Supermaxx

Superboy's Shitty Characters

With dignitaries of greater importance than themselves beginning their departure, Tarquin’s eyes flashed over to the stunted human - dwarf as they called themselves - and the company that this Aspect-Human kept. A handful of the familiar flying figures, though not of his own race, radiating foreign magic and not of the pheromones that Tarquin had associated with his species. More of the short figures and a few taller, slender beings around the impressively robust cage holding the now muzzled beast. His feet gently tapping the ground, Eteri gave a loose smirk over to the others of his Order; Particularly Galladon and Leikn. The former was poised and ready to smash into the cage to just wrestle the former Aspect, whatever provoked the creature formerly known as Asta, the Harpy had not a clue. A questioning look up at their chief guard - the prince who bore zero resemblance to the titanic king - and Tarquin figured that this man likewise had next to no clue either. A questioning glance at the other warrior monks and Tarquin’s full suspicions were confirmed.

No one knew a thing about this monster. They were just reacting to its movements.

‘Well,’ He cupped his chin thoughtfully. ‘That’s a good way to get your face bitten in two.’ Playing by a predators rules, only ever changing an attitude based on its hostilities was how prey often fell into a trap. If Asta’s new form was at least as intelligent as a modern dire wolf, Tarquin estimated that she would be more than equipped to plan ten steps ahead of her captors, if this was their approach. Eteri quizzically wondered what either Galladon or the Jotunn thought of the Goddess born anew, though the gritting teeth of the Aspect of Protection betrayed the man’s inner thoughts. ‘I think he’s fought them before, hasn’t he?’ The Harpy shook his head at the thought. From balled up fists to narrow strips for eyes, the Aspect of Protection took a blatantly aggressive stance. A clear challenge to the animal’s supremacy. ‘Perhaps,’ Tarquin whistled as he paced forward. ‘He thinks she’s a challenge to his.’ That brought out a shallow laugh.

“Is something funny, Eteri?” Leikn’s monotone draw gave the harpy pause.

“I tend to think most things are a little funny, don’t you?”

The walking wardrobe shook his head in protest, eyes glowering at the significantly younger titanspawn. “Life and death isn’t a joking matter, Eteri. Treating it as such will see you a corpse before you can even prove yourself useful.”

The Harpy’s smirk fell only slightly. Such a response was almost routine from the Jotunn, yet it didn’t buffer the entire blow of the comment. “I’m sure that won’t happen. I’ve got half my life yet. Plenty of time for even you to apologize to me.” His eyebrows wiggled at the notion. Leikn merely turned on the balls of his heel and grunted.

With the parade of armed forces - the company of Asgaheim’s finest accompanied by fifteen warriors of the Silent Order - maneuvering forward, careful to give the carriages assigned to the politically important a wide berth, the unofficial official leader of the wagon train turned to Thaddeus. Tarquin, now hovering feet off the air with a rhythmic flap of his wings, turned to observe both.

“After we clear the fishing village, Irst,” The man spoke with certainty, though his eyes stared past the dwarven prince and into the cage. “We’ll break from the main road and head North, then West. We’ll completely avoid the city and most of the more populated villages along the way.” It was not a topic to be discussed. Galladon merely explained what he was going to do, Eteri noticed, and expected compliance. Even now, as they made their slow progression, the Aspect of Protection’s eyes were heavy on the former Aspect, a warriness or fear - even maybe a hint of eagerness - in those eyes of his.

“Bit of a long way to the palace.” Tarquin decided to finally speak up - he’d been silent enough. “I’m sure the people of the capital would enjoy seeing us parading through.” Already, Eteri could see the cogs turning in Galladon’s head, working through the provocative suggestion and wondering whether to discipline the warrior or rip off his wings.

“Don’t make these poor jests.” He finally responded.

