31||0|5250|0| 0|0|0|||1||In Which Akio Is Called Out|Gryphon||01:08:45|08/10/2014|I made a joke about the absurdly cutoff Earth Queen plot in Book 3 of %5Bi%5DThe Legend of Korra%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and Jeanne said%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3E%28quietly shelves his plan for Ozai and Beria to kill Akio and take %0D%0A%3E%3Eover the Black Rose%29 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EOh please not. Akio is a joke as a villain. %0D%0A%0D%0A... I beg your pardon%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A%5Bfont size%3D%221%22%5DA%2C I would think that would mean you%27d %5Bi%5Dwant%5B%2Fi%5D him replaced%2C and B%2C What%3F%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 1|1|0|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|JeanneHedge||03:04:32|08/10/2014|%3EI made a joke about the absurdly cutoff Earth Queen plot in Book 3 of %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5DThe Legend of Korra%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and Jeanne said%3A %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%3E%3E%28quietly shelves his plan for Ozai and Beria to kill Akio and take %0D%0A%3E%3E%3Eover the Black Rose%29 %0D%0A%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3EOh please not. Akio is a joke as a villain. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E... I beg your pardon%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AI consider Akio Ohtori%2C as presented in these stories to date%2C to be a joke as a villain. I can%27t think of anything that he%27s done or been responsible for that the %22good guys%22 haven%27t been able to deal with%2C usually making him look foolish in the process. He goes to weddings to cause trouble%2C and to his frustration he gets ignored. He spies on the lives of the Trinity%2C and that one of them has made it so he can%27t spy any longer is mentioned almost as an afterthought. If he had a moustache%2C he%27d likely be twirling it as he boasted of his plots and plans to his minions%2C even though they %28the plans and the minions%29 haven%27t gotten him anywhere much. He%27s not done much of anything that I can recall that has had a lasting impact on anything. He%27s an irritant%2C yes%2C but he%27s not a Big Bad. At least not in my opinion.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28I haven%27t seen enough of the source material to know if he actually accomplishes anything there either %28he apparently didn%27t with Anthy and Utena%29%2C or if he%27s %22just%22 a sex predator.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AJeanne%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable border%3D%220%22 cellspacing%3D%220%22 cellpadding%3D%220%22 width%3D%2280%25%22%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd align%3D%22center%22 width%3D%2210%25%22%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%2Fmisc%2Foldowl.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd valign%3Dtop%5D%5Bfont size%3D2%5D%5Bb%5DJeanne Hedge%5B%2Fb%5D%0D%0A%5Bfont size%3D1%5D%5Blink%3Awww.jhedge.com%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%5D%0D%0A1st Courier of the Heavenly Prophets for %5Bi%5D%5Blink%3Awww.kickstarter.com%2Fprojects%2F326055564%2Ftianxia-blood-silk-and-jade%7CTianxia%5D%0D%0A%22Never give up%2C never surrender%21%22%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5B%2Fi%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D 2|2|1|||||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|BZArcher||09:22:46|08/10/2014|I sort of see where you%27re going%2C but you%27re also missing a few pieces of context%2C I think.%0D%0A%0D%0A1%29 He%27s also taken over a fairly major chunk of Hell itself%2C and decided to split some of it off to create his own private realm%0D%0A%0D%0A2%29 Where%2C in said realm%2C he%27s been assembling and dilligently training up what appears to be a pretty significant army.%0D%0A%0D%0A3%29 He%27s exploited Freyja%27s mental fault lines to the point where%2C I suspect%2C she%27d probably be willing to side with him over Asgard when that eventually comes to blows.%0D%0A%0D%0A4%29 Rather brutally damaged Raven%2C and gave a pretty good accounting of himself against Gryphon in the process.%0D%0A%0D%0A5%29 Has %28as of the Diqiu suite%29 inserted moles into DSM%2C where he%27s likely to be sowing some seeds of unrest and %2F or siphoning off more potential candidates for item 2.%0D%0A%0D%0A6%29 Made it pretty clear in some of the OOTR asides that most of your points about being caught out %28or deliberately showing his hand%2C ie%3A the wedding%29 were intentional moves to make the Trinity and their various allies think of him as a paper tiger.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn addition to being a predator%2C it%27s worth pointing out that Akio has been%2C in canon and his UF appearances%2C an incredibly nasty and effective manipulator%2C and it looks to me like he%27s spent a lot of time and effort to misdirect his enemies%2C while preparing what I suspect is going to be a VERY nasty sucker punch.%0D%0A%0D%0AAbout the only hole card the good guys have right now %28as far as we%2C the audience knows%29 is that Saionji%2C Mia%2C and Anakin are gathering a fair bit of intel from the inside%2C and that Akio doesn%27t know they%27re double-agents. %0D%0A%0D%0ABut it also wouldn%27t shock me if Akio knows a lot more than they think %28see point 6%29 and has something nasty in mind for them as well.%0D%0A%0D%0AI see Akio as the complete opposite of a moustache twirler - he%27s a chessmaster%2C and he%27s not afraid to make himself look foolish for the early portion of the game if it helps him set up his endgame. 4|2|1|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Nova Floresca||11:14:43|08/10/2014|The fact that everything he has done has failed I think is less a testament to his incompetence and more to the power of Corwin%27s curse. The wording in S2M6 is%3A%0D%0A %0D%0A%3EBy my Will and by my Power%2C %0D%0A Birthright from my divine Mother%2C %0D%0A This is my command%3A%0D%0A May you never know completion%0D%0A May you never know achievement%0D%0A May you never know success%3A%0D%0A But always frustration%0D%0A Always shortfall%0D%0A Always failure.%3C%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s pretty well got the deck stacked against the man in terms of him actually being able to succeed%2C but the fact he%27s hanging on as well as he does is rather terrifying.