Kaiyo is a New God of Apokalips and an unwitting Herald of Darkseid. As the Goddess of Chaos, she despised Uxas and his authoritarian regime, openly rebelling against him, in an effort to satiate her boredom. After incurring the wrath of Darkseid, she fled her realm, leading him on a wild goose chase across the multiverse.
Physical Stats:
Her primary weapon consists of a bladed chain, which she has used to clash with Earth 2's Wonder Woman (Batman/Superman #3):
Kaiyo boasts enough skill and physical strength to drag Wonder Woman with her chains, as well as grapple with her in a close range confrontation (Batman/Superman #3-4):
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She's also shown enough speed and agility to appear as a blur, even to the likes of Superman. Though it should also be noted that Batman was also participating in the fight, so uh... Take that how you will (Batman/Superman #12):
Keep in mind, that Kaiyo's goal has never been to "defeat" the heroes. We've never seen her go all out in a fight and all of the scenes listed above, have essentially been her "playing around".
Teleportation & Spatial Awareness:
Her primary power is the ability to teleport across dimensions (Justice League 2011, #23.1):
This ability appears to come with vast spatial awareness, that lets her not only move herself, but also rearrange others across the multiverse, as well. This was demonstrated when she simultaneously teleported batman to Earth 2's Batcave, Superman to Earth 2's Smallville, Earth 2 Batman to Earth 2's Smallville, then later saving Earth 2 Batman from Superman by sending him to Earth 2's Bat Cave (Batman/Superman #1-2):
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She has even shown the ability to teleport, despite being bound by Earth 2 Wonder Woman's Lasso (Batman/Superman #2):
As stated above, her teleportation appears to come with vast sensing abilities as a secondary power. This is later back up when she shows awareness that Batman and Superman's memories are beginning to return, causing her to immediately confront them (Batman/Superman #12):
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All in all, she's easily one of the more powerful teleporters within the New 52 Universe. Her ability to teleport spans the entire multiverse, and she seems to have an inherent awareness of everything occurring within the story.
Intangibility & Possession:
Kaiyo has shown the ability to render both herself and others intangible. I believe she has two separate forms of intangibility. The first his her astral form, which she can even use to possess the bodies of others (Batman/Superman #1-3):
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After Superman and Batman fail the test she had set up for them, her astral form appears suddenly; as though she had been there invisibly watching them, the entire time (Batman/Superman #12):
In addition to her astral form, she has shown the ability to leave others in a dimensionally phased state (Batman/Superman #12):
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While in this state, they are completely invisible and incapable of interacting with the world around them, unless she chooses to allow it (Batman/Superman #12):
For some extra story context, Kaiyo had teleported both Batman and Superman in the the past of Earth 2, in order to give them the chance to save it. As a test however, she only gave each of them the ability to interact with the world exactly one time.
Illusions & Memory Manipulation:
Kaiyo has the ability to manipulate the memories of those around her (Batman/Superman #4, #12-13):
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This can even be used to drive others into a rage, causing them to attack their own allies (Justice League 2011, #23.1):
Kaiyo can also use her astral energies to create images and even hand said images to others as though they were physical objects. Satanus appeared to be able to take those astral images and use them to create a board, representing current events (Batman/Superman #13-15):
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While bound by Wonder Woman's lasso, she was able to show the heroes a glimpse of Darkseid (Batman/Superman #3):
It's a little unclear if what she showed them was merely an illusion or something that was actually happening. Given that she was entangled in the Lasso of Truth, I believe she used her sensing abilities to view the actual Darkseid and projected a real-time image of him. This is likely what alerted him to Earth 2's presence and why he invaded there before attacking Prime Earth.
Hell Eyes is one of the many Hell Lords that exist within the Marvel Multiverse. He is a powerful being, who's very body consists of a nigh infinite collection of demi-planes. That or just 1000 interconnected demi-planes... it's... not very clear...
Mystical Powers:
Hell Eyes is a powerful mystical threat, who if left alone, is capable of folding our reality into his own, merging the very space-time continuum with his own:
Each eye is a portal to a different Hell and each of those Hells contain a thousand eyes, which also lead to separate hells complete with their own set of a thousand eyes.
The only way to truly harm Hell Eyes, is to damage his true eye, which exists simultaneously within every single one of his infinite realms:
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So far, we've seen two primary dimensions contained within his body. The first, is a void filled with floating eyes, that can peer into your very soul:
The next is a tropical island, surrounded by a sea of blood:
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Within the above dimension, he showed the ability to project a number of smaller forms of himself, in order to toy with his victims. One of them, was physically capable of going toe toe with Morbius the Living Vampire:
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Each of his eyes peers into a different Hell. As such, he is constantly watching everything that goes on in every hell, this even includes things that only vaguely qualify as hell, such as the Monster Metropolis. This is an ability, that even the likes of Satannish finds useful:
In addition to his vast clairvoyant abilities, he also shown the ability to tamper with memories:
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As well as induce aggression:
Minions:
His tears are made from the souls of the damned, and when cried out, they become a horde of monsters. Even just a small group of them, is capable of... kind of, sort of, giving Morbius trouble:
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In addition to their um... "impressive" physical stats, they also have a variety of esoteric abilities. One of which, includes the ability to take a twisted form of that which you "expect to see":
They can also create illusions and their eyes also act as portals to Helleyes' domain:
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Also, as you can see in the above scans, they seem to have their own little city inside the room of a Mansion, but uh... That didn't really get much exploration, so.... Yea...
Miscellaneous:
Helleyes is apparently a big fan of the Wizard of Oz:
So uh, yea. He kind of seems like the sort of demon lord that, with a bit of a redesign, would make for a decent puzzle boss in a Devil May Cry game. They should really do a proper comic crossover or something. Marvel, Capcom, make it happen!
Anyways, everything you need to know about the character, can be read in Marvel's Fear, issues 27-29. While, the scan with Satannish is from Legion of Monsters volume 2, issue 2.
At the dawn of time, when the Sphere of the Gods first formed, there was only... Hecate.
She was the goddess of light, belief, wonder, imagination, and above all... magic.
However, she soon noticed that she was not entirely alone. There was another side of her, a reflection of sorts. Whereas she the wonders of belief and imagination, it represented the fear and horrors that came with it.
