Well THAT's definitely new. I don't remember anything like THAT happening on the show. You have a good imagination, that's for sure. I'm very interested in where you're going to go with this. Please update VERY soon.
Author's Response: If you think that's a twist, just remember what the long-term consequences were of Michael's actions in the canonical version of the events that are taking place here, and you might have an idea of a REALLY dramatic twist I've got coming up...
Why am I not surprised that Michael betrayed John. Hopefully John will kill him in the next chapter. Thank you for finally updating. Please hurry with the next chapter.
So will this story go the same way as the tv episode, or are you going to make some changes? This is a great story so far. Please hurry with the next chapter.
Author's Response: A few changes ARE planned, I assure you; you'll just need to wait and see what they are...
Oh I just know the next chapter is going to be good. I hope John knows what he's doing. Please hurry with the next chapter.
Nice chapter! Of course unless you change it we know what the Queen is going to do. Please hurry with the next chapter.
Yes we all know how this is going to end(unless you change it, of course). Can't wait for the next chapter.
Author's Response: Let's just say that some things will change and some things will stay the same due to John's attempt to believe that Michael can be more than what he is...
Great chapter! So when does Elizabeth learn about John's past & when does she see John without his mask? Please hurry with the next chapter.
Well unless you change it we all know what's going to happen here. I can't wait for the next chapter. Please update very soon.
Author's Response: The fine details will be changed a bit, but essentially what's coming up is the same as the original episode; it's in the subsequent 'alliance' with the Wraith that things will REALLY diverge from what they were originally...
Oh boy. Sumner's on to something. I wonder how hard it will be for him to dig up any info about John if he's figured out that the Phantom is from Earth. This continues to be a great story. Please hurry with the answers about John's past. You're killing me with the suspense!
Author's Response: Regretably, it's still going to be a while before we get any DEFINITE answers about John's past- keep in mind that Sumner doesn't even know John's name at this point, and even if he did it's not exactly unusual enough for him to be able to identify a 'John' who went missing from Earth in the right kind of time frame to have become the Phantom-, but I CAN promise you that answers about John's past WILL be coming before this part of the series is over.
Michael may have been right about HIMSELF, it doesn't mean he's right about John. This continues to be a great story. Please update very soon.
Author's Response: True, but when Michael's the closest thing John's ever found to a 'peer', it doesn't set a good precedent...
Still, glad you liked the chapter; if it helps, I can assure you that the next one will be SIGNIFICANTLY more optimistic than this one was.
It seems to me that John could use some intense therapy. I can see why he has personal issues with the Wraith in general(everyone in the Pegasus galaxy does), but unlike the Wraith, John has a choice in whether or not he continues to be a "monster". The Wraith are what they are by evolution. John is the way he is mostly by choice. He still has the option not to live the way he does. This continues to be a great story. Please update very soon.
Author's Response: Yeah, he needs therapy, but the problem is that he's spent so long being this ruthless because it was the only way he could survive- one man against an army of life-sucking monsters learning as he goes about what he's got available to him; he didn't really have the luxury of playing nice- that he isn't even sure he knows how to BE 'humane' any more...
Still, he WILL get some help eventually, I assure you of that; it's just not going to be easy even when he reaches that stage.
Whoa. Great chapter! So is that why John wears a mask? Because he lost part of his face in a battle? Wow. He needs to know that there's a chance Beckett could help him with that. IF Elizabeth really cares for John I don't think she would really care too much about what he looks like. Looks aren't everything & John has no reason to be ashamed of his looks. That said, I'm glad John wasn't stupid when it came to Phoebus. Please hurry with the next chapter.
Author's Response: In John's defence, what happened to his face is a BIT more serious than a simple battle injury, and his discomfort about it isn't just based on vanity; a part of him- and it's a bit part- feels that his facial disfigurement is a reflection of the monster he perceives himself to be...
Still, glad you liked his dealings with Phoebus; hope you like how he copes with the villain who's coming into this story in the next chapter.
