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

[Byrd Man]

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

THE GREEN HORNET

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^{_{BRITT REID ♦ PUBLISHER ♦ COAST CITY ♦ INDEPENDENT}}

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

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^{“I don t mind a reasonable amount of trouble.”
― Dasheill Hammett}

To the world at large, Britt Reid is the last in a long line of very wealthy men. The Reid family made their money in the silver mines of the western US in 19th century, and Brit's great grandfather parlayed that fortune into an early 20th century media empire. Papers and radio stations across the west were owned by Brentwood Reid. Claims of monopoly and selling of interests shrunk that empire over the course of the decades. By the time Britt's father Daniel was at the helm, they owned just a few media outlets across California. Mismanagement by Daniel and the evolution of news media led to the shuttering of almost all the remaining papers, radio, and TV stations.

Britt took over the business after the death of his father and now acts by day as the publisher of The Daily Sentinel, Coast City's only remaining paper. At the paper Britt had a firsthand glimpse into the problems facing Coast City. Crime, corruption, and poverty were at all time highs. The world outside of Coast City was also changing. It was becoming an era of costumed figures battling in the streets. Britt, inspired by stories of his family's past, decided to enter the fray. With his assistant Kato, Britt donned the identity of the Green Hornet. But unlike other costumed crime fighters Britt had a twist. The Green Hornet and Kato would pretend to act as criminals. Under that guise the two of them would infiltrate the criminal underworld and would "take over" rackets by putting their competition out of business.

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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Same as always. I want to tell some cool crime stories with some political undertones. GH is one of the characters that fits that mandate nicely.

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

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Cast:
Kato -- Britt's best friend and right hand man. Highly capable martial artist and mechanic. Acts as The Green Hornet's masked bodyguard and enforcer.
Lenore Case -- Editor-in-chief of the Daily Sentinel. Butts heads with Axford on the paper's mandate.
Mike Axford -- Reporter at the Daily Sentinel. Former cop who hates The Green Hornet.
Frank Scanlon -- Coast City ADA and The Green Hornet's partner in crime fighting. Knows the Hornet's criminal front is an act.
Hirohito Juuma -- Yakuza crime boss and sworn enemy of Kato.
Michael Devane -- Scion and last don of the dying de Matto Crime Family
Johnny Dollar -- Money launderer and white collar criminal extraordinaire.

S A M P L E P O S T:

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Mood Music

Pleasant Pines Trailer Park

Little Walter Perkins went through the thin wall and landed face first on the formica floor of the bathroom. He groaned and coughed up drywall dust as the strong hands found his shoulders and flipped him around. He blinked sweat and blood away and saw the masked face of his assailant.

The masked Japanese man had kicked his ass throughout the doublewide. And that was after he and his boss had tore through the rest of the Mongols MC like they were fucking tissue paper. Twelve of the baddest goddamn bikers on the West Coast, and Walter was the last man standing.

If you could call this standing.

The masked man readied his fist for another blow. But before he could, a gloved hand on his shoulder made him hesitate. He let go of Walter and stepped aside. Looming above Little Walter was the most infamous criminal in Central City.

"You're done," said the Green Hornet. "We've dismantled your meth labs, your distribution network, and now your muscle. We're taking over the gun running business, though. It's in safe hands. I suggest leaving town before the police show up."

The two masked criminals turned away. Walter felt a deep rage forming in his chest. These bastards couldn't do this to him. He would not go out like some punk bitch. He snarled and sprung to his feet, charging towards the Green Hornet with his teeth barred. Before he could even get close, the Green Hornet's bodyguard hit him with a roundhouse kick. The heel of the boot caught Little Walter flush in the chest. He felt ribs breaking as the the kick knocked him back. The air rushed out of his lungs as he flew through the wall of the trailer and landed on the ground with a hard thud.

Little Walter gasped for breath as he writhed in pain on the ground outside the trailer. The bodyguard stood over Walter and looked down at him with something akin to disgust.

"The Mongol Invasion is over," he said as he swung his boot down on Walter's face.

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

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TBA

[HenryJonesJr]

The Green Hornet is approved, obviously.

As for the rest of the roster, if people haven't checked in at the very least, I'm taking people off the roster.

[Bounce]

I demand a Green Hornet post that plays homage to the coffee porn scene from the movie. Minimum 1,200 words detailing the making of a single cup of barista quality coffee, either in a single post (wall of text style) or a series of posts. The Espresso Arc.

