I'd like to express interest, and I will shortly present a sort of proto-Character Sheet.
Proto because it was for a more mainline RP and I don't want to close the doors to others' concepts by insinuating it's canon is canon.
Specifically the Captain America I RP'ed in TGM's 1968 RP, with the obvious caveat that it is not 1968
Rightio. You're welcome to post the incomplete CS here in the interim, just keep in mind I won't be able to formally consider the app until it's complete, and the 48 hr cut off for competing apps will not be in effect until the completed version's up
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
_________________________________________________________ Loki | Loki Laufeyson _________________________________________________________ Asgardian | Frost Giant | God of Mischief, Professional Agitator _________________________________________________________ Salem | Oregon | USA
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 ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► As Loki is a) genderfluid and b) a shapeshifter, their appearance and pronouns are subject to change. By default, they will use they/them.
►Loki's powers are primarily based in illusions. Innately, however, they possess a superhuman status due to their Frost Giant genetics. They are still notably physically weaker than the likes of Thor.
► Beyond illusions, Loki's magic also affords them cryokinesis, telekinesis, teleportation, touch-based telepathy, and energy blasts. Anything beyond illusions is generally weak without use of the scepter, however.
►Loki's scepter does NOT contain the Mind Stone. It has no unique abilities by itself, instead serving to amplify and concentrate Loki's innate magic. -
K E Y E V E N T S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ◼ Loki is born to the Frost Giant Laufey. A scrawny and premature baby, they are considered an embarrassment and left to die. The warring Asgardians discover the baby, and the king Odin later adopts them. Their Frost Giant physiology is concealed with an enchantment and they are raised as an Asgardian. (701)
◼ On an adventure with their brother, Thor, Loki learns the truth of their heritage from Laufey. Angered by the lies, this mixed with Loki's jealousy for their older brother to create a disdain for the Asgardians. (1063)
◼ Loki stages a coup with the help of the Frost Giants and attempts to seize control of Asgard. It fails, and Loki is defeated by their brother, Thor. They are imprisoned for their crimes. (1066)
◼ Loki escapes prison. The Asgardians fail to locate them, assuming them to having fled to another realm. (1070)
◼ Loki causes problems across the Nine Realms, occasionally clashing with their brother as a result. They undertake a variety of aliases for their meddling purposes: Some of these include Giacomo Casanova, Diogenes of Sinope, Grigori Rasputin, D.B. Cooper, and Count St. Germain. Their exploits throughout history are numerous and dubiously documented. At some point, Loki attracts the attention of a cult devoted to them. Their membership has shifted throughout the years, but historically sheltered the marginalised and disillusioned. (1070-1980)
◼ Loki begins a campaign of agitation against the Storm Giants and Frost Giants. (1980s)
◼ Loki is caught by a coalition of Frost and Storm Giants, their trickery revealed. They are summarily executed for their crimes. Fortunately, Loki came prepared, and tricked Hel out of their soul. In exchange, they would be banished to Midgard. (1990)
◼ Loki spends a year battling their way out of Helheim, as Hel refused them safe passage out of the realm in her indignation. (1991)
◼ Loki's new body is cared for by their cult while they age and adjust. (1991-2015)
◼ After regaining full control of their magic and body, Loki sets off to explore the modern world. (2015-2023) -
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T
A principal agitator in the annals of human history, Loki has always stirred the pot and heralded chaos. With their powers of sorcery and illusion, they change their shape and distort reality to confuse and disguise the truth. Across the Nine Realms, Loki was a name that roused fear and spite in the hearts of the mightiest. The god's legacy of deceit came with an inevitable comeuppance, however, as after attempting to spark a civil war, they were executed by the Storm Giants for their incessant meddling. Not content to die like any normal person, however, Loki tricked Hel into letting their soul go free—with the necessary caveat that they would be banished from Asgard forever. Should they step foot again in their homeland, their body would immediately wither, and their soul would be taken into the underworld.
Now reincarnated trapped on Earth, Loki is forced to face their actions through a human lens of morality. Having been on the side of chaos for so long, Loki is forced to ponder if mischief is truly inseparable from evil. To experiment, they have elected to, as they see it, join the side of "good": Protecting humanity from the forces they once gleefully catalysed. After all, if this planet is destroyed, where are they going to live? Despite being known primarily as a villain, this incarnation draws from their appearances in Young Avengers and Agent of Asgard, in which they're considerably more heroically inclined. Loki's presence in the story will hopefully serve as a catalyst for introspection, both on their end and the end of other characters. I want them to be a sort of devil's advocate, second-guessing motives and actions.
P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S )
Loki appeals to me primarily because of their distinctly non-human element: I've always found a character "on the outside looking in", so to speak, interesting. I think one of those outsider characters—someone who's only interaction with the human world has been like an ant farm, staring at it through a thick pane of glass and occasionally giving it a shake—would be a fascinating perspective to introduce into the world. They're learning its conventions and rules in real time, and thus can call into question the objectionable aspects most people have grown numb to. Their propensity for shapeshifting and trickery also allows them to take on a variety of identities and aliases through which they can further inhabit the world, in their own crafty way.
On a personal level, the character is also forced to confront themselves within this frighteningly mortal framework. Loki is no longer above this world: They have to learn how they fit into it, what their purpose is now, if human morality is truly worth upholding. In the words of Loki comic writer Kieron Gillen, "Can people change? Can bad people get better?" They need others not just for the sake of connections and relationships, but also to inform their own view of this new society and to illuminate the parts of the world often unseen. They have a proactive, overruling drive to explore the world and to meet new people, which I think is a boon to have in any living world, especially one with so much to see.
Ultimately, Loki's arc is one of learning and discovery, catalysing self-reflection in others and in themselves. Despite being a godly being, I hope to introduce a distinctly human element into the world with them. OOC, they will hopefully encourage collaboration and multi-player stories.
“Darren?” “Yes, my lord?” “What did I—” Loki swung their sceptre through the air, the trail of blue it left behind catching Darren’s attention before the cold metal against his chest. Darren grimaced, nervously slicking back his combover and pushing up his bifocals. “What did I tell you about “my lord”?” “It’s…Stuffy and overzealous?” “Yes!” The Sceptre swung back, Loki catching the end in their other palm. “Do I look old enough to be a lord to you?" Loki turned the staff over in their hands, peering at their warped reflection in its crowning jewel. "I’d like to think I have a few centuries left.”
Darren, in his defence, was trying his best. He had always tried his best. He was an excellent dad—allegedly. I don’t know, I wasn’t there. His only proof is a “World’s Best Dad” mug, and the rim is chipped, so obviously the title doesn’t mean very much to him. But all it took was the beguiling of one Ms Sandra, 27, local single in your area, and suddenly his wife was serving him a petition for divorce, and his kids start beggingg to go to Wendy’s every Friday after school, since mom always lets them do what they want. Don’t ask me who Wendy is. He’s never elaborated.
In any case, human lives are frightfully short, and Darren had already lived half of it. All that he had amassed in that half had disappeared in a few years. Really, you’d forgive him for just curling into a ball and staying there. But, instead, he managed to find glorious purpose serving me, or the made up version of me these people have in their heads, as leader of my cult. He’s not very good at it. Ordinarily, I’d atomise him, but I’m trying to do better.
