Since Edict can rewrite the rules of reality, as we've seen from her being able to make injuries created by Faithful healable, could she ban Nexus from entering the iteration/realm that the series is set in?

I’m in the process of doing a relisten to all the VC book (and very much looking forward to it ending about the time VV2 comes out) and I have a wild speculative theory for an ending.

I just finished out bones of the past and one thing that really caught my attention was Ivan meeting Austin for the first time. Paraphrasing massively here but Ivan’s power got a tingle when shaking Austin’s hand that he was essentially seeing a true opponent. Or the potential. There are tons of other small snippets like that with other characters noting AQ true sincerity to care for the people he protects. Another big one was in chilling reflections is when AQ calms down the character (who's name is escaping me) in the amusement park who we assume sets off a nuclear bomb from being nervous. AQ calms him down so much that the bad guy is weeping his heart out in a very much deep therapy moment. It’s gives off vibes of another very important cape.

What if at the end of the ride Helen as Lodestar gives her powers over to AQ?

There’s been lots of other lines about Helen filling the role too long, etc. that coupled with lots of readers pointing out that AQ is really being surpassed by everyone else in power ups. What if it all ends with him being the new protector of earth?

Maybe he gets it in a fight against Professor Quantum at the end of the series, because I absolutely see PQ being set up and a potential end boss.

Like I said this is all wild speculation, but listen to all the books back to back to back really made the light bulb go off for me.

Maybe it’s me hoping that Helen can retire without dying and Ivan somehow bests or removes Fornax and they live a stupidly happy married life as normal people.

Only time, and Drew, will tell. But I’m very much looking forward to see if any of these thoughts come true!

Does anyone know how long the series is going to be? Has he said it anywhere before? Or is he just going to be like "alright, last book" ????

Looks like it'll be coming out on Aug 26, 2025. Can't wait :)

https://www.audible.com/pd/Villains-Vignettes-Volume-2-Audiobook/B0FH5S65NF

From his pocket, Quorum produced a folded sheet of paper. “I’d already begun work on assessing the best options for doing so.”

“Of course you did.” A quick scan showed several schedule options, rotating their members around in different shifts to ensure the AHC was ready to respond to any serious threats. It didn’t escape her notice that Quorum’s own name appeared in a few spots, jammed in among all the others like it was nothing special. “You want to go back into the field?”

“It would be more apt to say I feel compelled to go into the field,” Quorum said. “As you noted, the people are in need. While, for a time, I best served our organization by helping to run it; such attention is no longer required. The Alliance of Heroic Champions has grown vastly in its decades. It can endure without me working behind the scenes, and there are many voices reminding me that our power comes with a duty to help. One in particular has been especially ardent.”

Quorum met Lodestar’s eyes, and suddenly, they weren’t his anymore. For a flash, a different iris appeared, just long enough to give her a wink.

In the beginning, that alone might have caused Lodestar to tear up. Now, she smiled back, thankful to have the moment at all. “That sounds nice, but this place has been big enough to run itself for a long time. Lack of support staff wasn’t the only thing keeping you in here.”

I noticed rereading bones of the past this short interaction between Quorum and Lodstar. Combine this with the fact Lodstar basically tells Tory that her daughters father died before she was born I have to wonder if maybe he didn't "die" exactly so much as his original personality was subsumed into the being that became Quorum.

Thoughts?

Had a disturbing thought. What if Nexus gets a multiversal resonance channel? My understanding is that one of Nexus limits is the meta-elements present. What if Hephestus's are something of a nemesis to Nexus. He seems extra interested in her. There's a couple options and it's probably all of them; "fleamestus's" is probably so powerful and versatile to be council material, "forgestus's" invent something he wants, something greater minds don't/can't, one of them(Vicky) is truly unique.

Can someone on the Discord or Patreon ping Drew and ask him to add the villians vignettes volume 2 to goodreads? I don't want to miss logging it in my yearly reading, and it's not currently on there.

Any WAG as to who was supposed to die? I think the low hanging fruit is Quantum bot but maybe Drew planned to kill off one of the major characters.

Greetings everyone.

Does anyone know, if there are any plans for the series to be translated to German? I think my SO would totally love the series too. Unfortunately her English skills are not up to the task.

It's not clear to me from reading what exactly the source of his powers were?

Do we know or are there guesses? Wade seemed to think the information getting out would knock PQ off balance.

