Science behind Rai's energy?

[BloodOfHeroes]

What the heck was it? It seems Grandmother created/discovered it.

Erica Pierce feared it (but ultimately defeated it).

While it changed the "bearer", Tohru seemed to leave behind skeletal remains after Pierce blasted him, so his physiology seemed fairly human.

So what the heck was it? Thoughts? Speculations? I tried hunting for an earlier thread about this, but didn't have any luck. I apologize if it's been covered and I couldn't find it.

Thanks!
BoH

[magnusr]

What the heck was it? It seems Grandmother created/discovered it.

Erica Pierce feared it (but ultimately defeated it).

While it changed the "bearer", Tohru seemed to leave behind skeletal remains after Pierce blasted him, so his physiology seemed fairly human.

So what the heck was it? Thoughts? Speculations? I tried hunting for an earlier thread about this, but didn't have any luck. I apologize if it's been covered and I couldn't find it.

Thanks!
BoH

Bloodshot 5, page 5, Malev emperor, addressing Rentaro: "Ectotheric energy once flowed freely within you".

It is not addressed anywhere else as far as I know, but it is logical. The energy that machines can create, was used by Grandmother.

/Magnus

[greg]

What the heck was it? It seems Grandmother created/discovered it.

Erica Pierce feared it (but ultimately defeated it).

While it changed the "bearer", Tohru seemed to leave behind skeletal remains after Pierce blasted him, so his physiology seemed fairly human.

So what the heck was it? Thoughts? Speculations? I tried hunting for an earlier thread about this, but didn't have any luck. I apologize if it's been covered and I couldn't find it.

Thanks!
BoH

Bloodshot 5, page 5, Malev emperor, addressing Rentaro: "Ectotheric energy once flowed freely within you".

It is not addressed anywhere else as far as I know, but it is logical. The energy that machines can create, was used by Grandmother.

/Magnus

Something similar was used by Neo in "The Matrix"... power of the mind to affect people and machines.

[BloodOfHeroes]

Bloodshot 5, page 5, Malev emperor, addressing Rentaro: "Ectotheric energy once flowed freely within you".

It is not addressed anywhere else as far as I know, but it is logical. The energy that machines can create, was used by Grandmother.

/Magnus

Thanks, as always, my friend, for gently setting me straight.

Once you gave me "ectotheric, " I Googled it and it seems Leeja also channeled ectotheric energy. And, in this archived review from Chris's Valiant Visions about Magnus #51, I read this:

As Suki and Takashi pull Rai from cage, Rai metamorphs into an
inhuman feral version of himself. Rai brutally attacks Takashi then blasts
him with ectotheric energy, a newly discovered birthright from his mother.

So now I'm even more confused than ever why Erica would be afraid of this energy. Could Leeja have taken Pierce? (But that's a post for another day)

Thanks again, Magnus, for your assist!

BoH

[BloodOfHeroes]

Something similar was used by Neo in "The Matrix"... power of the mind to affect people and machines.

I'd be cool with that as a description of Takao's Harbinger- and nanite-induced abilities, but Tohru?

BoH

[magnusr]

Could Leeja have taken Pierce? (But that's a post for another day)

Thanks again, Magnus, for your assist!

BoH

Leeja could channel ectotheric energy if it was around. And only as rough energy blasts. Obadiah could both produce and channel the energy (possibly also aiming better). The original Rai though, he was in a class of his own.

/Magnus

[Chiclo]

Leeja's capacity for ecotheric energy was explored a bit more in the Gold Key series than in the Valiant one.

[terreth]

Thanks guys.
I was wondering the same thing and now I have some answers.

[BloodOfHeroes]

Leeja's capacity for ecotheric energy was explored a bit more in the Gold Key series than in the Valiant one.

Oh, jinkies. I do *not* need to collect any more books!

(but thanks for the info!)

*BoH sighs and heads on over to eBay*

[BloodOfHeroes]

The original Rai though, he was in a class of his own.

/Magnus

As are you, 'mano. As are you.

[The Unknown Spider]

Can anyone tell me what was going on with Takashi Nakadai at the end of the Magnus series? I don't have all those issues. I just have an issue where he is changing white skin and Rai spot.

[Daniel Jackson]

Can anyone tell me what was going on with Takashi Nakadai at the end of the Magnus series? I don't have all those issues. I just have an issue where he is changing white skin and Rai spot.

Well, the last thing we see from him is his girlfriend looking at the Rai mark on his chest and being dismayed as to why he didn't tell her. Giffen's writing was awful and hard to follow and the by end of the series he pretty much kills off everyone except for Torque.

[Chiclo]

Can anyone tell me what was going on with Takashi Nakadai at the end of the Magnus series? I don't have all those issues. I just have an issue where he is changing white skin and Rai spot.

Well, the last thing we see from him is his girlfriend looking at the Rai mark on his chest and being dismayed as to why he didn't tell her. Giffen's writing was awful and hard to follow and the by end of the series he pretty much kills off everyone except for Torque.

Oh no, Torque dies.