“Well, regardless. I want you to gather the others. There’s something I would like to tell them.” Loki shuffled up to their altar, kicking up into the air. They swung their sceptre around, leaning back on it and stopping midair. “Chop chop, now. It’s urgent.” With a hasty nod, Darren scurried away, towards the nearby log cabin. They looked quite pleased with themselves, lazily reclining back on thin air. And they were quite pleased with themselves. Today was the beginning of a new chapter of Loki’s reign of chaos and terror, sans the chaos and terror.
It wasn’t long before their cult had gathered around the altar in a circle—all nine of them. “Hang on,” Loki mused, doing a quick headcount. “Where’s Mairead?”
“She has to pick her kids up from softball,” a shrill voiced, portly man in brown khakis and a red polo shirt explained.
“Ah, right. Well…Someone fill her in. Text her, or whatever it is you people do.”
The portly man nodded, already taking out his phone in preparation to transcribe.
“People of the cult of Loki!” Loki called out, arms raised. “Aren’t you just the greatest? Your service over these past years has not gone unappreciated. I truly will never forget the sacrifices, metaphorical and literal, you have made for me while I’ve recovered my strength.”
“I LOVE YOU, LOKI!” a woman with frizzy orange hair and thick framed black glasses shrieked from the back.
“And I love you…!” Loki bit their lip, casting a glance towards Darren. He mouthed a name, silently, and Loki’s eyes darted back up. “Rachel! Which is why I am filled with remorse to announce to you that the cult of Loki…” Dramatic pause. Ever the showperson. “...Is officially disbanding.”
Shock, gasps. Someone fainting. That was what Loki was expecting. Mostly, though, it was just a collection of sighs and shrugs. A groan of disappointment from Rachel.
“...You seem remarkably well composed.” This was definitely not the reaction they were hoping for.
Darren rolled his shoulders. “I dunno. Was something fun to do on the weekends, I guess.”
“Don’t you want an explanation?”
“I mean, I don’t really mind. You gotta do what you gotta do, y’know?”
Loki furrowed their brow, casting a glance throughout the crowd.
“...Really? No one is going to throw themselves at my feet, or…?” Pursing their lips, Loki clambered down from the sceptre, heels touching off the altar. “Gods, alright,” They muttered, lazily hopping down onto the dirt below. They had said this as a joke before, several centuries ago, and the head shaman died from a shock-induced heart attack. Esoteric cults had really lost their oomph.
In retrospect, it was only fair. This was probably how they would have reacted if the cult had disbanded of its own accord. Some of them were definitely just here to kill time.
“Well, you can go, I suppose,” Loki halfheartedly waved the group off with their sceptre. Several of them, save for Darren, were gripped by a shimmering blue light, responding to a pulsating glow from the sceptre’s gem. They were dragged backwards, leaving behind a starlight trail as each cult member flew backwards through the air and over towards the edge of the woods. “I need the cabin, though. The lease is still under your name, isn’t it?”
Darren nodded, hastily.
“Excellent. The landlady is still enchanted, but if you get anything about overdue rent, just let me know, and I’ll…” Loki poked the side of their head, hissing with their tongue. “...You know.”
Loki waved their sceptre, and that blue light overtook Darren. They paused, jaw clenched. “...Goodbye, Darren. Good luck out there. Thank you.”
“No sweat, boss. Hey, can I put you down on my resume? Just as a reference, cuz y’know…”
Loki smiled, sadly. “But of course. Just give me a good alias.”
Darren nodded, more carefully this time. “Max Power.”
"That will do, Darren. That will do.”
And with a wave of Loki’s sceptre, Darren was gone.
Now began the next chapter. With a whirl of their cape, Loki was enveloped in a pulsating, feathery blackness. There was a dismal cawing, and out from the mass flew a mighty raven, the wind on its wings and mischief on its mind.
Maybe they would stop a bank robbery. Maybe they would uncover a political conspiracy to take control of the world. Maybe they would peck at a housecat’s window and irritate the living daylights out of it. The possibilities were endless for the new God of Mischief.
I'm going to wait to see if a few more applications trickle in in the next couple of days, but otherwise I'll be aiming for the IC to go live sometime next Saturday. Thoughts?
HOWARD LONGNAMEOVICH ♦ INTERDIMENSIONAL INSURANCE AGENT ♦ THE MULTIVERSE ♦ PECK PROPERTY & CASUALTY INSURANCE, INTERDIMENSIONAL FIRE & LIFE DIVISON
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:
"What the fuck?" -- EE
Inspired by stuff like Doctor Who, H2G2, and the Howard the Duck comics, I want to tell some comedic sci-fi stories and that's pretty much it.
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:
Howard wants to become the multiverse's A-#1 insurance agent. Call me now for a quote on everything from uninsured motorist to retcon insurance. Lost your house in an attack from space invaders? You're covered! Got maimed by a time-displaced caveman? You're covered! Subjected to a shitty reboot where the words "Fuck Batman" actually come out of your mouth? You're covered! I'm here to help you!
C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:
CAST
Kang the Conqueror (Earth #21099) -- Uninsured interdimensonal conqueror. Major asshole. Doesn't even leave a courtesy note when he wipes out a planet.
Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Earth #0002) -- An older, greyer (pun) Hulk who has reached the end of his superhero days and is now transitioning to a second career: Howard's intern. Hulk smash lunch order.
The Despair (Earth #2292) -- Hive mind that is bent on utter and complete assimilation of their dimension's inhabitants. One of Howard's best clients.
Zeus Bain/Flying Squirrel Man (Earth #798) -- Superhero and member of the Righteous Guild. Inhabits an earth that couldn't afford the rights to licensed characters.
The Phillie Phanatic (Earth #090995) -- Serial killer/baseball mascot. Got absolutely washed by Tommy Lasodra one time.
Meryl Streep (Earth #321210) -- Hardened criminal. Most prolific bank robber in the multiverse. Just a real delight, crushes everything she does.
“Hey. I’m Mr. Dickhead. And I’m a real asshole. I go around dimensions and I do things like key your car, set your house on fire, and tea-bag your mom's vegetable soup. If you want to protect your shit against assholes like me, then get Greco Interdimensional Insurance today.”
“Waugh,” Howard the Duck snarled. He grabbed the remote on his desk and turned off the monitor mounted on the far wall of his office. He shook his head as he laid the remote back down beside a stack of three-ring binders.
Howard rubbed his temples with his feathered hands and sighed. “Greco, Greco, Greco.”
“A new ad?”
Bruce Banner walked through the door holding two cardboard coffee cups. He gave one to Howard while he kept the other. Howard took a deep pull off his coffee before talking.
“Yes. A new ad. I expect nothing less from the company that prioritizes marketing over superior coverage and products.”