Carefully looking at the man, Tarquin decided to end his little game here. “You’ll have to forgive me.” A hand roamed the scalp of his head, lightly massaging it. “It’s been a very dull morning for me. Leikn’s been bitter and opposed to having the faintest discussion since we’ve arrived.” Usually, Tarquin would keep the game going until he managed to get one of his comrades to snap and swipe at him. It was a fun way of testing their limits, seeing exactly what perturbed them more than most things. Eteri considered a way to keep these immortal warriors humble. They saw the harpy as an annoying song bird. “In the interest of our safety,” The Harpy rose in the air, stopping once he was roughly eye level with the dwarven prince. “Is there anything you can inform us about our Goddess here? Any particular color she doesn’t like? Favored meal? Displays of intelligence?” The Harpy rolled his neck, stealing a glance at the giant wolf. “Have you tried giving her a tummy rub?”

Superboy's Shitty Characters

The prison carriage forged ahead of the procession of Titan and Aspect dignitaries, its iron-plated wheels churning across the dirt roads without difficulty. Its coachman was an old man with a shaggy grey mane and tired eyes, and if he cared at all that he was transporting a wolf god to the capital of Atlantis, he didn't show it. He had lived a long life in service to Asgaheim, and he had seen more wicked and stranger things than most men knew existed. Gnarled hands urged the cart's stags ahead with a whip of the reins, his head bowed low so the brim of his hat kept the sun from his eyes.

His dwarven companion was just as quiet. Thaddeus, Prince of Asgaheim and Lord of House Vannerac, was busy scanning the treeline for nothing in particular. He didn't expect an attack from without- even the Atlanteans, bold as some of them were, were not foolish enough to attack both Asgaheim and Fomoria at once. Nay, if there were violence, it would come from the twisted monster that he once called a friend. 'And I'll call her friend once more,' he assured himself as he glanced back over his shoulder at the beast. She stood as tall and broad as a castle's battlement, her fur was black as midnight, and her claws were longer and sharper than any blade he had ever encountered. Asta had never been a particularly dainty woman, but this...this thing was nothing like her.

He turned away, letting his gaze return to the trees. He prayed that Atlantis's sorcerers could find a way to help her. Thaddeus was a sailor and a warrior by trade. The only problems he knew how to solve involved a compass or an axe. This however...this was all beyond him. All he could do now was to call out to his ancestors and hope they had some answers.

Their march was silent and uneventful for the most part. The thirty dwarves that flanked Asta's carriage rarely spoke among each other, the grim nature of their duties not lost on them as they were forced to stare up at the behemoth for the whole of the journey. Fear wasn't the right word for what they felt. They were the venerable honor guard of the Black Iron Company, a force which had proved itself time and again against the Titan Kings of the south. Asta's transformation may have been a new phenomena, but primal giants and angry beasts were not. Even combat against gods was not a new thing to some of them, as the campaigns into the south had seen them face off against that corrupted cabal on more than one occasion.

The scouting party of five Valkyries was of a similar caliber. They had been hand-picked from Elliya's Chosen, a Valkyrian regiment that had been serving Yaeg'Bor personally since his first conquests in the north. They had eyes sharper than steel and glided on the wind better than any bird could ever hope to. Though they were cunning warriors in their own right, they had been brought on the North's Roar for their impeccable ability to scour the landscape and note enemy positions without being seen in record time. Of everyone present, it was likely those five were the most eager to see Asta break from her chains so that they might test themselves against such great query.

Tense though the journey was, it had thus far been fairly uneventful. Thaddeus could feel himself growing restless, his fingers dancing idly against the shaft of his hatchet. He needed to find something to occupy his mind other than his wandering thoughts and worries. Thankfully for the Red Dwarf, the Silent Order's members didn't all abide by their name, and Galladon wanted to discuss how they'd be traversing Atlantis. "Seems a wise path." Thaddeus agreed with a nod. "You know these lands far better than I. I defer to your judgment." He glanced over at the coachman beside him. The old human gave only a grunt, acknowledging that he'd heard the discussion and saying nothing more about it.

The harpy made a goading joke about parading through the capital itself that didn't seem to land with any of his fellow Atlanteans. Galladon himself looked like he was ready to tear his own subordinate from the sky for the off-color jest. Thaddeus let his lips lighten in a slight grin, finding some solace in the man's humor. He considered responding in kind, but given the dark look on the Aspect of Protection, he figured it would be in poor taste.