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22This is probably a stupid question%2C but . . .%22 5|2|1|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|laudre||11:52:56|08/10/2014|%3E%28I haven%27t seen enough of the source material to know if he actually %0D%0A%3Eaccomplishes anything there either %28he apparently didn%27t with Anthy %0D%0A%3Eand Utena%29%2C or if he%27s %22just%22 a sex predator.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AHe%27s %5Bi%5Dconsiderably%5B%2Fi%5D more than a sex predator. And he most certainly %5Bi%5Ddid%5B%2Fi%5D have a number of victories against Utena and Anthy prior to the denouement. Hell%2C his control over Anthy is why he maintained control over the academy%3B Utena%27s victory over him at the end%2C even when it appears that she%27s lost%2C comes in the form of Anthy being able to simply %5Bi%5Dwalk away%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bhr %2F%5D%5Bsmall%5D%22Mathematics brought rigor to economics. Unfortunately%2C it also brought mortis.%22%0D%0A - Kenneth Boulding%5B%2Fsmall%5D%5Bhr %2F%5D 6|2|1|||||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|trboturtle2||12:02:17|08/10/2014|It wasn%27t his fault his guide was Dick Dasterly......%0D%0A%0D%0ACraig%0D%0A%28Wacky Racers fame.....%29 7|2|1|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|JeanneHedge||16:28:12|08/10/2014|Sorry guys%2C I just don%27t think much of him as a villain. He raises armies and hasn%27t done anything %28and I have gotten the impression that someone else there is the real boss and Akio does nothing without permission from that one anyway%29. He%27s got spies - so do the good guys. And look at who he sent to lay the ground at DSM - not impressive to me. He got Freyja to take him to the wedding - everyone knew and knows she has mental issues and so are watching her%2C so did that gain him anything%3F One of his plots got shut down by people having sex%2C for gawds sake%21 He doesn%27t get stuff done because Corwin%27s cursed him - another reason why he%27s not all that%2C when his enemy can control him that way.%0D%0A%0D%0ATo me%2C a villain has to do damage%2C the kind that isn%27t brushed off with a smirk and a smart remark%2C but must be dealt with after it happens%2C long-term if necessary %28if it isn%27t permanent%29. Akio%27s had his chances. A real villain needs to be responsible for something major. Maybe permanently turn or kill some people who aren%27t Red Shirts but rather those the reader already knows and maybe care about %28Breaking News%3A AON goes to the Dark Side%21%29%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27d love to be surprised. Right now%2C I%27m just not seeing him as being capable of it. So put him on the shelf and reveal the real villain that%27s been working behind the scenes. Just my opinion.%0D%0A%0D%0AJeanne%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable border%3D%220%22 cellspacing%3D%220%22 cellpadding%3D%220%22 width%3D%2280%25%22%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd align%3D%22center%22 width%3D%2210%25%22%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%2Fmisc%2Foldowl.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd valign%3Dtop%5D%5Bfont size%3D2%5D%5Bb%5DJeanne Hedge%5B%2Fb%5D%0D%0A%5Bfont size%3D1%5D%5Blink%3Awww.jhedge.com%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%5D%0D%0A1st Courier of the Heavenly Prophets for %5Bi%5D%5Blink%3Awww.kickstarter.com%2Fprojects%2F326055564%2Ftianxia-blood-silk-and-jade%7CTianxia%5D%0D%0A%22Never give up%2C never surrender%21%22%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5B%2Fi%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D 8|3|7|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Matrix Dragon||17:28:30|08/10/2014|%3ESorry guys%2C I just don%27t think much of him as a villain. He raises %0D%0A%3Earmies and hasn%27t done anything %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C yes%2C because the story hasn%27t gotten to the point they need to be used.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EHe%27s got spies - so do the good guys.%0D%0A%0D%0AI gotta admit%2C I%27m not seeing how both sides having spies makes him a joke.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAnd look at who he sent to lay the ground at DSM - not %0D%0A%3Eimpressive to me. He got Freyja to take him to the wedding - everyone %0D%0A%3Eknew and knows she has mental issues and so are watching her%2C so did %0D%0A%3Ethat gain him anything%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AHe left a taint on the first wedding attempt%2C one that would have damaged the day for everyone. The fact that Earthforce being dicks interrupted it as well doesn%27t change that. And yeah%2C his primary goal wasn%27t something serious as part of his agenda%2C as far as we%27ve seen. It was simple cruel spite%2C an attempt to try and make his former victims suffer for daring to be happy. And in the process%2C he took an emotionally broken woman%2C a victim of a horrible rape who never got the help she needed%2C and broke her further%2C ruining the relationship between her%2C her brother%2C and many of her friends. And he did it because it entertained him.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E One of his plots got shut down by people having sex%2C for gawds sake%21 %0D%0A%0D%0A... Seriously%3F That%27s what you took as the solution at the end of the Symphony%3F %0D%0A%0D%0A%3ETo me%2C a villain has to do damage%2C the kind that isn%27t brushed off %0D%0A%3Ewith a smirk and a smart remark%2C but must be dealt with after it %0D%0A%3Ehappens%2C long-term if necessary %28if it isn%27t permanent%29. Akio%27s had %0D%0A%3Ehis chances. %0D%0A%0D%0AAnd done pretty damn well with them. Besides coming close to victory in Cephiro and only being stopped at the last second through heroics and a lot of luck%2C he left the sort of scars that took years for Anthy and Utena to recover from. And he survived. He survived%2C built up his forces again%2C and was confident enough to reveal himself simply for the purpose of making his enemies suffer. The reason that didn%27t work wasn%27t because he%27s a joke or not a threat%2C it didn%27t work because he couldn%27t understand how Anthy had grown.