As has been something of a tradition, we here at Battlerock Comics have whipped up something special for the season.
David 2 has pulled out his bag of audio tricks and has come up with a special holiday story that features Aaron Nile, whom you know as Penitence from “Battlerock Comics Presents” #1.
In this story, our lonely spirit has his solitude interrupted by a rather boisterous individual. But what this old possible supervillain doesn’t know is that Aaron Nile has a connection to the holiday season that nobody would expect.
Enjoy! And thanks to Scott Buckley for the background music.
The tribulations of Starlett continue, as the Hometown Hero and VoxPop 2.0 make the vigilante’s life more and more difficult. Boundaries are blurred as the blackmailing duo continue to break down Starlett’s personal and vigilante roles.
With John Battle out of the picture, who can Starlett turn to for help?
Meanwhile, Red Sinner is unable to track down VoxPop. Can Cassie Dare somehow do what Red Sinner cannot?
It’s not easy for heroes to keep two lives. Either they wear masks as heroes to protect their civilian identity, or they wear disguises in their civilian identity to keep people from identifying them as heroes.
Think about Galatea Future. For most of her life before she went to the world of Champions Online, she really didn’t have a secret identity, because she didn’t have a personal life outside of who she was as a hero. Yes, in those early years in “The City”, she had a secret identity as a tailor apprentice, but that ended up being scuttled when she disappeared for five years and her civilian identity was presumed killed. After that, she was simply “Galatea” That’s what that whole universe knew her as.. Then, after she arrived in the world of the Champions, she was given a new civilian identity of Athena Rose Fairmore, but even that is a disguise for who she really is.
In fact, as we see in this preview of “Future’s Guardian” #22, Galatea’s civilian identity as a bestselling writer reaches new levels as she goes from pure fiction to crime drama.
Then there is Starlett. A former movie stunt-actor turned vigilante, Dee Risk tries to balance her personal live as a club DJ with her vigilante life as the sword-wielding Starlett. In this case, Starlett is Dee’s disguise.
But, just like the character in Athena’s latest book, Dee’s secret identity as Starlett was discovered by the wrong people, and they are using that to control her. And in this scene, that includes showing up at her civilian job in Club Caprice…
It’s clear that lines are being crossed, but how long will this go on, and to what extent will she be pushed?
Plus, we get another look at a certain “mad scientist” from Issue 21 and his creation.
What is going on with him? And how does this affect Galatea Future?
You’re just going to have to wait and see…
“Future’s Guardian” #22 will be going online on “Black Friday”, November 26th.
For years, Starlett was able to keep her dual life as a club dee-jay and as a vigilante separate.
But now, two people with grudges against her and against John Battle have found out her secret. And now they plan on using it to get her do to their bidding. Can she and her associate Red Sinner stop them? Or will she be forced to do something that will end her relationship with John?
Also, what happened to that stolen data about Galatea Future? Why is SpiralCross so obsessed about it? And who ended up with that data? Find out!
This is a dramatic audio scene from “Future’s Guardian” #21 that first aired on Dawn Radio as part of DawnCon VII. And now you’ll get to hear it as well. Make sure your speakers are turned on and get ready to experience a vigilante interrogating someone that you’ve all wanted to hear get it.
Yes, the annual virtual convention hosted by Paragon Dawn and Dawn Radio is back, and David 2 (aka Battlerock X/John Battle) will be attending as a guest along with fellow comic creator Von from CoX Comics.
The convention is a week-long extravaganza, starting on Sunday, July 18th, and concluding on Saturday, July 24th. This will encompass several online MMO games, not just Champions Online. There will be contests and prizes all week, with the big interviews (including our own) on the 24th.
Von will hopefully be releasing Issue 40 of “The Crucible” during that time. This will not only feature our own Galatea Future, but she gets to pay homage to the very first superhero comic.
(What is it with green cars that caped superheroes feel the need to pick up and smash?)
Yes, that is Galatea Future striking a pose similar to a certain blue-and-red superhero in “Action Comics” #1. Oh, and did we mention the Nazis? Yes, our favorite Guardian gets to punch some Nazis as well. Because, you know, they’re Nazis.
But that brings us to “Future’s Guardian” #21.
“Future’s Guardian” #21 won’t be released until after DawnCon, but we still have something planned for the event to help promote the issue. David 2 brushed off his old audio gear to come up with something special that hopefully will be broadcast on Dawn Radio.
(Just a peek at our humble creator’s desk to see where the magic is made.)
