News:

"Wings and a Prayer [L-E]"
Congratulations OfferedToEros & Random for completing your RP!

Main Menu

Justice League - Out of the Shadows Take 2

Started by Kadigan, June 21, 2018, 03:59:55 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Kadigan

"The heroes have to win every time. The villain only has to win once."



Everyone knows their names, they saved the world more times than any one person could count, or any sane person would want too. Heroes like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern…often comprising the Justice League but sometimes on their own, they would always be there for us, to save the day. There was no threat to big or small that they couldn’t stop.

Until the one they couldn’t.

Epoch, the Lord of Time was a villain no one gave much thought too. He didn’t crush galaxies like Darkseid, destroy civilizations like Braniac, or threaten loved ones on a daily basis. But how is a villain who can draw upon the greatest armies of past, present, and future, who can learn your strategies by reading a history book, not a threat to be taken seriously? He came with technologies never seen or dreamt of and swept over the land. Any defeat, any setback he vanished and by his perspective had time to prepare retool rethink, and was back within seconds, with a new army.

His initial targets were any hero who could possibly rally those around them. Superman and Wonder Woman were among the first to fall. The Justice Society was next. Then he targeted the most powerful among those left, Flash, Green Lanterns, and Martian Manhunter. There were rumors that Batman and his compatriots were amongst the living, planning and strategizing for when the time was right. But those were just rumors.

Epoch thought the rest would roll over after that, that the ones left would either be demoralized and underpowered to stop him. Instead, something…miraculous happened. The remaining heroes, the C-listers, the losers, the never were’s steeled themselves banded together, and found a resolve that they didn’t know they had. With nothing to lose and the armies of the world at their back, the heroes and heroines did the impossible and turned back the villain, defeating him once and for all.

Many of those that had gathered went their separate ways, but some stayed together to fill the void left by their fallen comrades. Even if they had just gotten lucky once, even if they weren’t ready, even if they weren’t as strong as those before them they had too, they had too. There will always be a need for defenders to rise up and to stand for Justice.


List of the dead
Superman
Batman
Wonder Woman
Green Lantern (Jordan, Rayner, Stewart ,Gardner, Baz, Cruz)
Flash (Barry Allen, West, Bart Allen)
Shazam
Cyborg
Booster Gold
Zatanna
Aquaman
Nightwing
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
Batgirl/Oracle (Barbara Gordon)
Robin (Drake, Todd, and Damien)
Martian Manhunter
Starfire
Hawkman
Black Canary
Green Arrow (Ollie)
Raven
Beastboy
Huntress
Captain Atom
Plastic Man
Steel
John Constantine
Reverse Flash
Doctor Fate
Zoom
Lex Luthor









So this is take 2 of a concept I tried a few months back. I’m trying a few new spins on it, here and there…

So…I may or may not (May!) have a track record of trying games out where the “other guys” are featured. Don’t get me wrong, playing Wonder Woman can be fun but there are lots of opportunities for that. I like trying to get other heroes explored; I feel there’s so much more there that can be looked at. This idea is based on a Marvel Team-Up series called “League of Losers.”

If you've ever read Marvel Team up, or Robert Kirkman, he had a fantastic story arc: Basically a villain comes back and slaughters the main marvel heroes and the only ones left to stop him are Darkhawk, Dagger, X-23 (Before she was teh hotness in Marvel) Terror, Nightwalker, etc..and they do! But the sad thing is..no one ever will know.

So I thought about it and thought that DC has as many, if not more, interesting minor characters to be explored and decided to give a similar concept a whirl. Basically take a minor player, a C-Lister, someone who maybe had a 2 issue run somewhere way back when, someone who was the girlfriend, who hasn’t had screen time since the 70s, someone who had a two panel appearance and then never again..and thrust them into the lime light.

In terms of characters, I don’t think OC’s and Canons mix terribly well in my opinion so I’d like to personally keep it just Canons. To me, genderswaps are fine as long as you keep the core of the character…and as always..18+ please. If you have a question on if you think a character is the right fit, feel free to message someone and we can discuss it. This will be set during "current" DC times, so after Rebirth. If you want to use elements of New 52 that is fine as well, keep in mind the war with Epoch will have mucked with time a little bit.

One thing I would like to touch on, and should have earlier and that is my fault, is character selection. I would politely ask that everyone be conscious of not only the character you're selecting, but of ones other people have. While character's that have similarities (For example, both Rick Flagg and Skyrocket are patriots, or Lady Blackhawk and Hippolyta are both 40s characters) they're fundamentally different. But having say, two characters who are near carbon's of each other, that's something both as a player, and my limited time as running things, try to avoid.


To give you an example, The character I’m going with is Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld.  But there’s soooo many to pick from that I hope there’s enough interest…again.

Sample Profile and Sheet

[center][b]This is My Character sheet[/b][/center]

[img height=400] [/img]


[b]Player ID:[/b]
[b]Name:[/b] Character name
[b]Alter Ego:[/b]Does your character have a secret identity
[b]Pantheon Position{b]
[b]Face Claim[/b] (Optional)
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Personality[/b]
[b]History[/b]
[b]Powers:[/b]
[b]Skills:[/b]
[b]Weapons:[/b] Does character use any weapons
[b]Additional images[/b]

[center][img height=370][/img]
[img height=100][/img]  [img height=100][/img][img height=100][/img][img height=100][/img][/center]



This is My Character sheet. Ain't it cool?

Sample Bio



Player ID: Barbara Gordon

Name: Mary Marvel

Alter Ego:Mary Broomfield

Face Claim (Optional)

Gender: F

Age: 26

Personality  Mary is generally fairly easy going, though in terms of criminals she takes a harder line then one would expect. Godly wisdom is often not completely successful in tempering real world experiences. She has a tendency to look out for everyone, as a bit of a den mother of sorts, from years of being in the foster care system. Fiercely protective of the innocent, he does want to believe the best in people though.

