Megathread The Lara-Su Chronicles and Ken Penders topic - READ PAGE 164, POST 4096

[The Tenth Doctor]

21 minutes ago, Ryannumber1Santa said:

The Cyberdark Colony somehow sounds even more comically evil than the Dark Legion. Like even barring the over the top edgy nonsense involved with it, who on Earth decides “Hmm, I am so clearly in the right and am a good person that I shall put Dark in my legion’s name!”. If you’re going for a shade of grey scenario, why would you ever give yourself and your colony a name that literally screams “WE’RE THE BAD GUYS”.

I mean you also have Team Dark in Sonic Heroes, but that was just a name spun off the dark side story in Adventure 2, and wasn’t used ironically used by the characters, you didn’t have Rouge randomly shouting “We’re Team Dark!!”. 

I think others refer to them as Team Dark. Omochao certainly does in Free Riders and Team Sonic Racing and I think others did too.

Thing is, Team Dark works as a name others use for them. Shadow, Rouge and Omega know they aren't goody goody like Sonic, they do it their own way which, normally comes with darker methods, which the rest of the cast acknowledge by dubbing them Team Dark. Cyberdark colony however name themselves this and are happy with an evil name, even though they think they are good.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

4 minutes ago, The Tenth Doctor said:

I think others refer to them as Team Dark. Omochao certainly does in Free Riders and Team Sonic Racing and I think others did too.

Thing is, Team Dark works as a name others use for them. Shadow, Rouge and Omega know they aren't goody goody like Sonic, they do it their own way which, normally comes with darker methods, which the rest of the cast acknowledge by dubbing them Team Dark. Cyberdark colony however name themselves this and are happy with an evil name, even though they think they are good.

I feel like the only people who've ever called them that is the G.U.N Commander, and Omochao, and both are justifiable as to why (Omochao just acts as an announcer for certain games, while the G.U.N Commander probably just codenamed the team as that due to their methods, as you mentioned).

Team Dark works as a militaristic codename for a covert group that operates with darker methods that most would deem unacceptable. Cyberdark Colony doesn't work for a group that seems to genuinely think they're the good guys in this whole debacle, and as Ken says, in this big boy edgy story, is meant to all be shades of grey. 

At least as fucking ridiculous as the Dark Legion is, it was named by an egotistical maniacal madman who had no issues just admitting they were a bunch of power-hungry assholes (Even if Ken loved to flip-flop on that). It's a lot more sillier in a so called serious grown up story where everyone's meant to be a little wrong and there's no true bad guys. 

[King Scoopa Koopa]

20 hours ago, horridus said:

That, and given how much Penders insists that he's TOTALLY a grownup writer and his work is meant to reflect the ambiguity of real life, it probably dawned on him that 'Dark Legion' is one of the most blatantly Evil Sounding names out there, and as such it actively undermines his intended goals as a writer. When his own terrible writing isn't doing the job, anyway. 

My favorite part is how he apparently determined it was the word "legion" that was the problem there.

[horridus]

1 hour ago, KingScoopaKoopa said:

My favorite part is how he apparently determined it was the word "legion" that was the problem there.

Leave it to Penders to toss out the part of the name that makes sense while finding something even more laughable to replace it. 

And you know what's really hilarious? He had a perfect excuse to keep the Dark Legion name as is while engaging in some legitimate worldbuilding. He's recently revealed that the 'Echyd'nya' dwell underground. As such, one might be able to make the case that in a society of underground dwellers, 'Darkness' might actually have GOOD connotations rather than negative ones. Its something that Terry Pratchett did with Discworld, elaborating on how the Dwarves of that setting, being a subterranean people, view Darkness is positive terms as a culture- indeed, rather than 'enlightened', they use 'endarkened'. 

A similar logic could prevail with the Echyd'nya here, given that he has explicitly decided they dwell underground... provided he had the patience to set this up and establish it as being a part of Echyd'nya culture, then the 'Dark Legion', which sounds blatantly sinister to us, would instead mean something more like 'The Bright Legion' or 'The Legion of Light', and thus illustrate precisely HOW the Legion see themselves within the context of Echyd'nya culture. 

