Abishai100
VIP Member
- Sep 22, 2013
- 4,957
- 250
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This is a consumerism-omen vignette inspired by the exploitation-paranoia film The Running Man.
Signing off (thanks to everyone on USMB),
====
Kingpin had become NYC's most notorious and powerful crime-boss, narcotics-smuggler, and extortionist, with ties to corrupt politicians all over North America. Kingpin even made a 'special' trade-contract with the Taliban in regards to the Burger King which opened in Afghanistan! Kingpin had his fingers in everything. He thought he was invincible and not even God would notice how much profit he made off modern capitalism-consumerism 'megatrends.'
However, a distant alien species from Venus called the Symbiote (a leviathan-like 'ooze' which merges with any intelligent creature and affords him/her a completely new --- and malevolent --- consciousness!) noticed Kingpin's 'trophies' and decided to visit Earth and serve as a 'Devil's Advocate.' On Earth, the Symbiote came into contact with a psychopath named Clyde Karns who had just killed two cops outside a Burger King.
When the Symbiote and Karns merged, the resulting 'creature' was Carnage --- a fleshy shape-shifting monster who could extend his limbs with great strength and who possessed ravenous eerie claws strong enough to pierce even metal (and therefore certainly flesh and bone!). Carnage wanted to take Kingpin's profiteerism-based 'spheres of influence' and use them to create pure anarchy on the streets. For example, Carnage intercepted an opium shipment coming into the New York harbor (for Kingpin's goons) and lit everything on fire, so the cops (and press) would think the calamity was the work of an 'idealistic vigilante.'
Kingpin realized his capitalism-piracy 'feats' had unleashed a dragon of pure evil or at the very least beckoned a pirate-like alien to descend on Earth and create all kinds of mischief using the very same commercial 'megatrends' which made Kingpin a 'king.' Kingpin decided to pray to God and ask the archangel Michael to deal with Carnage, and Michael descended from heaven to help New York!
CARNAGE: Are you a 'servant' or a 'messenger'?
MICHAEL: I'm the archangel of God, and I'm here to deal with you, Carnage.
CARNAGE: I'm merely a 'diplomat' of anarchy, Michael!
MICHAEL: That's clever, but even anarchists demand results, and all you offer is mayhem.
CARNAGE: Are you a 'true knight' of Burger King?
MICHAEL: I uphold the traditions that lead men to labor, diligence, and self-respect.
CARNAGE: Where's the self-respect in a world where wars are waged for profit?
MICHAEL: If you're referring to the Gulf War or NATO, the UN works with the World Bank...
CARNAGE: Really? America just elected a casino-mogul as its President (Donald Trump)!
MICHAEL: Americans have elected a 'celebrity-president' before, and Trump will do fine...
CARNAGE: Really? Many average Americans think Trump is myopic and even racist!
MICHAEL: The solution to the 'maladies' of capitalism/consumerism is not cynicism...
CARNAGE: You, Michael, are the advocate of optimism, but God has abandoned Americans.
MICHAEL: Americans are like any other intelligent thinking souls --- they deserve pity.
CARNAGE: I think you're worried that capitalism bred Kingpin, and Kingpin 'invited' me...
MICHAEL: No one invited you; you're a 'deacon' of fear, and souls seek 'democracy havens.'
====
Signing off (thanks to everyone on USMB),
====
Kingpin had become NYC's most notorious and powerful crime-boss, narcotics-smuggler, and extortionist, with ties to corrupt politicians all over North America. Kingpin even made a 'special' trade-contract with the Taliban in regards to the Burger King which opened in Afghanistan! Kingpin had his fingers in everything. He thought he was invincible and not even God would notice how much profit he made off modern capitalism-consumerism 'megatrends.'
However, a distant alien species from Venus called the Symbiote (a leviathan-like 'ooze' which merges with any intelligent creature and affords him/her a completely new --- and malevolent --- consciousness!) noticed Kingpin's 'trophies' and decided to visit Earth and serve as a 'Devil's Advocate.' On Earth, the Symbiote came into contact with a psychopath named Clyde Karns who had just killed two cops outside a Burger King.
When the Symbiote and Karns merged, the resulting 'creature' was Carnage --- a fleshy shape-shifting monster who could extend his limbs with great strength and who possessed ravenous eerie claws strong enough to pierce even metal (and therefore certainly flesh and bone!). Carnage wanted to take Kingpin's profiteerism-based 'spheres of influence' and use them to create pure anarchy on the streets. For example, Carnage intercepted an opium shipment coming into the New York harbor (for Kingpin's goons) and lit everything on fire, so the cops (and press) would think the calamity was the work of an 'idealistic vigilante.'
Kingpin realized his capitalism-piracy 'feats' had unleashed a dragon of pure evil or at the very least beckoned a pirate-like alien to descend on Earth and create all kinds of mischief using the very same commercial 'megatrends' which made Kingpin a 'king.' Kingpin decided to pray to God and ask the archangel Michael to deal with Carnage, and Michael descended from heaven to help New York!
CARNAGE: Are you a 'servant' or a 'messenger'?
MICHAEL: I'm the archangel of God, and I'm here to deal with you, Carnage.
CARNAGE: I'm merely a 'diplomat' of anarchy, Michael!
MICHAEL: That's clever, but even anarchists demand results, and all you offer is mayhem.
CARNAGE: Are you a 'true knight' of Burger King?
MICHAEL: I uphold the traditions that lead men to labor, diligence, and self-respect.
CARNAGE: Where's the self-respect in a world where wars are waged for profit?
MICHAEL: If you're referring to the Gulf War or NATO, the UN works with the World Bank...
CARNAGE: Really? America just elected a casino-mogul as its President (Donald Trump)!
MICHAEL: Americans have elected a 'celebrity-president' before, and Trump will do fine...
CARNAGE: Really? Many average Americans think Trump is myopic and even racist!
MICHAEL: The solution to the 'maladies' of capitalism/consumerism is not cynicism...
CARNAGE: You, Michael, are the advocate of optimism, but God has abandoned Americans.
MICHAEL: Americans are like any other intelligent thinking souls --- they deserve pity.
CARNAGE: I think you're worried that capitalism bred Kingpin, and Kingpin 'invited' me...
MICHAEL: No one invited you; you're a 'deacon' of fear, and souls seek 'democracy havens.'
====
