@FacePunch Yeah dude, go for it. Invitation = acceptance, lol.
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M A Y 1 S T, 2 0 1 6
Albert Lim arrives home with a bruised cheek and a cut lip. He wipes the blood from his chin before he steps inside the building, pulling his hood up as far past his face as possible; the last thing he needs is for his mother to catch wind of his injuries. It had taken her a month to even consider letting him step back into the outside world after the Invasion. She only needs the tiniest of reasons, he knew, to force him back into isolation. Striding into their apartment with his battered visage on display is not something he can risk.
He climbs the four flights of stairs to his home with a grimace that travels through his entire body. It had only taken two hits for him to collapse onto the ground (the very same hits that seemed to colour his face so vibrantly) – the rest of the beating was dished out with shins and feet, no doubt dyeing his ribs with varying shades of purple and blue. His thoughts bitterly turn to one of his tormentors, Brian Williamson. His voice echoes through Albert’s mind, deep and nasal. “C’mon, Chink,” it says, “What’cha gonna do, huh? Take a swing, I dare ya, Miyagi.” Albert shakes his head. Williamson wouldn’t say that. Two slurs within three sentences is too creative for the guy.
If only Williamson knew what Albert could do now, he thinks. If only he knew that when the Kryptonians invaded, and the Flash and Kid Flash were fighting the man in yellow, and Jay Garrick was doing his best to keep people clear of any debris, that Albert was at S.T.A.R. Labs. If only he knew that when the particle accelerator exploded, even though Flash and Kid Flash tried to contain the blast, Albert was caught in its middle. If only he knew that when the lightning struck Albert, it did more than give him third-degree burns across his back. If only he knew that now… before, during and after the beating… Albert had powers. And that the only reason why he hadn’t used them, was for fear that he might have killed him.
Albert avoids his mother that afternoon. He skips dinner. He doesn’t say whether he’s okay when she knocks on his bedroom door. He just tells her to leave him alone.
Albert Lim doesn’t wake up the next morning. At the stroke of midnight, a man comes into his room and takes him into his next life.
He climbs the four flights of stairs to his home with a grimace that travels through his entire body. It had only taken two hits for him to collapse onto the ground (the very same hits that seemed to colour his face so vibrantly) – the rest of the beating was dished out with shins and feet, no doubt dyeing his ribs with varying shades of purple and blue. His thoughts bitterly turn to one of his tormentors, Brian Williamson. His voice echoes through Albert’s mind, deep and nasal. “C’mon, Chink,” it says, “What’cha gonna do, huh? Take a swing, I dare ya, Miyagi.” Albert shakes his head. Williamson wouldn’t say that. Two slurs within three sentences is too creative for the guy.
If only Williamson knew what Albert could do now, he thinks. If only he knew that when the Kryptonians invaded, and the Flash and Kid Flash were fighting the man in yellow, and Jay Garrick was doing his best to keep people clear of any debris, that Albert was at S.T.A.R. Labs. If only he knew that when the particle accelerator exploded, even though Flash and Kid Flash tried to contain the blast, Albert was caught in its middle. If only he knew that when the lightning struck Albert, it did more than give him third-degree burns across his back. If only he knew that now… before, during and after the beating… Albert had powers. And that the only reason why he hadn’t used them, was for fear that he might have killed him.
Albert avoids his mother that afternoon. He skips dinner. He doesn’t say whether he’s okay when she knocks on his bedroom door. He just tells her to leave him alone.
Albert Lim doesn’t wake up the next morning. At the stroke of midnight, a man comes into his room and takes him into his next life.
M A Y 2 N D ♦ C E N T R A L C I T Y H I G H ♦ C E N T R A L C I T Y, M O
I never really liked school. Whether it was kindergarten or elementary school, the thought of going there seemed almost as terrifying as the thought of staying at home. I’d never really been able to put my finger on why – for most kids it was because they hated their teachers, or because they dreaded schoolwork – and while I was one of those kids, those reasons were never really the ones that made me despise the place. As I thought on it more and more, I began to realise just what it was that did. My parents were never the most attentive bunch; Dad was too busy dancing his dance with booze and easily-earned money, and Mom was too worried about what the rich family from across the street thought of her to share much of her time with me. See, the thing is, school was never this hell where the principal was Satan and the teachers were his demons-in-arms; it was just another place my parents took me so I wouldn’t bother them for a couple more hours.
“Boo-hoo, Wally,” I hear you say, “You had crappy parents. Welcome to the club.”
Yeah, okay, fair. But you didn’t let me finish.
I never really liked school because it was another naughty corner my parents put me in when I was “being a nuisance,” as Mom put it, or, as dear old Dad would say, “a disgrace to the West family name.” But I never thought I’d find another reason to… not… like it, let alone one bigger than “Mummy and Daddy didn’t have time for me.” And guess what?
Yep. You got it. On the first Monday of May, 2016, I found one.
A month and one day had passed since the Kryptonians decided to flip humanity their collective birds, and society was recovering about as well as you’d think (hint: not very). Imagine a beehive. The bees are buzzing along, minding their own business, making honey and doing other bee things, when all of a sudden a big, scary, alien bear comes along and scoops up their sweet syrup, accidentally killing their queen in the process. The bees are angry, and they start attacking the bear, but not before it decides to throw their hive onto the ground and empty its bladder all over their home. Hell, it thinks, why not take a dump while it’s at it? The bees are so angry now that not only are they hostile towards big, scary, alien bears, but to any poor metasquirrel they happen to know of, too.
