Extra doodles, comics, illustrations, and story stuff I did during the creation phase of the @dpfantasyzine in 2024!
The Phantasmal Quest AU recycles a few elements & tropes I loved during my OC-making days. A plucky young protagonist going on a life-changing quest through a big, scary world is one of my favorite frameworks for storytelling. I also have a long standing weakness for magical forced servitude. I prefer this trope to be between a child and an adult, where the industrious, often neglected child holds all the power and the unwilling dysfunctional adult is just along for the ride. Until he catches feelings, that is.
Items of particular interest in this art dump include a redesigned Vortex and Ember's hurdy gurdy.
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The summoning circle glowed an eerie green, casting sharp shadows around the Justice League's meeting chamber. John Constantine, sleeves rolled up and cigarette dangling from his lips, muttered the last words of the incantation. The room held a tense silence, broken only by the faint hum of the magical energy.
When the green smoke cleared, instead of the imposing figure of the Ghost King they’d expected, a scrawny teenager in a black jumpsuit with white gloves and boots appeared, looking distinctly unimpressed.
“Seriously?!” Danny Phantom groaned, throwing up his hands. “It’s a school night!”
The room collectively blinked. Superman and Wonder Woman exchanged confused glances. Batman’s eyes narrowed behind his cowl, while the Batkids—perched around the room like chaotic gargoyles—leaned forward, intrigued.
“This… is the Ghost King?” Nightwing asked, his voice skeptical but amused.
“Ghost King?” Danny repeated, holding up a hand. “Nope. Wrong guy. Try again.”
“Clearly, this is a child,” Robin said flatly, stepping forward with his arms crossed. “Either the summoning ritual failed, or we’ve been deceived.”
“Who are you calling a child, mini-Nightmare?” Danny shot back, floating an inch off the ground to look taller. “I’m fifteen. How old are you, eight?”
“I am fourteen, you insufferable spirit,” Robin snapped, glaring daggers at him. “And you are woefully unqualified to speak to me in such a tone.”
Danny rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay, Robin Junior. Let me know when you grow a sense of humor.”
Red Hood, perched casually on a table nearby, barked out a laugh. “I like this kid already.”
Robin scowled. “You would.”
Red Hood swung his legs off the table, standing to his full height. “Alright, Casper, if you’re not the Ghost King, why’d this ritual grab you instead?”
“That’s a great question! Wish I knew!” Danny said, throwing up his hands.
Constantine frowned, stepping closer. “You’re definitely ghostly, mate, and half-alive by the looks of you.” His sharp gaze softened just slightly. “You’re a bloody halfa.”
Danny froze, eyes darting to the swirling green barrier still holding him in the circle (not really). “I’m a ghost. And yeah, I’m alive. What’s it to you?”
Batman loomed closer, his deep voice cutting through the room. “If you’re not the Ghost King, why does this summoning work?”
“Great question! Wish I knew!” Danny threw up his arms again, his ectoplasm glowing faintly in frustration. “I don’t even know who you are, and you’ve already ruined my night! or Maybe the universe hates me. That’d explain a lot!”
“Who even made this circle?” Red Hood asked, pointing at Constantine. “Did you check it? It’s glowing green. That’s ghost vibes, man.”
“Thanks for the observation, Red Hood,” Constantine said dryly. “What gave it away, the ectoplasm or the ghost?”
“You are in no position to demand answers,” Batman growled.
“Oh my god, you’re worse than my parents,” Danny muttered.
Before Batman could respond, the air grew colder. A heavy, oppressive presence filled the room as green flames erupted in the middle of the chamber. From the flames stepped Pariah Dark, fully armored and radiating raw power, his glowing eyes zeroing in on Danny.
The League tensed, weapons at the ready, but Pariah didn’t even look at them. Instead, his expression softened in a way that could only be described as paternal as he reached out and plucked Danny out of the circle like a child grabbing a stuffed animal.
“Who dares summon my child?” Pariah rumbled, his deep voice shaking the room. He cradled Danny in one massive hand as though he were the most precious treasure in existence. Danny, for his part, just sighed and leaned against one of Pariah’s fingers.
“Dad, chill. They’re not trying to hurt me—” Danny shot a glare at Batman, “—yet.”
“‘Dad’?” Robin echoed, utterly baffled.
“They stressed him out,” Pariah continued as if Danny hadn’t spoken. “This is the third time in two weeks. Do you know how much sleep he’s lost? He has school!”
Pariah’s gaze darkened. “The third summoning this week,” he growled. “And for what? To disrupt his rest? His studies?”