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Terrified by this darker side of herself, she banished it.... locked it away, in a different place... An Otherplace....
Mystical Power:
The entity known as the Upside Down Man, is a being of magic so powerful, that his mere presence appears to distort the very fabric of reality around him:
The Upside Down Man is an embodiment of Chaos Magic, a being from before magic was bound and structured by the rules set by the Lords of Order. As such, he has no need for spells and instead, simply bends reality to his will. He has shown the ability to animate the environment, selectively remove particles of blood from a living being, and even transmute people to liquid, with the mere wave of his hand:
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Even Swamp Thing, in his giant form, is unable to resist the Upside Down's power:
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The Otherplace:
When in his own dimension, his power is said to be limitless:
He has infected the dimension with his power and twisted it into a realm of his own:
The Otherplace is so large, that it surrounds the entirety of the Dark Multiverse:
The way it surrounds the Dark Multiverse appears to mirror the way the Sphere of the Gods surrounds the prime multiverse. As the sole being within said realm and the one who twisted it into his image, I think it's safe to say that his power within the realm, is comparable to collective power of the Sphere of the Gods as a whole. However, this also reveals a bit of a glaring weakness in his apparent omnipotence, which I will touch upon later.
Within his dimension his power is so great that, even when empowered by all of the Parliaments working together, the Swamp Thing can only bind him temporarily:
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He is able to channel his mystical energy into massive explosions of power:
He is able to take on the entire JLD at the same time:
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This includes a Witch Marked Wonder Woman, who was wielding the full power of Hecate's might. Even a mere fourth of Hecate's power, was said to be wielding enough to "create a universe" and "rip reality apart":
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It should be noted that the "create a universe" statement was made by Bobo, who hasn't shown to be the most reliable of magic users, so take it how you will. I do believe Zatanna's statement of reality being ripped apart backs it up, however.
Mystical Sensing:
He was able to sense Wonder Woman's Witch Mark and activate it:
Given that the Witch Mark was placed on Diana when she was a child and no one had sensed it until now, despite Diana regularly dealing with powerful cosmic and mystical entities, I'd say UDM's ability to sense it is quite impressive.
Durability & Resistance:
As a being of pure magic, physical attacks means little, as he can simply reform if damaged:
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Even in the real world, he was able to tank what was perhaps the most powerful spell in Constantine's repotoire:
This spell was said to be so powerful it could kill gods, yet the Upside Down Man described it as throwing a bucket of water at an incoming tsunami:
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In the Otherplace:
Even while heavily weakened and losing his hold on the Otherplace, he was able to survive a full powered blast from Nabu:
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The amount of magic Nabu generated was so great, that Kent Nelson's body was unable to handle it. This proves that the attack here is more powerful than the magic Nabu was wielding, when he was ripping apart an entire dimension within the Sphere of the Gods:
Weaknesses:
It takes time for his power to properly infect a dimension, making him far weaker in the real world than in his own realm. Wonder Woman, with a mere 5th of Hecate's power, was able to banish him with a single spell:
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In the Otherplace:
As stated previously, the Upside Down Man was able to infect an entire dimension and twist it into his own, drawing from it as a source of power. However, this presents a glaring and exploitable weakness. He may be the Lord of the Otherplace, but he is still foreign to it. It is not a part of him and he is not it's inherent ruler. His influence over it, is only absolute, because he is the sole being inside of it.
Introducing other mystical beings into his realm, gives them the opportunity to infect with their own power and contest his control over the realm:
Through raw belief and force of will, the JLD were able to reduce his power with their mere presence in his realm:
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Zatanna was able enter his mind and challenge him in a battle of will power, where she defeated him by forcing him to believe that all magic comes with a price:
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It should be noted that in this battle of minds, mystical power was stated to be irrelevant. Zatanna was only able to win, due to this being strictly a clash of will and nothing more:
That said, even with this excuse, I consider this to be the biggest piece of PIS in the entire comic. I like Zatanna and all, but part of her appeal, is that she's a legitimate person. She has emotions, vulnerabilities, fears, things like that. She's not some inhuman determinator with limitless will power. She really has no business winning a willpower battle, with a cosmic horror who's existed since the dawn of time... >_>
The Otherkind:
Though the Upside Down Man was initially presented as single member of an entire species, it has become clear that this belief is false. The Otherkind are merely his spawn. Extensions of his power that split from his body and return to it when he is through with them:
There are many different Otherkind who each vary massively in power level.
Unfortunately we didn't really get to see them do much, not even in the final battle. He split them off from his body, like they were going to participate in defeating the JLD, then they kind of just stood around and watched. At one point, they straight up vanished from the comic, as if the writers forgot they were even there.
The Soup:
The most powerful that we've seen so far, is a slime entity known as "The Soup". It's power is so great, that it's capable of casually killing hell-lords such as the First of the Fallen:
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The Conjoined:
Another that we are introduced to, is a creature known as the conjoined. A mass of vampires fused together into an eldritch abomination, so horrifying that the mere sight of it caused Andrew Bennet to panic and flee, never to be heard from for the rest of the JLD comic run:
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The Offspring:
The Offspring are a swarm of small creatures, that together, can bring down even a decently durable brick like Frankenstein:
The Rip:
The second most impressive of the Otherkind, that we have seen thus far, is a creature known as "The Rip". A regenerating tentacle monster, that even the combined might of Zatara and Sargon have trouble dealing with:
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The Mind Eater:
Assuming I didn't miss a tie in of some sort, this one we, unfortunately, never got to actually see on panel. Instead, we only saw the aftermath of what it did to Faust:
The Undead:
This one never got an official name and is perhaps the weakest of the Otherkind we've seen thus far. It presents itself as a number of mutate, necromorph-like undead creatures:
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As you saw above, even Zatanna can bludgeon them while Man-Bat can fly through them as though they were made of tissue paper.
Miscelaneous:
Stories told about them not only give them power, but also have the potential to slowly drive one mad:
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The form known as "The Upside Down Man" is one that he takes, purely so that mortals can comprehend his appearance:
Indeed, the Upside Down Man is a very courteous villain who cares about the mental well-being of those he's trying to brutally murder... apparently...
