5th Wikibox Contest: Is This The Real Life, Is This Just Fantasy?

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Wikibox Contest #5: Is This The Real Life, Is This Just Fantasy?

Welcome to the fifth round of the Alternate History Wikibox Contest!

The prompt for this round is "Is This The Real Life, Is This Just Fantasy?" -- Make infoboxes that portray fictional characters and events as real, or real characters and events as fake.
This round's prompt was suggested by BetterCallPaulson.

Rules and Guidelines

Each entry should consist of a writeup and at least one wikibox.

Obviously, please do not plagiarize other people's content or ideas.

This is a 2-week contest, so the deadline will be Thursday, February 11 (midnight at UTC+8 time zone). That is also when I will post the voting thread for this round.

Please limit this thread to entries only. Feel free to talk about anything related to the contest in the discussion thread.

Best of luck to all competitors! Remember that the discussion thread is always open for questions as well as suggestions for future themes.​

 

[TheHedgehog]

The Sum of All Fears...

Jerrold Robert Fowler is an American politician and businessman who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1989 to 1991. A member of the Democratic Party, Fowler also served as the 64th Governor of Ohio from 1979 to 1987, and before that in the Ohio state legislature.
Fowler was born and raised in Canton, Ohio, where his father owned a grocery store. He attended Miami University and graduated with a law degree before serving in the U.S. Marines. After being discharged, he entered local politics by winning election to the Ohio House of Representatives. After an unsuccessful bid for Attorney General, he won the gubernatorial race in 1978. During his time as Governor, Fowler oversaw a successful balancing of the budget, a controversial re-imposition of the death penalty, and massive infrastructure projects.
After leaving the Governorship, Fowler set his sights on the Presidency, winning the Democratic nomination, before going on to defeat President Candler in the general election. During his first two years, Fowler signed into law bills raising the corporate tax rate, establishing a national healthcare system, and expanding the national rail system. However, Fowler is best remembered for the Superbowl Attack and his subsequent mishandling of a standoff between U.S. and Soviet forces. Believing the Soviets to be responsible, Fowler nearly instigated war before then-Deputy CIA Director Jack Ryan defused the situation. However, upon learning that the terrorists responsible for the Superbowl Attack had implicated Ayatollah Daryaei in the plot, Fowler ordered a nuclear strike on the Ayatollah's home in Qom. Once again, Jack Ryan defused the situation by refusing to give consent to the strike, invoking the two-man rule. Under intense pressure from the Republicans, as well as his own Vice President, Fowler resigned in disgrace soon after.
At first, Fowler remained isolated, fearing the response should he appear in public. The first time he appeared after resigning was at Roger Durling's state funeral, where, in a much-publicized picture, shook hands with now-President Ryan. Since then, he has become involved in the movement for Nuclear Disarmament, and has worked to eliminate poverty in the U.S. His public image has been rehabilitated, especially after the publication of his autobiography, Success and Failure, brought new attention to his major domestic accomplishments.

 

[peepingsignal]

The Mushroom Cup is a kart racing competition organized by the Agarican Motorsports Organization. First held in 1992, it is a series of four races between March and May every year. As of 2015 the courses run are Mushroom Kingdom Stadium, Water Park Splashway, Sweet Sweet Canyondome and Thwomp Raceway.

The series was established in 1992 as a gesture of goodwill and sportsmanship between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Koopa State. It was suggested by Princess Peach Toadstool that a kart race should be held in an attempt to thaw relations between the two nations following the Second Koopa-Mushroom War. Lord Doug Bowser, himself a karting fan, quickly agreed. While originally planned as a single race, it quickly took the shape of four races, two held in each nation. It was the first series in the eventual Global Karting League, which now comprises of participants from eight nations and territories.

The series has had nine different champions over its 29-year history. The most prominent is Mario Mario, winning fourteen championships throughout his career. His dominance has led to the Cup and the League as a whole being nicknamed "Mario Kart". His brother Luigi Mario has won twice, in 2001 and 2013. In 2005, Princess Toadstool became the first female winner of the Cup.

