LNH: Legion of Net.Heroes Vol.2 #24

[Saxon Brenton]

On Thurs 21 Feb 2008 Martin Phipps <martinphip... at yahoo.com> replied:
> On Feb 4, 10:40 am, Saxon Brenton <saxonbrenton at hotmail.com> wrote:

[...]
>
> Interesting.  Is LNH HQ self-aware?  This would explain how the alarm
> system works, specifically its ability to detect when an invader is a
> threat.

Hmm.  I hadn't thought of that angle.  On the one hand there's that
_System Corruptors_ episode by Dvandom that suggests that the LNH-HQ
is in fact an extradimensional critter that feeds symbiotically on
the drama created by the presence of net.heroes - but even Dvandom
insists that that story is probably apocryphal.  On the other hand,
if the LNH-HQ had a self-aware AI computer running it, then it
wouldn't need to have a robot majordomo like W.I.L.B.U.R.  I'd guess
that it's not self-aware, but rather has some really funky security
devices that operate by sensing dramatic conflict.

>>      "Yes, we are," said Mary.  "It's not the first time that
>> someone's tried to railroad the net.heroes.  Clinton tried it when
>> he was president, with the LNH Registration Act." [the main points
>> of which are addressed in: _Ultimate Ninja_ #10, _LNH_ #79-80,
>> _Giant Sized LNH #6_, _Continuity Champ & The Drizzt's Defenders_
>> #12 and _LNH_ #83 - Footnote Girl]
>
> Wow.  Thanks for the plug.  So, yeah, this isn't the only time the
> evil government trope has been used.

Oh goodness no.  And it occurred to me barely a week after posting
the
story that the Century Pact in _Dvandom Force_ probably also counts
as
a variation on this theme too.

[...]

>>      Mary startled, then looked around anxiously.  "I'm fine, but I
>> can't find Lee.  I think he lost his head."
>>      "He panicked and ran off?"
>>      "No!  I mean he lost his head!"
>
> Groan.

:-)  Including one of the characters as a mannequin was an of-the-
cuff
decision to continue to make Net.ropolis a weird place, but it also
turned out to be the starting point for a number of nicely bad jokes.

>>      Mickey's plan to bog down the Net.ahuman Responsibility Act in
>> paperwork and confusion was originally suggested by Lewis Himelhoch
>> on the Howling Curmudgeons website as one way of handling Marvel
>> comic's Superhuman Registration Act with lateral thinking and
>> creativity rather than with mere superhero punchinnaface.
>
> It's brilliant idea, especially in light of all the reality TV shows
> where everybody seems to think they can sing, be a superhero, be a top
> model, etc.  Everybody wants their fifteen minutes of fame and being
> registered as a superhero?  Who wouldn't want that?

That's part of the flip side to the debate.  From the same discussion
thread on HC was the idea that if the Marvel heroes weren't *forced*
to
register, there'd still be the subtle split along the lines of those
who
join SHIELD would get to enjoy better training, equipment and support
in
their activities, while the non-registers would be stuck in a type of
ghetto of amateur schlub heroics from not having all the benefits.

What I'm working on in the next Beige Countdown Intermezzo story is
to
have a group of LNH fans who look upon the Net.ahuman Responsibility
Act
as a golden opportunity to make costumes and codenames for themselves
and register so that they can join the LNH.  As a type of holiday
camp
rather than as a paramilitary organisation.  You can imagine how
Fuzzy
will react to that >:-)

One weird thought occurred to me a while back, and I'll probably
include
it in the dialogue of the next story.  Isn't it strange that it the
past
there's been complaints about how the LNH roster has gotten too big
with
too many one-joke characters, such as Arsenal's post which led to
Jamie
and myself writing the _Flame Wars 4_ mini that tried to kill off
some
of the superfluous characters?; and now we have a situation with the
Net.ahuman Responsibility Act which is encouraging many more
characters
to join, effectively off panel.  I've got a gut feeling that (even
leaving aside all the kiwis and ozzlefinches and just focusing on the
'human' characters that the Legion's membership has boomed from
several
hundred to several thoudand or perhaps even several tens of thousands
of people.

---
Saxon Brenton