That’s the state the world was in in that month of May, and the twin cities of Central-Keystone were no exception. In addition to the whole evil Supermen thing, there was also that of the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator explosion, and the man calling himself Professor Zoom. Eobard Thawne, who claimed to be the man who killed my uncle Barry’s mother, and who also claimed to hail from the twenty-fifth century, used the Kryptonian Invasion as cover for his attack on the second Flash. Knowing full well that Barry and I would be busy trying to save anyone we could from the Kryptonians, he activated S.T.A.R. Labs’ particle accelerator, which was only weeks from completion. It exploded, energies previously only theoretical in nature spilling out through rips in the fabric of reality. With the original Flash, Jay Garrick, there to help us, Barry and I managed to contain the explosion to a couple of blocks… but the damage had been done, and Thawne disappeared without a trace.
The Gem Cities were in a state of paranoia they had never been in before, and it was spilling into their schools in bucket-loads. Central City High was one such school, and on its first day back since the Invasion, everyone was forced to see it for themselves.
We were all gathered in the gym. Hundreds of students filled the bleachers, talking with a kind of energy I don’t think anyone was expecting. To return to school knowing that your summer would be non-existent is generally a mood-killer – I, for one, was pretty bummed out – but the place was buzzing with excitement and gossip, and it was contagious. Despite the fact that I’d been separated from my usual circle of friends (I’d arrived late, as a good speedster’s alter ego always does), I happily chatted with the girl sitting next to me, elbows propped up on my seat’s backrest.
The stage at the far end of the gym was set up for a presentation, images projected onto the large screen that hung above it: a picture of Central City, post-Invasion, all debris and distraught men and women, with one word written in bold, red letters: ‘CRISIS’. A man in his thirties stood at the microphone in front of it, clean-shaven and hair shaped with wax, dressed in a uniform with ‘SFH’ emblazoned on his left breast pocket. He smiled at us students, gaze travelling over us before he turned to look at our principal, Mr. Lampert, who was seated on the stage’s left with the rest of the teachers. Mr. Lampert gave him a nod, and SFH-Man once again greeted us with a smile.
“Hello, everyone,” he said into the microphone, his voice booming throughout the gym. “If I could have your attention, please.”
The chatter died down.
“My name’s Gardner Kolins. I’m a volunteer working for Stand For Humanity, a foundation you may or may not have heard of. We provide for those who might have lost anything in situations involving mutants, masked vigilantes or any other extranormal individuals and groups – the recent catastrophe that came with the Kryptonian invaders being no exception. In light of recent events, your school has asked us to come and talk to you about the dangers “superheroes” such as Superman pose for society, and how you can keep safe if you ever find yourselves stuck in the middle of a conflict between such a person and other, usually powered, people. In a world where more and more of these beings are popping up every day, it’s very important that the public learns of how to endure the inevitable damage these so-called heroes inflict. So I ask that you all listen. It could be matter of life and death.”
“Now,” he continued, pointing up to the screen, “Who here can tell me what “crisis” means to them?”
“Boo-hoo, Wally,” I hear you say, “You had crappy parents. Welcome to the club.”
Yeah, okay, fair. But you didn’t let me finish.
I never really liked school because it was another naughty corner my parents put me in when I was “being a nuisance,” as Mom put it, or, as dear old Dad would say, “a disgrace to the West family name.” But I never thought I’d find another reason to… not… like it, let alone one bigger than “Mummy and Daddy didn’t have time for me.” And guess what?
Yep. You got it. On the first Monday of May, 2016, I found one.
A month and one day had passed since the Kryptonians decided to flip humanity their collective birds, and society was recovering about as well as you’d think (hint: not very). Imagine a beehive. The bees are buzzing along, minding their own business, making honey and doing other bee things, when all of a sudden a big, scary, alien bear comes along and scoops up their sweet syrup, accidentally killing their queen in the process. The bees are angry, and they start attacking the bear, but not before it decides to throw their hive onto the ground and empty its bladder all over their home. Hell, it thinks, why not take a dump while it’s at it? The bees are so angry now that not only are they hostile towards big, scary, alien bears, but to any poor metasquirrel they happen to know of, too.
That’s the state the world was in in that month of May, and the twin cities of Central-Keystone were no exception. In addition to the whole evil Supermen thing, there was also that of the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator explosion, and the man calling himself Professor Zoom. Eobard Thawne, who claimed to be the man who killed my uncle Barry’s mother, and who also claimed to hail from the twenty-fifth century, used the Kryptonian Invasion as cover for his attack on the second Flash. Knowing full well that Barry and I would be busy trying to save anyone we could from the Kryptonians, he activated S.T.A.R. Labs’ particle accelerator, which was only weeks from completion. It exploded, energies previously only theoretical in nature spilling out through rips in the fabric of reality. With the original Flash, Jay Garrick, there to help us, Barry and I managed to contain the explosion to a couple of blocks… but the damage had been done, and Thawne disappeared without a trace.
The Gem Cities were in a state of paranoia they had never been in before, and it was spilling into their schools in bucket-loads. Central City High was one such school, and on its first day back since the Invasion, everyone was forced to see it for themselves.
We were all gathered in the gym. Hundreds of students filled the bleachers, talking with a kind of energy I don’t think anyone was expecting. To return to school knowing that your summer would be non-existent is generally a mood-killer – I, for one, was pretty bummed out – but the place was buzzing with excitement and gossip, and it was contagious. Despite the fact that I’d been separated from my usual circle of friends (I’d arrived late, as a good speedster’s alter ego always does), I happily chatted with the girl sitting next to me, elbows propped up on my seat’s backrest.