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd then he followed it up by kidnapping%2C manipulating%2C and nearly murdering his daughter to use her as a weapon. In the process he took on a man with four centuries of combat experience%2C and %28again%29%2C only lost because of something he didn%27t anticipate.%0D%0A%0D%0AJust because his plans have been foiled before%2C doesn%27t make them any less dangerous. He hasn%27t come close to the point of %27Team Rocket%27s blasting off again%27%0D%0A%0D%0AMatrix Dragon%2C J. Random Nutter 9|4|8|||||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Droken||00:59:10|08/11/2014|%3E%3ESorry guys%2C I just don%27t think much of him as a villain. He raises %0D%0A%3E%3Earmies and hasn%27t done anything %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EWell%2C yes%2C because the story hasn%27t gotten to the point they need to %0D%0A%3Ebe used. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%3EHe%27s got spies - so do the good guys.%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI gotta admit%2C I%27m not seeing how both sides having spies makes him a %0D%0A%3Ejoke. %0D%0A%0D%0ALet%27s also not forget%2C Saionji isn%27t exactly a spy%3B he%27s more like an ace in the hole. Except that most of the group doesn%27t even know where he is%2C much less have a way to contact him. And Mia... we don%27t know -what- the deal with Mia is. There%27s no explicit mention so far in any of the stories that she%27s not a fully willing participant in the Order of the Black Rose. The last I can recall her being mentioned before her appearance in Ash Knight %28chronologically%29 was during the Duelist conference after Juniper was brought in.%0D%0A%0D%0AAs for Akio himself%2C as Gryph himself mentioned in a previous back-and-forth on this subject%3A the guy -built himself his own plane of existence-. And he did it with an Aes%27 blood curse on him. And to top it all off%2C he did that after obtaining a Dukedom in Muspelheim. And all in what%2C three years%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AThat takes some serious chops. 10|2|1|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Offsides||12:46:43|08/11/2014|%3EI consider Akio Ohtori%2C as presented in these stories to date%2C to be a %0D%0A%3Ejoke as a villain. I can%27t think of anything that he%27s done or been %0D%0A%3Eresponsible for that the %22good guys%22 haven%27t been able to deal with%2C %0D%0A%3Eusually making him look foolish in the process. He goes to weddings to %0D%0A%3Ecause trouble%2C and to his frustration he gets ignored. He spies on the %0D%0A%3Elives of the Trinity%2C and that one of them has made it so he can%27t spy %0D%0A%3Eany longer is mentioned almost as an afterthought. If he had a %0D%0A%3Emoustache%2C he%27d likely be twirling it as he boasted of his plots and %0D%0A%3Eplans to his minions%2C even though they %28the plans and the minions%29 %0D%0A%3Ehaven%27t gotten him anywhere much. He%27s not done much of anything that %0D%0A%3EI can recall that has had a lasting impact on anything. He%27s an %0D%0A%3Eirritant%2C yes%2C but he%27s not a Big Bad. At least not in my opinion. %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27ll grant you one half-point%3A To those of us completely on the outside who can see all the different pieces that have been shown to us%2C and thus have some knowledge of the moves and counter-moves that are going on%2C he doesn%27t seem that big of a threat. But I%27ll also counter with this%3A Akio%27s greatest weapon%2C both now and in the past%2C has been royally fscking with peoples%27 heads. Not just to manipulate them%2C but to annoy them%2C to scare the bejeesus out of them%2C and even to %5Bi%5Dbreak%5B%2Fi%5D them. Yes%2C he%27s building an army%2C but his %231 focus is still PsyOps%2C trying to keep his enemies off-balance at best and really screw them up at worst.%0D%0A%0D%0AUnfortunately for him%2C most of his chief underlings either aren%27t very good at what he really wants done%2C are just plain incompetent%2C or are more interested than their own agendas to get the job done right. Combine that with the fact that he is a bit overconfident in his own schemes and abilities%2C and he has Corwin%27s blood curse on him %28which I think he still doesn%27t fully understand the power behind - it may have been initially given before he was invested as the Pillar of Cephiro%2C and Akio may have been reborn as a Demon of Muspelheim%2C but Akio was born of Cephiro%2C and Corwin is it%27s Pillar%2C and that%27s bound to have some sort of cosmic resonance when all is said any done...%29.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo yes%2C from certain angles Akio is a bit of a joke%2C but only when looked at through a very narrow lens. Plus%2C I%27m sure there are things we haven%27t seen anywhere that will change the big picture even more when they%27re revealed.%0D%0A%0D%0AOffsides%0D%0A%0D%0A%26%2391%3B...%26%2393%3B in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.%0D%0A -- David Ben Gurion%0D%0AEPU RCW %23%26pi%3B%0D%0A%23include %3Cstdsig.h%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A 11|3|10|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Gryphon||12:56:08|08/11/2014|%3EAkio%27s greatest weapon%2C both now and in the past%2C%0D%0A%0D%0AI was going to throw down the Spanish Inquisition riff here%2C but I think Azula and her minions wore it better%2C so upon reflection%2C I%27m not going to.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A%5Bfont size%3D%221%22%5D... and nice red uniforms oh %5Bi%5Ddamn.%5B%2Fi%5D%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 3|1|0|||||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|BeardedFerret||09:34:49|08/10/2014|That%27s kind of his charm. He%27s an absolute failure of a man who has utterly bought into his own bullshit%2C and has managed to create an entire realm based around reliving his high school glory days. In that sense%2C he%27s essentially an evil version of that uncle everyone had who won%27t stop talking about how he neatly made the national basketball squad. 12|1|0|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Mercutio||08:01:34|08/13/2014|Late to the party%2C but I gots to get in on this%3A%0D%0A%0D%0AAkio is only a joke of a villain so far because he hasn%27t actually %5Bi%5Dbegun%5B%2Fi%5D his main villain arc yet.