Here are some other suggestions:maybe there was a civil war on their planet. I don't remember if Phoebus & Thalen were from the same planet though(it's been awhile since I watched the episode). Another thought:how much like the Genii are their peoples? We've seen what the Genii are like. Maybe Phoebus' & Thelan's peoples were the same way for some reason.
Author's Response: I'm operating on the premise that there was a civil war on their planet, without Wraith- or any other outside- involvement; hope you like what I've come up with
I'll give it a shot. Cultural differences can be the cause of wars, as can diplomatic incidents & assassinations; or maybe Phoebus's people were Wraith worshippers who tried to take over Thalen's planet for the Wraith(or vice versa); it's also possible that one of their peoples' were conquerers(before the Wraith came along)& so the other people were resistance fighters; that's all I can think of right now. This continues to be a great story. Please update very soon.
Author's Response: Interesting idea, but I'm generally trying to avoid the Wraith as an explanation for the conflict; given their level of technological development, I've always assumed that they didn't have much contact with the Wraith (As well as the fact that it lets me explore the idea of PEOPLE being a problem even without alien interference), but the suggestion is appreciated, I assure you.
I know it's not really John's fault that he's ruthless & brutal sometimes-being raised(or raising himself)in the Pegasus galaxy does that to people. But he really should think about toning it down a little. When will we get the back story on John? I've been dying to know how he got to Pegasus, how long he's been there & how he became the Phantom.
Author's Response: He's working on toning it down, but he's been used to relying on himself for years; that formed a 'whatever-it-takes' mentality towards dealing with problems that's hard to shake off (And I assure you, answers about his past are coming)
Good chapter. How long until John takes off his mask? It's not as if they can truly id him anyway. I hope he & Elizabeth get together soon. I love sparky.
Author's Response: Unfortunately, there's no plans for either happening TOO soon- John has a lot of issues involving the reasons for that mask that we have't seen in depth yet-, but the mask IS going to be removed by someone in the hopefully-not-too-distant future; it's just not someone John would WANT to see him unmasked...
He shouldn't be afraid of Elizabeth's reactions. From what I've read so far, Elizabeth is infatuated with him in spite of whatever violent actions he's taken so far.
Author's Response: It would be fairer to say she's INTRIGUED by him at the moment; the 'mysterious protector' thing he's got going at the moment has attracted her interest, but that's not the same as saying she's attracted to him in THAT sense (Plus there's still a few details about his past you DON'T know yet that help account for his current fears...)
Nice chapter, really liked the insight into John's fear of becoming a monster, I wished they gone into that more on the show. Keep it coming! :D
Author's Response: Glad to hear that theme's going well; that's one aspect of this story that I'm particularly fond of exploring (Particularly since I'm approaching the introduction of a character who will REALLY give John a lot more to think about than he did in the series...)
Poor Ford. I wish there had been a way to save him. That said, I don't see Sheppard becoming a monster. He's a soldier(a rogue soldier maybe, but a soldier nonetheless), & soldiers do what they have to do to survive & to win. Elizabeth understands that, I'm sure. Awesome story! please update every soon.
Author's Response: He might try to do what he thinks is right, but there's some other details about his history in Pegasus that make his fear of becoming a monster a lot more legitimate than you know at present...
Pretty good chapter. I can't wait for more action though. I hope John will be in the next chapter.
I hope Sumner doesn't screw this up somehow. Please update very soon.
Good job, interesting comparision of the different ways Sumner and John related to the team, I can't wait until the next chapter!
Author's Response: Glad you liked the John/Sumner comparision; that's going to be featuring a bit more before this story finishes...
Awesome! How long till John becomes a member of the team? Please update very soon!
Author's Response: Unfortunately, that's not going to be for a while, but his presence is going to have a not-insignificant impact on events before the story's finished...
So when does Elizabeth find out about her going 10,000 years into the past & bringing John to Atlantis? You're killing me here! Love this whole story. Please update VERY soon.
Interesting to see how you brought Ronon into the story and like to way your building on the Phantoms past. Hoping to see John again soon! Good job.