#441 – Victoria Vale

Today we talk about Lonnie Machin, best known as Anarky, who learns of the worlds' ills and decides to dress up in a costume to do something about it, gets pretty good at hacking, and at one point gets kidnapped and hooked up to the internet! What we were up to this week: Briar read Hollywood, Ending by John Green, wore 3 different costumes over 2 days, played some DnD, and got their bones haunted (Covid & Flu Vaccine) Olivia saw Batboy: The Musical, also played some DnD, and saw Wildwoods the movie! As far as news goes, Worm, a superhero webnovel, is getting a comic book adaptation, and Archive of Our Own is on a lengthy maintenance (2-4 weeks!) Thanks to Victoria Watkins for our icon! Support Capes and Japes by: Checking out our Patreon or donating to the Tip jar Find out more on the Capes and Japes website.

Today we talk about Herman Schultz, best known as the Spider-Man antagonist Shocker, who makes shockwaves with special gloves in order to do normal stuff like rob banks for money. What we were up to this week: Briar has been preparing for work Halloween and a Rocky Horror Picture Show showing Olivia has already gone to Halloween party but is looking forward to seeing a special Halloween showing of Bat Boy Thanks to Victoria Watkins for our icon! Support Capes and Japes by: Checking out our Patreon or donating to the Tip jar Find out more on the Capes and Japes website.

Today we talk about Fred Myers, who was a baseball player before getting hired to do crime as Boomerang, which led him to trying to kill Spider-Man, befriending Spider-Man, and even befriending a Symbiote! What we were up to this week: Briar didn't read anything but did pick up Marvel Mangaverse: Arcane Avengers (2026) #1 Olivia didn't read anything either but kept up on announcements such as new New Gods in January and the next set of Critical Role liveshows Thanks to Victoria Watkins for our icon! Support Capes and Japes by: Checking out our Patreon or donating to the Tip jar Find out more on the Capes and Japes website.

Today we talk about Mac Gargan, who was a regular private investigator until he let J Jonah Jameson convince him to get experimented on and became the Scorpion, which goes about as well as you might think, and leads him to a revenge quest again Jameson (and Spider-man, even though he wasn't even really involved). What we were up to this week: Briar hasn't done anything! Oops! Still in the fanfiction zone but will hopefully exit it to read Hollywood Ending by John Green Olivia also didn't do anything! But there was some DC and Marvel news out of NYCC, including new series like Swamp Thing, Starfire, Captain Marvel, and an MCU show Zodiac Thanks to Victoria Watkins for our icon! Support Capes and Japes by: Checking out our Patreon or donating to the Tip jar Find out more on the Capes and Japes website.

Today we talk about Aleksei Sytsevich, best known as the Spider-man antagonist The Rhino, whose main motivations are getting stronger, making money, and being mad at guys who prevent either of the first two things. What we were up to this week: Briar went to a wedding (and of course dressed On Theme) and went to the Critical Role x Boba Bear popup (and unfortunately was not dressed On Theme) Olivia finished reading Die (2018), and is keeping an eye out for the Marvel: Midnight titles, the new Etrigan and Jonah Hex #1s, and maybe a halloween special? perhaps? Thanks to Victoria Watkins for our icon! Support Capes and Japes by: Checking out our Patreon or donating to the Tip jar Find out more on the Capes and Japes website.

Today we talk about Iris West, who was sent to the past as a baby, ended up marrying Barry Allen, got sent to the future again where Barry ended up finding her and starting a family before he went back to the past and died, so Iris traveled back to the past with her grandson before everything got retconned and then kind of done all over again! What we were up to this week: Briar hasn't done anything! Too sleepy! Olivia read Absolute Cassandra Cain (2026) #1 and has been watching White Collar Thanks to Victoria Watkins for our icon! Support Capes and Japes by: Checking out our Patreon or donating to the Tip jar Find out more on the Capes and Japes website.

Today we talk about Linda Park, who is a reporter and kept running into Wally West on the job before they ended up falling in love, starting a family, forgetting the family existed multiple times, and remembering multiple times. What we were up to this week: Briar wrote a fanfic and read a lot of fanfic and just. Sometimes that's all you have energy for. Olivia read Six of Us #1 and Fixation #1, and also saw Spider-man Brand New Day! Thanks to Victoria Watkins for our icon! Support Capes and Japes by: Checking out our Patreon or donating to the Tip jar Find out more on the Capes and Japes website.

Today we talk about Vicki Vale, an intrepid Gotham reporter who is going to get to the bottom of this "Is Bruce Wayne Batman?" mystery if it kills her. What we were up to this week: Briar read some poetry, namely The Dream of a Common Language by Adrienne Rich and There are More Beautiful Things Than Beyonce by Morgan Parker Olivia read Teen Titans (2026) #1, Legion of Super-Heroes (2026) #1, and Superman: The Stranger (2026) #1 Thanks to Victoria Watkins for our icon! Support Capes and Japes by: Checking out our Patreon or donating to the Tip jar Find out more on the Capes and Japes website.

Today we talk about the two men who have been known as Porcupine: Alex Gentry who made the spiky suit (and decided to use it for crime), and Roger Gocking who purchased the suit (and decided to use it for crime, and later not-crime). But we mostly talk about Roger. What we were up to this week: Briar mostly worked on sewing some fun pants! Olivia managed to track down and read What If... Runaways, as well as What If... X-Men, and Tomb of Apocalypse #1 on her way to see one of the closing shows of Moulin Rouge on Broadway. Thanks to Victoria Watkins for our icon! Support Capes and Japes by: Checking out our Patreon or donating to the Tip jar Find out more on the Capes and Japes website.

Today we talk about Thomas Fireheart, who was raised to fight a prophesized threat with shapeshifting Puma powers, ends up starting a business and becoming a mercenary, and being generally in Spider-man's way. What we were up to this week: Briar read Simon Armitage's new verse translation of Gilgamesh, somehow ended up #1 on the holds list for John Green's new novel, and has been enjoying being able to see the stars again on morning walks! Olivia read I Didn't Ask For This, started re-reading Die, and is gonna have to track down a copy of What If... Runaways (2026) #1 Thanks to Victoria Watkins for our icon! Support Capes and Japes by: Checking out our Patreon or donating to the Tip jar Find out more on the Capes and Japes website.