The RP will start in the middle of the League's first meeting in Chicago. Each of the characters will have been sent an invitation to the meeting and everyone starts there. The first mission starts a little after that. Hopefully this avoids the whole 'hey, how are you' phase a lot of rps stumble on in the beginning.

EDIT: Lucian, I kinda saw that too but He-Man seemed an apt analogy as well as Excalibur isn't a flying brick like Captain Marvel. This Universe did have a real Merlin, but no one is quite sure where he went off to. So his contact having the codename Merlin is fine, but him being actual Merlin isn't. As for Zack, by skills I mean does he have any exceptional qualities? Is he a quick thinker? A negotiator? Things like those. Skills don't have to be physical or technical, as I said. But you're right, you don't want too many skills to start with. But your character should have at least one quality that adds something to the mix.