How would you do it!

[Anubis]

Similar to an old thread of mine that was close to my heart but long forgotten due to trannys, booze, and the melancholy that goes with it......I decided to bring it back. Brand spankin' new for this brand new generation of ne'er-do-wells on the hype.

Here's the skinny. Pick an event, a storyarc, etc, and "fix" it. Didn't like the way Civil War went down? What would you have done? Feel this character could be more awesome? Well, inquiring minds wanna know Mr. I-know-better-than-douchey-established-writers-pants. :o

Plus, if you have any ideas. Stuff you feel would be kinda awesome to add to the Marvel Universe or whatever, hey, knock yourself out. This is the place to put it down for all to see......and judge.


For reference on how it's done, here's a look at the old thread:

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=162747&page=107&highlight=

Let those imaginations fly you future comic writers who will soon be hated and defecated upon in effigy for retconning away Doctor Strange's Mustache or something.

[Zoken]

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[runawayboulder]

Geez, where to start....? The Clone Saga...? OMD....? The post Morrison era of X-Men...? Hell, the late 90's X-men?!?

This is gonna require a good nights sleep and a clear head.

[THANOSRULES]

I would have made Giffen an offer he couldnt refuse after ANNIHILATION.

I would have made ANNIHILATION 2 (conquest) a grand cosmic plot involving the skrulls and earth, as well as an attack on the Kree. It would replace Secret Invasion as a marvel wide event.

Giffen would write this, and after that I would have given him Avengers, with NOVA a part of that roster. Bendis would have been done as Avengers writer in my timeline around the time of Secret Invasion.

I would have brought back Genis-Vell in there somewhere, and not messed with Phyla, except as a decent supporting character.

I would have a NOVA ongoing written by DnA, and I would have Silver Surfer written by GIffen. GOTG would be penned by DnA.

In short, I would have embraced the creative talent of Giffen, who I think is undersold in his role with Annhilation .

In another thread I will do Kirkman, who is the second big mistake marvel during this time.

[Zoken]

One More Day... Becomes ONE LAST DAY.

I am all for Aunt May getting shot. I have nothing against her, I like her, but it's good for the story. And I'll accept Peter going all over trying to have her saved, it fits well with his character, even considering a deal with Mephisto, but I want Aunt May to have a say, because she would never allow this.

This is a strong moral woman. She would never allow Peter to do this if she knew, and it was irresponsible of MJ to agree to all of this. I think that the moment Peter and MJ begin to consider the deal, Aunt May in her hospital gown should have shown up with a woman in a dark purple cloak and shouted "STOP!"

Mephisto looked at the two women and growled, "Silence old bat!" and hurled a wave of malevolent energy at her. the hooded woman waved a negligent hand and mephisto's energy splashed across the two women like so much cigarette smoke.

"That's enough out of you, Old Scratch!" Aunt May snapped, striding past the flummoxed Mephisto. "Peter I won't allow you to do this! It is unthinkable."

"Aunt May," Peter pleaded. "It's my fault you were shot, that bullet was meant for me."

"And you think if I'd known it was coming I would have moved out of the way?" Aunt May snapped. "I am proud to take that bullet for you Peter. In everything but name and blood, you are my son. I love you."

"But," Peter began.

"I'm an old woman, Peter. Nearly all my friends have gone before me. My Benjamin has gone. I'm ready. The only regret I have is how much it will hurt poor Edwin. Tell him I'm sorry for that for me."

"But, Aunt May," Peter pleaded, tears in his eyes now.

"This is as it should be," she said, taking her nephew in her arms as she had done in his younger years. He wept into her shoulder for the last time.

"How dare you interfer in my dealings," Mephisto growled at Aunt May and the hooded woman. "I will.."

"Interfere?!" snapped the hooded woman, her voice, though soft, reverberated with power. "You say I interfere Fell-One? It is you, the Most Unclean, who trespasses in my balliwick." the woman drew back her hood and the three mortals and demon perceived the bare fleshless skull that marked the woman for what she was; Death, incarnate. "Get out, Prince of Lies, and take your underhanded deals with you. Should I find you making such deals again, I shall teach you the displeasure of one who possess TRUE power." The woman exuded an energy that seemed to fill the room eclipsing Mephisto as the Earth Eclipses the moon. She was a terrible sight to behold, bringing to mind war, plague, pestilence, and hate.

Mephisto did not cower, but he set his eyes in a glare at the Skull-faced woman and vanished.

Death turned from her chastened foe, and back to the Parkers who trembled, even Aunt May, but as she turned, the Aura shifted. It was not terrible, or fearsome. It became comforting, like the hand of an old friend... the last friend. Her aspect to them was not that of a reaper or destroyer, but that of a doctor or nurse; a functionary of life and health. "Have this night, as my gift for alerting me to that foul wretches meddling. Upon the sunrise her spirit will return to it's body briefly and then she will leave this world forever."

"Aunt May," Peter pleaded.

"Stop this," Aunt May said firmly. "You are stronger than this, and people need you to be stronger. I am so proud of you Peter, of the man you became. Knowing I had something to do with it..." She trailed off and just smiled.

"You had everything to do with it," Peter replied. His tears still flowed, but he was beginning to accept now, it was going to hurt, but he knew his Aunt... and he finally remembered her role in all of this. He felt ashamed for that weakness he'd shown.

"And you," Aunt May said, reaching out to Mary-Jane. "The happiest day in my life was watching you two make your vows, because I knew from then on he'd have someone to watch out for him. I love you like a daughter," she told Mary-Jane. "He needs your strength. He needs your love."

"I love you," Mary-Jane burst, wrapping Aunt May and Peter in a hug. "You... you accepted me, when I was still wild, when I was... lost. Aunt Anna wanted to change me, but you... you accepted me as I was, and helped me become a better woman. Thank you. I love you Aunt May."

"I know," she whispered. No one knew when Death had vanished, they weren't paying attention. Peter and Mary-Jane both cried into her shoulders and the three of them held each other through the night. In the morning Aunt May faded. And moments later, Peter received the call. Peter always remembered what Uncle Ben had said to him about Power and Responsibility. Now he was recalling something Aunt May had said during the night. "People need you to be strong." He would find the strength, he knew it was in him... Aunt May had put it there.

