Simple Unicycle

Marvel & DC: Emergence (Canon RP)

Never felt Vic was in safer hands than when @Simple Unicycle scoops him up.

@Hound55

Now to see if I can, y'know, actually keep up on posting.

Marvel & DC: Emergence (Canon RP)

To the surprise of absolutely no one.

There's A Place In The World For The Angry Young Man

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 Q U E S T I O N

---

^{"My face? Looked too far into a bowling ball returner."}

^{_{C H A R L E S V I C T O R S Z A S Z ♦ J O U R N A L I S T ♦ H U B C I T Y , I L L I N O I S}}

O R I G I N S:

---

"What an asshole."

That was something a lot of people muttered under their breath after a close encounter with Vic Sage; "rough around the edges" was putting it lightly when it came to him. His whole life he's been fighting, maybe not for the right reasons in the eyes of many, but in his eyes he was always in the right. After getting fired from his job at the Hub City Gazette after fist fighting his editor over an article, he found himself working for Starrstruck, a gossip tabloid masquerading as a reputable news site.

Vic's rise to vigilantism was sparked by Aristotle Rodor, Vic's old university professor and closest friend, whose former colleague Arby Twain was trying to illegally sell one of their inventions: pseudoderm, an artificial skin designed to be used as a bandage. It would've been a miracle, were it not for the fact that the gas used to bond pseudoderm to the skin was toxic when exposed to open wounds, negating the entire point of it. Rodor designed a mask for Vic using the pseudoderm and had Vic topple Twain's operation, with Vic leaving Twain and his cronies bound in pseudoderm in their warehouse before calling in an anonymous tip to the police.

That was last night. This morning, Vic has a question for himself: what can he do with this new alter ego?

He can beat up some assholes.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

2:44 AM. The sky above is the color of a television tuned to a dead channel, grey clouds rolling in and thick drops of rain drenching the pavement. I hear the sound of footsteps behind me and turn away from the window to look at Tot, who sets two double shot glasses and a bottle of brandy down on the table between our chairs. He sits down in his chair and uncorks the bottle, pouring two shots.

"A drink," he says, lifting his glass. "To Twain and his cronies rotting in jail."

I lift mine as well. "To douchebags getting what they deserve." With that toast, we take our drinks and set the glasses back down on the table. I reach a hand into my coat pocket and pull out the rubbery mask that Tot had designed for me. "... Think I can keep this?" I ask.

"Of course. It'd serve as a nice memento."

A memento. That's all it'll be after tonight. Something to remind me that I did something important, and I'll never do that again. No. It won't just gather dust in a closet for the rest of my life. "Actually, Tot, I was thinking of using it some more."

"... What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Wear it and go out and beat up some bad guys. Like The Phantom or Green Hornet or something."

"... Are you sure that's wise? This wasn't the mob, Charlie, it was some scientists looking to make some quick money."

"Okay, so I don't start off going after the mob. I go after thieves and street gangs, start small."

"And take a bullet to the head for it?"

"At least I'd die doing something good."

"You'd die doing something stupid for the sake of your own ego."

I glare at Tot with a scoff. "And there it is. What, you think I helped you out because I wanted to feel cool?"

"Charlie, you helped me because you wanted to do something that mattered. And it did matter. But there are better ways to fight against injustice than throwing yourself right into a fight with it." Tot reaches out and places a hand on my shoulder. "You'd just be getting yourself killed."

I shrug off his hand and stand from my chair. "Whatever you say, Tot. I'm going home."

He doesn't say a word as I walk out of the house and get into my car. The rain beats down upon the roof of the old Beetle, a rhythmic thumping that does nothing to soothe my frustration. I clench my eyes shut and take in a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I reach into my pocket to grab my keys when I feel the mask again, rubbing my thumb along its smooth surface.

Tonight won't be the last time.

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

---

Will this stay empty? That is the question.

