As I brainstorm the potential warning signs of the upcoming dinosaur apocalypse in my dinosaur series, the scenarios are increasing in number and scale. I have seen nature documentaries that talked about how wolves, coyotes, and mountain lions would hunt domesticated livestock. Also, feral livestock such as cattle, goats, and hogs would raid and demolish crops. Then I wonder how these scenarios would play out if they were perpetrated by dinosaurs. Farmers would be scared, confused, and outraged to find their entire livelihoods gone.
Monthly Archives: February 2021
DINOSAUR APOCALYPSE: WARNING SIGNS (PART 2)
In a previous post, I mentioned one of the potential warning signs that would foreshadow the unfolding dinosaur apocalypse in my ongoing dinosaur series. Now, I have thought of other warning signs that will be found by the public as time goes on. Among those warning signs would be footprints that would appear in populated areas. Imagine waking up one morning and finding giant footprints covering every inch of the streets in your hometown. How terrifying and ominous would that be?
MHA: SHIGARAKI’S FINAL EVOLUTION
The following contains spoilers from My Hero Academia. You have been warned.
At the end of the Paranormal Liberation War, the vestige of All For One took over Tomura Shigaraki’s body. As he fled the battlefield, he said that he and Deku would fight again when Shigaraki’s upgraded body was perfected.
The biggest source of hype in the recent story arc revolved around the surgery that Doctor Ujiko gave Shigaraki that would potentially make him stronger than either One For All or All For One. Sadly, Shigaraki was awakened from his surgery a month ahead of schedule at 75 % completion. Even so, Shigaraki demonstrated impressive abilities that allowed him to hold his own against multiple powerful superheroes at the same time. This post will go over what we know about Shigaraki’s new capabilities so far.
Let us start with Shigaraki’s basic physical upgrades. As demonstrated by Aizawa’s power negation, Shigaraki is still a powerful and dangerous supervillain even without any quirks. His enhanced strength has increased to the point in which it is similar to All Might’s. Doctor Ujiko admitted that Shigaraki’s strength is not quite on par with All Might. Even so, Shigaraki was strong enough to physically best several powerful superheroes at once.
Next is Shigaraki’s immense stamina and durability. While his quirks were being negated, Shigaraki proved more than able to take a serious beating and keep on fighting. Even as his body sustains serious injuries, Shigaraki was able to push forward. This endurance is similar to his fight with Re-Destro, but on a much larger scale.
Then comes Shigaraki’s speed and jumping abilities. Shortly after awakening, Shigaraki demonstrated the ability to jump great heights and distances in a single bound. This was due to the enhanced strength of his leg muscles, which is similar to how the Hulk jumps. Shigaraki’s speed is just as intense as his strength and seems to increase when he pushed to his limit.
We move on to Shigaraki’s arsenal of quirks. His original quirk, Decay, has the power to disintegrate entire cities with a single touch. Shigaraki first demonstrated the full extent of his quirk during his fight with Re-Destro. However, this boost came with a drawback where his body would rot as well if Shigaraki pushed too far. After Ujiko’s operation, Shigaraki’s upgraded body combined with regeneration can withstand the self-inflicting nature of his Decay quirk. This will allow Shigaraki to disintegrate larger areas, which was demonstrated in Jaku City where he dusted the city and the surrounding forest.
As a result of Doctor Ujiko’s surgery, Shigaraki was granted the All For One quirk and all the stolen quirks that came with it. Shigaraki’s upgraded body was not only meant to withstand the self-destructive nature of his Decay quirk. It was also upgraded to withstand the strain of all the combined quirks that are within the All For One quirk. The All For One quirk by itself grants Shigaraki the ability to steal quirks and make them his own or grant quirks to others.
So far, Shigaraki has used five quirks that are within the All For One quirk. The first was Super Regeneration, which not only heals any injury he sustains, but also negates the self-destructive side effects of his Decay quirk. When at full strength, Super Regeneration can heal Shigaraki’s body faster than it can sustain damage.
The second stolen quirk Shigaraki used was Search, which allows him to locate up to a hundred people. Search also enables him to see his targets regardless of how many barriers are in the way. It also allows Shigaraki to see his target’s strengths and weaknesses. So, no matter where his target is or what obstacles stand in his way, Shigaraki will be able to find them and use their weaknesses against them.
The third stolen quirk Shigaraki used was Air Cannon, which generates a concentrated blast of air pressure that blows his opponents away. Shigaraki first used this against Endeavor. After Endeavor briefly immobilized Shigaraki’s right hand, Shigaraki was able to fire Air Cannon point blank range at Endeavor’s face. Like All For One, Shigaraki has the potential to combine this quirk with other stolen quirks.