%0D%0A%0D%0ANo%2C really. He hasn%27t. Everything up to now%3F Has been warm-up. It doesn%27t seem like it is%2C because in real time he%27s been around for nearly a decade and a half%2C but he hasn%27t actually pulled the trigger on his big thing yet.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt is true that so far everything he has tried has gotten him his ass handed to him. That is the case with every major villain in UF going right back to Largo. You guys remember Largo%2C right%3F The guy who kept getting everything overt he tried exploded by the WDF%2C until suddenly he snuck up on them sideways%2C shanked them%2C and walked away whistling to basically de facto rule the galaxy from the shadows for like a hundred years%3F%0D%0A%0D%0ABig Fire%2Fthe Magnificent Ten are the same way. Every single time they show up%2C they end up getting their clocks cleaned. Oh%2C sure%2C you have things like Shockwave Alberto saying %22no%2C really%2C we%27re okay with our kaiju assault on New Avalon getting stuffed%2C honest%2C it was just a field test%22 and maybe he%27s bullshitting and maybe he ain%27t%2C but they%27re also sort of joke villains... until%2C presumably%2C the time comes when they score a big win. They%27ve been being built up for a long time now and have something up their sleeves.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe Earth Alliance are jokes as well%2C but they%27re very clearly %5Bi%5Dmeant%5B%2Fi%5D to be deliberate jokes%2C so they get a pass%3B whoever was running Clark et al. clearly was setting them up to fail and so turned them into cartoonish supervillains.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnyway.%0D%0A%0D%0AMy point is kind of that %22the bad guys constantly lose and lose hard%2C and even when they win it is rarely significant%22 is kind of a theme of UF. It is somewhat annoying %28Jeanne mentioned the wedding sequence%2C and she was right to%3B Akio is supposed to be an enormously smooth operator and instead everyone there saw right through him%29 that Akio has been tripping over his own feet for awhile%2C but I really think that his big wins are on the horizon%3B he%27ll only become a joke if he keeps consistently being beaten.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd I for one look forward to those wins on Akio%27s part%21 The best narrative decision the production team ever made was Sonset. Yes%2C a lot of the writing that came out of the Exile was crap. But the Exile was necessary. The WDF couldn%27t just constantly go from victory to victory in their giant floating space fortress%2C making the galaxy safe for freedom. They had to be ripped apart and kicked into the gutter%2C because that was what allowed them to rise back up like a phoenix and give their ultimate victory meaning. The losses they suffered had to be real ones to give the rebuilding depth. Sure%2C these days Gryphon lives in his wonderful dyson sphere in his awesome IPO office with his family and big house in the suburbs and everything is awesome.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut he%27ll never be able to sit on the bridge of the %5Bi%5DWayward Son%5B%2Fi%5D and order it to make the jump to lightspeed again. If he wants to see a lot of the guys he spent a couple hundred years serving alongside%2C he%27ll have to go to Valhalla%2C which is NOT the same. There%27s a whole planet out there that%27s poisoned that he can%27t make better%2C and I bet he blames himself for that. His best and oldest friend changed in weird and freaky ways because of Sonset and the Exile%2C and is no longer the same person he had a cabin down the hall from for so many years. %0D%0A%0D%0AAnd that%27s just Gryphon. There are others.%0D%0A%0D%0AThose losses are what made the victory %5Bi%5Dmatter%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0AAt some point%2C Akio is going to stop being a joke. He%27s going to come at the Trinity from an angle they don%27t expect and do something truly%2C nastily%2C monstrously awful to them that they won%27t just be able to brush off or walk away from or easily heal from. He%27s going to inflict %5Bi%5Dloss%5B%2Fi%5D on them.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd their lives are gonna suck for awhile.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd then they%27re going to defeat him so utterly he might as well have never existed%2C and it is precisely because of the scars they bear that that victory will be %5Bi%5Damazing%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0AOr at least%2C so I hope. If he just ends up their punching bag from not until whenever%2C he will indeed be a joke villain.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 13|2|12|||||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Vorticity||19:40:00|08/13/2014|I find myself having the opposite opinion as the topic of this thread%3A that Akio is one of the very few villains in UF that isn%27t a joke.%0D%0A%0D%0AMost of the villains in UF are just plain crazy%2C self-obsessed%2C or have some sort of joke philosophy like Church of Man or Objectivism. No one rational opposes the heroes -- or if they do%2C they eventually end up joining Team Hero like Carmela Sunderland or Liza Broadbank or even freaking GENOM.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Darth%22 Venger talks the talk%2C but still ends up doing the stupid%2C short-sighted things for vengeance or rage. Clarissa Broadbank%27s malice is matched only by her pettiness%2C and that pettiness leads to some stupid decisions indeed. Akio has only been an annoyance so far because he always plays the long game%2C and because a lot of his accomplishments have been off-screen. Akio tempers the pettiness and rage and pride with the desire for power and his plan to actually achieve that power.%0D%0A%0D%0AMuch of what Akio has done after S2 has been along the same lines as what Utena has done%3A establish oneself in a new plane of existence%2C get a new powerful title%2C pal around with deities%2C get an academy named after oneself%2C sleep with a guy who also had sex with Nanami Kiyruu%2A%2C marshal a group of powerful fighters%2C build a coalition with a Force-using order whose goals tangentially match your own %28and then refocus them to match your own beliefs%29. This parallelism is largely the point -- Akio is the Dark Prince to Utena%27s Light Prince. And saying that he isn%27t a credible villain is almost like saying Utena isn%27t a credible hero.