The idea of the 'super-hero' has been around for ages. There was Captain America, of course, storming Fortress Europe and socking Hitler on the jaw. There were the X-Men, Mutant activists turned champions of the downtrodden. There were the Fantastic Four, a family of scientists and adventurers pushing the boundaries of the impossible. While they captured imaginations and grabbed headlines, most people barely considered these colorful crime-fighters and vigilantes to be an actual part of their world. That all changed about ten years ago, when an alien race called the Chi'tauri launched a full-scale invasion, pouring out of a wormhole centered directly above the island of Manhattan. Such an unprecedented threat brought Earth's Mightiest Heroes together, forming an alliance the world would know as the Avengers.
In the wake of the Invasion, everyday life for New Yorkers changed dramatically. Whole neighborhoods had been razed to the ground, and everyone from major corporations to powerful crime syndicates wanted their hands in the reconstruction. Government agencies, rogue mad scientists, and violent street gangs scrambled across the Five Boroughs for leftover pieces of alien technology. And while the Avengers could often be seen flying overhead to combat some world-ending crisis, it fell upon local men and women caught up in unlikely events to protect their homes and their loved ones.
New names began popping up in almost daily conversation. The Spider-Man of Queens. The Devil of Hell's Kitchen. The Punisher. The Crew of Brooklyn. Other names were seen displayed across billboards and skyscrapers to rival the influence of Tony Stark. Rand. Fisk. Osborn. Others still gained notoriety by causing mayhem and bloodshed wherever they went. Jigsaw. The Green Goblin. The Kingpin.
The age of black-and-white heroics and dramatic technicolor battles lasted the better part of a decade before things began to fall apart. Three years ago, a clash of ideologies sundered the Avengers, leading up to a series of conflicts dubbed the 'Civil War' that left many of the world's most revered protectors disgraced, missing, imprisoned, or possibly dead. A year ago, a city-wide battle between an alliance of vigilantes and the city's criminal underworld resulted in the downfall of the notorious Kingpin of Crime, who was revealed to be the billionaire philanthropist Wilson Fisk. This scandalous unmasking of such a high-profile figure in the city was quickly followed by another, as a horrific final confrontation between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin led to the exposing of the bloodthirsty lunatic as the beloved OsCorp CEO Norman Osborn, and ended with the deaths of Osborn, the 19-year-old Gwen Stacy, and evidently Spider-Man himself.
The world's greatest heroes have scattered to the wind. The city's most notorious crime lord is in jail, and its favorite son and most feared villain both believed dead. Both sides of the law now see a tremendous vacuum of power, and nature abhors a vacuum. With the criminal underworld splintered, the city at large unprotected, and a thousand paths to power and fortune laid bare, conflict between the myriad forces at play is inevitable.
With the kings and queens wiped from the board, it falls upon the Knights of New York to begin the game anew.
Miles really wasn't the best example for what I'm talking about, but still. In terms of the details of their personal lives, yes, Miles is very distinct from Peter (honestly, he's the best of the legacy characters IMO). In terms of the broad strokes and the purpose they serve to the story-- quirky/nerdy put-upon everyman, handles mostly street-to-city-level villains, frequently teams up with other heroes as a sort of 'tour guide' to the Marvel universe-- Miles is so similar to Peter that they had to change Peter and make him a globe-trotting billionaire CEO to make room. It worked a lot better in Ultimate where Pete was already gone, but in 616 it's redundant (like that period in DC where they had Barry and Wally running around at the same time as the Flash, or Bruce and Dick both being Batman at the same time).
Apologies in advance for moving the goal posts, but while Miles does have his own identity out-of-costume, in-costume and out-of-universe he pretty much exists just to be "the new Spider-Man," and trades primarily on co-opting Peter Parker's alias, look, powers, and brand value. It's not as severe as, say, Kate Bishop constantly going "screw Clint Barton, I'm Hawkeye," but you can't really write Parker out of Miles's story without it collapsing on itself. It doesn't necessarily take a lot of futzing around with the backstory to make Kamala Khan's story work without Danvers, since their origins and powers and lineup of villains are very different and they really only share a name. You can't really do that with Miles, not without turning it into essentially a reboot of Peter-- at which point, why not just use Peter?