Howard’s company did their own share of advertising. For awhile, Howard had been featured in commercials as Peck Property & Casualty Insurance’s Agent of the Year campaign. It was pretty straightforward. Howard gave a speech to the folks watching:
“Hi, folks. My name is Howard the Duck, and I am Peck Property & Casualty’s Agent of the Year for the year 2018 in realities 0003-0054, and 0057-0068, 1969 for all you groovy cats in realities 9813-44401, and the year of 42069 (nice) in the reality where everyone is perpetually sixteen years old. Along with my accolades, those same realities also named Peck Property & Casualty as the #1 insurance company for those years. How was it that over a thousand different dimensions recognized our work? It’s simple. At Peck Property & Casualty, all our agents go above and beyond the expectations of good service. It’s the Peck guarantee. And for an agent to be named agent of the year, it speaks to how far I will go to offer good service to my customers. Don’t take it from me, hear it from some of my insured:”
“As a power hungry dictator, I often have to face many threats from challengers both at home and abroad. When it looked like the cursed Richards would finally win the day, Howard assured that my plot armor insurance was up to date, and he also helped me figure out how to go get a good discount on Life Model Decoys. NO ONE BESTS DOOM! VENGEANCE WILL BE MINE, RICHARDS! Thanks, Howard.”
“When some greedy executives tried to use me as a bargaining chip in their corporate negotiations, I was worried I would be kicked out of the cinematic universe I had just recently entered. So I called Howard and it turned out that he had me signed up fr reboot fatigue coverage for up to ten years. Take that, Andrew Garfield! What’s more, he told Kevin Fiege to &$@# off. Thanks, Howard!”
“So you see, I go the extra mile for my customers. It’s what all Peck Property & Casualty agents do. If you want to experience the different first hand, give us a call and get your quote in as little as ten minutes, or go to peckpac.com or .org or .biz or .boobs, depending on your reality. Peck Property & Casualty, no slogans, just good service.”
"Good coffee, Bruce," said Howard. "You always do a great job.
"There's a science to it," said Banner. "And of the few things I know, science is one of them."
Howard watched his trainee sip coffee from across his desk. To Howard, Banner looked like a college professor. Round, rimless glasses with long graying hair pulled back into a ponytail. Hard to believe that the Hulk was inside him, just waiting to come out. But Banner had insisted that those days were behind him. In Bruce's reality, the Avengers had a falling out after Hawkeye spiked the lemonade at the Avengers annual picnic with laxative. They'd called the event Civil War 3, which Howard fully couldn't quite grasp. What had happened in Civil War's 1 and 2? Regardless, the fight had been brutal and Banner gave up both the Hulk and the dimension for a second life here with him. Howard had his doubts on if Bruce really had banished the Hulk. On one hand, having the Hulk as backup would be great. But as an insurance man, a raging monster who destroyed property left and right was a nightmare. Think of how high his premiums must be!
“Enough about advertising, let’s look at the Book.”
Howard placed a small metal cube on the desk and pressed the single button on the cube’s smooth surface. A hologram projection showed a network of dots across a great expanse. There were plenty of green dots, several red dots, and a vast collection of black dots.
“Pop quiz,” announced Howard. “What do the color coding on the dots mean?”
“Green is a dimension where you have at least one insured client,” said Banner. “Red means that you don’t. And black means those are realities where there is no interdimensional traffic, so they are outside of PP&C’s coverage.”
“Correct. And what does…. It mean when a green dot is flashing yellow?”
Banner looked at Howard with a puzzled expression.
“I don’t know, Mr. The Duck.”
“Call me Howard. Mr. The Duck was my father.” Howard pointed towards hologram map of the Book. One of the green dots was in fact pulsing a deep amber color.
“That means that one of our insured is currently in the process of filing a claim.”
Howard pressed the button on the Book again and zoomed in to the dot. Information crawled across the display beside the flashing dot.
REALITY # 3311 LOCATION: EARTH INSURED: US PRESIDENT MCGILLICUTTY (JOINT GLOBAL POLICY) CLAIM: ALIEN INVASION COVERAGE: YES
“Alright,” said Howard. He pushed stood up and rifled through the drawers of his desk. He pulled out a large rifle and tossed Banner a black rectangular device. “That’s an interdimensional beacon. It’s how we move between realities. Keep it clipped to your belt and never have it leave your sight.”
Howard flicked a button on the rifle. It sparked blue energy and began to hum. He looked at Banner and winked.
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
_________________________________________________________ Iron Man | Anthony "Tony" Stark _________________________________________________________ American | Human | Unemployed _________________________________________________________ New York City | New York | USA
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 ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ►Equipment
Arc Reactor: Originally designed by Howard Stark to power nuke-bearing submarines, Tony has adapted the arc reactor to his own uses. Namely, at the moment, keeping himself alive. He hopes future iterations of the reactor might be made available the world over. A single large-scale arc reactor could theoretically power an entire city for centuries without producing radioactive waste or filling the atmosphere with poison.
Mark V Iron Man suit: The fifth iteration of the Iron Man armor and the last Tony developed before losing access to his workshop. It’s shell is built from a durable gold-titanium alloy held up by a carbon fiber muscular lace and a series of hydraulic bone-analogs. The suit’s highly advanced systems allow for rapid, AI-assisted movement and superhuman strength and durability. It’s armaments consist of palm-based repulsors, a chest-mounted unibeam, guided micro-missiles, and a variety of less lethal sonic and bludgeoning ordnance. It’s powered by the miniaturized arc reactor lodged in Tony Stark’s chest- without Stark inside the suit is unable to operate. Repairs and alterations require complex technology Tony no longer has access to.
JARVIS: JARVIS is an artificial machine intelligence developed by Tony Stark to assist in the day-to-day operation of his company. It has been fully integrated into most major systems in Stark Industries and assists accountants, software engineers and developers in their various duties. Its computation power is extraordinary, able to run hundreds of different instances of itself working on numerous tasks at a time. JARVIS is a crucial component of the Iron Man suit, which essentially could not function without AMI assistance. Tony continues to tinker with JARVIS's matrices with the hope of unlocking true artificial intelligence.
►Supporting Cast
Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes: A career airman and longtime friend of Tony Stark. They initially met at MIT, their shared interest in military technology kicking off a friendship that would evolve far beyond that. Rhodes spent a decade as a fighter pilot before moving on to his current career in command and control operations; he’s aided Stark as Iron Man on a number of occasions, though his requests for his own suit were never realized. Now that Stark has lost his company Rhodey does his best to take care of his friend, offering him a place to sleep while Tony works out how to get his old life back.
Virginia "Pepper" Potts: Pepper is a senior finance manager at Stark Industries, close friend and ex-girlfriend of Tony Stark. Originally a beleaguered accountant at Roxxon, Pepper was recruited by Tony personally, who convinced her that her talents were being wasted at a cesspool like Roxxon. The two dated for some time prior to Stark's kidnapping. Like everyone else, she'd assumed Tony was dead and moved on with her life. The two have remained close friends for several years.
Harold Joseph "Happy" Hogan: While Tony was still the CEO at Stark Industries, Happy was his right hand. He was his driver, bodyguard personal assistant, corporate spy- whatever Tony needed, Hogan was happy to do. He was with Stark's convoy in Sokovia when it was attacked. Despite barely surviving the encounter, he blamed himself for losing Stark. He would've resigned and left if not for the intervention of Pepper. The two grew close in their shared grief; so close that the two were engaged to be married when Tony finally resurfaced. Stark held no ill will toward either of them and was even the best man at their wedding. Happy is currently the head of security at Stark Industries.
