[OOC] Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

[Enarr]

<Snipped quote by Lord Wraith>

@Hound55

I don't understand what I did? Outside of my post-high casual writing style.

[Hound55]

I'm prone to getting defensive over Moon Knight.

It's not you, it's me.

*Glares*

[Hillan]

He's already promised to call Dracula a big fuckin' Nerd.

It'll be fine.

[Retired]

Really shitty post up. Rushed and not as detailed as it should have been. But, I was nearing the deadline and I'm gonna go ahead and blame the fever I've got. _{Even though I could have gotten this done days before I ever got sick if I wasn't a slacker.}

[Lord Wraith]

take 2

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

O R A C L E

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^{_{B A R B A R A G O R D O N ♦ G C P D S E N I O R E V I D E N C E T E C H N I C I A N ♦ G O T H A M C I T Y ♦ G C P D}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

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^{"I promise loyalty. I promise secrecy. And I promise courage."}

Barbara grew up in a family that believed in justice above all. Her grandfather, Jim Gordon, was Police Commissioner back in the 70s. Her father, Jim Gordon Jr., served in the Marine Corps. Then later as a Lawyer after he retired from the service. Her mother left shortly after Barbara was born.

Barbara didn't see her father much growing up. But she was told stories of the two Jims in her life. It formed her young mind and she dreamed of serving either in the military or on a police force. When she was ten her father left the military and moved home. Barbara got her first sighting of the urban myth, Batman, when she was nearly eleven. Her dreams morphed into her flying through the sky and fighting crime.

When Babs was twelve Batman vanished and so did her dreams. Her father had been driving them downtown when a drunk hit them head on. Her father had a few broken bones and a minor head injury. Barbara ended up with a spinal fracture. It turned into paralysis as a bystander pulled the young girl from the wreck.

Life changed forever Barbara adapted quickly to her new life in the manner only children can. She still enjoyed sports but she also now found joy in books. She grows up exceptionally smart. She spends lots of time learning the ins and outs of computers. She even spends time on less then savory forums learning hacking techniques in her more rebellious teenaged years.

Barbara graduates college valedictorian at the age of 23 and joins the GCPD as a Evidence Technician. When she was in her early thirties she began to hear new rumors of a Bat in the night. Now at thirty six she heads her department and keeps her eyes and ears open.

C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:

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I want to play a Barbara who is older and more sure of herself. She's made her way in this world. However she wants to do more and I want to see her leave her place of safety and push herself. Up until this point Barbara never really put herself out there. This will see her join a world she knows nothing about. There's no fall back no support. Yet she does it anyway.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

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This version of Barbara has nothing to do with Jim Gordon Sr. (Apart from the fact she is his granddaughter) or the original Batman. She's also had no direct contact with the new Batman. However it's possible she had contact without her knowing. Jim Gordon Jr. is not and I have no plans for him to be a serial killer and or any other sort of criminal.

Commissioners of GCPD over the years:
1940s Atkins (At least 2 terms)
19??-1968 Alexander McKeever (? terms)
1968-1984 Jim Gordon (4 terms)
1984-1986 Jason Bard (<1 term)
1986-1990 Jim Gordon (1 term)
1990-1994 Ellen Yindel (1 term)
1994-2010 Allen Tolliver (4 terms)
2010-2018 Peter Pauling (2 terms)
2018-Current Maggie Sawyer (1st term)

S A M P L E P O S T:

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_{Location: Gotham City - GCPD Evidence Lab}

Issue #0

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Being the head of the GCPD Evidence Labs was quite honestly both the best thing that had ever happens to Barbara and the worst. It was the best because she was doing something she loves. She worked with technology and she served her community. It was the worst because the GCPD was seriously understaffed, underpaid, overworked and corruption was rampant. Evidence went missing, evidence was contaminated and false evidence sometimes appeared. And no matter how hard she tried Barbara couldn't stop it. Not even with increased security in the lab wing.

