Rebuilding A Shattered World: A DC Elseworlds RP

And there came a day unlike any other. A final stand, for Earth and the Universe. The forces of Good against the armies of Apokolips. And though good triumphed in the final battle, it was at great cost. Cities were destroyed, millions died, most of Eastern Europe and Western Asia were wiped off the face of the Earth. But perhaps of even greater loss were the loss of Earth's heroes.

There was no Man for Tomorrow. The Dark had no Knight. A wizard lost his Champion. There was no light for the blackest night. Though they were victorious, the Justice League fell, giving their last breath in defense of all that was good. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, The Green Lanterns, The Flash, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, and more died in the great battle. Even the Justice Society fell. In a moment, the superhero community were running blind. They had lost their icons, their role models, their elder statesmen. For months, the world waited, so sure their heroes would return to them. But they never did.

It has been nearly three years since the Great War, and the world has slowly begun to work itself back into order. To combat the drastic rise in criminal activity, CADMUS and S.T.A.R Labs have actually come together to create the Armor Corps, a privatized international Police Force for dealing with Metahuman threats. But still, it is not quite enough. It does not heal the wounds on the souls of the Human people, seeing their hopes die.

Now, the most unlikely of benefactors will band the world's greatest remaining heroes together. To create a New Age of Justice.

Name: Superhero identity.

Real Name: If they have one. "Secret identity" and such.

Gender: Once again, self-explanatory.

Age: Just spit-ball it. Teens, twenties, middle age. That sort of thing.

Appearance: Pictures preferred.

Personality: How your hero acts around people, how they carry themselves and such.

Powers and abilities: I'll leave this to your discretion, but c'mon. No bullshit.

Weapons and Equipment: If any.

Who they're taking the role of (optional): This is more purely for a meta-game standpoint. Your character doesn't necessarily have to go into this with the mindset of "Oh, I'm totally gonna replace Wonder Woman!" But if that's where you, the player, would like to take this, then this is where you put that. And try to think outside the box. Now, on the one hand, yeah, you might want Supergirl to take Superman's place, because it's the family business or whatever. On the other hand, you might want her to take Wonder Woman's role as the primary female hero. Just ideas.

History: If your character is someone who already exists in DC Comics, then you can just give a summarized version of their history, and then talk more in depth about how the war affected them and what they've done since. If your character is an OC (OC in terms of a legacy character (See Earth 2's Hawkwoman or Dr. Fate, not in terms of a completely made-up Superhero)), then you can give as in-depth and detailed a backstory as you like.

GM's note: Remember, the DC Universe is a huge place filled with a broad range of characters, so really use this as an opportunity to branch out, and think creatively.

Discussion Thread

Actual game

Accepted Members:

Green Lantern, by deadbeatloser22

Power Boy by Nick the Swing

Dick Grayson by Stratofarius

Supergirl by Grim Helm

Wonder Woman by RPG Legend.

The Question by TailsDoll

Wonder Girl by Chariot

Impulse by The Space Jawa

Vigilante by Udthe Imp

Martian Manhunter by Lizard of Aus

Indigo by Oni-Lord.

Animal Man by Sanojutsu

edited 21st Oct '14 5:26:32 PM by SonOfSharknado

Yeah, I think I'll make a character who...well, I'd never make anyone like him normally...

• Name: Power-Boy

• Real Name: He has yet to really make one.

