Avenger Assembled Posted July 25, 2009 Posted July 25, 2009 In the universe next door, On Anti-Earth, Claremont Academy is known simply as "The Academy." (When you say that name in Empire City, everyone knows what you're talking about.) The students there are petty godlings drunk on power, young superhumans taught to believe that they are the natural masters of humanity and that the unfortunate regular people of Empire City and the world are there as their pawns and slaves. (However, the Academy doesn't actually discriminate against well-trained young killers, as seen in their most famous recent graduate Tyranny Syndicate member Black Bowman.) Cruel students are encouraged in their cruelty by their harsh taskmasters, decency and humanity discouraged by positive example and negative punishment. Compassion for the weak is a terrible embarrassment liable to fetch you a beating, or worse, from older 'cadets' or your teachers, most of them minor Syndicate members bitterly jealous of their usually more powerful students. The bold student can retaliate against a particularly brutal teacher, but falling beneath the watchful gaze of the drunken, lecherous Fletcher Beaumont II would be a mistake for even the most powerful student. Disobeying the orders of those higher in the Syndicate is a crime punishable in variously unpleasant ways. The most famous cadet team at the Academy is the Next-Syn, formerly headed by the Black Bowman himself and now commanded by Bolt, the spoiled, vicious son of Captain Thunderbolt himself. Bolt is the son of the head of the Tyranny Syndicate and plans to succeed his father there someday, hopefully after the older Ray Gardner retires. But there are other cadet teams at the Academy, organized by ambitious young students determined that they will be the next generation of masters of the world. The newest of these teams is the Young Imperials, headed by Hex, aka Mark Mason Lucas. A group of murderers, thieves, and outright bastards, the Young Imperials are a team with spectacular ambition and a whole lot to prove. And they don't care who gets in their way. Hex: Mark Lucas is the son of a slave and the grandson of a slave. Oh, that wasn't how they billed themselves. To hear him tell it, Jimmy Lucas had been an early member of the Praetor's gang, a loyal toady and supplicant who'd risen on the coattails of the Golden Age Syndicate into a position of wealth, power, and esteem. A generation later, Rick Lucas had been the Praetor's right-hand man, acting as his eyes and ears all over the world as the Syndicate broke the back of their world's few heroes and assumed near-total behind the scenes control. Rick was no fool, though, and when Captain Thunderbolt assassinated the Praetor and his people took over, Rick unhesitatingly took an oath of allegiance to the new regime. After all, he had a son to take care of: and this one he planned to acknowledge as his own. Mark hated his father. And he hated his grandfather, too, for the spineless, powerless, weak little men they'd been. The more the boy learned about history, growing up and watching his father bow and scrape to Captain Thunderbolt and his goons, the more he grew to hate his family and the weak nothings that they were. His family's power was the power of favored pets and slaves, nothing but a legacy of shame and disgrace. When he started as a student at the Academy, it wasn't as a cadet: he was in training to be a favored servant, a minion and goon like any other non-powered student who hadn't been training in combat his whole life. Fuming in his disgust, Mark worked, a brooding, spiteful boy whose anger finally exploded out onto the scene the day William Polsky's chest caved in. The other cadets had been gathered around and watching as Polsky abused and heckled the janitor-trainee on the steps of the Doom Room, the training yard where prisoners of the Syndicate were put to use as test subjects and targets for various student activities. Polsky wasn't a bad boy, really, but he was determined to win respect from his peers by picking on a much-despised "zip." And so it happened that Mark gathered up all his rage at the ill fortune of the world, focused in on William Polsky, and stopped the boy's heart dead in its tracks. That was something; when Fletcher Beaumont II personally appeared to welcome Mark into the Academy track...well, that was something else. Mark was a "luck vampire" for lack of a better word, a young man able to suck the good fortune from others and use it for his own nefarious purposes. He used his powers to pass a test; a car crashed nearby. He dropped a tank on agents of LIGHT? A school burned down nearby. Still deeply jealous of the spoiled children of power like Bolt who mocked him when he was nothing but a slave, Mark used his charisma and stolen good luck to build a team of his own; a team that would one day let him sit and rule where his father stood and waited, that will one day let him be served where once his grandfather was a servant. He hasn't spoken to his parents since the day his powers manifested. (Hex's costume is identical to Edge's, with the exception that he is red where Edge is yellow and black where Mark is blue.)
