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Photo taken by Wilhelm Hell, scan kindly provided by him for inclusion on this page.
München-Riem
September 1983
D-ABUI (1)
Boeing 707-330C
19317/557
German Cargo
Note: D-ABUI (2) was Boeing 767-330/ER c/n 26988 / 562 flying for Condor from January 1995 to March 2023.
D-ABUI was still seen with Lufthansa Cargo at Riem on 18 July 1979 and then first reported with German Cargo on 6 December 1979.
Information from flickr - thanks to Chris (Heathrow Junkie:
D-ABUI c/n 19317 - Boeing 707-330C was delivered new to Lufthansa in June 1967. The aircraft was leased to subsidiary German Cargo in 1979, and then sold to Transbrasil in 1984 as PT-TCM. Still flying in 2004 with BETA Brazilian Express as PP-BSE, the aircraft was unfortunately written off (right hand main gear leg punctured through the wing on take-off from MAO on 23 October 2004).
Detailed history of this airframe:
www.707jet.com/lufthansa-707-fleet/d-abui-msn19317-ln557/
D-ABUI with Lufthansa at PHL in August 1968 (first colours):
cdn.jetphotos.com/full/2/71432_1179600098.jpg
D-ABUI with Lufthansa at FRA in June 1974 (later colours, no "Cargo" titles):
abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1394624
D-ABUI with German Cargo at Riem in May 1980:
imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/7/5/0/1286057.jpg
This airframe as PP-TCM with Transbrasil at BSL in June 1986:
imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/7/7/0/1406077.jpg
PT-TCM with AeroBrasil Cargo at GRU in March 1996:
www.flickr.com/photos/pslg05896/31623512191
This airframe as PP-BSE with BETA Cargo at SNN in January 1999:
www.flickr.com/photos/24101413@N03/4386157612
PP-BSE with BETA Cargo in November 2002:
www.flickr.com/photos/150730665@N08/47010567454
The remains of PP-BSE at MAO in April 2005:
imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/3/6/3/0830363.jpg
Scan from Kodachrome slide (on Kodak Photo CD).
“Let him not boast who puts his armor on as he who puts it off, the battle done.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
My first attempt at assembling an ‘indoor’ diorama. I cobbled this one together with spare parts I already had. There’s a 1:35 scale version of my driveway for one wall, a 1:12 scale sidewalk for another wall. The floor is just a well-seasoned oven pan. All barely held together with tape. It held just long enough to light it and take a few shots.
Photo from the Michael Bernhard collection, scan kindly provided by him for inclusion on this page.
München-Riem
April 1979
OO-TEG "Adrianus Andreas Jnr"
Airbus A300B4-103
017
Trans European Airways (TEA), leased to EgyptAir
OO-TEG was also noted at Riem on 6 May and 13 May 1979 in this hybrid livery. Here, the aircraft has just landed on runway 07 and turned off the runway to taxi to the ramp. The first reported sighting of this airframe at Riem was on 10 November 1976 with TEA. On 31 March 1980, the aircraft would re-appear as SU-BBS with EgyptAir, and later during the 1980s it would frequently be seen here as D-AHLC with Hapag-Lloyd.
The second A300 for TEA (first flight October 7, 1975) was delivered on October 15, 1975. Baptized "Adrianus Andreas Jnr", it went operational two days later. From the beginning of April 1977, OO-TEG was leased to Egyptair, at first in this hybrid livery (first noted such at Cairo on April 6 1977). On July 2 1979 it was reregistered to SU-BBS and resprayed in their full livery by November of the same year, it would never return to TEA. (Source: www.skystef.be)
Leased to Hapag-Lloyd as D-AHLC from March 1983, the aircraft went on to Air Inter as F-GJIS in January 1990 and was leased to Holiday Airlines as TC-RAA from March 1995. The last registration was F-GLOC with Air France. Stored at CHR (Chateauroux) in February 1997 and broken-up there in 1998, completely gone by November 2003. (Sources: rzjets.net, planelogger.com)
Registration details for this airframe:
www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/OO-TEG/398669
OO-TEG with TEA at SNN ca. 1976:
www.flickr.com/photos/shanair/49802257183
This airframe as SU-BBS at ORY in January 1981:
imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/4/3/4/1580434.jpg
This airframe as D-AHLC with Hapag-Lloyd at Riem in May 1988:
cdn.planespotters.net/19040/d-ahlc-hapag-lloyd-airbus-a30...
This airframe as F-GJIS with Air Inter at SXB in June 1990:
www.flickr.com/photos/paulschaller67/49176167418
This airframe as TC-RAA with Holiday Airlines at DUS in May 1995:
www.flickr.com/photos/146301829@N08/49218272558
TC-RAA with Kibris Türk Hava Yollari, basic Holiday Airlines colours:
www.flickr.com/photos/91881499@N03/39722718155
This airframe as F-GLOC derelict at CHR in 1999:
www.flickr.com/photos/146519169@N03/24207321298
Scan from Kodachrome slide.
34. In the Bible it says, “this same Jesus … shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.” When the Lord returns, it shall be with Him riding on a white cloud, why would He become flesh? (Gospel Music Videos)
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/how-can-he-be-incarnated-again/
The Answer from God’s Word:
Since Jesus departed, the disciples who followed Him, and all of the saints who were saved thanks to His name, have been desperately pining for Him and awaiting Him. All those who were saved by the grace of Jesus Christ during the Age of Grace have been longing for that joyful day during the last days, when Jesus the Savior arrives on a white cloud and appears among man. Of course, this is also the collective wish of all those who accept the name of Jesus the Savior today. Throughout the universe, all those who know of the salvation of Jesus the Savior have been desperately yearning for the sudden arrival of Jesus Christ, to fulfill the words of Jesus when on earth: “I shall arrive just as I departed.” Man believes that, following the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus went back to heaven upon a white cloud, and took His place at the Most High’s right hand. Similarly, man conceives that Jesus shall descend, again upon a white cloud (this cloud refers to the cloud that Jesus rode upon when He returned to heaven), among those who have desperately yearned for Him for thousands of years, and that He shall bear the image and clothes of the Jews. After appearing to man, He shall bestow food upon them, and cause living water to gush forth for them, and shall live among man, full of grace and love, living and real. And so on. Yet Jesus the Savior did not do this; He did the opposite of what man conceived. He did not arrive among those who had yearned for His return, and did not appear to all men while riding upon the white cloud. He has already arrived, but man does not know Him, and remains ignorant of His arrival. Man is only aimlessly awaiting Him, unaware that He has already descended upon a white cloud (the cloud which is His Spirit, His words, and His entire disposition and all that He is), and is now among a group of overcomers that He will make during the last days.
from “The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a ‘White Cloud’” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
(....)