The stage at the far end of the gym was set up for a presentation, images projected onto the large screen that hung above it: a picture of Central City, post-Invasion, all debris and distraught men and women, with one word written in bold, red letters: ‘CRISIS’. A man in his thirties stood at the microphone in front of it, clean-shaven and hair shaped with wax, dressed in a uniform with ‘SFH’ emblazoned on his left breast pocket. He smiled at us students, gaze travelling over us before he turned to look at our principal, Mr. Lampert, who was seated on the stage’s left with the rest of the teachers. Mr. Lampert gave him a nod, and SFH-Man once again greeted us with a smile.
“Hello, everyone,” he said into the microphone, his voice booming throughout the gym. “If I could have your attention, please.”
The chatter died down.
“My name’s Gardner Kolins. I’m a volunteer working for Stand For Humanity, a foundation you may or may not have heard of. We provide for those who might have lost anything in situations involving mutants, masked vigilantes or any other extranormal individuals and groups – the recent catastrophe that came with the Kryptonian invaders being no exception. In light of recent events, your school has asked us to come and talk to you about the dangers “superheroes” such as Superman pose for society, and how you can keep safe if you ever find yourselves stuck in the middle of a conflict between such a person and other, usually powered, people. In a world where more and more of these beings are popping up every day, it’s very important that the public learns of how to endure the inevitable damage these so-called heroes inflict. So I ask that you all listen. It could be matter of life and death.”
“Now,” he continued, pointing up to the screen, “Who here can tell me what “crisis” means to them?”
* * *
It started like that, and as Kolins talked through his presentation, it only got worse. Baseless criticisms against heroes were disguised as facts; statistics were thrown in our faces to hammer home the “reality” metahumans and superheroes were “bringing to our doorsteps”; Kolins provided commentary laced with mutant and xenophobia with a conviction that seemed to win over at least half of the gym. But it wasn’t that that disgusted me – not the most, anyway. It wasn’t that he omitted practically every good deed any superhero had ever done, twisting their acts into crimes that they deserved to punished for. It wasn’t that he was so completely racist the swastika practically etched itself onto his forehead, however subtle he may have been, or that his entire lecture relied on shock value and images of death on the screen. It was that when I looked over to the right, a few feet past him where the teachers were sitting, that I saw most of them nodding in agreement. It was that when I looked at the other students, I saw some of them look at Kolins like he was the second coming. It was that I could almost see their hate for people they weren’t even trying to understand as it gripped them like a vice – not that it needed to. Most welcomed it with open arms.
And so I found a bigger reason to dislike school than “Mom and Dad didn’t do parenting.” Maybe it was the optimist in me, or the fact that I was a superhero myself, but I liked to think that we, as people of Earth – humans, metahumans, aliens, whatever – were stronger than our fears. That we were bigger than hating on what we didn’t understand. On May 2nd, 2016, school showed me just how wrong I was. And I hated it for that.
I didn’t wait for Kolins to finish his presentation. As he talked about the total deaths caused by metahuman-related incidents since the turn of the century, I got up. I walked the length of the gym to the exit, and I stepped into the silence of the sunny outside world.
It was music to my ears.
And so I found a bigger reason to dislike school than “Mom and Dad didn’t do parenting.” Maybe it was the optimist in me, or the fact that I was a superhero myself, but I liked to think that we, as people of Earth – humans, metahumans, aliens, whatever – were stronger than our fears. That we were bigger than hating on what we didn’t understand. On May 2nd, 2016, school showed me just how wrong I was. And I hated it for that.
I didn’t wait for Kolins to finish his presentation. As he talked about the total deaths caused by metahuman-related incidents since the turn of the century, I got up. I walked the length of the gym to the exit, and I stepped into the silence of the sunny outside world.
It was music to my ears.
Captain America in the building!
Ayyy! I took the liberty of adding her to Tony's supporting cast. Gonna be a blast if/when she decides to join the Avengers. (She totally will, though, right?)
So, uh, I should probably post. It'll come within the next two days or so, I promise.
So I lied. Hopefully I should have something up by the weekend. Sorry for the delay, everyone.
Posted, I guess?
S P I D E R - M A N I I
He missed his family. He missed his friends, his home and his bed. He missed the car horns that intruded his bedroom in the morning, and the cracked plasterboard that crumbled ever so slowly, speck by speck, particle by particle, from his ceiling. He missed the way Kate crinkled her nose when she woke up, as if it was a mild annoyance that she had to get out of bed. It crossed his mind how clichéd it was, but he missed her touch and her smile, and how she cupped her hands over her mouth when she laughed. He missed her and he missed Ganke, he missed Judge and he missed Kamala, he missed his Mom and he missed his Dad, but most of all, he missed his freedom. The freedom to swing from building to building with his webs, to look over Manhattan’s skyline from the top of the Empire State Building; to help people. To do some good.
Miles Morales missed it all. But as time continued to move by with each excruciatingly slow second, it became ever clearer that he would never be able to return home. The six-armed woman had made sure to tell him so. And yet, some hope still remained.
He had no idea how long he’d been captive in this place, or how many death games he’d been forced to participate in. All he knew is that they never ended. What time he didn’t spend in his cell was spent navigating labyrinths plunged into darkness, forced to rely on his spider-sense to survive, avoiding the deathtraps strewn across their corridors without so much as a torch. Sometime during the games, the floor would drop beneath him, leaving nothing but a black abyss, and he’d be forced to use his webs, his spider-sense telling him which surfaces along the ceiling and walls were safe to cling onto. One wrong choice and he would fall to his death.
One wrong choice, and he would never see Kate again.