►Antagonists
Obadiah Stane: Obadiah Stane was already a veteran business mogul by the time he'd co-founded Stark Industries with Howard Stark. Cutting his teeth as a weapons manufacturer during the Cold War, Stane sees himself as one of last defenders of the old American order- a strong, guiding hand for an increasingly anarchistic world. He's always found Tony's attitude grating, but it wasn't until Stark turned into a hippie that he chose to expel the boy from the company. Stane hopes he can reverse engineer Stark's 'Iron Man' power armor to sell to the highest bidder.
Justin Hammer: Justin Hammer is a lifelong rival of Tony Stark, though Stark's never known it. They shared a class at MIT, Hammer started his own defense contracting company at the same time Tony took over Stark Industries, and Justin began drawing up plans for powered infantry armor when the Iron Man made his first public appearance. Unlike Tony, Hammer has found little success in his life: he cheated his way through university, his company went bankrupt and was absorbed into Stark Industries, and none of many attempts at power armor function up to standard. Despite his ineptitude he's managed to hold onto a position as Stark Industries' head of experimental technologies by groveling at Stane's feet.
Anton Vanko: Anton Vanko is a Sokovian political radical and the son of Igor Vanko, leader of the Sokovská Nacionalistická Fronta that Tony Stark murdered in his escape. Anton scavenged what remained of the Mark I Iron Man suit and reverse-engineered an arc reactor of his own with the intent of tracking Stark down and avenging his father. He has taken on the moniker of Whiplash.
Dmitri Bukharin: Dmitri is the fifth man to bear the mantle of Crimson Dynamo, and he will likely be the last. For decades the Crimson Dynamo was the premier superhero of the Soviet Union- a shining beacon of their technological advancement and military might. Dmitri was one of a dozen candidates chosen to pilot the last version of the mechanized, twelve-foot tall walking tank. The pilot had to be skilled in the mech’s operation, of course, but they must also exemplify all the best traits of the ideal Soviet man: handsome, well-spoken, and a fervent advocate for Marxism-Leninism. Bukharin was to be that man. The country he had so fiercely dedicated himself to would fall apart only five years after his appointment. A distraught Dmitri fled from Russia with the Crimson Dynamo and would spend the next several decades building his reputation as a feared mercenary, doing battle with heroes like Iron Man on many an occasion. -
Tony Stark used to have it all. Born the son of billionaire Howard Stark and his wife Maria, he never wanted for anything physically. He was provided the best education money could buy and all the toys he could ever want. All he lacked for was his parents' attention. Driven to prove his worth to a neglectful father, Tony had a doctorate before he was old enough to drink. His parents died a week after the graduation ceremony they did not attend. Tony would go on to succeed Howard as CEO of Stark Industries.
His genius intellect brought the company to new heights. Stark developed weapons that made the Manhattan project look like a baking soda volcano by comparison. Young, arrogant and ignorant of the consequences, Tony sold his designs to governments the world over to fund his hedonistic lifestyle. His perspective fundamentally changed after his kidnapping during a visit to Sokovia. Rebels from the Sokovská Nacionalistická Fronta (SNF) attacked Stark's convoy, killed most of his escort and ferried him away to an isolated compound in the mountains. Stark nearly died from his wounds if not for the creative intervention of a local doctor: an electromagnet was placed in Tony's chest to prevent micro-shrapnel from entering his heart. Drawing on designs his father originally drew up, Tony developed a prototype arc reactor to keep himself alive in captivity. The SNF demanded he build weapons for them.
Instead, Tony spent his year in captivity discreetly building his first Iron Man suit. Donning the armor, he tore through the SNF and escaped. He would return to the States a changed man, having seen the results of his ‘genius’ firsthand. He shifted Stark Industries’ focus to humanitarian causes. In particular, he hoped to create a full-sized version of his arc reactor to revolutionize clean energy. Tony invested much of his personal wealth into the program's development and shifted his attention to another project: the Iron Man suit.
For the next seven years Tony Stark donned improved versions of the armor to fight the battles no one else could. Tony saw saving lives as a chance to redeem himself for the part he played in the global war machine. He threw himself into his alternate identity fully, leaving the running of his company up to his longtime mentor and business partner, Obadiah Stane.
Obadiah found Tony's change of heart vexing. The company's market share suffered horrendously with its shift away from weapons development. Mass layoff after mass layoff nearly broke Stark Industries. Despite Stane's best efforts he couldn't convince Stark to return to sanity. His frustration at its boiling point, Obadiah chose to act: he leaked Tony’s identity as Iron Man to the public, alongside an avalanche of suppressed scandals from Tony's past. Stane drowned Stark in lawsuits and bad press until he had nothing left.
Betrayed by his oldest friend and penniless, Tony shipped what equipment he could- and his latest version of the suit- to a storage locker under an alias. Now he find himself planning his revenge from James Rhodes' couch.
P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S )
This is sort of a pseudo year one for Tony. He has history as a superhero to ground him in the wider world and allow me to easily backfill relationships with other characters, but for the purposes of resources and reputation he’s at rock bottom.
I want to explore a couple different storylines with Stark this go around: his lingering guilt- both personal and generational- from the death and destruction the Stark name wrought in the pursuit of riches and power; Tony’s fight against Stane and the broader Military Industrial Complex to take his company back; and finally Tony coping with the loss of his former place of privilege.
I’m excited to explore Stark’s thematically rich story and rogues gallery. There’ll be a lot of opportunities to examine corporate cutthroat culture, how celebrity behavior warps under public scrutiny, and the heavy responsibility that comes with power.
"Run it again, JARVIS." Tony Stark splayed across the couch like a lion on its rock. He was the king of a concrete jungle: a billionaire, a genius engineer, and a world-class superhero. Untouchable. Unassailable. He tore a chunk from his latest successful hunt- a greasy cheeseburger from the joint down the street. He'd lost count of how many Kwikkee Meal Deals he'd eaten ever since moving into Rhodey's apartment.
Tony was unbelievably broke.
A series of simulations flashed across the television, the laptop plugged into whirring angrily as it tried to process the experiment's thousands of unique variables. A full-sized arc reactor popped open on the screen to reveal its internals: hundreds of individual plates placed so close together the human eye couldn't discern the gap between them. The plates rotated around the core at murderously high speeds, driven only by the Casimir effect. The vacuum in the chamber allowed the reactor to maintain its current energy production indefinitely...theoretically.
One of the plates in the simulator began to flash red. "Error in plate one hundred and four," JARVIS warned in a cheery English accent. "Sheering along the joint will cause it to break off after thirty-seven years, six months and twelve days of use." As JARVIS spoke all the surrounding plates began to flash as well. "Catastrophic failure follows shortly after."
Tony ran a hand through his hair in irritation. It was long, wild, and about as greasy as the burger. His beard wasn't much better. He stood from the couch to get a better view and began to pace. Increasing the size of the arc reactor had only made the design's flaws more apparent. No modern metal alloy could hold together under that much pressure for long. Even the gold-titanium his suit used proved insufficient. A carbon fiber mesh would be tougher, of course, but making a mesh that large was difficult and expensive. And making a hundred and twenty-eight meshes? Not viable.
"How much energy do we lose if we add thrust in the opposite direction to maintain a sustainable speed?" Tony asked, stopping to spin the television remote on the coffee table.
"Those calculations may take some time, sir."
