Lord Wraith

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

I’ll be there.

@GreenGrenade

Looking forward to seeing what you've got cooking up!

Wraith's Little Workshop of Horrors

Batman Draft

_PLACEHOLDER

One Night to Kill the Bat #2.00: Prologue

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^"Knock, _knock.”

Warren McGinnis raised his head from his desk, turning towards the source of the interruption. His expression softened once he realized the speaker had been his son. Letting out an exhausted sigh. Warren was overworked and underpaid. He gave Terry an apologetic look before responding.

“Any chance it can wait, Terry?” Warren asked, “I’m swamped with work right now.”

“I’ve got to go out,” Terry replied, his tone leaving little room for argument. It was Terry’s hope that his overworked father would roll over and accept his statement.

He was wrong.

“Absolutely not,” Warren McGinnis responded looking up from his work. “You’re grounded, remember?”

“I already told you I didn’t start that fight-” Terry protested but he knew by the way his father was shaking his head that Warren simply wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Letting out a snort of deficiency, Terry prepared to dig his heels in while he waited on his father’s response.

“I’m sure I’ll hear all about it when we meet with your counsellor.” Warren retorted, “Again.” He added, rubbing his forehead in a clear display of frustration.

“Terry, it’s bad enough that I have a son who spent time in juvenile detention before his sixteenth birthday, but then you can’t even manage to avoid getting into yet another fight? On your first week back to school no less.”

“Mom would hear me out!” Terry snapped back. He knew he had hit one of his father’s buttons by bringing up his mother the moment Warren pushed his chair back from the desk and turned to face Terry directly.

“You’re not living with your mother.” Warren’s tone was almost malicious. Terry could practically see the man’s back bristling at the mention of his ex-wife.

“You don’t have to remind me!” Terry’s resentment was clear with each word. He hadn’t meant to yell but something inside him snapped the minute his father had responded. For a brief second, it felt as though his vision turned red and Terry raised a fist. He wanted to hit his father, but something stopped him. Turning on his heel, Terry swung a right hook towards the wall, the drywall breaking under the impact as white dust covered his forearm.

“See!” Warren yelled barely keeping his own tone level. “That your problem right there! You can’t control your temper and you’d better learn if you ever expect to get anywhere that’s not back to juvie hall!”

“Oh yeah, I’ll be a big success alright,” Terry retorted dryly, motioning towards the humble furnishings around him.

“Just.Like.You.” Terry’s tone was absolutely venomous. His father was a chemical engineer, employed by ACE Chemicals even before it was purchased by Paxton Powers. But despite his years of service and education, he had failed to amount much of a personal fortune. Add to that child support and his divorce from Mary, Warren wasn’t the picture of success he preached.

“Nevermind, y’know what? I’m bailing anyways.” Terry muttered, walking away from his speechless father. Grabbing his jacket, the teenager exited the townhouse without another word to his father.

“Terry, wait! Come back!” Warren called but it was too late. Terry was already across the street by the time he made it to the open door. With a heavy sigh, Warren returned to his study and slumped back down into his chair. He could only shake his head before resigning to continue his interrupted work.

Catching the suspended monorail that circled most of Gotham, Terry made good time traveling from his home to the club Dana had texted him about before the fight with his father. Upon arriving at the stop near the club, Terry was surprised to find the line outside of the club was longer than he had anticipated.

Stepping off of the monorail, he began to descend the steel-deck stairs towards the sidewalk below. Between the grates, Terry noticed a familiar pair of heads in the line below as the voice of none other than Chelsea Cunningham could be heard above the music echoing out of the club and onto the street.

“Dana, how many more times does Terry have to go to juvie for you to realize you’re dating a loser? He’s an absolute dreg, Dee!” Chelsea chided while the two girls stood in line, completely oblivious that Terry was currently descending the stairs above them. He could feel his ears begin to burn at each additional word Chelsea said, his hands balling into fists before Terry forced himself to relax his grip.

The anger was quickly replaced by shame. His father’s words echoed in his ears, each ringing syllable a stinging reminder that Terry was once again in the wrong. He stopped on the stairs, stepping to the side to lean on the rail. Closing his eyes, Terry inhaled deeply, trying to release all the negative emotions he felt. Tonight was for fun, and tomorrow he’d apologize to his father.

“You have to think about your reputation, girl!” Look at me,” She continued, pausing to point towards herself. Terry’s attention was brought back towards the two girls. Watching Chelsea, Tery couldn’t stop himself from shaking his head, his eyes practically rolling into the back of his skull as he watched the girl vainly flick her blonde hair aside before speaking again.

“I’m the cheer captain dating the quarterback, ‘cause like y’know, he’s my social equal. Like, Dee, you can’t have Terry dragging you down! That’s so un-schway! And it’s not like there aren’t even plenty of other scrumptious boytoys around.” She stated, gesturing towards the crowded long line around them.

“You’ve got Duke Thomas if basketball is more your thing or Carter Wilson if for some ratchet reason you’re more into brains than brawn. Hell, Dee, even Nelson Nash would be a step up from Terry McGinnis.”

“Terry’s sweet, Chels,” Dana protested while Terry sighed in relief. It was always reassuring to know that your girlfriend did in fact have your back. “He just needs someone to help keep him on the straight and narrow.” Dana explained prompting Chelsea to cross her arms in front of her.

“After everything with your brother, figured the last thing you’d want in a boyfriend is a gang membership.” She scoffed, clearly not pleased with Dana’s logic.

“It’s not the same with Terry,” Dana argued back, “Doug went looking for trouble, Terry was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“They don’t give you three months in juvie for loitering, Dee.” Chelsea retorted dryly, before crossing her arms. “Charlie Bigelow got thrown in Blackgate for three years because of what he and Terry were mixed up in.”