[Anubis]

:applaud

[Will Nolte]

Ok, that was an awesome way to do it. We would miss the stories of May and JJJ Sr, but that way of doing it just feels right. Good job, Zoken.

[Zoken]

I still want to see an Ultimate Marvel Comcis 2,

Not related to any of the older stuff at all, but simply a new version.

Spider-Girl and the Tom-Cat (centering around A May-Day that's more like her dad, and a very angry bastard son of Felicia Hardy (not that he knows it at first).

Next Avengers, connecting the random people we barely heard more than a name of to the past. Rename "American Dream" to just Captain America, give her a blood transfusion from the original cap and his blessing that's how she got her powers. Ant-Woman becomes Stature. the Freebooter is a long lost relative of Frank Castle trying to redeem the family name. Bluestreak is clearly Luna Maximoff, Pietro "Quicksilver"'s daughter. Mainframe is a sentient Stark Armor that has daddy issues with Tony, and add in Heroine, Gert Yorkes from Runaways as a batman-esque quasi member.

Stunners: Spider Girl has two super-human girlfriends; Valeria Richards, who is a daddy's girl usually showing up with goggles in her hair in a FF uniform with coveralls rolled down to her waist and a tool belt. And Danielle Cage, who is a teen model with the powers of both of her parents combined, as well as very low energy powers (weaker than jubilee, basically she sparkles when she flies). Their adventures would basically be three girls out on the town having fun, and then something goes wrong and they have to fix it and get back in time for curfew.

X-Men: really, you could make up your own, but I'd like to see Jubilee and Beak there. I liked Beak.

[Max J Power]

Shadowland: Don't have Daredevil get possessed.

Take out that plot point, and I would have really liked the story. The writers set it up so that after years of having his life fall apart, Murdock finally began to lose his moral compass. It looked like great, bold character development. Then, they pulled the rug out from under us and said a bunch of the questionable stuff Daredevil did only happened because he was possessed by a demon. The other heroes save him and he goes on a journey to find himself or something (I haven't read Daredevil: Reborn), because despite not being culpable for his possessed crimes, he still made the decision to kill Bullseye and set off the chain of events that transpired (that part was fairly redeeming). If the whole story played out that way without the trite possession angle, the impact would have been much greater.

[WOLVERINE25TH]

I mentioned this on the Spidey thread ages ago, so I'll reiterate here:

Clone Saga

A) Ben survives the fight with the Green Goblin with the help of Peter, and continues being Spidey. Peter is kept on as a supporting character along with MJ and baby May. So, you get the swingin' single Spidey everyone supposedly wants, while keeping married Spidey intact for the 1%. Plus, though technically retired, Peter could always don the webs for a Spidey team-up story.

B) (Also serving as a new Sins Past)
A new Goblin has entered the scene, terrorizing Peter's life. All he knows for sure is it's NOT Norman. Peter begins to investigate and his search takes him back to the old Brooklyn factory where the Goblin strikes. Spidey is almost defeated except Kaine appears from out of nowhere and saves him. Kaine and the Goblin tussle and both fall a sufficient height to take the Goblin out. Kaine unmasks him to reveal Ben Reilly!

Confused and enraged, Peter leads the charge on Norman's dwelling for answers. Norman tells him the tale of how he captured Ben and how Warren's process wasn't lost with the scientist having left one final journal. He explains how he cloned Ben in order to strike another blow at Peter(explaining the degeneration; a clone of a clone is a lot more unstable). Then, over the time Ben has been "dead", Norman's been conditioning his mind (ala ASM v. 2 #25 style with the addition of the Goblin formula and memory manipulation) to turn him into the son he always wanted in Peter. As he could not have the original, he settled on the double who would destroy Peter and take his place...under the Goblin's control.

Kaine, waiting outside, heard enough and attacks due to his respect gained for Ben (Redemption) and kills Norman. With the secrets of how to undo Ben's transformation forever lost, Peter strikes out at Kaine leaving Ben, brought along, ample time to revive and escape. Peter pursues after warning Kaine to stay out of his way.

Peter finds Ben atop the Brooklyn Bridge. He remembers what happens there, but it doesn't seem right, raising doubt within him. Peter confronts Ben, and upon seeing the Spider Ben attacks. The two tussle around the bridge and almost kill each other by falling off. Both take heavy damage until Peter gets the upper hand. He removes Ben's Goblin mask and replaces it with his own. Holding his head up to a reflective surface, Ben sees himself as Spidey and things begin to add up for him. His mind begins to reject the Goblin's programming as his enhanced metabolism has been the formula this whole time.

Eventually, Ben returns to whatever can pass as normal with some slight shell shock. He's unsure of his future at the moment. The Parkers invite him to stay, but Ben decides that Peter's life is his own and he should go somewhere that needs a Spider-Man, and to make sure his head is clear without damaging Peter's already shaky rep. On his travels he passed through Seattle and liked it there, so he decides that's where he'll go. Ben leaves, promising to keep in touch.

Later that night, Peter is awaken by an uneasy feeling. He ventures outside where he finds Kaine waiting in the shadows. Kaine calms Peter's building rage towards him in order to present a package he holds: Peter's daughter. Kaine tells him what Osborn did and hands her over. Peter asks why he's done all this. Kaine tells him "A mutual friend made me remember what it meant to be Peter Parker. No matter what has happened to me, no matter what excuses I produce, I have a responsibility to live up to. I can't ever atone for what I've done or become, but I can remember where I came from." With that, he leaves, and Peter is a new father once again.

Kaine stands over Norman's grave next to Harry's. He tells Norman it's finally over and the Parkers can get on with their lives without fear. Kaine decides he needs to find his own place in the world, to redefine himself. With that, he leaves New York on his own adventure.

The End?

[Zoken]

Kaine: he's still out there somewhere. I want to give him his own series. enhanced versions of all of Spider-Man's powers (Stronger, faster, his wall-adhearance can scar/burn people, his spidey-sense becomes precognition) are his. What does he do with all of it. He's a wanderer. He has no home. What he does have is one of destiny's diaries. His would be a story of fighting for and agaisnt the future. He would visit other Marvel precogs. Probably have some Rick Jones-esque tagalong.

[Zoken]

X-Men: First Class, divide into three movies.