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhen Yoda made that comment about Utena having the power to crush the galaxy beneath her feet -- that%27s basically what Akio would have done in her absence. And he continues to plan to do. Right now he only comes out for no-risk%2C win-win maneuvers%2C because you always protect your king in chess. Utena%27s ability to sacrifice herself is where she shines%2C and will probably make the difference in the end.%0D%0A%0D%0AHonestly%2C I wish UF had more villains like Akio%2C because most of them are idiots who seem like they never really had a chance of success. When his plan finally goes into motion%2C it will be as hard as hell to stop.%2A%2A And I%27m looking forward to seeing it.%0D%0A%0D%0A-- %E2%88%87%C3%97V%0D%0A%2A A thought I%27m sure you could live without %3E%3A%29%0D%0A%2A%2A Literally%0D%0A 17|2|12|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Matrix Dragon||02:36:04|08/14/2014|%3EThe Earth Alliance are jokes as well%2C but they%27re very clearly %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5Dmeant%5B%2Fi%5D to be deliberate jokes%2C so they get a pass%3B whoever was %0D%0A%3Erunning Clark et al. clearly was setting them up to fail and so turned %0D%0A%3Ethem into cartoonish supervillains. %0D%0A%0D%0AGotta chime in with a %27bwuh%3F%27 here. Let%27s keep in mind that%2C over a span of about twenty years%2C Clark and his allies managed to take complete control of the Earth Alliance%2C legitimately %28This guy got elected to be EA president%29%2C then proceeded to do the same to nearly the entire Federation. They poisoned the relationship between Starfleet and the WDF%2C had enough minions and allies in the Federation Senate that they got away with dissolving their member nations%2C and by 2407%2C were close to expanding their telepath slavery program to the rest of the Federation. And it got worse from there. And for almost all that time%2C the heroes only managed relatively minor victories.%0D%0A%0D%0AThey lasted twenty years%2C and yes%2C the WDF and the IPO took them down in the end. But by then%2C they had infested the Federation to the point that one of the largest%2C most powerful%2C and formerly most respectable nations in explored space%2C was so rotted and corrupt that there was no salvaging it.%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m not seeing them as a joke.%0D%0A%0D%0AMatrix Dragon%2C J. Random Nutter 18|3|17|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Mercutio||03:01:49|08/14/2014|Well%2C here%27s the thing. All the stuff you just described%3F They were triumphs of the people %5Bi%5Drunning%5B%2Fi%5D Clark and Greeley and their fellow travelers.%0D%0A%0D%0AThose guys%3F Were not jokes. They fomented a war that was only marginally less bad than the War of Corporate Occupation and left the whole of Known Space politically destabilized and bereft of a strong body of interstellar diplomacy%2C peacekeeping%2C and lawmaking. It didn%27t quite go as well as they%27d have liked %28they didn%27t manage to break the back of Earth as the cultural hub of the human diaspora%29 but it went %5Bi%5Dreally%5B%2Fi%5D well. You%27re right about that. We don%27t even know who they are%2C really%3B the Mysterons are probably yet another front.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut the Earth Alliance itself%3F They%27re kind of a joke%2C and comically inept. All the things they did were things that were going to culminate in them getting their asses kicked. The fact that they worked temporarily doesn%27t really change that.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s like... mmm. Imagine a guy who sticks up a 7-11 and%2C instead of just bailing with the register contents immediately%2C sticks around getting drunk off malt liquor and ordering the cashier and customers to dance for his amusement. Now%2C what are you going to think%3F %22That guy has things going all his own way%3B he got a bunch of money and booze and all these people are terrified of him and doing what he wants%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0AOr are you going to think %22This idiot is going to die in a hail of gunfire the second the cops roll up and he staggers out the front door waving his .22 around.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AThe EA is that drunk stick-up artist%2C in my mind. Everything they did was so obviously%2C painfully designed%2C not to build them up into a long-lasting%2C stable%2C Evil Empire%2C but to inflame the situation around them until they imploded under the weight of their own incompetence and arrogance.%0D%0A%0D%0ASidebar%3A I%27m not sure about some of the more Federation-wide stuff you list them having gotten away with. The scope of Federation power and authority has%2C I think%2C changed somewhat since %5Bi%5DDay of Infamy%5B%2Fi%5D came out. I think to the current production team%2C it is a much weaker polity overall than it once was.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 20|4|18|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Matrix Dragon||09:03:52|08/14/2014|So%2C all their successes are actually done by someone else%2C or don%27t count. And all the fuckups are their fault. Got it.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EIt%27s like... mmm. Imagine a guy who sticks up a 7-11 and%2C instead of %0D%0A%3Ejust bailing with the register contents immediately%2C sticks around %0D%0A%3Egetting drunk off malt liquor and ordering the cashier and customers %0D%0A%3Eto dance for his amusement. Now%2C what are you going to think%3F %22That %0D%0A%3Eguy has things going all his own way%3B he got a bunch of money and %0D%0A%3Ebooze and all these people are terrified of him and doing what he %0D%0A%3Ewants%3F%22 %0D%0A%0D%0AIf you%27re one of the customers getting a gun waved at your face%3F You%27d be shitting your pants%2C and wondering if someone is going to be able to stop him before he shoots you. The thing about villains isn%27t %27are they going to win%3F%27%2C it%27s %27what will happen before someone takes them down%3F%27 %0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThe EA is that drunk stick-up artist%2C in my mind. Everything they did %0D%0A%3Ewas so obviously%2C painfully designed%2C not to build them up into a %0D%0A%3Elong-lasting%2C stable%2C Evil Empire%2C but to inflame the situation around %0D%0A%3Ethem until they imploded under the weight of their own incompetence %0D%0A%3Eand arrogance. %0D%0A%0D%0ASo was Nazi Germany. So is North Korea%2C Zimbabwe and %28some would say%29 Russia. Far too much of the Earth Alliances madness%2C both in B5 and here in UF%2C is not that far separated from reality. Governments become regimes because the wrong people have the power to enforce their agenda%2C and they honestly believe that they can make the system work the way they want it to.