Topic: DEATH OF THE SIMURGH IN CANBERRA CONFIRMED
Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Posted on February 24th, 2011:
Yes. It's real. I know nobody dared to believe it; I certainly didn't when I first heard the news.
But it's true.
By now, you've probably already heard the news, if for no other reason that the worldwide party that's taking place right now.
The Simurgh, the False Angel, the Hopekiller, and a thousand other nicknames whose writing here would get my account suspended, is dead.
God, I can't believe I'm writing this. It feels … it feels great.
Alright, enough sentimental bullshit for now (I fully expect to end up crying several times before the reality of it all really settles in, and I don't think I'll be the only one).
Here is the PRT official announcement on the subject, in which not even all the layers of bureaucratic speak could manage to completely drown out the writer's enthusiasm.
Yesterday at 22:17 EST, the Third Endbringer descended to attack Canberra, the capital of Australia. Thanks to the Dragon satellites keeping a permanent watch on her, capes worldwide immediately began to mobilize, with Strider teleporting as many volunteers to the rallying points as possible.
Scion was halfway across the globe helping with a collapsed tunnel in Europe, so hopes of a quick fight weren't high. It looked like it was going to be another gruelling battle, ending with driving off the Endbringer, probably at the cost of the city and its people, condemned to live the rest of their lives in yet another quarantine zone. I'm sure there are analysts somewhere who can tell us just how bad that would have been for Australia, and the entire region.
But it didn't happen. Instead, the Simurgh descended on Canberra, and died there.
There is no footage of the fight, because not only is Endbringer footage rare at the best of time (not that an Endbringer attack is ever a good time … you get what I mean), but the hero of the day, Lasombra, also has a Stranger power that messes with all camera systems, even advanced Tinkertech ones. This apparently caused a bit of an issue with the Dragonflight, since Dragon's suits rely entirely on electronic sensors, and having them glitch out whenever Lasombra got in their field of view wasn't exactly optimal.
But there were a lot of capes present who could see Lasombra just fine, and they are giving reports on what they saw. Making sense of them is an ongoing process, but one thing is clear: Lasombra was the one who made the Simurgh's death possible.
If you haven't heard of him before, Lasombra is an independent heroic cape who first appeared in the American city of Brockton Bay. Here is a link to the thread about him (which, at time of writing, has been locked by the moderators for obvious reasons), but suffice to say, he's been very busy in the month since first showing up, cleaning up two of the city's major gangs more or less single-handedly. Which included a showdown with Lung, the cape who once fought Leviathan to a standstill while Kyushu sank beneath the waves.
Not only did the Space Pigeon get killed, but Lasombra (with the help of everyone present, including the Triumvirate) did it fast enough that none of the capes were exposed to her scream long enough to be turned into ziz-bombs. Same thing for the civilians in the shelters. Canberra is still being quarantined, just to be sure, but everyone inside is too busy cleaning up the mess or partying to try to leave anyway.
As I said, while there is no recording of the fight, we do have the testimonies of the dozens of capes who witnessed the battle, and the PRT (and every news organization on the planet) is in the process of collating their testimonies to get a clear idea of what happened.
Still, I've managed to put together a rough timeline: after trading blows with the Simurgh for a few minutes (and reducing a good chunk of the city center to rubble in the process, not that anyone is going to blame Lasombra for it), Lasombra opened a portal to some unknown but very scary place, and pushed the Simurgh through the portal with the help of every flying Brute in the city, before closing the portal on her – severing her head in the process.
And, as it turns out, not even the False Angel can survive decapitation. Probably something to take a note of for the next time one of the other two attacks.
So that's it. The Simurgh is dead. For the first time ever, an Endbringer has been killed. What this means for the future … I have no idea. I didn't really think it could be done, not anymore. But I tell you: I've never been happier to be wrong about something.
Now, if you'll excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, I have a party to get to.
EDIT: Here are some of the tags, sculptures, and professionally-made drawings of the fight. And here is a collection of all the selfies capes took with the Simurgh's severed head before it was hauled away for safekeeping by the Triumvirate (no idea what they are going to do with it; showing it off in a museum would be nice, but keeping people from spitting on the glass case might be a challenge).
