Tommy Driscoll, AKA "Blackhawk"--named so because his superhero costume pretty much lifted the colors and stripes of the Chicago Blackhawks--face down his Elvish enemies. His HUD beeped as he looked at his opponents; five of them. he pressed a button on the side of his helmet, making a facemask cover him up. "Stay out of our way, human," said one of the Elves. "Our battle is not with you."
"It became my battle as soon as you attacked me and the city," Blackhawk replied. Man, that felt badass!
"Get him!" said the Elf. His underlings advanced on Blackhawk. But Blackhawk stood his ground, refusing to budge even one millimeter. Swords and magic-powered energy staffs were pointed at him. One hit could short-circuit his suit and leave him vulnerable. But with his martial arts expertise, he could take them. Then an Elf lunged at him, swinging his staff at him. He blocked the staff and countered with a right straight to the Elf's face.
Now all hell broke loose and Blackhawk found himself fighting tooth-and-nail with the Elves. There was no doubt in the 22-year-old's mind they were tough. These are guys out of a fantasy novel or Norse mythology, not Santa's Little Helpers. Five Elven staffs swung in his direction, but he jumped and flipped out of the way. He landed on a table in the square and pointed his right arm at the elves. He pressed on a button on his glove and a laser cutter erupted from the glove. The elves were too fast and he didn't get a chance to block the staff that whacked him in the chest.
Though not in total pain, he still hurt from where they hit him. His teeth grit in determination and he got back up. It wasn't that bad, anyway. He glared at the elves who'd come for him. "You should have stayed away from us, young human," said the lead Elf. "But now you will face the consequences."
"I don't think so," said the superhero. He stood up, spread his legs out and prepared to take on the elves. The staff of the one to the leader's right began to glow. Blackhawk bent his legs more and prepared to strike. The Elf pointed his staff at Blackhawk but in a quick move, Blackhawk jumped, spun and knocked the staff out of the Elf's hands and then finished him off with a punch to the face.
With the Elves coming at him, he didn't wast a moment, kicking an onrushing elf in the solar plexus and ducked under another one, standing up at the right time and tossed the armored Elf into one of the tables. Two down. He turned to face them and made a "Bring it" gesture.
The Elves came forward, but Blackhawk did not move. He grabbed one Elf's staff and punched him in the face and then took hold of the staff and swung it and the Elf into his comrade. A resounding "OOF" could be heard coming from the Elves and now there was one.
However this Elf pointed his staff at Blackhawk and fired at his feet. The resulting explosion sent dust and dirt flying that obscured Blackhawk's vision. After jumping out of the dust he noticed the lead Elf and his underlings had disappeared. He'd won, but now he had more questions than answers.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
The Goal
Sweat dripped off Scott's youthful face, hitting the ice. The shaft of his stick dug into his thigh, although he couldn't feel it, what with the pads he was wearing. He watched the referee skate over to the circle where his Blackhawks teammate Andreas Badstuber stared down his Boston Bruins opponent. The opponent already had his stick on the ice. The fans kept chanting "LET'S! GO! HAWKS!" along with the organ.
Scot placed the blade of his stick on the ice. He shut the sound of the crowd out as best he could, but he could feel the palpable excitement. The referee waited for a moment while Badstuber and his opponent waited. Then referee dropped the puck. The German Badstuber fought with his opponent for a second before he passed the puck back to right winger Tom Collins.
Immediately the Bruins went into a defensive set-up while the Blackhawks spread out to look for an opening. Collins passed back to defenseman Brent Logan. Then Logan passed over to Scott on the left side. One of the Bruins moved in to cut Scott off. However, Scott shook the puck up and then juked past the Bruin defenseman.
Seeing no shot, he passed over to Collins again, who had a shot. Collins wound up and FIRED!
BLOCKED!
Scott could see the puck above his head. He reached up, knocked it down to the ice and put it on the blade of his stick. The 22-year-old American skated around and passed to Badstuber in the middle. Badstuber put a shot on goal that missed. Then Scott went back to the net and picked the puck up. On a whim, he let a wrister go on the Bruins goalie,
SCORES!!!
The United Center crowd went insane, mixed in with the blaring horn. Scott could barely hear anything, but he screamed at the top of his lungs, raising his arms in the air as his teammates skated over and hugged him. Now "Chelsea Dagger" filled the arena as they skated off the ice. Scott looked up and saw the score, 2-1 Blackhawks over the Bruins with 5 minutes to go in the second period. He settled on the bench and watched the action unfold with a now confident Blackhawks team and crowd behind them.
