Singular Universe: Brave New World -- Sign Up/OOC Thread

[Carnage27]

The Singular Universe is a largely player-created world where your favorite superheroes from all domains of comic books come together to share their stories. The heroes and villains of Marvel, DC, and the other comic book publishers are all available to players. Batman can fight Green Goblin, Spider-Man can teamup with Hellboy, and the TMNT can get a taste of Scarecrow's fear gas.

Story Overview

The first documented superhumans emerged during World War II. To combat the Nazi tide, fueled by deep science division HYDRA and Hitler’s occult ways, the United States invested in Project Rebirth to create an army of super soldiers. In the end, only one is created after frail Steve Rogers is transformed into Captain America. He fought the Nazi scourge in Europe alongside a team of other superpowered individuals called The Invaders. At the end of the war, Captain America was lost and the Invaders returned stateside to form the Justice Society of America.The Society fought domestic crime for a time before disbanding.

In the decades following, superheroics and vigilantes become the stuff of yesteryear, while most believed they were a product of the time, never to return. The facts of the Justice Society and Captain America became merged with Meanwhile, a change in humanity was spreading across the globe. People were developing strange powers naturally. Deemed “mutants” by the general population, government agencies were formed to keep tabs on the growing metahuman population.

The Cold War simmered through this time, giving rise to a complex battle of espionage. People like Nick Fury and Amanda Waller made names for themselves in the turbulent times, with each of them gaining prominent roles in the United States’ defense network.

As the 20th century made way for the 21st, the tense but predictable Cold War thawed with the fall of the Soviet Union. The power vacuums created by the crumbling Communist block allowed warlords and violent madmen to gain footholds across the world, starting a chaotic period. People began to lose hope, paving the way for a new generation of heroes to emerge and protect the innocents of the world.

As if it was meant to be, the modern era of superheroes exploded into the world. In the span of weeks, citizens reported a red and blue blur flying over Metropolis, the Batman stalking the rooftops of Gotham, the Flash racing through Central City, and Spider-Man swinging over the streets of Manhattan, among others. Agencies like SHIELD and Checkmate scrambled to respond to the new wave of superheroics while criminals across the country struggled to adjust to the new normal. Mutant heroes that called themselves the X-Men rose up to protect human and mutant alike, and the Gods themselves walked amongst man again.

Time went on and instead of shrinking, the age of heroes boomed as supervillains emerged to threaten the heroes, and new costumed crimefighters emerged to fight back. Heroes battled together to take on foes one alone could not conquer, and alliance were made solid to protect the Earth from all threats that besieged her.

A sort of stalemate had taken hold. Good was constantly in battle with evil, and neither side could ever gain the upper hand. But that could change at any moment…

Major Events​

• Captain America was the first known superhero, and the Invaders/JSA all appeared after that.
• Hellboy was discovered during WWII, and the BPRD was founded soon after.
  
• The JSA disbanded shortly after the beginning of the Korean War, after the Society refuses to intervene as they did against the Nazis. This creates a slight backlash against them, which aids their decision to retire.
• During the Cold War, SHIELD is created to assess both espionage and superpowered threats to the United States. Colonel Nick Fury is assigned command of the fledgling organization. In turn, Fury appoints Amanda “The Wall” Waller head of Task Force X, SHIELD’s black ops unit.
• The mutant terrorist known as “Magneto” begins striking human targets in the 80s.
• Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters opened sometime in the early 90s.
• The current age of superheroes started four years ago with the emergence of Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, etc

How to Play:

In this game 4 years have passed from the advent of the Age of Heroes. Characters from Marvel, DC, and Independent publishers have all shared this universe from its advent. Players can take any character in comics that they can successfully portray in-universe and craft their history in this new world.

To apply for a character, fill out the application below. Applications will be reviewed by the GM and either Approved or Denied after 24 hours, to allow for competing Apps. If your application is Denied, feel free to improve the application using feedback to get it accepted. All players are welcome, regardless of membership status or post-count.


Rules:

1: You are allowed a maximum of three main characters. You also have free reign over the characters' supporting cast and rogues' gallery, provided that no other player is playing them. However, it is advised to keep sidekick characters and primary villains at least somewhat open as options for other players to take up.

2: You must post at least once every two weeks, preferably more, or your character will be up for grabs. Failure to post after 30 days will result in your character being removed from the roster.

3: PC's are not to be killed without permission. Nameless NPC's are fine, but PC's or important NPC's will require authorization. Don't do anything random, such as destroying the universe, either. Such behavior is frowned upon.

4: Several storylines can be going on at once, in order to interact with other players. If a player's character does not want to be involved in another's storyline, they do not have to. Likewise, please observe good etiquette and ask the other players' permission before jumping into a fight or interaction without their consent. Consultation and communication are the keys to a good PC-to-PC interaction.

