History Fanfic / DarkTitans

* TheParagon: Goku. To a somewhat lesser degree Cyborg, and handled so well that one can't help but wonder if DCComics is now making him into a BreakoutCharacter because of it.

* TheParagon: Cyborg, and handled so well that one can't help but wonder if DCComics is now making him into a BreakoutCharacter because of it.

* AntiHero: DT Ryouga, Raven, and Ranma are types II, but Raven is quickly marching downwards lately. She mindcontrols the enemy to turn them into suicide-bomber meat-puppets, and is played as a "[[EldritchAbomination massive force of pure entropy]]", set against the imagery of a traditionally holy concept of a phoenix no less, [[UnfortunateImplications which turns life and hope itself into the "bad guy", and nihilism into the "good guy"]]. X-Com Ryoga is a type IV.

** A much smaller issue is that both Ryogas, whose entire point during the manga was that he/they liked Akane because he/they blindsidedly mistook her for a super-strong Kasumi, and was then paired off with a girl much closer to his actual ideal, sans the superhuman strength, is now mainly attracted to mischievous sociopaths, [[UnfortunateImplications one of which literally looks like a 12-year old]], and his relationship with Akari strictly referred to as a fallback option. Canon Ryoga's genuine requirements were perceived great kindness and upbeat nature, possibly along with a similar interest in the martial arts.

The ''Dark Titans'' duology is a ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''/''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'' crossover by Lathis. The series consists of two fics: ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2957130/1/The_Titans_and_the_Lost_Boy The Titans and the Lost Boy]]'', written from 2006-2007, and ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3462706/1/Dark_Titans Dark Titans]]'', started in 2007 and still being updated, with the most recent chapter being posted June 16 2010. The premise is very simple: take Jump City, insert the Nerima Wrecking Crew. Set to liquefy, serve chilled. In execution, on the other hand, it's actually a pretty complex work.

** The CentralTheme set from the beginning of the third part is that we all have to wake up and not spend our lives in a coma (which is a sympathetic in theory if not execution, but not always possible to fix on ones own, especially if it would require a neurological off button), whereas SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids dreams, hopes, kindness, and higher ideals maintained for sanity and tranquility are unable to handle the [[RealLife real world]], [[FamilyUnfriendlyAesop and as such]] are delusions that should evaporate into thin air to be replaced with amoral nihilism.

* MoralEventHorizon: See above. The enemy is deliberately constructed in such a manner that justifies virtually every single aspect of what by real world standards translate as war-crime acts, and as such idealists are left with no other option but confirm, and enthusiastically run over their lines of restraint.

* AntiHero: DT Ryouga, Raven, and Ranma are types II, but Raven is quickly marching downwards lately. She mindcontrols the enemy to turn them into suicide-bomber puppets, and is played as a "[[EldritchAbomination massive force of pure entropy]]", set against the imagery of a traditionally holy concept of a phoenix no less, [[UnfortunateImplications which turns life and hope itself into the "bad guy", and nihilism into the "good guy"]]. X-Com Ryoga is a type IV.

* AntiHero: DT Ryouga, Raven, and Ranma are types II. X-Com Ryoga is a type IV.

* UnequalPairing: Ryoga and Raven ever getting intimate would result in him unwillingly crushing her body while she fried his mind. Cyborg and Kasumi also qualifies. In terms of personalities they should work out great, but he largely is and looks like a machine. If he remodelled into a human-looking body with extreme movement fine-tuning it could work though.

** Anime [[GenkiGirl Starfire]] somehow rationalises restraint against non-superpowered opponents as a version of supremacism, and not in the "You should show restraint against the aliens as well" direction, but rather the other one. [hottip:*: Possibly a very loose, some generations-removed, memetic leftover from the popular online or GTA style: "If you are willing to accept the unavoidable realities of eating animals, you have to be willing to murder, eat, and put anybody in a genocide camp, or you're a hypocrite, as benevolence has to include all or nothing, and as all is impossible per definition you should all become casual spree-killers, or you are all horrible people" rationale.] This despite that her teammates would have preferred to use non-lethal force against the alien war-breeds as well, but they were conceptually designed to be impossible to use it against, and near impossible to even keep alive in confinement to boot. However, she also makes a valid point about that the term "inhuman" is contradictory, as there will always be some human perfectly willing to commit any level of atrocity, although the correct term is "inhumane". Regardless, although the latter is a point well made, Shampoo [[PsychoForHire is here portrayed as virtually morally identical to the Russian mercenaries that Starfire condemned]], and is somehow still considered as perfectly acceptable to adopt as a tribe-sister, which doesn't make sense. Ditto for the psychologist that Starfire spoke to, here stating that UNETCO members who started to not find the act of murder unpleasant and actually greatly enjoyed it were sensibly weeded out of the organisation, yet Shampoo is still there without anybody batting an eyelash.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Although it is uncertain how much of this was unintentional and simply inherent undertones in the original XCOM chronology, there are lots of RuleOfSymbolism aspects packed into RLOADR, very FamilyUnfriendlyAesop style or othervise, including Saffron now being an EldritchAbomination [[SuicideAttack suicide bomber]]. The opposition are written as some kind of odd {{Buddhism}} + AmbiguouslyAutistic + Internet Addiction + [[PoliticalIdeologies Socialism]] + SpoiledBrat + PsychopathicManchild + [[{{Islam}} Islam Fundamentalist]] + EldritchAbomination extreme TakeThat AccentuateTheNegative distortion/inaccurate associations overlap, which comes across as UnfortunateImplications, considering that the first three groups are generally completely harmless in real world terms, if possibly helpless in certain areas, while [[SociopathicSoldier some of the types]] [[TheMengele of people]] set as {{Designated Hero}}es against them are very much not.
** The CentralTheme set from the beginning of the third part is that we all have to wake up and not spend our lives in a coma (which is a sympathetic in theory if not execution, but not always possible to fix on ones own, especially if it would require a neurological off button), whereas SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids dreams, hopes, kindness, and higher ideals maintained for sanity and tranquility are unable to handle the [[RealLife real world]], and as such are delusions that should evaporate into thin air to be replaced with amoral nihilism.

