# Piratecat Comics & MnM presents six issues of Code-4: Reunion (updated 4/06)



## Piratecat (Mar 3, 2005)

Piratecat Comics presents the collectible six issue *Mutants and Masterminds* miniseries:

*Code-4:  Reunion*

_From the 2005 Freedom City Police Department’s internal training manual, p. 43, in the chapter entitled ‘Radio Protocol’: _ 

Code-4:  

- FCPD definition: radio code designating meta-human activity. Upon receipt of a called in code-4, the dispatching officer will contact designated superhero groups or appropriately trained law enforcement. No other officers should attempt to apprehend the code-4 suspect.

- [obsolete usage] The name of a now defunct group of Freedom City superheroes active 1992-2000, disbanded after Black Apollo incident of 12/31/99.​-- o --

Reunion - Issue 1: AGONY’S GAMBIT. Can Freedom City's reunited superheroes defeat the menace of the obsessive Agony and her inhuman Soldiers of Pain? _Played Feb. 25, 05_

Reunion - Issue 2:  PAST AND FUTURE PAIN.  The newly reformed Code-4 brings their old headquarters out of mothballs, just in time to meet the fury of the unstoppable ONSLAUGHT!  _Played Mar. 10, 05._

Reunion - Issue 3:  THE PERFECT MAN. A trip to Freedom City's Cape & Cowl Club indicates that international philanthropist and superhero *Rutger Paragon* may be up to something. Is Mr. Perfection allied with Bloodmoon, and actually a force for _evil_? Featuring a no-holds-barred super-battle against SIX master villains!  _Played Mar. 24, 05._

Reunion - Issue 4:  MEDIATION.  With his beautiful penthouse apartment in shambles, Rutger Paragon has vowed to bring the miscreants to justice. But did he mean the villains. . . or the heroes? Code-4 takes on Paragon Technologies and the Mediator class battle automatons!  _Played Apr. 7, 05._

Reunion - Issue 5:  Forthcoming

Reunion - Issue 6:  Forthcoming


Featuring: 

Capellan as the mountainous *Boulder*, deceased mobster turned concrete powerhouse
Blood Jester as *the Eternal Sentinel*, cosmic guardian of an ancient legacy
Blackjack as the feline *Nine Lives* (9-L), the undefeatable man
Katrina as the glorious *Wave*, beautiful mistress of water and wind
Wulf Ratbane as the awesome *Omnibot V*, remote-controlled weapon and cybernetic marvel
Aravis as the miraculous *Reformer*, once voted Freedom City's most eligible meta-bachelor of 2002
Alomir as the all-powerful *Neutrino*, radioactive master of atomic might 
and KidCthulhu as the ever-popular *Rubber Band* (R.B.), elastic defender of Freedom City 

*Catch the wave: catch Code-4!*®


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 3, 2005)

*AGONY’S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Prologue*


*December 31st, 1999.
ASTRO Labs, Freedom City. 
11:59 pm.*

Light in the shattered laboratory came only from arcing electricity, burning super-computers and the radiant glow of unconscious superheroes. Bent and twisted bodies lay unmoving across the rubble: a blood-smeared elderly man wearing a lab coat, an impossibly long leg sticking out from beneath a chunk of ceiling, a haggard-faced hero with armor of flickering light. In the center of the high-tech wreckage lay the corpse of one of the most infamous men in the world. Curled up beside him and screaming uncontrollably was a faceless woman, clawing at herself as silver energy ran unchecked through her slim frame.

The only man standing was a handsome youngster in a black costume. Unable to help the screaming girl, he stood and stared upwards through the hole in the ceiling. He winced as a shattered bone in his forearm snapped back into place, but he didn’t take his eyes off the sky.

Behind him, a pile of shattered rubble moved, shifted, and stood. A living wall of concrete shaped like a man staggered over to stare at the dead villain and the screaming girl.  He crouched to try and help the girl, but as far as he could tell she was oblivious to his presence. He turned to the young man instead.

“Whut happened?” rumbled the man-mountain.

“The only reason we’re all still alive is because Jane Doe drained him dry, just before he activated the graviton trembler. Now Black Apollo’s a husk, and Jane won’t stop screaming.”

“Huh.” The living stone stopped to consider for a moment. “Whut about his kid? Bloodmoon?  Whut about these others?”

The young man took a deep breath  as a broken rib realigned itself to no longer press on his lung. “I’ve called an ambulance. All hurt, all unconscious. They’ll probably be okay, except maybe for Dr. Arkham. And Jane. She keeps screaming, Boulder. I don’t know how to stop her from screaming.” He traced a finger along his stylized “9” insignia on his chest, and realized idly that he was probably still in shock.