[Byrd Man]

I demand a Green Hornet post that plays homage to the coffee porn scene from the movie. Minimum 1,200 words detailing the making of a single cup of barista quality coffee, either in a single post (wall of text style) or a series of posts. The Espresso Arc.

@Bounce

I'll work on it.

[Master Bruce]

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

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TERRANCE 'TERRY' MCGINNIS ♦ PERSONAL ASSISTANT ♦ GOTHAM CITY, NJ ♦ WAYNE-SIONIS

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

<sub>"Somebody had to do something. And you sure weren't about to!"
- Terry McGinnis to Bruce Wayne</sub>

Obviously, this isn't a character that originated with me. @Lord Wraith did all of the heavy lifting to establish the blend of both the contemporary Batman mythos and the canon of Batman Beyond, resulting in a version where Terry can operate as Batman in a modern Gotham City that hasn't become a Blade Runner-esque futurescape. So the changes to the regular Batman canon should be apparent - my goal is basically to take the baton and run with it, seeing as I've had conversations with Wraith about the basic philosophies of what made Batman Beyond interesting (so don't expect a Riddler Beyond or similar gimmick concepts). We both seem to agree that Terry should be the focus, not Bruce.

Wraith provided me with alot of story content that he was going to do himself, but has no interest in pursuing any further, so I'm going to do what I can to blend what he had in mind with my own ideas since I like alot of what he came up with. Beyond that (no pun intended), I want to really flesh out the Gotham of the past and the Gotham of the present, since The Batman's been around since the 1960's and holds a metric slag-ton of history that influences Terry's life as the heir to the cowl.

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:

The overall crux of Batman Beyond, as I've revisited the show, is that as Terry grew into the mantle of Batman, he became further away from what Bruce Wayne was whenever he was active. The best way to describe his personality is that Terry evolved from the best parts of each Robin to create a new character, someone who saw things like justice and heroism in a more optimistic light than his predecessor while retaining the rough edges that would make someone The Dark Knight. My plan isn't to deviate from this arc, but to take it even further. Right now, Terry's operating very much in the shadow of The Bat, but I want him to eventually own the role almost independently of Bruce and set the course for his own destiny. Which I recognize is a mammoth task when Bruce Wayne has been the originator from day one of his creation, but I want to make it clear that the old Batman's days are over rather than lean on Terry being an extension of one man's legacy.

Especially since the canon of the DCAU went so far in the opposite direction that they eventually retconned Terry into Bruce's biological... well, let's not get into it. Best to ignore the mistakes of the past, right?

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

Supporting Cast - Established By Wraith

Bruce Wayne - the original Batman, Terry's mentor, who retired in 1995 after a life-altering final mission. Wayne is actually 80 years old, but appears closer 60 due to a Lazarus Pit encounter.
Ace - the loyal guard dog of Bruce Wayne, and sometimes ally to Terry as Batman in the field.
Melanie Walker - Terry's current girlfriend, formerly the villainess 'Ten' of The Royal Flush Gang.
Mary McGinnis - Terry's mother, legal guardian, and widow to Terry's father, Warren.
Matthew McGinnis - Terry's younger brother, who lives only to annoy his older brother.
Maxine 'Max' Gibson - Terry's lone confidant in his secret life, a genius level hacker.
Carrie Kelly - Max's girlfriend and one of Terry's classmates at Hamilton Hill High.
Dana Tan - Terry's longtime girlfriend, recently turned ex.
Chelsea Cunningham - Terry and Dana's more 'out there' friend, prone to attracting attention for her rebellious behavior.
Nelson Nash - Terry's rival and frequent social antagonist, arrogant and spoiled rich.
Commissioner James Gordon - Current head of the GCPD, unaffiliated with The Batman past or present.*

^{*Established by @IceHeart}

Antagonists - Established By Wraith

Roman Sionis/The Black Mask
Jervis Tetch/The Mad Hatter
Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin
Lonnie Lachin/MoneySpider
Deever And Dumfree Tweed/Tweedledee And Tweedledum
Real Name Unknown/The Tally Man
Warren White
The Mutant Gang
The Jokerz
The Sons Of Batman

Supporting Characters - Established By Me
TBD

Antagonists - Established By Me
TBD

Deceased Characters
The Joker
Catwoman/Selina Kyle
Alfred Pennyworth
Lucius Fox
The Riddler/Edward Nigma
Ra's Al Ghul, The Demon's Head
Two-Face/Harvey Dent
The Scarecrow/Jonathan Crane
Mr. Freeze/Victor Fries
Arnold Wesker/The Ventriloquist
The Phantasm/Andrea Beaumont

S A M P L E P O S T:

...The More They Stay The Same

"Nine-four-zero! I repeat, nine-four zero! Officers in need of assistance!"

