Lord Wraith

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Crisis on Paradise Island

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin.

_{Location: Gotham State University - Founder’s Island, Gotham City}

Welcome to the Masquerade #1.05: Curiouser and Curiouser

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_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: Down the Rabbit Hole

”I can’t believe you cost me twenty bucks.”

Dana shook her head in mock frustration while she and Terry watched Max walk away. Each step was emphasized with victory fueled swagger as she caught up to Carrie before disappearing into the ever-growing throng of students.

“Your ass is definitely mine tonight, McGinnis.” Dana said, turning towards the dark-haired young man with a mischievous smile across her face. Running a hand across his jawline, Dana paused for a second, her hazel eyes studying Terry’s face as her gaze was met by his own piercing blue eyes.

“You must be spending way too much time with Mister Wayne,” Dana chided with a giddy giggle, “You’re even starting to look like him.”

Scoffing, Terry brushed Dana’s hand aside before wrapping an arm around the petite raven-haired woman’s waist. Walking with Dana under his arm, Terry felt his heart skip a beat as he futilely wished this moment could last forever. Dana and Terry had been considered an item for longer than either of them would honestly acknowledge to each other. Most of their high school years had been spent in an on and off relationship until they finally became an exclusive item in the second semester of their senior year.

While there had been others in Terry’s life, some even who were more kindred souls than Dana could ever know, Terry always found himself coming back to her. Dana complimented Terry in ways he couldn’t have imagined and were it not for his ‘nightlife,’ the pair could have even been living together by now.

“Whatcha thinking about there, tall dark and brooding?” Dana teased as Terry’s mind was brought back to the present.

“Sorry D, that last class just put my brain on the fritz.” Terry replied, feeling a slight burning in his cheeks. Despite the warmth, it would appear that his fair skin hadn’t betrayed him as Dana moved on, swatting him playfully as she responded.

“Oh no, you don’t, I don’t want to hear about how tired you are. We are young and fun, don’t you start acting like my dad who needs to nap after an ‘exhausting day’ at work.”

It’s actually my nights that are exhausting.

Smiling as he dismissed the thought from his head, Terry replied as he took hold of Dana’s hand and continued forward with her.

“Don’t you worry, I am one hundred percent with you in the here, and now, you have my full undivided atten-”

“McGinnis!” A voice yelled from across the parking lot as Dana and Terry turned to see a familiar face moving towards them. The source of the voice belonged to none other than the Knights’ starting quarterback as Nelson Nash approached the pair.

“Hey, either of you seen Chelsea?” Nelson asked, relaxing his broad shoulders before tucking his hands into the pockets of his letterman jacket.

“Haven’t seen her since before practice, and she’s not answering any of my texts, not even the good ones.” The jock smiled, nodding towards Terry while giving him a nudge with an elbow.

“Can’t think of what the hell I did to piss her off.” Nelson added as Dana pulled out her phone and began to scroll through her texts. Scoffing, Terry shook his head towards Nelson as he replied dryly.

“Not even one thing?” Terry asked with a raised brow.

“No man, I’ve done fuck all that would have pissed her off,” Nelson retorted, “She’s got no reason to be ghostin’ me.” He added before muttering under his breath, “I don’t think.”

“Not all that surprising, Nash” Terry replied dryly as Nelson shot him a dirty look.

“She hasn’t texted me either,” Dana interjected, her expression confused as she continued to look down at her phone. Her thumb scrolled along the screen as she continued to speak. “Nothing on her Insta or Snap either,”

“That’s not like her.” Terry stated as Nelson nodded eagerly in agreement.

“Something’s up man, told you I didn’t do nothing!”

“Yeah, you’re a real saint, Nelson.” Dana smiled wryly, “Though, this really isn’t like her.” She added as her brow crinkled in concern.

“Maybe she took a day off from everything?” Terry suggested as his phone began to ring. Avoiding eye contact with Dana, Terry slid it out of his pocket before quickly swiping his thumb across the screen as he answered the call.

“Detectives Gage and Ramirez just picked up a body, heavily mutilated.” The voice on the other end growled as Bruce skipped the pleasantries. “Early analysis suggests he’s the missing ‘Wolf’ from last night.”

“Anything else I should know?” Terry asked as Dana shot him daggers from a few feet away.

“Victim was identified as Richard Cunningham, upper middle class, Wayne/Sionis employee-”

“And Chelsea’s father.” Terry whispered as he cut Bruce off, turning his back to Nelson and Dana before continuing. “Wayne, Chelsea’s gone off the grid.”

“Then you’d best suit up.”

---

_Placeholder

Next Issue: Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

🎵 I can talk to some fish. Yeah, I'll go have a chat with some fish.🎵

AQUAMAN

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^{_{Arthur Curry ♦ Surf Instructor ♦ San Diego ♦ Atlantis}}

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

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^{"I'm the bulwark upon which it breaks. "}

With his recent victory over the Brine, Orvax Marius’ Atlantean Empire surges forward on a wave of expansionist fervour. The only bulwark standing between Marius’ complete domination of the seas being ever defiant Xebel. Namor, a captain in the Xebelian Home Guard leads a brutal guerrilla campaign amongst the vast shipwreck fields of the Bermuda Triangle that surround the besieged city state. Yet now with the Atlantean Second Navy lead by the Crown Prince himself no longer tied down to efforts against the Brine, it is only a matter of time before Xebel cracks beneath the weight of the Atlantean military.

Even as Orvax’s victory seems to grow more inevitable by the day forces still plot against him. One of those force through fate’s cruel irony comes from Marius’ former spymaster Nuidis Vulko. The ex-spymaster having fled the city under the suspicion that his old friend was getting wise on his treasonous activities. Even since, Vulko has searched the seven seas chasing after whispers of a legend. A fated successor of Atlan said to possess his mastery over the water prophesied to save Atlantis in its greatest time of need. And while Vulko chases after legends and rumors resistance continues to brew in Orvax’s own backyard. As a rebel movement lead by the combined efforts of Orvax’s own bastard daughter Tula and the hotheaded young firebrand known as Garth continues to cause trouble on the Atlantean homefront.

The missing piece to this dramatically unfurling puzzle is an unassuming surf instructor named Arthur. For a brief time the entire world knew about Arthur as the “Dolphin Boy”. Arthur was a scientific curiosity recalled with figures such as Oxana Malaya and Marcos Rodríguez Pantoja, yet while the later two were raised by canids, Arthur was raised by dolphins of all things a fisherman accidentally catching him in his net. Arthur becoming the pet project of a team from the University of California San Diego lead by semi-famous behaviorist Dr. Stephen Shin. The world slowly began to forget about the Dolphin boy, news coverage peaking briefly when Shin's team reported that they successfully managed to reintegrate the child, now a grown man back into society.

Yet Arthur's tale is much more complex than mere scientific curiosity. Arthur's full name is Arthur Curry, his father was Tom Curry the keeper of the Amnesty Bay Lighthouse, his mother Atlanna the Queen of Atlantis and Orvax's wife. The pair meeting when Atlanna saved Tom's life when he slipped on the rocks slick with seafoam that surrounded the lighthouse. Yet their idyllic life was shattered soon after Arthur was born. Atlanna had originally came to Amnesty Bay as a runaway having abandoned her kingly husband at the altar. Orvax's hunters had after many months managed to track the missing Atlanna down. In the resulting conflict Tom was killed and Atlanna recaptured by Orvax's forces but not before she was able to send young Arthur into the nurturing arms of the sea to live another day.

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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I have been replaying Dark Souls 3 recently and because of that I've sort of been consumed by the idea of cycles. There are smaller cycles such as the heroic cycle that centers around Arthur as the next inheritor of the Clear. The idea of King In The Mountain that comes and goes as the kingdom needs them. Yet my primary focus will instead be on the much larger and in my opinion more interesting cycle of Atlantian politics and its relationship to violence. The question then being are we inherently condemned to such cycles or is there a possibility of breaking them.

This version of Arthur then exists to help approach these questions. His backstory is a synthesis of several interpretation of the typical gambit of Aquaman origins. The first immediate twist is that rather than Tom having raised Arthur, he was at least partially raised by dolphins. This being a reversal of the more traditional narrative were Tom raises a baby that was initially being cared for by dolphins. Arthur as a result is more rough around the edges. His starting point closer to the barbarian-style hero that he became in Peter David’s run. Part of the story then being tampering this wildside into someone willing and able to lead a kingdom.

