By most respects, the Age of Heroes began during one of Earth's darkest periods. In the days of World War II when the Allies were most desperate, a becon of hope was born. Steve Rogers became Captain America, and helped to turn the tide. Along with the Howling Commandos and the superpowered agents known as The Invaders, Rogers helped to cripple the Nazi deep science division HYDRA, and turn the tide of the war, even if he was lost in the process.
Following the war, costumed adventurers inspired by Rogers popped up in the homeland, and banded together to form the Justice Society of America. They fought corruption, crime, and saboteurs during the cold war, and were generally supported by the public at large. Though, good things were not meant to last. The good will began to fade as super powered individuals began to increase in the 60s and 70s, and along with them the rise in metahuman collateral damage. In response to "mutant" bigotry, as the humans saw the metahumans, the JSA disbanded and costumed heroes went into the shadows.
Things were quiet, with anti-mutant bigotry festering in the background, for decades. In order to track the movement and growth in the metahuman population, the United Nations formed SHIELD. Using the brightest minds in science and industry, the organization prepared for the day that metahumans would once again act out in the open.
That day came when a man with an "S" on his chest flew and caught a prototype LexCorp space shuttle out of the sky with his bare hands, saving countless innocent lives in the process. While the appearance of the so-called Superman was largely seen as a celebratory moment, some, including Lex Luthor, saw nothing but a potential threat. In response to the appearance of Superman, costumed heroes once again began to appear across the world ready to fight for good, and the public responded with approval.
But for every action, there was an equal and opposite one. As awe inspiring as the arrival of Superman was, the same could not be said for the appearance of a creature known only as The Hulk. The green goliath rampaged through a small town in New Mexico until he was driven off by a reemergent Captain America and SHIELD. The raw destructive power of the creature struck fears into the hearts of humanity, and made world governments question whether metahumans should be tolerated.
So things went, with heroes and the villains they fought appearing and clashing across the globe.
Then, the creature known as Starro rose from the sea and began to enslave the people of Earth. Before its job could be completed, however, a team of heroes that called themselves The Justice League rose to oppose it. The League stopped the creature and became beloved for it, though the joining of such powerful entities drew the eyes of power bases throughout the universe. It also drew the eyes of SHIELD, who started to put together a team of their own.
The first challenge to that new power came when the Chitauri, a hive-mind conquering race, appeared in Earth's orbit. When the Justice League moved to intercept the invaders in space, the Chitauri opened a portal above New York and launched their forces behind the superhuman team. In response, SHIELD's team, dubbed The Avengers, deployed into the city and ended up ending the Chitauri threat. The two teams stood in an awkward stance of existing in their own spaces, though clearly on course for a clash.
Now the world stood, seemingly protected by the world's mightiest and greatest heroes. But forces beyond comprehension have moved into position, and the World of Heroes will be tested as it has never been tested before.
One history. This RPG allows you to assume the role of any superhero character originating out of DC Comics or Marvel Comics, five years after the re-emergence of the superhuman phenomena caused by Superman's first appearance. How long they've been active, what they've been doing in that time, and how their personal histories align with characters from the corresponding imprint are up to the players.
One goal. Your job, as one of these costumed heroes, is to ensure the protection of Earth and the universe beyond it. While not all parties will agree on what method that will take, and indeed, some factions of superhumans will rise against one another to achieve peace, your character stands on a principle in which the world will forever change. With The Justice League and The Avengers at opposite sides of the neverending battle for justice, heroes caught in the middle of the two super-groups will be forced to either choose a side or find their own brand of justice.
One outcome. Though the clash of heroes is an inevitability, there can only be one logical conclusion to the battle that will define this part of the multiverse. What that outcome will be completely depends on player interaction, coordination, and in-character philosophies being tested against one another. Will Superman's mantra of truth, justice, and the American way sit as well with Captain America, a true-blue soldier who lived through a much different time? Can The Mighty Thor reconcile with the method in which Wonder Woman bestows Amazonian peace, in the name of Gods who clash directly with the existence of those he calls friend and foe on the plane of Asgard? Can a grizzled vigilante like The Batman ever come to trust the likes of Nick Fury or Tony Stark, knowing that they have to answer to a higher authority? And where does that leave characters like Spider-Man, The Teen Titans, The Fantastic Four, and Shazam? It's your job to find out.
Welcome to One Universe, where the fate of all that exists rests with those brave enough to use their abilities for the good of mankind... no matter what shape that singular mission takes.
Disclaimer: Characters from other imprints, such as Image and Dark Horse, will not be permitted. Nor will original characters. There are plenty of canon characters to choose from, and plenty of differing canons with those characters to put your own spin on. Similarly, villains are off-limits. With so many characters already to choose from, adding a third faction after the hero and anti-hero lines unnecessarily complicates things.
Interest List / Character Call-Outs
Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El - Master Bruce
Dick Grayson, Agent Of SHIELD - Lord Wraith
Billy Batson/Captain Marvel/Shazam - Bounce
Spider-Man/Peter Parker - AndyC, DocTachyon (?), Retired
The Mighty Thor - Sep
Batman/Bruce Wayne - DocTachyon, Roman
Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze - Hillan
Hawkeye/Clint Barton - Lord Wraith
Black Panther/T'Challa - Mao Mao
Misfits (Holly Fields/Lonnie Machin/Roshanna Chatterji/Miguel Barragan) - Mao Mao
Daredevil/Matt Murdock - Master Bruce
Wolverine/Logan - DClassified
Captain America/Steve Rogers - HenryJonesJr
Moon Knight/Marc Spector - Inkarnate
None Of Your Damn Business - Byrd Man
Wonder Woman/Diana Prince - Cybermaxx
The Outlaws (Red Hood/Arsenal) - webboysurf
Iron Man/Tony Stark - webboysurf
Cyborg/Victor Stone - Kaggs
Punisher/Frank Castle - role model
Blue Beetle/Ted Kord - Hound55
The Flash/Barry Allen - GreenGrenade
Static Shock/Virgil Hawkins - DClassified
Black Widow/Natasha Romanov - Zoey Boey
Blade/Eric Brooks - Afro Samurai
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