alderwitch Posted July 25, 2009 Posted July 25, 2009 I'm guessing you want write-ups of what we think our alter-selves would be like? :)
Avenger Assembled Posted July 25, 2009 Author Posted July 25, 2009 Right now, I'm just looking for writeups of your alternate self. Alternate character backgrounds, if you will.
quotemyname Posted July 25, 2009 Posted July 25, 2009 when are you looking to start, because I have to go to a barbecue tonight and won't have time to post for a little while.
Ecalsneerg Posted July 25, 2009 Posted July 25, 2009 You'll notice at no point in this did he make an actual thread proposal, right?
Avenger Assembled Posted July 25, 2009 Author Posted July 25, 2009 This is just material for building a setting so far.
angrydurf Posted July 25, 2009 Posted July 25, 2009 Assault: Mike Harris was born to a pair of exceptionally unexceptional drones at the service to the Tyranny Sydicate. His mother thought little of the indescretion leading to his birth and by the time she realized Mike had inherited some degree of his fathers powers it was too late. The Sydicate had overthrown the Praetor and if they new a child of his had surrvived they woudl kill not only the child but his whole family. His family tried to hide his blosoming powers but that all came to an end when Mike reached the second grade. Another child had something the bigger boy wanted so Mike took it, when the other child tried to fight back Mike hit him as hard as he could. The feeling of power as he felt the boys skull crush under the impact was unbelievable even better was the terror his actions wrought in the other students and teachers. After the incedent he was transfered to the Academy. At the Academy he learned more of how to best utilize his powers and has grown rapidly in both ability and visciousness. He may not be as strong or as fast as some of the Next Syn but nearly none of the rest of the school can compare and his powers continue to grow by the day. Mike is a reckless and cruel bully who gets his real rush from killing and inspiring terror. He has few friends other than Alex, then again everyone is Alex's friend and she's always happy to have anothe body to stand in front of her when the time comes. She's known him since they were very young and has her mental and emotional talons wedged deep in his psyche. When Hex began to put together a new team at the accademy Mike was a natural choice, he was powerfull and more than willing to cause some havok just for the opportunity to hurt and terrify.
Electra Posted July 27, 2009 Posted July 27, 2009 When it comes to alternate timelines, there are divergences and there are divergences that come from them. For Erin White, her divergence came either much too late or just a little bit too soon. After her world was decimated by a plague, then destroyed by a zombie-creating vaccine, she struggled on for months, inoculated with an experimental serum, trying to keep her younger sister alive until they could find some pocket of civilization in an empty world. Despite her best efforts, a simple accident claimed Megan's life, killing her cruelly over days, until the only thing Erin could do was euthanize her with pills to stop the suffering. Half-mad from the grief and loneliness, she went on a rampage through her empty world, slaughtering zombies, destroying abandoned property, teaching herself to fight in the half-hope that something stronger than her would come along and end the nightmare. Perhaps, given enough time, she would've managed to work through the pain and start rebuilding herself, even found a new purpose, or resumed her quest for civilization. Unfortunately for her, she found something stronger and meaner than her, prowling through the half-destroyed streets of Oklahoma City. A Tyranny League exploration team, trying to decide if whatever had killed this world was something they could use, had noticed her trail of destruction and hunted her down. Rather than being intimidated at the obvious superiority of their strength and training, she took them all on, fighting like something possessed. With five-to-one odds, they beat her to a pulp, but were impressed by her fearless savagery. Even though they couldn't find a trace of the plague anymore, they'd at least gotten one weapon from this dead world. Of course, she was a rather raw sort of weapon, and needed both sharpening