Movie one, the evolution of Erik and Charles into the men they become, we see more of Erik's hunt and methods, but also deal with his moral dilemma of turning into the man he is hunting. We see Charles and Raven's relationship, more of their youth (how exactly did he hide a person from his parents all those years?) and get a better sense of Charles' power level. Also you see Charles subtle prejudice (just like you did in the original version) regarding visible mutation. He doesn't hate it, just wants to hide it. You would also cover the Moira (who I'd rather be MI6 than CIA, and she is used as a liason, but that's just me) and her discovery of the Hellfire Club and it's existence which can be made bigger and more sinister and more realistic. Explain who the villains here are, give the Hellfire Club a bigger existance than just Kevin Bacon's lackeys, and most of the members, except the mutants, don't know of Shaw's real plan. And big climax is the confrontation on the boat, the Caspartina, when all three protagonist groups meet each other, which would be expanded. Erik spends more time on the boat, battling enemies, and the CIA gets on the boat to, giving Charles a chance to shine. this would also give time for Xavier and McTaggart's relationship to grow.

X-Men: first class, Acceptance Letters: In this second version our mutants are getting settled into the CIA and begin their recruitment drive. yes the people they recruit are teenagers, but we see more of them hanging out, taking regular classes from Xavier, and even doing some CIA field training, but no one, except Erik, is suggesting power training. When they meet Hank, who has overly large hands and feet, they never suspected that this was because he was a mutant. He begins to bond with Angel, we get to know all the kids better. The CIA wants to send them all on the russia mission, which gets more fleshed out and detailed, but Erik and Charles refuse as they are the only ones in full control of their powers. Erik would also point out to Charles how he is treating Raven regarding her natural state. something I want to emphasize in this one is Charles and Erik coming to trust each other, even to the point where toward the end Erik gives charles and open invitation to his mind. The big climax here is the attack at the CIA and the murder of their CIA connection, the only one besides Moira who treated them decently. this will be a bigger battle as the kids actually get into the fight, but are dispatched easily because they've never really combat trained with their powers. And now that we know the kids better, Angel's betrayal and Darwin's death will mean more to us.

X-Men First Class: Commencement- We pick up at Xavier's estate where he's getting every one settled in and used to living together. He and Erik continue to be friends, but Charles begins to realize that Erik is willing to cross lines that Charles won't. There is to be more discussion of Mutants vs. Humans in all of this, showing the cracks. Charles begins to realize how much he has pushed Raven away because of the prejudice he hadn't realized he had. The power training is much more cerebral, and both Charles and Erik help the kids, not just Charles. Further, Erik helps Charles when it comes to breaking down barriers in the mind, Charles gentle nature does not like the force it requires to open certain parts, and Charles realizes he could kill a person with his mind, and possibility he had never entertained before. Many scenes of Hank, Charles, and Erik building Cerebro with "Round Room" jokes. but also uncomfortable comments from Erik about Hank doing things the "human way". Climax would be the same climax as at the end of the movie, the beach confrontation.

Stretching out the time table both story-wise and audience wise will allow us to invest more in them and get more out of the characters. We can watch the growth of everyone and feel more at peace and natural when the characters finally choose their sides at the end. The mutants of the Hellfire Club abandoning their human counterparts to be a part of a truly new organization.

[Anubis]

Kaine: he's still out there somewhere. I want to give him his own series. enhanced versions of all of Spider-Man's powers (Stronger, faster, his wall-adhearance can scar/burn people, his spidey-sense becomes precognition) are his. What does he do with all of it. He's a wanderer. He has no home. What he does have is one of destiny's diaries. His would be a story of fighting for and agaisnt the future. He would visit other Marvel precogs. Probably have some Rick Jones-esque tagalong.

He's got his own series.

Scarlet Spider.

[Zoken]

He's got his own series.

Scarlet Spider.
I did not know this... I haven't read comics in a while. *shame*

[roach]

Civil War would be a perfectly fine series....if you believe every superhero is a testosterone fueled idiot who uses his fists and powers to solve problems instead of talking thru it.

My Civil War would have the Young Avengers be the cause of the explosion (they are more nubie than the New Warriors).

Sensing the rise of legislation Cap calls together all the superheroes and proposes they police themselves.
During this time public sentiment grows colder towards the heroes and the government picks up on this. There are senate hearings and the government decides to pass the registration act.
The heroes agree to registration but fear for their identities. Cap suggests to register with the Avengers with heroes secret id kept from the public and government. The government wants unmaskings which the heroes don't want and they declare the heroes as enemies of the state.

Cut to the chase we find out that the Masters of Evil are behind the whole thing with Mr Fear causing the general public to hate and fear the heroes.

In the aftermath the heroes agree that everyone clustered in NY is not a good thing and they spread out. Every hero is registered with the Avengers and the Avengers not only save the world from major threats but also police the heroes. Young Avengers now decide to take the heroing seriously now having to 'avenge' Stamford.

[Anubis]

I did not know this... I haven't read comics in a while. *shame*

That's okay, it probably sucks anyway. :o

[Zoken]

I hope not, I like the concept of Kaine. with all the memories, but clearly not him, he doesn't have the straight forward am I him or not identity crisis, he has a robot's identity crisis, in so much that he cannot fulfill his clear purpose (to replace Peter) because he is deformed, even though he is more powerful than Peter. Plus with Peter's implanted past and the visions of the future, he's at war within himself to live in the present.

[Anubis]

Well, as far as I know a buncha stuff went down in that Spider-Island event they just had, he's now a perfect looking clone or whatever. He had a heart to heart with Pete and ended up moving to Houston with some new Spidey Stealth suit. He took up the Scarlet Spider Mantle and is doing the Spidey thing down there....if Spidey were the Punisher. :o

Here's something else. Flash Thompson is Venom now. Surprisingly not as dumb as it sounds.

[Zoken]

processing... error... error... Kaine's face is fixed... error... error... Flash Thompson has super-powers... These things do not compute.

What kind of Venom is Flash? I mean, he was Pete's friend in later years, wasn't he? and is Brock still that "Anti-Venom"?

