#browbeat

Diamond print?!?! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING BOY?!😭😭😭😭

Unfortunately for all, my de facto reaction to that kind of meta-level contrarian stunt is "Power Move TBH," even if it was broadly comorbid with a proximity to the fandom that kind of blew out Ward's kneecaps with a .50 cal. Overlooking the fact that I think it was really sincerely funny, there's an argument to be made that it trims the fat; adding an additional heroic casualty for a grand total of seven out of twenty two named heroes operating in Brockton Bay at the time of arc 8. Browbeat is also specifically an independent hero who was headhunted for the Wards relatively soon after his debut- a distinct dynamic from the other wards who get pulverized, from the superheroic family business of New Wave, or the adult professional superheroes who bite it. This is a very Taylor shaped guy, the same kind of just-starting-out teenaged cape with an uncertain future. Him getting unceremoniously pulverized for the bad luck of having a front-line power therefore presents a bit of a "there but for the grace of god" moment for Skitter, if you choose to look at it like that. This is the kind of thing an editor would probably make him do anyway, if he wasn't cut entirely. But the thing is that I am kind of attached to the original outcome for Browbeat, which is that he dips. I think it actually adds some subtle verisimilitude to the story. The number of heroes we actually see is significantly lower than the alluded-to headcount in the early arcs; more indie heroes are alluded to then ever actually appear, and a combination of Leviathan casualties and departure during the ensuing civilian exodus is usually how I've seen that discrepancy squared. But it hits better if a named character cuts and runs. In the story as currently written, every hero who lives, remains in Brockton Bay to try and hold the line. I kind of liked the version of the story where that wasn't the case, where you can infer that at least one of these teenagers went, you know what, I'm not so completely committed to heroic altruism at the age of 16 that I'm gonna hang around to do it in a town without running water, I'm going to pursue a less horrible gig elsewhere. That's not really a thing that happens too often in Big-two comics, and if it were to happen it would likely be painted as a notable departure from expectations. But one of Worm's major themes is that unlike in the comics, there's a gigantic spread of motivations and personality types amongst the officially designated heroes, and it's a nice reminder that all those different personality types are going to have different thresholds for throwing in the towel and moving on to greener pastures. Or it was, until he just died instead

Like a 'Wilbow is such a terrible author for not remembering this minor character' but like - I don't think they were? They were just fun for the people doing it?

Browbeat!!!! Wildbow may have literally forgotten about you and had to retcon you into dying, but I only almost forgot about you!

Artist: Mark Tedin TCG Player Link Scryfall Link EDHREC Link

Having crash-landed on Earth aboard the Ark, the Icebreakers were reactivated by Teletraan-I in response to a Decepticon energy signature. Brought online during what was the first of your planet's ice ages, they scanned what were determined to be the dominant lifeforms at the time, different prehistoric megafauna. They were led by Heavytread, a woolly rhinoceros whose naturalist background helped them navigate the wild environment. He often butted heads with Fangtron, the group's hunter and tracker, a mighty sabretooth tiger. Their comrades were Browbeat, an ever-stalwart Irish elk; Fearswoop, a terror bird with a timid disposition; and Barbearian, a cave bear who was always ticked-off by something or other. Through their tenacity and skill, they survived for over a year in that hostile alien world, avoiding the countless traps set by the one-eyed Decepticon who hunted them relentlessly. When the time came for their final confrontation, they united to form the mighty Slammoth—who took the shape of her namesake animal—and fought to slay their foe, even if it meant their own extinction.