Boulder took his massive hands and shook the young man ever so slightly. The man’s head bobbed back and forth like a punching bag.  “9-L, listen to me.  Whut. About. His kid?”

Nine Lives blinked and tried to focus. “Bloodmoon’s anti-grav device was smashed by Neutrino. He got flung into high orbit, and he wasn’t wearing his helmet. I think he’s dead. As soon as the Sentinel is conscious again, he can fly up and look.”

“Yeah? Good for him.”  The girl’s screams didn’t quite drown out the mournful wail of an approaching ambulance as Boulder turned to lift rubble off of his friends. The sky above them suddenly exploded with fireworks, a shimmering cascade of color that filled up the night.

“Happy New Year,” whispered Nine Lives.

_Please flip page to continue._


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 3, 2005)

*AGONY’S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 1*

*Lincoln Township, Freedom City, Massachusetts.
Now.*

Nine Lives took the corner hard onto Calhoun Street, wrenching the wheel around as tires shrieked on the pavement. He gathered acceleration as he shot towards the intersection at Warren Way. The traffic light ahead of him turned red.  Far too late, he slammed on the brake and scraped the nose of his car on the pavement. Sparks flew out. The dented sedan fishtailed out of control, and it took a deft spin of the steering wheel to take it through a 360° skid and leave it stopped right underneath the light.

Strobing blue flashed behind him, and a siren briefly wailed like a cat in heat. A motorcycle cop, taking advantage of Freedom City’s unseasonably warm weather.

The traffic signal overhead  turned green as the Freedom City police officer got off her cycle and sauntered up to the driver’s side window. Nine Lives stayed put. He squinted slightly as she shone her powerful flashlight through the broken window into his eyes.

“All right, sir, step out of the car. That was the worst driving I’ve ever. . . oh! Nine Lives!”

“Good evening, officer.”

She swallowed. “Good evening, sir. I’m sorry to have pulled you over. I didn’t recognize this incarnation of the crime cruiser.  I thought you had a different car.” 

“I did. I found out the hard way that the dealer warrantee didn’t cover thrown girders.”

“Ah.”  The police officer removed the beam of her flashlight from his eyes, and leaned over to touch one of the dents. The traffic light turned red again.

“But not a problem at all, officer. . .” Nine Lives squinted at her name badge.  “. . . Brandt.  I have nothing but respect for you and the FCPD.  You make my job much, much easier.”  He smiled a friendly grin. She smiled back, flattered in spite of herself.

“Are you on your way to a crime, sir?”

“Not this time, Officer.” His gaze turned inwards slightly, as if remembering something. “I’ve got a meeting scheduled with some old friends.  Call it a reunion.”

“Well, don’t let me keep you, sir. Good hunting.  And nice work stopping AxeBlade last week.”

“Thanks, officer. He’s better off behind bars, far away from anything sharp. Take care.” 

Officer Brandt stepped away from the crime cruiser just as the light turned green again. Nine Lives floored the accelerator, and the battered car careened at top speed down Calhoun towards Southside. He hadn’t seen some of the former members of Code-4 in five years, and he was looking forward to it.  He was looking forward to hearing what the government agent from AEGIS had to say.

It was going to be interesting.

_Please flip page to continue._


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 3, 2005)

*AGONY’S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 2*

*ASTRO Labs, Freedom City
Cybernetics Wing*

The long white hallway was lit by fluorescent lights. The awkward man with ginger hair weaved down it with clipboard in hand and pencil scribbling, not bothering to look up from his work as the freight-sized elevator arrived with a loud *ding!*  

“Hold the door.”  The voice from down the hall had a slightly metallic twang to it. 

The man in the elevator reached out his clipboard to stop the closing door before looking up. Then saw what was headed for him, gathering speed as it rumbled towards the open elevator: a huge black sphere made of gleaming duralloy, six feet in diameter and bristling with subtle menace. The man in the lab coat squeezed to the side of the elevator, flattening himself against the wall. The massive metal sphere caromed into the large elevator and instantaneously sprouted four huge metal legs. A red light slowly rose from its top, shining a narrow laser onto the scientist’s face.

“Evening, Ed.  First floor, please.”

“You bet.” The scientist pushed the “close door” button. The elevator began to descend. The Omnibot V hummed tinnily along with the Muzak. 

“Late night in the lab, Oliver?”

The Omnibot V shifted slightly on its massive legs.  “Not tonight, Ed. I’m going to a bar.”

Ed furrowed his brow. “A bar? Dr. Arkham, I know you’re running this remotely. . .”