For my first season my aim is to focus primarily upon Atlantean affairs. The idea being introducing Arthur to this underwater world and have him start to make inroads with the rebels lead by Tula and Garth. Eventually the rebels will win a major battle in the Xebel Campaign with Arthur’s assistance. This giving the rebel faction more legitimacy and an established base of operation from which they could reach out to forces on the land for help. Helping create an avenue for Arthur to enter into the wider world Absolute Comics

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

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Allies on Land

Doctor Stephen Shin:

The leader of the team that found Arthur and reintegrated him into human society. A kind of father figure to Arthur and still heavily invented in his development as Arthur’s mysterious case still remains at the center of his research.

Erika Watson:

Arthur’s on and off again paramour. (They are currently on an off period) Erika is currently an office in the San Diego Police Department.

Allies at Sea

Nuidis Vulko

King Marius’ former spymaster partly responsible for organizing the realpolitik that allowed him to assume supremacy. Having now switched side joining up with the rebels, Vulko is now on a search for Atlan’s successor who has believes might just be the key to winning the war.

Garth

One of the co-leaders of the rebel forces. Garth is a young overconfident firebrand that was initially driven to the cause because of simple revenge. His father having been an officer in the Atlantean Navy that opposed Marius’ rise to power and was killed for his ideas.

Tula

King Marius’ bastard daughter born through an affair with one of the Queen’s handmaidens. Tula along with Garth leads the rebel forces. While Garth is the leader on the ground Tula is the strategic brains of the operation.

Mera, Princess of Xebel

The Princess of Xebel and current liaison between the Xeblian forces and the rebels. Her father, King Nereus is an ardant Xebellian nationalists who refused to bow to King Marius’ rule leading to the brutal war that everyone has been swallowed into.

Namor

Orphaned at birth, Namor was taken in by King Nereus family and raised as one of his own. Having grown up with her, Namor is a close friend and confidant of Princess Mera. Namor now servers as a captain in the Xebelian Home Guard and currently leads the brutal guerrilla campaign against King Marius’ forces.

Dolphin

A strange and mute young girl that was saved at sea and given miraculous powers by the water spirit known as Qwsp , Dolphin is Queen Atlanna’s most trusted handmaiden and serves as the Queen’s messenger between her and the rebel forces.

Atlanna, Queen of Atlantis

Queen of Atlantis, mother to both Orm and Arthur, and direct ancestor to the great Atlan himself. King Marius’ forced her to marry him to give legitimacy to his coup d'etat. Despite her marriage Atlanna still tries her best to aide the rebel forces.

More to be added

Enemies

Orvax Marius, King of Atlantis

Orvax began his career as a famed admiral in the Atlantean Navy. Of noble-birth being able to trace his bloodlines back to a tributary branch on the family tree of King Atlan’s brother Orin. Orvax saw Queen Atlanna’s rule as troubling seeing her as too kind to the Atlantean tributary states such as Xebel. Riding a wave of nationalist fervor starting amongst his allies in the military, Orvax seized the Throne and sought to reclaim “rightful” Atlantean land.

Orm Marius, High Prince of Atlantis

Orm is in many ways the perfect son. As cruel and cunning as he is handsome. What drives Orm forward is the challenge, what he might call interesting opposition. He is a solider much like his father before him and a better soldier at that. As a result, much of his sense of identity and self-worth are wrapped around being a handsome fighter, fantastic skills, cutting wit and stunningly expensive equipment that it severely hampers his empathy for anybody who he does not see as worthy.

Llyra, The Spymaster

Llyra is Marius’ spymaster replacing Vulko. A cunning and shrewd women. Loyalties mean little to Llyra who instead would rather work for whomever she sees as the winning side.

Krang, The King’s Fist

Commander of the Atlantean First Navy, Krang is a warmonger that had long served as Marius’ second in command during his military days. Now Krang serves as the commander of Marius’ conquests currently leading the siege of Xebel along with his trusted bodyguard, the abomination known as Orka.

More to be added.

S A M P L E P O S T:

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_{Location: Pat's Diner - San Diego}

Sample Post: Eggs & Conversation

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_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: None

Doctor Stephen Shin peered anxiously through the diner window at the dark grey clouds gathering on the horizon. For the third time since sitting down, he opened his briefcase to check that he had brought his umbrella. He sighed flipping the digital page on the newspaper that he was reading on his iPad. Another opinion piece about New York’s Man-Spider.

The click-clack of heels against tile announced his waitress’ return. The woman held a large tray aloft as she navigated the maze of booths and tables, the large mass of auburn hair gathered on her head swayed from side to side with each step. Drinks continued to disappear from the tray and by the time she reached Shin a single cup remained. Smiling she placed the white mug down.

“Your tea darlin’”

He grabbed a small plastic pod of milk kept from a bowl on the table and poured its contents into his cup. Shin couldn't drink tea straight in fact he didn't even particularly like tea, but with age, he had lost his ability to stomach coffee and needed another way to please his caffeine addiction. Satisfied, he tentatively took the warm cup in his hands and took a long sip. The entrance's automatic chime made Shin look up and let loose a sigh mixed with relief and agitation.

Arthur stood at the entrance surveying the room. His long blond hair pulled back into a messy ponytail paired with an equally large beard that while maintaining its shape appeared to be in the early stages of being overgrown. He wore an oversized black sweatshirt that proclaimed “I ❤️ SAN DIEGO” and a pair of ripped white boardshorts. Arthur’s spotlight gaze froze on Shin’s table and his face brightened with recognition. As he made large strides over towards him, Shin couldn’t help but shrink in his seat.

“Doctor Shin!” Arthur bellowed his voice filling the air. He plopped himself down on the bench across from the Doctor, a wide smile on his face. He rested his large elbows on the table causing the table to pitch towards him as Shin scramble to pick up his tea before it slid away from him.

“You are twenty minutes late Arthur!” Shin nearly shouted as he snatched up his tea.

“It wasn’t my fault this time!” Arthur protested, and Shin could only raise an eyebrow at him in disbelief. “I’m telling the truth! This girl, that I was with last night hadn’t woken up yet, and I didn’t want to disturb her rest.”

“A girl?” Shin questioned taking a longer sip of his tea. And we thought he was going to have problems acclimating...

“She was at the Mission Beach Boardwalk last night and lost her purse. I returned it to her and well...”

“Enough Arthur,” Shin insisted nearly spitting out his tea “I have little interest in hearing about your sexual escapades.”

“You’re the one that asked!”

The two sat in silence for a long afterward. In many ways, Arthur was like the son that Shin had never had the time to have. He’d seen the boy grow through the decades helping shape him from a feral beast into a productive member of society. Despite his own paternal instincts, he knew that Arthur did not feel the same way. When their relationship was in better states, such as now, he saw him at best as only a friend, somebody to swap stories of your triumphs in the bedroom and beyond with. The silence was interrupted with the click-clack heels of the waitress returned, summoned back into existence to attend to her new customer.

“What do you want sweetie?” The waitress asked as she produced her pad and pencil.

“Well, I assume you are off the menu?” Arthur asked with a sly smile.

“Honey, I have kids your age” The Waitress fired back shaking her head but smiling, nonetheless.

“Has not stopped me before” Arthur started with a smile.“Though if I can’t have you, a cup of orange juice and scrambled eggs suits me fine.”

“One glass of OJ and some eggs coming straight up.” The women sounded back with a wink as she scribbled the order down on her pad and walked away. The click-clack of her heels fading into the clattering cutlery and hushed mid-morning conversations of the other patrons.

“Are you finished?” Questioned Shin as he looked up from his iPad,

“What?!”

The waitress returned a few minutes later with the orange juice and eggs. Arthur was upon his meal the moment that it was set on the table. Shin’s team had managed to teach him how to use a fork and knife, but they never found a way to tamper the way which he enthusiastically and viciously tore at any food that was given to him. It seemed like two Arthur’s doled in and out of reality in front of Shin in real time. The boy that he had found and the man that he had become.

