A combination that just now occurred to me: can you imagine the Fellowship if Severus Snape and Puddleglum were both part of it? Add in Eeyore instead of Bill the Pony and you have quite the Glum and Dour Fellowship! haha
For elves from the northern polar regions, I'd suggest subbing in Hermey from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for Buddy, due to his extensive experience with long quests and facing legendary monsters.
(His version of Jackson's Legolas vs the Oliphaunt scene ends with him standing next to a pile of enormous, expertly extracted tusks.)
I can’t help but think of Wit from Sanderson’s Cosmer as an interesting wizard option. And how about throwing Lopen (one armed) into the mix while we’re at it?
ohhhh, Wit would be so interesting!! My first thought is the absolute treat it would be to see him and Tom Bombadil interacting! But honestly just having him interact with everyone from Elrond to the Hobbits and match wits with Saruman or the Witch-king...so many good possibilities! And yes, I could see Lopen working so well too!
I didn't even think of Kaladin either, but I think he would be a great addition to the Fellowship as well.
Hey! Not to make these comments about platforms! But I just hopped over to your Medium! I’ve been on there as well for some time. It’s a great second place.
Glad to hear you're over there too! Just followed you back. I'm thinking that will be a place for me to both post content from the archives here but also to maybe post some things that don't quite fit what I'd normally post here. We'll see!
Bingo. That’s how I use it. There is less of a theme to what I post there and things are generally shorter. For me it’s where I put my newest thoughts out. Here I tend to focus on more developed stuff
Straying into different genres, but if you wanted stealth and speed for your Fellowship you couldn't do better than Batman. Plus he's got mad detective skills so he'd be good at solving riddles, and Moria? Psh. Batman could handle Moria in a cinch. He's probably got a freeze ray stashed from when he last fought Mr. Freeze; let's see the Balrog stand up to that.
My only other suggestion would be swapping up Matthias for Martin the Warrior, and maybe throwing in Poggin the Dwarf from the Last Battle. With all the running around in the woods they did, Poggin's got stealth down flat. And as for Martin, Matthias is cool, but Martin is the OG warriormouse in Redwall. Unless you're going to trade up for one of the Badger Lords or the Long Patrol (and wouldn't THAT be cool) I'd go with Martin.
Batman would be SO good haha. Almost *too* good...hmmm
And I totally see where you're coming from with Matthias vs Martin the Warrior. I chose Matthias because he's more "Hobbit-y" than Martin. He grows into his role over the course of the story, so he'd be a great character for the audience to identify with just like we identify with the Hobbits.
Though at least in the Adam West series, Batman will want Robin to handle the doors of Moria. On a rewatch I was surprised to see that the latter was the key player in Riddler appearances, to the point that he was shouting answers to Bruce over the phone while being held hostage.
Superman, alas, has a well known weakness to magic, which is why he's no better suited to flying the Ring to Mount Doom than the Eagles.
And with all due respect to the Green Lanterns, let's not put any of them in the path of a Ring of Power. ("No! It's entirely different from a power ring!")
Honestly, I'm not even sure the Marvel 'verse would work well either; Tony Stark would pick it up and be all "Oh, hey, this is cool, let's see what it can do," and next thing you know we'd have an Iron Lord ruling over Middle Earth.
On the other hand, I'd love to know how Bruce Banner handles it. "HULK NO LIKE SHINY RING! HULK SMASH RING!"
In the MCU, Starlord of all people is the one with a track record of being offered vast cosmic power and turning it down flat. So apparently he's our Faramir.
MCU Tony, on the other hand, is even worse than comics Tony for this job. Not only did he build a network of flying surveillance death platforms that got taken over by his enemies at least three times, not only did he use a powerful cosmic artifact to make a deadly super robot twice (hey, it worked out the second time), but his greatest moment of heroism was literally the Boromir Plan of using the weapon of the enemy against him.
Which may have worked with an Infinity Gauntlet, but don't try it with the One Ring.
I think MCU Cap would be sorely tried by the Ring. He'd probably, like Gandalf, be wise enough not to let himself touch or see it if at all possible.
But he'd relate strongly to the original reason the Elves made the Rings: he's seen the pain and loss the passage of time brings, and wants in his heart to restore things that were. (As his final choice shows.)
He also instinctively falls into leadership, and rejects rules and limits that stop him from doing what's needed. (Going AWOL in his first movie, rogue from SHIELD in his second, rejecting the Sokovia Accords.) He's always right to do so, but that's exactly what the Ring would play on, as Tolkien said that Gandalf's temptation would be to go from righteousness to self-righteousness.
And Cap is *always* facing impossible odds and needing more than what he has. He's one of the least personally powerful of the Avengers and the one the burden always falls on.
If he had the Ring, and it were constantly whispering about how just a brief, limited use could help *so* *much*... And he *knows* that following what he knew was the right course instead of the advice and demands of others has saved the day so many times before...