But this is Penders we're talking about, so of course, we get something silly that was (most likely unintentionally) ripped off from Yu-Gi-Oh. Gotta love it. For a given definition of 'love'. 

[SenEDDtor Missile]

It says something when Nocturnus (the Nocturnus Clan from Chronicles) still manages to sound better since that word is just related to the word “night”, sounds mysterious without being overtly evil or sinister, and overall sounds much more neutral by comparison.

[SBR2]

17 hours ago, KingScoopaKoopa said:

My favorite part is how he apparently determined it was the word "legion" that was the problem there.

Yes because "CyberDark" gives off such a grey area vibe.

[Zonic 2099]

I mean... why wouldn't he understand? There's nothing he can do with the knowledge of Fleetway Sonic other than score some brownie points with Sonic fans. It's more problematic that he wouldn't know who Silver, Blaze or the Babylon Rogues than him not knowing who Porker Lewis is, or Johnny Lightfoot or Shortfuse.

[Rabid-Coot]

On 11/29/2020 at 5:49 PM, horridus said:

-

Thanks for the recap I hadn't seen his slightly wordplay full name before and just seeing Dr. Droid most of the time its easy to forget his background and just think of an off brand Robotnik.

[horridus]

 

In which we are helpfully reminded that Model Sheets exist. I think I'd find these 'tidbits' a lot less aggravating if he didn't treat basic-ass information as some kind of esoteric insider knowledge when it comes to character design. To say nothing of him yet again teasing at a backstory that he has no intention of ever actually revealing. Guy really is stuck in the Knuckles days. 

It is so depressing to consider that this is the first 'new' new thing he's drawn in like forever. 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

In a series where the whole shtick is that his weird-ass pseudo echidna aliens all have random electronic pieces poorly stuck to their heads, and where there's a literal faction of villains that literally exist to have random technology, why is it a big deal that the dreadlocks are artificial?

Like, for a start - I doubt anyone really gives a fuck about why random Brotherhood echidna has artificial dreadlocks, but it's a whole lot less compelling when that exists in a world where everyone already has random pieces of technology implanted for the hell of it.

Like, take Bunnie from Archie Sonic for example - she's interesting because she's one of a kind. She was a rare oddity among roboticised victims because of the unique way her cybernetics were created. Because it was literal organic pieces transformed into robotic cybernetics, somehow meshed into her organic form, there's an interesting story to be told as to how she came to be like that, and how she feels about being one of the only mobians like this. Plus, I mean it kind of helps that Bunnie is a likeable character as is.

Even take the Dark Egg Legion, and Lien-Da in post reboot Archie. Ian gave them interesting reasons as to why they were implanted their cybernetics, because the echidnas had grown so reliant on them that when they were stripped of them, they became absolutely pitifully weak, and Eggman stepped in and took advantage of it. He introduced factions and story concepts based around making the legionnaires interesting, like Bunnie's uncle, who practically was forced to agree to the process because the corrupt Freedom Fighters of that region were discriminative against former Robians. 

But like, we're meant to care here about Spectre - an already bleh Guardian from an already beyond hateable faction, having some kind of backstory about his artificial cybernetics in a series where literally every echidna already has random cybernetics thrown onto them for no real story purpose, beyond "sci-fi", why?

[AlienBunny]

"Note he has only 2 dreadlocks (one on each side), both artificial (and yes, there's a story behind that event)."

So they're extensions. Boy went to the hair salon and got hair extensions. 

If those things are made out of flesh and bone though... ew.

[therealfalconpawnch777]

Grabbed this one in a screenshot in case he deletes it, but somehow Penders has replied to the wrong thread. Though we now know that Enerjak is his favorite I guess, didn't really do much with him if we're being honest.