He would be hard pressed to imagine that the little boy that his team found all those years ago would become the broad-shouldered giant that sat across from him. Last time they performed a physical on him they found his cardiovascular health and muscle density were on par if not exceeding the levels of most Olympic athletes. It reminded him of a talk given by Charles Xavier about his fabled ‘X-Gene’ at a conference at Stanford. But this wasn’t just a singular gene, Arthur’s entire DNA was slightly off in several areas. The team still wasn’t done analyzing the results yet, but it was almost as Arthur wasn't even fully human.

“How have things been going Arthur?” Shin asked his voice taking on a more professional demeanor as he pressed a button to start a recording app on his iPad.

“Oh you know,” Arthur started between mouthfuls of eggs.“Still too early in the season for most people to wanna get into the water so business isn't exactly booming. Though I do get that stipend from the state as part of your research, so I'm not worried.”

“That’s good to hear,” Shin responded making a note before continuing “and are you happy?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? I get to wake up every day with the sand between my toes and breath in the ocean air. That’s a pretty enviable life if you ask me.”

“And are you satisfied with your current life?”

“....”

The silence that followed surprised Shin. The broad shoulders that Shin himself was examining a few moments ago seemed to sag beneath a colossal and unseen weight. Arthur’s gaze turned away from him looking up towards the dark skies above. His seemed focused on an unseen spot amongst the storm front. He tapped his fingers against the table in small rhythmic pulses with no set time interval between them.

“I guess...” He took a long sip of orange juice “I guess I’ve been feeling a pull recently.”

“A pull?” Shin asked unable to suppress the intrigue and excitement in his voice.

“Towards the ocean,” Arthur explained like it was obvious “like I’m missing something.”

“And you feel that the ocean has that something?” Shin suggested

“Well,” Arthur thought about it “the one thing I do know is... Whatever the hell it is, I’m not going to find it on land.”

A flash of lightning danced across the sky followed closely by the boom of thunder. The rain came soon afterward. It fell large, heavy, and unrelenting the last struggling breaths of a tropical cyclone that had died at sea. Shin looked out at the window and then down back at his briefcase. Finishing the last of his tea, he rose to his feet.

“I hate to cut this month’s meeting short Arthur,” The doctor spoke as he rose to his feet “but I should really get going before the weather gets any worse.”

“It’s fine,” Arthur replied.“I should be heading back to the beach anyway.”

Arthur rose from his side of the booth, the table jerking back into proper alignment as the weight of his arms vanished. Next, to the rail-thin and aging shin, Arthur seemed impossibly large. He reached a hand out towards the Doctor who took it in a firm handshake. As soon as the hands made contact, Arthur pulled the Doctor into a hug slapping a hand across his back. When he released the doctor Arthur was now smiling his pensive expression gone.

“Try not to melt doctor.”

Doctor Shin shook his head but smiled none the less. He moved towards the diner’s door freezing to produce his umbrella. As he unfurled the umbrella ready bracing himself for the journey back to his car, he turned his head over his shoulder. “And you stay out of the water today! It’s dangerous even for you.”

Arthur grinned as he watched the old man disappear into the rain.

“A little rain never scared me.”

P O S T C A T L O G:

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N/A

@Xanadu

Roy Harper – Arsenal

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 R S E N A L

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^{_{R O Y H A R P E R ♦ M I L L I O N A I R E / V I G I L A N T E
S T A R C I T Y / V A R I O U S, U S A ♦ I N D E P E N D E N T}}

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

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^{"I was building military grade weaponry before I got my first erection, asshat."}

What happens when you put the stress of trying to save a city or even the world on a child? You inevitably get a washed up addict forced into service in SHIELD after getting sober. Roy Harper used to be a sign that even teenagers could take a stand against evil, but now is a reminder of the costs involved. His current goals are now to settle personal scores and try to reclaim his own legacy.

This Roy Harper has taken on the name “Arsenal” after rejecting his former sidekick persona of “Speedy.” He is a technical genius and a loose canon, using his work as a vigilante to exorcise his personal demons. His origin story is meant to remain somewhat ambiguous (for good reason). At the same time, Roy Harper’s story is somewhat connected to that of SHIELD’s Initiative Program, as mentioned in Captain America’s first volume. In terms of what to expect, Roy never backs down from a fight or challenge and is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. That being said, he is typically clever enough to formulate a solution to any problem, be it physically or through an improvised plan of attack.

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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Roy’s story will look to complicate the nature of vigilantism and teenage sidekicks. It will highlight both the romanticized notions of the “golden age” of heroes through extended flashback sequences, while also addressing the harsher realities of modern comics. As for Roy’s motivations, he will be primarily focused on dealing with personal grudges from his past while trying to understand what role he has in a world that doesn’t like or accept him. Roy’s first arc will involve a personal search of self-discovery in his attempt to retire from the vigilante lifestyle permanently, before realizing that he can never escape from who he is and who he was.

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

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Roy Harper: Originally the sidekick Speedy for Oliver Queen’s vigilante alter-ego The Green Arrow, Roy is now an honorably discharged SHIELD agent battling his former addictions to alcohol and opioids. He still has millions of dollars at his disposal from when Q-Core (a subsidiary of Queen Industries) bought out his stock shares. Roy now operates under the alias “Arsenal” due to his vast array of weaponry and gear.

Supporting Cast:
Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow): A former mentor of Roy and occasional informant for the vigilante.

Grace Choi: A half-Amazonian biker roaming the country. Joins Roy on his personal quest for vengeance.

Mia Dearden: A fellow orphan and kid from the streets who gets in over her head and turns to the vigilante for assistance.

Antonia Monetti (Deceased): A mutant with the powers of energy projection and manipulation assassinated while visiting family in New Jersey. Once had an intimate relationship with Roy, and served alongside him in the Initiative Program.

Agent Phil Coulson: Responsible for “Asset Attainment” within SHIELD and one of the lead agents working on Director Mace’s Initiative Program. Acted as Roy’s former supervisor, and recruited the vigilante as a chance to help him “Do the Right Thing.”

Oliver Queen [Missing]: The former foster father of Roy Harper, and former vigilante known as The Green Arrow. Formerly the CEO of Queen Industries. Disappeared mysteriously months ago after a reported fight between Merlyn and the Green Arrow.

Potential Antagonists and other NPCS

The Serpent Society
Jack Wheeler (Wild Dog) [Deceased]
Constantine Drakon
Jade Nguyen (Cheshire)
David Drayson (Slingshot)
Malcolm Merlyn (Merlyn)
The Dark Archer
Simon Lacroix (Komodo)
Werner Zytle (Count Vertigo)
Red Dart
Crossfire

S A M P L E P O S T:

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Take me to Church

_{Christ the Redeemer Church, Granville, Kansas - Present Day}

Issue 1.01.01: Take me to Church

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_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: None

”Forgive me father… for I have sinned. I have had to do the Lord’s work in culling those who violate his laws. My hands are stained red with the blood of sinners, father. I know that God wills it, but doing what the Lord requires is so difficult, father. I beg for his forgiveness.”

The confessionals were cramped, and a thin screen divided the two small chambers so that neither individual could get a good look at the other. The confessor hadn’t even bothered to remove his gear, still wearing a ballistic vest with camouflage military fatigues and a sidearm strapped to his belt. On the other side of the screen, the priest simply nodded his head slowly as he pondered his next move. After a deep breath, the priest’s words lacked any hint of emotion. ”You are not forgiven.”

The confessor tilted his head slightly as he saw movement on the other side of the screen. ”I don’t think this is how confessi-“

Before he could even finish his statement, two gunshots rang out in the entirety of the church. The confessor slumped over in his confessional, while a red-haired man dressed in priestly garb kicked the door of his confessional open and began opening fire on the militia that had gathered inside the Church. The vigilante soldiers barely had time to react as the priest fired with expert aim, bullets piercing the skulls of various soldiers before they could even clutch at their own weapons. The priest briskly approached the stone altar as he fired, ducking behind it just as the seven militia men left standing had turned the safeties off their automatic rifles and began firing.

