Finally got around to doing a "Story Behind The Story" for 2020.


Year's almost over and I'm just now getting to the first
"Story Behind The Story" of 2020. This go-around, we look at
"Class Struggle", the first story depicting Combat as a teacher.


SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE STORY! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!


















































































I knew, after introducing the idea of Combat serving as a martial arts
instructor at the Colmaton base in "He Had It Coming" and
"Rumble in Colmaton", I'd have to do a story about Combat as a teacher.
So, I went about getting students.  MojoRover offered up the bulk
of the class, with  bosshoss1 offering up Computer Mouse. They also
gave suggestions as to how each character would do in Combat's class
(performance in class, attitude, etc.), which I would use in a later
scene when Combat gives Dyno-Donkey and Ranger his progress report. The
original title of the story was "Sifu Combat". Then, I figured not
everyone knew what "sifu" meant, so I changed the title to "Class
Struggle", sort of a play on the phrase. That's also the reason his
students address him as "sensei" in future stories.

The whole shtick about Mystic Cat assuming Combat was gay because
he turned her down was actually inspired in part by a sermon I'd
heard on a Women's Day at a church I was attending. Ironically enough,
I originally considered having Combat be one of Mystic Cat's numerous
past flings. If I'd kept that bit of backstory, she'd probably know for
certain he wasn't gay. I cribbed Joseph's three rules from the "Sins of
the Father" episode of The New Batman Adventures. Going by
established lore, Mystic Cat and Doe Dynamo would obviously be disruptive.
Reginald being the oldest in the class, it made sense for him to be the
sort of peacekeeper in the class.


I also decided this would be the actual first story to explicitly state
that Combat had witnessed his parents' murder as a boy. I'd only had
him have a brief flashback in the opening of "Rumble in Colmaton". Mystic
Cat quipping about a bully kicking sand in his face was a reference to
the old "The Insult That Made A Man Out of Mac" Charles Atlas ad they
printed in comic books back in the day.  bosshoss1 had e-mailed me
with some insight regarding Computer Mouse, which helped me to write the
impromptu sparring session between she and Combat which convinced her not
to quit the class.

This was also the first story where I mention Shinkansen. I hadn't yet
quite decided on a species for him, but I did determine that he was
smitten with Doe Dynamo after the video of the Taco Shack incident went
viral. For those who don't know what the Taco Shack incident is, it was
an event depicted in the old Furry Supers RP group, in which Doe Dynamo
was in a Taco Shack when her leotard started riding up, exposing her
backside, which was captured on video and went viral. Also, I figured
Combat would try to curb Doe Dynamo's attentions as they were teacher
and student. Also, constantly writing her flirting with him would get
real old real fast.

I do admit that I might have misinterpreted Techrat's feelings for
Computer Mouse somewhat, thinking that he was still a kid with a crush,
as opposed to now seeing her as a big sister. On the other hand, it could
easily be interpreted as him thinking she's cool.


The scene with Mystic Cat and Combat disguised as a ninja was inspired
by an old Marvel back-up story entitled "Pale Reflection", which
starred the Prowler. Prowler placed too much faith in his gadgets, just
like MC placed too much faith in her powers. The scene even ended like
how that story ended: with the teacher forcing the student to refer to
them by title.

Joseph making Fiona and Patricia spar at the end of the story was just
a fun little idea to sort of bring things full circle as I'd had Patricia
mocking Fiona about her past occupation.



And that is the story behind "Class Struggle".