At any rate, we're getting off-track from the game itself, especially since I've already broken my "no legacy characters" rule by approving White Tiger.
I'd say Kamala's different enough from Danvers that she basically counts as her own character (as opposed to Miles, who's essentially "here's another Peter Parker" in virtually every respect). The way I see it, if a character can stand on their own feet without having to mooch off of another character's star-power (and let's be real, Carol wasn't an A-lister until they gave her the Captain prefix [and even then her books aren't exactly flying off the shelves]), they're permissible.
Real Name: Peter Benjamin Parker Age: 21 Gender: Male Powers, Abilities, and Gear:
Peter has retained the powers he had from the mutant spider-bite, including superhuman agility, the strength to lift nearly two tons unassisted, accelerated healing, the ability to cling to any surface, and most valuable, his vaunted 'Spider-Sense' that alerts him to even the most minute vibrations in the air, giving him an almost precognative awareness of his surroundings.
Recently, however, he has become bonded with an unknown organism that aides him, taking the form of a black 'suit.' This suit doubles his already impressive speed and multiplies his strength almost tenfold, and is all but impervious to most forms of harm. In addition, the suit has adaptive and shape-changing properties, able to form claws or blades, assume the shape of human clothing, and even blend into its surroundings so perfectly as to make Peter almost completely invisible to the naked eye. Though Peter knows very little about this organism, he has determined it is at least semi-autonomous, and that it seems to react painfully to fire and extremely high-frequency sounds.
As Spider-Man, Peter used an array of gadgets to compliment his powers, some homemade (like his GPS tracer 'bugs') and others made for him by fellow heroes like Reed Richards and Tony Stark (such as the advanced optical HUD inside his mask or a synthetic 'spider-silk' weave to enhance his suit's durability). Most famous of these were his web-shooters, which fired a unique biodegradable web fluid of Peter's design with tensile strength that put titanium to shame. However, after the incident on the George Washington Bridge, his old costume and gear have been locked away in storage, and his new black suit has proven to be far more powerful.
Origin:
Peter Parker was always a brilliant but troubled child, developing an acerbic wit to help smile through the pain of losing his parents at a young age. While his aunt and uncle doted on him and taught him right from wrong, his intelligence and his meek demeanor, as well as his uncanny ability to say exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time, isolated him from most of his classmates growing up. By the time he had reached high school, his only friends were his schoolyard buddy Eddie Brock, his affluent study-mate Harry Osborn, and his childhood friend Gwen Stacy.
At age 15, Peter's life changed forever when, during a field trip to the bio-technology firm OsCorp, he was bitten by a genetically modified spider. Falling ill for several days, Peter soon learned that the spider-bite had rewritten his own genetic code, giving him superhuman abilities. Initially using his newfound powers selfishly, he tried to make money through underground prize fights, adopting the stage name 'Spider-Man' and beating unsuspecting tough-guys to a pulp until a petty crook robbed the promoter and Peter callously let him go. This would lead to a second life-changing event, as the robber proceeded to carjack Peter's uncle Ben, shooting and killing the kindly old man in the process. Realizing that his selfish actions directly led to his uncle's murder, Peter swore to use his powers to help those in need.
From that point on, Spider-Man could be seen swinging from buildings and leaping across rooftops on a near daily basis, saving lives and stopping criminals, first gaining notoriety by toppling the criminal empire of Frederick 'The Big Man' Foswell. However, his fights with the criminal element of the city were often reckless and caused a fair bit of collateral damage, which soured his reputation, most notably with the Daily Bugle and its cantankerous chief editor, J. Jonah Jameson (who, incidentally, had hired Peter Parker as a freelance photographer in order to get more pictures of Spider-Man for his paper).
As Spider-Man made headway beyond Queens and began tackling the larger gangs in Manhattan, crime lords like Lonnie 'Tombstone' Lincoln and Wilson Fisk began hiring or creating freakish super-villains to take him down. Rhino. The Sandman. Vulture. Electro. Mysterio. Doctor Octopus. None, however, were more dangerous than the maniacal Green Goblin, who seemed to take a particular pleasure in tormenting Spider-Man, often leaving the young boy with serious injuries that made covering up his secret identity that much harder.