History Mary was born to archaeologists CC and Marilyn Batson and traveled around the world with them until the age of 5. During one trip to the Middle East, her parents had to leave their newborn son in America, while they took their daughter with them. However on this trip, her parents were murdered by an associate. Their care worker managed to escape with Mary and get her safely back to the American embassy, and soon to America. A mistake on the paperwork however changed her last name Broomfield, and she was entered into the foster care system.

She bounced around a few times, before finally ending up with the Vasquez’s. This was a real home at least, better then the rich family who took her in and ignored her after it became untrendy. The eldest in the home, she helped out with the younger kids, becoming something of a mentor to them. When Billy arrived, their lives were tossed about again, as he soon gained, and shared, the powers of the wizard Shazam with them in times of crisis.

Mary adventured for quite some time as Mary Marvel, Billy (Shazam) often desiring a companion to share his abilities with. During these times, they discovered they were siblings, which drew them closer together and finally gave both a sense of family they were looking for. Mary fell, as heroes sometimes do during some of the Crisis’. It took her a long time to recover from that experience, and left her vulnerable to other temptations. She took time after that to fade into the background and attend college, attempting to live a normal life.

During the Epoch Encounter, her brother fell. The Wizard reached out to her again, calling upon her to take the mantel of Mary Marvel once more to help safeguard the earth in the direst of times. Reluctantly she agreed, and was granted the full might of the Wizard. Stronger then she’d ever been before, now that she wasn’t sharing the power, she helped rally the remaining heroes and heroines to the fight against Epoch.

After his defeat, she was approached by a few others and together they decided that someone needed to pick up where the others had left off. That some things couldn’t be done on their own.


Powers: Mary possesses the full powers of Shazam, which grants her different facets of a pantheon of power. The Wisdom of Solomon grants her increased mental abilities. The Strength of Hercules grants her a demigod’s worth of power, near on level to Superman when not sharing it. The Stamina of Atlas allows her to heal quickly from most wounds, and decrease fatigue toxins and hunger. The Power of Zeus allows her to use the magical lightning that the god himself utilizes. The Courage of Achilles provides her fortitude in times of great peril and also assists her with a resistance to mental attacks. Finally, the Speed of Mercury allows her to travel at superhuman speeds, the upward limits of which she’s not yet measured.

Skills: While transformed Mary can understand and speak most languages instinctually. Mary herself was studying computer science at the time she retook the mantel of Mary Marvel and so she has a working knowledge of computer programming.


Weapons: Does character use any weapons

Additional images




Now, here comes the different part. Inspired in part by both Grant Morrison (who the concept comes from) and LiC (For the idea of positions) I’m going with the idea of everyone filling a slot in the “Pantheon.” Basically, during his run on JLA he compared each member to a corresponding member of the Greek pantheon, and that’s what I would like to do..everyone has a role, so to speak. Below, you’ll find the deity, their former corresponded, and the empty slot for whoever will soon. 

Now, one thing to keep in mind, their “rank” in the pantheon doesn’t necessarily translate to their rank. Meaning Zeus isn’t automatically in charge (Honestly to me if anyone was in charge during Morrison’s run it was Manhunter.) And it’s not a literal thing..you don’t have to say…throw beams of light to be Apollo, but the core function of that role…they could be a healer perhaps. Hephaestus will be the gadgety type probably…or a builder of some kind. Hades will be the dark one maybe.. you hopefully get the idea. You can take inspiration from their position...from their symbols…from their powers…from their moods..etc.

Here’s a listing, and how the Morrison fit them in, as well as if we're lucky enough to get interest, who has taken said slots. (Some of these are from various different sources, so this is as close to how he had it as possible.

The Pantheon

Zeus - King of the gods and ruler of Mount Olympus; god of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order and justice

Previously filled by Superman. Currently filled by

Hera - Queen of the gods and the goddess of marriage, women, childbirth and family. Symbols include the peacock, cuckoo, and cow.

Previously filled by Wonder Woman. Currently Filled by
Amethyst
This is My Character sheet. Get your own!



Player ID: BarbaraGordon

Name: Amethyst

Alter Ego:Amy Winston

Pantheon Position

Face Claim (Optional)

Gender:F

Age: 29

Personality Amethyst is something of a mixed bag. She was old enough when she was taken to have some suburban girl in her, fun, nice, sweet, and just at the age when kittens being cute were being replaced by boys. She was thrust into a medieval world of warfare at that age and grew up very quickly. She’s used to commanding troops, and can give orders firmly and strictly, though she knows when to break the tension with levity. She was also trained in “regal” mannerisms. She’s led troops since being a teenager, and does her best to make them into a close knit unit. 

History Amy Winston lived the American dream. Part of a 2.5 kid, white picket fence life. She didn’t know until the age of 13 that this was all a lie. Attacked after school, she barely survived and was soon rescued and taken back to Gemworld, her birth world. It was there she learned she was a Princess, whose house had been attacked by the evil Dark Opal, who then began a brutal century’s long oppression of Gemworld.

She was the “chosen one,” destined to lead the world out of the dark age of tyranny and cruelty, and back to a more civilized regime that protected and cared for it’s people. The road ahead of her was long and hard, and despite the magical abilities that being in Gemworld granted her, the learning curve was steep. It took nearly 13 years of learning, hardship, and warfare, but she helped overthrow Dark Opal and restore House Amethyst to it’s rightful place.