Scot placed the blade of his stick on the ice. He shut the sound of the crowd out as best he could, but he could feel the palpable excitement. The referee waited for a moment while Badstuber and his opponent waited. Then referee dropped the puck. The German Badstuber fought with his opponent for a second before he passed the puck back to right winger Tom Collins.
Immediately the Bruins went into a defensive set-up while the Blackhawks spread out to look for an opening. Collins passed back to defenseman Brent Logan. Then Logan passed over to Scott on the left side. One of the Bruins moved in to cut Scott off. However, Scott shook the puck up and then juked past the Bruin defenseman.
Seeing no shot, he passed over to Collins again, who had a shot. Collins wound up and FIRED!
BLOCKED!
Scott could see the puck above his head. He reached up, knocked it down to the ice and put it on the blade of his stick. The 22-year-old American skated around and passed to Badstuber in the middle. Badstuber put a shot on goal that missed. Then Scott went back to the net and picked the puck up. On a whim, he let a wrister go on the Bruins goalie,
SCORES!!!
The United Center crowd went insane, mixed in with the blaring horn. Scott could barely hear anything, but he screamed at the top of his lungs, raising his arms in the air as his teammates skated over and hugged him. Now "Chelsea Dagger" filled the arena as they skated off the ice. Scott looked up and saw the score, 2-1 Blackhawks over the Bruins with 5 minutes to go in the second period. He settled on the bench and watched the action unfold with a now confident Blackhawks team and crowd behind them.
Analysis: Traditional heroes vs Henshin heroes
I'm going to say this flat-out: I like superheroes. I don't think there's ever been a time in my life when I didn't. Superheroes tap into something that makes us feel special. We want to be these people with amazing powers and abilities. Even when their emotional turmoil is not handled well we'd rather be in their shoes. They're the ultimate in escapist fiction, even when (or unless) they're commenting on the state of our society.
However, there are two types of superheroes: Your average born-with or acquired superpowered being and the henshin hero. Now I know what you're thinking; "What the hell is a henshin hero?" To put it simply, a henshin hero is a hero who transforms. They don't have superpowers but it's their suit that gives them the powers. The word "Henshin" is Japanese for "transform". You can probably tell that these kinds of heroes are popular in Japan. Think Kamen Rider, Sailor Moon, Super Sentai (better known in the US as "Power Rangers") and even Iron Man.
Wait, Iron Man? But you just said "Henshin" is Japanese! I never said the Japanese invented the "Henshin hero". It actually dates back to Captain Marvel, who debuted back in 1940. A kid named Billy Batson gained extraordinary powers from a wizard. All he had to do was shout "SHAZAM!" and become a Superman rip-off named Captain Marvel. And of course there's Iron Man, who doesn't have superpowers until he puts his Iron Man suit on.
The Americans may have invented the Henshin Hero, but the Japanese turned it into an art form. They're primarily a TV medium, but there are manga/anime exceptions like Ninja Science Team Gatchaman and Sailor Moon.
In order to transform the henshin hero must use a device and an incantation. This is followed by an elaborate transformation sequence that seems to leave the hero open for attack but in some cases, the transformation is instantaneous. The sequence is simply eye candy to fill time.
So now that we know how a henshin hero typically operates, let's get down to business. In a way, henshin heroes have an advantage over traditional heroes. In essence, they're "Part-time superheroes". Unlike Batman, Superman or Spider-Man, they're only superheroes for a couple of minutes per day. You usually don't see a "which one is the real mask" conflict in henshin works because the superhero really is the mask. They don't work as much as your average powered hero does. The exception to this that I've seen are heroes like the X-Men or Thor, because the X-Men are literally born with their powers and Thor, well, he's a god.
This transformation factor also gives the henshin hero a bigger advantage. Whereas most average powered heroes wear their costumes under their street clothes, the henshin hero simply has to deactivate his/her costume before they can blend in with their surroundings. It's harder to catch them and find their secret identity.
Of course, this is where the henshin hero and average hero can overlap. I do think that the average powered hero could look at the henshin hero and see that their transformation can give them an advantage. They could build their own transformation device that allows them to store their suits in whatever hyperspace they come from. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that's going to be used very often.
Still, I think that American powered heroes can learn from the henshin hero. The henshin hero is not "better" than the powered hero, they just have their own advantages. The two can certainly overlap and I want to see that happen some time.