Iblis (Verified Not a Devil) (Veteran Member)
FUCK YEAH !
(User was infracted for this post.) TinMother: In view of the current circumstances, I'm letting the language pass for now, but the rest of you stay polite, now.
Jaesten
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
The bitch is dead the bitch is dead, all hail the shadowy tentacle overlord? Is there a sign up sheet to join the cult or do I gotta start it myself?
Krounous
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
The Simurgh is dead? No way, there's no way that happened! You can't kill an Endbringer, everyone who's ever tried is either in a body bag, the looney bin or permanently drinking through a straw!
RedFerret
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
Krounous Mate, her head popped off like Marie Antoinette's.
I'm already at the bottle shop, and will be BBQ'ing ALL the chickens.
Light_seeker
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
Krounous Oh, brother, you better fucking believe we were getting ready to this ever since the 80s. Our family had a literal buttload of booze getting prepped in a our basement so we can open it when someone kills one of those things. Neighbors didn't believe there will be the day! The VINDICATION!
ImspecialIswear
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
Ok so, question, we don't need to worry about her anymore, and the Internet is the Internet, So how long until we get the Simurgh enjoying those tentacles? My bet is 2 seconds.
TRJ
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
ImspecialIswear On the one hand, curse you for putting those images in my head. On the other hand, I'm probably going to get so drunk I won't remember them anyway.
eersc
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
What did Lasombra want with the Simurgh's body? It's a conspiracy I tell you! He's clearly doing something with it, but no one knows!
Brocktonite03 (Veteran Member)
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
… huh. I never thought I'd see the day.
By the way, happy as I am, I can't help but notice that there hasn't been any sighting of Lasombra during the night, even after the battle of Canberra. … You don't think he got hurt? I mean, if anything could hurt him, then it'd be a fight with an Endbringer, right?
Nathanial_Hotep (Certified Masked Messenger)
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
The Shadowed One is not gone, they wait in the darkness of the abyss.
Lenny_has_arrived
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
I for one accept our new shadowy overlord and the eternal night that they bring. I can just get a sun lamp to get my vitamin D.
Mister_Nefari0s (Verified Cape) (Veteran of Hopekiller's End)
Posted on February 24th 2011:
I was in Canberra when the Simurgh fell.
Before today, I was a villain. I used my power to steal things I wanted, and got into a few fights with the local heroes. Nothing serious: I never killed anybody, and I never wanted to. Still, I'm not proud of what I did, especially now.
When the sirens rung, I was just as scared as everybody. But I went to the mustering point, because, like Hell I was going to run. I mean, I probably could have, but how was I supposed to ever look myself in the mirror again if I did? So I stood with the others, and tried my best not to shit my pant as the Simurgh descended.
And when the sun went dark, followed by the entire sky from horizon to horizon, you can bet your ass I was fucking terrified.
Then I saw Lasombra punch the Simurgh through a building, looking like some kind of fucked-up spider made of darkness and nightmare fuel. It was the single more horrifying thing I'd ever seen, and God as my witness, I cheered.
I can't fly, so I was fighting the Simurgh's fucked-up Tinkertech beasties halfway across town from where Lasombra and the fliers were fighting the Simurgh, but I still heard them. Gods battling overhead, while we fought monsters on the ground.
Then I saw it, that big black gate opening in the sky, and Lasombra and every flier – including the whole Triumvirate – pushing the Simurgh through it. I have no idea what that gate actually was, other than spooky as fuck, but it made the Simurgh freak out, which was good enough for every flier to join Lasombra in pushing the feathered tart through it, until it closed down right on her neck and cut her head off like the world's edgiest guillotine.
I don't know if Lasombra reads PHO, but if he does, thank you, mate.
Also, I'm going turn myself in now, see if I can get a deal with the authorities to become a hero. I want to say it's because being so close to death or madness has made me seen the error of my way, but the truth is? I'm too scared of ever ending up on Lasombra's bad side. Sure, the guy is from the East Coast of the USA, but clearly little things like 'distance' and 'the motherfucking Sun' are but minor inconveniences to him.