Marvel & DC: Emergence (Canon RP)

Mattmanganon try not to go for the most obtuse ideas challenge (IMPOSSIBLE)

Marvel & DC: Emergence (Canon RP)

Doc dragged me out of my little hermit cave for this one.

It's a coin toss for me between Objectivist douchebag Question or revisiting Chow Yun Castle.

Absolute Comics Presents - What If? [A DC & Marvel One Universe RP]

Since Wraith has allowed secondary characters, I think it's time to give Enarr a run for his money.

Like A Butterfly

T H E Q U E S T I O N
T H E Q U E S T I O N

^{"My face? I'd be more worried about what yours is about to look like."}

C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y _________________________________________________________ Charles Victor Szasz Victor Charles Sage _________________________________________________________ Journalist | Independent _________________________________________________________ Earth-11380451 | Open C H A R A C T E R N O T E S C H A R A C T E R N O T E S _________________________________________________________ [+] - S U P P O R T I N G C A S T ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Allies: ► Aristotle "Tot" Rodor - Vic's father figure and mentor, a former chemist and retired university professor who designed Vic's mask and is responsible for finally correcting the mistake in the binary gas that made it toxic to open wounds. He is a constant pillar of support for Vic, both in and out of his guise as the Question, though the old man has a rather sardonic way of showing his love, usually found chiding the young man. ► Myra Fermin - Vic's former lover and sister of his long time object of hatred Wesley Fermin, currently head of public relations on her brother's mayoral cabinet. She and Vic are estranged; though they once loved each other, Vic's unyielding antipathy towards her brother and the subsequent article he wrote for the Gazette drove them apart. ► Samuel "Sam" Starr - Vic's boss and friend, owner of Starrstruck Media Inc., a news outlet in Hub City that focuses on political scandals and gossip, namely in the Hub but also in other cities around the US such as New York, Metropolis, Gotham, and so on. Though he and Sam are friendly, Vic can't help but wonder if his boss truly cares for him or simply the traffic his articles seem to attract to their site. ► Richard Dragon - Vic's mentor in the ways of Zen and martial arts, once a world famous martial artist and adventurer who now lives isolated in the woods, hoping to attain enlightenment. Though Vic doesn't know if he will ever see the man again, he is grateful for all that Dragon passed onto him either way. ► Lady Shiva - The woman who ended Vic's life and then saved it, a deadly assassin and mercenary who works for all manner of clientele. Vic can't seem to get a read on her, no matter how much he tries, and he isn't sure if he'll ever know why she saved his life. Enemies: ► Wesley Fermin - Vic's primary target, Hub City's corrupt mayor who is in bed with the Gospel of Sinners. Vic, prior to this point, had made it his life's mission to take Fermin and everything he built down; now, he simply hopes to bring answers to the people of Hub City by bringing him to justice. ► Reverend Jeremiah Hatch - An evangelist with a podcast and web show, as well as the founder and head of the Gospel of Sinners, Hub City's resident mafia. Vic doesn't even know of his involvement with the Sinners, though he will soon find out. - P O S T C A T A L O G P O S T C A T A L O G _________________________________________________________ [+] - P O S T C A T A L O G ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ◼ ISSUE #0: ... LIKE A BUTTERFLY ◼ ISSUE #1: DEVOTION ◼ ISSUE #2: ... LIKE A BEE ◼ ISSUE #3: SELF CARE ◼ ISSUE #4: BACK IN TOWN -