• Gender: Male

• Age: Teenage

• Appearance: See here.◊

• Personality: Subject to bizarre personality fluctuations and odd outbursts due to his past, Power Boy shows, here even more than before, that he was terribly abused on Apokolips, especially at the hands of Granny Goodness. While he is capable of being incredibly nice, his own empathic powers can result in his very well remembered Domestic Abuser episode extrapolating out of a tendency for over-protectiveness - he "feels" what other people feel. And its extremely difficult to sort his feelings out from the feelings of people who are "consumed by hate". He honestly tries his hardest to be a hero, and the tragic thing is, by the very fact he goes out and fights villains, he puts himself in danger of such episodes, but he feels that he can't just let the world stay a wrecked mess. Not after all he saw growing up, and during the Great War. He tends to react explosively to any suggestion of getting involved in Apokolips again, reacting alternatively in fear and anger to the thought of returning there. Another facet of him is his, well, his currently burgeoning crush on Supergirl. They haven't really met yet, but just seeing her at one point on a viewing screen back on Apokolips led him to want to "be worthy" of the person who taught him hope. Making things more difficult, though, is his upbringing - he has utterly no idea what's appropriate and what's not, and even regular human interaction needs to be learned, let alone being a prospective beau...

• Powers and abilities: Due to Darkseid's...amplifications...to his bodily form, he has higher than normal constitution, strength, and speed, as well as the ability to fly. However, he also has his "Empathy", which lets him create Emotional Energy Constructs. The weakness to this power is that intense emotions can leak in and lead to him losing control of himself and exaggerating certain traits in a negative manner.

• Weapons and Equipment: Father Box, an Apokoliptian equivalent to Mother Box. It can communicate telepathically with him, heal his injuries, and transport him places. It's intelligent...and snarky. Very, very snarky.

• History: Growing up in the Armaghetto, he never really knew his parents, just the people who were ah interacting with him in Granny Goodness' orphanage. When it was discovered he was suitable for "amplification" he was put through even worse abuse to make sure his spirit was broken and that he'd take The Mole job in order to get out of this all. However, one day, there was a lull in the torment. Something had happened - something went wrong on the field of war on Earth. He managed to slip out of his rack, and found his outfit and Father Box. Deciding he'd had more than enough of this place, he had Father Box transport him to the world where the girl who taught him hope lived. It hasn't been an easy adjustment - but he's probably lived through worse.

edited 18th Oct '14 2:28:32 AM by NickTheSwing

I know DC has an editorial mandate against characters having happy backstories, but damn.

Anyway...

Name: Green Lantern

Real Name: Jen’nai Sayan / Undecided Earth name

Gender: Female.

Age: Looks like she’s about 14, is actually in the equivalent of her mid-late 20s thanks to her species physically aging slower than humans.

Appearance: Normally looks like this.

Personality: In some ways, she has something of an inferiority complex; a desire to prove herself after the Corps kept her sheltered for a number of years, not wishing to expose a young girl to the dangers of life as a Lantern until they felt she was ready, and while she has the Will expected of a Green Lantern she can be impetuous, rushing into situations when a more measured approach is called for.

Powers and abilities:

• Indomitable Will
• Ring-assisted Flight
• Green Hard Light Constructs: Like any other Green Lantern, Jen’nai can use her ring to create anything she can imagine from green Hard Light.

Weapons and Equipment:

• Green Lantern Ring
• Green Lantern Power Battery

Who they're taking the role of: Isn’t it obvious?

History: Technically the Green Lantern of Sector 3026 rather than 2814, Jen’Nai nonetheless found her way to Earth anyway while chasing a fleeing suspect. Once there, she was ordered to stay after the existing Lanterns for the sector were reported as killed in the line of duty.

Jen’Nai is a native of the planet Tyrod, and received her ring when she was just a child, and was taken in by the Corps. This sheltered existence gave her plenty of time to be educated in the ways of the Corps, and to hone her skills with the Ring. This means that she’s just as competent with it as many of the mature Lanterns, and more than able to hold her own in a tough spot.

So I'm going to sign up as Dick Grayson, but he'd still be Robin- and the only Robin so far. No Oracle, no Batwoman, just Batman, Robin and Alfred. I want his foray into being Batman his first experience with the 'big boys', which is why he's not Nightwing. Seems OK to you, Sharknado?

I may join this game, but as Captain Carrot, as both the comic relief and to just hammer home just how incredibly desperate for heroes Earth needs at the moment.