and refining before she'd be of any use. Christening her "Singularity," her new trainers put her through frequent simulations in the doom room, till she could no longer distinguish humans from zombies, or civilians from targets. Heavy pain stimulus was employed to condition her out of attacking anyone wearing a Tyranny League uniform, or the insignia of their associated groups. No sense in having a weapon that attacked their own as well. She became a very good, extremely lethal fighter, both unarmed and with any sort of weapon she could get her hands on. There were a few accidents of course, a few casualties, but she more than proved her worth in her first test run when they sent her into a sewage system thought to contain a resistance nest. She was so efficient, slaughtering every man, woman, and child in the place, that her handlers debated renaming her Roto-Rooter, though that one didn't stick. With her lethality ensured, they began looking for a suitable vector for her. The new team forming up at Claremont seemed like a good choice. Every team needs a superweapon, and Hex's unique skills made it less likely she'd start murdering her teammates. For Singularity, being on a team is not really a matter of getting along with the others. She's only half-conscious of her surroundings most of the time, tormented by post-hypnotic suggestions that keep the faces of her dead family and her dead world clear in her mind at all times. She spends most of her time in training, honing her skills and growing further desensitized to the carnage she creates, so there's not much time for bonding anyway. When she is aimed at the enemy and put into action, he teammates know better than to get in the way, lest they become targets as well.
quotemyname Posted July 28, 2009 Posted July 28, 2009 So I have been thinking about this thread for a few days now. I can't for the life of me think of what Breakdown would be like as an Evil Breakdown. So I respectfully withdraw. Sorry and hopefully I don't mess things up too bad.
Cyroa Posted July 29, 2009 Posted July 29, 2009 I've got something for Hellion, just been a little busy to type it up. I'll get there though.
alderwitch Posted July 30, 2009 Posted July 30, 2009 Pathos: Alexandra Albright was a blessed child. Truly gifted. So gifted, in fact, that she discovered an unholy ability to manipulate people's minds with her very thoughts. Her parents were the first playthings in her life but by no means the last. It was when she was in elementary that her powers were noticed for what they were as it was much easier to notice the class of adoring thralls. She was quickly transferred to the Academy where things were actually difficult for Alex for the first time in her life. She discovered that she didn't like 'difficult', nor did she like the sensation of people able to dislike her. A quick study, she added more variations on her emotional manipulations, subtler that raw power and even more dangerous. Now, she's attatched herself to Mark and his little band. She's had her talons in Assault since childhood and she was quick to 'help' Singularity find her 'long lost sister'. She's very careful to keep her manipulations on Mark much more... subtle. After all, what fun is it to be the mean girl if you don't get to date the school's most popular boy. She aims to make certain that Mark's successful, and Alex always gets what she wants.
Ecalsneerg Posted July 30, 2009 Posted July 30, 2009 Komodo Chris Kenzie grew up as a lazy thief. Unwilling to work for what he wanted, he just took it. Which was what led to him sneaking into an abandoned resistance warehouse and stealing all their gadgetry, as well as a prototype super serum. Now armed with lizard-like regeneration and wall-crawling, not to mention a heavily armed airship and gadgetry, he stole what he liked and did as he chose. Inevitably, this brought him to the attentions of the Academy, who blackmailed him into working for them. A sadistic, mocking figure in black, he fights in combat with his wrist-mounted flamethrowers. A master of getting under people's skins, he taunts and intimidates others into doing what he wants, be that following his every whim or letting their guard down in combat so he can blister their skin. Changes to Geckoman build: Attacks using the electric descriptor now use fire, and he has Intimidate and not Diplomacy.