W H A T I F . . . ? W H A T I F . . . ? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ... SIMPLE UNICYCLE ACTUALLY COMMITTED TO A QUESTION RUN? A year ago, the Question vanished without a trace. Most people thought him dead, knocked off by Hub City's own crime syndicate the Gospel of Sinners, which wasn't too far from the truth. A brutal beating and an air gun pellet to the head was bad enough, but the dip in the icy Hupert River sealed the deal: The Question was dead. And then he lived again. After being saved by Lady Shiva, Vic was sent off to train with Richard Dragon, once a premier martial artist and adventurer who was now living as a hermit in the woods. Sage spent a year with Dragon, training in the martial arts and taking on his mentor's Zen philosophy. When it was time for Vic to leave, Dragon left him with these words: "I think it is more likely you are the butterfly, dreaming you are the man." Now, Vic Sage returns to Hub City, intent on dismantling the Gospel Of Sinners once and for all. P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) ________________________________________________________________________________________ My plot will be a self-contained reimagining of the '87 Question comic written by the late great Dennis O'Neil (with elements of Lemire's The Deaths of Vic Sage), using the overarching plot as a blueprint but modernizing it and adding my own twists and turns to the plot. I'm always down for collaboration if someone wants to join in on the fun. As you can see by the post catalog not being empty, this is a continuation of my run in One Universe: Unlimited. I felt that I had a really solid run on my hands but life got in the way and I wasn't able to see it through. Now that another one of these RPs has popped up again, I want to pick things up where I left off.

---

Absolute Comics Presents - What If? [A DC & Marvel One Universe RP]

_{Location and Time: New York City; Behind Greene's Groceries - 2:08 PM}

Issue #1: We Don't Sell That Here

---

_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: N/A

The sun was high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the city. Just around the corner I could hear the constant flow of traffic and pedestrians, cars honking and people talking. Leaning against the wall right next to the back door, I took a drag from my cigarette, inhaling then slowly exhaling a cloud of smoke. This was my single fifteen minute break in a ten hour shift and, as usual, I spent it smoking and taking in the ambience of the city.

It wasn't even a minute later when the back door opened, my younger coworker Mason leaning out and looking at me with worried eyes. "Um, Mr. Forte? Can you come back inside real quick? There's a customer asking for a manager."

I sighed, snuffing out the cigarette on the wall and flicking it into a nearby trash can. "Alright. Let's go see what the problem is."

The two of us went back inside, heading up to the front counter. There was Karen behind the counter, staring doe-eyed at the customer in front of her who was demanding to see a manager. Karen looked over to me, her fearful expression shifting into one of relief. I stepped in between the counter and the customer, looking to meet the customer's eyes. "Who are you?" the customer asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm the manager. What seems to be the problem here?"

"I do all my shopping here and now you're out of the one thing I need!"

I've never seen this woman before in my past five years of working here. "What are you looking for, ma'am?"

"Diapers."

"We don't sell diapers here, ma'am."

"You're kidding! I buy them here all the time!"

I shake my head. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but we don't sell them here. Never have. There's a Walgreens two blocks away, you should be able to get some there."

She narrows here eyes at me and scoffs. "Fine. I'll take my business there then." With that she struts out the door, the tension in the air following after her. Crisis averted, for now.

"Thank you, Mr. Forte," Karen says. "Sorry we interrupted your break."

"It's fine. Just try to be more assertive next time. Tell them 'we don't sell that here'."

"I tried, but... She was so demanding."

I chuckle at that. "Yeah, they usually are." I cast a glance at my watch. 2:14. "Well, break time's over. Time to get back to work." I give a nod to Mason and Karen and head to the back office. Taking a seat, I sigh, then get to work on putting my inventory count into the system. With Mr. Greene retiring last year, most of the work fell on me, meaning I was the one doing inventory and ordering us more goods.

The rest of the day passed by uneventfully. After putting in my counts and making an order I moved onto helping Mason stock the store. It was 8PM now, closing time, and we were finishing up a pallet of soda. "Any plans for tonight, Mason?" I asked, placing two twelve packs of Coca-Cola on the shelf.

"Nothing much, probably just gonna chill out on the couch with my girlfriend, maybe watch a movie or something. What about you, Mr. Forte?" He loads up another two twelve packs.

"Take Chip out for a walk, like I usually do. Then call it a night."

"Heh, you and that dog. You make it sound like he's all you need."