“Studies?” Robin repeated incredulously. “This alleged ‘Ghost Prince’ is concerned with—”
“School,” Red Hood supplied helpfully, smirking. “That tracks. He’s just a kid.”
“I’M NOT JUST A KID!” Danny protested, his voice cracking slightly. Jason snorted.
Before anyone else could respond, Fright Knight materialized beside Pariah, his armor gleaming and his sword crackling with ghostly energy. He took one look at the summoning circle and grimaced.
“Shall I eliminate the offenders, my liege?” he asked Pariah, his grip tightening on his sword.
“No!” Danny yelped, waving his hands frantically. “No eliminating, no smiting! We talked about this, remember?”
Pariah sighed, his massive shoulders slumping. “They stressed you out,” he rumbled. “They should pay.”
“They’ll be fine,” Danny muttered. “Just… let me handle it, okay?”
“‘Fine,’ he says,” Red Hood muttered. “We’re seconds away from getting blasted into the afterlife.”
Robin's hand drifted toward his sword, his eyes darting between Pariah and Fright Knight. “This is absurd. We are the Justice League. Surely, we are not so easily—”
“Shut it, kid,” Consttantine interrupted. “Unless you want to test if we’re actually ‘fine.’”
Danny groaned. “Can we not do this right now?”
Wonder Woman stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. “We summoned you because we need the Ghost King’s aid to stop a catastrophic magical event threatening the world.”
“Then why not summon him?” Danny snapped. “I’m not the king!”
“Yet the ritual brought you,” Batman said, his voice a mix of curiosity and accusation.
Pariah’s gaze darkened. “The crown does not transfer unless challenged. And none shall dare challenge my son.”
Danny squirmed in his ghost-dad’s grip. “Okay, Dad, they get it. Can you not threaten to destroy the world for five minutes?”
Pariah huffed but gently set Danny down, though he remained close, a looming shadow of protective menace.
Constantine rubbed his temples, muttering something about “bloody teenagers” and “overprotective ghost tyrants.” Meanwhile, the Batkids exchanged glances, clearly plotting something.
Danny sighed. “Look, I’ll help you guys with your big, scary magical problem, but can we make it quick? I have a chem test tomorrow.”
I’ve seen de-aged Danny AUs in crossovers before but have I ever gotten to see one where there isn’t a crossover attached??? because consider:
Clockwork decides the most efficient way for Danny to defeat Pariah Dark… is to have Pariah raise him.
no warning. no context. no explanation.
just toddler Danny, bundled up, dropped at the gates of Pariah’s fortress centuries before canon with a single note:
'' He’s o̶u̶r̶ your baby. – CW.''
and Pariah is standing there like.
'' When did I fuck with the embodiment of time itself?''
'' WHEN did this happen! ''
meanwhile Danny is just blinking up at him with big glowing eyes and reaching up like “uppies.”
and now Pariah —ancient tyrant, nightmare of the Infinite Realms — is stuck pacing his throne room at 3am with a ghost toddler who refuses to sleep unless he’s holding onto his cape.
but here’s the thing.
Pariah is prideful. He is royal. He is not raising a weak heir.
so Danny is trained.
battle strategy taught at bedtime.
sword forms before he can properly read.
history of the Realms instead of fairy tales.
because if this is his child (apparently???) then he will be a prince. and he will be formidable.
and somewhere in the background
Clockwork is watching like :)
because what better way to ensure Pariah’s defeat… than making him love the thing that will one day overthrow him.
Pariah Dark: The human you mated with? I mean the boy has your white hair and teenage frame, but those round eyes and pointed nose must have come from somewhere?
Clockwork: Ancients Pariah, Danny's adopted! There's no blood relation. I have custody, not blood rights.
Pariah Dark: *looks over at Danny who is looking annoyed while talking to an Observant, right before pointing them in the wrong direction on a wild goose chase and smiling smugly, pleased with himself*
Pariah Dark: Uh huh ... are you SURE???
Clockwork: I mean the rift did rewrite his DNA, and I WAS present at that moment. It could be that his DNA latched onto the closest source of ecto energy, me, and copied its structure to retain stability. Resulting in some of my traits and features being incorporated into his being.
Pariah Dark: ...
Clockwork: Holy shit he's my kid...
Pariah Dark: Are you going to tell him?
Clockwork: Probably not. It's more fun letting him figure things out on his own.
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"Hey girl!" Phantom says nonchalantly on the shoulder of the fucking Ghost King. Ice cream in one hand, a pair of sunglasses on his face, and a smoothie in the other. "You're getting adopted!"