The priest quickly stripped off his outer robe, revealing a ballistic vest decked out with magazines and grenades over the traditional black button up shirt and white collar. Roy reloaded his two sidearms as the sounds of gunfire and bullets penetrating the altar behind him pierced his ear drums. He had grown accustomed to the noise at this point, though it was never a sound that he had grown to enjoy. After a few moments, Roy smiled as he heard the familiar sound of empty clips. He sprung back up, and fired six shots. Six of the seven remaining hostiles fell to the ground dead. The final one simply drew his own sidearms quickly and pointed them at Roy.

This last man standing was dressed slightly differently from his fellow soldiers. Unlike the, he wore a white mask that was designed to resemble a cross between a dog and a hockey mask. He had more firearms on his person, along with a machete and a metal baseball bat. The two men kept their guns trained on each other, refusing to even turn their gazes away or blink. After what felt like a small eternity, Roy’s target spoke. ”You walk into our territory, dress yourself up like a priest, shoot my boys and you think you can just kill me and walk out of here? You must be a whole new breed of stupid, boy.”

Roy gave a small smile as he slowly inched around the altar to get closer, his guns always locked in his target’s direction. ”Stupid, not really. Borderline psychotic and pissed off to no end, absolutely. You see, you killed someone I cared about more than life itself, Jack Wheeler. So I’m going to put you and your little group of Watchdogs down like the animals you are.”

Time seemed to move in slow motion as Roy’s grip on his sidearms loosened. He let them go and reached his hands towards his vest, managing to clutch on to two grenades with pins hooked on to his clothing. As he yanked on the explosives, he instinctively ducked to his right. He gave two quick tosses of the grenades just as he felt the first bullet impact against the ballistic vest over his left pectoral. Another protected hit was felt against his gut, and then another in his leg. Roy didn’t have much time to process the pain as he managed to nimbly catch the gun he had dropped in mid-air with his left hand. With an aim that seemed almost inhuman, Roy tracked one of the grenades with the sidearm’s barrel until it got within a few feet of the Wild Dog. A single pull of the trigger, and time returned back to normal.

The combined explosion of both grenades sent a shockwave of force and shrapnel ripping through the pews of the rural church. Roy felt wood splinter into exposed parts of his skin as he was sent rolling backwards towards the altar again, coughing and wheezing. The pain was excruciating as he fought back waves of nausea and a splitting headache to try and focus his vision on his former opponent. Roy saw a mangled body writhing in pain in the center of the church, and began approaching the injured target while hobbling along on his feet. Around the edges of the impact area, flames from the incendiary grenade’s detonation began to light on the pews of the rural church.

The Wild Dog’s mask had been blown open in part, revealing the terrified eyes of a man who seemed to be about Roy’s age. The terrorist was breathing ragged breaths, trying to gurgle out some words through his blood-filled mouth that Roy couldn’t comprehend. The vigilante had little room for empathy as he lowered the barrel of his firearm towards his target’s now-exposed forehead, gritting his teeth in both anger and an effort to cope with his pain. ”This is for Toni, you son of a bitch.” One final gunshot rang out from the Church, and Roy’s work was done.

Roy Harper slowly hobbled out of the Church’s open front doors, ripping off the ballistic vest after stuffing the sidearm into the back of his pants. He tossed the vest into the back of a partially-rusted pick-up truck lazily parked along a gravel parking section near the Church’s entrance. The vigilante lazily opened the unlocked door and hoisted himself up into the truck’s driver’s seat. The truck’s keys had graciously been left in the ignition, providing Roy the opportunity to start the truck and begin peeling away from the now burning church.

P O S T C A T L O G:

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Coming Soon.

@webboysurf

Martian Manhunter

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

Martian Manhunter

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^{_{J’ONN J’ONZZ ♦ WAITRESS/STUDENT ♦ DENVER, COLORADO ♦ INDEPENDENT}}

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

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^{"Doctor Erdel told me I that I could be a hero... That I could make a difference in this world... I will not disappoint him~!"}

Dr Saul Erdel. This man has recently made a name for himself in the scientific community through the development of his transmitter that he claims he has made with Martian technology. For the first time in his rather long career he not only had the attention of his peers but even some of the public eye as well. Many were intrigued by his experiment to contact and communicate the supposed extraterrestrial life on Mars, and took time out of their day to tune into the live testing of the transmitter... Which was a bust...

It would seem that Dr Erdel had squandered his one possible claim to fame in the world. At least to the rest of the world that is. For the transmitter's beam did not make contact with anything from the present. But rather it streaked across time and space itself. Striking a martian by the name of J'onn J'onzz, thousands of years into the past and dragging them from their planet to the Earth of Dr Erdels time. This information of course is known only to Dr Erdel, as of course as soon as the beam "failed" to hit a target the footage of the experiment ended. J'onn was brought to earth completely broken, both physically and mentally. Dr Erdel felt that it was his duty to take the young Martian in and to nurse her back to health. To the best of his ability.

Whether it was intentional or not, a mental link was formed between the two. This allowed not only for Dr Erdel to see the history of J'onn but also vice versa. She had been driven completely insane by the events that took place on Mars. However with the help of Dr Erdel she was able to be rehabilitated. Only for now the dark memories of her past were locked away, and a new backstory was formed for the earthling Joan Jones... Although she believed to be from Earth there was no hiding that she was an extraordinary existence, of course now a days the world was full of those. So it was not hard to convince her that her unique physiology was somehow due to a mutation or merely a byproduct of her powers.

Joan was now an orhpan, who knew very little of the world. Of course she thought that this was her home, although it did not feel that way. A stranger in a foreign land. A foolish girl who struggled to keep up with the people around her. It may be a struggle from here on now but. She is a girl with a heart of a hero. This shall only mark the beginning of her uphill battle. For a new life. For a new family. For a new home.

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:

---

I would really like to play this character because Martian Manhunter has always had a soft place in my heart ever since I watched the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons. I think I was drawn to him in particular for his rather aloof and serious attitude, his stoic demeanor. However underneath that he was a character that deeply cared for others, he was a gentle person who really cared for others. Now I mean that isn't exactly rare for a superhero but for some reason his character was the one that stuck with me the most. I guess it was also his tragic backstory that also really made me feel for him.

As for making the character female... I don't know if I could say my reasons are particularly "good" so to speak but personally I thought it would be rather interesting and I feel like I could relate to and portray my version of the character this way. Not that their gender is the most important thing but I guess this is just my personal preference. This version of the character is a younger and much less experienced Martian Manhunter than in the Justice League Cartoons. In fact I doubt they are even known to the world yet and due to that aren't even referred to as 'Martian Manhunter.' As they aren't really a superhero yet. More of a dreamer who wishes to be like that one day.

My vision for the character is a young, idealistic girl who wishes to instill as much hope and joy as she can into the world. To use her abilities to care for anyone that she can, whether they be of morally good of evil characters themselves. Very much anti-violence, a particularly compassionate and empathetic person. She is also certainly a character who is tormented by her tragic past that has been buried as deep within her mind as it could have been. Of course I intend for this to play a large part in her story and definitely a large hurdle for the character to overcome. I imagine this version of Maritan Manhunter to be rather outwardly fragile and emotional compared to other versions of the character. I believe that her being a Martian is very important for the character. Yes at the start she believes she is an Earthling but that is due to the influence of Dr Erdel and she is not comfortable identifying herself as an Earthling. I imagine that the general populace will have less love for an alien superhero than they would a more humanoid superhero and that Joan probably will develop a bit of a complex over her differences more and more as they and their origin become more apparent to her over the course of her story.

Dr Saul Erdel I intend to keep around for a while, I imagine him to be a foster parent type figure to Joan and for him to be her guiding figure/mentor towards the path of heroism. I do intend for him to bite the bullet eventually however I would rather have this become a very important moment for the character in their story rather than something that has already happened. I would like to try and build up the relationship of trust and respect between the Doctor and Joan rather than just saying that they did have that.

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

---

Supporting Cast:
Friends:
- Dr Saul Erdel: The man who brought the Martian Manhunter to the present. Now acting as her foster parent and closest ally, it could be said the doctor is the only person she can confide in.
- Rio Ferdinand: A US secret agent and close friend of Dr Saul Erdel. She was also his assistant during the creation of the transmitter.
- Jennifer Black and Katie Schaub: Joan's friends from school, and perhaps her only friends in the world.
- Bryan Rockefeller: Not related to the famous Rockefellers. Rather a normal guy from Colorado who is Joan's employer at the restaurant she works at.