quotemyname Posted July 30, 2009 Posted July 30, 2009 I would like to opt back in if I may. I came up with an idea while riding the rails today in a drunken stupor Conductor Born Nazo de Arblo, Conductor was always a bad seed. He has always had a foul temper, and a mean streak. He was never able act on any of his foul thoughts, however. That is, until he received his first CD player when he was 14. The music gave him strange powers. He now tries to use those powers to gain control over people. He is a very controlling and malicious person. And the power he has reflects that. He has megalomania (of course) and delusions of power that he hopes to one day see come to fruition. Most commonly, Conductor will listen to music from the classical, reggae, funk, punk, and rap genres. Each genre gives him a different sort of powers. Classical is his favorite (as is reflected by his chosen name) and the powers it grants him deeply reflect his nature - controlling and based on putting him in charge. When listening to reggae he has been known to defeat Capoeira masters with ease at their own art. Funk music as expected grants him strange powers, usually based on the ability to change his surroundings though whether these changes are real or just illusions, one cannot say. Punk music grants the powers of rebellion! Rap grants the power to talk fast and deliver stinging insults. Conductor has been known to wear tuxedos. All the time. Even in summer. Tuxedos with tails even! He also commonly sports a top hat, monocle, and a cane crested with a large diamond. He also maintains a thin, greasy, mustache (the type you can twirl while laughing evilly: "Nye he he!")
Avenger Assembled Posted August 2, 2009 Author Posted August 2, 2009 OK, I think we just need to hear about Angelion (or whatever James' alt-name is) and we can start doing some adventures here.
Cyroa Posted August 5, 2009 Posted August 5, 2009 Edit: had to change this due to things being different (I'll go back and make version II at some point).
N/A Posted July 27, 2010 Posted July 27, 2010 Anti-Earth Zephyr is just as spoiled and irreverent as her Earth-Prime counterpart. But Discordia is also a thrill-killing psychopath. She's just as much of a bloodthirsty bully as her father, and just as shamelessly manipulative as her mother (though somewhat lacking in finesse by comparison). "Hey, you know what's LOTS of fun? Grabbing a human, running REALLY fast with him, then heading straight into a brick wall and phasing through it at the last second. They pop like zits! It's like feeding antacid to seagulls at the beach. Or you can just run really fast with 'em, then stop on a dime. Their necks totally snap in half like toothpicks. It's wicked-cool!" She came back in time to escape her parents' attempt to murder her. In the present, with a more level playing field, she's waiting for the opportunity to kill them first (as long as she can make sure that won't nullify her own existence).
Darksider42 Posted July 27, 2010 Posted July 27, 2010 THREAD NECROMANCY!!! Thrash Born to a family of nobody drunks. Warren Wilder desired from birth nothing but Fame and fortune in Imperial city. His love for Extreme metal eventually leading him down one possible path to fame. However, he always viewed some of his bandmates as glory hogs that stole the spotlight from him and arrange "Accidents" to befall them including his best friend Tomas. He barely morned him when he 'tripped' in front of a incoming car. His powers were awakened when working at one of the various dive clubs of imperial city. Rebels were desperate for parts to help free the city from the Tyranny Syndicate and were willing to steal some of Warrens "Specially customized" subliminal mind control speaker systems. Warren wasn't going to have that. The sheer rage that anyone was going to interfere with his plans was enough for his latent sonic abilities to manifest and cause untold damage and carnage on those that dared oppose him. Eventually Syndicate spies eventually found out about Warren, now the Maniacal Metalhead Thrash and found himself transfered to The Academy. His powers and Technological know-how eventually caught the eye of Hex and invited Thrash to the Young Imperials. Being on a team with the only people on the planet that could effectively take down the Syndicate and install their own rule in one fell swoop has stroked Thrashs already planet sized ego and now has expanded his dreams to total world domination. Costume Pallet Swap: Change Black to white and the Blue glass crack patterns to Crimson splatter patterns
