Age of Marvels - A Marvel Comics Roleplay

[Bounce]

<Snipped quote by Bounce>

<Snipped quote by Sep>

You guys are really pulling deep for these singular 'I' words. I expect the next potential player to respond with "indubitably."

@Retired

I

@Mao Mao

Inconceivably intrigued

@BangoSkank

Indubitably, my good Roleplayers. I put forth a new rule: All posts and replies must, henceforth, start with the letter "i".

[Byrd Man]

Irked

[Retired]

Let's irk @Byrd Man some more with the following historical revisionism:

Approximate timeline of important lore events

T I M E L I N E

• 1918 - American scientists discover the presence of the mutant gene within some individuals. This information is classified. Research into the gene begins, eventually becoming Project: Rebirth over the decades.

• 1941 - Dr. Berthold Sternberg reaches a breakthrough resulting in the Infinity Formula. This formula is administered to an elite Army Rangers unit, led by Sgt. Nick Fury and Cpl. Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan. Dubbed the Howling Commandos, these Army Rangers were the first known super soldiers.

• 1942 - German defector Dr. Abraham Erskine completes his own research into Project: Rebirth resulting in the Super-Soldier Serum, a more completed formula, before his subsequent murder. Steve Rogers becomes the first test subject for the serum and joins the war efforts as Captain America.

• 1945 - Captain America is declared KIA.

• 1947 - The Roswell incident is humanity's first known interaction with extraterrestrial life in modern history as a Kree drone crashlands and self-destructs in the desert. Almost none of the wreck is salvageable.

• 1949 - The Strategic Homeland Intelligence, Enforcement and Logistics Division is founded in the early years of the Cold War. Col. Nick Fury is given command of the spy agency.

• 1950s - Attempts to replicate the successes of Project: Rebirth by the CIA and American military lead to the forcible recruitment of 300 black soldiers as test subjects.

• 1962 - A whistleblower outed Project: Rebirth's increasingly immoral and illegal experimentations resulting in 10 months of Congressional inquiries and the termination of the program.

• 1963 - The knowledge of the mutant gene is released to the general public. This leads to hysteria and civil unrest that spans years.

• 1973 - Project MK-Ultra ends its illegal human testing. In its stead, John Sublime begins his illegal mutant experimentations as a new clandestine program; Weapon: Plus.

• 1980s - Renewed efforts for mutant civil rights lead to mass protests. The Brotherhood of Mutants forms, initially as a political activist group, and quickly transitions into a violent revolutionary group preaching about mutant power and superiority. Likewise, the Purifiers, a violent anti-mutant hate group begins committing acts of domestic terrorism against mutant civilians. The conflict between the two lasts the whole decade until both organizations' leaderships are arrested by the FBI and disbanded.

• 1989 - SHIELD is mothballed as President Reagan's final act in office.

• 2010 - Sixteen cities across the Earth are assaulted by an alien invasionary force. The Chitauri, led by their queen, cause widespread, unprecedented damage and terror in a war lasting 44 hours. This incursion is ended largely due to the efforts of mutants across the world, and a ragtag strike team of enhanced individuals attacking the queen's mothership over the United Nations building in New York City.
  
  • The acts of mutants in defense of the planet cause a massive decrease in anti-mutant sentiments and an increase in public approval ratings for pro-mutant politicians.
  • The individuals responsible for assaulting the alien mothership and defeating the Chitauri queen are recruited by the National Security Council to a new initiative meant to defend America against future attacks. These individuals become publicly known as Earth's Avengers.
  • SHIELD is resurrected to be a proactive bastion against possible threats, absorbing the Department of Homeland Security, with Dum Dum Dugan appointed director.
  • The Sentinel Program is created, led by Bolivar Trask, to create new weapons of mass destruction capable of fending off planetary invasions.
  • A superhuman arms race is heralded by private corporations and industrialists in a bid to create and sell the next super soldier. Norman Osborn declares his corporation will be the first to design a new, stable super serum.
  • Vigilantism by enhanced individuals becomes commonplace. This soon develops into the first known acts of superheroism.

• 2012 - The first helicarrier, the Triskellion, is constructed and becomes SHIELD's flagship and mobile headquarters.

2018 - Mutant terrorist Franklin Hall, AKA Gravitron, becomes the Avengers' first genuine enhanced threat.

• Anti-mutant sentiments rearise as conspiracy theories, courtesy of radicals like the Friends of Humanity, begin to spread across the internet.
• Graydon Creed, a known member of the Friends of Humanity, is elected to Congress.

• 2020 - Robert Kelly, vocal proponent of the Wideawake America Movement - a pro-human, anti-mutant movement - is elected President of the United States.

• 2022 - President Kelly announces he is backing Congressman Creed's proposed Mutant Control Act.
  
  • Bolivar Trask, a man credited with creating Earth's greatest defense in the form of the Sentinels, purchases a social media site and begins peddling conspiracies of a mutant replacement theory. This move is hailed by Congressman Creed and others of like mind.
  • A new Brotherhood of Mutants forms in the wake of resurging Neo-Purifier beliefs.

• January 2023 - Present day.

This should help tide you all until I can get an OOC up later this week, and give you a headstart on concepts that fit the world. These will be the lore events that are canon and unchangeable.

[Bounce]

Already I'm looking at the mutant sheet I've got mostly done, reading this, and regretting my life choices.

[Retired]

Already I'm looking at the mutant sheet I've got mostly done, reading this, and regretting my life choices.

@Bounce

Regretting life choices is usually standard for people who have to deal with me.