The thought echoed through his mind as he awoke in what was becoming a frustratingly familiar red force field, dread swelling within him as he realised that he was about to be thrust into the death games yet again. His web-shooters were clasped onto his wrists, as they always were when he came to in the bubble, and with a curse he checked how many cartridges of web fluid he had left: two – the ones in the shooters, one full and one half empty. Dammit. He pinched his masked brow. Dammit, dammit, dammit. That wasn’t enough. It might last him for this course – might – but next time? He was a dead man. A dead, dead man.
It was fitting, he supposed. The man he was trying to honour, to succeed, was one of the greats; a hero of heroes, who lived and died as one. And who was Miles but the entire opposite? A coward who began to use his powers for the good of others not because he wanted to, not because he should, but because he felt guilty. Because he felt like he needed to make up for his mistakes. To die a coward’s death, running out of the one thing keeping him alive, was only fair.
“Don’t be an idiot, Miles,” Kate’s voice cut through his thoughts, sharp and passionate. “You think he would ever let himself think like that?”
She was right, of course. He wouldn’t.
What would Peter Parker do?
Miles stood up in his cage, expecting to be met with the same pitch blackness he always saw. But now it was replaced by light, and the labyrinth he was usually forced to traverse was not there; below him was an arena, a coliseum filled with alien structures made of rusted iron and crumbling stone, a sight that reminded him of those Hunger Games books Kamala always used to go on about. He strained his eyes. At distant areas of the arena were what looked like four other red spheres much like his own. If he had to guess, people like him were in there, slaves to their enigmatic captors, made to participate in sick games for an invisible audience’s enjoyment. Dread filled him anew as he realised what was happening. He was going to have to fight them. He was going to have to kill them.
Miles tensed as the cell began roar, lowering towards the ground at a steady speed. The red bubble pulsated in rhythm with a siren that pierced his ears. Miles braced himself, waiting for the moment it would fade.
What would Peter Parker do?
He would hang back. He would observe. He wouldn’t throw himself towards any danger unless it was absolutely necessary, unless it was life or death.
The force field faded, and so did Miles, the light that reflected off of his costume blending him into his surroundings.
Okay, Miles. Just don’t get yourself killed.
So, uh, I should probably post. It'll come within the next two days or so, I promise.
| IDENTITY: |
Anthony Edward “Tony” Stark // Iron Man
| ALIGNMENT: |
Chaotic Neutral
| ORIGIN & BACKSTORY: |
1986 - 2010 // P R O D I G Y
Tony Stark was born to Howard and Maria Stark in New York City in the year of 1986. His father was a genius in his own right, the fourth generation of Starks to run the family business, Stark Industries, founded in the mid-nineteenth century by Isaac Stark Sr. as Stark Enterprises. It came as no surprise when Tony demonstrated his own genius, having inherited Howard’s a hundredfold, graduating from high school before he entered his teens. However, he and Howard had a strained relationship, Howard often berating him for the tiniest of mistakes; this was made worse by the drinks, and so Tony endured much verbal abuse from his father since an early age. He instead found a father figure in Edwin Jarvis, his family’s butler, and for much of his life before the Iron Man, his best friend.
At the age of fifteen, Tony was already acquiring his tertiary education, having graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Master’s degrees in physics and electrical engineering. It was during this time that he first met Obadiah Stane, the CEO of Stane Industries, Stark’s biggest competitor in the corporate world. Intrigued by the man, a master of chess, Tony allowed himself to speak with him, leaving the conversation with a sour taste in his mouth. He didn’t need his father to berate him for talking with Stane, and although Howard did, a part of Tony was glad. Something seemed off about the man, something that not even his genius mind could pinpoint, and he remained cautious of him ever since.
Later in that year of 2001, Tony met people who would remain his rivals for years to come at Oxford University, attending Dr. Harrison Wells’ “Forward Thought Conference”. It was there that he was introduced to the likes of Bruce Banner and the jet-setting brothers, Thomas Jr. and Bruce Wayne. Priding himself as a futurist, Tony saw through the latter two’s facades; while they behaved like anyone would expect the young inheritors of a gigantic fortune to, Tony noticed a conviction within them that ran deeper than a taste for young models and the thrill of high adventure, like so many tabloids liked to report – an observation that would later lead to his deduction of the younger Wayne’s identity as the mythical Batman.
Howard and Maria Stark were killed in an apparent car accident when Tony was twenty-one years old. Edwin Jarvis, their driver, died along with them. Moving past his grief with concerning speed, Tony took over as CEO of Stark Industries, transforming it into Stark International – and through the manufacturing of weapons he’d designed in his bedroom and many military and government contracts, he transitioned it from a multi-million dollar company to that of a multi-billion dollar conglomerate, bringing to the forefront of the American corporate world alongside the likes of OsCorp, Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp. Stane Industries was left behind in the dust, and unbeknownst to Tony, Obadiah was slowly but surely developing a dangerous vendetta against him.
Tony later got involved in what would have to be his most serious romantic relationship yet, with a woman called Whitney Frost. It was progressing far further and faster than any other relationship he’d had before – Whitney was, as far as he could tell, the woman of his dreams. If that was so, however, then the woman of his dreams would have had to have ties to a gigantic criminal empire – that of the Maggia, an international syndicate led by her father, Count Luchino Nefaria. Whitney was a mole, placed within Tony’s life in order to get Stark International’s tech within the Maggia’s grasp. Upon his discovery of Whitney’s agenda, he broke things off with her, telling her that if he ever saw her again, he would call the authorities. She disappeared not long after, going completely off the grid – but not before she got caught in accident that left her face permanently disfigured.
After promoting the woman that had notified him of Whitney’s activities, Virginia “Pepper” Potts, to the position of his personal assistant, Tony soon returned to his ways of drinking, partying and womanizing as if nothing had ever happened.