Besides a brief visit back to Earth to say goodbye to her friends and family (she left in 1983 and was shocked at how little time had passed..time and Gemworld do not get along very well.) She was content to stay behind for the rest of her life, to rule fairly and even restart the house of Amethyst. Alas this was not to be.

Thanks to the “Epoch-alypse” that occurred on Earth, a temporal storm threatened Gemworld. Amethyst braved it to try and sever its ties, or even isolate Gemworld completely. While she was partially successful, the ensuing backlash trapped her on Earth, in the middle of the war. Her powers dulled, with Gemworld inaccessible, she rallied those she could find around her and led a counterstrike, learning that many heroes she knew from her childhood had fallen, along with some that had visited Gemworld previously.

Once the threat of Epoch had been dealt with once and for all, she attempted to go home, only to find the way blocked. The remaining sorcerers were either unwilling, or unable to help her. So she stayed and did what she had been raised to do…she would protect this familiar, alien world.


Powers:

While on Gemworld, Amethyst possesses near infinite magical ability, honed from years of experience. On Earth, not so much. She still has a knowledge of sorcery, her powers come from Gemworld. Gravity and time work differently there, and while she’s physically fit on Gemworld, on Earth she is perhaps twice as strong and fit as an Olympic level athelete. 

Amethyst did carry over one ability, the “magical transformation” ability, to summon her outfit/armor/sword, and have it form around her.

Skills:

Amethyst is a master swords woman, and melee fighter, having had the finest instructors, from the noble and classic fighting of Lord Topaz to the rough and tumble of the puckish Rock.

She has picked up additional skills, such as equestrianism, some basic field dressings, and is a surprisingly good cook as well.

Weapons:

Sword – Forged by Flaw and The Child of Gemworld, the blade is supernaturally sharp, able to cut through almost any material. It has the ability as well to sever some enchantments, assuming Amethyst can identify the proper one (there are different techniques for doing so, using the wrong one can be disastrous)

Costume – While it may resmemble a gossamer material, her outfit is actually Gemworld armor, as strong as any armored material.

Shield – Also enchanted, it shields her from most harm, though it only covers and protects as much as it is. It is strong, not infinitely so though.

Quartz – The final thing she possesses is a gem approximately the size of a tv remote. Tossing it into the air and speaking the proper words will summon her Alicorn, Quartz, from his home dimension. Capable of flight as fast as a jet, she shares an empathic bond with her highly intelligent steed. However, while he can exist infinitely on Gemworld, Earth is toxic to him, and if too long a time is spent there he will begin to degrade. He recovers quickly in his home dimension, but currently can only spend approximately 2 hours on Earth before severe harm is done.

Additional images


 


Poseidon - God of the seas, water, storms, hurricanes, earthquakes and horses. Symbols include the horse, bull, dolphin, and trident.

Previously filled by Aquaman. Currently filled by

Demeter - Goddess of the harvest, fertility, agriculture, nature and the seasons. Who presided over grains and the fertility of the earth. Symbols include the poppy, wheat, torch, cornucopia, and pig

Previously filled by Big Barda. Currently filled by

Athena - Goddess of wisdom, knowledge, reason, intelligent activity, literature, handicrafts, science, defense and strategic warfare. Symbols include the owl and the olive
tree.

Previously filled by Oracle . Currently filled by

Apollo - God of light, the sun, prophecy, philosophy, truth, inspiration, poetry, music, arts, medicine, healing, and plague. Symbols include the sun, lyre, swan, and mouse.

Previously filled by Green Lantern. Currently filled by
The Ray
This is My Happy Little Ray of Sunshine.


Player ID: Sketch
Name: The Ray
Alter Ego: Raymond Terrill
Pantheon Position: Apollo
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Personality:  Raymond's secluded and sheltered upbringing in his youth and his love of the heroes he saw on the TV had major and lasting impacts on his personality into later in life. He has a bit of a chip on his shoulder and strives to prove himself, not wanting to sit back and watch but when he sees something wrong he wants to be that "ray of hope and of light in the darkness" like those very same heroes that he grew up watching.

History:  He was told in his youth he was told he was allergic to light and kept in the dark, secluded and for some parts alone save for his mother and who he thought was his father. As many rebellious teens might he left home resentful of his isolation and wandered the streets.  Some of the local kids in the neighborhood however, knowing of who that had dubbed "Night boy" teased and prodded at him, until the light that was around him and absorbed by him could no longer be contained and exploded.  None of the kids got hurt, just dazed but he turned into an invisible energy state, learning that it wasn't an allergy but also questioning if he was even human. He roamed and wandered, learning about his abilities all the while. He didn't rejoin the world until he had happened upon one of his few childhood friends, a politician now and during the rally that Raymond was watching he was attacked.

Though he had always seemed to have terrible luck with teams, either they disbanded or something terrible would befall them he pushed himself forward once more and far more into the lime light now than he ever was before. Part of him steeled himself, feeling as if something bad were to befall this newly forming team that he would rise up as he never had before and succeed in protecting them this time. That said, even if pressed because of all his previous team experience he would reject any direct ask for him to take up a mantle of leadership of the team. He had been far more comfortable solo and responsible only for himself and his own actions and knew that as he was currently such a course would only cause this new endeavor to fail before it began. 

Powers: The Ray absorbs, stores and processes light. He uses the energy to fly and create bursts of coherent radiation. His energy capacity is virtually limitless. He’s capable of manipulating light externally to create illusions and even solid light constructs, as well as render him and others invisible. He can convert his body completely into light energy and no physical harm can come to him in this form. This process can also be used to reset damage that his physical form has already sustained. As pure energy, he can travel at the speed of light and cross space unassisted.

