The 'What If?' Marvel RPG - Season thread

[Brainiac 8]

Gambit drops his staff and falls to his knees. His eyes glass over, and he can only kneel and suffer the mental assault by Professor Xavier.

Vulcan (post 4)

"Eric, I belive I am to late" I say landing in the front lawn, seeing the X-jet speed of. "I belive they captured Forge, and my brother...I could not clearly see what happend, but I fear the truth...would you like me to lead an attack squad on Xavier?"

Magneto feels a quick breeze whiff past him and a second later Gambit falls to his knees, almost like he's being manipulated. Pietro?

He runs outside quickly, and hears Vulcan speak to him. His anger is such that he barely hears the noise of his voice. Looking up, he sees the Jet starting to speed away.

"You're not getting away scott free Charles!"

Using his incredible control over all things metal, he takes one of the metal sheds not far from him, and contorts it into a huge metal spear. Hurling it with incredible speed, he makes this spear slice into the side of Xavier's jet. He knows that it is not damaged permanently, but he hopes that it makes their escape much more difficult. He sees the jet teetering, like Charles is having trouble with it.

"Think of that as a goodbye Charles." Erik sneers.

Suddenly he remembers Vulcan and Gambit.

"Gabriel, how are you? How badly are you hurt?
Bertha, check on Gambit! I think Xavier hurt him.
Welcome back Vulcan. I forgot that I sent you to find that mutant, Random. I'm assuming by your message it didn't go well."

He thinks to himself Pietro, how can you be on the devils side.

 

[spartin2008]

Magneto feels a quick breeze whiff past him and a second later Gambit falls to his knees, almost like he's being manipulated. Pietro?

He runs outside quickly, and hears Vulcan speak to him. His anger is such that he barely hears the noise of his voice. Looking up, he sees the Jet starting to speed away.

"You're not getting away scott free Charles!"

Using his incredible control over all things metal, he takes one of the metal sheds not far from him, and contorts it into a huge metal spear. Hurling it with incredible speed, he makes this spear slice into the side of Xavier's jet. He knows that it is not damaged permanently, but he hopes that it makes their escape much more difficult. He sees the jet teetering, like Charles is having trouble with it.

"Think of that as a goodbye Charles." Erik sneers.

Suddenly he remembers Vulcan and Gambit.

"Gabriel, how are you? How badly are you hurt?
Bertha, check on Gambit! I think Xavier hurt him.
Welcome back Vulcan. I forgot that I sent you to find that mutant, Random. I'm assuming by your message it didn't go well."

He thinks to himself Pietro, how can you be on the devils side.

Vulcan (post 5)

"Random was much more resistent then I ever could have planed for, but that is no longer of importance, I see we have a new guest, Gambit is it, as for Xavier, I belive that it is time to take action, it is your decision to make, but I belive I will need no time to heal from my battle." I say relizing Eric has his mind set on something else. "Eric, was that Pietro...is that what is bothering you?"

 

[Matt Murdock]

Iron Man Chapter Seven


The Skies of Washington D.C.


I'm cloaked.


I'm still reeling after the events of the past few moments.

I broadcast a widespread signal to all of my allies: The Fantastic 4, Black Panther, Magneto, Otto Octavius at S.H.I.E.L.D, anyone.

"No doubt you've all heard what I've done by now. I need help. If anyone is willing to hear my side of the story please contact me on this channel, I'm leaving it open. Until then, I'll need to go dark. Please.


Please, please.


I'm begging you, anyone, please contact me."



I see a massive wave of my Iron fighters coming towards me. I can't hide. I'm no coward, and I believe in my actions.

"Alright, you guys, You want a fight? Come get me." I think.

I de-cloak and charge all of my weaponry.

One particularly eager troop races ahead of the pack and tries to plow into me. As he's coming, I grab him by the throat, as he isn't yet fast enough to hurt my hand if I do so. Thinking quickly, I access my neural interface and speak to my armor

"Armor, initiate a code alpha three. Stark Emergency settings, no warm-up time."

"Command confirmed"

As if on cue, all the soldiers freeze in place, hovering. As if stuck in a moment in time. I command the group:


"Listen to me! All of you! I am your commander. You do not take orders from the president. Your duty is not to protect him, your duty is not to uphold the law... Your duty is to respect my commands and follow them through! Do you understand?!"


"yes sir"


"Good."

I release the armor lock. They stay where they were. Good. One flies at me.

"Stop him" I say.

The nearest Iron Man punches his fellow soldier in the face, who falls lifelessly to the ground... hundreds of feet. I speak to my armor:

"Armor, please access all 911 reports and local authority reports as well. Then, sort by relevance"

My armor lists one odd account: a disturbance by the Brotherhood.

"Team, we're going to see Magneto."

I engage my boots to full thrust and my team follows.

Within 2 hours we're at Magneto's home.


When my team lands, we see Magneto huddled over a man who I know from the news as Gambit. The area around him is devastated as it appears a great battle has been fought here.

"Magneto, what happened here?" I say to him.





I'm no longer Tony Stark, the soldier.

I'm Iron Man, the hero.

 

[Noon]

Rogue

Suddenly Gambit falls to his knees as something blurs past him. Quicksilver... this won't be good for Magneto.

I see the battle go on around me, but I can't move, can't fight. The x-men were once my family, Mystique...

I snap out of it as the jet flies off and Magneto hurls a metal spear at them. I can't just stand here.

I run to Magneto.

"Eric, they have Forge, we havta go afta them. You need me for this, Ah know them, Ah was them..."

 

[Brainiac 8]

Vulcan (post 5)

"Random was much more resistent then I ever could have planed for, but that is no longer of importance, I see we have a new guest, Gambit is it, as for Xavier, I belive that it is time to take action, it is your decision to make, but I belive I will need no time to heal from my battle." I say relizing Eric has his mind set on something else. "Eric, was that Pietro...is that what is bothering you?"

Rogue

Suddenly Gambit falls to his knees as something blurs past him. Quicksilver... this won't be good for Magneto.

I see the battle go on around me, but I can't move, can't fight. The x-men were once my family, Mystique...

