I was hit by inspiration on Spider-Girl a couple of weeks ago, so Babysitter is currently on hold while I try and finish this arc. As I've said before this arc has been a merciless bitch to plot, so I'm really glad it's coming together (and even more glad that I'm getting to include all of the kinky shit I wanted to...).
Anyway here are two pieces of random text that have been cut from the final issues - ie, these scenes won't be in the final version. First one is from issue #22, which is finished, and the second is from issue #23, which I'm about two-thirds done with.
Just so you know, both of these excerpts contain fairly major spoilers - even though these pieces won't be in the final issues, they still contain plot details. So if you don't want to be spoiled... stop reading!
You're sure? Last chance now...
Okay.... here we go:
Cut from Issue #22:
“I appreciate your politeness, Peter, but we don’t really have time to play nice,” Betty said, hearing Barbara speak. “I’ve got something I have to tell you.”
Peter looked confused. “Something to do with the library?”
Barbara smiled at him, and he could swear it was a similar smile to the one Liz Allen had given him earlier. It was trouble. “Not quite,” Barbara said, as she removed her glasses and carefully put them away. Then to Peter’s great surprise, she began to unbutton her blouse, the dark material separating away from her neck.
“Miss - Miss Wayne, I’m, I guess I’m flattered, I, I - ”
“Shh,” she said. “Don’t spoil the moment, Peter.” Betty watched him carefully as with one sudden flourish, she pulled apart ‘Barbara’s’ blouse, exposing the Spider-Girl costume she wore beneath. Peter’s eyes widened, and then he suddenly understood.
“Betty?!”
“In person,” Betty said, almost sad she had to share the truth with Peter. It had been fun to have a secret again, even briefly.
“What - what are you doing here? Why are you in disguise?”
“Well it’s not to fulfil your librarian fantasies I’m afraid,” Betty chuckled.
Cut from Issue #23:
To anyone at the Bugle that would have seemed like a strange way to look for leads, but Betty had a plan - a plan that made her extremely excited to return home.
Dashing into her apartment, she went directly to her bedroom, into her closet, and retrieved the hat box that was almost hidden there. With trembling hands she opened it, and retrieved the full head mask of Barbara Wayne that lay inside.
“I need your help again Barbara,” she said to the mask. “I need a face that won’t attract attention at Liz’s school... so I can get close to her one more time.” A wigcap was quickly slipped into place, and once more she stretched out the mask’s neck and slipped it over her head. As soon as the voice circuitry concealed in the mask’s neck was pressed into place, she began to speak.
“Needing me again so soon, Betty?” Barbara asked her mirror reflection with a grin. “I’m glad to help out. What’s the plan?”
Betty closed her eyes, feeling with her fingers as she pressed the mask into place, and spoke to herself. “We’re going to get close to Liz Allen, Barbara... closer than she’ll ever expect.”
She opened her eyes and got up to change into the appropriate clothing for her new face. She had no time to lose.
Interesting. So I guess Betty brought "Barbara Gordon/Wayne" back to NYC. I was hoping for a Chameleon scene or two but I guess I can wait.
ReplyDeleteNo Chameleon in this arc, I'm afraid. But he'll be back before too long.
ReplyDelete(Well I say 'before too long' - given my output speed it might be another couple of years! But in issue terms, not too long.)
Unfortunate. The Chameleon scenes were my favorite. I'm not that into F2F masking I suppose.
ReplyDeleteWell, there are always the back issues. ;)
ReplyDeleteNot a fan of Dick-as-Barbara, then?
Honestly? No. It really seemed out of character. It was intriguing but not really one of my favorites although that may have been simply because he was seducing a woman. I vastly prefer the scenes where the Chameleon -as a female- was flirting/seducing another guy.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I enjoyed the Betty/Susan scenes.
... out of character? Heh heh.
ReplyDeleteLet's be honest: nothing in this series is really in-character (except, say, J Jonah Jameson). Everyone else is 'twisted' in a way. The Batman cast, I'll admit, are perhaps more twisted than others... the implication I wanted to make was that Batman/Bruce wanted Dick to be Barbara for reasons that weren't entirely wholesome (see the last issue).
So out of character for the mainstream comics? Hell yes. Out of character for this 'universe'? Not from where I'm sitting... but then just about everyone in the series has some interest/attraction to masking and/or disguise. Without that, it'd be a very limited series.
Nonetheless - different strokes for different folks. As long as you find something to like, I'm happy.
Well, yeah. Obviously, to make the stories work the characters' motivations and preferences have to be a bit skewed. I guess I just don't like the implication that Barbara Gordon (or Gwen Stacy for that matter)doesn't really exist and is nothing more than a persona.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I will admit that "Robin's Costumed Capers" was a story where Dick's masking somewhat made sense to me.
Ah, okay. Well that makes some sense. I guess over time the "Making cast members into alternate personas" thing has become a bit of a habit (and it isn't over yet).
ReplyDeleteThe trick is, in mining the extensive Spider-Man cast, almost all of the women are of course lovers of Peter Parker. I didn't want to make them all gay, and nor did I want to gender swap them... so this became an easy way to have 'them' appear in the story while also having some fun with Betty.
Speaking personally I think my 'Gwen' is more fun than the real thing. ;)
And BTW - who said 'my' Commissioner Gordon doesn't have a daughter...? We might just not have met her yet. :)