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

[SuperFerret]

Oh, good, a Luthor.

 

[Carnage27]

Well after that 1/2 fight scene, 1/2 exposition dump, basically all the big players for the foreseeable future regarding the turtles are on the board

 

[Eddie Brock]

Flash is in, hoping to get Spider-Man later tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Supergirl]

I'm finally getting around to catching up. Between my birthday, work and family ********, I've had a very busy two weeks. I'm going to finish reading the IC and then get my sample for Kim up, and a post for Kara. Sorry it's taken so long. BTW Spidey, I'm loving your Robin.

 

[Supergirl]

I can honestly say, this is the best game I've read since the WoH and UDC heydays. Wow, everyone, freaking fantastic.

 

[Spider-Man9X17]

I'm finally getting around to catching up. Between my birthday, work and family ********, I've had a very busy two weeks. I'm going to finish reading the IC and then get my sample for Kim up, and a post for Kara. Sorry it's taken so long. BTW Spidey, I'm loving your Robin.

Well, thank you very much

 

[Batman]

Posts are coming this weekend for Batsy and Cyke. Gotta full plate ahead of me today, otherwise I'd get things rolling.

 

[Blind_Lawyer]

Character Name: Matt Murdock/Daredevil

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

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

Powers and Abilities: After being blinded as a boy by a brush with radioactive waste, Daredevil’s other senses function at a super human level, giving him the ability to see the world without sight, and see it in a way the rest of us can’t. He also has the tenacity of a man raised by a boxer, as well as expertise in Ninjitsu. While not prowling Hell’s Kitchen as the Man Without Fear, Matt Murdock is an accomplished lawyer who runs a small firm with his partner and best friend Franklin “Foggy” Nelson and secretary Karen Page.

Character Origin/Major Events: When Matt Murdock was a young boy, his mother left, leaving him to be primarily raised by his father, a washed-up but persistent boxer known to the public as “Battlin’” Jack Murdock.

The elder Murdock had spent most of his life training as a boxer; It had been his only real goal. So as he entered his 40’s and his body slowed down, Jack knew his time in the ring was limited. But because of his extensive training, Murdock bothered to learn little else, causing his post-boxing career choices to be severely limited. What job was out there for a man whose only real skill was pummeling someone else?

The only other thing Jack Murdock was good at was being a dad. Sure, he fought for a living and he drank a lot at home, but Murdock’s relationship with his son Matthew was built upon a solid foundation of trust, mutual respect, love and compassion. He adored his son, and he feared history would repeat itself with Matt taking up boxing because it was what he saw in the home. It was what he knew. And Jack would be damned if he let Matt follow him down the same path. They lived in a dingy, tiny apartment in a poverty and crime-stricken area of Hell’s Kitchen in New York City. The Murdock’s clubbed rats together in the kitchen, using the very frying pans they’d be using to cook dinner. Jack slept in the living room, as there was only one bedroom. As boxing money continued to dwindle, they’d wear coats inside in the winter because they couldn’t afford to turn on the heat. And Jack didn’t want this life for Matt so he made a strict rule—the only strict rule he had: NO FIGHTING! If Matt wanted to hit something, it’d better be books! “Learn something, Matty,” he’d say. “Grow up and become a doctor or a lawyer or something. Don’t end up a bum like me.”

It broke young Matt’s heart to hear his father talk this way, to put himself down, to refer to himself as a “bum.” Matt found both solace and acceptance in church, but he always came home with more questions than answers—the hunt for these answers keeping him involved (with varying degrees of dedication, of course) with the church to this very day. He knew God loved everyone, but did God not have the power to teach all men to love themselves? Jesus preached love thy neighbor, and while Matt knew his dad had a good heart, he seemed incapable of loving himself. This pained Matt, because if there was anyone who deserved to be loved, revered and admired, it was Jack Murdock, who, in Matt’s eyes, was larger than life.