The thought of speaking with the harpy must've wormed its way into the bird man's head, for only moments later he was hovering at Thaddeus's eye level and asking him a number of equally ridiculous questions. Thaddeus gave a glance over at the Silent Order's leader, mulling it over once more before deciding there was little harm in it. Conversation was an easy way to pass the time. "Well..." He began, thoughtfully running a hand through his bushy red beard. "I'm not too sure there's any color, in particular, she doesn't like, but she is quite fond of red. 'Specially when it's slathered on meat. Speakin' of, she likes basically anything with a bit'a meat on it. Slabs of meat. Meat on bones. Meat covered in armor. Didn't have any problem digesting any of it, I don't think."

He paused at the question of intelligence, taking a moment to look back at Asta. She was laying her head on her front paws, staring right back at him with those crimson eyes of hers. It was hard to tell what was looking at him. Many an animal held a cunning behind their eyes, some of them frighteningly close to that of men. "I'm not sure." He finally responded with a shrug of his shoulders. "Some days it almost looks like she knows what we're saying. Others she's just tryin'ta eat us the moment we get close. Hard to get a read on her. Hoping your sorcerers can help us out with that one."

"I've yet to try to rub her belly, sad as it is to say." Thaddeus shifted gears to looking back to the harpy, his grin going wider. "You're more than welcome to try it, though."

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

@Master Bruce

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

@Saint Maxx It’s not that I want to play her. What it is is the fact that Wiccan and Speed are her reincarnated children (I had to go back and check cause that info still boggles my mind) but I can figure out ways to replace them.

@alexfangtalon

I can see a world where their origins are divorced from Wanda's. I didn't have any plans for them anyway.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

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^{_{♦ S C O T T S U M M E R S ♦ J E A N G R E Y ♦ H A N K M C C O Y ♦ B O B B Y D R A K E ♦
♦ X A V I E R S C H O O L F O R H I G H E R L E A R N I N G ♦ T H E X - M E N ♦}}

C O N T I N U I N G C O N C E P T:

---

^{"Like I said before, helping mutants is sort of what we do."}

The X-Men are a ragtag group of young and aspiring metahumans seeking to make the world a better place. Each of them came to Charles Xavier, the mind that discovered the Meta-Gene and has led the fight for metahuman civil rights, broken and lost. He offered them something no one else could: purpose, and the means to see that purpose come to fruition. All of them already knew from personal experience the difficulty that came with being born a mutant, but it wasn't until Xavier that they realized just how widespread their repression and abuse was, and how deep the roots of hatred went.

The system was fundamentally broken, but they had an opportunity to fix it.

The one place metahumans found some degree of acceptance was as heroes: servants of justice dedicated to protecting the people from those that would do them harm. Metas like Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel and Captain America had laid the foundations for such acceptance long ago, and Charles saw it as the perfect way to expose the general population to Metas- to prove to them that Metas aren't some dangerous, subversive element of society, but people. Ordinary people who just want to be treated as such.

So he founded the X-Men. He gave them the flashy costumes, helped them control their powers, and sent them out into the world to change it. The road is long and hazardous, but they're as dedicated as they come. They won't stop until their people are free.

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:

---

The recent escalation in violence and meta-normal tension has proven to the X-Men that they are far from equipped or prepared to deal with either the former or the latter. They have so much more to learn if they ever wish to have the positive impact on society that the team desires. Minimizing collateral damage, de-escalating potentially violent situations, and winning hearts and minds are just some of the vital skills they'll need to succeed as public metahuman superheroes. Young and inexperienced though the X-Men may be, they're dedicated to defending the civil rights of metahumans from all threats- no matter who or where they're coming from. Xavier taught them that both man and mutant kind can live in harmony, it'll just take some work to get there.

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

---

Cyclops

Scott Summers is the over-eager leader of the team. The oldest member at twenty years old, he was orphaned from a young age and spent all of his youth being abused in the system by peers and adults alike. The birth of his mutant powers brought him into local police custody and eventually into Charles's care at the age of sixteen, and he learned under the Professor with an earnest, idealistic passion. He cared deeply for his fellow mutants and often got into trouble trying to protect them from harm- his heroics were the first sign that perhaps something like the X-Men was viable.