[udonoodles]

would howard stark and, by extension, stark industries, have had any presence worth noting in this timeline? i'm trying to conceptualise a spin on vision, and i was thinking of tying him back to them.

[Retired]

would howard stark and, by extension, stark industries, have had any presence worth noting in this timeline? i'm trying to conceptualise a spin on vision, and i was thinking of tying him back to them.

@udonoodles

I made sure to only canonize enough events and figures from the comics in order to flesh out the world and set up future events. I chose not to include more than was necessary so that prospective players have a lot of freedom in their concepts. So, as long as yours fits within the mold of the timeline presented and the general setting, you should be fine to spin as you desire. All concepts that stay within timeline and lore boundaries will be equally considered.

You're free to tie the Starks into historical events. When players are accepted, their character concepts become canon and major events from their background will be included in the timeline (under a different color to denote GM canon versus player canon, as the latter is subject to change with drops). Stark Industries could easily be designing a Vision as part of the current superhuman arms race, if that's what you were wanting.

[Bounce]

For those who may be working on X-Men plans, this is the concept I'm going to be using barring that it should prove irreconcilable with whatever other mutant POVs we see.

[Sep]

<Snipped quote by Bounce>

<Snipped quote by Sep>

You guys are really pulling deep for these singular 'I' words. I expect the next potential player to respond with "indubitably."

@Retired

Naturally

[Master Bruce]

[mickilennial]

My short list of ideas are being trimmed down so I should be able to have something by the time we have a thread proper.

[Retired]

Glad to see so much interest. I'll begin the first steps of putting a thread together after work today, but I wouldn't expect the OOC to be up until Thursday.

Also, I realize at this point there are people actively creating character sheets, so I should say this now to avoid wasting the time of some of you. I'm going to be playing Spider-Man. I debated allowing competing apps against me with an impartial third party judge, but I plan to use Spidey's story to set much of the narrative scene in NYC so ultimately I decided on just taking the character. That being said, aside from other direct Spider-powered people which is a no-go, the Peter I'm going with doesn't present any conflicts should someone want to app as someone Spider-adjacent.

Apologies to those who may have already begun brainstorming Parker plans.

[Hound55]

*Crosses out "Peter Parker"*

Helllllooooo "Parker Peters"...

[Retired]

*Crosses out "Peter Parker"*

Helllllooooo "Parker Peters"...

@Hound55

Not Spider-Ham Throg?

[Hound55]

<Snipped quote by Hound55>

Not Spider-Ham Throg?

@Retired

[Retired]

Also, for those wanting to explore the street level stories in NYC, the Maggia will feature heavily in events there. They've been the dominant criminal organization in the city for almost a century. The backdrop for NYC at the start of the RP will be the onset of a gang war between the recently weakened Maggia and other organizations.

Hopefully that helps with prospective street hero concepts. If that hinders any, let me know and we can work together to come to a compromise. Unlike the timeline events, I'm flexible with my personal Spider-Man intents.

[rocketrobie2]

Do you have a link to an old game you've run? Just want to have a close approximation CS template to whats going to be used here. No sweat if not, I'm good flying by the seat of my pants to start with and changing stuff later.

[Sep]

It's time for Bob

[Roman]

Glad to see so much interest. I'll begin the first steps of putting a thread together after work today, but I wouldn't expect the OOC to be up until Thursday.

Also, I realize at this point there are people actively creating character sheets, so I should say this now to avoid wasting the time of some of you. I'm going to be playing Spider-Man. I debated allowing competing apps against me with an impartial third party judge, but I plan to use Spidey's story to set much of the narrative scene in NYC so ultimately I decided on just taking the character. That being said, aside from other direct Spider-powered people which is a no-go, the Peter I'm going with doesn't present any conflicts should someone want to app as someone Spider-adjacent.

Apologies to those who may have already begun brainstorming Parker plans.

@Retired

quick q - what's the difference between 'direct Spider-powered people' and 'Spider-adjacent'?

[Retired]

Do you have a link to an old game you've run? Just want to have a close approximation CS template to whats going to be used here. No sweat if not, I'm good flying by the seat of my pants to start with and changing stuff later.

@rocketrobie2

Basically this

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

A L I A S

---

^{_{B I R T H N A M E ♦ O C C U P A T I O N ♦ L O C A T I O N ♦ A F F I L I A T I O N}}

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

---

^{"Witty Quote"}

This should be a summary of the character and your general outline for the concept at the start of the game. Be sure to include significant diversions from mainstream comic canon and how you've reimagined the character, as well as highlight any specific changes in origin, identity, or goals. Any insights into important story arcs and direction you'll take the character can also go here.

* As superheroism didn't exist until 12 years ago post-invasion, please tell me roughly when your character began operating as a vigilante/costumed hero.

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

---

This is a section you can use to clarify powersets, list dedicated NPCs you'll be using, place your own personal timeline for your character, or any other relevant notes you feel the GM or other players should know.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

This is an advanced roleplay, so please let your sample reflect the quality and content of your posts. Just a few paragraphs to give me a glimpse into how you plan to write the character are all that is needed, and you can choose to turn this sample into a post in the IC later. Please include at least one line of dialogue and/or an 'action' scene that'll best represent your imagined concept. This is mainly so that I can see if your writing meets the requirements for the advanced section.

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

---

This section is not necessary, but a procedural listing of your linked posts will make it much easier and more convenient for all involved.

The color scheme can be adjusted, it's just that way because of Spider-Man. But so long as your character sheet hits these items, all is well. I highly suggest you use the notes section for listing dedicated NPCs you plan to write in your arcs, if any, so as to avoid conflicts.