What if the hunters aren't evil by themselves, but the supers they hunt are unlucky to have powers that are considered dangerous?
These powers could pose an inherent danger to the general populace (radiation manipulation, self-detonation, disease control), threat to national security (mind reading, teleportation, invisibility) or both.
Hunters on the other hand are lucky to possess powers that are considered "safe". Perhaps in this world supers are named after hazard level colors (green, blue, yellow, orange and red, from least to most dangerous).
Now, although Marvel and DC are big on this universe, it also contains other superhero comics, which I intend to use fully.
A bit skeletony, I admit, but it will build up in time.
Name: Joe Gilmore Hero Name: Marshal Law Known Alias': Screaming Eagle (formerly), The Vet (formerly), Hero Hunter, Fascist Thug Age: 32 Powers: - Super Strength. Strong enough to lift a car over his head and throw it 20 feet. - Minor healing factor - Marshal Law doesn't feel pain, allowing him to continue longer than a normal person. Equipment: - Marshal Law has a vast array of guns with extremely large calibers. Necessary against the targets he hunts. Besides regular slugs, his guns can fire a variety of special ammo, such as smart bullets and fear gas. - Other weapons range from simple knives all the way to bazookas, depending on the situation - Hoverbike in the shape of an eagle. Room for partners and captures Appearance: Like other superhero costumes, Marshal Law's is full of symbolism. It is militaristic and dark in color, giving an impression of a hard man of authority with no mercy inside (which is true at least when it comes to supers). It has many threatening and violent slogans written in, and contains depictions of wounds, such as the red "razor slashes" on cheeks and the throat. His right arm is left exposed and wrapped in barbed wire, a mark of his guilt for previous actions in war.
Joe is a relatively good looking middle-aged man with black hair, black eyes and chiseled facial features. His boy is muscular and contains no scars, thanks to his healing factor. Known Affiliations: San Francisco Police Department, Cadmus
Quick bio's
Amanda Waller - Superior at Cadmus, she and Marshal share hatred towards superheroes Kiloton - Marshal's deputy from their SAPD days Lynn Evans - Marshal's girlfriend in his civilian life as Joe. A devoted feminist who hates superheroes, including Marshal Law
Quick bio's
Madeline Stillwell CEO of Vought-American Consolidated, a corporation that produces superheroes. Their main product is Compound V Doctor Shocc - Scientist Working for Vought American and the creator of Compound V. It was he who turned Joe into a superhero. Public Spirit - Real name Colonel Buck Caine, Public Spirit is a flying artillery-type metahuman and the living icon of superheroics. Left for space a few decades ago, but has recently returned, having barely aged thanks to time dilation. Homelander - Vought-American's successor as the superhero flagship. His powers are closer to that of Superman than Public Spirit, but the same "Flying Patriot" theme is shared by them both. Supergods - If metahumans are like living guns, then supergods are definitely nukes. These artificial superhumans are the next stage of the superhuman arms race of the world, created in secret by the Earth's governments. USA has at least two, Jerry Craven and Dajjal, and who knows what others have. Character Basis:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshal_Law_(comics) List of Reimagined traits: - Instead of South America, "the Zone" superheroes were sent to is in the Middle East, and instead of communists, the war was against terrorism. - San Francisco is still San Francisco. If the earthquake happened, it might have been caused by Lex Luthor's plan to destroy West Coast, but the damage was limited to San Francisco. - For an added crossover potential, the Shocc treatment could be replaced with Compound V produced by Vought-American (From the Boys). - In the comics the superhero group Public Spirit belonged to was called Jesus League of America, but I changed it to Ultramarine Corps. People however call it Jesus League derogatorily due to many overtly religious members of the group. Story Overview: - Joe Gilmore didn't always hate superheroes. When he was five, he felt the same magic other kids did as he saw Public Spirit on television along with all the other heroes of the Ultramarine Corps. They were announcing man's first mission to the stars to meet other aliens. Joe Didn't understand what all the fuzz was about, especially with the girls, but Public Spirit seemed to be above such things. Soon after the hero ascended to heaven, or in this case to space.
Years later Joe sought to follow Public Spirit's example by enlisting to the Screaming Eagles superhero program. Problems in the Middle East had escalated to the point that the entire area became known as the Zone. There the soldiers, having lost their ability to feel pain to the program's treatment, tried to compensate by inflicting pain on others. Joe had descended to hell. Finally, Iran released Malak-al-Maut, a glowing white humanoid that destroyed everything in its path. This was Joe's first encounter with a supergod. Many soldiers lost their lives to Malak, only for Public Spirit, back from space, to destroy it with a single shot from his electromagnetic beam. No conventional weapons would have pierced the supergod's destruction field, but as an android, it was still susceptible to EMP, which Public Spirit's rays essentially were. It was there where Joe realized that while normal people were constantly in danger, the so-called superheroes never were. His eyes were finally open. Superheroes were no gods, just propaganda tools.
