I'd say we should talk about the story here.
I-Man, is your character going to join the others in Promethean, or is it a subplot to bring to fruition later? Just to know if it's better to continue the fight with the beast, or not.
Great stuff guys! TTT, I already love your character. T5, can't wait to write your nut
If no one else minds, I'd like to make the post when we are ready to name the team
I know its a bit of a little ways off, but an idea that would really work well came to me.
I'm going to appear post-monster, unless I find a good spot within the battle, so carry on for now...
Does anybody mind if I jump in? I've got a good idea for a character, but I'm not gonna jump in unless I know I'm not gonna tread in anybody's toes.
I'm glad we're diversifying in our subject matter! And writing style!
At least we're writing something.
So far we have these as graphical representations of our characters:
Anyone else want one?
Great stuff guys, but could you pleaseedit out the God and Lord parts?
He isn´t religous...just insane
As for my post, I should mention that "Godspeed" doesn't really have a religious association anymore. It's just a saying.
T5, sorry about that, I thought he was religious due to the "over read bible" in his apartment. It will not happen again
I-Man; I'm looking forward to seeing your character in action.
SMM; jump right in! I don't know ya, but will be more than glad to write along side you!
Quote:
SpandexMonkeyMan said:
Does anybody mind if I jump in? I've got a good idea for a character, but I'm not gonna jump in unless I know I'm not gonna tread in anybody's toes.
Obviously you MUST jump in!
Quote:
T5 said:
So far we have these as graphical representations of our characters: (Image omissed)
Anyone else want one?
Well, the Eurostar picture don't belong here, actually (it's for the talked-about-other-round-robin), but it's cool nevertheless.
Quote:
GoozX said:
If no one else minds, I'd like to make the post when we are ready to name the team I know its a bit of a little ways off, but an idea that would really work well came to me.
Sure! 
This character just screamed from the interdimensional barriers to be seen:
Does anybody mind if I use that guy as a design for my character?
It´s a honorary to Mxy. (I will never forget the flying cow scenes)
And here is one for Grimm and my Naecken in hirs latest incarnation among the stars, she now represents death and destruction, and a upgraded Time Trust robot:
But Monkeyman, please give me a description and I´ll do my best to make you happy.
I really wish that you guys get the City of Heroes game (where I created these images), we could have the MBL do great deeds together in Paragon City.
Just posted to the story. I hope that gives you enough to work with, character wise.
Quote:
T5 said:
I really wish that you guys get the City of Heroes game (where I created these images), we could have the MBL do great deeds together in Paragon City.
Sadly I am still on a slow cable connection, as telecom Italy believes the village where I live don't need ADSL. 
Great post, and cool character, SpaMM.
I like this group of character, it seems to recapture the spirit of the first MBL, I'd say.
Presenting......(drumroll)......Dr Marvelo
Quote:
T5 said:
It´s a honorary to Mxy. (I will never forget the flying cow scenes)
Heh, thanks. It looks nothing like the Vanguard Mxy, but if it was a midget it'd be pretty close to the old MBL Mxy.
Quote:
T5 said:
Presenting......(drumroll)......Dr Marvelo
No umbrella props at City of Heroes? 
I´m afraid the program didn´t let me make a midget.
The program is anti-midgite.
Alright... you guys got me to join in. There's still some of Audrey's story that I want to tell, so please don't have her joining up with anyone yet. To give you a physical model, look to
Estella Warren, whose performance in Tim Burton's
Planet of the Apes gave me an idea as to her behavior.
Basically, she's got the mind of a child... but she's a fast learner. I'll be revealing more about her powers as I write more... but I do want to be the one to introduce her into the stories.
Appreciated.
Very nice Chewy, the scebe reminded me of JLA #5 where Doctor T.O Morrow and Professor Ivo celebrate their creation of Tomorrow Woman, but where they created a android, you created a new version of Black Orchid...great fun
Yeah, join at your pace, Chewy. Great introduction... and nice to see Charles and Walter now dedicates themselves to gardening...
Quote:
T5 said:
Not bad. Though, I am thinking of making the white shirt and khakis Audrey's permanent costume. I haven't really decided... but I still have time to figure it all out.
Mainly, I don't wanna double post, so I'm waiting for someone else to post something so that I can post part two of Audrey's story. I just don't wanna be a post-hog...
Chewy, you could introduce your character now to the others and fill in the backstory later.
I made X-Stream in City of Heroes, but I can't get the screen capture to work right - I'll try that again later...
Print Screen, I-man.
Print Screen.
Did that -- it alwys works in-game, but didn't work in the character select screen when I tried it
Or you could use that print screen feature, has anyone suggested it?
Euro, I think you should write the end of the battle with the giant lizard, since you introduced the threat and your character is the one with the master plan. If possible, could you find a way to use all of the present characters in the plan to defeat the monster, except of course the unconscious one.
I have used all*, especially the uncousncious one, that saves the day being still.
I know I maybe made the battle being won to easy, but really I wanted to show that the group is powerful, if the characters co-operate. After all, it was just a tall, powerless lizard.
I have not waited for the plant-girl, because I think it deserves her own dedicated story. Issue 2.
Now, Gooz, write your name-the-team post.
------------------------------
*Midnight is used in a useless way
You press print screen, and you will notice that the picture isn´t saved in the regular screens catalog...well no problem...just start photoshop (if you have it), open any captured ingame picture, go to the Edit menu in photoshop and select paste...voila...the last picture will appear over the other one.
You see, the picture has been saved in the temp catalog, the same way text is saved when you use the copy tool.
Chewy: great intro. Love the character and it was nice to see some old faces
I-Man: very interesting dude. Can't wait to see how he fits into the group.
Euro: I hope I played off your post nicely. It seemed like Hero would be a more natural character to talk to the General. I'll have Quinn explain exacts to the team later. About the "stories" his father, Ritchie, used to tell him. The "myth" and "legends" that maybe people might know.
