The Vigilante Dish

Abishai100

VIP Member
Sep 22, 2013
4,956
250
85
Have comic book adapted movies become popular, since modern-day urbanization-related angst (e.g., 9/11, Los Angeles Race Riots, etc.) have created a social demand for 'crazy justice'?

Here's a short-story I wrote about an idealistic ninja-like crusader named Tan who believes justice can be wrought from some devotional 'anti-crime deeds.'

This short-story was inspired by the Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.


In case you thought 'vigilante dish' referred to some culinary item, here's something appropriate to not disappoint you and lure you to my little story --- Thanksgiving Soy-Patties with Tofu Pierogies and Cranberry Wine (Vegetarian).


====

There was a vigilante named Tan who trained in the mountains of Nepal under a ninja-master named Ryu. Tan was from China, born to a Chinese mother and British father who died while he was very young. Tan wanted to become a master ninja with skill at using the bow-and-arrow (and also a crossbow). Tan fashioned himself a complete white-colored ninja outfit and was determined to understand how to be an effective 'spirit-warrior' from Ryu. Ryu was hesitant to teach Tan all the secrets of the ninja-arts, since the eager pupil seemed to obsessed with fighting and glory, but he recognized in Tan the necessary devotion to the warrior-code, so he trained him for three years.

Tan moved to British Columbia to infiltrate a new crime syndicate called Skull Domain which was coordinating an elaborate opium traffic operation between North America and Europe. The leader of Skull Domain was a Machiavellian Egyptian named Elson who kept at his side a diabolical female lawyer (his girlfriend) and graduate of Yale University named Winifred ('Wendy'). Elson ran his empire, while Wendy ensured its legal stability and 'proper' alliances with the police and corrupt politicians. Skull Domain became a nefarious name for organized crime in North America and their grip on the police kept their goons as urban-patrol 'gargoyles.'

When Tan arrived in British Columbia, he began work trying to deconstruct and topple the evil pyramid of Skull Domain. One night, he used his bow-and-arrow (carrying with great skill now that he was a fully-trained ninja!) to shoot darts tipped with a tranquilizer to knock out a band of four goons from Skull Domain securing a social 'pit' or hang-out in one area of the city on Halloween Eve. When Elson was informed of this new 'ninja-costumed vigilante,' he ordered his death, while Wendy wrote to the newspapers that a 'maniac' was on the loose and required the action of the police (to demonize him to the public). The next time Tan tackled a set of Skull Domain goons, they were ready for him.

Tan approached a group of five Skull Domain members who were monitoring a street-walk while some of their opium was being smuggled into a nightclub party for distribution. It was once again Halloween Eve, so people were not sure it was a vigilante when they noticed a man in a ninja costume. However, one Skull Domain goon present remarked, "What if that ninja-guy is that vigilante who attacked us last Halloween?" He walked up to Tan and blew some hallucinogenic (converted into a powder) into Tan's eyes and nostrils. Tan was shocked and ran away. When he gathered himself, he realized he was having awful hallucinations (he thought he was seeing Skull Domain goons as skeletons).

Tan controlled his mind (somehow) and realized the hallucinogenic powder brought out his subconscious fears. "I must be anxious that the evildoers of Skull Domain really do look like skeletons!" He shook his head and ran back towards the goons monitoring the nightclub during the opium distribution and grabbed one goon and dragged him away into an alley and knocked him out with a tranquilizing potion (while the goon was urinating alone in an alley and separate from his 'buddies'). When the other goons noticed he was missing, there was a commotion, and the opium distribution was disturbed.

The next day, Elson noticed that an op-ed was sent to the newspapers:

"My name is Tan and I am both a ninja and a vigilante. I have been working to deconstruct and demystify the ominous power of Skull Domain and reveal their corruption and frailties. The last two Halloweens, I've dressed up in a white ninja outfit and dealt with two groups of Skull Domain 'minions' to ensure the people of British Columbia that the distribution of dangerous substances with criminal intentionality is a clear sign of the subversion of human freedom. I intend to continue working in this area until Skull Domain is considered to be nothing more than a 'hellraiser gang.' This is the real double-face of urban justice: vigilantism/exorcism!"

====


warzone.jpg
 
Realm and Conquest



====

Steve Rogers was recruited to become a patriotic soldier for the U.S. army, but when he discovered he was knocked unconscious deliberately to be unwittingly carried to a steroids experiment for soldiers, he rebelled against his superiors and decided to become the mystical vigilante Captain America, defending democracy in America's cities. Rogers/Captain America decided to go to the forest of the Pine Barrens (in New Jersey, USA) and camp there monitoring for any unusual paranormal activity that frightened Americans. Rogers/Captain America heard strange noises one night which resembled the sound of someone hacking through greenery with a machete.