"Because he is. I love that dog."

"Do you even have anybody in your life, Mr. Forte?" Mason pauses, as if realizing how rude that sounds. "Sorry, I don't mean it like... I'm just, y'know-"

"You're fine, kid." Two more twelve packs on the shelf. "No, I don't. But I've gotten used to it."

"You ever had anybody in your life?"

"I had a family, once. Car accident took that away."

"Shit... I'm sorry."

"... It was a long time ago now."

The two of us don't talk much after that. Just an awkward silence hanging over us for a couple of minutes as we finish up the soda. Thankfully, it's over quickly. The silence remains as we clock out and head out the door. I lock it, speaking to Mason as I do: "You enjoy your night, Mason."

"You too, Mr. Forte. See you tomorrow," he says, before getting into his car and driving away. My apartment is only a few blocks away, so I begin the trek home.

Haven't talked about my family in a while. Mr. Greene had heard the same car accident story from me, one night after we closed and he invited me over for some drinks. I hadn't told that to anybody except Mr. Greene, fearing that someone might put the pieces together. I was still a wanted man for all that I had done, still had to hide even if it was in plain sight. If someone were to recognize me...

"Stop! Please, stop!"

"We'll stop once we get what we want out of you, girlie! Trav! Hold her down..."

Voices from the alleyway. Nothing good. I pressed myself up against a wall at the mouth of the alleyway, peeking around the corner. Forty feet away, two big bastards looming over a girl. Not a woman, a girl, couldn't be more than sixteen. One of them grabbed her and forced her to the ground, sitting on top of the girl as she screamed. "Shut your fuckin' mouth or I'll cut off your pretty little tongue!" he yelled, waving his switchblade in the air.

I was already walking down the alley before I could even think of stopping myself. The one still standing was staring at the girl on the ground and licking his lips, too caught up in his twisted thoughts to even notice me. I grabbed him by the shoulder and rammed a fist into his jaw, sending him to the floor.

The one on top of the girl whipped his head around to look at me. "What the fu-" A knee straight into his teeth, sending him off the girl and into the wall. He pulled himself up and began to swing his knife around wildly. It was easy enough to duck out of the way and grab his wrist with one hand, using the other to ram straight into his elbow and break the arm. Now it was his turn to scream.

I pulled the knife out of his now limp grip. Every part of me was begging me to stick the blade in his throat, hear the scream of agony turn into a gurgle as blood oozed out of his mouth. I resisted, as much as it hurt. Instead I stuck it in his shoulder and rammed my fist into his face once, twice, three times, until he slumped against the wall and slid down it slowly, collapsing into a heap on the ground.

The other guy was only just now getting onto his feet. "Who the fuck do you think you are, old man!?" I was already moving on him when he whipped a pistol out of his inner coat pocket. The barrel was leveled against my head for just a second before I swatted his arm away. The gun went off as it flew out of his hand, sliding across the ground before finding a new home under a dumpster. I threw a fist into his gut, then another to his face followed by a knee to his groin. I ducked down and tackled him to the floor, unleashing a barrage of punches to his face. By the time I was done he was choking on his own teeth.

The girl had already taken off at this point. Good instincts on her. I stood up, looking at my cut and bloodied knuckles. Six years ago this would've gone down as an arrest, a couple months after that it would've been a double homicide. Now? Now I just wanted to get home. The problem was solved and I don't think these two will be in any shape to hurt anyone else for a while.

I left the alley behind and made my way back home.