This double-life also began to chip away at what little social life Peter had, estranging him entirely from Eddie Brock and putting a strain on his friendship with Gwen-- who, unbeknownst to Peter, had developed a crush on him. His friendship with Harry (who had harbored feelings for Gwen without telling Peter) had also grown turbulent, especially once Harry's father Norman Osborn (the CEO of OsCorp) took a shining to Gwen and took her on as an intern and protégé. Things began taking a turn for the better, however, after Spider-Man saved the City from a fusion-powered 'doomsday device' created by Doctor Octopus and gained connections with both the Fantastic Four and Tony Stark. With other heroes aiding him and taking some of the load off of the heroic side of his life, Peter could turn his attention back to his personal life-- which had become that much more interesting with the arrival of a new girl in his class, the vivacious Mary Jane Watson.
By the time Peter's senior year came around, he was ready to graduate, both from high school and from his status as a 'neighborhood' hero. Just when he thought he was in the clear, however, tragedy struck his life again: Captain George Stacy, his on-and-off ally in the NYPD and Gwen's father, was murdered by an impostor Spider-Man. After defeating the fake and exposing him as a mercenary criminal known as the Chameleon, Peter admitted everything to Gwen, who in turn admitted that she'd known all along, and proceeded to then confess her feelings for him (something she had only gained the courage to do thanks to her new friendship with Mary Jane). Their new relationship had only just begun to blossom when Peter found himself caught up in the 'Civil War' between two different factions within the Avengers. Initially siding with Iron Man (who had begun to foster a sort of mentor relationship with him), Spider-Man fought head-on with other superheroes he'd respected and admired, including going round-for-round with Captain America. Seeing how far across the line the heroes were starting to go, Peter became disillusioned with his dreams of becoming a world-class superhero, abandoning Stark's faction to tend to his private life and protecting his 'turf' in New York.
The next three years would pass by in a blur, as Pete enrolled at Empire State University, moved into an apartment in Queens with his friend Harry, and began work as an intern for ESU's Dr. Curt Connors, an old friend of his late parents. Between his conversations with Dr. Connors and various finding from Gwen during her own internship at OsCorp, the two of them began to unravel a conspiracy reaching back years, involving illegal testing on Mutants, failed attempts to replicate the Super-Soldier Serum that created Captain America, and the smuggling of alien technology from the Chi'tauri invasion, all leading back to Norman Osborn himself. This coincided with increasingly frequent battles with the Green Goblin, as well as regular encounters with other heroes like Daredevil and Luke Cage, the latter of which culminated in an alliance of heroes joining forces to take down Wilson Fisk, better known as the Kingpin, and rid New York City of its most powerful crime lord.
This victory, however, would be cut short by a night of horror and tragedy, when the Green Goblin struck again, kidnapping Gwen Stacy and holding her hostage atop the George Washington Bridge. During this final, vicious battle, Peter put the final pieces of the puzzle in place, discovering the Goblin was Norman Osborn all along, and that he had been orchestrated countless horrific events, including the murder of his parents. As the two fought, Osborn threw Gwen from the top of the Bridge, forcing Peter to break off from the fight to save her. While Peter fired a web-line to catch her, the shock of the sudden stop was too great, breaking the young woman's neck and killing her instantly. In his shock, Peter barely felt it when Osborn impaled him on the front of his Goblin Glider, and felt even less when he reached up and strangled Osborn to death with his bare hands.
Limping away into the night before the authorities could arrive, Peter was overcome with shame and sorrow. Everything he'd ever fought for, everything he'd ever stood for, was gone. Spider-Man was now a killer, of both the innocent and the guilty alike. The love of his life was dead. His arch enemy was dead. And, as far as the world was concerned now, Spider-Man was dead as well.
A year has passed since that awful night on the George Washington Bridge. Peter Parker still lives with Harry in their tumble-down apartment in Queens, but he rarely sees him anymore. This is partly because Harry now spends most of his free time in OsCorp board rooms arguing with corporate sharks over his inheritance, and also because Peter rarely leaves his room when not in class. He is a shell of his former self, drifting from day to day on autopilot, barely noticing his friends and family as they attempt to pull him out of his malaise. At night, he's haunted by nightmares, visions of pain and suffering....at least, when he's not out imparting pain and suffering himself.