“Because of what Charlie was mixed up in,” Dana replied, stressing the name of the older teen. “Terry wasn’t part of it, he was in the wrong place because he trusted Charlie.” She added, her own stance equally as standoffish. The two girls stared each other down for what felt like an eon until an arm unexpectedly appeared around Dana’s shoulders shoulders. Startled, she jumped before looking up to see a familiar face.

“Hey, Baby,” Terry smiled, giving Dana a slight squeeze while pulling her closer as the petite girl began to relax.

“I didn’t think you’d be able to make it, McGinnis.” Chelsea sneered, not even attempting to hide the disdain in her voice.

“Got off early for good behaviour,” Terry replied with a wink clearly determined to ignore Chelsea’s tone.

“I, for one, am glad you’re here.” Dana replied, placing a hand on Terry’s cheek to pull his lips down to meet hers. Straightening up, a smile stretched across the entirety of Terry’s face. Before that moment, Terry had never done drugs before but he could have sworn he was having an out of body experience in that instant. Coming back down to earth, Terry looked at the line around the trio. His brow crinkled in frustration.

“What’s with this line?” He asked the pair of girls, “Have we even moved?”

“It’s the hottest scene in town right now,” Dana stated, “It’s kind of expected we’d be waiting outside awhile.”

“Did you get him to bring the fake IDs?” Chelsea interjected, batting her eyelashes sarcastically towards Terry.

“Because I have the hook-up to get fake IDs.” Terry replied dryly while both Dana and Chelsea turned to stare at him. Letting out a long sigh, he pulled out his jacket and reached inside withdrawing the forged driver licenses and dispensing them to the two girls.

The sound of screeching tires took the three teenagers attention away from the unmoving line for a moment. Looking towards the red sports car that came to a sudden stop, the driver climbed out of the driver set with a smug smile across his face. Running a hand across his short orange hair, the letter jacket clad individual was none other than Nelson Nash.

Terry made a fist, taking a step forward only for Dana to hold him back.

“Whoa, down boy.” She muttered before leaning in closer to whisper in Terry’s ear. “He’s here with Chelsea.”

“Seriously?” Terry blurted in response.

The echo of several other tires screeching drowned out anything Dana said in response as a group of gaudy coloured motorcycles rounded into view. Terry clenched his jaw, studying the approaching gang, one word repeating over and over in his mind.

Jokerz.

When his former best friend, Charlie Bigelow, had dragged Terry out to try and join the Sons of Batman, the Jokerz had been the gang’s largest rival. Perhaps it was their choice of legacy imagery, perhaps one side had started it. Nevertheless, Terry had fought with more than enough Jokerz to last a lifetime. He certainly wasn’t looking forward to chancing them ruining his night.

“This is your fault.” Chelsea said accusingly towards Terry seemingly reading into his thoughts, “I don’t know how, but this is your fault that they’re here.”

“They’re the Jokerz, Chelsea.” Terry replied coolly, rolling his eyes at Chelsea. “They go anywhere they can make a scene.”

Turning back towards the unfolding scene. Nelson was yelling now. One of the Jokerz had drove his motorcycle onto the roof of Nash’s car. Unfortunately, it had elicited laughter from many of those in line, which meant the other Jokerz were now demanding payment for their ‘entertainment services.’

It was the usual shake down, but Terry wasn’t in the mood to be humored. He however was happy to finally have a target to direct his anger towards. Dana must have sensed his angry because she turned her eyes towards him, concern filled her face. Her hand found its way to his, tugging him backwards. Terry relaxed, taking the hint.

Then Dana was grabbed from behind.

“Tickle, tickle!” The clown sneered, running his hands up and down Dana’s sides. “C’mon, I see that grin, let me hear you laugh, babygirl.” But clown’s chortling was unexpectedly cut short.

“Y’know what always makes me laugh.”

Taking ahold of the gang member assaulting Dana, Terry spun the clown around. Bringing his face towards his own before delivering a swift hook across the Jokerz’s jaw. A tooth flew through the air, hitting the ground seconds after the clown himself.

“A good punchline.”

A hush fell over the crowd before a sudden a howl of laughter filled the air. Member after member of the gang joined in until it sounded like a pack of hyenas. Every gang member outside the club turned to look towards Terry.

Pushing Dana behind him, Terry raised his fists. Shooting Nelson a quick glance, the jock shook his head before shrugging.

“You’re on your own, McGinnis.”

Typical.

Terry wasn’t left with a whole lot of options. He was outnumbered and he was definitely outgunned. He couldn’t win this fight and Terry knew that. Best case scenario? He could lead the Jokerz away from Dana and the rest of the crowd. Which meant he needed a method of escape. Eyeing up the red sport bike discarded on the side-walk, Terry began to form a plan.

As the first clown decided to approach, Terry rushed forward. Driving his shoulder into the gang member’s stomach., Terry allowed himself a smug smirk while the man let out a winded groan. Following up with a knee to the groin, Terry took any remaining fight out of the man.

A rush of air brushed past the side of Terry’s head. Twisting to the side, he narrowly avoided being struck by a baseball bat. Rolling past the woman swinging the weapon around, Terry swept her feet out from under her. The Jokerz member hit the ground hard allowing Terry the shortest of seconds to breathe before he continued to move towards his goal.

Grabbing ahold of the motorcycle’s handlebars, Terry turned them sharply before throwing his weight into the vehicle. Using the wheel as a pivot point, he erected the bike before jumping onto the saddle. With a twist of his wrist, he revved the engine to life. The back tire squealed loudly as the motorcycle reared into the air from the sudden acceleration.

However, this wasn’t Terry’s first time on a bike. Regaining control, he pushed the front end down, biting into the asphalt beneath. With a tap of his foot, he put the vehicle into gear, shifting higher with each whine of the engine. Each twist of Terry’s wrist put more and more distance between the club and himself.

For the briefest of moments, Terry worried his plan to draw the Jokerz away from the club hadn’t worked. He slowed on the accelerator, preparing to turn the bike around. Then came the angry swarm of several similar motorcycles giving chase.

