World of Legends: The New DC RPG -- Sign Up/OOC Thread

How else does Batman slide into his costume?

 

Character Name: The Flash (Walter West)

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

Character Speech Color and Font (actually say what it is, like Blue Comic Sans): Bold Dark Red Trebuchet MS

Powers and Abilities: Arguably the most knowledgeable user of the Speed Force, Walter shares his main universe counterpart Wally West's mainline to it, enabling him to draw infinite energy to move beyond light speed, increase his perceptions to match his speed, quickly metabolize injuries (at the cost of aging his body proportionately), steal and lend speed to other people and objects, vibrate through solid matter, excite the atoms in objects to make them explode, create high-speed whirlwinds, and generate an aura that protects him from the harmful effects of high-speed motion. Having honed his skills since childhood alongside Barry Allen, the Teen Titans, and the Justice League, he's also a capable fighter and a resourceful, quick thinker. The circumstances of his timeline's divergence from the main universe have also made him more willing to use ruthless tactics, although he tries to avoid it if possible.

Character Origin/Backstory: Once upon a time, there was a woman named Linda Park. She met a man named Wally West, who was also a hero called the Flash, the fastest man alive. Then the leader of a terrorist group called Kobra tried to kill her. In the main universe, he failed. In Walter's universe, he didn't.

After Linda's death, Walter made his way to Savitar, who taught him everything he knew about the Speed Force. After that, Walter began working toward his true goal: the death of all the villains--all the people like Kobra--he could get his hands on. Savitar was the first to fall, but many of the other Rogues soon followed.

Eventually, a peculiar encounter with the main universe's Wally and Linda cleared Walter's mind of the rage that had clouded it for so long. Believing they died shortly after (though they had, in fact, been whisked to another reality instead), Walter came to the main universe to carry on Wally's legacy of heroism. He did so admirably and even got engaged to a new love--Angela Margolin, a CSI with the Central City Police Department. Unfortunately, once Wally returned to his proper universe, they found that Walter's presence was causing reality to break down around him. Now he searches for home, valiantly trying to atone for his bloodstained past along the way.

Why this character? Walter was one of my favorite parts of Mark Waid's completely stellar run on The Flash, but he was only around for about 10 issues. I always felt there was more potential to him, and I hoped one of Waid's successors would bring him back for another story or two. But instead... other things happened. So I figure this would be a good opportunity to finally do more with Walter.

What can you bring to the RPG? Passion for the character, I suppose. I'm already re-reading the issues Walter appeared in for background and to get a feel for his personality again. I'm a decent writer, too.

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

It was gray. Wide. Kind of squat, somehow, even at a not-unrespectable five stories. A totally unremarkable example of bland modern industrial architecture. Across the front was scrawled, in totally unremarkable unserifed font, "Central City Police Department."

"What's the big deal?" Walter asked himself. "I've been in that building a hundred times. Just move your feet and get in there, you big moron. You're good at that much, at least."

He looked down to see if his feet had started moving yet and his eyes stopped at the flowers in his hand. Azaleas. He remembered her eyeing them once as they walked through a park. They were commonplace--nothing special. Kind of like the building. For a brief moment, Walter considered racing around the world to pluck something more unique--an exotic jade vine from the Philippines, or one of those possibly-extinct lotuses that only grow on the Canary Islands. But he remembered her eyeing azaleas, not jade vines or lotuses, and that made this handful of flowers he'd picked from a bush around the corner the most beautiful Walter had ever seen.

"Enough of this. Yeah, it's been a while, but I'm sure she'll be happy to see me. Things got pretty serious before..." Walter swallowed the lump in his throat. "We'll probably pick up right where we left off. She'll be happy to see me. I know it. And I know for sure I'll be happy to see Ange--"

"Wally?" The voice from behind him startled Walter so much he dropped the azaleas. As he scrambled to pick them up, the voice continued, "What are you doing here? They said on the news that you'd vanished in some--" Her voice trailed off as Walter looked up and their eyes finally met. "Oh my God." Her voice was choked, almost inaudible.

"Walter?"

 

Plot Spoilers: Walter West discovers that he has Speed Cancer and begins making and selling crystallized speed force with Roy Harper.

 

Speed Force, b****!