Why couldn’t he love himself? Hell, the man didn’t even like himself. There had to be a reason. Matt would soon see for himself just what that reason was. Unfortunately, it would be one of the last things Matt would ever see…

Matt followed his father one day. He teetered down an alley in pursuit of his father. The hulking frame of Jack Murdock stood at the far end of the alley, dodging, weaving, throwing jabs and right hooks just as Matt had seen him do in the ring many times. But he wasn’t in a boxing ring. He was in an alley. And he wasn’t fighting another boxer, he was roughing up a local street thug for money.

“Dad!” Matt squeaked.

Jack turned around—sweat dotting his face, breathing heavily, his biceps bulging through the tight fabric of his t-shirt as he held the other man by the collar of his shirt. In an instant he knew what had to happen and what was happening: He was seeing himself through Matt’s eyes for the first time.

“Matt!” he called, but it was too late. The boy, confused, angry, even scared, had run off.

As Matt ran and ran, with no particular destination in mind, he came across a blind man crossing the street. A large fast moving truck was bearing down on the man. Matt called out, but the man could not hear him. Unsure of what to do, but positive inaction would only lead to tragedy, Matt leapt out into the street and pushed the blind man to safety. The driver of the truck swerved to avoid Matt as a canister of an unknown radioactive waste tumbled loose from the back of the truck and struck Matt in the eyes, blinding him instantly. After that the leaking canister bounced toward a young boy holding a glass bowl containing for pet turtles. The turtles and spilled down a nearby storm drain.

But Matt never saw any of this. He never saw anything again.

He’d lost his sight in the accident but gained something in return: His remaining senses functioned with a super human intensity. Sounds, tastes, smells and textures were so vivid they painted a picture of the world around Matt, giving him the ability to “see” regardless of his lack of sight. It worked similar to a radar or sonar with waves bouncing off objects to tell Matt their size, location, proximity, and, most importantly, if they were a threat.

After his accident, Matt and his father bonded closer than ever and Jack even gave up crime and returned to the ring. But a local hood known as “The Fixer” wanted Jack to throw the next fight. He knew this would destroy his son and he refused, instead pummeling his opponent to the ground. The result? The Fixer had Jack killed and young Matt Murdock was now an orphan.

He was taken under the wing of a mysterious blind man named “Stick” who trained Matt in the ways of ninjutsu. He also taught him to harness his new-found abilities and use the liability of his blindness as an asset.

But Matt had seen what the crime of Hell’s Kitchen had done to his father. And he wasn’t about to let it happen again. He took his dad’s old boxing robe to a local tailor named Melvin Potter who made it into a kind of loud and colorful costume, complete with devil horns. Thus Matt Murdock broke a promise to his father: He would be fighting with his fists. But, he did keep the other promise: He had hit the books, hard, and despite his disability had gone to law school, met and fell in love with a Greek girl, and made friends with his roommate, a pudgy and decidedly socially awkward young man whom Matt affectionately referred to as Foggy.

Year One:

Spoiler

1. After graduating law school Matt and Foggy avoid the temptation of working for a huge firm and open their own practice, right in Hell’s Kitchen.
2. Simultaneously, an ominous devil-like figure clad in red, gold and black stalks the streets and rooftops of Hell’s Kitchen in the darkness. Crime rates go down, so far down in fact that bigger mobsters now see the Kitchen as prime real estate since no one person is claiming the area. They’re all too afraid of the “Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.”
3. Foggy and Matt beef up their staff by hiring Karen Page. Both Matt and Foggy take an instant liking to her, straining their friendship.
4. Matt loses his first case when he is unable to convict a man for murder. Due to Matt’s extraordinary abilities, he can literally sense a lie. He knows a guilty man just got away with murder.
5. Later, as the Devil, Matt confronts the murderer and beats him senseless.
6. Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich takes notice of the strange goings on in Hell’s Kitchen and decides to investigate.

Year Two:

Spoiler

1. Criminal Leland Owlsley is released from prison.
2. Matt and Foggy are approached by fellow attorney Jennifer Walters to co-chair on her case to get Owlsley back behind bars.
3. Owlsely seeks revenge by kidnapping Karen Page. The Devil rescues her and learns what Owlsley truly is: a hideous half man-half owl beast bent on controlling all the crime in Hell’s Kitchen
4. The Devil now realizes something: Owlsley is being played; he’s being set up by a man with no name.
5. Jennifer Walters is shot by an unknown assassin, saved only by a blood transfusion from her cousin Bruce Banner. This leads to a mistrial in the Owlsley case. “The Owl” as he prefers to be known mysteriously disappears as the man with no name sets his sights on the Kitchen.