Captain America was face-to-face with Jason Voorhees, the hockey-mask wearing zombie serial killer who haunted Crystal Lake which sat in the Pine Barrens. Captain was frozen in fear but then composed himself and hurled his shield towards his head, and when Jason fell to the ground, Captain ran to him and disarmed him, taking his machete and caging him with his special rope. Jason was transported to a maximum security prison for the criminally insane or genetically anti-social. However, one night a group of fairies (tiny winged humanoids) helped Jason escape from 'prison.' Jason lived with the fairies for one year until he decided to track down and kill Captain America.

Captain America met him finally by a woods clearing in the Pine Barrens on Halloween Eve, the day of Captain's sister's birthday. Captain America tried to engage the Bigfoot-like man-creature in a thoughtful dialogue, but it was simply more practical to engage with the 'beast' through basic one-on-one decision-making regarding predator-prey negotiations! Jason was a real menace, and not even his magical fairy friends in the forest could tame his savage consciousness. Jason was a threat to Captain America but not to the fairies, which Captain America found to be really interesting (in terms of workable contradictions/paradoxes).

Captain America decided to make a treaty with the fairies. He would secure their dominion in a specially guarded eco-forest protection zone where the fairies and Jason could live together peacefully for eternity. He would personally be one of the guards for the initiative/project. The fairies were thrilled at the prospect of creating eco-mysticism 'arenas' so they agreed to what was then to be referred to as The Alien Contract. Jason conceded to the deal so he could retire with his fairies and live in bliss for all time, satisfied with his own 'metrics' of spiritual courage. Captain America was honored as the 'guy who restored magic!' People would remember Jason and the Fairies as an iconic metaphysics symbol of coordination/teamwork diplomacy.

====


cap2.jpg

imp.jpg
 
Leadership


====

WOLVERINE: Your reign of hell will end!
DARK PHOENIX: Isn't the Internet just a 'synthetic psychic' device?
WOLVERINE: Wikipedia and Facebook are embraced by all peoples.
DARK PHOENIX: Your optimism will be the end of you!
WOLVERINE: I regard my idealism with the same esteem as my intelligence.
DARK PHOENIX: That's what makes us different!
WOLVERINE: You're correct.
DARK PHOENIX: Do you support insurance?
WOLVERINE: There's nothing morally wrong with life insurance, medical insurance, property insurance, etc.
DARK PHOENIX: Do you support the collecting of wealth?
WOLVERINE: If wealthy leaders inspire their nation with shrewd education policies, students can benefit.
DARK PHOENIX: Are you talking about philanthropy?
WOLVERINE: Why not?
DARK PHOENIX: What about the 'romance of capitalism'? Is there such a thing?
WOLVERINE: Sure! How about the lottery?
DARK PHOENIX: The lottery is simply a society-condoned form of gambling.
WOLVERINE: It's good 'advertising' for civics optimism...
DARK PHOENIX: You're correct; anyone can win the lottery...
WOLVERINE: Your problem is my rage against your misuse of energy/superpowers.
DARK PHOENIX: My psychic-energies are reserved for the acquisition of glory.
WOLVERINE: A true vigilante uses his strength to defend empathy/altruism.
DARK PHOENIX: Perhaps we can agree about fury...

====


comics2.jpg
 
The Fury



====

The Youth Soccer League in Florida began in the crisp autumn. Todd Fletcher, a socially-awkward but gifted young boy was enrolled in the team Fury, which was given the preseason ranking of #4. The top-ranked teams included the #1 Dragons, the #2 Cardinals, and the #3 Force. These teams were very exciting, and the tournament could see any of them rise to the top, even the under-dog #5 team Blast. Fletcher was the quiet work-horse of Fury, while the Cardinals boasted two gifted strikers (Brad and Josh), and the Force possessed a skillful midfielder Tom, and the Dragons had a stellar well-oiled defense and three deadly strikers (Jason, Timothy, and Ed). Even the Blast boasted a terrific right-midfielder (Evans). However, Todd's sense of level-headedness would prove to win the day (in a way).