The 2011 Closing Ceremony was the target of Koopa-aligned Bob-ombs which killed 29 people. A memorial was set up outside Baby Park the following year. The 29th Mushroom Cup in 2020 was cancelled after one race due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

[Nofix]

Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?

The Mississippi Constitution of 1890 initially set the terms of all state official at two years each, with no chance of consecutive re-election. A constitutional amendment passed in 1934 allowed the Governor to serve up to consecutive two terms maximum, with Menelaus “Pappy” O'Daniel, elected in 1935, being the first Governor seek immediate re-election.

O'Daniel, a flour businessman, represented the rural and commercial elements of the Mississippi Democratic Party. Despite his incumbency, his wide-reaching radio show The Flour Hour, and his support from many state planter elites, there was immense dissatisfaction among the general public. He was widely believed to be corrupt, with various opponents accusing him of taking money from saloons, granting licenses to businesses that supported him, selling pardons, appointing people who were either incompetent, family, or both, and, worst of all to white Mississippians, being lax on the issue of miscegenation.

Few people openly challenged O'Daniel, even fewer knowing how to run against an incumbent Governor. Eventually one emerged, reform candidate Homer Stokes. Campaigning around the state as the “friend to the little man,” based on an anti-planter, anti-elite, anti-corruption, anti-black, pro-reform, platform, Stokes was able to capture the hearts and minds of poor white voters, putting O'Daniel's re-election campaign at risk.

Despite an early blaze of popularity, with many newspapers being convinced he would triumph over Governor O'Daniel in the Democratic primary, a disastrous campaign dinner destroyed Stokes' chances of victory. Not only had Stokes announced himself as a Klan member (something that had fallen out of favor in the late 1930's, even among white Mississippians), and had even denounced his own entertainment of the night, (the then-immensely popular band, Soggy Bottoms Boys), but Governor O'Daniel was able to storm the party, endear himself to Stokes' voters, and get the endorsement of the Soggy Bottom Boys.

 

[King of the Uzbeks]

Mark Watney is an American Astronaut from Chicago, Illinois, most famous for his pivotal role in the Ares III Mission.

Watney was born and raised in Chicago, and pursued both undergraduate and doctoral work there. While at the University of Chicago he played Catcher for the Baseball Team. Upon completion of his studies, he entered into the NASA Training program. He was eventually made an Astronaut, and slotted into the Ares Program. He was a finalist and backup for the Ares II, but ultimately did not fly that mission. Watney was selected for the Ares III mission under Melissa Lewis.

Watney was accidentally left beyond on Mars when the Ares III mission aborted due to a freak storm, with a freak accident making NASA, his crew mates, and the world believe him dead. In fact, Watney had survived and was forced to survive alone on the hostile planet. He made modifications to major equipment pieces and undertook the first agricultural program outside of Earth. He was eventually able to retrieve the Pathfinder probe and temporarily restore contact with Earth. Due to the failures of the Iris Resupply Mission, the Hermes was redirected to Mars, while Watney engaged in a long, oftentimes treacherous journey to reach a Mars Ascent Vehicle. After a harrowing launch he was reunited with his Crew-mates. The return journey was largely uneventful.

Watney, after recovering from the health issues caused by his prolonged stay, has become an astronaut training teacher. He has categorically refused any prospect of returning to Space. He has become a prominent environmental activist as well.

Watney has received virtually every award that can possibly be given to an Astronaut, and holds numerous records and first related to Spaceflight as well, including most EVA Hours logged and most time spent on a body other than Earth.

 

[Kerguelen]

Reagan for President is an American political-satire sitcom series that originally aired on CBS from March 30, 1981, to July 1, 1987. The show stars Ronald Reagan playing a fictional version of himself who abandons acting to run for President against an unpopular incumbent and wins by a landslide. Anne Frances Robbins portrays Nancy, Reagan's deeply religious and superstitious wife who constantly feuds with Patti, Reagan's liberal "hippie" daughter. Jim Downey, the series creator plays George Bush, Reagan's uncharismatic Vice President and the former head of the C.I.A who maintains his connections to launch illegal missions into foreign countries. Meanwhile, Dabney Coleman plays Al Haig, the power-hungry Secretary of State who resigns after realizing his repeated schemes to overthrow Reagan are pointless and is replaced by Martin Basalm as George Shultz.