Year Three:

Spoiler

1. The man with no name prefers to be known as the Kingpin. And though no one knows who he truly is, the Kingpin makes it known that ALL criminal elements in Hell’s Kitchen work for him.
2. Melvin Potter fashions a new suit for Matt, this one all red.
3. Matt adopts the moniker of Daredevil and makes it known he is going after the Kingpin.
4. Reporter Ben Urich is able to put two and two together and learns Daredevil’s true identity

Year Four:

Spoiler

1. Matt, Foggy and Karen use their investigative prowess to connect the Kingpin to a man named Wilson Fisk. Positive he is, in fact, the Kingpin, the team try to build enough evidence against him to go to trial.
2. Urich confronts Murdock about his secret life as Daredevil—the “Man Without Fear” as the papers call him. Urich agrees to keep his secret and aid him in his quest to bring down the Kingpin.
3. Daredevil finally confronts and defeats Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin. With the Kingpin in jail and no longer controlling everything, the Kitchen descends into criminal chaos. Recognizing the benefits of a leader, Matt understands the criminal element need someone in charge. “IF they want a Kingpin, I’ll give him a Kingpin!” Daredevil declares himself the new Kingpin and sets one hard rule: “If you’re going to peddle your drugs, if you’re going to rape, steal, kill, or maim, do it somewhere else. The Kitchen is protected by ME and is off limits!”
4. Melvin Potter goes insane and becomes the villain known as Gladiator…

Why this character? Well, for one thing, Daredevil is my favorite superhero, has been for years. But I think playing him would be a unique challenge due to the fact that he can’t see. It forces me to take things in from a different perspective, to hear and smell the city, not see it; to inhale the sweet feminine scents of Karen, not to gaze adoringly at her.

What can you bring to the RPG? Character development. I admit, I have a problem with plot, but I’ve self published three books and written numerous screenplays (not to mention having played RPGs before) and have always been complimented on character development. I’m good with character, yes, but plot has always been somewhat of a challenge. Playing in the RPG should strengthen that.

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

It’s late. I’m alone in my office, catching up on casework. My co-workers are gone, so I can let the genie out of the bottle. Using the hyper-sensitivity of my fingertips, I’m able to “read” Karen’s notes. They smell of her perfume. Why don’t you make your move, Murdock? I think. No. Foggy likes her. It wouldn’t be right.

But my daydreaming of Karen is quickly interrupted. I can smell Ben Urich coming. The smell is a combination of newsroom ink, tobacco and nicotine gum. Wait. Tobacco and the gum? Ben’s doing both? I inhale again. No. It’s definitely tobacco, but not Ben’s usual brand of cigarettes. Cigar. It’s J. Jonah Jameson’s cigar stink all over him. But Ben’s not smoking again. His heart rate and blood pressure confirm that.

There’s a knock at the office door. “Come on in, Ben.”

The air pressure of the room changes as the squeaking sounds of an opening door assault my sensitive ears.

“You’re gonna have to tell me again how you do that, Matt.”

Ben’s voice is light but slightly uneven, as if he’s here as a friend, but a friend with bad news.

“What brings you by, Ben? Don’t you have a swinging Spider to harass uptown?” I smile, to let Ben know I’m joking. He doesn’t relax. Whatever he has to tell me, it’s something bad. Then, I feel a slight swaying breeze, as if someone were fanning me. It’s Ben. He’s looking around, turning his head.

“No one’s here but us,” I assure him.

“It’s spooky how you do that, Matt.”

I smile again. “Sit down. Relax.”

“I am relaxed.”

“No. You’re not.”

All the pressures in the room change again, as if Ben suddenly changed in size. But that’s not he case. The sounds of his movements bounce off of him and outline his actions in my head: He’s sitting down.