Abacus (Wiki Warrior)
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
So, in light (heh) of the recent revelation that Lasombra can apparently TURN OFF THE SUN, I tried to compile an estimate of Lasombra's powers based on the eyewitness reports we've been getting, both of the Death of the Simurgh and previous encounters back in Brockton Bay:
Brute 12 – Able to swap punches with Endbringers and it's a tie,
Shaker 12 – Able to create shadow tentacles in nearby shadows and TURN OFF THE SUN,
Mover 12 – Teleportation anywhere in the world, apparently instantly, and teleportation is practical in combat situations,
Changer 6-8 – turns into huge shadow beast that looks like something out a nightmare,
Stranger 1 – can block cameras and manipulate shadows to hide,
Trump 5 – can apparently override Master effects and block Thinker abilities,
Master 5 – shadow wolf Master creation that appears able to attack opponents that are otherwise immune to damage,
Thinker 2 – apparent ability to detect crimes or something that indicates crimes
File note: Is apparently vulnerable to sunlight or bright lights. Note, can teleport and TURN OFF THE SUN, so this may be less useful than it immediately appears.
AtrociousFrog (Verified Villain) (Veteran of Hopekiller's End)
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
I was there in the fight when Lasombra made the sky go dark, and what a lot of people aren't mentioning is just how DARK it got. It wasn't like nighttime where there'd be some stars and the moon, or even just the moon. There was nothing but the streetlights, and without them most of us would have been fightin' in total darkness.
And it was so cold once the sun was gone, so cold …
I know I've done a lot of horrible shit over the years, but seeing what Lasombra did, and what he became once he switched from human form to whatever shadow-demon thing he's been holding back till now.
I think I'm going to take the amnesty offer.
I need to rethink my life.
I need to rethink a lot of things.
RedFerret
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
This all reminds of Revelations:
"And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
(Answer: Lasombra. Lasombra is able to stand. Fuck you, Ziz, wherever you are. By God, fuck you.)
Xyloloup
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
GUYS. Guys. I just learned something from an acquaintance of mine who was one of the capes who was at the fight, and who wasn't yet drunk enough not to answer his phone when I called him.
See, at some point during the battle, Lasombra got smashed away from the Simurgh and crashed into the street. For a moment, he didn't get up, and the Simurgh descended toward him. According to the cape I talked with about this, they were all really worried that was it; Lasombra had fought well, but the Hopekiller had defeated him, just like the feathered bitch had defeated so many other capes who thought they could fight an Endbringer.
And then, out of nowhere, Blue Knight, a local hero with some kind of energy manipulation power (here is the thread on him, though it's been closed now because … well, keep reading), put himself between the downed Lasombra and the Hopekiller. Stared the bitch in the eyes.
She killed him. Obviously. Smashed him out of her way with her telekinesis, with as much thought behind it as you or I would put into swatting a fly. But still, he stood between Canberra's savior and its would-be destroyer.
And it looks like that REALLY pissed off Lasombra, because when he got up, he actually spoke a full sentence (usually, Lasombra speaks in single-word sentences due to his voice being creepy as fuck).
That sentence ? "You will pay for that." And then he started going berserk, culminating in opening what can only be described as a portal to Hell and throwing the Bin Chicken of Doom into it with the help of every flying Brute in the fight.
Lasombra literally had a power-up from witnessing Blue Knight's heroic sacrifice.
RIP, Blue Knight. You were a real one.
XxVoid_CowboyxX
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
Holy shit. Guy deserves a statue. I mean, all the capes who fought at Canberra do, obviously, but I feel like Blue Knight should get priority, you get what I mean ?
Also, eerc ? Come on, man. It's a historic day, let's just enjoy it for what it is. Wherever Lasombra sent the rest of the Simurgh's corpse, I'm sure the heroes will find out once they manage to get him to sit down and answer a few questions … oh wait, the PRT and Protectorate of BB have been trying to do that since the night he popped up in the city.
Oh well, I'm sure they're going to get a lot more help from their superiors now !
HeWhoWalksAbove
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
Well, check this out. It seems one of the capes at Canberra has a power that lets him shape stone and other stone-like stuff, and she's been working on building statues while they wait out the quarantine.
