Monday, November 12, 2012

Who are you?

Welcome Squaddies.
One interesting thing about this game is that you don't get to pick your own name. When you first set up your account you can pass on names you don't like, but we still have ended up with some pretty weird names.

The purpose of this site is to let you give purpose to those names. Here you can write the backstory of your squad, define your powers and skills, and tell how you came to be called "Irrational Ferret Clerk", or "Major Glowing Honeybadger" or whatever.

As an added incentive for anyone that posts their story here, I will create a unique image of your character using the heromachine character creator based on your story. Keep in mind, I'm no Winter Wraith, but I will do my best. Here's a quick one I did for myself:



Juggler Emperor




Here's a list of some things you might want to include to help get you started, but if you don't want to use them and just want to go freeform, by all means, do what you think will make the best story.

Squad name:
Origin story:
Powers/Skills:
Personality/temperment:
Teammates/sidekick:
Arch-nemesis:
Greatest victory:

Let's try and keep them PG, we do have minors on the team, but other than that be as creative as possible.
Just click on comments below to get started.

Here is my story, to get things started:

I am the Juggler Emperor, the last in a long line of heirs to the Juggler Empire, the greatest syndicate of thieves and assassins the world has ever known. The syndicate is so secret, though, that their existence is thought of only as myths and stories. I was born the only son of the greatest Juggler Emperor Barnum the 6th. I did not rely on my noble birth to get ahead, I worked my way up through the ranks. As we have done for centuries, we hide amongst the circus community, and the skills of the circus are the skills of the Empire. From trapeze and high wire, to trampoline, knife throwing, and of course juggling. A Juggler assassin is the master of all forms of juggling combat including the balls(modified as grenades or smoke bombs) the rings(razor sharp and lethal), the clubs and knives. I mastered them all and was getting a reputation for being the greatest juggler of my era. I went on many team missions for the family from simple thefts to political assassinations.

As my father aged, though, he tired of the killing, and was trying to legitimize the empire, modernize it. My uncle Ringling was deeply opposed, and thought the family should do as it has always done. This led my uncle to begin a coup within the family, gathering the most ruthless and loyal thieves and assassins to him in secret.

On my 18th birthday I was finally given my first solo assignment. A reporter in Seattle Named Sam Warden was publishing articles that had a little too much real information about the Empire. I was to find out the reporter's source, and kill them both. I discovered the reporter was actually a young woman, a single mother. I broke into her house and found her source, it was just a book of old myths about the Empire that she was updating and sensationalizing to sell papers. I vowed not to go through with my assignment, but as I was preparing to leave her home I was attacked by a troupe of Juggler Assassins. My uncle had begun his coup, and he needed me dead to take over the Empire. I had taken out all but one of my foes, but he had the drop and me and would have killed me if the the young reporter had not returned at that moment. She distracted him enough for me to defeat him.
I warned her about the stories she was writing and promised I would return to tell her more.
I hurried home only to find that my Uncle had poisoned my father, told lies about my being the source of Sam's articles, put a price on my head, and crowned himself Emperor. I was now a fugitive from my own family.

Now my only task is to stay alive, fight the kind of crime I used to commit, and plan for the day I can get revenge on my Uncle. Relying on Sam's investigative skills, we are discovering the empire's plans, and doing what we can to stop them. As long as I live I will work to thwart the efforts of the Empire until I can take my place as the rightful Juggler Emperor.

Now let's her your story, just click on comments, below.

The Story of Shocking Techno Girl


Almost nothing is known about the cyborg mercenary / bounty hunter / assassin known as Shocking Techno Girl. She uses her cybernetic implants to generate an electrical field to subdue anyone who gets near her. There are as many stories about where she came from as there are planets in the Galactic Federation. One thing is known for sure, if she is after you, you better hope her contract is to take you alive.


Thursday, November 8, 2012

The Story of The Punishing Lawyer

He fumbles with his wallet, pulls out a couple of notes, and tosses them at the driver without looking. Fives or fifties, he doesn’t know or care. He stumbles out onto the street and walks like he knows where he’s going. He keeps his back straight and his head held high, because that’s what you do in this town. Everyone’s a little damaged inside, but everyone hides it behind a thin veneer of Gucci and Prada. No one’s weak but everybody’s broken. He hates it. He hates it so much. Just like everybody else. And just like everybody else he smiles with impossibly-white teeth, all the while downing half a bottle of bourbon a night to sooth himself to sleep.

He carries straight on when he should take a left, because he doesn’t know if he can do it anymore. He doesn’t know if he can smile and say, ‘Good afternoon, Margaret,’ when it’s really anything but. Except, that’s not true, he knows he could do it, because he’s done it so many times before. He just doesn’t want to anymore. What he wants is to drown himself in the bay. What he wants is a drink. What he wants is… to know what he wants.

He takes out his top-of-the-line phone and he calls the office number - speed-dial number one, because there’s nothing more important in his life. ‘Good afternoon, Johnson’s Law Offices, how can I help you?’

‘Margaret, it’s me.’

‘Oh. Good afternoon, sir.’

He rolls his eyes. ‘Sure. Listen, I’m not going to be in today, reschedule my appointments.’ Because he knows he’ll be back. He always comes back. This is nothing more than another routine. Sure, there’s more incentive behind it this time, but he’s not deluded enough to think he’ll actually change his life.

‘Of course, sir,’ Margaret says. No questions asked. Ever the good PA. He hangs up without another word, because he’s her boss, he doesn’t need to be polite, it’s not expected of him. Only lackey’s know the meaning of the words ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, and he is not a lackey.

He heads for a bar. It’s a cliché, but at two o’clock on a week day, bartenders in this town effectively function as cheaper psychiatrists. Plus, if no one will listen, there’s always the alcohol.