 

Voided

 

Thanks for wrecking the storyline I had planned!

 

KWorld of Legends The New DC RPG: Character Application:

Character Name: John Constantine

Alignment (Hero, Villain, Walking the Line): Walking the Line if ever there were…

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

Powers and Abilities:
Powers: Magic by trade, but unlike most magicians seldom uses magic in combat, as he understands the true cost of the power he peddles (often at the cost of those around him). The full extent of his powers are hard to peg down, but he is magically adept with skills in divination, cursing (both in 4-letter words and the other kind), summoning of mystical entities, illusion and is supernaturally lucky by being in touch with the synchronicity wave.
Abilities: Deception, manipulation, souvenirs, novelties, party tlix, adept in escapology and sleight of hand, some skill in hypnosis.
Mystically, John Constantine is a Jack of all trades… and a knave in all others.

Character Origin/Backstory:
EVERYTHING Pre-New52 – Mainstream DC, Hellblazer Vertigo, the lot.
But for the uninitiated… plucked fresh from Wikipedia:
John Constantine was born in Liverpool, Merseyside on 10 May 1953. His mother, Mary Anne, died giving birth to John and his stillborn twin brother because an earlier abortion—forced on her by John's father, Thomas—had weakened her womb. Because he was unable to accept responsibility for his wife's death, Thomas blamed John and the pair grew up with a deep dislike for one another. Whilst in the womb, John strangled his twin brother with his own umbilical cord; in a parallel universe, the twin survives to become the well-loved and well-adjusted magician that John never was.

In their childhood, John and his older sister Cheryl lived briefly with their aunt and uncle in Northampton to escape from their father's alcoholism and subsequent imprisonment for stealing a female neighbour's underwear. They moved back to Liverpool when their father was released. John's bloodline and ancestry were known as the Laughing Magicians, legendary mages who have the power over synchronicity and were infamous for bluffing and tricking gods. This ancestry later drives John Constantine to partake in his lineage and practice magic. One of John's first acts of magic, as a child, was to hide all of his childhood innocence and vulnerability in a box to rid himself of it. Later, in the 1960s, a teenage John ran away from home, but not before a botched curse caused his father to become withered and frail. John eventually made his permanent home in London in 1969, rooming with Francis "Chas" Chandler, a young man who has since gone on to become John's closest—and longest surviving—friend.

During the 1970s, John became involved in occult circles in London. He travelled other countries and visited San Francisco, where he met, and subsequently began a relationship with, the female magician Zatanna Zatara. He also became enamoured of punk rock; after seeing the Sex Pistols at the Roxy Club in London in 1977, John cut his long hair, called himself Johnny Con-Job, and formed his own band, Mucous Membrane, whose members included Chandler (as a roadie), a drummer named Beano and fellow Liverpudlian Gary Lester. They later released an album called Venus of the Hardsell. John also performed as a famous stage magician in the 1980s, where he became famous for predicting the assassination attempt on U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

John's first venture into occult "heroism" was a disaster. On tour with Mucous Membrane at the Casa Nova Club in Newcastle, he found the aftermath of a magical orgy gone horribly wrong: an abused child, Astra, had conjured a hideous monster that took revenge on the adults who were tormenting her, and the monster refused to leave. With typical recklessness, John convinced some members of the band, along with several occultist friends, to try destroying the creature by summoning a demon of their own. Unfortunately, this demon was not under their control and after it had destroyed the child's monster, it tormented Constantine's friends and took the child to Hell. John suffered a nervous breakdown after this incident, and was committed to Ravenscar Psychiatric Hospital, which he drifted in and out of over the years.

The guilt of Astra hung over him for many years until, in his mid-forties, he used some magic and con-artistry to free not only her, but also the souls of all the other children trapped in Hell. As for the rest of the "Newcastle Crew", the incident left the group both physically and psychologically scarred. After helping Dream retrieve his sands, Dream in turn relieves Constantine of the nightmares that had plagued him since the incident.

John is later freed from Ravenscar by London gangsters, threatening him to resurrect a mob boss's dead son whilst his sister's family pays the price. John organises a group and manages to resurrect the boy. Years later, John was able to persuade the same group to help with his investigation of the Brujería cult, as seen in Swamp Thing Nos. 37–49. The cult murdered most of them, including John's then-lover, Emma. These people, and others who have died due to John's carelessness, have continued to appear to him as silent, reproachful ghosts. Chas is the most prominent one of very few human friends to have survived a long-term association with John.