5: You can travel anywhere on Earth or off-planet, provided it is within your character's means. Time-travel is forbidden, unless it is specifically required of your character choice. (IE: Booster Gold, Kang the Conqueror, etc)

6: You are your character, so act like them. Create or portray their mannerisms, powers, and ideals to how they have been established in the game. BE the character, don't just remote-control their powers, so to speak.

7: Respect the Gamemasters. If they make a request of you regarding the game, listen to them. Failure to adhere to GM, AGM, and Hype! Moderator requests will result in expulsion from the game.

8: Be creative, and do not be afraid to try new and exciting things with old concepts. This is a new continuity filled with endless possibilities. Go wild.

9: All regular Hype rules apply.

10: Have fun or die.

Gamemasters: Carnage27

Roster

Heroes

Batman
(Batman)

Captain America
(Carnage27)

Hellboy
(Andy C)

Iron Man
(SuperFerret)

James Bond
(Byrd Man)

Leonardo
(Carnage27)

Mayor James Gordon
(Byrd Man)

Moon Knight
(Hound55)

Robin
(Spider-Man9x17)

Spider-Man
(Eddie Brock)

Supergirl
(Supergirl)

Superman
(Andy C)

Villains

Harley Quinn
(Spider-Man9x17)

The Joker
(Keyser Soze)

Walking the Line


Forces of Nature

GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS
(Andy C)

---

Singular Universe: Brave New World Character Application:

Character Name:

Alignment (Hero, Villain, Walking the Line):

Character Speech Color and Font (actually say what it is, like Blue Comic Sans):

Powers and Abilities:

Character Origin/Major Events:

Why this character?

What can you bring to the RPG?

Provide a short sample post as your desired character, in three paragraphs or more and featuring at least one line of dialogue:
​

 

[Carnage27]

So I put the "Major Events" section in the first post in order for us to keep big ticket happenings from the first 4 years of the universe straight. I'll be updating the section after people post their applications.

I figure this can be a collaborative effort.

I didn't want to put things like the Justice League forming or teamups in until players agreed on them.

Let's get this game going!

 

[Batman]

One more time...

 

[Carnage27]

So this is clearly a WIP, and I probably went too far into detail with the Major Events, but what the hell.

Also, clearly I'll have to clear some of the teamup stuff with others

​

Singular Universe: Brave New World Character Application:

Character Name: Leonardo

Alignment (Hero, Villain, Walking the Line): Hero

Character Speech Color and Font (actually say what it is, like Blue Comic Sans): Blue Tahoma

Powers and Abilities: Leonardo is a mutant anthropomorphic turtle created in a freak accident. His mutations have given him and his brothers enhanced speed, agility, dexterity, strength, and endurance.

Character Origin/Major Events: Leonardo, his brothers, and his adoptive father Splinter were all mutated by a mysterious green, mutagenic ooze that spilled onto them in the New York City sewers. Splinter, the former pet of slain ninja Hamato Yoshi, had his intellect grow quicker than the infant turtles, and decided to raise them as his own. He discovered a long abandoned spur of the subway system which he furnished into their home. Splinter loved his family, but flashes of his past life haunted his dreams. Luckily, he also began to remember the moves he watched his former owner perform countless times. As the Turtles aged, he taught them ninjutsu.

Leonardo took to the training like a fish to water, and he trained diligently. Michelangelo, his youngest brother, looked up to him greatly, Donatello admired how quick he picked up his physical skill, though Raphael resented his straightlaced ways. Still, the brothers all cared for one another, and Splinter knew that if all four stood together, no one would stand against them.

Still, Splinter was haunted by visions of an armored Shinobi and muddled words that spoke of a threat to the city. When the time was right, he sent the brothers to the surface to investigate, with Leonardo leading the way. The brothers were blown away by the sights and sounds of the city, but were also struck by the plight of the innocent people there. They also saw stories of heroes like Superman, igniting their imaginations and heroic natures. Leonardo made the decision for the brothers to protect the people of New York.

Before long, they found the forces of the shinobi who haunted Splinter’s thoughts. The Foot Clan, an ancient force of evil, had come to New York for some nefarious purpose. The Shredder, Oroku Saki, was their leader and the man that murdered Splinter’s master. Together with their allies April O’Neil, Casey Jones, and the Purple Dragons, the Turtles and Splinter fought the Shredder’s evil at every chance they had.

