Hanging An Led Screen With This On It As I Dip Into The Hotel Room With My Girlfriend.

Given how much we roll with Samus having a ton of self-loathing due to the deaths of so many loved ones by the time of Fusion... Let's do even more with that.

The SA-X is terrifying, and part of that comes from it being a soulless, unspeaking, automaton; Samus without any of the soul. But we also know the X can copy memories, and granted it's possible the X never got to access Samus' brain, and wouldn't have those as the SA-X.

But what if they still somehow did? We know there's more than one SA-X; About ten, Adam calculates. So maybe one of them is cold and unfeeling... But what if another is Samus' own self-loathing personified, externalized?

The X are clever; What if this SA-X voices all of Samus' doubts towards her. Tortures her psychologically to throw Samus off her game, because the X know that self-doubt can cause more intelligent creatures to underperform. What if we have an SA-X that asks aloud all the questions that Samus hates about herself; If she's such a hero, why are so many of her friends and family dead? Why does she destroy everything she touches?

This plays into Samus' self-destructive action in blowing up the BSL with herself aboard, because she's convinced herself she can't do anything right, so it doesn't matter if this doesn't actually eradicate the X on SR388. And then Adam, this computerized copy who is supposed to be cold logic, actually speaks through to Samus by acting more objective and reminding her; There are other ways to do this, and you don't need to die. And then he begins to rediscover himself.

And it's like a parallel because computer Adam is also a clone copying the memories and personality of an original, albeit a manmade, digital mimic. And Adam and the SA-X start off as cold and unfeeling, but then rediscover emotions; In the SA-X's case, they're cruel and ultimately meant more as a parroted echo of Samus' self-hatred, for an ulterior, practical motive of defeating the enemy at any cost. For Adam, it's him learning to live and love again, and save a friend from the fate he technically already went through, and can't truly come back from.

But yeah, imagine the SA-X constantly guilt-tripping Samus... Bringing up her parents, and then Gray Voice. Not to mention Rundas, Ghor, and Gandrayda. The Metroids, especially the Infant. Zebes. Adam Malkovich. Belittling, dismissing, undermining Samus' achievements, insisting those she did help and save, like the Luminoth or Old Bird, will follow suit eventually. She became Ridley when she eradicated the Ing, who just wanted to survive, and left only one baby Metroid alive.

It gaslights Samus, which adds to the paranoia of not knowing what to believe, what's real, with the X mimicking things and the Federation lying to Samus; Plus her projecting Adam onto what she believed was just a computer. She's really going through it, and for a while it's actually working in throwing Samus off of her game, and she already lost all her upgrades!

It's basically Samus fighting her inner demons; Not just this caricature of her as something that is only a weapon and destroyer, but her own feelings of inadequacy, the guilt, the loneliness, the tendency to push others away for fear of hurting them too. And the suicidal ideation. And eventually she conquers both of these takes on her that actually go hand in hand, and comes out stronger with her identity rediscovered and reclaimed, hence the removal of the helmet to reveal Samus within, and her Fusion suit resembling the classic Varia color scheme now.

Might not be what you’re looking for, but I do have some ideas for a sort of rework of Butcher based off of some theories I had back during season 4. They won’t really be doing anything besides sitting my brain otherwise, so I might as well get them down. Writing more real world military style fiction is not my cup of tea.

1) At the closing of the war, Butcher was dispatched to the Arctic to track down Nova 6 (not Nebula 5, which feels like the writers lazy attempt to one up Black Ops). This makes him in charge of the British forces aboard the trapped ship housing the Nova 6 rockets at the end of Project Nova.

2) After all is said and done, Butcher still has a fire in him that a peaceful life just can’t put out. Following this desire to stay in action at all times leads him to becoming a Mercenary.

3) The Caldera island from Warzone is not real. Perhaps there was a resort island with military facilities on it, perhaps there was not. But it makes a good story to tell at a bar table. He’ll tell a different story at every bar, add a little flavor to each retelling. Sometimes there’s a secret society on that island, sometimes there were nerve gas distilleries there, sometimes there are hidden treasure troves, sometimes there are creatures science has yet to comprehend. Sometimes he will even tell with a straight face that he encountered time travelers. It all just depends on his mood and the books he’s read in the past few months.

Waiting on someone to start posting Vanguard Headcanons like:

Imagine, if you will, a nice looking creature. Perhaps one might even call it cute.

Now give it a set of large fangs for locking onto hapless prey. Quite a change of pace. Make it impervious to glancing strikes and give it the speed to dodge anything substantial. Give it the ability to soar through the air to anyone foolish enough to get near. Give it the ability to end a life in as many seconds as you have fingers on your hand. Quite a nasty creature, now.

You are now picturing a Metroid, yes?

Wrong

What you are picturing is The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Metroid Prime 4: Ruins looking niiice.

