SHIGARAKI TIME BOMB

This post contains spoilers from chapter 269 of My Hero Academia. You have been warned.

Shigaraki has finally been released from his capsule, but something is wrong! Shigaraki is not breathing and his heart has stopped. It is revealed that Shigaraki is not dead, but in a state of suspended animation like a bear in hibernation. The rest of the superheroes who participated in the hospital raid have joined the fight and have overwhelmed the other High-End Nomu. At first, it looks like it is a final total defeat for Shigaraki, but this seems way too easy for the superheroes. Something’s not right!

At the end of the chapter, we got a glimpse of All For One while he is in prison, seemingly smiling. This could mean that All For One has an ace up his sleeve to somehow awaken Shigaraki. The security system of Tartarus Prison is specifically designed to shoot inmates if they so much as think about using their powers. However, they have never dealt with someone of All For One’s capabilities. For all we know, All For One may have some way to hide his thought patterns from the security system or have some form of technopathy that tricks the security system. Another possibility is that All For One may sacrifice himself to awaken Shigaraki. Due to being weaken and a broken shadow of his former self, All For One may sacrifice himself for his legacy in Shigaraki by using some kind of psychic power that awakens Shigaraki. In doing so, All For One would be gunned down, thus paving the way for Shigaraki to inherit his throne as king of the underworld.

If Shigaraki somehow awakens with all those superheroes present, I can imagine seeing something similar to when All For One first reveals himself in My Hero Academia. In that scene, All For One effortlessly defeated four superheroes and destroyed the surrounding area with one blow. I think we will see something similar when Shigaraki awakens, but on a much larger scale due to the number of superheroes present. I am imagining something similar to when Madara Uchiha single-handedly mopped the floor with the entire Ninja Alliance in Naruto.

Overall, since Tomura Shigaraki is the main supervillain of the story alongside All For One, there is no way he could be dead or be defeated this soon. All the foreshadowing and story arcs have been leading us to something big and I think it is something bigger than the war arc so far.

DYNASTIC STORIES

It took me some time to realize this, but I just discovered some similarities between my Magnus Dynasty Saga and the Dune Series. Both series revolve around the history of noble families that rise to ultimate power; House Atreides in Dune Series and House Magnus in the Magnus Dynasty Saga. House Atreides had a feud with House Harkonnen and usurped House Corrino as the new imperial family of the know universe. House Magnus had a feud with House Baal and usurped House Sylva as the new imperial family of the Gradaian Empire. House Atreides gained the loyalty of the Fremen, who were a civilization that was looked down upon by the known universe. House Magnus gained the loyalty of the Welts, who were a people most folk see as primitive savages. Paul Atreides takes a member of the Fremen tribes as his lover. Numen Magnus takes a Welt woman as his lover. House Atreides gained ultimate prescient power due to Paul Atreides becoming the Kwisatz Haderach and Leto II Atreides becoming God Emperor. House Magnus gained mystical power due to being one of the few Druid bloodlines left in the Empire. House Atreides gained control over the giant sandworms of Arrakis and uses them as beasts of war. House Magnus gained control over the last dragons and uses them as beasts of war. These two noble families suffered loss and hardship before overcoming the odds in order to achieve ultimate power in their respective universes. I like dynastic stories that show underdog families defying insurmountable odds and becoming stronger over time. Due to this, I will not limit my fantasy series to just three volumes. Like the Dune Series did with House Atreides, I will be telling the story of House Magnus through multiple volumes until I run out of story ideas.

MAGICAL TRANSHUMANISM

I like the idea of transhumanism because it introduces the idea in which we could transcend the human condition. We could become faster, stronger, smarter, and more resilient. The topic has been discussed with the usage of science and technology, but what if it could be achieved through magic. In my third fantasy book, some characters will undergo a form of magical transhumanism in an attempt to sacrifice their humanity in order to achieve great power. I am thinking of making this process similar to a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly. However, this ritual comes with a steep price and there is no guarantee that the ones undergoing the change will survive. It is going to be an intense process and I look forward to writing it.

DEKU: THE LAST WIELDER?

As we all know, the power known as One For All has been passed down from generation after generation between nine users. However, what if it can no longer be passed down? What if One For All has found its final and permanent host in Izuku Midoriya? The reason I think this is because when Izuku first activated the dormant power known as Blackwhip, the vestige of Blackwhip’s original owner said that Izuku was going to be the one who completes One For All. The fact that Izuku is the first wielder of One For All to awaken the dormant powers of the previous users strengthens this argument. Another example that highlights this possibility is during the latest My Hero Academia film, where Izuku briefly shares One For All with Bakugo in order to defeat the supervillain Nine. However, Bakugo lost consciousness before the transfer could be completed, but I think there is more to it than that. I think One For All did not permanently transfer to Bakugo because Izuku is still the final user. That means he could temporarily grant One For All’s power to allies, but he cannot transfer it permanently like the previous users did. This will be a useful feature during the endgame against Shigaraki and the Paranormal Liberation Front. Another reason why I think Izuku is the final user of One For All is because of the power’s innate nature. One For All has been passed down the generations and each time it was transferred, it grew stronger and stronger, stockpiling power until it accumulated enough energy to fulfill its sole purpose: defeating All For One. The fact that Izuku can access the dormant powers of his predecessors could mean that One For All has finally acquired enough power to defeat All For One and, by extension, All For One’s successor, Tomura Shigaraki. If One For All was permanently passed on any further, it may acquire too much power for any user to wield which is another reason why Izuku is its final host. Once All For One and Shigaraki are permanently defeated, there would be no need to pass on One For All and it will ultimately die with Izuku.