John first met Swamp Thing in 1985 after being interested in the creature. John later acts as the Swamp Thing's protector, guide, and voice of omen, even teaching the Thing to amplify his powers. Both would have further adventure with each other, such as John introducing the Thing to the Parliament of Trees, Thing using John's body to make love to his wife and father a child named Tefe, and fighting off the Damnation Army from summoning the Anti-Christ. Both carry a dull, but nevertheless fruitful friendship with each other. Constantine even invites Swamp Thing to his 40th birthday and assures the Thing he'll try not to bother him again. In 1991 while in his late thirties, John contracted terminal lung cancer. During this time, he sought the help of a dying friend, Brendan, who had sold his soul to the First of the Fallen, the most powerful lord of Hell. When the First came to collect the soul, John tricked him into drinking holy water, which rendered him helpless and prevented him from collecting the friend's soul at the appointed time.

For this, the First promised to make John suffer unprecedented torment in Hell when he dies. Slowly dying from cancer, John hatched a plan to save himself from eternal torment. He secretly sold his soul to the other two Lords of Hell. When they discovered Constantine's actions they realized that they could not allow him to die, or else they would be forced to go to all-out war over his soul, a war whose only winner would be "the Lord of the Hosts," i.e., God and his angels. They were also far too stubborn and proud, however, to enter anything resembling an alliance. As a result, they were forced to cure John of his cancer. This led to the First plotting a grand revenge on Constantine, who manipulated the demon via his ally Ellie, a succubus, into coming into a trap; the plan only barely succeeded, and while the First was temporarily defeated many of John's friends were killed.

Constantine then went on to have a series of adventures and misadventures playing the role of puppet and puppeteer with his signature style and profane sarcasm. He managed to free Astra and every other child in Hell, but at the cost of the First returning to power; also, as part of the scheme, John's worst attributes were given separate existence as "Demon Constantine" which meant he himself could not go to Hell. As part of an attempt to regain his nastier edge, he used Ellie, and this led to her taking out a revenge scheme in 1998 that forced him to turn to the First for help; Ellie ended up in Hell and several of John's oldest friends left him. John, being tired of all this, contacted God. God appears and the two converse in a campfire. John then tells him his reason for contacting Him. He warns God that if his soul is ever sent to Hell, he would easily take over, and do nasty things such as unleashing the demons and locking away Hell so that the damned cannot enter and have no resting place. John blackmails God to do his bidding, and that's to keep his soul away from Hell. God, knowing of John's abilities, does so. But warns him of what will come next.

On return to Britain in 2003 and after reconciling with his sister (who believed he was dead), he went on to be involved in a magic war in London and was horrified to find his niece Gemma, whom he'd wanted to keep out of this life, had become a witch. He soon ended up organising a counterstrike against a creature known as the Shadow Dog, having been warned of its coming and believing it was an entity that brought death and madness; instead, it was a guardian against the true enemy, the Beast, who was manipulating John into giving it free access to humanity. In the process, he was rendered an amnesiac, leaving him vulnerable to the schemes of the demon Rosacarnis. To get his memories back, he had to spend a day in her service, in which she had him father three demonic children, who went on to massacre anyone who knew Constantine, from friends to enemies to people who'd only briefly met him. Among them was his sister Cheryl; one of his sons had exploited her husband's religious fanaticism to make him see his wife as a witch — and thus a person to be killed. This forced Constantine to go on journey to Hell in the hopes to return his sister's soul. Accompanying him was Nergal, the demon he thought he had killed by sending him to the border of Heaven.

While in Hell, John and Nergal met the demon Constantine, who tried to kill the original one. John was forced to let Nergal enter his body in order to finish him. Later they also encountered Ellie, who seemed to have quite pardoned John for him selling her out to the First. She was not subject to any torture or punishment, either. The couple finally arrived at Rosacarnis's hall, where there was a feast with all three of Constantine's children, the First, and many demons from all Hell. Because of Nergal's earlier possession of his body, any damage done to John would be mirrored on Nergal. Nergal, however, calls the bluff, showing that the effect goes both ways by clawing at his chest slightly. John begs Rosacarnis to kill him to save his sister, but just as she's about to, the First of the Fallen intervenes and immediately kills Rosacarnis, since Constantine's soul is his by "right of insult" and will only be taken when he deems fit. The First also kills Rosacarnis' two sons, but spares the daughter, who had been dealing with issues of identity and had doubts about whether she wanted to continue to exist.