Lost in thought, he walks straight into someone on his way through the door. ‘Watch where you’re going, you son of a…’ the man stops suddenly and smiles a poisonous smirk of Hollywood teeth. ‘Hey,’ he says, ‘I know you. You’re the lawyer, right? What’s-his-face.’

‘Yes,’ he replies. There’s no point pretending. He takes a step back, because he doesn’t want to deal with this right now. Harsh words or a fist to the face, that’s not what he needs. It’s what he needs to get away from.

To his surprise, the man smiles sympathetically. ‘Sorry to hear about the,’ he waves his hand around vaguely, ‘you know.’ Of course he knows, everyone knows, and with a two inch scar running across his brow, it’s not like he’s going to forget any time soon. ‘Hey,’ the man says, steering him towards the bar with a hand on his shoulder. ‘Let me buy you a drink. Name’s Tom, by the way.’ Tom offers a hand. ‘And I know who you are.’ He shakes Tom’s hand and smiles. He lets Tom buy him a drink, and they sit and talk about sport and the weather and nothing in particular.

It’s so easy to listen to a sympathetic voice. He needs this, needs someone to metaphorically say, ‘hey, it wasn’t your fault,’ because his ribs still hurt every time he moves or breaths. Because he still wakes up screaming, in cold sweats, with the fleeting sensation of fingers wrapped around his throat. Because he can’t so much as pick up groceries without someone shooting him a dirty look. Because he can’t get over feeling like it was his fault; what kind of emotionless asshole do you need to be to defend a known super-human terrorist? He’d let his hard-edged legal ethics override his personal morality and had become a modern day Hitler in the eyes of the people. And after a lengthy stay in hospital, he’s finally acknowledged that ever taking the job had been a massive mistake.

 He talks with Tom for half an hour, then excuses himself for the bathroom. When he gets back, Tom is gone. ‘Hey!’ The bartender waves him over and hands him a note. ‘Your buddy left this for you.’

He’s expecting a phone number or an email address, or an apology for leaving so suddenly, but all it says is, I’m not sorry - Tomas, and he has no idea what that’s supposed to mean. With a shake of his head, he screws up the paper, shoves it in a pocket and heads for home.

Less than five minutes later, he’s standing doubled-over in an alleyway puking his guts up, as his vision goes hazy and he’s gripped by a sudden attack of vertigo. He fumbles through his pockets trying to find his phone and call for help. As he sinks to his knees, vision fading, his hand catches the paper. I’m not sorry. Crap. Well, isn’t that just his life in a nutshell, he thinks as he passes out.

He wakes up in the same alley he passed out in. Either no one saw him or no one cared enough to help, he’s not sure he wants to know. He staggers to his feet and leans against the wall for a moment before he realises he doesn’t need to. He feels fine. Great, even. He looks at the paper, still balled up in his fist and he wonders if he’s high. He doesn’t feel high though, just… good. Tom definitely drugged his drink, but whatever it was, it seems to have worked its way out of his system already.

With a heavy sigh, he dusts himself off and makes his way home. He sits alone, and downs a bottle of expensive scotch, because this is his life now. Except he doesn’t get drunk, not even tipsy. He stares at the empty bottle, and he realises, something’s wrong. Something’s very wrong.

He gets up to find another bottle when he’s hit by another sudden wave of vertigo. He falls to his knees and punches the ground and his hand goes straight through the floorboards. He laughs, because maybe he is drunk after all. Except he can see the broken wood, and feel the splinters that have worked their way into his knuckles, there’s no way he’s imagining this. He stands up, the vertigo is gone again. He walks over to the wall and he punches it. It’s a stupid thing to do really, because now there’s a fist-sized hole in his living room wall.

He experiments more, for hours, testing this new found strength. It’s not like this can make his life any worse after all. He wonders if this is the drug or the head injury or a little bit of both, but in the end he finds he doesn’t care. What he cares about is finding the men who still haunt his nightmares and making them pay. And this will let him do it. He’s a lawyer, he knows those men would never find justice in a court room. He’ll put on a mask and be the next Daredevil and he’ll get his revenge and the people will learn to love him. This is his life now.

The story of Indigo Platypus

Hello. I am Indigo Platypus. I am well known by those who know me, but those who know me don't REALLY know me. You see...I am the forgotten Power Ranger. The left over Ranger if you will. I'm one of the original 7 "teenagers with attitude" Zordon commissioned Alpha 5 to find to become his elite task force to take down Rita Repulsa and her minions. I know, I know...you're thinking, "Waitagoshdurn minute! SEVEN Rangers...I only remember 6...and one of them flip flopped colors like 3 yr old in a coloring book!" Hence...the "Forgotten Ranger."

While my companions all got cool prehistoric creatures to base their costumes and Zords off of, I was given the "mighty" platypus as my power coin for my Morpher. (I asked Zordon about this one time and he just told me, "Don't question things you do not comprehend. Besides you have more than just 'mad skill' you have a beaver tail and a bill!" To this day, I think that dude had some issues. "Teenagers with attitude?!" Really? But I digress...this is about me, not him.

In my opinion I had the coolest costume but was given the short end of the stick Zord wise. My costume features a silver duck bill and was, of course, indigo in color. That duck bill came in more handy than you can imagine...one time when a monster known as Sun Yak (I think it was related to Brain Yak somehow) blinded my team mates temporarily, I was able to duck my head and the bill kept me from the same fate. That jerk Tommy still always made fun of it though... As far as my Zord went, it was little more than a bluish 80's model Dodge Caravan with a duck bill and beaver tail bolted on to it.

I did get to join in the Megazord formation ONE time. When my Zord was attached, I formed part of the back. The tail stuck out behind and was useful during spinning attacks, which my fellow Rangers liked, however, the bill stuck out over the top of the head like a ball cap. That, combined with the side horns, made the Megazord look like he was wearing one of those soda hats all the time. This embarrassed Kimberly, so she said I couldn't form up the Megazord anymore.