Skills: Extremely skilled computer programmer, good sense of balance and coordination, Some fight training from time in various super groups that had gotten abandoned close to the time he would join or something tragic would befall them. Agile and adaptable, Ray possesses a keen mind that allows him to take advantage and utilize his very diverse power set.

Weapons: Not normally.




Artemis - Goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, virginity, the moon, archery, childbirth, protection and plaque. Symbols include the moon, horse, deer, hound, she-bear, snake, cypress tree, and bow and arrow.

Previously filled by Huntress. Currently filled by

Ares - God of war, violence, bloodshed and manly virtues. Symbols include the boar, serpent, dog, vulture, spear, and shield

Previously filled by Orion. Currently filled by
Bombshell
Task Force X: Eyes Only


Player ID: mia h
Name: Bombshell
Alter Ego:Amy Allen
Pantheon PositionAres
Face Claim (Optional)
Gender: Female
Age: 23
Personality Brash and rowdy, is how most people would describe Amy after first meeting her out of 'uniform'. She has a tendency to question authority and dive into situations without completely thinking them through. Her powers tend to make Amy's rough edges a little bit rougher, so while as Amy she might hesitant for a moment before walking into a bar fight when she is armoured up as Bombshell, Amy actively looks for bar fights.

History Many people over the course of Amy's life have commented that her middle name is Trouble, so have added that it should be her first and last names as well. Amy was an Army brat bouncing round from posting to posting with her family, so Amy did the only thing she could think of to get back her parents constantly taking her away from the friends she'd just made or the school she liked, Amy became the stereotypical rebel causing as much trouble for as many people as she could. The unfortunate, and some would say almost inevitable, end came when Amy and her cohorts broke into a car dealership and "borrowed" a couple of expensive new cars, to make matters worse the group injured the elderly night watchman in their rush to escape.

There was no way this could be covered up and it ended up in court but because of her parents military backgrounds Amy was given a choice to enter a military diversion program, it felt like a better choice than prison even if Amy had spent most of her life kicking against the Army. In a lot of ways Amy was a natural soldier, she was resourceful, a leader and damn good shot even if she still had an insubordinate streak a mile wide. That insubordinate streak meant Amy ended up in the guardhouse on several occasions but it also made her the perfect candidate for a program the collected together a small number of misfits with the aim of using them of "unconventional warfare". In house the group was referred to as the Instigators and Amy made a good reputation for herself as a professional trouble maker.

Then Epoch arrived, the source of the problem was beyond what the Instigators were capable of dealing with but Epoch goons were a perfect target for the team. Armed with experimental energy weapons the Instigators were tasked with attacking a communications hub but nobody could have predicted how the energy source for the Instigators weapons and Epoch's temporal communications equipment would interfere with each other. Epoch's underlings were wiped out before the team fired a shot, the comms equipment just exploded. Then the Instigators were wiped out when a strange mercury looking metal oozed from their weapons and consumed them, all except Amy. For some reason the metal bonded to her skin and gave extraordinary abilities, the metal being used to power the weapons was the same metal that gave Captain Atom his powers.
Although a neophyte with her powers Amy was immediately drafted into Task Force X as part of the US Government's last ditch efforts to stop Epoch. Post the “Epoch-alypse” Amy has a strange and strained relationship with Task Force X, officially she is still Sgt. Amy Allen but she hasn't set foot on an Army base since her change. Occasionally Amy has been contacted by men in black suits asking her to do something that is "in the National Interest", so far Amy has refused all of these offers but it's clear that Uncle Sam isn't done with her just yet.

Powers:
Amy has a wide range of powers, some are available to her all the time, some only when her metal skin is showing and others that are only theoretical at this point, these are powers that either Captain Atom or Major Force have displayed but Amy has yet to demonstrate

Permanent

Technopathy: She's shown the ability to channel her quantum powers to manipulate technological devices with nothing but her mind and electromagnetic interaction.

Dilustel Armor: Bombshell's "skin," is composed of a portion of the alien being known as Silver Shield, and is called Dilustel. Amy is able to coat himself with the metal, either partially or totally. This "skin" makes Bombshell invulnerable to physical and energy based attacks

Superhuman Strength: When fully armoured Amy is able to lift hundred ton masses with utmost ease, but even without her "skin" on Amy is stronger than a normal human.

Armoured

Flight: able to fly at speeds reaching up to Mach 3.

Anti-Magic: An effect of Bombshell's Dilustel coating gives Amy immunity to magical powers and spell craft.

Energy Blasts: Amy can project quantum energy from any part of her metal skin, creating either a directed beam of energy or explosive blasts.

Environmental suit: when fully "skinned" Amy can survive in extremely hostile environments, from the depths of the ocean to outer space.

Energy Absorption: Amy can absorb and temporarily store vast amounts of energy. That energy can be used to give her powers a boost but she can't hold on to it for too long and has to find a way to disperse it otherwise......

Theoretical

Time travel: Captain Atom was able to shift himself through time by tapping into the Quantum field, he could also be forced through time if he absorbed too much energy. As yet Amy hasn't been exposed to those levels of energy attack and isn't keen on accidentally trapping herself with a T-Rex

Atomic Manipulation: Captain Atom has demonstrated atomic manipulation powers similar to Firestorm, altering matter at the sub-atomic level. The manipulation is such that it can appear as if Captain Atom can create objects out of nothing.

Skills:
Limited Army Special Forces training: Amy received more advanced military training than most infantry but less than Tier 2 operatives.


Aphrodite - Goddess of love, pleasure, passion, procreation, fertility, beauty and desire. Symbols include the dove, bird, apple, bee, swan, myrtle, and rose.