%0D%0A%0D%0AJust because it looks insane from the outside doesn%27t mean that the people on the inside can see that.%0D%0A%0D%0AMatrix Dragon%2C J. Random Nutter 21|5|20|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Mercutio||06:43:47|08/15/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-15-14 AT 06:45 AM (EDT)]%3ESo%2C all their successes are actually done by someone else%2C or don%27t %0D%0A%3Ecount. And all the fuckups are their fault. Got it. %0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bi%5DWhat%5B%2Fi%5D successes%3F The EA was being prepped to fail. They were no more having %22successes%22 than my hypothetical stick-up man. Just about all of their major policy initiatives were designed to %5Bi%5Dnot work%5B%2Fi%5D. In that sense%2C I suppose they were succeeding%2C but...%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EIt%27s like... mmm. Imagine a guy who sticks up a 7-11 and%2C instead of %0D%0A%3E%3Ejust bailing with the register contents immediately%2C sticks around %0D%0A%3E%3Egetting drunk off malt liquor and ordering the cashier and customers %0D%0A%3E%3Eto dance for his amusement. Now%2C what are you going to think%3F %22That %0D%0A%3E%3Eguy has things going all his own way%3B he got a bunch of money and %0D%0A%3E%3Ebooze and all these people are terrified of him and doing what he %0D%0A%3E%3Ewants%3F%22 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EIf you%27re one of the customers getting a gun waved at your face%3F You%27d %0D%0A%3Ebe shitting your pants%2C and wondering if someone is going to be able %0D%0A%3Eto stop him before he shoots you. The thing about villains isn%27t %27are %0D%0A%3Ethey going to win%3F%27%2C it%27s %27what will happen before someone takes them %0D%0A%3Edown%3F%27 %0D%0A%0D%0ABy this rubric%2C though%2C every nameless minion stormtrooper%2C demon%2C or Boomer who as carrying a grenade-equivalent on them was a major villain%2C because they held the power of life and death over a whole lot of people if they lobbed it right.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EThe EA is that drunk stick-up artist%2C in my mind. Everything they did %0D%0A%3E%3Ewas so obviously%2C painfully designed%2C not to build them up into a %0D%0A%3E%3Elong-lasting%2C stable%2C Evil Empire%2C but to inflame the situation around %0D%0A%3E%3Ethem until they imploded under the weight of their own incompetence %0D%0A%3E%3Eand arrogance. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3ESo was Nazi Germany. So is North Korea%2C Zimbabwe and %28some would say%29 %0D%0A%3ERussia. %0D%0A%0D%0A... Nazi German was being run by people who were deliberately trying to make it fail%3F Wha%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EJust because it looks insane from the outside doesn%27t mean that the %0D%0A%3Epeople on the inside can see that. %0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s true%2C but it also doesn%27t make them %5Bi%5Dnot%5B%2Fi%5D incompetent jokes.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 22|6|21|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Matrix Dragon||07:24:41|08/15/2014|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-15-14 AT 07:25 AM (EDT)]%3E%3ESo%2C all their successes are actually done by someone else%2C or don%27t %0D%0A%3E%3Ecount. And all the fuckups are their fault. Got it. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5DWhat%5B%2Fi%5D successes%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AThe ones I listed in the previous post that you claimed didn%27t count%2C because they were actually the evil plan of Clark%27s bosses instead.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3ESo was Nazi Germany. So is North Korea%2C Zimbabwe and %28some would say%29 %0D%0A%3E%3ERussia. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E... Nazi German was being run by people who were deliberately trying %0D%0A%3Eto make it fail%3F Wha%3F %0D%0A%0D%0ANope. To the people in power in those countries%2C what they were doing made %28to them at least%29 perfect sense. Because here%27s the thing. Right now%2C we know of one person in the entire Earth Alliance that was connected to the Mysterions. Just one. I don%27t doubt there were others here and there that knew they were working for someone else%2C but still%2C it%27d be a handful at most.%0D%0A%0D%0AEveryone else%2C the Night Watch%2C the Psi Corps%2C the politicians%2C the corrupt businessmen that chose to back Clark%2C the hate groups like the Church of Man%2C and%2C worst of all%2C the good people blinded by propaganda%2C lies and fear. They weren%27t working towards self-destructing. They believed they were working towards victory. The fact they were wrong%2C and the fact that the good guys beat them when the time came%2C doesn%27t make them a joke. It simply means the heroes were better.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EJust because it looks insane from the outside doesn%27t mean that the %0D%0A%3E%3Epeople on the inside can see that. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EThat%27s true%2C but it also doesn%27t make them %5Bi%5Dnot%5B%2Fi%5D incompetent %0D%0A%3Ejokes. %0D%0A%0D%0AAnd that%27s where you and I disagree. Because to me%2C if they were incompetent%2C they wouldn%27t have lasted as long as they did against a superior foe.%0D%0A%0D%0AMatrix Dragon%2C J. Random Nutter 14|1|0|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Terminus Est||21:02:54|08/13/2014|...See%2C I look at this way.%0D%0A%0D%0AAkio has an Aesir blood curse on him that pretty much prevents him from succeeding in anything major that he has a direct role in.%0D%0A%0D%0AHow do you circumvent something like that%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AYou get %5Bi%5Dsneaky%5B%2Fi%5D. You couch your true objective in a huge%2C convoluted plot and take the minor victory while your right hand man gets trounced%3B the minor one is what you wanted anyway%2C and while the big one would be %5Bi%5Dnice%5B%2Fi%5D and all%2C it%27s ultimately meaningless.