The fourth stolen quirk Shigaraki wielded was Radio Waves, which creates an electromagnetic pulse that shuts down all communication devices within its blast radius. By combining this quirk with Air Cannon, Shigaraki was able to disable the superheroes’ means of communication and coordination. Other than shutting off electronic communication, I do not know if Radio Waves can be used on other forms of technology.
The fifth stolen quirk Shigaraki used was Rivet Stab, which allows him to generate sharp tendrils from either his arms or back. This quirk can be used as a weapon to attack opponents. Shigaraki used this quirk to impale Endeavor and Bakugo like shish kebab. It can also allow Shigaraki suspend himself in mid-air like a humanoid spider so he can keep fighting.
Even though Shigaraki has been granted tremendous powers and abilities that rival those of a demigod, his most powerful weapon was his formidable willpower and tenacity. When Shigaraki woke up, it was revealed that the electric shock he was exposed to was not enough to wake him up from his suspended animation. What woke him up was his unmatchable hatred and tenacity. Even as he took the biggest beating anyone has ever sustained, Shigaraki refused to stay down and kept fighting. No matter how much punishment he took, Shigaraki repeatedly pushed past his limits.
Despite all of these impressive capabilities, we have not seen the true extent of Shigaraki’s power. First, the All For One quirk supposedly contains hundreds or even thousands of quirks to choose from and yet Shigaraki has only used five of them so far. Because he has been using his Decay quirk since he was five-years-old, Shigaraki seems to rely on it too much due to force of habit. Due to waking up from his surgery at 75 %, Shigaraki’s incomplete body cannot keep up with the combined strength of the stolen quirks in All For One. As a result, Shigaraki’s body would tear itself apart if he pushes himself too hard and his regenerative powers slow down significantly. The greatest limitation Shigaraki has is in his own head, where he battles for control of his body with the vestige of All For One. Because of this inner conflict, Shigaraki cannot truly exert the true extent of his new abilities.
Based on all of these powers and their limitations, we have to wonder how powerful Shigaraki will become when his body stabilizes at 100%. When Ujiko woke up the High-End Nomu to fight Mirko, they were incomplete as well. However, as time went by, the Nomu were able to stabilize on their own. I think Shigaraki is going to do the same as the vestige of All For One forces him to rest. As his body rests and stabilizes, Shigaraki’s regeneration will be restored to full strength.
While Shigaraki’s body will reach its full potential with the right amount of time, my main concern is his mind. For the moment, the vestige of All For One is in control of his body, but we don’t know if that will last. I think the vestige of All For One gives Shigaraki the same kind of mental limitation that his childhood trauma did. It messes with his mind and holds back his true power. However, Shigaraki was able to overcome this trauma during his fight with Re-Destro, becoming liberated in every way. I think Shigaraki will overcome the All For One vestige the same way, possibly with some help from Deku in the vestige world.
Overall, Tomura Shigaraki has grown into a highly powerful and dangerous supervillain. He still has plenty of room to grow as a character. When he finally wakes up, Shigaraki’s true power will be realized and unleashed. I cannot wait to see it happen and how it will affect the future battles.
A NEW MAMMALIAN PREDATOR
As reverse engineered animals appear throughout my dinosaur series, I thought of creating a new mammalian predator to replace the ones we are familiar with such as wolves, lions, and bears. At first, I thought of looking at something that resembles a saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, short-faced bears, or a mix between all four. However, I am thinking of drawing inspiration from the mammal-like reptiles that lived before the dinosaurs. One of the most prominent example of these mammal-like reptiles were the Gorgonopsids, which were among the first predators to evolve saber teeth. The creature I am envisioning will physically look like a mix between mammals and reptiles. It will be a saber-toothed cat, dire wolf, and Gorgonosid all rolled into one. It will take some time to envision what this beast will look like when it makes it debut in the series. I will keep you updated on any new developments.
NEW LIZARDS
As my dinosaur series progresses, I will continue to feature new species of reverse engineered animals that look like their prehistoric ancestors. Among these new animals will be three species of lizard. One lizard will be a large predatory carnivore, one will be an equally large gentle herbivore, and the third will be a small insect eater. These creatures will be the first of their respective species and will be a common sight. The forthcoming dinosaur apocalypse will be a golden age for reptiles. As they are reverse engineered into something that resembles their prehistoric ancestors, they will evolve and diversify in unpredictable ways. Sadly the emergence of these mutated reptiles will have serious consequences on the planet’s ecosystem.