Maytroid… sort of… part 3!

To recap once more, instead of artwork, I will be writing different scan visor log entries for the various Maytroid prompts, set with my AU version of the Metroid series. While there may be some changes involved here, (especially regarding characters and creatures that I haven’t even considered before Maytroid), these are currently canon to the story of my AU. Feel free to ask about any of the data scans or about characters outside of the Maytroid prompts. If it isn’t a serious spoiler, or a character I have once again not considered yet, I will be happy to elaborate! Without further ado, onto the scans.

Day 13: Emperor Ing

Writings of a Corrupted Luminoth

“I know I am dying. My body is failing me. We tried so hard to fight the Ing, and for a small time we were winning. And yet here I sit, in the dark, alone. I have sealed myself in with no escape in case the corruption festering within my body transforms me into a pawn of the darkness. However, I believe my body has been deemed by the Emperor of the Ing to not be worth using. Even as its gaze is turned away from me in its all seeing grasp of the darkness, I can still see it, somehow. Like a shadow through stained glass, I can see the Emperor. It commands the Ing like a computer controlling a system. The Ing are individual, yet beholden to the one. And the one can corrupt us with its foul touch. I have seen it before my own eyes. I beg and plead now, to a force of nature, that my mind remains my own. I may die, but at least I will not be turned against the righteous.”

Day 14: Ghor

Intel Scan

“Fewer than 10% of organic material remains. Subject’s species cannot be determined without organic samples. Mechanical housing for brain casing appears custom made, as with the rest of the endoskeleton. Unable to determine if endoskeleton reflects the subject’s natural anatomy, or is otherwise purposefully conducive of recreating normal bodily experiences. Endoskeleton has several multipurpose communications outlays for interfacing with a vast array of computer systems.”

Day 15: Corpius

Battle Scan

“Subject appears to have fused with a Chozo cloaking device. Location of device cannot be directly triangulated due to its own digital interference. Overall anatomy is in line with various murals throughout the planet showing ritual combat against a wild beast. It is likely that this creature was specifically chosen for its innate ability to combat trained Chozo warriors.”

Day 16: Sheegoth

Battle Scan

“Subject appears to be an adult of the Sheegoth species. The crystalline structures on its back are natural formations that conduct heat energy in a way that empowers the subject. Due to the time required for such mineral formations to form naturally, it is likely that the Sheegoth was modified by the Chozo for use as a guardian. Avoid targeting near the subject’s crystal structures in order to prevent it from gaining more power.”

Day 17: Rundas

Galactic Federation Report

“The Phrygisian Bounty Hunter known as Rundas has made an exceptional name for himself since the start of the large scale conflict with the Glaxamore pirate faction. Due to his species’s innate cryokinetic abilities, he has had great success against the threat of the Metroid bioweapons. Such proficiency has only been seen previously by Bounty Hunter Samus Aran, one of the first Galactic Federation associates to face the Metroids. However, his ego, cynicism, and propensity to work alone have hindered his reliability for such sensitive missions. Still, when a Metroid threat arises and Lady Aran is preoccupied with other assignments, Master Rundas is an excellent bounty hunter to seek out.”

Day 18: Serris

GFS Chainmail computer scan

“The creature known as the Serris was a legend among the people of the planet Listor for centuries. Tales of a creature that could chew through the armor plating of the planet’s ancient city-ships were known far and wide, and their destruction was self evident. Upon discovering the Serris for the first time, it was discovered that it had a compound in its saliva capable of rapidly disintegrating most metal compounds, including those found in the hulls of most starships. Strangely, this compound does not appear to affect organic materials in the same way, simply producing a burning sensation in a similar vein as capsaicin does to humans, though this affect has been known to affect skin and exoskeletons as well. Instead, it relies on rows or sharp teeth to dismember and consume prey. The Serris must be kept contained in a habit with thick, self sealing, vulcanized rubber at all times. If it breaks out of containment, it could cause catastrophic depressurization of any area of the ship it reaches, or breach the containment of other subjects held aboard the GFS Chainmail.”

Day 19: Dark Samus

The Dark Hunter’s Scripture

“I know you can all see it. The place from which our great gift of Phazon comes from. I know we all see the name in our mind’s eye just as we see its purpose, and yet both are concepts that defy all language and description. It calls to us me. We are its children, inheritors, and warriors all the same. We will worship the one and thank it for the gifts it has bestowed. We will use this power and enjoy its might and vision. We will bring its perfection onto the galaxy as a whole. Those who cannot partake the Phazon will be culled. Such is the way things shall and must always be. In the long history of Earth, when the first oxygen producing organisms first flourished, the creatures who could not survive it simply did not, and those who were empowered grew and swept across the planet, flourishing. They were the ancestors of the humans that exist now. Such will be the way of the whole galaxy as we bring the perfection of Phazon to every planet, every moon, every ship. The one commands this and shows us why it is needed, so we shall make it so.”

