Eddie Brock

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

<Snipped quote by Eddie Brock>

Approved. Welcome back EBJ

@nitemare shape

Good to be back! I needed to stretch my legs, work on a new character & cast.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

Century City, California

April had never been a morning person.

As her alarm blared to alert her that 7 AM had arrived, she groaned and rolled over in her bed. Fumbling with the phone on her nightstand, she eventually found the snooze. With a heavy sigh, she blew the strands of golden blonde hair off her face and somehow summoned the strength to get out of bed. Nearly tripping over furniture on her way to the bathroom, she muttered a curse and silently swore to find a bigger apartment. On an assistant's salary, April? she chided herself. Not likely. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she shuffled forward until her bare feet touched laminate flooring.

Twenty minutes later, she emerged, freshly showered and feeling a touch more human. She tiptoed across the apartment to her closet and picked out her outfit: a coral-colored blouse with a white pencil skirt. Once her hair was mostly dry, she gathered it into a bun and stuck it with a hairstick for a style which could pass for passable. Retrieving her phone and glasses from the nightstand, she slipped into a pair of black heels and marched out the door, leaving herself more than enough time to make a stop at the coffee shop on the corner for a fresh cup and a danish.

April could've ridden the bus to work, but she actually enjoyed the walk. She had grown up in Edwards Point, a small coastal town up north where everybody knew everybody. By contrast, Century City was this incredible, living tapestry of people! It amazed her that she could walk the same way to work every morning and see new faces each time. And no matter how long she lived in the city, she didn't think she'd ever get over her amazement with the architecture; all these buildings, old and new, each with their own unique flavor, towered over her and gave the impression that the city stretched to the horizon. She longed to explore it all someday.

Eventually, the blocky Century City Chronicle headquarters rose up to meet her. April strode into the marble-covered lobby and past the front desk. "Morning, Stu!" April said cheerfully towards the building's portly, mustachioed security guard. She continued on to the elevator, pressing the button marked '15.' As the elevator hummed its way to her destination, April began to think that maybe this morning wouldn't turn out so bad. Maybe tomorrow, she'd wake up before her alarm and face the day with a smile! Maybe--

"You're late."

Mickey Holtz, chief editor and April's boss, said with a glance towards the elevator as the doors opened. His unexpected presence startled April, and she struggled to stammer a response. As usual, Mickey didn't wait around to hear it; he handed an article back to the layout editor with whom he had been speaking and began marching in the direction of his office. April quickened her pace until she fell into his wake. Finding her voice, she protested, "I am not--"

His back still turned, Mickey pointed at the clock mounted on a pillar in the center of the Chronicle bullpen. It read three minutes past 8.

April's mouth closed, and she adjusted the glasses on her nose. Clearing her throat, she adopted a deferential tone and said, "Well, I left your schedule on your desk before leaving last night. You have a content meeting at 9, there's that interview for the sports editor position at 11:30, and your mother called. Twice."

"Did you take a message?" Mickey asked.

"Yes--"

"Good. Now, tear it up," he interjected. By then, they had arrived at his office. For the office of an executive, it was exceptionally cluttered. Mickey was not a well-organized man on his best day, and he had a habit of collecting "mementos" -- which usually meant useless junk for which he held some strange emotional connection. April had, on multiple occasions, offered to tidy up and been threatened on pain of termination not to do so. It looked disorganized to the untrained eye, but Mickey knew exactly where everything was. "Before I forget, tell Oberlin I want him covering the Zenith thing tomorrow," Mickey added as he crossed the threshold.

April's ears perked up at that. Straightening, she replied, "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that." Gingerly, she followed Mickey into his office. Biting her lip, she continued, "I was thinking that maybe... I could go instead? I mean, we did talk about how I wanted to get into writing eventually, and this seems like a pretty low-stakes opportunity to try it..."

The "Zenith thing" in question was a demonstration being held at Zenith Dynamics. They were meant to be showing off some kind of experimental generator, and a limited number of press invites had been sent out. The Chronicle, by virtue of their significance and reputation, had been among the invited. Whenever Zenith did anything, it was news. They were the cutting-edge, and their advancements in science and technology had been one of the driving factors in Century City's rise over the last ten to fifteen years.

