You've no doubt heard of One Universe RP's by now. The simple enough throughline is that they're each canon-based games that feature players taking on the roles of the DC and Marvel superheroes of their choosing in a shared reality. These have taken on many forms here on the Guild, be it the Absolute Comics games, One Universe: World Of Heroes, Ultimate One Universe, and other variations on the theme.
Well, despite our own best attempts to kill the concept for good, it's back in another form. But we're doing things a bit differently this time. Gone are the days when massive bits of player-crafted lore and cosmic-level events were the driving force. We aren't going to attempt to hide entire swaths of supervillains and rogues galleries behind certain player characters, either. Infact, we're not even going to set a rank and file of pre-established heroes. Because in this version of events, it's week one. An Emergence, if you will.
The Justice League. The Avengers. The Teen Titans. The X-Men. Doom Patrol. Thunderbolts.
Legends in our reality, but just barely legends-in-the-making in the game's.
The Premise
Following events that mirror world history from the dawn of time until the year 2023, the idea of active superhumans and costumed heroes was but fiction. While mutations began to manifest in the early 60s, their power levels were believed to be so minuscule and non-lethal that regulations were quickly implemented to legalize and protect their existence. The World Health Organization even developed mandatory inhibitors to limit mutants to that of a cosmetic fad that fell out of style in the early 90s. By the late 2010s, things had settled to the point that everyone widely accepted such things as metahuman powers and alien beings didn't exist.
Until, just barely a week ago, a group of onlookers in the city of Metropolis were forced to look up in the sky.
Until days after, when a group of would-be thieves in New York were found to be webbed to the side of a building.
Until just yesterday, when a woman in the Middle East appeared amid military conflict and deflected bullets off of metal bracelets.
Until hours ago, when violent criminals in Gotham City swore that they came into contact with an eight-foot creature of the night.
Until now, when the skies above Earth seem to be teeming with thunder and lightning so powerful that it could only be the work of a God.
There's an emergence coming. Humanity and the world will never be the same.
The question is, what happens next?
Rules are simple. Pick a hero from either one of the big two comic companies and only those two. Start them out on the first week of the job. Whatever happens next is your call, but in a world of brand new heroes - and, likely, villains waiting in the wings to oppose them - the winning strategy is to interact and team-up against threats that would range from the minor costumed creep to escalating levels of city-wide destruction.
But in a world that had previously thrived without the existence of powers and abilities such as yours, your character's not going to be hailed as a hero... not until they've earned it. And that will be a long process, no matter if you're a street tough like Night Thrasher or the newest recruit of The Green Lantern Corps. You're new to this, so don't get cocky and assume that people are going to worship you from the get-go. They're more likely to see you as a threat to the world at large.
You get dibs on your supporting cast and one archenemy. The rest will be free to roam and appear anywhere, in any player's stories, for at least a first-time encounter. So if you're playing Daredevil and thinking that the Parasite can only face off against Superman, you're playing the game wrong. And rather dangerously, given that he could probably absorb the radar senses right out of you.
Other than that? Just have fun with it. Get creative with your character's set-up and familiar trappings, with full permission to change long-running superheroes to fit your vision, as long as the core of that hero remains.
Though as a last thing worth mentioning, keep in mind of some logistics. Don't have The Reverse Flash or Venom show up without a Flash or Spider-Man to face off with them first, when their entire character leans on that pre-existence. Not unless you're prepared to do extensive alterations. And really try to avoid attempting sidekicks that rely on a primary hero. This is week one, for Odin's sake, we're not there yet...
Hang out, make love (keep it PG-13), fight, whatever. The name of the game is working together. Craft this world yourselves with as much help from your fellow players as needed.
1x Laugh
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