… Many people may not care what I say, but I still want to tell every so-called saint who follows Jesus that, when you see Jesus descend from the heaven upon a white cloud with your own eyes, this will be the public appearance of the Sun of righteousness. Perhaps that will be a time of great excitement for you, yet you should know that the time when you witness Jesus descend from the heaven is also the time when you go down to hell to be punished. It will herald the end of God’s management plan, and will be when God rewards the good and punishes the wicked. For the judgment of God will have ended before man sees signs, when there is only the expression of truth. Those who accept the truth and do not seek signs, and thus have been purified, shall have returned before the throne of God and entered the Creator’s embrace. Only those who persist in the belief that “The Jesus who does not ride upon a white cloud is a false Christ” shall be subjected to everlasting punishment, for they only believe in the Jesus who exhibits signs, but do not acknowledge the Jesus who proclaims severe judgment and releases the true way of life. And so it can only be that Jesus deals with them when He openly returns upon a white cloud.
from “When You Behold the Spiritual Body of Jesus Will Be When God Has Made Anew Heaven and Earth” in The Word Appears in the Flesh
(Signs of the End Times | Christian Short Film "The Days of Noah Have Come") (Eastern Lightning）
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we spotted him at the carnival and i knew i'd have to ask him. he had a confidence about him that many could only dream of. he was on his way to the bar, so i quickly explained the project and he happily posed. later on that night, we saw him, in all of his mohawk glory, hanging out in the bar.
thanks jake!! :)
November 21st, 2042
A couple of hours after getting taken away by the Court of Owls, Batman awakens in a cell at an unknown location. Before he’s able to recover from the effects of the sedatives he got hit with and regain his strength two people dressed in black clothes, wielding sharp and gold-colored weapons, enter his cell and order him to follow them. As he struggles to stand up he notices that the exoskeleton from his suit has powered down, making it much more difficult to move around at all and leaving him in no shape to stand up against them. He complies and follows the one figure as the other one takes position behind him. After walking for a short while they end up in a long hallway, with a red carpet on the floor, expensive furniture on either side of the hall and large paintings hanging from the walls. Batman takes a look at the wall decorations and notices that every single painting features a person holding a strange owl-shaped mask in front of their face. There’s a door at the end of the hallway, guarded by two people wearing the same outfit as the ones escorting him. They open the door for them, giving way to a spacious and empty courtroom. Behind the judge’s desk stands a giant wooden statue of an owl, decorated with gold accents and lit with candles around it. On the sides of the room are several giant windows, all covered with dark red curtains which prevents any natural light from entering the place. Only Helena is sitting in the room, tied to a chair at the defendant’s table.
Batman gets escorted into the room and forced to sit on the chair next to Helena as he gets restrained as well. Before he can ask his daughter if she’s okay, the gates of the courtroom swing open as a group of masked individuals march into the room. They all silently take a seat on the public benches behind the two right as the jury enters the room as well, conveniently all wearing the same owl-shaped mask too. As they all sit down at the exact same time Helena begins nervously looking around her, intimidated by the situation she is now in. A door inside the giant owl statue opens, out of which a judge appears. Batman notices the judge seems to be the same person who appeared in the Wayne Tower and ordered them to come to the Court in the first place. He takes a seat, breaks the silence by slamming his hammer on the table and demands order in the courtroom, starting their trial against Batman and Robin.
The judge starts by telling about the Court of Owls, explaining how they have been around since Gotham was established decades ago. For years they managed to rule the city from the shadows, killing anyone who found out about their existence or opposed them using a group of specifically trained assassins called the Talons. When a certain masked vigilante began running around Gotham they didn’t see him as a threat at first. Finding that having him assassinated by the Talons would be a bit excessive they instead opted to orchestrate a series of events which would lead to a deranged serial killer by the name of Zsaz escaping from Arkham. Knowing that the Batman would take it upon himself to go after him, they hoped that he wouldn’t stand a chance against the killer and get killed while fighting him. However, they found themselves astonished as Batman managed to defeat Zsaz with ease, something they had not taken into consideration. Realizing the danger of him running around Gotham they considered ordering the Talons to murder him, but changed their mind after he coincidentally started targeting several of their opponents. The Court then decided to willingly let Batman fight the criminal world of Gotham without interfering, only stepping in if he accidentally stumbled upon them or started targeting them. All the while, the Court continued to influence the city from the shadows.
Roughly 5 years later, a long series of unfortunate events led to the Dark Knight retiring. With the Batman no longer being a possible threat to the Court, they decided to start spreading out their influence more while making certain their existence was kept a secret. Over the decades, dozens of wannabe vigilantes hoping to step into the footsteps of the Dark Knight started to make their way onto the streets. As rumors of a secret underground society who are secretly controlling Gotham started leaking, many of them started to seek them out and found their way right on the doorstep of the Court. In order to preserve their secret they were forced to murder everyone who stood in their way, having to cover up the assassinations to not arouse any suspicions. After decades of doing this the Court of Owls decided they could not continue covering up the disappearances of teen vigilantes, deciding to take action by making a statement by taking down the Dark Knight. Upon discovering his identity and tracking him down using the help of a deranged Edward Nigma and a frail Hugo Strange, they began orchestrating a long plot in order to get him to put on the suit again. One of the Talons assassinated Selina and left behind evidence to make him suspect the Joker, knowing this would motivate him to return to Gotham to investigate. By using a tiny improvised explosive device hidden within the playing card they hoped to detonate it while he was holding it within Arkham. However, they did not account for Batman giving the card to Joker himself, which allowed him to survive the blast and only killed the Clown Prince of Crime along with the other Arkman inmates. After so many years, they decided enough was enough; it was time to put him on trial in front of the Court of Owls for standing in their way too much.
