@Burning KittyAfter glancing at your profile, you might not be so well suited to such an important role. If you really leave RPs that suffer a bit of inactivity without notice, I'm reticent to yield as big of a position as The Flash (who would probably become a big plot-mover) to you. While I really don't want the game to stall for seven days, I also wouldn't like a major player to drop on me suddenly if people become momentarily busy.
@AlfhedilOh, yeah. You could do that. Though, keep in mind, they would have to care about PR to some degree or they would be shut down by whatever country they were based in. And probably only actual countries could afford tanks and planes, rather than terrorists...but that's fine, since there's lots of countries ruled by bad guys too!
@Ceta de CloyesEhhh...maybe really underground. Small, subtle.
@Simple UnicycleHm, The Question, huh? With such a low-key superhero, you could have actually been active before the start date! Also, my character lives in Hub City!
Premise The Premise of Heroes Reborn - A DCU Roleplay is that you are creating a character within a world that is similar to that of the DC Universe portrayed within the comics, animated series and other media. In this multiverse (which is infinite like its Marvel counterpart), there is no Clark Kent, no Bruce Wayne, Diana Prince or similar canon characters. On Earth-324 in particular, there is (or perhaps was), a Krypton...there is still a Themyscira, Atlantis, Gorilla City and other memorable cornerstones of the universe. The familiar cities of Metropolis, Gotham and their ilk all exist.
In other words, while the characters themselves may not exist in the multiverse of this roleplay, the powers and abilities they're known for do. There are still Green Lanterns, still Amazons. You may create a character that possesses these powers, or may invent something entirely new and unique altogether!
Of course, there are restrictions to both of these options...but this will be covered further in the main thread should this garner enough interest.
This game will take place throughout the entirety of the Earth, but you should probably base your character in the United States, as the DCU typically centers on it. You can be elsewhere if you like, but your interaction with other players might be limited for it.
Should you have any questions about the premise, do not hesitate to ask! I'm happy to explain it all in detail!
The date is November 3rd, 2019. Earth-324 is much like our own Earth-1...on the surface. Superpowers are the sole providence of fiction in the minds of the average men and women walking the street. A popular movie craze, nothing more. They fail to remember the great heroes of millennia past as anything more than a legend, a distorted myth.
But there are many differences between our world and this one. Not just the existence of cities such as Metropolis, Gotham, or Keystone…but a divergence in their histories. The most prominent changes began during the 1930s with the emergence of the 'Actor Activists', as the government would come to call them. Their origins were as myriad as their personalities...soldiers, dissatisfied police officers, boxers...
Donning now iconic disguises, these men took to the streets to ferret out those that preyed upon the innocent, be they cutthroat gangsters or uncaring businessmen that exploited the poor for their own gain. Often operating outside and even at times against the law, they were often scorned by the establishment, yet they continued to risk their lives despite ostensibly being nothing more than mortal men.
Things would further change in 1934. Businessmen, fearful of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "New Deal" and the effects it would have on their fortunes, began assembling a secret army of half a million ex-veterans in order to overthrow the President and institute their own Fascist regime—the business plot. On the precipice of launching their operation, they were discovered by a group of heroes lead by Killian “The Wraith” Graves.
For the first time, Actor Activists fought together as a team to defeat an enemy far too powerful for any one of them to best alone. Infiltrating their base, the heroes defeated the leaders of the plot, General Hugh Johnson and J.P. Morgan Jr. Without these unifying figures to rally and support it, their army quickly disintegrated.
Grateful for their exposure and defeat of this would-be coup, the President pardoned them for their previous crimes, and granted these Actor Activists official sanction from the government. Continuing to work together as a team, these men would be lauded by the public as “The Impossibles” for their almost miraculous accomplishments in face of overwhelming odds.
Beloved as guardians of the innocent and punishers of the wicked, they would operate with impunity throughout the 30s and 40s, many taking to the battlefield as World War II dawned. Indeed, it was these heroes that put an end to the evil of the Third Reich when—after having struck a deal with the Western Powers—they assisted the conspirators of Operation Valkyrie in the successful assassination of Adolf Hitler.