MY HERO ACADEMIA: DEKU FLOATING

As we learned in recent chapters of my Hero Academia, there is a lot more to Izuku’s power, One For All, than we originally thought. When we were first introduced to One For All, it granted its user tremendous raw power that augmented their strength and speed to god-like levels. However, One For All took time to master and if used to the extreme it would damage the user’s body. We received a glimpse of how powerful Izuku would inevitably become when he masters 100% of One For All when he battled Overhaul. However, he was only able to use 100% of One For All with the assistance of Eri’s temporal healing and cannot unleash his full power on his own yet.

Now, we learn that what we have seen so far was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to One For All’s true power. In addition to the standard-issue abilities it came with, One For All also possesses the powers of all of its previous users, which means Izuku has six more powers to awaken, learn, and master. Due to One For All’s tendency to stockpile energy, each of the previous users’ powers have been explosively augmented after mixing with One For All. That means even if the original powers were weak and mundane, they would be on a completely different level now.

The first of these dormant powers Izuku awakened was called Blackwhip, which was the ability to conjure dark energy whips to capture and restrain targets. When it first manifested, Blackwhip proved far too powerful for Izuku to control and nearly ripped his right arm out of its socket. Izuku needed the assistance of his classmates to bring his new power to heel. After some training, Izuku was able to summon Blackwhip in a more controlled fashion, but he could only maintain it for a few seconds. For now, Izuku is nowhere near achieving mastery of either One For All’s standard abilities or Blackwhip. If that wasn’t intense enough for Izuku, he also has five more dormant powers he needs master before he faces off against Shigaraki in the endgame.

According to All Might, the next dormant power Izuku will learn will be the power of All Might’s mentor, Nana Shimura. Nana Shimura’s original power was called Float. Based on its name, it seems Nana Shimura could either levitate or fly, which was fitting since her partner Grand Torino had limited flight capabilities.

Now that we know which power Izuku will awaken next, the question is how is he going to awaken it. When Izuku awakened Blackwhip, he felt anger and an intention to capture someone. This could mean that each of the dormant powers are activated by a certain emotion and intent. With this in mind, we have to look at what we know about Nana Shimura’s character. Nana Shimura has been portrayed as a kind, loving, compassionate, and strong-willed woman. Based on these factors, I think the emotions required to activate Float are the emotion of love and the intent of saving someone.

If the emotion of love and the intent of saving someone are the triggers needed to activate Float, I think I have an idea of what conditions Izuku will face when he feels and thinks these factors. From the very beginning, it has become clear that Izuku has feelings for fellow classmate Ochaco Uraraka, who also has romantic feelings for Izuku. For the moment, they are keeping their feelings in check and staying mindful of their duties. In the unfolding war between superheroes and supervillains, I think Ochaco will find herself in a life-or-death situation and Izuku will be forced to rescue her.

Since Ochaco’s power allows her to control the gravitational field of whatever she touches, it would be perfect Izuku to awaken Float while rescuing her. Ochaco would also be the perfect teacher to help Izuku master Float. I can picture them professing their love for each other as they are levitating in the air. This could be when they cease to be friends and become boyfriend and girlfriend, which would possibly lead to them becoming married at the end of the story.

Because the powers of One For All’s previous users would be explosively augmented, I think Izuku’s usage of Float may allow him to achieve supersonic flight like Superman. I hope we find out soon as the final war between heroes and villains unfolds.

IZUKU MIDORIYA VS TOMURA SHIGARAKI (PART 1)

Out of all the battles in My Hero Academia, the one I am looking forward to the most would be the inevitable showdown between Izuku Midoriya and Tomura Shigaraki. The thing I like about these two is that they are reflections of one another. As children, they both dreamed of becoming heroes, but their upbringings were as different as night and day. Izuku was raised by a kind mother who always supported his dream of becoming a superhero. Shigaraki, on the other hand, was raised by an abusive father and a cowardly family who did nothing to protect him. As Supreme Leader Snoke from Star Wars once said, “Pups who are abused often grow into vicious creatures.” If they swapped upbringings, Izuku could have become the villain and Shigaraki the hero. That is how similar they are. This similarity reminds me of opposites like Green Lantern and Sinestro, Flash and Reverse-Flash, and Aquaman and Ocean Master.