Not long after we had defeated Rita and Lord Zedd, a tv production company came along and wanted to chronicle the adventures we had into a children's television show. They didn't see a place for a platypus themed Ranger, so they cut me out completely. They did, however, allow me twenty cent royalty for every episode that was made (of the original Rangers, no spinoffs).

So I guess you have the rest of the story. I have taken to wearing my costume full time now. It doesn't fit over my paunch very well, and my helmet is a little tight, but I stand here today as a reminder. A reminder of the forgotten SEVENTH Power Ranger. Now you know why I'm just a smidgeon bitter.

Indy out! *drops mike and walks away*

 
                          Indigo Platypus                           

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The Story of Seeing Techno Chef

Kyle was won of the brightest up and coming Chef's in New York. One night after his restaurant closed he was throwing out the leftover food he got cut on the garbage bin and was infected by some Techno Organic Nanobots. Not knowing what happened Kyle started noticing his body changing. The Nanobots were improving his muscles and reflexes and even re-wiring brain pathways which lead to Kyle obtaining a sort of ESP allowing him to see a short time into the future. Not knowing what to do with these new "powers" Kyle kept to his same routine until one day he foresaw a robbery in his restaurant and was able to use his skills with knives to stop the robbers as soon as they walked into the door. Realizing he could do more good Kyle now roams the streets each night when his restaurant closes as "Seeing Techno Chef". With his array of knives he protects the citizens that need him most wondering when the day will come that someone or something comes looking for the nanobots that gave him this gift.

Monday, November 5, 2012

The Story of Wailing Crusader Gargoyle

The night was not going well for our hero. Danny desperately tried to shake off the dizziness, to gather his energy and spring back into the fray, but he could feel his numb fingers slipping from the edge of the building as the light rain tickled his face.

Funny the thoughts that can dart through the mind of even the most focused hero at times like this: everything from wondering if anything like this ever happens to Daredevil, to realizing that a meeting with the pavement hundreds of feet below could guarantee that he would never be available as a playable character. With that disturbing thought, Danny’s fingers suddenly gave out, even as he heard his assailants rushing toward the edge of the building, presumably to provide any aid possible to make certain that he was not late for his appointment with the concrete.

***

“What do you think, Bullseye? Will he hit that stone gargoyle and bounce a little or will this be a one-stop ride?” Klaw grinned as he addressed his deadly accomplice.

Iron Fist had never seen it coming. Bait the noble hero with a few Hand ninjas engaged in some midnight skullduggery, and then spring the trap. The trio of ne’er-do-wells and their retinue of cloth-muffled henchmen were understandably pleased with themselves.

“I hope he bounces,” Abomination chortled thickly. “I like it when they bounce.”

A few of the sinister ninjas suppressed chuckles as their leader spoke. “Looks like he’ll miss,” Bullseye pronounced as he peered into the misty night. “The angle is all wrong for a hit. He’d have to bank quite a bit… wait a sec, what?” The keen-eyed assassin blinked rapidly and shook his head.

***

Even with the pavement plummeting upward to greet him, even with a symphony of pain blaring in his skull, Iron Fist could sense the benevolent presence. It was so close, if only he could twist… just… so! One arm caught the sculpted stone, and instead of the expected explosion of pain in his shoulder, he felt warmth and balance return to his aching muscles. His dulled senses suddenly sharpened, and he could hear a whistling in the air even as he instinctively flipped to a nearby ledge, narrowly evading a shower of deadly blades from above.

***

“Unbelievable! He was three sheets to the wind before you knocked him over the edge, and now he’s actually dodging?” Bullseye snapped at Abomination, who had gotten a little carried away in the one-sided ambush.

“Perhaps my admittedly less precise methods will suffice,” Klaw boasted as he leveled his sonic blaster over the side of the building. “It is a bit dark.”

“I don’t miss!” Bullseye spat, even as a ball of reddish light emerged from nowhere and quickly came into focus for his keen eyes. Wait, not a ball, a fist…

***

“Fascinating,” Stephen Strange murmured as the sorcerer poured the freshly brewed tea into Danny’s waiting cup. “You believe that the gargoyle was the source of the rejuvenation?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Danny returned as he gratefully sipped the refreshing brew. “but I can hardly believe what I accomplished in the few short minutes following my contact with the carving. It was as if I could have dodged the raindrops, had I wished to.”

“A devastating setback for the Lethal Legion, to be sure,” Strange chuckled, pleased with his friend’s exploits. Continuing his line of questioning, he asked: “And Bullseye swore that it moved?”

“Yes, he claimed that it ‘shifted’ to intercept me. At first, I ignored him; I did hit him pretty hard,” Iron Fist smiled, recalling the uncharacteristically bewildered expression that had plagued the assassin’s features both before and after his time unconscious. “But it wasn’t there when I returned just a few hours later,” the hero concluded.

“Fascinating,” the master mage repeated as he inhaled the fragrant steam from his cup. “It seems that a powerful new presence has joined us in Super Hero City. Though my suspicion is that this presence is, in fact, ancient.”

Even as the pair of friends finished their tea and conversation, events that would have surely interested them were transpiring across town.

***

Don’t remember seeing this one before, Peter realized as he released his webline and flipped toward a nearby gargoyle. “Hey Gobbies! Can I call you Gobbies? What say we finish this up and get out of the rain?” he quipped, hoping that he sounded confident as the unlikely team of goblin-powered foes tore after him. Truth is, this isn’t going too well, the web-slinger admitted to himself as, nursing his wounded arm, his feet lightly clung to the wet stone.

As water streamed down its aged features, the gargoyle beneath the web-patterned boots seemed to grin even more than usual…


Saturday, November 3, 2012

The Story of Invisible Martian Archer

I have been invisible my entire life. I’m the twelfth son of the Lord of Mars. That’s right – I’m real Martian royalty.