When—as a part of the aforementioned deal—the western powers moved to prevent the Soviet Union from advancing beyond Poland with the help of a resupplied Heer, Stalin viewed this as a betrayal of their alliance. Fighting once more erupted, this time with the allies (including Germany) on one side, and the Soviets on the other. A brutal grindhouse that saw hundreds of thousands on both sides give their lives, it was only the successful use of the world’s first atomic weapons at Stalingrad and Vladivostok that gave the dictator pause.
With a front line that stretched from Eastern Prussia down to northern Bulgaria, a tumultuous peace was signed in the mutually occupied city of Warsaw. This was the start of the Cold War. The war against Japan was brought to end when The Impossibles managed to successfully abduct Emperor Hirohito, forcing the military government to at last surrender.
Despite their increasing age, the post-war years were good for The Impossibles and the other Actor Activists. Viewed as war heroes and a symbol of freedom, they endured the changing times even as other institutes suffered through the Red Scare antics of men like Joseph McCarthy. Throughout the 50s, these weathered heroes continued their crusade for justice while a new generation donned increasingly flashy and ostentatious costumes.
Eventually, one after another, The Impossibles hung up their cowls. Their leader, Killian “The Wraith” Graves, having lied about his age to join the US Army at fifteen in 1917, was now in his fifties. Their time on the streets, it seemed, was over. But one of their members, Marvin “Maximus” King, had plans other than retirement.
In 1960, coming off the end of the Eisenhower Presidency, Marvin King announced his intention to run for President. Beloved as one of the men who helped to end the threat of Nazi Germany and Japan, he won in a landslide. President King was sworn into office with a historically high approval rating.
But this would not last.
While initially loved, the King Administration proved to be an increasingly oppressive as time went on. With surveillance of citizens, harsh interrogations of suspected “dissidents” and draconian laws passed in the name of fighting crime, his support began to plummet. Fully aware of his declining numbers, President King used his plethora of dirt on the Mafia from his hero days to enlist their aid in buying his reelection in 1964.
When the United States became involved in the escalating conflict in Vietnam in 1965, President King was initially frustrated by the army’s inability to defeat the comparatively poorly equipped Viet Cong rebels and Northern Army. Though trying many tactics, they were unable to fully suppress the massive insurgency.
Thus, on March 6th of 1967, President King ordered a nuclear strike on the North Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, along with several other strategic locations. The world was horrified by the callous bloodshed unleashed by King, with the Soviet Union threatening retaliation even as the crippled North surrendered. With the President refusing to back down, the world appeared to be on the precipice of nuclear Armageddon.
Unable to stand by and watch as his former friend prepared to plunge the world into a war that would cost the lives of billions; Killian Graves rallied the other members of The Impossibles for one last mission. Despite being sixty-five years old by this point, The Wraith lead his team to the White House to confront their renegade comrade.
The Secret Service, having been reorganized into something closer resembling a Secret Police force, stood in their way. Far past their prime and outnumbered, The Impossibles fell one after another even as they successfully fought their way to King’s officer. In the end, only The Wraith remained. Clashing with his old friend, Killian defeated the rogue President despite him still being in his mid-fifties.
Having just come within a hair’s breadth of nuclear annihilation, a fate only averted through what was essentially a costumed coup d’état, Congress quickly repealed the laws FDR had put in place to support the Actor Activists and imposed a ban on costumed vigilantism in its place. Furthermore, anyone with a history of vigilantism was now banned from ever running for any political office. Even in other countries, costumed heroics were prosecuted by the law with increasing intensity.
Though Marvin King was now safely in prison, his actions continued have lasting consequences. The United States could no longer be considered a true superpower after this point, for while it had the economic strength and military power of one, it no longer had the political influence and network of alliances it had gained after World War II. While Europe was not hostile, their alliance (NATO) had been strained to the breaking point by King’s actions. Many countries around the world became increasingly wary of America, and began working to develop their own nuclear deterrents. Thus, the dream of nuclear non-proliferation vanished on the winds of President King’s madness.
Society thus continued on without costumed heroes, but their influence was lasting. Comic Books would eventually be all the craze, for while having vigilantes actively going above and beyond the law to strike at those they deemed deserving of punishment was now unwelcome in the real world, the land of fiction offered a great source of escapism for children throughout the world.