[horridus]

3 hours ago, therealfalconpawnch777 said:

Grabbed this one in a screenshot in case he deletes it, but somehow Penders has replied to the wrong thread. Though we now know that Enerjak is his favorite I guess, didn't really do much with him if we're being honest.

Coming from virtually any other writer, that line would be legitimately cheeky or self-depreciating. Coming from Penders, I can't help but see it as an objective statement of fact.

But yeah, that said, his track record with Enerjak ain't exactly impressive. First he was beaten by Ants. Then he was beaten by a rocket shooting him away. And then Mogul drained all his power before he could really exact his revenge against Echidnapolis. Oh and before that, his attempt to disintegrate Knuckles was undone via Literal Deus Ex Machina.

Why Penders is so terrified of Things Actually Happening, I'll never, ever understand.  

[Mr Silvia]

Hey, Bobby just found Scott Fulop's website promoting a Mammoth Mogul comic and merch. Not TLSC but it's somewhat related, I guess:

https://thankskenpenders.tumblr.com/post/637060530466586624/thankskenpenders-okay-so-penders-and-the-lara-su 

[horridus]

49 minutes ago, Mr Silvia said:

Hey, Bobby just found Scott Fulop's website promoting a Mammoth Mogul comic and merch. Not TLSC but it's somewhat related, I guess:

https://thankskenpenders.tumblr.com/post/637060530466586624/thankskenpenders-okay-so-penders-and-the-lara-su 

Man. 2020 really IS The Weirdest Year. 

[SBR2]

57 minutes ago, Mr Silvia said:

Hey, Bobby just found Scott Fulop's website promoting a Mammoth Mogul comic and merch. Not TLSC but it's somewhat related, I guess:

https://thankskenpenders.tumblr.com/post/637060530466586624/thankskenpenders-okay-so-penders-and-the-lara-su 

Yeah Mammoth Mogul there's a character who can hold a series right there.

[SatAMhog]

11 minutes ago, horridus said:

Man. 2020 really IS The Weirdest Year. 

That's an understatement! Mammoth Mogul, SUPERSTAR?!  Honestly, I had to do a double take when I read that!

[Zaysho]

Mogul was one of my favorite villains in the original comic that I always enjoyed seeing.

But fuck no.

 

I would like to know if the original artist, Sam Maxwell, is getting any kickback but I think I already learned from following Penders's nonsense that's a little detail they won't bother with.

[horridus]

I think reading this might be giving me a stroke. Good lord, what world is Fulop living in???

Look at this-

Quote

 

COMIC BOOK AND VIDEO GAME FANS HAVE LONG THRILLED TO THE COSMIC EXPLOITS OF THIS SELF-STYLED SUPREME BEING, BURSTING WITH AN AWESOME ARRAY OF PHYSICAL AND PARANORMAL ABILITIES FAR BEYOND THOSE OF ANY PACHYDERM OR HUMAN!

AFTER A UNIVERSE-SHATTERING DEBUT IN THE PAGES OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COMIC BOOKS, FOR ALMOST TWENTY-FIVE YEARS MAMMOTH MOGUL, OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY HIS SUPER-POWERED COHORTS, THE FEARSOME FOURSOME, HAS CONTINUED TO THRILL READERS AS THE STAR AND CO-STAR OF A WIDE VARIETY OF COMIC BOOKS, GRAPHIC NOVELS, MAGAZINES, AND MANY OTHER PUBLICATIONS!

IS HE TRULY A MEGALOMANIAC OR THE ULTIMATE SAVIOR? THE MULTIVERSE’S GREATEST ENEMY OR THE PREEMINENT HERO? FIND OUT RIGHT HERE WITH THE INAUGURAL EDITION OF MAMMOTH MOGUL’S ONLINE, ONGOING COMIC BOOK ADVENTURES!

 

I... dude, Mogul didn't really show up all that often until Flynn came on board. Every time he DID show up was done explicitly in the name of conquering everything. He's one of the most unambiguously power hungry villains out there. That's without getting into the fact that Fulop is responsible for a grand total of TWO stories featuring these guys, neither of which were particularly memorable. 