You might think it would be cool having Lord Inric as your father. Wealth. Power. Prestige. But I’ve enjoyed none of that. Honestly, I’m not even sure why my father kept me as a son. He’s only ever spoken to me once and that was to tell me to leave Mars and to never return.

Do you know what it’s like being the twelfth son of a monarch? Well I can tell you. Nobody cared about me or paid any attention to me. Nobody. My eldest brother received all of the attention as the heir to the throne. I think they just kept me around as some worst-case-scenario insurance policy.

Being socially invisible did have its advantages, however. Growing up, my father’s advisers thought nothing of speaking freely when I was in earshot. I was beneath their notice. But I heard everything. All of it. The corruption. The blood. The greed. I realized my father was a despotic ruler and an evil man.

I wanted to see what the world my father ruled was like outside of my high palace walls. I had worked for years to personalize the invisibility technology used hide our Martian cities from the eyes of aliens such as you humans. Nobody noticed my absence as I began to use this technology to routinely sneak out into the countryside. What I found there was abhorrent. While those in the palace lived in luxury my father’s subjects nearly worked themselves to death to pay his tax collectors.

I revealed myself to them and… they actually noticed me. It felt so strange. I quickly made many great friends in the village and I would bring them the leftovers from our royal feasts. Over many months they told me their shocking and sad life stories and I knew that I had to help them. The only way I could see to do that was to kill my father. Then the system could be changed so it would be fair to all Martians.

I planned on striking during the Feast of Phobos. I used my invisibility device to hide on a balcony in the banquet hall overlooking the dining area. The entire royal court attends the Feast of Phobos and all would be in attendance and would witness my father’s downfall. I planned on triumphantly proclaiming that the era of inequity was at an end.

But it all went horribly wrong. When I released that invisible arrow its path was true… but my mother, the lovely Queen Isadora, leaned forward to whisper to my father at the last second and the arrow struck her down. In shock, my invisibility fell and I was revealed to all in attendance there. My father cradled his wife in his arms but looked directly at me. I withered under his forceful gaze. “Beloved son,” He said with great grief in his voice, “What brought you to this treachery? Have I not watched and admired you from afar, providing for your every need so that you might one day become great?” I staggered at his damning words. Before turning to comfort my dying mother he dismissed me , saying, “Begone. Mars is no home to you now. The day you breathe Martian air again is the day you die.”

The weight of the sincere regret in his voice caused me to turn and blindly flee to the rocket bay. With tears in my eyes I launched. The trip is a blur of remorse. Somehow I found myself on Earth. Weeks passed as I remained invisible to hide from detection by the humans.

And then I came to the realization that, although I can’t undo what I had done I can still try to redeem myself. I could fight injustices and corruption here on Earth just as I had attempted to do on Mars.

With a new-found purpose, I set myself to the task of being humanity’s unseen protector. The Invisible Martian Archer.




Just kidding.



Saturday, October 27, 2012

The Story of Tornado Shield

Why did we have to move to Canada? I used to be the most popular kid around when I lived in New York, but now in this small town in Ontario, I’m nothing. With long brown hair and hard green eyes, I got all the girls. I was fairly smart and athletic too, but my forte was definitely running.
 Not only could I run for long distances, but I could run it fast too. So that’s how I dealt with my problems. I may have been good-looking, but I was short and scrawny. Easy to pick on. That;s why the bullies in my new school targeted me. They would shove me in lockers, they would push me around, and all I could do was run away.
 On my fourteenth birthday the bullies were trying to give me a special “birthday treat.” I ran harder than I ever had before. I ran so fast that suddenly I began to dissipate into the wind. I could still control my movements, but I was no longer a human figure. The bullies stared blankly as I disappeared into thin air. They couldn’t even see me.
 I decided I would get my revenge. I swirled around and around until I became a tornado. My vacuum pulled in the bullies and spun them around. They twisted and twirled until I stopped spinning and they were flung to the ground. I reformed, along with a rope I formed out of the wind, and tied up the bullies.
 I ran away from the scene, but reports were already coming up on the news. I was a mutant, and everyone knew it. It didn’t take long for me to run into some posters with a reward for a cash reward to whoever could catch me and bring me in, dead or alive.
 I couldn’t go home now, I had to keep on running, same as before. Every so often police would find me and shoot at me, but I would form a shield of wind around my body, deflecting all the bullets that came close.
 Eventually I ran into a group of mutants like myself. They called themselves... the CBRites. I joined them, fighting off crime, defending people from the bigger bullies. Those who steal and hurt. Those who make people cry, and those who make people die. I won’t ever stop fighting alongside the CBRites. I won’t ever give up. Even at age 14, I will do everything in my power to fight for what is right. I am.... Tornado Shield!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