Merch idea: Remote controlled morph ball that works like those remote controlled BB-8 toys from way back when.

Don't ever hesitate. Reblog this. This should be in the tumblr laws. When you see it, REBLOG IT.

Depression Hotline: 1-630-482-9696

Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-8433

LifeLine: 1-800-273-8255

Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743

Eating Disorders Hotline: 1-847-831-3438

Rape and Sexual Assault: 1-800-656-4673

Grief Support: 1-650-321-5272

Runaway: 1-800-843-5200, 1-800-843-5678, 1-800-621-4000

Exhale: After Abortion Hotline/Pro-Voice: 1-866-4394253

If you ever want to talk: My tumblr ask is always open.

ME AND @your-local-squip-fanatic!!!! SHE IS ABSOLUTELY UZI!!! I AM VERY N!!! WE’RE JUST COMPLETELY THEM!!! I LOVE ASTRID SO MUCH!!!!!

draw to nuzi yuri and them both kissing

You.

I like how you think.

Bonus art hehe

nitties.

Just a sound design concept for Raven Beak’s Hyper Beam I whipped up in CapCut.

I felt the sound of his primary weapon didn’t fit the sheer power its visuals evoked. To that end, I used the buildup noise of the BFG 10,000 from Doom Eternal plus the firing sound of the Focus Rifle from Halo Reach, pitched down to evoke a massive beam. I love the trail off of the Focus Rifle, and it fits the Hyper Beam so damn good.

How I would implement each type of Space Pirate

Given the variety of Space Pirate types (species?) at their disposal, I figured I would make an effort to maximize their usage and find specific niches for each of them. Of course, each variety of Space Pirate will be predominantly featured in the games they appeared (IE Zebesians will be the main enemy encountered in my rewrite of Zero Mission) but I’d like to sprinkle some other variants throughout each story. To that end, here’s the different roles I would have each Space Pirate variant fill.

Firstly, I don’t think I’m gonna use the Metroid Prime 2 Echoes Space Pirates. Their design just… doesn’t fit in with the others. That will likely disappoint many of you, but that’s just what I’m doing. Feel free to tell me how you would implement them in the comments or in a reblog.

Zebesians-Security/Sentries

These guys are known for their ability to crawl along walls and leap great distances. They also lack any obvious prehensile appendages, making the operation of extraneous equipment difficult. In the games they appear in, they are usually seen patrolling corridors and shafts for Samus. To that end, I feel like treating them as guards for the many Space Pirate facilities therein would be a good use of them.

Metroid Prime Space Pirates-Technology operators/pilots

These guys are synonymous with Metroid Prime’s story of insatiable technological aspiration. To that end, these guys could be tasking with piloting fighter crafts, setting up weapons emplacements, testing out prototypes (such as the beam troopers), or simply conducting dangerous research. There isn’t really any noticeable affinity for any specific line of work for these Space Pirates, so they can be a sort of Jack of all trades type that can be slotted into any role needed by High Command.

Urtraghians-Hunter Killers/Trackers/Raiders

As I have stated before, the Urtraghians’ eel like visage evokes that of a predator, a bogeyman for the Galaxy. To that end, these guys could make for good trackers, using their enhanced sensory capabilities to track their quarry with precision. They could also be used to intimidate underlings and captives into submission, given their sharp teeth and reputation for consuming disloyal members of their own species. I could almost imagine them like the Zorgons from Zathura, insatiable, predatory spacers terrorizing the innocent.

Federation Force Pirates-Heavy Infantry

Canonically, these guys are massive, and I would imagine they have the durability to match. I think the obvious choice for them is to be a heavy enemy type akin to the Hunters in Halo or closer to the Barons of Hell in Doom. They are deadly behemoths that you don’t wanna get close to, especially with that energy blade able to cleave you in two with ease. Hell, you could say that these things have a habit slurping up the insides of their victims with their proboscis. Creepy stuff.

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Space Pirates-Elite Soldiers/Shock Troops

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond hasn’t released yet, so this designation is tentative. We may, and likely will, get some further details to flesh out this new variety of Space Pirates in full, with habits, specialties, and story telling beats making this new variety more unique. Until then, my temporary role for them is to be shock troops and warriors for the Space Pirate empire. Their ornamental and intimidating armor, combined with their tall stance and seeming pride, makes them an ideal candidate for the soldiers of the Space Pirates, capable of getting any mission done… except when it involves killing The Hunter. But when she’s not there, they’ve got it handled!