Batman barely has any time to process what he just heard as the crowd and jury start shouting how they think they are guilty. There’s no way they would win a case against a kangaroo court like this; their decision was already made way before the trial started. The judge slams his hammer down again, silencing the chaos as he prepares to read his verdict. Due to being found guilty of interfering with the plans of the Court of Owls, Batman and Robin get sentenced to death at the hands of the Talons right now. The judge asks if he has anything to say about his verdict, but cuts him off right as he is about to speak up. The spectators and jury start cheering and clapping as two of the Talons walk into the courtroom, each entering on opposite sides of the room. They take their positions in front and behind the two, unsheathing their golden weapons to prepare for battle. One member of the Court gets ordered to untie the Dynamic Duo in order to make the odds more fair as the rest of the crowd prepares to watch as the Batman finally gets taken down by the Court of Owls after so many years.
The Talon behind Batman strikes first and stabs him in the back, but his armor prevents the blade from piercing through his skin. He manages to reactivate his exosuit and turns around, ready to fight again as he pulls out a Batarang from his belt. His enemy strikes again, aiming for the exposed skin around his mouth instead, but Batman manages to deflect it with his own weapon. He uses the opportunity to slice the Talon in the arm, although this doesn’t phase him. Batman holds his hand in front of his face and casts a glance at the spectators, seeing they are all silently toasting for their demise with expensive drinks in their hands. His short distraction gives the Talon an opportunity to successfully hit him, but Helena deflects the attack at the last moment with her own weapon stick. He compliments her for being able to stand her ground against their opponents before continuing the battle. The Talon starts attacking more and more fiercely, slowly managing to weaken Batman’s defenses while coming closer to getting a successful strike on him. He tries his best to keep up with him, but Batman slowly starts to become weaker and weaker with every attack. Right as he is about to slash the Dark Knight in the face, the leader of the Court suddenly commands the assassins to stop attacking. Unsure of what to do, the Talons lay down their weapons for a moment as they watch what their leader’s intentions are right now. He mutters something about hearing a weird noise outside as he walks towards the window and lifts up the curtains. Batman tries to get a glimpse of the outside world to locate their hideout if they manage to get out, but he soon picks up the sound outside too; he hears the loud revving of an engine in the distance slowly coming towards them, accompanied by the sound of a car horn. The crowd gathers around the window to see what the commotion is about, but quickly runs away in terror as the Batmobile crashes through the wall at full speed.
Pieces of debris rain down everywhere as the vehicle comes to a screeching halt right in front of Batman and Robin. Chaos ensues in the room as each member of the Court desperately tries to make their escape, terrified of the imposing black vehicle which just crashed through the wall of their hideout. The door opens as the person driving the Batmobile beeps the horn, prompting them to jump inside. Batman kicks the Talon in front of him to the ground and hits the other one in the chest with several batarangs to give them a window to escape. He and Helena jump inside the Batmobile as he takes control of the steering wheel, closing the door right before the Talons can make their way inside. He puts his boot on the gas pedal and activates the rocket booster in order to make their escape from the Court. As they are driving through the streets of Gotham early in the morning, Barbara appears on one of the screens of the console, asking if they are alright. She explains that she left the Wayne Enterprises building for a short moment to check up on her case at the GCPD, but when she returned she saw the camera footage of them getting abducted. Although it was impossible for her to track them down at first since the Court of Owls covered up almost all of their tracks, Batman reactivating his high-tech suit set off a GPS signal which allowed her to pinpoint their location. With the help of a new modification to the Batmobile she was able to remotely control the armored vehicle for a while to reach the place and to help them escape.
Helena sighs of relief, tired of the confrontation they just went through when she says that they must’ve escaped the Court by now. However, right after she says this the two feel something landing on the roof of the Batmobile. Before they can react, one of the Talon’s golden weapons cuts through the armored material like butter, making an opening for himself to enter the vehicle. Batman stands up from his seat and orders Helena to drive despite her not having any driving experience yet as he deals with the Talon standing in the cramped open space in the back of the Batmobile. He makes his way towards him, feeling the cold morning air cut through his skin while he begins punching his enemy. After hitting him a couple of times the Talon catches his fist inside his hand, landing a couple of strikes on his face and damaging his cowl before Batman kicks him right in the stomach. The impact of the kick makes him land hard on the cold floor of the Batmobile, but before he can recover Batman leaps on top of him and starts pounding him in the head. He stops for a short moment to charge up his exosuit for a bigger punch, but the vehicle suddenly making a sharp turn to get outside of Gotham, makes him miss the Talon and denting the floor instead. While he recovers and tries to get another punch in, the other Talon lands on the front of the car and begins damaging the engine. Helena makes a couple more sharp turns in an effort to get him off the car but all it does is make Batman lose his balance, giving him a disadvantage in the fight. As smoke begins coming from the engine Helena loses control of the vehicle, prompting Batman to abandon the fight to prevent them from going off the road. However, he is too late; before he can do anything, the Batmobile crashes through the guardrail on the ride of the road, sending them all tumbling down a hill.
When Helena regains consciousness, she feels herself getting dragged out of the wreckage which was once the Batmobile. Pieces of wreckage are scattered everywhere as the smell of smoke fills her nose. Once she is at a safe distance away from the wreck, she is able to properly see the damage; the Batmobile is laying upside down with a fire having erupted in the engine as several important components of the car have been damaged or broken off. Suddenly, she notices one of the Talons crawling away from the wreck. His outfit has been torn and burned, with him being unable to walk because of the crash. Batman sees him too, and begins slowly walking towards him. The Talon notices this and for the first time he hears one of them speak as he begins pleading for him to put him out of his misery. Batman stays silent for a while before telling him to go back to the Court. He wants him to relay a message to them, warning that it will take much more than this to take down Batman. They tried their best to get rid of him, and they failed. If they try this again, he won't be taken by surprise like this time and warns that he will do whatever it takes to take down the entire Court by himself. The Talon begins crying out that the Court of Owls will just murder him for this fiasco, but Batman ignores him and turns around leaving him on his own. He calls Barbara to pick them up as he puts an arm around Helena, complimenting her for what she did today as the Batmobile continues to burn down behind them.
