Line #33 Fanfic/TheCATverse


1	->''"All things considered, it was still not the worst Christmas ever."''
2	-->--"The Unkindness of Ravens" description
3
4	The [=CATverse=] is a very long, ongoing Franchise/{{Batman}} {{Fanfic}} series by [=BiteMeTechie=] and Twinings. It focuses on several Batman villains, mostly the Scarecrow and the Riddler, and the three henchwomen that make life a bit more difficult for them.
5
6	[[http://www.freewebs.com/catverse/ This is their website. Nifty!]]
7
8	[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3285227/1/The_Unkindness_of_Ravens The One That Started It All, aka The Unkindness of Ravens.]]
9
10	[[http://www.catverse.livejournal.com It's also being archived on livejournal.]]
11
12	----
13	!! The [=CATverse=] contains examples of
14
15	* AbductionIsLove: The point of ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3285227/1/The_Unkindness_of_Ravens The Unkindness of Ravens]]''. Without the "falling in love as the outcome" bit.
16	* AllGaysArePromiscuous: Averted by Hugh and Caleb, who are involved in a highly sexual but monogamous relationship for the entire duration of the series.
17	* AllThereInTheManual: A lot of details about the characters, especially the [=CATverse's=] version of Jonathan Crane, are found on the [=CATverse's=] various [[CharacterBlog Character Blogs]].
18	* AssholeVictim: Played with. Many of the victims of CAT and the Scarecrow, moreso CAT, are generally unsympathetic, notably the old woman Techie kills in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3895513/1/Early_Retirement Early Retirement]]'' and Crane's abusive great-grandmother. Averted, however, in the case of some characters who do ''not'' deserve it and are completely innocent, most notably Marilyn Keeny in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5999604/1/Small_World Small World]]'', whose only real crime [[DisproportionateRetribution is being perceived by Crane]] [[GreenEyedMonster as favored by their mother]]. The victim in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3785894/1/Tourist_Trap Tourist Trap]]'' is also blameless. In general, Crane is more prone to vindictive [[KickTheDog dog-kicking]] and DisproportionateRetribution than Captain, Al, and Techie are, and he is a lot less picky about his targets.
19	* TheBadGuyWins: Frequently - generally whenever Batman isn't around to interfere. This is played for BlackComedy for the most part, with the exception of [[DownerEnding Small World]].
20	* BaitTheDog: ''Small World'' serves as a reminder that Jonathan Crane, for all his [[PetTheDog sympathetic moments with the girls]] and his FreudianExcuse, is a '''very''' bad man.
21	* BelligerentSexualTension: Techie and Nightwing.
22	* BerserkButton:
23	+* Plants for Ivy, cats for Selina. Jonathan has made the mistake of harming both.
24	** For Jonathan himself, he is exceptionally brutal when dealing with his family, who he hates even more than he hates most people. He also went out of his way to hunt down his former bullies.
25	* BigBrotherBully: Jonathan is an extreme example toward his sister Marilyn.
26	* BlindWithoutEm: Both Jonathan and the Captain. Averted with Al and Techie, who wear glasses but can get by without them.
27	* BlackComedy: Most [=CATverse=] stories focus on dark humor - while the general tone is comedy and the girls' antics are usually PlayedForLaughs, Crane and the girls are criminals and many of their victims are innocent people. Some stories, notably ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3530148/1/The_Paean_of_the_Bells The Paean of the Bells]]'', ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5999604/1/Small-World Small World]]'', and ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4699819/1/Noel Noel]]'', have more emphasis on the darker elements of the characters and setting and less emphasis on comedy. ''Small World'' is a reminder that this version of Jonathan Crane is a dangerous man and not above DisproportionateRetribution, and the themes of child abuse and bullying in ''Noel'' and ''The Paean of the Bells'' are played dead seriously.
28	* BodyguardCrush: Entirely one way.
29	* BullyingADragon: In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3352858/1/Moose-Tracks-And-Thankful-Men Moose Tracks and Thankful Men]]'', a boy makes the mistake of making fun of the Scarecrow. He doesn't live to regret it.
30	* CarFu: Used a few times, notably when CAT hits Batman with their car.
31	* CantHoldHisLiquor: "Five! Five drinks! Ah-ah-ah!"
32	* CharacterBlog: There are several, including blogs for [[http://captainaltechie.tumblr.com/ CAT themselves]], [[http://askthesquishykins.tumblr.com/ the Scarecrow]], [[http://askeddums.tumblr.com/ the Riddler]], [[http://catwomanquestioned.tumblr.com/ Catwoman]], and [[http://askthequeenofthegreen.tumblr.com/ Poison Ivy]].