Beast

It was Scott that brought Hank McCoy into the fold when he found the young, brilliant man being picked on, harassed and bullied by his peers for his appearance. He had a mind that could rival Xavier's even at only eighteen years old, and his great strength and agility were comparable to that of a simian. Hank was introduced to Xavier via Summers and, before long, Hank had accepted an invitation to join them at the manor. It was McCoy that created the first prototype of the ruby-red glasses that allow Scott to have some semblance of control over his powers, and it was his idea to use the mansion as a 'boarding school' of sorts as a cover if they were going to continue recruiting young mutants to their cause.

Marvel Girl

Jean Grey was later found in a coma, apparently having gotten into a car crash and mentally experienced the death of the car's driver- her best friend since middle school. Xavier was called in by the Grey family to lift the coma and protect Jean from her own mentalist abilities, which had taken on a dark nature after the traumatic event. Xavier convinced the Greys to let Jean join him at the 'boarding school' in Worchester so that she could learn how to more properly control her powers. At only eighteen years old, Jean was terrified of herself and these strange abilities. It was Scott that convinced her to work with the 'team,' persuading her into believing that it was the best and most productive way to learn how to control her mutant talents.

Iceman

It was the rescue of Bobby Drake that marked the first official mission of the X-Men. Three costumed heroes appeared in his hometown of Floral Park, where an angry mob had chased the sixteen year old mutant into the police department, where the sheriff had barred the inside to keep the mob out. Bobby had frozen the local bully in a block of ice- whether by accident or on purpose, he couldn't say- and an angry group of citizens attempted to remove the threat themselves. The X-Men arrived. Their attempts to calm the rowdy masses quickly proved futile, and they were forced to push their way to the station. It was a dire situation, but it thankfully ended in Bobby's successful rescue, and he was returned to the safety of the school. Drake, without anyone else to turn to, decided to join the team.

Nightcrawler

Kurt Wagner is a German-American immigrant that found his way to Pennsylvania when he was just a boy. He had always faced discrimination due to his strange appearance, and his family had faced such intense mistreatment that they were forced to move homes across the state several times. Kurt, in his anguish, turned to religion, finding solstice and some comradery in the Catholic faith. He spent much of his time serving a local minister. It wasn't until puberty hit that his teleportation abilities appeared. His newfound mutation brought the hatred and distrust back to the forefront as he struggled to keep his powers in check. His family was attacked one night while they were returning home, and Kurt chose to run away to protect them from further danger. He was later found by Jean Grey hiding in the remains of a rundown church, and he was brought back to the Xavier school where he finally found acceptance.

Professor X

Professor Xavier is a wheelchair-bound mutant telepath capable of tremendous and terrible feats of power. He's a genius in the field of genetics, specializing in mutants and the 'X-Gene' that gives them their superhuman abilities. He's written a number of scientific papers on the phenomena and taught at a number of universities on the subject, and while he's well-respected for his research, it's his civil rights activity that has earned him his true fame- and infamy- in the public eye. The fear and prejudice that mutants often face from their communities and in the world at large are disturbing to Charles, and he fights constantly to see these people protected from those that would see them harm. His movement brought him to the X-Men, a group of young adults and teenagers all looking to make a difference. Xavier brought them under his wing and gives them the tool they need to continue the fight. That fight is uphill, unfortunately, and in no small part due to the terrorist activities of his former friend turned nemesis, Erik Lehnsherr.