However, there are two types of superheroes: Your average born-with or acquired superpowered being and the henshin hero. Now I know what you're thinking; "What the hell is a henshin hero?" To put it simply, a henshin hero is a hero who transforms. They don't have superpowers but it's their suit that gives them the powers. The word "Henshin" is Japanese for "transform". You can probably tell that these kinds of heroes are popular in Japan. Think Kamen Rider, Sailor Moon, Super Sentai (better known in the US as "Power Rangers") and even Iron Man.
Wait, Iron Man? But you just said "Henshin" is Japanese! I never said the Japanese invented the "Henshin hero". It actually dates back to Captain Marvel, who debuted back in 1940. A kid named Billy Batson gained extraordinary powers from a wizard. All he had to do was shout "SHAZAM!" and become a Superman rip-off named Captain Marvel. And of course there's Iron Man, who doesn't have superpowers until he puts his Iron Man suit on.
The Americans may have invented the Henshin Hero, but the Japanese turned it into an art form. They're primarily a TV medium, but there are manga/anime exceptions like Ninja Science Team Gatchaman and Sailor Moon.
In order to transform the henshin hero must use a device and an incantation. This is followed by an elaborate transformation sequence that seems to leave the hero open for attack but in some cases, the transformation is instantaneous. The sequence is simply eye candy to fill time.
So now that we know how a henshin hero typically operates, let's get down to business. In a way, henshin heroes have an advantage over traditional heroes. In essence, they're "Part-time superheroes". Unlike Batman, Superman or Spider-Man, they're only superheroes for a couple of minutes per day. You usually don't see a "which one is the real mask" conflict in henshin works because the superhero really is the mask. They don't work as much as your average powered hero does. The exception to this that I've seen are heroes like the X-Men or Thor, because the X-Men are literally born with their powers and Thor, well, he's a god.
This transformation factor also gives the henshin hero a bigger advantage. Whereas most average powered heroes wear their costumes under their street clothes, the henshin hero simply has to deactivate his/her costume before they can blend in with their surroundings. It's harder to catch them and find their secret identity.
Of course, this is where the henshin hero and average hero can overlap. I do think that the average powered hero could look at the henshin hero and see that their transformation can give them an advantage. They could build their own transformation device that allows them to store their suits in whatever hyperspace they come from. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that's going to be used very often.
Still, I think that American powered heroes can learn from the henshin hero. The henshin hero is not "better" than the powered hero, they just have their own advantages. The two can certainly overlap and I want to see that happen some time.
Hockey Withdrawal
It was bound to happen. They say all good things must come to an end, and hockey season had to end. Of course, I am very happy with the result. It's just the shortened season and the lack of good baseball (on the South Side, anyway. The team on the North Side is a Minor League team) has made me miss hockey season... a lot.
So what are the symptoms of hockey withdrawal? Let's see here, it's really hard to describe, but I've been searching a lot on YouTube, Google and writing characters equally obsessed with hockey. Other symptoms include sighing, lethargy, boredom, healthy heartbeat and moodiness. The symptoms may vary, but the best treatment is to remind yourself that hockey season starts soon.
Unfortunately, that may take a while so until then, try to keep busy with your job or other duties. Try watching soccer or WNBA basketball. If absolutely necessary, go on YouTube and look at hockey videos to tide you over or play NHL video games if it's absolutely necessary. Remember, don't get too worked up over the lack of hockey! We still have time to prepare for the next season!
So what are the symptoms of hockey withdrawal? Let's see here, it's really hard to describe, but I've been searching a lot on YouTube, Google and writing characters equally obsessed with hockey. Other symptoms include sighing, lethargy, boredom, healthy heartbeat and moodiness. The symptoms may vary, but the best treatment is to remind yourself that hockey season starts soon.
Unfortunately, that may take a while so until then, try to keep busy with your job or other duties. Try watching soccer or WNBA basketball. If absolutely necessary, go on YouTube and look at hockey videos to tide you over or play NHL video games if it's absolutely necessary. Remember, don't get too worked up over the lack of hockey! We still have time to prepare for the next season!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
A Short Date
Note: On occasion I'll post little short stories like this one if I can't think of a topic to write about.
Outside people walked by in the falling snow. Ritchie watched them in a psuedo-trance ignoring many of the people in the cafe. His fingers tapped the table in a disjointed rhythm, at least as he could tell. For the most part he wanted some time to himself. It was the height of hockey season at UW-Madison and he was busy, busy, busy. He didn't really have time to go out into the city and do what he wanted to, but he was taking full advantage of his opportunity.