The Upside Down Man can force himself into Hecate's internal dimension/dream-space and overpower Wonder Woman there:
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It appears that DC has retconned the Great Evil Beast to be linked to the Upside Down Man in some way:
I am unsure of the exact nature of their relationship. Perhaps the Great Darkness spawned from the Upside Down Man. Or perhaps it's a piece of the Otherplace. Or maybe it's the other way around and the Upside Down Man and the Otherplace spawned from the Great Darkness. Or maybe the Upside Down Man and the Great Darkness are one and the same. It's all rather confusing.
In any case, we don't really know how powerful the Great Darkness is in this continuity and I don't believe the Upside Down Man compares to what I know of the Great Evil Beast's initial portrayal. Lore wise, the Upside Down Man is a lesser reflection of Hecate, so it wouldn't make much sense for him to scale to the evil half of the Presence, who from my understand is a TOAA-style being.
During the war with humans, over a thousand vampires had betrayed their kind and allied themselves with humans in a bid for power. It is said that all of them were slaughtered by a single vampire. Jeanne is that vampire.
Jeanne, infamously known as the "Hellfire Witch", was once an executioner tasked with eliminating those who violate the laws of the vampires. After a hundred year slumber, she was awoken and given the position of knight and bodyguard for the vampire noble, Luca Oriflamme.
PS: While, thus far, she has only been referred to as "Jeanne", her primary nemesis is the Beast of Gevaudan, leading me to believe that she intended to be Marie-Jeanne Vallet (A historical figure, famous for fending off the Beast of Gevaudan by driving a spear through it's chest).
Physical Stats:
As a higher vampire, Jeanne boasts immense stats far above even the enhanced humans of the setting.
The Chasseurs for example, are elite vampire hunters, who use alchemy to dope/enhance their physical stats. Astolpho in specific, is a proven bullet timer, having shown to not only be capable of dodging bullets, but also deflecting off the blade of his spear:
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Vanitas, a marked human (vampires are capable of marking humans as their "property" thus bestowing them with a portion of their power), has shown to be equal if not superior to Astolpho in both speed and skill. Here he keeps up with and parries several strikes from Astolpho's spear, despite only being armed with a pair of daggers:
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Despite the above, Vanitas was completely incapable of reacting to a close-range blitz from Jeanne, forcing Noe to pull him out of the way of the strike:
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Noe, being from vampire nobility, is also solidly above Vanitas in stats, yet not even he could keep up with Jeanne in a prolonged fight. In fact, she was not only able to overwhelm him, but also kick him with enough force to send him flying a considerable distance before crashing through a brick wall:
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Perhaps her best feat of strength thus-far, was when she was able to shatter the length of a street with a single strike:
Other notable feats include, dashing across street at FTE speeds, using falling debris as stepping stones, as well as harming the Beast of Gevaudan with her strikes (the latter is durable enough to pretty much run through a castle wall).
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She also managed to snatch Vanitas away from an entire ballroom full of vampires so quickly that, to the vast majority of them, he appeared to vanish in thin air:
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Powers & Abilities:
Vampiric Senses:
While the extent of vampiric senses have not yet been explicitly explained in any sort of dialogue or exposition; by feats, it's undeniable that their senses are enhanced to a supernatural degree. Jeanne in specific, quite regularly tracks people down, even crashing through walls to confront them with precision timing:
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One thing that IS explicitly shown, is that vampires have the ability to see the World Formula. In this setting, magic is accomplished via altering the very formula that makes up the world, essentially rewriting reality to a limited degree:
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Fire Magic:
In addition to the above, Jeanne carries a mystical gauntlet, granting her the power to generate fire. She's capable of generating massive infernos that reach to the sky and even engulf the, building sized, Beast of Gevaudan:
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When properly charged, the gauntlet is able to blow a pathway through an entire forest, much like that of Genos's laser:
Limited Dimensional Travel:
While not exactly applicable in combat, vampires within the context of this setting, are ultimately dimensional beings. As such, they are capable of crossing the boundaries between dimensions:
Resistance:
Jeanne was able to quickly recover from a shock-based paralysis spell, while already under the effects of a poisonous bite:
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Said shock spell has already shown to be capable of paralyzing the Lupe Garu, another vampire that capable of smashing stone with it's strikes:
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She also appears to be able to withstanding the flames from her own gauntlet, as has been shown to fire off powerful aoe attacks even at point-blank ranges:
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Her resistances are also proven to extend to mystical/mental attacks, as she was able to withstand the a mystical song that causes vampires to go insane and mutate into dangerous monsters:
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The End:
That's all for now. The series is still on-going, so I will try to keep up, and add new feats/abilities as they are shown.
Pluto is the eldest son of Cronus and the God of the Underworld. Though he holds power over the void; think of him not as a being of darkness, but as a lord of the astral plane and master of the unseen forces that govern reality.
Despite being the eldest son; the temporal effects of being swallowed by Cronus caused them to be "born" in the reverse order in which they were swallowed. This, in combination with extended social isolation, has rendered Pluto, physically and emotionally, the youngest of the Elder Gods; with the exception of Hestia.
As the God of the Underworld, Pluto's job consists of more than simply managing the souls of the dead. He is also the warden of the Great Abyss known as "Tartarus". The abyss is a giant void used as a cosmic dumping ground for all the evils of the world. More than that, it is also the main entry-point connecting the Universe to that of other realities.
In a way, Pluto is the first line of defense against threats capable of bringing down Olympus itself.
Allies:
Persephone:
Persephone is the Goddess of Flowers, and the Queen off the underworld. She was originally a nature spirit created by Zeus to impress Demeter. Though Demeter accepted her gift and grew fond of Persephone, she ultimately rejected Zeus's attempts to court her. In retaliation, Zeus gave Pluto permission to take her to the Underworld.
Despite the rather rough start of their relationship, Persephone has adapted quite well to being Queen of the Underworld. Though her exact feelings for Pluto are questionable, one thing is for certain; her jealous streak can be quite terrifying.
Ares:
The God of War and perhaps one of the most powerful Olympians barring that of the Elder Gods. When bored with the human world, he descends to Pluto's realm to hunt the creatures of the abyss.