Barbara sighed as she wheeled herself up to the side door of the GCPD. Dour thoughts for this early in the morning. Putting a smile on her face she lifted her badge and swiped. There was a pause then a beep. She tapped the automatic door opener and wheeled into the GCPD.

Off to the left was the bullpen. Even this time of day officers were awake and working. She could hear sobbing coming faintly from one of the cubicles the officers complained that they lived in. A small knot twisted in her stomach, her breakfast sitting heavily. Barbara forced a smile as some of the officers looked up from their work and greeted her.

"Hey Babs." Rebecca Mulcahey waved from her desk. "Making of a nice day." She tilted her head towards the sound of crying.

Barbara felt her smile slip a little as she involuntarily looked back over. She could see the back of a woman's head. Officer Hartley was standing over her. His partner, Officer Azeveda, wasn't readily visible.

The head Evidence Technician turned back to Rebecca. If major crimes was on the case the woman had a real reason to cry. Barbara could only hope it was a case that could have a happy ending. "Another day in Gotham." Morbid humour. But sometimes if you don't laugh you cry.

Rebecca smiled back wider. "Here here." The Irish-American woman lifted her cup of coffee and drank.

Barbara inclined her head before she continued on her normal route to the main lab. The sound of her wheels loud on the old, cracked linoleum floor. If she hadn't made this trek so many times over the years she might have been self conscious about the noise. Now she didn't even notice it.

There was another set of doors to scan into in the back of the bullpen. Inn the seventies they had walled off this wing to create the labs. Now there was a secure door barring entrance. Barbara swiped her badge again and pushed the automatic door opener. She wheeled through and waited on the other side as the door slowly closed.

The lab wing was eerily quiet. The overhead lights flickered into life as she wheeled down the hallway. Babs hummed to herself tunelessly as she pulled up to her office. Her keys jangled as she flipped to the correct key. The office was cool, she must have left the AC on all night. Accounting won't be happy.

Ignoring a jaw cracking yawn Barbara booted up her computer and started her day. She drifted in and out of her office. All the labs were busy with tests. Barbara made sure priority tests were being run, results were entered into the computer and the paper copies filed correctly, and generally felt like a fire fighter putting out an epic blaze with only a cup of water.

"It's gone." Greg wrung his hands as he stared at the floor. He was a tall, lanky college kid. His short brown hair could have been called artfully styled into a bed head but Babs knew better. Greg wouldn't know hair gel if it smacked him in his face. Oakley was here on an internship from Gotham University. He was extremely bright and the best thing about him was his obsession with detail.

"Gone?" Barbara repeated unamused. "Did it just grow legs and walk away?"

Greg shrunk even further into himself. Barbara winced. That was really unfairly harsh. Yes, you never left your case file unattended. Still.

"Alright." Barbara took a deep breath and centered herself. "Lets go see if we can find the case file."

Greg dared to look up just a hair and offered her a small smile. It was an improvement and Barbara made a mental note to try not to snap at the intern. She would have to talk to Zhang about him though. Zhang would make sure Greg didn't violate the chain of evidence again. The older Chinese-American woman was hard but motherly.

The door to Lab 3 opened with a hiss. Two of the technicians froze in the middle of looking under a table. Zhang and Penã looked up and when they realized it was her they both looked abashed.

"Gordon, Greg was-" Zhang started but was quickly cut off.

"No. It was my fault. I left-" Greg was too cut off.

"You see Boss it was like-" Technician Penã also spoke.

Barbara could feel a headache coming on as all three of them tired to talk over themselves and take the blame.

"Enough." Barbara said amused and kind of annoyed. "I take it you looked."

Three heads bobbed in unison. "We all did before we got you." Technician Zhang confirmed.

"Alright." Babs nodded her head. "I'm going to talk to the officer on duty and check the logs for the lab. Hopefully someone scooped up your file by mistake."