Enemies:
- The Human Flame: Real name Michael Miller, a human who gains power over fire through the use of his suit. He isn't a super powered individual yet... He could mean some real trouble for Joan.
- Doctor Trap: Real name Lawrence Trap. This one is on a quest for revenge after losing his girlfriend in a cross-fire incident. He won't rest until he has brutally tortured and murdered all parties that were involved.
- Mr V: This guy is rather mysterious. A faceless man who is rumoured to be a big time crime boss for an organisation called Vulture. Well for one reason or another he has plans for Denver, maybe he thinks it's less likely he will be bothered by any hero types there.

- Malefic: Joan's twin brother and the architect of the plague that destroyed their people. He may be her arch-nemesis but he is also the only surviving member of her family. As things currently stand his existence is unknown to both Joan and the world.
- D'kay D'razz: One of the other surviving Maritans. She now acts as an ally to Malefic.
- Cay'an: Another surviving Martian. They seem to be all drawn towards Malefic... They are sure to cause trouble for Joan in the future.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

The Death of a Planet

Did it have to be like this? Was this always how things would turn out? That couldn't be. All of her effort...

The young martian had tried everything she could. Her brother... She had tried to show him love, to show him that no matter what the others thought of him that she was still her beloved family. That no matter how much the others despised him, merely for being born different.

I will always stand by your side. No matter what. That is what this naive youth had told him.

The time is near where that will be put to the test... Dear sister. I want to believe in your words. If those are truly your feelings then I am glad to have at least one ally. She had believed this brought hope to her brother who suffered dearly. That she could finally help him after trying for so many years. Truly she wished for him to be happy. For him to achieve his dreams!

She would now learn to despise her ridiculous wish. An absurd innocence. She caused this just as much as her brother. This blight. This curse. This Armageddon.

She was running, running faster than she had ever done before. Her body screamed at her. Stop! You can't go on! Rest!

She couldn't... If she had then she would not be able to start running once again. It would be her death. No not just her death. She would be dooming her parents along with her.

NO! I WON'T ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN! She was breathing heavily. Heavier than she ever had before. It felt like she was being torn apart. Her eyes were set in stone, ahead. Forward.

She couldn't look to her sides. She could not look back. Only forward.

For if she did. She would be met with a wall of flames. Martian houses burning to the ground. Martian families screaming in pain, the men, the women, the children. All of them crying out as they burned alive. The red planet... A fitting name for a planet on fire.

They were in her head. Screaming, tearing apart her mind as the great effort of her journey tore apart her body.

I am sorry... I am so, so sorry. She could not respond to them. For she could not waste any effort on speech. And if she were to use her telepathy... She would become just like them. Engulfed by flames, screaming and cursing. Her planet. her people. Her friends. Her colleagues. Her classmates. Her home. It was the destruction of everything and everyone she knew. And it was all thanks to the brother she tried to save. Her brother who she promised to always support. Her brother who she had believed in.

So you came sister? Well honestly I am surprised. And eternally grateful. Join me sister. Join me in ending this vile race. This cursed planet! Why wouldn't he stop? Nothing she had said to him changed his mind.

She could not help but feel responsible... But now there was only one thing to do.

Buildings continued to crumble. Her vision began to be blinded by smoke. The flames burned higher and higher. As soon as the screams of one was snuffed out the screams of 10 others joined the cries of the rest. The last cries of the Martians.

She had finally arrived. The end of her journey... Perhaps also, the end of her life.

Home... She had to tell them, her parents. Before it was too late.

Desperate she practically flung herself into the building which she had spent growing up in. Now, on one knee, she could not lift herself back up. And yet. She had to tell them.

MOTHER! FATHER! ARE YOU THERE?! ARE YOU SAFE?!!" She cried out, pleading with the universe for her family to still be alive. For them to be safe.

It was a dreadful mistake...

"Yes... J'oann do not worry my love, we are-" Her mothers voice played out in her head. She could barely distinguish it from all of the screams... It had been calm, how had she been so calm?!

A soothing voice to care for their beloved daughter. A voice to tell her 'do not worry, everything will be ok! keep fighting!'

A voice that soon joined the screams of the rest. Along with her fathers.

All had been lost...

Should she just join them? But what would she even say? Goodbye?

Her body finally gave out. She collapsed to the floor. Her parents had been coming down the stairs to meet her it seemed. The flaming figures tumbled down, the house itself began to be engulfed by the blazing inferno.

The end of the world... Death... This was it...

How long had she been laying there? Just a moment? An eternity? Her mind was scrambled. The grief, the despair, the screams... Her world crumbled before her. And her mind crumbled with it.

This was to be her end. She had not wanted to give in but... There was nothing left for her now.

"Forgive... Me... Everyone..." Her last words, spoken aloud. Nothing more than a whisper.

She closed her eyes before the flames could take her.

There was no more screams. No more fire. No more death.

There was nothing anymore.

P O S T C A T L O G:

---

N/A

@Mion

Green Arrow II: Teenage Boogaloo

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

G R E E N A R R O W II

---

^{_{B I R T H N A M E: C O N N O R H A W K E ♦ V I G I L A N T E / R E L I G I O U S N O V I C E ♦ S T A R C I T Y ♦
I N D E P E N D E N T / A R R O W F A M I L Y(?)}}

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

---

^{“Archery is still a matter of life and death to the extent that it is a contest of the archer with himself.”}

I guess the main difference in this version of Connor is that he's decently younger than his original counterpart, still a teenager instead of a man in his early 20s. He's a little less sure of himself and not nearly fully formed as a vigilante or a person yet, but still a martial arts prodigy and skilled archer. He also doesn't have official sanction from Oliver or other members of the Arrow Family yet, who may or may not know that he exists.

He's naturally gifted at mimicking and analyzing others' fighting styles, but this is just a mental talent rather than a superhuman or innate ability. He can't instantly or unconsciously pick up on others' skills like Taskmaster or read and predict people's body language and movements like Cassandra Cain, and it's limited almost exclusively to fighting styles and techniques.

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:

---

For one, I want to play Connor because I love archery and martial arts and he's a character with both in spades. Given that we have a jaded, violent Roy Harper around I also thought it would be fun to contrast him with a younger, more pacifistic and inexperienced Connor. Ontop of that, I want to help contribute to the martial arts fabric of the RP as usual, explore how Connor's Buddhist philosophy and monastic upbringing meshes with his growing superhero work and development as a person, look at his legacy and interactions as Oliver's biological son and help flesh out Star City and the wider RP.

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

---

Nothing so far, I might need to get a handle on where the RP's at, the martial arts community and what Roy Harper's player intends for the Arrow Family legacy.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

First Night

"You must learn to wait properly..."

Connor had been waiting on this rooftop a long time. Like, a really really long time, the kinda wait that would make a meditating Bodhisattva feel vaguely uncomfortable. So far he had nothing to show for it but leg cramps and a newfound appreciation for the diversity of rats that could scurry through a single back alley in a night.

Did he misunderstand the old homeless guy grumbling to him last night, that this was the place and time that some of Brick's foot-soldiers met every week to count up their take from the neighborhood stores they'd extorted and the homeless people they'd robbed? A dingy alleyway between a chop shop and an old Italian restaurant in the Triangle seemed like a weird choice, and counting money and valuables in the open seemed like a bad idea even to a newbie in the criminal underworld like him.

Still crime had gotten plenty sloppy and brazen since his father vanished and someone had to do something about it. Why else would Connor be here, crouched on a rooftop in a green hoodie and a child's mask and about to use the parting gifts his teachers had given him to commit violence? Yeah, this was a great plan, the best.

He bet Oliver Queen never had to get his information on crime in the city from a hungover vagrant in exchange for a breakfast sandwich, or foil a crime while wearing a bad Halloween takeoff on his own costume. He had all sorts of sweet gadgets and information and-

Connor's mental rant got interrupted when he noticed his targets had actually decided to show up on the street below him when he wasn't paying attention, a backpack off to the side stuffed with ill-gotten goods.