In the end the Zone crisis remained a stalemate. Joe returned home to San Francisco a broken man. Then some crazy supervillain tried to destroy all of America's West Coast in some hare-brained scheme to become rich through real estate. Luckily the San Andreas Nuke's damage was limited to San Francisco. Joe survived, and met his future girlfriend Lynn Evans when the earthquake caused by the nuke broke the wall separating their apartments. But the trouble for Downtown San Francisco was only beginning. The numerous superhero veterans of the war formed into gangs and fought each other while causing trouble to the populace. Joe became the vigilante Vet, trying to keep the gangs in line. It was then that he got the attention of Cadmus and its leader, Amanda Waller, who hated superheroes with the same vigor Joe did. With training and technology, Joe Gilmore became Cadmus' top superhero hunter. Marshal Law was born.
Sample Post: - It was another typical night in Downtown, San Francisco. Marshal Law patrolled the skies over the ruins from his flying bike, observing the situations below. It would be only a matter of time before the superhero gangs would start fighting each other and he would need to interfere. The media called them supervillains, but in the Zone they were superheroes. Typical government policy. Lionize those who are useful and demonize those that aren't. But for Marshal Law they were superheroes, and they were his quarry.
A lot of people said that Marshal Law hated superheroes. It wasn't true...
Well, it was partially true...
Okay, it was true.
He hated the way they looked, what they were ordered to do, and what was done to them. But most of all he hated the fact that he was one.
Post Links: (Please regularly update your CS to include links to the posts you make in the IC, makes it easier for people to read your story in consecutive order)
I had no particular plan for anything gratuitous. Let's just say that comics about "bad superheroes" (Black Summer, Irredeemable, The Boys) tend to be on the mature side, so it was more of an FYI.
I think Marshal Law would align more towards CADMUS. I think he and Waller would have some interesting bonding experiences over their shared antipathy towards superheroes.
History of legacies is probably very interesting in here. After Superman (or whoever was the first flying brick) appeared, other flying bricks started appearing as well. I don't know how many Superman-packages are out there, but one potential number could be 84 (after the PS238 character, who is the 84:th confirmed flying brick).
Then there are of course all those vigilantes who see Batman as their inspiration.
In fact I already have at least two possible character concepts in mind. They're both pretty out there, but I can easily come up with some more grounded ones.
Marshal Law: He hunts heroes, Hasn't found any yet. The alter ego of war veteran and supersoldier Joe Gilmore, Marshal Law is a government sanctioned superhero hunter, who takes down heroes who have gone rogue, which he does with maximum force and great pleasure.
Marshal Law would fit into a story with a darker and grittier tone with +18 possibly added in, with a focus on the hidden nastier side of superheroics. Although rogue heroes are Marshal Law's main targets, he can fight supervillains as well (they're all superheroes in his eyes). Possible targets for him (which double as crossover potential) include among other things Plutonian, Kid Miracleman, the twisted franchises of Vought-American and (if you want to go to that direction) Brightburn.
Supreme: Ethan Crane has been many things, more than he can remember. He has been a son, a brother, a lover, a man, and a hero. But most importantly he has been an observer. Ethan has seen his past and his future change before his eyes, and now he awaits eagerly to see, what the next universe will offer him.
Supreme fits best a campaign that has room for metafiction. This Alan Moore's reimagining of a Superman expy could have some adventures in places where stories happen, such as the Dreaming.
@ShardA monster's fine. There is an age rule, though. I don't want characters being younger than 16. It makes things a bit ridiculous because everyone starts making super young characters.
What about older characters?
One character concept I had in mind is an old mystery man (i.e. non-superpowered hero), who worked in the early days of super-heroics and has recently come out of retirement to held quell the chaos.
How long have superheroes been in this world? Was there, for example, a mystery man tradition prior to the arrival of metahumans?
Has there been any lore made regarding the Joker and other members of the Batman's rogues gallery?
Because if not, I did have some ideas for a more Slasher-esque Joker, who takes inspiration from Stephen King's It and Cabin in the Woods, along with other horror franchises.
Another character that I had in mind was a teenager who is a politician seeking to become a presidential candidate (or a POTUS already).
Festive
Gerlando
Fetzen
Lurking Krog
Kumbaris