On the bright side, and this makes me feel better.
While I am being sent home, I am not being sent home to England (Can't remember if I said that apprently I lack confidence so am being sent home here or not and excused myself from doing shit but I have now.) as I am not from England.
“If someone puts their hands on you make sure they never put their hands on anybody else again.” ― Malcolm X
Your Name: Byrd Man
Character Name: Luke Cage
Character Alias: Power Man
Character Allignment: Hero
Characters Abilities: Cage has steel hardened skin and super strength.
Characters Skills: A street wise resident of New York City, Cage is adept at going places and making connections with people that conventional authorities cannot. In addition, he is a practicing PI proficient in surveillance and investigative technique.
Origin Story:
The story of Luke Cage can be told in verse. The early days are when his life went from bad to worse. Carl Lucas, a would be gangster working around Harlem town, working as a strongarm lackey to that Willis Styrker clown. Styrker had Harlem tight in his grasp, strangling the community with his criminal clasp. Young Luke fell for Lenore, Stryker's sweetheart. Styrker went mad with jealousy, his sanity fell apart. One day Carl was headed home when he got stopped, ya dig? It was two NYPD uniforms and a detective pig. They ran Carl in because an eyeball witness, the man said Carl was around a murder scene the night before and acting suspicious. Carl's fingerprints matched the ones on a piece, so he was arrested for murder by the police. A swift trial commenced, so fast you couldn't blink. The end result was predictable, Carl sentenced to life in the clink. Carl's heart was tortured, his spirit maimed. He knew that he was framed.
Ten years in the slammer seemed to rapidly pass, all the while outside Stryker's kingdom gained mass. Losing hope on getting out and his prospects dim, Carl decided to volunteer for a project most grim. An experiment to create the durability of a famous super-soilder ended in disaster thanks to an evil poacher. Carl lay in a science chamber, his body resting, when a vindictive guard broke in to where they were testing. The guard smashed the console and dial. The chamber began sparking, its insides filling with bile. A massive explosion rocked the prison then, a force that was like a keg of dynamite times ten. The guard, the doctor, and the whole experiment were lost in the detonation, nothing could survive that great conflagration.
Out of the fiery rubble and debris a lone figure came crawling. It was a naked Carl Lucas who ran, his own ass he was hauling. He ran into the woods to avoid any guards. Through some odd happenstance he was now out behind bars. What's more his whole body seemed unreal. The explosion hadn't hurt him, his body tougher than steel. With new powers at his command and ten years spent spurned, he set his sights for Harlem and home he did return.
Once home he started a crusade for payback, Willis Stryker and his criminal rackets were prime for attack. A new life and fresh start he had acquired. Carl Lucas was dead, believed perished in that fire. Soon after coming home he sought out his former love Lenore. He was shattered when he discovered she was no more. She had died six years back, overdosing from mainlining pure smack. He made a promise that day, for letting her die Stryker would pay. Adopting the alias Luke Cage, he tore up Harlem fueled by his powers and rage. It didn't take long for Stryker to get mad. He put out a million dollar hit for Luke Cage, man he wanted that brother reaaal bad. Cage tore trough Styrker's men like butter, setting the residents of Harlem's hearts aflutter. For a long time now they had needed a defender to help them thrive, but Cage didn't want none of that jive! He wasn't a hero to speak for the masses, he just wanted to kick Styrker and his men's asses.
Cage dispatched Styrker's men at their nightclub without breaking a sweat. They were the bad mothers, but to him they proved to be no threat. Cage finally set his sights on Styrker, that villain. The two fought each other, both intent on killin'. Stryker tried his best to fight off his former friend, but the steel skinned man was too much to defend. Desperate to kill and half crazed, Stryker decided to kill both he and Cage in a massive blaze. Up went his nightclub in a red hot spire. Nobody was getting out of that fire. If you think that's the end of this story and Cage is dead, then what the hell's wrong with your head? Out of the fire came Cage choking, unharmed and unhurt but his body smoking. While he came out of the fire okay, Stryker had been consumed in the infero's fray.