I snap out of it as the jet flies off and Magneto hurls a metal spear at them. I can't just stand here.

I run to Magneto.

"Eric, they have Forge, we havta go afta them. You need me for this, Ah know them, Ah was them..."

Erik looked over at Vulcan, then at Rogue.

"Yes, Gabriel. That was my son, I could feel him. Rogue, we need to get Gambit to the infirmery; Xavier messed with his mind and we must make sure it is nothing permanent. We need to make sure everyone here is ok, and that Forge is the only one missing. Then we'll have to come up with an idea to rescue Forge. They cannot want him for anything good, but Forge is resilient, he won't give up without a fight."

"And yes, Rogue, I'll need your help in coming up with a plan of attack. You know where they are based, and you know the members, so your help would be crucial to retrieving Forge. First though, lets make sure Remy is ok, and then check the rest of the mutants here."

When my team lands, we see Magneto huddled over a man who I know from the news as Gambit. The area around him is devastated as it appears a great battle has been fought here.

"Magneto, what happened here?" I say to him.

"Hello Tony, we were just under attack by the X-Men, and one of our own was just kidnapped. What brings you here today?"

 

[Batman]

The world grew colder for Peter Parker. But in some ways, it was an escape from an even colder world. A nightmare, as it were.

He stood on a street corner, donned in a leather jacket and jeans. His hair was a mess, his eyes had bags under them, and a thick layer of five o'clock shadow covered the bottom half of his face. He shivered uncontrolably, as if he were a druggie. But despite the toll that it took on his body, and his mind... Peter didn't feel like a prisoner for a small moment. Because he had escaped the symbiote.

But he had to admit to himself... it wouldn't last. The symbiote had left him weak, to the point that he couldn't go to anyone at all. Who'd believe him, anyway? It wasn't entirely convincing that such a frail and fragile shell of a man could possibly be the same powerful person that had gripped the entire city with fear in just a mere few days.

There was only one person he found himself going to. Part of him knew she'd never actually help... He had hurt her for far too long. But Peter didn't know what else to do. He was desperate to escape this nightmare, once and for all. So the moment he picked up the payphone and dialed, he had little hesitation in saying her name.

"M... M... MJ?", He stuttered, weakly.

"Hi, this is Mary Jane. Leave and message and I'll be sure to get back to you."

Peter sighed to himself. She wasn't there. The one time he felt like he could go to her for help, and she wasn't there anymore. Of course, that was his own fault, and he knew it. Peter debated hanging the phone up, but of course, he didn't allow himself to do it. Not after all of the trouble he had gone through.

"M...Mary Jane... It... It's Pe-... Peter.", Peter tried to say in a mumble so soft that he wasn't sure if the message would pick up. "Peter, MJ. Not... not Spider-Man. Just me. I... I don't..."

Peter lowered his head, as a tear came down his face.

"I don't know who else to go to.", He eventually said. "I'm lost... alone... misrable... everything. I lost my job, my house... you... And I can't do a damned thing about any of it. And I know that you've probably... probably had it with me, and all... to which I can't blame you... but..."

Peter wiped away the tears, gathering enough strength to say one last thing.

"I'm scared, MJ. I... I'm scared."

Waiting for his time on the line to expire, Peter slowly hung the phone up, and made his way across the street, hands in pockets.

He felt like an idiot, admitting that. And moreso, he felt like an idiot for even wasting her time. But he just didn't know what to do, anymore. All the answers had been lost within the blackness that had consumed him. The one that turned his attempt at heroism into a vengeful crusade.

The one that the nerve to call itself Spider-Man.

As Peter made his way into a nearby alleyway, to avoid the oncoming people ahead, He noticed something. The darkness, ahead of him. It was as if he was being...

Peter's eyes widened.

"Oh, geez..."

Beginning to run, Peter looked back, alarmed. It was here. He could feel it. His 'other' had come back for him. And Peter was determined to keep himself from being taken. But the moment Peter turned back around to keep running, He tripped over a trashcan, and crashed onto the pavement of the alleyway, hard. Grasping his knee in pain, Peter felt something grab him from the side.

Looking down, the last thing that the concious Peter Parker could see was a swirl of shadowy blackness, grasping onto him as if it were a child clutching it's favorite toy.

The world grew even colder for Peter Parker. But it grew oh, so sweeter for Spider-Man.

"Ahhh. Much better.", Spider-Man stated, flexing his muscles and stretching his limbs with a sense of comfort.

Looking down at the white Spider-emblem that stretched across his torso, Spider-Man let a menacing, yet amused laugh escape him.

"My god, how pathetic are thee.", Spider-Man exclaimed, knowing full well that Peter could hear him. "'I'm scared, MJ. I'm scared, MJ. Take me back! Take me back!'. Oh, that's just priceless!"

Firing a webline upwards, Spider-Man swung into the night's sky.

"What you should've done is forced that ****e to take you back. But of course, you wouldn't have thought of that.", Spider-Man continued, feeling Peter's anger within him.

"Yes, yes. Let the hate flow through you, young Jedi!", Spider-Man stated, howling with sick laughter at his own joke.
"Just admit it to yourself, Petey. You need me. You need me more than you know... You just don't have the balls to accept it. And you probably never will."

I think you've got that backwards.

"You wish.", Spider-Man stated, leaping into the night's air.

As Spider-Man landed on a nearby building, clinging to the side, he suddenly felt a tingle at the back of his neck. His spider-sense was warning him of something.

"Hello... what's this, now?", Spider-Man asked himself, before turning, and spotting the impending danger that awaited him.

A sniper stood on the edge of another nearby building, aimed directly at him. Immediatley, Spider-Man sprung off of the wall he was perched upon, narrowly missing the bullets that grazed it as he fired a webline towards his attacker and pulled.

"Something tells me you need a copy of 'Shooting for dummies'. Cause I'm pretty sure you're supposed to hit your target, dumbass.", Spider-Man exclaimed, before shooting his legs forward, and connecting to the hitman's chest.

