Decided To Draw V Today. I Still Haven’t Quite Cracked The Code On Her Hair, But I’m Getting There.

She got me begging like that one part of The One by Kevin Sherwood.

SHE!!! IS!!! MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Trans girl N that is all

Haruna, anamahar hasana. Dara esen mir, muk atamis. Ana maril banta dosh sahar.

[Translated from Chozo]

-Live, my tribe. More than that, be yourself. I will try to help.

Happy Trans Day of Visibility to my tribe, anamahar hasana. We have tough times ahead. We’re living in them now. But we must fight. We must protest. And yet, we must never let the gloom poison our sense of self. We are transgender. Never let any voice, inside or out, pry that from your grasp. Hold on to your sense of self.

Space Pirate Design Ranking

The Metroid series has a boatload of different designs, completely changing between every game except the 2D iterations. Some think it’s simple design inconsistency, others think that they’re different genetic manipulations of the same species, while others (including myself) are of the opinion that the Space Pirates are a collective made up of various species. Today, I’ll be ranking these designs based on what they convey and, simply, what I think is cool and aesthetically pleasing. For the sake of simplicity, I’ll only be ranking the standard Space Pirate variant of each game, the “core enemy type” if you will. And yes, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is here, though its place in the ranking is subject to change as we get more closer looks.

7. Metroid Prime 2 Echoes

Some people may consider this a sin to put so low on the list but, to me, this really just doesn’t fit the whole vibe of the Space Pirates, especially in the Prime series. In the Metroid Prime saga, the Space Pirates are an authoritarian empire who recklessly abuse technological advancement for the sake of domination. This just… doesn’t say that. It’s a good design, don’t get me wrong, but this really looks like some weird skeleton knight. I could see this crawling out of some crypt to seek vengeance, not descending from a space ship to plunder. For that reason, I gotta put this guy in last place.

6th place: Metroid Prime Federation Force

For many of the problems Metroid Prime 2’s design has, I think Federation Force remedies… and then makes the opposite mistakes. Federation Force’s Space Pirate design is, canonically, around the same height as Metroid Prime’s Omega Pirate. Why make mechs for your game if you’re just gonna scale the enemies up anyway is anyone’s guess. With that in mind, I kinda like this as a heavy unit for the Space Pirates, but the center of this design just is a bit hard to look at. I love the limbs and the inclusion of the iconic Prime Pirate energy blade. There’s a mix of fleshy joints and tough, metal plating that I enjoy, I actually like the bright red eyes as well, especially for a heavy unit. But the carapace around it just feels… it’s kinda hard to look at. That mouth, as well, is just a bit too buggy and lacks expressiveness. Really, that’s my edict on this thing. Good extremities, but lacks expression and is generally tough to look at. Still, I imagine someone could retool/retexture this thing to be a real banger of a design.

5th place: Metroid Other M

From here on, these designs are ones I truly like as Space Pirates. Metroid Other M’s Space Pirate design was a tough one to find a good image of. This was about the best one I could find in a cursory search. As far as official designs go, I think this is the best translation of the iconic Zebesian Space Pirate to 3D we’ve ever gotten. There was a small effort made in Prime 2 to bring the claws back, but here there are on full display and they look great. The whole design is, honestly, fantastic. You can see the smooth bands around the limbs and torso, downward pointed jaw, and the big, smooth, blank eyes of the old sprite. The spines on the back and head really add some personal flare to these guys as well, and the whole design has a delightfully cheesy color scheme that I simply adore. I think the series has designs that evoke certain feelings and themes better, but this is certainly a fun looking guy.

4th place: Metroid Prime 3 Corruption

Unlike every other type but the Zebesians, the Space Pirates of Corruption have a distinct name based on the Homeworld we explore, Urtraghians. There is a distinctly pseudo organic bend to these guys, with the textures on the armor plating feeling almost Xenomorphic. However, where I think this design stands out is, of course, the head. The long, pointed teeth clearly visible under the rows of eyes really makes this eel-like head intimidating. You can really imagine the Urtraghians descending from their ships in a city, gunning down innocents and plundering whatever they choose. These animalistic terrors will smell where you’re hiding and drag you out kicking and screaming. It really fits the Space Pirates’ role in the story. From day one, they really have just been a bogeyman for the Federation. We rarely actually see them doing… ya know… pirating. The rampant technological obsession was a concept introduced by the Prime trilogy. As a design for the Bogeyman of the Galaxy, I think the Urtraghians work great.