List of characters making an appearance in the ASTONISHING X-MEN

Avalanche AKA Lance Alvers
Marrow AKA Sarah Rushman
Pyro AKA John Allerdyce
Freakshow AKA who the fuck knows
The Negasonic Teenage Warhead AKA Ellie Phimister

The Hellfire Club
Emma Frost
Sebastian Shaw
Cassandra Nova

Bolivar Trask
Senator Robert Kelly
Magneto AKA Erik Lehnsherr
Mystique AKA Raven Darkhölme
Quicksilver AKA Pietro Maximoff
Scarlet Witch AKA Wanda Maximoff
Juggernaut AKA Cain Marko

Potential X-Men (Subject to change if interest is shown):

Storm AKA Ororo Munroe
Rogue AKA Anna Marie LeBeau

S E A S O N O N E S Y N O P S I S:

---

New York City has a long and storied history of racial violence, and the recent rise in the metahuman population has brought about a continuation of that tradition. Tensions reached a boiling point when a metahuman youth named Lance Alvers went on a rampage in Bayville High School, injuring several students and killing two police officers before evading arrest. The X-Men were noted for attempting to subdue Lance, though many commentators and even the police chief have argued that the vigilantes only exacerbated the situation.

A vigil for the fallen officers was held at the church of the prominent anti-metahuman activist, Reverend William Stryker. It was at that vigil that he radicalized a number of the Bayville survivors, recruiting them into the Purifiers- a militant militia organization dedicated to protecting America from the threat of metahuman violence.

Stryker went on to strike a deal with unknown, foreign elements to acquire advanced technology and military-grade hardware. Now equipped with technology indistinguishable from metahuman powers, the Purifiers launched a terrorist attack that would forever change the political landscape of America- perhaps even the world. They called themselves the Metahuman Supremacy Front. Their leader, Stryfe, declared an all-out war on humanity, and urged metahumans everywhere to violence. Using a swarm of unknown, bug-like drones, Stryfe took control of the minds of many of New York's citizens and forced them to murder one another in the streets. Untold numbers were killed or wounded during the incident. It was only by the combined efforts of many of America's best and brightest heroes that Stryfe was eliminated and the threat was ended.

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

---

_{S E A S O N O N E:}

Rumbling Earth

Issue #1
Issue #2
Issue #3
Issue #4

Along Came A Spider

Begins in Spider-Man's first chapter, THE DISTANCE
Issue #1
Issue #2
Issue #3
Issue #4
Issue #5
Issue #6
Issue #7
Issue #8
Issue #9
Issue #10
Issue #11
Issue #12
Issue #13

All the World a Stage

Issue #1
Issue #2

Infamy

Issue #1
Issue #2

_{S E A S O N T W O:}

N/A

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

@Saint Maxx As you're doing stuff with the X-Men I wanted to ask what your idea regarding Scarlett Witch was if anything?

@alexfangtalon

As of now she, Quicksilver and Magneto will have significantly altered backgrounds. The X-Men being in their first year in 2019 presented several issues, especially in regards to Magneto's origin, so I've made quite a few changes so everything lines up a bit better.

That said I'm sure we could work something out if you were interested in playing her. Right off the top of my head, she'll likely be significantly younger (ballparking mid-teens) and a native of Genosha, which is currently being headed by an apartheid anti-mutant regime. I can be flexible with it if you had some specifics in mind, but her being so closely tied to Magneto- and him being significantly different- poses a few obstacles in that regard.

Superboy's Shitty Characters

no

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Next person to post has the quadruple gay.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

The Astonishing X-Men

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 X - M E N

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^{_{♦ S C O T T S U M M E R S ♦ J E A N G R E Y ♦ H A N K M C C O Y ♦ K U R T W A G N E R ♦ B O B B Y D R A K E ♦
♦ X A V I E R S C H O O L F O R H I G H E R L E A R N I N G ♦ T H E X - M E N ♦}}

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

---

^{" Mutants. Since the discovery of their existence, they have been regarded with fear, suspicion, often hatred. Across the planet, debate rages. Are mutants the next link in the evolutionary chain or simply a new species of humanity fighting for their share of the world? Either way, it is a historical fact: Sharing the world has never been humanity's defining attribute."}

The X-Men are a team of mutant superheroes that fight for the rights of mutants and to protect both mutants and humans alike. Led by Scott Summers -- AKA Cyclops -- and founded by Professor Charles Xavier, the X-Men are a newly christened team of young but fiery heroes looking to prove themselves to a cynical and bigoted world. They're based out of a manor in Worchester County, New York affectionately referred to as the 'X-Mansion,' an old estate that's been in the Xavier family for generations.