"Do it." Tony nodded, despite talking to a computer program that couldn’t see it. "And give me my messages while you’re at it. Filter for job offers and anything from the lawyers."
This time Tony’s cellphone buzzed in response as JARVIS left the laptop to its diagnosis and scrolled through Stark’s email. "You have thirty seven job related messages."
Stark’s expression lit up. "Any takers?"
"I'm afraid not, sir. All thirty seven are rejection letters."
His expression fell like a pile of bricks. Well, at least they’d been polite enough to actually respond, Stark mused. In his previous batch of applications half the agencies saw his last name on the resume and blocked his number. Obadiah Stane- Tony's former friend, mentor, and current enemy for life- had done his damnedest to ensure Stark would never work in any relevant industry again. Maybe Kwikkee needed a new burger flipper.
Tony dropped back into his couch and pulled the phone out himself to check his bank account. There was a distinct lack of zeroes behind the prime numbers. Not unexpected, but still concerning. His reserves were running dangerously low. If he couldn’t find work soon…
He flipped to James Rhodes’ main account. Not something he was supposed to have access to, technically, but curiosity and a guilty conscience didn’t mix well. Rhodey was Tony’s oldest friend and one of the best men he’d ever known- he was also prone to taking on more than he could handle. It wouldn’t be long before Stark’s problems caught up with Rhodey.
Tony paused. He closed his eyes and took a series of deep breaths. He couldn’t drag Rhodey down with him. Wasn’t happening.
“JARVIS, do I have anything from that Pentagon rep?”
There was a moment’s pause as the machine ran through Tony’s emails once again. “Yes sir. I moved all of Major Talbot’s messages to spam as you requested. You have sixteen unopened emails from his address.”
“Alright, let’s set up a meeting. I’m grabbing a scotch.”
🤨I think it's as done as it's going to be (barring any fixes that might be needed i.e. places I reference already established details/characters). For your consideration:
H A V O K H A V O K
"Scott's not the only one who knows how to blast it."
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
_________________________________________________________ Havok | Alexander Summers _________________________________________________________ American | Mutant | Current prisoner of The Raft _________________________________________________________ Westchester | New York | USA
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
*Alex is forced to raze a house (contents/occupants unknown).
*Alex runs away from the Blandings; reuniting sometime afterward with his brother, Scott Summers.
POWERS CONSIST OF ►Ambient Energy Conversion into Plasma Generation: Havok constantly absorbs cosmic energies from his environment (such as starlight, x-rays, and gamma radiation) and stores them within his body's cells, metabolizing the energy in order to generate plasma wave discharges that super-heat and disintegrate objects or create concussion bursts by violently displacing air molecules in his path. This absorption is generally a passive process. Upon the total expenditure of all his available energy, it takes Havok's body about 16 ½ hours to recharge to its peak level unless he absorbs a large amount of energy at once. The act of concentration involved in releasing his energy in anything other than an omni-directional wave is physically exhausting for Havok if he continues it over an extended period of time. (Potential) Flight: using stored energy for flight by directing it as a downward thrust. Easier to manage propulsion when starting at full energy capacity.
►Heat Immunity: Havok is virtually immune to the effects of most forms of heat.
►Radiation Immunity: Havok is virtually immune to the effects of most forms of radiation.
►Havok is also immune to Cyclops' optic blasts, as Cyclops is immune to his plasma blasts. Powers rundown shamelessly sampled from marvel.fandom.com
NPCS = potentially various mutant youth here and there; recurring and one-offs. -
In this iteration, Alex's foster father was a cop. During what was supposed to be a brief, nothing-exciting-to-report ride along, they found themselves in the middle of a turf war. Alex watched as his foster father's partner went down. Bullets shattering the windows, Alex ran from the car, hearing what he thought was his foster father going down next. This event is what prompted the first manifestation of his powers -- and his foster father to use him as a tool from that day forward; placing Alex in dangerous situations because even criminals might hesitate when a kid is in their face, right? And if they don't, word gets around pretty fast of how they're gonna' get burned.
Alex couldn't control his blasts at this point in his life, but they would reliably come out when he felt intense fear or pressure. A fact his foster father heavily exploited after confirming suspicions of such by placing Alex in another traumatic situation some time after the first. Neighborhoods were secured -and his foster father's career soared (nobody who could've spoke out, and the full details of his "busts" were kept from the papers)- while Alex's sense of security crashed.
Alex has not shared the extent of these experiences with his brother, though Scott did learn not long after they reunited that Alex was abused in this way.
From this and his subsequent time at Xavier's, Alex acutely feels the difference between being used for your powers, and using your powers for something; Alex is trying to figure out what he wants that "something" to be.
Alex's path here will lead him back to young mutants or powered youth in general, looking out for those who are otherwise overlooked. Looking out for them like he wishes someone had for him when he was a new mutant.
While he doesn't know exactly what he wants to do yet, Alex knows that he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life playing "follow the leader".
P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S )
Alex is motivated by a desire to make something out of his life, not have it dictated by one thing or somebody. Many will compare him against his brother. What satisfaction he might get from one-upping Scott, though, wouldn't be so good as that of proving himself against himself. Not the better Summers, but the better Alex Summers. I'd like to bring Alex into his own spotlight. Doesn't have to be the brightest, just his; a legacy beyond his last name.
I envision this as Alex perhaps starting as a counselor of sorts at Xavier's, eventually moving on to establishing his own outreach centre for powered youth, and/or maybe heading up his own X-Men team specifically looking out for the wellbeing of "voiceless" young people, powered or not. A sort of "youth guardians" team, if you will.
Maybe in bringing security to other "gifted youngsters", Alex can move past the vulnerability he still carries from his childhood.
Given his life so far, Alex also has multiple perspectives from which to view the world (even if he doesn't know quite what he's looing at) -he's been powered-yet-powerless as a kid, empowered as an adult, known false family and real, authority figures both harmful and helpful, been on the side of the "good guys" and most recently the side of the "bad guys"- I'd like to mine that as well.
This feels like a rather engaging, immersive and thought-out RP, and I just vibe with the Summers (and their sense of humour), so...enter Havok.
'You ever wonder how Xavier picks his students? It's not as simple as the young mutants whose X-genes have just activated or who need extra help coping with that, for their sake or mankind's or whoever's. We've fought with a good share of other mutants, we've seen others in and around and underneath the city, for God's sake. What about them? Other mutants who, you know, look like maybe they could benefit from having a mansion-sized roof over their heads. Did Xavier just miss them? Did he decide they're just fine where they are? Or is it they don't fit into some grand plan of his? You ever wonder about that? That I didn't fit --but that's just fine, because now you're the one who's the pawn! You ever think about any of that? Would you allow yourself to?' Alex Summers A.K.A. Havok was passing some of his incarceration time on The Raft playing conversations out in his head he would like to have in person.
They varied in sense (jail will do that to ya').
This one was a conversation he felt he'd like to have with his brother. But he knew he couldn't. It wouldn't be a conversation. For all Cyclops' flexible thinking on the battlefield, in Havok's opinion he suited his name when it came to other matters: having a rather myopic view of things. Plus...Alex was grasping with that whole "pawn" bit... 'Why had it only been him?' Some place in the back of his mind, he'd kind of thought of himself and his brother as a packaged deal. Of course that fell apart fairly soon after life-as-they'd-first-known-it had fallen apart....But that had been wrong, hadn't it? It wasn't meant to be "one and done with the other". 'Maybe I'm what's wrong....Why had it only not been me? -Huh, Professor X? You never gave me a clear answer before. Didn't think I could manage that either?'