If you’ve ever heard a dramatic audio story before, you’re going to be in for a treat.
Issue 21 will focus mostly on Starlett and her ordeal with the two guys who discovered her secret identity and will be blackmailing her to keep it secret. As seen in Issue 19, Starlett managed to get some help from a certain red-hooded vigilante, but will it be enough? Or is the relationship between Starlett and John Battle doomed? Plus, the actions of certain people in Issue #20 have consequences. Who did steal Doctor Silverback’s examination data on Galatea Future? And who ended up with it?
(Future’s Guardian Issue 21 cover)
Future’s Guardian #21 will be online on Friday, July 30th!
With Galatea’s multiverse past revealed to the United Nations Security Council, it’s time for Galatea to reveal just how powerful she is now, and how powerful she was before arriving in the universe of Champions. But with those revelations come secrets that Galatea has been hiding all this time.
Just how powerful was Galatea as a god-level incarnate?
What is her connection to Watcher Twelve from “The Crucible”?
Fans of “Future’s Guardian” know that Galatea Future is not only from another universe, two of them in fact, but she’s also from an alternate future, and that she’s over a thousand years old.
But for many in the world of Champions Online, they have only known Galatea as being from “the far future”. That’s the way that it’s been for the past ten years, ever since she first appeared in “The Lost Adventures of Galatea Future” Issue #1. The truth of her origins were kept a secret known only to a small group of people.
That has now changed. Recent events forced Galatea’s origins to be revealed to the United Nations Security Council, and they’re now insisting on full disclosure.
In Issue 20 of “Future’s Guardian”, Galatea’s attention will be divided between discussing her past and demonstrating her current abilities. This will take her from her days in the alternate timeline of “The City” to the moon with a familiar friend.
“Galatea’s time as an incarnate will be a covered in unusual ways,” said creator and editor David 2. “We’ve never really understood what it’s like to be powerful enough to be ‘god-level’. How strong is strong enough? How fast is fast enough? What is it like to have ‘hyper-intelligence’? Being on the level of gods changes your perspective of things. That really comes out when Galatea is talking with Doctor Silverback and he’s marveling about being on the moon, and she just finds the experience as boring.”
Issue 20 also gives readers the opportunity to see just how Galatea was able to recognize Watcher Twelve from “The Crucible”.
David 2 explains. “When Galatea confronts Watcher Twelve and Sinnamon Kitten in ‘The Crucible’ #36, she asks them if they’re hunters or scroungers. It’s something that only someone with multiverse experience would know, especially if they came across either one or the other. In this issue we learn just how she is able to recognize Watcher Twelve and why she thinks anyone wearing the device he has invites trouble.”
Galatea will also be tested on her current abilities, including her newest “beam vision” power. David 2 says this is something that isn’t really what she thinks it is.
“When she first unleashed her new beam vision in Issue #18, she knew there was something different about it. But she never really had the opportunity to test it. Now, in this issue, she’s able to do so with the help of Doctor Silverback and an old opponent.”
But that’s not all that comes out in this issue. There are certain secrets that Galatea didn’t want revealed, and they are the kind that could be dangerous if made known to certain groups.
What are those secrets?
You’ll have to find out when “Future’s Guardian” #20 goes online on Friday, April 30th.
Galatea Future has kept the truth about her origins a secret for almost a decade. A secret that was shared with only a very small group of people. And for a good reason. Because there are people like Captain Lynch who treat all extra-dimensional beings as threats. And Lynch just discovered Galatea’s little secret and has ordered her detained.
What can Galatea’s friends and allies do to help her? Or are they next to be detained?
Battlerock Comics brings quite a few surprises for Christmas Day this year, starting with the last release of “Future’s Guardian” for the year.
And what an issue it will be, according to writer/creator David 2.
“We start with Galatea Future in custody by Captain Lynch,” he said, “and right off the bat, we learn something about him that you would never expect.”
And that, according to David 2, is just the start of the surprises and revelations.
“There are going to be connections to past issues, and connections to Galatea’s current appearances in the CoX Comics series ‘The Crucible’, and they will each play a part in the story that will play out.”
In addition to Galatea’s predicament, there is a backstory involving Starlett, as well as the first appearance of a certain force that has been referenced in not one but two MMO universes.
One thing is for certain, said David 2. “Come the end of 2020, a lot of things will change.”
“Future’s Guardian” #19 will be online on Christmas Day, 2020.
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