[Anubis]

Well, after Pete sold his marriage....somehow that resulted in Flash getting crippled horribly in Iraq or Afghanistan, I forget. Anyway, he ended up getting the Symbiote from the government. He's kind of like.....well....take a look:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/AnubisGOD/Marvel%20II/_venom_flash_thompson_color.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/AnubisGOD/Marvel%20II/1624755-venom002_cvr.jpg

He's not as powerful as Venom thanks to stuff used to keep him in check, but he's a pretty effective super soldier now.

[Zoken]

Hmm... I have no clue how to respond to that. the government gave him the venom symbiote and planned to keep him in control... because that worked out so well when Osborne was in charge. They just let him snack on hookers every few days or so.

[roach]

it was ok for a few issues

[BLACKVULCAN]

Similar to an old thread of mine that was close to my heart but long forgotten due to trannys, booze, and the melancholy that goes with it...

BAwhahahaThis is the place to put it down for all to see......and judge. hahahaha this outta be good! but i am bored and *&^% work!


Civil War
I could totally see those fools boxing each other instead of talking 1st. that's some totally realistic &&^%$. I see it all the time in the club. People will never get along. Hell! even countries fight instead of talking. That’s why we have wars so. I could see totally Superhero fighting each others Its the superhero way!!….anyways


The beginning I would keep the same all except Giant man getting whacked( there aint enough brothers as it is to be killing them! ) Plus how many people really cared that it was him?! I would change it to where the Wasp was still alive and she was the one that Clor killed. I think she would have joined Cap anyways since she wouldn’t want anything to do with Pimp slapping Pym! Anyways Wasp would get killed from Clor. Pym has a totally freakin mental breakdown seeing it ( Again!!) and pulls an Atom, shrinking to nothingness and is never heard from again. The story would continue pretty much the same after that like in the book till the final throw down between Tony and Cap’s crew. Just wrecking shop on each other. Cap is astride Tony on the ground bringing his shield down on Tony’s neck trying to pop open Tony’s Helmet to sock him in the jaw! Suddenly from behind a lone normal human Nutball plugs Cap in the head. Cap’s Blood splattering all over Tony. See people want to put a face on evil. Evil is the dude in line at MacDonald's behind you. That’s why it’s scary!! it can come from anywhere and at any time! To me its much more normal when it’s just some random crap from a Lunkhead It’s comes from some lone pistol packing civilian .All at once the heroes stop. You can hear a pin drop as they and the crowd see Caps’s shield drop. The guy Starts ranting and foaming about how Tony was right and someone has to stop these Anti-Reg guys. The Cops takes the guy away as he’s screaming ( kinda like those pro-life nazis guys who kill abortion docs!) yeah those kind of Nutballs! Tony’s kneeling on the ground with Cap’s blood on his hands. Looks around and ask OMG what have I done?!
This gives Cap a cooler way to go out and opens the door for Bucky to become the new one. Tony leans over to pick Cap up when Spiderman runs over and says "don’t you dare touch him!" Lifting Cap up Spidey walks away with Cap’s crew behind him and with Tony’s boys just standing there in stunned silence.


Prologue
6 months later Tony’s bankrupt cause he was sued by all the Civilians for property and collateral damage. He’s lost all his friends, everything! Matt Murdock is appointed Senator because having argued that the bill was unconstitutional gets it thrown out .Tony trying to find redemption gets a new ID as “ AMERICAN STEEL” in memory of Steve!( only with a better looking suit Than Osborne’s)The guy who killed Cap stews in jail hating Tony cause he thinks that Tony would’ve bailed him out for what he did, but now feels betrayed and since he killed Cap. He’s got some serious street ced to becoming a new kick butt Super Villain!


* note any political views expressed herein are strictly my own and so what... its my story i can make up &&^^%$# any way i want to Aubis as said so! hehe

[JewishHobbit]

Zoken's One LAST Day and Wolverine's post-Clone Saga stories were fantastic. I'd have loved to see things play out like that.

[Zoken]

With One Last Day, as opposed to One More Day, A lot of things just plain go away. New Ways To Die goes away. The Secret Invasion aftermath makes things complicated since now he would be working for Norman Osborne. At this point I think he would attempt to just plain retire. Norman, thinking he's put Peter on the run permenantly, ignores him, until Peter starts doing what Hawkeye did in the 616: airing out Osborne's dirty laundry, however this is a bit more damaging coming from one of the few people who knows where all of Norman's skeletons are buried. Peter tells the world everything Norman has done not just the things he was convicted of, which doesn't change much, except Norman would lose it a bit more. he tries to have Peter arrested, but no one in New York is going to side with him over Spider-Man, especially when Peter, in an unlikely team-up with JJJ, reveals the truth about Norman's Spider-Man.

After Norman's down fall Peter comes out of retirement with a strange new friend in JJJ, which leads to him being the poster child for the "Heroic Age" and a strange quirk of Celebrity. He even finds strange internet jokes of random pictures of footage of him with strange and lewd captions (A la 60's Spider-Man memes). and celebrates an anniversary with MJ (in place of One Moment In time). Of course all of this is just in time for The Gauntlet and Grimm Hunt. This is less difficult as, with his good standing and public Identity known, Peter has more friends to help him. Pete Works for Stark Industries instead of Horizon Labs. Peter is still caught up in Big TIme and Spider-Island.

[CConn]

I would sooo think this was a cool thread if I wasn't look at tranny porn right now.

[Zoken]

What If... Fundamentals

There are some fairly fundamental things about the Marvel Universe that we base everything on and the structure of it evolves from there... but what if we change something fundamental regarding the Marvel universe... what if..