“I don’t intend to be drinking, Ed.”  The Omnibot finished humming the song. “I’m off to see some old friends.”

The elevator doors opened, and the robot retracted its legs and rolled rapidly out the building’s high-security entrance. A guard gave him a little wave as he went, disappearing down the street and into the late winter night.

_Please flip page to continue._


----------



## BSF (Mar 3, 2005)

Oooooh.  Cool.


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 3, 2005)

That'll get us started! 

This is our temporary campaign that we're playing while Sagiro and Kodiak get used to being new parents.  We played for the first time last Friday. I'll be recounting the story as "one chapter per post." That's going to mean that some chapters are longer or shorter than others, but I'll try to make it as much fun as we had at the gaming table.  

The roster for this game is short Neutrino (still dealing with a problem in the Ukraine) and Rubber Band (on his way back from an investigation in Tennessee.) We have eight players, but on average one or two players will probably miss any given session; since it's a superhero game, swapping characters in and out is a piece of cake.

The game is set in Green Ronin's Freedom City (albeit with some customization), and the heroes are the default PL 10. You'll continue to meet them as we go.


----------



## Ankh-Morpork Guard (Mar 3, 2005)

I'll be the first to say...Oh hell yes! Was hoping for a SH.


----------



## shilsen (Mar 3, 2005)

*pulls up a seat and gets comfortable*

This should be good!


----------



## Len (Mar 3, 2005)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> Rubber Band (on *his* way back from an investigation in Tennessee.)



Oh darn. I was hoping for Elastigirl. 

Hey, but I like Boulder. I have no trouble imagining how a "deceased mobster" becomes a "concrete powerhouse".


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 3, 2005)

Len said:
			
		

> Oh darn. I was hoping for Elastigirl.




You've got the elasta, just not the girl.


----------



## Campbell (Mar 3, 2005)

PC, I really like the format you went with for this story hour. The format gives the story hour the right flavor.


----------



## Len (Mar 3, 2005)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> You've got the elasta, just not the girl.



It's just not the same.


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 3, 2005)

*AGONY'S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 3*

*Magetti’s Bar
Southside, Freedom City*

“Out of the bar, fellas.”

The regulars looked up from their beer steins in surprise.  The man at the end of the bar rubbed his bleary eyes. “Whaddaya mean, Vinnie? It ain’t even eight o’clock. I ain’t seen my must-see TV. You can’t kick us out.”

“See it at home, buddy. Bar’s closed.” The front door to Magetti’s swung open and closed, and Vinnie nodded to the man entering.

“But home’s where my wife is!”

“Things is tough all over. We got a private party here tonight.”

“A party? Here?” the regular scoffed. “What kind of a freak would want to. . .” He broke off as he suddenly realized that the light from both the street and the overhead lamp had been eclipsed.  He was suddenly sitting in relative darkness. He turned in confusion and looked up, and up, and up at the huge silhouette looming over him. His eyes bulged as he fell backwards off the bar stool.

Boulder just stared at him, eyes hard.

A few minutes later the last of the regulars were gone. The silent TV was showing clips of the Freedom City Comets at spring training in Florida. Vinnie snapped off the set just as a flare of golden light erupted on the street outside. The bartender coughed politely. “Tony, I think that’s for you.”

“I think yer right.” Boulder’s face twisted into what might be a smile. “Vinnie, do me a favor and pour the Eternal Sentinel a whiskey straight up.”

The door swung open to reveal an older man with gray hair, a short gray beard, and eyes of blazing light. His costume was military in style and slightly archaic, a uniform of woven radiance that covered his lanky frame. 

“Yer early, Barnabas,” said Boulder. The new arrival gave him a piercing look.

“I’m well aware of it, Boulder. And you’re ‘late’. And yet we’re both here.” His tone was ironic.

Boulder held up a massive stone hand. “I didn’t mean it like that, Barnabas.  Don't be so touchy.  Vinnie, this here’s the Eternal Sentinel.”

The Sentinel nodded at the bartender and then strode across the room to a far booth. He knelt beside the sticky table, emerging holding a passed-out patron that both Boulder and the bartender had missed.

“I’m just going to fly him home first.”  Slinging the drunk over one shoulder, the Eternal Sentinel reached for the bar and downed his whiskey in one gulp.  Boulder’s brow furled.

“How do ya know where he lives?”

“I read his wallet when I came in. Be right back.” He reached the door and there was a flash of light.

“He looks tired,” said the bartender.

“He always looks like that,” said Boulder. 

Another flash of light, and the Eternal Sentinel was back. “Just a beer this time, please,” he said. He sat down next to Boulder.  "How’ve you been?”