The sniper flew back, almost being sent off of the rooftop by Spider-Man's powerful kick. The only thing that saved him was an outstretched, black clad arm that shot out and grabbed his wrist. The sniper looked up, terrified, as Spider-Man dangled him over the city streets below.

"Now, before I introduce you to the pavement, slappy... Tell me... to who do I owe the honor?", Spider-Man asked.

"I... I..."

"You, you, you. All about you. Hate to break it you ya, chuckles, but this is about me.", Spider-Man stated, before letting the thug's wrist slip, a little.

"AHH! AHH! Okay! Okay! It was The Kingpin! The Kingpin wants to see you!"

"...Kingpin?", Spider-Man asked. "You're telling me that fatass cueball actually has something worth my while? Cause I'm a bit skeptical."

"No! No! It ain't Wilson! Kingpin's dead! There's a new one!"

"New one?", Spider-Man asked further, intrigued. "Let me guess... Donald Trump finally snapped?"

The thug cowardly shook his head.

"D... It's Daredevil! Daredevil's the new Kingpin!"

Spider-Man paused, for a moment, taking this in.

"...Well. I'll be.", Spider-Man said to himself.

Seems your old bunk buddy finally grew a pair, Petey.

"Please! That's all I wanted! Honest! I just wanted to get your attention!"

Spider-Man looked down at the sniper.

"And so you did! Buh-bye, now.", Spider-Man exclaimed, evilly, before dropping the thug to his death.

Watching the impact below, Spider-Man smiled to himself, before firing a webline outwards and leaping from the rooftop, into the night.

"Matt Murdock. The Kingpin. Boy, if that isn't irony, I don't know what is...", Spider-Man told himself after a few minutes, as he leaped from his line, and clasped himself onto one of the windows of Fisk Tower.

If Daredevil was taking the codename of his former enemy, Spider-Man doubted he'd pass up the opprotunity to take everything else from him, too. Including his empire. Peering in the mirrored glass, Spider-Man tapped it, lightly and mockingly.

"Knock knock."

 

[Brainiac 8]

Daredevil was standing at his desk when he heard the knock at the window. His senses registered the black clad Spider-Man sitting on the side of the building, knocking on the window.

He had been expecting this visit for a little while. It was just yesterday he put several men on the case to track down the Spider.

I wonder if it's still Peter inside the suit?

Matt grinned. Pressing a button at the bottome of his desk, the glass window slid to the side leaving an opening for Spider-Man to enter through.

"Good evening Peter. I see one of my messengers found you. After what you did to Blackie, I'm wondering if my guy is still alive. So, when did this happen? When did you finally snap?"

 

[Batman]

Pressing a button at the bottome of his desk, the glass window slid to the side leaving an opening for Spider-Man to enter through.

"Good evening Peter. I see one of my messengers found you. After what you did to Blackie, I'm wondering if my guy is still alive. So, when did this happen? When did you finally snap?"

Spider-Man stared back at the individual he had known as The Man Without Fear. He was still suited in his same costume. But both Peter Parker and Spider-Man could tell that there was a change within him.

"When did I snap? Oh, it just seems to be the trend nowadays.", Spider-Man began, turning upright and climbing through the window, into "The Kingpin"'s office.

"Tom Cruise marries someone half his age and gets her preggy nearly halfway to the altar. Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnel start butting heads to boost their pathetic ratings. I off a guy who had it coming and finally turn the entire city against me."

Spider-Man slammed his hands on Daredevil's desk, leaning on it, looking Daredevil straight in the eye.

"Daredevil becomes The Kingpin of crime.", Spider-Man stated, a bit bitterly.

"So I guess I'm wondering the same thing about you, Matt'ems. Did cueball finally twist your horns a bit too tightly?"

 

[Brainiac 8]

Spider-Man stared back at the individual he had known as The Man Without Fear. He was still suited in his same costume. But both Peter Parker and Spider-Man could tell that there was a change within him.

"When did I snap? Oh, it just seems to be the trend nowadays.", Spider-Man began, turning upright and climbing through the window, into "The Kingpin"'s office.

"Tom Cruise marries someone half his age and gets her preggy nearly halfway to the altar. Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnel start butting heads to boost their pathetic ratings. I off a guy who had it coming and finally turn the entire city against me."

Spider-Man slammed his hands on Daredevil's desk, leaning on it, looking Daredevil straight in the eye.

"Daredevil becomes The Kingpin of crime.", Spider-Man stated, a bit bitterly.

"So I guess I'm wondering the same thing about you, Matt'ems. Did cueball finally twist your horns a bit too tightly?"

"Wilson Fisk got what he deserved." Matt snarled.

"I made sure that his reign was over. Once he was gone, I realized what a great position I put myself in. By taking control of the crime in New York, I effectively give myself the power to do things necessary that others can't do. As a hero you can't protect a city that is destroying itself, the natural law is useless. I on the other hand, now have the power to do what others cannot. I now control the crime syndicate in the city. If the city will not trust Daredevil as a hero, they will fear him as the Kingpin."

Matt looked sideways at Spider-Man.

"You and I are in a similar circumstance Peter. We used to run the same line as heroes, now we find ourselves on the same side again. I would like you to be an inforcer for me, you have the power to do what is needed."

"What do you think?"

 

[Matt Murdock]

"Hello Tony, we were just under attack by the X-Men, and one of our own was just kidnapped. What brings you here today?"

Iron Man Chapter Eight


Magneto's home



"Not much, I just thought my team here..." all of the Iron Men uncloak, still hovering in the air. "And I could be of some assistance."


My armor beeps a few times letting me know that something is happening in the city.

"Mr. Stark," my armor says "It appears that there has been a murder in the city. The victim is a known hitman for the Kingpin. The woman who reported it is still on the line with 911. Shall I patch you in?"

I hear a frantic woman talking to a 911 operator. The 911 call is already in progress.

"l-l-l-look, its like i said, the guy was face down on the sidewalk in a pool of blood. I opened his pocket to see if he had some cash. That's when I found the web." she says

"Web?" I mumble.

"Alright ma'am. Can you describe the web?" the operator grumbles half-heartedly.