A few weeks ago, Peter awoke to find himself hanging upside down from the rafters of a warehouse, surrounded by maimed and brutalized gangsters, and covered in a tar-like black goo. This goo clung to his body like a suit, and much to his surprise, seemed to be alive. Not only that, it amplified his powers far beyond what he ever thought possible. While its origin remained a mystery to him, the usually curious Peter found himself caring less about what the suit was, and more about what he could do with it....
Now wielding much greater power than he'd ever had before and with his heart and mind still clouded by darkness, Peter Parker has once again taken to stalking the rooftops of New York. This time, however, he's unleashed a vicious streak within him that he never knew he had, the black suit fueling his id and feeding his desire to hurt someone who actually deserves it.
Spider-Man is gone......now, there is only Venom.
STORY INFO:
High Concept: I want to give a re-telling of the Black Suit Saga that gives this period in Peter's life the gravity it deserves. Too many takes on the symbiote end up as a clumsy rush to the finish line in order to get Venom, or turn Peter into a moustache-twirling cartoon villain (or, God forbid, have him break out into dance numbers). I want to really explore what it would be for a good-hearted kid like Pete to be at his lowest point, and see how (or even if) he manages to bounce back. Then he can fight a drooling slime-monster at the end.
Motivation and Conflict: Peter is still consumed by his guilt and shame, blaming himself for Gwen's death and taking out his torment on people he thinks have it coming. How long this lasts before innocent people end up suffering at Venom's hands is anyone's guess. Internally, Pete knows that the Black Suit is bad for him, that it's something that shouldn't be there and is turning him into something he shouldn't be, but every time he starts to think of asking for help, some voice in his head talks him out of it. How much of it is the Suit exerting more influence over him and how much is him simply losing himself remains to be seen.
Notes:
Harry Osborn: Pete's oldest and closest friend, as well as his roommate. Has grown from being a high-strung geek to a smooth-talking ladies' man cut from the same cloth as his late father....something Harry would loathe to admit. Spends most of his time up to his neck in red tape trying to get control of the kingdom of a man he hated.
Mary Jane Watson: A friend from high school and one-time crush of Peter's. Formerly Gwen Stacy's roommate at ESU. Once led a punk-rock band with Gwen as well as Liz Allan and Glory Grant, which broke up after Gwen's death. Was always too cool to be seen with Pete and his pack of nerdy friends, but chose to hang out with them anyway. Acts like she doesn't care about much of anything, but cares deeply about her friends and loved ones.
Eddie Brock: A former friend of Pete's, had a falling-out with him in high school and became something of a rival. Dropped out of college, now works Pete's old job as a photographer for the Daily Bugle.
Eugene "Flash" Thompson: Once the bane of Pete's existence. Has gone out of his way to make amends with Pete and turn over a new leaf since a freak injury ended his football career. Was inspired by Spider-Man to serve a better cause, and enlisted in the Army.
Dr. Curt Connors: A professor at Empire State University and old friend of Peter's parents. Brilliant in the field of genetics, but not so much when it came to navigating corporate conspiracies. Never stood up to Osborn, and blames himself for letting such an evil man walk all over him.
May Parker: Peter's aunt, but really his mother in all measures that count. Has worked herself nearly to death to keep the lights on after losing her husband Ben, still struggling to keep the bills paid even after Pete has moved out, but is too strong-willed to ask for help.
Ben Parker: (Deceased) Peter's uncle and father figure, spent his life doing honest work and trying to pass on the best lessons he could to Peter about what it meant to be a man. His death still haunts Pete, even though he has tried to turn it into positive motivation.
Gwen Stacy: (Deceased) The girl-next-door and the only person at Midtown High that regularly got higher grades than Peter. It wasn't until they were nearly out of high school that she worked up the nerve to tell Pete that she had been in love with him for nearly their entire lives. Uncovered incriminating secrets within OsCorp that helped expose Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin. Her death tortures Peter every night.
