15 Oct 2015

Crossover Chapter 8 - Commentary

The invaders discover the convention.  Welcome to the commentary for the eighth chapter.  Please read the chapter before continuing.

The first night of the CHC finally comes to a close with a dance.  At least the three main characters are in the same room and talk to each other.  Security having red shirts was deliberate.  It'd be expected, really.  Also means that the security staff might feel a little under-appreciated.

Meredith hasn't heard of Nasty, though she is aware of both Eagle and Peregrine.  She knows that Peregrine unmasked but who Peregrine was has slipped her mind.  The animated Justice League Unlimited series had a similar take, when Lex Luthor swapped bodies with the Flash.  When Luthor unmasked himself to see who the Flash really was, he never recognized the face beneath.  Wally West wasn't a household name, unlike Bruce Wayne (Batman) and Oliver Queen (Green Arrow).*  Nasty, despite the big splash, isn't a household name.  Her neighbourhood and her school are well aware of her celebrity, but the further away from there, the less people know about her and her life, even if they do know Peregrine unmasked.

Keith's dancing was inspired by The Sims 2.  In the game, Sims that are outgoing but new to dancing tend to make bold moves that cause them to fall.  Keith is using a few moves from the game.  He may even have learned from the game; Keith much prefers a simulation of social interaction to the real thing.

Nasty's making a leap in her logic in assuming that Vicki's counterpart is helping her own.  To be fair, it's not a bad assumption.  For all she knows, mirror-Vicki could be the mastermind or could just be an innocent bystander.  Bringing in Pixie isn't a bad idea; two heroines are better than one, and Pixie can remove people from a fight without hurting anyone.  Vicki is taking full advantage of the situation; she's never heard Nasty ask for help before.  She wanted to hear it again.

The alternate universe Vicki went on about is from fanfiction.  Alternate universe (AU) fics take the characters from one work and transplant them.  Another example would be taking the characters from Jane Eyre and placing them into a modern day high school with Mr. Rochester becoming a sparkly vampire that never grows old**.  Vicki's example with Lost is a little dated, but works.  Today, she'd use Harry Potter or Big Bang Theory for her example.

Or maybe not.  Vicki explicitly references the Star Trek episode "Mirror, Mirror", where Kirk and a landing party are sent to a mirror universe because of a transporter accident.  The Spock of that universe sports a goatee, launching a meme that is still going.***  Eric would get the reference.  Nasty?  Not so much.  This is setting up their eventual break-up down the road.  Nasty and Eric are good friends and are a cute couple, but there's enough differences to cause problems.  Besides, they're still young.  There's no need for them to become lifelong partners.  Plus, added drama!

Tomorrow, Crossover Chapter 9.
Also tomorrow, over at Psycho Drive-In, the History of Adaptations continues with the New Teens.
Saturday, over at Seventh Sanctum, wrapping up the History of Adaptations
Also Saturday, check out Comics Bulletin for comics-related reposts of /Lost in Translation/.

* Lex did have Wally's fingerprints at his fingertips.  With some effort, he could have discovered who Wally is, if he cared enough.
** I never said anything about the quality of AU fics.
*** Evil-Kirk didn't have a goatee, but Leonard Nimoy's portrayal and striking looks cemented the image.

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