Gathered around the blazing hulk were the people of Harlem so grateful, they were glad to be rid of the crime boss that was so hateful. In the embers of the building Cage watched it burn, while a feeling inside him did churn. His vengeance was complete now that Stryker had died, but he still felt hollow and empty inside. That day Cage made a solemn vow, he would change his life and his ways somehow. From that day forward he decided to work for the people as best he could, writing wrongs and injustices in the 'hood. If you need help and your situation is dire, then you can always call Luke Cage: Hero for Hire.
Story Arcs:
Kings of Harlem -- Cage tussles with a gang taking over the streets of Harlem. During the fight, he begins to see links to the kids running the gang and his own troubled past.
War, What is it Good For? -- A local store owner hires Cage to fight off an extortion plot by members of the Puerto Rican Army. Soon, Cage in embroiled in the middle of a gang war between the PRA and the Harlem Kings.
No Justice No Peace -- High-powered defense attorney Matt Murdock hires Cage to investigate the credibility of a witness in a police-involved shooting case. Cage uncovers a seedy cabal of corrupt cops in the local NYPD precinct.
Supporting Cast:
Sgt. Alex Stone -- NYPD squad sergeant and occasional ally. Sister Mercy -- Streetwise junkie and snitch for Cage. Franklin "Foggy" Nelson -- Local defense attorney and routine employer of Cage. Marcus Drayton -- Harlem community activist.
Sample Post:
131st Street Harlem
Luke stood on the sidewalk and watched the traffic coming and going. The tension from the afternoon had all but evaporated once news got out that the grand jury on the Alderman case were going to need further time. After a week in deliberation, they were still deadlocked. That didn't bode well for the family of Isiah Hamilton. A deadlocked jury would mean a potential mistrial, which could mean a dismissal of the charges. It was one of the many sneaky ways the criminal justice system could get away with not punishing one of their own. It was why they needed Tommy Drayton more than ever. Luke wasn't foolish enough to think one politician could turn things around overnight, but he knew a guy like Tommy could implement a cultural change that might take a decade to see the benefits of. But incremental change was sure as shit better than what they had right now.
"GIVE TO THA LAWD!"
Luke had to suppress a laugh when he heard the shrill cry. On the corner of Lennox and 131st street, was Sister Mercy doing her thing. Sister Mercy had been working the corners of Upper Manhattan for nearly twenty years now, dressed in her black nun habit and ringing that bell while she shouted about fire and brimstone and the only way to heaven was to give to the lawd.
"'For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils' First Timothy 6:10, people. GIVE TO THA LAWD!"
You wouldn't think it by looking at her, but the sister was without a doubt the best street hustler of all the would-be conmen and scammers operating out on the streets. It didn't hurt that she has a dynamite racket. It takes real balls to impersonate a nun, and the sister had balls. The truth was that sister is a brother by the name of Jackson Coleman. Jackson was a former B&E man who hit the right racket to feed his drug addiction. Luke knew him back before he went to jail, back when he was gangbanger Carl Lucas. They got back in touch after Luke's homecoming and Luke found an unlikely ally in the hustler. From time to time over the years Sister Mercy helped him out with errands and intel for a price. A cross-dressing junkie nun who cons people with a bell and the bible. Luke had to grin. Where else but Harlem?
"Say, Sister Mercy," he said as he palmed two twenties and shook the good sister's hand. "What do you know good?"
"'Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times', Psalm 106:3," he said loud enough for the pedestrians passing by to hear before whispering. "Luke Cage, my man. What's up, homie? GIVE TO THE LAWD, PEOPLE."
"Wondering if you had your ear to the ground on something, Sister. You know Tommy Drayton? Someone tried to snuff him earlier today."
Sister Mercy let out a low and soft whistle before returning back to the work of yelling about damnation and monetary salvation. She thanked a passerby as they tossed a dollar into the bucket at her feet. After a few moments of thought, she finally shook his head.