"-an' then I sez to him 'I hear cheek meat slices real nice!' an' the old geezer practically vomits on the deli slicer! He coughed it up real quick after that!"

"Hahahahaaa! Hey Johnny! Tell cold cuts over here about-"

Aaaand that was enough listening in. Raised by Buddhist monks or not there was only so much violent boasting he could take in a night before he had to tune out or else risk doing something very against Dharma. Instead Connor did his best to tune out their words, draw an arrow from his quiver and nock it. For ease of aim in the darkness he focused on the one currently bragging, Johnny. His drunken and wildly gesturing form was simple to pick out.

This was the sum total of his world, now. Just him, the bow and the target. He fixed his eye and mind on the goal, at first letting movement and specific features guide his aim. A trace of moonlight glinting off of the beer bottle in the hand, a gold watch shifting out from under the cloth, all leading to a baggy sleeve raised high...

Connor fixed the point in his mind, breathing slow and controlled, one hand outstretched and gripping the bow while the other pulled back to his cheek, tension mounting through staves and string for the inevitable as he let fly and-

*Twang!*

*shatter!*

"-The Hell!?"

Crap, missed the sleeve and broke the beer bottle. It was too dark for any of them to notice the arrow just yet, but while the first mobster was stunned and cussing through broken glass and booze in the face his friend had already pulled a gun soooo...

*Twang!*

*Crack!*

"Ha, nice! I did it! Disarmed!"

Well, that got their attention in the wrong way. If looks could kill Connor would be dead twice over, three times once his practice round got his eyes clear. That gun would still do the job soon enough, he was just now realizing that since he hadn't pinned the guy's sleeve or plugged his barrel he could just pick the pistol back up. Feeling kind of stupid for giving away his position so easily on top of that, the would-be Emerald Archer slung his bow onto his back and leaped down off the rooftop to land boots-first on the remaining thug before he could draw his own pistol, taking him out even though the impact was killer on his knees.

As he stepped off his impromptu cushion's back the one who'd gone by Johnny was still struggling to clear his eyes, but the remaining thug, 'Cold Cuts' stopped going for his fallen gun to stare at him skeptically and snicker.

"The fuck are you supposed to be?"

"Uhh...Green Arrow?

"Ha, cute. Well tell ya what kid, it ain't Halloween yet so the only thing we're handing out is beatings!"

Before Connor could react to any of that mess, 'Cold Cuts' charged him and swung a wild right haymaker. But Connor was always much, much better in close combat than with a bow. Without even needing to think about it he stepped in to intercept the punch with a jolting elbow to the man's arm, capture it and then absorb the momentum of the charge and throw him hard to the opposite wall and pavement.

Which just left him and Johnny glass-in-the-face, eyes clear now and full of hate and somehow in possession of a very big knife.

"Do we really have to do this? The beer bottle thing was an accident, I mean it!"

That did no good, not that he really expected any of them to just give up quietly. The thug apparently named Johnny tried a prisonyard bullrush and now Connor was the one slammed up against a wall, gripping his opponent's wrist to keep the knife from jabbing in and fighting the other hand to keep from getting his lights punched out. He drove a rising knee hard into Johnny's solar plexus to take some of the fight out of him then followed up with a palm strike to the jaw, reaping his leg out and dragging the knife hand out and high at the same time to drive him headfirst back into the pavement.

"Haa...haa....wow, I'm actually kind of sorry, I didn't mean to take you guys down so rough. I'll do a softer, cleaner job of it next time, promise!"

With that done Connor scooped up the bag and started to leave and redistribute some wealth. If he was lucky he could finish the 'taken from the rich and give back to the poor' routine before-"

"Die you little-"

Connor dropped the bag and whirled around. The guy he'd goomba stomped at the start of the fight was awake, propping himself up on the ground with his pistol from earlier in hand. Reacting without thinking, Connor nocked, drew back and released.

*Twang!*

*shnk!*

Connor stared and so did thug number one, equally surprised. Without really needing to aim, he'd plugged the gun barrel and jammed it to uselessness.

"No way..."

"Ha! Told ya! Green Arrow! Tell all your friends and spread the word! Star City's under my protection now!"

Even as he finished yelling he was trying not to flush from embarrassment at his own bragging and surge in pride, weird as it felt. Still, maybe he was entitled to just a little lapse in humility? His Sensei and his father would be proud!

Well, at least he liked to think Oliver would've been, considering they'd never actually met...

But still, not bad for his first night out, right?

P O S T C A T L O G:

---

A list linking to your IC posts as they're created. This can b used for a reference guide to your character or to summarize completed arcs and stories.

@Dblade26

The Lanterns

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 Lantern

^{_{Hal Jordan ♦ Student ♦ Coast City ♦ The Lanterns}}

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

^{"It isn't easy being Green... Oh wait..."}

This version of Hal is a bit younger, having grown up on the streets of Coast City, he has been in and out of foster homes since he can remember. His father was a test-pilot for the US Airforce, his mother, he doesn't remember anything about. He was always getting into trouble with Officer Stewart, who always tried to keep him on the straight and narrow. It worked for the most part. Hal is known as a sort of Homeless hero, always leaping to the rescue of other homeless that get attacked. Hal has never had a home or anyone to really cling onto as a parent figure. All he can do is keep surviving until he hits 16, when he's allowed to follow his father into the Air Force.

Then, one day he gets a magic ring, and then a man called Sinestro came into his life. Sinestro tells him of the power of the ring, tells him that it is one of 7, Green, Gold, Blue, Indigo, Pink, Orange and Red. He was previously on a team with the other 6 Lanterns, but they were defeated by the Intergalactic Warlord Despero. All he could do was flee to an unknown world and regroup. The Green ring chose Hal and now they need to work together to recover the other 5 rings, lest they fall into the hands of evil.

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:

Hal is a good man that just wants what everyone else seems to have. He wants a family and the power to protect that family. When Sinestro comes into his life, suddenly, he has a father-figure who can teach him about the world, who can care for him and he can care for. He has a school and he has friends, he has a roof over his head. He has these things now and with the power ring, he's going to make sure nobody can take that away from him or anyone else.

But, in order to do that, he needs to find the other rings. They have been scattered across the planet and, according to Sinestro, are laying dormant until they can find someone to latch onto and grant power to. However Despero is on the way and he has an army and advanced Vanguard, alreaady scowering the planet for the rings. If he gets his hands on them, then he will use their power, combined with his own immense dark magics known as "The Pyre" to conquer the universe.

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

Like all heroes, he is only as good as the people around him and the obstacles he overcomes, a quick list of the people you should know about to begin with:

Allies

Thaal Sinestro

Sinestro is the Gold Lantern from the far-off world of Korugar. He was the leader of the Lanterns, a group of people wielding the 7 Rings of Power. Sinestro keeps his background vague, dodging questions about it, claiming his past to be "Too painful to talk about now. Maybe another day." On earth, he uses the alias T Sinclaire.

Carol Ferris

Another of his friends is Carol Ferris, daughter of Carlos Ferris, president of Ferris Industries. 2 years older than him, who he has had an on-again-off-again relationship with since he was sent to a rich foster family living next door to her. He didn't stay with them long, because of how strict their rules were. He still hangs around with Carol sometimes, though her parents hate him.

John Stewart

Somewhat a mentor to Hal, Detective John Stewart, an Veteran from Desert Storm who, after the war, came home and enrolled in the police. He has been looking out for Hal ever since he transferred to the CCPD.

Hector Hammond

Hals only other friend is a petty criminal by the name of Hector Hammond. Hammond is a little fish with big idea's, that he will some day become one of the great heroes of the world, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. Mostly, it just boils down to him ripping off rich old people with Pyramid scheme's. Hal has had to protect him from angry loan-sharks on more than one occasion.

Enemies

Despero

Intergalactic warlord and pirate. Claims to be the rightful ruler of the universe. He commands an immense warship known as Eye of Darkness. Despero's background is shrouded in mystery, but what is known is that he possesses a mean-streak a mile long and is immensely charismatic and is known for his great acts of benevolence, saving whole planets from the brink of extinction, whilst attacking defenseless Kree, Skrull, Shi'Ar, Thanagarian and Tamaranian merchant vessels. He is even known to have scuffles with the Shi'Ar grand fleet from time to time. He is an excellent military strategist and a powerful warrior, wielding immense powers known as "The Pyre" The full extent of its power is unknown.