He just doesn't stay dead.

Elzy is still around too. And she has a lip ring and green lipstick. I didn't get that.

[Daniel Jackson]

Can anyone tell me what was going on with Takashi Nakadai at the end of the Magnus series? I don't have all those issues. I just have an issue where he is changing white skin and Rai spot.

Well, the last thing we see from him is his girlfriend looking at the Rai mark on his chest and being dismayed as to why he didn't tell her. Giffen's writing was awful and hard to follow and the by end of the series he pretty much kills off everyone except for Torque.

Oh no, Torque dies.

He just doesn't stay dead.

Elzy is still around too. And she has a lip ring and green lipstick. I didn't get that.

There was a lot of things people didn't get in Giffen's run. Especially turning Torque into a Psi Lord.

[BloodOfHeroes]

Well, the last thing we see from him is his girlfriend looking at the Rai mark on his chest and being dismayed as to why he didn't tell her. Giffen's writing was awful and hard to follow and the by end of the series he pretty much kills off everyone except for Torque.

We actually see him one more time, in MRF #64. He seems to be at peace with his (ecotheric?) transformation:



This page, and the one before it (an interview with Obidiah), show one of the greatest unresolved plotlines of VH-1, IMO.

I, for one, appreciate what Giffen tried to do (I'm in the minority here, I understand). He made the characters interesting, to me, for the first time in many issues.

When you look at the titles he helped to conclude, you have to wonder what his executive directive was, if any, no?

BoH

[xodacia81]

Giffen is/was, mainly a comedy writer, imo. I think he would have been a good choice on a series like Archer & Armstrong or even Dr. Mirage, but not one of the more "serious" titles. I do agree that much of his VALIANT work was attrocious, especially Torque and the Psi-Lords, but he STILL wrote, in XO #64, one of the greatest sequences in VALIANT history. Otherwise, his work was pretty bad with VALIANT.

[myron]

Giffen is/was, mainly a comedy writer, imo. I think he would have been a good choice on a series like Archer & Armstrong or even Dr. Mirage, but not one of the more "serious" titles. I do agree that much of his VALIANT work was attrocious, especially Torque and the Psi-Lords, but he STILL wrote, in XO #64, one of the greatest sequences in VALIANT history. Otherwise, his work was pretty bad with VALIANT.

understatement

[The Unknown Spider]

Well as I previously stated. I don't have the final issue of MRF so I'm going on what's been stated here. If Giffen did indeed give Takashi his dad's powers I'd applaud that. I think Valiant treated my favorite Rai pretty horribly. I know being a super hero is tough but Rai had the toughest breaks this side of Peter Parker. All his sacrifices and he didn't have the true blood of heroes and his wife opposed him, he sacrificed Japan, was willing to kill himself for his son, died so that Solar was free, all that then they turn his son into his mom's killer. Yes it was dramatic and had the makings of an interesting villain but dang man give a guy a break at least after he's dead. Also it makes me wonder if they went in this direction, if Rai's powers were actually harbinger in nature and say Grandmother only activated them in each generation maybe the Rai's did have their own hereditary blood of heroes. I know that Sho Segundo was not of the Nakadai lineage, but who's to say that maybe he really was. If I remeber correctly he was somewhat of a lower class citizen, maybe his mom worked hard for her money. Anyway I'm just creating my own history here.

[greg]

Anyway I'm just creating my own history here.

That seems to happen a lot around here.

[BloodOfHeroes]

Giffen is/was, mainly a comedy writer, imo. I think he would have been a good choice on a series like Archer & Armstrong or even Dr. Mirage, but not one of the more "serious" titles.

Didja read his LSH work? Talk about "Dark." I think that the writers who are best at "funny" also tend to be best at "tragedy" (after all, Tragedy + Time = Comedy), although writers good at "tragic" works aren't necessarily good at "funny". But I agree--I think he could have continued the high-quality of A&A as a replacement to BWS.

I do agree that much of his VALIANT work was attrocious, especially Torque and the Psi-Lords, but he STILL wrote, in XO #64, one of the greatest sequences in VALIANT history. Otherwise, his work was pretty bad with VALIANT.

BLASPHEMY ALERT: My least favorite Valiant characters are Solar, Magnus and X-O. While there are great tales told about all 3 characters (A&O is my favorite comic story, ever), I thought they were spotty in their occurrences. I enjoyed Giffen's work on all of them. I don't care about Starwatchers OR Torque II, so I can ignore that element.

/Blasphemy

BoH

[Chiclo]

BURN THE WITCH!

Even though he presents his dissenting opinions in a well-thought out and articulate manner.

[BloodOfHeroes]

BURN THE WITCH!

See? Giffen anticipated your reaction!



BoH, the "false Rai"

[Chiclo]

Your clever use of Magnus 64 is well-reasoned, but the correct answer was Elzy holding her hand over her heart to indicate how she knows Magnus is still alive.

When possible, the correct answer for me always involves Elzy.

[BloodOfHeroes]

[Chiclo]

You do make a good point, BloodOfHeroes.