What of Relcuse?

I would like to see Recluse just shrug and be like, '' Well, doodle. Statesman is dead? Guess I'll go kill Wade, exact revenge for some odd feeling I'm having inside. Remove myself from the top and go retire somewhere. Hawaii is nice. ''

Then every now and again we'll hear about a postcard he sends with stuff like,
'' Man.. why didn't I do this before? ''
'' How's Arachnos? LOL. Don't care! ''
'' Wish you wer--.. NOT. ''
'' Still fighting? That's cool. I'll be here under the shade drinking pina coladas'. ''
'' Saw a seagull flying over the ocean today, so beautiful how it soared over the water, skimming it for fish in the morning's light. As it landed a shark jumped up and nom'd it. Thought of you Sharkboy. Good luck with whatever it is you're doing. ''
'' Hurricane rolled through, reminded me of how you yelled at me Ghost Widow. ....Think I'll stick to hurricanes, they're safer. ''
'' Got fish? No? I do. ''
'' I'd send you an invite to stay for a couple of weeks but law here is no exotic bugs are allowed. ''
'' Lol. Random traveler was selling scorpions-in-a-lollipop as a gag. Loved it. Bought you three. ''
'' Found a nifty carpet at the traders villa, sent it to you express.''
'' They make the best sushi here. Ate some. Was good. ''

I'd love to see that.

They seem to have a Professor X/Magneto relationship with each other (movie canon) and I kind of picture the reaction being something similar to when Jean disintegrated Charles.

Recluse has reasons to want Wade dead that have nothing to do with him killing Statesman. He also killed Miss Liberty who was Recluse's neice and closest living relative. And he certainly doesn't want Wade to actually succeed in his end goal. In fact, none of the worlds big human/formerly human villians would want Wade to succeed as it would really screw up their own plans.

My take on Recluse's whole shtick (pardon the word) was that he believed in survival of the fittest.

Someone's just taken down Statesman, the closest thing he had to the other 'Alpha Male'. He's either taking that as an outright challenge or a threat. His possible borderline turn to a hero would be a great story (I did note we are getting both Statesman and Recluse helms at the end of the loyalty period....) and put the big man back on the front page. Someone without the moral restrictions of Statesman but just as powerful?

I suggest Emperor Cole step aside because the ruler of Tartarus is back.


S.

I see some gloating, talking about killing Darrin Wade as Wade's 'reward' for destroying Statesman for them since they don't want him getting cocky.

And then ugly crying in the shower.

I'm thinking whatever happens, Recluse dies. The masks were released as tributes to States and Recluse. It may likely be at the hands of Wade, or Wade's benefactor (with Reclusing offing Wade). with the benefactor being offed by the players. This opens up an vaccum of power, both red and blue side, which would be a good thing cause we are now supposed to have these uber heroes, who are still flunky level to the Phalanx and upper level Arachnos? So the absence of the uber hero/villain would make for a more realistic acheivement of at least a villains ultimate aim, the whole enchilada. Can they possibly make all of Arachnos non hostile towards you? or would they continue to be hostile towarrds you as they would be attemping to usurp your power? its an intriguing possibility when in fact we are altering the universe now, according to the way missions are geared around team leader's view point. (experience the universe created by JimBob)

furthermore, this opens up a possibility for some other SSA ideas- blueside you have to reform a phalanx like team, or putdown invasions by each of Recluse's seconds in command, or redside consolidate arachnos powers (take on GW, Mako, Black Scorpion and Scirocco sequentially as they make their individual gambits to seize power) and implement a level 50 praet zone where you would choose to either reform the Empire in your Image or liberate the peoples.

In regards to SSA, I expect Recluse to go after Wade. Manipulating heroes into helping him whenever possible, perhaps even a "teamup" gesture. And a betrayal when the cost/benefit analysis calls for it.
But not to kill Wade, to use him. To find out exactly how one steals incarnate powers and what the consequences are. This could advance project: FURY by decades. And if it takes a few vivisections.. that just makes it fun.

In a more general sense, I expect Lord Recluse to concentrate on "building" the future he has planned for primal earth, now that the one he considered his greatest obstacle is gone. He does have an ideal after all. A world where one is only limited by their power and willingness to use it. A world consisting of mini-kingdoms and wastelands ruled by superpowered persons with Arachnos maintaining a nominal peace. A world that will force its inhabitants to evolve or be destroyed by those who do. A world no one sane would want to invade. A world destroying or conquering every other it encounters, just because they can. Glorious.

I never saw the States/ Recluse relationship as similar to Professor X/ Magneto. I always saw it more like the Doctor and the Master.

They were friends once, but the Master's lust for power and insanity drove them apart. They both still deeply respect each other (as the third Doctor put it 'Best Enemies") but they just cannot reconcile their differing philosphies. Any yet, they have saved each others lives several times. Showing that there's still something there.

Forget romantic subtext. This is deeper.

States and Recluse have a similar dynamic. They were once friends until the Well changed them. Marcus Cole believed in using that power to save the world. Stefan Richter, perhaps driven a little mad by the well (or by his own failings) believed in using that power to rule the world (since somebody had to do it.)

I would think that Recluse would take his time and go after Darren Wade, not because he wants all of the power for himself, but because he simply doesn't think Wade can be trusted with it. Recluse has spent years fighting the Well and has gotten pretty good at it. He feels he's the only one left who can actually keep it in check.

Ah, its all a bit babbling. But You see where I'm going with that

Recluse still has to deal with the Praetorian Invasion and the Coming Storm.

Wade may also get greedy; if this worked on Synapse, then Statesman... who is to say that it won't work on Recluse; especially now that he's an Incarnate...