Of course, April had an ulterior motive for wanting to attend the demonstration. When she was young, her father was an experimental physicist. Zenith approached him one day and offered him a job working on some hush-hush project of theirs. Within the year, Dr. Henry Newton was dead, the victim of a mysterious "accident" for which details were scarce. April knew that Zenith was covering something up regarding her father's death; she simply never had the opportunity to figure out what. Well, getting to attend this press event might just give her the start she needed.

Unfortunately, Mickey's response was an unceremonious, "No." That was usually enough to stifle any further discussion, but April was too emotionally invested to give up that easy.

"Well, what if I just accompanied Oberlin?" she offered. It would be much harder to slip away and get some answers with a reporter in tow, but April was confident she could figure something out.

Mickey looked up from his desk, exasperated. "Is there an echo or something in here? I said no," he concluded with dramatic finality. Shuffling some papers around on his desk, he neither noticed nor cared for April's frustrated expression. Sensing her continued presence, however, he added, "If that will be all, I do have a paper to run." He glanced at her only briefly, though his look conveyed everything which needed to be said about the dismissal.

Pouting, April wandered back out into the bullpen. No sooner had she gotten to her desk outside Mickey's office when she felt someone approach. She turned to see Ronald Oberlin, the reporter in question appointed to handle the Zenith story. Oberlin gave her a polite smile and said, "Mickey mentioned that he wanted to see me about something?"

-----

"I am so going to be fired," April groaned before sinking until her forehead touched the table's wooden surface.

Across the booth from her, Daisy laughed. They sat together at McCaffrey's, their watering hole of choice. Daisy's father and April's father had been business partners, an inseparable scientific tag-team duo. Consequently, Daisy was the closest thing April had to a sister. Like Henry, Dr. Miller had also perished in the Zenith accident, so April knew that Daisy of all people would understand why she had lied to Oberlin, why she had told him that she was taking lead on the Zenith demonstration tomorrow. Daisy raised her glass, gulping down the rest of her beer. "Well, if you end up on the street, you've always got a place with me," she offered.

That did little to ease April's guilty conscience. "Let me buy the next round while I'm still gainfully employed," she groaned. Slumping out of the booth, she grabbed the two empty glasses on the table and shuffled over to the bar. McCaffrey's was sparsely populated -- one of its best selling points -- and so April saddled up to a barstool while she waited on the bartender. She buried her head in her arms and tried to make sense of her temporary insanity.

"I recognize that look," came a familiar voice. April looked up to see the bartender, Luke, approaching. She quickly brushed the hair from her face to look like less of a hot mess. Luke took the empty glasses from in front of her and walked over to the tap. As he started their refills, he cocked his head in April's direction and said, "What's weighing you down?"

"Oh, you know," she began, "Just going to get fired tomorrow. No biggie."

Luke smirked. "If it helps, I could put in a good word for you here, maybe get you a job wiping down tables," he joked. That got a laugh out of her.

"Tempting," she bandied back. By then, he had returned with fresh beers. April accepted them with a smile, though she didn't get up to go back to her booth right away. "Well, it's a safe bet you'll be seeing me tomorrow either way," she mused.

"Looking forward to it," he answered in a tone which brought a flush to her cheeks. Before she would allow him to see her reddening face, April scooped up the beers and waddled back over to the booth. Daisy, meanwhile, wore an expression not unlike the cat who caught the canary.

"Are you ever going to ask that boy out?" she challenged April.

Making a face, April tried to laugh off the suggestion. "What, Luke? No, no... he wouldn't be interested in... I mean, he's just being nice to a regular customer, that's all." Despite her attempt to sound casual, the fluttering in her chest told a different story. "Besides, all bartenders flirt. He doesn't mean anything by it."

"Honey, there's flirting, and there's flirting," Daisy insisted. She took a sip of her beer, then wiped the foam from her lip with the back of her hand. Stealing a glance in the direction of the bar, she smirked and said, "See, he's looking over here right now."

