**Spoilers** Why Not Revive Statesman With A Ritual?

Why is "he doesn't want to live an horrible life where everyone he knows will age and die around him," not a good reason to decline rez prompts? How about this, Statesman didn't give up and die. Marcus Cole did. There was a man behind the mask, a man that tried to live up to ideals as best he could, but still a man. Statesman wants to protect the world forever, but Marcus Cole just wants his damn rest. How many times does he have to save the world before he can call it good and retire?

Statesman wanted to stay dead.

One thing I wonder about is why they chose to revive the Red Widow rather than the Ghost Widow.

From GW's patron arc it does seem that the Red Widow really was a dangerous woman, and helped to focus Lord Recluse's resolve rather than distract him from his goals.

Reviving Belladonna would destabilize Arachnos more than hooking LR up with his dead wife does. The head of the Widow faction suddenly alive again instead of soulbound to the organization, and able to think for herself instead of helplessly loyal?

Course this might just lead up to Lord Recluse and Emperor Cole fighting it out, so the two Incarnates have their evil empires bashing each other while the heroes aid the rebels.

well, the real core of the reason is that it would remove any drama or significance from the death. But it is fairly arbitrary as far as why one thing works and one doesn't, in the end the writers decide that, which is a bit hoaky but this is a video game about comic book super heroes. Besides, people won't be happy one way or the other, so screw it and just push on with the writing. There's never going to be any neat fix, however loosely or well written, that is going to please everybody.

In light of this discussion, I went looking for some possible documentation of inferences that folks are drawing.

As it turns out, there is a Souvenir from Statesman's death. It can be seen here: http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Glacia

Pertinent quotes:

>>>You may always remember that moment when you stood over Statesman's body. His face was smiling. It almost looked like he was simply playing dead, if not for his lifeless eyes staring past you.<<<

This makes me pretty grumpy. The "looks like he is simply playing dead" with a smile on his face part does not sit well with me from a standpoint of good writing, but tastes may differ so I will spot them that.

My other complaint is that when I stood over Statesman's body, he was FACEDOWN. I could not see his face! This sort of thing impeaches the killer's testimony and prompts a confession on most crime shows.

>>> It seems that Statesman welcomed his death; perhaps he finally grasped the rest he was looking for after fighting crime for several decades.<<<

I would again argue this has no predicate expressly laid and comes as a big surprise that he would welcome death. I would argue that it is contrary to Statesman's character as I have set out before.

What I cannot argue is that the Devs did explicitly spell it out.

If all we lacked was an "Obvious Trap! (tm)" sign by the Obvious Trap (tm), then all we lacked here was Statesman holding up a sign saying, "I AM VERY GLAD I AM DEAD AFTER DECADES OF FIGHTING CRIME!"

For what it's worth, I also think this is horrible writing overall. If it is "Good Writing," it am Bizarro Good Writing.

But they did spell it out plainly.

Seriously,

The main thing that I'm personally getting tired of debating is this inferred or presumed or assumed notion that we know that Statesman is happy in the afterlife, that he was happy to go, that he happily died, and that he happily decided he wasn't going to fight the bad guy because he hasn't the heroic willpower to do so and that his powers didn't define him, it was his choice to use them as a hero.

Argh!

No. What we see is what we see. We get the clues that say he died with a smile on his face. We get the inference, not the fact he's chosen to die happily rather than fight (and when the suggestion is made 'he can't fight back because he's just a mortal', what does that make those of us who choose to play as mortals? Or Manticore? Utterly incapable then? Kind of defeats the story....), and most importantly of all, as I have said in a few posts now, he's the Avatar of Zeus. Not an Incarnate, not just one of the most powerful supers on the planet, but a living breathing representation of a god.

And because he has his powers stolen, he somehow loses the attributes that let him manifest as such to begin with? You know, the iron resoluteness of Zeus, the unforgiving wrath, the unshakeable belief in his own self?

After a certain point, I get annoyed with the equation that says because he loses his powers, he loses his character traits too. The direct correlation is made implicit here that he really isn't that great without his powers. He can't resist, he can't try and take back what's his. He has no means (despite this very clearly defined connection to the Well and being the most powerful Incarnate outside of Recluse) to try and reclaim his powers because the story says because.