Known Powers:
The Pyre (A mysterious power that nobody is quite sure of the extent of. All that is known is that it is some kind of magic)
Telepathy (When his third eye opens, he can hear the thoughts of anyone he looks at, can see into their very soul, can even control them if their mind is weak enough)
Energy Projection (He can shoot energy beams from all 3 of his eyes)

Lyssa Drak

The mysterious and stunningly beautiful right-hand of Despero. Lyssa is a powerful sorceress, who gets all of her magic from the mysterious book that she always carries with her.

Known Powers:
Sorcery (Lyssa wields immense plumes of golden magics that sprout from her book.)
Future-Sight (Lyssa can predict the future with varying degree's of accuracy.)

Larfleeze

Larfleeze is one of Despero's Lieutenants. Nobody knows where this beast came from or what it has been through to get here. All that is known is that he wears an orange uniform with logo of the Orange Power Ring on his shoulder. He is immensely strong and fast, and is one of the most deadly hand-to-hand combatants in the known universe. He uses a large arsenal of weapons that he has collected from fallen foes.

Known Powers:
Super Strength
Super Durability
Super Longevity (It's unknown exactly how old he is, but records show him existing for at least 1,000,000 years.)

Shark

Shark is a strange one. He is a ruthless, unstoppable killing machine that never says a word. He simply follows any order that Despero gives him to the letter. He is one of Despero's most notorious henchmen.

Known Powers:
Super Strength
Super Durability
Super Stamina
Waterbreathing

Doctor Polaris

The self-proclaimed "Master of Magnetism" Polaris was a former warlord of his planet. When he saw that the planet was dying, he put his best minds to work on a suit that would allow him to save them all by harnessing the planets magnetic poles to do his bidding. The suit was completed, but too late. As he began to use the magnetic field of the planet to guide it away from the sun, his time ran out and he saw death coming for his entire planet. Despero and his ships arrived just in time and saved as many as they could. Polaris' people were moved to a new planet. Polaris, in return, pledged his undying loyalty to Despero.

Known Powers:
Magnetic Control (Polaris is able to use his magnetic powers to control metal, shape it to his whim, even make it explode. This can be interfered with when exposed to extreme heat. If he concentrates, he can create a localised magnetic storm, completely disrupting all electricity in the area and rendering most machines inoperable.)

Paibok

A Skrull working for Despero as one of his Lieutenants. Formerly an espionage agent for the Empire, he was charged with infiltrating Despero's ranks. He, however, had no idea that Despero's Pyre gave him the ability to read minds and he was immediately captured. Despero then made him a deal "Work for me, or die." Seeing that the writing was on the wall, he agreed.

Known Powers:
Super Strength
Super Durability
Super Stamina
Flight (Can sprout wings from his back at will)
Shapeshifting
Hypnosis
Elemental Energy Blasts (Ice and Electricity)
Steel Skin transformation

Bakin

The Spaceknights of Galadoria are an ancient and sacred order, sworn to don the sacred armour and fight the evil scourge known as The Dire Wraiths at every turn. Sometimes, they go rogue. Bakin spent years hunting Dire Wraiths on a world full of evil. He soon began to question why he even bothered, since the Wraiths were usually nicer than the people they were replacing. He abandoned his position and became a bounty hunter, hunting and killing the real evils in the world. Every so often, hunting the Dire Wraiths come back into his crosshairs. He enjoys this as it feels nostalgic.

Known Weapons:
Neutralizer (A Special weapon designed to send Dire Wraiths to Limbo, but also has a high-energy kill setting)
Analyzer (Built into the helmet of his, the Analyzer allows him to see shapeshifters in their true form, mainly used for finding Dire Wraiths, but also usable in tracking down other shapeshifters)
Plandanium Armour (Armour worn by all SpaceKnights, the armour is nie indestructible and self-repairing, it grants him the following powers:)
Super Strength
Super Durability
Flight
Omni-Survivability

S A M P L E P O S T:

It had been a good day for Officer Stewart. Nothing particularly bad had happened. Special Victims was usually a hellish beat, full of rape victims and abused children, but today had been good. One of his "Victims" kidnap victims had turned out to be a hoax from a dissatisfied foster child (Best possible outcome) He had finally gotten a search warrant for a pedophile's house and best of all, the lady at the sandwich shop slipped an extra gherkin into his sandwich without charging. Walking into the station, he nodded to the secretary and smiled as he headed to the elevator. Getting inside, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was going to be a quiet evening of paperwork, the best kind. The lift played the latest cheesy top-40's pop song that had been annoying him for the last 2 months, but he was determined to not let that spoil a perfectly good day. The door opened and he saw, charging towards him, a beaten and bloodied teen. "4532! GET THAT KID!!!" Yelled another officer. 4532 was the code for escaped suspect. Stewart lunged forward, spearing the kid almost out of his shoes and getting him on the ground.

"OOOOOOOH!!!" The kid wheezed "Ya got me..." John began to get up, before realizing who it was he had just brutally tackled.

"Hal?" He asked.

"Sorry, officer, i didn't get the plates..." He groaned as a pair of officers ran up and turned him over, putting cuffs on him.

"Look, Hal, i'm sorry, instincts. Look, boys, what did he do?" He asked. One of the officers looked at John.

"Vigilantism, Theft and resisting arrest."

"Ok, i did 1 and 3, but-" John glared at Hal

"NOT ANOTHER WORD!!!" He grunted. "I'll book him in, i'll get him talking. For the love of god, tell me you read him Miranda?" He asked. The officers nodded. "Again, Hal?" He asked as he pushed Hal towards the booking office.

****

Hal sat in the interrogation room, looking around at the four walls and the 2-way mirror. He had a pair of bloodied tissues up his nose, blood dried on his forehead and a blackening eye and an ice-pack on his head. "COME ON!!! I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!!!" He yelled. The door opened and John walked in.

"For crying out loud, Hal, what did you do this time?" He asked, walking over and sitting down. Hal just stared.

"Look-"

"Hal, i can't keep protecting you like this. Vigilantism, despite what the Media would have you believe is a crime."

"Bu-"

"Hal, look at me!" John ordered. Hal looked him in the eye. "Is your name Batman? Is your name Captain America? Is your name Supergirl? When it is, then i'll start looking the other way on these Vigilantism charges. As for Theft-"

"No!" Hal slammed his fist on the table. "Look, i have done a lot of shitty things in my 15 years on this planet, but i have NEVER stolen anything from anyone!"

"The officer who you lifted the keys from in that Steve McQueen impression begs to differ-"

"Besides the point, i didn't steal anything other than that today" He sighed.

"The report says that you were found with an... Emerald ring?" John asked.

"Yep, and i didn't steal it." Hal replied, burying his face in his hands.

"You found it?" Laughed John.

"Nope..." Hal replied. "It found me." John stared at him with a face that said Well, that's a new one for me "Yeah, i wouldn't believe me either..." He groaned. "But i've got proof." John continued to stare, his poker face not relenting. "That ring was put in evidence, correct?" John flicked through the report.

"Yyyyyyyyes." He replied.

"Then would you kindly explain why it's in my pocket?" He asked, pulling it out of his pocket. John got up and instinctively grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and closed it around the ring in Hal's hand. .

"THE HELL DID YOU DO!?!?!?" He roared. "YOU BROKE INTO EVIDENCE?!?!?" John was clearly fuming, despite Hal not changing his face.

"Nope, i was locked to that chair for half an hour, then i got the keys and immediately bolted for the door. I never had any time to break into evidence. Plus, how many locks are on that door?" He asked. John's face was now just confused. "Alright, now put it in your pocket and walk out..." He said. John was confused, but complied, wrapping up the ring, he put it in his pocket, before walking out. He then looked in through the mirror and saw Hal hold up his hand, dangling the ring in it. John stormed back in.

"How did you do that?" He growled.

"Magic." John looked at him with angered disbelief this time. "Alright, let me tell you the story."