I just... how? How do you draw ANY of these conclusions??? 

[Zaysho]

29 minutes ago, horridus said:

I... dude, Mogul didn't really show up all that often until Flynn came on board. Every time he DID show up was done explicitly in the name of conquering everything. He's one of the most unambiguously power hungry villains out there. That's without getting into the fact that Fulop is responsible for a grand total of TWO stories featuring these guys, neither of which were particularly memorable. 

I was gonna say. I'm pretty sure Mogul's been passed around to more writers than anything (maybe the Destructix/Fearsome Foursome even more so?). Penders and Bollers, if anything, did most of the character's development, not to mention what Ian did for the character's background later on.

[Dr. Detective]

I think we're skirting by the really obvious thing about the Mammoth Mogul Adventures series here though... and that's that this is really, really funny. 

I just can't comprehend how one brain could ever be deluded enough to look at Mammoth Mogul and come to that conclusion about him in that excerpt. I'll give the man this, at where I am in these comics, every time the guy shows up something interesting at least happens. 

Oh my God. I want to see that alternate universe. The one where, against all odds, out of all the characters in the Sonic franchise, fucking Mammoth Mogul is the one who takes off and has his own adventures, the likes of which delight parents and children around the globe. Sonic the Hedgehog would be digging out of trashcans in comparison. He'd beg for a flock of Mogul's hair so he could sell it on eBay for a luxury house and five convertibles. That's how much a lock of Mogul's hair is worth.

I need to see Fulop posing with a Mammoth Mogul standee with his thumbs up, grinning, and a mountain of Mammoth Mogul merch behind him. I'd look at that picture every night before bed so I could laugh myself to sleep. 

I want to send this man an MP3 of my applause and a can of my laughter.

[MetalSkulkBane]

Forget about Covid. We have new pandemic on our hands. Slower, but equally terrifying.
Chason's Tommy Turtle Saga, Decasare's Legends of Larry Lynx. Sam Freiberger's Kyle the Gorrila Epic. We can't stop it.

Side note, I never liked Mogul. Writing him just meant pulling new power from his giant hairy ass.
"Enerjack took all my power!... I'm barely alive... Well time to kidnap the kid that defeated me last time (in his Super Form no less), replace with identical copy that can still fight Chaos Knuckles and keep him in eternal sleep. All of that without knowledge of Ancient Watchers who are directly looking at Tails. God I'm so weak!"

Flynn made him a little better, but the way he escaped prison required another hairy pull.

[Tylinos]

what in the

This almost feels like a someone parodying Ken's approach to everything.  Except, knowing it's Scott Fulop, he's probably being completely serious here.  I just...  What.

...Oh wow: Check the SHOP page.  There are seriously fake ADD TO CART buttons for a non-existent Mammoth Mogul comic, trading cards, and animated series DVD.

Okay, now I want to believe this actually is parody.  It has to be.  ...Right?  The only other explanation I can think of is that he had to make something for the sake of his court filings so it looked like the character was still in use, so he threw something together to pretend he's actively using Mogul for new work.  Nothing else makes sense at this point unless he's seriously lost his grip on reality.

[Zonic 2099]

I either must still be waking up or this is legitimately the darkest timeline for Archie Sonic.

Legal issues aside at least Penders has a lot of lore, characters and material to sustain his delusions of a Lara-Su franchise. Mogul has like what? Only the Fearsome Foursome to his name? The Chaos Emerald that granted him immortality can't be used. Mobius still can't be used. The guy barely has anything to work with.

The Sonic connection was the only reason people cared or tolerated these characters and with that gone the only interest these guys are going to have comes from the fact that we all know this is going to crash and burn

[Leebo4]

I like Mogul as he is my fave Archie Sonic villain but I thought Scott failed when he tried to get the same copyright protection for his characters