Let's TALK ABOUT Superheroes/superheroines

Valandar · October 2012

I used to run a game using the old DC Heroes system, but set in a world of my own creation. For the most part, it was a 'typical' superhero style world, however:

1 ) The only characters who wore anything resembling a spandex costume were either funded by an outside source(like the team that was part of the Superhero Reality show), had powers that they used to manifest said costume (matter manipulation, magic, etcetera), or were considered loons. Most wore leather or denim jackets and pants with boots and gloves, plus some kind of mask, and usually colored said jackets with either leather dye or fabric paint if they were cheap. Many, however, had absolutely no secret identity, and had no more need of a costume to identify themselves than Tom Cruise or Angelina Jolie need one.

2 ) All of the non-magical super powers were automatically considered to be psionic in nature, which itself was eventually revealed to be just the flip side of magic. The limits of what a Metahuman could do were based on the amount of energy they could tap (which could grow with time), and how they percieved their powers. It was extremely hard for someone who developed, say, the ability to fire plasma bolts from his open palms, to ever do anything at all (even related to the plasma bolts) without completely and utterly changing his or her worldview and self-image.

3 ) Every single superhero team in this world was funded either by a government, a treaty group, or the UN, with the exception of a group of heroes who had pretty much no facilities beyond the SUV owned by one of them - which was a normal SUV. Individual heroes would occasionally be funded by a corporation, but usually in that case would be required to not only keep their reputations spotless, but also act as an advertising spokesman for that corporation.

4 ) Most major world powers required any metahuman running for any political office, even Dogcatcher, to publically reveal his or her powers and full identity before beginning any campaigning. Captain America couldn't run for office, but Steve Rogers, recipient of the Super Soldier Serum who had formerly been operating as Captain America, could.

5 ) While 'combat level' super powers, basically enough to make the recipient combat capable in a superhero world, were rare, about 1 in 100 people had "spot on the wall" type powers - very limited things, like the ability to feed off the radiation from a television or CRT screen, or the ability to rotate their waist 270 degrees in each direction. There was absolutely no genetic cause for superpowers, as nobody knew HOW they had began (except your friendly neighborhood Game Master), so prejudice against metahumans was considered somewhat ridiculous. On the other hand, such minor powers did destroy the careers of most stage magicians, as people began thinking, "That's probably his power" rather than "Wow, he's good, I wonder how he did that!"

6 ) On the magic side of things, it was actually the Celtic pantheon that first sent a member back to Earth to see if the magic had returned enough, yet. Manifesting a physical avatar, Goibhnu the Smith helped found the UN's primary superhero group, U.N.I.O.N. And very shortly thereafter, a new brownstone appeared in Soho, and the man living in it called himself the Thaumaturge - supposedly the first mage to return in full power since the return of magic in the 50's. However, purely magical superheroes are still rare - beings both malign and benign are still too leary of Earth's magical fields fading away again to really start getting too invested here.

7 ) Most aliens have either roughtly the same number of powered individuals as humans, or none at all, depending on how much their culture believes in or even has legends about magic, heroes, and so forth. For the most part, Earth is considered a nice place to visit by the more civilized species, and there's even embassies for the most prominent of them scattered around the globe. However, there are still aliens who do attack Earth - not for anything Earth has, but as a way to attempt to ''bloody the nose' of a stellar nation they don't like that has ties to Earth. Such attacks might be considered declarations of war by Earth, but little more than rogue terrorist actions by races off-Earth.

8 ) There's probably more, but it's been 10-15 years, and I've slept since then... :P

RAMWolff · October 2012

K T Ong said:
DWG said:
Arguably this is what 'Monkey' was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_(TV_series)
(Looks like the auto-linking can't handle the brackets, you'll need to copy the full URL out to a browser)

Thanks for the suggestion but I'm not really sure how well the character Monkey from Chinese mythology fits the bill. Has there been any TV series (or comic series) which actually brings him into the modern world where he battles various crooks/supervillains?

I love Black Super Heroes most I think.

Luke Cage the Power Man does have a certain appeal about him. ;-) Can't think of any more others, though...

Power Man with the Defenders .... man, I really miss those days when they were being drawn by Sal Buscema! He was the main artist for the Defenders like Dick Dillin was the artist on the JLA back in the day!