%0D%0A%0D%0AWant to take down one or two people%3F Aim for a planet. Something along those lines. And right now%2C he has a dangerously unguided missile aimed right at Gryphon%2C just %5Bi%5Daching%5B%2Fi%5D for a chance to settle the score - and it%27s the kind of person he%2C historically%2C just can%27t fight against with everything he has%2C at least not right off the bat.%0D%0A%0D%0AWatch the left hand instead of the right%2C is what I%27m sayin%27. 15|2|14|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Mercutio||22:09:56|08/13/2014|Also too%2C the only way anyone has ever gotten any traction on the loose confederation of galactic badasses centered around Gryphon is through subterfuge.%0D%0A%0D%0AMain force never%2C ever works. At this point%2C I%27m of the firm opinion that Surtur could step through a rift into the heart of New Avalon at the head of all his legions%2C at the same time the Earth Alliance%2C Big Fire%2C the Kilrathi%2C the Cardassians%2C the Cylons%2C and the Ghost of Stephen Foster attacked the place%2C and the WDF%2FIPO would %5Bi%5Dstill%5B%2Fi%5D contrive to find a way to win.%0D%0A%0D%0AGotta be sneaky.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 16|3|15|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Terminus Est||22:36:37|08/13/2014|It also occurs to me%2C in retrospect%2C that Akio has even more on Gryphon. By participating in the tournament like he did%2C G tied himself to Oriphos. As... prince%2C I think%3F If the same roles even apply. That would make Akio pillar and Raven priestess. And as we all know from the Cephiro trinity... nothing with ties to the realm can harm the pillar.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis of course assumes that Oriphos is in fact a true mirror of Cephiro. 19|4|16|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Peter Eng||03:25:41|08/14/2014|%3EIt also occurs to me%2C in retrospect%2C that Akio has even more on %0D%0A%3EGryphon. By participating in the tournament like he did%2C G tied %0D%0A%3Ehimself to Oriphos. As... prince%2C I think%3F If the same roles even %0D%0A%3Eapply. That would make Akio pillar and Raven priestess. And as we %0D%0A%3Eall know from the Cephiro trinity... nothing with ties to the realm %0D%0A%3Ecan harm the pillar. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EThis of course assumes that Oriphos is in fact a true mirror of %0D%0A%3ECephiro. %0D%0A%0D%0AInteresting. Almost certainly unexpected in Akio%27s case%2C but it does make sense.%0D%0A%0D%0ANow I%27m wondering if Akio is planning on exploiting this opportunity%2C or if he%27s looking at it the way that oil workers looked at rod wax - as an annoyance that gets in the way of what he wants.%0D%0A%0D%0APeter Eng%0D%0A--%0D%0ARod wax can be distilled to make petroleum jelly. 23|1|0|||||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|BeardedFerret||09:29:31|06/29/2015|%3EI made a joke about the absurdly cutoff Earth Queen plot in Book 3 of %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5DThe Legend of Korra%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and Jeanne said%3A %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%3E%3E%28quietly shelves his plan for Ozai and Beria to kill Akio and take %0D%0A%3E%3E%3Eover the Black Rose%29 %0D%0A%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3EOh please not. Akio is a joke as a villain. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E... I beg your pardon%3F %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E--G. %0D%0A%3E%5Bfont size%3D%221%22%5DA%2C I would think that would mean you%27d %5Bi%5Dwant%5B%2Fi%5D him %0D%0A%3Ereplaced%2C and B%2C What%3F%5B%2Ffont%5D %0D%0A%3E-%3E%3C- %0D%0A%0D%0ASo%2C after the last movement%3F Not laughing anymore. 24|2|23|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|JeanneHedge||18:29:34|06/29/2015|%3E%3EI made a joke about the absurdly cutoff Earth Queen plot in Book 3 of %0D%0A%3E%3E%5Bi%5DThe Legend of Korra%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and Jeanne said%3A %0D%0A%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3E%3E%3E%28quietly shelves his plan for Ozai and Beria to kill Akio and take %0D%0A%3E%3E%3E%3Eover the Black Rose%29 %0D%0A%3E%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3E%3EOh please not. Akio is a joke as a villain. %0D%0A%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3E... I beg your pardon%3F %0D%0A%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3E--G. %0D%0A%3E%3E%5Bfont size%3D%221%22%5DA%2C I would think that would mean you%27d %5Bi%5Dwant%5B%2Fi%5D him %0D%0A%3E%3Ereplaced%2C and B%2C What%3F%5B%2Ffont%5D %0D%0A%3E%3E-%3E%3C- %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3ESo%2C after the last movement%3F Not laughing anymore. %0D%0A%0D%0AWho is using Akio%2C pulling his strings behind the scenes%3F %2AThat%27s%2A the real villain.%0D%0A%0D%0AJeanne%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable border%3D%220%22 cellspacing%3D%220%22 cellpadding%3D%220%22 width%3D%2280%25%22%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd align%3D%22center%22 width%3D%2210%25%22%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%2Fmisc%2Foldowl.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd valign%3Dtop%5D%5Bfont size%3D2%5D%5Bb%5DJeanne Hedge%5B%2Fb%5D%5Bbr%5D%5Bfont size%3D1%5D%5Blink%3Awww.jhedge.com%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.jhedge.com%5D%5Bbr%5D1st Courier of the Heavenly Prophets for %5Bi%5D%5Blink%3Awww.kickstarter.com%2Fprojects%2F326055564%2Ftianxia-blood-silk-and-jade%7CTianxia%5D%5Bbr%5D%22Never give up%2C never surrender%21%22%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5B%2Fi%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D 25|3|24|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Peter Eng||18:56:34|06/29/2015|%3E%0D%0A%3EWho is using Akio%2C pulling his strings behind the scenes%3F %2AThat%27s%2A the %0D%0A%3Ereal villain. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EJeanne %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m not sure anybody%27s pulling his strings.%0D%0A%0D%0AYes%2C Surtur is the one who raised him up to his current position - but I think he%27s just let Akio loose%2C figuring that somebody who hates that strongly%2C and particularly somebody who hates Gryphon%27s family that strongly%2C is worth having around%2C regardless of what he does.