Gearing back up quickly, Terry knew if he continued through the city, the Jokerz would eventually overtake him. They were out running these streets every night. They knew every shortcut, every alley and every ambush spot. If Terry had any chance of escaping he’d need to lead them out of the city.

Guiding the motorcycle onto the exit for the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge, Terry opened the engine up. Traffic was relatively light at this time of night, which was both a blessing and a curse. It allowed him to go faster than he would have been able to on a crowded street, but it also enabled the Jokerz more lieuway than they would have normally had.

Dirt flew through the air in all directions. Having crossed the bridge, Terry took the corner at the bottom of the Bristol exit faster than he should have. The bike drifted off of the pavement, biting into the sandy shoulder, threatening to buck its rider at any moment. Still, Terry held on, taking the exit for a road whose sign had been overgrown long ago.

His near spill had provided the Jokerz the seconds they needed to close the gap. Their headlights were nearly blinding in Terry’s side mirrors. Taking a split second to look backwards, Terry turned forward too late to notice an old man in the middle of the dark road.

Cranking the handle bars hard, Terry nearly laid the motorcycle flat. The bike slid across the ground, coming to a halt against a tall brick wall. Numerous sets of brakes squealed in unison as the Jokerz came to a stop. They quickly surrounded Terry before the one Terry had initially punched stepped forward, cracking his knuckles loudly.

“I always did like a good, dirty joke.” He jeered, looking Terry up and down. “And it looks like you’re good and dirty now.”

“Hoo, hoo hoo!” Another clown hollered. “The no-fun boy had a little spill!”

“Let’s put a smile on his face.” Another chimed in, the blade of his knife reflecting the light of the full moon above them.

“Leave him alone!” A grizzled voice like a bad Clint Eastwood impression called through the shadows. Stepping forward, the old man who Terry had swerved to avoid directed the Jokerz’s attention to him. “And get off my property. You’re trespassing.”

“Ooh!” A young Jokerz giggled. “Is that right?”

“It’s okay,” Terry replied dismissively, “I can handle this.” But it was too late, the clowns had already turned their focus to the man leaning heavily on a cane.

“Tsk, tsk, you don’t want any part of this, old timer.” The one with the knife stated, brandishing the blade towards the other man. The one Terry had punched turned away from and approached the older man. Raising a hand, he began jabbing a finger mockingly into the other man’s chest.

“Who do you think you’re talking to, ya geezer. We’re the Jokerz!”

“Sure you are.” The older man sneered in response. A smirk spreading across his face before he took hold of the younger man’s wrist. A snap echoed through the night air followed by a howl of pain. Driving his cane into the Jokerz’ stomach, the man wasted no time. He followed up with a swift blow to the back of the clown’s head, dropping the man to the ground.

>Joker fight
>Bruce Wayne meeting

“Man,” Terry let out a sigh of relief, “You’re something.” He stated, the admiration swelling in his voice. “I’ve never seen anyon-”

The older man was struggling to breathe.

>Taking Bruce inside,
>Discover Batcave
>Kicked out
>Scene outside home

Terry burst into his father’s apartment, falling to his knees. His eyes danced in their sockets, trying to take in the chaos. The furniture was strewn about the room, flipped or smashed to splinters. A single light bulb remained unbroken. Even in its dim glow, Terry could make out the neon graffiti painted across every wall. The Jokerz’ obnoxiously scrawled ‘HA HA HA’s were audible in his racing mind. Terry placed a hand to his stomach, trying not to look away, before inching toward the unmoving body in the center of the room.

“….Dad?”

The body of Warren McGinnis lay completely still. His clothing was torn, his body bloodied and covered in bruises. Several teeth were strewn across the carpet, lying in the bloodstains on either side of Terry’s father. Acid crawled up his throat, followed by a gurgle as Terry willed himself not to vomit on his father.

How did this--? When did the Jokerz--? ‘Why?’

“Why didn’t you save me, son?” Terry nearly jumped out of his skin, skittering backwards at the sound of his father’s voice. The body sat up. The empty smile of Warren’s face looked toward Terry before speaking again.

“Why didn’t you save me, Terry?”

Terry’s heart was in his throat. Using the nearby wall to stand, Terry turned to leave the apartment only to be stopped by his mother and brother. Both of their faces were marred with glasgow smiles, hollow eye sockets looking up at Terry before speaking in unison.

“You can’t save any of us, Terry.”

Words refused to come out of Terry’s mouth as he jumped back. Suddenly tripping over something, he was forced to look up to the face of Bruce Wayne, smiling down at him.

“You can’t even save yourself, Terry.” The old man growled. Pushing himself along his back on the carpet, Terry desperately tried to escape the haunting images of his family and employer. Managing to get onto his feet, Terry noticed too late the petite figure with raven hair before running into her.

Turning around, Terry was face to face with Dana. He exhaled and his hands found her face. Gently caressing it, he was relieved to find something familiar in all of this. She looked up at him, her doe-like brown eyes widening with her smile before she opened her mouth to speak. For a second Terry felt his own smile return. Until she began to scream unexpectedly.

Terry clutched his ears and stumbled as Dana continued her banshee-like wail. The skin on her face began to melt away, exposing ivory glimpses of skull underneath. Her eyes fell out of their sockets, while her jaw slowly lowered before unhinging with a loud ‘CRACK’. Dana’s tongue suddenly snaked out of her mouth, running along the side of Terry’s face, mirroring his caress of her own face moments earlier. The tongue whipped back inside the dislocated jaw before a chorus-like voice called out from within her.

“TE_ERR^RY!” Dana screamed, stumbling towards the young man all the while he tried to move further and further away. Strong, bony hands suddenly wrapped around Terry’s arms and torso. Looking to either side, Terry found himself looking into the empty eyes that belonged to both his father and Bruce Wayne. Dana screamed again, still moving closer.

“TE_ERR^RY!”