Great job all around guys!
Quote:
T5 said:
You press print screen, and you will notice that the picture isn´t saved in the regular screens catalog...well no problem...just start photoshop (if you have it), open any captured ingame picture, go to the Edit menu in photoshop and select paste...voila...the last picture will appear over the other one.
You see, the picture has been saved in the temp catalog, the same way text is saved when you use the copy tool.
Or maybe he could use the print screen feature.
Control + Print Screen, motherfuckers!
Gooz, perfectly played. I suggest we wait for Chewy to do his second part post about Audrey, and then move to a second issue, and would be cool if Chewy start it.
It seems a bit soon to do a second issue, IMO. I'm still waiting for Gooz to explain the "main threat" alluded to in his first post. The first person narration explains that Promethean City is "all but ruins" and that Quinn Stevens is on a "crusade"...
Well, in my second post I mentioned that "something" has awakened the lizard...
..............................................
I have no problem to continue to write in this first issue, Audrey could met the MBL here, we could find a "home" for the team, there is XStream that it's still unconscious, we could have lounge time with the heroes giving some more about their background.
I talked about a "second issue" just because being the current threat "solved", it seemed to me that once the origin of Audrey was completed, we could move to a second issue. I, frankly, like a lot this quick format, that hark back to the middle days of the MBL. It allows for easy reading and reply.
The "crusade" I think is an undertone for the serie... it seems to me that carves a niche in the Vanguard Universe where our new MBL set up home and workshop, so to speak.
About the ruins, I think Gooz is just saying that the city has never recovered from the meteor fallen during the Antarctic war, told in the right way to avoid past continuity to hamper our present (just like I did with Knell's Leviathan).
The one thing I really wanted to show in my first post is that with no one looking over the city, its unprotected and that not only this city, but other cities need people looking after them. So, we can either have the team stay in P City until it's clean and leave one hero to look over it, or station themselves there for a bit. There is a lot of playing room.
As for the threats, its all open. I don't have any pre-set or pre-planned villains or anything. I think it would be coll if a politician would be bad or something, but who knows...
Thunder City and Promethean City are the twin cities, right? I hope so, because I wanted to put Audrey into a neighboring city as the rest of the team...
Heh. A Spanglish reference. Very nice.
Yes, Thunder and Promethean are side by side, divided just by the river/end of the bay...
I also like the idea of a bad politician... And I think it would be cool if the heroes based themselves in Promethean, clean the city and help rebuild it... by the way, Promethean/Thunder city in both the Universes we have written have always been a catalyst for metahumans.
Good stuf Chewy.
Yes, very cool post Chewy.
I have an idea for a character, but I'm trying to come up with a way to introduce him.
I'm thinking he'd work as a villain better than as a hero... can I do that?
I-Man, what about your character? It's OK if we bring him at a hospital?
I have a post that is waiting to be written... that I'll hopefully post tomorrow
BTW, I am planning on returning Doug to the team... I'm just waiting for the right moment.
Play as you will for now -- X-Stream will meet up agains soon enough
T5: Cool idea having them going to a restaurant. it reminds me slighlty the scene in the Untouchables...
TTT: I am sorry but I haven't found a way to include Doug back in the group, after he want away.
I-Man: cool use of Forrest. And great foreshadowing of things to come.
Euro: I'll find a way.
Finally got that one up
. Good stuff I-Man.
Quote:
The Time Trust said:
Euro: I'll find a way.
I am sure.
Cool post, Gooz. I really like it.
Gooz, I like your little hints...
I really felt it was a good moment to end the issue. We had a fight, a funny moment, some foreshadowing of things to come, a good speech by Gooz... what could we push more inside?
I think it would be cool if Chewy starts the next issue, I guess it will revolve around the meeting of the MBL and Audrey... or not?
This is the problem with having full origin stories in the group stories. It holds everything else up while we're waiting for it to be finished. Best to just start in with the group and fill in the backstory in bits and pieces later on when it actually fits with the flow of the story.
I think it's actually more interesting to read to see a character who is strange enough or otherwise interesting enough to warrant a backstory but have to guess at it for awhile before it's revealed, a la Lost. And again, it doesn't slow the pace of the main plot.
I would agree, but in this particular case I think the character of Audrey is enough different (from the others) that the slow pacing add, and not detract, from the main story.
I mean, well, we know that she's Chewy's character and we expect to have her as a full member of this new MBL, but if we were "readers" we wouldn't know. As readers, we know who she is, but not what she's going to be. A hero, a villain, a pawn in the hand of a villain... we just know that her different introduction from the other MBL members means she something different.
And she is. She's the only female, she is an artificial, hybrid being, she has the mind of a child, she has to learn everything... she nneds a special, slow introduction.
Maybe issue 2 is even still too early to have her joining...
Ehy, Chewy, do you want to start this issue to focus over Audrey or do you prefer to allow her more time in the background, and have someone else start issue 2?
Quote:
Eurostar said:
Maybe issue 2 is even still too early to have her joining..
Of course it is, if her origin story takes place in the present, which is why the whole origin story is best left for later. We don't need to see her steep learning curve in trying to communicate, and the team needn't be introduced to her until she has learned at least enough rudimentary communication skills so that the rest of us can write the character. For a character like this I would set her origin story a few months, if not years, ago from the present time so that she's not completely clueless when she first meets the team as friend or foe.
Quote:
Eurostar said:
Ehy, Chewy, do you want to start this issue to focus over Audrey or do you prefer to allow her more time in the background, and have someone else start issue 2?
I'd rather not. Someone else can go ahead and start it. I would like to put one final bit at the end of the current story. If all works out well, I hope to have her joining the team sometime during the next issue.