Major Events​

Year Three

• The Turtles emerge from the NYC sewers.
• Leonardo saves April O’Neil from a Foot Clan attack. April becomes the Turtles’ first surface friend, and The Foot quickly become their greatest enemies.
• The Turtles discover the Foot are waging a war on New York’s criminal element in order to consolidate the city under The Shredder’s rule.
• Raphael is angered by Leonardo’s cautious attack plan against the Foot and goes out on his own. He is ambushed by Old Hob, a mutated, one-eyed alley cat who has a mysterious connection to Splinter. Raph is saved by a pursuing Leonardo as well as Casey Jones, a teenage vigilante who has a vendetta against Hob and his gang. This leads to Casey becoming a close friend, and his vigilante gang the Purple Dragons becoming allies. In continued fights with Hob, it’s revealed he was mutated at the same time as the others, though he attempted to eat Raphael at the time. Splinter clawed out his eye to chase him off, leading to Hob’s grudge.
• While researching The Foot Clan’s history, Donatello discovers the ninjas owe their allegiance to the “Iron Tengu”, or Iron Demon. The Turtles manage to track down and capture a Foot historian who tells them that the Demon gave them power. He would deliver the Earth to them while they would deliver Heaven to him. Splinter and Leonardo worry that The Foot’s aggressive attacks in New York means they’re getting ready to unleash the Tengu on Earth.
• After months of reconnaissance and planning, the Turtles launch an offensive against the Foot. It fails terribly. Raphael is gravely injured, Splinter is captured, and Leonardo loses his confidence. April takes the Turtles and Casey to her farm in Northampton.

Year Four

• The Turtles spend two months at Northampton to recover from the beating and plan the rescue of Splinter. While there, Leonardo attempts to regain his confidence by hunting, failing to do so for weeks. Raphael’s wounds heal, and the four brothers train in the wilderness, while Casey and April become close. In the end, Leonardo succeeds in taking down the 10 point buck he had been stalking all winter, and the Turtles agree it’s time to return.
• Leonardo, reinvigorated by their return to New York, plans on using the rising tensions between the gangs and The Foot to create a diversion to free Splinter. The Turtles lure the Kingpin of Crime’s men to the Foot compound, where the mobsters launch an attack on the ninjas. In the chaos, they rescue Splinter, and Donatello finds documents relating to the mutagen that created them on the Foot’s computers. This also brings them into contact with the “Heroes for Hire” Luke Cage and Iron Fist, who arrive to try and pick off a member of Kingpin’s gang. The Turtles and human heroes agree to help each other if the need arises.
• The Turtles begin investigating their origin and its connection to the Foot and the Iron Demon. It leads them to the Techno Cosmic Research Institute (TCRI), a highly secret and defended deep science lab.
• Shredder, fearing the Turtles are getting too close to his plans, orders TCRI scientist Baxter Stockman to hunt the turtles down. Stockman creates the Mousers, an army of robots that hunt the Turtles through the sewer systems. The brothers manage to destroy the Mousers’ central hub and stop their attack.
• The Turtles and their allies discover that Shredder is creating a portal to bring the Iron Tengu into their dimension. They muster all their allies, including the Heroes for Hire, NYC heroes Daredevil and Spider-Man, and the Purple Dragons in order to launch a final assault against the Foot and stop Shredder. In the battle, Leonardo is forced to kill The Shredder, sending the Foot into disarray and allowing the heroes to stop the portal from opening. In the chaos, Old Hob reappears and infiltrates TCRI, stealing a vial of mutagen.

Why this character? The TMNT are my white whale. I want to make them work, and I want to make this game work.

What can you bring to the RPG? An interesting story, classic characters, and some fun crossover plans.

Provide a short sample post as your desired character, in three paragraphs or more and featuring at least one line of dialogue:

Lightning flashed through the sky as the Foot Mystics continued chanting around the device that was set to open a portal to another dimension. Ten yards in front of the ritual, The Shredder stood at the ready, the lightning reflecting off the blades of his armor and making him glow in an ethereal manner. Even though he had been fighting for close to twenty minutes, he was not winded. He didn't even look sweaty from Leonardo's vantage point.

Beside the leader of the Turtles were his brothers, battered and bruised. Donatello was tending to Michelangelo, who had been knocked out by the dark ninja master moments before. On Leo's other side was Raphael, who was on one knee, supporting his other side with one of his sais dug into the ground. They were losing against Oroku Saki again. This time, however, it might cost them more than their father.

"You have fought valiantly," the master of the Foot Clan told Leo in a mocking tone. "I would say you have made your ancestors proud, but freaks have no ancestors."

Leonardo clutched the hilt of his remaining sword tightly. This wasn't how it was going to end. "Do you even know if this Demon will help you? What happens when it comes through that portal and squishes you like the overgrown cockroach you are?"

"You understand so little," Saki seethed. "But you shall see. This world shall crumble under our might, and the Universe shall follow."

"I don't think so," Raph stood as he winced in pain.

Leo looked over to his brother and nodded. The two may have not always seen eye to eye, but they both knew what they were there to do. It was now or never. Either they stopped Shredder, or the world could fall. That was something worth dying for.

The brothers rushed at Oroku Saki one last time, knowing they might not make it out the other end.

 

[Eddie Brock]

You guys aren't going to believe my character choice. I mean, really, it's going to knock you off your feet. I'll start working on the application when I get home from San Diego.

 

[Carnage27]

You guys aren't going to believe my character choice. I mean, really, it's going to knock you off your feet. I'll start working on the application when I get home from San Diego.

Are you at Comic Con you lucky bastard!?