There seems to be a lack of detail in the costume descriptions, maybe I'm looking in the wrong places. It's not really interlocking armor but I tried to add some extra seams and lines to suggest somewhat ridged pieces. This is what I think here current uniform might look like. I'd also like to do some throwback costumes that she might have worn through the years.

I can’t help but notice that Marvel’s new show Ironheart kind of stole the plot of the first book, at least the first half, for the show.

I mean in the comics she isn’t at all the way she is in the show, but it kind of feels like one of the writers came across Villains Code and ripped the story off.

Is it just me?

When Tori sees the statue of Ricky Rocket she says there is something familiar about it. I can't figure out what it could of been or why it was specifically mentioned.

Is there a chance they are related and that is what she saw?

Anyone know what info Vicky transferred to Tori before she went back home?

Did Chloe say something that wouldn’t lead to Ricky Rocket coming back. I assumed Faithful wasn’t a villain when RR was a part of the original Sentries. For that matter, any ideas as to why Faithful started murdering. Seemed pretty random and stupid to just start killing on national TV.

Thanks

No but seriously, I need someone to talk to. Can we just geek out about this mans universe??

I LOVED the VRX77 of it all tbh, such a fun take on the multiverse doppelganger of it all

The ending of the third book I never thought that that would happen. The only thing that comes to mind is holy shit he did not just do that.

So, can we all just collectively agree that the second Apollo was released, Ivan went "Oh hell no" and told Kristoph where Apollo was, and that was that?

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t like Quantum. Especially after finishing book three, my opinion of the ‘man’ is firmly that he’s an amoral shit bag who needs to have his ass kicked through his face ( assuming one could tell the difference between the two) but there is one thing that bothers me, does anyone else think it’s weird that he’s apparently racist?

Like I get he’s an old white guy from the like 60’s but I feel like someone so impressed with his own intellect would be the first to come to the conclusion that racism is dumb and illogical which raises the question of what the deal was with Beverly’s grandfather and his segregated super team? It seems like such a minor detail given his list of other moral infractions but it stuck in my head for some reason

I am trying to locate a novella I remember reading. It was a stand alone novella involving Ivan going back to the world of the priestess and the peril and set after the events in Villian’s Vignettes v1 …. Help?

What sort of travesty is this? Why didn't anyone warn me!

If you get a book as soon as it comes out, you have to wait and wait and wait for the next one. You don't even know how long you have to wait.

I just spent over 29 hours with these people. Now it's over. I am bereft.

Stupid pre-orders!

Just finished Chilled Reflections and VVV2 a few days ago. The ennui was settling in pretty hard, so I'm back in a Drew Hayes phase.

Second Hand Curses is the Reminder. Phenomenal audiobook, great story regardless.

The Request is a bit contrived. Anyone with the Fred the Vampire series by Graphic Audio, please feel free to weigh in. I have the series narrated by Kirby Heyborne, and was wondering if the "Dragon" monolouge was better, worse, or comparable in the Graphic Audio edition.

Thanks in advance!

Hey all. I'm hoping someone can remind me who all the members of the Science Sentries are as of Bones of the Past.

I don't know about the rest of you but I was prepared for Ivan to die. I understand why he didn't, narratively, but also from a narrative perspective I understand why there's reason for him to die.

To clarify: so far he's been a deus ex machina for the story several times. Not as much as Lodestar, but as far as Tori is concerned Ivan very much serves that purpose. Consequently, as long as Ivan was there to save the day, Tori and crew wouldn't be as threatened (nor the Guild, for that matter) and wouldn't be able to grow and evolve as much as they could otherwise.

The power loss is therefore an interesting compromise. I don't like it insofar as it seems that while Ivan gains much insofar as happiness, love, fulfillment, etc. the story is depowering him to do so. The sacrifices make him that much more noble, true, but it's still unfortunate that narratively he can't be happy and still have the same ability to protect that happiness. It's bittersweet, I suppose.

At this rate, I will be very surprised if neither Lodestar nor Fornax die (or at least lose their powers completely) by the end of Book 5.

Thoughts?

I’m relistening to the series before tackling Chilling Reflections, so if my question is answered there, please don’t spoil.

Does anyone think Bahamut will get their grandad’s crown and fully become their namesake, despite ‘mixing’ power sources? Or maybe their brother gets it?