After watching David Jaffe's stream reacting to the Twisted Metal 1 endings gave me this idea to try to tie in with Needles's wish in Twisted Metal: Head-On. This is also how I want to expand upon the relationship between Needles and Calypso. During the stream someone in the YouTube chat asked David if Calypso's power to grant wishes came from the XJ-39 helmet that was originally featured in Twisted Metal 1. The XJ-39 helmet is what is used to drive Minion. And the helmet is also able to read the mind of the person wearing the helmet and see their fears and desires. David goes on to say that Calypso gets his ability from The Devil in the Twisted Metal comic that is also mentioned in the stream later. So he denies that and goes with what was established for Calypso in the comic. I kind of want to go with this theory that Calypso isn't all that powerful because David mentions in the stream that Black from TM1 is more powerful than Calypso himself. Maybe more contests have to be held so that the souls of the competitors could be absorbed by Calypso when they die. What if the deal Calypso made with The Devil is more conditional? What if The Devil can only give Calypso more power if someone that signs the contract to compete in the tournament has to actually die first in order for that to happen? This could also be a reason why competitors like Mr Grimm, Bruce who drives Thumper in the first game and maybe Mike who is listed as being a competitor in the lost endings of TM1 return in TM2. This is where I want to factor in the XJ-39 helmet. The helmet and the tank, Minion, are stolen by Apocalypse 9, a group that was removed from the final game in Twisted Metal 1. Since the helmet can read into the minds of the person wearing it, maybe Calypso uses the helmet to his own advantage for the long term because he can only do so much with his newfound power until he gets more stronger. In the fan fiction story I made for the possible TV show I want the helmet to be duplicated by a scientist named Dr Zemu that Calypso hired. And the duplicate helmet would have other capabilities added onto it. I would want the helmet to take the person into a fantasy world as a means of "giving" the winner their wish. In Twisted Metal: Black Agent Stone dies in his ending when he tries to save the family he failed to save the first time from the doomsday cult in that game. And in Twisted Metal: Lost his story is continued by saying he is stuck in a time loop only to be killed each time when he tries to save the mother and her daughter. What if Agent Stone was forced to wear this modified XJ-39 helmet in his ending of TM:B and he gets the bad end of it where his greatest fear in failing to save others is read by the helmet? This is how I want to build On Needles's story between Twisted Metal 2 and Twisted Metal: Head-On. What if his wish in Twisted Metal 2 where he becomes a bug at the end is only granted because he is forced into wearing the modified helmet? What if he gets drugged and knocked out by a guard for Calypso so that he can give Needles what he wished for and to take it away from him when he needs him again to compete in the next Twisted Metal? There is always this fascination Calypso has for Needles. He has this adoration for him in Twisted Metal: Black in Yellowjacket's ending when Calypso needs someone to take over his position to run Twisted Metal after he dies and he had his eyes set on Needles. Needles dies in that ending by his little brother. So Calypso kidnaps Needles's little brother since he is from the same bloodline as Needles. And in one of the epilogues for Twisted Metal (2012) Calypso revives Sophie Kane to become Sweet Chick to replace her dad in that storyline. Needles even brings up the fact that he's competed in Twisted Metal for so long in Head-On and kind of implying that only Calypso benefits from it in the long term. Needles realizes that he is a tool for Calypso's own gain as he gains more power from the contestants that sign up and die in the tournament. And he realizes that his wish in TM2 was temporary and an illusion made by Calypso so that this trick getting played on Needles infuriates him and is what motivates his wish in Head-On. These are my thoughts on what could have the possibility if that XJ-39 was a factor in the original game and it continued on. I found it really interesting watching his recent stream and discovering tidbits along with other fans of the series. Thank you to anyone that may read this.