"That's out of my range, brother. Politics and shit. You need a Day of the Jackal-type motherfucker to pull off something like that. I just know about hustlers. It's been quiet the last few weeks around Harlem, far as any action is concerned."
"What about your network? All those homeless fools."
Sister Mercy stopped ringing her bell for a second before she nodded. "Joe the Bum. He's a homeless guy that bottom feeds by hanging around political campaigns. He gets a few sandwiches here and there for running errands and wearing signs at rallies. I think he was hanging out around Drayton and his people. He may have seen something. I'll run him down for you."
"You better, Sister. I don't want to kick a nun's ass."
"I do what I can nigga," she whispered softly. "I'll be here tomorrow morning with Joe the Bum."
"Sister, I could kiss you..."
"'But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart,' Matthew 5:28, brother. Repent and GIVE TO THA LAWD!"
Luke laughed and started home to Jess and Dani. It'd been a long day, and he had a pretty big task in front of him. Sister Mercy was right that this kind of case seemed a bit out of his range. He wasn't a political intrigue guy. But he was a Harlem guy. Harlem was where Drayton was from and that was where they'd tried to kill him. This was a Harlem crime, and when it came to Harlem crimes he was very much in his depth.
Your Name: TimeMasterX Character Name: Stephen Strange Character Alias: Doctor Strange Character Allignment: Neutral Good
Artefacts: Doctor Strange is a mere human, augmented by magical wards and auras that allow him to touch the ethereal planes of other dimensions. His abilities are largely the result of focusing his latent magical ability through a series of artefacts and totems. - The Eye of Agamotto: A powerful orb that Strange wears as a brooch below his collar; the Eye is a totem that allows Strange to detect any latent magic or hidden objects/creatures/beings in a given area. When in use the brooch seems to open, revealing the orb which pulses with an eerie light. When in use the Eye of Agamotto has the side effect of not permitting any in the immediate area to lie. - Cloak of Levitation: Unlike many of Strange's artefacts the Cloak of Levitation has no formal name, the cloak allows the wearer to transcend gravity and fly at tremendous speeds; in addition the cloak protects the wearer from wind resistance and any ill effects that may occur during its use. It is not, however, an effective shield from any conventional (or even magical) attacks and can be damaged just like any other garment. - Book of the Vishanti: Strange's tome of otherworldly spells and incantations. While he powers any spells with the latent magic present in his body (or with any totems with their own stores of magic) Strange focuses his power into tangible effects with the aid of spells. The Book of the Vishanti contains spells from a multitude of mystical patrons and with all manner of effects limited to Strange's comprehension and imagination. Strange has committed several spells to memory but often requires the book in order to ensure the correct casting of a complicated spell or ceremony. Spells: Expediency has led Strange to memorise several spells for use in situations where he would not have the chance to check his book. These spells allow the creation of a protective shield against attacks (both mystical and physical); in addition Strange can conjure magical bolts to use against his foes with varying effects depending on how much energy Strange is channelling into the bolts. Finally, Strange knows several spells with the express purpose of banishing extra-dimensional interlopers back to their home planes of existence; these spells rely on Strange having greater magical reserves than the being(s) he is attempting to banish and so are very taxing on Strange's system.
Skills: Before his accident Dr Stephen Strange was a well respected medical surgeon; his medical skills are still highly regarded by those in the know and he has a clear knowledge of the human body. Strange has a very good memory, able to retain vast amounts of knowledge in his mind through sheer willpower.
Origin Story: Doctor Stephen Strange was a well respected and brilliant medical surgeon with his own private practice in New York catering almost exclusively to the rich and famous. He was well known for his self-confidence that all-too-often manifested itself as sheer arrogance; he was one of the few people in the medical profession who was well known for his appearance at high profile parties and events, as much of a playboy as his well paying clients. However, it was this lifestyle that would ruin Strange. While making his way home from a very flamboyant and public nightclub a drunken Strange ended up in a high speed collision that left him critically injured and in hospital. While his general injuries were treated, Stephen found that his hands had been mangled beyond repair by the accident; leaving him unable to perform surgery.