"Yeah, it was black, And it was around his neck, kinda like a noose, but it looked like it had been used to stop him from moving."

"To incapacitate him, you mean?"

"Inca-what-itate?"

"Nevermind, ma'am. Is there anything else ma'am?"

"No. But I coulda sworn that I saw a black figure jump across three buildings right before I found the body."

"Thank you ma'am. We should have a patrol car out there soon."

"I've lived in this town my entire life, pumpkin. I know what that means. You might as well tell me that you're sending the Wringling Brothers."

I disconnect and look at Magneto.

"Look, I just got word that there's been another murder in the city. I think Spider-Man is responsible. I'll leave you half of my squad, that's about 50 men, to go find your team-mate."

I say to the men:


"Alright, half of you boys are going with Magneto, here to see if you can help him find his team-member. Should you encounter hostiles, I want you to use non-lethal force. If anyone dies, I'll see to it that you're swiftly punished. Aside from that order, however, Magneto is your commander until I say otherwise. Understand?"


"Yes, Mr. Stark"


"Good. Alright, boys, lets move out." I say.

Half of the team stays with Magneto, and the other half moves with me as we head to New York.

"Take care, Mags. And if any of them act up, feel free to crumble their armor." I say as we fly away.

 

[Cyrusbales]

XAVIER

Barely back in one piece at the X-mansion, I set in play the rest of the plan.

"We have been most successful, however we have suffered a loss, Scott appears to have disappeared, possibly dead, and the X-jet is damaged. However, we have Forge, so we are one step closer"

Wheeling into the holding cells, I see him, the route to our salvation.

"What do we need him for?"

"Ah Pietro, this man will help us greatly."

"But what if he doesn't want to?"

"He doesn't have a choice, now Forge, time to wake up. You're going to build me a machine, a machine called Cerebro..."

 

[Cyrusbales]

PUNSIHER

A sloppy mess of flesh, brain and bone decorates my fists, whilst the floor is home to empty shells and bullet ridden bodies. The wetness of blood soaks into my knees causing me to return to my feet, giving me a better chance to survey the punishment that I must have dealt out.

A small sign of life twitches out the corner of my eye. Bloody remnants of feet scarcely cling to shot up stumps that once were legs.

“Please….just kill me.”

His begs for mercy escape his lips with a trickle of blood.

“Tell me what I want to know…”

What do I want to know? Barely able to piece together memories, there is a great deal I want to know, but standing amongst a slaughter like this, there must have been something, something big.

“OK, OK. The Kingpin has stepped up his operation, he made us kill the girls, wanted to make an example, now please, just finish me off”

Girls?

“WHAT GIRLS???”

“Don’t screw me around, you were right there just after we killed them, look what you did to us all!”

How could I forget a thing like that? Maybe it’s just his lies? Either way, the Kingpin is a name I find stalking my fractured memories, a name that needs to be punished.

“Where do I find Kingpin?”

The only two remaining fingers on his left hand fumble to throw a swipe card towards me.

“Here, now please…”

With the card in my pocket I kneel down to this wretch’s level and withdraw a long thin needle, pushing my way past his ribs I force it into his already partially filled lung.

“AAAARRRRGGGG”

Back to my feet I walk away.

“I wasn’t going to make it easy for you, you must be punished. Don’t worry though, you should drown within seven minutes…”

Now for true punishment, now for the Kingpin.

 

[Matt Murdock]

Iron Man Chapter Nine


Just outside of the offices of the new Kingpin of crime: Daredevil.

My Iron Men and I hover about a football field away from the Kingpin's office. We're cloaked and in stealth mode. We've just seen Spider-Man swing into Daredevil's office through an opened window.

I chuckle to myself. Not even Daredevil, the most vigilant of heroes, was immune to the arrogance and corruption that Kingpin's power came with.

And, lucky for me, that arrogance has cause Daredevil to leave the window Spider-Man came through open.

Tapping into my armor, I run through the troops that joined me. I send them all a text message through their Huds:

"Testing Stealth Messaging system. Reply with a blank message."


One by one, blank messages appear.

Good, one for every man.

"Stay here" I send them.

I rev my boots, uncloak, and fly at Spider-Man. I note that he's in his black costume. The symbiote. It's then that I realize that it isn't my friend Peter Parker who's been killing thugs, its an evil Spider-Man.

Before either "hero" can react, I'm emitting an extremely high pitched noise which immobilizes them. The noise hurts Daredevil's ears due to his extreme senses, and makes Spider-Man's symbiote writhe uncontrollably.

I land, still emitting the noise, and grab Spider-Man. The suit can't fight back. The worst it could do would be to wrap itself around me. Even then I'd superheat my armor.

"Peter! Listen to me! It's Tony!! You need to fight it! I'm here to help you, but you need to fight it.

Fight it, Peter!"

I send a text message to my men:

"5 of you get in here and make sure Daredevil doesnt move!"

5 men enter and create an impenetrable shield around Daredevil. With the emitter still on, I focus my attention on Peter.

"Parker? Can you hear me?!"

 

[Brainiac 8]

5 men enter and create an impenetrable shield around Daredevil. With the emitter still on, I focus my attention on Peter.

"Parker? Can you hear me?!"

Perfect.

That is the most Daredevil can think when the storm breaks. It looks like his negotiations with Spider-Man are put on haiatus. Iron Man activated some sort of sonic weapon, and the pounding in Matts ears was almost more than he can bear. Then to top it off, his goons have some sort of field surrounding him.

He quickly pulls out a small paging device and presses a red panic button on it. His doors swing open, and his enforcers pour into the room. Seeing what is going on, they open fire on the Iron Man goons. A bullet ends up making one of them malfunction and it goes down. This causes the others to focus their attention on defending against this new threat.

That is my cue.

Fighting through the pain, Daredevil gets up and surveys the situation. The sonics are making it difficult to focus, so he does the next best thing, runs for the window. He pulls out his billy club, and once at the window he leaps into the open air.

Landing on the next rooftop a little below his window, he does a backflip in the oposite direction and shoots out a grappling cable, allowing him to swing ever lower. Finally reaching the ground, he takes to the shadows and slips out of site.