Following the presidency of Marvin King, history diverged further still between Earth-324 and Earth-1. Our Presidents were no longer the same. The specific events that transpired from year to year no longer aligned. The countercultural movements and popular forms of music we know still occurred. Rock&Roll, Beatniks, hippies, disco...much remained the same, even as much had changed. There was no détente between the East and West during the 70s, and as a result the economic problems of the Soviet Union became apparent sooner.
The mid-1980s would see Eastern Europe erupt in war, as the dying Soviet Union turned its guns against the former states of the Warsaw Pact as they demanded full independence. With financial support from the west for the beleaguered former Pact members, the USSR would be further exhausted by the protracted conflict and would officially be disbanded on February 8th of 1989 in spite of multiple coup attempts by the military.
The 1980s and 90s were also marked by the ascension of Iraq-Syria (or the so-called Arab Federation) in the Middle East. Having united under the Ba’ath Party in 1966 after a brilliantly orchestrated joint coup by Hafez Al-Assad, they achieved a swift victory over Iran through the capture of Tehran in 1981, taking advantage of the country’s instability to capture the Khuzestan region. Many highly advanced weapons given to the Iranians by the American military were salvaged by them and integrated into their military machine.
Using this scavenged technology, Hafez successfully denoted his first nuclear device in April of 1985. The Arab Federation proceeded to invade Kuwait in 1987. The west, distracted by the escalating conflict in Eastern Europe, failed to intervene in a meaningful way.
By the late 1980s, The AF had become the world's largest oil producer...and yet Hafez Al-Assad was not content. On the precipice of the Soviet Union’s collapse, they invaded Saudi Arabia, annexing their oil fields to the north. Already possessing more than enough control over the world’s supply of oil to cripple the western economies, and with a nuclear deterrent to dissuade any attempt to use their own ICBMs against him, their threats did little to deter his ambition.
Now the undisputed power in the Middle East, and with the western powers held hostage by threats of destroying the oil fields under his possession should they try to intervene militarily or impose sanctions, Al-Assad continued his expansion by annexing Jordan in 1993, and was only checked from further expansion by threats of mutually assured destruction via nuclear retaliation from Israel. Hafez would be succeeded by his son Bassel Al-Assad in the year 2000.
They would be known for allegedly funding numerous terrorist cells throughout this period, funneling countless billions into those that sought to spread fear and chaos throughout the globe. Through this, they kept the west distracted from their own activities...advanced missile and chemical weapons programs being developed underground with the goal of gaining an edge on their hated enemies. An ICBM test in 2004 revealed they now had the capability to reach the shores of the United States itself, horrifying the world.
Even before this, in 2002, fear and panic had taken hold. A terrorist group known as Harkut-ul-Jihad Al-Islami (HuJI for short) perpetrated the worst terrorist attack in United States history when they detonated a series of high yield explosives along the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, causing the bridge to collapse at the very height of rush hour. More than 2,000 American civilians perished that day.
Bassel Al-Assad disavowed association with the group, citing that they were primarily based further to the east, in Pakistan and India. The group claimed it to be in revenge for the west’s support of Indian persecution against Islam.
The United States responded immediately through military intervention in Bangladesh, which had fallen under an extremist Islamic regime backed by HuJI and known for sheltering the terrorist group from India as they launched their many attacks on the neighboring country. The invasion would prove long and protracted, with urban fighting reaching a scale never before seen as US forces invaded the most densely populated country in the world.
But a dramatic change was coming, even if none had yet realized it. In a certain city within the United States, an extraordinary individual had begun their shadowy war against the criminal underground. Striking with barely a trace save for the panicked whispers spread by their terrified victims, this ostensibly normal human being sent shockwaves through both the criminal world and law enforcement, even though most people still regarded them as a mere urban legend.
For nearly two decades they carried out their crusade, with others throughout the country…perhaps the world…being inspired by tales of their actions. Some would attempt to emulate them; donning outrageous costumes and patrolling the streets of the towns, neighborhoods and cities…many would die foolishly as their inspiration battled not only ordinary criminals, but also madmen and women whom were no less outlandish or extraordinary than their heroic counterpart.