Sam, I'm happy to put up the exception here to allow this story-wise, because it would be unquestionably dangerous, it would be a one-time deal (Marcus Cole and his power would not be given up willingly), and it would make for a hell of a great story. 'To rescue a god!' Now would that make me feel epicly heroic and stand on the same equal footing as the most powerful NPC in the game? Damn right it would.

Now I'm sorry for sounding a little angry in this post, but I am willing to be reasonable. I am willing to accept a good story reason for just about anything, but for cripes' sake! How long do we, the players and audience for this story, have to keep filling in the blanks and making excuses and/or rationales for what happened when it was the job of the story to do so in the first place?

Is it really that much to ask as a paying subscriber?


And just to vent, some Craig Ferguson swearing. Tootsifruit! Whatsacommnago! Smorgasboard! Crikeydingo!


.....and scene.



S.

As far as Statesman wanting to die, this really is plausible. After being dragged back to life by Manticore and Numina in the comic book he was clearly unhappy about it.

Here's an alternative as to why he can't be brought back: Having lost his powers he would be resurrected as man who is something like 115 years old. He might immediately die again from age related complications. Red Widow was apparently killed in the prime of her life with whatever powers she had fully intact, so she was good to go on being brought back.

Not that I think either of those concepts really works.

PS The mission givers go to great length to warn you that the 'dying breath' is something that would be very difficult to acquire if you waste it. It seems to me that a villain would have a fairly easy time getting hold of that. You wouldn't even have to bottle it, just drag along a hostage and kill them in the circle.

It would have made much more sense and been more fitting if States had died as part of a heroic sacrifice. Such as...

<cue Statesman stepping onto the triggger of the ritual>

Darrin Wade: "Do you have any last words before you die?"

Statesman, in obvious agony, struggles to his feet despite the pain coursing through his body as his powers are stripped away. "Yes... Wade..." he managed to force out through clenched teeth. "You're not... the only one... who can use ritual magic."

<Camera pulls back to reveal the ghostly figures of Numina, Kelly Nemmers, War Witch and Archmage Tarixus, all hovering at equidistant points of a circle surrounding the entire mountain top. As Wade looks at each of them in turn, some of the rock slides off of the side of the mountain top, revealing glowing runes.>

Numina: "You have shown us that you are indeed a much greater threat than we had credited you, Darrin Wade. But your glee will be fleeting."

Tarixus: "Very, very fleeting." (with appropriate cackle)

Kelly Nemmers: "The power of Statesman has been a force for good and justice for nearly a century, Wade. But all of us--and even Marcus himself--would rather it disappear from the world forever than fall into the hands of one as wicked and depraved as yourself."

War Witch: "Which is why we came up with this particular ritual. We had a very good idea of your plans, and this was our final failsafe we had prepared with Statesman's help over the last week: a magical working that would only be triggered by Zeus's power being ripped out of Marcus Cole's body. A working that would use such an event to destroy not only the subject, as you had planned, but the caster as well."

Tarixus: "You see, boy, no one wants you to have the power of Zeus. Your predilection with the Shadowgod already made you dangerous, but letting you have the power to breach the dimensions and bring the Beast here is unacceptable."

Numina: (to War Witch) "Marcus can't hold out much longer. I can feel the Incarnate energy gradually wrest itself free due to Wade's magic."

War Witch: "Then it is time."

Statesman, slowly walking toward Wade, gold and crimson energy splashing around him (voice subdued but firm): "I would sacrifice my life to save my daughter, or to bring her back. Just like I would sacrifice it to end your menace once and for all." As he finishes, Statesman grabs Wade's shirt.

Darrin Wade: "You fools! This masochistic exercise will destroy all of you, too!"

Kelly Nemmers (with a spectral smile): "Hadn't you noticed, Darrin? We're already dead."

<Cue the entire mountain exploding, followed by Statesman's cinematic reunion with his wife and daughter.>


Now THAT would have been a good, heroic, climactic ending. You like that one, Oz?


K