Eddie Brock

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG (Closed)

Redtail sample post added!

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG (Closed)

I still have to write the sample post, and I may add another supporting character or two, but for now here's what I've got on my second character:

Create a Hero RPG Application

Character you have created: Marcus Lance
Alias: Redtail

Character Alignment: Hero

Identity: Secret

Character Personality: Marcus has always been a little rough around the edges. He’s quick-tempered, prideful, and unwilling to back down from a fight. For all his life, he has possessed a certain knack for getting himself into trouble. Following the events of the past three years [see Origin below] Marcus is more centered and collected. He has thrown himself fully into his mission to clean up Lost Haven to the point of almost being single-minded about it. Nothing can deter Marcus from something once he’s put his mind to it.

Uniform/Costume:



Origin Info/Details: Marcus Lance was never particularly good at following the rules. Growing up, he earned a reputation as a rebel and a troublemaker. He got into fights with his classmates, often after being instigated by teasing about his family’s money situation. The Lances didn’t have much, but they did their best to provide all they could for Marcus. His disciplinary problems didn’t make matters easier.

Marcus’s older brother, Raymond, by contrast was a model student. Only a few years older than Marcus, Raymond was far more mature. Ray often reluctantly bailed Marcus out of trouble, though his brother’s antics always frustrated Ray. This pattern continued well into adulthood for the boys. Ray became a police officer and eventually rose to the rank of detective. Marcus bounced from job to job, always looking for his next paycheck. Marcus’s attitude problems persisted in new forms. He fell in with some bad crowds, continued to pick fights, and generally made life difficult for his older brother.

One day, Ray uncovered mob corruption within the Lost Haven Police Department. A high level police official was implicated. Ray’s knowledge of this corruption put a target on his back. Not knowing who to trust in the department, Ray handed over all the evidence he had compiled on a flash drive to Marcus. Ray made Marcus promise to keep the information safe until Ray had figured out what to do with it. Within a week, Ray was murdered.

Only Marcus knew why Ray had been targeted. Unfortunately, the people that killed Ray had also learned about Marcus’s involvement. They broke into Marcus’s apartment, turning the place upside-down until they found the flash drive. Marcus knew he was a loose end and that his head was next on the block. Grabbing a few of his things – including a backup copy of Ray’s evidence – he fled to the bus station, where he found police officers waiting. The same was true of the airport. And the train station. With nowhere left to turn, Marcus sneaked into the train yard after dark and stowed away on one of the boxcars.

As it turned out, the train belonged to a visiting circus which was on its way out of town. They discovered their stowaway the next morning. Marcus made up a cover story to explain why he was fleeing town, and he asked if he could have a job. Over the next few months, Marcus performed odd jobs and manual labor for the circus. Eventually, he caught the ringleader’s eye, and the ringleader offered to train Marcus in the performance arts. Marcus began mastering various circus acts, from the trapeze to the highwire to illusions and magic. In his free time, Marcus trained in boxing, jiu jitsu, and other fighting styles. He began to formulate a plan to return to Lost Haven, avenge his brother’s murder, and expose the corruption within the police department.

After three years, Marcus has returned with a repertoire of skills, gadgets and equipment to wage a one man war, and a plan…

Hero Type: Normal/Acrobat

Power Level: Street Level (Ex. Punisher, Daredevil)

Powers: None as such, but Marcus has spent a lifetime acquiring useful skills, including three years of intensive training following his brother’s murder. From his time in the slums and on the streets, Marcus learned to pick locks, eavesdrop, and fight – albeit crudely. From his time with the circus, Marcus learned acrobatics, balance, illusions, sleight of hand, hypnosis, knife throwing, contortionism, escapology, and showmanship. He also picked up a few forensic and investigation skills from proximity to his brother’s work.

In addition to the many skills Marcus has acquired, he also relies on equipment and gadgets. Chief among these is his feathered gliding cape, a relic from the circus which allows him to soar on air currents and perform disappearing illusions. Marcus wears body armor to protect himself from blades, bullets, and falls. He also wears goggles equipped with night vision and infrared. He arms himself with a utility belt containing pouches for shuriken, smoke bombs, lock picks, flash bangs, a grappling hook, and more.