The crackle of the damaged communications frequency filled Detective Samuel Bradley with a combination of determination and dread. The latter of which seemed to overtake him as he heard the vicious, child-like cackling from outside his partner's overturned squad-car. Bradley looked to his left to see the driver, Lieutenant Murakami, hanging upside down from his seat and bleeding from the temple. He was only unconscious, mercifully, but in desperate need of medical attention. Bradley unhooked his seat belt and positioned himself to fall on his back to lessen the impact, but he could feel a considerable pain in his right shoulder. A fracture, maybe, but nothing broken... yet.

"Screw it,", Sam whispered to himself, unhooking his fellow officer. "I don't know if you can hear me, Lieutenant, but try and remain still. We're in a bad spot, and we're not out of the fire yet."

The middle aged, graying Detective sneered as he heard the distinct sound of motorcycle engines racing past, circling their position. The cackling grew into high-pitched fits of laughter echoing out from the throats of a group obviously much younger than either of the two seasoned GCPD officers. Drawing his side-arm with the shoulder that hadn't taken the brunt of the car's crash, Bradley pulled his partner towards the middle of the car's hood to draw him out of the line of fire, on the off chance they were packing heat, and began kicking at his own door to loosen it.

"This isn't my first rodeo.", Bradley assured him. "And definitely not my first clowns."

As the door eventually creaked open, revealing itself to have unlatched during the crash. Bradley tried to think of the events that transpired just moments before, in a vain hope to ascertain a motive behind their attack. They were on Park Row Avenue, investigating the lead in a triple homicide. The suspect had left behind traces of his hair fibers in the midst of a victim's struggle. A man in his early 30's with a laundry list of priors, and if he wasn't the suspect, he sure as hell knew who was. As Bradley's partner turned onto 9th street, Sam had heard a faint noise - like a line being snapped, or more likely, a tripwire - before the side of their car was engulfed in a loud explosion and sent airbourne.

This wasn't the work of their perp, obviously. This was a trap set up for a distinct reason: random violence, seeing who would trip the explosives first. It was the M.O. of a group of known terrorists that Bradley had come across before, but never so directly. And as he slowly began to crawl his way out of the car, he was beginning to catch glimpses of their faces. Their smiling, greasepaint smeared faces that looked upon the scene with hungry eyes. A group of late teens to twenty-somethings who had taken up the torch of a madman from Gotham's past. Bradley could hardly hide his disgust as one of them sliced the blade of a machete into the pavement, creating sparks.

Jokerz.

"Well, well, well!", one of them jovially announced. "Looks like we caught ourselves a couple of piggies, kids! Two little piggies, escaped from the farm!"

The others laughed and began to mimick an "oink" sound as Bradley made himself visible, his side-arm's safety visibly turned off. The group of clowns, each done up in elaborate and particularly gruesome fashion, each flashed an even wider grin, evidently seeing the Detective as fresh meat ready for tenderizing.

"What do you say, dregs, should we cut him up? I say we cut him up!", a female member of the gang cooed. "I'm in the mood for some bacon. Maybe some sausages. Oooh, the possibilities!"

Bradley raised his gun, hiding any visible fear even as the group's cycles simultaneously began to slow to a stop. One of them was wielding a pair of large chains, swinging it above his head. Another, the machete clown, was outfitted to the teeth - quite literally, as he bit down on the blade of a knife fixed between his jaw - with all manner of sharp objects affixed to his spiked jacket. The woman held a spiked mallet, fashioned together from crude scraps of metal, displaying her vivid pink and blue shirt that read "Daddy's Little Monster". And flanking the other side of the Detective were a pair of wirey twins, their makeup fashioned off of the Chinese yin and yang symbols while combined with stark green tipped hair and crimson coated smiles.

"Stop where you are, freaks.", Bradley coldly commanded. "You've had your fun. Turn back now and I won't have to use this."

The chain-wielding clown chuckled, stepping off of his bike and revealing a large stature.

"On the contrary, old man. We insist."