Alex sighed. Much of these conversations were ones he doubted he'd actually have. Though maybe if he shouted, he could have one with a certain other individual kickin' around in his mind. He wasn't sure exactly where Magneto's cell was in this place, only that it wasn't right by his.
There were further things he entertained with Magneto, but that would definitely not be happening now, what with these power dampening collars on.
"Heh," Alex grinned. Magneto was locked up because of him. It wasn't the X-Men who did that.
But his smile was short lived. He was in here because of himself, too.
It seemed to Alex like pretty much his whole life was a series of things either just happening to him or being forced on him. The accident....the foster care situation....Xavier's....his relationship with Polaris. Here, Alex had to pause. It didn't feel right to think of his relationship in the same breath as the other stuff. Still, it fit the category of things just happening. Like one day he and Polaris were there, and the next day they were there together.
And then.....he supposed whatever they were now was his doing.. ..accidentally.
What'd felt like the first choice he'd made in his life -not like running away from his foster home, which felt like something he had to do; no actual choice- the first real choice he'd made for himself -joining Magneto's acolytes, had been the wrong one. He'd failed at taking the reins of his own life the first time he tried.
That was why he wasn't about to let Scott, or Lorna, steer him off the second -I guess third- course he'd corrected to; dealing with the consequences of his actions.
Maybe atoning here could be his start on the path to...."right".
🤨I think it's as done as it's going to be (barring any fixes that might be needed i.e. places I reference already established details/characters). For your consideration:
H A V O K H A V O K
"Scott's not the only one who knows how to blast it."
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
_________________________________________________________ Havok | Alexander Summers _________________________________________________________ American | Mutant | Current prisoner of The Raft _________________________________________________________ Westchester | New York | USA
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
*Alex is forced to raze a house (contents/occupants unknown).
*Alex runs away from the Blandings; reuniting sometime afterward with his brother, Scott Summers.
POWERS CONSIST OF ►Ambient Energy Conversion into Plasma Generation: Havok constantly absorbs cosmic energies from his environment (such as starlight, x-rays, and gamma radiation) and stores them within his body's cells, metabolizing the energy in order to generate plasma wave discharges that super-heat and disintegrate objects or create concussion bursts by violently displacing air molecules in his path. This absorption is generally a passive process. Upon the total expenditure of all his available energy, it takes Havok's body about 16 ½ hours to recharge to its peak level unless he absorbs a large amount of energy at once. The act of concentration involved in releasing his energy in anything other than an omni-directional wave is physically exhausting for Havok if he continues it over an extended period of time. (Potential) Flight: using stored energy for flight by directing it as a downward thrust. Easier to manage propulsion when starting at full energy capacity.
►Heat Immunity: Havok is virtually immune to the effects of most forms of heat.
►Radiation Immunity: Havok is virtually immune to the effects of most forms of radiation.
►Havok is also immune to Cyclops' optic blasts, as Cyclops is immune to his plasma blasts. Powers rundown shamelessly sampled from marvel.fandom.com
NPCS = potentially various mutant youth here and there; recurring and one-offs. -
In this iteration, Alex's foster father was a cop. During what was supposed to be a brief, nothing-exciting-to-report ride along, they found themselves in the middle of a turf war. Alex watched as his foster father's partner went down. Bullets shattering the windows, Alex ran from the car, hearing what he thought was his foster father going down next. This event is what prompted the first manifestation of his powers -- and his foster father to use him as a tool from that day forward; placing Alex in dangerous situations because even criminals might hesitate when a kid is in their face, right? And if they don't, word gets around pretty fast of how they're gonna' get burned.
Alex couldn't control his blasts at this point in his life, but they would reliably come out when he felt intense fear or pressure. A fact his foster father heavily exploited after confirming suspicions of such by placing Alex in another traumatic situation some time after the first. Neighborhoods were secured -and his foster father's career soared (nobody who could've spoke out, and the full details of his "busts" were kept from the papers)- while Alex's sense of security crashed.
Alex has not shared the extent of these experiences with his brother, though Scott did learn not long after they reunited that Alex was abused in this way.
From this and his subsequent time at Xavier's, Alex acutely feels the difference between being used for your powers, and using your powers for something; Alex is trying to figure out what he wants that "something" to be.
Alex's path here will lead him back to young mutants or powered youth in general, looking out for those who are otherwise overlooked. Looking out for them like he wishes someone had for him when he was a new mutant.
While he doesn't know exactly what he wants to do yet, Alex knows that he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life playing "follow the leader".
P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S )
Alex is motivated by a desire to make something out of his life, not have it dictated by one thing or somebody. Many will compare him against his brother. What satisfaction he might get from one-upping Scott, though, wouldn't be so good as that of proving himself against himself. Not the better Summers, but the better Alex Summers. I'd like to bring Alex into his own spotlight. Doesn't have to be the brightest, just his; a legacy beyond his last name.
I envision this as Alex perhaps starting as a counselor of sorts at Xavier's, eventually moving on to establishing his own outreach centre for powered youth, and/or maybe heading up his own X-Men team specifically looking out for the wellbeing of "voiceless" young people, powered or not. A sort of "youth guardians" team, if you will.
Maybe in bringing security to other "gifted youngsters", Alex can move past the vulnerability he still carries from his childhood.
Given his life so far, Alex also has multiple perspectives from which to view the world (even if he doesn't know quite what he's looing at) -he's been powered-yet-powerless as a kid, empowered as an adult, known false family and real, authority figures both harmful and helpful, been on the side of the "good guys" and most recently the side of the "bad guys"- I'd like to mine that as well.
This feels like a rather engaging, immersive and thought-out RP, and I just vibe with the Summers (and their sense of humour), so...enter Havok.
'You ever wonder how Xavier picks his students? It's not as simple as the young mutants whose X-genes have just activated or who need extra help coping with that, for their sake or mankind's or whoever's. We've fought with a good share of other mutants, we've seen others in and around and underneath the city, for God's sake. What about them? Other mutants who, you know, look like maybe they could benefit from having a mansion-sized roof over their heads. Did Xavier just miss them? Did he decide they're just fine where they are? Or is it they don't fit into some grand plan of his? You ever wonder about that? That I didn't fit --but that's just fine, because now you're the one who's the pawn! You ever think about any of that? Would you allow yourself to?' Alex Summers A.K.A. Havok was passing some of his incarceration time on The Raft playing conversations out in his head he would like to have in person.
They varied in sense (jail will do that to ya').
This one was a conversation he felt he'd like to have with his brother. But he knew he couldn't. It wouldn't be a conversation. For all Cyclops' flexible thinking on the battlefield, in Havok's opinion he suited his name when it came to other matters: having a rather myopic view of things. Plus...Alex was grasping with that whole "pawn" bit... 'Why had it only been him?' Some place in the back of his mind, he'd kind of thought of himself and his brother as a packaged deal. Of course that fell apart fairly soon after life-as-they'd-first-known-it had fallen apart....But that had been wrong, hadn't it? It wasn't meant to be "one and done with the other". 'Maybe I'm what's wrong....Why had it only not been me? -Huh, Professor X? You never gave me a clear answer before. Didn't think I could manage that either?'