Following this, the First commands Nergal to release the soul he's holding. Cheryl's soul is pure and innocent and does not belong in Hell, but the First offers her a truly devilish deal. Informing her that her husband, Constantine's brother-in-law Tony, has killed himself with her blood still staining his hands, thus making him twice damned, and offering to fairly divide her husband's punishment between the two of them if she stays of her own free will. Constantine attempts in vain to argue that Tony murdered her and does not deserve that mercy. Despite all that has happened, Cheryl still loves her husband enough to accept the First's deal and decides to stay. Constantine can do nothing as the First gloats over his victory and then sends him back home. Unable to look at his niece Gemma's tear-filled eyes because of his failure, Constantine runs barefoot down the stairs and into the Liverpool night.

John later revisits Ravenscar Asylum, the place where he was thrown after being framed for Astra's murder. John remembers all the maltreatment he suffered, and remembers every suffering and guilt he had for the past years. At first it appears as though it is too much for him and that he will be overtaken by the images of the ones he has hurt, but the being turns into the form of a baby. This baby, who is the sum of all his guilt and self-hatred, is then promptly thrown off a cliff near the asylum and into the sea. After killing the creature, Constantine is now free, and becomes even a bit more cocky and picks back up his earlier style from the beginning of his book and his appearances from Swamp Thing: a double-breasted blue suit underneath his trench coat, and slicked-back gelled hair.

Later on, a Sudanese shaman who had first bound the hunger demon Mnemoth has been having dreams of Constantine and a war-mage named Mako who is coming to kill him and devour his being. The reason that Constantine is a specific target of the war-mage is because he is "The Laughing Magician" who is also known as "The Constant One." Mako wants to devour him so he can absorb that power and have his being made a fixture of the universe. To counter this attack to come the African magus puts a dream of his into a tree root, with Constantine's true nature in those dreams. After doing this a young man is sent as a messenger to find John and deliver the message. Constantine later notices that something is wrong on the synchronicity lines and it seems that he is going head first against the traffic. Remembering that Mako mentioned Ravenscar when he found out about Constantine, he tries to summon his unborn brother, but instead is summoned to his brother. The soul of Constantine's brother tells John that he was not to be born and that it should have been he who had been born instead, as he is the Laughing Magician, he requests that he and John merge their souls so that they become one and can fix the world, they had previously attempted this but John was apparently too strong willed. John then makes the link that it was the soul of his unborn brother that caused him to get cancer and for his relationships to fail, and that anytime he tried to take control of his life, something bad would happen to make John weaker, so that the souls might be able to merge. After realizing this, John cuts the soul of his brother out of his own soul, so that he can control his life and live his way.

In 2010s, John entangles himself in further adventures. He goes to India and fights a ghost of a British soldier of the Sepoy rebellion, fights a Babylonian shape shifter named Julian, gets his thumb cut off to contact Shade: The Changing Man, marrying a young girl named Epiphany Greaves who was also the daughter of an infamous gangster, looking for his lost trench coat that his niece sold, finding his sister's long lost son named Finn, and finally getting his sister's soul from Hell.

By 2013, John was contacted by the Three Fates, who tell him that he will finally die in five days. Having lived a good and adventurous life, John happily accepts his fate rather than trying to fight it like he always does. When the 5th day came, John Constantine was murdered in his own home when he was ambushed and killed by a gangster. His funeral was attended by many of his friends and family. But it later turns out that he had faked his death yet again. Constantine decides he should keep a low profile, because he doesn't want to hurt the people around him again. He bids farewell with Finn and Epiphany, and finally visits Gemma. In the meanwhile, Gemma, hearing about her uncle's return from the Fates, tries to kill herself with a poisonous revolver, but Constantine sneaks the last remaining dart from his niece. Gemma says her life will be better without him, because he takes up too much of it and she is either hating him or loving him too much. John suggests he leave her be, but Gemma fears he will return and put her life to misery. John tells Gemma to make her own decision, and she reluctantly points the revolver at him. Gemma closes her eyes before muttering, "Damn you, John Constantine." and pulls the trigger, but when she opened her eyes again, Constantine had vanished. The last scene shows Constantine in the Long Journey's End bar, holding a glass of liquor with a vacant look.