But now, on this day, November 3rd of 2019…everything is about to change.
The magic is returning…and the world will never be the same again.
United States Arab Federation - powerful dictatorship in the Middle East. Slovakia - dictatorship under the rule of mysterious Count Viktor Zylle. Bangladesh - unstable democracy currently propped up by US occupation force.
The following is a list of tiers based on a character's Destructive Potential. This does not necessarily mean a higher tier character will always defeat a lower tier one, just that their ability to unleash destruction is greater.
Street Level
Low: This is most probably you in real life. Either a typical civilian with no combat experience or a police officer is a Low Street level. Example: weaker sidekicks, Kick-Ass, the cops
Medium: This is a trained soldier at a bare minimum, and an elite Special Forces Operative at its highest. Anything from a G.I. to a Navy SEAL would be considered Medium Street Level. Example: soldiers, most sidekicks, The Question
Powerhouse: One is considered a “Powerhouse” Street Leveler if they’ve achieved peak human abilities in one or all areas, or possess very low levels of superhuman strength or other low key superhuman abilities. Example: most Robins, Batman, Green Arrow
Intermediate Tier
Low: Someone capable of easily lifting or destroying a small vehicle would be considered Low Intermediate Tier level. Example: Hourman, Killer Croc, Bane
Medium: A character is Medium Intermediate Tier level if they can lift potentially tens of tons, or obliterate an entire street near-instantly. Example: Steel, Aztec, Robotman
Powerhouse: This is a character that can lift up to a hundred tons or obliterate an entire city block with their power. Example: Booster Gold, Cyborg, Gorilla Grodd
High Tier
Low: Someone that is Low High Tier has the physical strength to lift well over a hundred tons or has the potential to obliterate multiple city blocks. Example: Wonder Girl (Cassandra), Atom-Smasher (at weakest), Starfire
Medium: A Medium High Tier character is capable of lifting ridiculous amounts of weight and unleashing levels of destruction that could easily obliterate an entire city if left unopposed. Example: Blue Lanterns (alone), Donna Troy, Geo-Force
Powerhouse: Powerhouse High Tiers are capable of destroying an entire city with virtually no effort, and are considered a national threat by all governments. Example: Aquaman, Green Lanterns (varies), Etrigan (outside hell)
Ultra Tier
Low: Low Ultra Tiers possess such immense power that they're considered a threat capable of destroying multiple cities or even a small country in an instant, and can even damage the integrity of the planet if unchecked. Example: Kryptonians newly exposed to yellow sunlight (IE, Zod), Blue Lanterns (with Green Lantern present), Kalibak
Medium: Someone with this terrifying level of power can potentially destroy the entire planet, a threat to all life to be certain. Example: Kryptonians with extended exposure to sunlight (IE, Supergirl), Wonder Woman, Lobo (at strongest)
Powerhouse: Such individuals possess the power to easily wipe out a planet such as the Earth, and even its parent system in the most extreme cases. Be it through strength, speed, energy blasts...or all of the above, they are akin to a cosmic force of nature. Example: Kryptonians with lifetime exposure to sunlight (IE, Superman), Captain Marvel/"Shazam", The Flash (Barry Allen)
The typical rules all apply, of course. Don't metagame/godmode. Don't be a jerk OOC. Do not fill the OOC thread with personal squabbles, deal with it via PM or contact me if you can't. Don't engage in Erotic Roleplay within the thread. Take that to PM.
In addition, some game specific rules.
1. I am establishing a finite cap on "Ultra Tier" characters. Not everyone can be Superman-tier, or it holds no meaning and it would get really out of control. Those who I do authorize to play such a character must really impress me with their profile and convince me they have the maturity to handle such a vast responsibility as mishandling such a character can easily ruin others enjoyment of the game. This, any other special slots will be covered under the 'limited availability' section.
2. All profiles must be approved by me before you are allowed to post ICly.
3. Don't disappear without warning! If you're going away, please tell me so I can try and plan around it. In addition, please try and post at least once a day if others are waiting on you.
4. If it wasn't clear from the concept, don't play canon characters! No Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, or whatever. You can call your superhero identity Superman or Batman if you wish, but under the cowl they should be a different person.