Mercury is the God of Magic and tasked with carrying messages between the Underworld and Olympus. Though on good terms with Pluto, it is a well-known secret that he is largely sent there to spy on Pluto and inform Olympus if Pluto has any plans of staging a coup.
Thanatos:
Thanatos is an abstract entity who holds a contract with Pluto. Thanatos's job is to collect souls and send them to Pluto's realm. On occasion, he may also act as an assassin, eliminating beings that Pluto deems as a threats to the balance within the afterlife.
Enemies:
Cronus:
Cronus is the lord of space and time as well as the former ruler of the gods. Though originally a semi-benevolent being, his time imprisoned in the abyss has corrupted his mind. His goal is the downfall of Olympus.
His scythe holds the power to cleave the very sky on a conceptual level. In this context, sky consists not only of the atmosphere, but all of visible space.
Porphyrion:
Porphyrion is the king of the giants. A race of divine beings from within Tartarus who travel from Universe to Universe conquering them one by one.
Typhon:
A being of pure destruction, summoned from beyond the universe by Hera. After nearly destroying all of Olympus; it was defeated by Zeus and sealed in Tartarus. It is said to be the father of all monsters.
Neutral:
Nyx:
An abstract entity and personification of the night. She is also a being through which Pluto draws many of his powers. Though no friend to Olympus, Pluto generally tries to stay on her good side.
Pan:
A nature spirit from another dimension connected to the astral plane.
Though most humans believe he is a minor deity; he is in fact the lord of a separate Pantheon worshiped in other universes.
Cocky, arrogant, and full of pride; Ares is a deity who represents both glory and brutality. Bored with simply observing humans and their struggles, Ares constantly reincarnates himself as important figures throughout the ages.
He has been everything from tyrannical warlord to hero of the people. To some, he is a symbol of power and authority; second, only to Zeus himself. To others, he personifies the worst aspects of human nature.
Allies:
Pluto:
As fellow outcasts, Pluto is one of the few deities that Ares respects. Pluto is also one of the few elder gods that do not treat Ares with immediate disdain. When bored with ongoings of the surface world, Ares will often aid Pluto in dealing with extra-dimensional threats to Olympus.
Off and on lover, Aphrodite always manages to be at the center of Ares's conflicts with Vulcan.
Enemies:
Deimos & Phobos:
Thousands of years ago, a mortal incarnation of Ares made a deal with the Outer God, Nyx, in a bid for power. Part of the bargain was to father two sons; Phobos and Demios, the lords of fear and terror. These are abstract beings who transcend space and time, making them simultaneously younger and older than Ares.
As the personifications of raw emotion, the mere sight of these beings can drive even the gods insane. Though Ares naturally draws upon their power, the two despise their father; as their link also makes them vulnerable. Not even Zeus himself is capable of slaying the two permanently. Ares however, has the potential to absorb their power and aspects into himself.
Vulcan:
Note: This is not Vulcan's true form, but rather a suit of armor he possesses for warfare
Whether in the role of hero or villain, Vulcan has been a consistent rival throughout the ages. Not only as rivals in love, but also due to their overlapping divinities. Both hold power over divine flames; not just as a destructive force, but as symbols of human ingenuity.
Hercules:
Originally a mere mortal, Hercules ascended to god-hood as a reward for the completion of the 12 labors; and is perhaps the largest threat to Ares's position as a Dii Consentes.
Hercules is the god of strength and his raw physical prowess rivals even that of Zeus. As a deity, the Nemeon Lion has become his divine symbol, and he has gained many of it's attributes to a far heightened degree. As such, he has conceptual immunity to all bladed weapons; including those with the power to slay gods. It is said, that his power could stop even the Scythe of Cronus.
Athena:
Ares and Athena have perhaps the most complicated relationship out of all the characters on this list. On the one hand, they constantly at odds due to their overlapping status's and gods of war. On the other, out of all of his siblings, she is the one whose approval he often looks for the most.
Unlike the others, their relationship can fluctuate quite massively depending on his mortal incarnation. Indeed, some of his more heroic incarnations have even gained her favor.
Like many people on this site, I have tons and tons of fanfiction ideas. As much as I'd love to write them up, I feel like it'd be using up large amounts of time better spent working on original stories. That said, I still feel the urge to put some of my ideas out there, and figured posting story outlines would be a nice compromise.
Part of the reason I am doing this is to get some feed back on my ability to structure stories. If any of my ideas are well-liked enough I may decide to actually work on one, though it's unlikely. At the very least, I'll try to take well-liked plot elements and incorporate them into my original stories.
Now, lets get started:
The Sword Art Online Fanfic Outline:
Chapter 1
The story begins with Klein and 2 guild members travelling through foggy woodland region. The two members ask Klein if there is really a dungeon out near-by. Klein assures them that there is, but they accuse him of being lost. They come across a chest hidden under a tree. Knowing that chests containing rare items occasionally spawn on this level, they each get excited and open it. Unfortunately for them, the chest releases a gas that paralyze all 3 of them.
Immediately after, an orange player steps out from the fog. Klein, recognizing the paralysis poison MO, asks the player if he is a member of laughing coffin. The player assures them that he is not and that he has no intention of harming either of them. He then proceeds to manipulate their hands to manually open trade windows. At first, he primarily takes cash and valuable low-weight items. However, when getting to Klein he comes across a rather peculiar item. The Divine Stone of Revival.
He tells Klein that he's an idiot for simply walking around with such an expensive item. Klein tries to argue that the item isn't worth anything because it only works within 10 seconds of death. The thief ignores him and runs off.
Chapter 2
The story shifts to the POV of a female swordsman named Rika, who is revealed to be a bounty hunter. She is in the middle of interviewing a separate victim of the above player. Her inner monologue reveals that she had been after this player for quite some time, and that he'd eluded her twice before.
She thinks back to the various other victims she has come across. The majority of victims were on the same tower floor, and seemed to be centered around a single area; the lair of an extremely powerful dragon.
As the dragon is more powerful than any of the bosses on this level and unnecessary for completing the tower; the dragon has never been slain by anyone. She was aware that occasionally the dragon sleeps, allowing for players to enter the lair, though exploration was dangerous as the lair was filled with traps that can awaken the dragon. The last party that tried it was almost wiped out trying to escape, and ever since; exploration of said dungeon has become scarce.