Previously filled by Zauriel. Currently filled by

Hephaestus - Master blacksmith and craftsman of the gods; god of the forge, craftsmanship, invention, fire and volcanoes. Symbols include fire, anvil, axe, donkey, hammer, tongs, and quail.

Previously filled by Steel. Currently filled by
The Atom
On Loan from Ivy University



Player ID: JamesSureWould. JSW.
Name: Ryan Lun Choi
Alter Ego: The Atom
Pantheon Position: Hephaestus (?)
Face Claim: (Optional)
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Personality: At his very core, Ryan is fueled by a desire to know. To learn more and understand how the parts of the universe work together. Even when presented with things most men would cower at the sight of, Ryan would happily pull back the curtain to find out more. Knowledge not just for knowledge's sake however. Ryan’s father was a scientist in his right and would repeat a phrase whenever he was afraid his son might go down a darker path; “Science without ethics is as impure as Science without review. It may benefit you now, but it will never benefit others and will always lead to downfall”. It became something of a Mantra for Ryan, repeated often while working with Ray Palmer as a reminder of their obligations to humanity aswell as to academic pursuits. 

History:

It is a universal truth that all mothers have a story they delight in telling to embarrass their children. Ryan Choi was no different, his mother’s story involving his birth and the first few moments of his life. He was her first child so she had no idea of what to possibly expect from the experience. How he would react once he’d come into the world. Of course she’d read books and tried to study it as anyone might but that still left her feeling ill-prepared for the real event. And every moment labour continued, her own fear grew. The cries of others newborns echoing through the crowded halls of a Hong Kong hospital put awful images into her mind. There was nothing more heartbreaking she could imagine than for her baby’s first reaction to the world being one of pain and screaming. But Ryan, even in that first instant, wasn’t what she expected. He never cried once.  Large expressive eyes looked at her with wonder before they swept around the room. Even back then, she’d say with a smile to anyone that would listen, he wanted to know everything. To see it all and understand it.

That thirst for knowledge carried him quickly through school, the young student devouring every book and lesson available to him before finally graduating from High School years ahead of his peers. Not that they seemed to want much to do with him. Perhaps if he’d had any friends his own age the desire to go to America for further study might not have been so strong. But that wasn’t reality. Almost the second it was possible he moved across the globe and enrolled in Ivy University. In the world of academia he still struggled with interpersonal relationships but atleast he could let his work speak for itself. The fact that he was years junior to his peers didn’t matter quite so much for most. And then he met Dr. Palmer. Ryan jumped at the chance to TA for the professor the second he got a glimpse at the research he headed and the two quickly grew in step. They found their minds worked similarly enough to never slow the other down but not too closely that one was redundant. Perhaps it shouldn’t have been a surprise then when Dr. Palmer showed Ryan the final culmination of their research. The Bio-belt. Capable of altering the user’s size, weight, and mass all independently of each other. Its existence called into question multiple different laws of physics. And Ray wanted to use it to fight crime. Were it anyone else, Ryan might have said it was ridiculous. But the professor had always spoken on the importance of ethics in science. ‘Science without ethics is no more true science than that without review’ he’d tell Ryan when they teetered on the edge of what some might call ‘Mad Science’. And something like the Bio-Belt… There were ways to improve humanity with it, but even more ways that it could for ill gains. Ways for well meaning intentions to go aray. One person who knew its capabilities, that was the best way to help the world. And Ryan was going to help Dr. Palmer do just that.

The Atom wasn’t an overnight success, never a household name, but he helped to save reality a few times over. Dr. Palmer had even earned a place in the Justice League! But as the two lives, professional and heroic, clashed for attention, the Atom retreated. Disappeared into something called the Microverse. Ryan tried his best to cover for Dr. Palmer’s absence academically,eventually taking over as the Professor for some courses, but it wasn’t until someone forming a new team asked for The Atom that he considered taking on that role too.

In that ‘second string’ Justice League, Ryan found excitement and commadardy that brought him back to his few years at University. He was constantly finding out new things about the world, pushing himself to higher levels, and his teammates seemed to genuinely care for him. He learned as much from them as they relied on his intelligence; it felt like a family.

He was one of the few members to survive the first fight with Epoch. To this day, Ryan still doesn’t understand why. There are theories he’s formed, but nothing that quite to fit all the data. Still he knew action was required. Whether through guilt at surviving or a pure desire to prove nothing was impossible, the result was the same. A new League, formed from those few survivors, and they did it. 

What happens after though? How can you rebuild the Justice League?

Powers:
The Bio-Belt that Ryan wears allows him control over his size, mass, weight, and density. That, combined with an impressive knowledge of physics and mathematics, allows Ryan to do truly incredible things. Punching with the force of a train, surviving falls from terminal distances, even leaping far enough he might as well be flying.

While the bio-belt might be his most used gadget, it certainly isn’t his only one. There are more than a few experimental pieces of technology that he’s built over the years to test one theory or another.


Skills: Ryan is smart. To be put more specifically, he has an IQ in excess of 200. He’s received two docarotes and a number of lesser degree in various scientific disciplines, the first of which he received at 16. Genius isn’t all that’s required for a hero though. At a young age, his parents encouraged him to get into gymnastics as a way to help better control his asthma and it’s a hobby he’s kept up over the years. While martial arts weren’t his thing, he always preferred thinking a way out of a problem instead of punching it, Ryan did manage to pick up a few pointers from Batman and other team members. Even with that, he’s still at an ametuer level compared to just about any other hero. Apparently people find him attractive as well, though he finds that hard to believe despite evidence to the contrary. In his own eyes though, Ryan’s greatest asset is the ability to see things from other perspectives and consider a problem in ways that others might ignore.