****

2 Hours Ago

Hal walked down an alley on his way back to his current squat, whistling. It was a little cold at this time of the year. He heard someone yelling around the corner and immediately set off at a run. Rounding the corner, he saw an old man being beaten by a man whilst the other one grabbed his wallet. "Hey, leave him alone." The 2 men looked at him, one of them grabbed a pipe. "You want to take on someone, try me, i got more cash than him." Hal yelled. The 2 men ran towards him, Hal ran towards them as well.

Dodging under a swing from the pipe, Hal pressed his feet firmly on the ground, before pressing forward and lunging into the mans chest, tackling him to the ground. As he leaned up and punched the man he tackled across the face, he was grabbed from behind, under his arms. He instinctively went limp, letting his hands flail a little as he tried to slip through the grasp, but it was futile and he was dragged off, before the man he tackled got back up and punched him in the face, before grabbing the pipe and delivering one last blow, leaving Hal on the floor, blood spirting from his forehead, he coughed heavily, a hoarse cough. He tried to crawl to the wall, trying to get up.

"STAY DOWN!" The man called, smacking the pipe into Hal's back and he fell down the wall, before trying to get up again. "Tell you what, this kid doesn't quit. Think you're fucking Iron Man or something?" He asked. He tried to get up again as the pipe went into the back of his skull, smacking his nose into brick, he fell down coughing again, this time, a little vomit came out. Blood spraying from his nose. Hal tried to get up again, the world going dark. Then suddenly bright.

"So this is what death feels like..." He giggled in his throes. Then it went Green "Wait, that's different..." Suddenly, everthing felt good... The pain started to melt away.

"HAL JORDAN, I SENSE GREAT WILL IN YOUR HEART! SAY THE OATH AND JOIN OUR RANKS!!!"

Hal opened his mouth as his eyes started to glow

"In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night
No Evil Shall Escape My Sight
Let Those Who Worship Evil's Might
Beware My Power, Green Lantern's Light!!!"

Hal suddenly was stood, staring at the men, his clothes were different. One of the Men began to run. Hal put his hand forward and, bursting from the ring, was a giant hand that streamed forward and wrapped around the man, before pulling him back and hitting his partner in crime with him. The two men sprawled onto the floor. One got up and swung the pipe at him, A Green sword appeared and shattered the pipe in his hands, before another fist appeared and the mugger was down for the count. Hal stood shaking, he looked at his hand and saw the green ring. He pulled it off and the light disappeared, his clothes going back to the bloody, slightly vomit-soiled mess they were previously. At that point, a pair of police rushed into the alley.

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" Yelled one of them, pointing his gun at them. Hal threw the ring down and one of the cops grabbed it with a handkerchief and put it into a ziplock bag, before cuffing Hal. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before we ask you any questions..."

****

John stared at him again. "What the fuck was that?" He asked.

"Well, if you let me put the ring on, i can prove it-"

"NO!" John grabbed Hal's hand. "Do NOT put that on... Look, i don't know if it is Magic or not, but if you put that on then there's nothing i can do to protect you..." John buried his face in his hands "Alright... Here's the deal... I can reduce the Vigilantism to Defense of Another, i can get the Theft dropped, but you shouldn't have run. Resisting Arrest is only a Misdemeanor, so nothing that will keep you out of the Military, but i will need to turn you over to your foster parents-"

"No deal!" Hal yelped.

"It's that or bye-bye Air-Force." John growled. Hal flexed his fingers in thought.

"What if-"

"You don't get it, do you?" Asked John "There's no negotiation in this, i'm handing you a Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card. You can take it or leave it."

"I can't go back to them..." Hal groaned. "My "Dad" is going to kill me because i set his weed plants on fire."

"Weed as in..."

"Cannabis, Ganja, Kush, Hash, whatever you call it, smokey-feel-good." John stared daggers at Hal.

"If you're lying-"

"It's Bye-Bye Air-Force, i know." Hal leaned back and crossed his arms. John got up and walked to the door, looking out and seeing that nobody was watching. He walked back to the desk and sat down.

"Mention this ring to no-one. There are some fucked up stories going around with what happens to people with things like that..."

"What about the other guys, they'll say i-"

"It was Supergirl... Or The Flash... Claim it was anyone else, do not let anyone else know who you are and what you can do. In the meantime... I'm going to get on to investigating your fosters. You'll be held in custody whilst we decide the next course of action." He got up and walked out. "Chin up..." He replied, as he was closing the door.

****

2 weeks later

Hal sat in an office. Today was the day that he would meet his new Foster parents. He sat at the desk and let out a sigh. He was already making plans for an escape. The door opened. "Hal, this is Thomas." the Social Worker said. "We know that you have had a real problem with multiple authority figures, so we thought that a single parent might be more your speed." The man that walked in was not what Hal expected.

"Hello, Hal. It's nice to meet you." The man said with an emotionless face. "Can we have a moment alone?" He asked. The Social worked smiled and nodded, before leaving the room. Thomas walked over to the door and made sure the woman wasn't looking in. She had gone to get a coffee "Alright, Hal, let me level with you, i'm not a foster parent." He said.

"Thank god?" Hal asked with a confused expression. "Or is this one of those "Waking up in a bathtub full of ice without my liver" things?" Thomas stared at him, not understanding what he was saying.

"I'm like you." He said, completely ignoring what Hal had just asked. He showed him the Golden Ring

"I... Don't know..."

"In brightest day, in blackest night..." Thomas said.

"You know? Are you a Green Lantern too?" He asked.

"No, you are THE Green Lantern. I'm the Gold Lantern."

"Gold is so much cooler than green..." Hal sighed.

"I was the leader of the Lanterns until recently, when your predecessor was killed. The Rings look for those most worthy to wield them. You have been chosen. If you want to know more, then you tell that social worker that you're happy to come home with me... If you want me to take the ring and give it to someone else, give you your life back, I can do that... Your choice." For Hal, time stopped. What the hell was he supposed to do? If he went with this man then he was opening up the pandora's box that he couldn't close... The door opened and Hal launched himself into Thomas' arms, embracing him in a hug.

"I love you, daddy!" He yelled. The Social Worker dropped her coffee.

P O S T C A T L O G:

A list linking to your IC posts as they're created. This can be used for a reference guide to your character or to summarize completed arcs and stories.

@mattmanganon

All five of the above character sheets have been accepted. Please post your sheets in the character tab and feel free to begin your first IC post whenever is convenient.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Look at all these shiny sheets and pretty posts!

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

So I always kinda had the plan to rebuild the LOSH in a kind of reimagined way, is there any objections to any of those chars being used? Aside from like Supergirl and Superman who I think were honorary anyway. I saw the X-Men was a group played by just one person, so I assume it's fine, but is there a cap on the number of chars I can use? Thinking about it I probably should have verified this before my app lmao, but tbh I don't think many people know or care about LOSH ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@Ceta de Cloyes

If you don't want to spoil anything here, could you maybe PM @Inkarnate, @Saint Maxx and I? We're a little lost on what you mean by reimagining when the sheet has the LOSH as canon in the future.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

And the award for best quip goes to...

"I was building military grade weaponry before I got my first erection, asshat."

@webboysurf

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Danke !

@Ceta de Cloyes

Welcome!

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

@Inkarnate@Lord Wraith Do we have a solid location for Metropolis? I've been assuming Delaware but I've also heard everywhere from Jersey to Massachusetts.

@Ceta de Cloyes

Gotham is New Jersey, Metropolis is Delaware.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Oh I understand that, just messing around with my choice of words. I'm not gonna try and go full on OC on y'all. If I was, I'd post my own Interest Check

@KiwiTime

No worries, just figured I'd be clear just in case. Had a few cases of people applying as OCs so better to make sure you're aware up front then let you waste time on a CS I can't accept. Glad to see this was not the case.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Y'all still looking? I've yet to know who I want to try out as other than some shoddy spider-gwen knockoff, but y'all already have a web slinger so I'm now reliving my childhood to see who I want to try out.

@KiwiTime

We're still accepting applications yes, just keep in mind only applications for canon characters are being accepted. While you're allowed a certain degree of reimaging, the character should still be recognizable so a 'knockoff' wouldn't be considered but an alternate take would be.