LNH20 Comics Presents #1 - A View From The Twisted Library
copyright 2011 by Dave Van Domelen
[Part of the LNH20 Comics Presents #1 Chaotic Add-On - Ed, who missed
this place.]
Acton Lord, fifth to carry the title (although the public knew of only
three, and some suspected all three were the same man kept alive by techno-
mystical means), was tending to his garden when a soft chime sounded in the
back of his mind. He and the Twisted Library had become more intimately
bonded during the years of the Killfile than any previous Acton Lord, and he
no longer needed the ostentations instrumentality his predecessor had used,
and that he himself had required back when he tried conclusions with his
brother in the 1990s.
The chime told him that something important had happened in Netropolis,
a city he had largely left to its own devices in recent years. Even after
the Killfile dropped and his exile was ended, he hadn't made more than a few
desultory efforts in the direction of his old home. He had found much more
rewarding pursuits on higher planes, after all.
He briefly sorted through the data the Library made available. For all
his training and mystic talent, he still had a human mind. True omniscience
would destroy him just as surely as an excess of any other sort of power, but
the Library gave him a controlled version of it that was nearly as useful.
"Hm. The Spoon of Destiny? No, that can't be it," he shook his head.
To be certain, the Spoon was an artifact of great power, and Ultivac a
deliciously corrupt machine who had been a useful pawn in the schemes of the
most recent three claimants to the title of Acton Lord. But it couldn't have
been urgent enough for the Library to intrude on the tending of Acton Lord's
nigellas.
The trouble with limited omniscience was that it was...well, sphammy.
It took subtly to filter out the useful information from that which merely
seemed useful on the surface. The Twisted Library may have had a will and a
mind of its own, but it had inhuman priorities and could never quite
understand the details of what organic life wanted, even when explained
exhaustively.
Finally he found it.
A slow smile spread across the face of the man who the world only knew
as Acton Lord, but who would have been named Graham Franklin had he not been
stolen away from his parents by the previous Acton Lord. "Ah, yes. My niece
has joined the Legion of Net.Heroes. Family is important, I should find her
some sort of gift to commemorate the event, provided she survives her clash
with that computer. It's about time I picked a successor anyway, and what
better gift is there for a net.hero than her very own nemesis?"
A slow chuckle gradually built into a maniacal laugh.
"Ah, I've missed that part of the job," he sighed as his laughter
continued to echo through the infinite corridors of the Twisted Library....
[I split this into two parts to keep readers from being crushed beneath a wall of text. The second part goes up tomorrow.] About 20 years ago, on the now-defunct newsgroup called rec.arts.comics, a bunch of people started making up goofy superhero names for themselves. This spawned an in-joke based roleplay that
[Continued from yesterday...] Three people sat alone in a conference room. One was Fearless Leader. Another was a muscular, square-jawed man with hair of an odd blue- black hue, dressed in jeans and a faded, distressed T-shirt with "DN" in a circle on it. The third was a distractingly beautiful brunette
The man before him, hovering slightly off the ground, fumed. He was
scrawny and pale, with dishwater-blond hair. He looked to be around
college-aged, and was dressed in an immaculately tailored suit one size too
large for him. "That's *Death*, not that you didn't know. I was hoping to
actually do my job today, but now I see that that won't be possible."
A small group of LNH members was walking through a psychedelic landscape, on paths of tentacles and goo and thread and ice and sometimes nothing but light, crossing portals that looked like giant open mouths, cuts ripped into air, whirlpools, floating crystals, balls of light, or even rectangles scrawled in charcoal; walking past
LNH20 Comics Presents #2: The Spoon of Destiny Saga: "Re-animations and Revelations" Chapter 2 of a chaotic add-on cascade by Adrian J. McClure, Andrew Perron, Martin Phipps and Dave Van Domelan *** Dr. Mood had been at the Netropolitan Museum of Art looking for the Spoon of Destiny when five Legionaires (Doc Nostalgia, Nudist Man,
You know what we need more of? You know what the early LNH had a lot of? You know what really brings fanboys and fangirls in? SHIPPING! - LNH20 Comics Presents #4 The Spoon of Destiny Saga Part 4: "Free Shipping With Twenty-Five Dollars' Worth of DOOM!" Chapter 4 of a chaotic add-on cascade
LNH20 Comics Presents #5: The Spoon of Destiny Saga Part 5: "Time and Again" Chapter 5 of a chaotic add-on cascade By Adrian J. McClure *** So now Nerf Girl had faced her first actual net.hero battle. She'd had to fight for her life once before she was technically a net.hero, but now she actually had a name and a costume and was a bona fide card-
"Coming To Grief" A High Concept Challenge 24-Minute Story in the LNH20 (Legion of Net.Heroes 20th Anniversary) universe copyright 2011 by Dave Van Domelen
In the street next to the Netropolitan Museum of History, Lindsey Gensym was watching the LNH battle the Otakaiser, unnoticed as always. That battle had started right in front of her eyes, right after Dr. Mood had surrendered. Of course, she was also in the room when Dr. Mood initially attacked, and she had, as always, wondered
LNH20 Comics Presents #7 'Exactly Where We Can Grab It' which is chapter 7 of a chaotic add-on cascade written by and copyright 2012 Saxon Brenton Once again a man entered the air conditioned office that housed Ultravac, the villainous supercomputer that controlled the terrorist
- LNH20 Comics Presents #8 The Spoon of Destiny Saga Part 8: "Not a 24 Parody" Chapter 8 of a chaotic add-on cascade Part of High Concept Challenge 26! By Andrew Perron - Lindsey Gensym rushed into the Netropolitan Museum of History and stopped short. The sunlight through the windows outside seemed... odd, flat...