I appreciate your patience (well... most of you) with this character. It was just a brainstorm that I wanted to try. If no one but Euro and I like her, I can scrap the whole idea. I just thought it was interesting and something worth trying. For me, the character is her journey, so to tell her backstory later would be to take something away from her character (in my mind anyway). I'm not trying to take anything away from the group writing, but am just wanting to try something different from some of the characters I've done in the past. If no one else is keen on that, I'll just take her out of the stories entirely and make give her her own story. No skin off my nose either way.
But... yeah. I hope to have her integrated soon. (And, I'm glad you enjoy the character, Euro... )
I like the character also mate, take all the time you need to flesh her out
I like your character, too, Chewy -- don't mistake my comments as a complaint about your character or your writing, which are both fantastic. I was making a valid point about group stories which has been brought up many times before.
BTW, could everyone edit out their signature lines from the story posts out of courtesy?
TTT, go start a new story, will ya
Quote:
The Time Trust said:
BTW, could everyone edit out their signature lines from the story posts out of courtesy?
Sorry... forgot to do that this time... will change it.
...or not, 'cuz the thread's closed...
A note about my post:
This story could go anywhere. I mentioned the faceless hunters riding giant vampire bats as being a possible menace, but the mysterious "conspiracy" could send other strange things after the team as well. Just play it by ear. The only stipulation is that I don't want the conspiracy to be uncovered in this story. I see it as an ongoing, behind-the-scenes threat to the whole team that could go on indefinitely. It's a conspiracy that's like an onion--even if one layer is uncovered, there are several others beneath. And whoever is at the very bottom of it...I have no clue.
Have you ever read Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, TTT?
A suggestion: let's keep this thread as the only talk thread for the MBL, like the JLR has just one, instead of doing a talk thread for each story.
Quote:
Eurostar said:
Have you ever read Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, TTT?
Interesting that you mention that. I'm reading it right now.
BTW, it was one of your posts portraying Doug as a believer in conspiracies that gave me the idea for this story. Thanks.
I knew you are a fan of cospiracies theories...
Quote:
Chewy Walrus said:
...or not, 'cuz the thread's closed...
My bad. 
I'll leave it unlocked for a bit.
Great post, Gooz! Your screenwriting talents are definitely showing through in this one.
What I called Kriss in my post (using the Italian spell) is rendered Kris or keris in English. I learned it too late, and now I am too lazy to edit it out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris
Must...stop...coming...up...with...new...uses...of...powers...
I'm not sure I understand everything you're doing with X-Stream, I-Man, but I'm loving every minute of it!
Quote:
Chewy Walrus said:
I'm not sure I understand everything you're doing with X-Stream, I-Man, but I'm loving every minute of it!
I have to agree with this man here!
And TTT, great start to the new story. We gotta get some members of the team into a graveyard attack
Quote:
Chewy Walrus said:
I'm not sure I understand everything you're doing with X-Stream, I-Man, but I'm loving every minute of it!
Ditto.
When I said I wanted Grant Morrisonesque, its weird shit like this I meant!
And I finally got around to screen-capturing it...
Quote:
The Indestructible Man said:
When I said I wanted Grant Morrisonesque, its weird shit like this I meant!
I'm going for more of a Jack Cole-esque feel, myself.
I usually play on the Victory server.
My characters there are Rist, Toy Robot, Kapten Midnatt, Khaboom, Naecken and Paragon Warrior.
I hope to see you there I-Man to create a new MBL =)
Quote:
The Indestructible Man said:
When I said I wanted Grant Morrisonesque, its weird shit like this I meant!
Me too, just I don't know where to start.
But you are like Giotto to Cimabue.
Nice opening Euro, I took it to bring Quinn and X-Stream into the fight.
I-Man: I like the design, cool stuff!
I am here to serve.
I was noticing that we had in two days more post that in the previous six months.
Probably because we're not taking ourselves too seriously. If we keep it loose, and remember to have fun, we should be able to sustain it.
On CoH, my main guy's on Virtue, though I've been scarce in the past two months or so due to real life issues.
And this is fun, though I'm awaiting a bit more defining -- look forward to seeing a HQ and villains established.
One question, though. There's been references to the disaster in Promethean City and the terrorist MBL. In a few papragraphs, what sort of things have I missed? I don't need pages of continuity, but a brief synopsis would rock and a half...
Instead of clearing the past or going back to the really old days, we've gone forward without looking back so to speak. The past is a loose mix of what ever the "universe" had turned into with many years passing between than and now. If that makes any sence at all, lol
In very short, Promethean City had been all but destroyed and rebuilt, while its sister city Thunder City has been thriving and the Metropolis to Promethean's Gotham City. Feel free to introduce any past elements that you want to though. We can continue to shape the past and future with no worries about messing anything up.
I guess I have to do continuity cop... but first, one thing: nothing is NEEDED to be known outside what we have put in the story. My post about the city was more to suggest that the twin city are like night and day... one is an advanced metropolis of the future, the other is a wreck in the hand of crime (like Gooz, too, suggested in his post).
In any case:
The disaster in Promethean city harks to the "war with hell" depicted in the Vanguard story "Obsdian Illumination II", when the metahumans fought an unholy alliance between Naecken, one of the orginal Vanguardians turned evil, and the city-nation of Mandelovia.
The war began when the villains let a meteor fall over Promethean city.
It was a cool story, but not all that is written there is really compatible with what we have presented here. The twin city concepts come straight from the old MBL Universe, it was never implied in the Vanguard universe that the two cities were one near the other. Also, in that story Promethean was totally levelled, as much a big chunk of the country around.
I brought back the twin city concept because in the first post Gooz, in an appropriate, obscure way, said that the city was once "freed" by the metahumans. It was a nice homage to one of the first Vanguard stories, when the heroes were called Revolutionaries (HR issue 3, Welcome to Thunder City). Since it happened in Thunder, not in Promethean, I sinmply brought back the idea that those were neighboring cities...
The terrorist MBL was a group of metaterrorist that took the name from the name that our heroes had after they were known as Revolutionaries and before they took the name Vanguard.