K T Ong · October 2012

JohnDelaquiox said:
You have the Original Captain American Isiah Bradley, Even though I don't like the character the new Ultimate Spiderman Miles Morales, Black Panther, Falcon, In Dc you have John Henry Irons Steele. He is a Martian but I think his attitude is that of this really serious black dude and he is ofter voice by Phil Morris. You also have my favorite green lantern John Stewart. Then you have real super heroes like Phoenix Jones, there are a bunch.

We can't count Fat Albert, can we? %-P

K T Ong · October 2012

Valandar said:
1 ) The only characters who wore anything resembling a spandex costume were either funded by an outside source(like the team that was part of the Superhero Reality show), had powers that they used to manifest said costume (matter manipulation, magic, etcetera), or were considered loons. Most wore leather or denim jackets and pants with boots and gloves, plus some kind of mask, and usually colored said jackets with either leather dye or fabric paint if they were cheap. Many, however, had absolutely no secret identity, and had no more need of a costume to identify themselves than Tom Cruise or Angelina Jolie need one.
Could my hero wear just boots and Speedos in your world? (Plus wristbands and a helmet, maybe.) He loves to show off his muscular body. %-P

3 ) Every single superhero team in this world was funded either by a government, a treaty group, or the UN, with the exception of a group of heroes who had pretty much no facilities beyond the SUV owned by one of them - which was a normal SUV. Individual heroes would occasionally be funded by a corporation, but usually in that case would be required to not only keep their reputations spotless, but also act as an advertising spokesman for that corporation.

I'd be profoundly suspicious of any superheroes/heroines sponsored by power groups with vested interests of all kinds, such as governments or corporations. For all you know the 'heroes' could have been paid to do all the filthy behind-the-scene work which all those power groups so typically engage in. So my hero would be a fiercely independent lone ranger in your world -- perhaps accompanied by a couple like-minded heroes/heroines. ;-)

Valandar · October 2012

Then there's Black Lightning (and his Super Friends ersatz, Black Vulcan), Kid Quantum I and II of the Legion of Super Heroes, War Machine from Marvel, and a lot more I can't think of off the top of my head...

Valandar · October 2012

K T Ong said:
Valandar said:
1 ) The only characters who wore anything resembling a spandex costume were either funded by an outside source(like the team that was part of the Superhero Reality show), had powers that they used to manifest said costume (matter manipulation, magic, etcetera), or were considered loons. Most wore leather or denim jackets and pants with boots and gloves, plus some kind of mask, and usually colored said jackets with either leather dye or fabric paint if they were cheap. Many, however, had absolutely no secret identity, and had no more need of a costume to identify themselves than Tom Cruise or Angelina Jolie need one.
Could my hero wear just boots and Speedos in your world? (Plus wristbands and a helmet, maybe.) He loves to show off his muscular body. %-P

3 ) Every single superhero team in this world was funded either by a government, a treaty group, or the UN, with the exception of a group of heroes who had pretty much no facilities beyond the SUV owned by one of them - which was a normal SUV. Individual heroes would occasionally be funded by a corporation, but usually in that case would be required to not only keep their reputations spotless, but also act as an advertising spokesman for that corporation.

I'd be profoundly suspicious of any superheroes/heroines sponsored by power groups with vested interests of all kinds, such as governments or corporations. For all you know the 'heroes' could have been paid to do all the filthy behind-the-scene work which all those power groups so typically engage in. So my hero would be a fiercely independent lone ranger in your world -- perhaps accompanied by a couple like-minded heroes/heroines. ;-)

Boots and speedoes? Well, basically he could wear anything that wouldn't get him arrested for indecent exposure. :P But other heroes would look at him funny.

As for hero TEAMS, consider that they would be viewed most often as a form of police / emergency services, and bound by the same laws. Individual heroes are bound by laws concerning Citizens' Arrest and the legal and proper use of potentially lethal force, and are often considered similar to armed security guards, with a healthy dash of Hollywood Star. :D

K T Ong · October 2012

But for all you know, behind the scenes those heroes/heroines (?) could be helping their parent organizations assassinate, blackmail or frame political or corporate rivals, even innocents who happen to know too much, and using their powers to make it look like an accident occured, or using their psionic powers to brainwash the public into believing some fairy tale brewed up to cover the truth, Such corruption could go right up to the top, so that even the Constitution could be rewritten to protect the interests of the power elites.