Swinging his chains high into the air, the clown slammed the cold metal into Bradley's gut before he could pull the trigger, knocking him down and causing him to drop the fire-arm. The twins stepped infront of it, unsheathing a pair of katanas that had been retroactively graffitied with HA-HA symbols and what looked to be dried blood. Remaining on the ground, the Detective refused to give them the benefit of seeing him so much as worry. His concerns were more directed for his partner, who he could hear groaning inside the car.

"Whoopsie! Looks like the piggy lost his toy.", Machete Clown replied. "You gonna squeal for us to get it back? Huh? Are ya?"

The group erupted in laughter as Chain Clown grabbed Bradley by the lapel of his overcoat.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll find ways to make him squeal. But I want to do it slowly. Make him work for it. Shed a little of the good stuff."

The degenerate licked his lips as Machete Clown brought out an excessively large, freshly sharpened bowie knife to go with his other weapon. Bradley held his breath for a moment, seemingly trying to keep himself calm. It was only a few seconds later when this proved to be a ruse, as the Detective spat directly in the face of Chain Clown.

"Go to hell."

Machete Clown squealed in delight as Chain Clown angrily threw the Detective to him, like a game of hot potato.

"HA! Nicely done, oh, nicely done! Looks like you've got some fight in you, piggy."

Holding the bowie knife to Bradley's face, the clown's rank breath was the first thing to genuinely elicit a reaction from the Detective. Machete Clown's yellowed teeth were directly in Bradley's line of sight as he tightened his grip on the handle.

"Makes you all the more ripe for roasting."

Raising his bowie knife in the air, Machete Clown got the Detective to close his eyes, resigning himself to whatever horrible fate that the gang was waiting to give him. But as he began to fear the worst, the entire group - including Bradley - heard a distant whizzing noise. The noise grew louder as the seconds went by, before a small shadow could be seen launching directly for Machete Clown's knife. With a loud clang, the objects smashed together, creating a large enough spark to send Machete Clown stumbling backwards in surprise.

The bowie knife dropped, embedded into the pavement by something made of a much stronger metal. A red and black circular object, bladed and sporting an all-too-familiar symbol. Bradley barely got a glimpse of it before realizing just what was happening: they were getting their back-up afterall. But it wasn't GCPD.

"Oh, shit! We got..."

"Company? I'll say."

A much larger shadow descended upon them, gliding into view at a speed that none of them could comprehend. Before anyone could make sense of what was happening, the shadow slammed directly into Machete Clown and knocked him back with a force that sent him flying into a nearby shop window. The figure landed, firmly placing himself between the Detective and The Jokerz without a moment's hesitation.

"You dregs really know how to spoil someone's night, you know that?"

The tone was harsh, laced with a combination of sarcasm and malice. The Jokerz each took a step back with widened eyes as the horns of the cowl became visible, aswell as the neon red glow of the symbol adored across the figure's chest. Detective Bradley could only see him from behind, but the silhouette was very - if not painfully - familiar. It was one of the only remaining figures in Gotham that still caused creeps like The Jokerz to hesitate for even a moment.

"Slag this! I wanted a piggy! I didn't sign up to tangle with no freakin' Bat!"

The Batman smirked as another batarang appeared from his outstretched gauntlet. Most of The Jokerz looked at eachother, quizzically, to see if they were willing to take on the obviously more experienced hero. But the twins seemed unfazed, stepping forward with their katanas raised in unison. Batman narrowed his eyes, waiting for them to make the first move.

"Get out of here before you get yourself hurt."

Bradley didn't know if it was a command meant for him or The Jokerz, but he didn't want to wait around and find out. Rushing himself back to the car, the Detective rolled under the opened passenger door, choosing to let what was about to play out begin to play out for itself. Just as he slipped away from view, he could see The Twin Clowns rushing Batman on the attack.

The vigilante tossed the batarang high into the air, raising up his gauntlet to clash with the first katana that sliced towards him. The second swung on approach, but Batman managed to duck, landing a brutal uppercut that sent the second Twin into the air and colliding with his own bike. The Jokerz fixated their gaze on the scene as the first Twin suffered a series of roundhouse kicks that caused his katana arm to raise above his head, setting it up for the batarang that had been tossed as it circled back around, embedding it into the clown's wrist.