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ A DC & MARVEL SINGULAR UNIVERSE ROLEPLAY ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

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^{◼ G M: Lord Wraith ◼ G E N R E: Fandom ◼ T Y P E: Sandbox with linear and Collaborative Arcs}

^{"We all wish we had super powers."
"We all wish we could do more than we can do."
S T A N L E E ( 1 9 2 2 - 2 0 1 8 )}

I N T R O D U C T I O N:

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Welcome fans of Marvel, DC and all comics alike. Absolute Comics is a sandbox based RP that seeks to merge and mix the lore of your favourite DC and Marvel characters into one living cohesive world. The idea behind this RP is not to embody our favourite heroes to simply retell iconic stories and origins but to take these characters and make them our own. In fact, the goal of the RP is for players to take their favourite characters and re-imagine them to tell their own stories. We only ask that the 'heart' of the character remains the same. Players will take the roles of their favourite characters and tell stories either alone or in collaboration with other players in order to develop and grow the world.

Absolute Comics has been going strong since March of this year and is now coming to the conclusion of its first season. Going into the second season, we're looking to recruit some new players. Players are encouraged to review the current roster to ensure their ideas are viable before applying. It should be noted that anyone listed under inactive or withdrawn can be applied for if the player is interested in continuing that character/story.

If any of this interests you, please feel free to apply in the thread.

P R E M I S E:

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The world of Absolute Comics is a singular universe comprised of both the DC Comics and Marvel Comics universes. How heavily mixed these elements are is dependent upon the players as the world and its lore is shaped by you and your stories. Do Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark know each other? Has Lady Shiva trained with Danny Rand? Have Thor and Superman going toe to toe? These are questions for you to ask yourself and it can only be answered as the RP unfolds, sharing not only your vision but that of the other players.

In-game history is decided on a first-come, first-serve basis. However, it should not be designed in a manner which locks out another player from taking on a favourite role. To give an example, if a player applies as Dick Grayson before an application has been received for Bruce Wayne, then the player applying as Grayson can decide to portray Dick as Robin, Nightwing or even Batman. No matter which of these roles the Grayson player chooses, it has an effect on a future Bruce Wayne player.

Due to the inclusive nature of the roleplay, a Bruce Wayne player would have to craft their CS to reflect a Bruce who allows for opportunities for a Grayson player or other notable members of the Bat-family. For instance, if the Grayson player chooses to be Nightwing, then the Bruce Wayne player will need to portray an older Batman. Even if a ‘Dick-Bats’ could block a player from playing Bruce Wayne as Batman, it shouldn’t necessarily block Bruce Wayne as a character. If so desired by both parties, a Batman Inc. like scenario could even be worked out.

A major change to Absolute from the previous iteration is that the IC will be divided into three types of play. Like most 'One Universe' roleplays, players will be encouraged to write and create their own 'Chapters', solo stories that follow their character in whichever point in their career they so choose. 'Crossovers' will be player-coordinated events which run alongside 'Chapters'.

Crossovers are available to any player to create and coordinate, and there will never be a lockout on Crossovers allowing as many players as desired to participate. These events will range from a city-wide to national level pending the ongoing events and players involved. Intended for players who thrive on group interaction, Crossovers will act as a more traditional roleplay, thus sating the needs of those who need a break from solo 'Chapter' writing.

Lastly, there will be 'Crises', these Crises will be GM organized and potentially universe-wide and will change the status quo of the entire game as needed or desired. This can be used to re-align players by challenging their personal beliefs, open gateways to the multiverse, repel alien invasions or even a total rebirth of the roster to allow new players to take up roles which have been abandoned with a completely clean slate.

It is important to remember that interaction, much like any role-play, is the bread and butter of the game. To that end, players are encouraged to work together not only to create Crossovers but also during Crises to better determine a mutually desired outcome for all those involved. Classic teams ups such as Batman and Robin or Wolverine and Hawkeye are always welcome but don't forget, this is a One Universe Rp where the Devil of Hell's Kitchen can work alongside Gotham's Dark Knight.

T H E C O N T I N U I N G S T O R Y:

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Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within, picks up after the events of Season One: Gods Among Men. Throughout Season One, the world of Absolute was established through each player's narrative arcs. In this new world, the status quo has been shaken to its core. In a world that has never had Superman, WONDER WOMAN was the first superhero to go public.

Appearing during the First World War, Wonder Woman was later joined by the likes of CAPTAIN AMERICA and CAPTAIN MARVEL who fought alongside her during the Second World War. Despite this alliance, the age of heroes did not come from this time. Though the three heroes would go on to inspire the creation of a 'Justice Society,' all would just as suddenly fade from both the public's eye and its memory. Still, the idea persisted, and some would again follow the example set by those who came before them. Throughout the seventies and eighties, rumours flourished of a 'BATMAN' terrorizing Gotham's underworld. While in the decade that followed, message boards across the early internet were set aflame with fear. Fear caused by the metahuman scare that rapidly spread across North America and then the world. Children of the 'Atom,' the general populace feared these so-called 'freaks,' these 'mutants.' In some ways, they were right to.

The most powerful of them were Gods Among Men. At the height of this scare, a young man by the name of Charles Xavier decided to combat ignorance and dedicated his life to the study metahumans and their meta-gene. While across the country, a man with the ability to wield lightning protected the streets of Dakota until his disappearance in the 2000s.

In the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States, Wonder Woman came out of retirement. Returning when America needed her the most, Wonder Woman went on to become a global figure. She dedicated her time to lending aid to those in need, all while the United Nations kept a close eye on her activity. While the general populace admired the heroine, the government feared what she could accomplish if she ever chose to side against them.

Wonder Woman was soon followed by others like her. It was a slow-burning fuse, but it would quickly lead to an inferno. In the late 2000s, an alien pod was sighted over the skies of Delaware. This was the harbinger, the herald of an era to come.

An era of hope.

It began with the first sightings of the woman the media would go on to dub SUPERGIRL. A young hero who unlike Wonder Woman, was not associated with war. Rumours of the Batman resurfaced in Gotham while New York was plagued by menace dubbed SPIDER-MAN.