3. Metroid Prime 4 Beyond

Haha, 3 is for 4 and 4 is for 3. This will be subject to change and many people might not rank them until we get clearer images, but uh… I’m doin it. Beyond’s pirates have a very buggy design, but in a way that’s parallel, not identical, to the Zebesian designs from the 2d games. Their mouth is split into mandibles, they have a hard carapace, and their movements can be jittery and unsettling. The large size of them compared to the Federation personnel seen in the trailer really evokes power and control. Their armor has outward pointed edges and defined pectorals. These are conquerors, proud, undefeatable warriors. The sparseness of it also evokes a sense of confidence, as if they don’t need a full covering when their hardened shell is so superior to weak flesh. It’s almost ornamental in a way. (Though someone should remind them they lost in every previous fight against Samus). Their mandibular maws, hunched backs, double thumbed hands, and digitigrade stance (standing on their toes with their heels off the ground) also evokes a certain other core enemy type in a sci fi shooter.

I’m going to leave it here for now as I have some other stuff to get to at the moment and I Forgor the image limit on Tumblr posts. I’ll get the ranking for the final (first?) two designs by the end of today. Then, I might make a post about what roles I’d fit these different species into for my own storytelling purposes.

Told y’all I would voice this! (Comic by @molagboop )

“Better to put an idea to the page and draw it badly than never set it free.”

Raven Beak is an individual of science. He's also a sentimental warrior poet who is not immune to superstition. How will his daughter learn to gut her enemies if he doesn't pass down the family heirloom? Also grandma will be disappointed if the sword doesn't go to Raven Beak's first-hatched.

Started late 2023.

Extras:

Had this sped up audio of my friend ranting about Lunchly for a while now. Someone brought up the idea of this being Uzi ranting about JCJenson and I just had to draw it. She went a little obsessive in the bunker. Also N likes his oil drippy, brah.

That… makes an immense amount of sense. Don’t get me wrong, I’m team trans Samus myself (and trans myself), but that little detail does add a not insignificant amount of character and respectability to Adam. I actually showed some Other M stuff to my friends and we all laughed at how bad it is and made some points how things could be improved but this even makes Fusion and Dread better for it.

adam malkovich referring to samus as "lady" as a sign of respect always reads as a touch condescending and belittling until you look at young adult samus and realise she was a 6-months hrt effeminate twink just growing out her crew cut and its highly likely the rest of the force kept misgendering her. for their commander to respect her identity and refer to her as a woman would be a huge acknowledgement of her agency and personhood beyond her martial prowess, and for a girl who has only known war and was raised to be a weapon i would blow up a couple space stations with that guy too

Maytroid… sort of… part 4!

So this will be the last time I explain the premise here. In this little series, instead of drawing images for Maytroid, I will be writing scan visor entries that Samus might have come across regarding each topic, based on my own AU. For the current state of the story, these will all be canon, but some of the characters that have either not fleshed out yet, or am simply unfamiliar with, things may change in the future. As for the final week, since it won’t be a clean seven days, I will be releasing the last of these on the 31st. But without any further delay, onto the scans.

Day 20: Meta Ridley

Space Pirate Journal Entry

“I would never be so foolish to voice any of these concerns out loud, but I cannot help but feel that our cunning leader has fallen victim to his own lust for vengeance. We may all feel the same way. After all, the Hunter destroyed our primary base of operations. But his vengeance has dipped into obsession.

Our campaign here was going extraordinarily well. Communications from the target planet had been jammed to prevent Galactic Federation intervention. The planetary defense fleet had sustained significant losses. They were not yet beaten, but they were weak. And their flagship was already being overrun by our boarding groups. Commander Ridley’s plan was working perfectly. The Fuel Gel shipment would have been our’s for the taking. The Commander’s toothy grin brought us all satisfaction, that there was nothing that could go wrong. Then we received our first report about the Hunter’s arrival. As soon as the report sounded across the command deck, Ridley’s smile disappeared. He stared off into space for several seconds, his expression blank. Then, without a word, he turned and strode out of the command deck. Incoming transmissions requesting orders from the commander were left unanswered, and his combat genius was left out. Even with him personally engaging Samus in combat, our own forces slowly began to be thwarted.