Attributes

Strength Level: Normal Human

Speed/Reaction Timing Level: Normal Human

Endurance at MAXIMUM Effort: 2 hours

Agility: 5X Human level

Intelligence: Average

Fighting Skill: Trained

Resources: Average

Weaknesses: Beneath his cape and armor, Marcus is just a man. He has no powers, no special protection against harm, and no healing factor. As such, he can be quickly outmatched by a metahuman opponent – though this deficit can be overcome by quick thinking and training. On a personal level, Marcus’s mission can be a lonely one. While he has a small group of friends and confidants, he is largely removed from society as a whole.

Supporting Characters

Raymond Lance (deceased): Marcus’s older brother. A former detective who began investigating corrupt cops and got killed for it.

Derek Cole: Ray’s former partner and Marcus’s confidant within the Lost Haven Police Department. Derek agrees to help Marcus on his crusade out of a sense of guilt for his unintentional involvement in Ray’s death.

Vanessa Lance: Ray’s widowed wife and Marcus’s sister-in-law. Marcus keeps watch over Vanessa and her [see below] children from afar, ensuring that no harm will come to them.

Allison Lance: Vanessa and Ray’s six year old daughter. Marcus’s niece.

Derek Lance: Vanessa and Ray’s two year old son. Marcus’s nephew.

Lily Chapman: One of Marcus’s old friends from the slums. Lily is a painter, and she rents out the apartment over her studio to Marcus.

---

Do you know how to post pictures on RPG boards?: Yes.

Sample Post

Marcus holds the rapidly melting bag of ice to his mouth as he sits on the curb. The sharp stinging sensation from his split lip has been reduced to more of a dull throbbing, though it still hurts like hell. As he looks up, he uses his free hand to shield his eyes from the flashing red and blue lights of the squad car parked just a few feet away. The owner of that vehicle, an uptight police officer in an overly starched uniform, stands just behind the squad car, taking a statement from Ronnie the bouncer. Occasionally, the officer will glance in Marcus’ direction or Ronnie will motion towards him, but for the most part the two gentlemen pay him no mind.

A few minutes later, a black car pulls up. It bears no sirens or markings denoting the LHPD, but it’s clearly a cop car. More to the point, it’s a detective’s car. Marcus rolls his eyes. Oh, good. He’s here, he thinks to himself sardonically. A man in a suit and tie steps out of the car. Though it’s impossible to tell in this light, he shares Marcus’ blue-gray eyes, a feature both men inherited from their father. The detective doesn’t even glance in his younger brother’s direction. Instead, he simply walks over to the officer writing up the report. The officer brings the detective up to speed on the incident while Ronnie steps away and fumbles with a pack of cigarettes. Moments later, the detective gives the officer a polite nod before moving towards Marcus.

Lowering the half-melted bag of ice from his lip, Marcus begins, “I don’t suppose it would change much if I told you that the other guy started it.”

Raymond Lance grabs onto his brother’s arm and roughly pulls him to his feet. “They always do with you, don’t they, brother?” he answers, his tone laced with bitterness and disappointment. He begins marching out of the uniformed officer’s earshot, still pulling Marcus by the arm. “When are you going to grow up, Marcus?”

Marcus grits his teeth and shakes loose of Ray’s grip. “Probably around the same time that you stop treating me like I’m still a kid,” he answers with a hateful glare.

“Then stop acting like one!” Ray shouts a bit too loudly. He looks over Marcus’ shoulder to see the officer and Ronnie the bouncer craning their necks in the direction of the two brothers. Lowering his voice while maintaining the same angry tone, Ray continues, “Do you ever once think about how your behavior reflects on me?”

Marcus narrows his eyes. “Honestly, Ray, I try to think about you as little as possible.”

The anger in Ray’s eyes flickers for a moment, replaced briefly by surprise and hurt. But the moment is gone too soon for either brother to recognize it. And in that same instant, the anger returns. “I am done covering your ass for your mistakes,” Ray says curtly. “You want to pick fights at the bar to show how much of a tough guy you are? You can sleep it off in a cell.” He motions for the uniformed officer.

Marcus feels the officer grab him by the wrist. An all-too-familiar refrain begins as Marcus feels the cold metal of handcuffs closing around his wrists. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as I have recited them to you?”

Marcus stares into his older brother’s eyes. “I understand.”

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG (Closed)

Hound55 said
And Eddie, we've both done stuff with Pitcher Plants, yours here and me with my Swamp Thing/Man-Thing thing which I should probably also post at some point in the Ultimate One Universe thread.