“No, I’m not,” he says. “Someone’s looking for you.”

“For me?”

“Yeah, well not you, the other you.”

There’s the sound of fabric rustling and then Ben’s voice: “Hold out your hand.”

I hold out my hand as Ben places something in it. It’s small, a waxy paper like substance, rectangular with rounded corners. It feels very familiar. “A playing card.”

“Yeah,” says Ben, “Ace of spades…”

 

[Supergirl]

I slightly edited Kara's backstory and have an idea for my first arc, just need to talk to Andy real quick.

Spoiler

Found by Superman after the Hulk rampage, Kara is taken in by friends of Superman and STAR Labs scientists Fred and Marie Danvers in Midvale, Ohio; a suburb of Cleveland. Kara is placed in junior year of high school, one year behind Fred and Marie's other daughter: Carol. To stave confusion, Kara is given the secret identity of Linda Danvers.

 

[Carnage27]

I can honestly say, this is the best game I've read since the WoH and UDC heydays. Wow, everyone, freaking fantastic.

Yea, everyone's kicking some major butt in this game.

Character Name: Matt Murdock/Daredevil

Cool! Daredevil is approved!

 

[Eddie Brock]

A new Hornhead, eh? Well, looks like my solo arc just became a collaboration! Awesome. Expect a PM later tonight, B_L.

 

[Blind_Lawyer]

A new Hornhead, eh? Well, looks like my solo arc just became a collaboration! Awesome. Expect a PM later tonight, B_L.

Ha! I literally JUST read your Spider-Man scene and was about to PM you like, shoot, what do we do?

Now I actually have to research some legal BS to figure out how to get Peter out of jail.

 

[Morden Man]

Ah, Daredevil, how I miss thee.

I've got a bit sidetracked trying to write for a project on another site but hopefully I'll get back on track with this thing.

 

[SuperFerret]

I'm enjoying everyone's stuff so far, but I hope you guys are ready for what's coming next.

 

[Eddie Brock]

Response coming tonight, B_L. I love the Daily Bugle tie-in. Made way more sense than my idea of "Matt and Foggy happen to hear about the case."

And 9x, I'm going to get my tardy ass going with Jason right after that.

 

[Andy C.]

Apologies for the lack of activity on my behalf this week-- been focusing on getting ready for the play. We open this Friday, so I'm gonna be in tech/dress rehearsals all night every night til then. Once the show's up and running, I'll get some more posts in-- gotta get Hellboy into the fray, as well as getting Big Green to make landfall soon.

 

[Misfit]

To be honest Jones, I didn't notice he was kinda old for the role. I'm not quite familiar enough with Ant-Man to know if he has some sort of alternate successor as Yellowjacket, but it can be rectified one way or another. After all, I posted it separately to point out they were ideas.

I was thinking Genosha could be an island within a lake within Wakanda's borders, as a micronation of sorts that T'Challa still claimed authority and sovereignty over. Figured it could make for some interesting scenes.

Hound, I did look through your Phantom sheet. I just thought it odd that a 'non-team' affliation of national heads would have allies or something. But I suppose the DoE could suggest missions for The Outsiders, giving scope outside the borders of the United States.

If not Moon Knight in the Outsiders, perhaps we could have Daredevil. Would that would work Blind Lawyer?

 

[Carnage27]

To be honest Jones, I didn't notice he was kinda old for the role. I'm not quite familiar enough with Ant-Man to know if he has some sort of alternate successor as Yellowjacket, but it can be rectified one way or another. After all, I posted it separately to point out they were ideas.

What about Atom/Ray Palmer? Another shrinking hero, if that's what you were looking for.

Other than that, as long as you clear Genosha with Batman and the other characters you thought of using, you're approved as far as I'm concerned.

 

[SuperFerret]

Singular Universe: Brave New World Character Application:

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

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

Powers and Abilities: The Martian Manhunter possesses a wide variety of superhuman powers, including superhuman strength, durability, flight, regeneration, self-sustenance, shape-shifting, intangibility, invisibility, telepathy, extrasensory input, and optic blasts. He also has a severe vulnerability to fire: the one thing that can kill him.