What If... Peter didn't live with Aunt May or Uncle Ben? In this reality they were already dead. He goes to live in a group home where he is just as brilliant, but more troubled, and more desperate for affection. He still manages to get bitten by the spider, but does almost nothing with it besides warding off bullies, as he sees no point in anything without family. This is when a strange twist of fate comes in. Doom, in a rare bout of realization of his own mortality, decides he needs an heir. So he looks all over the world for the most brilliant of Orphans and finds one in, of all places, America. Despite what the government does to try and block the dictator, Doom adopts Peter. This tames Doom's plans and the two of them push the boundries of science and sorcery so far, Latveria not only becomes a major power in central Europe, but manages to absorb several poverty stricken former soviet satellites. Peter idolizes Doom and though he understands he is the heir to the throne, can't imagine a day when "Lord Doom" does not rule. Whether this is due to his own lonely childhood or Doom's charisma is not clear. Peter is accompanies his father back to the states as Doom negotiates in the UN form a position of power for new European trading laws. Meanwhile, Peter in his own specially modified armor is flying around the city. He sees another flying person and investigates. He realizes suddenly, using mystic power, that her mind is not her own. But he recognizes her; Jessica Jones, a former classmate. He captures her, but cannot break the control on her mind. He asks his father to do it, and Jessica explains to Doom Sr. and Jr. what the Purple Man had done to her. Doom promises Peter that the Purple Man will be "dealt with". Doom Leaves, but what he does with the Purple Man is not clear, he merely returns to find Peter and Jessica talking very intimately. Before we know it she is the crowned princess of Latveria, and taking the name "Crown Jewel". Peter's world falls apart when Doom is killed in a battle with the Fantastic Four. Jessica is shocked by the rage her husband DOESN'T display. She expects to have to physically restrain him from attack the Four. he doesn't. PEter locks himself in his laboratory and is not seen again until he hauls a chained Loki before Odin, and asks one favor in return for all the research that went into the making of Loki's chains (which could hold any god). thus Thor helps Peter defeat the FF. Peter, delivering what he believes to be "Latverian Justice" tells the captured (and depowered) four, that they must choose one of their own to die (A death for a death). Reed, Sue, and Johnny spend all night trying to figure out how to get out. Morning comes, they stand defiant, and Ben volunteers to die.

[sideburnking]

One More Day... Becomes ONE LAST DAY.

I am all for Aunt May getting shot. I have nothing against her, I like her, but it's good for the story. And I'll accept Peter going all over trying to have her saved, it fits well with his character, even considering a deal with Mephisto, but I want Aunt May to have a say, because she would never allow this.

This is a strong moral woman. She would never allow Peter to do this if she knew, and it was irresponsible of MJ to agree to all of this. I think that the moment Peter and MJ begin to consider the deal, Aunt May in her hospital gown should have shown up with a woman in a dark purple cloak and shouted "STOP!"

Mephisto looked at the two women and growled, "Silence old bat!" and hurled a wave of malevolent energy at her. the hooded woman waved a negligent hand and mephisto's energy splashed across the two women like so much cigarette smoke.

"That's enough out of you, Old Scratch!" Aunt May snapped, striding past the flummoxed Mephisto. "Peter I won't allow you to do this! It is unthinkable."

"Aunt May," Peter pleaded. "It's my fault you were shot, that bullet was meant for me."

"And you think if I'd known it was coming I would have moved out of the way?" Aunt May snapped. "I am proud to take that bullet for you Peter. In everything but name and blood, you are my son. I love you."

"But," Peter began.

"I'm an old woman, Peter. Nearly all my friends have gone before me. My Benjamin has gone. I'm ready. The only regret I have is how much it will hurt poor Edwin. Tell him I'm sorry for that for me."

"But, Aunt May," Peter pleaded, tears in his eyes now.

"This is as it should be," she said, taking her nephew in her arms as she had done in his younger years. He wept into her shoulder for the last time.

"How dare you interfer in my dealings," Mephisto growled at Aunt May and the hooded woman. "I will.."

"Interfere?!" snapped the hooded woman, her voice, though soft, reverberated with power. "You say I interfere Fell-One? It is you, the Most Unclean, who trespasses in my balliwick." the woman drew back her hood and the three mortals and demon perceived the bare fleshless skull that marked the woman for what she was; Death, incarnate. "Get out, Prince of Lies, and take your underhanded deals with you. Should I find you making such deals again, I shall teach you the displeasure of one who possess TRUE power." The woman exuded an energy that seemed to fill the room eclipsing Mephisto as the Earth Eclipses the moon. She was a terrible sight to behold, bringing to mind war, plague, pestilence, and hate.

Mephisto did not cower, but he set his eyes in a glare at the Skull-faced woman and vanished.

Death turned from her chastened foe, and back to the Parkers who trembled, even Aunt May, but as she turned, the Aura shifted. It was not terrible, or fearsome. It became comforting, like the hand of an old friend... the last friend. Her aspect to them was not that of a reaper or destroyer, but that of a doctor or nurse; a functionary of life and health. "Have this night, as my gift for alerting me to that foul wretches meddling. Upon the sunrise her spirit will return to it's body briefly and then she will leave this world forever."

"Aunt May," Peter pleaded.

"Stop this," Aunt May said firmly. "You are stronger than this, and people need you to be stronger. I am so proud of you Peter, of the man you became. Knowing I had something to do with it..." She trailed off and just smiled.

"You had everything to do with it," Peter replied. His tears still flowed, but he was beginning to accept now, it was going to hurt, but he knew his Aunt... and he finally remembered her role in all of this. He felt ashamed for that weakness he'd shown.

"And you," Aunt May said, reaching out to Mary-Jane. "The happiest day in my life was watching you two make your vows, because I knew from then on he'd have someone to watch out for him. I love you like a daughter," she told Mary-Jane. "He needs your strength. He needs your love."

"I love you," Mary-Jane burst, wrapping Aunt May and Peter in a hug. "You... you accepted me, when I was still wild, when I was... lost. Aunt Anna wanted to change me, but you... you accepted me as I was, and helped me become a better woman. Thank you. I love you Aunt May."

"I know," she whispered. No one knew when Death had vanished, they weren't paying attention. Peter and Mary-Jane both cried into her shoulders and the three of them held each other through the night. In the morning Aunt May faded. And moments later, Peter received the call. Peter always remembered what Uncle Ben had said to him about Power and Responsibility. Now he was recalling something Aunt May had said during the night. "People need you to be strong." He would find the strength, he knew it was in him... Aunt May had put it there.
YES! I couldn't have put it better myself! I felt the exact same way about how it should have ended.

For mine (Though it won't be as detailed):
Avengers: The Children's Crusade.
Basically, instead of having Stature die (She was my favorite Young Avenger, and one of my favorite female heroes in general), have the heroes realize that they'd have to change the past back to the way it originally was in order to stop Doom and save the world. So, after they do so, Doom loses his power that he took from Scarlet Witch, Cassie's father is dead again (After a touching farewell between the two of them), Scarlet Witch makes herself disappear to return in some other series, and the various hero teams involved in the whole thing (Avengers, Young Avengers, and X- Men) return to their respective lives.