April snapped around so fast that she nearly knocked over her glass. However, Luke was neither looking at them nor even facing in their general direction.

"Gotcha."

April's face turned bright red, and she sank down low enough to hide behind the booth. "I hate you," she muttered.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

Character you have created: April Newton

Alias: Miss Megaton

Speech Color: ADFF2F | Green Yellow

Character Alignment: Hero

Identity: Secret

Character Personality: Miss Megaton is a symbol of hope, positivity, and perseverance to the people she protects. She's quick with a smile, and she always looks for the best in others. Although her responsibilities demand a lot of her, she never loses sight of "the little guy," those individuals with whom she may only have a passing interaction but for whom Miss Megaton would sacrifice anything. She's fiercely protective, so when someone threatens innocent life, she can easily turn up the intensity.

As April Newton, she is no less tenacious. Careful never to step too far out of line -- lest she shatter the girl-next-door illusion and inadvertently reveal her identity -- she nevertheless stands up for what she believes in with an unwavering determination. Utilizing the power of the press, she gives voice to those in need of one, and she fights to enact change on a scale far grander than even Miss Megaton can achieve.

Uniform/Costume:

Miss Megaton / April Newton

Fancast

Virginia Gardner

Origin Info/Details:
Tragedy struck the life of April Newton early, as her father -- Dr. Henry Newton -- perished in a mysterious accident while working for Zenith Dynamics, a mega-conglomerate with a focus on cutting-edge technology. The circumstances surrounding Henry's death were never clearly disclosed, and even young April detected something suspicious afoot. Still, it would be many years before she had the chance to do anything about it, and so life went on.

After graduating with a degree in mixed media journalism, April moved to nearby Century City and procured an internship at the Chronicle, the city's oldest and most respected institution. Parlaying this internship into a full-time executive assistant position, April worked diligently and obediently until the day that a story involving Zenith Dynamics landed on her desk. A disgruntled former employee claimed to have evidence of Zenith's dirty dealings, but the editor, April's boss, declined to move forward with the lead.

April took matters into her own hands.

Infiltrating Zenith under the guise of being a full-fledged reporter, April tried to dig up information that might give her a lead on her father's untimely demise. However, she was promptly caught snooping around and escorted back to the ongoing demonstration of a new cold fusion reactor. There, amongst Zenith's scientists and other members of the press, April's life changed forever. A catastrophic failure inside the reactor caused it to explode, and April was caught squarely in the blast. Her body was bathed in experimental radiation and irrevocably transformed.

Though April tried to go back to business as usual, it was obvious that something had changed. She felt different. Stronger. And periodically, she seemed to produce bursts of radioactive energy. After one of Zenith's lab technicians tracked her down, he deduced what had happened. April had been transformed into a living nuclear reactor, with all the subsequent strengths and dangers. The technician helped April contain her powers, and together they formulated a plan.

April wouldn't just find justice for her father, as she had originally intended. Instead, she would use these newfound powers for the betterment of Century City at large as... Miss Megaton!

Hero Type: Energy - Radiation

Power Level: World Level

Powers: When April became Miss Megaton, she was imbued with the awesome and destructive power of the atom. She is capable of spontaneously generating radioactive emissions which vary in intensity from harmless, concussive bursts to concentrated blasts capable of melting through solid steel. Her ability to manipulate these energies ranges from pinpoint precision to devastating areas of effect. Whenever she encounters a sufficiently powerful source of radiation, she has a limited ability to absorb and redirect this energy.

Moreover, Miss Megaton's exposure affected not only her ability to produce radiation but also to detect it. She is sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, granting her the ability to see in the entire visible spectrum as well as x-ray, infrared, and radio waves.

In addition, the raw power coursing through her body grants her many other gifts. She's incredibly strong and far more durable than the average human. She possesses the power of flight, and she can move at exceptional speeds. Overall, she's healthier and more resilient, and she recovers from injury at an increased rate.