Stephen left his practice and sunk into a deep depression, few of his associates would even return his calls and he certainly was excluded from any high profile soirees. Several months later Stephen, full of debts and self-pity, found himself atop a tall building; foot extended over a large fall. A voice filled his mind and, encouraging him not to give up, implanted a location where he could be made whole once more. Stephen felt himself be drawn to a deserted house in Greenwich Village; upon entering he was greeted in the old home by a young man who identified himself as 'Wong'. Wong escorted Stephen to the house's attic which was illuminated by a striking stained glass window; upon noticing a sigil in the glass Stephen found himself transported into a cold and unfamiliar place where he was greeted by more strangers, hooded figures and an old man.
The old man introduced himself as the 'Ancient One' and explained that he had summoned Stephen to his presence; the hooded figures with him were acolytes and students. The Ancient One was Earth's 'Sorcerer Supreme' and was responsible for protecting this plane of reality from interlopers; he could mend Stephen's hands with his magical abilities but would only do so if Stephen pledged to learn from him and to take his place as Sorcerer Supreme. Stephen scoffed at the idea of magic but, with a display of his power that boggled the surgeon’s mind, the Ancient One soon inducted Stephen into his tutelage.
Time blurred to Stephen during his training; his hands were mended over a period of sessions with the Ancient One and he had become adept at accessing the dormant magical energies that the Ancient One informed him existed inside every living being. It had become apparent that the Ancient One was preparing his acolytes (of which Stephen was now a member) until one was ready to replace him as Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. It also became apparent that there were certain acolytes who were trying to beat the system.
After a few years and several adventures Stephen completed his training and was named Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. He returned to the empty house in Greenwich Village and was somewhat surprised to find it furnished and homely, replete with mystical artefacts and other items of power. Stephen found himself greeted by Wong who was remaining in the house, naming it the Sanctum Sanctorum, to be Strange's assistant and housekeeper.
Strange, invigorated by his new role, decided that he would not return to the life that he knew and would instead protect this plane of reality from all the horrors and maladies that he had discovered in his training. He would do so as 'Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme'.
Story Arcs: List the Arcs you have planned with a (brief) explanation. House Calls: The Sanctum Sanctorum is a very powerful location in the mystical world and Doctor Strange's new tenancy has not gone unnoticed. As Doctor Strange settles into his new role he will soon discover that it is not only doctors who make house calls...
Hippocratic Oath: A dark figure from Strange's past turns up asking for the doctor's assistance. Will Strange obey his vow as a medical practitioner and give aid to someone who has only caused him pain?
The Doctor is Out: Doctor Strange does not exist. The world spins on and no one has ever heard of Doctor Stephen Strange. But in Greenwich Village there is a little girl living in an attic who is having nightmares of a man with broken hands.
Supporting Cast:
Wong - Doctor Strange's assistant and housekeeper; he assists Doctor Strange in his work. He is a serious man and places his duty above all else.
The Ancient One - Doctor Strange's mentor and former Sorcerer Supreme. He resides in another land only reachable with the application of magic but often advises his protege through mystical means, often through mirrors. An old hero who still has much wisdom to teach, his only desire is for Stephen to be better than he was and to avoid making the mistakes that the Ancient One was guilty of.
Baron Mordo - A mystical contemporary of Doctor Strange, Mordo was an acolyte of the Ancient One long before Stephen arrived and bitterly resents the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme passing to Strange rather than himself. He is a formidable magic user and has clashed with Strange on several occasions prior to this.
The Vishanti - A series of magical patrons who allow Strange access to their powers, spells and abilities. Among their number is Agamotto, Oshtur and Hoggoth.
Vlad Drake - A repo-man with an unfortunate ancestry; Vlad Drake (not his real name) is a hundred year old vampire who Strange rescued from vampire hunters early in his career. Vlad considers himself in Stephen's debt and has vowed to someday repay him.