They were the MBL : Metahumans Business League. The terrorist were the Metahumans Brotherood for Liberation, and went around making crimes dressing as the original Vanguardians.
At some point, they were able to seize the island of Manhattan, making it a sort of paradise for metas, separated from the whole world.
The story of how an alliance of Vanguard and other metas freed it is currently written by the Doctor...
All of this happened in the past (really, because the Manhattan story started one year ago), and while is somehow important to this world, since we don't really know what happened, shouldn't be a real issue for us...
As for the other thoughs... about villains, I think we just have to create them. More or less, there are not many villains from the Vanguard stories that could be brought back, usually they were always killed...
As for an Headquarter, I just think we must find a clever way to give them one... personally I don't feel the need, for now, but neither I would oppose it.
And I wholly agree with Gooz.
Gooz's idea is easier. I'm going with that...
What I said that is different from Gooz? I am going with his idea too...
I-Man...I have created Naecken on Virtue.
He´s only level 1-3 when and if you want to meet him...it would be fun to create a MBL there.
It would also be fun if you others could join
Quote:
T5 said:
I-Man...I have created Naecken on Virtue.
He´s only level 1-3 when and if you want to meet him...it would be fun to create a MBL there.
It would also be fun if you others could join
\
I wish I could join you guys, but I need a new computer and some extra cash to pay for it...
Quote:
Eurostar said:
What I said that is different from Gooz? I am going with his idea too...
Yeah, but Gooz used less words...
Quote:
Chewy Walrus said:
Quote:
Eurostar said:
What I said that is different from Gooz? I am going with his idea too...
Yeah, but Gooz used less words...
LOL
Ehy, I am Italian!
Me not know English!
A note about my post:
after reading it, I have seen that it seems it was X-Stream to kill the facelss hunter. That was not my intention: X-Stream becomes blurry when he went to Forrest to report the capture, asking him to come and take the case from the police.
Ah... and happy birthday, I-Man.
Quote:
Eurostar said:
Me not know English!
Are you italian or bizarro?
"Bizarro" kinda sounds Italian (or Spanish), anyway...
With a double "z" IS italian.
It means curious, wacky, and it's a common word.
In spanish, it means brave. Go figure.
No one uses it like that, though... the english meaning is way more popular. I read an article about it recently that it attributed this to Superman comics and Seinfeld.
My internet has been down the past couple of days and is still a bit faulty. Having someone coming in on Tuesday to fix it...
You know what this means?
We just HAVE to introduce Bizarro Eurostar!!!
Bizeurostar!
Sounds like a Russian tycoon.
True, true.
Sorry for not posting yet. I will, I promise, but I;ve got a lot to do. Next week is half-term, so I may have time to post then.
Don't worry.
But, at the same time, don't give too much importance to the story. It's just for fun, even if you want to post just a few words, it's still good.
Good post, Gooz.
I like how many cool supporting characters are introduced into this story.
I-Man, I hope not to have ruined any plans you had.
The findings Forrest gave X-stream (and the MBL) could be either real or a set up, I leave it to the writers that will follow. But he wants to appear as an ally to the MBL. Plus, I take from your Hospital post in issue one that he has means to wipe the memory of the Pandora Project from anyone. Or I assuming too much?
Ghaaaah, Im sorry guys, I really tried to find time for all this...and I love doing it. But sadly promises to "real life" friends" and work has made it near impossible for me to write on a regular basis...all this has conspired to suck out the inspiration I had.
Please feel free to use Midnight in any way you choose...he won´t argue, he´s a nut after all.
Im terribly sorry for all this jumping in and out again.
And most of all my humble apologies to Euro who managed to make me feel that i could do this again, i feel like I let you down.
If you want to use the Crashers i introduced in The Ministry, they are a team led by the young Crasher we know from before, they use high tech eqipment and are similair to DC Comics Birds Of Prey.
No problem, T5. In any case, you find time again, have no problem to jump in again.
Thanks Euro
If you ever need ideas though, just email me...I´m full of crazy ideas for stories like these.
My hell week has ended. I have a bunch of posts in my head, its time to get them out
Good.
And I hope TTT will return, too...
I'm here. I just can't think of anything to add to the story right now.
I'd write, but I added last...
And I did before the last. I guess we have just to wait for Gooz.
Or the alternate reality Zoog...
Or a Star Trek transporter accidenter ready to happen...
Now you're just being ridiculous!
I'm totally going to create Zoog.
I have the most-est best-est ideas-est ever!
A veritable
mountain of ideas...
Kneel before Zoog!
If anyone wants to post, go ahead, no need to wait for anyone else, feel free to post twice straight, 16 times striaght, etc. We'll all catch up
We are waiting for Danny and his Zoog.
You and every other single lady in the room.
Cuz they already have their sexual harrasement forms ready to be filled out!
I figured splittign up the team might lead to some interetsing interactions. Esp with a villain that is a shapeshifter.
Tag, you're in!
Good post. Right now I am deadly busy with work, but tomorrow I will post.
Do you work as a deadly assassin, Euro?
Dammit, Mxy! You've killed us all!
Death would be a mercy -- I'm working 60-70 hour weeks...
Well, I guess it's not
all bad, then. At least I-Man will die... having never known the pleasures of a woman...
My Superdog will avenge me -- with truthlasers!
Quote:
The Indestructible Man said:
Death would be a mercy -- I'm working 60-70 hour weeks...
I have my kids that prevent that... but I should, too.
Quote:
Im Not Mister Mxypltk said:
Do you work as a deadly assassin, Euro?
How the hell did you discovered that, Mxy? 
We gotta get ourselves more posting -- where's the Zoog action at?!
Quote:
Im Not Mister Mxypltk said:
Apio verde, Euro.
mmhh... with mayonnaise....
Gooz... how the hell those soldiers stopped Superman AND Green Lantern?
Quote:
Eurostar said:
Gooz... how the hell those soldiers stopped Superman AND Green Lantern?