Roughly a week has passed since the incident with the Court. Despite Bruce and Barbara’s best efforts, they haven't managed to track down the Court again; upon returning to the place where he was taken to to be put on trial, he only found an empty and abandoned building with all of the furniture and decorations taken away. Barbara has taken the wreckage of the Batmobile back to the Wayne Enterprises building, developing plans to rework the vehicle into something else instead of simply rebuilding it.
During a boring evening at the Wayne Building, the regularly scheduled tv programme gets interrupted by a newsflash; A terrorist going by the name of Bane, suspected to be the person responsible for getting a majority of Gotham addicted to Venom, has attacked the Gotham Stock Exchang. In a publicly broadcasted video he revealed to have gotten his hands on a decaying neutron bomb which is set to detonate this Christmas Eve. In his video he directly challenged the Dark Knight, saying that he is only willing to stop the bomb from exploding if he manages to defeat him. Confident that he can save Gotham once more, Bruce suits up and sets out to bring down Bane. Helena offers to join to help take him down, but Batman declines as he fears not going to him alone could have severe consequences. Without being able to use the Batmobile to get around for the time being, he climbs to the top of the building and decides to make use out of his new experimental cape glider. He leaps off the structure as he spreads out his cape, which folds out in the shape of the wings of a bat allowing him to glide to the financial district.
After gliding for a while, Batman lands on top of the glass roof of the Stock Exchange building giving him a good look at the situation. Right below him he can make out the figure of Bane, surrounded by several of his goons, all guarding the neutron bomb. He uses a Batarang to cut a hole into the glass to grant him access into the building. After jumping down the hole he lands right in front of Bane, quickly alerting him of his presence. This is the first time he has gotten a good look at the terrorist; before him stands a very big and muscular man, wearing a black luchador-esque mask which conceals his face. Batman catches a glimpse of a big tank filled with Venom on his back with tubes attached to it, all injected straight into his skin and mask. His goons, all having taken some of the strength-enhancing drugs as well, point their guns at the Dark Knight but Bane tells them to lower their weapons. After telling them to step back he stretches out his arms, challenging the Dark Knight to a one-on-one fight. Batman agrees, taking off his utility belt and preparing for the fight. He laughs, his voice muffled by the mask, asking himself if he will be a match to him or if he will go down as easily as his other opponents as Batman charges towards him.
Batman strikes first, getting in several powerful blows, but it doesn’t even seem to phase his opponent. He pauses for a short moment and tries to continue the fight, but Bane catches his hand before it can hit him. Batman hears something crack when he clenches his fist, feeling that his glove has been damaged. Before he can recover, Bane grabs him with both arms and headbutts him with a lot of force. The blow almost makes him lose his balance, but his opponent grabs him by the throat before he falls to the ground and punches him right in the face several times. Batman starts to taste blood in his mouth but is unwilling to give up so easily. He releases himself from Bane’s grip and tackles him to the ground, using all his strength to kick him in the face several times. Again, his opponent is unperturbed by his attempts to fight back, simply taking the blows without flinching. As Bane doesn't fight back Batman becomes overconfident for a moment, not noticing as his arm reaches out for his leg. He grabs a hold of it and janks it towards him, making him fall to the ground again.
‘’You know, I used to admire you. Hearing all about your heroics back when I was growing up motivated me to be better than I already was. But now that I am not a bright-eyed and naive child anymore, I’m finally able to see you for what you really are; A pathetic elderly man, having to rely on some high-tech suit to even attempt to compete with me!’’
Bane raises his fists in the air, bringing them down with full force on the chest of the Dark Knight. Although his suit absorbs most of the strike to prevent his ribs from breaking upon impact, Batman still feels the pain from his attack and notices the armor on his chest having shattered.
‘’Over the years, I've dreamt of being the one who would kill the legendary Batman. However, I have recently come to the conclusion that killing you would only end your agony and silence your shame.’’
He attempts to fight back again and gathers his strength to reply to his opponent’s comments, but Bane silences him with a nasty kick in the gut before he can do so.
‘’I don't think you quite know who I am. I’m not some scarecrow or a riddler. I’m not a jester or a clown! I’m not a flightless bird nor a cryogenic scientist! And most importantly, i am not some rich guy playing dress-up!’’
Bane begins continuously stomping Batman in the face, slowly cracking open his mask more and more with each kick. By the time his cowl has been completely destroyed Batman has been knocked unconscious, having collapsed after all of the attacks.
‘’ I AM BANE! AND I WILL BREAK YOU!’’
As his goons cheer him on, Bane picks up the defeated body of the Dark Knight and raises it over his head. He slowly spins around like he’s showing a trophy to his friends, reveling as the realization that he has become the one to truly break the Bat begins to set in. Batman regains consciousness, but only just in time to feel himself getting driven down towards the ground as he collides with Bane’s knee.
With one nasty snap, he quickly finds his body in anguish as his spine has completely shattered. Bane drops him to the ground and commands his henchmen to take the bombs and go away, taking the broken mask of the Dark Knight with him as a trophy before leaving himself as well. Batman tries to move, but becomes terrified when he notices that he is unable to even move. With this one attack, Bane has paralyzed the Bat.
Quite some time passes before someone arrives to pick up the wounded Bruce. He gets taken to the Wayne Building instead of a hospital in order to preserve his secret identity, where he gets hooked up to some medical equipment to keep him alive. As the days pass by, Gotham begins to decay more and more into chaos as the threat of a neutron bomb decimating the city gets closer. Each attempt made by the police force to disarm the explosive has led to nothing, leading to many of the city’s residents deciding to get out while they still can. Despite Bruce being in no state at all to fight back against Bane, he stubbornly refuses to leave the city as he believes his back will he recovered enough before the bomb is set to go off. Along with this he also feels personally responsible for letting this happen and does not want Gotham to fall under his watch.