33	* ChekhovsGunman: Early in the series, the girls help out a troubled kid who was being attacked by some thugs. A few years down the line they meet up with him again, and it turns out that he's [[spoiler: actually [[ComicBook/Robin1993 Tim Drake]].]]
34	* TheChewToy: Jonathan Crane puts up with a lot of punishment throughout the series, beginning with the very first story.
35	%%* CoolShades: Captain's new pair.
36	* CuddleBug: The girls, but at least they learn to avoid TheGlomp.
37	* DeadpanSnarker: Jonathan Crane is an especially vicious and malicious one.
38	* DelinquentHair: The Captain. Her hair color changes fairly often in-universe.
39	* DisproportionateRetribution:
40	** Marilyn Keeny's only real offense to Crane is that she exists and that her mother took care of her instead of him, something she has no awareness of. In a flashback scene he murders her mother in cold blood and [[HarmfulToMinors traumatizes her with the mutilated corpse]], and in the present he has her abducted from a mental hospital, terrorizes her with DissonantSerenity, gasses her, and leaves her alone crying and screaming. He outright murdered his other sister, his father's daughter, for the same reason.
41	** When a kid makes fun of him, Crane outright murders him "on principle".
42	* DonutMessWithACop: Bullock. Montoya doesn't mind them, either.
43	* DownerEnding: ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5999604/1/Small-World Small World]]'', in general an unusually dark [=CATverse=] story, ends on an extremely grim note, with Marilyn Keeny, one of the [=CATverse's=] few [[ChildrenAreInnocent completely innocent characters]], driven helplessly insane by her mother's horrific murder and fear toxin and abandoned by the Scarecrow and CAT, who, while sympathetic, don't dare anger Crane by helping her.
44	* EmbarrassingNickname: Squishy, Squishykins, Squishface.
45	* EvenEvilHasStandards:
46	** Captain, Al, and Techie, who actively participated in bringing Crane human "test subjects" before and have watched him do terrible things, are shocked and horrified by his vicious treatment of his sister Marilyn Keeny, although they don't dare intervene.
47	** In general, CAT do not perform extremely violent acts outside of [[ItsPersonal personal revenge]] or defense of Crane against people who can't fight back, and generally will not involve children.
48	** Crane is reluctant to perform his usual experiments on children, although he ''does'' attack his younger siblings, killing one and driving the other insane. If a child or baby is killed as collateral, he also doesn't care.
49	* EveryCarIsAPinto: Played with. It only happens with an ''actual'' Pinto.
50	* EvilIsPetty: At one point, Crane burns down an apartment and kills two people simply because he's in a bad mood. He's also a sarcastic, bad-tempered {{Jerkass}} throughout the series, with few exceptions. The girls aren't innocent of this either - at one point [[DisproportionateRetribution they torture someone to death for being rude]], and beat up Cadence Armitage solely out of revenge.
51	* FluffyTheTerrible: Jonathan Crane, an incredibly dangerous mad scientist and mass murderer, is nicknamed "Squishykins" by the girls, in large part to annoy him.
52	* FeminineWomenCanCook: Averted by Captain and Techie, who are both capable cooks and not particularly feminine.
53	* ForegoneConclusion: Subverted. ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5999604/1/Small_World Small World]]'' is told in part from the point of view of Karen Keeny, Crane's mother. She and her young daughter are hunted and attacked by a costumed supercriminal who also happens to be Karen's vindictive, murderous son. [[DownerEnding They don't make it.]]
54	* ForScience!
55	* ForgetsToEat: The girls are more than just bodyguards, but double as Crane's caretakers.
56	* TheFundamentalist: Scarecrow's Great-Granny, who was extremely religious and viciously abusive towards both Jonathan and his mother.
57	* GenderBlenderName: You can call her Al. That's not her name, but it's what you can call her. (Riddler [[LampshadeHanging associates her with]] Music/PaulSimon, for some reason he [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-gYOrU8bA can't for the life of him figure out]].)
58	* GenkiGirl: The girls, especially Captain. Also Harley.
59	* GirlOnGirlIsHot: Averted, played straight and discussed.
60	** Played straight in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5637757/1/Long_Walk_Down_a_Short_Dirt_Road Long Walk Down a Short Dirt Road]]'' while rescuing the Riddler from Arkham Asylum, [[spoiler: the Captain and Techie]] get caught in the woods by a security guard. They stage a steamy kiss, leading him to believe they'd just been looking for somewhere to be alone.
61	** Averted in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4625377/1/All_Bad_Girls_Go_to_Arkham All Bad Girls Go to Arkham]]'' - a wrestling match between [[spoiler: the Captain and Techie]] results in a brief make out session that happens primarily off screen. They are subsequently caught by the Scarecrow, who doesn't care what they're up to and doesn't find it hot in the least.