They couldn't risk their friends lives like that... But that doesn't mean they can't kick ass when seperated!
Kick ass quickly, before I invent more new powers for myself!
It was the Kingdom of Time, but whatever... it was G-Man's diabolical plan all along.
I ahve read all the four pages, and now I have a big headache.
I'm starting to get some ideas going, but it's just a matter of learning how to write fight scenes. I should be able to post soon.
Quote:
SpandexMonkeyMan said:
I'm starting to get some ideas going, but it's just a matter of learning how to write fight scenes. I should be able to post soon.
Great!
Great post, I-Man; I am especially excited to see Prester John is still around...
I hope no one mind's me bringing about the beginning of a climax.
Per the original suggestion, the 'trap' suggests that the faceless mystery is one not being solved this day...
Well, the original suggestion (as I understood it, and I always am wrong) was that the "cospiracy" had to be a theme recurring in the whole serie and not to be solved in this story, while good storytelling (afaik) would call to have a lesser mystery discovered in this story, or at last have the heroes have a partial success (my idea was them "cleaning up" the temple, finding something that shows that the cospiracy exist and why, at some degree, is connected to Doug).
Now, I am cool with the climax, actually I am amazed at your skills, I am excited to see Viper coming back and I am very happy to see your magic brought back to our stories; just, insted of simply saying that this was a trap, why don't you find a way to connect the faceless mystery cospiracy to the Draco group?
IMO, having two hidden global groups pulling the strings over governments lessens the concepts (plus is old, we did it to death with the Hoods and Capes in the last four years), I would prefer to have just one (it makes it much more powerful and seemingly undefeatable).
It's just a suggestion, but I think it would make to keep a consistent storytelling at the story per story bases, instead of just starting with a concept, leave it at middle road and taking up with something else...
By the way, having Plastic man being a threat for Darkseid would be especially Morrisonesque...
I'm getting a bit confused about the conspiracies. Exactly who's on who's side?
On the other hand, I'm just gonna assume that that's the intention at the moment, and try and figure out what to write next.
Why don't you write about Marvelo and the others fighting the monsters brought in by Viper? I still am unsure about what Marvelo is able to do...
I do have to apologize, especially if I sound mysterious, but bringing Incursion in a bit before I expected to is a response to Prometheus' acceptance of the 'One Year Later' on the Vanguard end and the storyline that's been happening as of such. So, with the storyline here kinda twiddling its thumbs, I...sorta...kinda...sorry hijacked part of it to set stuff up.
My end wil be cleared up soon. Sorry about that.
And, basically, I had to use both storylines to advance certain plot elements I needed.
The Draco shouldn't be an immediate thorn in the MBL's thorn side after this. A sort of we-now-return-you-to-your-previously-scheduled-conspiracy kind of thing...
I split off my stuff into a side-thread (Issue 2.5), so you guys can do what you want without my Draco-ing.
I still think my stuff's cool and you should read it, but I dont want to overtake everybody's ideas with my own.
So, get funky already!
Anyway, Issue 2.5 is done (crazy writing burst tonight). I'll have a solo-story coming out of it starting up in the next few days, but let me know what you guys think of my insane ramblings...
I found the whole story cool, well written, and, being an old timer, I was especially pleased of seeeing the return of much old stuff that I missed so badly in the last few years.
I would been much more pleased if you found a way to keep that stuff in the main story, and worked the MBL into that, instead of using the story as a mere backdrop for what you'r telling.
Quote:
The Indestructible Man said:
I do have to apologize, especially if I sound mysterious, but bringing Incursion in a bit before I expected to is a response to Prometheus' acceptance of the 'One Year Later' on the Vanguard end and the storyline that's been happening as of such. So, with the storyline here kinda twiddling its thumbs, I...sorta...kinda...sorry hijacked part of it to set stuff up.
You didn't have to apologize, and to be sorry, you were advancing the story in a cool way, just instad of bending the premise of the story to fit the return f Viper, I think you should have allowed both (faceless hunters AND Viper plots) to interwine and flow together.
When you say "you guys can do what you want without my Draco-ing" I am sad, because round robin is done by all together, there should be no story-matter that is of one person or the others.
Also, I have mixed feeling of your using both Universes to tell a story. Don't get me wrong, I am amazed at how you do it well, and love the story you are creating (especially the part about Strikeforce, as you surely would have expected).
But I am perplexed at how you can perceive these two universe being the same, when they have been built over opposite premises:
• the MBL lives in the same old Vanguard Universe, with the past intact, some time after the last Vanguard story ended, a period in which all the open plots have been solved (that is, the Manhattan siege, the anti.metahuman legislation and such) offscreen.
The premise of the series is that we don't want to put importance on the past, and with a new group, new characters and a new setting (Promethean City, USA, instead of la Perdita, Caribbean Sea) we want to explore new things.
• the "new Vanguard" insterad focuses over mainly old characters that have been altered mysteriously, and find themselves in a world that is much different from what they remember. The premise, for what I see, is focused mainly toward the past and how it changed.
Now, please, don't bother about my words, because I feel the MBL is not going anywhere as a round robin, as basically just you and me are still writing it (T5 is gone, Gooz has posted nearly two weeks ago and the previous one is over one month old, TTT seems not very interested in this and Spamm lurks around, but doesn't post).
Or maybe I am the one wrong, and where I see two different worlds, there are really just one, where the Revolutionaries (as stated in New MBL issue 1, post 1 by Gooz) did grouped and hidden in a Circus, found a way to free Thunder City from Knell's Tri-Vex and Leviathan, but where they never become Vanguard.
You know, I would LOVE such a world.
So, I-Man, excuse my words and do your magic again, I am on the ride...
Don't worry, Euro. My concern was that I was tying what I was doing in the MBL and Vanguard too close together. Now that I've used X-Stream for the story I created him for in January (although admittedly, I did do the climax a story or two before I originally planned, a victim of my old-school tying together what I was doing in too many places), you'll see exciting new old-fashioned heroic action from me come next tale...