Less than a week is now left before the bomb is set to go off. Bane had taken his bomb to the city centre, where his henchmen are guarding him all day to prevent anyone from interfering with his plan. With no sign of his spine recovering in the slightest, Helena and Barbara are urging Bruce to leave the city with them, as they know nobody else is left to stop him. Barbara is close to converting the damaged Batmobile to an airborne vehicle and tells him it could be fit to get them out of there. However, he does not want to hear any of it and keeps insisting that he can find a solution. In an old scientific report about the Venom drug he read some time ago, he noticed it stating that taking the drug can completely heal severe wounds within moments. With his mind set on this new opportunity to save Gotham he asks Barbara to get him a sample of the substance, hoping this will put him in a position to fight back again. Despite her hesitation she agrees to do so, although she warns him that this is only a short-term solution for a permanent problem for him.
When she returns, Bruce has removed the armor from his arms and prepared a new suit to help him control himself while under the effects of the drug. Barbara reluctantly hands him a syringe filled with Venom, but before she does so she tells him that the scientific reports he read left out some important details. It's true that taking Venom can heal severe and permanent injuries in a matter of moments, but the catch is that once the drug’s effects have worn off the injuries will just return, sometimes getting even worse as a result. Bruce tells her he is more than willing to sacrifice himself if it means that he is gonna be able to save Gotham once more as he grabs the syringe out of her hand. Before any of them can react, he slams the needle into his skin and presses the plunger down allowing the substance to enter into his bloodstream. Bruce feels the effects hitting him almost instantly, and before he knows it he finds himself able to stand on his own again. While he struggles to keep himself from succumbing to the drug’s effects he puts on a new suit; an outfit plated with a gold-colored metal and with a reinforced cowl and cape. Ready for battle, he makes his way to the newly designed Batwing to take himself to the city center to face off against Bane.
----------------------
The steps of Trinità dei Monti and the "Barcaccia" in Piazza di Spagna which I shot on an early July morning several years ago with only one human presence who unconsciously posed for me! You rarely see it so deserted...
#YBS24Urban
Introduction
Every culture has their symbol of the triumph of "Good over Evil" . This is the statue of the Dancing Shiva, also known as Nataraj, which, in the Hindu culture, symbolizes the triumph of Good over Evil. It was a "mist"ical moment this morning. This statue of the Dancing Shiva reminded me of the Bharat Natyam and Kuchipudi dancers who, before every dance recital, and especially during the Arangetram (a graduation of sorts) ceremonies, say a prayer to him.
A note relating to my roots in Physics
"Fritzof Capra in The Tao of Physics beautifully relates Nataraj's dance with modern physics. He says that "every subatomic particle not only performs an energy dance, but also is an energy dance; a pulsating process of creation and destruction…without end…For the modern physicists, then Shiva's dance is the dance of subatomic matter. As in Hindu mythology, it is a continual dance of creation and destruction involving the whole cosmos; the basis of all existence and of all natural phenomena."
Here's an excerpt from a poem by Ruth Peel:
"The source of all movement,
Shiva's dance,
Gives rhythm to the universe.
He dances in evil places,
In sacred,
He creates and preserves,
Destroys and releases.
We are part of this dance
This eternal rhythm,
And woe to us if, blinded
By illusions,
We detach ourselves
From the dancing cosmos,
This universal harmony…"
Nataraj, the dancing form of Lord Shiva, is a symbolic synthesis of the most important aspects of Hinduism, and the summary of the central tenets of this Vedic religion. The term 'Nataraj' means 'King of Dancers' (Sanskrit nata = dance; raja = king). In the words of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, Nataraj is the "clearest image of the activity of God which any art or religion can boast of…A more fluid and energetic representation of a moving figure than the dancing figure of Shiva can scarcely be found anywhere," (The Dance of Shiva)
The Origin of Nataraj
An extraordinary iconographic representation of the rich and diverse cultural heritage of India, it was developed in southern India by 9th and 10th century artists during the Chola period (880-1279 CE) in a series of beautiful bronze sculptures. By the 12th century AD, it achieved canonical stature and soon the Chola Nataraja became the supreme statement of Hindu art.
The Vital Form & Symbolism
In a marvellously unified and dynamic composition expressing the rhythm and harmony of life, Nataraj is shown with four hands represent the four cardinal directions. He is dancing, with his left foot elegantly raised and the right foot on a prostrate figure — 'Apasmara Purusha', the personification of illusion and ignorance over whom Shiva triumphs. The upper left hand holds a flame, the lower left hand points down to the dwarf, who is shown holding a cobra. The upper right hand holds an hourglass drum or dumroo that stands for the male-female vital principle, the lower shows the gesture of assertion: "Be without fear." Snakes that stand for egotism, are seen uncoiling from his arms, legs, and hair, which is braided and bejewelled. His matted locks are whirling as he dances within an arch of flames representing the endless cycle of birth and death. On his head is a skull, which symbolises his conquest over death. Goddess Ganga, the epitome of the holy river Ganges, also sits on his hairdo. His third eye is symbolic of his omniscience, insight, and enlightenment. The whole idol rests on a lotus pedestal, the symbol of the creative forces of the universe.
The Significance of Shiva's Dance
This cosmic dance of Shiva is called 'Anandatandava,' meaning the Dance of Bliss, and symbolizes the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, as well as the daily rhythm of birth and death. The dance is a pictorial allegory of the five principle manifestations of eternal energy — creation, destruction, preservation, salvation, and illusion. According to Coomerswamy, the dance of Shiva also represents his five activities: 'Shrishti' (creation, evolution); 'Sthiti' (preservation, support); 'Samhara' (destruction, evolution); 'Tirobhava' (illusion); and 'Anugraha' (release, emancipation, grace). The overall temper of the image is paradoxical, uniting the inner tranquillity, and outside activity of Shiva.
[Text taken from hinduism.com, HDR by Photomatix Pro]
Disclaimer: I am not a religious person, but some people have accused me of being spiritual, which epithet I will graciously accept :)
My pretty boy ♥
07.06.2011 : Tròn 1 tháng em được nghe giọng hát của anh ♥
Nhớ mãi ngày hôm ấy~~~~
Nhanh chóng quay lại Việt Nam anh nhé :) Em đợi !