The Story of Volcanic Torch Manatee


On a surprisingly sunny day in Virginia, a boy wakes up to his fifteenth birthday. Everyone knew him by Manatee, as he always was so smooth in the water. He went into the bathroom, and started to take a shower. However, as soon as the water touched his neck, he burned, and couldn't breathe. He staggered, and as soon as his neck was not touching water, he was able to breathe again. He finished his shower while avoiding water on his neck, but when he got out, he found small cuts on the side of his neck. He was sure he scratched himself in his sleep, and put on a hoodie to disguise it.
He went to school with no other incidents, and afterwards, he and his friends went out to the lake by the school, for the last swim of fall. His friends jumped in and swam to the other middle of the lake immediately, but as soon as Manatee's foot brushed the edge of the water, the scratches on his neck began to itch. He hoped that they had closed since the morning, and dived in. Big mistake. As soon as his neck was submerged, the scratches opened, and he felt water moving through them. His neck burned, and after a minute of agonizing pain, his body relaxed and he just lay there.
He thought he was dead. His eyes were closed, but he could hear and smell much better than he could normally. Then something brushed his leg. His eyes popped open, and he could see that he was still underwater. "What's happening to me?" he wondered. Then he realized his friends must be looking for him, and he had to get to the surface quickly. But as soon as he thought it, the water currents changed, and carried him up. He reached the surface, and his lungs took over breathing once again. He swam over to his friends, and luckily they didn't see anything that happened. Unfortunately, they were not alone in those woods.
The men had recently came across technology that allowed mutations to be tracked (commonly known as Cerebro), and had found one case in a fairy large city. They had come to investigate, and found Manatee, who had just grown gills. Manatee was coming back alone from school when they got him. The men shot a dart into his neck, and he was out in seconds. They sent false texts to his parents saying he would be spending the night at a friends house.
When Manatee woke up, he saw doctors standing over him. He was worried, but they had strapped him down. "Who are you?" he asked. "My name is Dr. Timothy Faurent, I work with Weapon X. You are at our facility on a small island of Hawaii. You are now under our control, escape attempts are futile." So Manatee was forced to lay back, and was gagged, forcing him to watch as the organization attempted to make him into a weapon. He was being injected with various substances, and was being exposed to different types of radiation.
However, the scientists had miscalculated part of their plan. A week later, the ground beneath Manatee began to shake. He was still suffering from the radiation they had exposed him to earlier, and could not even make a sound. Suddenly, lights started to flash, and alarms were ringing. Suddenly, a small crack appeared in the floor. Manatee watched as lava started to seep through it, blocking the door, and slowly coming towards him. Soon, he saw it come to the base of the bed, and he felt its heat on his face. He closed his eyes to prepare for the burning. And then it hit him. The lava touched his hand, and he felt it burning his skin. Then suddenly, his hand stopped burning, at least it felt that way. He opened his eyes, and saw that where the lava had touched, his skin had turned orange. He grew worried, and as his heart started to beat faster, flames appeared on his hands. Soon the lava had covered his whole body, leaving only his head above it. But when it came, the gills on the side of his neck snapped into action. The radiation allowed them to adapt, and Manatee was able to breathe in the lava. Soon, the whole room was submerged, and he had increased strength under the molten lava, and broke his bonds. He swam through the halls, able to see through the lava, just as he had in the lake. Soon he came to the door, and with a burst of current, broke it open. What he had not expected however, was for that door to open into a cliff. The lava pushed him off the ledge, and he fell through the air.
He looked down, and saw the sharp rocks beneath him. The flames on his body began to intensify as he grew more nervous, and the wind could do nothing to douse them. He twisted, so that his legs would be down first. But when he hit the ground, he did not stop as he expected to. The intense heat of the flames and the lava caused the rocks to melt as he touched them, softening his landing, and allowed him to survive the fall. But he was not sure he liked where he landed at all.
Less than a mile away, a large village sprawled out before him. He knew the lava pouring from the mountain would destroy them, and it was possible they didn't even know the volcano had erupted. As fast as he could, he ran to the village. He was shocked to find he had increased speed and reflexes, as he got the village in only a minute. He saw that they were still asleep, and he would not be able to wake them in time. He ran through the town anyway, yelling about the volcano, and as he did, he focused the flames to create a bright light that surrounded his body. Luckily, the town heard him, and were about to leave when the lava got to the edge of the village.
Seeing he was out of time Manatee had one last attempt. He ran toward the lava, and dove into it, and tried with all his might to push it back to the ocean. His whole body stung as he used all his power at once to redirect the lava, and after what felt like hours, he was dunked into the cold ocean. He stood, as his now orange skin steamed as it was exposed to the water. The flames had gone out, and he was able to walk back to the village. As he arrived, the villages praised him, and named him Volcanic Torch Manatee, and had a great feast to celebrate this great hero.
Manatee made his preparations to go back home, but as he boarded the boat, he was contacted by the Avenger, Iron Man. He had heard of his good deed, and was there to grant him a gift - a uniform to wear to keep his identity, and a Stark Industries hologram projector, which was disguised as a watch, so he would appear as a human, and could live a normal life. Manatee thanked him, and headed home, ready to start a new life as a hero.

The Story of Smashing Clown Juggler

Stewart Smith had a very good childhood. His parents loved him, he never went without, and no one ever picked on him at his private school in Orange County. It was a good life. Whenever little Stew wanted to go out for ice cream, or to the comic store, or anywhere else, Daddy would say "what a smashing idea!" It may have been Daddy's constant use of that word that made Stew turn to the Incredible Hulk as his favourite superhero, but then, it may have just been that 8 year olds naturally gravitate to the most powerful characters.
His love of the Hulk may have decided his future profession. Three weeks before Stew's ninth birthday, he went out for a bike ride.
"Look, Mommy! Daddy! No hands!" Unfortunately, Stew didn't see the dip in front of him, and for a moment, he flew. When he woke up, Mommy and Daddy were crying, but they quit crying the moment they saw he was alright. He was more than alright, though: he was determined to be the best nuclear physicist around, just like Bruce Banner.
He studied really hard and got into MIT on a full scholarship. He was top of his class and was hired to work on a top secret government project right after graduation. He worked under a Dr. Bruce Banner, who was quite tired of the Hulk jokes even before Stew started working for him. Stew did tell his folks who he was working for, but couldn't say exactly what he was working on: a "Super Soldier" program. He was working on a Super Soldier serum with Dr Bruce Banner, just like in the comics. It was a dream come true.
Even the best dreams, however, can become nightmares. One late June day, a gang of men killed Stew's father. A witness claimed the three men who shot poor Dad were dressed as clowns, which Stew knew as the modus operandi for the Killer Klown Krew. The best way stew could think to work through his grief was, well, to work through it. And so, he threw himself into working on the Super Soldier Serum.
Naturally, as this was California, an earthquake hit. Stew was thrown back into his wall. The various syringes of serum all fell on him, at least 60 doses, each of which could theoretically make him above human. They hadn't tested the stuff on people yet, but the 60 syringes they had were of a formula that made the monkeys they tested it on much more strong and durable. And a little larger. Stew grew a lot larger. Not quite Hulk-level large, but close.
"Hmmm...better test this out," was his first thought, once the quake ended. He found he could lift the heaviest thing around, his neighbour's pickup truck, with little difficulty. He could also jump at least 4 stories high, though the landing wasn't exactly ground friendly. Naturally, the next thought Stew had was to use his newfound power for good while he still had it, lest it wear off before he could catch his dad's killers.
It wasn't that hard to find the Killer Klown Krew. A quick google search for local abandoned circus grounds found only three in the area, and it wasn't hard to check all of them in a small amount of time. He wondered why the cops didn't do that, but then guessed there were probably too many dirty cops on the force or something. Either way, it wasn't long before he had a makeshift superhero costume made out of a circus strongman suit and a ski mask. A fitting costume, he figured, for busting some clowns.