I need to gain my bearings back, but I now have a new target. I hope you are ready for what you started Iron Man.

 

[Matt Murdock]

Perfect.

That is the most Daredevil can think when the storm breaks. It looks like his negotiations with Spider-Man are put on haiatus. Iron Man activated some sort of sonic weapon, and the pounding in Matts ears was almost more than he can bear. Then to top it off, his goons have some sort of field surrounding him.

He quickly pulls out a small paging device and presses a red panic button on it. His doors swing open, and his enforcers pour into the room. Seeing what is going on, they open fire on the Iron Man goons. A bullet ends up making one of them malfunction and it goes down. This causes the others to focus their attention on defending against this new threat.

That is my cue.

Fighting through the pain, Daredevil gets up and surveys the situation. The sonics are making it difficult to focus, so he does the next best thing, runs for the window. He pulls out his billy club, and once at the window he leaps into the open air.

Landing on the next rooftop a little below his window, he does a backflip in the oposite direction and shoots out a grappling cable, allowing him to swing ever lower. Finally reaching the ground, he takes to the shadows and slips out of site.

I need to gain my bearings back, but I now have a new target. I hope you are ready for what you started Iron Man.

Iron Man Chapter Ten


The offices of the new Kingpin of crime: Daredevil.

Damn it.

Daredevil has just summoned some goons. Fantastic.


And now, he's getting away.

I say to the rest of my soldiers: "10 units outside of the building subdue Daredevil. 3 of you get in here and help these guys with the hitmen."

They do so and I create a force field around Parker.

Hitmen pour through the door. I look to the top of the door, its steel.

"Back off from the door." I send my men.

I activate my superheated repulsor blast and fire a stream at the steel above the door. It begins to melt. A layer of liquid steel falls over the the doorway. A few stupid men try to run through the steel but its already beginning to cool. I look at the ceiling above me and thrust my fist into it. I grab the air conditioning tube and empty it onto the door. I go up to the face... it looks like Han Solo's carbonite case from the Star Wars movies. I tap on it and it lets out a few muffled screams. I turn my back and walk away to the window

Ten of my men are still struggling with Daredevil.

I look at Spider-Man. Since my armor is still emitting the noise his other is still in pain.

"Get.

The hell.

Off of him." I say to the suit.


Several of the men wrangling with Daredevil send me messages begging them for help.

I leap down and grab him in the fray.

I throw him to the ground and I pummel him senseless.


"You bastard. I thought you were a hero. And yet, you've somehow found a way to prove me wrong. Daredevil?? Are you still there? Or is it just the damn Kingpin now?"

 

[Feature]

IC Otto Octavius: Doctor Octopus
Season I - Part Three

Otto Octavius, Mac Gargan, and Miles Warren stood in a huge laboratory.

"This is where you'll be working." Octavius announced.

"Octavius, this is... this is incredible!" Warren said with enthusiasm.

"Think nothing of it." Octavius said, with a satisfied smirk on his face. "You will be working for me now and I expect nothing but the finest work. Therefore, you are being given nothing but the finest equipment."

Warren continued examined his new workspace, awestruck.

"Your living quarters are just down the hall. And so that we are clear, I expect absolute transparency from you. I will know exactly what you are doing and why you are doing it at all times. Do not test me, Warren. I do not have the same shortcomings as my predecessor. Should you anger me, you will not return to occupying a pod. You'll be occupying a casket. Understood?"

"Understood." Warren replied, a touch of bitterness in his voice.

"Very good. Have you any inquiries?"

"Well, Octavius, if I am to begin my work I will be needing DNA samples of those you wish to have cloned. How might I go about obtaining such materials?"

Octavius approached a large cabinet and opened it with one of his tentacles. Inside the refridgerated space were hundreds of small vials.

"SHIELD has managed to obtain hundreds of DNA samples from vigilantes over the years, most recovered when examining sites of battles. In the past, they have been used to ID those who wish to keep their identities secret. But now, they will be put to far greater use."

Warren touched the vials and smiled wickedly.

"Doctor Octavius! Certainly you spoil me!"

"All I ask is that you do your job as it has been described to you. Every vial is numbered and I will know if one goes missing. You will be monitored at all times, and I will be expecting frequent updates."

"Now, before you get started, you must submit to me a detailed description of the cloning process you intend to use. I will then devise a way to incorporate the Inhibitor Drug into the process, at which point your true task will begin.

"I will do no such thing!" Warren shouted.

"Be silent!" Octavius shouted, as he snapped the claws on his tentacles. Gargan took a few steps towards Warren. "You will do as you are told without question or hesitation!"

"No." Warren said defiantly. "I am no fool, Ocavius. If I give you the details of the procedure, you will be able to produce clones without me. Then what is to stop you from putting me back in that pod? Or from killing me?"

Octavius cursed mentally. That had been his plan all along.

"If you do not tell me how it is done... I'll kill you RIGHT NOW!"

"I don't think so. You need me Octavius." For the first time, Warren had the upperhand. "I will make your clones. I will make them as you specify... but I will not tell you how it is done."

Octavius was silent for a moment, then...

"Fine. I will allow you this one luxury." Octavius let his arms fall limp once again as his phone rumbled. He had just received a text message. Whoever had this number was sure to be someone of importance. He read the message hastily.

"No doubt you've all heard what I've done by now. I need help. If anyone is willing to hear my side of the story please contact me on this channel, I'm leaving it open. Until then, I'll need to go dark. Please.
Please, please.
I'm begging you, anyone, please contact me."

"So Otto, what are to be the clones' first orders?" Warren asked idly as he studied an instrument.

Otto smiled wickedly. "Funny you should ask..."

 

[Feature]

IC Adrian Toomes: The Vulture
Season I - Part Three

Adrian sat in a recliner, his hands steepled. He was thinking about his next move. Initially, his plan had been to take down Spider-Man. But perhaps that could wait. Because now, The Devil had reared his head. And if Adrian could take him out, organized crime in New York would lose it's foundation... it's Kingpin.

A sudden knock on his door snapped Adrian back to reality.