A commotion broke him out of his trance. He turned to see his teammate Sean leaving with his girlfriend, some Venezuelan girl named Maria. Reading their lips he could tell they were having fun. They gave each other a kiss that made Ritchie feel a little bit of envy. He wanted someone like her. He didn't want Maria. She and Sean made a great couple even if they did butt heads from time to time. He just wanted someone who would be supportive and independent at the same time.
"Is this seat taken?" A female voice broke him out of his trance again. He looked across the table.
"Janet?"
"Of course it's me!" she said with a laugh. "Who did you think it was, Mr. Oneida Rocket?" He scoffed a little bit at his nickname. It wasn't a meaningless nickname. Not only is he full-blooded Oneida Indian, he's fast as hell out on the ice.
"Sorry," he said, looking at her. He felt thankful to meet a fellow full-blooded Iroquois, even if she is Canadian... and a figure skater. What is it with hockey players and figure skaters, anyway? "So how was your day?"
"It was good," she said. "My coach wanted me to work on my spins. I had to stay at the rink longer than I hoped. What about you?"
"Hockey practice was easy today," said Ritchie. "Coach had us rest up before we start really working for the series this weekend against Minnesota. Are you here with anyone?"
"No," she said. She looked at him with her beautiful Indian eyes and said, "Except you."
Ritchie smiled. The day just got better.
Give Pirri a Chance
Hawks fans knew there was going to be a bad break-up after winning the Stanley Cup. It happened the last time and it was going to happen again. The Hawks parted ways with fan favorites Dave Bolland, who scored the winning goal in Game 6 of the Cup Final and Michael Frolik, the only NHL player to score two penalty shots in the NHL Playoffs. Luckily this time, the break-up won't be as bad 2010 and it looks like the Hawks will be poised for another run in 2014.
However, Bolland and Frolik will have holes to fill. Still, the Hawks have plenty of talent among their prospects to fill the gaps. One name being tossed around is Brand Pirri. The Toronto native scored the most points out of any player in the American Hockey League last season, scoring 75 out of 76 total points for the Rockford IceHogs. GM Stan Bowman has been saying multiple times that Pirri's time is due, so I won't be surprised if he shows up as the second line center for the Hawks next season.
Also important is the Hawks draft picks and non-draft picks like Drew LeBlanc. It'll be interesting to see if LeBlanc gets a chance next year. Also available is winger Ben Smith whose coming out party happened to be Game 3 of the Cup Final filling in for Marian Hossa. However, the young winger showed he's more than capable of playing for the big team, especially considering he score the winning goal of Game 6 against the Canucks in the 2011 Quarterfinals.
I'm not scared about the Hawks next season because I know that they have plenty of talent to repeat. After a rough couple of seasons, GM Stan Bowman has redeemed himself and has shown he knows how to build a winning team. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next year.
However, Bolland and Frolik will have holes to fill. Still, the Hawks have plenty of talent among their prospects to fill the gaps. One name being tossed around is Brand Pirri. The Toronto native scored the most points out of any player in the American Hockey League last season, scoring 75 out of 76 total points for the Rockford IceHogs. GM Stan Bowman has been saying multiple times that Pirri's time is due, so I won't be surprised if he shows up as the second line center for the Hawks next season.
Also important is the Hawks draft picks and non-draft picks like Drew LeBlanc. It'll be interesting to see if LeBlanc gets a chance next year. Also available is winger Ben Smith whose coming out party happened to be Game 3 of the Cup Final filling in for Marian Hossa. However, the young winger showed he's more than capable of playing for the big team, especially considering he score the winning goal of Game 6 against the Canucks in the 2011 Quarterfinals.
I'm not scared about the Hawks next season because I know that they have plenty of talent to repeat. After a rough couple of seasons, GM Stan Bowman has redeemed himself and has shown he knows how to build a winning team. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next year.
Morsi Must Go
Mohammed Morsi was elected by the Egyptian people with a mandate to improve the economy and run the country better than his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak. Unfortunately, Morsi has become an embodiment of "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss". Instead of running a secular democracy, Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood swept in a new constitution that enshrines Sharia law as the law of Egypt. His power grabs, stifling of the free press and various outrages have only made it worse.
Not only that, with unemployment at 13% in Egypt, he's done nothing to help the economy. Even if the Muslim Brotherhood did help bring Mubarak down, their corruption makes me think they only latched on to the popular uprising in 2011 to get into power. Now it's clear that they made a miscalculation.
If Morsi knows what's best, he must step down as President of Egypt, and the Muslim Brotherhood should disband. It's clear that Islamist and even religious government have no place in modern society either in the Middle East or anywhere around the world. Right now the world has to wait and watch to see what will happen to Morsi's government.
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