At the age of fifteen, Tony was already acquiring his tertiary education, having graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Master’s degrees in physics and electrical engineering. It was during this time that he first met Obadiah Stane, the CEO of Stane Industries, Stark’s biggest competitor in the corporate world. Intrigued by the man, a master of chess, Tony allowed himself to speak with him, leaving the conversation with a sour taste in his mouth. He didn’t need his father to berate him for talking with Stane, and although Howard did, a part of Tony was glad. Something seemed off about the man, something that not even his genius mind could pinpoint, and he remained cautious of him ever since.
Later in that year of 2001, Tony met people who would remain his rivals for years to come at Oxford University, attending Dr. Harrison Wells’ “Forward Thought Conference”. It was there that he was introduced to the likes of Bruce Banner and the jet-setting brothers, Thomas Jr. and Bruce Wayne. Priding himself as a futurist, Tony saw through the latter two’s facades; while they behaved like anyone would expect the young inheritors of a gigantic fortune to, Tony noticed a conviction within them that ran deeper than a taste for young models and the thrill of high adventure, like so many tabloids liked to report – an observation that would later lead to his deduction of the younger Wayne’s identity as the mythical Batman.
Howard and Maria Stark were killed in an apparent car accident when Tony was twenty-one years old. Edwin Jarvis, their driver, died along with them. Moving past his grief with concerning speed, Tony took over as CEO of Stark Industries, transforming it into Stark International – and through the manufacturing of weapons he’d designed in his bedroom and many military and government contracts, he transitioned it from a multi-million dollar company to that of a multi-billion dollar conglomerate, bringing to the forefront of the American corporate world alongside the likes of OsCorp, Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp. Stane Industries was left behind in the dust, and unbeknownst to Tony, Obadiah was slowly but surely developing a dangerous vendetta against him.
Tony later got involved in what would have to be his most serious romantic relationship yet, with a woman called Whitney Frost. It was progressing far further and faster than any other relationship he’d had before – Whitney was, as far as he could tell, the woman of his dreams. If that was so, however, then the woman of his dreams would have had to have ties to a gigantic criminal empire – that of the Maggia, an international syndicate led by her father, Count Luchino Nefaria. Whitney was a mole, placed within Tony’s life in order to get Stark International’s tech within the Maggia’s grasp. Upon his discovery of Whitney’s agenda, he broke things off with her, telling her that if he ever saw her again, he would call the authorities. She disappeared not long after, going completely off the grid – but not before she got caught in accident that left her face permanently disfigured.
After promoting the woman that had notified him of Whitney’s activities, Virginia “Pepper” Potts, to the position of his personal assistant, Tony soon returned to his ways of drinking, partying and womanizing as if nothing had ever happened.
2012 - 2015 // I R O N W I L L
A weapons demonstration in Afghanistan would change Tony’s life forever. He’d flown over there to introduce a new multi-warhead missile of his own design to the U.S. Air Force, but before he could do anything of the sort, his convoy was attacked by a militant terrorist cabal called the Ten Rings. In the ensuing firefight, shrapnel was embedded deep within his chest, just inches from his heart. He was taken captive by the terrorists, placed in a makeshift lab within their encampment in the Afghani desert, serving as his prison. He awoke to find another man with him: Dr. Ho Yinsen, a renowned physicist and Nobel prize winner whose work Tony had admired from an early age. Yinsen had built a makeshift electromagnetic device that was inserted into Tony’s chest, keeping the shrapnel from piercing his heart, effectively saving his life. He explained that they were being held captive by the Ten Rings, who answered to a mysterious figure called the Mandarin, and that they wanted Tony to build them his weapons, or else face death. This was soon confirmed by the encampment’s leader, Raza, who made it very clear that should Tony not comply, his death would be very slow, and even more painful. Agreeing to help, Tony pretended to give the Ten Rings what they wanted – but with Yinsen acting as his assistant, he began working on something else entirely.
The Iron Man Mark 1 debuted as it burst through the sandstone walls of the terrorist encampment, protecting Tony from machinegun fire as he fought to escape with Yinsen. Unfortunately, Yinsen was killed by a stray bullet, and Tony was forced to leave by himself. As he traversed the desert with the armour’s rudimentary propulsion system, he stumbled upon an Air Force pilot who had been shot out of the sky and was under fire. Tony helped him repel his attackers, and soon he and James Rhodes had radioed for immediate extraction via Rhodes’ downed plane.
Tony returned home with a new lease on life. Pepper had insisted on hiring a bodyguard upon his return, expecting him to be fully opposed to the idea, and although he initially was, he was too preoccupied with other thoughts to do anything other than tolerate Harold Hogan. Having seen what his technology was capable of, he announced that Stark International would no longer be involved in the development of weapons, cancelling any military contracts his company might have had; shocking many and angering even more. He instead spent his time developing what would become the revolutionary repulsor technology (R.T.), replacing the electromagnet in his chest with a never ending source of R.T. energy after the shrapnel was removed from his heart. It was this R.T. battery that would come to power the new and improved Iron Man armours, and it wasn’t long until the Iron Man Mk 3 took flight, destroying any Stark weapons caches left in the hands of terrorists and criminals – bringing Tony face to face with organisations such as the Ten Rings, al Qaeda and the Taliban. By this time Rhodey had declined Tony’s offer to come work at Stark International, opting instead to leave the Air Force for work as a test pilot at Ferris Aircraft; a job that lasted all of three months before he came to work at Stark.
Tony’s identity as Iron Man was revealed to the public in a press conference after he prevented a missile launched by the Ten Rings from hitting its target: Times Square, New York City. Holding a press conference the morning after, Tony announced to the journalists and news crews gathered there that he was the armoured hero that had prevented the terrorist act, and that the Iron Man armour will never be anything more than a tool for peace, squashing any hopes the military might have had for getting the tech themselves.