[Zoken]

What if... The Fantastic One...

What if the others did not survive that eventful flight? Johnny's powers immolated him. Ben suffocated in his own rocky mass, and Sue formed a force field around her body and suffocated. Only one remained, guilty of their deaths. Manslaughter. Reed goes willingly to Ft. Leavenworth, until Uncle Sam has need of him. They bring him out, and give him a nicer cage, and say "you can earn your freedom if you use that big brain for us." So he does. Thinking this more penance. He gives them devices and strategies to destroy their enemies. In the meantime he stays in isolation, until they begin to forget who the genius is. They ignore his advice. And that's when Reed get's his first unexpected guest in years.

Doom, who believes that Reed is punishing himself even more cruelly than he ever could, bares not animosity, but sympathy. "You see what happens when lesser men rule?" Doom sighs. And so they make a plan. Doom and Richards as equal rulers of Latverian, which is soon all of Europe. However, Doom's ego cannot stand to be equals. he plays himself up more, and Reed does not care. He views Doom as a brother and friend. He sees the two of them as equals and does not care for the public adulation as Victor does. However, Victor still percieves Reed as making Victor seem inferior. And no one may be coequal with Doom.

Victor attempts a coup, which turns violent and in the end it is only Reed and Victor.

"Stop this Victor," Reed chastises. "This is foolish. Let us just go back to how things were."

"With you attempting to usurp my power?" Victor accuses.

"NO!" Reed objects. "Equals trying to improve the world. You are as a brother to me."

"Well then... we shall just call this fratricide," Doom sneers as he prepares to deliver what he beleives is the death blow.

Reed's throat spasm and he says, in Victor's voice, "Armor... Cynthia Blossom twelve". The Armor instantly self-destructs. and Reed, back in his own voice, laments. "Damn you for making me do this Victor."

[Anubis]

Ehhh, I don't know.

I like the idea of Reed suffering with the guilt of having killed his friends, but I don't see him being okay with conquering Europe.

Making the world a better place by devoting himself entirely to science in penance works.....I could see it as a sad story of a guy who creates a utopia. An Earth where nobody goes hungry, energy for all, etc, and he never finds happiness for himself.

I could see him having to fight Doom earlier on to achieve this goal, and being forced to kill him though.

[Scourge2099]

I like Anubis' scenario better. Also why would Doom co rule Latveria with anybody ?

[Zoken]

Because Doom believes Doom is magnanimous. Doom believes Doom is smart enough to control any pathetic self-loathing idea generator. Any fool can have ideas, it takes the intelligence and charisma of Doom to control a nation. There is no way Doom would ever let Reed's power exceed his own.

That's the thing with Doom, you can explain just about anything by saying "his ego". Yes he is brilliant, but so is the devil, and he gets spanked in every fight with the great I Am.

[Harlekin]

WOLVERINE: NOT PRETTY

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/1958/wolverine05.jpg

Wolverine is broken as a character. And I'm not talking about his exposure, his lack of mystery or his healing factor - although these are things that have led to what I percieve as the core of the problem - but about the fact that he is a killer. A murderer. A mass murderer even.

There's an interesting article on uncannyxmen.net (http://www.uncannyxmen.net/showarticle.asp?fldAuto=2576) about Wolverine, with a bit about Jim Shooter's uneasiness with Wolverine's proclivity towards violence. He would kill his enemies. Something that was relatively not done in the superhero world. But Wolverine wasn't your average superhero. What he did wasn't pretty.

But it's not really that he's a killer that's the issue. It's how many people he's killed by now. How easily he has been driven to kill. Even the current arc in his solo title is centred around somebody mind-controlling Wolverine into murdering people.

But heck, even that could be forgiven - I mean, who really knew about what Wolverine was doing? But there was a breaking point. That was New Avengers #1.

Wolverine used to be an outlaw. And while his loner act was just that (he did constantly surround himself with other people), he was an X-Man. Somebody who was hated and feared even though he saved the world on a regular basis. Like the others, he acted outside of the law. He worked in the shadows, hunted as much as he was the hunter.

Then Captain America and Iron Man threw him into the spotlight - and they did it precisely because he was a killer (there's a paradox for ya). He became a public figure, more than he had ever been before. Suddenly, he was one of the nation's heroes, presented alongside the other Avengers. Hello, world, I'm Wolverine. And what I do isn't pretty.

That doesn't work. It can't work.

What I would do is expose Wolverine, not unlike what happened to Daredevil. Joy Mercado and Cole Cooper are the new Woodward and Bernstein as a murder sends them digging into the life of James Howlett aka Weapon X aka Logan. The result is a front page of the Daily Bugle on New York's newest "hero". Wolverinegate is born.

Suddenly, most of the mystery of Wolverine's life (that we already knew about) is out on the street. His service record is detailed, his actions listed. This is a dangerous man. He is a killer. He is a mass murderer. The city of New York is spurred into action. Hell, the country is. For once, Captain America's word isn't good enough.

The result would be Wolverine going back to the only place where he could ever really control himself. Japan. His tenure with the Avengers is over and it is some time before he comes back to the X-Men. When he does, he goes back to doing what he does best. Which is knowing when to keep his claws sheathed.

[Anubis]

I'd read that.

[slim_summers]

Same here. Anything to get him off the Avengers would be good and that's a cool way of doing it.

[Harlekin]

AVENGERS (VOL. 3) #57-58 (OCT-NOV 2002)

The 25 Greatest Avengers Stories list over at IGN got me thinking about Kurt Busiek's run. I really liked it and told the definitive Ultron and Kang arcs (twice for Kang even). That would be such a hard act to follow - and it obviously was, as only Geoff Johns got anywhere near close to a good story. I'm disregarding the Bendis era for a moment, simply because it's not THE Avengers for me.

Once, in the old How Would You Do It thread, I wrote a really elaborate treatise on Avengers #500 and how I would've handled it. It involved like four different Avengers teams, Asgard, Baron Zemo and I think I had two years planned out for this mega-arc. Now I figure it's best to keep it simple.