Alex sighed. Much of these conversations were ones he doubted he'd actually have. Though maybe if he shouted, he could have one with a certain other individual kickin' around in his mind. He wasn't sure exactly where Magneto's cell was in this place, only that it wasn't right by his.
There were further things he entertained with Magneto, but that would definitely not be happening now, what with these power dampening collars on.
"Heh," Alex grinned. Magneto was locked up because of him. It wasn't the X-Men who did that.
But his smile was short lived. He was in here because of himself, too.
It seemed to Alex like pretty much his whole life was a series of things either just happening to him or being forced on him. The accident....the foster care situation....Xavier's....his relationship with Polaris. Here, Alex had to pause. It didn't feel right to think of his relationship in the same breath as the other stuff. Still, it fit the category of things just happening. Like one day he and Polaris were there, and the next day they were there together.
And then.....he supposed whatever they were now was his doing.. ..accidentally.
What'd felt like the first choice he'd made in his life -not like running away from his foster home, which felt like something he had to do; no actual choice- the first real choice he'd made for himself -joining Magneto's acolytes, had been the wrong one. He'd failed at taking the reins of his own life the first time he tried.
That was why he wasn't about to let Scott, or Lorna, steer him off the second -I guess third- course he'd corrected to; dealing with the consequences of his actions.
Maybe atoning here could be his start on the path to...."right".
Love it! The competition timer had now started for Havok - see y'all in 48 hours time!
The 48 hour countdown has now begun, racers start your engines.
The 48 hour timer has finished (closer to 54 by the time I got to read through it, was at work). Congratulations to @mattmanganon, your Spider-Man app is
Please feel free to add your CS to the character tab at your earliest convenience.
@TGM as Spider-Man is now accounted for, please feel free to coordinate with Matt to see if there is a way for your legacy character to fit in with their plan for Peter. Otherwise, you are more than welcome to apply for another character ❤️
Still aiming for the IC to go up on Saturday, but applications will remain open throughout the game's lifetime.
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
_________________________________________________________ Iron Man | Anthony "Tony" Stark _________________________________________________________ American | Human | Unemployed _________________________________________________________ New York City | New York | USA
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
Arc Reactor: Originally designed by Howard Stark to power nuke-bearing submarines, Tony has adapted the arc reactor to his own uses. Namely, at the moment, keeping himself alive. He hopes future iterations of the reactor might be made available the world over. A single large-scale arc reactor could theoretically power an entire city for centuries without producing radioactive waste or filling the atmosphere with poison.
Mark V Iron Man suit: The fifth iteration of the Iron Man armor and the last Tony developed before losing access to his workshop. It’s shell is built from a durable gold-titanium alloy held up by a carbon fiber muscular lace and a series of hydraulic bone-analogs. The suit’s highly advanced systems allow for rapid, AI-assisted movement and superhuman strength and durability. It’s armaments consist of palm-based repulsors, a chest-mounted unibeam, guided micro-missiles, and a variety of less lethal sonic and bludgeoning ordnance. It’s powered by the miniaturized arc reactor lodged in Tony Stark’s chest- without Stark inside the suit is unable to operate. Repairs and alterations require complex technology Tony no longer has access to.
JARVIS: JARVIS is an artificial machine intelligence developed by Tony Stark to assist in the day-to-day operation of his company. It has been fully integrated into most major systems in Stark Industries and assists accountants, software engineers and developers in their various duties. Its computation power is extraordinary, able to run hundreds of different instances of itself working on numerous tasks at a time. JARVIS is a crucial component of the Iron Man suit, which essentially could not function without AMI assistance. Tony continues to tinker with JARVIS's matrices with the hope of unlocking true artificial intelligence.
►Supporting Cast
Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes: A career airman and longtime friend of Tony Stark. They initially met at MIT, their shared interest in military technology kicking off a friendship that would evolve far beyond that. Rhodes spent a decade as a fighter pilot before moving on to his current career in command and control operations; he’s aided Stark as Iron Man on a number of occasions, though his requests for his own suit were never realized. Now that Stark has lost his company Rhodey does his best to take care of his friend, offering him a place to sleep while Tony works out how to get his old life back.
Virginia "Pepper" Potts: Pepper is a senior finance manager at Stark Industries, close friend and ex-girlfriend of Tony Stark. Originally a beleaguered accountant at Roxxon, Pepper was recruited by Tony personally, who convinced her that her talents were being wasted at a cesspool like Roxxon. The two dated for some time prior to Stark's kidnapping. Like everyone else, she'd assumed Tony was dead and moved on with her life. The two have remained close friends for several years.
Harold Joseph "Happy" Hogan: While Tony was still the CEO at Stark Industries, Happy was his right hand. He was his driver, bodyguard personal assistant, corporate spy- whatever Tony needed, Hogan was happy to do. He was with Stark's convoy in Sokovia when it was attacked. Despite barely surviving the encounter, he blamed himself for losing Stark. He would've resigned and left if not for the intervention of Pepper. The two grew close in their shared grief; so close that the two were engaged to be married when Tony finally resurfaced. Stark held no ill will toward either of them and was even the best man at their wedding. Happy is currently the head of security at Stark Industries.
►Antagonists
Obadiah Stane: Obadiah Stane was already a veteran business mogul by the time he'd co-founded Stark Industries with Howard Stark. Cutting his teeth as a weapons manufacturer during the Cold War, Stane sees himself as one of last defenders of the old American order- a strong, guiding hand for an increasingly anarchistic world. He's always found Tony's attitude grating, but it wasn't until Stark turned into a hippie that he chose to expel the boy from the company. Stane hopes he can reverse engineer Stark's 'Iron Man' power armor to sell to the highest bidder.
Justin Hammer: Justin Hammer is a lifelong rival of Tony Stark, though Stark's never known it. They shared a class at MIT, Hammer started his own defense contracting company at the same time Tony took over Stark Industries, and Justin began drawing up plans for powered infantry armor when the Iron Man made his first public appearance. Unlike Tony, Hammer has found little success in his life: he cheated his way through university, his company went bankrupt and was absorbed into Stark Industries, and none of many attempts at power armor function up to standard. Despite his ineptitude he's managed to hold onto a position as Stark Industries' head of experimental technologies by groveling at Stane's feet.
Anton Vanko: Anton Vanko is a Sokovian political radical and the son of Igor Vanko, leader of the Sokovská Nacionalistická Fronta that Tony Stark murdered in his escape. Anton scavenged what remained of the Mark I Iron Man suit and reverse-engineered an arc reactor of his own with the intent of tracking Stark down and avenging his father. He has taken on the moniker of Whiplash.