My hero would be in this respect one whose all-seeing Eye of Agamotto would enable him to see the truth behind everything, as in all the dirty dealings engaged in by all those power elites.(Yes, I think THAT'S one power I'd really want -- the power to know the truth.) He would seek to reveal the truth to the world -- and all the rotten 'heroes' working for those elites would go after him. The resulting epic battle would make comic book history. :lol:

Valandar · October 2012

Considering it's my world, nope. There are oversight committees, etcetera etcetera. And if even ONE of those sponsored heroes got caught doing dirty dealings for their pparent company, the entire system would explode. It might happen, but no more than 1 in 50 is corrupt in that way - they're simply in the public eye far too much.

K T Ong · October 2012

I was hoping for an epic superhero battle. You just dashed my hopes. :down: ;-)

Knight22179 · October 2012

RAMWolff said:
Knight22179 said:
Crud, I totally forgot Shapeshifting! Changing my answer! Instead of Force Fields as one of my options, I'd take Shapeshifting. :D
Oh, and another thing that turns me off about costumes....

Gloves that go midway up the bicep and boots that go midway up the thigh look GREAT on women. But it really it turns me off when seen on Men. For women, looks great, but on men it makes them look womanly and I hate that.

NOPE, I'm the shape shifter in this hear galaxy... :P

Too late, already took it. %-P

Valandar · October 2012

You want an epic superhero battle? Well, I could always point you at C.A.D.R.E., Bloodforce, Doombringer, or Abyss...

C.A.D.R.E.: Paramilitary force of cyborgs backed by an alien species known as the Q'arth, and led by an incredibly powerful cyborg known as Earthshaker. Global class threat (the top threat level).

Bloodforce: Paramilitary neo-Nazi force, secretly controlled by a rogue AI. Highly armed basic troops, plus powerarmored Elites, and metahuman operatives. Organization as a whole is a Global class threat.

Doombringer: Alien of unknown origins, first sighted in intergalactic space thousands of years ago. Seems to enjoy destroying biospheres. Global class threat ++, roughly akin to Galactus.

Abyss: Extradimensional shadow entity, capable of inhabiting and animating shadows as a semi-solid body. Even if the body is somehow destroyed, he simply retreats to more shadows. Global class threat.

K T Ong · October 2012

The Flames of the Faltine are mine to command, as is the Beam Glaive of the Ancient Ones! I care not if you constitute a global-class threat... I only know you are evil, and all things of evil are my enemies! LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!! (Guess which hero I'm quoting.)

Knight22179 said:
RAMWolff said:

NOPE, I'm the shape shifter in this hear galaxy... :P

Too late, already took it. %-P

No, you didn't. Riftwitch came first!

Valandar · October 2012

If the hero commands the Flames of the Faltine, and it IS a hero, it can only be either Clea or Doc Strange. :P

... but that "Let the battle begin!" bit makes me think it's the Chairman from Iron Chef America...

K T Ong · October 2012

Someone DID say I look like Dr Strange. Serious.

Hoping to make myself look more like a cross between him and Conan, though.

Valandar · October 2012

So... Dr Mange?

Takeo.Kensei · October 2012

1. Which (or what sort of) superheroes/superheroines appeal the most to you, and why?
Its not really a type but rather the story that make him/her appeal. I found Superman pretty boring until I read Kingdom Come. The hero must be confronted to difficult choice otherwise there is nothing interresting. There is also the reaction when he confronted to a terrible loss in his/her life and how he/she choses to live (Batman/Daredevil/Spiderman etc). Only bashing "villains" is really boring.

2. Which (or what sort of) superheroes/superheroines turn you off, and why?
The ones with a boring/weak/uninsterresting background story

3. What sort of things do you look for in a superhero/ine? Is appearance everything to you, or how 'badass' s/he is (as in how good s/he is against his/her foes), or the kind of person s/he is (morally impeccable like Superman, or bad-tempered like the Hulk, or arrogant like Namor etc), or the concept of the superhero/ine (whether s/he's a mutant, magic-based, uses all sorts of futuristic gadgets, is a god/dess etc), or a bit of all these?
Don't care of morale, nor of appearence. It"s always the story and how the hero/heroine reacts. I used to be a Batman fan because he represents the summum of human fortitude.