Weapons:

Additional images


Hermes - Messenger of the gods; god of travel, commerce, communication, borders, eloquence, diplomacy, thieves and games. Symbols include the caduceus (staff entwined with two snakes), winged sandals and cap, stork, and tortoise

Previously filled by Flash. Currently filled by

Hestia - Goddess of the hearth, fire and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family.

Previously filled by Martian Manhunter. Currently filled by 
Shvaughn Erin
This character sheet is PROPERTY OF THE SPACE POLICE



Player ID: RedPhoenix
Name: Shvaughn Erin
Alter Ego: Nope.
Pantheon Position Athena/Hestia
Face Claim Dani Divine
Gender: Transfemale
Age: 37 (appears early 20s by present day standards)

Personality Commanding, sharp, always prepared and put together, but also possessed of futuristic sensibilities and very open to the emotion and psychological well being of those around her. She views her teammates as something she has an obligation to keep highly functioning. She can be a bit or a hardass at times and come across as judgmental as very few in the 21st century meet her standards when it comes to knowledge or training. She has a bit of a chip on her shoulder about her lack of superpowers, and can sometimes talk to her teammate and members of the public like they are cavemen. Shvaughn can also be overconfident and a bit cocky, especially when challenged by teammates, and she has a hard time saying no to a dare or challenge.

History Shvaughn was born in an undersea colony in the middle of the Indian Ocean in the early 31st century. She grew up a rather typical life in the aquatic arcology, with a loving family and a few close friends. She was a popular girl, and in that age nobody cared that she wasn't born into a female body. It was an easy enough fix with 31st century tech.

Based on her exam scores, Shvaughn was recruited in to the Science Police, the galactic law enforcement agency that operates as one massive organization to keep the galaxy safe from everything from local offenses to reality threatening events. Shvaughn was proud of her posting and very good at her job, earning the rank of Detective quickly and working as one for many years. She was particularly known for her leadership and her focus on keeping those under her happy, healthy, and well taken care of. As a result her commands had some of the best morale and results on the force. She was promoted to function as a Liaison to the Legion of Super Heroes. Shvaughn quickly found out she hated this job, largely because she found herself resenting the super powers she was constantly surrounded with and the way she was treated as a secretary and a flunky rather than a valued policewoman.

Stuck in what she felt was a thankless job, she contemplated quitting the force. Unfortunately before she could make her decision her entire asteroid station was sucked into a temporal vortex created by Epoch. He ignored her as just a civilian, but this underestimating of her led to her playing a key role in his defeat, the anger she'd been building up toward super powered beings finally unleashed on him.

At first she was thrilled to be in the trenches again, and somewhat proud of being seen as a hero, even though her 'powers' were anything a regular cop could do in the 31st century, but soon she became aware of the fact that she was stuck there. And her obligation to keep helping meant she was once again going to be working with superheroes. Determined to make sure they saw her as an equal this time around, she's resigned herself to make the best of her situation.

Powers: Shvaughn has no powers per se, however she has quite a lot of equipment that may as well be a superpower considering how much more advanced it is than 21st century gear. Like most gear from her time, these items are bound to her on a molecular level and if removed from her will disintegrate and reform on her once she consumes enough protein and maybe a few rarer metals. Biotech has come quite a long way!

Shvaughn's Science Police uniform is built of a high tech material that can reform itself about her body automatically in reaction to certain situations - breathing masks if she finds herself underwater or without oxygen or in a caustic environment, and can also change from her tight black uniform to other outfits as the situation demands - although it usually keeps a rather shiny, lustrous nature. The uniform constantly cleans and maintains itself. It is capable of extending a mask over her face and hair and fixing her makeup and styling her hair in any manner she tells it do (from the thousands of preprogrammed options). It is extremely resilient, projects a small personal forcefield, and can blunt and dull the impact of bullets and energy weapons, as well as almost completely negate most common hand to hand weapons and injuries from people throwing punches. The uniform is bound to her, and she cannot actually take it off, nor would she ever need to, she can simply shrink it to the size of a small band about her ribcage if she ever truly needed to be unrestrained.

Her uniform can detach portions of itself that can be used as nearly unbreakable restraints that take the shape of what appear to be glowing red neon cords that react automatically to shifting movement or attempts to break free. She can only have a few of these in play at any given time, and if she moves more than a few dozen feet away the restraints vanish as the material rejoins her uniform.

One thing her uniform does not do, however, is enhance her strength. The Science Police assumed any officer would always have access to their machines and vehicles that they could use for any heavy hauling purposes, or access to local forces who could do the heavy lifting for them. While she is stronger than she looks thanks to the benefits of future nutrition, this means little on the superhero scale.

About each wrist she wears a small band that resembles a watch. Each houses a pistol-shaped gun that projects energy blasts that can be set for anything from stunning to disintegrating. Simply tapping the wristband or speaking an activation code summons the weapon into her hand, and if she lets go the band resumes housing the weapon - meaning she can never actually drop her guns. The process by which this works is complex nanotechnology that Shvaughn doesn't actually understand herself, and appears to most residents of the current day like magic. Like her uniform, the bands are bound to her wrists and cannot be removed. The gloves that are formed from these bands are capable of delivering a strong electric shock meant to disable anyone who gets close enough to her to fight her hand to hand.

Her suit is capable of extending wires that can interface with most electronic devices and take control of them. However, technology from before the age of cell phones or that works independently of any sort of network is too primitive for her to hack into. Ironically the more modern and sophisticated the device by 21st century standards, the easier it is for her to take control of.