They've been in operation for a little over a year now, working from the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. It's little more than a simple mansion with a fancy title at the moment so that Charles has some excuse to live with his 'students.' Some moves have been made to potentially open its doors to other mutants in need, but they lack the proper facilities or staff to do such a thing.

In their short time as heroes, they've earned themselves a number of enemies. From the vengeful Magneto to the anti-mutant Senator Robert Kelly and the fire-and-brimstone preacher William Stryker and his cult of Purifiers. They've made plenty of friends in that time, too. Many a mutant has the X-Men to thank for saving them from some injustice. The X-Men have made something of a habit of rubbing shoulders with other, big time superheroes, hoping that their popularity might rub off on the team and help their perception in the public eye.

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 want to create a cornerstone of the Absolute Comics universe. The X-Men often either don't show up at all or are pushed into a rather minor role in these games, and I intend to change that. Though we're starting from the beginning, the plan is to explore the world of mutants in the context of a combined DC/Marvel world and to bring about the creation of the proper Xavier's school, and perhaps even bring up a new age of mutants sometime in the future.

The X-Men and mutants as a whole experience a great deal of prejudice and bigotry for being born different. They're going to experience the full brunt of this xenophobia, from both the world at large and many individual characters alike. They'll face hardships no ordinary heroes will face, and they'll have to tackle problems unique to their being mutants.

The X-Men seek to bring about equality for mutant kind and to foster peace between mutant and humankind. Each of them has individual goals of their own, such as Jean's desire to control her abilities and leave her trauma behind her, or Bobby's goal of acceptance and camaraderie.

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

---

Cyclops

Scott Summers is the over-eager leader of the team. The oldest member at twenty years old, he was orphaned from a young age and spent all of his youth being abused in the system by peers and adults alike. The birth of his mutant powers brought him into local police custody and eventually into Charles's care at the age of sixteen, and he learned under the Professor with an earnest, idealistic passion. He cared deeply for his fellow mutants and often got into trouble trying to protect them from harm- his heroics were the first sign that perhaps something like the X-Men was viable.

Beast

It was Scott that brought Hank McCoy into the fold when he found the young, brilliant man being picked on, harassed and bullied by his peers for his appearance. He had a mind that could rival Xavier's even at only eighteen years old, and his great strength and agility were comparable to that of a simian. Hank was introduced to Xavier via Summers and, before long, Hank had accepted an invitation to join them at the manor. It was McCoy that created the first prototype of the ruby-red glasses that allow Scott to have some semblance of control over his powers, and it was his idea to use the mansion as a 'boarding school' of sorts as a cover if they were going to continue recruiting young mutants to their cause.

Marvel Girl

Jean Grey was later found in a coma, apparently having gotten into a car crash and mentally experienced the death of the car's driver- her best friend since middle school. Xavier was called in by the Grey family to lift the coma and protect Jean from her own mentalist abilities, which had taken on a dark nature after the traumatic event. Xavier convinced the Greys to let Jean join him at the 'boarding school' in Worchester so that she could learn how to more properly control her powers. At only eighteen years old, Jean was terrified of herself and these strange abilities. It was Scott that convinced her to work with the 'team,' persuading her into believing that it was the best and most productive way to learn how to control her mutant talents.

Iceman

It was the rescue of Bobby Drake that marked the first official mission of the X-Men. Three costumed heroes appeared in his hometown of Floral Park, where an angry mob had chased the sixteen year old mutant into the police department, where the sheriff had barred the inside to keep the mob out. Bobby had frozen the local bully in a block of ice- whether by accident or on purpose, he couldn't say- and an angry group of citizens attempted to remove the threat themselves. The X-Men arrived. Their attempts to calm the rowdy masses quickly proved futile, and they were forced to push their way to the station. It was a dire situation, but it thankfully ended in Bobby's successful rescue, and he was returned to the safety of the school. Drake, without anyone else to turn to, decided to join the team.