The dragon's sleep patterns are erratic and what triggers it has never been discovered. She concluded that the thief must have figured out the dragon's schedule and is using it as a base of operations.
Chapter 3
The scene shifts once again. This time, to a player named Eko; who is revealed to be the thief with a penchant for using paralytic poisons. He meets with a broker who specializes in trades between orange players and green players. During most of their trades, he simply gives the broker the item, the broker exchanges it with the buyer for cash, and gives a percentage of said cash to the orange player.
However, he has never trusted the broker with such a rare item and had demanded that the broker give him the cash first. The broker says that the buyer didn't trust him either. The broker compromises by agreeing to set up a meeting outside of town in 4 days. Eko agrees.
Eko heads back to his lair.
Chapter 4
Scene shifts once again to the bounty hunter who, upon arriving at the dragon's lair, finds that the dragon is asleep. She heads inside, where she spots Eko and ambushes him. Out-matched, he surrenders.
Recognizing her as a bounty-hunter he's encountered before, he asks why she's stalking him instead of one of the more dangerous criminals. She states that ever since the crusades, all the PKers have gone into hiding. Currently, he's actually one of the highest bounties that are still active.
She inspects his items and stats, and concludes that he's an idiot who spends his skill points on "frivolous things" like cooking, alchemy, crafting, and music. She wonders why he'd play as a criminal instead of settling down in a town as a merchant.
She then removes his weapons, hand-cuffs him to her, and begins escorting him out of the dungeon. He purposefully sets off an alarm; waking the dragon. He tells her that if he struggles, she won't have time to escape and they would both die. Her only choice is to unhand-cuff him and leave him. She decides to drag him deeper into the lair and back to his hideout instead.
She questions him on how long till the dragon goes back to sleep. He says that last time he set off a trap, he was trapped in there for an entire week. She refuses to remove his hand-cuffs even for sleep. He asks why she isn't embarrassed about switching to a night gown while handcuffed to a guy. She teases him about getting turned on by "pixels".
Chapter 5
The scene shifts to the broker, who is meeting with a guild of players. He is captured by them, and the guild is revealed to consist of remnants of Laughing Coffin; who had been looking for the item for a while now. Though they do not seem to have an official leader, two of the prominent members consist of an orange character named Rainz and his younger brother; a green player. Rainz brags to the broker about how he once beat Heathcliff in a duel. He said that he won by using a combination of a fire-scroll and a damage over time poison. He said it should have been his victory but the game glitched and declared Heathcliff an immortal object. The other Laughing Coffin members mock him for making up that story.
(I doubt anyone on this site would understand the reference, so here's a link)
Chapter 6
PoV switches to Eko, who is deep in the dragon's lair and still handcuffed to Rika. They have been trapped in there for 3 days, and it's the night before the trade is supposed to take place. He attempts to open a trade-window and steal the keys to the handcuffs. She wakes up, grabs his arm, and squeezes it with enough strength to lower his health bar. She decides she can no longer trust him enough to sleep and stays awake.
They soon begin talking about their backgrounds. He reveals that he's actually American and that he had came to Japan during his father's business trip; specifically so that he could play the game on the first day it came out.
He asks her why she decided to become a bounty hunter. She reveals that back when she was a noob, she and a friend were saved by a bounty hunter. She described him as a swordsman wearing black. He recalls a time when he, along with a few other players, ambushed a player wearing black. Said player had incapacitated all of them within a few seconds. Eko himself, barely escaped capture.
She reminisces about her partner and how much trouble they had during their first attempts at bounty hunting. He asks her what happened to him. She says that perhaps she'll tell him "another time" before deciding to go back to sleep.
Chapter 7
The next day, Echo is anxious about the fact that the deal is coming up. He decides he needs to get rid of her, and manages to get his hands on a paralysis poison dart he had hidden for emergencies. He incapacitates her and removes the handcuffs. He then proceeds to put the dragon to sleep by playing a lute.
On his way to the meet however, Rika catches up and ambushes him before revealing that she maxed her tracking skills. He decides to show her the item he found and gives her a proposition. He explains his meeting with the buyers, and says that if she comes with him as an escort; they can split the profit 50/50. She demands 75% and he reluctantly agrees.
They head to the meeting where he finds the Broker with a group of Green players. Recognizing them as former members of laughing coffin; Eko realizes it's a trap and warns Rika. The Laughing Coffin members execute the broker and attack. Eko paralyzes 1 of them and kills another.
It's revealed Rika's old partner was murdered by Laughing Coffin members. She kills the members that attack them (one of which was Rainz' brother). This causes her status to turn Orange.
Realizing who she had killed as well as the fact that she would be unable to return to town, he comes up with a solution. He tells the surviving (paralyzed) member that he still wants to make a trade, and to meet them in the Dragon's lair.
Eko predicted that Rainz would seek revenge and bring the remaining members of the guild with them. The plan was to set off an alarm to wake the dragon and to try and trap them in the lair to let the dragon kill them.
As they travel back to the lair, Rika confronts him about how he recognized who they were. He confesses that he was a member of Laughing Coffin and that he had left the guild before they began player killing.
They talk about their goals for the future. Eko states that he wants to buy an expensive mansion and live in luxury until the game is beaten. He also reveals that he's just as good at losing money as he is at making it. He also states that he believes the item would be able to pay for said mansion.
They soon arrive at the dragon's lair, only to find that the dragon was slain...
Chapter 8
The guild that killed the dragon is revealed to be none other than Furinkazan. They try to sneak out, but are spotted and cornered by Klein along with the 2 guild members he had incapacitated at the start of the story. Klein recognizes Eko and sees that he is with another orange player. Rika tries to explain the situation, but they ignore her and attack.
Rika takes on the 2 guild members, while Eko fights Klein one on one. Klein, aware of Eko's poisoned darts, easily avoids Eko's attacks and promptly defeats him in their duel. Klein takes Eko hostage, while Rika takes another Furinkazan member hostage. Now in a stand-off, Rika is able to tell them her name, and says that they should know her because she's the top female player in the game.
Klein thinks about it for a second, then remembers Rika as "that chick who lost a duel with Asuna". Rika argues that Asuna got "lucky". Eko makes a sarcastic remark before both parties lower their weapons.