The publicity stunt – because that’s what it was, a stunt – left Obadiah Stane seething with rage. He would not be outshined by another Stark, let alone the entitled brat that was Tony. He was no stranger to corporate espionage, and through it he was able to acquire the blueprints to the Mark 1 armour, beginning to add his own touches to it. Then the Iron Monger attacked, and Tony faced his first real battle as a superhero.
Only because of Stane’s inferior technology was Tony able to beat him. The older man fought viciously, and could have beaten him if not for the absence of R.T. in his armour. Incarcerated in Ryker’s Island, the reigns of Stane Industries’ CEO were handed to Obadiah’s then eighteen year-old son, Ezekiel.
Tony went on to encounter many more supercriminals as Iron Man, chief among them siblings Anton and Ivan Vanko (Crimson Dynamo and Whiplash) and Boris Bullski (the creatively named Titanium Man). All the while he continued to upgrade and create his Iron Man armours, and expanding Stark International beyond the weapons sector, moving into nearly field imaginable.
April 1st, 2016 would see him receiving his biggest reality check yet.
The Iron Man Mark 1 debuted as it burst through the sandstone walls of the terrorist encampment, protecting Tony from machinegun fire as he fought to escape with Yinsen. Unfortunately, Yinsen was killed by a stray bullet, and Tony was forced to leave by himself. As he traversed the desert with the armour’s rudimentary propulsion system, he stumbled upon an Air Force pilot who had been shot out of the sky and was under fire. Tony helped him repel his attackers, and soon he and James Rhodes had radioed for immediate extraction via Rhodes’ downed plane.
Tony returned home with a new lease on life. Pepper had insisted on hiring a bodyguard upon his return, expecting him to be fully opposed to the idea, and although he initially was, he was too preoccupied with other thoughts to do anything other than tolerate Harold Hogan. Having seen what his technology was capable of, he announced that Stark International would no longer be involved in the development of weapons, cancelling any military contracts his company might have had; shocking many and angering even more. He instead spent his time developing what would become the revolutionary repulsor technology (R.T.), replacing the electromagnet in his chest with a never ending source of R.T. energy after the shrapnel was removed from his heart. It was this R.T. battery that would come to power the new and improved Iron Man armours, and it wasn’t long until the Iron Man Mk 3 took flight, destroying any Stark weapons caches left in the hands of terrorists and criminals – bringing Tony face to face with organisations such as the Ten Rings, al Qaeda and the Taliban. By this time Rhodey had declined Tony’s offer to come work at Stark International, opting instead to leave the Air Force for work as a test pilot at Ferris Aircraft; a job that lasted all of three months before he came to work at Stark.
Tony’s identity as Iron Man was revealed to the public in a press conference after he prevented a missile launched by the Ten Rings from hitting its target: Times Square, New York City. Holding a press conference the morning after, Tony announced to the journalists and news crews gathered there that he was the armoured hero that had prevented the terrorist act, and that the Iron Man armour will never be anything more than a tool for peace, squashing any hopes the military might have had for getting the tech themselves.
The publicity stunt – because that’s what it was, a stunt – left Obadiah Stane seething with rage. He would not be outshined by another Stark, let alone the entitled brat that was Tony. He was no stranger to corporate espionage, and through it he was able to acquire the blueprints to the Mark 1 armour, beginning to add his own touches to it. Then the Iron Monger attacked, and Tony faced his first real battle as a superhero.
Only because of Stane’s inferior technology was Tony able to beat him. The older man fought viciously, and could have beaten him if not for the absence of R.T. in his armour. Incarcerated in Ryker’s Island, the reigns of Stane Industries’ CEO were handed to Obadiah’s then eighteen year-old son, Ezekiel.
Tony went on to encounter many more supercriminals as Iron Man, chief among them siblings Anton and Ivan Vanko (Crimson Dynamo and Whiplash) and Boris Bullski (the creatively named Titanium Man). All the while he continued to upgrade and create his Iron Man armours, and expanding Stark International beyond the weapons sector, moving into nearly field imaginable.
April 1st, 2016 would see him receiving his biggest reality check yet.
2 0 1 6 // A V E N G E R S , A S S E M B L E
Not even Tony was prepared for Zod’s invasion. A self-proclaimed futurist, he didn’t see it coming – and when it did, Iron Man struggled to protect New York. People died, and if it wasn’t for himself and New York’s other heroes, the city may have well been nothing but rubble by the invasion’s end. His armour barely holding up against the Kryptonians, Tony could at least save one life – that of Spider-Man, a vigilante recently returned from a two year hiatus, who upon their meeting, Tony realised was just a kid. Soon, though, the invasion was over… and Tony was left feeling like he should have done more.
He soon heard of the Avengers Initiative – a S.H.I.E.L.D. response unit tasked with dealing with and preventing superhuman and extranormal threats to the world at large. Approached by S.H.I.E.L.D. director Slade Wilson, Tony was offered a position on the team, the director saying that his intellect would be a valued asset to the team. Seeing this as his chance to make things right, Tony agreed – even though the conditions of his enlistment meant a lucrative deal between Stark International and the government.
And so, the Avengers assembled.
He soon heard of the Avengers Initiative – a S.H.I.E.L.D. response unit tasked with dealing with and preventing superhuman and extranormal threats to the world at large. Approached by S.H.I.E.L.D. director Slade Wilson, Tony was offered a position on the team, the director saying that his intellect would be a valued asset to the team. Seeing this as his chance to make things right, Tony agreed – even though the conditions of his enlistment meant a lucrative deal between Stark International and the government.