In fact, New York quickly became a breeding ground for these so-called 'superheroes.' Xavier's team of X-MEN soon descended upon the city to clear the good name of metahumans everywhere, while another group of TITANS banded together, united by common goals and needs. Hell's Kitchen is under the protection of a man without fear known only as the DAREDEVIL. Down on Bleecker Street, under the tutelage of the Sorcerer Supreme, the young MAGIK protects that which lies behind the mystic veil.

Even Boston has recently had a hero to call its own, as the odd flying craft belonging to the BLUE BEETLE has been spotted numerous times over its streets. The city of Dakota is now home to both STATIC and VIXEN. Central City has adopted a hero known only as the FLASH while a new GREEN ARROW has appeared to rescue Star City.

Appearing in the swamps of Florida, the Sky God, BAAL found himself in a world not his own and lacking the majority of his power. To the south, Jump City is under the protection of a group of displaced aliens known collectively as the LEGION while out in the coldness of space, a human and god have united to create the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.

Apart, each of these heroes has fought against vicious foes, some more powerful than even they themselves are. But together, they united to stop a threat meant to frame metahumans as terrorists. Led by the mysterious STRYFE, the 'Metahuman Supremacy Front' unleashed a horde of nanoscopic drones which upon embedded in a victim, drove the host into a frenzy. Based on a mysteriously reversed engineered technology from Stagg Enterprises, the drones were made to mimic a metahuman attack. Fortunately for all involved, the timely intervention of the heroes saved the day.

Or at the very least, postponed a larger threat.

S O U R C E M A T E R I A L:

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As previously mentioned this roleplay allows players to draw upon characters from not only the Marvel and DC Universes but other characters may be considered on a case by case basis if they fit the tone and feel of the game, however, priority will be given to characters who originate from Marvel and DC comics. Your character concept can be based on any iteration of the character, and can start from any point in their career as there won't be one date isolated as 'Zero Year'.

What this means for you as a player is that the world's Spider-Man could currently be Miles Morales, Iron Man could be replaced by Iron Heart, Batman could be Terry McGinnis. This also means that some heroes might just be starting out, perhaps the Teen Titans were just formed? Maybe Scott Summers just found out he was a mutant? The changes and possibilities are near endless but are sure to create a unique world for us to tell our own takes on these 'modern myths'.

G A M E P L A Y:

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CHAPTERS:

Chapters are the stories told by the players themselves for whichever characters they have chosen to portray. This is the bread and butter of the RP, driving it forward and filling out the world as each player tells their stories and builds the setting that directly impacts their character. A chapter could be as short as a single post, to a story spanning over thirty posts. Think of a chapter as an episode of a television show or a single comic issue.

It is essentially that all players contribute their own 'Chapters' to the IC and drive their characters independently. Equally it is important to read other player's 'Chapters' and making note of significant events or even just 'broadcasted' ones to reference and relate to within your own posts. Small efforts like this go a long way in making the world feel alive and connected.

CROSSOVERS:

Crossovers are the icing on the cake, keeping players invested through interaction and back to back posting with each other. A crossover is defined here as a player coordinated and driven interaction between two or more characters in the IC. A Crossover may be as simple as a one time team up or a small part of a larger over-arching story depending on the ambitions of the player(s) coordinating the story and those involved. There is no limit as to how many crossovers can take place at any one time as they will be completely moderated by those involved and not the GM Team.

Crossovers may take place in a single city or even multiple, spanning up to a national event depending on the number of players involved in the current crossover. Players are not required to participate in a crossover if they do not want to, and if you have approached a player and they have turned you, we ask that you please respect their wishes. That said, all players should consider participating in a crossover from time to time if only to recharge and avoid burnout due to lack of interaction. You will never be required to remain within the crossover for its entire run unless you become integral to its story, which case it is only respectful to do so.

Ultimately, the structure of each crossover will be dependent upon the player(s) organizing it. It should be noted that a crossover should never change the status quo of the game, and while consequences and fallout is encouraged, it should be limited to only those involved unless special permissions have been granted.

CRISES:

Crises are large scale events which affect the roleplay on a massive scale. These events can be global, universal or even multi-dimensional. Ideally, the occurring Crisis will affect all players, but all players need not directly contribute to the Crisis at hand. The outcome of these events will affect the roleplay's status quo, wiping the slate clean or drastically changing the present world. This could mean something like DC's Rebirth where abandoned characters can be reset allowing new players to assume their roles without the need to continue previous stories, or Marvel's Civil War where characters and their beliefs will be challenged, changing the alignment of different characters and the shape of different team rosters. These events won't take place often but when they do, they will be designed to directly impact the RP.

C H A R A C T E R S U B M I S S I O N S:

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Due to the nature of the RP, character submissions will not be based on traditional sheets but on 'Character Proposals'. This differs in that instead of the usual fact spill that a character sheet is based on, a Character Proposal outlines the character you're intending to play, any differences from their source material and a proposed character arc. This is so we know coming in that you have a story you want to tell with this character. Unlike other RPs where you create a character and then enter the IC for collaborative writing, Absolute Comics is based around self-directed arcs. That's not to say you can't write with other players, by all means, make plans with other players but it's unlikely you'll be able to do this for your first arc.

Character Proposal sheets do not necessarily have to be limited to one character per se, meaning you could make a sheet for Batman and Robin or the X-Men if you wanted to. As this is a One Universe RP don't hesitate to mix the teams up a little or try out some new team-ups. It should be noted however that all applications are limited to heroic characters only and that villainous character sheets won't be accepted.

Players will only be allowed one character concept to start with, potentially able to earn or request a second primary point of view at a later time, pending the IC's activity coupled with their own. However, due to the singular universe of the RP, it is asked that players choose the opposite franchise when creating a second character. This means that if you started the game with Captain America, then your second character will be required to be a character from the DC Universe, not another Marvel Character.