While a sitcom, Reagan for President is a political satire at heart, with the fears common throughout post-Watergate America common throughout the show. With examples of increasing cultural polarization, mistrust towards political institutions, and concerns of gross government incompetence often exemplified, Reagan for President is often seen as the defining political satire of the 80s. While Ronald Reagan's own deeply liberal views may have contributed to what many political commentators criticize as a "harmful misrepresentation of conservative values", Jim Downey maintains that the show was not intended as a criticism of conservatives but rather "a criticism of America as a whole". Regarding the show itself, Reagan simply stated that "The idea behind Reagan for President was that there was so much fear in this country, America was willing to put anyone in the Oval Office. And you know with enough charm and charisma, even a cowboy actor could become President, but that doesn't mean he should be."

Following the series end after its five-season run, talks were made to create a following series in a matter similar to many successful sitcoms. Despite this, Reagan's resistance towards CBS's proposals for a spin-off managed to prevent anything from coming into fruition. While many viewers criticized how the show became increasingly frivolous in the later seasons with demonic possession, alien infiltration, and the end of the Cold War becoming common plot points, Reagan for President nonetheless remains beloved in its entirety by millions of Americans to this day.

 

[Tobias Corbett]

​

Leslie Barbara Knope (born January 18, 1975) is an American politician who has served as 49th President of the United States since January 20, 2045. She is a member of the Democratic Party, and previously held office as the 51st Vice President of the United States and 52nd Governor of her home state of Indiana. She is married to Ben Wyatt, a former Representative from Indiana who has represented the state in the US Senate since 2031.

Knope started out her political career as a member of the Parks and Recreation Department in her hometown of Pawnee, Indiana, rising up to serve as Deputy Director. She also briefly served on the Pawnee city council, although was removed from office in a recall election after attempting to raise taxes on sugar products. She later served as director of the National Parks Service Midwest region, before becoming Deputy Director of Operations at United States Department of the Interior in the Joe Biden administration.

In 2028, she resigned from her position at the DOI in order to run for Governor of Indiana, eventually defeating incumbent Republican Greg Pence (the brother of former Indiana Governor and Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence) in the November 2028 election, taking office as the 52nd Governor of Indiana in January 2029. She was the state's first Democratic Governor in nearly two and a half decades. After California Senator Ro Khanna won the Democratic nomination for President in 2036, she was selected as his running mate. The Khanna-Knope ticket went on to defeat the Republican ticket, consisting of incumbent Vice President Nikki Haley and failed Businessman Donald Trump Jr. Upon her election she became the second woman elected to the Vice Presidency.

Khanna, term limited and unable to run for re-election in 2044, endorsed Knope and she went on to win the Democratic nomination for President without much opposition, eventually going on to win the general election in a landslide against the Republican nominee, Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), becoming the first woman elected as President.

 

[BetterCallPaulson]

Adolf Hitler is the main character of the German 2004-2012 Comedy Mockumentary TV Show, The Bunker, which focuses on Adolf as he runs Germany from his Bunker in Berlin.

Adolf gets into wacky adventures with his staff, including his secretary Traudl Junge (Who he had a relationship with from Season 4-Season 7), Personal Assistant Otto Gunsche, Fanatical Deputy Chancellor Joseph Goebbels, Deputy Fuhrer Martin Bormann, Best Friend and Minister of War and Defense Hermann Goring, Objector and Cousin Alfred Jodl, Generals Hans Krebs, Wilhelm Burgdorf and Wilhelm Keitel, Trusted Associate Heinrich Himmler and Constant Thorn In The Side, Hermann Fegelein.

After becoming Chancellor after winning a small victory in the German Elections, Adolf is quickly thrust into the position of Acting President after the current President falls ill and becomes President Full time in the Season One Finale.