Klein asks where the "item" is. Eko lies and says that he lost it when the deal went bad. Rika lies and backs up his story. Rika explains the meeting with Laughing Coffin. Initially the members of Furinkazan want to retreat and come back with reinforcements, but Klein argues that they can't miss the chance to finish off Laughing Coffin for good. He states that if they pass up the opportunity, then any deaths that follow as a result would be on them. The rest of the guild agree.
Chapter 9
Laughing Coffin soon arrives. Upon entering the dragon's lair, they find Eko and Rika waiting for them alone. Furinkazan shows up at the enterence, blocking their escape route. Rainz takes 2 members to go help fight Eko and Rika, and orders the rest to get rid of Furinkazan.
Recognizing them as more dangerous than the members they encountered previously, Eko and Rika retreat deeper into the dungeon. Rainz and the other 2 members split up to search for them. Utilizing superior knowledge of the dungeon's layout; Eko incapacitates both members of Laughing Coffin while Rika confronts Rainz.
Eko arrives and ambushes Rainz while he is fighting Rika. Rainz manages to counter and hold back both players at once. Realizing that they are outmatched, they opt to treat him as if he were a dungeon boss and begin utilizing switch based tactics. Rainz sets off a fire-field scroll. Rika, low on health, is forced to retreat. Eko, having higher health due to joining in late in the fight; decides to go in for the kill. He narrowly manages to finish off Rainz and succeeds in killing him.
Klein shows up, however Rika is revealed to have been hit with "damage over time" poison without realizing it. She dies before either Klein or Eko can help her. Remembering the item, Eko resurrects her before the time runs out.
Both of them apologize to Klein for lying about losing the item. Klein explains that the item was given to him with the promise that item is used to save the first person he sees who needs it. He thanks them for helping him full-fill that promise. They part ways.
Eko and Rika talk. He asks her out. Rather than answer, she simply stabs him with one of his own paralytic darts. She says that while he's cute, he still has a bounty on his head. She then says that there is one way for him to get out of his predicament. She explains that she is need of a partner, and offers him the job.
Director: "So guys, I have this idea for a horror movie involving an evil cult. I need them to do evil cult stuff, but... I am not sure what. Any ideas?"
Make them wear KKK Robes!
Evil triangles!
Human sacrifices!
Sex orgies!
Director:"Great! I am all done, here's the trailer!"
The Review: (Note. I am going to assume everyone here has either seen the movie, or read other reviews/summaries)
What do you get when you take; "Hellraiser", "The Thing", "The Strangers", "Assault on Precinct 13", and toss it in a blender along with HP Lovecraft's "The Complete Fiction"? You get the independently made, 2017 move; "The Void".
I am a huge fan of the cosmic horror genre. When I first heard about this movie I was really excited. It had high ratings, generally positive reviews, and was recommended to me by numerous horror fans (some of which are on this site). Suffice to say, the movie really didn't live up to the hype...
That's not to say that it wasn't enjoyable. In fact, it's probably one of the better horror movies in recent memory. The problem is... for all it's strengths; the movie falls flat in some key areas.
Before I get started... The majority of reviews I have read, regarding the movie, has been extremely positive. I do not understand the hype. However, there are also few reviews I have seen that took it the polar opposite direction. I find those reviews to be equally baffling.
Lets start with what the movie gets right:
The Acting: One of the biggest complaints I have seen from the negative reviews regarding this movie, is that the acting is "complete trash", breaks immersion, etc. I didn't understand this at all. The acting was completely satisfactory. There was no point in the movie in which I thought "oh my god, these actors are suck, I can't watch this!".
Were there a few cheesy moments that took me out of the story? Yes. There were. One example off the top of my head, is the scene where Protagonist was in his police car trying to contact the station on his radio, and he yells "f***" and starts smacking the radio with his fist. I just didn't feel like that kind of reaction was very believable, and I don't think the actor thought it was very believable either.
Atmosphere: The pacing was well done. The tone was consistent, and the entire movie makes you feel on the edge of your seat. The jumpscares were few and far between. The ones that were there were done properly. No dramatic scare cords, false alarms, or attempts at forcing a reaction. If you jumped in your seat, that's all on you.
Visuals: The movie was visually well done. The lighting kept things ominous, but it wasn't so dark that you couldn't tell what was going on. (I swear, the negative reviewers either had broken TVs or watched an entirely different movie). Everything was done with practical effects. No poorly done CGI monsters, everything looked right out of Hellraiser. There was little animation at the end, when showing "the void", but that was all.
The gore was a bit over the top and kinda cheesy for my taste, but that's my only complaint there.
Characters: For a movie length plot, the characters were well developed. Especially by horror movie standards. They all had their problems, they each fulfilled specific roles to balance each other out. There were very few moments where you felt "OMG this guy is an idiot". I wouldn't say that they "grew" or "changed" as people, but the movie took place within a single night; so that's understandable.
What it does wrong:
The plot... The plot was just a mishmash of ideas that barely held itself together. There were no attempts at explaining any of what's happening in the movie. There was enough there that you can kinda understand the story and what's going on, but that was it.
Now I understand that cosmic horror is all about fear of the unknown, but that is NOT an excuse for tossing in a kitchen sink of ideas without bothering to explain any of it. The more you stuff into a story, the further you stretch suspension of disbelief, and the harder you have to work to explain everything in a meaningful and believable manner. I am sorry, but anyone who says otherwise is just a hipster who thinks being a Cosmic horror makes them seem "sophisticated".
The movie is told from the point of view of normal people who get pulled into the conflict surrounding this movie. The only things we know/learn are what the characters know/learn.The characters are normal people. They aren't supernatural investigators or action heroes. They aren't there to learn the secrets of some grand conspiracy. They have one priority, and one priority only. Survival...
I think that's great!
I don't need to know anything about the void, what the entity is, where it comes from, or what it's goals are. It's beyond the understanding of the human characters, and thus beyond our understanding as well. It's not even the main antagonist of this story.
The real antagonists of the story, are the creepy cult members who have barricaded our protagonists in the hospital. These are the guys that I expect to learn more about. Not everything, but just enough to make their existence within this setting actually believable.