5. Be mindful of the World's history when making your character. As said previously, super powered beings did not become overtly present in society until the start date of November 3rd, 2019. If your hero has been at it for a few years or more, then they were a non-powered vigilante hero.
6. Don't steal other people's character concepts. If somebody is already calling themselves Batman, or has made an obvious Batman analogue, then that concept is taken. Pick another.
These are character archetypes that I will allow only one of each for (at least for the time being). This is necessary to maintain both a sense of uniqueness for these characters, and to keep things from spiraling out of control.
1. The legendary street level hero, our analogue to Batman. This person has been active for some sixteen years, has fought countless criminals and lunatics and is about to be suddenly faced with a world filled with dangerous superpowered freaks. Their race, gender, personality and exact methods are all up to the one that chooses it, but they would be older...at least in their late 30s, but more probably in their early 40s. If you want someone younger, you can play a less experienced non-powered hero, but they won't have access to their vast resources and technology. THIS ONE MUST BE FILLED BEFORE THE GAME CAN PROPERLY START!
2. One Superman-level (Powerhouse Ultra) Kryptonian. You'll need to really show me that I can trust you not to ruin everyone's day here if you want this.
3. Wonder Woman analogue. This is a Medium Ultra Tier character with potentially exceptional combat training and warrior reflexes. Careful with her...I expect to be impressed by your profile. Multiple people can play non-demigod Amazonians, but they won't have her unique items and be more typical examples of their kind.
4. Aquaman analogue, potential leader of the entire lost continent. You might very well have an entire hyper-advanced civilization at your call...if not at the start, then eventually. A major responsibility. Multiple people can play non-ruling Atlanteans, however, but they won't have his unique trident and be more of an average example of their kind.
5. The Flash analogue. Ooooh yeah, you better believe this one is limited. This has arguably the most potential for hax and abuse out of anyone on the list. It makes me itchy even having it here, but they're such a fun and iconic character, I can't NOT represent them.
6. Lanterns...shouldn't be too many of these guys on the planet. If too many people want to play Lanterns, I may make a separate thread for them set in the same universe. An "Emerald Knights" RP, if you will! They'll still be able to crossover with this one, but will be off doing space stuff in their own thread and won't disrupt the Earth too much.
7. Captain Marvel/Shazam, for much the same reason as Superman. Also, that's my claim. Whether or not my character shares The Word with anyone is something that'll be determined over the course of the story.
If those also knowledgeable in comics feel any other character analogue or type should be restricted, don't hesitate to speak up!
Basic Information ========= Superhero/villain Name: Civilian Name: Origin city/Planet: (Where your hero/villain is from) Hometown: (Where your character currently lives.) Sex: Race: Height: Weight: Age: Birth Date: -------- Costumed Appearance: Civilian Appearance: Icon: (Symbol, logo, or trademark symbolizing the persona they undertake; like Flash's lightning bolt, Batman's Bat, or Superman's emblazoned S.) Costumed Personality: Civilian Personality: Super abilities: -Skills: -Powers: -Gadgets: -Weapons: Civilian Occupation:
Biography---------
Character History/Origin:
Optional information ---------- Nemesis: Allies: Team: (These are probably blank, unless you're the Batman analogue)
Due to this RP having such a broad scope, it is necessary to keep track of when certain character interactions are occurring. Thus, when you post, always remember to list your current location and time, like so:
10:45, Gotham Police Department, November 3rd
-post-
This helps me keep track of when something in particular is happening, lets me know where it is relative to other events around the world, and generally helps to avoid making a mess of the continuity.
As a general rule, I will designate what month it is in game...and then everyone is free to play around within that month as they like. I will, of course, throw events and challenges at your hero so they have something to do! Villains don't need events thrown at them...they should be actively committing crimes so the heroes can try to stop them!
I might ask those I find skilled and trustworthy to help me out as Assistant GMs, who will also make events for the other players. This is a grandiose RP with room for many, many people, after all!
You are allowed a maximum of three characters in this RP: One main hero, one main villain and a sidekick to another character.
Villains should either antagonize a different hero than your own main, or attack everyone equally. This is in order to facilitate RP rather than simply playing with yourself all the time.