 

[Byrd Man]

Hmm. I need to figure out a character, but I'll see if I can have an application up this week.

 

[Andy C.]

Gonna spend pretty much all day tomorrow putting together my character applications. All three of 'em.

 

[Hound55]

Another work in progress...

Was going to slowly reveal half of this in my grander scheme going ahead playing Moon Knight/Project Red Hood in Ultimate One but it never happened, and it's probably pretty rough to thrust back story which peripherally affects whoever's playing Cap anyway...

So let's give this a crack...

Singular Universe: Brave New World Character Application:

Character Name: Marc Spector, Moon Knight - Yes... I know... again. MB, you did this, you %($*#!

Alignment (Hero, Villain, Walking the Line): Hero

Character Speech Color and Font (actually say what it is, like Blue Comic Sans): [BLACKOUT]Century Gothic, silver in blackout tags[/BLACKOUT]

Powers and Abilities: Mystic/scientifically affected peak level human. An avatar of War, turned allegiance to Vengeance.

Character Origin/Major Events:

Here we go...

"The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something." - Franklin D. Roosevelt, 22 May, 1932. (Roughly two months prior to Adolf Hitler assuming power via 1932 German Federal Election...)​

"We have faith that future generations will know that here, in the middle of the twentieth century, there came a time when men of good will found a way to unite, and produce, and fight to destroy the forces of ignorance, and intolerance, and slavery, and war." - Franklin D. Roosevelt, 12 February, 1943. Address to White House Correspondents' Association, Washington D.C.​

"I fully realize that the new organization is a human rather than a perfect instrumentality for the attainment of its great objective. As time goes on it will, I am sure, be improved." - 1945 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech of Cordell Hull, December 10, 1945. Read verbatim in his absence by Lithgow Osborne.​

• As the Nazi and Axis strength grew across the world, intel was brought before FDR stating that action would be needed to taken. A dark spectre was growing in Europe which had the means to spread across the world. Reports showed that Hitler had recruited a "war advisor" called Johann Smit who had undertaken specialized training under the Fuhrer's direct instruction. Smit was reportedly an expert across many fields including physical combat, strategy, science and, rumour had it, a staunch occultist. Along with which, he appeared to have the full backing of Hitler in resource deployment.
• After initially tabling these reports - this war appeared to be Europe's - and rumours of Smit's dabbling in magic deemed "poppycock" and "fanciful tales of men looking to cover their own shortcomings" further reconnaissance unveiled additional missions for classified military gain, Smit (now colloquially called Red Skull) had begun to show greater signs of his own power across the Atlantic. This growing threat, led to FDR signing off on the earliest proposals for Project: Rebirth, drafted by his Secretary of State Cordell Hull.
• Project: Rebirth seeks to bring the best physical qualities out of the human form to create a division of potential super soldiers. Headed by Abraham Erskine, a biochemist and physicist who defected from Germany, progress is slow but steady. A clear Super Soldier Arms Race is in effect, of which the Red Skull and Hitler have a considerable head start. However rumour has it that Smit does not intend to have the product of his project bound solely by science...
• After confirmation of Red Skull's intent to enhance via magic/mysticism and lofty designs involving norse gods and demonic entities, FDR is presented with an amended proposal for Project: Rebirth by Hull. This proposal would not be filed and included optimistic plans which included names amongst the Ancient Greek pantheon.
• Despite starting from behind, the US achieved first contact with a "superhuman entity". A verbal agreement is made between the US government and the Greek God of War; Ares. Ares will provide a magical potion which will be taken in addition to Erskine's latest, best efforts at a Super Soldier Serum. According to Ares, the serum will not make the subject a god - mankind has not earned that much - but it WILL allow whoever consumes it to unlock the full potential of the human form; Strength, agility, speed... what Ares wants in return is as yet unclear. He does however refer to the subject as his Avatar of War. And that one such candidate will be selected and "offered" to him with every major conflict in this young nation's future under selection from executive order.
• Suspecting duplicity, Erskine makes an interesting choice. Selecting his candidate based on strength of character, believing that if his own work and the potion do their job, any physical shortcomings will be resolved. Sensing the need for Americans' self belief during wartime, the influence of magic is covered up. Steven Rogers - Codename: Captain America - is to be the product of good old hard work and innovation from the finest American scientists, headed by German jew Erskine in a decision designed to fight the fifth column propogandists at home and boost the spirit of the nation, according to memorandum from the pens of FDR and Hull.
• Captain America becomes a beacon of hope, and symbol of liberty... who is sadly lost on the closing days of WWII during a mission to take down Baron Zemo along with fellow compatriot James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes.
• The Korean War saw a new candidate, as per the verbal agreement with Ares. This was called Project: Super-Patriot in order to provide separation from the original Captain America and also because hubris after the first candidate's success led John F. Walker to be chosen by project director Curtiss Jackson more for his physical prowess than strength of character. "US Agent" had considerably less success than the first Captain America and tracing his history can be difficult with several parts of his file redacted or just outright destroyed.
• The Vietnam War saw another candidate. Due to the nature of this war, and the belief that while the previous candidate had less popular success, he was pliable to some action that the original Captain America was not, he was selected based on traits suitable to how this war was perceived to "needed to be fought". Files pertaining Project: Unknown Soldier are therefore, somewhat unsurprisingly, impossible to find.
• The first Gulf War in Iraq demands the selection of another candidate. A more stable Hank Hall is selected, despite the protestations from his brother Don. Project: Hawk is not as high profile as Captain America, but for the first time is made public knowledge since US Agent. Hawk doesn't yield anywhere near the PR issues of US Agent, or the sheer weight of atrocities that needed to be covered up by the Unknown Soldier, but was used more sparingly. The disappearance and return of Don Hall for a short period after the success of Project: Hawk is unrelated to the U.S. Government without even enough intel for speculation.
• Following an attack on the twin towers on September 11, 2001, war is declared, not on a nation, but on terror. Enlisted for the next candidate is former U.S. Marine, CIA operative and "professional soldier" Marc Spector. Project: Moon Knight (suspected to be a less than PC name making a reference to a possible religious crusade) was once again kept from public knowledge due to it's use of more than questionable processes such as brainwashing, and steroid/psychotropic drug cocktails to boost the candidate's physical strength whilst intending to make him pliable during the recruitment phase.
• Project: Moon Knight lost whilst on assignment in Egypt during riots. "Dark period" of several weeks unaccounted for. Spector returns to U.S. soil under pseudonym Steven Grant, now displaying extremely erratic behavior.
• New York vigilante seen matching Spector's height and build, touting self as Moon Knight. Claims to be "Avatar of Vengeance" in service of an Ancient Egyptian New Kingdom god called Khonshu.
• At this point the United States Government remains unsure what effect these developments will have on previous treatise with Ares.