Mr. Collins is genius! I can just imagine him arguing with Gilmi over whether Galadriel or Lady Catherine de Bourgh was more beautiful, impressive, generous, etc. 😂
In this version he goes with Frodo and Sam all the way to Mount Doom and is the one to save the day by grabbing the Ring from Frodo but slipping and falling into the fires of Mount Doom clutching the Ring lol
It occurs to me that it's a different Star Wars character who hangs in the balance throughout the story until he falls at the end, and finishes by fighting the good guy and falling into lava...
Howl from Howl's Moving Castle (the books) would be an interesting swap for Gandalf, since he is good-natured and powerful but lazier and vainer than Gandalf. More likely to be best buds with Pippin and Merry from the get go. Plus friends with a fire demon, so some potential to twist up the Mines of Moria ending.
Love this article. A lot of fun thinking about swapping out different characters and how that changes the dynamics. Really leaning into how good stories are not just interesting plots, but interesting characters thrown into an interesting plot.
I know you said it as a joke, but perhaps the Fellowship IS all the characters we read along the way? None of us experience life the same way and part of who we are is what we read and carry along with us. So, even though Tolkien created the Fellowship, we get to bring with us our on history, thoughts, and biases into his world...including all the characters we have read along the way ❤️
Super fun! My personal fave is Buddy the Elf. Maybe we can get PJ to do a re-make?
Also, there have been several signs this week that are pushing me toward reading Discworld. I’ve read Good Omens and recently read Stardust (both just delightful), so I guess I need to listen to the universe.
There’s a great writing prompt in there somewhere. The “Bad Idea” writing tool is one of the most versatile approaches to writer’s block in my opinion, and this is a prime example.
I can imagine sitting down to write a book in which nine companions—adapted from different books/stories—are thrust together in seemingly the worst combination in order to complete a quest. I might just give it a go!
A combination that just now occurred to me: can you imagine the Fellowship if Severus Snape and Puddleglum were both part of it? Add in Eeyore instead of Bill the Pony and you have quite the Glum and Dour Fellowship! haha
PLEASE, somebody write this!!! 😂
I agree!!!! 😂
For elves from the northern polar regions, I'd suggest subbing in Hermey from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for Buddy, due to his extensive experience with long quests and facing legendary monsters.
(His version of Jackson's Legolas vs the Oliphaunt scene ends with him standing next to a pile of enormous, expertly extracted tusks.)
Oh Hermey would be great! A seasoned and brave adventurer for the Company!
I can’t help but think of Wit from Sanderson’s Cosmer as an interesting wizard option. And how about throwing Lopen (one armed) into the mix while we’re at it?
ohhhh, Wit would be so interesting!! My first thought is the absolute treat it would be to see him and Tom Bombadil interacting! But honestly just having him interact with everyone from Elrond to the Hobbits and match wits with Saruman or the Witch-king...so many good possibilities! And yes, I could see Lopen working so well too!
I didn't even think of Kaladin either, but I think he would be a great addition to the Fellowship as well.
Yeah I’d love to see Wit roasting Saruman!
Hey! Not to make these comments about platforms! But I just hopped over to your Medium! I’ve been on there as well for some time. It’s a great second place.
Here I am
https://medium.com/@Bob-Marcus/what-i-bring-to-the-good-fight-616740836132
Glad to hear you're over there too! Just followed you back. I'm thinking that will be a place for me to both post content from the archives here but also to maybe post some things that don't quite fit what I'd normally post here. We'll see!
Bingo. That’s how I use it. There is less of a theme to what I post there and things are generally shorter. For me it’s where I put my newest thoughts out. Here I tend to focus on more developed stuff
Straying into different genres, but if you wanted stealth and speed for your Fellowship you couldn't do better than Batman. Plus he's got mad detective skills so he'd be good at solving riddles, and Moria? Psh. Batman could handle Moria in a cinch. He's probably got a freeze ray stashed from when he last fought Mr. Freeze; let's see the Balrog stand up to that.
My only other suggestion would be swapping up Matthias for Martin the Warrior, and maybe throwing in Poggin the Dwarf from the Last Battle. With all the running around in the woods they did, Poggin's got stealth down flat. And as for Martin, Matthias is cool, but Martin is the OG warriormouse in Redwall. Unless you're going to trade up for one of the Badger Lords or the Long Patrol (and wouldn't THAT be cool) I'd go with Martin.
Batman would be SO good haha. Almost *too* good...hmmm
And I totally see where you're coming from with Matthias vs Martin the Warrior. I chose Matthias because he's more "Hobbit-y" than Martin. He grows into his role over the course of the story, so he'd be a great character for the audience to identify with just like we identify with the Hobbits.
Though at least in the Adam West series, Batman will want Robin to handle the doors of Moria. On a rewatch I was surprised to see that the latter was the key player in Riddler appearances, to the point that he was shouting answers to Bruce over the phone while being held hostage.