Dmitri Bukharin: Dmitri is the fifth man to bear the mantle of Crimson Dynamo, and he will likely be the last. For decades the Crimson Dynamo was the premier superhero of the Soviet Union- a shining beacon of their technological advancement and military might. Dmitri was one of a dozen candidates chosen to pilot the last version of the mechanized, twelve-foot tall walking tank. The pilot had to be skilled in the mech’s operation, of course, but they must also exemplify all the best traits of the ideal Soviet man: handsome, well-spoken, and a fervent advocate for Marxism-Leninism. Bukharin was to be that man. The country he had so fiercely dedicated himself to would fall apart only five years after his appointment. A distraught Dmitri fled from Russia with the Crimson Dynamo and would spend the next several decades building his reputation as a feared mercenary, doing battle with heroes like Iron Man on many an occasion.
Tony Stark used to have it all. Born the son of billionaire Howard Stark and his wife Maria, he never wanted for anything physically. He was provided the best education money could buy and all the toys he could ever want. All he lacked for was his parents' attention. Driven to prove his worth to a neglectful father, Tony had a doctorate before he was old enough to drink. His parents died a week after the graduation ceremony they did not attend. Tony would go on to succeed Howard as CEO of Stark Industries.
His genius intellect brought the company to new heights. Stark developed weapons that made the Manhattan project look like a baking soda volcano by comparison. Young, arrogant and ignorant of the consequences, Tony sold his designs to governments the world over to fund his hedonistic lifestyle. His perspective fundamentally changed after his kidnapping during a visit to Sokovia. Rebels from the Sokovská Nacionalistická Fronta (SNF) attacked Stark's convoy, killed most of his escort and ferried him away to an isolated compound in the mountains. Stark nearly died from his wounds if not for the creative intervention of a local doctor: an electromagnet was placed in Tony's chest to prevent micro-shrapnel from entering his heart. Drawing on designs his father originally drew up, Tony developed a prototype arc reactor to keep himself alive in captivity. The SNF demanded he build weapons for them.
Instead, Tony spent his year in captivity discreetly building his first Iron Man suit. Donning the armor, he tore through the SNF and escaped. He would return to the States a changed man, having seen the results of his ‘genius’ firsthand. He shifted Stark Industries’ focus to humanitarian causes. In particular, he hoped to create a full-sized version of his arc reactor to revolutionize clean energy. Tony invested much of his personal wealth into the program's development and shifted his attention to another project: the Iron Man suit.
For the next seven years Tony Stark donned improved versions of the armor to fight the battles no one else could. Tony saw saving lives as a chance to redeem himself for the part he played in the global war machine. He threw himself into his alternate identity fully, leaving the running of his company up to his longtime mentor and business partner, Obadiah Stane.
Obadiah found Tony's change of heart vexing. The company's market share suffered horrendously with its shift away from weapons development. Mass layoff after mass layoff nearly broke Stark Industries. Despite Stane's best efforts he couldn't convince Stark to return to sanity. His frustration at its boiling point, Obadiah chose to act: he leaked Tony’s identity as Iron Man to the public, alongside an avalanche of suppressed scandals from Tony's past. Stane drowned Stark in lawsuits and bad press until he had nothing left.
Betrayed by his oldest friend and penniless, Tony shipped what equipment he could- and his latest version of the suit- to a storage locker under an alias. Now he find himself planning his revenge from James Rhodes' couch.
P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S )
This is sort of a pseudo year one for Tony. He has history as a superhero to ground him in the wider world and allow me to easily backfill relationships with other characters, but for the purposes of resources and reputation he’s at rock bottom.
I want to explore a couple different storylines with Stark this go around: his lingering guilt- both personal and generational- from the death and destruction the Stark name wrought in the pursuit of riches and power; Tony’s fight against Stane and the broader Military Industrial Complex to take his company back; and finally Tony coping with the loss of his former place of privilege.
I’m excited to explore Stark’s thematically rich story and rogues gallery. There’ll be a lot of opportunities to examine corporate cutthroat culture, how celebrity behavior warps under public scrutiny, and the heavy responsibility that comes with power.
"Run it again, JARVIS." Tony Stark splayed across the couch like a lion on its rock. He was the king of a concrete jungle: a billionaire, a genius engineer, and a world-class superhero. Untouchable. Unassailable. He tore a chunk from his latest successful hunt- a greasy cheeseburger from the joint down the street. He'd lost count of how many Kwikkee Meal Deals he'd eaten ever since moving into Rhodey's apartment.
Tony was unbelievably broke.
A series of simulations flashed across the television, the laptop plugged into whirring angrily as it tried to process the experiment's thousands of unique variables. A full-sized arc reactor popped open on the screen to reveal its internals: hundreds of individual plates placed so close together the human eye couldn't discern the gap between them. The plates rotated around the core at murderously high speeds, driven only by the Casimir effect. The vacuum in the chamber allowed the reactor to maintain its current energy production indefinitely...theoretically.
One of the plates in the simulator began to flash red. "Error in plate one hundred and four," JARVIS warned in a cheery English accent. "Sheering along the joint will cause it to break off after thirty-seven years, six months and twelve days of use." As JARVIS spoke all the surrounding plates began to flash as well. "Catastrophic failure follows shortly after."
Tony ran a hand through his hair in irritation. It was long, wild, and about as greasy as the burger. His beard wasn't much better. He stood from the couch to get a better view and began to pace. Increasing the size of the arc reactor had only made the design's flaws more apparent. No modern metal alloy could hold together under that much pressure for long. Even the gold-titanium his suit used proved insufficient. A carbon fiber mesh would be tougher, of course, but making a mesh that large was difficult and expensive. And making a hundred and twenty-eight meshes? Not viable.
"How much energy do we lose if we add thrust in the opposite direction to maintain a sustainable speed?" Tony asked, stopping to spin the television remote on the coffee table.
"Those calculations may take some time, sir."
"Do it." Tony nodded, despite talking to a computer program that couldn’t see it. "And give me my messages while you’re at it. Filter for job offers and anything from the lawyers."
This time Tony’s cellphone buzzed in response as JARVIS left the laptop to its diagnosis and scrolled through Stark’s email. "You have thirty seven job related messages."
Stark’s expression lit up. "Any takers?"
"I'm afraid not, sir. All thirty seven are rejection letters."
His expression fell like a pile of bricks. Well, at least they’d been polite enough to actually respond, Stark mused. In his previous batch of applications half the agencies saw his last name on the resume and blocked his number. Obadiah Stane- Tony's former friend, mentor, and current enemy for life- had done his damnedest to ensure Stark would never work in any relevant industry again. Maybe Kwikkee needed a new burger flipper.
Tony dropped back into his couch and pulled the phone out himself to check his bank account. There was a distinct lack of zeroes behind the prime numbers. Not unexpected, but still concerning. His reserves were running dangerously low. If he couldn’t find work soon…
He flipped to James Rhodes’ main account. Not something he was supposed to have access to, technically, but curiosity and a guilty conscience didn’t mix well. Rhodey was Tony’s oldest friend and one of the best men he’d ever known- he was also prone to taking on more than he could handle. It wouldn’t be long before Stark’s problems caught up with Rhodey.
Tony paused. He closed his eyes and took a series of deep breaths. He couldn’t drag Rhodey down with him. Wasn’t happening.
“JARVIS, do I have anything from that Pentagon rep?”
There was a moment’s pause as the machine ran through Tony’s emails once again. “Yes sir. I moved all of Major Talbot’s messages to spam as you requested. You have sixteen unopened emails from his address.”
“Alright, let’s set up a meeting. I’m grabbing a scotch.”