Adolf also has to deal with threats from his ex-boyfriend and Leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin as well as having to constantly battle his own cabinet because of their incompetence (or rather, his incompetence and their attempts to help him be better)

Adolf has a relationship with Traudl for 4 seasons, and the relationship ended with the two nearly getting married but calling it off.

Eventually, Adolf met the sister in law of Fegelein, Eva Braun, and the two dated until the finale, where the two got married.

Adolf is remembered as one of the funniest TV Characters and Ganz won multiple awards for his portrayal.

 

[farmerted555]

View attachment 622705
Adolf Hitler is the main character of the German 2004-2012 Comedy Mockumentary TV Show, The Bunker, which focuses on Adolf as he runs Germany from his Bunker in Berlin.

Adolf gets into wacky adventures with his staff, including his secretary Traudl Junge (Who he had a relationship with from Season 4-Season 7), Personal Assistant Otto Gunsche, Fanatical Deputy Chancellor Joseph Goebbels, Deputy Fuhrer Martin Bormann, Best Friend and Minister of War and Defense Hermann Goring, Objector and Cousin Alfred Jodl, Generals Hans Krebs, Wilhelm Burgdorf and Wilhelm Keitel, Trusted Associate Heinrich Himmler and Constant Thorn In The Side, Hermann Fegelein.

After becoming Chancellor after winning a small victory in the German Elections, Adolf is quickly thrust into the position of Acting President after the current President falls ill and becomes President Full time in the Season One Finale.

Adolf also has to deal with threats from his ex-boyfriend and Leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin as well as having to constantly battle his own cabinet because of their incompetence (or rather, his incompetence and their attempts to help him be better)

Adolf has a relationship with Traudl for 4 seasons, and the relationship ended with the two nearly getting married but calling it off.

Eventually, Adolf met the sister in law of Fegelein, Eva Braun, and the two dated until the finale, where the two got married.

Adolf is remembered as one of the funniest TV Characters and Ganz won multiple awards for his portrayal.

Who plays Fegelein?

 

[TheTexasRanger]

The New York City Massacre, also known as 11/2, was the single deadliest day in world history. Perpetrated by ex-vigilante and former richest man in the world, Adrian Veidt, with the purpose of avoiding Nuclear Armageddon and the possible extinction of humanity. This was done by creating a genetically modified psychic squid, with the unwitting aid of science fiction writer Mark Shea, other artists, and a dozen or so scientists that believed they were working on a secret film production, with all involved later being killed by Veidt. All this was done in secret, with rains of Baby Squids occurring globally thanks to Adrien so as to perpetuate the false narrative that this incident was the beginning of a full scale invasion from another dimension.
The night of the Massacre, the vigilantes: Night Owl II (Dan Dreiberg), Rorschach (Walter Kovacs), Second Silk Spectre (Laurie Juspeczyk), and Doctor Manhattan (Jon Osterman) unaware that Adrien had activated his plan by the time the vigilantes had arrived at Karnak. While Night Owl, Silk Spectre and Dr. Manhattan decided it would the best to not reveal the truth of things that night, Rorschach, with his deep convictions of absolute justice was murdered by Dr. Manhattan to prevent the truth from being revealed that night.
The truth wouldn't be revealed until ex-vigilante and Anti-Vigilante Task Force member, Laurie Blake, and Tulsa detective Looking Glass (Wade Tillman), arrested Adrien following the events of the Tulsa Incident, where the trio weaponized the baby squids to prevent Lady Trieu from taking the powers of Dr. Manhattan, whom had just been killed by Senator Joe Keene as part of a plot by white-supremacist organization, Cyclops.
Through the testimonies of Adrien Veidt, Laurie Blake and ex-vigilante, Dan Dreiberg, the truth of the night as well a tape that revealed the Redford Administration knew of the truth as well as both past and current members of the Senate appropriations committee. Other events that followed included the Impeachment of Robert Redford (ongoing), the removal of all current Senate Appropriations Committee, as well as the arrest of several former and current members of congress for ties to Cyclops, revealed following a raid both Senator Joe Keene and former Senator John Keenes' offices.
Other outcomes of the revelation of the aftermath includes the push to revoke the Defense of Police Act and the Keene Act as both were revealed to be attempts to push the agendas of Cyclops, with the later revealing that the police protests and riots that precipitated the creation of the Keene Act were both organized by Cyclops with the later being induced by their use of hypnotic technology.
Global tensions have also been on the rise following the revelations of the false flag attack and the end of the Squid Rains as well as the reports of the apparent death of Dr. Manhattan, though scientists are still picking up his specific radiation signature in Tulsa, though most theorize that it's residual from his passing and the destruction of the machine that helped had taken his powers.