* MoodWhiplash: The third part: "Reflections Lost On A Dark Road" takes a leap along the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, to IDidWhatIHadToDo, SociopathicSoldier, ToThePain {{Gorn}}, BlackAndGrayMorality, ARealManIsAKiller, ColdBloodedTorture, BreakTheCutie, GoodIsImpotent, and so onwards. It is still very well written though, likely even more so on a technical level, which isn't necessarily a good thing when used in this direction.
* MurderArsonAndJaywalking: RLOADR Nabiki's consistently hardcore psychopathic acts and nature are literally given a HandWave as being on the same level as illegal downloading. [hottip:*:Which from a "do no harm"-centered system is strictly morally neutral, and grants an increased audience] * OppositesAttract and CrackPairing: Ryoga is increasingly paired off with Jinx, who, it was recently revealed, [[{{Yandere}} murdered her ex-boyfriend when she didn't like him anymore]]... considering that he is undecided regarding who he should end up with, [[{{Understatement}} that could turn into a problem regardless if she decides to dislike him, or he goes for Starfire or Raven instead]]. In RLOADR the other Ryouga is paired off with Nabiki instead, [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope who wants him to head her]] [[PsychoForHire mercenary organisation]] (which pretty much requires him to strongly rein her in if her HeelFaceTurn is going to last). Each of which is at heart about two people instinctively drawn towards a missing part of the brain that the other has in spades. [[UnfortunateImplications In real life pairing off autistic with clinical sociopaths tends to turn very ugly for the former though]].

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Although it is uncertain how much of this was unintentional and simply inherent undertones in the original XCOM chronology, there are lots of RuleOfSymbolism aspects packed into RLOADR, very FamilyUnfriendlyAesop style or othervise, including Saffron now being an EldritchAbomination SuicideBomber. The opposition are written as some kind of odd Internet Addiction + AmbiguouslyAutistic + Buddhism + Socialism + SpoiledBrat + PsychopathicManchild + Islam Fundamentalist + EldritchAbomination extreme TakeThat AccentuateTheNegative distortion/inaccurate association overlap, which comes across as UnfortunateImplications, considering that the first three groups are generally completely harmless in real world terms, if helpless in certain areas, while [[SociopathicSoldier some of the types of people]] set as {{DesignatedHero}}es against them are very much not.
** The CentralTheme set from the beginning of the third part is that we all have to wake up and not spend our lives in a coma (which is a sympathetic in theory if not execution, but not always possible to fix on ones own, especially if it would require a neurological off button), whereas SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids dreams, hopes, kindness, and higher ideals maintained for sanity and tranquility are unable to handle the RealWorld, and as such are delusions that should evaporate into thin air to be replaced with amoral nihilism.

** The CentralTheme set from the beginning of the third part is that we all have to wake up and not spend our lives in a coma (which is a sympathetic in theory if not execution, but not always possible to fix on ones own, especially if it would require a neurological off button), whereas GoodIsStupid immature dreams, hopes, and idealism maintained for sanity and tranquility are unable to handle the RealWorld, and as such should evaporate into thin air to be replaced with amoral nihilism.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: There are lots of RuleOfSymbolism aspects packed into RLOADR, very FamilyUnfriendlyAesop style or othervise, including Saffron now being an EldritchAbomination SuicideBomber.