With a spinning kick, Batman nailed Twin Clown directly across the face and sent him spiraling to the ground, opening himself up to attack from the other Jokerz. Which they quickly decided they were going to attempt, despite the odds. Chain Clown was the first to attack, having pulled himself from the broken glass of the shop window with a thirst for revenge. Throwing his chain directly towards Batman, he was surprised to see The Dark Knight deliberately allow his arm to be ensnared by the weapon. What was even more surprising was that no sooner than when Batman took a step forward, he was airborne, propelled by rockets beneath his boots. The chain connected to Batman's forearm snapped taut and clotheslined Chain Clown hard in the throat, causing him to drop immediately.

Batman landed ontop of him, sending a direct stomp onto his skull to keep him momentarily incapacitated. Machete Clown and Mallet Clown looked at eachother in fright as The Dark Knight faintly smiled back at them, sardonically using a come hither motion.

"You know, I have a history with dispatching clowns. You might even call it a hobby."

Machete Clown rushed forward, slicing at Batman like a wild animal. The vigilante sidestepped and leaped over each attack, somersaulting over Machete Clown and grabbing him by the shoulders, flipping him onto his back. Landing directly infront of Mallet Clown, who made no attempt to flee, Batman caught the spiked mallet with his palm, displaying the strength of the servos wired into his suit.

"So why the hell that you twips would ever, and I mean ever want to get into this line of work is beyond me."

Ripping the mallet from the clown's grasp, Batman tossed it and caught an attempted punch, spinning the woman around and forcing her into an armlock.

"It's like almost like you want this."

"Funny. We could almost say the same about you."

Before The Dark Knight could react, one of the Twin Clowns smacked him on the spine with an electric buzzer, sending hundreds if not thousands of volts of electricity coursing through Batman's system. Calling out in pain, Batman dropped to one knee and was forced to let the Mallet Clown go, who promptly ran for her tossed weapon. Picking himself up, slightly dazed, Batman found himself taking a katana hit across the chest, severing part of the Batsuit's outer layer to reveal a glimpse of circuitry beneath.

"I mean, you think you're what, a savior? A protector of these lousy sacks of meat?"

Going in for another slice, Twin Clown watched as Batman wasted no time in meeting his attack with a direct right hook. Then a left, then another right, before leaping into the air and drop kicking him far enough away to cause some considerable damage. Batman sneered, running his hand along the damage to his suit.

"Something like that."

As Mallet Clown approached from behind, quietly raising her weapon high into the air, Batman, without even looking, reached back and shot a minature taser directly into the woman's chest, causing her to spasm before dropping to the pavement aswell, with steam rising off the mallet.

Machete Clown and Chain Clown were down for the count, as were the first Twin and Mallet Clown. All that remained was the slightly out-of-it second Twin, whom Batman spotted trying to lurch towards his bike. Outstretching his arms, allowing crimson bat-like wings to unfold and fall to his sides, Batman rocketed into the air and slammed both knees into the clown's back, causing him to fly into a nearby garbage bin.

Detective Bradley kicked the passenger door back open, his partner slung over his shoulder, and watched as Batman landed amongst a slew of unconscious bodies. Reaching into the unconscious Lieutenant's holster, Bradley drew his weapon and aimed it directly at the viglante.

"GCPD! Freeze!"

Batman turned, slightly surprised as Bradley sternly eyed him.

"You're wanted for questioning, Bat. Get down on your knees and put your hands behind your head."

Motioning to the unconscious clowns, Batman seemed more annoyed at the threat than anything.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Do I look like I'm playing games?!", Bradley countered. "Wearing that mask and beating the hell out of perps doesn't make you any less of a criminal than they are!"

Batman sneered. "Right."

Before Bradley could fire a warning shot, Batman outstretched his wings once again and launched himself back into the Gotham night air. Just before he disappeared out of view, Bradley could hear the vigilante call to him from the skies with one last retort.

"You're welcome, by the way."

Frustrated, the Detective lowered his weapon, knowing that it wouldn't do any good to try and open fire. The kid was already gone, anyway. Placing the gun back into his own holster as he gently lowered his partner onto the street, Bradley's eyes remained fixated on the sky. The Batman had entirely vanished from view. He could hear sirens in the distance, signaling that back-up had finally arrived - about ten minutes late, all things considered.

The Detective sighed to himself.

Unfortunately for him, it was beginning to feel like old times.

"The more things change..."

[Bounce]

@Master Bruce

I have to object to the use of a deceased Jason Todd as Robin II. I'm currently writing the Absolute version of Jason Todd as Toyboy's alter ego for Robin II, as clearly detailed in the sheet for Dick and Toyboy. Jason Todd is not mentioned in Wraith's sheet and it was never been established in the IC that there was any Robin after Dick Grayson, and to do so now and decide that it's Jason Todd after a version of Jason has been introduced into the IC is a problem for me.