==ISA Headquarters==
The Misfits were crating up their weapons and gadgets, preparing to move out; Gar had made some calls, with Needham, Jenna and Gaige agreeing to rendezvous at Butchinsky's. Unfazed by Zoom's attack, Ito presented Sharpe with a long parcel, offering him a pleasant "Merry Christmas, Montgomery." Unwrapping it, Sharpe was delighted to find a golden sceptre, its' tip finished with a golden dragon's head. "Expecto Patronum!" he chortled excitedly, waving it above his head, only for a cloud of fire to burst forth from the dragon's metal jaws.
"Perhaps you should hone your skills, first," Ito spoke politely, if not a little disappointedly.
Preparing to transfer his files, Kuttler's monitor whirred into life, as an encrypted file filled the screen, emblazoned with a large bat-logo.
"What on Earth?" he pondered aloud, as he began the long encryption process. Whether Kuttler had realised it or not, though unconscious and incapacitated, The Batman had just given the Misfits a fighting chance.
==Arkham Asylum==
Hour One
Drury was lying face up on a grotty, bloodstained mattress, watching the large ceiling fan above him churn slowly. He was in his old cell; Billings' book was placed by the pillow, its' cover obscured by a thin layer of dust; one of Hopper's empty beer bottles was rolling around on the ground and the air was warm and stale as though he'd never left its' confining concrete walls. For a brief moment, he felt like he hadn't, that he'd been thrown back in time; that Miranda was still alive, waiting for him to come home and that all he had to do, was run. An impossibility of course, and soon his jumbled thoughts and hopeless aspirations were shattered by the high pitched tones of the Pointer Sisters' 'I'm So Excited' blasting in his ears, dragging him back to reality: Joker was standing against the bars, lip syncing, as he held a boom box over his head in a perverse homage to 'Say Anything.'
"Good mourning, buttercup," he cooed with a sickeningly sweet smile, blowing Drury a kiss through the metal bars.
Drury turned over. If this was to be his life now, then he'd rather drift off into the lands of wandering consciousness and bittersweet fantasies. But part of him knew it wouldn't be that easy: The edges of Joker's red lips turned downwards in glum disapproval, as he lowered the boom box, then kicked it as though blaming it for his own shortcomings. He stuck an pair of un-gloved fingers in his mouth, and whistled. On command, and coming seemingly out of nowhere, Zoom blew an air horn into Drury's ear.
Startled, Drury fell off the bed, taking the bedsheet with him; emerging from the white mass of blanket and pillow, he grabbed the closest object he could find, missing the more tactically sound glass bottle, and instead pointing Billings' book at Zoom like a particularly egotistical weapon.
"That's it, Drury! Throw the book at him!" Joker called through the bars.
But before Drury could do anything, book related or otherwise, Zoom had tugged on the bedsheet he was standing on, and Drury toppled back, slamming his back against the bars of his cell.
"Why me?" Drury wheezed breathlessly, as he found himself asking that same question for the second time in as many days.
"Why not?" Joker repeated, gleefully evasive.
"No, this time I want an answer: I'm serious," Drury swore, standing up to face Joker. Unfazed, Joker stuck his hand through the bars and booped him on the nose.
"Ahh! And that's your first mistake!" he teased. "Stone-faced intimidation really isn't in your wheelhouse. You lack the jawline to carry it off!"
Taken aback, Drury felt his jaw, surprisingly hurt by the clown's comment, but pressed on. "You want a Batman rebound? We're a dime a dozen. Get Prometheus, get March, get that owl guy from that phony Justice League. Or Wrath, why not use Wrath?"
Caldwell, of course, was dead. Crushed by a whale carcass if Gaige's confession held any truth (it probably didn't). But his predecessor had resurfaced during the Society's first assault on Gotham and was surprisingly virile. For a man who was also presumed dead.
"Oh, he's lovely," Joker's eyes twinkled. "Pointy-headed, gravelly-voiced, actually pretty liberal... But here's the thing. He might shoot me. Actually shoot me! Click. Boom. Roll credits. And I can't die to Wrath!" he giggled, amused by his hypothetical death at the hands of the pioneer behind the 'Wratharang.'
"I might kill you," Drury interrupted.
Joker paused for a moment; his eyes locked on Drury as though there was something about him he couldn't quite figure out. "Well... You haven't yet," he refuted. "But the day's just getting started... plenty of time."
'Annoyingly cryptic. Figures,' Drury thought to himself. "And you? What are you meant to get out of this?" he interrogated Zoom.
Zoom, folded his arms and cocked his head to one side. "Thejokeeeeeer is notorious. Infaaaaaaaaamous. Hemakesbatman better. Bykilling. Bycrippling. By laaaaaaaaauuuuuuuughing. He willmake youbettertoo," he stated with his usual, muddled enunciation. "Youhadaspirations once. To beeeeeeee the Batmaaaaaaan's opposite nuuuuuuumber. Hisrival. Hisreverse. You haaaaaaave that chance now. Andwewillbe yooouuuuur teachers.
You haaaaaaaave twochoices now. Two paaaaaaaaaaths. You caneitherbehis equaaaaaal. Oryoucan supplaaaaaaaaant him."
"And remember, it all starts with a smile!" Joker lips parted, as he continued his serenade, this time without the aid of a boombox. "We shouldn't even think about tomorrow. Sweet memories will last a long, long time. We'll have a good time, baby, don't you worry. And if we're still playin' around, boy, that's just fine."
Drury stared back at him blankly. Joker, rested his hands on his hips in mock resignation: "So I'm no Sinatra. But someone threw the Music Meister off a balcony, so whose fault is that? For future reference, when someone says "Kill the music," they don't mean feed the conductor to a crocodile!"
Drury didn't respond.
"Hmph. Get some sleep while ya can, Pumpkin, you've got a looooong day ahead!"