Players interested in the same character will be judged based on the strength of their proposed concept and sample with the GMs choosing the preferred candidate. In the event that someone applies as a character you were interested in, you will have a window of twenty-four hours to submit a competing application. If a character submission goes unchallenged for twenty-four hours and the GMs have no outstanding issues with it, the character will be accepted.

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

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Sample Application

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

A L I A S

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

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

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^{"Witty Quote"}

This is where you outline your vision for the character including any notable changes or differences from the regularly accepted canon. This should be a short summary that provides insight into where the character is in terms of their overall progress and development.

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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Why do you want to play this character, what is the driving motivation behind both this desire and the character themselves. What do you hope to accomplish and where do you want the character's story/stories to go?

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

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Any additional notes you want to put either for yourself, the GM's or other players to help clarify your vision or continuity.

S A M P L E P O S T:

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A sample post that can be used in the IC if you so desire upon acceptance. This post should provide an example of your vision for the desired character. This sample post should meet all standards outline in the rules and additionally include dialogue, mannerisms and other actions representative of your intended portrayal.

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

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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.

Application Code

[CENTER][COLOR=SLATEGRAY][B]C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L[/B][/COLOR][h1][color=1E90FF][b]A L I A S[/b][/color][/h1][h r]
[img]IMAGE/BANNER[/img][h3][sup][sub][color=LightBlue]B I R T H N A M E [color=1E90FF]♦[/color] O C C U P A T I O N [color=1E90FF]♦[/color] L O C A T I O N [color=1E90FF]♦[/color] A F F I L I A T I O N[/color][/sub][/sup][/h3][img]IMAGE/BANNER[/img]
[/CENTER][COLOR=1E90FF][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][h r][/COLOR]
[CENTER][sup][color=ADD8E6]"Witty Quote"[/color][/sup][/CENTER]
[INDENT][INDENT][i]This is where you outline your vision for the character including any notable changes or differences from the regularly accepted canon. This should be a short summary that provides insight into where the character is in terms of their overall progress and development.[/i][/indent][/indent]
[COLOR=1E90FF][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]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:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][h r][/COLOR][INDENT][INDENT][i]Why do you want to play this character, what is the driving motivation behind both this desire and the character themselves. What do you hope to accomplish and where do you want the character's story/stories to go?[/i][/indent][/indent]
[COLOR=1E90FF][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][h r][/COLOR][INDENT][INDENT][i]Any additional notes you want to put either for yourself, the GM's or other players to help clarify your vision or continuity.[/i][/indent][/indent]
[COLOR=1E90FF][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]S A M P L E P O S T:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][h r][/COLOR][INDENT][INDENT][i]A sample post that can be used in the IC if you so desire upon acceptance. This post should provide an example of your vision for the desired character. This sample post should meet all standards outline in the rules and additionally include dialogue, mannerisms and other actions representative of your intended portrayal.[/i][/indent][/indent]
[COLOR=1E90FF][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]P O S T C A T A L O G:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][h r][/COLOR][INDENT][INDENT][i]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.[/i][/indent][/indent]

^{*Note: You will need to remove the space from the[h r]tags in order to make the horizontal line work.}

C O N C L U S I O N:

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Absolute Comics will continue to use the same thread moving forward. It might seem intimidating at first, but I assure you everyone is friendly and welcoming. To see the active roster, don't hesitate to pop over to the Characters Tab. Additionally, there's a list of Inactive and Withdrawn Characters. Any of those characters can be claimed by a new player and their story continued. For instance, both Wonder Woman and Supergirl had significant roles in the world, it'd be much easier for a player to step in and fill the role than to start all over again.

Season Two is slotted to begin in August, but acceptances are always open.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

The supporting character tab is subject to change per anyone's objections/any conflicts with established continuity/anyone's future plans that I don't wanna mess with. That said...

Highway To The Danger Zone

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

T H E G R E E N L A N T E R N

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^{_{HAROLD 'HAL' JORDAN ♦ FIELD MECHANIC / SPACE COP ♦ COAST CITY, CALIFORNIA ♦ UNIVERSAL LANTERN CORPS}}

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

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^{"You can't forsee all the consequences of your actions - but that's no excuse to do nothing."}

For as long as he can remember, Hal Jordan had one singular ambition: to be a fighter pilot, just like his dad. While his brothers Jim and Jack had never quite taken after their dad's predilection for daredevil antics and high-flying feats of aviation, Hal wanted to experience everything his father had told him about it. Late at night, the elder Jordan would sneak his boy out and take him on solo flights, allowing Hal to gaze up at the stars and dream. It was the greatest moment of his life, and the one that set his life's path forever. But all good things inevitably come to an end, and for Hal, that end came with the tragic death of his idol. After making a series of grave miscalculations during a routine flight for a local stunt show, Martin Jordan perished in the midst of an explosion that Hal was unfortunately present to witness. The memory would haunt him forever, as he clutched onto the bomber jacket that Martin had told him to keep safe until the fire department had to forcibly pry it away in order to take him to a hospital.

In a state of extreme grief, Hal's mother forbade him or his brothers from ever flying. They wouldn't even be allowed on commercial airliners until they were old enough to leave the house. But Hal rebelled, studying for his pilot's licence by the age of 16 and looking to enlist in the US Air Force when he turned 18. Though he was turned down for disobeying his instructing officer, Hal's determination never wavered, and he found himself applying for the position of test pilot for Ferris Airlines. After his mother died of complications due to ovarian cancer, Hal's older brother blamed him for killing her with his recklessness, creating a rift between them that would never truly mend. He took out his grief in a bar fight with a redheaded punk named Gardner that night, and ended up totaling his car on a drunken drive home. It landed him with a stint in jail five years probation.