Why this character?
Because I have a specific story in mind that entails the mystical characters of the DC Universe and a missed opportunity with the sudden swing into Flashpoint and the New 52… and if you have a story involving magic in the DCU, what better perspective than from the Liverpudlian lout himself.

What can you bring to the RPG?
Over 30 years of being a foreign bastard IRL… which I think is the best resume for the character here.

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

 

Sample:
Flea markets like Ol’ Spitalfields are a tricky proposition for many; a veritable gold mine for yours truly.

Row after row, stall after stall of people looking to offload their useless dreck onto the next towrag Scouse who decides he could use a near imitation classic gravyboat for the mantle.


But then there’s always the sorts who’ve no idea what they’ve got.

Call me an opportunist if you will – you wouldn’t be the first, and I wouldn’t deny it – but I like to think I’m savin’ that next fellah from discovering the second hand heirloom he decided to s’prise the missus with, just happens to be the vessel for an otherworldly demon just itching to get his claws onto a fresh soul.

I’m nice like that. Plus… who doesn’t love a bargain, eh?

But fancy my surprise when I felt a tug on my right hip, I turn to catch a glimpse of the heels of a fleeing urchin in short pants beating the street with the contents of my pocket.

Now I know what he’s got, and I could quite easily let him have it. A decade or so of doing what he has to on the streets to survive and he might even deserve it. But never let it be said that John Constantine doesn’t look out for the little people. So a lesson it is…

The tyke bolts around a quiet corner to run an eye over what treasure he’s pilfered and runs right into yours truly, bouncing off and falling to the ground.


“Clumsy work. I don’t know if you were robbing me or trying to get me off. Either way, I’d suggest you buy the next bloke a drink first…” Re-considering my choice of words I add. “Maybe a dozen.”

“S—Stay back!” I catch a glimmer of silver as the light catches a pocket blade.

“Son, you don’t want to do that.”

“Why? Is this the part where you tell me you’re going to tell me I have my whole life ahead of me. That what I do now, the path I take will dictate the rest of my life?” Short pants snorts.

“No. This is the part where I tell you that you don’t seem to understand what exactly you’ve got there, and that you should put the blade down.”

Plumes of dark red mist began to seep out of the hand which held the trinket.

“Last chance, you’re not going to like what’s coming.”

“I—I’ll stick you!” the boy shouted, a dark echo enveloping his words.

“Bollocks…” I utter.

Too little, too late.

“CON-STAN-TINE! The mortal bastard!” A dark voice booms. A demonic face leers.

“Abaddon. The violent prick.” I retort drily.

It laughs mockingly and then makes a demonstration, a burst of hellfire from the ground where the boy stands.

“It seems you may have prompted wrathful thoughts in this young boy as he held my amulet… that makes his soul mine by right. It would seem I owe you one, for leading him to my side, Constantine.”

“Wrathful thoughts, not deeds, Abaddon. We both know that’s not the line.”

“Deeds? The boy said he would stick you. He meant it. Honest intent behind bloodthirsty words...”

“…or would you like the chance to win back his soul..?”

There it is. Heh. Demons. Always lookin’ for the two-for-one deal. Flea markets just bring out that feeling in everyone it’d seem…

It’s times like these, matchin’ wits with the witless, that a man needs something to take the edge off his nerves. A constant that’s always there for a man.

“What say you, Mortal Bastard? A contest in Hell?”

My hand falls to my pocket, and I produce a single Slim Cut from the pocket right next to my heart.

“Hell? Why not… I need a light, anyhow.”

 

Bugger... I'll sort the formatting out later from home.