Which brings me to the next thing that this movie does wrong.
The Cult: These guys are not in the least bit believable. I do not believe that a large cult with 50+ members can exist inside a small town (where everyone seems to know everyone), with none of the other residents knowing about it. I don't. I especially do not believe that they are going to be able to kidnap and murder people in secret. Nor do I believe that they would grab a bunch of kitchen knives, throw on some KKK hoodies, and instantly become silent/stoic slasher villains.
The leader of said cult was even less believable. I get it. He's a doctor, his daughter died, and he became obsessed with the occult, immortality, and bringing the dead back to life. That's believable. I am sure there are number of people in real life who are like that.
The question is, how did this doctor become the leader of a cult and why did he succeed where so many others have failed? This isn't some rich billionaire with resources that span world-wide. Nor is he some archaeologist, historian, occult professor, or adventurer. He is literally a small town doctor, who somehow became the leader of a cult and discovered how to bring the dead back to life as monsters.
If he had connections to the government or left the town to search the world for the necronomicon, I would be able to understand that. But that's not the case. He's a normal small town doctor that everyone knows and has seemingly spent his entire career working at that one hospital.
Pointless Symbolism: This movie had tons of occult symbolism stuffed in to it for no reason other than it being "occult". Take the triangles for example. Why is this cult so obsessed with triangles? What do the triangles mean to them? In the context of an illuminati/shadow-government type group; it symbolizes the cast system and how the people at the top (the all seeing eye) hold all the knowledge and power.
This group is NOT the illuminati though. They are a bunch of random small town nutters. They aren't trying to control the world. In fact, they don't seem to have any lofty ambitions at all. The only thing we ever learn about them, is that they think they are helping people by murdering them and bringing them back as monsters.
There Was No Theme: Alright. There technically was a theme. The story just didn't go anywhere with it.
The theme is loss. More specifically, the loss of a child or other family member. Almost every character in the story has experienced it, is close to someone who has experienced it, or is in danger of experiencing it. But what is the movie actually trying to say about it? Is it just a character study exploring the different ways people cope with loss? If so, then it really fell short in that aspect. Does the movie have any philosophical answers on how to deal with the loss of a loved one? No. It doesn't.
Now, I am not one of those people who expect every movie to be an artistic masterpiece. This movie however, not only tried to be one, but also had the potential to be one. It just fell short. Though I suppose it could be worse. It could have ended up as bunch of overly pretentious drivel. Instead, we got a fun horror movie that keeps you entertained all the way through. It just tried to stuff to much into it.
I rate it C+. By horror movie standards, that may as well be an A-
Xerxes Break was once a dedicated servant of the Sinclair family, known as "The White Knight". After an outing with the Lord's youngest daughter, they returned to find the entire household had been murdered. Racked with guilt, he made a contract with an extra-dimensional entity. The deal was that if he could gather enough souls within a set amount of time, the entity would grant his wish and allow him to change the past.
It was then, that he became the world's most prolific serial killer, sacrificing over a hundred souls. Though ultimately failing to fulfill his contract, his wish was granted by a different entity. The White Queen, the one who wields the very power that created the multiverse. After rewriting history, she sent him 50 years into the future with the promise that one day he would return... To kill her.
Introduction:
The Mad Hatter is what's known as a "Child of Ill Omen". A human born with a soul that has been distorted by the Core's power. They are highly sensitive to the supernatural, and cause distortions in time with their sheer presence. He is also one of the most talented swordsman in history, as well as a dabbler in sorcery. What makes him truly dangerous however, is that he has been given power from the White Queen; allowing him to negate and destroy anything that comes from the "Abyss", the infinite void that encompasses the entire multiverse.
Though he does not appear to age on the outside, it's made very clear that he does not have true immortality. On the inside, his body is slowly dying, and it only gets worse every time he uses his powers. He is an old-man practically on his death bed, yet still manages to be one of the most dangerous people in the world.
Oh, and did I mention he's blind?
Physical Stats:
The Mad Hatter is one of the fastest characters in the series. Despite being a human, he has enough raw strength and speed match even god-tiered characters such as the Oz and the Cheshire Cat.
Speed:
In an anime scene, he was able to leap and blitz a small army of monsters, all before his feet even retouched the ground:
Even while in the middle of a coughing fit, he has shown enough speed and reaction timing to dodge a bullet fired from near point blank range, as well as kick off the ground with enough force to move at FTE speeds and leave a cloud of dust behind him:
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Strength:
He can even casually deflect sword-strikes from a giant sword and from someone strong enough to smash the ground:
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He has also shown enough raw strength to knock over a 50 foot tall monster, as well as kick the Bandersnatch with enough force to send both it and it's summoner flying into a tree behind them:
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His best feat however, was when he performed a mid-air clash with enough force to shatter the glass around them:
His Skillset:
The Mad Hatter is a bit of a jack of all trades, as he dabbles in a wide variety of arts.
Swordsmanship:
Xerxes is perhaps the most skilled swordsman in the world. Despite essentially being a dying old-man, he's shown more than capable of taking on numerous superhuman opponents at the same time:
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He has even shown to be capable of taking on the Red King himself:
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Both of these characters were also fast enough to have an entire sword fight in mid-air:
The Red-King/Glenn is a title held by the one tasked with maintaining balance between the human world and the abyss. Each Glenn gains the memories, skills, and experience of their predecessors. This was essentially like taking on a superhuman Ra's Al Ghul.
Child of Ill Omen:
Children of Ill Omen, characterized by their signature red eyes; have a number of passive abilities:
Sensing:
As a Child of Ill Omen, the Mad Hatter has extremely powerful sensing abilities. The fact that he's able to fight despite being blind should be proof enough. However, he is not only able to fight blind, but also within a field that completely nullifies all sight and sound:
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He has also shown the ability to feel distortions in space and react to a portal being opened before it actually happened:
Telepathic Resistance:
Children of Ill Omen have shown immunity to telepathic attacks:
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The above is a complete immunity. Vincent didn't merely resist her telepathic assault, she couldn't use her powers on him at all. This also demonstrates some resistance to telekinesis, as Zwei has shown that she can use the telekinetic strings to manipulate people even if they are capable of resisting her telepathic powers:
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For a feat from Xerxes himself, here he pretends to succumb to Cheshire's dream magic:
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Reality Warping Resistance:
has also shown to slip into pocket dimensions. Here he gets pulled into a hidden pocket dimension set up by the Jurors:
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The Juror's are essentially outer gods, likely inspired by HP Lovecraft's "Court of Azathoth". Each is assigned to a single outer world, and are given complete control over that dimension. They are powerful reality warpers who can literally rewrite time as easily as an Author would edit a novel:
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The dimension was meant to keep out uninvited guests, yet his status as a Child of Ill Omen allowed him to slip in on accident.