Nightcrawler

Kurt Wagner is a German-American immigrant that found his way to Pennsylvania when he was just a boy. He had always faced discrimination due to his strange appearance, and his family had faced such intense mistreatment that they were forced to move homes across the state several times. Kurt, in his anguish, turned to religion, finding solstice and some comradery in the Catholic faith. He spent much of his time serving a local minister. It wasn't until puberty hit that his teleportation abilities appeared. His newfound mutation brought the hatred and distrust back to the forefront as he struggled to keep his powers in check. His family was attacked one night while they were returning home, and Kurt chose to run away to protect them from further danger. He was later found by Jean Grey hiding in the remains of a rundown church, and he was brought back to the Xavier school where he finally found acceptance.

Professor X

Professor Xavier is a wheelchair-bound mutant telepath capable of tremendous and terrible feats of power. He's a genius in the field of genetics, specializing in mutants and the 'X-Gene' that gives them their superhuman abilities. He's written a number of scientific papers on the phenomena and taught at a number of universities on the subject, and while he's well-respected for his research, it's his civil rights activity that has earned him his true fame- and infamy- in the public eye. The fear and prejudice that mutants often face from their communities and in the world at large are disturbing to Charles, and he fights constantly to see these people protected from those that would see them harm. His movement brought him to the X-Men, a group of young adults and teenagers all looking to make a difference. Xavier brought them under his wing and gives them the tool they need to continue the fight. That fight is uphill, unfortunately, and in no small part due to the terrorist activities of his former friend turned nemesis, Erik Lehnsherr.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

T H E X - M A N S I O N

---

^{8:00 a.m. | Salem Center, Worchester County, New York}

Charles Xavier always felt a sense of satisfaction at the sound of chalk moving across a blackboard. Every stroke invigorated him like a shot of dopamine, and he found himself turning away from the board with a content grin on his aging face. "Genosha," the professor stated, tapping the name he'd just written in large, bold letters. "Does anyone know who first founded it?"

His question road like a wave across the makeshift classroom, which was little more than a sitting room with the chairs all turned to face forwards and a blackboard rolled in front of it all. Bobby Drake had made sure to occupy the furthest seat from the board, the hood of his jacket drawn down juuust far enough to hide his eyes as he tried to catch up on missing sleep. Movie night with Kurt had run a couple of hours too late. How was Drake supposed to know the marathon lasted that long? He regretted not checking the clock or something, 'cause being reminded by the sun coming up hadn't been very fun.

Kurt, to his credit, hadn't quite passed out yet. His head was resting in his palm, his three fingers running through the blueish fur on his cheek. His eyelids kept trying to clamp shut every few minutes, only for Wagner to lurch awake in a violent and distracting display that would keep him lucid for a couple of minutes before it all repeated again. If he ever tried to answer any questions it came out in unintelligible German.

Two pencils went soaring through the air like a pair of shurikens, one striking Kurt in the forehead and the second bouncing off of Bobby's nose. Both boys were thrown wide awake by the sudden attack, with Bobby nearly leaping out of his chair in surprise and Kurt vanishing and reappearing right back in his seat in a puff of black smoke. They shared a confused glance with one another seconds before realizing where the attack had come from, their heads turning simultaneously to glare in the direction of Scott Summers.

Scott crinkled his nose incredulously at them- even with his eyes hidden behind his crimson visor it wasn't hard to tell he was glaring. Sweat glistened off of the young man's forehead, still clinging to him after his long and exhaustive morning run. After making sure the two troublemakers were thoroughly and silently accosted for sleeping through the lesson he returned to looking in Xavier's direction, unable to muster an answer to the question. This was the first time they'd broached the subject of Genosha, and Scott wasn't too confident he'd be able to even point it out on a map.

The Professor pursed his lips, his eyes slipping between the three of his students as he seemed to contemplate how to deal with the brief interruption. The look lingered on Scott, giving the team's leader his own look of quiet admonishment before Xavier shifted his attention fully back to the lesson at hand. "Anyone?" Charles asked with a raised brow, "Hank?"