"Keepin' busy. No Freedom League means more work for the rest o' us."

"Been a long time since we were all together."

"Not all 'o us.  You heard anything from her?"

"Not directly, but we were never close. I understand that she's out of the Providence Asylum and out of the life. Retired, retrained and relocated by AEGIS, somewhere in Ohio."

"Poor Jane." Boulder rested his jutting chin on one massive fist. "She stopped him when the rest o' us couldn't, though.  That bastard."

The Eternal Sentinel nodded.  "I'll drink to that. And I hear someone else coming. Let's go say hi."

_Please flip page to continue._


----------



## coyote6 (Mar 3, 2005)

I'm flipping, but nothing!


----------



## Blacklamb (Mar 3, 2005)

So PC, is there any chance, Say if i became a millionaire, that i could just get you to write full time?

 

More of fan than i ever thought i could be,
Blacklamb


----------



## Emperor Valerian (Mar 3, 2005)

I think the phrase, "Goody goody!" in excited tones is now appropriate!   

*Starts flipping through comic pages*


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 3, 2005)

*AGONY'S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 4*


*Somewhere in the vicinity of Freedom City*

The gorgeous young woman caught a meaty swell and roared down the unseen tube, blond hair caught by the wind and streaming out behind her. Her feet gripped the surfboard as she balanced with her arms and body, carving her way across the face. The girl’s bikini top was soaked with sweat and mist, but her grin was luminescent. She was having fun.

An unexpected current caught her from the side just as she was trying to do a tricky jump, and her board skittered out from underneath her feet. She fell. For a few seconds it looked as if she was falling into an endless sea of white foam. Then she cleared the cloud and was tumbling, freefalling, out of the sky and down towards the skyscrapers of Freedom City.

The falling girl let out a mighty whoop of pure and utter joy. Her surfboard of hardened air rematerialized beneath her bare feet and with astonishing grace she kicked out of the fall and was suddenly soaring over the spires of the city. After one quick flyby to buzz the tourists in the space needle, she checked her watch.  It was time. 

Buoyed by unseasonably warm wind, the girl twisted her muscled body and aimed her board towards the lights of Southside. Her laughter trailed her through the air as she spent a few minutes chasing birds.

The bar wasn’t hard to find. The girl tugged up her bikini top, flipped the hair out of her eyes, and used a gust of air to blow open the doors before surfing through them. The board dissipated with perfect timing and she landed on her feet.  She recognized the few people who had already arrived, but she didn’t really know any of them.

“Flashy,” said the Eternal Sentinel from where he leaned against the bar, his back ramrod straight. It wasn’t clear if he disapproved or not.

“You weren’t no member o’ Code-4,” grated Boulder. “Who’re you?”

“I’m Wave.” Her smile faded a little as she looked around the dive. “Nice to meet you. Boulder and the Eternal Sentinel, right?”

Boulder nodded; it was like watching the start of a landslide. “Yeah, and that’s Vinnie. This is his place. ‘Wave’ your real name or your superhero name?”

Wave wrinkled her nose, and her crystal blue eyes flashed. “Both. Growing up, we didn’t believe in artificial barriers to communication. That’s like _so_ east coast. The same with last names. They’re just there to shackle down your soul. No _thanks._”

Boulder regarded her. “Where you from?” He tapped a slablike finger on the bar, denting it slightly.

Wave raised one eyebrow in disdain. “Cali_forn_ia. Duh. I was invited here by AEGIS. I kind of like the place, except you have to make your own waves.”

The Eternal Sentinel let out a mirthless chuckle. “You so often do.”

“California?” Boulder nodded again, sagely. “That explains it.”

Wave narrowed her perfect brows. “Drink?” asked the bartender, interceding.

“Do you have any fresh squeezed fruit juices?”  Wordlessly, the bartender shook his head. “Any margaritas?”  He shook his head again.  “No problem. Then give me an organic beer.”

He blinked like a lizard.  “_Organic_ beer?”

“You know.” Wave looked impatient. “Microbrewed from the best ingredients, pure water, no bio-engineered or irradiated hops, glass bottle you can recycle afterwards.” Her eyes narrowed. “You _do_ recycle, don’t you?”

Vinnie looked at Boulder in desperation. “Tony?”

“Give her a Schlitz, Vinnie.”

The bartender swallowed.  "We got a rule, Miss. I don't know if you got any ID on that outfit, but we gotta make sure you're 21. Also, we got a 'no shirt no shoes no service' rule." He looked pointedly at her bare feet, instead of at her bikini top.