Gizmo Posted July 27, 2010 Posted July 27, 2010 [bg=#000000]The Blank[/bg] The Academy is no place for the weak, but while most trainees focus on reaching ever greater levels of personal power, the enigmatic young man known as The Blank has built his reputation by capitalizing on the vulnerabilities of others. On the occasions he chooses to reveal himself directly, he appears always in an immaculate white suit complete with gloves and a featureless mask which covers his entire head. Fastidious about his apparel, he displays an almost obsessive devotion to cleanliness, with the exception of blood splatter, which he finds somehow enchanting. With the ability to create vision nullifying 'white outs', The Blank is a wraith about the Academy grounds, surrounded by a carefully constructed web of misinformation. In truth, he is Trevor Hunter, grandson of one of the Praetor's original gang. Disinterested in the inherited reputation, he assumed his new identity and by the time he came to the attention of Beaumont, had already taken control of a notable portion of the city's illegal gem trafficking despite his youth. A cunning mixture of blackmail, veiled threats and manipulation quickly secured him a place in the training ground's hierarchy. Coming for a line of assassins, The Blank possesses their predisposition toward brutal efficiency. Disparaging his peers' tendency toward excessive shows of force and cruelty, he acts only when there is a tangible benefit to be gained and never simply to harm others. Seeing himself as a bastion of reason and order in a world thrown into chaos, The Blank feels that the only way to restore his city to its former glory would be to rule it himself. Lacking the power necessary to take over directly, he is more than willing to bide his time, building his empire brick by brick from the ground up. Their families' shared history is a private joke The Blank enjoys at the expense of the unknowing Hex, while his natural mental resilience has done little to endear him to fellow chessmaster Pathos, though he's far too cautious to risk drawing her undivided attention, particularly while she has Assault at her beck and call. Oddly, he treats Singularity with what passes for compassion at the Academy, considering it a lamentable waste that so much power should be attached to so fractured a mind. Of course, were her post hypnotic suggestions ever to fail... well, The Blank does like to plan for every eventuality.
Ecalsneerg Posted July 27, 2010 Posted July 27, 2010 Komodo Chris Kenzie grew up as a lazy thief. Unwilling to work for what he wanted, he just took it. Which was what led to him sneaking into an abandoned resistance warehouse and stealing all their gadgetry, as well as a prototype super serum. Now armed with lizard-like regeneration and wall-crawling, not to mention a heavily armed airship and gadgetry, he stole what he liked and did as he chose. Inevitably, this brought him to the attentions of the Academy, who blackmailed him into working for them. A sadistic, mocking figure in black, he fights in combat with his wrist-mounted flamethrowers. A master of getting under people's skins, he taunts and intimidates others into doing what he wants, be that following his every whim or letting their guard down in combat so he can blister their skin. Changes to Geckoman build: Attacks using the electric descriptor now use fire, and he has Intimidate and not Diplomacy. Then came the teen hero xxx, whose alter ego of Liz Lawlett fell in love with Chris. Over time, they grew closer, and then one fateful day, Komodo decided to make a power play. Forcing xxx to make a power booster, to his surprise she didn't resist. Only, she rigged it, knowing he'd finally gone all the way over the edge. Mutating to a full reptile creature, in a rage, he killed xxx with his claws and fangs, fleeing in a desperate rage back to the Academy. As punishment, he's being left without a cure.
Lone Star Posted September 20, 2010 Posted September 20, 2010 The Prince In Yellow (aka Evil!KidCthulhu) Blake Salazar was always a dark sort of child. He was largely ignored by his parents, who were too busy with their art to raise him properly. When he was out on the streets, he came across an occult bookshop, where he began to study the dark arts and various mystical spells. Many of the patrons in the shop were members of the Yellow Kings, and he was invited to join their group. Blake, having motives of his own, accepted their offer happily. As he became more involved in the group, he noticed one of their books they were reading from. It was none other than the Necronomicon Ex Mortis. He waited for his chance to strike. The moment the members found out it was stolen, it was already too late. He sacrificed the members in order to gain the essence of what is known as The Unspeakable One. What came next he did not expect. An avatar of The Unspeakable One, which appeared to be a man in yellow, granted him his power. Blake felt his mind slide between dimensions, but the power surged into his mind, filling it with secrets and whispers from beyond. He may have lost some of his sanity that night, but it was well worth it in the gain of arcane power. He would now take his place as The Prince In Yellow. (Costume Change: Snazzy yellow cult robes. Add Burst effect Confuse linked to Mental Blast as his powers. Also, cultists. He has them.)
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