Clea - Stephen... doesn't talk about Clea.
Sample Post:
Hospital Morgue, Ellis Island 11:56pm
Jeff Davies was a slow man, 57 years old and with a gut to show for it, he was known by other members of the hospital as 'Slow Jeff' (they were hardly the most innovative bunch) on account of his wheeling bodies to the morgue in a manner that could only be described as 'dawdling'.
He was currently wheeling a member of the recently deceased into the morgue and was grumbling; the elevator had gotten stuck on the second floor of the hospital for half an hour and the corpse he was transporting, stuck in a small hot space, had begun to smell. His sullen efforts to ease the gurney into the cool room of the morgue ceased when he cleared the door.
There was a man already in the room.
The man was shady, there was no other word for it, he was clad in a long dark maroon coat with a blue hoodie pulled up around his face, shadowing his features, Jeff thought he could make out a goatee and some piercing blue eyes but was unable to get a good look at him under the hood. Indeed, Jeff could not garner much of an impression from the man, other than he was bent over a corpse.
This was not unusual, nor was the fact that the stranger had a body laid out in front of him on its table. Families of the deceased were sometimes allowed to remain with a body after identifying it and were even allowed privacy with a loved one on occasion. No, what Jeff Daniels found odd was that the stranger appeared to be drawing on the pale skin of the corpse, Jeff couldn't see what was being illustrated but he was not impressed.
'Alright, I don't know who you are,' Jeff found himself surprised at the strength of his normally croaky voice, 'but if you don't stop that and get out I'm calling security.'
The stranger barely paid him any heed. 'Hmm, yes carry on,' his voice had an odd accent, almost like a British man mimicking a New Yorker's dialect and not quite succeeding. 'Don't mind me, just doing some post op.'
Jeff felt the blood colour his face with anger. 'Now look here!' He strode forward and actually grabbed the man's arm, pulling him away from the body. 'I heard about people like you, makes me sick, have some respect for the dead!'
The man angrily shoved at Jeff, causing the older hospital worker to fall backwards and nearly collapse to the floor. Jeff looked up at the man and was surprised at his height and lithe physique. 'Listen to me,' the stranger's voice was urgent now, 'there is something very old and very bad coming here and I'm trying to make sure it can't gain a foothold in this realm and it really would help if there wasn't some well-meaning idiot getting in my way!' This last part came out as a half-shout and the stranger stopped himself, a little embarrassed at his outburst, before turning back to the body and continuing with his drawing.
Now that Jeff was closer he could see that the stranger wasn't merely drawing on the corpse, he was using some implement to carve symbols into the very flesh of the cadaver.
'That's disgusting.' He said, more to himself but the stranger clearly heard. 'Believe me I take no pleasure in this.' The stranger sounded almost apologetic, 'but if I don't get this right we'll all be in a lot of-'
A crash sounded in the corner of the room as a door opened and closed, seemingly of it's own accord.
'...trouble.'
The corpse that the stranger had been carving into suddenly rose from the table as though it had merely been taking a nap. Jeff was stunned by this development and practically jumped out of his skin when the corpse began flail about; he had watched zombie films with his daughter and had laughed at her terror, the reality just didn't quite register.
The stranger did not seem in the least surprised by this turn of events, indeed his first move was to place his hand on the face of the corpse and to murmur a few words that Jeff didn't quite understand. The corps- the zombie (Jeff decided to just call it what it was) seemed to comprehend the stranger's words as it immediately quietened sown and lay back on the table.
Jeff crossed himself and felt foolish, he hadn't been to church since Catholic school. The stranger chuckled, 'we're not dealing with a devil don't worry. Just a visitor from another realm who really should know better.' He took his implement and continued to carve into the body.
Jeff remained silent as the stranger explained that there were forces beyond human understanding passing all around everyone and everything, most were harmless and content to observe humanity but others wanted to 'get their hands dirty'.