They're quite fascinating, and they make for a great Bond villain-esque way to kill someone if you have plant powers.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG (Closed)

That shouldn't have taken so long, but the Mantis post is finally up.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG (Closed)

A GROWING PROBLEM – PART V

I awaken to a constricting feeling across my arms and legs. I’m foggy and disoriented, can barely remember how I got here. Wait, no. I do remember. I was fighting that Foliage kid, and he overwhelmed me with those vines of his. I was pinned to the ground, and then he sprayed me with some kind of flower… I open my eyes. My body is wrapped in vines from the shoulders down. They move and throb like little green snakes. I look up and see that I’m suspended from the field goal posts, just as that football player was.

Foliage descends on an oversized leaf, looking smug as ever. “I warned you not to cross me, bug. Now, you’ll share his fate,” he says as he nods in the direction of the opposite field goal post, where the aforementioned football player is still dangling.

“What are you going to do, Foliage? Pollinate us to death?” I shout back with as much bravado as I can muster. Truth be told, my first “supervillain” fight isn’t going so well for me.

Foliage smirks. “Not quite.” He holds his hands out in front of himself and closes his eyes. The ground beneath the football field begins to shake, and I catch the entangled football player giving me a nervous glance. A big red plant bursts from beneath the soil. It’s easily two stories tall. The plant is cylindrical with a large opening at the top. It looks like a rolled leaf that sealed itself shut at the seam.

“Carnivorous plants are fascinating, don’t you think?” Foliage asks loudly, making sure both of us can here. He waves to the big red plant currently occupying midfield. “Take this pitcher plant, for instance. It evolved for habitats in which the soil lacked the necessary nutrients for survival and was forced to find those nutrients elsewhere.” Foliage lowers himself to the plant’s side, pressing a hand to its outer surface. “The inside of the leaf is coated with a waxy lining which ensures that its prey cannot simply climb out. Eventually, the prey succumbs to fatigue and falls to the base of the pitcher, where a pool of digestive enzymes does the rest.”

I call back, “Jabba, this is your last chance! Free us… or die.”

Foliage looks at me, bewildered. “What?”

“Oh, come on, man. No love for Return of the Jedi? I mean, I know Empire’s the superior film, but—“

“Shut up!” Foliage barks. The vines around my body constrict. “It’s time to end this!”

I begin to feel myself moving towards the pitcher plant. Foliage’s vines are willing me forward. My exoskeletal blades extend slowly through the thicket surrounding my body. I can hardly move, so I twist and turn as much as I can. The blades slowly begin to cut into the vines, but I’m not sure I’ll free myself in time. I can see over the mouth of the pitcher, down to the bubbling pool of digestive fluids waiting at the bottom. Once I’ve made some headway, I begin to slice faster. Finally, I feel the vines go just limp enough, and not a moment too soon.

I burst through Foliage’s ensnarement and somersault over the pitcher plant. I hit the turf with a roll, and Foliage is on top of me in an instant. He calls forth a veritable forest of vines, branches, leaves, and thorns. I’ll never be able to cut my way through. He’s too smart and too well-defended to let me get close. Okay, Sean, think, I coach myself. That’s when it hits me. The way he winces and flinches whenever I take out one of his plants. He must be able to feel their pain somehow.

I begin hopping and scaling up the bleachers to avoid Foliage’s onslaught. So, Foliage is somehow in tune with his plants. If I can cause them enough suffering, he’ll be too distracted to put up his defenses. From there, all I need is one clean shot at the man himself. But how do I harm the plants? What kills plants? I ask myself. Fire, but that’s too risky. If I lost control of it, I’d risk doing more harm than good. On the other hand, if I could freeze them…

Liquid nitrogen. I know for a fact that chemistry lab has some. My professor brought it out last semester for a demonstration. He froze a rubber band and dropped it to the floor, where it shattered into a million little pieces. If I can break away from Foliage long enough to get to the science building and find a canister, I can put an end to this madness. But first, I have to rescue this football player. It wouldn’t do to leave him alone like this.

I hop across the field, narrowly dodging a thorny branch and some razor sharp leaves. Blades extended, I leap towards the field goal posts. I crash into the football player, and my blades slice through the vines keeping him suspended. We begin to tumble towards the seats. I spin us both around so that I’m falling first, and I raise my armor just in time. My back slams into the seats behind the end zone, the force of impact being displaced across the hard exoskeletal plates.

“Thanks,” the football player says breathlessly as he shrugs off the withering vines around his torso. I see a branch rise up behind him.