The Defenders: A team of local heroes whom Spider-Man once teamed up with to take down various criminals. Was once on good terms with them, though they may not be so fond of Venom.
The Fantastic Four: (Defunct) A team of super-scientist adventurers who practically considered Pete part of the family, particularly Johnny Storm, The Human Torch. With the Civil War tarnishing the reputation of superheroes, they have now shifted focus back towards science and exploration, and shut the door on costumed heroics.
Detective Jean DeWolff: The former partner of the late George Stacy. Never trusted Spider-Man, but couldn't deny that working with him brought results. Wants to bring Venom down not just to stop the rampaging vigilante, but also to restore Spider-Man's reputation.
Sergeant Dan Tork: A special crimes officer who finds excuses to work with Jean DeWolff. Is an asshole, but an extremely resourceful asshole who DeWolff can actually trust.
Madame Web: A blind old gypsy lady who runs a fortune-telling business not far from Pete and Harry's apartment. Is either completely crazy or knows more than she lets on. Possibly both.
The Sinister Six: Led by the mad genius Otto Octavius, also includes Rhino, Sandman, Vulture, Electro, and Mysterio. Each one was a match for Spider-Man by themselves. Practically unstoppable together.
The Black Cat: An on-again/off-again enemy and ally of Spider-Man. A high-end thief who took the term 'cat burglar' literally. Spider-Man used to try and turn her away from her life of crime, while she in turn tried to get him to cut loose and have some fun on the wrong side of the law. She may have gotten more than she wished for with Venom.
J. Jonah Jameson: The hot-tempered chief editor of the Daily Bugle, Pete's former boss. Hated Spider-Man with a fiery passion. Always liked the cut of Pete's jib.
Norman Osborn: (Deceased) Spider-Man's deadliest enemy. A narcissistic psychopath with billions of dollars at his disposal. Was directly responsible for killing dozens of people, including Peter's parents. Killed dozens more as the cackling maniac known as the Green Goblin, ending with Gwen Stacy. Drove Peter to murder, and his influence still hangs over him.
PLAYER INFO:
Player Name: Andy C. Preferred Contact Method: Either PM or Direct Message via Discord Why This Character?: Spider-Man is, without exaggeration, my favorite character in all of fiction, and I go out of my way to push my writing abilities to their limit when I get to write him. What Can You Bring to the RPG?: Beyond running the game, I have a strong knack for characterization and for emotionally-driven plots.
Real Name: Peter Benjamin Parker Age: 21 Gender: Male Powers, Abilities, and Gear:
Peter has retained the powers he had from the mutant spider-bite, including superhuman agility, the strength to lift nearly two tons unassisted, accelerated healing, the ability to cling to any surface, and most valuable, his vaunted 'Spider-Sense' that alerts him to even the most minute vibrations in the air, giving him an almost precognative awareness of his surroundings.
Recently, however, he has become bonded with an unknown organism that aides him, taking the form of a black 'suit.' This suit doubles his already impressive speed and multiplies his strength almost tenfold, and is all but impervious to most forms of harm. In addition, the suit has adaptive and shape-changing properties, able to form claws or blades, assume the shape of human clothing, and even blend into its surroundings so perfectly as to make Peter almost completely invisible to the naked eye. Though Peter knows very little about this organism, he has determined it is at least semi-autonomous, and that it seems to react painfully to fire and extremely high-frequency sounds.
As Spider-Man, Peter used an array of gadgets to compliment his powers, some homemade (like his GPS tracer 'bugs') and others made for him by fellow heroes like Reed Richards and Tony Stark (such as the advanced optical HUD inside his mask or a synthetic 'spider-silk' weave to enhance his suit's durability). Most famous of these were his web-shooters, which fired a unique biodegradable web fluid of Peter's design with tensile strength that put titanium to shame. However, after the incident on the George Washington Bridge, his old costume and gear have been locked away in storage, and his new black suit has proven to be far more powerful.
Origin:
Peter Parker was always a brilliant but troubled child, developing an acerbic wit to help smile through the pain of losing his parents at a young age. While his aunt and uncle doted on him and taught him right from wrong, his intelligence and his meek demeanor, as well as his uncanny ability to say exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time, isolated him from most of his classmates growing up. By the time he had reached high school, his only friends were his schoolyard buddy Eddie Brock, his affluent study-mate Harry Osborn, and his childhood friend Gwen Stacy.