%0D%0A%0D%0AArguably%2C this makes Akio a bit dangerous to Surtur%2C since there%27s no controls outside of %22I made you%2C I can break you%2C%22 but Surtur is probably confident that Akio can%27t create a power base sufficient to be a danger.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt makes me wonder if Surtur knows about the Oriphos project.%0D%0A%0D%0APeter Eng%0D%0A--%0D%0AInsert humorous comment here. 26|4|25|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Verbena||20:00:14|06/29/2015|%3EI%27m not sure anybody%27s pulling his strings. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EYes%2C Surtur is the one who raised him up to his current position - but %0D%0A%3EI think he%27s just let Akio loose%2C figuring that somebody who hates %0D%0A%3Ethat strongly%2C and particularly somebody who hates Gryphon%27s family %0D%0A%3Ethat strongly%2C is worth having around%2C regardless of what he does. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EArguably%2C this makes Akio a bit dangerous to Surtur%2C since there%27s no %0D%0A%3Econtrols outside of %22I made you%2C I can break you%2C%22 but Surtur is %0D%0A%3Eprobably confident that Akio can%27t create a power base sufficient to %0D%0A%3Ebe a danger. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EIt makes me wonder if Surtur knows about the Oriphos project. %0D%0A%0D%0AHonestly%2C I suspect Surtur is a lot sharper than even demons tend to think of him being. I strongly suspect the Castellan of working under different constraints than Akio realizes--especially that her ultimate loyalty doesn%27t lie with him. Not that she has the slightest intention of interfering with him%2C but she may be reporting to one of Surtur%27s subordinates on the side.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C come to think of it%2C she looks demonic and reasonably attractive%2C but we got no description beyond that. I wonder if she%27s another plant from Midgard%3F There%27s a small but nonzero chance she answers to Illyana%2C maybe%3F Not as if Akio would recognize the accent.%0D%0A%0D%0A------%0D%0A Fearless creatures%2C we all learn to fight the Reaper%0D%0A Can%27t defeat Her%2C so instead I%27ll have to be Her 27|5|26|||||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|mdg1||06:24:26|06/30/2015|%0D%0A%3EAlso%2C come to think of it%2C she looks demonic and reasonably %0D%0A%3Eattractive%2C but we got no description beyond that. I wonder if she%27s %0D%0A%3Eanother plant from Midgard%3F There%27s a small but nonzero chance she %0D%0A%3Eanswers to Illyana%2C maybe%3F Not as if Akio would recognize the accent. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E------ %0D%0A%3E Fearless creatures%2C we all learn to fight the Reaper %0D%0A%3E Can%27t defeat Her%2C so instead I%27ll have to be Her %0D%0A%0D%0AIllyana lives with Hellboy. Her arrival is depicted in %22Late Arrival%22 in the 6th volume of mini-stories%2C and she was still with him as of %22Requiem For A Lensman%22 28|4|25|||||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Star Ranger4||21:26:47|07/04/2015|%3EYes%2C Surtur is the one who raised him up to his current position - but %0D%0A%3EI think he%27s just let Akio loose%2C figuring that somebody who hates %0D%0A%3Ethat strongly%2C and particularly somebody who hates Gryphon%27s family %0D%0A%3Ethat strongly%2C is worth having around%2C regardless of what he does. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0AAnd or it is the case that Surtur has pulled the pin on the Akio grenade knowing that whatever happens in the long run%2C Surtur can manipulate it to come out ahead.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EArguably%2C this makes Akio a bit dangerous to Surtur%2C since there%27s no %0D%0A%3Econtrols outside of %22I made you%2C I can break you%2C%22 but Surtur is %0D%0A%3Eprobably confident that Akio can%27t create a power base sufficient to %0D%0A%3Ebe a danger. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EIt makes me wonder if Surtur knows about the Oriphos project. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27d expect that Akio%27s danger to Surtur is a lot less than we see here. Then again%2C I %5Bb%5D%2AAM%2A%5B%2Fb%5D a member in good standing of the %22HE%27S UNDER EVERY DARN BED%22 club%2C even if I%27ve toned it down in the time since twilight wrapped.%0D%0A%0D%0ABut%2C as we%27ve seen here%2C Akio seems to be using our own lack of concern against us. I%27d been sort of looking on Akio%27s works as a joke and was just wondering when he%27d get smacked down again myself. It does seem to appear that he%27s been using his apparent haplessness to lull all of us into a false position%2C just look at what he pulled off. 29|1|0|||||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Berrik||06:07:22|07/07/2015|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jul-07-15 AT 06:11 AM (EDT)]For all his plotting and scheming%2C Akio has been about as successful%2C and about as threatening%2C as Cobra Commander. Perhaps even less so... in the end%2C after all%2C Cobra Commander managed to outlast the Joes%2C live to a ripe old age%2C and work for a crime lord giving the Autobots grief. Gets away scot-free too%2C after the plot of the day is foiled %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Seriously%2C he honestly does show up in an episode of the 1986 Transformers cartoon.%29 30|2|29|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Gryphon||02:29:41|07/08/2015|%3EFor all his plotting and scheming%2C Akio has been about as successful%2C %0D%0A%3Eand about as threatening%2C as Cobra Commander.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo... haven%27t gotten around to reading OOTR M5%2C then%2C eh%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A%5Bfont size%3D%221%22%5DIt%27s OK. I forgive you.%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 31|3|30|||1||RE%3A In Which Akio Is Called Out|Matrix Dragon||03:11:02|07/08/2015|%3ESo... haven%27t gotten around to reading OOTR M5%2C then%2C eh%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AThat%2C or it%27s the %27no%2C the credit for that victory actually goes to Surtur for manipulating Akio%27 idea that seems so oddly popular.%0D%0A%0D%0AMatrix Dragon%2C J. Random Nutter