Why this character? Because I'm me.

What can you bring to the RPG? TBC.

Provide a short sample post as your desired character, in three paragraphs or more and featuring at least one line of dialogue:

TBC.

 

[Hound55]

Ah crap... I didn't include Cap's discovery and return from the ice.

I have tried to leave Cap himself alone as much as possible (despite touching on those behind the machinations in "creating" him) to keep him intact and free for anyone wanting to play him.

Also, since I know quite a few of you love and might want to play Hellboy (Andy..?) I'm open to tidying bits up to fit others in.

 

[Carnage27]

My app is done. I have a few choices for secondary characters, but I'll wait to see where everyone's apps fall before doing them.

 

[Andy C.]

So here's a potentially weird question: what's the call on playing non-sapient characters? Like, animals or monsters that wouldn't necessarily have a human-like thought process?

 

[Carnage27]

So here's a potentially weird question: what's the call on playing non-sapient characters? Like, animals or monsters that wouldn't necessarily have a human-like thought process?

I'd need an example, to be honest

 

[Hound55]

So here's a potentially weird question: what's the call on playing non-sapient characters? Like, animals or monsters that wouldn't necessarily have a human-like thought process?

What are we talking..? Like kaiju?

I can remember I was intending to give Man-Thing a go but never really got up to delving into stories beyond origin stage.

I think it can be done.

 

[Andy C.]

Let's go ahead and get the obvious one out of the way, shall we?

​

Singular Universe: Brave New World Character Application:

Character Name: Clark Kent, a.k.a. Kal-El of Krypton, a.k.a. Superman

Alignment (Hero, Villain, Walking the Line): Hero

Character Speech Color and Font (actually say what it is, like Blue Comic Sans): Blue, Trebuchet MS, bold when in costume.

Powers and Abilities:

Powers:

Spoiler

Superman is a Kryptonian, one of quite possibly the most physically advanced beings the universe has ever known. Clark's abilities develop slowly during his early life, but seem to continually grow more and more potent as he goes on. Like exercising a muscle, the more he uses an ability, the stronger it becomes, some improving only gradually, some scaling up dramatically after repeated use. Kryptonians were a race that prided itself in its technology and ingenuity, and in order to survive and thrive on the unforgiving environment of Krypton, they had actually taken control of their species' evolution. Utilizing methods far beyond anything humans would consider to be any known form of genetic engineering or biotechnology, they shaped their own cellular structure to cope with their planet's crushing gravity (the fact that they had not evolved along those lines already suggesting that they may not have originally been from Krypton at all), transforming every cell in their bodies into microscopic fusion generators capable of seemingly impossible feats.

Flight: Superman can manipulate his personal gravitational field, causing a small, almost frictionless anti-gravity bubble around himself and, with some concentration, any person or object he touches. This allows him to fly through the air with ease, and assists him in lifting objects that should structurally collapse when moved.

Super-Strength: Superman's physical strength is incalculable, and has only grown with each passing day on Earth. Capable of lifting millions of tons of mass with virtually no effort, it is unknown whether his strength has any limits at all.

