months of the Clone Wars. While he found some success on account of being a Super Tactical Droid, he at times struggled to face the tactics of the Republic, which had advanced significantly, and had become much less predictable at that point in the war.

   Seeking an experienced Commander to serve at his side as an advisor, he made a request no other ST Droid had made. He requested a first year tactical droid for his fleet. As luck would have it, a tactical droid with a less than stellar track record named TH-31 had recently been cut down by a Jedi on a planet near his location. So, since he was salvageable, the Sepratist higher-ups had him hastily welded back together and sent to the super tactical droid.

   Shortly after, TH-31 had his body repainted to remember his brave "survival" against a Jedi, and he began serving under his new general. The super tactical droid quickly found that this inferior model was extremely overconfident, and incompetent in most fields. However, he found the T-series's constant attempts to one up him amusing, and everyonce in a while his three years of military experience actually afforded valuable insight (useally after heavy revisions, but still).

   Eventually the duo found their stride, and successfully acquired victory after victory in the Outer Rim during the Wars final days. The General was given his new paintjob, as well as his name, Midas, as it seemed every battle he touched turned to gold. (In hindsight I realize that myth probably doesn't exist in Star Wars, but eh, it sounds cool, and we already have a ST droid named Kraken so...) Despite the odds, the two droids and their fleet would go on to survive the rise of the Empire, though that is a tale for another time..."