Space Pirate Design Ranking

The Metroid series has a boatload of different designs, completely changing between every game except the 2D iterations. Some think it’s simple design inconsistency, others think that they’re different genetic manipulations of the same species, while others (including myself) are of the opinion that the Space Pirates are a collective made up of various species. Today, I’ll be ranking these designs based on what they convey and, simply, what I think is cool and aesthetically pleasing. For the sake of simplicity, I’ll only be ranking the standard Space Pirate variant of each game, the “core enemy type” if you will. And yes, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is here, though its place in the ranking is subject to change as we get more closer looks.

7. Metroid Prime 2 Echoes

Some people may consider this a sin to put so low on the list but, to me, this really just doesn’t fit the whole vibe of the Space Pirates, especially in the Prime series. In the Metroid Prime saga, the Space Pirates are an authoritarian empire who recklessly abuse technological advancement for the sake of domination. This just… doesn’t say that. It’s a good design, don’t get me wrong, but this really looks like some weird skeleton knight. I could see this crawling out of some crypt to seek vengeance, not descending from a space ship to plunder. For that reason, I gotta put this guy in last place.

6th place: Metroid Prime Federation Force

For many of the problems Metroid Prime 2’s design has, I think Federation Force remedies… and then makes the opposite mistakes. Federation Force’s Space Pirate design is, canonically, around the same height as Metroid Prime’s Omega Pirate. Why make mechs for your game if you’re just gonna scale the enemies up anyway is anyone’s guess. With that in mind, I kinda like this as a heavy unit for the Space Pirates, but the center of this design just is a bit hard to look at. I love the limbs and the inclusion of the iconic Prime Pirate energy blade. There’s a mix of fleshy joints and tough, metal plating that I enjoy, I actually like the bright red eyes as well, especially for a heavy unit. But the carapace around it just feels… it’s kinda hard to look at. That mouth, as well, is just a bit too buggy and lacks expressiveness. Really, that’s my edict on this thing. Good extremities, but lacks expression and is generally tough to look at. Still, I imagine someone could retool/retexture this thing to be a real banger of a design.

5th place: Metroid Other M

From here on, these designs are ones I truly like as Space Pirates. Metroid Other M’s Space Pirate design was a tough one to find a good image of. This was about the best one I could find in a cursory search. As far as official designs go, I think this is the best translation of the iconic Zebesian Space Pirate to 3D we’ve ever gotten. There was a small effort made in Prime 2 to bring the claws back, but here there are on full display and they look great. The whole design is, honestly, fantastic. You can see the smooth bands around the limbs and torso, downward pointed jaw, and the big, smooth, blank eyes of the old sprite. The spines on the back and head really add some personal flare to these guys as well, and the whole design has a delightfully cheesy color scheme that I simply adore. I think the series has designs that evoke certain feelings and themes better, but this is certainly a fun looking guy.

4th place: Metroid Prime 3 Corruption

Unlike every other type but the Zebesians, the Space Pirates of Corruption have a distinct name based on the Homeworld we explore, Urtraghians. There is a distinctly pseudo organic bend to these guys, with the textures on the armor plating feeling almost Xenomorphic. However, where I think this design stands out is, of course, the head. The long, pointed teeth clearly visible under the rows of eyes really makes this eel-like head intimidating. You can really imagine the Urtraghians descending from their ships in a city, gunning down innocents and plundering whatever they choose. These animalistic terrors will smell where you’re hiding and drag you out kicking and screaming. It really fits the Space Pirates’ role in the story. From day one, they really have just been a bogeyman for the Federation. We rarely actually see them doing… ya know… pirating. The rampant technological obsession was a concept introduced by the Prime trilogy. As a design for the Bogeyman of the Galaxy, I think the Urtraghians work great.

3. Metroid Prime 4 Beyond

Haha, 3 is for 4 and 4 is for 3. This will be subject to change and many people might not rank them until we get clearer images, but uh… I’m doin it. Beyond’s pirates have a very buggy design, but in a way that’s parallel, not identical, to the Zebesian designs from the 2d games. Their mouth is split into mandibles, they have a hard carapace, and their movements can be jittery and unsettling. The large size of them compared to the Federation personnel seen in the trailer really evokes power and control. Their armor has outward pointed edges and defined pectorals. These are conquerors, proud, undefeatable warriors. The sparseness of it also evokes a sense of confidence, as if they don’t need a full covering when their hardened shell is so superior to weak flesh. It’s almost ornamental in a way. (Though someone should remind them they lost in every previous fight against Samus). Their mandibular maws, hunched backs, double thumbed hands, and digitigrade stance (standing on their toes with their heels off the ground) also evokes a certain other core enemy type in a sci fi shooter.

I’m going to leave it here for now as I have some other stuff to get to at the moment and I Forgor the image limit on Tumblr posts. I’ll get the ranking for the final (first?) two designs by the end of today. Then, I might make a post about what roles I’d fit these different species into for my own storytelling purposes.