At age 15, Peter's life changed forever when, during a field trip to the bio-technology firm OsCorp, he was bitten by a genetically modified spider. Falling ill for several days, Peter soon learned that the spider-bite had rewritten his own genetic code, giving him superhuman abilities. Initially using his newfound powers selfishly, he tried to make money through underground prize fights, adopting the stage name 'Spider-Man' and beating unsuspecting tough-guys to a pulp until a petty crook robbed the promoter and Peter callously let him go. This would lead to a second life-changing event, as the robber proceeded to carjack Peter's uncle Ben, shooting and killing the kindly old man in the process. Realizing that his selfish actions directly led to his uncle's murder, Peter swore to use his powers to help those in need.
From that point on, Spider-Man could be seen swinging from buildings and leaping across rooftops on a near daily basis, saving lives and stopping criminals, first gaining notoriety by toppling the criminal empire of Frederick 'The Big Man' Foswell. However, his fights with the criminal element of the city were often reckless and caused a fair bit of collateral damage, which soured his reputation, most notably with the Daily Bugle and its cantankerous chief editor, J. Jonah Jameson (who, incidentally, had hired Peter Parker as a freelance photographer in order to get more pictures of Spider-Man for his paper).
As Spider-Man made headway beyond Queens and began tackling the larger gangs in Manhattan, crime lords like Lonnie 'Tombstone' Lincoln and Wilson Fisk began hiring or creating freakish super-villains to take him down. Rhino. The Sandman. Vulture. Electro. Mysterio. Doctor Octopus. None, however, were more dangerous than the maniacal Green Goblin, who seemed to take a particular pleasure in tormenting Spider-Man, often leaving the young boy with serious injuries that made covering up his secret identity that much harder.
This double-life also began to chip away at what little social life Peter had, estranging him entirely from Eddie Brock and putting a strain on his friendship with Gwen-- who, unbeknownst to Peter, had developed a crush on him. His friendship with Harry (who had harbored feelings for Gwen without telling Peter) had also grown turbulent, especially once Harry's father Norman Osborn (the CEO of OsCorp) took a shining to Gwen and took her on as an intern and protégé. Things began taking a turn for the better, however, after Spider-Man saved the City from a fusion-powered 'doomsday device' created by Doctor Octopus and gained connections with both the Fantastic Four and Tony Stark. With other heroes aiding him and taking some of the load off of the heroic side of his life, Peter could turn his attention back to his personal life-- which had become that much more interesting with the arrival of a new girl in his class, the vivacious Mary Jane Watson.
By the time Peter's senior year came around, he was ready to graduate, both from high school and from his status as a 'neighborhood' hero. Just when he thought he was in the clear, however, tragedy struck his life again: Captain George Stacy, his on-and-off ally in the NYPD and Gwen's father, was murdered by an impostor Spider-Man. After defeating the fake and exposing him as a mercenary criminal known as the Chameleon, Peter admitted everything to Gwen, who in turn admitted that she'd known all along, and proceeded to then confess her feelings for him (something she had only gained the courage to do thanks to her new friendship with Mary Jane). Their new relationship had only just begun to blossom when Peter found himself caught up in the 'Civil War' between two different factions within the Avengers. Initially siding with Iron Man (who had begun to foster a sort of mentor relationship with him), Spider-Man fought head-on with other superheroes he'd respected and admired, including going round-for-round with Captain America. Seeing how far across the line the heroes were starting to go, Peter became disillusioned with his dreams of becoming a world-class superhero, abandoning Stark's faction to tend to his private life and protecting his 'turf' in New York.
The next three years would pass by in a blur, as Pete enrolled at Empire State University, moved into an apartment in Queens with his friend Harry, and began work as an intern for ESU's Dr. Curt Connors, an old friend of his late parents. Between his conversations with Dr. Connors and various finding from Gwen during her own internship at OsCorp, the two of them began to unravel a conspiracy reaching back years, involving illegal testing on Mutants, failed attempts to replicate the Super-Soldier Serum that created Captain America, and the smuggling of alien technology from the Chi'tauri invasion, all leading back to Norman Osborn himself. This coincided with increasingly frequent battles with the Green Goblin, as well as regular encounters with other heroes like Daredevil and Luke Cage, the latter of which culminated in an alliance of heroes joining forces to take down Wilson Fisk, better known as the Kingpin, and rid New York City of its most powerful crime lord.