Izuku and Shigaraki were both trained by two sworn enemies: Izuku by All Might and Shigaraki by All For One. Due to their respective tutelage, Izuku and Shigaraki have been groomed and trained to succeed their mentors as both the greatest superhero and greatest supervillain. These two represent the next generation in the never-ending battle between good and evil, light and darkness, order and chaos, life and death.

There have been hints that both Izuku and Shigaraki may become more powerful than their mentors ever were. This was foreshadowed by the fact that Izuku is in the process of awakening powers that have been dormant in One For All, which was something even All Might could not do. As for Shigaraki, he is undergoing a transformative surgery that will allow him to surpass both All For One and One For All. When both Izuku and Shigaraki reach their full potential, it will be a serious clash of the titans the likes of which society has never seen before.

However, before that final clash can begin, we must look at the story so far. For the moment, Shigaraki is at 75 % power and may not reach 100%. Izuku has only awakened one of the dormant powers in One For All and has only mastered 20% of One For All’s full power. Given the fact that Shigaraki will be remade to surpass One For All, even at 75% power, I strongly believe that Shigaraki could easily thrash or even kill Izuku in his current state. As the main hero, we all know Izuku will not die, which means Shigaraki will just give him a serious beating in their next encounter. This will mark the gap between them and present Izuku the challenge of catching up to Shigaraki in order to fight him as an equal. Also, if Shigaraki stays at 75% power, that may be what prevents him from surpassing One For All, which will give Izuku the fighting chance he needs in the endgame.

If Shigaraki destroys hero society, Japan will be in a constant state of war and chaos. With the concept of a Hero License becoming irrelevant as well as law and order vanishing, Izuku and his classmates may become vigilantes and constantly resist the new supervillain society. Since Izuku will survive his next encounter with Shigaraki, he will be given plenty of opportunities to fight supervillains, which will allow him to grow stronger with each battle. Real life-or-death situations tend to be more effective training than any kind of simulated training. This will allow Izuku and his classmates to grow in a way they never did in school. With enough battles and life-or-death situations, Izuku may be able to reach his full potential, setting the stage for his final battle with Shigaraki.

When both Izuku and Shigaraki fight one last time, I can imagine it being a clash between god-like beings. At the start of the story, Izuku said that the story of My Hero Academia is the story of how he became the greatest superhero. Perhaps this battle is what allows him to achieve that status. I haven’t been this excited about a battle between superheroes and supervillains since the Avengers going against Thanos in Endgame. I know there is much of the story that needs to be told and it could take a long time for the final showdown to appear, but I am willing to wait and enjoy the story.

AN IMPERIAL GUARD

Every emperor needs an imperial guard to protect them at all times. Easily the most famous imperial guard would be the Praetorian Guard from the Roman Empire. Since my fantasy world takes place in an empire, I will be giving the Imperial Dynasty their own imperial guard. I will be drawing inspiration from the Roman Praetorian Guard.

NEW FANTASY WEAPON

For some time, I have been thinking of including a weapon in my fantasy series that is a combination between a sword and a spear. This weapon will be the standard-issue blade of an army in my third fantasy book. I got the idea from the Zulu Iklwa, which was the short spear used by African warlord Shaka Zulu.

DUNE 2020 FILM

I have received splendid news! It looks like there will be a remake of Dune later this year! I have read the book and watched the 1984 film and the 2000 miniseries. I certainly hope they will be using the script that was made by Alejandro Jodorowsky. That script was never filmed, but it was said to surpass Star Wars if it was ever filmed. That would make Jodorowsky’s version of Dune the greatest science fiction film never made. My life and overall existence as a scifi fan would be complete if this is when the Jodorowsky script finally gets filmed!

As for the forthcoming 2020 version, we received leaked images from the set as well as reveals on who will be in the cast:

Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides AKA Muad’Dib AKA Usul AKA the Kwisatz Haderach

Oscar Issac as Duke Leto Atreides, father of Paul Atreides

Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Bene Gesserit mother of Paul and concubine of Leto

Josh Brolin as Gurney Hallek, weapons master of House Atreides

Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, sworn enemy of House Atreides and head of House Harkonnen

Zendaya as Chani, Fremen concubine of Paul Atreides

Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, swordmaster of House Atreides

Chang Chen as Dr. Wellington Yueh, Suk doctor of House Atreides

Overall, this version of Dune has an ensemble cast full of wise choices. I look forward to seeing this film on the big screen. Hopefully, the pandemic will end so it can be released on schedule.

A DEADLY AND GLORIOUS TOMB

As I mentioned in my previous posts, I am thinking of introducing a new section of Gradaia’s history and lore in my third fantasy book that will revolve around the tomb of a group of magical kings. I am thinking of making it similar to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, but I will also give it a cavernous yet regal appearance similar to Moria from The Lord of the Rings. It will be a beautiful tomb that seems more fit for a god than a collection of kings; molded from iron and stone while being coated in ice and fire. However, like the tombs of the pharaohs, this colossal tomb will be littered with deadly traps to ward off intruders. These traps will not be mechanical like those of Egypt. Instead, they will be built and fueled by magic, which will make them even more dangerous. Overall, this giant tomb will be beautiful yet lethal at the same time.