[Master Bruce]

@Bounce

Apologies. My mistake, I legitimately misremembered Toyboy using Tim Drake as an alias instead of Jason. Probably due to me thinking of the visual reference rather than the sheet. Fixing that now.

[HenryJonesJr]

Batman is obviously accepted

[Master Bruce]

Batman is obviously accepted

@HenryJonesJr

I would think so. You're the one who encouraged me to apply.

[HenryJonesJr]

<Snipped quote by HenryJonesJr>

I would think so. You're the one who encouraged me to apply.

@Master Bruce

#Collusion

[mickilennial]

Hope to have Marina back to snuff again, but I know where my consistency is. I just have to find the fire I have for the character again.

[Hound55]

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

T H E F A N T A S T I C F O U R

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

^{R E E D R I C H A R D S / S U E S T O R M / B E N G R I M M / J O H N N Y S T O R M
♦ S C I E N T I S T S / E X P L O R E R S / C O S M I C N A V I G A T O R S
♦ B A X T E R B U I L D I N G , F O U R F R E E D O M S P L A Z A , M A N H A T T A N
♦ F A N T A S T I C F O U R / S T O R M – R I C H A R D S S C I E N T I F I C S O C I E T Y}

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

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“You may tell your boss that we're tremendously honored by his gracious gesture-- but we're not yet done exploring. What gives this family its purpose and its joy isn't the destination... it's the journey.” – Reed Richards

“ You have these doubts...Constant and unrelenting. Some large and some so very small. Am I being too strict? Am I too lenient? Do I praise too often or not enough...Being a parent, having children...it's a constant war between uncertainty and hope. So you live in fear...and there are these doubts... Science is much the same. The child of the mind. Left untempered it can do the unconscionable. But if you try to hold it and keep it safe, you deny it’s true potential. Love, life… it’s all a balance.” – Sue Storm

“Sure, around this family I might be like the dumb kid in science class… But maybe I’m too dumb to know when to quit as well. FLAME ON!” – Johnny Storm

“Yer know what? Mebbe if you connect the whozzits to the whatsit over there, then run a conduit through to power the weapon… Yer know what, forgeddaboudit Stretch, I’m gonna just play to my strengths… IT’S CLOBBERIN’ TIME!” – Ben Grimm, Sensitive Yancy Street Citizen

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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:

Latching onto the First Family to tell some BIG universe expanding stories, organically open up some crisis/event level threats, and tell some (hopefully interesting) cosmic/global level sci-fi family stories and character work.

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

Some years ago the exploratory space mission crew which which gave birth to the group who would go on to be called 'The Fantastic Four' disappeared, presumed dead. The world grieved, Latverian based financial backers lost money and face (and many suspect the failed mission was to blame for the recent political turmoil in that Nation since) and humanity started to turn away from the stars...

But now they're back! A wormhole generated by lead scientist Reed Richards brought home these wandering heroes... And now they have kids!

But their return raises many more questions... what cosmic force changed these four heroes so dramatically? Reed Richards is now capable of amazing feat of strange elasticity, Susan Storm is now able to tap into some kind of power allowing her to create force fields and make herself invisible, pilot Benjamin Grimm has now become some form of rock-based monster and Johnny Storm is now fully combustable, able to generate high levels of heat and flame. And what of the children? Does some hidden power or force lie dormant within these doe-eyed kids? Reed Richards left this world as one of this world's smartest people, but since his return his intelligence has increased exponentially beyond what it was and he has become more distant from his fellow man. What has he learned in his time away? And why does it seem like his daughter Valeria has developed similar traits despite her so incredibly young age? Could this be why Sue Storm has taken on more of a leadership role since their return?

And most important of all... Are these really the same people who disappeared all those years ago?

Character and Equipment:

Characters

Characters

Reed Richards – Already one of the smartest people on Earth prior to the mission, Reed Richards’ intelligence has seemingly increased exponentially since he left the Earth, however he has also become more distant from people in the process. When the mission met with disaster he was torn between reaching for Sue in a futile effort to hold her close and keep her safe, and reaching for controls in a desperate effort to keep the whole group safe. The curious cosmic radiation which bathed the whole crew after being processed by the damaged gamma converter left the scientist who had a habit to reach well beyond his grasp provided him the means to reach far further than he would have ever thought possible.