Character Origin/Major Events:

J’onn J’onzz, was born roughly 1000 Earth years ago on Mars. There, he had a family whom he loved, his beloved daughter, M’gann, most of all, and he was in turn well loved by the people He served as a Manhunter (roughly the equivalent of an Earth Federal Marshal). Then, the Curse struck. H’ronmeer’s Curse, named for the Martian God of Fire, Light, Life and Death, was a psionic plague, traveling like literal wildfire throughout the telepathic Martian community. It filled the mind with thoughts of fire, the greatest single fear of any Martian, to the point of causing physical combustion. In order to save the infant M’gann and himself, he had to close their minds to those around them, a decision that forced him to watch the rest of his family burn and die as they failed to do the same. For many a year afterwards, they wandered Mars alone, the sole survivors of a dead world.

In November of 1955, Dr. Saul Erdel accidentally transported the two Martians to Earth. The shock of the event caused Erdel to suffer a fatal heart attack, effectively stranding J'onn and M’gann on the strange new planet. Ever curious, they used their natural Martian abilities to covertly live among humans and study their new surroundings.

Due to the relatively slow rate that Martian children age, they were forced to be nomads, travelling the world in an ever-changing series of parent-child guises. Experiencing much of what Earth had to offer, J’onn eventually grew disgusted with the amount of crime he saw on their travels (Mars had "evolved" past crime long before J'onn was born). This disgust eventually prompted his decision to help in the fight against crime once M’gann matured enough to maintain an identity of her own (making her the rough equivalent of a human teenager). To this end, J’onn took on the guise of NYPD Detective John Jones, using his various Martian talents to solve crimes and protect people covertly.

The Superman happened. The man wearing red and blue reignited the wave of “superheroes” that had all but faded when J’onn and M’gann first arrived on Earth. He, like J’onn, was not of this planet, and he seemed to share J’onn’s disgust with the violence in his adopted world’s society. Inspired by Superman, J’onn developed a new form, one that displayed his Martian heritage (but not too loudly) and portrayed him as a hero. Soon after Superman’s debut, the Martian Manhunter burst onto the public scene, stopping Namor the Sub-Mariner from sinking a cruise ship off the East Coast of the United States.

J'onn would eventually learn that his twin brother, Ma’alefa’ak, was still alive, and was in fact the cause of the cataclysm that befell his people. This lead to a battle between the brothers, ending when J'onn believed he had killed his brother. It would not be long lasting, as Ma’alefa’ak would periodically resurface to torment his brother and the world he had adoped, only to be defeated by J'onn each time.

In the next few years, J’onn would become a staple in the superheroic community, even serving on the Justice League. He maintains his identity of Detective John Jones of the NYPD, and M’gann attends Empire State University as Megan Jones.

Why this character? I love the character, he’s my favorite fictional character ever, to be honest, and I’ve been itching to play him again.

What can you bring to the RPG? The Martian Manhunter. Duh.

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

Weeks ago...

“You've heard the tale of Cain and Abel, correct? It is supposedly the first story about brothers, and the first story about murder, two subjects that I know can sometimes go hand in hand. Cain was jealous of his brother Abel, for much of the same reasons that humans become jealous of each other now; because Abel was more loved than Cain. Thus, Cain murders Abel, and he is punished for it. I’m not telling it right, but it’s not important really. What is important is my story, another story about brothers and murder. A story about genocide.

On the red planet that the Earthlings call Mars, there were two brothers; J’onn and Ma'alefa'ak. As with Cain and his brother; one was beloved, the other, cast out. This fundamental difference between them was so ingrained that it was even within their very names. J’onn, the beloved one, was the “light to the light”, while Ma’alefa’ak meant “darkness in the heart”. J’onn became a Manhunter, and Ma’alefa’ak became an outcast, cut off from all other Martians by severing his tie to the Great Voice of our people. His memories were altered so that he did not even remember ever being a part of the Great Voice. Cut off from the most basic form of communication that Martians had, Ma’alefa’ak became the first lone Martian in millenia. Ironic, considering the fate of the beloved J’onn.”