And so, the Avengers assembled.
| SUPPORTING CAST: |
T H E A V E N G E R S I N I T I A T I V E // S . H . I . E . L . D .
A S.H.I.E.L.D. unit tasked with responding to and preventing superhuman and extranormal threats, the Avengers are made up of a variety of government agents, those from the armed forces... and Tony Stark.
Tony's position in the Avengers Initiative also sees him working with those not a part of the team, but still affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D. and its three branches.
Colonel Slade Wilson (Codename: Deathstroke) | The director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Slade oversees the Avengers' activities through Maria Hill, his most trusted agent.
Agent Maria Hill | The Avengers' official leader, Maria finds herself constantly at odds with Tony, finding his insistence on being the response unit's self-appointed headman infuriating beyond words. If it wasn't for Stark International's generous contract with the government and Tony's genius intellect, she would have seen him out of the Initiative long ago.
Carol Danvers // Captain Marvel | Commander Carol Danvers of the U.S. Navy has powers that Tony believes could rival that of Superman's. A strong woman in more ways than one, Carol is a capable and skilled individual who wants to do right by the world, and who Tony is very happy to have on his side.
Nathaniel Adam // Captain Atom | A former fighter pilot for the Air Force, Nathaniel's career ended when he accidentally killed civilians in an airstrike over a large village in Qurac. Given the option of participating in a potentially lethal experiment as opposed to life imprisonment by Director Slade Wilson, he didn't hesitate, agreeing to partake in Operation: Atom. Captain Atom debuted after Dru-Zod's invasion as the government's answer to Kryptonians, with the ability to manipulate radioactive energies to his every whim. Tony suspects that he is capable of doing much more – just what that is, he's unsure of.
Jessica Drew // Spider-Woman | An agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. with a mysterious past, Jessica Drew is a very capable spy with the abilities of a spider, plus a few more. Where Carol doesn't accept any of Tony's crap, Jess makes sure to let him know when he's being an ass, her snark keeping up with his at every turn.
Agent Maria Hill | The Avengers' official leader, Maria finds herself constantly at odds with Tony, finding his insistence on being the response unit's self-appointed headman infuriating beyond words. If it wasn't for Stark International's generous contract with the government and Tony's genius intellect, she would have seen him out of the Initiative long ago.
Carol Danvers // Captain Marvel | Commander Carol Danvers of the U.S. Navy has powers that Tony believes could rival that of Superman's. A strong woman in more ways than one, Carol is a capable and skilled individual who wants to do right by the world, and who Tony is very happy to have on his side.
Nathaniel Adam // Captain Atom | A former fighter pilot for the Air Force, Nathaniel's career ended when he accidentally killed civilians in an airstrike over a large village in Qurac. Given the option of participating in a potentially lethal experiment as opposed to life imprisonment by Director Slade Wilson, he didn't hesitate, agreeing to partake in Operation: Atom. Captain Atom debuted after Dru-Zod's invasion as the government's answer to Kryptonians, with the ability to manipulate radioactive energies to his every whim. Tony suspects that he is capable of doing much more – just what that is, he's unsure of.
Jessica Drew // Spider-Woman | An agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. with a mysterious past, Jessica Drew is a very capable spy with the abilities of a spider, plus a few more. Where Carol doesn't accept any of Tony's crap, Jess makes sure to let him know when he's being an ass, her snark keeping up with his at every turn.
Tony's position in the Avengers Initiative also sees him working with those not a part of the team, but still affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D. and its three branches.
Stephanie Carter // Captain America | The biological daughter of Steve Rogers, Steph has already been through a lot, despite her relatively young age. An experienced S.H.I.E.L.D. operative, she was invited to join the Avengers. She is yet to give an answer.
Amanda Waller | The stoic head of A.R.G.U.S., Amanda Waller will do anything necessary to protect her country's interests. Tony would rather avoid her company more than anything else.
Francisco Ramon // Vibe | A young man with the ability to manipulate multidimensional energies, Ramon is a government-sanctioned superhero working under Amanda Waller and A.R.G.U.S., and a potential candidate for the Avengers Initiative.
Amanda Waller | The stoic head of A.R.G.U.S., Amanda Waller will do anything necessary to protect her country's interests. Tony would rather avoid her company more than anything else.
Francisco Ramon // Vibe | A young man with the ability to manipulate multidimensional energies, Ramon is a government-sanctioned superhero working under Amanda Waller and A.R.G.U.S., and a potential candidate for the Avengers Initiative.
A S S O C I A T E S
Dr. Harrison Wells | The reclusive head of Keystone City's S.T.A.R. Labs, Wells was one of Tony's biggest influences as a teenager.
??? // Spider-Man | A young kid with spider powers who's in way over his head, but Tony thinks that he has great potential regardless.
Bruce Wayne // Batman | First meeting at Oxford University when they were teenagers, Bruce always struck Tony as... off. This hunch has led to Tony deducing his identity as the mythical Batman, something he is yet to make Bruce aware of.
Oliver Queen // Green Arrow | The CEO of Queen Industries, moonlighting as the bow-wielding vigilante, Green Arrow.
Henry Fyff | Formerly working for Queen Industries' tech division, Henry was fired for allegedly stalking a colleague of his. He now works at Stark, mostly because Tony heard of his talents when it came to technology – something that he'd hate to see go to waste.
??? // Spider-Man | A young kid with spider powers who's in way over his head, but Tony thinks that he has great potential regardless.
Bruce Wayne // Batman | First meeting at Oxford University when they were teenagers, Bruce always struck Tony as... off. This hunch has led to Tony deducing his identity as the mythical Batman, something he is yet to make Bruce aware of.