The third abandoned circus ground he checked did, indeed have the gang of clowns there. There were 5 of them. Not the whole gang, clearly, but somehow, he <i>knew</i> these armed thugs were the ones who killed his father (and two more).  They didn’t hesitate to shoot at him, and that’s when Stew learned that not only was he strong, he was also invincible. He slowly, ominously walked towards them, and broke their guns. Then, an urge overtook him. He grabbed one by the arm and threw him up, then another, and another, until eventually, he was juggling all five of the clowning criminals. Granted, he could have killed them all, but heroes never kill. When he was certain the clowns were beaten, he tossed them into an acrobats’ net and tied said net.
“Now that I’ve got you all tied up, I’ll take you to a circus you won’t have fun in – the Big Circus!” He then jumped all the way to the police station. He dropped them off with a note attached: “These criminal clowns won’t make any more families cry.” He didn’t know what to sign it, so he just left them there.
The next day, he received an odd text. “We know about the clowns last night. Meet me at ¬¬_______. Urgent.” Stew didn’t know what make of it, but he went to the prescribed place at the prescribed time. No one else was there, of course, but he was surprised by who he saw. There was Dr Bruce Banner, and beside him…
“Nick Fury, Director of Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division.”
“…SHIELD?” Stew was in awe.
“Yeah, that’s the acronym. Anyway, we’ve been watching you and your newfound gamma powers. If you’re willing, we have a spot on the Avengers for you.”
“But…that’s all fiction!” As much as it pained Stew, superheroes didn’t exist. Well, except for him.
“We keep it secret, and the comics and movies are good at that. Anyone who tells anyone about us gets laughed at, because we’re comic book characters,” said Fury.
“And…you want to recruit me?” Stew asked. Both Fury and Banner nodded.
“But we’ll need a code name…and a better costume,” Fury added.
“Well, I did just juggle some clowns…” He then thought of his father. “Why not the Smashing Clown Juggler?”
“Well, I guess all the good names are taken anyway,” Fury said with a shrug. “Welcome aboard, Smashing Clown Juggler!” They shook hands. “We’ll take you to the Helicarrier right away. Oh, and Stew? Whatever you do, don’t make Banner angry.” They all laughed. It was the best day of Stew’s life.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yesterday was one of the worst days of Martha Smith’s life. Yesterday was her son Stewart’s tenth birthday. Since the accident, her marriage to Dean had suffered, though they managed to stick together. If Stew had died in the accident it would have been much easier, but having her son comatose for almost 13 months was like having him die every day  in that stretch of time. So, she was glad for the good news. The doctor told her that Stew’s brain activity had spiked, and was continuing to increase steadily ever since yesterday, when they left his presents at his bedside: an Incredible Hulk action figure and a clown doll.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

The Story of Astral Tornado Mariner

My story begins in a different dimension unlike the one yours resides in. I was born into a line of royalty and my father was a wise king and my mother was a beautiful lady and many people sent her gifts when they learned I was being born. At the age of 14 my father died and I was chosen to succeed my father and rule his land but then a evil scientist developed a weapon that has the power of unraveling dimensions. We were tried to stop him... but it was too late... We had 1 week before the dimension would no longer be there. So we had a team of our finest scientist develop a dimension jumper so we could go into a different dimension and live but there was a catch... we could only send 10 people. So I chose 9 other people to take with me to go to new dimension and prosper but little did we know that the Evil Scientist also had the same idea and was also going to be doing a dimension jump... Just before the dimension was destroyed we all made it to this one and as soon as we stepped foot on this planet we developed strange and abnormal powers. I developed the power to control certain types of weather, tornadoes to be exact, also I learned that I was capable of breathing underwater and was able to telepathically talk to my other people!

We remained secret to the world for 10 years and were secretly hunting down the scientist who destroyed our dimension and are going to find him and capture him for what he did to our home. after awhile we eventually opened up to the public and decided to join a team called CBR which has many CBRites so to speak. And they are helping us track down our enemy and put him to justice! They gave us all "Earth names" which were based off our powers... And now I am Astral Tornado Mariner!


The story of Furious Clever King

It was a cold night in the village of Fuveria , everything was quite every now and then . Only the wind screams this time at night. You cannot even hear citizens from this village .


It was because of the old myth , "The Sphinx" . Some says it died a long time ago , but still believe to be resurrected from the dead . It was a half bodied woman with a body of a lion ; eagle wings and a tail of a serpent ,the Sphinx always asked riddles . It kills every children in that village back to the old times , and that's why the citizens hide their self inside their houses because of the Sphinx .


There once a traveler that passed by 12 noon at the village of Fuveria . He's name was FuCleng , a man with a big hat , a cloak and a sword . He travelled for almost of his life , believing to achieve something in life , and also to be known as the " Greatest Sphinx Slayer " .

A woman in the village peek from the window to take a glimpse of the man ; She stared at him with fear " the Sphinx might attack him" she said .