Letes
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
… so, crime in Brockton Bay is going to stop, right? I mean, if I were planning to do something illegal in the city with the Endkiller, I would reconsider.
Focus (Verified cameraman) (Former USMC)
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
Are we sure that is Lasombra and not Baron Samedi out on a walkabout as you Aussies say?
Larrikin (Verified Cape) (Aussie Battler) (Verified Prankster)
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
Nah mate. Though Baron Samedi (the cape) is here and lets just say you couldn't make the mistake of confusing the two as Samedi loves his bright colors … poor bugger got rooted when the flamin' c*nt hit him with a backhander when he and the other flying brutes were helping stuffin' her through our cob' Losombra's bloody shadow gate. They're still looking for the rest of his body parts .…
Oh he's not dead or anything, his power prevented that. Though … Is still kind of disturbing to witness to a man being so jovial while reduced to just his upper body .… with a surprisingly good singing voice and plays some bangin' pub blues. He's been entertaining for us still in hospital (apparently he can't be moved until they find the rest of him since his regen requires him to get a majority of his remaining parts back before he can restore himself).
AtrociousFrog (Verified Villain) (Veteran of Hopekiller's End)
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
I've heard through the grapevine that a couple 'less than reputable' Capes might have some of those as souvenirs.
As for what was missed by sticky fingers, I say stick the good ole'Baron in a shopping cart and drag him through Canberra. That should speed things up. evil ribbit
Ashfall (Verified Cape) (Verified Volcano Chaser)
Replied on Feb 24th 2011:
Can't really feel the cold in my changer form, but other people have mentioned that as well – that it got cold a lot faster than it should have with the sun 'down'. Another thing I've noticed is that no one seems to describe Lasombra's shadow monster form the same way.
My own impression was of a lot of tentacles around a vaguely human form, but others I've talked to have mentioned eyes, or teeth, or many arms, or et cetera … Just a lot of other things that I don't remember seeing. And no one seems to have a clear memory of what was beyond that portal he formed. That I couldn't see from my angle, and I suspect I'm better for it.
Larrikin (Verified Cape) (Aussie Battler) (Verified Prankster)
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
Mate. You remember how the man got the backhander? The Baron can fly (which let me tell you only adds to the disturbing part when he's floating around Hospital without the lower half. Though its better when he's bangin' out pub blues) He's been going out looking for where the rest of his body landed. But says it shouldn't be long since he can sense when they nearby but was confused on how they got so far apart from each other lately… Now we know why I guess..Oh there he is! I'll let him know …
.… Annnnnd he's off.
MaidtoKill (Verified Hero) (Veteran of Hopekiller's End)
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
The only thing I want to know is what the fuck was up with those tinker monsters. One of the damn things almost cut my head off after we pushed the Ziz through The Gate.
Who made those things? Did we get them all? Also, all of us need to keep our eyes and ears open for any death-switches.
It wouldn't be out of place for the flying bitch to leave a last goodbye present.
NightyNight (Verified Cape) (Veteran of Hopekiller's End)
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
MaidtoKill
Don't worry about the Canberran monsters, the PRT deployed Thinkers after the Simurgh was confirmed dead, and they helped locate them so that the rest of us could clear them all out (didn't want them to crash the party, that would have killed the mood something fierce). Apparently, some poor bastard Tinker built them in the sewers; according to the scuttlebutt I've heard, they were supposed to eat the garbage to clean the city or something like that.
Death-abomination switches, though, that's something to worry about. Although then again, the Simurgh was a precog, so maybe she didn't think she could die? Lasombra sure hell took her by surprise.
Panoptes (Verified Cape) (Verified Watchdog Member)
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
The PRT and other parahuman groups across the world are on alert for any sign of activity the Simurgh may have triggered in her final moments. So far, nothing has tripped our sensors, but we will remain vigilant, even if it means missing out on the partying.
No, I am not bitter, why do you ask?
Handlewithcare
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
If that is true what about the victims? My uncle was caught in Madison. Any news about that? Anyone we could contact maybe?
