shazam

[11,10] = (21) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1488056/ Blackjack! I mean, er, 21.

[11,10] = (21) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1488056/ Blackjack! I mean, er, 21.

[11,10] = (21) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1488056/ Blackjack! I mean, er, 21.

"Me too," says Fred, looking up at the statue reverently. "I was nine years old first time I heard of him, and I was watching on TV that day in '93..." He shakes his head, feeling that familiar swell in his gut. "I moved up to the city to be with mah grandkids this year, and I had to come out to pay my respects soon as I could. They don't make men like that anymore." He lets out a sigh, the closest he's going to come to strong emotions in front of a stranger. The Centurion always did move him that way. "Good to see the boy running around like that. Kids today, they need places to run and play like this. This is a nice park; it's a good place for kids in the city. They need a touch of green, now and again."

"Me too," says Fred, looking up at the statue reverently. "I was nine years old first time I heard of him, and I was watching on TV that day in '93..." He shakes his head, feeling that familiar swell in his gut. "I moved up to the city to be with mah grandkids this year, and I had to come out to pay my respects soon as I could. They don't make men like that anymore." He lets out a sigh, the closest he's going to come to strong emotions in front of a stranger. The Centurion always did move him that way. "Good to see the boy running around like that. Kids today, they need places to run and play like this. This is a nice park; it's a good place for kids in the city. They need a touch of green, now and again."

"Me too," says Fred, looking up at the statue reverently. "I was nine years old first time I heard of him, and I was watching on TV that day in '93..." He shakes his head, feeling that familiar swell in his gut. "I moved up to the city to be with mah grandkids this year, and I had to come out to pay my respects soon as I could. They don't make men like that anymore." He lets out a sigh, the closest he's going to come to strong emotions in front of a stranger. The Centurion always did move him that way. "Good to see the boy running around like that. Kids today, they need places to run and play like this. This is a nice park; it's a good place for kids in the city. They need a touch of green, now and again."

Ah, the ladies. Fred remembers them all so well; the way Donna Mason filled out her patriotic uniform, that sparkling green number Lynn Sidon preferred to wear into battle, and the other lovely ladies of his own era. Weren't they surprised when they found out his age! And of course the three fine women who wore his ring at one time or another; Soon Yi, Missy, and Diane; all women of exceptional charms, even if the relationships themselves hadn't been long for this world for whatever reason. Time was that Fred Fawcett was quite the lady-killer, especially when he...it dawns on him that Katrina was looking at him with polite tolerance. Rats That sort of thing had been happening more and more lately. "Fred Fawcett," Fred says with a smile, shaking the lady's hand. "The boy and I were just talkin' about buildin' skyscrapers, heh-heh," he adds with an old man's wheezy chuckle, his slight accent thickening a little. "I think the little girl got off that way," he adds, stretching his neck as much as his touch of the "room-a-tis" will allow, peering in that direction.

Ah, the ladies. Fred remembers them all so well; the way Donna Mason filled out her patriotic uniform, that sparkling green number Lynn Sidon preferred to wear into battle, and the other lovely ladies of his own era. Weren't they surprised when they found out his age! And of course the three fine women who wore his ring at one time or another; Soon Yi, Missy, and Diane; all women of exceptional charms, even if the relationships themselves hadn't been long for this world for whatever reason. Time was that Fred Fawcett was quite the lady-killer, especially when he...it dawns on him that Katrina was looking at him with polite tolerance. Rats That sort of thing had been happening more and more lately. "Fred Fawcett," Fred says with a smile, shaking the lady's hand. "The boy and I were just talkin' about buildin' skyscrapers, heh-heh," he adds with an old man's wheezy chuckle, his slight accent thickening a little. "I think the little girl got off that way," he adds, stretching his neck as much as his touch of the "room-a-tis" will allow, peering in that direction.

Ah, the ladies. Fred remembers them all so well; the way Donna Mason filled out her patriotic uniform, that sparkling green number Lynn Sidon preferred to wear into battle, and the other lovely ladies of his own era. Weren't they surprised when they found out his age! And of course the three fine women who wore his ring at one time or another; Soon Yi, Missy, and Diane; all women of exceptional charms, even if the relationships themselves hadn't been long for this world for whatever reason. Time was that Fred Fawcett was quite the lady-killer, especially when he...it dawns on him that Katrina was looking at him with polite tolerance. Rats That sort of thing had been happening more and more lately. "Fred Fawcett," Fred says with a smile, shaking the lady's hand. "The boy and I were just talkin' about buildin' skyscrapers, heh-heh," he adds with an old man's wheezy chuckle, his slight accent thickening a little. "I think the little girl got off that way," he adds, stretching his neck as much as his touch of the "room-a-tis" will allow, peering in that direction.