4. If YOU could have FOUR superpowers, what would they be?
Just the Infinity Gauntlet should be enough

5. Have you ever dreamt of superheroes/superheroines in your sleep?
Don't think so be I didn't remember my dream

I don't read a lot of comics anymore. The last I read was the Civil War crossover. If you don't know, in this serie, you had two factions: no hero vs villain but rather for/against the Superhuman Registration Act and all the heroes had to chose a side and you could see how they assumed their choice.
The only comics I buy now are the ones drawn by Alex Ross. I find everythong he does is really a piece of art

Knight22179 · October 2012

K T Ong said:
The Flames of the Faltine are mine to command, as is the Beam Glaive of the Ancient Ones! I care not if you constitute a global-class threat... I only know you are evil, and all things of evil are my enemies! LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!! (Guess which hero I'm quoting.)
Knight22179 said:
RAMWolff said:

NOPE, I'm the shape shifter in this hear galaxy... :P

Too late, already took it. %-P

No, you didn't. Riftwitch came first!

That she did, but I took shapeshifting anyway. %-P

riftwitch · October 2012

K T Ong said:
The Flames of the Faltine are mine to command, as is the Beam Glaive of the Ancient Ones! I care not if you constitute a global-class threat... I only know you are evil, and all things of evil are my enemies! LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!! (Guess which hero I'm quoting.)
Knight22179 said:
RAMWolff said:

NOPE, I'm the shape shifter in this hear galaxy... :P

Too late, already took it. %-P

No, you didn't. Riftwitch came first!

Biting tongue. Must not comment. Remember TOS...:P

riftwitch · October 2012

Knight22179 said:
K T Ong said:
The Flames of the Faltine are mine to command, as is the Beam Glaive of the Ancient Ones! I care not if you constitute a global-class threat... I only know you are evil, and all things of evil are my enemies! LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!! (Guess which hero I'm quoting.)
Knight22179 said:
RAMWolff said:

NOPE, I'm the shape shifter in this hear galaxy... :P

Too late, already took it. %-P

No, you didn't. Riftwitch came first!

That she did, but I took shapeshifting anyway. %-P

I don't mind sharing. Shape-shift away.

Knight22179 · October 2012

riftwitch said:
Knight22179 said:
K T Ong said:
The Flames of the Faltine are mine to command, as is the Beam Glaive of the Ancient Ones! I care not if you constitute a global-class threat... I only know you are evil, and all things of evil are my enemies! LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!! (Guess which hero I'm quoting.)
Knight22179 said:
RAMWolff said:

NOPE, I'm the shape shifter in this hear galaxy... :P

Too late, already took it. %-P

No, you didn't. Riftwitch came first!

That she did, but I took shapeshifting anyway. %-P

I don't mind sharing. Shape-shift away.

Thank you! *Gives you a plushie*

RAMWolff · October 2012

K T Ong said:
The Flames of the Faltine are mine to command, as is the Beam Glaive of the Ancient Ones! I care not if you constitute a global-class threat... I only know you are evil, and all things of evil are my enemies! LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!! (Guess which hero I'm quoting.)
Knight22179 said:
RAMWolff said:

NOPE, I'm the shape shifter in this hear galaxy... :P

Too late, already took it. %-P

No, you didn't. Riftwitch came first!

Dr. Strange.....

RAMWolff · October 2012

Knight22179 said:
riftwitch said:
Knight22179 said:
K T Ong said:
The Flames of the Faltine are mine to command, as is the Beam Glaive of the Ancient Ones! I care not if you constitute a global-class threat... I only know you are evil, and all things of evil are my enemies! LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!! (Guess which hero I'm quoting.)
Knight22179 said:
RAMWolff said:

NOPE, I'm the shape shifter in this hear galaxy... :P

Too late, already took it. %-P

No, you didn't. Riftwitch came first!

That she did, but I took shapeshifting anyway. %-P

I don't mind sharing. Shape-shift away.