Wave just rolled her eyes.  

_Please flip page to continue._


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 3, 2005)

Blacklamb said:
			
		

> So PC, is there any chance, Say if i became a millionaire, that i could just get you to write full time?




Sign me up! You hear that, internet millionaires out there? I can be bought.  

Thanks for the kind words, folks.


----------



## RangerWickett (Mar 3, 2005)

I think EN World has it's next 'Server Drive'.  *grin*

So, how did this play out as a game?  It reads like a comic script - are you taking dramatic license, or do your players magically grasp pacing?  No problems either way, but the feel here is distinctively different from your normal storyhour, I'm curious how the actual game went.


----------



## Dirigible (Mar 3, 2005)

Fantastic! I'll be watching this with rapt... raptness. I'm kinda glad you didn't decide to do it in actual comic script form; a face to face game would be a bit illegible in frames.



> Sign me up! You hear that, internet millionaires out there? I can be bought.



A wise man once said "Every man has his price; integrity is pretending to hold out until at least the third offer, for the sake of appearences".



> Boulder just stared at him, eyes hard.



Well, I was assuming they're made out of concrete, like the rest of him...

I really dig Wave's character. She is so very yoink'd.


----------



## thatdarncat (Mar 3, 2005)

me like. I'll have to see if I can get some of my CoH playing friends to read this.


----------



## Aravis (Mar 3, 2005)

Blacklamb said:
			
		

> So PC, is there any chance, Say if i became a millionaire, that i could just get you to write full time?
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Why stop there?  Become a *MULTI-millionaire * and you can pay all of 
us to play all the time so he has something to write about.    

-- Aravis


----------



## carpedavid (Mar 3, 2005)

PC, once again you make me doubt my own abilities as a writer. After reading this, going back to writing my own dinky story hour just seems pointless, somehow. Your ability to breathe life into characters and scenes is phenominal -- so I will read this, not only to be entertained, but to learn.


----------



## Funeris (Mar 3, 2005)

Nice beginning.  And glad to have another SH to read.  Keep 'em coming.


----------



## Ashy (Mar 4, 2005)

I'll post it again - shucks...  I'd really love to see the prelude, PK...


----------



## Lazybones (Mar 4, 2005)

Yet another unique game writeup. Is there any genre that you guys _don't_ play?


----------



## Seule (Mar 4, 2005)

This once again proves that Piratecat can write, and in different genres too!


  --Seule


----------



## KidCthulhu (Mar 4, 2005)

Lazybones said:
			
		

> Yet another unique game writeup. Is there any genre that you guys _don't_ play?




Torg.


----------



## Vargo (Mar 4, 2005)

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> Torg.




You guys are missing out - it's a SWEET system.


----------



## Hammerhead (Mar 4, 2005)

Cyberpunk? Post apocalypse wasteland? Big giant robots and other anime stuff?


----------



## KidCthulhu (Mar 4, 2005)

Vargo said:
			
		

> You guys are missing out - it's a SWEET system.



I've only played Torg twice, both at con games.  Both times I've resorted to the worst kind of female behavior.  I roleplayed my heart out, and everytime some kind of interaction with the rules was required, I'd roll my dice, turn to the guy next to me, bat my lashes and say "Did I hit?"  The system reduced me to that.

I'm almost ashamed of myself.   But I did win the tables.


----------



## Ashy (Mar 4, 2005)

Rotfl!!!!


----------



## Dirigible (Mar 6, 2005)

Any chance we'll see a *'Help me challange my superheroes'* thread, ala the Defenders of Daybreak, Pkitty?


----------



## Plane Sailing (Mar 7, 2005)

Nobody else has mentioned it yet, but I love the characterisation of 9-L as a reckless guy... because heck, he knows he's going to recover from whatever happens, so why not?

Omnibot V... purely co-incidence, or did someone watch the Incredibles recently?


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 7, 2005)

Thanks for the kind words.

What you're reading so far is the prep material I had prepared for doing character introductions with each player. I only had a chance to go over some of it in-game due to time constraints, so I wanted to post the rest here as a way of introducing the characters. It seemed more "comic-y" than posting character stats, which is something you'll never find in a comic book.

Speaking of which. . .


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 7, 2005)

*AGONY'S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 5*

*The Neptune Dance Bar
Midtown, Freedom City*


“You can tell a lot about a man by his wist wrach. . . _wrist watch._” The unsteady blonde corrected herself carefully, this time enunciating every syllable in her thick Bronx accent.  She smiled crookedly at the gentleman sitting at the bar next to her and took another large swallow from her third drink. Tendrils of curly hair slipped down into her eyes.