Attributes (Select one at each category):

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 125 lb
Strength Level: 100+ Tons
Speed/Reaction Timing Level: 80 MPH (flying)
Endurance at MAXIMUM Effort: 3 Hours
Agility: 5x Human Level
Intelligence: Average
Fighting Skill: Untrained
Resources: Average

Weaknesses: Though she's incredibly tough, she's not indestructible. She can bruise, and she can bleed, even if it does take a superhuman effort. In spite of her strength, she's more effective at a distance, and she can easily get overwhelmed in melee by an opponent of equivalent -- or greater -- might. Additionally, when she's pushed to her limit, it can exhaust the energy that drives her powers; until it can regenerate, she's entirely human again.

On a psychological level, Miss Megaton's unflagging optimism can be turned against her. She's quick to trust, and her belief in the essential goodness of others can override her good sense when dealing with those who have proven to be unworthy of that trust. Like any good hero, her commitment to protecting the innocent can be used against her.

Supporting Characters:
Daisy Miller: April's best friend since childhood. Their fathers were business partners, so they spent a lot of time around each other growing up. After both men were conscripted by Zenith Dynamics to work on a classified project and subsequently perished in an "industrial accident," April and Daisy grew even closer in their shared grief. They've been inseparable since.

Fancast

Nathalie Emmanuel

Jefferson Boone: Lab technician at Zenith Dynamics. He was the first person to be saved by Miss Megaton, back during the accident which gave her her powers. Jeff took it upon himself to track down April and volunteer his services as her personal "superhero assistant." He helped April learn to control her powers, and he designed her costume. For which he's very proud.

Fancast

Tye Sheridan

Michael (Mickey) Holtz: Chief editor at the Chronicle, April's boss. Mickey worked his way up from the newsroom, so he's put more blood, sweat, and tears into the paper than anyone else around... and he's extremely possessive of it as a result. Though he can be overbearing and close-minded at times, he holds himself and others to the highest standard of journalism. Consequently, he cuts April very little slack.

Fancast

Enrico Colantoni

Peyton Campbell: The Chronicle's crackshot photographer with a bit of a rebellious streak. She takes an instant liking to April and aspires to bring her out of her shell. Peyton has a nose for danger, which makes her extremely good at her job but often gets her into a lot of trouble. She faces it all with a smile, much to the consternation of Mickey.

Fancast

Kate Mara

Luke Gardner: Bartender at McCaffrey's, a downtown pub frequented by April & Daisy. April's had a crush on him for a while, but she's yet to work up the courage to ask him out... despite Daisy's constant pestering.

Fancast

Amadeus Serafini

Sinclair Davis: A mysterious executive at Zenith Dynamics with ties to the deaths of Dr. Newton & Dr. Miller.

Fancast

Betty Gilpin

Do you know how to post pictures on RPG boards?: I sure hope so.

Sample Post:

Non-canon

"I feel ridiculous, you know."

Jefferson's now familiar voice crackled through April's earpiece. "Oh, come on," he began, "you've gotta admit that it's a pretty cool suit!" April wasn't ready to do anything of the sort. In fact, she felt more than a little absurd soaring twenty stories above the city in a skintight top and a skirt, to say nothing of the cape upon which Jeff had insisted. "Aerodynamics?" Yeah, right, April thought skeptically as she looped around a skyscraper, catching a glimpse of her reflection in the glass. She wasn't sold on the color scheme, either, and the radioactive symbol felt a little on-the-nose.

"Have you given any thought to your name?" Jefferson cut in again, interrupting April's thoughts. The silliness of his question prompted her to roll her eyes.

"I'm not giving myself a name," she insisted.

Jefferson protested. "You can't not give yourself a name! What are you supposed to do when the citizens say, 'Oh, thank you for saving us, Miss... ?' It's not like you can call yourself April." He wasn't wrong on that, but April was sure she'd figure something out. "Wait, that's it! What about 'Miss Megaton?'" Jefferson asked excitedly.