"Who in blazes could that be?" He wondered.

No one was supposed to know where he lived. The landlord, Barry, was a seedy guy who Adrian had turned a blind-eye to many times when he was police cheif. He knew Barry wouldn't turn him in. So who could it be?

Adrian approached the door silently and gazed through the peephole, just in time to see a blur of metal strike.

The door was smashed to peices and Adrian was knocked on to his back. He looked up from the floor and saw his attacker enter the room.

​

"What the heck is this?" The intruder said in a crude voice. "You're just some freakin' old geezer!"

Adrian got to his feet and dashed towards the closet, where his Vulture suit was stored. Before he could get there, his attacker wound a metal coil around his ankles and tripped him, causing Adrian to fall on his face.

"Not so fast, Gramps. I got a message to deliver."

Using his years of police experience, Adrian identified the attacker. His name was Frank Schlichting, also known as Constrictor. Adrian was helpless as Constrictor pulled him across the floor. Without the enhanced strength provided by his Vulture suit, Adrian was just another old man.

Finally, Contrictor had reeled Adrian in and crouched down, so they could speak face to face.

"Bet you thought you were safe and sound in this little craphole, huh? Well, you can hide from the police, but you can't hide from the Kingpin."

So it was the Kingpin who had sent this man! But what message had he to deliver?

"Let me tell you something Rumplestiltzkin, the Kingpin ain't gonna put up with you. That was some job you did to Shrike. Poor guy's gonna be in jail for a long stretch..."

Another of Contrictor's bands were wrapped around Adrian's torso, pinning his arms to his sides.

"Now, the Devil's gonna give you a chance you don't deserve. He thinks he might be able to use you. So give him a call when your ankles heal."

Constrictor tossed a peice of paper on the floor, with a phone number scrawled on it.

"What do you mean when my ank--"

Constrictor tightened the coil that was wrapped around Adrian's ankles, audibly shattering the bones.
​

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
​

Constrictor walked towards the door, as Adrian whimpered and cursed.

"Do yourself a favor and call the Kingpin, you old dinosaur. Or the next time I come here I'll be taking the suit with me, and you'll be taking a dirtnap."​

 

[Matt Murdock]

Iron Man Chapter Ten


The offices of the new Kingpin of crime: Daredevil.

Damn it.

Daredevil has just summoned some goons. Fantastic.


And now, he's getting away.

I say to the rest of my soldiers: "10 units outside of the building subdue Daredevil. 3 of you get in here and help these guys with the hitmen."

They do so and I create a force field around Parker.

Hitmen pour through the door. I look to the top of the door, its steel.

"Back off from the door." I send my men.

I activate my superheated repulsor blast and fire a stream at the steel above the door. It begins to melt. A layer of liquid steel falls over the the doorway. A few stupid men try to run through the steel but its already beginning to cool. I look at the ceiling above me and thrust my fist into it. I grab the air conditioning tube and empty it onto the door. I go up to the face... it looks like Han Solo's carbonite case from the Star Wars movies. I tap on it and it lets out a few muffled screams. I turn my back and walk away to the window

Ten of my men are still struggling with Daredevil.

I look at Spider-Man. Since my armor is still emitting the noise his other is still in pain.

"Get.

The hell.

Off of him." I say to the suit.


Several of the men wrangling with Daredevil send me messages begging them for help.

I leap down and grab him in the fray.

I throw him to the ground and I pummel him senseless.


"You bastard. I thought you were a hero. And yet, you've somehow found a way to prove me wrong. Daredevil?? Are you still there? Or is it just the damn Kingpin now?"

Iron Man Chapter Eleven


The offices of the new Kingpin of crime: Daredevil.


I look down at the man before me. Once a hero, now a criminal.

"y'know what? I don't care anymore. You want to be a criminal? Go ahead."

I open my faceplate so I can look him in the eyes.

"Just know that I'll be coming for you"


I pick Daredevil up, carry him back into the office, and throw him into his big, comfy, oversized chair.

Then, I call off my men.

I look at Spider-Man. He's still stuck in the field. He looks like hes in pain.

"You know what, Parker, I'm sorry. I can't help you. You need to get rid of the suit on your own." I kneel down next to him. Daredevil is still in a fog in his chair.
"I'm sorry Pete. Goodbye Daredevil."


My team and I exit through the window we came through.

 

[Noon]

Erik looked over at Vulcan, then at Rogue.

"Yes, Gabriel. That was my son, I could feel him. Rogue, we need to get Gambit to the infirmery; Xavier messed with his mind and we must make sure it is nothing permanent. We need to make sure everyone here is ok, and that Forge is the only one missing. Then we'll have to come up with an idea to rescue Forge. They cannot want him for anything good, but Forge is resilient, he won't give up without a fight."

"And yes, Rogue, I'll need your help in coming up with a plan of attack. You know where they are based, and you know the members, so your help would be crucial to retrieving Forge. First though, lets make sure Remy is ok, and then check the rest of the mutants here."

"Remy?" I look over and see him curled up on the ground with his hands clutching his head. Big Bertha is already checking him for injury. I go over and kneel next to him. I reach out to pull his hand away from his face, but stop short when I realise I haven't put any gloves on.

"We need to get him down to tha infirmary, you think you can carry him?" I say to the super-sized supermodel.

 

[Cyrusbales]

XAVIER

"I will never help you Xavier."

"Forge....really? I am the greatest telepath on earth, your mind is like a simple marionette at best. All I do is insert this machine's plan into your head, and using your.....unique skills, and Pietro's speed, we can build the machine within the hour."

"I think you'll find my mind a bit more tricky than a........AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHH, yes proffessor, it's time to build Cerebro."

"I'm glad you see it my way, Pietro, assist Forge, it's nearly time for us to take our rightful place..."

 

[Apprentice]

What If...Havok
Season I, Phase One: Brother

I've been running most of my life.