FuCleng wondered around the village to find some goods , and suddenly , strong wind passed by , he could hear flapping wings , and a woman's laughter . 'THE SPHINX!' he exclaimed . When he turned around , it is indeed the Sphinx .
He bring out his sword , BUT , the Sphinx said that she would not want to have a duel . "I've killed many Sphinx!, Don't even dare to fight me!" he said with confidence .The woman laugh exaggeratedly , and begin to get closer to FuCleng , she loop it's serpent tail to him ; slimy yet had a good smell .

FuCleng was intimidated and cut it's tail . The Sphinx was very angry , it flew into a house and gets a citizen , a crying kid .

"Look what you've done traveler , you make me mad .
Answer my riddle correctly or I will kill this child !" said the Sphinx .

"Okay monster , I'm ready ."
No one answers this riddle correctly , that's why many children have been slayed .

The riddle is " A creature with four feet when it's young , two when it grows , and three when it's old .

The cleverness of FuCleng gets into him . He answered it " HUMAN "

The Sphinx was surprised ,she let the child go and decided to go away and never come back .

Every people in their houses goes outside to see FuCleng , they've been watching the whole time !
" Your'e so brave !" " So clever !"
said the villagers . You are our saviour !

From that day forward , the villagers worships FuCleng and made monuments of him .

The man that saves the village of Fuveria continues to protect the village from monsters , especially Sphinx's . He was known to be the " Furious Clever King " all over their nation , because of his bravery and courage ; wisdom and cleverness . He now achieves his dreams , to be known as the greatest sphinx slayer ! THE FURIOUS CLEVER KING !


The story of Captain Hat Prime

My story begins in the year 1945, while other soldiers were using their usual factory made helmets, I used my Hat that my mother made for me, The other soldiers thought I was crazy that I wore it instead of a metal helmet but I didn't care. Our general ordered us to Invade a German camp to destroy their new unknown weapon, as we were walking on a secluded trail we heard some rustling in the leaves and then *BOOM* we all lost consciousness. We woke up in their nurse tents and I looked in the mirror to find out my face is half gone and my arm is amputated .

As I eavesdrop on the Doctors they said i was lucky to be alive and said I was the only one captured my other soldiers escaped, They then walked into my room and said they have no use for me and they were sending me back to America. Ten years after I got was sent home, nobody would step near me due to injuries and I was thrown into a depression. As I came home one day from a stroll in the park, I was trying to pull myself together. Then all of a sudden as I lay in my chair I heard a knock at the door, It was a Army doctor named Dr. Urkine Robinson, the doctor said he had a way to get my arm and face back to normal! But there was a risk I couldn't make it, But I didn't care, all i cared about was trying to be normal again, so I took the risk...

After our brief discussion on what he would be doing, he drove me to a secret underground facility, I have no idea where this place is located but I need to trust this Doctor... After two months of intense treatments, it was finally done! The Doctor actually fixed me! The Doctor said I had a dormant regeneration power and that he tapped into them. After I looked into a mirror to see what I looked like, I jumped with joy but then I saw The Doctor coped a strange smile, and said "Now you have to do me a favor..." The Doctor said I had to go on a special task with a team of other people. He said we had to go to Germany to kill the people who killed his father. Which turned out to be my former soldiers. I can't believe he told me to do such things...Blood after blood, brother after brother. He said once I did this small task I would be free to do anything i ever wanted wouldn't be able to live after doing suck horrible things to my old friends. Before we went on this task he gave us all code names, My code name was "Prime".

After we did the task and killed the people who killed the Doctors father I couldn't live with myself anymore... I tried many forms of suicide... Drugs, Shooting myself, Jumping off Skyscrapers. But nothing worked! These regenerative powers are keeping me alive, I was near Immortal! How could I live with all these Unforgivable memories? Then I figured out what I needed to do... I needed to get revenge at the Doctor for what he made me do! But the question is... Where does he currently reside in? After all these years I will find him! He gave me these Horrible powers... I know he used it on himself! No matter how long it takes I'll find that bastard and kill him! In the meantime, I will save who I can so they wont suffer like my brothers, but not as Rogers....not as Rhema... but as... Captain Hat Prime!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The story of Gallant Centurion Spy

I've seen these eyes before...but, I'm getting ahead of myself.

My mother is Proserpina. I know this because it was the last word by Gaius Marius's Optio before I twisted my blade. But, that was almost two thousand years ago. I know not my father.

How ironic was that twist of the blade, this twist telling the optio's master that I will no longer kill for him. No more men will suffer my sword. No more women will endure my spear. No more children, my boot.

I run. I am a man without past or country, now. I am a man no longer under the protection of Gaius Marius.

Gaius Marius...a name that haunts me to this day. When you grow up as a member of Roman's ruling class you learn to respect its Generals. Or in my case, fear them. I often wondered why the other children of the house lessoned in mos maiorum, while I learned hundreds of ways to kill a person with my bare hands. A skill I'm sure they regret ever teaching me.

But who are they? The Empire falls and historians erroneously fail to credit me. But these men who are worshipped for "modern" civilization were mostly depraved and barbaric. I know their evil. I was their evil. I destroyed their evil.

I've seen these eyes before...the evil is back. 



Tuesday, October 9, 2012

The story of Cunning Omega Lady

“Kai, if you wish to lead the clan one day, you must pay attention!  Min will not hesitate to use everything taught in her lessons against you; you can afford to do no less!”  With a sigh, I straightened up and met my mothers gaze with reluctant eyes.  I hated this, I hated having these lessons, having to learn how to kill my own sister.  Min and I used to be so close, until the day we found out the Great Secret; as twins, one of us must defeat the other.  There could only be one leader, one Lady of the Omegas.

My mother, Ris, was known as the Lucky Omega Lady, and had been fortunate that her twin had died at birth.  She had no competition when it came time for her to rule, but Min and I had not been that fortunate.  So, instead, we had to train, both in the laws and customs of the clan, and also in how to best each other.  We had to learn how to hate each other, and it was this lesson that I failed at  Instead, I loved my sister with all my heart.