I believe this battle to be lost, but I cannot hold a candle to Ridley’s own battlefield wisdom. If he has not ordered a retreat, we will stay and fight. Though I fear it will be to the death.”

Day 21: Omega Metroid

Incomplete Chozo Script

“Our Ultimate Warriors have grown rampant. In our haste to create something that would subdue a great evil, we created another one, one that was just as ravenous. They have begun to feed on the native life of The Agar Planet, something our empath shamans have forbade of them. Where we had control”-illegible-“worse. Instead of the gelatinous bodies that could even be soothing to the touch, they have developed hardened carapaces, sharp claws, and unchecked aggression. One of our empathy, Light Hand, attempted to stop one of the greatest of these creatures from attacking a Moheek. She naively believed that her physical presence would convince the beast to follow her commands. The creature grabbed”-illegible-“six warriors in order to defeat it with our most powerful weapons. This”-illegible-“Quiet Robe believes that this may be a side effect of the Agar energy. However,”-illegible-“could be a result of their rushed creation. In his own words, ‘we are shepherds of life, not”-illegible-“may have to request aid from the Mawkin Hasana. The Ultimate Warriors are growing move dangerous by the days.”

Day 22: Sylux

Blood Skies computer scan

“Our attempts to hire the Bounty Hunter known as Sylux have failed. Previous reports indicated an intense hatred of the Galactic Federation, though the reasons for this animosity have been fairly unclear. What is clear to see is his penchant for disrupting Galactic Federation military supply lines.

Our own agent met Sylux at a bar he had frequented for three months. The agent asked him about the possibility of both a big score, and to twist the knife in the side of the Galactic Federation. Sylux initially showed interest, and the pair left the bar. Contact with the agent was subsequently lost. Further investigation uncovered an unfortunate discovery. The body of our agent was brutally maimed, and Sylux, presumably, scrawled a message in the agent’s own bodily fluids.

‘You’re no better.’

Further attempts to recruit Sylux have been deemed a waste of resources. Recommend search for other possible contractors.”

Day 23: Arachnus

Incomplete Chozo scrypt

“One of the more corrupted Ultimate Warriors was seen attacking an adult Arachnus. Our”-illegible-“creature was drained of its essence in a matter of seconds. After such a display of force against what was once the dominant natural predator of The Agar Planet, the problem can no longer be sidestepped or responded to a slow and delicate manor. A formal request to the Tanumar of the Mawkin Hasana has been”-illegible-“have been asked to remain indoors for their own safety. Still, the Ultimate Warriors continue to attack us. We can only hope that”-illegible

Day 24: Thardus

Orpheon computer scan

“Project Titan is proceeding with passable results. While creating a living weapon with no genetic signature has been deemed impossible, there has been success. The most successful subject has been nicknamed Thardus by security. Large rock structures have been successfully implemented, meaning that it is only a matter of time before we have a creature that can fit into a rock wall and strike when the enemy least expects it. This will make it perfectly camouflageed and difficult for enemies to detect, and with little to no maintenance, unlike costly sentries. To test safe parameters of subject growth, Thardus is to been transported planetside with the next two days.”

Day 25: Chozo Warrior

Intel Scan

“Artifact appears to be a Chozo spear. Carbon dating appears to place this weapon at being left in the dirt for around nine months. Due to the presence of long abandoned Chozo ruins on the planet, it is likely that one or more Chozo returned to this planet within the last six months. All scans of SR-388 report no non-pirate activity above the planet any sooner.”

Day 26: Gandrayda

Paper Note left on Gate

“Congratulations on Zebes! Always nice to see another Hunter hit it big. After all, you are a hunter, right? I don’t mean to pry or demean. I mean, I’d lose my license if it was known I attacked another Bounty Hunter. And how could I face down a bounty Hunter that fought a terror attack on the capitol of the Federation, captured a pirate king, and left a space pirate stronghold in shambles? I mean, that sort of thing is just unbelievable, don’t you think? I mean, it’s a really tough notion to believe. Ya know, tons of fakers claim these sorts of things all the time. But you’re the real deal. Right?

Our target is trapped within the next building, so we got time. Hopefully we can ‘chat’.

See ya, Sammy

Lady Gandrayda”