 

World of Legends The New DC RPG: Character Application:

Character Name: Conner Kent / Kon-El / Superboy

Alignment: Hero

Character Speech Color and Font: Black Impact (Bold black Trebuchet MS when in disguise as Conner Kent)

Powers and Abilities: Conner derives a number of abilities from his half-Kryptonian physiology - including superhuman strength, superhuman speed, nigh invulnerability to physical damage, flight, superhuman hearing, telescopic vision, heat vision, x-ray vision, and freeze breath. Due to his comparative immaturity, Conner is not as developed in these abilities as Superman, but he has the potential to one day be just as strong - if not stronger - than the Man of Steel.

In additional to his Kryptonian abilities, Conner also possesses a form of tactile telekinesis which allowed him to approximate some of Superman's powers before he matured. Conner's body is surrounded by a telekinetic field which protects him from most physical harm (though not from certain energy sources). Conner can extend this field to objects he is touching, allowing him to lift great amounts without these objects collapsing under their own weight. There are other applications for these telekinetic abilities, but Conner has relied less and less on his tactile telekinesis as his Kryptonian powers have emerged.

Character Origin/Backstory: After the death of Superman at Doomsday's hands, Project Cadmus - under the direction of Paul Westfield - set out to create a genetic clone to replace the Man of Steel. After twelve unsuccessful attempts, Experiment 13 was born. The clone was given a telekinetic field designed to emulate many of Superman's amazing powers. Emerging from his gestation tube too early, the clone was only a teenager when he went out into the world. He called himself "Superman," though most just called him "the Kid" or "Superboy."

After operating out of Metropolis for some time, Superboy eventually left to find his own path upon the return of Superman. He traveled the world with his "chaperone," Dubbilex from Project Cadmus, before eventually settling in Hawaii for a time. Through a series of events - including a brief stint as a fugitive from justice alongside the Female Fury villainess Knockout - Superboy comes to realize that there's nothing for him in Hawaii, and he leaves to join Cadmus as a field agent. He would continue in this role until Cadmus was eventually shut down during President Luthor's reign.

Sometime later, Superman acknowledges Superboy as a member of his family and gives him a Kryptonian name, Kon-El. Superboy would begin to go by "Conner." He joins a team of fellow teenage heroes called Young Justice, where he meets Robin (Tim Drake), Impulse (Bart Allen), Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark), and others. Wonder Girl and Superboy begin a romance during this team. The team disbands after the death of Donna Troy, and Conner relocates to Smallville to live with Clark Kent's parents under the guise of Conner Kent.

Conner is invited by Cyborg to join a new incarnation of the Teen Titans, where he reunites with his Young Justice teammates as well as Titans veterans Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy. During this time, Superboy learns that he was cloned from a hybrid of Superman's Kryptonian DNA and Lex Luthor's human DNA (not Paul Westfield's, as he originally believed). Luthor was later able to manipulate Conner through implanted mind control, forcing him to attack and hurt his teammates. Conner takes a leave of absence from the Titans and returns to Smallville to think.

When Superboy-Prime and Alexander Luthor, Jr. attack the universe, Conner is among the many heroes who stand against them. Conner barely survives his first encounter with Superboy-Prime. Upon recovering, he faces Superboy-Prime again alongside Nightwing and other heroes. In a last ditch effort, Conner tackles Superboy-Prime into Alexander Luthor's multiverse tower. The resulting explosion saves the world but costs Conner his life.

Conner is resurrected by the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century. It is revealed that his body was placed in a Kryptonian healing chrysalis 1000 years earlier so that he might join the Legion of Super-Heroes - as well as fellow resurrected hero Bart Allen - in a new battle against Superboy-Prime. After succeeding, Conner and Bart are returned to their own time. Superboy is reunited with Wonder Girl and the other Titans, and he resumes his life as Conner Kent in Smallville.

Why this character?
Conner is, to put it simply, fascinating to me. He has all the power of Superman with none of the self-assurance. He lives in constant awareness of his status as "heir apparent" to the Man of Steel's legacy and has no idea how to deal with that. Then, of course, there are his enormous daddy issues by virtue of being half a Luthor. When you consider all of this - as well as his personal relationships with the various Titans - you get the recipe for a meaty character that I can't wait to sink my teeth into (again).

What can you bring to the RPG?
A familiar face (for whatever that's worth) and a writer with a history with Conner. I feel that I've grown by leaps and bounds as a writer since the last time I donned the black House of El tee, and I'm excited to tackle the character again at last in fresh continuity.