The martian pauses, collecting his thoughts, while the figure sitting across from him looks on intently.

“Continue.” the figure says, gesturing to the chess board in front of them. “and it’s your turn.”

The martian lifts his arm, moving his knight into position, removing one of his opponent’s pawns from the game.

“Outraged by his life as an outcast, Ma’alefa’ak’s heart was filled with hate and evil plotted his revenge. He created a telepathic plague, H'ronmeer's Curse, which would fill the martian mind with thoughts of fire until the body too was consumed by flame. To survive, J’onn the beloved hero to his people was forced to abandon them and sever his link to the Great Voice. J’onn confronted Ma’alefa’ak, and each brother thought the other killed. Each believed themselves to be the last Martian.

They would meet again, on Earth. There they would clash time and again. And each time, J’onn, the light to the light, would defeat his brother, Ma’alefa’ak, the darkness in the heart, the slayer of the martian race.” The martian sighs heavily, “I want to make things right.”

“An interesting tale,” the figure says, “and truly a noble desire.” The figure moves their bishop, threatening the martian’s king. “Check.”

“Take this victory, my friend. I am needed elsewhere, and I have dawdled long enough.” The Martian smiles warmly. "Thank you, for listening. Much has been weighting on my mind of late." He stands and leaves, walking through the solid wall and heading for the Justice League's orbiting Watchtower.

“Farewell, J’onn.”

 

[Carnage27]

Very much approved. Glad to see you going back to J'onn.

I'll also have to PM you at some point about M'gann, but I'm not there yet

 

[Carnage27]

Also, Turtles post coming tomorrow, Cap by Wednesday, I hope.

 

[Misfit]

Excellent, Jones. I'll probably take you up on that Palmer idea.

Bats, we good on Genosha? Don't know if that would mess up your plans or not.

Also, lovin the MM app. I considered playing J'ohn myself and was hammering out an arc. Now I have a few others on the horizon, but not before a Black Panther post.

 

[Hound55]

To be honest Jones, I didn't notice he was kinda old for the role. I'm not quite familiar enough with Ant-Man to know if he has some sort of alternate successor as Yellowjacket, but it can be rectified one way or another. After all, I posted it separately to point out they were ideas.

I was thinking Genosha could be an island within a lake within Wakanda's borders, as a micronation of sorts that T'Challa still claimed authority and sovereignty over. Figured it could make for some interesting scenes.

Hound, I did look through your Phantom sheet. I just thought it odd that a 'non-team' affliation of national heads would have allies or something. But I suppose the DoE could suggest missions for The Outsiders, giving scope outside the borders of the United States.

If not Moon Knight in the Outsiders, perhaps we could have Daredevil. Would that would work Blind Lawyer?

Well, The Phantom isn'ta national head. But to me, a non-team group makes more sense for such a character who is a national head (like Namor, BP or Aquaman) than for such a character to join a fixed team whose goals may conflict with those of the nation they represent.

That's why Namor as a Defender (the non-team I'm basing the idea off of) or Illuminati member always made more sense to me than as an Avenger. Likewise Black Panther.

Non-teams have more flexibility in terms of involvement since it's basically just a network of potential allies who may choose to help you if goals align rather than "Hey! You're an Avenger! We're doing this!"

Plus we've created a world with numerous global threats and potential threats which could wreak havoc on nation or the world as a whole alike. Forces of nature like kaiju, Tony Stark is familiar with numerous alien species, Supergirl - a kryptonian - is in the middle of making contact with a kree.

Flash Gordon knows the potential threats of the greater universe beyond, Constantine the demonic forces behind magic, Strange the multi-dimensional magic threats... they all know what's out there and have personal interests to prevent the worst... Namor and BP it extends even beyond the personal and individuals they care about, but to the people they protect as rulers.

 

[SuperFerret]

I wouldn't say Tony is familiar with all of those aliens, just that he's encountered them at least once.

 

[Hound55]

That was pretty much my point though.

The universe is a big place, and due to contact with other worlds/peoples they're aware of just how big it is/justifiably cautious of what could potentially be out there.