But was that the incident that changed his intellect? Was that why he seems to have turned his ever expanding reach away from his humanity? Or was it something else?

Sue Storm – Doctor Susan Storm was a brilliantly rounded scientist in her own right, but with noticeable changes in her husband’s mentality regarding science, she has stepped into a broader leadership role, providing the conscience for the group and big picture direction. The mission’s disaster saw her fearfully seeking escape from the creeping wave of strange cosmic radiation that seemed to be seeking her out, screaming for something, anything to hold it back. Now Sue has some inner power that allows her to generate force fields and render herself invisible.

Are these changes to her husband’s demeanour really responsible for her move to leadership? Does she have other designs for these powerful people? And what secrets has she been keeping about their adventures away from Earth?

Ben Grimm – Pilot Benjamin Grimm, Yancy Street tough kid made good. Long time friend of Reed Richards has tended to keep his public appearances extremely limited since the group returned. Despite experiencing the most drastic outward changes, he seems the most grounded and unchanged psychologically by the experience, albeit not escaping completely unharmed. As disaster befell the crew, Ben stood firm, unflinchingly clinging to the controls to guide them all through the Negative Zone aperture. The altered cosmic radiation altered his body’s composition, greatly increasing its density and strength. Making him as sturdy as a stone, just as he had been on that day.

Just how deep does the monster go? What else does he have to hide to make him shun the public so?

Johnny Storm – Immature, brash, hot-headed, but intensely loyal to those closest to him, Johnny Storm’s personality helped attract interest in the mission. It also kept Susan’s troubled brother close where she could keep an eye on him, as she’d been the voice of reason in their family since the brother and sister lost their parents. It also didn’t hurt that he was the fiance of Valeria, the sister of Latverian financier, scientist and Head of Ground Control Victor Von Doom. As the crew met that fateful day, Johnny ‘sacrificed’ himself for her, stuffing her in a radiation shielded airlock as the wave of radiation swept through the ship. Unfortunately, that altered cosmic radiation was the only thing which allowed the four other crew members to survive the extreme circumstances of that day. As the ship burst into flames as the nuclear core melted down, Johnny was forced to watch the woman he loved burn before his eyes as his frustration, outrage at an unjust world, saw him become one with the flames.

What really happened to Valeria Von Doom? Did she really die on that day? Was there other foul play at hand which saw her become the only casualty?

Franklin Richards – The older child of the two new additions to the group which left for that ill-fated mission, Franklin Richards was named presumably after Susan and Johnny Storm’s deceased father. A well-adjusted, fun loving kid who seems to be all about TV, comics, and adventure, Franklin seems unaffected by his family’s journey throughout the unknown.

Is all really as it seems with the ‘Normal’ Richards child? How normal could he really be coming from such a strange family?

Valeria Richards – The younger Richards child was named after the ill-fated crew member who reportedly died on the day of the mission’s mishap Valeria Von Doom. She seems to have shared in her father’s recent detachment from humanity, but also has a wisdom well beyond her years. Possibly even beyond her father’s. Valeria loves her family, but treats human society mainly as a curiosity. A curiosity she has rapidly picked up and absorbed, but still.

What’s the deal with the ‘creepy’ kid? Five year olds are not supposed to have a better vocabulary than most adults, why does it seem like she’s studying us?

S A M P L E P O S T:

Then...

The booming voice of the man who would be DOOM.

“Ten... Nine... Eight…”

Victor’s sharp eyes made another final sweep across the whole control panel. They had cleared every check and test. But what man could leave the fate of so much to another’s vision? A lesser mind’s decision? To do such a thing, one might as well leave such a thing to the winds of chance.

“Seven…”

Ben Grimm flexes his fingers for one last time as he prepares to white-knuckle it, and grips the controls in sure, steadfast hands. He wouldn’t want the responsibility anywhere else. Ol’ blue eyed Benji has their lives and his in his hands, knows exactly what it means, and the whole damn universe couldn’t pry him off his duty. So just let ‘er try.

“Six…“

Reed and Sue lock eyes lovingly. After these years the married couple share the mutual knowledge that whatever comes next, whatever they now face, they have the strength for what comes. Together.

“Five…”

The young lovers hands embrace. Even through the suits, Johnny Storm could swear he could feel Valeria Von Doom’s warmth radiating through, as in all things.