Oliver Queen // Green Arrow | The CEO of Queen Industries, moonlighting as the bow-wielding vigilante, Green Arrow.
Henry Fyff | Formerly working for Queen Industries' tech division, Henry was fired for allegedly stalking a colleague of his. He now works at Stark, mostly because Tony heard of his talents when it came to technology – something that he'd hate to see go to waste.
F R I E N D S
James "Jim" "Rhodey" Rhodes | Having met Tony as he escaped from the Ten Rings, Rhodey has since left the Air Force to work for Ferris Aircraft before coming to work at Stark International as Tony's personal pilot and chief aviation engineer. He's since become a close friend of Tony's.
Virginia "Pepper" Potts | Tony's personal assistant at Stark International, and one of his best -- and only -- friends. Although there is an attraction between the two, both would rather not act upon it, Tony instead choosing to maintain his playboy lifestyle.
Harold "Happy" Hogan | Tony's bodyguard, hired by Pepper following his return from Afghanistan, Tony gave Harold the nickname, "Happy", due to his seemingly permanent frown. Initially opposed to the idea of a bodyguard, Tony eventually came to befriend Happy.
J.A.R.V.I.S. | Tony's A.I., J.A.R.V.I.S. is based on his deceased butler, Edwin Jarvis.
Virginia "Pepper" Potts | Tony's personal assistant at Stark International, and one of his best -- and only -- friends. Although there is an attraction between the two, both would rather not act upon it, Tony instead choosing to maintain his playboy lifestyle.
Harold "Happy" Hogan | Tony's bodyguard, hired by Pepper following his return from Afghanistan, Tony gave Harold the nickname, "Happy", due to his seemingly permanent frown. Initially opposed to the idea of a bodyguard, Tony eventually came to befriend Happy.
J.A.R.V.I.S. | Tony's A.I., J.A.R.V.I.S. is based on his deceased butler, Edwin Jarvis.
E N E M I E S
Obadiah Stane // Iron Monger | Howard Stark's fiercest competitor in the corporate world, Obadiah Stane was the head of Stane Industries, and largely considered by contractors as the poor man's Stark. Following many failed hostile takeovers of Stark International, Obadiah did the only thing he saw fit to do: he had Howard and Maria Stark killed. Following Tony's debut as Iron Man, he donned the Iron Monger armour, unable to take being outshined by a Stark once more. He currently spends his time in a holding cell within the Triskelion.
Ezekiel Stane // Iron Monger II | Obadiah Stane's son, and the current CEO of Stane Industries, Zeke is a genius rivalling and perhaps even surpassing Tony, developing advanced tech since the age of nine. Indoctrinated by his father to hate the Stark name, Zeke harbours a deep enmity towards Tony.
Anton Vanko // Crimson Dynamo | Brother to Ivan Vanko, Anton is a Russian inventor who built the Crimson Dynamo power armour, enabling its user to manipulate electrical fields. He is currently incarcerated in a Russian prison with his brother.
Ivan Vanko // Whiplash | Brother to Anton Vanko, Ivan followed in his older brother's footsteps as an inventor, creating an armour of his own design that closely resembled that of Tony's Mk IV, complete with two electrically charged whips. He is currently behind bars in a Russian prison with Anton.
Whitney Frost | One of Tony's many exes, Whitney was what Tony would call one of his most serious relationships. Breaking up with her after discovering that she was a corporate mole for the Maggia, Whitney was caught in an accident that left her face permanently disfigured. She's been off the grid ever since.
The Mandarin | The mysterious leader of the Ten Rings terrorist cabal.
Ezekiel Stane // Iron Monger II | Obadiah Stane's son, and the current CEO of Stane Industries, Zeke is a genius rivalling and perhaps even surpassing Tony, developing advanced tech since the age of nine. Indoctrinated by his father to hate the Stark name, Zeke harbours a deep enmity towards Tony.
Anton Vanko // Crimson Dynamo | Brother to Ivan Vanko, Anton is a Russian inventor who built the Crimson Dynamo power armour, enabling its user to manipulate electrical fields. He is currently incarcerated in a Russian prison with his brother.
Ivan Vanko // Whiplash | Brother to Anton Vanko, Ivan followed in his older brother's footsteps as an inventor, creating an armour of his own design that closely resembled that of Tony's Mk IV, complete with two electrically charged whips. He is currently behind bars in a Russian prison with Anton.
Whitney Frost | One of Tony's many exes, Whitney was what Tony would call one of his most serious relationships. Breaking up with her after discovering that she was a corporate mole for the Maggia, Whitney was caught in an accident that left her face permanently disfigured. She's been off the grid ever since.
The Mandarin | The mysterious leader of the Ten Rings terrorist cabal.
| NOTES: |
Following the Kryptonian Invasion, he’s become focussed on designing and implementing security measures and new technologies in order to protect himself, those close to him, his new teammates, and ultimately, the world.
@FacePunch If it's a Lantern you want, feel free to shoot me a PM or something. I've figured out some basic concepts for the cosmic aspect of this 'verse with Hal, and if you want a Lantern, then I figure it'd be best to brainstorm some stuff.
And as a general PSA, more towards @GreenGrenade than anyone else I guess; I'm having Courtney attack Livewire as she flies past Jon. Because I'm assuming Jon is more occupied with Metallo to go after Livewire. But if I'm wrong, let me know and I'll adjust things. I'm not sure if Pat is going to stop and help Courtney or head into the Shrapnel fight. Because I know @Nightwing95 is itching to get involved in that one. ;)
Yeah, that works fine for me. =)
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