LNH20 Comics Presents #9: "Draco Dormiens" Chapter 9 of a chaotic add-on cascade by Adrian J. McClure Note: this issue takes place immediately before Clueless Lad Team-Up *** It was almost midnight at the waterfront district; the rain was pouring down and the sky was dismal and starless. Brian was not having
"The Spoon of Destiny Saga Part 10: "Switch Play""
by Andrew Perron
LNH20 Comics Presents #10 The Spoon of Destiny Saga Part 10: "Switch Play" Chapter 10 of a chaotic add-on cascade By Andrew Perron - Far from the LNHQ's sub-basements, in a very different set of labyrinthine catacombs, deep beneath the Vatican... And "labyrinthine" was no exaggeration, thought Killswitch. The Espionage
LNH20 Comics Presents #11: "The Assassination Squad" Chapter 11 of a chaotic add-on cascade by Martin Phipps The Recovery Man returned to the office that housed Ultravac, the villainous supercomputer that controlled the terrorist group WHATEVER - the World Headquarters for Anarchy, Terrorism, Evil, Vengeance,
LNH20 Comics Presents #12: "Chaos Reigns" Chapter 12 of a chaotic add-on cascade (though probably something more like 20 if you count all the crossovers in other series) by Adrian J. McClure Lawrence Herrera, age 45, single, recently laid off from his job as department store manager, was the first to notice it. He was leaving
Agent M was piloting her flight.thingy on approach to LNH HQ in Netropolis. She was bringing her espionage Squad back home after they had retrieved the Spoon of Destiny from a museum in Italy. (See LNH20 Comics Presents #10.) "Okay, everybody," she said. "Seat belts on. We're on approach to
PREFACE: Since Adrian's almost done with LNH Comics Presents #15, I thought I'd repost the story to date. How's about three issues per day 'til we catch up? .p°w°q. About 20 years ago, on the now-defunct newsgroup called rec.arts.comics, a bunch of people started making up goofy superhero
LNH20 Comics Presents #2: The Spoon of Destiny Saga: "Re-animations and Revelations" Chapter 2 of a chaotic add-on cascade by Adrian J. McClure, Andrew Perron, Martin Phipps and Dave Van Domelan *** Dr. Mood had been at the Netropolitan Museum of Art looking for the Spoon of Destiny when five Legionaires (Doc Nostalgia, Nudist Man,
A small group of LNH members was walking through a psychedelic landscape, on paths of tentacles and goo and thread and ice and sometimes nothing but light, crossing portals that looked like giant open mouths, cuts ripped into air, whirlpools, floating crystals, balls of light, or even rectangles scrawled in charcoal; walking past
You know what we need more of? You know what the early LNH had a lot of? You know what really brings fanboys and fangirls in? SHIPPING! - LNH20 Comics Presents #4 The Spoon of Destiny Saga Part 4: "Free Shipping With Twenty-Five Dollars' Worth of DOOM!" Chapter 4 of a chaotic add-on cascade
LNH20 Comics Presents #5: The Spoon of Destiny Saga Part 5: "Time and Again" Chapter 5 of a chaotic add-on cascade By Adrian J. McClure *** So now Nerf Girl had faced her first actual net.hero battle. She'd had to fight for her life once before she was technically a net.hero, but now she actually had a name and a costume and was a bona fide card-
In the street next to the Netropolitan Museum of History, Lindsey Gensym was watching the LNH battle the Otakaiser, unnoticed as always. That battle had started right in front of her eyes, right after Dr. Mood had surrendered. Of course, she was also in the room when Dr. Mood initially attacked, and she had, as always, wondered
LNH20 Comics Presents #7 'Exactly Where We Can Grab It' which is chapter 7 of a chaotic add-on cascade written by and copyright 2012 Saxon Brenton Once again a man entered the air conditioned office that housed Ultravac, the villainous supercomputer that controlled the terrorist group WHATEVER - the World Headquarters for Anarchy, Terrorism, Evil,
- LNH20 Comics Presents #8 The Spoon of Destiny Saga Part 8: "Not a 24 Parody" Chapter 8 of a chaotic add-on cascade Part of High Concept Challenge 26! By Andrew Perron - Lindsey Gensym rushed into the Netropolitan Museum of History and stopped short. The sunlight through the windows outside seemed... odd, flat...