Barbara left the three to keep searching the lab as she wheeled away. It was worse then she thought. Hopefully someone did just grab the file Greg was working on by mistake but with how frazzled all the lab 3 techs looked it was unlikely. They had torn that lab nearly apart which would have taken quite a while. Coupled with the fact Greg was running a older case that was part of a string of murders that was probably mob related?

Barbara's thoughts were grim as she swipped her access badge to leave the secure lab wing. Years ago her grandfather had rising through the ranks and fought corruption in the GCPD every step of the way. The GCPD wasn't a golden child by all means. But it was much better then it used to be. The fact that this had happened shouldn't have blind sided Babs. Nor should it feel like a slight against her or her family. Yet here they were.

Barbara stopped her chair as she phone began to ring. She looked down at the caller ID.

DAD

NEXT ISSUE: Missing Pieces

P O S T C A T A L O G:

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A list linking to your IC posts as they're created. This can be used for a reference guide to your character or to summarize completed arcs and stories.

@Blue Demon

Oracle is accepted!

[Lord Wraith]

@Byrd Man - The conclusion to the Snapshot Killer arc was everything I've come to expect from you. Tight, punchy action interlaced with snappy dialogue and quick descriptions that manage to vividly paint the scene with minimal adjectives. Rereading it knowing you're continuing Gotham Noir now changes thing a bit since I can now say I'm excited to see where the characters go, but in particular, I'm interested in the journey of 'Shotgun Max'.

@Star Lord - Reading this post since I haven't read it since the sheet was originally submitted, I have to say I already find James more sympathetic than Wonder Woman. Maybe it's because he's human, maybe it's because his situation is more relatable, but I find the emotions driving this post more authentic and real. While the post itself isn't long, it does set up the classic Punisher story although through a fairly fresh perspective. I'm not familiar with either James or Cole so I expect there won't be too many retreads of Frank's story. Knowing some of what you're planning, I'm interested to see how it gets tied together and why exactly Cole was murdered.

@The Bork Lazer - An interesting tease of Black Lightning starts off this wrap-up. I'd previously been under the impression that Virgil didn't know who his real father was or what he had done. Evidently, this had been a wrong assumption on my part. Reading this post, I'm reminded that Virgil had his arm broken in the previous arc and I'm starting to believe that of all our characters, he has probably taken some of the worst beatings and injuries. More so because as far as I can infer, his abilities neither protect him from electricity nor help heal. Will be interested to see just how Black Lightning figures into Season Two and what it was that drove him from home. I imagine Virgil will find himself paying for the sins of his father.

@webboysurf - Short and sweet but full of content. First off, we're re-introduced to Tony Stark. Here, Tony is still full of arrogance and whiskey. He's been developing suits, however, having reached the Mark 7 since Season One. The big surprise of this post comes in the form of Count Vertigo. Never let anyone tell you that having your hand in two properties can be optimized because you've done so here by making a traditional Green Arrow foe serve Tony a slice of humble pie. The post naturally ends on a cliffhanger, after all, you wanted us enticed to look forward to the next one. Which I, of course, am.

@IceHeart - And Supergirl has entered Season Two. I always love posts that connect to the greater world and here we're not only reminded of what's going on with Wonder Woman but that Supergirl has grown up idolizing the legendary hero. Kara's life seems to be ever moving forward, as unstoppable as a locomotive. Now a university student, she seems to be keeping busy and hey, look at that! She has a new friend in the form of Lucy Lane. Will be interesting to see what role Lucy ultimately plays here. A tease of a villain rounds out the post, and I can't help but be a tad suspicious of the description of the Lostboys. Could there be foul play involved with this concert? Guess we'll find out next post!