Invulnerability: Superman is resistant to virtually any and all physical means of harm. He has been bombarded with heavy artillery, buried under billions of tons of rock, been exposed to the vacuum of space, near-absolute-zero cold and the heart of nuclear explosions, and has come out with barely a scratch. While it is possible to injure or even kill Superman, thus far it seems it can only be done in ways that negate or subvert his powers. Attempting to defeat the Man of Tomorrow with sheer brute force is seemingly impossible.

Super-Speed: Superman is one of the fastest beings on the planet, at least among those who cannot tap into the Speed Force. The anti-gravity field that surrounds him in flight reduces friction to nearly zero, allowing him hypersonic flight with little concern for environmental damages. It is possible that he can travel near or at the speed of light, but because he cannot access the Speed Force, he would be subject to the phenomenon of time dilation, and therefore he keeps his movements at sub-relativistic speeds.

Super-Senses: Superman's mind perceives the universe in a way that is alien to human conception. His senses are fine-tuned so that they can take in sensations from nearly anywhere on Earth as they happen--hearing sounds long before they could reach his ears, for example. This is due to his brain processing information at unfathomable speed and detail, becoming sensitive to vibrational changes to the environment on a quantum level, and subconsciously calculating the most likely cause and outcome of these changes in the universe around him. While it would not be accurate to say that he can 'hear' a gunshot on the other side of the planet as it happens, the infinitessimal changes in his environment allow his subconscious brain to 'guess' that it is happening, which then produces the 'sound' of the gunshot in Superman's mind.

All this is to say that Superman can see, hear, taste, smell, and feel everything happening on a planet at any time-- the trick, then, in the higher workings of his brain, is determining what events demand his attention the most. While his brain is absorbing and processing information on an unimaginable scale, his conscious mind is roughly equal to an average human being.

Superman's famous 'X-Ray' vision is a combination of his microscopic and telescopic vision, focusing on an object by 'zooming in' on the obstructing object's atomic structure and then past it. This, combined with his other senses creating a nearly 100% accurate model of the surrounding environment in his mind, allow him to see a complete image of people and objects, externally and internally, at will. His eyes are also sensitive to the entire electromagnetic spectrum, allowing him to see radio and wireless waves, pick up E-M disturbances like an enemy using a cloaking device, detect activity in various locations of the brain to determine a person's emotions or discern lies, and even see the bio-electric field that makes up a person's 'soul.'

In addition to this, Superman can adjust his perception of the passage of time, slowing it down to the zeptosecond level, able to sense events so quickly that they can hardly be said to have happened at all. However, this does not necessarily mean he can respond and move at the same speed--on a human scale, this would be the difference between seeing a bullet flying at you and being able to dodge it.

Heat-Vision: Superman takes in and processes energy at an enormous rate, and can release that energy through a series of biological focusing lenses in his eyes. This venting of his bio-energy most commonly manifests itself in the form of intense X-ray lasers, capable of cutting through titanium. These lasers can be broad enough to cover a hemisphere, or focused tightly enough to carve electrons off of an atom. Of all of Superman's powers, his Heat-Vision is the one that drains the most of his energy stores, and excessive use can deplete his powers entirely. As a result, he tends to use this ability sparingly, typically only using it for utilitarian purposes such as a cutting or welding torch, and only using its full offensive capability when all other options have failed.

Weaknesses:

Spoiler

While Superman is one of the most immensely powerful beings known to man, that does not make him indestructible or immortal. In the years since his debut, several methods have been found that can undermine or subvert his powers, cause him immense physical pain, or even kill him outright.

Kryptonite: By far the most infamous (and most effective) countermeasures against Superman, Kryptonite is a highly radioactive isotope of Kryptonian Sunstone, irradiated by the planet's destruction. Its radiation signature is unique in that it is astoundingly energetic (less than an miligram of Kryptonite could power Metropolis for a decade, or alternatively wipe out most of New England if treated into an explosive), yet completely clean. It is harmless to all organic life, except for lifeforms that contain traces of Sunstone in their genetic makeup.....namely, lifeforms from the planet Krypton. Exposure to Kryptonite interrupts the metabolic processes that take in solar energy, causing cell death in a Kryptonian lifeform. It causes crippling sickness, agonizing physical pain, the loss of any extranormal physical abilities, and if exposed for roughly one minute, death.

Even after the Kryptonite is removed, recovery from it is long and painful. A return to full power can take days, even weeks depending on the severity of the exposure. Early in Superman's career, Lex Luthor stabbed him in the side with a shard, creating a scar that has never fully healed.

Thankfully, only one fragment of Kryptonite ever made it to Earth: a two-pound meteorite that landed in Smallville not far from the pod which brought Kal-El to the planet. While a few ounces of the rock were broken off and now power the cybernetic monster Metallo, the rest of the Kryptonite is the exclusive property of Lex Luthor.

