Supreme Power #9

[history79]

8 pages of 24

Comments

[trooper924]

"Megadeaths". Amazing how it only takes one word to leave me unable to take any of this seriously.

[thanekos]

They couldn't have used megacorpse.

[cainofdreaming]

Exactly what's so wrong with Megadeath? /Evil Ernie

[hotfoot]

I dunno, I've heard people use the phrase "Giga-Death Crimes" in a fairly unironic sense. When you're literally counting lives by the millions, it's a function phrase that doesn't have the baggage of something like "Holocaust" or "Genocide" but still conveys the meaning intended. For a super powered individual on a rampage, I'd say it's appropriate.

But I can see how it's a little silly. That said, we're talking about stories with people who can fly and shoot laser beams from their eyes, so there's that.

[qalchemist]

This is an actual term, which was used to calculate the effects of nuclear attacks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megadeath

[agent8]

It may sound silly but it's an actual term, cited by the OED as first appearing in 1953. From wkipedia: "a term for one million human deaths, usually caused by a nuclear explosion. The term was used by scientists and thinkers who strategized likely outcomes of all-out nuclear warfare."

[reveen]

So what would his official rank be? Somewhere between a Countdown to Extinction and a Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?

[crinos]

...So, this general is a fucking idiot.

They are all fucking idiots.

You know, it was immensly fucking stupid to deal with Mark the way they did, taking him away from the people who found him, putting him with two paid actors, then having those actors pretend die so he would be dependent on the Government. I mean the Truman show shit didn't even really work in the Truman show, what made you think it would work here?

But I get it You know? I get why they felt the need to do what they did. I mean Mark was powerful enough to vaporize dogs when he was a newborn, that's not the kind of kid you want falling into a bad crowd or having a dad who gets drunk and belts him or anything like that. So you probably want to monitor that kid very closely and try and minimize the number of unpleasant surprises in his life.

But when that kid grows up, and finds out his whole life is a lie, and comes stomping into your military base asking for answers, the last possible thing you want to do is say "We don't owe you anything, we own you, you're a thing, and now we're gonna try this thing that might kill you, but probably wont."

I mean.... how about "I'm sorry." Say you're fucking sorry,. I mean even if you don't mean it you can at least apologize. Just say "You're really powerful, we were scared, we didn't know what to do with you so we did what we thought was best, obviously we fucked up. But the world shouldn't pay for our stupidity. Even if you decide not to be a hero anymore, the world doesn't deserve to pay for what we did to you. Whatever you do from herre on out is your call, but just keep that in mind whatever you decide on, and for what its worth, I'm sorry on behalf of the US Government."

I mean, is that hard? Is that so hard? I mean granted if it were me in that situation I would be too pants shittingly terrified to be that eloquent, but this guy seems to be collected enough to get that out. But nope 'We own you, if you don't like it see you in Hell *BOOM*" And then Hyperion is standing there unharmed like "I suppose I will see him in Hell, but it will be a while before I get there apparently, I better start sending people to him so he doesn't get lonely."

I mean how fucking stupid are these people?

[wizardru]

"I mean.... how about "I'm sorry." Say you're fucking sorry,. I mean even if you don't mean it you can at least apologize."

But he wouldn't mean it and we've already established that Mark could tell when they were lying to him (although it's through the dubious 'listen to your heartbeats' method, which is unreliable at best). And his goal here is just to keep Mark occupied to give his soldiers a few moments to get clear (though that's a bit dubious...if the explosion is vaporizing several city blocks worth of land, they're not getting far enough fast enough). He has no intention of doing anything other than killing Mark to protect his country (in his mind).

Ultimately the government would turn out to be right...but in a self-fulfilling prophecy sort of way.

[nyadnar17]

Incredibly. Like the disconnect between military commanders in fiction and the military leaders I know of in real life is farcical.

Everything about this is dumb, right down to their unwillingness to use nukes given what his potential capabilities are.

And don't get me started on the black general having no idea how to handle or talk to someone who is a minority an alien.

[thezmage]

Hell, give him to government agents who are already married, at least.

[crinos]

Exactly.

You're telling me they don't keep tabs on their own soldiers and agents, and they don't have a married couple of agents (Or hell, just one agent whose married), and they are a healthy loving relationship and are super patriotic, and will raise the kid with strong midwestern values? I mean I know the premise of the series is "Everyone and everything is terrible forever." But come on, Plan A was two actors? You didn't have anyone willing to take the God Baby? No one.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

In fairness, it might simply be a control thing. Two unmarried actors would be less likely to present a unified front if they disagreed with the government