Absolute Comics Presents - What If? [A DC & Marvel One Universe RP]

The Punisher (Prime)

T H E P U N I S H E R
T H E P U N I S H E R

^{"Do you know the difference between justice and punishment?"}

C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y _________________________________________________________ Francis "Frank" Castle Charles Forte _________________________________________________________ Grocery Store Manager | N/A _________________________________________________________ Multiverse 668 (Prime) | Closed (for now) C H A R A C T E R N O T E S C H A R A C T E R N O T E S _________________________________________________________ [+] - M I S C E L L A N E O U S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Ignore the eyepatch, there's like no good images of Frank with a beard without it. - P O S T C A T A L O G P O S T C A T A L O G _________________________________________________________ [+] - P O S T C A T A L O G ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ◼ ISSUE #1: WE DON'T SELL THAT HERE ◼ ISSUE #2: HOME SWEET HOME ◼ ISSUE #3: THE NEIGHBORS ◼ ISSUE #4: ANOTHER DAY ◼ ISSUE #5: CHARLES FORTE RIDES, AGAIN? -

W H A T I F...? W H A T I F...? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ... FRANK CASTLE RETIRED AFTER AVENGING HIS FAMILY? Frank Castle had a good life. He had a loving wife, two daughters, a good job as a vice detective in the NYPD. He saw the worst of people in that job, but his family carried him through it, reminding him that there was still good in the world. Six years ago, Frank shut down a drug running operation helmed by the Saint mafia family and killed the family's heir, Bobby Saint, in the process. Needless to say, the head of the family, Howard Saint, wasn't very happy with this. Two weeks later, the Castles were killed by a car bomb, with Frank as the only survivor. Frank swore revenge, embarking on a one man war against the Saints, tearing apart their operations and killing prominent members of the family. He came to be known as the Punisher, an unstoppable killing machine that was swiftly and brutally ripping a hole into the fabric of NYC's criminal underworld. At the end of his crusade, he held a gun to Howard Saint's head and pulled the trigger. Frank had half a mind to put the gun to his own head after that, but some part of him held onto the hope that he could still be saved. That there was still something to live for. On that day, Frank Castle died. Six months later, a man named Charles Forte walked into Greene's Groceries asking for a job. For the past five years, Charles Forte has lived a good life. He has a little dog named Chip and a good job at Greene's Groceries. He sees a lot of people everyday, the best of them he hopes. But pretty soon, the worst will rear their ugly heads. P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) ________________________________________________________________________________________ It's been a minute since I've played The Punisher in one of these games and I've wanted to revisit my idea of a retired Frank since the last time I did it. Hopefully, this time it won't bomb. While I'm placing Frank in the prime multiverse, I don't plan on taking a big part in the Skrull invasion due to Frank being a more street level character and my own lack of knowledge on that particular part of Marvel lore. At the start, I plan to be self contained, telling the story of Frank's return to vigilantism after a gang intrudes upon his neighborhood and begins to terrorize it. After my initial arc, I will be open to collaborating with other players and getting up to all sorts of hijinks.

The Question (Earth-11380451)