“Is that so?” The handsome man with the brown hair ostentatiously put both hands underneath the lip of the bar.  “Tell me, what kind of watch do you think I have?”  His grin was challenging and flirtatious.  

The blond put an unsteady finger to her red lips and considered.  “Well, Andy, I’d normally think that you may have one of those really big Rolexes. . .”  Something subtle flickered around the bar, and hidden from sight the man felt something heavy drop into his palm. He surreptitiously slipped the band around his left wrist.  “But the only men who have _those_ are trying to compensate for something, if you know what I mean.”  With a tiny roll of his eyes, the man cupped his hand over the heavy watch now adorning his wrist. He pulled his hand away and the watch had become a razor-thin Pulsar.

“Wrong,” he said, pulling out this hand to show the woman. Her eyes widened at the sight of the expensive watch. 

“Omigod! It’s beautiful!” Then she frowned.  “Hey, it’s not working,” she said.  The man barely even checked.

“Is that so?” His brown eyes twinkled disarmingly. “That must be because when I’m with you, Amy. . .”

“Angie.”

“. . .Angie, time seems to stand still.”  Then his eyes caught the clock hanging over the bar.  

“Drat. Nevertheless, I have to be somewhere. I’m sorry to have to leave you so soon after we met. These last fifteen minutes have been precious to me.”

The woman squinted through her alcoholic haze. “You aren’t going to meet another woman, are you?”

The man paused for a minute as he thought of the first time he had seen Wave. Then he shook his head slightly, like a dog shaking off water.  “Will you please take care of my drink?” He reaches out one hand and smoothly drew a perfect red rose from behind the tipsy woman’s ear. She raised one hand to her mouth in surprise.

“Are you some kind of magician?”

He looked back at her over his shoulder.  “Something like that.”

Fifteen minutes, Anderson Daley stepped out of the Freedom Transit System into the dark and littered streets of Southside. The night air seemed cold after the warmth of the subway. He stepped into an alley and held out both hands; a mask fell into them. He ran one hand down the front of his clothing, and under his touch the fabric _shifted_ into a different color and material. 

It had been Anderson Daley who walked into the alley, but it was The Reformer who emerged.

_Please flip page to continue._


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 7, 2005)

*AGONY'S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 6*

*Magetti’s Bar
Southside, Freedom City*


Much too fast, Nine Lives roared down the block and into a parking space in front of Magetti’s. The car thumped over the curb onto the sidewalk and clipped a light pole before finally shuddering to a halt. Rubbing his forehead where it had bounced off the steering wheel, Nine Lives hoisted himself out of the car just in time to see a huge black sphere rumbled up Delano Street. Nine Lives watched it with catlike intensity.  The sphere thundered  towards him and bounced into the air, five legs snapping out of it as it crashed into the pavement.

“9-L.” The voice coming from the robot sounded slightly tinny.  “Good to see you again. It’s been too long.”

Nine Lives looked surprised. “Dr. Arkham? I recognize the voice, but. . .”  He waved a hand vaguely, and the robot chuckled metallically.

“A little precaution. I don’t go out much after Black Apollo and Bloodmoon hurt me so badly five years ago. This is the Omnibot V, and it can serve as my eyes and ears.” 

“Glad to hear it.”  Nine Lives turned to open the door of Magetti’s, and hesitated when he realized that the Omnibot was too large to fit through the door without knocking a hole through the wood.

“Ah,” said the Omnibot. He sounded nonplussed. 

“Well, we can’t have the meeting outside.” 

“Allow me,” said an unfamiliar voice. The Reformer strolled around the corner, cape snapping in the light breeze. He walked to the open door and placed his hands on either side of the doorframe. The wood began to wobble.  “Rubber,” he said with a jerk of his thumb. “Go on through.” 

“Thank you,” crackled the Omnibot V.  The doorframe stretched as the warbot pushed through it.  It snapped back to wood with a simple gesture from the man outside. 

The inside of the bar now seemed crowded, although any room with Boulder in it would feel that way. Six heroes stood and caught up with one another as the bartender locked the door and lowered the blinds. Drinks were poured and a tray of sandwiches brought out. Introductions were made.

“Unusually warm weather we’re having,” hazarded the Omnibot. The Eternal Sentinel smiled thinly.

“Expect Freedom City to become a very pleasant place to live,” said the gray-haired man. He rubbed his short beard and indicated Wave, sitting cross-legged on her hovering surfboard next to them.

“How so?” asked the Omnibot. It shifted on its flexible metal legs.

“I didn’t know I had superpowers until recently,” said Wave. “You ever hear of San Viator, California?”