This victory, however, would be cut short by a night of horror and tragedy, when the Green Goblin struck again, kidnapping Gwen Stacy and holding her hostage atop the George Washington Bridge. During this final, vicious battle, Peter put the final pieces of the puzzle in place, discovering the Goblin was Norman Osborn all along, and that he had been orchestrated countless horrific events, including the murder of his parents. As the two fought, Osborn threw Gwen from the top of the Bridge, forcing Peter to break off from the fight to save her. While Peter fired a web-line to catch her, the shock of the sudden stop was too great, breaking the young woman's neck and killing her instantly. In his shock, Peter barely felt it when Osborn impaled him on the front of his Goblin Glider, and felt even less when he reached up and strangled Osborn to death with his bare hands.
Limping away into the night before the authorities could arrive, Peter was overcome with shame and sorrow. Everything he'd ever fought for, everything he'd ever stood for, was gone. Spider-Man was now a killer, of both the innocent and the guilty alike. The love of his life was dead. His arch enemy was dead. And, as far as the world was concerned now, Spider-Man was dead as well.
A year has passed since that awful night on the George Washington Bridge. Peter Parker still lives with Harry in their tumble-down apartment in Queens, but he rarely sees him anymore. This is partly because Harry now spends most of his free time in OsCorp board rooms arguing with corporate sharks over his inheritance, and also because Peter rarely leaves his room when not in class. He is a shell of his former self, drifting from day to day on autopilot, barely noticing his friends and family as they attempt to pull him out of his malaise. At night, he's haunted by nightmares, visions of pain and suffering....at least, when he's not out imparting pain and suffering himself.
A few weeks ago, Peter awoke to find himself hanging upside down from the rafters of a warehouse, surrounded by maimed and brutalized gangsters, and covered in a tar-like black goo. This goo clung to his body like a suit, and much to his surprise, seemed to be alive. Not only that, it amplified his powers far beyond what he ever thought possible. While its origin remained a mystery to him, the usually curious Peter found himself caring less about what the suit was, and more about what he could do with it....
Now wielding much greater power than he'd ever had before and with his heart and mind still clouded by darkness, Peter Parker has once again taken to stalking the rooftops of New York. This time, however, he's unleashed a vicious streak within him that he never knew he had, the black suit fueling his id and feeding his desire to hurt someone who actually deserves it.
Spider-Man is gone......now, there is only Venom.
STORY INFO:
High Concept: I want to give a re-telling of the Black Suit Saga that gives this period in Peter's life the gravity it deserves. Too many takes on the symbiote end up as a clumsy rush to the finish line in order to get Venom, or turn Peter into a moustache-twirling cartoon villain (or, God forbid, have him break out into dance numbers). I want to really explore what it would be for a good-hearted kid like Pete to be at his lowest point, and see how (or even if) he manages to bounce back. Then he can fight a drooling slime-monster at the end.
Motivation and Conflict: Peter is still consumed by his guilt and shame, blaming himself for Gwen's death and taking out his torment on people he thinks have it coming. How long this lasts before innocent people end up suffering at Venom's hands is anyone's guess. Internally, Pete knows that the Black Suit is bad for him, that it's something that shouldn't be there and is turning him into something he shouldn't be, but every time he starts to think of asking for help, some voice in his head talks him out of it. How much of it is the Suit exerting more influence over him and how much is him simply losing himself remains to be seen.
Notes:
Harry Osborn: Pete's oldest and closest friend, as well as his roommate. Has grown from being a high-strung geek to a smooth-talking ladies' man cut from the same cloth as his late father....something Harry would loathe to admit. Spends most of his time up to his neck in red tape trying to get control of the kingdom of a man he hated.