What did Busiek leave the Avengers with in Avengers #56? A team made up of Captain America, Iron Man, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, Yellowjacket, Wasp, Warbird and Jack of Hearts. Their liaison had been killed in Kang's attack and Washington was still recovering. You need a small team building arc after that.

To do that, we start with a new liaison. And it's not Gyrich that makes his return but Val Cooper, who used to handle the mutant business but is now on a new career path. She is kidnapped on the first day of work. By Arcade. Yes, the Avengers have to go to Murderworld.

This would be the opening two-issue arc as the team is tested in pairs against robots and death traps. The two (ex-)couples on the team (Hank/Jan and Vizh/Wanda) get their romance on while newbie Jack of Hearts gets his chance to shine. Just before he has to go the Zero Room to release his pent-up energy, he manages to break into Murderworld's control room. But it's not Arcade that's waiting, it's Val Cooper.

The manipulative new liaison contracted Arcade to test the team - in somewhat of a double-cross, she makes sure the villain is apprehended. She announces a few members will have to leave. Captain America gets in her face about it, but she emphasizes that it has nothing to do with the test. There's a membership limit (the classic number seven), Murderworld was just to see how the team was gonna play.

Her observations lead her to ask Wonder Man if he really wants to be an Avenger right now. With a look to Vision and the Scarlet Witch, he shakes his head. He's ready to go out on his own for a while. Before Cooper turns to anyone else, Wasp resigns as well. She doesn't want another "Gyrich". She asks Hank to stay, if only to keep an eye on the team's new liaison.

Yes, the Avengers are off to a great new start.

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/6959/avengersa.jpg

[Zoken]

What If... Xavier didn't discriminate?

Sounds pretty contrary right? But think about it more deeply. In an age when wonders are starting to arise, marvels, if you will, here is a school that will provided you with not only a top notch education, BUT ALSO train you in the use of your super-human abilities, and more mundane talents for the betterment of man-kind. HOWEVER he only took students who possessed the X-Gene. Granted that might not have been the intention to ONLY take mutants, but that was the lasting effect of his design. So much so that on M-Day when many mutants were depowered, they were kicked out, despite the fact that they were all known as mutants and still faced the stigmas they did before along with the emotional scarring of being suddenly bereft of something they had come to understand as a part of themselves.

But What if this wasn't the case? What if Xavier realized that this was not just an age when his own people were rising?

Xavier meets Reed Richards and the two find they have much in common, and Reed proposes they join forces. Certainly the X-Men have more members, but the Fantastic Four also have much in the way of resources and information. Together they change the school. They name it after the first recorded mutants; The Mackenzie School for Exceptional Students. However, this does cause some problems. Tony Stark is the first to see it: Everyone at the school has powers, Unlike him, Pym, and Wasp who's powers are derived from technology. The face of the Avengers changes. Those with super-human powers are persona-non-grata, but they are welcomed warmly at the Mackenzie School. Tony sees this as a serious problem. He recruits sorcerers, assassins, exotic-tech weilders. All become Avengers. The only exception to this generally acknowledged rule is Captain America, who is starting to see an issue.

Cap gets an invitation that he eventually takes to join another group: the Defenders. Dr. Strange, Thor, Namor, and Cyclops (who left after Jean started dating Johnny Storm), make the core of the team. They forsee the great upheaval that is coming.

The Mackenzie School begins to use band-aid fixes as if they were permenant solutions. and one day it all comes back to tumble around their ears. Hulk, who was suppressed by the Xavier's power, She-Hulk, who had been transformed into War by Apocalypse, and Phoenix all burst their bonds, erupting with destructive power. Quickly the Avengers and the Mackenzie school attempt to work together to patch things up. however even with the help of the Defenders they only manage to neutralize two of the three. Jean is dead(?), the Hulk has been pacified and placed in suspended animation on an abandoned planet in the microverse. Only War-She-Hulk remains, her power to feed off of aggression and cause arguments among others weakening the attempts to drain off her powers (Stark Tech).

Finally the last member of the assault team on War-She-Hulk falls. However, he falls beside one of the few super-heroes in New York who never picked a side (Avengers or Mackenzie School): Spider-Man. using his Spider-Sense he is able to get through her defenses, and his powerful intellect is able to push down her aggression amplifying powers. But he no sooner places the device as Magneto instructed on the back of her neck, than he is back handed through several walls. He dies, to save the world. She-hulk is not just stripped of her Horseman powers, but also of all her powers, leaving Jennifer Walters shivering and weak.

The Avengers and Mackenzie school decide they work pretty well together and decide to join forces so that all young people, regardless of if they are born with their powers or some how stumbled upon them can learn to be a hero. This new Facility, in the Heart of Manhattan is named for the last hero to die in the "Triumverate" Event. It took some research, but they eventually found his name. Thus they built: The Parker Preparatory School for Exemplary Students

[Anubis]

Not bad.

[Zoken]

How would I do thing? If I were editor at Marvel?

I'd have Bendis writing Daredevil and Fury titles.

I'd have two X-men titles, TWO! "X-Men" would focus on the actual fighting aspect, Cyclops and his team, whoever that happens to be. "X-Men Acadamy" would be brought back to focus on whoever is teach the kids and the kids. This book could be a lot broader as I would want it to also serve as an update on old X-Men characters and what there doing now as the constant search for staff is on-going.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: Rolling this back. Peter is married to MJ, Aunt May is dead, and Peter is dealing with the fall out of the world knowing who he is. Lots of supporting cast including Flash, who rapidly becomes Peter's best friend and second best confidant (after MJ). JJJ who is still trying to tear Petey a new One, and maybe a few paroled Spidey Rogues who are legit (For now) that Peter turns to for help on a case.

Spectacular Spider-Man: Kaine (or Ben, whichever). Has moved to boston to set up shop. Just in time as a number of villains have started having the idea to get out of New York, and Bean Town's not that far away.

Avengers: Cap (Bucky, Cap's dead), She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye (resurrected after M-Day). Tony is on the outs with the Super-community after everything that went down in Civil War. Thor is busy taking care of Asguard and Broxton. Bucky is learning to fill Cap's place and trying not to be an imitation and fill the role his way. Mallory book got She-Hulk fired after all of the time she missed with SHIELD leading up to Civil War. She-Hulk is pissed and in somewhat of a downward spiral. With Bucky's identity crisis and She-Hulk's pity-party, Hawkeye and Ms. Marvel find themselves taking the lead.