An outcast, shunned because of my powers. And, in all honesty, I'm glad of it. If being an outsider means that I can't hurt anybody...then so be it. I've got more than my fair share of sins to atone for; I most certainly don't need any more to worry about, accidental or not. It's not only my status as a mutant that's driven me to flee, though. The primary other excuse is family. My pedantic older brother, Scott. My arrogant younger brother, Gabriel. My parents - the two people responsible for wrecking my life, and those of my siblings.

What's family good for?

Absolutely nothing.

Caring, loving parents don't exist in the real world - in my world.

That's why I've decided to turn to him. The one they call Magneto. I was approached by Xavier a while back, after the first accident. It wasn't pretty. Ever since, I've been doing a little soul-searching. Training myself in the use of my powers; ever since Hawaii, I've realised that I can't ignore them any more. Burying your head in the sand? Just makes things worse. Trust me on that, if nothing else. It took me a while to track him and his "students" down. I say that with great skepticism. They seem more like his private army.

Which is kinda why I want to join up with him. I don't want to go to a school - I want to kick some serious Xavier ass. Sounds immature, but it's true. It's those kind of freaks that give mutants a bad name.

Ah, who am I kidding? Unwillingly, I'm one of them. My actions in Hawaii made sure of that, right? 'Course, I didn't mean to hurt anybody, but I did. No more self-pity. That won't make up for the lives I erased. I have to atone for my sins. Repent, in a way.

The easiest way to do that is by becoming a member of the Brotherhood. I'm strangely anticipating it...maybe this time on the road has been good for me. Enough with the cheesy after-school special intro, though. I'm here. At Magneto's mansion. And it's nothing like I expected. A troupe of Iron Men are levitating over the front lawn - around fifty, I'd estimate. Magneto himself is in the centre of the devastation. It looks like the remnants of a battlefield. I approach hesitantly, allowing the warming sensation of cosmic energy to pulse through my body. Could the armoured "heroes" be behind this?

Now that would be an entrance and a half - taking out the monsters that just thrashed the entire Brotherhood. No - I'll determine the cause of the trouble, then act. Can't be too rash now, Alex.

"Okay, who wants to explain what the hell's going on?" I interject, putting on my best "answer-me-right-now-or-I'll-fry-you" voice. The scary part? I actually could fry them.

 

[Matt Murdock]

Iron Man Chapter Twelve


About 50 feet above the roof of Stark Tower.

This.

This is just...insane. I'm breaking into my own office...my own home.


There are 5 normal guards on the roof of my building, one at each corner, and one in the middle.

I enter stealth mode and break all of their necks.

"That's six people I've killed."

I need to become there hero I can be. But not without my technology.

I try to enter through the door on the roof, but the Iron Men have changed the password.


"Screw this."

I alter my armor so that all layers are up. I'm virtually a tank.

I fly into the roof at top speed. It's concrete, but it gives.

I'm standing in my office.

"Barbra... Barbra are you here?" I say to the empty room.


My newly installed digital assistant turns on and is standing before me.

"Mr. Stark. Forgive me, please, I'm sorry, they reprogrammed me."

"Barbra. I don't care what they did just activate the self destruct in the lab in the tower and give me the authorization codes for the lab in Arizona."

"Done, Tony. Forgive me."

"Thanks Barb--

You called me Tony. What's happened to you?"

Several soldiers and one Iron Man burst through the door. From what I can tell, even though many Iron Men remained loyal to me, there were a few still loyal to the Government.

"God damn it, Barbra!!"

"I'm sorry!"

Despite their best efforts, the soldiers are unable to puncture my armor with their bullets. With all layers of my armor still deployed, I casually walk up to the Iron Man. The soldiers have stopped firing, momentarily. He takes a fighting stance and tries to lunge at me. I dodge him and hit him in the back with my elbow, sending him to the ground. He tries to get up, but before he can I punch him as hard as I can in the face. When he falls down, his dented faceplate falls off, revealing his bloody face. I take my cue to leave and rocket upwards through the damaged ceiling.

As I leave I tell Barbra:

"Upload a copy of your code to the Arizona complex's computer. I'll edit it from there."

Engaging cloak mode, I fly into the night sky; leaving the scrambling soldiers behind.

At least now I have access to my second Iron Man lab.

 

[Matt Murdock]

The Scarlet Spider Chapter 1

I'm sleeping in my bed. No pillow. Odd. No blankets... also odd. I turn over onto his side. I'm cold... my beds cold. It feels like... steel.

"Mary Jane, can you pass me a blanket?"

No response.

"MJ? You there?" I reach out to find her but my hand hits a wall of steel. My eyes open.

"...The hell?" I run my hand along the smooth metal.

"Oh, god." I think.

I panic and punch the wall as hard as I can several times. After a few moments, I calm down. I make a fist and start tapping the steel, looking for a hollow spot. Then, I realize I'm still on my side. I turn back onto my back and start knocking. Glass.

"Bingo" I whisper. I punch the glass and it shatters easily. Getting out of the pod, I realize, its dark, and I'm naked...Gross.

"Whats going on?" I say to myself. I step onto the floor and feel several sharp pains in my foot, caused from me stepping on the shards of glass from the steel coffin.

"Smooth move, buddy." I mumble as I leap to the ceiling.

"Alright. You're Peter Parker, the amazing Spider-Man. You don't know where you are, and God knows how long you've been here. What first? Lights." I crawl along the ceiling and along the wall. After a few seconds of searching, I find the switch and flip it. A single bulb turns on in the middle of the ceiling. The scene in the room before me is odd. There's a desk with a computer on it, lab equipment, files scattered across the desk, a trunk that's open, my pod and a comfy office chair.

"First things first. I need clothes." I meander over to the trunk. In it I find a variety of comfortable clothes: sweatpants, athletic shorts, t-shirts, and hoodies. I grab a pair of the shorts and a t-shirt and throw them on.

"Huh. Now what?" I walk over to the door and open it, just to make sure I'm not locked in here. It opens with ease to reveal that I'm in a seedy apartment complex. I close the door and sit down in the chair and slide over to the desk.

"What have we here?" I say, pulling open drawers of the desk. First drawer. I pull out a bloodstained swatch of my costume.
"Weird."