LNH20 Comics Presents #9: "Draco Dormiens" Chapter 9 of a chaotic add-on cascade by Adrian J. McClure Note: this issue takes place immediately before Clueless Lad Team-Up *** It was almost midnight at the waterfront district; the rain was pouring down and the sky was dismal and starless. Brian was not having
LNH20 Comics Presents #10 The Spoon of Destiny Saga Part 10: "Switch Play" Chapter 10 of a chaotic add-on cascade By Andrew Perron - Far from the LNHQ's sub-basements, in a very different set of labyrinthine catacombs, deep beneath the Vatican... And "labyrinthine" was no exaggeration, thought Killswitch. The Espionage
LNH20 Comics Presents #11: "The Assassination Squad" Chapter 11 of a chaotic add-on cascade by Martin Phipps The Recovery Man returned to the office that housed Ultravac, the villainous supercomputer that controlled the terrorist group WHATEVER - the World Headquarters for Anarchy, Terrorism, Evil, Vengeance,
LNH20 Comics Presents #12: "Chaos Reigns" Chapter 12 of a chaotic add-on cascade (though probably something more like 20 if you count all the crossovers in other series) by Adrian J. McClure Lawrence Herrera, age 45, single, recently laid off from his job as department store manager, was the first to notice it. He was leaving
Agent M was piloting her flight.thingy on approach to LNH HQ in Netropolis. She was bringing her espionage Squad back home after they had retrieved the Spoon of Destiny from a museum in Italy. (See LNH20 Comics Presents #10.) "Okay, everybody," she said. "Seat belts on. We're on approach to
An empty stage, lit from above. From the wings steps a man. The main is of an ambiguous age, impossible to tell if he's twenty or thirty, and would probably look even younger if he shaved the goatee and moustache. Though his glasses are transparent, his eyes are forever in shadow. He wears a faux-leather longcoat that has
LNH20 Comics Presents #14 The Spoon of Destiny Saga Part 14: "What Happens Next" Chapter 14 of a chaotic add-on cascade By Andrew Perron - Within the well-furnished but suddenly-shifting rooms of the Netropolitan Museum of History, Nerf Girl picked up the Sword that she had drawn from the styrofoam Stone and attempted to hold it in a simple
LNH Comics Presents #15 "Better Late than Never" by Adrian McClure co-plotted with Andrew Perron **** THE LNHQ, THE PRESENT, TO THE EXTENT THAT TIME AND SPACE HAVE ANY MEANING ANYMORE Professor Penumbra walked into the conference room. "Sorry to be so late, something came up at the last minute. I can't leave this city
"The Spoon of Destiny Saga Part 16: "You Too Are Mortal""
by Andrew Perron
LNH20 Comics Presents #16 The Spoon of Destiny Saga Part 16: "You Too Are Mortal" Chapter 16 in a chaotic add-on cascade By Andrew Perron - Netropolis! Specifically, the neighborhood of New Bundelkhand, founded by Captain Nemo after he was brought forward in time by the Network in 1967,
What Has Gone Before: ... Doc Nostalgia pressed some buttons on his chair; a series of indicators appeared on screen. "Of course! The city is giving off twice as much retcotheric energy as @Lantis's power core! And it's also disrupting time and space! Wait just a minute... where are the LNHers who found Cranium?"
LNH20 Comics Presents #18 The Spoon of Destiny Saga Part 18: "Rising Action" Chapter 18 in a chaotic add-on cascade Part of LNH RETURN! By Andrew Perron - Deep within W.H.A.T.E.V.E.R.'s secret headquarters, Andrea watched a room full of lights flash on and off, reels of magnetic tape spinning fu
"You have to turn yourself in now!" said Doc Nostalgia. Fearless Leader said something in response but he didn't hear it. "What was that?" Doc Nostalgia motioned for him to pull down the window, and he did so. "You have to turn yourself in now!" he repeated. He whispered. "I don't want to hurt
Over five years ago, on the somehow still-existing newsgroup called rec.arts.comics.creative, a bunch of people decided to make a new LNH world to celebrate its 20th anniversary, because why not. This spawned a surprisingly elaborate superhero and complex shared universe that never quite died