Immunity to Precognition:
The Children of Ill Omen are considered to be foreign to the story, and as such hold the ability to defy fate.
While this may initially sound like a rather common plot power, it manifests itself in making them very hard to track; even for powerful cosmic entities:
Cheshire is a mysterious entity from beyond the Universe. He comes from the Abyss, the infinite primordial void from which all worlds have spawned. He is the ruler of a dimension that exists between worlds, and can freely traverse the multiverse without the need for contractors, doors, or distortions in the fabric of space. Known as the Keeper of Secrets, he is tasked with guarding the memories that even God herself wishes she could forget.
Physical Stats:
Even in his human form, Cheshire boasts immense physical abilities that put him at the edge of what would be considered street tier.
Here he smashes the ground and bounces around at FTE speeds and casually dodging 3 bullets in the process. It should be noted that Gilbert is also a light bullet timer, but he couldn't track Cheshire's movements.
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His speed and raw strength is so great, that a high speed clash between him and Mad-Hatter caused a large shock-wave shattering nearby glass:
He is also skilled enough to go toe to toe with both the Red King and the Jabberwocky at the same time:
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To put it into perspective, the Red King/Glenn's job is to maintain order between the human world and the Abyss. Each Glenn inherits all the skills, experience, and memories from the previous Glenn. This essentially the equivalent of taking on a superhuman Ra's Al Ghul.
Taking on the Jabberwocky is also quite the feat, as the Jabberwocky is the guardian of one of the 5 gates between the human world and the abyss. Aside from special cases such as the Cheshire, Oz, and Mad-Hatter; the gate-keepers are the most abyssal entities in the world of Pandora.
Cheshire not only took him on at the same time as Glenn, but also casually clawed out it's eye:
Powers and Abilities:
As mentioned above, Cheshire has the power to freely go wherever he wants via teleportation. He also possesses other abilities such as shape-shifting, supernatural sensing, dimensional manipulation, minions, and telepathic attacks.
Dimensional Travel:
As the Abyss exists outside of time, Cheshire is able to use his dimensional travel in order to freely spy on anyone in the multiverse:
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He can also utilize travel through the abyss in order to enter the world at any point in time. He has even intercepted other time travelers, stranding them in the wrong time-period/dimension as well as prevent them from leaving:
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Teleportation and Shadow Phasing:
Cheshire's dimensional travel is part of his overall teleportation abilities:
Though he does not appear to be able to spam his teleportation in quick succession, he has used it in combat allowing him to disappear and perform a sneak attack from a shadow in the ground:
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He also shown the ability to phase into a shadow while in his true form:
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Immortality:
It has been stated that beings like Cheshire cannot be killed by ordinary physical damage, as whenever hit by such an attack the wound simply takes a ethereal like appearance before reforming itself:
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Even against non-physical attacks, Cheshire boasts an enormous amount of regenerative abilities. He has even survived being sliced apart by the power of Mad-Hatter, as well as having his entire dimension collapse around his mostly destroyed body. A feat that's especially impressive as Mad-Hatter has the ability to negate and destroy all powers and entities from the Abyss:
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Shape-shifting:
During a brief fight, with the Red King, he gets stabbed in the face. Rather than being harmed, he simply laughs it off before turning into a cloud of darkness:
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Though he rarely uses it in character, his most powerful form is that of a shadow monster in which he was able to warp the entire dimension around him:
After entering White-Alice/God's room, he shape-shifts back into his original form as an ordinary house cat:
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Earlier in the story, that same cat form had been used to lure Alice away from Mad Hatter:
Telepathic Attacks:
In Cheshire's dimension, he is able to use memories to create ghost-like entities that can swallow your mind; putting you into a temporal stasis and forcing you to dream for eternity:
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In addition to the above, he can also utilize mirrors to perform attacks on the mind:
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Red Alice also has telepathic and astral projection abilities (that can cross dimensions that aren't even part of the same time flow), yet she was incapable of resisting a mental assault from Cheshire's mirrors:
Sensing Abilities:
Cheshire has a decent level of awareness in regards to what happens in his dimension:
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He also sensed Raven's presence on Gilbert. Like the Jabberwocky, Raven is an immensely powerful gate-keeper. Yet the thought of fighting such a powerful being only made Cheshire hungry (Yes, faced with an ancient primordial entity, and Cheshire's immediate thought is that he wants to EAT it):
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Dimensional Manipulation:
Cheshire has the ability to take memories and weave them into a physical dimension. His main base of operations is a dimension woven from fragments of the memories of both Red and White Alice:
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Mirror Travel:
However, he also shown the ability to trap people in mirrors:
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By doing so, he is able to weave new dimensions linked to his own. These dimensions are based entirely on the minds of those trapped inside them:
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The physics in his dimension are warped and it's layout is designed to make those inside lose their way:
Dimension Warping:
Upon realizing that Oz's power had destabilized the dimension, Cheshire resorts to warping the dimension around him in attempt to destroy the main characters along with it:
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Minions:
He has also shown the ability to summon other entities from the Abyss into his domain:
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Reality Warping Resistance:
Cheshire survived a "dimensional vortex" caused by the Core erasing a human dimension with him in it:
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As stated in the above scans, these characters have natural resistances to dimensional effects. However because the Core itself had gone berserk and was the one that destroyed that world; the ensuing vortex ended up overpowering their usual resistances.
While the above characters survived partially through outside aid from a Child of Ill Omen (essentially a human who has been imbued by power from the Core itself), Cheshire had gotten separated from the group and did not have such help:
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Despite getting separated from the group and not being guided by Lacie's song, he still reappears at the center of the multiverse, alive and well:
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