“Don’t thank me yet!” I grab onto his shoulder and spin us both out of the branch’s path. Clamoring to my feet, I keep my grip on the football player as I tug him forward. “Let’s move!” Foliage’s plants are literally nipping at our heels as we scramble up the bleachers towards the top of the stadium. We finally reach the top, and all of campus is sprawled out before us.

The football turns to me. “What now?” he asks, exasperated.

I glance over my shoulder. Foliage is gaining ground, his nasty little plants in tow. “Now, we jump,” I answer. I grab onto the football player around the waist with one arm as I push off with as much strength as I can muster. We clear the quad next to the stadium in one jump, landing somewhat softly on the grass a good distance away. I turn to the football player. “You know, you’re a far cry from the ‘damsels in distress’ that I usually save. Go run and find somewhere safe.”

“There’s nowhere you can run, Mantis!” Foliage shouts. He steps off his leaf onto the leaf of a beanstalk waiting outside the stadium. “I’ll turn this whole campus against you, root to stem!”

“Only if you catch me first!” I call back.

Before Foliage can accept my challenge, I begin my mad dash for the sciences building. Luckily, it isn’t far from here. As I’m running, Foliage calls up all manners of snares and traps from the dirt to try and stop me. It’s an exercise in reflexes that keeps me going. I begin running on the side of a building, hearing the sound of smashing glass to signify that Foliage’s pets are right on my tail. Finally, the science building is in sight. I make the jump across the quad, landing near a second story window. The chemistry lab is on the third floor.

The building begins to shake, and I look down to see the greenhouse below erupt into a maelstrom of whipping vines. The plants begin shooting up the side of the building with alarming speed. “Geez! I had heard of the Ivy League, but this is ridiculous!” With my hands planted firmly against the brick face of the building, I swing my legs back and upwards, letting the momentum carry me through a third story window feet first.

I land inside an empty classroom moments before the window to my left explodes as vines burst through. In close quarters like this, I’m toast if I let Foliage pin me down. I begin ducking and weaving through the vines, occasionally getting tripped up. Another blitz of razor leaves comes my way, and I flip over a desk barely in time to block it. I lower my shoulder into the hallway door, not wanting to spend another minute trapped in that classroom.

Once in the hallway, I have some peace and quiet. I let my knowledge of the building lead me to the chemistry lab. A quick stinger blast blows the knob off the locked door. I begin tearing through the place, looking for liquid nitrogen. After a minute of searching, I finally find a container. It’s about the size of a fire extinguisher with a nozzle at the top for attaching a hose. Tucking it under my arm, I dash back into the hallway.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”

Foliage’s vines have worked their way into the hallway, turning the far end into a jungle. As if they can sense me, the vines begin spreading rapidly in my direction. I figure there’s only one thing to do. Extending a single blade, I stab a hole into the side of the container. The pressurized air rushes out of the canister, and I splash the liquid on the growing weeds. They begin to recoil and wither, turning black almost instantly. In this way, I push the vines all the way back to the classroom and back out the window.

“Hey, Foliage!” I shout from the shattered window. “Catch!” I throw the canister into the air towards Foliage, perched on his little beanstalk. Once it’s directly overhead, I take aim and fire a charged stinger blast. The canister erupts, pouring down liquid nitrogen on Foliage and all his plants. The latter shrink and wither on contact. Foliage holds his head in his hands and screams.

Seizing my opening, I throw myself at Foliage head first. I ball my right hand into a fist and pull it back. Once I’m close enough, I release a punch strong enough to knock a boxer on his back. Foliage falls from his leaf, and I quickly grab the front of his overalls. We both hit the ground with a tumble. Though I can stand, Foliage is out cold. The vines which haven’t begun to die simply hang lifelessly from the side of the building. “Green looks better on me, anyway,” I say to no one in particular.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG (Closed)

Polishing up the supporting cast before I get to work on my sample post. In the meantime, I'm gonna hammer out the next Mantis post - if not tonight, then sometime in the next two days.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG (Closed)

Post and second application coming soon.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG (Closed)

Just an update that I probably won't be able to post much this week on account of the fact that my lovely girlfriend's in town. After Saturday, expect the next Mantis post and probably my second character application!

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG (Closed)

Been kicking around ideas for a second character. May bring him into the fold soon.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG (Closed)

Post up as foretold. I swear, these posts always feel longer than they end up being. Anywho, stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion of A Growing Problem!