To no surprise, then, did Hal's first test flight with Ferris the following week end in complete and utter disaster. After lying about his credentials and playing up his connection to the famous Martin Jordan, Hal was immediately proven to be nothing more than an amatuer when allowed into the cockpit on his own for the first time. He crashed a state-of-the-art jet that was going to secure Ferris' place in the next arm's race, likely securing a contract with Stark Industries. Both enraged over this incident and another involving his young daughter Carol the day before, Carl Ferris immediately sought to ground Jordan permanently - and did so by sending him to the worst dead-end assignment in all of Coast City, working the scrapyard for Ferris' decommissioned jets. Along with his friend Thomas Kalmaku, Hal would spend the rest of his days there fixing up planes, getting into fights with hotshot pilots who talked down to him, and getting drunk while his life spiraled out of control.

Eventually, he settled into his position, and had accepted his fate - until today, when fate would come calling his name.

Literally.

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'm not gonna mince words: this Hal Jordan is, by and large, a complete fuck-up. He's not a hotshot pilot with daring moves who's too good at his job for anyone to understand, and he's not a rebel without a cause that manages to scrape by because he's a reckless idiot. He's just a reckless idiot who managed to screw up what used to be his biggest opportunity in the world. This is the story of how a fuck-up can be granted a second chance at fucking up, probably be pretty bad at that too, but learning enough of a lesson that he doesn't die when all's said and done.

As for why I wanted to play this character, I've done my fair share of grim and gritty vigilante stuff for as long as I can remember. I was actually going to apply for two seperate archetypes of that same character before I settled on this when I realized that it wasn't what I really wanted. So doing an approximation of Star Wars: Superhero Edition sounded like a nice change of pace. And doing Hal Jordan from the ground up in a way that doesn't paint him as the end-all, be-all wielder of the ring is an idea that's appealed to me for awhile, and never really something I ever thought I'd try. But, well, here I am.

I've been a fan of Green Lantern since I was a kid, watching Superman: The Animated Series introduce Kyle Rayner in such a great and simple way that expanded the world of the Green Lantern Corps to me. So much so that when Geoff Johns took over the title and reimagined a large portion of the GL mythos, I was onboard. However, with hindsight, I see alot of flaws with Johns' portrayal of Hal and his shafting of the other Lanterns' legacies, so I want to do the character right and try and earn something of a level playing field for characters like Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, and Simon Baz - who I'm hoping will be able to pop up in my story along the way, in some shape or form. Though I'm also perfectly willing to work with anyone who wants to play them, too.

And in a notable change, The Green Lanterns aren't the ruling color class pf the emotional spectrum that the Guardians Of The Universe yield exclusively. They enlist Blue Lanterns, Star Sapphires, The Indigo Tribe, The Honor Guard and the Alpha Lanterns to make up a more diverse Corps called the Universal Lantern Corps. Greens are simply the SWAT unit, essentially, of the Guardians' overall peacekeeping organization.

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

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Supporting Cast (Earth)

Carol Ferris
Thomas Kalmaku
Whitney Frost
Dr. Hector Hammond
William Hand
Carl 'Crusher' Creel
Arthur Parks
Alan Scott

Supporting Cast (Lantern Corps)*

Abin Sur - Soon To Be Deceased
The Guardians Of The Universe
Thaal Sinestro
Mantis (Barring acceptance from @HenryJonesJr)
Tomar-Re
Starfox/Eros Of Titan
Kilowag
Phyla-Vell
C'hp

_{*Future Lanterns such as Kyle, Jessica, Simon, John, and Guy may appear in cameo roles, unless an extended period of time with no applications allows for them to be expanded upon.}

Supporting Cast (Villains)

Krona
Legion
Terrax
The Manhunters
Atrocitus
Larfleeze
Annihilus

S A M P L E P O S T:

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Coast City, California
Ferris Airlines Tarmac
1:53 PM

You ever have one of those 'floating' dreams?

Y'know the one. You're soaring high above the clouds, looking down at the miniscule little specs of structures that would normally tower above you. The wind in your hair, the breeze on your face, the little voice in your head telling you that it's not real - only for you to say 'to hell with it' and ignore any sense of logic or reason, because goddammit, you're flying and nobody can take it away from you. Nobody and nothing. Except reality, when you finally wake up and realize that you were never up there at all. See, that's the moment that kills you the most. The dread of a so-called normal existence, where you're not rising above your challenges, but facing them head-on. Losing, most of the time, against the elements stacked in your way. But you still cling to that moment. The idea that whenever you're done, you have another chance to soar. Another chance to make your problems go away, forever.

I've been chasing that dream since I was too young to remember. My brother used to tell me it was just because I was a stupid pilot's son and that's all I could ever hope to amount to be. But my brother was a prick like that. Always trying to tether me to the ground, when I belonged up there. Among the clouds, looking down on the world that'd make me want to wish I'd never dare dream to be alive. Well, I decided to do something about it. Worked my tail off until I couldn't stand it, then pushed myself further. Got my pilot's liscence the day I turned 20. And then, whenever I got an actual shot at taking to the skies without an instructor looking over my shoulder, I sure showed them all.

I showed them that they were right.

I had no business being up there.

Crashed and burned the first flight I ever manned solo. Funny how life works like that. I got an instant demotion from test pilot for Ferris Airlines to field mechanic for Ferris Airlines' scrapheap of the dead, trying to restore old fighter jets that'll get decommissioned and paraded around at museums. The place you get sent whenever you've screwed up so royally that nobody wants to hear your all-bark, no-bite schtick anymore. When you've proven to the world that you are a complete and utter loser who dared to dream big and landed flat on his face.

"Hal? Hey, Highball! You care to join us back on Earth, or did you want to daydream the entire shift away?"

I look away from the airfield just a mile off from our workstation as my buddy, Tom, hands me a socket wrench as he wipes fresh oil from his forehead. He and I have been working our asses off in 98 degree weather trying to make this old, rusted Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor look like it didn't take a nosedive into the Pacific for the last few months. So far, we've only managed to strip it for parts and complete a partial restoration on the left wing. Still alot of months to go, and for pay that barely makes the rent, let alone any affordable conditions. Me, I never minded sleeping a couple of nights in the truck. Tom, on the other hand...