Mary Jane Watson: A friend from high school and one-time crush of Peter's. Formerly Gwen Stacy's roommate at ESU. Once led a punk-rock band with Gwen as well as Liz Allan and Glory Grant, which broke up after Gwen's death. Was always too cool to be seen with Pete and his pack of nerdy friends, but chose to hang out with them anyway. Acts like she doesn't care about much of anything, but cares deeply about her friends and loved ones.
Eddie Brock: A former friend of Pete's, had a falling-out with him in high school and became something of a rival. Dropped out of college, now works Pete's old job as a photographer for the Daily Bugle.
Eugene "Flash" Thompson: Once the bane of Pete's existence. Has gone out of his way to make amends with Pete and turn over a new leaf since a freak injury ended his football career. Was inspired by Spider-Man to serve a better cause, and enlisted in the Army.
Dr. Curt Connors: A professor at Empire State University and old friend of Peter's parents. Brilliant in the field of genetics, but not so much when it came to navigating corporate conspiracies. Never stood up to Osborn, and blames himself for letting such an evil man walk all over him.
May Parker: Peter's aunt, but really his mother in all measures that count. Has worked herself nearly to death to keep the lights on after losing her husband Ben, still struggling to keep the bills paid even after Pete has moved out, but is too strong-willed to ask for help.
Ben Parker: (Deceased) Peter's uncle and father figure, spent his life doing honest work and trying to pass on the best lessons he could to Peter about what it meant to be a man. His death still haunts Pete, even though he has tried to turn it into positive motivation.
Gwen Stacy: (Deceased) The girl-next-door and the only person at Midtown High that regularly got higher grades than Peter. It wasn't until they were nearly out of high school that she worked up the nerve to tell Pete that she had been in love with him for nearly their entire lives. Uncovered incriminating secrets within OsCorp that helped expose Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin. Her death tortures Peter every night.
The Defenders: A team of local heroes whom Spider-Man once teamed up with to take down various criminals. Was once on good terms with them, though they may not be so fond of Venom.
The Fantastic Four: (Defunct) A team of super-scientist adventurers who practically considered Pete part of the family, particularly Johnny Storm, The Human Torch. With the Civil War tarnishing the reputation of superheroes, they have now shifted focus back towards science and exploration, and shut the door on costumed heroics.
Detective Sergeant Jean DeWolff: The former partner of the late George Stacy. Never trusted Spider-Man, but couldn't deny that working with him brought results. Wants to bring Venom down not just to stop the rampaging vigilante, but also to restore Spider-Man's reputation.
Lieutenant Francis Tork: A special crimes officer who finds excuses to work with Jean DeWolff. Is an asshole, but an extremely resourceful asshole who DeWolff can actually trust.
Madame Web: A blind old gypsy lady who runs a fortune-telling business not far from Pete and Harry's apartment. Is either completely crazy or knows more than she lets on. Possibly both.
The Sinister Six: Led by the mad genius Otto Octavius, also includes Rhino, Sandman, Vulture, Electro, and Mysterio. Each one was a match for Spider-Man by themselves. Practically unstoppable together.
The Black Cat: An on-again/off-again enemy and ally of Spider-Man. A high-end thief who took the term 'cat burglar' literally. Spider-Man used to try and turn her away from her life of crime, while she in turn tried to get him to cut loose and have some fun on the wrong side of the law. She may have gotten more than she wished for with Venom.
J. Jonah Jameson: The hot-tempered chief editor of the Daily Bugle, Pete's former boss. Hated Spider-Man with a fiery passion. Always liked the cut of Pete's jib.
Norman Osborn: (Deceased) Spider-Man's deadliest enemy. A narcissistic psychopath with billions of dollars at his disposal. Was directly responsible for killing dozens of people, including Peter's parents. Killed dozens more as the cackling maniac known as the Green Goblin, ending with Gwen Stacy. Drove Peter to murder, and his influence still hangs over him.
PLAYER INFO:
Player Name: Andy C. Preferred Contact Method: Either PM or Direct Message via Discord Why This Character?: Spider-Man is, without exaggeration, my favorite character in all of fiction, and I go out of my way to push my writing abilities to their limit when I get to write him. What Can You Bring to the RPG?: Beyond running the game, I have a strong knack for characterization and for emotionally-driven plots.
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