Hour Three
Drury's quiet solitude was interrupted by a faint blue glow and a robotic clicking from outside; he rubbed his tired eyes and looked up; The metal door had receded into the wall, the action accompanied by a mechanic whirring. It was a trap, of course. Another game.
But if he didn't play along, what then? Would Zoom come for his family? For The Misfits? Could he take that chance?
The answer, of course, was no. Drury rose from the mattress, and stuck his head around the corner. On first glance, the coast was clear; but with a speedster on patrol, that could change in an instant.
Drury walked down the hallway, following a path laid out for him made up of gingerbread crumbs. 'Breadcrumbs, cute...' he rolled his eyes; among other things, he was particularly irritated that the soles of his orange crocs were now marred by crushed bits of biscuit. The trail, led him into the Recreation Centre; a room built for the more docile inmates; filled with toys, books and a film projector and decorated with a large rainbow painted across the pastel blue walls. At the end of the room, Joker was perched on a red space hopper, flanked by Zolomon on his left and to his right, a man in a black tuxedo and a flowing red cape, a large camera mounted on his head. Two more silhouettes were just barely visible behind the thick layers of glass behind them, but Drury still recognised Crane's tall witch's hat, and Billings' inebriated swaying. The door slammed shut behind him, with The King of Cats and Hayden taking their places on either side of the entrance. If Krill was there, they'd have a full house.
'Where was Krill?' Drury pondered for a brief moment before returning to the matter at hand.
The tuxedoed man, was the first to greet their guest of honour. "Hello, Drury. You might not remember me. My name is Harry. But you can call me Mr Camera," he reintroduced himself, offering him his hand.
"I remember," Drury spat back. "You carved up Ten like a fucking animal! Left him to bleed out in the middle of a goddamn riot!" He was on edge now, surrounded by psychopaths; some with grudges, some with agendas; half, he was certain, would kill him just for fun.
"Well, we are animals, Drury," Sims countered. "All of us. That's why they cage us... Sedate us. Hunt us. But their mistake has always been to treat us like prey."
As he spoke, the walls started to change; distort; revealing the room's true condition; Drury stepped back, eyes widening, as the painted walls became cracked and chipped, as the tiled floors gave way to unveil pools of dried blood. As rows of Polaroids blotted out the now-faded rainbow mural.
He looked at Sims, then at Joker, his face gaunt.
"Like what I've done with the place?" Joker teased.
Drury cautiously stepped towards the photos along the wall, and his mouth went dry. Some, he recognised; wedding photos, birthday parties... picnics in Robinson Parks... And then some, he didn't; those were newer; close up, personal pictures in dust filled rooms... But they all led him to one, horrifying conclusion:
"YOU LET THIS BASTARD INTO MY HOME? MY CHILDREN'S HOME?" he stormed forward, with a rage unfamiliar to Joker, but one he was enjoying immensely.
"Now, Drury. I could have sent Karlie," he teased, wagging a finger in Drury's face. "Talk about a White Christmas!"
"Actually, let's strike that one from the record, shall we? Not my finest jape."
Behind him, Sims sniffled awkwardly, reaching into his black dinner jacket. "Oh, silly me," he feigned forgetfullness. "I forgot one."
He inhaled, and removed a battered, bloodied photograph out of his breast pocket. He threw it in the air, and Drury caught in with his dirt-encrusted fingers. His eyes widened. It was the photo. The photo he'd brought with him to Blackgate, the photo he had when he had nothing else, the photo he entrusted to Ten.
The photo that cost him his hands.
"That's better," Sims chuckled knowingly, with a casualness that made Drury's blood boil.
That was it.
The Outcasts could tear him apart and he wouldn't have cared. In that moment, Drury could only see red: His first punch knocked Sims to the ground, then he kept going; Sims fruitlessly tried fighting back; his camera flash activated in a vain attempt to distract Walker, but he fought through the pain and continued his onslaught.
On the sidelines, Zoom, made a disagreeable hissing noise; The King licked his lips, and Joker laughed. "Drury! It's impolite to hold grudges!" he chortled. "Ten can't! Well, he can't really hold anything, can he?"
The camera's lens fractured under Drury's rage filled fists; his hand went through the glass; the shards ripped his fist open, but he still persisted. Blood dripped down onto Sim’s pale face; his glass-like eyes widened in petrified fear. But before he could do anything worse, a yellow arm grabbed Drury's. At first, he thought it was Zoom's; the red lightning bolt pattern around his wrist matched, and no other living assailant could have grabbed him that fast.
'Living.'
Drury looked back, and for the first time in a while he was overcome by pure, overwhelming fear.
Billings dropped his hip flask. A single whisper of "impossible" escaped Crane's lips. Hayden, waved. And for a second, the Joker's smile faltered.
"You-? You can't be- You're-"
"Oh, but I can be," Eobard Thawne smiled, his eyes glowing a blood red. "Pay attention now, Drury. Class is in session."
"Ahem."
Thawne exhaled and turned his head slowly and purposefully: Joker had risen from the Space Hopper and was clearing his throat loudly and intrusively. "Right! Good work everyone! We've covered a lot of ground today! Physical Exercise, psychological torment, a touch of necromancy... Read chapter seven, strangle a couple of cats and we shall resume after lunch!"
He clapped his hands, and the next thing Drury knew, he was back in his cell, leaving the Outcasts alone with The Professor to decide their next course of action.
==Jeremiah Arkham's Office==
The room was organised like a Parent-Teacher conference; Joker, was sat in Arkham's chair, playing with the silver Newton's Cradle on the desk; Zoom, was sat across from him, with an expression that was uncharacteristically sheepish; his back slouched and his hands placed in his lap. Billings stood at the side beside Crane, shaking between sips from his flask. At last, Thawne entered, bringing with him a trail of red lightning.
"Professor Thawne," Crane drawled, moving in to intercept him.
"Doctor Crane," Thawne smiled condescendingly, looking down at the once-proud Scarecrow. "I recall you were taller, once."
"I don't understand.... Where... Where's Krill?" Billings stammered, scratching his dandruff-ridden scalp. Then he looked down, his eyes drawn to a familiar red belt wrapped around Thawne's waist like a trophy. Thawne didn't have to say a thing: the implication was clear.