"What, afraid you'd have to do the heavy lifting for a change?"

Tom sneers as I grin back, zipping up the front of my coveralls. The walking oven, as we've taken to calling it. Wiping the bead of sweat from my brow, I duck under the wing and make way for the jet engine that my esteemed colleague was so delicately trying to pry from it's titanium casket.

"Hell no. If I'm lucky, I get that thing loosened enough that it falls and breaks every bone in my body. Then I can sue for worker's comp, move to Florida and live the rest of my days far away from this place."

I laugh to myself.

"Roger that. Come on, let ole' Junkyard Jordan assess the damage..."

After gulping down a heavy swig of water, Tom walks over and leans above the engine's hull, just where I've slid myself under to finish where he started.

"Man, I'm starting to think that's a serious ambition. You know what I mean? This place is sinking faster than the damn Titanic, and I seriously doubt a couple of grease monkeys like us have much in the way of job security."

I grimace as the humidity jumps to what feels like another thousand degrees.

"You stripped the bolt. Think you can interrupt your death wish long enough to hand me the drill?"

He slaps the side of the engine just to mess with me, but obliges. I pull on my gloves and strap a welding mask on. Gonna see some sparks fly before this thing so much as budges.

"I think you're overreacting, pal. Ferris hasn't been in business since '59 just to tank over a couple of lousy performance reviews. They've seen their share of bad publicity in the past, but hey, that's the business. Tell me that Virgin or Southwest hasn't looked worse in the last month compared to us."

"You sound like you're paraphrasing the brochure, Hal."

"Well, maybe a little."

Tom shakes his head and heads off to his break as I begin to drill into the rusted shaft holding this stubborn bolt. Sure, I mostly said all that to assure him that things weren't going to hell, but I honestly don't know if I'd be all that broken up to see an early foreclosure. I mean yeah, these guys were the first to give me my shot at the big time - or at least, what I thought was the big time five years ago - but they put me out to pasture within the same month I signed on. I've been laboring away at this dump ever since, and the only way I think I'll grow a pair and leave is if they fire me or shut it down.

Especially after the boss caught me and his daughter doing the, uh...

Well, the thing all boys and girls like to do when they're old enough.

Hell, even that's putting it generously. We were making out in a broom closet, for Christ's sake. And after that, did I get so much as a phone number from Ms. Holier-Than-Thou herself, Carol Ferris? Nope. Nada. Hear she's seeing some physicist, these days. I pity the guy. All those degrees, and he falls head over heels for the single most stuck-up b...

HAL JORDAN

I shoot straight up so fast that I forget where I am for the moment, instantly hitting my head on a solid slab of titanium. Removing the now freshly cracked welding mask - nice one, Jordan, they're surely not about to dock any of your pay for that - I roll out from underneath the turbine and look around, partially startled. Whoever was calling out to me said my name in the loudest tone I've ever heard in my life. And yet, looking around... I don't see a damned thing.

"Uh... present?"

YOU POSSESS THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME GREAT FEAR

YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR THE CORPS

Great... fear? Corps?

What the hell is this guy talking ab---

I don't even have time to think before the world starts turning colors on me. At first, I think it's a hallucination. Like the heat's getting to me, or something, and I'm having one of those prior-to-blackout moments that everyone who's experienced heat exhaustion has ever talked about. But the world starts to get a little brighter as the color engulfs my body entirely, and I suddenly feel like...

Well, like I'm floating on air.

Holy flipping mother of...!

WELCOME TO THE GREEN LANTERNS

@Master Bruce

After checking for a sample this time Green Lantern is approved. I feel that by focussing in on a single Lantern this makes the app stronger.

@Nightrunner if you still wish to pursue your current concept, I would suggest talking to @Master Bruce and maybe narrowing the focus of your application to one Lantern instead of four of them.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

@Inkarnate, @ComradeMaxx, @Star Lord, @Dblade26, and @Ceta de Cloyes. Sorry to see each and everyone of you go. Best of luck with your future RP endeavors and each of you are welcome to return if the mood strikes.

Thanks for the time and dedication each of you gave to the game and each of you will be missed.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

<Snipped quote by Nightrunner>

No other choice...

@Retired

Oof.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

With that said, I'll be devising a way to finish the Crisis. Any and all questions regarding it can be directed to me.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Just a follow up to earlier. I have to apologize to everyone in the game, but especially to @ComradeMaxx and @Inkarnate. This matter should have been handled in private, and while I stand by my decision, it should never have been handled in public like this.

So once again, sorry to everyone but especially my remaining Co-GM. To Inkarnate, I'm sorry our time working together ended this way, but I have no intention nor want to make you leave the game. Supergirl is a critical component of this world, and you are a member of this community.

To everyone else, I just want to reiterate that while I acted brashly, I do believe I am acting in the best interest of the game. So I hope we can all move forward together and keep this game going.

Thank you once again and apologies for the way this matter was handled.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

A N N O U N C E M E N T:

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CHANGES TO THE GM TEAM:

Hey everyone.

Going forward with Absolute, @Inkarnate will no longer be a member of the GM Team. I've requested to Inkarnate several times over the course of the season that they step down from the position but as they have not done so and upon reflecting on the last couple months, I feel as though I'm left with no choice but to actively demote them from the role of GM. Normally, I'd be against forcibly demoting another GM, especially in this manner, however, I feel in this situation my hands have been tied.

I realize this is not a desirable situation for anyone, and I apologize for any fallout that may come from this, especially to @ComradeMaxx, however, I am doing what I believe is best for the game in order to create a healthier environment moving forward. If you do not agree with my decision and feel as though perhaps your time with Absolute is finished, I understand. But if you trust that I'm doing what's best for the game and are willing to keep participating here, then I appreciate your faith and thank you for your continued commitment to the game.

I want to make Season 2 and onwards as successful as possible and I feel this is the first step towards making that happen.