More story questions - The Block

General GTG Sentinel Comics Lore
1

Yeah yeah, I know you guys are tired of me prattling on about the SotM story and speculations and such. But I have so many more questions. Today I want to take a look at the Block. Yes Time Crazed Prisoner is an interesting card. Yes I could go on about it for hours. No thats not the focus today.

Prison Riot

How and when did the Block inprison Apostate, Fright Train, and Set? All of them are wearing inmate jumpsuites. They were all there at the same time too. When does this Prison Riot occur? What caused it? 

Since we see both Apostate and Fright Train, we can conclude that this event happens after Vengeance (since I do not think Apostate had shown up by the time Baron puts his team together, and Fright Train is introduced with the V5 as far as I can tell). 

Also, I do not buy that Char is just some random inmate in the Block. We will see him somewhere else I can assure you. He deals way too much damage and is seen elsewhere so often (like on Scum and Villany in the Rook City deck and in AbZeros deck) that you have to believe there is some story behind him more so than just another generic inmate. 

Whats everyones thoughts on The Block?

2

From Fright Train's Bio:

After several years of incarceration, the dastardly Baron Blade managed to get word to several of The Block's inmates, Graves chief among them. "Come work for me," the Baron offered, "and I'll give you the chance for vengeance you so deserve."

So, we know when he was in the Block (at least once). Why do you think that Apostate hadn't shown up by the time Baron put his team together?

3

Hmmm. Yeah thats a good point. However, Graves was not Fright Train at that point before meeting Baron (right?). It looks like Graves takes more trips to the Block.

I thought Apostate hadn't shown up by the time Vengeance takes place is because V5 Barons incap shows Fanatic in her normal armor and getup. Based on what we know (or at least what I think I know), is that Apostate first appears, breaks Fanatics beliefs, sends her off to cry in the Belltower for a few days, and she comes back as the Redeemer Fanatic (armor, visor and all). Ra is also beardless in that incap, meaning the Ennead have not shown up by that time either. And Set is clearly seen in Prison Riot.

4

The Block is outside (known) time-space dimensions and accesses multiple timelines simultaneously, nothing says those prisoners are there at the same time in their respective timelines.

5

In the Absolution discussion, it was brought up that in the Vengeance cards, Fanatic isn't wearing her armor yet, which she put on after facing Apostate.

 

Char bothers me as well, and his flavour text suggests to be that his been imprisoned for quite some time before the breakout that occurs in the deck.

Assuming it's a single event, of course.

6

Then my question becomes, what is the practical point of locking up any villain when an infinite number of each particular one exists throughout the multiverse?

FILTER is interested in other timelines, but they are mainly operating within our "main" timeline. In fact, if my hunch is correct, FILTER is activly working to end the multiverse along with our cosmic big bad, at least theoretically giving weight to the idea they are only locking up villains from a particular timeline.

I think the picture on Scum and Villany takes place after Prison Riot, explaining why Char is running free in Rook City, and why Friction and Pro are out of work spending time at the bar.

@Theta: I do believe the event depicted in Prison Riot is a single event

7

[quote=Fright Train's Bio]

Eventually, Graves was hired by a secret security force, but as part of his contract, he was chemically and mechanically enhanced, making him even more of a colossal force to be reckoned with. He was outfitted with a massive helmet resembling the front of a large train, which led to Graves being called "Fright Train". Unfortunately for Fright Train, in the security force's first mission, the team was decimated, and the few remaining members ended up in The Block.

[/quote]

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Who knows what the real reason are for any action that the shadowy F.I.L.T.E.R. organisation performs? Christopher does

9

Thanks Meerkat!

So what can we make of the timeline of events here? Regardless of Fright Train, the presence of Set and Apostate really throw me off.

Apostate first appears in Fanatic #25. That seems really early to be after Vengeace. When does Fanatic #1 come out in relation to the rest of the comic continuity? Is Fanatic a "newer" hero character in relation to the Freedom Five?

As a point of reference for Set, the Ennead first appear in Ra: God of the Sun #289. 

Ennead beat Ra in their first encounter, sending him into the desert for a long while until he comes back as Horus to whip their butts. In this regard, prison riot has to happen sometime after the Enneads defeat and Ras transition to Horus. Remember Ra is still unbearded on V5 Barons incap side. Although this might be faulty logic, since Ra could totally shave a beard. We do not see many depictions of beard Ra outside of the Enneads deck, so its hard to place the Horus transition into the larger picture.

10

@ foote

I just ordered a cork board so that I can keep track of my various theories and ideas about how everything works.  I'm going to go full crazy person and fill it with interlocking lines of string and hand-scrawled notations (with lots of exclamation points and cryptic phrases)

My point being, I think about this stuff too. To a truly ludicrous extent.  Heartbreaker alone has had me tracing out possible variants on his chest insignia...

 

As for FILTER, I think that the Block might be their attempt to create an artificial Fixed Point.  A stable place that they can use as a fallback when reality starts collapsing, a launching platform for their own missions, or to house people who can otherwise escape into the timestream. 

As for when the riot happens, my guess is that it is substantially before the events of Vengeance, possibly orchestrated by the Baron.  

Heres why...

Ra was defeated by the ennead, and goes on sabbatical.  possibly this is where he ends up chained to the Wheel of Torment (seen on his incap card).  The ennead were then halted by the F5, and it seems likely that some of them (including Set) could have been defeated temporarily and sent to the Block. this could give Ra the chance he needed to escape- once Set wasn't actively keeping watch, he could gather the vestiges of his power and break free.

Either way, Set is sent to the Block.  

Apostate shows up.  Screws around with everyone. We see Setback inadvertently punching him on Karmic Retribution (in his original costume), so its possible that this was around the time that Setback was still working with the F5.    He shakes Helena's faith, but is put away before he can really do damage.

Enter the Baron.  He knows that in order to exact vengeance, he needs the heroes distracted and tired.  so he engineers a prison riot to help Fright Train escape.  From the V5 update on the kickstarter: 

After several years of incarceration, the dastardly Baron Blade managed to get word to several of The Block's inmates, Graves chief among them. "Come work for me," the Baron offered, "and I'll give you the chance for vengeance you so deserve."

So the Baron creates a situation where Fright Train and several of the worst inmates can riot and some of them can escape.  

The events of Vengeance begin.  

The Ennead keep Ra busy, and even though they are defeated in the process, they wear him down enough that the Baron can break his staff.  My guess is that he just shaved his beard and returned to the same regalia. He kept the wisdom and perspective from is imprisonment, but decided that rags and hobo-beard did not suit him.  

Apostate goes back to tormenting Fanatic.  He shakes her faith, and after the baron is taken down she retreats to the monastery.  this may well be where she runs into the sage, who gives her some (unwelcome, I'm sure) perspective.  Once she deals with him and regroups, she and apostate have their knock-down, drag-out fight.

11

You are a beautiful and brilliant man. I do not feel so alone anymore haha

So I am totally with you. I can see how the events could happen in a different order than what I thought and still make sense within the art given.

Man, I really wish we had a solid anchor point to start piecing and stringing together event timelines. I don't think art and random comic issue numbers (that may or may not match the art) will be enough.

12

Try fixed point.  That's what it's there for, right?

13

Pretty sure that makes it worse. 

Fixed Point takes place during the "Dreamer Awakens" side of the Dreamer villain encounter right? Or is this after the events of the Nightmare World story line?

14

We could go all the way back to the beginning. Start with the formation of the Freedom Four (Freedom Four Annual #1) and work out how events connect from there.

 

(Yes I know stuff happens earlier than that in the timeline, but it is the first story).