@HenryJonesJr - I've always loved a good ensemble and what you've got crafted here is among the best of them. Rocket and Groot are a perfect emulation of their MCU counterparts and I honestly wouldn't have them any other way. Thor too seems to be a bit more of his MCU self although he feels balanced with the comic book iterations. Hawk is more cynical and pragmatic than any version I've seen or read but it works to have her be the only sane man above the Hasselhoff. Which leaves Quill as the reluctant heart of the team. Quill in this post gave me some real Malcolm Reynolds vibes and well, you simply can't go wrong making me think of Firefly. In fact a lot of the set up felt like I was watching an episode of Firefly. Definitely invested in the next post.

@Byrd Man - I don't know how you do it. You use so few words but there's so much to digest between them. The flashback vividly paints the type of neighbourhood that the Maddox Family lives in. We see into their world, we see the type of people they are and we see how this case is starting to unfold. A jump back into the present treats us to more of John's personality and most importantly, his love of Oreos. Much like John's slice of Oreo Pie, this post left me satisfied but hungering for more.

@Inkarnate - Mareena presents a very different change of pace from your previous character. Where Kara was taken away from her world, Mareena is fully immersed in Atlantis. Here we get a taste of Atlantian society that is decidedly Greek. Mentions of Olympians and gladiators help paint the picture. Young and headstrong, Mareena definitely is an interesting character and will be curious to see how much of her rather limited canon you lean on and how much you need to create to ensure she has a solid story to tell.

@Retired - The Titans can't seem to stay out of trouble long enough to enjoy a simple cookie. Not that Eli partakes, guess he doesn't have a Super Soldier's metabolism to keep the calories at bay. Of the four, I really find that Starfire shines in this post and Gar's comedic bit at the end was a nice touch. Can't say I'm fond of Kitty and Eli sort of just seems to be there at the moment. Either way, interested to find out exactly what's going on in the secret labs.

@Byrd Man - Lots to digest in this post. The introduction of Vicki Vale is a rather large part of this post but equally so is the expansion of Max's background. We see quite a bit of him here and now the pressure of command is sitting squarely on his shoulders. I'm thinking he's going to break, especially since it seems as though he's suffering from PTSD. Either way, another post well done.

@HenryJonesJr - More hints towards who Booster might be. They have memories of both Tony and Steve, not that either of those help eliminate too many possibilities but the mystery of her identity is definitely a driving force behind my interest. Interesting to see that Booster is clearly being manipulated. Should note here though that the use of Patrick Dugan might be problematic as he's part of @DocTachyon's supporting cast for Seven Soldiers. So the two of you might want to reach out to one another.

@Pacifista - Poor Bruce. Guy never seems to get a break and the big guy never seems to help when it would be convenient. This post is a wonderful example of the consequences that befall Bruce when the Hulk takes over. Bruce finds himself in the middle of nowhere and is forced to navigate the harsh conditions himself when Hulk could have returned him to civilization in a couple of bounds. Either way, the characterization is tight in this post. Definitely enjoying your work.

@Inkarnate - And so Atlantis has been tied into the larger plots at work. It would seem the ever-watchful Vulko realized that a certain alien had been removed from its cryogenic oceanic slumber and placed on the surface world. So did ARGUS kill Orin? I guess we'll find out soon enough. We get some more Mareena in this post but the former was definitely the meat of the post in my opinion. That said the latter half helps to solidify Mareena as a character and emphasize her characterizations. Will be interested to see what Vulko tells her and what he chooses to withhold.

[HenryJonesJr]

@HenryJonesJr - More hints towards who Booster might be. They have memories of both Tony and Steve, not that either of those help eliminate too many possibilities but the mystery of her identity is definitely a driving force behind my interest. Interesting to see that Booster is clearly being manipulated. Should note here though that the use of Patrick Dugan might be problematic as he's part of @DocTachyon's supporting cast for Seven Soldiers. So the two of you might want to reach out to one another.

@Lord Wraith

TFW you thought a CS had been withdrawn by the player, but it wasn't.

Don't drink, kids. It rots your brain.

[Lord Wraith]

Don't drink, kids. It rots your brain.

@HenryJonesJr

Now you tell me.