April actually scoffed. "I'm definitely not calling myself 'Miss Megaton.'" She could think of no better way to make herself feel like an absolute fool than by doing that. If she was going to give herself a name -- and she wasn't -- she certainly wouldn't choose something as cheesy as that. And "Miss?" Seriously? Sighing, April realized that all this worrying wouldn't amount to anything if she never got a chance to flex her muscle, anyway. She had been practicing her flying for almost half an hour now without so much as a peep below. Maybe the city didn't need a superhero after a--

As if on cue, a thunderous boom ripped through the air. April's head jerked in the direction of the sound, and her body followed. A column of smoke rose in the distance. April clenched her fists and willed herself towards it with all the speed her newfound powers would allow. Jeff buzzed in, "Police radios are blowing up right now. Apparently, there was some kind of explosion near Liberty Park." If for some reason she didn't believe him, the chorus of sirens below was all the confirmation she needed.

Coming up on the park, April gasped. "It's the hyperrail," she reported while assessing the damage to the city's cutting-edge monorail system. An entire section of the track had been destroyed, its pieces covering the street below in rubble. Movement caught April's eye, and she turned her head to look down the track. "Oh no..."

"What? What is it?"

April grit her teeth. "Train's coming."

There wasn't time to think, much less strategize. April zoomed forward, meeting the train as it sailed across the track, propelled forward at incredible speed by the magnetic rail. The impact drove her back immediately. So that's what it feels like to get hit by a train, she mused darkly. Shaking it off, she flattened her palms against the train's curved nose and summoned all her strength. At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then the sleek metal began to crumple and cave beneath her hands. She winced and pushed harder, feeling the entire weight of the eight-car train as it barreled towards certain doom.

"Oh, my God," came Jefferson's voice. April wondered how he was seeing this until she turned her head and saw a news chopper circling overhead. The pressure was on; the city -- maybe the world -- was now watching. April forced herself to block out the distractions.

The closer they came to the end of the line, the more April could feel the heat from the flames on the street below. Rather than sapping her of her strength, it invigorated her; her cells drank in the energy, storing and converting it for her own purposes. Almost imperceptibly at first, she felt the monorail slowing. Still, the broken track neared. She was running out of space. April shifted down and put her shoulder into the nose of the train. She wrapped her arms around it, the metal feeling like tissue paper in her hands. She could hear the gasping and shrieking crowd of onlookers.

The train shuddered as the first car dislodged from the broken track. April fell with it, her imminent failure burning beneath her skin, when she -- and it -- suddenly stopped. Daring to open her eyes, she found herself hovering ten feet above the street. The train rested on her shoulder, two cars dangling off the edge of the track but otherwise unharmed. A smile crept across April's face, and she heard the cheers of the assembled crowd. Invigorated, she lifted the train back onto what remained of the track, gently setting it down. She clapped the dust off her hands and gave a cheeky wink at the exasperated conductor behind the plate glass windscreen.

"All in a day's work for Miss Megaton," April breathed. She turned and took to the skies, relishing the warmth of the sunlight on her face.

"You used the name!"

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

It's true. I've been Jeffrey Wright this entire time.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

<Snipped quote by Eddie Brock>

Eddie the Watcher is accepted.

@Lord Wraith

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

I've elected to lurk around a while rather than jump right into applying. I have a few characters I'd enjoy playing -- and two CSes nearly finished up, sans sample posts -- but I don't really have any stories to tell at the moment. I'd rather be a passive observer and watch what y'all are up to, rather than jump in feet-first without a plan, eventually get stuck, and then vanish when the shame of being unable to write overtakes me.

So I guess consider this my Uatu application?

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Alright, I'm still mulling over c

It's Nature Boy isn't it?

I'll fight you to the end, my friend. Public domain be damned!

@Hound55

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

... Is it Iron Fist? I have a feeling it's Iron Fist.

@Simple Unicycle

Surprisingly? No.

... although Heroes for Hire was once on the shortlist.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

From what I saw, it was only ever an application. So continuity-wise, we'd be square, anyway. This was more a question of courtesy than anything else, really.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Alright! So, I'm honing in a few character ideas, but first I had an RPG etiquette question for the class:

One of my character choices is another player's (inactive) concept. I've sent them a PM about it, but it doesn't appear they've been active on the Guild in a while. How many of y'all would move ahead with the CS anyway, and how many of y'all would wait/move on to a different character? As it is, applying without permission feels a bit like hitting on a buddy's ex-girlfriend to me...