...cause to answer the question asked? Hel yeah, there's still an MBL!
Very good.
Only I hope there will be others other than just the two of us to write it.
must...brainwash...Bibbo...
And very good epilogue.
Very good indeed.
Thanks!
Our current problem is two disparatous storytelling methods. The New MBL is TOO open right now, I think, too random-seeming to get folks' interest.
Meanwhile, Vanguard, while stoking interest, is too byzantine in its new story to let too much new stuff in yet (I know the rules of this sorta thing well, but without a character from the old days, I can't find an opening -- why do you think I've been villaining and subplotting?)
I think we need to tweak the New MBL a little bit to gain more interest in folks who want to rock out superheroics. Part of me is torn (as a continuity-obsessed comics nerd) over letting metas loose in the US with everything that's happened if we're in the HR/Vanguard Universe, but I'm sure we can somehow explain that.
Given the military liaisoning we've gotten from the late General Forrest in the first two stories, I could see the MBL as a governmentally-aligned group of heroes (lots of good conflict there), which could give us a base and connections pretty easily. But that's my first suggestion.
I agree with you .
Just, the reason for which the metas are now "free" has to be found in the off-screen (not missing) year. In that year there should have taken place a series of things, from the liberation of Manhattan, to something concerning Mandelovia and the Black Hand, to something even more sublte concerning earth as a battleground between two alien races (hinted at in the very first HR stories) that have brought two consequencies: the metahumans have been accepted in the USA and the rest of the world; the the known metas have retired/disappeared.
I like the way Gooz had kept the past intact while at the same time gave it no importance, as to allow anyone with now knowledge of the past to feel no burdened by lack of knowledge of Vanguard continuity. And I also like the way the old Universe lurks into the present. Probably because it is more near my vision of the relation between this and the old universe -that I detailed in "When we where heroes" (have you read it?)- than Pro's own in "Heroes and Legend"...
But that we need to change flavour to the serie is evident...
I did explain the rebuilding of Promethean City in such a way that leaves open further stories, but other things leave further questions.
Questions are fun, cause we get to answer them!
The "partial" rebuilding, please, as we already wrote that the city is still a mess compared to Thunder. But the idea that it's literally in the hand of the Draco group is great, and open up so much possibilities for stories...
still beats the hole in the ground it'll still be if the government was left to do it...
LOL
Well, maybe the group has completed the rebuilding between issue 1 and 2.
But at least let's keep Promethean dirty and dark, while Thunder is clean and shiny.
I'll write when I can no matter what happens. The one thing I would say is let's keep Vanguard and MBL as separate as possible, okay? Like the JLA and...er...something gritty in the same universe, I can't think of anything. Anyway, the point I'm making is they can be in the same universe but not interact or share tone.
As it is, I'm gonna try and wrap up number 2 in my next post (I-Man, do you want X-Stream back with the team?) and then I have an idea for 3.
As for randomness, I say keep an element of that (Captain Mid-Nite and Doc Marvelo are both comic characters who benefit from that atmosphere), but use more serious elements as well. In other words, use Quinn, Doug, Hero and others to maintain stability, with the more comic creations able to muck about outside that.
X-Stream's gone for now -- he was by definition a character I kept inventing too many new powers for, so I took the final logical step that you see in the epilogue.
I'll be back in the next story though with another character -- and X-Stream will show up again in some form down the line...
Also, I'm all for keeping the MBL and Vanguard seperate, although I'd prefer to keep
consistency in the world, even if stuff never crosses over or comes close to doing so.
That said, a few references here and there can't always be stop -- people like me and Euro are continuity machines!
I have one big gripe about having the current Vanguard and the MBL on the same continuity, while at the same time I see a big plus in that.
My gripe is that the MBL, how we started it, was about a group of heroes in the HR/Vanguard universe; a universe that we last saw one year ago, and now it has subtle differences, explained by the off-screen year. Things have happened, and the result is that metas are not anymore outlawed.
The Vanguard Universe, instead, is outright changed. Things have not changed in the span of one year, they were different from the start.
That's why I have difficult to see how can both groups share the same universe. I know that the policy we have here (same continuity, but don't talk about it) in the end is stupid, and maybe we can adopt the policy of Vanguard (old continuity is gone, let's say whatever we want), without any problem, but somehow I am proud of old continuity, and thinking this universe is a repository of all those stories to which taking elements that anyone can go back and see how they were developed and can be used, makes it an advantage, and not a nuisance.
I see the MBL Universe as the one where Vanguard should be, if they have not been borught away.
On the other hand, if the MBL lives in the "brave new world", it is interesting because if the goal of Vanguard is to change back the Universe, there could be a final battle where MBL defend this continuity while Vanguard wants to change it back to what they knew. But his is the only advantage I see (a big one, I have to admit, but only if the MBL will still be alive at the moment of this clash).
Thought?
Since the Vanguard storyline deals specifically with a fracture in the timeline and includes that the MBL does NOT exist in the timestream created by Mxy, my assumption would be that the New MBL is in the Core Timeline of the HR Universe, albeit a damaged core. In a perfectly continuous universe, I'd say the resolution to the Vanguard dilemma and ours would somehow tie-in to heal any chronal damage.
However, that defeats our purpose.
So, what can we do for this team? I'd say continue along the basis of the HR timeline, purposely leave certain things in the dark about the past year, consider certain characters to be temporarily removed from the timestream, and blame any hiccups on what's happened since we last saw the world (and eventually have a cool reveal of what's been going on once the stage is set). With luck, once the other half is returned to normal continuity, all will be meshable.
All else fails, we do what we've always done - blame cosmic forces!
I think we need to figure out what we want this team to be, then we can get folks to come join it. We can even have returnng characters if folks want it, old Vanguardians or HR MBL guys or the like who are in Pro's thread, and still keep it free of deep continuity.