When her uniform builds safety glasses around her eyes they include a heads up display that contains the collected knowledge of her future civilization. Unfortunately the information is largely stored in central archive devices that don't exist in the 21st century, so only a limited portion of it is available - the things that a police officer might need in the course of her duties - identification of chemicals, basic medical knowledge, and identifying and analyzing weapons. It can also do on the spot DNA profiles and fingerprinting - allowing her to instantly identify most humans any many aliens.

Finally, her uniform jacket houses a compressed jet pack that takes up almost no space in the back of the jacket. This high tech device allows her to fly at nearly supersonic speeds or hover nearly silently and everything in between.


Skills: Shvaughn has full Science Police training, and therefore is an excellent shot with any handgun, and a decent one with longer guns. She is exceptionally good at piloting aircraft, but gets very confused trying to limit her driving to two dimensions. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of chemistry and xenobiology and what appears in the 21st century like a very advanced understanding of engineering and astronomy. She is also quite good when it comes to understanding people, tact, diplomacy, and negotiations. She is a skilled investigator and interrogator, although her techniques bear little resemblance to what most people would call that art today. Unrelated to her job, she is an excellent violin player.


Weapons: Pair of future-made handheld rayguns, hand delivered electric shock.


Dionysus - God of wine, the grape vine, fertility, festivity, ecstasy, madness and resurrection. Patron god of the art of theatre. Symbols include the grapevine, ivy, cup, tiger, panther, leopard, dolphin, goat, and pinecone.

Previously filled by Plastic Man. Currently filled by



So, if all this hasn't scared you off, put up some interest, PM me a char sheet...and we'll give this another go!

mia h

Trying to decide between Bombshell as Ares or Firehawk as Hephaestus or even Fire as Aphrodite... hmmm.
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Kadigan

Yahhhh, some interest. Let's hope there's some more.

RedPhoenix

This is a cool concept. I like the pantheon idea! I'm a sucker for setups like this.

However I have a problem which is that every DC character I know well enough to play a canon version of is on your dead list. How well do we need to know a character we play and how much leeway could we have reimagining them?
Apologies & Absences | Ons & Offs
I move the stars for no one.

mia h

Quote from: RedPhoenix on June 22, 2018, 11:20:03 AM
This is a cool concept. I like the pantheon idea! I'm a sucker for setups like this.

However I have a problem which is that every DC character I know well enough to play a canon version of is on your dead list. How well do we need to know a character we play and how much leeway could we have reimagining them?
Who were you thinking of? Maybe my bizarre knowledge might help out finding a similar character.
And as the characters are supposed to be C-listers there isn't going to be that much cannon on them to start off with, so not much to deviate from.
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

RedPhoenix

I was leaning towards Ystina, but based solely on online comic wiki summaries of the character - maybe as Artemis?
Apologies & Absences | Ons & Offs
I move the stars for no one.

mia h

Quote from: RedPhoenix on June 22, 2018, 12:36:09 PM
I was leaning towards Ystina, but based solely on online comic wiki summaries of the character - maybe as Artemis?
Lord, it's been an age since I read 7 Solders  ;D
Could be a fit for Zeus with the law and justice part; Hera might also work girl disguising herself as a boy so the woman part of Hera's portfolio; Athena possibly, given her training in combat and strategy; even Dionysus at a stretch as Ystina is immortal and Dionesium is a metal that grants immortality.
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

RedPhoenix

#7
Yeah Athena could work too. Hera would be interesting - I could see her as the Wonder Woman of the team. I don't see her as the team leader type so probably not Zeus. And I was picturing Dionysus as more of the reveler type which I don't think that would really work as well for her, or at least the idea of her I have swimming about in my brain.
Apologies & Absences | Ons & Offs
I move the stars for no one.

mia h

Probably best for me to stay away from Firehawk then, what with The Shining Knight's sword being the weapon that killed Firestorm  ;D
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

RedPhoenix

Well I don't know who either of those characters are so unlikely they'd come up in the background I write, but I'll wait to see what Ms. Gordon thinks. :)
Apologies & Absences | Ons & Offs
I move the stars for no one.

mia h

Quote from: RedPhoenix on June 22, 2018, 02:45:18 PM
Well I don't know who either of those characters are so unlikely they'd come up in the background I write, but I'll wait to see what Ms. Gordon thinks. :)
Ystina is most recent version of The Shining Knight, Sir Justin, & Firehawk is a female variant of Firestorm.
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Kadigan

So much conversation!

Rereading it and hoping I didn't miss anything I'll start at the beginning. I like both concepts, of Ystina I do want to reiterate that again, going on the "Zeus" role doesn't necessarily mean you're the leader persay. Superman was that role, and more often then not Batman and Martian Manhunter were the leader.

I think  Ystina would be good.  As far as Pantheon role, Artemis or Ares might be a good fight based more on a basic glance, but if you look at some of it...maybe Aphrodite given her origin (Depending on how much you play up the hiding as a boy thing).


I'd probably reconsider my own choice (How many Pegasus riding swords women does one team need?) But I'm flexible..(stop laughing). I've always enjoyed the darkstars, and Merayn might be fun, or Tomorrow Woman. As far as having Ystina and Firehawk on the same team, if there's a ittle tension due to the sowrd, well that just adds to the spice.





RedPhoenix

I was actually gonna ditch the pegasus. There's several different versions of this character floating around and I think I may take a bit from each and mix in some of my own. Still thinking!
Apologies & Absences | Ons & Offs
I move the stars for no one.

mia h

#13
Quote from: BarbaraGordon on June 22, 2018, 04:06:26 PM
. As far as having Ystina and Firehawk on the same team, if there's a ittle tension due to the sowrd, well that just adds to the spice.
Nah, that was just my nerd brain doing it's "I think the Shining Knight accidental killed Firestorm once. *quick google* Score one for the nerd brain."  ;D

I would have thought Athena is a better than Ares for Ystina, with Athena being more about skill in battle instead of it being a dust up.
Athena = Bruce Lee
Ares = Football hooligan
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

RedPhoenix

We can work that into a background if you think it would be fun, you'd probably have to tell me what to write though since I don't know that story!
Apologies & Absences | Ons & Offs
I move the stars for no one.