If I could, I would quit… just leave, allow Min the rule of the clan uncontested, but that wasn’t allowed.  She would have to hunt me down and defeat me.. She could only rule through blood.  I did not want to die either, and I could not outrun her, so my options were few.  I went to the classes, I took the lessons with father on weaponry,  I excelled with the ritual daggers that we had to use, and I fought against the dread and reluctance in my heart as I needed to.  Mother made it obvious that she thought I would be a far more fair ruler than Min, but father made it equally as clear that Min was a better fighter than I, more ruthless, more self-assured.  She seemed to share none of my hesitance, but we hadn’t spoken in eleven months, since our sixteenth birthday, when we learned the Great Secret.  Did she hate me?  I didn’t know.  I may never know.

The morning of the rite, I woke early, a sick feeling in my stomach.  I waved away the food that Ged brought in… it would make no difference.  If I lived, I could eat later.  If I lived.

The ritual clothes were designed for show, not for function… the leather paneled skirt was only midthigh length, the vest laced on both sides, no undershirt, no jacket. All the more skin to show and bleed, all the faster to end the fight and start the festivities.  At least my soft boots were knee-length.  I gathered my curls back in a tail, donned my circlet that proclaimed me a potential Lady of the Omegas, and then stood shaking in the center of my room, looking around one last time.  Last time?  Yes… I didn’t expect to see this room again.

The arena was round, marble, with raised seats many feet above us for the nobles to sit in.  On a special raised dais sat mother, father off to the side and slightly lower, his face grim.  I met mothers eyes, surprised to see a look of eager anticipation in them, then tried to meet my fathers.  His face hard, his eyes looked sad, but he refused to lock his gaze with mine.  My heart full of foreboding, I accepted my daggers from the attendant, then looked across the room to look at my twin for the first time.  Her hair was shorter, her outfit in shades of blue instead of green, her expression hard… oh, Min.  Why did our clan have to be like this?  Why couldn’t the older twin be recognized, as in other families?  Why did our adulthood have to start like this?

The gong sounded, and I pushed all thinking aside, meeting Min in the center of the ring with one dagger raised, the other defending, instinct taking over.  The fight was long; we seemed more evenly matched then I thought, but finally it was almost over… I had Min pinned against the wall, her left arm useless, her daggers gone.  I had a horrid cut down the side of my face, narrowly missing my right eye, and numerous cuts over my arms and torso, one dagger myself, but that was all I needed.  I raised my remaining dagger to her throat, and finally met her eyes… eyes that shown clear with love and resignation, eyes that didn’t hate me at all.

“Do it, Kai.  Rule them well,” her voice was soft and trembled just slightly, and my heart hurt.

Tears fell from my eyes as I looked into the face so like my own, and I turned my head quickly to look at our parents.  Father looked sad and angry, and I thought I saw tears on his face from here.  Mother looked… so excited.  So… so… eager…  Anger flashed through me, bright and hot, as I turned back to Min.  “No!  There’s another way, Min.  We have to rule in blood, but does it have to be our blood?  If we ruled now, who’s to tell us we can’t rule together?”

Her eyes widened slightly as my meaning crept in, and she also shot a quick glance at the rulers dais, before locking eyes with me again, hate showing clear now.  Min threw better than I, I remember father saying, so I dropped my hand and pressed my dagger into hers.  Simultaneously, it seemed, I spun back and down, and her arm came up as she turned, graceful as a bird in mid-air.  I missed the throw, the flight of the beautiful gemmed dagger from her hand, but I heard the gasps, heard the screams, and I looked up to see that father had not boasted.  Min’s aim was true, and the dagger was now buried in Mother’s chest, her eyes still wide as she fell.  Fathers eyes met mine then, fierce and proud, and I knew we’d done what he hoped for.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

The Story of Raiding Axe

My name is Raiding Axe and this is my story. I am quite young only 13, but live alone wandering from town to town until I am forced to leave. I was born into a family of mercenaries. Every male family member has been a mercenary until me. At the age of 13 a boy becomes a man according to tradition and must defeat the father in a duel in order to continue with life, but if the son loses they are banished. So as I stepped into the ring there stood my father sword drawn. I drew my sword and the duel began. The fight was long a brutal, but eventually I won. However, my father could not stand the embarrassment. So he rose and thrust his sword right into my side. Then all went dark.

As I awoke I found a terrible pain in my side. As my mother explained to me that my father had almost killed me, I went into a state of shock. I then realized I would have to be banished. I did not understand why my father had done what he did until later. As I stood up to leave my room I heard my father talking with someone. He was saying how I could not live, then I realized that person was my mother! Then my dad walked in like nothing had happened and drew a dagger and almost ran it through my heart I dodged it and ran out of my room to the armory. I went to grab my sword, but then grabbed a double-edged axe with yellow and blue painted all over it. My brothers came running in and were crying. Apparently my father had come after them and tried to kill them. He had gone to far it was time to stop this I thought.

My no longer father, but my enemy came running into the armory and grabbed his sword. He charged me and I raised my axe and swung. My enemy was caught unaware and the axe ran itself down his shoulder slashing his arm almost all the way off. When I turned around to check if my brothers were okay I saw my mother standing there dagger in hand blood all around her. She threw the dagger at me, but I dodged it easily. My hot temper was searing now. I charged my second enemy and shoved her to the ground. I started running and never looked back.
I was forced at a young age to raid surrounding villages for any food at all. Along the way though I have met some very nice and decent people known as CBRites. I am not proud of my raiding as I have much blood on my hands and axe. I had returned to the my town to check in on it and it was in a state of chaos. I now raid my old town weekly and hunt for my parents with my fellow CBRites to put an end to their treachury. My only mission now is to save my town by ending my parents reign and protect my only family, the CBRites from the villains of this world with my axe, now dubbed The Wolverine.  
 
And as promised, here's my take on Raiding Axe.