'The dead, the recently dead bodies anyway, are an easy means for certain beings to enter our world. They don't care about what might happen to it or anything around.' The stranger explained, 'like a child playing a video game and blowing up everything they can find.' He chuckled, amused at the comparison while Jeff tried to remember a video game later than Miss Pac-Man. 'It's all not quite real for them, the laws of reality treat them a little differently to us, beings like this one,' he gestured with his empty hand to the corpse that lay peacefully on the table, 'can do whatever it wants without fear of injury or death. You wouldn't really care about a used car as long as you stayed safe right?'
Jeff just nodded, convinced that as long as he didn't actually interact with the madness he would stay sane.
'I'm warding the body to keep the door firmly closed.' The stranger stood up, apparently finished with his work. The presence will leave the body when it gets bored and gives up.'[/color] As if to prove the stranger's point the corpse shook in an almost impotent manner before becoming very still once more. 'I've been going around all the morgues in the city, as long as I do this to a body every few months the effect will linger and keep the boundaries present without me needing to be involved.' The stranger paused, 'I got careless tonight though, nearly too late this time.'
The stranger appeared to consider Jeff carefully. 'Maybe...' He mused before suddenly placing his palm right against Jeff's face and murmuring something under his breath.
Jeff opened his mouth to object but was cut off before he could begin by a wave of affability that washed over him; so what if this total stranger was invading his personal space? It didn't matter in the long run.
'Now,' the stranger spoke in a flat tone, taking care to enunciate every syllable that passed through his lips. 'You will mark a new body that comes through this morgue every month in the same way as this.' He gestured to the body that he himself had been marking. Jeff found the symbols etched into the corpse's skin burning themselves into his memory, somehow he just knew he would remember them forever. 'Make sure you do it after the bodies have been cleared for burial, it is vital no one else knows.' Jeff nodded, the stranger made good sense and he would follow the instructions to the letter.
Clearly satisfied, the stranger pressed the implement that he had been using into Jeff's hand and gave one further command. 'When I leave this room you will forget you ever saw me. You will remember my commands as a personal mission but that is all.' With that the stranger removed his palm from Jeff's head and, making his way around the corpse that Jeff had been wheeling into the room, opened the door and left the morgue.
Jeff blinked, suddenly unsteady on his feet, he gripped the table next to him and looked at the corpse below. The markings were plain to see and he looked at the implement in his fist; he'd done a good job.
I dunno. I think it works. That being said, i'm surprised they haven't tried to do the founding of The Church of Thor from 2099 in the present timeline. I think it could be a cool scenario with a bunch of terrorists that worship Thor (Being that he is a god, and all) and kill people in his name. Maybe performing sacrificial rituals and shit.
Then again, I suppose they want to steer clear of terrorism, because as much as I love Marvel, I will firmly admit that they do not know how to handle tender subjects with... Discretion...
@Byrd Man Do you mind waiting for a final verdict on Cage? (I know we've been doing that already but business has struck us all). Simply as someone is working on a Jessica Jones sheet for their first character so I'd like them to finish theirs first simply as Luke Cage and Jessica Jones are so often intertwined in each others stories.
@Mattmanganon you mention a few Spider-villains in your post, so I have to correct you on that. Semantics and whatnot.
1) There is no entity called the Green Goblin, just the Goblin. Nothing major, just a quick edit.
2) Doctor Octavius (Doc Ock) was never seen or known by the public, nor did he personally terrorize anyone other than Spider-Man himself, so that reference would need to be removed.
3) The Rhino sort of died and failed to rampage and terrorize anyone successfully, so that example doesn't really work. I'd suggest - if you're adamant on only referencing Spider-foes and no others, that is - on referencing the Shocker instead. He was an actual recurring villain, and one people would know of for the most part. Anywho, I've finally got substantial free time available for the majority of this week, and will be using some of it to work on the first Spider-post among other things. Just noting that my silence has not been out of disinterest or lack of motivation. Expect a post in the coming few days, sooner or later depending on circumstances.