Red Sun: Kal-El and other Kryptonians process solar energy at an incredible rate, and it is theorized this is because their bodies believe Earth, an alien environment, to be a hostile one, and thus they are storing energy in an 'emergency mode' at all times. Exposing Superman to an environment more similar to that of Krypton-- higher gravity, thinner atmosphere, or most effectively, the dim energy of a red sun-- will cause his body to believe it is in a 'safe' environment, and thus shut down the energy-storing processes. While this does not drain his powers the same way as Kryptonite does, it 'deactivates' them as long as the environmental conditions are in effect, rendering him effectively powerless.

Magic: Magic is, by its definition, not subject to the regular laws of nature, and as such, Superman has no inherent defense against it. A blade that is enchanted to cut through anything will cut through Superman just as easily as anything else, for example. This makes him understandably wary of anyone who claims supernatural abilities.

Sensory Overload: As previously mentioned, Superman takes in and processes sensation on a seemingly unthinkable level. Disrupting that sensory input, however, can cause him serious pain and disorientation. The most common effective method of doing so would be the use of hypersonic weaponry, throwing Superman off long enough to enact another, potentially more lethal attack against him.

Psychic Attacks: Superman has gone through intense mental training to defend his mind against intruders, but this does not mean he is immune to it. A powerful enough psychic could telekinetically control Superman's body, access his memories, or even take control of him entirely. While doing so is exceedinly difficult, it is not impossible.

Physical Force: Beings of equal or greater strength than Superman are not common, but they do exist. Villains like General Zod or the monstrous Bizarro have been able to match and even overpower the Man of Steel, and it is possible that such a being could overwhelm Superman's invulnerability enough to break bones, rupture organs, or sever his spinal column, which would kill him just as effectively as a normal human.

Character Origin/Major Events:

The full bio is too huge to contain in a single post, but here are the bullet points:

Childhood:

• Kal-El crash-landed on Earth as a baby in a prototype Star Drive pod.

• Said pod was taken into the possession of the US government.

• Kal himself was sneaked away by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who adopted the boy and named him Clark.

• Clark is isolated as a child, but has friends in Pete Ross and Lana Lang.

• According to stories he tells Lana and Pete, Clark may or may not have been regularly visited by kids from a thousand years in the future, and a crazy imp who says he's from the Fifth Dimension, and he also believes he has an invisible dog that only he can see.

• Clark saves a crashing bus full of children at age nine, and nearly blows his secret then and there.

• Ma and Pa tell him the truth behind his origin, that he's not a human or a mutant, but an extraterrestrial.

Teen Years:

• Clark's powers continue to develop, gaining X-Ray vision and flight by age thirteen.

• At age fifteen, Lana asks him out, and he tells her his secret. Lana runs away not just from Clark, but from Smallville.

• At age sixteen, Lex Luthor moves to Smallville and Clark attempts to befriend him. It doesn't go well.

• Six months later, Lex experiments with strange radioactive meteorites found in the outskirts of the city, not far from where Kal's pod landed. The experiment goes wrong and blows up the Luthor mansion, killing Lex's father and burning his hair off.

• At age eighteen, a tornado rips through Smallville, and Clark uses the full extent of his powers trying to save everyone. Despite this, Jonathan Kent suffers a massive heart attack while getting a stray child to safety, and dies before Clark can get help.

• The day after Pa's funeral, Clark leaves Smallville, and travels the world for the next seven years.

Travels:

• Clark travels alone, picking up a career as a freelance reporter.

• As he goes from London to Tokyo, Khandaq to Wakanda, and all points in between, he becomes a budding rival of another globe-trotting reporter: Lois Lane.

• Around age twenty, Clark unlocks a mysterious computer that was inside his pod as a baby. This leads him to the North Pole, where he discovers the Fortress of Solitude, and the Kryptonian AI Kelex.

• Kelex tells Clark about his true nature, the fate of Krypton and his people, and his parents' last efforts to save him in their world's destruction.

• Clark vows to honor the legacy of both his native world and his adopted one, and takes the crest of the House of El as his emblem. Inspired by Captain America and the Justice Society, he would bring in a new age of superheroes, protecting the best of humanity's nature and preserving the lost ideals of Krypton.

Year One:

• Clark debuts to the world by saving an experimental spacecraft over the skies of Metropolis, sabotaged by the international terrorist group Cobra. Lois Lane is the first on the scene, and dubs him "Superman."

• Clark moves to Metropolis, and Lois gets him a job at the Daily Planet.

• Lois and Clark learn that Cobra is being armed by Intergang, and Superman takes to the streets to fight them.

• Bruno Mannheim and Intergang accidentally create the Atomic Skull in an attempt to kill Superman. Superman defeats the Skull, but in the battle, he displays a slight weakness towards certain forms of radiation.

• Six months after his debut, Metropolis is captured by Brainiac, who plans to destroy the Earth after preserving its data. Superman defeats the alien intelligence, restoring Metropolis and recovering its collection of 'Bottle Cities' to the Fortress.