It's okay! If nothing else, once he's back in action, Captain Wonder is going to want to find out if Ingrid Hildebrandt is still alive and masquerading as a hero... :)

It's okay! If nothing else, once he's back in action, Captain Wonder is going to want to find out if Ingrid Hildebrandt is still alive and masquerading as a hero... :)

It's okay! If nothing else, once he's back in action, Captain Wonder is going to want to find out if Ingrid Hildebrandt is still alive and masquerading as a hero... :)

The latter, the latter. Though I _did_ always wonder how Billy Batson managed to get hit by a lightning bolt and turn into a superhero without anyone noticing... There's no immediate reason why anyone would recognize Fred Fawcett, semi-retired Memphis architect, unless of course it serves a good story. (He has been to Freedom City in his civilian ID before, when he helped Alexander Rhodes build the Pyramid Plaza and Langston Albright the Institute. They were both much more successful than their former comrade-in-arms, and gave work to his Memphis firm.) Ooh, that'd also be fun. Fred would be suitably appalled. 8-)

The latter, the latter. Though I _did_ always wonder how Billy Batson managed to get hit by a lightning bolt and turn into a superhero without anyone noticing... There's no immediate reason why anyone would recognize Fred Fawcett, semi-retired Memphis architect, unless of course it serves a good story. (He has been to Freedom City in his civilian ID before, when he helped Alexander Rhodes build the Pyramid Plaza and Langston Albright the Institute. They were both much more successful than their former comrade-in-arms, and gave work to his Memphis firm.) Ooh, that'd also be fun. Fred would be suitably appalled. 8-)

The latter, the latter. Though I _did_ always wonder how Billy Batson managed to get hit by a lightning bolt and turn into a superhero without anyone noticing... There's no immediate reason why anyone would recognize Fred Fawcett, semi-retired Memphis architect, unless of course it serves a good story. (He has been to Freedom City in his civilian ID before, when he helped Alexander Rhodes build the Pyramid Plaza and Langston Albright the Institute. They were both much more successful than their former comrade-in-arms, and gave work to his Memphis firm.) Ooh, that'd also be fun. Fred would be suitably appalled. 8-)

Fred glances after the little girl, a flash of reflexes he's had even before he was a parent and grandparent himself. But it's not his kid, after all, and there's a perfectly interesting little boy right there. "I'm..." As quickly as he can, he does his best to translate both his job (architect) and his status (semi-retired) into a little boy's perspective. "I make buildings," he tells him with a smile, "big tall ones! And then big machines come, and build them for me! I helped build the Pyramid Plaza, those big tall towers over there." He turns and points, finding the tallest buildings in the city with an architect's sharp eye. He tries not to think about Alexander Rhodes as he speaks, his old friend the Scarab dead and gone nearly thirty years now. There are more memories than he expected out here. Fred doesn't worry about the approaching mother, though he does give her a little wave if she seems to be worried about her missing boy. At nearly eighty, he is decidedly unthreatening, even in these hyper-paranoid times.

Fred glances after the little girl, a flash of reflexes he's had even before he was a parent and grandparent himself. But it's not his kid, after all, and there's a perfectly interesting little boy right there. "I'm..." As quickly as he can, he does his best to translate both his job (architect) and his status (semi-retired) into a little boy's perspective. "I make buildings," he tells him with a smile, "big tall ones! And then big machines come, and build them for me! I helped build the Pyramid Plaza, those big tall towers over there." He turns and points, finding the tallest buildings in the city with an architect's sharp eye. He tries not to think about Alexander Rhodes as he speaks, his old friend the Scarab dead and gone nearly thirty years now. There are more memories than he expected out here. Fred doesn't worry about the approaching mother, though he does give her a little wave if she seems to be worried about her missing boy. At nearly eighty, he is decidedly unthreatening, even in these hyper-paranoid times.

Fred glances after the little girl, a flash of reflexes he's had even before he was a parent and grandparent himself. But it's not his kid, after all, and there's a perfectly interesting little boy right there. "I'm..." As quickly as he can, he does his best to translate both his job (architect) and his status (semi-retired) into a little boy's perspective. "I make buildings," he tells him with a smile, "big tall ones! And then big machines come, and build them for me! I helped build the Pyramid Plaza, those big tall towers over there." He turns and points, finding the tallest buildings in the city with an architect's sharp eye. He tries not to think about Alexander Rhodes as he speaks, his old friend the Scarab dead and gone nearly thirty years now. There are more memories than he expected out here. Fred doesn't worry about the approaching mother, though he does give her a little wave if she seems to be worried about her missing boy. At nearly eighty, he is decidedly unthreatening, even in these hyper-paranoid times.

Hey, by the standards of Frederick's usual Saturday afternoons, this is pretty action-heavy. =D

Hey, by the standards of Frederick's usual Saturday afternoons, this is pretty action-heavy. =D

Hey, by the standards of Frederick's usual Saturday afternoons, this is pretty action-heavy. =D

Frederick smiles at the little boy, but does his best to be stealthy. He has no problem with boyhood antics, even if his own are very far behind him. They're a very healthy thing for little boys. "I had a sister, too," he whispers back, his voice raspy with age. "Does she chase you a lot?"

Frederick smiles at the little boy, but does his best to be stealthy. He has no problem with boyhood antics, even if his own are very far behind him. They're a very healthy thing for little boys. "I had a sister, too," he whispers back, his voice raspy with age. "Does she chase you a lot?"

Frederick smiles at the little boy, but does his best to be stealthy. He has no problem with boyhood antics, even if his own are very far behind him. They're a very healthy thing for little boys. "I had a sister, too," he whispers back, his voice raspy with age. "Does she chase you a lot?"

I went with a character picture! King Marvel is one of my favorite of Alex Ross' originals.