“Sure,” said Omnibot, “but I don’t recall why. I’m pulling it up. . . ah, yes.  Until recently, it had the best weather and best surfing in the entire continental United States. Off every single statistical chart when it first began to improve about ten years ago.” The robot’s glowing red eye regarded Wave impassively.  “Ah.  I see.”

“That’s how they found me. It was a nice place to grow up,” said Wave. “The tourist board in San Viator is probably glad I didn’t like snow shoeing.”

Across the room, Nine Lives threw back another drink which didn’t seem to affect him one bit.  “So, do you have any powers other than being most eligible meta-bachelor of 2002?”  He raised an eyebrow at the Reformer, whose gaze kept slipping over to Wave.

The Reformer refocused on the heroes around him. “Sure. I can create things.”

Boulder frowned. “Like drinks?”

“Nah, not food. More like walls. Or Hondas. Or dishwashers. You know, things that hurt when they hit you.”  Everyone in the small conversation circle nodded their heads knowingly. “I can also reshape existing things, but it’s a little limited.”

“Fair enough. That must be handy.” 

“It has its advantages. I know about Boulder, but what about you? I’ve got to say the press just loves you, but I’ve never seen an exposé.  Right now, I’m figuring that your specialty is lousy driving.”

Nine Lives looked down at the claws strapped to the back of his dark gloves before answering. “I’m hard to hurt.”

The Reformer looked doubtful. “That’s a super-power?”

Boulder laughed grittily and crumpled an empty beer can in one huge fist. “Trust me on this one, kid.”

As the groups mingled, the Reformer strolled over next to where Wave balanced mid air. His gaze worked its way across her body. “Hey, babe. You’re looking _good._ I haven’t seen you since that casino job, and you never took me up on the offer of a date.  How are Torpor, Jawbone, and Tempest? They haven’t been in the papers for ages.”

She shrugged. “I have no idea. They’ve dropped out of sight. They’re probably on vacation with the Freedom League.” Wave looked at him in irritation. “The casino job? You mean the one where you tried to burn down and rob the Paradise? If I remember correctly, you were working for that little weasel Action Jack before we stopped you. You, the Turtle, Chupacabra, Firebug, that bitch with all the mirrors. . .”

“Looking Glass.” The Reformer smiled with the memory. “Horribly vain, but boy, she was gorgeous.”

“Hardly. She was a skank.”  Wave snorted. “With the number of mirrors she broke, I bet she’s going to have _lots_ of years of bad luck.”

“Just seven to fourteen, I think, with time off for good behavior.”

“Remind me, why didn’t we arrest you afterwards?”

The Reformer held out both hands, as if begging her to slap on a pair of handcuffs. “Hey, now. I was only in it for the girl. After you guys took her out, I clearly saw which way the land lay and was honored to come over to the side of truth and justice.  I’m just sorry the Turtle escaped. He has it in for me now. I think he’s slow to forgive a grudge.”

The Eternal Sentinel walked over and looked him up and down with glowing eyes. “You used to be a villain?”

“Hey,” said the Reformer with an easy smile and a shrug, “I reformed.”

_Please flip page to continue._


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 7, 2005)

*AGONY'S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 7*

*Magetti’s Bar
Southside, Freedom City*


At the head of the room, a stranger cleared his throat. The man had slick black hair and heavy horn rimmed glasses. His conservative suit and tiny radio earpiece clearly marked him as a federal agent.  “Thank you for coming, everyone. Two people are missing; Rubber Band is dealing with a problem down in Tennessee, and Neutrino is believed to be dealing with a radioactive menace in the Ukraine. They’ll be briefed separately.”  The man cleared his throat again.  

“I’m Agent Robert Morrison of AEGIS, the American Elite Government Intervention Service and the agency which coordinates law-enforcement efforts against super-powered threats. On behalf of Director Powers and myself, I’d like to welcome you here today. Food and drink are on the house, so help yourself.  

“As you may know, we’re facing a bit of a crisis here. We believe the Atom family is off in another dimension somewhere. We have no idea where the Freedom League is; they could be in Timbuktu or the N-Zone, but they aren’t here where we need them. We’ve had a few problems here in Freedom City that have been handled by individual heroes, inexperienced groups like Next-Gen or well-equipped agents. We can’t count on that, because it’s only a matter of time until something emerges that they can’t deal with. I’m here to say that we’d like to bring back Code-4, and we’d like each of you to be a member.”

The room was silent except for Boulder grinding two fingers together. 