62	** Discussed in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3327584/1/Vacation_Time Vacation Time]]'' Poison Ivy gives [[spoiler: Techie]] a mind control kiss, resulting in the following exchange:
63	-->'''Al:''' What, that's it? That was so anticlimactic!
64	-->'''Poison Ivy:''' You wanted something steamier? There are no fanboys jacking off to this, you know.
65	* GoodIsNotNice: Not from Jonathan's point of view, anyway.
66	* GuysSmashGirlsShoot: Inverted; the Scarecrow strikes from a distance with his fear toxin while his henchgirls primarily use bludgeoning weapons at melee range.
67	* HarmlessFreezing: Averted; when Mr. Freeze goes on a spree, his victims end up hospitalized or dead.
68	* HatesBeingTouched: Poor Jonathan.
69	* HateSink: While Jonathan's FreudianExcuse and occasional sympathetic moments give him some tragedy, his childhood bullies have no sympathetic qualities whatsoever, brutally beating him up for being poor and weird. Sherry Squires, who appears in ''Jonathan Crane and the Violent Dance'', is a similarly contemptible character. Similar characters crop up in the main timeline, usually killed off later by CAT or Crane.
70	* HonoraryUncle: Crane becomes something of this for Kitten.
71	* IHaveAFamily: Jonathan alludes to his father trying this in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5999604/1/Small-World Small World]]'', although it didn't work and [[NiceJobBreakingItHero all he managed to do was make Jonathan aware of their existence]].
72	* IWasJustPassingThrough: Anytime Jonathan does something even remotely nice to or for one of his henchwomen, it's for his own reasons. He does ''not'' care about ''any'' of them, not even a little. Or so he keeps insisting to himself.
73	* KarmaHoudini: The girls and (somewhat less so) Crane never face any serious and lasting consequences for the multiple murders and serious crimes they commit throughout the series. The only serious threat to them is the implied DealWithTheDevil the girls made to make contact with Crane in the first place.
74	* KickTheDog:
75	** Crane's treatment of his little sister Marilyn in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5999604/1/Small-World Small World]]'' is a reminder that [[PetTheDog his more pleasant interactions with the girls]] do not make him a good or even remotely pleasant person. While his mother did abandon him and Crane has some reason to be angry with her from his point of view, DisproportionateRetribution aside, Marilyn did absolutely nothing wrong to him, and was only targeted because Crane [[GreenEyedMonster perceived her to be]] [[ParentalFavoritism their mother's favorite]]. His torture of her is so ruthless that even the girls are upset, one of the few times that his actions disturb them.
76	** The bullies in Georgia put Crane on the receiving end of this trope. They picked on him for no real reason other than [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer because he was different]] and [[ForTheEvulz because they could]].
77	* KickTheMoralityPet: Crane is not averse from snapping at or even gassing the girls.
78	* LackOfEmpathy: Many of the major characters have problems with empathy, in particular the Scarecrow and Al.
79	* LameComeback:
80	-->'''Al:''' And if you hit me with that again, well, good luck getting your notebook removed from your colon. I hear that involves very delicate surgery.\
81	'''Captain:''' Well, I heard…that…you suck.
82	* LethalChef: Al is well established to be one of these.
83	* LoveRedeems: Played with. Scarecrow's time with the girls did give him some grasp of love and appreciation for at least ''some'' human life, but he's still a villain who experiments on innocent people with fear toxin.
84	* MamaBear: Don't mess with plants [[spoiler:or children]] in front of Ivy.
85	* MisanthropeSupreme: Played with. Crane is extremely vocal about how he hates people and for the most part he really ''does'', but he does show some genuine concern for the girls and, later, Kitten, not that he'll ever admit to it.
86	* MisplacedRetribution: Crane doesn't just take his rage over his ParentalAbandonment out on his parents, but on their innocent children, too, both of whom were younger than he was and had no knowledge of the situation. He killed one and tortured the other into insanity, and even then didn't let the grudge go.
87	* MolotovTruck: Used in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3327584/1/Vacation_Time Vacation Time]]'' when Techie intentionally slams Al's car into the back of a Ford Pinto, resulting in an explosion.
88	* MoralityPet: Played with. The girls' influence humanizes Crane to an extent and he grows to genuinely care for them and Kitten. However, he is still incredibly amoral and ruthless towards other people, Captain, Al, and Techie cannot stop or restrain him even when his behavior disturbs or upsets them, and they do not influence him into reforming.
89	* NotMeThisTime: Comes up a few times.