Thank you! *Gives you a plushie*

I'm an old Wolffie... I guess I can share, I will be heading towards the stars so I can bequeath the shifting magic to all that wants it... tis a simple spell of remembrance....

riftwitch · October 2012

Knight22179 said:
riftwitch said:
Knight22179 said:
K T Ong said:
The Flames of the Faltine are mine to command, as is the Beam Glaive of the Ancient Ones! I care not if you constitute a global-class threat... I only know you are evil, and all things of evil are my enemies! LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!! (Guess which hero I'm quoting.)
Knight22179 said:
RAMWolff said:

NOPE, I'm the shape shifter in this hear galaxy... :P

Too late, already took it. %-P

No, you didn't. Riftwitch came first!

That she did, but I took shapeshifting anyway. %-P

I don't mind sharing. Shape-shift away.

Aw, thanks. I'll cherish it.

Thank you! *Gives you a plushie*

lface8 · October 2012

1. Which (or what sort of) superheroes/superheroines appeal the most to you, and why?

Batman. One of the main reasons is he has the best (in my opinion) villains. Not to mention the fact that he lives in a universe surrounded by people with super powers, yet has found ways to beat all of them. He's also very human, despite his attempts to remain unattached to situations. Something always happens that strikes a chord with him.

2. Which (or what sort of) superheroes/superheroines turn you off, and why?

Superman for a multitude of reasons. Dude's got every power imaginable (slight exaggeration, but not really.) I find it hard to connect with a character that can fly, move at super speed, and shoot lasers from his eyes.

3. What sort of things do you look for in a superhero/ine? Is appearance everything to you, or how ‘badass’ s/he is (as in how good s/he is against his/her foes), or the kind of person s/he is (morally impeccable like Superman, or bad-tempered like the Hulk, or arrogant like Namor etc), or the concept of the superhero/ine (whether s/he’s a mutant, magic-based, uses all sorts of futuristic gadgets, is a god/dess etc), or a bit of all these?

Morals and reasoning. Going back to Batman, his morals have always been the most appealing. He has one rule and it's that he won't kill. That's what sets him apart from the criminals he chases and makes him different.

4. If YOU could have FOUR superpowers, what would they be?

Tough question, but I don't think I'd want any powers. The temptations of abusing them would be too much and the responsibility in having them would be too great.

5. Have you ever dreamt of superheroes/superheroines in your sleep?

Not that I can recall. Then again, my memories of my dreams are hazy.

Knight22179 · October 2012

RAMWolff said:
Knight22179 said:
riftwitch said:
Knight22179 said:
K T Ong said:
The Flames of the Faltine are mine to command, as is the Beam Glaive of the Ancient Ones! I care not if you constitute a global-class threat... I only know you are evil, and all things of evil are my enemies! LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!! (Guess which hero I'm quoting.)
Knight22179 said:
RAMWolff said:

NOPE, I'm the shape shifter in this hear galaxy... :P

Too late, already took it. %-P

No, you didn't. Riftwitch came first!

That she did, but I took shapeshifting anyway. %-P

I don't mind sharing. Shape-shift away.

Thank you! *Gives you a plushie*

I'm an old Wolffie... I guess I can share, I will be heading towards the stars so I can bequeath the shifting magic to all that wants it... tis a simple spell of remembrance....

So, THAT'S where the Changlings came from! (Star Trek race), I knew it! It's all your fault! :P

RAMWolff · October 2012

I look like Whoopie Goldberg when I'm not shifting... hint hint hint! :P

Valandar · October 2012

Travelling the stars... looks like Whoopi Goldberg... has cosmic power...

Numinus?

RAMWolff · October 2012

Now how did that picture get out there? OH MY!

K T Ong · October 2012

Takeo.Kensei said:
4. If YOU could have FOUR superpowers, what would they be?
Just the Infinity Gauntlet should be enough
That's much too greedy of you. :)

4. If YOU could have FOUR superpowers, what would they be?

Tough question, but I don't think I'd want any powers. The temptations of abusing them would be too much and the responsibility in having them would be too great.

We're assuming you'd have the same sense of responsibility in using them as Batman, whom you so rightly admire. ;-)

K T Ong · October 2012

RAMWolff said:
Dr. Strange.....
Gee, how did you guess? :)

Travelling the stars... looks like Whoopi Goldberg... has cosmic power...

Numinus?

The figure looks good, but the face leaves something to be desired...

'Cosmic power', as in? What can the power do? Just curious...

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