It wasn't until he heard his name that Hank McCoy even seemed to notice there was something going on around him. His pencil was rapidly shortening as he ran the tip of the graphite against his notebook full of crazy ideas and half-finished schematics. The current drawing before him was a series of functional upgrades to the team's costumes. Their current suits, aside from being a little tacky, didn't have any kind of temperature control, built-in communications, armor or other crucial parts to any superhero uniform. Hank blinked, pushing his nose up his glasses as he looked up to the Professor and then at the blackboard. "I'm sorry, uh, could you repeat the question?"

"He asked who founded Genosha," Jean Grey cut in before Charles got a chance, speaking in a very matter-of-fact tone as she looked down at her notes, "and you're gonna say the British first declared the colony in 1901, but there was actually activity from various colonial powers going as far back as the 16th century. And..." She stuck her tongue into her cheek, her brows furrowing a little. "Something about making the suits out of a carbon fiber mesh?" Jean leaned over from her seat and attempted to get a look at whatever it was Hank had been doodling on his notebook. "-Are you making us new costumes?" She asked curiously.

"Hey!" Hank practically tore the book off his lap and slapped it up against his sprawling chest. "No mind reading!" He huffed, clearly caught off guard at having his thoughts so casually spoken aloud for everyone to hear.

Bobby was out of his seat and leaning over the back of McCoy's chair as quick as the word 'costumes' had left Jean's mouth. He grabbed both of Hank's shoulders and attempted to drag himself up high enough to see the notebook in his big friend's hands. "We're getting new costumes?!" He inquired with an energetic excitement that had seemingly spawned from thin air. Kurt shared his enthusiasm, popping up on Hank's opposite shoulder in a puff of dark smoke and trying to leer down at the page. Hank didn't take well to the intrusion, trying to buck the duo off and keep the sketches hidden against his chest at the same time.

Jean's face grew beet red the instant she realized what she had done. "I- I didn't- I mean, it wasn't on purpose-" She stumbled and stuttered, retreating behind her red locks as she bent her head low in shame at her actions. Reading minds came to her as easily as actual hearing did. It was hard for her to decipher what were thoughts and what were words, and sometimes it all got so jumbled that she got her own thoughts mixed up with someone else's. "I'm sorry." She muttered.

Hank, still busy wrestling Bobby and Kurt into submission, paused long enough to listen and reply. "Its okay." He assured her. "I'm not- hey!" He started, only to be interrupted by Kurt slipping underneath one of his arms and getting a hold of the notebook.

Nightcrawler slipped right away from the beast of a man's grip, vanishing out of the classroom and appearing in the hallway. He held the picture up in the light, a bright grin spreading across his face. "I look awesome!" He laughed.

"Lemme see!" Drake whined, jumping over chairs and racing over to catch up to Wagner. "When do I get to wear mine?!"

Hank, hot on Bobby's heels and having completely forgotten what he was going to say to Jean, was quick to shout after them. "Its just a drawing! We aren't even in the prototype phase!"

The lesson thoroughly disrupted and Jean left in her silent shame, Charles let out a quiet sigh. Kids, he thought with a shake of his head. No matter what kind of amazing gifts they might have, it was hard to forget that these five were still all children at heart. He placed the chalk back down on the tray and moved his hands onto the wheels of his chair, planning to go to miss Grey, as he had many times before. But he paused, not all that surprised to see that Summers had already moved to her side. He had a hand around her shoulder and he was trying to say something that might've been vaguely wise had the boy any idea how to say it. It brought a smile to Charles's face.

"Come on back, my students, there'll be plenty of time for that later! Our lesson's only just begun." Xavier called out to the wrestling trio in the hallway. They all seemed to look at each other and hold and a wordless conversation for a few seconds before deciding to call a ceasefire and return back to their seats. They spent a little while putting everything back where it was before and getting themselves seated, but their attention was eventually given back to the professor. Even if they bickered, fought or messed up in some fashion, they always seemed to land back on their feet. Always seemed to orientate themselves to point north again, even if it did take a bit of time. Charles let his hands come to rest on his lap as he waited a moment, making sure everyone was ready before he continued. "So, as Jean said, Genosha was founded in..."

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

Somebody stepped out of the store to take a smoke and ya'll just booked it inside to start shopping.