---

Five Hours Ago…

Children playing in the sparse green fields of Central Park. A tour group rides by on bicycles. College students with books spread open come to grips with their course load whilst talking about the day to day frivolities.

All interrupted by rolling thunder. A space between places opened by an explosive cacophony of sound. Feet touched down on Earth’s soil which hadn’t known it for well over a decade, as well as three who had never known it as home. The tall bug said something in Sue Storm’s ear. She looked concerned, and replied, as people raced towards them. But none could hear over the sound of the cosmic gateway. The bug confirmed, and Sue swept her hair back, deep in thought over the meaning of what she had just been told.

People were racing towards the five strange humans, their robot and one strange rock monster. The bug gave a final wave, walked between the humans and their means of arrival. Shielding itself from the sight of other people and used a small box to open a similar portal to return, presumably, from wherever they came.

The blonde haired youth looked at his craggly compatriot and noticed no change in his appearance.

“Hey? Looks like our powers are still kicking in here too.” He said, flicking a finger off of his compatriot's rocky shoulder and setting his finger aflame.

People ran to the group on the grass, but then kept their distance. Standing in stunned silence, the crowd was seemingly scared of the strange man with the stony flesh.

“So…” Ben said, breaking the awkward silence. “Whaddid we miss?”

---

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

[HenryJonesJr]

Im sorry, was away this weekend and am a bit behind on writing. F4 are obviously approved

[mickilennial]

So, I have no energy for Aquawoman so I gotta figure something else out. Not sure what to do, but if things go well you'll see it before Christmas.

[Enarr]

I'm gonna touch the butt

[Bork Lazer]

So, I’m gonna put a shock in your system.

@Lord Wraith @HenryJonesJr @Hound55

I am officially withdrawing from my post as Static. This was not a rash decision. I’ve hit a point in my life right now where I’m glutted with superhero fiction and I just need a break from this type of RP posting. I’ve hit a massive writer’s block in terms of how I want to continue the character of Virgil and due to extenuating circumstances such as limited time, Absolute is becoming more of an obligation to me rather than a place where I enjoy writing. As of right now, the position to claim Dakota City and all characters mentioned are now in @Moskau Spieluhr hands.

I’d like to thank all GMs for allowing me the opportunity to rediscover and put my spin on the character of Static. As for every other roleplayer in Absolute, I wish them all the best luck in their future endeavours.

I may return to Absolute Comics or one of its other iterations again in the future, but for now,

Goodbye, Static. It’s been fun.

[DocTachyon]

With Spider-Man back on the scene after an unfortunately long hiatus, I'd like to note that given the content of this post, pretty much anyone is free to dispense teams of 'Enforcers' against their respective heroes if they'd like. Cheers!

[Hillan]

What's the plan for the remaining of the Season? I'm thinking of coming back with a different character as I still don't have any tangible ideas for Thawne. It'd be nice to know if I should hold off for next season.

[webboysurf]

So... I really hate to jump on this bandwagon after fighting to stay in for so long... but I need a break. It's not from Absolute specifically, but really the superhero genre as a whole. I've been writing in this genre almost religiously (with some breaks and drops here and there due to an overabundance of time commitments) ever since I joined the Guild, and I'm just tapped out. Hell, my first chat and forum based RPing has been in the superhero genre and that was years ago. It has reached the point where I spend my days and weeks coming up with plotlines for Roy and the outlaws to the point where I think my obsession with the characters has me drained and paralyzed when it comes to actually writing. I have literally written multiple diverging chapters that I can't decide between, and I have about three seasons worth of material planned and marginally outlined. The fun is just gone now.

To put it shortly, I need to step out for a bit. I don't want to hold things up anymore, and I want to enjoy what I'm writing when I ultimately return.

Because let's be honest, I will absolute-ly be back.

[Admiral Moskau]

Before the new year kicks in, I would like to state for the record that I am withdrawing from this RP. It's been a lovely ride but I've just run out of creative fuel for superhero stories. I am particularly grateful for this RP and all of you all as this was my first RP on this forum and posting here helped me get to know a collection of truly wonderful RPers.

There were some really amazing characters and great posts that kept my interest along the way.

With my departure (following Bork) Dakota City is up for grabs, for anyone courageous enough to step off the more established parts of the map. If you have any questions on what I had planned with Bork, don't hesitate to contact me via PM or via Discord.

So thanks again, have a wonderful new year, and I'm sure I'll see you all around at some point!

All the Best,
Moskau