Raven stared at the scene incredulously. When Phantom had texted her saying that he had a surprise for her, this was not what she expected.
She then slowly, ever so slowly, looked at the expression on the Ghost King's face. The lack of annoyance or anger at the fact that Phantom was sitting on his shoulder. Then the clear space on his other one. Then to her phone. Then to the rest of her team who look just as shocked (because a man and his kid who they don't know busted into their home) then back to Phantom.
Who merely shook the smoothie in her direction.
...
You know what?
She flew up, grabbed the smoothie, then sat herself down on the Ghost King's other shoulder. Much to Phantom's delighted cackle as the Ghost King disappeared from the Tower in a shower of green flame.
"Don't forget these!" Phantom said, reaching around with his ghost physiology to shake a pair of sunglasses next to her face. Raven took them, then put them and leaned back, taking a sip from her smoothie.
It's set in the YJ universe and some other DC universes or at least have some aspects of it.
Danny is Clark kent's brother, adopted the same way he was only a few years apart. Danny was deaged and had his memories erased to prevent his full death and given to the kents during Clark's superboy or smallvile phase.
They develop brotherly relationship and slowly regains his memories as he ages. He knows about Clark being Superman and has access to the JL and is put on the JLD reserve team.
Danny at first was not to fond of Lois, because it was her job to get Clark's secret id and it reminded him of Valerie and him. He is the one people turns to for advice as by the time he saves Jason, he has regained almost of his memories.
Danny works on the farm with the kents and also a independant inventor. He goes to Gotham to partially work with Wayne Enterprises as a contract and comes into contact with Bruce Wayne and his son, Richard Grayson. They get into a secret relationship (Bruce is older than Danny by a few years) and Danny partially helps out to raise Dick and Jason.
Danny takes in Conner after he is discovered, goes to the fortress to find a kryptonian name for him, gets told about the name Kon, has an argument with the AI, introduces Kon to Ma & Pa as his kid and he stays with him. Danny takes Kon to his Yeti doctors to check for any malware from the his creators.
When Jason comes into the picture he developes a close relationship with him, makes sure he is fit enough for being robin (his malnutrition and asks him if he really wants to do this) and is on his side with diplomat murder. He asks Jason to come with him to see his bio mom as a safety issue. Jason gives him the slip and almost dies to the Joker, but Danny unlocks a new ability and scares the Joker away. With not enough time to bring Jason to the hospital before he could die, he brings Jason to the Yetis, before the building blows. Batman thinks Jason is dead because no remains were found.
Danny is partially restricted on how he can help by Clockwork to ensure a good time line.
To heal Jason is forced into a coma and becomes highly liminal. Danny is forced to hide the fact that Jason is still alive, stays away from the waynes but, caves to Dick first, by the time Tim is in the picture.
Jason eventually wakes up and stays with Danny and Kon to get a good bearing of his state of being. Danny will eventually tell Bruce about Jason and it's the most intense make up ever. Tim will still be apart of the bats, Jason will have a focus on Joker and will rebrand himself.
When Jason is brought out of being dead, this peaks the LOA and the CoO. There are attempts that Jason avoids with the help of Danny, Conner, Dick. Some talons are able to escape the courts clucthea through Danny and are on their way to regaining their personalities.
One of these kidnapping is successful, so Danny, the bats, the reformed talons are set to rescue Jason from Ra's that Danny runs into Damian and threatens Ra's and Talia by transforming into an eldritch being and draining the Lazarus pit of this compound.
Danny starts to have rage issues because he is filtering the pit, and Clark not knowing asks Doctor Fate to help his brother, but Doctor being a piece of shit, almost ends Danny.
Ra's attempting to save face resorts to summoning Pariah Dark.
Additional facts:
Since Vlad Plasmius released Pariah Dark, Vlad becomes a servant to Pariah Dark similar to Fright Knight. He loses access to the human realm and becomes m.i.a.
Danny was able to defeat Pariah and separate Amity from the Ghost Zone, but he didn't end Pariah. Pariah flees to a different part of the zone.
Clockwork becomes Danny's guardian after the Fentons shoot Danny with a weapon that was supposed to end him. It actually regressed him. The whole town saw this, and they flip out. The Fentons are forced to dismantle the portal and are called out as gun raving lunatics along with some G.I.W agents. Jazz knows about this. Jazz, Sam and Tucker stores most of the fentons weapons in storage space in the zone with the help of some of the ghosts as a thank you.
Danny doesn't know that he is technically an ancient and that the corrupted ectoplasm from the Lazarus pit and Dionesium from the court of Owls contribute to accessing this eldritch powers earlier.