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

Every night's the same.

Titans Tower lays in ruins before me, a twisted heap of metal and glass. Thick, black smoke fills the air with the smell of ash and death. At my feet lay the Teen Titans, battered and beaten.

Cyborg's torn limb from limb, man and machine separated once more. Beast Boy, in the form of a falcon, lays motionless with a broken wing. Wonder Girl's lasso is a tangle around her throat. Raven's cloak is a smouldering puddle on the ground, the rest of her nowhere to be seen. Kid Flash's legs end at the knees with the rest frozen chunks, scattered like broken glass.

Then, he steps out of the shadows. "You've done well, son," Luthor assures me as he clasps a hand to my shoulder. "Nothing can stand against your power." His face contorts in an ugly grin. Suddenly, there's a soft groan, and Luthor turns his hateful gaze towards it.

I look down to where Robin's head is between my hands. His mask dangles from one cheek as blood trickles down his face. He looks up at me in equal parts shock and agony. "Conner, please..." Tim croaks. "We're your friends... please don't do this..."

I feel Luthor's hand constrict around my shoulder. "Make an end to it," he instructs.

The heat wells up behind my eyes. I squeeze Tim's head as everything goes red. Tim screams...

I jolt awake in my bed, cold sweat drenching me from head to toe. The room is bathed in darkness. As I catch my breath, I glance up at the ceiling full of glow-in-the-dark stars. A younger Clark's doing, I learned from Ma Kent. Somehow, I find it comforting to know that the most powerful man on Earth was once just a starry-eyed kid.

Barefoot, I hop out of bed and grab the flannel jacket off the back of my computer chair. I pad down the hallway quietly, rubbing my tired eyes. A quick glance at the clock reveals that it's five in the morning. Just about another hour until sunrise. On my way towards the door, I pass a sleeping Krypto, who lifts his head at the sound of my footfalls. He considers me for a moment before slumping back to sleep.

I step out into the brisk early morning air. Leaning against the old wooden fence, I gaze out over the fields and try to forget the haunting images from my nightmare. Not to much avail. I'm about to head inside when he shows up. Super-senses let me know he's coming a moment before he arrives. The faint ripple of the wind through his cape, the soft crunch of dirt under his boots, his steady heartbeat.

"What brings you all the way out here?" I ask without standing up from the fence.

"I could hear you tossing and turning," he answers simply. Having the lion's share of his abilities for myself, it's sometimes hard to realize how amazing they can be. When he describes it all so casually, though, I get a taste of how the rest of the world sees him. "Bad dreams?"

I wonder if he ever has them. "Yeah."

"Want to talk about it?"

I don't answer. If I tell him I've been dreaming about Luthor again, he'll start using that quasi-parental tone with me. He'll assure me that Luthor is his problem and that I have nothing to fear from him. He'll remind me that I'm not Luthor, that I'm a hero and a good person. In short, he'll tell me exactly what I want to hear. But that's not what I need right now.

"So... how's Wonder Girl?" Clark asks.

"We broke up," I answer coolly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

I take a breath. I don't mean to be so short with him. It's not fair. I just don't feel much like myself. The images of my fallen teammates continue to play every time I close my eyes. "You're alright. It's just... a raw subject still," I explain. I turn to face him. There are a million things I want to ask. I settle for, "How are you?"

He smiles. "Lois is expecting."

"Congratulations. You must be excited," I remark.

"We are." After a beat, he jokes, "There's gonna be a new Superboy soon."

I can manage half a smile. "Where does that leave me?"

Clark steps forward and puts his hand on my shoulder. I flash back to my nightmare, seeing Luthor's twisted smile in the back of my mind, feeling his cold grip on my arm. I open my eyes and see Clark's bright smile. My two "fathers." "You'll find your own path, Conner. I see a bright future for you. There's nothing you can't do."

Luthor's words echo in my head. "Nothing can stand against your power."

Again, I force a smile for Clark's sake. "Thanks," I answer. "I just wish I had your optimism."

 

Thanks.

 

Great... now we're going to have the North Koreans after us...

 

Ahh, go **** yourself.

 

Both of you are...



And for those who didn't know, IC thread is going up tomorrow.