* MoodWhiplash: The third part: "Reflections Lost On A Dark Road" takes a leap along the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, to IDidWhatIHadToDo, SociopathicSoldier, {{Gorn}}, BlackAndGrayMorality, ARealManIsAKiller, ColdBloodedTorture, BreakTheCutie, GoodIsImpotent, and so onwards. It is still very well written though, likely even more so on a technical level, which isn't necessarily a good thing when used in this direction.
* OppositesAttract and CrackPairing: Ryoga is increasingly paired off with Jinx, who, it was recently revealed, [[{{Yandere}} murdered her ex-boyfriend when she didn't like him anymore]]... considering that he is undecided regarding who he should end up with, [[{{Understatement}} that could turn into a problem regardless if she decides to dislike him, or he goes for Starfire or Raven instead]]. In RLOADR the other Ryouga is paired off with Nabiki instead, [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope who wants him to head her]] [[PsychoForHire mercenary organisation]] (which pretty much requires him to strongly rein her in if her HeelFaceTurn is going to last). Each of which is at heart about two people instinctively drawn towards a missing part of the brain that the other has in spades. [[UnfortunateImplications In real life pairing off autistic with clinical sociopaths tends to turn very ugly for the former though]].
* OutOfCharacter: Generally excellent in TTATLB and DT, but:

* MoodWhiplash: The third part: "Reflections Lost On A Dark Road" takes a leap along the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, to IDidWhatIHadToDo, SociopathicSoldier, {{Gorn}}, BlackAndGrayMorality, ARealManIsAKiller, ColdBloodedTorture, BreakTheCutie, and so onwards. It is still very well written though, likely even more so on a technical level, which isn't necessarily a good thing when used in this direction.

* MoodWhiplash: The third part: "Reflections Lost On A Dark Road" takes a leap along the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, to IDidWhatIHadToDo, SociopathicSoldier, BlackAndGrayMorality, ARealManIsAKiller, ColdBloodedTorture, BreakTheCutie, and so onwards.

* AntiHero: DT Ryouga, Raven, and Ranma are type II. X-Com Ryoga is a type IV.

* SociopathicSoldier: Shampoo to extremes, and possibly Mousse in RLOADR.

* PowerCreepPowerSeep: Ryouga and the entire Ranma cast are severely depowered in strength, speed, precision, and generally skill, to greatly accommodate the Titans, especially Starfire. On the other hand, othervise even Akane would be able to take all of them out before they had a chance to react, but it is turning increasingly selectively favouring nevertheless.

* VillainProtagonist and TokenEvilTeammate: Shampoo in "Reflections Lost On A Dark Road".[[MoralEventHorizon She plays assassination-games with her prey for sexual gratification]], regardless who that prey are, [[{{Bully}} including completely outmatched humans]]. X-Com Nabiki appears comparatively FaceHeelTurn most of the time due to her near FateWorseThanDeath experience, but allegedly plans to start her own world-spanning war-profiteer and mercenaries-for-hire organisation, which would turn her much worse than DT Nabiki/[[CompleteMonster a more extreme version of]] [[BlackLagoon Balalaika]]). Jinx also qualifies to a degree, but she is genuinely improving, and was simply a burglar, not an assassin.

* TheParagon: Cyborg, and handled so well that one can't help but wonder if DC is now making him into a BreakoutCharacter because of it.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: Mainly Ranma versus Godzilla, Goku, Tetsuo, and Brushogun; and Nabiki versus the Titans and Brother Blood; but there are plenty of general examples, including:
** Starfire defeating a brainwashed Ryouga with [[spoiler: a ''[[FinishingMove Hiryu Shoten Ha]]'']] after she and Cologne helped him learn it himself earlier in the story.

* OppositesAttract and CrackPairing: Ryoga is increasingly paired off with Jinx, who, it was recently revealed, [[{{Yandere}} murdered her ex-boyfriend when she didn't like him anymore]]... considering that he is undecided regarding who he should end up with, [[{{Understatement}} that could turn into a problem regardless if she decides to dislike him, or he goes for Starfire or Raven instead]]. In RLOADR the other Ryouga is paired off with Nabiki instead, [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope who wants him to head her mercenary organisation]] (which pretty much requires him to strongly rein her in if her HeelFaceTurn is going to last]]. Each of which is at heart about two people instinctively drawn towards a missing part of the brain that the other has in spades. [[UnfortunateImplications In real life pairing off autistic with clinical sociopaths tends to turn very ugly for the former though]].

* VillainProtagonist and TokenEvilTeammate: Shampoo in "Reflections Lost On A Dark Road".[[MoralEventHorizon She plays assassination-games with her prey for sexual gratification]], regardless who that prey are, [[{{Bully}} including completely outmatched humans]]. X-Com Nabiki appears comparatively FaceHeelTurn most of the time due to her near FateWorseThanDeath experience, but allegedly plans to start her own world-spanning war-profiteer and mercenaries-for-hire organisation, which would turn her much worse than DT Nabiki/[[CompleteMonster a more extreme version of [[BlackLagoon Balalaika]]). Jinx also qualifies to a degree, but she is genuinely improving, and was simply a burglar, not an assassin.