But that's just my take...
It seems more clear.
The two groups are on two separate places, just the "eleven" (who have been plugged out of reality in the Vanguard story) are not around in the MBL Universe, having been placed in a different, altered reality. Right?
What do we want for the MBL
I have two suggestions:
•One is the one implied by the first post of MBL one: Promethean City is a dirty and dark place, that hides many secrets, cospiracies, corrupted politicians and such... a cancer growing on the side of Thunder City, a shiny place that has been an heaven for metas since 2001, in the core of an America that hated metas.
Now that metas are not actively hunted anymore, just Thunder, of any place, what was a flag for metahumans freedom, has become threathened by something only our heroes can fight.
•The other is something we talked for sometime with Pro, and it's to make them a global protectorate, something JLA-Autorithesque, or, to stick to the HR-Vanguard universe, a new Strikeforce.
My preferred choice would be going from the first scenario progessively to the second, having the MBL gaining global status thanks to the good work they did in Promethean city.
I'm now working on an idea for the third story that I want to run by people here. It works towards the first idea (I really like the Thug cult, so I'm giving them the rub).
The team track down a link to the Thug cult in a businessman from Thunder who's investing in some sort of urban regeneration project in Promethean. It turns out he's deliberately building it to collapse, as a sacrifice to boost his power. We thwart him, with government help (from a Forrest replacement of nicer ilk).
I know it's slight, but I'm keeping it open for other people to throw in ideas of their own. What do you guys think?
I like it, as sort of follow the half debacle (from the Thug part of the plot) of the current issue. By me, go for it.
And my new hero I'll be using has ties to the government and military, so I'm all for us having more contacts
I like the idea that dark things are afoot in Promethean City -- you've seen the sort of people who rebuilt it, and you can just imagine how they're profitting off it through a myriad of third parties.
I think our two main goals right now remain:
1. Good stories
2. More than 2-3 people posting
As long as we don't go out and contradict continuity, I'm for not necessarily trotting it out every two posts. Although I'm fine using bits of the Hero Revolution Universe continuity on occassion for effect; whoever uses it will just need to be sure to explain it as they use it so new folks don't NEED to dig through old stories if they don't want to.
'Easter eggs' are a different matter. Forrest was fromt he old stories, but that wasn't his important distinction.
Anyway, guys, looking forward to Issue 3...
BTW, anybody else have anything to add to Issue 2 in epilogues for your characters? I have one more to do (nothing to do with the Draco, honest!), but I'd rather leave it for last if possible.
Plus, I always loved when folks did personal epilogues for their guys or the teams -- nice way to get in their heads once the battle was over but before the next coflict began.
Anyway, let me know, so I can do what I need to before Issue 2 gets locked up...
I will do an epilogue for the issue, just to keep up the tradition.
I have just a gripe about the killing of Forrest: he was from around the very first issues of the HR Universe, and I brought back for his relation with the man we saw talking to him through the glass, which had a connection with the monster the MBL fought in the first issue.
Now I am tempted to bring in the twin brother of Forrest...
And yes, we need to bring in more people...
Remember that in Issue 1 you showed there was an odd duality to Forrest I never tried to explain away.
Quote:
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
In total darkness, two persons face each others across a glass.
“The payment is on its way. All went smoothly…” says the man we saw from the back.
“That makes me happy. It has always been a pleasure to make business with you” respond the one from across the glass.
“The beast risen, the fools got out of their holes… And now the beast is in our hands.”
"Handle it with care. You should be proud to own such a marvel, General…”
The hand of General Forrest went to the switch, and the light went on. It was in his bathroom, facing a mirror, his own face replacing the mysterious man’s own.
Genral Forrest smiled, opened a slider, took out a razor and began to shave his face.
That day was opening in the best possible way…
I purposely did not include Forrest as part of the Viper conspiracy (although he was made aware of something larger X-Stream was part of tied to the group that had rebuilt Promethean)
Feel free to bring back Forrest under the control of whatever entity that was -- should be interesting to all the folks who think he should be dead...
I'll be back. Just busy a bit right now.
I like the idea of the team as a JLA like force wuith stories that jump from city to city where they right the injustices...
In any case, I would like to have them based in Thunder City, even if they become a global peacekeeping force. Thunder has been always a heaven for metas, even in the dire days of discrimination, and so I think it would be fitting.
Also, it will be a nice homage to the old TOMBL Universe. They could even build an artificial island in the river. Not big as the old Edge island, but an headquarter that stand in the middle of the running water would be nice. But first we need money...
For the new story comng up, I think we should go with a straight forward action packed good time.
MBL LINE-UP
Dr. Marvelo, Captain Midnight, Doug, Hero, Quinn Stevens
Sub-Plot
Chewy's plant girl
Everyone feel free to jump in with new characters.
Quote:
SpandexMonkeyMan said:
I'm now working on an idea for the third story that I want to run by people here. It works towards the first idea (I really like the Thug cult, so I'm giving them the rub).
The team track down a link to the Thug cult in a businessman from Thunder who's investing in some sort of urban regeneration project in Promethean. It turns out he's deliberately building it to collapse, as a sacrifice to boost his power. We thwart him, with government help (from a Forrest replacement of nicer ilk).
It's a good idea, I think you can post it. GO!
Sounds good to me also! Let's get it going...
I HATE THE IDEA!
But let's go with it.
I don't really hate the idea.
I just wanted to sound cool.
Just a heads up, I'm going to bring Quinn's inventor ally back in an early post in the next story. Might as well start to give the team some way to contact each other. Here is a refresher so you don't have to look for the post
Quote:
WAREHOUSE – THE DOCKS, THUNDER CITY
Quinn Stevens, now fully costumed, lands on the ground in the back alleyway of a warehouse that is nested on the docks of Thunder City. He walks to a brick wall and presses one of the bricks in. Stepping back, a red light scans down his body and a doorway in the brick wall opens.