****'s about to get straight-up DC Comics in here... and for once, in a good way!

 

Well, yeah. DC Comics certainly isn't giving us straight-up DC Comics up in here. That leaves just us to do it.


I'm working on my app later tonight, bee-tee-dubs.

 

World of Legends The New DC RPG: Character Application:

Character Name: J'onn J'onzz, Black Lantern of Mars

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

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

Powers and Abilities: Super strength, speed, durability, Telepathy, Shapeshifting, Density shifting, Superior senses (he also supposedly has more senses than humans do), Flight, a whole lot of others.

Character Origin/Backstory: Last survivor of Mars, brought to Earth by accident, took on the identity of a human detective, founding member of the Justice League who is present IN ALL INCARNATIONS OF THE TEAM WHILE HE WAS ALIVE DC, REMEMBER THAT?... ahem...

Why this character? Because shut up, that's why. Also, this game needs more villains and I'm too linked to the Martian to leave him alone... Or alive.

What can you bring to the RPG? Sporadic posting schedules, a whole lot of stress, and a basket of puppies. (Disclaimer: Puppies may not be alive upon delivery.)

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

See above.

 

Those puppies better be alive.

Also, screw it. This close to launch, I don't think a 24 hour waiting period is required.



I will say that the IC thread is on standby for the moment, we're just finalizing a few things. If it doesn't get posted tonight, it most definitely will be tomorrow.

 

Here's my tiny bit...

Character Name: Dinah Laurel Lance AKA Black Canary

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

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

Powers and Abilities: Skilled hand-to-hand fighter, and a sonic scream that can shatter mountains.

Character Origin/Backstory: Dinah Laurel Lance is the daughter of Dinah Drake, better known as the Black Canary and her husband, Detective Larry Lance. Raised among her ‘aunts and uncles’ of the Justice Society of America, Dinah Lance soon came into her own as a superhero upon the discovery of her metagene. Despite some poor fashion choices, and a few missteps in the dating game she’s currently (re)found a home on the newly reformed Birds of Prey team headed up by a mysterious (to most) benefactor Oracle (presumed dead by most in the superhero/villain community). Things have changed significantly from the first BoP team and so has Dinah.

Why this character?: I’d say ‘duh’ but it’s been a while. She’s a pretty awesome character who’s been poorly written for a number of years and in a number of mediums. It’s time to take her back to her original self.

What can you bring to the RPG?: Mediocre writing and some interesting and oddly written plots. But also an extreme love for this character, which has to buy me something...

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

The distance shimmered and shook, creating a jell-o like effect on the road ahead. A big, yellow and brown jell-o with smatterings of bushy green trees. Dinah ran her bandana across her forehead and then twirled it between her hands before wrapping it across her forehead and tying it behind her blonde ponytail.

“I forget Africa isn’t all curry and benachin.”

The dark haired woman next to her smiled and laughed as she maneuvered the car between two large potholes, lakes really, in the road. “Yeah, it's heat, dust, sun and weird food on sticks."


Dinah looked at her companion, Helena had very Sicilian sensibilities when it came to food (and men), the local delicacies of food had been a bit lost on her the last few days. Fortunately Dinah's stomach had been forged in the hell of her mother's cooking, JLI mess hall and Oliver Queen's chili.

She leaned her head back for a moment, against the cracked and hard vinyl seat, soaking in the heat. The windows of the decades old jeep they were occupying had broken long ago, allowing the heat from the noon savannah sun to creep in along with the dust from a not at all helpful breeze.
“Sometimes I wish bad guys were still the classy sort, with high rises and martinis.”

“Oh, they are. We just don’t get sourced for those. That’s the posh teams. We get crazy bond-type villains who hole up in the middle of dust Africa with solar powered computers and rogue satellites….maybe some black tea.” She lifted her head and squinted, before pulling her slouchy hat down over her head a bit. In the distance a dot had formed on the horizon along the road.

“Looks like we’re getting closer. Here’s the first checkpoint Oracle told us about.”

“I’d say let’s play it cool but…”

Dinah gave Helena sideways eyes and raised her eyebrows.

“That -was- pretty bad. I claim heatstroke!”

 

What's the character limit for this game?

I might've caught some kind of bug, because all day long I've been feeling....funny....