 

[Amateur Psephologist]

View attachment 623384
The New York City Massacre, also known as 11/2, was the single deadliest day in world history. Perpetrated by ex-vigilante and former richest man in the world, Adrian Veidt, with the purpose of avoiding Nuclear Armageddon and the possible extinction of humanity. This was done by creating a genetically modified psychic squid, with the unwitting aid of science fiction writer Mark Shea, other artists, and a dozen or so scientists that believed they were working on a secret film production, with all involved later being killed by Veidt. All this was done in secret, with rains of Baby Squids occurring globally thanks to Adrien so as to perpetuate the false narrative that this incident was the beginning of a full scale invasion from another dimension.
The night of the Massacre, the vigilantes: Night Owl II (Dan Dreiberg), Rorschach (Walter Kovacs), Second Silk Spectre (Laurie Juspeczyk), and Doctor Manhattan (Jon Osterman) unaware that Adrien had activated his plan by the time the vigilantes had arrived at Karnak. While Night Owl, Silk Spectre and Dr. Manhattan decided it would the best to not reveal the truth of things that night, Rorschach, with his deep convictions of absolute justice was murdered by Dr. Manhattan to prevent the truth from being revealed that night.
The truth wouldn't be revealed until ex-vigilante and Anti-Vigilante Task Force member, Laurie Blake, and Tulsa detective Looking Glass (Wade Tillman), arrested Adrien following the events of the Tulsa Incident, where the trio weaponized the baby squids to prevent Lady Trieu from taking the powers of Dr. Manhattan, whom had just been killed by Senator Joe Keene as part of a plot by white-supremacist organization, Cyclops.
Through the testimonies of Adrien Veidt, Laurie Blake and ex-vigilante, Dan Dreiberg, the truth of the night as well a tape that revealed the Redford Administration knew of the truth as well as both past and current members of the Senate appropriations committee. Other events that followed included the Impeachment of Robert Redford (ongoing), the removal of all current Senate Appropriations Committee, as well as the arrest of several former and current members of congress for ties to Cyclops, revealed following a raid both Senator Joe Keene and former Senator John Keenes' offices.
Other outcomes of the revelation of the aftermath includes the push to revoke the Defense of Police Act and the Keene Act as both were revealed to be attempts to push the agendas of Cyclops, with the later revealing that the police protests and riots that precipitated the creation of the Keene Act were both organized by Cyclops with the later being induced by their use of hypnotic technology.
Global tensions have also been on the rise following the revelations of the false flag attack and the end of the Squid Rains as well as the reports of the apparent death of Dr. Manhattan, though scientists are still picking up his specific radiation signature in Tulsa, though most theorize that it's residual from his passing and the destruction of the machine that helped had taken his powers.

1985 New York City "Squid Rain" incident

 

[AckbarKhan]

Due to the lack of much canon material, I full admit I made up most of the events depicted.