The young hero steps in the warehouse, which on the inside is a technological marvel. Gizmos and computers are all over the place, as are inventions and the like. An older man is working on a backpack shaped device. Kevin “Forge” Anderson.
“Kevin.” Quinn says, but his words are blocked by Forge’s saw hitting metal, “MR. ANDERSON?”
The balding man looks up and sees Quinn.
“Quinn!” he shuts and puts down the saw like device, “Young man, how are you?”
The older gentleman walks towards Quinn, who pulls off his mask.
“Tough day. Second mission and I was almost gutted.”
“Oh, your Dad’s gonna be worried. I should-“
“No, its ok Kevin. I’ll be fine, I got a few others watching my back”
“Yes, yes, yes, these MBL guys.”
“Yeah, that’s them.”
“You didn’t tell them your name, did you? You can’t trust just anyone!”
“No, I haven’t taken of my mask with them.”
“Good, I wouldn’t want your family or ME hunted down. Trust me, this is a dangerous game we play.”
“I know.”
“Now, why are you here? Need a laser gun? Antigravity device? Fast shoes? Bullet deflecting underwear?”
“Heh. No, none of those, but I could use a communications device. Something small and directly linked to others…”
“How many do you need?”
“Six would work”
“How about in a ring, that cool and different right?”
“Ah, yeah, I think that works.”
“I can retro build them bigger than normal so they can automatically fit to any finger size, and I can put MBL on them for you and-”
“Sounds great Forge”
“Anytime kido. Come back tomorrow, I’ll have them ready for you.”
“Thanks! Ok, back off to try and be a hero”
“Don’t get killed, or your parents will kill me!”
“Not planning on it!”
Fearing SpaMM will disappear again for weeks, I'm about to post a story beginning. Since there is no plot, we can just hang around and wait for SpaMM story idea to be posted later, or just created another one, and leave it for issue 4.
Sorry about that. I got bogged down with stuff. Plus, I'm lousy at starting things.
I think a short/fun/action Museum robbery might be a good light hearted start to the story. Not the big plot, but a start
Quote:
SpandexMonkeyMan said:
Sorry about that. I got bogged down with stuff. Plus, I'm lousy at starting things.
Well, I wanted also to put in place the role call intro, to keep up with the old tradition.
Post your start in the story as soon as you are ready...
So, me and Gooz have resumed active duty (as much as deadlines allows us) on posting in the MBL thread.
IF THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANTS TO PARTECIPATE THEY ARE WELCOME.
T5 has gone, SPAMM and TTT, are you still with us? I-Man, how's the work on the Russian book?
Danny, Notwedge, anybody from Vanguard/TOMB/MBL/JLR, anyone else who wants to write, would you give it a try?
For whoever would be interested, all the backstory needed to be known is recapped at the beginning of the story itself.
The story is set loosely in a Year One Later version of the Vanguard Universe in which things from the old TOMBL Universe seems to appear/be remembered, but we aim to the future and not the past, so don't bother with continuity. Just follow the previous post in good round robin tradition, and be creative.
Whatever happened to Nowhereman?
Who the fuck gives a shit?
Quote:
Nowhereman said:
Whatever happened to Nowhereman?
Who the fuck gives a shit?
Kristogar Velo?
Guys, there are just two rules if you jump in...
1 - No sigs in posts.
2 - Please don't have your character talk to you, the poster, or realize that he is in fact a fictional character. Thats so 1998.
Anything else goes. Have fun. Post. Read. Comment. DO what ever the fuck you want.
Quote:
GoozX said:
Guys, there are just two rules if you jump in...
1 - No sigs in posts.
2 - Please don't have your character talk to you, the poster, or realize that he is in fact a fictional character. Thats so 1998.
Well....there goes my Sig-slinging, fourth-wall-aware character I was about to bring in....
Once over and twice twist--d'oh!
Quote:
Prometheus said:
Quote:
GoozX said:
Guys, there are just two rules if you jump in...
1 - No sigs in posts.
2 - Please don't have your character talk to you, the poster, or realize that he is in fact a fictional character. Thats so 1998.
Well....there goes my Sig-slinging, fourth-wall-aware character I was about to bring in....
But at least he had hair!
You've obviously never read any of my characters...
Quote:
Prometheus said:
You've obviously never read any of my characters...
This was a new character that you broke the mold with!
He had hair, didnt smoke & was straight!
Now that's just crazy talk!
Pro, I have missed you! Get your ass on AIM tomorrow!
I've been planning to make my return for a while, but I was on holiday all this last week. Posts coming soon, I promise.
It seems I have broken my modem this morning (I am typing from a friend's computer) and here all shops are closed for the summer holidays, so I don't think I will be able to come back until the end of the week past this one.
Shit.
Frozen yoghurt is the dessert of the future!
I think maybe we should retire General Forrest after this "issue".
Something tells me he'll never truly disappear.
BTW, Gooz, why do you have Doug always saying "mate"? He's supposed to originally be from a slum in New York City.
As an ex-sailor he may have picked up the term, but it's not something I'd want him saying all the time. I picture him sounding more like Ben Grimm, except with more slang and less stupid.
Quote:
The Time Trust said:
BTW, Gooz, why do you have Doug always saying "mate"? He's supposed to originally be from a slum in New York City. As an ex-sailor he may have picked up the term, but it's not something I'd want him saying all the time. I picture him sounding more like Ben Grimm, except with more slang and less stupid.
Hmmm, I think I have him say it a lot due to me picturing you saying it a lot in real life. Weird. I'll stop
We gonna see a new post by ya soon?
Sorry about not posting when I said I would. My modem went all funny (it didn't crash per se, just logged me off incessantly), so I haven't had time to write.
Euro, I like where your taking the Forrest thing. Aliens? Alt universe? A lot we can do here.
The important part being WE. Use the concept how you like, I have not a definite direction.