T H E Q U E S T I O N
T H E Q U E S T I O N

^{"My face? I'd be more worried about what yours is about to look like."}

C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y _________________________________________________________ Charles Victor Szasz Victor Charles Sage _________________________________________________________ Journalist | Independent _________________________________________________________ Earth-11380451 | Open C H A R A C T E R N O T E S C H A R A C T E R N O T E S _________________________________________________________ [+] - S U P P O R T I N G C A S T ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Allies: ► Aristotle "Tot" Rodor - Vic's father figure and mentor, a former chemist and retired university professor who designed Vic's mask and is responsible for finally correcting the mistake in the binary gas that made it toxic to open wounds. He is a constant pillar of support for Vic, both in and out of his guise as the Question, though the old man has a rather sardonic way of showing his love, usually found chiding the young man. ► Myra Fermin - Vic's former lover and sister of his long time object of hatred Wesley Fermin, currently head of public relations on her brother's mayoral cabinet. She and Vic are estranged; though they once loved each other, Vic's unyielding antipathy towards her brother and the subsequent article he wrote for the Gazette drove them apart. ► Samuel "Sam" Starr - Vic's boss and friend, owner of Starrstruck Media Inc., a news outlet in Hub City that focuses on political scandals and gossip, namely in the Hub but also in other cities around the US such as New York, Metropolis, Gotham, and so on. Though he and Sam are friendly, Vic can't help but wonder if his boss truly cares for him or simply the traffic his articles seem to attract to their site. ► Richard Dragon - Vic's mentor in the ways of Zen and martial arts, once a world famous martial artist and adventurer who now lives isolated in the woods, hoping to attain enlightenment. Though Vic doesn't know if he will ever see the man again, he is grateful for all that Dragon passed onto him either way. ► Lady Shiva - The woman who ended Vic's life and then saved it, a deadly assassin and mercenary who works for all manner of clientele. Vic can't seem to get a read on her, no matter how much he tries, and he isn't sure if he'll ever know why she saved his life. Enemies: ► Wesley Fermin - Vic's primary target, Hub City's corrupt mayor who is in bed with the Gospel of Sinners. Vic, prior to this point, had made it his life's mission to take Fermin and everything he built down; now, he simply hopes to bring answers to the people of Hub City by bringing him to justice. ► Reverend Jeremiah Hatch - An evangelist with a podcast and web show, as well as the founder and head of the Gospel of Sinners, Hub City's resident mafia. Vic doesn't even know of his involvement with the Sinners, though he will soon find out. - P O S T C A T A L O G P O S T C A T A L O G _________________________________________________________ [+] - P O S T C A T A L O G ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ◼ ISSUE #0: ... LIKE A BUTTERFLY ◼ ISSUE #1: DEVOTION ◼ ISSUE #2: ... LIKE A BEE ◼ ISSUE #3: SELF CARE ◼ ISSUE #4: BACK IN TOWN -

W H A T I F . . . ? W H A T I F . . . ? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ... SIMPLE UNICYCLE ACTUALLY COMMITTED TO A QUESTION RUN? A year ago, the Question vanished without a trace. Most people thought him dead, knocked off by Hub City's own crime syndicate the Gospel of Sinners, which wasn't too far from the truth. A brutal beating and an air gun pellet to the head was bad enough, but the dip in the icy Hupert River sealed the deal: The Question was dead. And then he lived again. After being saved by Lady Shiva, Vic was sent off to train with Richard Dragon, once a premier martial artist and adventurer who was now living as a hermit in the woods. Sage spent a year with Dragon, training in the martial arts and taking on his mentor's Zen philosophy. When it was time for Vic to leave, Dragon left him with these words: "I think it is more likely you are the butterfly, dreaming you are the man." Now, Vic Sage returns to Hub City, intent on dismantling the Gospel Of Sinners once and for all. P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) ________________________________________________________________________________________ My plot will be a self-contained reimagining of the '87 Question comic written by the late great Dennis O'Neil (with elements of Lemire's The Deaths of Vic Sage), using the overarching plot as a blueprint but modernizing it and adding my own twists and turns to the plot. I'm always down for collaboration if someone wants to join in on the fun. As you can see by the post catalog not being empty, this is a continuation of my run in One Universe: Unlimited. I felt that I had a really solid run on my hands but life got in the way and I wasn't able to see it through. Now that another one of these RPs has popped up again, I want to pick things up where I left off.

---

Absolute Comics Presents - What If? [A DC & Marvel One Universe RP]

<Snipped quote by PatientBean>

With 24hrs on the clock, The Eternals are now accepted.

@Lord Wraith

But what about me Mr. Wraith? Can you find it in your heart to accept Detective Chimp now that 24 hours have passed?

Absolute Comics Presents - What If? [A DC & Marvel One Universe RP]

<Snipped quote by Simple Unicycle>

Ouch. Are you writing on Google Docs or just in the reply box on the Guild?

@Enarr

I keep a PM with myself on the Guild for all my CSes and posts and whatnot. Went to reply to it, internet went out, bye bye all my work.

Absolute Comics Presents - What If? [A DC & Marvel One Universe RP]

Just lost the entirety of my first post to an internet outage.