​

The Eugenics War can trace its origins to The Chrysalis Project. Originally it was a secret program to create a race of superior humans to lead the species to peace, but internal forces converted the program into developing the perfect soldier, sold to the highest bidder. The Augments eventually revolted against their creators, taking control of Chrysalis. They secretly spread throughout the world, inserting themselves into nations’ military and political structures worldwide. Viewing themselves as superior, they aimed to seize control of these nations and eventually establish their complete dominance over the planet.
Through a series of coups and covert actions, the Augments seized control of dozens of nations throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Africa from the late 1960s through the 1980s. Portraying themselves as liberators of oppressed peoples, the Augments, led by Khan Singh, quickly moved to modernize and arm their nations to prepare for war. As their alliance, the Great Khanate became a more evident threat the remaining countries of the world united against them, including the United States and the Soviet Union, who would diplomatically end their Cold War.
After years of growing tensions and close calls, such as the Tiananmen Incident and the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait, the war erupted when Khanate allied Yugoslavia fell apart due to internal ethnic tensions. Khanate forces quickly launched offensives into Australia, Arabia, much of West and Central Africa, the Balkans, South Korea, numerous fronts in the Soviet Union, Taiwan, and Turkey. They also launched and funded multiple rebel and insurrectionist forces worldwide to draw U.N forces away from priority fronts. Their initial offensive in 1992 and 1993 was, largely, major successes, with numerous nations fell to Khanate armies. The deployment of legions of Augment soldiers, created after Khan seized control of Chrysalis, gave the already more numerous Khanate forces an additional lethal advantage in the field.
The tide turned against the Great Khanate in 1994 when a combination of overextension, rugged terrain, and numerous military defeats gave momentum to the United Nations. The Second Battle of the Coral Sea saw Bernard Maltuvis’s naval forces decisively beaten, saving Australia. The Battle of Vienna stopped Khanate advances in Europe and saw history repeat itself when a Polish armored division broke Khanate lines. The Battle of Astrakhan prevented the Khanate forces from the Caucuses and Central Asian fronts from beginning an invasion of European Russia. The mountainous terrain in Ethiopia and the jungles of the Congo also ground down their forces in Africa. These victories also correlated with insurgent forces mostly being put down in the Americas. This allowed for the significant redeployment of troops to other fronts. A significant intelligence coup also allowed for the beginning of Operation Birds of Prey, which saw combined U.N. forces begin to destroy many of Operation Chrysalis’s sites, preventing the replenishing of the Augment legions.
1995 saw United Nations forces counterattack across the planet. Central and Southern African forces marching north, combined with Operation Bogart from NATO armies in North Africa, turned the tide in Africa. European and Soviet troops would clear Yugoslav and Khanate forces from Europe, and reinforced with American forces, the Soviets began a slow advance in Central Asia and the Far East. The long-expected Khanate Invasion of Japan would be launched, attempting to turn the tide. Despite the USS Enterprise’s loss, the Battle of the Sea of Japan was a major U.N. victory, giving them the ability to reinforce Australia and launch Taiwan’s liberation. The defeats of 1994 and 1995 also saw Khan’s well-sculpted image of invincibility fall, and it saw long-dormant tensions between the Augments flare up again. Bernard Maltuvis, blaming Khan for his setbacks in Australia, launched a failed coup against Khan, who would execute him for his failures.
1996 saw the Great Khanate’s final defeat at the combined hands of the United Nations and his rebelling subordinates. By summer Africa and Australia would be cleared of Khanate forces, Taiwan liberated, the Soviet Union largely cleared, and incursions into the Middle East beginning, an invasion of India, China, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia would be a monumental and bloody affair. This all changed when Verity Cheng of China rebelled against Khan. This spiraled, leading to Maltuvis loyalists rising, and soon all but his most loyal followers and forces were fighting him to lead their new world order. U.N forces seized the initiative and made massive advances into Khanate territories. Growing desperate, Cheng launched a massive nuclear attack. While only successfully hitting Tokyo, her long-oppressed subject revolted against her. With his empire crumbling, his armies mutinying, U.N. forces approaching his borders, and fearing further U.N. nuclear retaliation, Khan retreated to one of his last strongholds near the equator. Rumors spread of one final grand offensive with a superweapon he had developed. While an offensive against U.N. satellites and orbital weapons stations was launched, this never came to be as a nuclear bomb destroyed the site. General Ishwar Kumar, a non-Augment, seized New Delhi from Khan’s remaining forces, and as the highest remaining Khanate officer left, accepted U.N. demands for unconditional surrender. The Eugenics War was over, with nearly 40 million killed during the four-and-a-half-year long war.

​