In about 5 minutes. ![;P]( "Wink/Razz")
Commission drawn for me by GuilhermeRM featuring my character Jessie Lockhart as a Beat Em up video game character. Inspired by this commission I got not too long ago:
For anyone whose played a Beat Em Up, you know how tough it can be to be a protagonist in those games. If it's not a gang of thugs kidnapping your lover or a seemingly endless swarm of minions getting in your way reaching the big boss, it's when you get beaten they always put you in some sort of peril or death trap. If you wanna see some scenes from older video games that were likely traumatizing to kids, go check out the "continue" screens for games like Ninja Gaiden and Final Fight.
Anyway, no imagine that you're not only one of those protagonists, but you're also the love interest. In the Neon City, Jessie Lockhart find himself in the same position as classic arcade damsels like Kate from Vendetta and Judy from Legionnaire as both the member of a group of vigilante crime fighting martial artists, but also the lover of the most popular member and the group's leader Trevor Blake. And as we all know, much like the arcade classics Final Fight and Double Dragon, whom Jessica Haggar and Marian Kelly respectively found themselves in the clutches of notorious gangs, Jessie himself also gets himself kidnapped and held captive in the act of duty protecting his city from thugs, bullies, and killers. So often so that he's developed a reputation as being dangerous, but once you've subdued him he's very much helpless and requires rescue. A pair of handcuffs, some rope, or tape go a long way to turning this skilled and deadly martial artist into a helpless whimpering damsel in distress. It's earned him the nickname of the Deadly Damsel. As much as it bothers Jessie, it's not for lack of trying to clean the slate of such a reputation. He's worked hard on not letting simple restraints so easily subdue him as well as free himself whenever he finds himself tied up and held captive. Unfortunately, for whatever reason he can't seem to figure out (or possibly admit to) he can never seem to overcome these obstacles. Not unlike the early days of Wonder Woman, introduce a little bit of rope and he suddenly becomes powerless. Whatever skills and drive he has, they all seem to wash away and Jessie becomes overwhelmed by a sense of timidness and ineptitude. Whatever the reasons are, Jessie usually will find himself bound and gagged in some warehouse or secret lair, waiting to be rescued be his friends and his lover. Most of the time his captors aren't interested in hurting or killing him, just keeping him out of trouble as well as using him as a bargaining chip. Every now and then though, he's used as bait for a trap or put into a perilous situation to taunt him before his "inevitable" demise. Fortunately, his allies never fail to rescue him. Despite the wishes of his friends, concerned his bad luck for getting kidnapped will get him hurt someday, and the embarrassment of being seen as a joke and a subject of kinky and perverted fantasizing, Jessie soldiers on. His drive to protect his city and not let his history dictate his future. However, secretly Jessie can't deny that when he's all tied up, gagged, and helpless and left to wait to be rescued that he gets some amount pleasure out of the situation. He'll never admit it to anyone, but even he can't lie to himself that being a damsel in distress has it's perks.
Big thanks to Guilherme for the fantastic artwork again! Really enjoying these side by side pieces with one side featuring Jessie doing a cute and/or sexy pose and the other side as a follow up of him all tied up and helpless. It's a natural progression for him, no? ^.~
Jessie © Me ^_^
Art by GuilhermeRM