• Superman stops a nuclear attack carried out by the Serpent Society. Clark and Lois work their way through the group's financiers and eventually find Lex Luthor at the very top. While Luthor is eventually cleared of all charges, he has to spend a single night in prison, which begins his personal vendetta against Superman.

Year Two:

• Superman starts fighting more villains, like Livewire, Metallo, Parasite, and Prankster.

• General Zod arrives, attempting to recreate Krypton on Earth with a terraforming 'World Engine.'

• Superman joins forces with other heroes to stop him. The resulting Battle of Metropolis results in catastrophic destruction throughout the city.

• Lex Luthor takes advantage of this, and starts pressuring the government to respond with controllable metahuman agents and anti-Superman weapons.

• On the plus side, the rift in the Phantom Zone caused by the World Engine's destruction allows for Jor-El's companion dog Krypto to escape the Zone, giving Superman a companion even as humanity starts to turn against him.

• During the reconstruction, other heroes and vigilantes like Steel and the Guardian begin patrolling the wounded city. Meanwhile, samples of Superman's blood are recovered by a shadowy firm known as 'Cadmus.'

Year Three-Present:

Under construction, as we figure out how all the team-ups and crossovers are going to work.

Why this character?

.....be....because he's Superman. Do you not know me?

What can you bring to the RPG?

Big ideas, crazy stories, and fun times all around.

Provide a short sample post as your desired character, in three paragraphs or more and featuring at least one line of dialogue:


"Lois! Are you all right?"

The sky is on fire, and seven billion people are screaming.

Hours ago, Cobra Commander and his minions enacted a suicidal plan to bring about the apocalypse. Creating a massive gravitational tether, they used it to grab hold of Earth's moon and set it on a collision course with the planet.

"I'm fine, what the hell is going on out there?" Lois says, standing up from her desk.

"The moon is about to crash into the Earth," I let her know. "I stopped the machine that was generating the gravity well, but the damage has been done."

"But, I mean.....you've got this, right?" she asks, with a hopeful nod.

"I think so," I say, looking up at the blackened scorched sky as the continent-sized satellite bears down on us. "Firestorm and Red Tornado are doing everything in their power to mitigate the damage to the planet's atmosphere. Aquaman is working with Captain Atom to keep the tidal forces from drowning everyone, and a few of the Green Lanterns are constructing braces to keep the tectonic plates from shaking apart. Meanwhile, Reed Richards has gotten a Mother Box operational and is ready to open a Boom Tube if things go south, and Flash will evacuate everyone through the Tube to safety."

"Everyone in Metropolis?"

"Everyone on Earth."

Lois seems sufficiently impressed.

"That seems to cover the collateral damage," she says. "But what about, you know, the moon about to slam into the Earth and destroy the world?!"

"That's my job."

"What exactly are you going to do, Smallville?"

I look up at the crashing moon, and I crack my knuckles.

"The moon is falling, and I'm Superman." I say, turning back to her with a smile. "What do you think I'm going to do?"

"....you're seriously going to try and--"

"All in a day's work," I say with a wink, and take to the skies, to take the cataclysm head-on.....

 

[Andy C.]

What are we talking..? Like kaiju?

I'm just saying, some very interesting things may surface soon.......

 

[Hound55]

Now how well do I know how you think..?

 

[SuperFerret]

I'd say Godzilla is sentient. I also played Krypto briefly in the old DC RPG.

What of original, but clearly composite characters that would likely exist in a combined universe? Like Bizarro Spider-Man or something.

 

[Carnage27]

I'm just saying, some very interesting things may surface soon.......

Oh PLEEAAASEEE DM me about that.

Sorry to get over excited, but I've had the bones of a Gojira arc rattling around in my head for so long.

I'd say Godzilla is sentient. I also played Krypto briefly in the old DC RPG.

What of original, but clearly composite characters that would likely exist in a combined universe? Like Bizarro Spider-Man or something.

If someone really wanted to play as a Bizarro World Spider-Man, I supposed it fits in with the world and there'd be nothing wrong with it. Not sure why you'd want to, but I'm not here to pass judgement.

 

[Byrd Man]

Dibs on Godzuki.

 

[Carnage27]

Dibs on Godzuki.

*bans Byrd*

 

[Byrd Man]

*bans Byrd*

It'd be worth it.

 

[Carnage27]

So Andy brings up a good point, we should discuss whether or not the Justice League, Avengers, Titans, etc have been formed. I figure by year five the League should be around at the very least, but I didn't want to make that decision for everyone.

 

[Batman]

I'm going in with the full assumption that The Justice League and Avengers are both around. I feel like the Titans would be something that could be decided by whoever plays a specific member of that team, since they're smaller in scope.

 

[Andy C.]

MB and I have kinda worked out that Superman and Batman wouldn't cross paths until around Year Three, so the Justice League likely wouldn't come together until after that. Unless we're doing a JLA Year One thing where the League forms without them.