Superman, alas, has a well known weakness to magic, which is why he's no better suited to flying the Ring to Mount Doom than the Eagles.
And with all due respect to the Green Lanterns, let's not put any of them in the path of a Ring of Power. ("No! It's entirely different from a power ring!")
Honestly, I'm not even sure the Marvel 'verse would work well either; Tony Stark would pick it up and be all "Oh, hey, this is cool, let's see what it can do," and next thing you know we'd have an Iron Lord ruling over Middle Earth.
On the other hand, I'd love to know how Bruce Banner handles it. "HULK NO LIKE SHINY RING! HULK SMASH RING!"
In the MCU, Starlord of all people is the one with a track record of being offered vast cosmic power and turning it down flat. So apparently he's our Faramir.
(Or Galadriel. 🙂)
MCU Tony, on the other hand, is even worse than comics Tony for this job. Not only did he build a network of flying surveillance death platforms that got taken over by his enemies at least three times, not only did he use a powerful cosmic artifact to make a deadly super robot twice (hey, it worked out the second time), but his greatest moment of heroism was literally the Boromir Plan of using the weapon of the enemy against him.
Which may have worked with an Infinity Gauntlet, but don't try it with the One Ring.
Oh, yeah; if MCU Tony gets the One Ring, we're dead. Cap, now, I don't know. He'd probably end up being the Bombadil of the universe.
I think MCU Cap would be sorely tried by the Ring. He'd probably, like Gandalf, be wise enough not to let himself touch or see it if at all possible.
But he'd relate strongly to the original reason the Elves made the Rings: he's seen the pain and loss the passage of time brings, and wants in his heart to restore things that were. (As his final choice shows.)
He also instinctively falls into leadership, and rejects rules and limits that stop him from doing what's needed. (Going AWOL in his first movie, rogue from SHIELD in his second, rejecting the Sokovia Accords.) He's always right to do so, but that's exactly what the Ring would play on, as Tolkien said that Gandalf's temptation would be to go from righteousness to self-righteousness.
And Cap is *always* facing impossible odds and needing more than what he has. He's one of the least personally powerful of the Avengers and the one the burden always falls on.
If he had the Ring, and it were constantly whispering about how just a brief, limited use could help *so* *much*... And he *knows* that following what he knew was the right course instead of the advice and demands of others has saved the day so many times before...
This is excellent content. Thank you. 😂
So glad you enjoyed it! And you're welcome!
Ugh, Jar Jar Binks!
I thought of Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudice. He would be completely worthless. Haha.
Mr. Collins is genius! I can just imagine him arguing with Gilmi over whether Galadriel or Lady Catherine de Bourgh was more beautiful, impressive, generous, etc. 😂
Ha! No one is superior to her Ladyship.
Oddly enough, that could be a quote from either of them. 🙂
Though if Mr. Collins is wise he'll follow Eomer's example, lest he face Gimli's axe.
"Meesa Jar Jar Binks! Meesa ruin Star Wars...and LOTR!"
In this version he goes with Frodo and Sam all the way to Mount Doom and is the one to save the day by grabbing the Ring from Frodo but slipping and falling into the fires of Mount Doom clutching the Ring lol
It occurs to me that it's a different Star Wars character who hangs in the balance throughout the story until he falls at the end, and finishes by fighting the good guy and falling into lava...
oh anakin would absolutely try to take the ring if he thought he could use it to save Padme. nice parallel that you brought up there!
This was genuinely hilarious. So much fun imagining these scenarios/interactions.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I definitely had a lot of fun coming up with candidates in every category haha
Howl from Howl's Moving Castle (the books) would be an interesting swap for Gandalf, since he is good-natured and powerful but lazier and vainer than Gandalf. More likely to be best buds with Pippin and Merry from the get go. Plus friends with a fire demon, so some potential to twist up the Mines of Moria ending.
Love this article. A lot of fun thinking about swapping out different characters and how that changes the dynamics. Really leaning into how good stories are not just interesting plots, but interesting characters thrown into an interesting plot.
I now demand a Fellowship with Gilderoy Lockhart and Buddy the Elf. LOL!
I know you said it as a joke, but perhaps the Fellowship IS all the characters we read along the way? None of us experience life the same way and part of who we are is what we read and carry along with us. So, even though Tolkien created the Fellowship, we get to bring with us our on history, thoughts, and biases into his world...including all the characters we have read along the way ❤️
Super fun! My personal fave is Buddy the Elf. Maybe we can get PJ to do a re-make?
Also, there have been several signs this week that are pushing me toward reading Discworld. I’ve read Good Omens and recently read Stardust (both just delightful), so I guess I need to listen to the universe.
There’s a great writing prompt in there somewhere. The “Bad Idea” writing tool is one of the most versatile approaches to writer’s block in my opinion, and this is a prime example.
I can imagine sitting down to write a book in which nine companions—adapted from different books/stories—are thrust together in seemingly the worst combination in order to complete a quest. I might just give it a go!