Fury defeated the Blast in the first quarterfinal and faced the Force in the semifinal (while the Dragons and Cardinals played in the other semifinal). Todd scored two goals, while the Blast's Evans only scored one. The Dragons won an incredible contest with the Cardinals, winning 4-3 behind Jason's two goals and one terrific save by the goalie late in the game to seal the lasting lead. The Dragons were now set to face Fury in the finals, and Todd was excited to devise 'schemes' to deal with Jason, Timothy, and Ed, even though Todd was uniquely able to shift between defense and offense positions, he was worried about the cunning coordinated play of the Dragons (and most of all of its one relentless striker Jason who was dominating in the tournament).

In the final, Fury was well-groomed for the showdown but did not expect the out-of-the-pocket gun-play of the Dragons who jumped out to a 2-0 lead going into halftime. Todd was powerless as the Dragon defense stifled his midfield play while Jason and Timothy (Dragon strikers) were conquering Todd's management of Fury's defense. In the team-room, Fury coach James Keep told his team to give all emotional and psychological support to Todd so he could lead the team to glory. Suddenly, Todd felt something electric going through his soccer cleats. He felt 10 times stronger (and swifter) and felt like he was becoming a comic book superhero (maybe Captain America!). Todd scored three goals in the second half and maestroed a defense that held the Dragons strikers back to pull ahead with an astounding 4-2 victory. Todd was carried off the field and forever became a fan of Captain America comics!

====


fury.jpg
 
The Celebrity Dream Warriors

I like feeling offbeat about storytelling. Maybe the storyteller is a kind of 'vigilante.' This short story was inspired by the works of Warren Beatty, David Fincher, and Orson Welles. Someday, I'll demystify the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Captain Marvel.


====

Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, and Fiona Apple were auditioning for the part of a new Dick Tracy/X-Men crossover film featuring a female portrayal of traveller Carmen Sandiego. They all won the parts, with Mark as Dick Tracy and Alec Baldwin as Mister Sinister (and Fiona as Carmen Sandiego). The film was highly-anticipated, and the screen play was being written by Bryan Singer, and the director attached was Wes Anderson. DreamWorks was financing the picture, and the buzz created headlines in Newsweek, TIME, People, and Vogue. Fashion was going to be wed to storytelling substance.

Fiona realized she did not have too many lines in the script, and her contribution was more visual and physical, serving as an inspiration to Mark's Dick Tracy, the all-American sleuth who was determined to detangle a new HGP (Human Genome Project) conspiracy involving the perennial nemesis of the heroic mutant X-Men, Mister Sinister. Fiona's Carmen Sandiego was to be subtle, gorgeous, muse-like, smart, and well-coordinated (and wise!). Mark's Dick Tracy was going to be presented by director Anderson as a man of colors and ethics, a detective who was an American rendition of Sherlock Holmes, a combination of intelligence and good humor.

The film was titled The Detective War, and it made a ton of money for DreamWorks, and People Magazine ran a special spread urging the film's two unlikely stars Mark and Fiona to begin dating to add to the PR allure of the well-received film! However, Fiona wanted to shoot higher and began dating the film's co-star Alec Baldwin who portrayed the evil Minister Sinister (a villain who intended to steal genetic data from the HGP and use it for medical records corruption) and won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his cool performance. Mark did in fact have a crush on Fiona but saw his love go unrequited when he realized his female co-star was being drawn towards Alec and not him.

Mark started to sweat. He knew the film was a big feather for his realized career, but he also knew that the headline surrounding the new affair between Fiona and Alec would take attention from his Dick Tracy and shine the spotlight on the Carmen/Sinister chemistry in the film, which was pronounced in one climactic scene during the second third of the film when Fiona's character tells Alec's character, "Dick Tracy will not give in to your demands, even if he suspects I betrayed him to you and am now in great danger!" Mark made a deal with director Wes Andersen (and the Devil). He encouraged Wes to make another film with him portraying Sherlock Holmes and Fiona portraying his female assistant Ms. Smart. Wes did so, and the second film, titled Sherlock Holmes: Dystopia, also made a huge splash.

When Mark was in Church, he heard a voice in Church (it was God):

"Mark, I'm happy for the successes in your career, but you betrayed the loopholes of Hollywood hustling and made a film just to stir more attention for your connection to Fiona Apple. Movies are daydreams used for casual psychiatry, not for personal liberties/indulgences. You must make amends by making a third stand-alone film (perhaps with you portraying Dick Tracy again) but without Fiona or Alec (or any other celebrity standout) to complement your film. If your project stands on its own merit, you'll be re-admitted into the 'heaven of social popularity'. Your real decision then is whether or not to become an actual 'capitalism vigilante'!"

====


detective.jpg
female.jpg
villain.jpg
 

New Topics

Forum List

Back
Top