AN EPIC BALL
One of the greatest forms of pageantry would be a masquerade ball. During such events, members of the aristocracy would gather for fun, dance, and colorful masks. Such events would bring the aristocracy closer together as a community. The masks and dancing would make the partygoers living works of art. In my third fantasy book, there will be an epic masquerade ball where kings and queens, barons and baronesses, and even the imperial family itself would gather. This ball will be part of an elaborate engagement party that would reconcile a divided empire after a bloody civil war.
A PROPER PALACE
In my fantasy series, I wanted to create a palace for the imperial dynasty that would shame all other strongholds in terms of both lavishness and defense. I thought what would be more impregnable than a mountain, but could not find a suitable answer. If one were to make a mountain into a palace, a million men can lay siege on it and be repelled. Therefore, I drew inspiration from other mountainous castles in fantasy such as Casterly Rock from Game of Thrones and Erebor from The Hobbit. Both mountains contained limitless wealth and their mine shafts were expanded into halls, galleries, and bed chambers. I thought a stronghold such as either of these would be fit for an emperor and his heirs. The Imperial Palace in my fantasy series is essentially a combination between Casterly Rock and Erebor. It is where most of the third book will take place as the main character tries to navigate the cutthroat politics that comes with governing an empire.
A LESSER SON OF GREATER SIRES
In my third fantasy book, I am thinking of adding a unique personality trait to my main character. He becomes emperor at an early age, which makes him the first member of the Magnus Dynasty to legitimately inherit the Imperial Throne. Despite being the most powerful individual in the entire Empire, my protagonist will be plagued by doubts and insecurities. His grandfather was a monster slayer and revolutionary while his father, uncles, and aunt were warriors and conquerors. He has some serious shoes to fill in order to live up to the Magnus name and legacy. It also gives him an inferiority complex when he compares himself to the rest of his kin. The third volume of my fantasy series will revolve around his quest to achieve his moment of everlasting Magnus glory.
A PREDATOR TRAP
Over the years, I visited the La Brea Tar Pits several times. It is one of the biggest Pleistocene fossil hotspots in the world. The La Brea Tar Pits are what is called a “predator trap”. Large herbivores such as mammoths, ground sloths, and wooly rhinos would get stuck in the tar. Their helplessness and cries of distress become a dinner bell for opportunistic predators such as saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, and short-faced bears. These carnivores would feast on the trapped herbivores until they themselves become stuck. These trapped predators then attract more predators to the tar pit. Finally, all these piled up corpses attract scavengers such as vultures, which also become stuck. This starts an endless cycle where predator and prey become stuck together in the tar, which created one of the biggest prehistoric mass graves in America. I am thinking of writing a scene in my dinosaur series where my fictional dinosaur species get caught in a similar predator trap.
THE REAL DR. FRANKENSTEIN
Everyone remembers the experiment where Dr. Frankenstein gave his monster life with a bolt of lightning. Believe it or not, a similar experiment took place in real life. In the early 1800s, there was a man named George Forster, who murdered his wife and daughter. He was sentenced to death and would have his body dissected. In these days, the bodies of murderers would be dissected to prevent them from rising during Judgement Day. However, George Forster’s corpse was not dissected. Instead it was acquired by a scientist known as Giovanni Aldini, nephew of fellow scientist Luigi Galvani. Galvani developed a method to stimulate muscle movement with electrical currents called Galvanism. Aldini would take his uncle’s research in Galvanism progress to the next step. Aldini would use Forster’s corpse in a public experiment that attracted a crowd of thrill seekers. Aldini would subject the body to wires and cords that were hooked up to a specially made battery. When the electrical current went through George Forster’s body, it produced results that both intrigued and terrified the surrounding audience. The lips and jaws began to grimace, the left eye flew open, a hand formed a fist and punched at the air, the back arched violently, and the legs and feet banged against the operating table. This unnatural display was so horrifying that one man in the audience literally died of fright from a heart attack. Ultimately, Aldini’s experiment failed to bring a man back from the dead. In a dark sense of irony, the experiment was intended to bring back the dead yet it killed a man instead. It was this real life experiment that gave Mary Shelly the inspiration she needed to write Frankenstein. The battery that was used in the experiment would form the groundwork for our modern cell phone batteries. Back in the 1800s, electricity was relatively hard to come by. However, in the 21st century, electricity is super easy to access. Due to this, I wonder how the experiment would look like if it was done with 21st century technology. I will ponder this as I write my reimagining of the Frankenstein story.
Grady P Brown - Author 