90	* [[spoiler: {{Not Quite Dead}}]]: ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3342632/1/Headstones_Of_Henchgirls Headstones of Henchgirls]]''.
91	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: The Scarecrow's torture of Marilyn Keeny makes [[GenkiGirl Captain, Al, and Techie]] cry, one of the few times in the series that they're clearly upset and disturbed by his behavior.
92	* OriginalCharacter: Captain, Al, and Techie, who become the Scarecrow's three henchgirls, caretakers, and confidants throughout the series.
93	* ParentalAbandonment: Jonathan's parents took no active role in raising him. His father took off before he was born and his mother left him almost immediately afterward.
94	* PayEvilUntoEvil: It's very strongly suggested that Crane went out of his way to track down, torture, and kill all of his bullies as an adult. He also murdered his abusive great-grandmother at some point in the past. Given what is shown of their absolutely brutal treatment of Crane beforehand, it's hard to feel sorry for them.
95	* PrecociousCrush: Al has a certain appeal to prepubescent boys, much to her dismay.
96	* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: Characters who antagonize or oppose the girls are sometimes killed off or otherwise brutalized in [[DisproportionateRetribution very vicious ways]], in one case for just being rude. The girls are also very forgiving of Crane's behavior and are sympathetic towards him, showing more compassion for him than the innocent people he tortures. Even the above mentioned incident involving Marilyn Keeny [[WhateverHappenedToTheMouse is never mentioned again]].
97	* QuirkyCurls: Techie's hairstyle.
98	* RedStringOfFate: Used in ''"[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3709455/1/Season_Of_The_Witch Season of the Witch]]''"- Madam Lavoux uses it to "tie" the girls and Scarecrow together from that point on.
99	* RiskyBusinessDance: Eddie's rendition of "Santa Baby."
100	* ScarSurvey: Happens in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3799153/1/Aquatic_Nocturne Aquatic Nocturne]]'' and, under somewhat different circumstances, in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5535020/1/Nine_Lives Nine Lives]]''.
101	* SelfMadeOrphan: Crane murders his mother Karen Keeny in ''"[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5999604/1/Small-World Small World]]"'', and is strongly implied to have killed his father, too.
102	* ShoutOut: Wow, let's see...''Series/RedDwarf'', ''TabletopGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', ''Franchise/StarTrek'' (both TOS and TNG), ''Film/ThePrincessBride'', ''Franchise/StarWars'', ''Series/AbsolutelyFabulous'', ''Series/HappyDays'', the '60s ''Series/Batman1966'' TV show (this is a relatively subtle one), ''Series/{{The Prisoner\|1967}}'', ''WesternAnimation/TheYearWithoutASantaClaus'', and lots, lots, LOTS more! May be ReferenceOverdosed.
103	* SiblingRivalry: A one-sided variation - Jonathan hates and resents his sister Marilyn, and goes out of his way to frighten and torture her into insanity, all while Marilyn is too young to have any idea of why. He also killed his father's daughter simply because he loved her and not him. According to him, he almost liked her.
104	* SinisterScythe: Crane uses a scythe in ''Small World'' to brutalize his mother's corpse.
105	* TeensAreMonsters: ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3530148/1/The_Paean_of_the_Bells The Pæan of the Bells]]'' is one of the more serious [=CATverse=] stories, and it starts off with a flashback to Crane's incredibly shitty childhood. A group of teenagers enjoyed hunting him down daily, beating the crap out of him, verbally abusing him, and more, purely ForTheEvulz. He was terrified that he might just be ''killed'' sooner or later, and the kicker? They weren't doing this to somebody their own age or anywhere near their own size; Jonathan was still a little boy. Not surprising that he turned out the way he did.
106	* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: After he strangles his mother, Crane decapitates her with a scythe and viciously brutalizes the corpse [[ThePowerOfHate out of sheer rage]].
107	* ThroughHisStomach: All over the place. The Scarecrow doesn't exactly take care of himself.
108	* UsedToBeASweetKid: Young Jonathan Crane wanted to be just like Alan Scott when he grew up.
109	* VillainyDiscretionShot: While the Scarecrow is most definitely a villain and capable of horrific crimes, most of his worst and most violent actions (such as the murder of his father and other half-sister) are only skimmed over or alluded to, not shown. Averted in ''Small World'', where Crane is at his absolute darkest in the series,[[WouldHurtAChild tortures a child]] in front of CAT, and graphically murders his mother in a flashback.
110	* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: The unrelenting neglect, abuse, and bullying Crane endured during his childhood from his family and other children contributed to his becoming a misanthropic MadScientist and villain as an adult.

Context Fanfic / TheCATverse