[mickilennial]

I like drinking!

Don't look at my most recent status.

[Hound55]

My phone blew up like the day I got married today...

[Enarr]

When I was a kid, the first Blue Beetle that I knew was Jaime Reyes. I liked him a lot because he had a really neat gimmick with the whole Scarab thing going on. But I had no idea about Ted Kord, who I now adore thoroughly. Jaime is a cool kid. But Ted was a real hero, complete with a completely self sacrificing loyalty to his friends and allies. He was uncompromising on his principles and was willing to do what was necessary to save the day even though he deserved better personally. Reading his death was the first time that a comic book made me cry. I was, like, fifteen. Man, that was a great story. Great character.

Keep on keepin' on, @Hound55.

[Lord Wraith]

W E E K L Y A N N O U N C E M E N T S:

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POST CHECK-IN:

Good morning everyone,

We've got a lot of people on the weekly check-in this week, myself included. For some of you, I realize it's a busy time of year and I won't punish you for that. If you need an extension due to starting back at school or some late family vacation, just let me know. For anyone else, just a reminder that a post is only required once every fourteen days, I do however ping anyone at the day marker just to give them a bit of a reminder. If you do, however, go twenty-one days without posting, your character will be moved to inactive and you'll be required to reapply before resuming posting. When reaccepted, you are expected to post once every week for three weeks to ensure you're committed to the RP and aren't just squatting on a character. With all that said, here are the current list of people who have gone a minimum of seven days without posting:

◼ @webboysurf with ARSENAL - Last Posted 13 Days Ago, 1 Day Remaining

◼ @Stein with BAAL - Overdue, 7 Days Until Moved to Inactive

◼ @Lord Wraith with BATMAN - Last Posted 9 Days Ago, 5 Days Remaining

◼ @Lord Wraith with CITIZEN STEEL - Overdue, 7 Days Until Moved to Inactive

◼ @Roman with CONSTANTINE - Overdue, 7 Days Until Moved to Inactive

◼ @Roman with DAREDEVIL - Overdue, 7 Days Until Moved to Inactive

◼ @Hillan with FLASH, THE - Overdue, 7 Days Until Moved to Inactive

◼ @Star Lord with PUNISHER, THE - Last Posted 8 Days Ago, 6 Days Remaining

◼ @Simple Unicycle with QUESTION, THE - Last Posted 13 Days Ago, 1 Day Remaining

◼ @DocTachyon with SOLDIERS OF VICTORY - Overdue, 7 Days Until Moved to Inactive

◼ @Master Bruce with STEVE ROGERS - Accepted 8 Days Ago, 6 Days Remaining

◼ @DocTachyon with SPIDER-MAN - Overdue, 7 Days Until Moved to Inactive

◼ @Moskau Spieluhr with VIXEN - Overdue, 7 Days Until Moved to Inactive

◼ @Star Lord with WONDER WOMAN - Last Posted 10 Days Ago, 4 Days Remaining

[Retired]

◼ @DocTachyon with SPIDER-MAN - Overdue, 7 Days Until Moved to Inactive

@Lord Wraith

My time has almost come.

[mickilennial]

[DocTachyon]

<Snipped quote by Lord Wraith>

My time has almost come.

@Retired

[Byrd Man]

<Snipped quote by Lord Wraith>

My time has almost come.

@Retired

Because we've all been waiting for your lukewarm take on Spider-Man.

[Retired]

<Snipped quote by Retired>

Because we've all been waiting for your lukewarm take on Spider-Man.

@Byrd Man

Wow. "Lukewarm." I think that's the first nice thing you've ever said to me. Thanks for the compliment!

[Hillan]

<Snipped quote by Retired>

Because we've all been waiting for your lukewarm take on Spider-Man.

@Byrd Man

I always thought "lukewarm" should be "pisscold".

[Roman]

Who even IS 'Luke'?!

[Hound55]

And where's his money, honey?