"R-right..." Billings paused, choosing his next words with caution. "Good call. The right call. Good riddance to bad rubbish and all that, eh? Man was entirely unprofessional!" he added, a tad unconvincingly.
Thawne smiled back, but there was no warmth behind his crimson gaze: "Perhaps. But at least he knew when to hold his tongue. I hear you're something of a celebrity these days, Mr Billings."
Billings gulped. His book 'Heroes or Villains' contained a less than flattering portrayal of his former allies in the Society, Thawne included, and although he had assumed his illusion tech made him indispensable, he had thought the same thing about Krill's portals.
The exchange no longer holding his interest, Thawne shot off again; in an instant, he was sat beside his protégé and sipping coffee from Joker's mug. "Shall we begin?" he asked presumptuously.
Joker grinned back, but there was an intensity behind his eyes. Above all else, he despised being upstaged. "I admit, Bardy, I'm a little disappointed in you! We had such grand designs for Abner and for you to unceremoniously krill him without consulting me- Well, it wounds me! Considering all our history-!"
Thawne raised his index finger. "We don't have history, clown. You, Crane and the screensaver formerly known as Signalman voted to annihilate my future. Yes, Cobb, I did see you bouncing around Joker's monitor. I'm not impressed, DeVoe mastered that little trick decades ago."
Phillip Cobb materialised as a rather disgruntled red and yellow hologram, waiting in deference to Joker.
"Well, it was everyone's future," Joker's nose wrinkled. "No need to make it personal."
Hour Five
The cell door opened a final time. Drury looked up; Joker was in the doorway, holding a large, wrapped parcel in his arms; he placed it on the floor and slid it across the ground over to him.
"Put it on."
Hesitantly, Drury opened it: It was his Moth costume, well, one of them; it was a stripped-down approximation of the one Twag stole from his Cave. Within the box was a neatly-folded assortment of clothing consisting of a deep purple bodysuit, a pair of striped purple and lavender tights, boots, gloves, a black belt and a metallic, bug-like helmet with glass lenses.
"I won't peek!" Joker swore, putting his hand over his eyes.
Drury was lost in thought for a moment, simply staring into the eyes of his bluish grey helmet, reflecting on the pain Killer Moth had inflicted on himself and others. And when it came time to suit up once more, he refused.
It didn't matter.
What little control he thought he had was ripped away from him faster than he could blink. In a flash, he was back in the familiar purple bodysuit and striped tights; his orange jumpsuit lay at Zoom's feet. And he suspected the night's humiliations, its' violations, were just beginning. 'The utility belt was empty, of course they'd have checked...' he sighed, checking his pouches for anything he might be able to use.
He stepped forward, squirming as Joker planted a kiss on his cheek "For luck," and shuddering as he clapped his bony hand against his buttocks to further 'motivate' him.
As Drury walked down the hallway, his stomach lurched; Billings, The King of Cats, Hayden and Sims were all stationed along the hall, positioned like a perverse wedding procession. As he passed them, they took turns tossing clumps of confetti at his head. He kept his head down, avoiding eye contact, until he at last reached his destination, a dingy cell in the low security wing of the penitentiary. He paused as he noticed a rusted plaque above the doorway:
"126959
TED CARSON,
ALIAS FIREFLY II"
He took a deep breath, and entered the room, the door locking behind him.
"Hello, Drury," a voice called out from behind him.
Thawne's.
Drury's mind started to race; just like that the 'wedding' procession was recontextualized: It was a funeral. His funeral. And just like everything else in this damn Asylum, it had been backwards and twisted. 'This was it,' he was certain. His death. He breathed in, and at last turned around, his eyes drawn to Thawne's belt. Krill's belt.
Thawne's eyes crinkled slightly, a thin smile across his face. "You want to escape? Take the belt," he spoke with a concerning casualness.
Drury said nothing.
"You can go anywhere. Be free."
No, it couldn't be that easy. Could it?
"You'd find me," Drury shook his head.
"True," Thawne admitted. "But a little time is better than no time, isn't it?"
"Take the belt."
"Take the belt and it all ends."
Channelling all his rage and desperation, Drury swiped at Thawne; the Professor evaded, of course. And before Drury could muster a defence, Thawne was on him, slapping him across the face. Drury stumbled back, his lip split.
"Take the belt," Thawne repeated.
Drury tried again. And again, only ever managing to injure himself. And with every failed attempt, Thawne hit back.
"Take the belt," Thawne demanded once more.
Drury lunged; Thawne caught his fist, effortlessly, and hurled him over his shoulder.
"Take the belt."
Drury charged forth; Thawne stuck his arm in his path, clotheslining him.
Drury fell to his knees, his blood coating the slabs below. "I'm going to kill you," he wheezed.
"You'll have to catch me first. Take the belt."
Another blind lunge. Another miss.
"Tsk tsk. Still too slow. Maybe if you were faster, your wife would still be alive..."
"Aaaaaaaaarrrrrr-"
All Thawne had to do was step aside, let Drury hit the wall. He struck the brick and it felt like his head had split open; Drury landed on the floor, his eyes drooped shut, and as he drifted into unconsciousness, he hoped that everything he knew would be different when he awoke.
Craig, 42, was with Deshawn when I met him. When asked if he wanted to tell his story he said, "you going to be here a long time. I got a way with words." From Harlem, Craig says he was "born with a silver spoon. I grew up in a strong family. My parents both worked good jobs." He didn't use crack until he was 35. "I had all these issues piling on me. The weight just got to be too much, and one last thing fell on me, small like a feather, but it was just enough to break me." He eventually lost his job and family, unable to quit the drugs. "Thing about crack is you always trying to find an elusive high, you chasing that first time, like a dog going in circles after its tail." Now he stays mostly in Hunts Point, doing whatever he can. "Hunts Point will twist you up like a pretzel. If you can survive this place, you can survive anything, cause it don't get any realer than this."
When I asked him how he wanted to be described, he gave a big smile and said, "smartest dummy you will ever meet."
I post people's stories as they tell them to me. I am not a journalist. I don't try to verify, just listen.
More on Addiction: Faces of Addiction