JamesSureWould

#15
This seems like a really neat premise for a game that forces people outside of characters they'd normally play. I love it! And having characters represent some part of the Greek pantheon is a neat stylistic touch.


So, I can go deep on DC. My first thought for a character might not be obscure enough though, seeing as he's currently in comics that have come-out in the last few months...

Ryan Choi, the Atom!

If you think he wouldn't fit, that's fine by me. I'm happy to dive back into my longboxes to find someone that fits better :)

Kadigan

I think the Ryan Choi version might be great, he's in kinda a second run squad right now, and he's gotten some screen time but not a ton. If you wanted to go even more obscure for the Atom, there's always Adam Cray or Paul Hoben too!

JamesSureWould

Quote from: BarbaraGordon on June 22, 2018, 04:30:04 PM
I think the Ryan Choi version might be great, he's in kinda a second run squad right now, and he's gotten some screen time but not a ton. If you wanted to go even more obscure for the Atom, there's always Adam Cray or Paul Hoben too!

I was actually thinking that if Ryan didn't work, I could pull out Molecule.

I think I'll go with Ryan though. I've got an idea or two for him.

As for what place he'd have on the pantheon... I could see him as Athena, Hephaestus, or maybe Hermes?

Kadigan

Molecule would also be awesome. I would think he might fit very well as a Hephestatus type, assuming he's all gadgety and stuff.

mia h

Well in that case I'll probably go with the Bombshell\Ares combo
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Kadigan

I'll update the list in a few, but right now we've got an Ares, a Heph, and via PM an Apollo..(oooohhh such a leather jacket..)

RedPhoenix

Okay looks like Ystina/Shining Knight is a no go so I will see if there's someone else I wanna play. If not, take care all. :)
Apologies & Absences | Ons & Offs
I move the stars for no one.

Xerial

#22
I see second-tier and my brain instantly starts right down into the third/fourthish tier with a favorite of mine: Nite-Wing...

The problem is, Ares seems taken... and a semi-reformed sociopathic thug-hero screams Ares. Could work with Artemis as well, since he sees himself as a protector, and Athena had that violent and vengeful streak to her.

What's still free, Pantheon-wise, though?

Edit: Meant Artemis there... though a reformed/focused Tad, say one who was in jail when things went down, or just out and reluctantly re-dons the mask, could actually work for Athena. Newly gained wisdom, a strategic application of violence... but it wouldn't be Nite-Wing canon.

Kadigan

While I appreciate the the idea, and the definite outside the box thinking, I don't think it's really the right fit for the game unfortunately. I'm certainly open to discuss other ideas, but Nite - Wing seemed to slip into psychopath fairly quickly and I'm not sure that's really the best fit..they're C-Listers but they're still heroes.

Xerial

#24
While violent, Tad is not a villain per-say. He wants (or wanted) to be a hero, he just had no frame of reference for what that meant outside of action movies and violent comics. John Law's influence on him was not stellar, but Nightwing proper's was. During the run where they worked together, Dick was able to curb most of Tad's violent tendencies and tried his damnest to help the kid find his better spirit. The incident that got him jailed was one where he was unrestrained. He was more of a Punisher or Red Hood (after his villainous run) style anti-hero willing to get bloody rather than an outright villain.

For the purposes of this arc I'd approach Tad as I tend to approach him, as repentant... but not always good at it. The escape from jail because he's a dupe, kill the mayor of Bludhaven, then get tossed back into jail and never written for again way the character ended his life in comics always seemed a bit unfair. He was a kid who did not know right from wrong, and did wrong in the name of right. The way I usually try to approach it is that while he is violent, and was a sociopath as a kid, he never intentionally killed anyone. I like the implication that he may have killed someone before he took up the mantle of Nite-Wing, but that it was not on purpose, but instead that the guy was left badly injured with Tad thinking someone else would come for them. I shimmy things about so the gang he killed in canon (who shot him and left him for dead) he instead left for the cops in a pile of still breathing but broken bodies. As for the undercover FBI agent... that killing totally happens, and he is arrested and admits to it. Where I diverge entirely is in that unfair ending to his run.

Instead of the silly 'convinces the Mayor is a criminal so let's break out of jail and kill him' plot, he does his time in Blackgate (3-5 years, commensurate with manslaughter and vigilantism, but adjusted for good behavior) and when he returns to the world he tries to put the mask and `hero` life behind him (usually to try to become a Fire Fighter, which in NY at least is possible for an ex-felon... fun, right?). In this case, he would be recently out of prison, and before the fall of heroes he and Dick would be in touch (if not even while he was in prison). While incarcerated he has found some semblance of control over his violent nature (through Buddhist practice) and he got himself the high school education he neglected while 'fighting crime.' When things go down, and he learns of the death of the man who tried so hard to be his mentor, Tad feels compelled to take up the fight against Epoch.

Edit: I'm not denying he would have his ultra-violent moments, mind you. He would simply need to be pushed there. This is why I think he'd be a good fit for Artemis (in the way I usually write him). He is disciplined, but feels that transgression needs to be punished in a severe and demonstrative way. Much like stories of Artemis punishing hunters who killed more than they needed by having them thrown from their horses and eaten by wolves. Plus the Diana side of Artremis' personality (when the two merged) is the patron of thieves and outlaws... the punk prophet of sorts... which suits Tad's past self, the one he struggles with daily.