HearNowTheTollOfTheBell
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
Handlewithcare
Well, the people inside are still fucked in the head. It would be nice if the Simurgh's death returned them all to normal, but so far, it doesn't look like that's happened. Which makes sense, disappointing as it is.
Wait. Lasombra healed two capes who were brainwashed by Gesellschaft, right? Do you think he can do the same thing for the victims of the Simurgh ?
Panoptes (Verified Cape) (Verified Watchdog Member)
Replied On Feb 24th 2011:
I mean, maybe? No cape has ever been able to help the poor bastards (and when she first started, the authorities tried EVERYTHING, with a bunch of heroes – and even villains, whether for money or fame or just plain basic decency – trying only to fail, often in horrible ways that we're pretty sure were planned by the Simurgh).
But then again, no cape has been able to kill an Endbringer either. The problem, or at least one of the problems because God knows there are more, is that there are a lot of people in the quarantine zones. Lasombra would need to spend weeks, months just healing them all. And from what I've found about him online, it looks like he's some kind of time limit on how long he can operate each night.
… page 258 of 284 …
Sydneysider6-7
Replied On Feb 26 2011:
I have a question for AtrociousFrog. You said that you were taking the amnesty and becoming a hero, have you picked a new cape name and costume yet?
AtrociousFrog (Verified Villain) (Veteran of Hopekiller's End)
Replied On Feb 26th 2011:
Not yet mate, I'm working with a PR person on a new Cape name, but we've got my new costume designed but it's still being made. Open to suggestions though.
XxVoid_CowboyxX
Replied On Feb 26 2011:
Looking at your history and powers on the wiki, why didn't you go with 'Cain Toad' as your villain name?
AtrociousFrog (Verified Villain) (Veteran of Hopekiller's End)
Replied On Feb 26th 2011:
Cus some other bloke was already using that name and Cain Toads are an invasive species down under. My brother loves killing them with a cricket bat every chance he gets.
Sydneysider6-7
Replied On Feb 26 2011:
That reminds me, what happened to Cain Toad anyway?
AtrociousFrog (Verified Villain) (Veteran of Hopekiller's End)
Replied On Feb 26th 2011:
He got killed in a bar fight three years ago.
Brockton_Born_and_Proud :
Replied On Feb 26th 2011 :
So I know that everyone is happy about the death of the Overrated Chicken but is no one going to talk about the Cult to Lasombra forming right now? I was going Pub Crawling and I saw like five preachers preaching about how Lasombra is a Dark God. There was even a fairly large crowd of people around them offering prayers to Lasombra. I've even noticed symbols popping up everywhere for the guy.
I get the guys done a lot for the city but seriously this is getting kind of creepy, and why a crown of all things?
StarMan19
Replied On Feb 26 2011:
Don't know if Lasombra will see this but I want to say to them, from the bottom of my heart, Thank You. That Beast killed my family when I was a child, I was lucky enough to have been outside of the city with my grandma when the attack happened, so knowing that monster is finally dead and will no longer hurt anyone else brings me peace, and also hope that the others will be next.
… page 321 of 321 …
TRJ
Replied on Feb 27th 2011:
Ugh, just woke up from all the partying with the mother of all hangovers. How is everyone else feeling ?
RedFerret
Replied on Feb 27th 2011:
Same, mate. Any word on Lasombra?
Brocktonite03 (Veteran Member)
Replied on Feb 27th 2011:
Nothing. If the PRT have seen or talked to him since Canberra, they haven't said anything. Shit, the medal ceremony with all the bigwigs is tomorrow, right? It would be great if he were here, although I'm guessing he'd need to blot out the Sun again if it takes place during the day.
EDIT : Nevermind. The old boy is back at it!
AN : Last chapter had a bit of a mixed reception, which is fair. I promise that I did think about any seeming inconsistencies (like QA being able to appear in the Abyss when the Simurgh dissolved), and things will be explained later. Even if I wasn't satisfied with the chapter, I needed the stuff it set up for later.
Big thanks to everyone who contributed one or more posts for this chapter. Check out the SpaceBattles thread after the Endbringer chapter if you want to see the originals, as well as a whole bunch of very nice Omakes.
As always, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, and look forward to your thoughts and comments.