I am interested in using a character but I don't know if she would be OP. basically it's black alice and she has the power to "borrow" magical powers (for a limited time) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Alice_%28comics%29, Maybe with some nerfs?

edited 18th Oct '14 8:19:46 AM by RPGLegend

@Strat Sure, that works.

@Ud....eeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

@RPG Yeah, being able to absorb their powers from anywhere, apparently just by thinking about them, is a bit....extreme. What about she has to touch them, or at least be able to see them? Also, with the more powerful magic users dead, she won't have as many higher-tier people to power-nom. Just sayin'.

@Nick I've heard some...disparaging things, from people who will remain anonymous, about how you have a tendency to make a game...overly dark and depressing and grim and "90's". Now, your character looks fine, BUT I'm gonna need some assurance that you won't do...all of that.

@Deadbeat. Yeah, that's fine.

edited 18th Oct '14 9:51:53 AM by SonOfSharknado

There are a thousand and one better ways to make that point without resorting to a purely comical character, Ud.

So I'll spend some time on my sheet describing this Batman and his relationship with Grayson. Plus Alfred, and their enemies, and allies, and stuff. Sounds good?

Radical.

For the record, she has just got a regular GL suit.

Because I didn't feel like saying something like "her costume looks like this only in Corps green and black", for example.

Fair enough.

I won't do any of that - I would like to think I outgrew that childish phase of my roleplaying. I will try not to slide back into that...phase.

edited 18th Oct '14 1:32:45 PM by NickTheSwing

@Shark it's ok she kinda is a bit operpowered. I will think of someonelse .

edited 18th Oct '14 8:16:18 PM by RPGLegend

Nevermind I think I will try an OC with this one. Is there a room for another green lantern?

edited 18th Oct '14 8:37:44 PM by RPGLegend

Ehhhh, I dunno.

You could be an OC Captain Marvel. That's the nice thing about characters like Marvel, Lanterns, Dr. Fate, or even The Flash. Who you are doesn't really matter, because the powers are literally thrown onto you.

Cool

dibs on captain marvel's replacement (won't be Mary)