Rummaging through the next drawer I find two things. The first is addressed to Miles Warren from SHIELD. Apparently, he was arrested for illegal genetic experimentation. The other thing I find is a pair of my wrist mounted web shooters. I check the ammo. They're full.

"Lets see what you have to say, Mr. Computer." I say as I turn it on. The computer hums as it activates. Once the computer is done starting up, I click the internet browser and go to Google. I try search after search looking for any news about myself.

Nothing.

But then it pops up with an interesting search suggestion.

I click it and I'm horrified by what I see.

The only thing I can think to search next is Miles Warren.

Turns out he specializes in the field of cloning.

Peter Parker isn't dead. Spider-Man never went missing. I've been in a pod for ages. I can't think straight. I grab the files scattered across the desk and read through them. Warren's work is incredible. He's identified how to perfectly replicate the pattern of bases in the DNA Double Helix chain. Fascinating. Then I get to a file with my picture on it. I look at the cloning status portion. Warren marked a chart for every day that he was there with me in the pod. He stopped marking years ago. He abandoned me. I look at the pictures. I see myself in the pod, growing, dreaming, living as Peter.

And then I realize, I'm not Peter Parker. I'm his clone.

 

[Feature]

IC Adrian Toomes: The Vulture
Season I - Part Four

Unable to stand, Adrian crawled across his living room floor, inching ever closer to his desk. Once he was within striking distance, he reached out and shook the desk's leg. It took several attempts, but finally Adrian managed to cause the phone to fall. It landed just inches from his skull.

Adrian quickly picked up the phone, determined to get help. But he froze before he began dialing. After all: who was he going to call? He had no family. He had been married once, a long time ago, but it had ended in a hasty divorce. Therefore, he had no children and no spouse. His parents were dead and so was his brother Marcus. Marcus' son, Malachi, lived in Atlanta, and Adrian hadn't seen him in at least a decade.

Adrian's hopes were dashed as he looked around his filthy little apartment. The door that Constrictor had broken lay in shards all over the floor, along with several old newspaper and pizza boxes. The place was a dump. In the closet hung three outfits. A dress shirt and jeans, Adrian's best suit, and the Vulture costume. Adrian was more than sixty years old, and all his life's possessions fit easily into this wretchedly small place. It was a disheartening thought.

Is this what he had to show for trying to protect the innocent in this city? A dirty, delapitated apartment and broken ankles? Was it worth it? Maybe Evan Radditch had been right. Maybe he should have just accepted that it was his time to retire. Now he had lost all his friends on the force... or had he?

Adrian hastily dialed the only number he could think to call. It might be a mistake... but he had no other option.

* * *

"Fools! You shall never defeat Jack O' Lantern!"
​

​

Dozens of police officers ducked for cover as a lunatic calling himself Jack O' Lantern soared through the sky above them. Among these officers was young Jimmy Phillips, a fresh-faced rookie who had seen more than his share of action during his short time with the force.

As Jimmy took shelter behind the door of his patrol car, he attempted to get a bead on this Jack O' Lantern character. He was attempting to refine his aim when his cell-phone began to ring. He quickly ducked behind the door of the car and flipped his phone open.

"Jimmy Phillips, make it short!" He yelled over the sounds of battle in the background.

"Jimmy... Jimmy, I need help."

"Mr. Toomes? Mr. Toomes is that you, sir?" Jimmy asked incredulously.

"Please Jimmy... I'm hurt real bad. I need you to bring me some supplies. No cops."

"Mr. Toomes I can't do that. You... you're a fugitive Mr. Toomes and I can't... I mean... I'm right in the middle of--"

"Jimmy please! I need this! You... you're all I've got."

Jimmy sighed, deeply conflicted.

"Where can I find you?" He asked sternly.

"Can I trust you?"

Minutes later, after Jimmy had faked an injury in order to be excused from the scene of the conflict, a patrol car was seen streaking towards a neighborhood that cops rarely visited. The car carried a young officer towards a secret rendezvous with an old veteran.​

 

[Matt Murdock]

The Scarlet Spider Chapter 2

I punch the computer monitor and then I hear clattering outside of the door to the lab. Looks like Warren's goons are pretty loyal. I put my web shooters on and leap to the ceiling. I crawl over to the door and turn the light off. The door opens slowly and two guards walk in.

I slow my breathing... ready to pounce. I let them turn on the light. I fall from the ceiling to behind the door.

They meander over to the pod and look at.

"I'll be damned. Looks like the boss can do a thing or two."

I leap from behind the door and kick one of the guards in the back. He falls to the ground and I web him there and kick him in the face so hes unconscious. I look at the other guard hastily reaching for his gun.

"I wouldn't do that." I grab his head and slam it into the steel edge of my pod. He stumbles backward and falls over the chair, onto the ground. I web him to the ceiling upside down.

"Look at me." I say "Understand that I am not joking, Im not lying either. Give me the answers to the questions I ask, and you will live. Lie to me, and I will kill you."

"I ain't tellin you *&@#!!" He says, spitting in my eye.

"Shut up." I say. I punch him in the jaw and open his mouth. I spray webbing into my hand and into a ball and force it down his throat. Then, I pinch his nose, essentially suffocating him. He starts to writhe in his web cocoon.

"You think you know who you're dealing with? You don't. I may be a hero, but before I can save other people, I need to save myself. Now, tell me, who are you working for?"

"Mmmm! Emmmmm! MMMMMM!" He lets out a few muffled screams.

"Oh, thats right. Snitches like air, don't they?" I say as I yank the webbing from his throat.

"Warren, Miles Warren! He's been captured!" He cries.

"By who?" I say.

"Look, I dont know!!"

"I told you not to lie." I say as I start to make another ball of webbing.

"S.H.I.E.L.D! They've got him in their base."

"Good. Thank your buddy for the shoes." I say as I take his buddy's boots so I can wear them while I look for a costume.

"Hey!! Hey! You can't just leave us here, we'll die! Don't lea---mph!"

"Don't worry, my webs will evaporate in a day or two." I say as I web his mouth and exit the room. I exit the building complex and find I'm in the city. I head for the only place I know I'll have an ally, Stark Tower.