Dr. Strange did lose his power and title to Brother Voodoo, but now Dr. Strange is acting as somewhat of a mystic P.I. finding himself deprived of Wong, who service the office, he relies heavily on Night Nurse, and Nike, a Greek goddess of victory, who has escaped both into New York and a bottle. She's still the best muscle he can hire.

Heroes for Hire. Luke and Danny are back, but not interested in taking over. They go to work and find themselves turning a profit. Luke's recent bouts in the big leagues have spread his reputation and not only does everyone want to hire the Unbreakable man, but his associates too. They still handle a lot of pro-bono cases, and that is where they start finding their most disturbing revelations.

Fantastic Four: Divorce? No, not Reed and Sue, although things are rough. Johnny barely speaks to Sue any more and not at all to Reed. Ben is finding a streak of ennui with his money, and the children are feeling the pinch too. Franky is being tempted to use his powers again, and Valeria's intellectual age is starting to clash with her emotional age. pepper with super-villains and super-science gone awry and you have some good stuff. You think we could convince Vaughn to write it?

over all I want to feeling of being unsure what is going to happen next, but I want to avoid a major cross over event. Don't get me wrong, it's okay to visit each other, but it seems every other month they are preparing for the next cross over, and not bothering to tell the character's story.

[hippie_hunter]

While not comics this is how I would have approached the Marvel Cinematic Universe:

2008
Captain America (Summer) - The first film that Marvel should have put out IMO is Captain America, the man who pretty much started the modern Marvel Universe. I would have kept it mostly the same as Captain America: The First Avenger, but instead split it into two movies. It would be the same basic origin story with Captain America getting his powers, fighting the Red Skull and Arnim Zola a Nazi super scientist. There would be no rogue H.Y.D.R.A. but instead the Red Skull is a committed Nazi to Hitler's cause, but he still obtains the Tesseract. Captain America still leads the Howling Commandos with Bucky, but instead of Gabe Jones, we have Nick Fury. The movie ends with Bucky's death, Fury losing his eye, the Red Skull getting away with the Tessaract, and Zola captured. Due to the set backs, the Howling Commandos are disbanded and the Allies create the Invaders to lead the charge instead.

Iron Man (Summer) - No changes here

Captain America and the Invaders (Winter) - Part 2 of the World War II Captain America saga. The movie begins with Captain America and the Invaders (Union Jack, Red Guardian, Black Panther, Namor, Human Torch) taking part in the invasion of Normandy. With Zola gone, the Red Skull replaces him with the far more dangerous Baron Zemo. The effectiveness of the Invaders has dramatically turned the tide of the war in favor of the Allies which is forcing the Nazis to resort to far more desperate tactics. The movie ends with Captain America stopping Zemo's bomber from reaching America and being frozen in ice.

2009
The Incredible Hulk (summer) - No changes

Thor (summer) - Much of the Asgard stuff would remain the same but with Thor married to Sif. However, Odin's punishment on Thor would be far harsher by condemning him to be reborn as a human Donald Blake. Blake lives his life on Earth, becomes a doctor, marries Jane Foster, and lives none the wiser to his former life on Asgard. Odin comes to the belief that Thor has "suffered" long enough and ponders on whether or not to lift his punishment. Loki, seeing Thor as a threat to his claims to the throne of Asgard then unleashes his machinations to kill Donald Blake before such a thing occurs but it's too late. Now the core of the movie is instead of Thor having a crappy romance but Thor now torn between his love of Earth (and Jane Foster) and Asgard (and Sif).

2010
Iron Man 2 (summer) - I really love the beginning of Iron Man 2. He's such a cocky prick with fame going to his head. But then everything just falls apart in the end. Instead of Iron Man dying of paladium poisoning, he just becomes an alcoholic. Instead of Ivan Vanko, the villain would be the Ghost (supported by Justin Hammer). And the downward spiral of Iron Man leads to Pepper leaving him, Jim Rhodes becoming War Machine, and Iron Man being an unpopular figure in the United States. Black Widow is also introduced in this movie.

Captain America 2 (summer) - Steve Rogers wakes up in the present day and is forced to acclimate to modern times with the help of Nick Fury, Hawkeye, Sharon Carter, and the Falcon. Upon waking up, Captain America and his new allies must take down the terrorist group the National Force (Dr. Faustus, Crossbones, William Burnside, and the mercenaries Batroc, Taskmaster, and Diamondback).

2011
Ant-Man (spring) - The adventures of Hank Pym and the Wasp.

Thor 2 (summer) - Now that the Asgardians have been proven to be real, this film would focus on the relationship that Earth has with Asgard. Thor returns to Earth to deal with the aggression of Hela with the assistance of Hercules.

Incredible Hulk 2 (summer) - Continues the story from the Incredible Hulk against the Leader. Just like how the other movies introduced new heroes in the Marvel Universe, She-Hulk would be introduced.

2012
Avengers (summer) - Part 3 to the Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America trilogies with the theme of redemption for Iron Man, Captain America finding a place in this new era, the Hulk being accepted as a hero with Bruce Banner no longer having to run, and Thor solving his split allegiance between Earth and Asgard. Along with Hawkeye, Hank Pym (now Giant-Man), and Wasp, another core concept would be why these heroes were chosen as opposed to the many other heroes in the Marvel Universe.

[Anubis]

Ehhhhh.

[Zoken]

Zombies!

principal: Zombies have always existed, and every government has had a specially trained and usually clandestined military branch dedicated to exterminating them.

In America we have the 5th continental light dragoons, also called blackwing's brigade. While they occasionally recruite special forces members from military branches or excetional agents from different government bodies, mostly the recruit survivors of Zombie outbreaks, Survivors that found it in themselves to fight back.

The out breaks have been controlled as best as possible, never in the heart of a major metropolitan center, which would spell disaster both for the "Silence of the Grave" (the unspoken agreement of the world to hide the existence of Zombies) but also for the world. It has never happened... until now.

[Anubis]

Actually Zoke, I'd point you here.

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=383255