edited 18th Oct '14 9:22:10 PM by RPGLegend

• Name: Robin
• Real Name: Dick Grayson
• Gender: Male
• Age: 18
• Appearance: Civillian garb.◊ His Robin clothes, which he hasn't used in years.◊
• Personality:
  • Dick was originally the chirpiest fellow of the gang, able to crack jokes even as he was hanging above a vat of acid thanks to one of the Joker's latest capers. With a penchant for one-liners and a desire to soften up any situation, Dick was the heart of the party and the crime-fighting business, although he would act more mature and responsible when the older folks were around. Despite his child like behavior at times, Dick was a natural tactical thinker and could be very pragmatic if the time called for it.
  • That has completely changed in the past three years. After Batman's death, Dick has become a very distant person. Even when he tries to crack a joke, he just comes off as if he's tired and just wants to sleep. His good-natured behavior and love of more personal methods- a contrast to his mentor's personality- was replaced by a reclusive and cranky persona, whose pragmatic methods are now jacked up to the maximum. He'll sacrifice everything for the mission, but the people don't even know if he'll join in said mission. One thing has survived this transition: his love of doing good.
• Powers and abilities: Dick has no powers. What he has, instead, is physical conditioning, acrobatic prowess, and keen detective skills taught to him by the Dark Knight himself. Dick, as a fourteen year old boy, survived training sessions that grown men would not dare participate in. As a result, he has an intellect and a mastery over martial arts, stealth, escape artistry, gadgetry, computer technology, mathematics, strategics and acrobatics that would rival Batman's abilities.
• Weapons and Equipment: His weaponry varies depending on the mission, but he usually carries around a belt which holds batarangs, bolas, flash grenades, grappling gun, gas pellets, lockpick, knives, tasers and binoculars. He also carries around a pair of electrified eskrima sticks which he often uses in case the situation gets a little too close quarters.
• Who they're taking the role of (optional): Batman (soon)
• History:
  • For you to know Robin's history, you first have to know Batman's history. Bruce Wayne, as a child, saw his parents being murdered over a set of pearls. This fueled his desire to fight the crime in Gotham City as a creature, a vigilante that would spread fear over the cowardly lot that were criminals. This gave birth to the hero that the world knew as Batman. For many years, Batman was a solo hero, with nothing but his butler Alfred Pennyworth's help to save his city from crime and from a colorful gallery of rogues.
  • That is until he visited a travelling circus act, the Flying Graysons, who were stopping by Gotham not only to make a flashy presentation, but also to deal with their financial problems. Needless to say, it did not go well. On the night Bruce Wayne went to watch the show, he got a front row seat to the 'accident' that lead to the death of Dick Grayson's entire family. Now an orphan like him, Bruce felt something well up inside him, and quickly took the orphan under his wing- first giving him a place to live and naming him the heir to the Wayne fortune, and then revealing his secret and giving him a new moniker. From that day on, Dick Grayson would be known as Robin, the Boy Wonder.
  • For years, the two fought crime together. Eventually, as Batman made friends (who would have thunk?) and formed the Justice League, Robin became a sort-of leader of the other heroes' sidekicks, forming his own team that never got an official name. Robin's work as a leader was quietly respected by the adults of the League, who always entrusted any missions involving teenagers and kids to the sidekicks, knowing that they could do a far better job than then. There were ups and downs, but life for Dick Grayson could not have been better. At day, he helped Bruce in his philanthropic ventures, acting as the young face for a new Wayne Enterprises. And at night, he fought crime alongside Batman as the Boy Wonder.
  • Until Batman died.
  • Dick Grayson mourned the Dark Knight for god knows how many days. It took Alfred calling Dick's friends to take him away from the grave of his mentor. On the first few weeks after the event, it seemed that nothing had changed. Dick still kept on a smile and still fought crime alongside his friends. But then, his appearances started getting more sporadic. His jokes started losing its strength. His smile became a facade. It wasn't long until Dick declared that from now on, he wouldn't have much time for crime fighting. The Robin costume went into a display case. During those three years, Dick Grayson became the CEO to Wayne Enterprises, and began a wave of philanthropic actions, pumping money into poorer areas of Gotham City, removing corrupt businessmen from power and giving a voice to politicians, all with the help of his butler, Alfred. Sightings of the young CEO became rarer than ever. Some even doubted if Dick Grayson existed at all.
  • To fill the void left by Batman, a void Dick refused to fill, other vigilantes have popped up in his wake. Some are rough and though, breaking any rules Batman might have had, and some try to stick to the Dark Knight's morality standards. But ever since Batman and Robin disappeared, there have been scattered reports, of a vigilante no one seems to catch a glimpse of. A ruthless bird, protecting the night of Gotham City under its wing...

Do you want to have control over Alfred, Sharknado? Think it'd be really cool if we play it like that.

edited 18th Oct '14 9:41:26 PM by Stratofarius

I figured you'd want to control Alfred, but I'm cool with that.

It's gonna be a lot of posts with just me if I play Alfred. With you playing it, could lead to more interesting stuff. Dick will start off very isolated. His transformation into Batman will take a while.

Hmmmmokey doke. Hence why I have you just listed as Dick Grayson.

Might try the Joker, I dunno.

W...why?

Well, gfoing by the idea that the Joker only does what he does due to Batamna, it might be interesting for him to try to groom robin into a worthy opponent, self appointing himself as a mentor wether Robin likes it or not, in a desperate attempt to get the joy of facing batman back.,

edited 18th Oct '14 10:43:07 PM by TroyandHawk

Which Flash is dead?

Wally and Jay are dead. Barry, in this game, is still dead from COIE. So there's still options. Bart Allen, Jesse Quick, you could have a Future Flash come back in time, you could make someone up.