“Several of you were associated with the previous incarnation of Code-4: Dr. Oliver Arkham, now acting through the latest generation cybernetic marvel of the Omnibot V. Boulder, the Eternal Sentinel, Nine Lives, Rubber Band.  Some of you are new, and selected for your skills and potential: Wave, Neutrino, and the Reformer. Accept our offer and you’ll have full government support. You’ll even have back your old island headquarters, The Fortress, brought out of mothballs and revamped with the latest in technology.”

Morrison suddenly stopped and held a finger to the radio in his ear. He spun and pointed to the silent TV set over the bar. “We’ve got a Code-4 at WNTW in midtown that’s just getting patched through to me now. Vinnie, turn the TV on to channel 3!”

Vinnie reached up and flipped the switch. The picture rolled once in a burst of static before fading in to show an attractive but clearly upset newscaster sitting behind a generic channel 3 news desk. She looked like she has been crying. The TV’s color balance appeared to be off slightly, as the woman had a slightly green skin tone. The picture rolled again, and Vinnie slapped the bottom of the set until it stopped.

The sound was tinny, emerging through low-fidelity speakers. “This is Amy Feng coming to you from a remote broadcasting facility in Freedom City. I’m about to show you a clip filmed not fifteen minutes ago for Channel 3’s Nine o’clock News. We warn you, this clip is not for children or the squeamish. Please ask children to leave the room. Emergency personnel are on their way to the scene you are about to see.”

The picture shifted to show the Channel 3 News Logo, then focused in on two well-known newscasters. Both lolled back in their chairs, green mist scudding around their unmoving forms. Blood trickled from sunken eyes.  Both were clearly dead.

_Please flip page to continue._


----------



## Nephis (Mar 7, 2005)

[eyes boggle as mouth drops open] omigod!     ... or ...  ... or ... 

[fun with icons 101]


----------



## Ashy (Mar 7, 2005)

Coolness....thanks for the nod, PC!


----------



## Paxr0mana (Mar 8, 2005)

This is gold. I think my favorite hero is 9-L, so far. I have a weakness for regenerators. Especially when it seems to me that it has a little bit of martial artist thrown in. A perfect blending of two of my favorite heroes.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Mar 8, 2005)

Paxr0mana said:
			
		

> This is gold. I think my favorite hero is 9-L, so far. I have a weakness for regenerators. Especially when it seems to me that it has a little bit of martial artist thrown in. A perfect blending of two of my favorite heroes.




I was thinking, "one" favorite hero:

Not a lot of difference between 9L and Wolverine other than cosmetic.

(That's not a criticism.)


----------



## RangerWickett (Mar 8, 2005)

I would've said Deadpool, myself.

I'm a sucker for puns, so I dig the reformer.  And poor California, losing its streak of good weather.

Thanks for the inspiration, P-Kitty.


----------



## Len (Mar 8, 2005)

Plane Sailing said:
			
		

> Omnibot V... purely co-incidence, or did someone watch the Incredibles recently?



_Everyone_ has watched The Incredibles recently, and every supers game from now on is going to have an Omnibot in it. Wulf has cleverly ensured that it's on the side of the players.


----------



## Tellerve (Mar 8, 2005)

Good stuff, although I gotta say I like Wave.  I really like the image of surfing clouds and flying around that way.  Then again, I really like flying as my super power of choice.  Although regeneration is pretty sweet as well, but I agree with wulf that 9-L gets very close to a wolverine clone.  Which does tend to happen for good or ill.

Tellerve


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 8, 2005)

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> Not a lot of difference between 9L and Wolverine other than cosmetic.



I won't speak for Blackjack, but Wolverine wasn't mentioned once during the character creation process. It can probably be seen as a different interpretation of similar powers. 9-L has the social skills to be the faceman, and his power set has cat-oriented aspects such as leaping. It'll be interesting to see how the different characters play out over six sessions; I suspect that everyone will shine in different ways, and you can be assured that I'll be specifically targetting weaknesses.

It's worth mentioning that the Reformer was originally intended to be a bad guy. During the aforementioned casino robbery (a one-shot game we played while Ashy was visiting; that no good so-and-so one-shotted my main bad guy!) the Reformer ended up defecting to the good guys in order to avoid getting pasted. I just love the image of a guy who walks into an empty room and creates a chair to sit down in, then a table to put his feet up on. . . and who can dismiss them at will when the mood strikes him.



			
				RangerWickett said:
			
		

> And poor California, losing its streak of good weather.



Ryan, you'll appreciate this exchange from the game. . .

Me: The door slams open and icy cold wind swirls into the barroom.
Kat: Warm air.
Me (confused): No, really cold air. It's February in New England.
Kat: Except Wave is living in Freedom City now.
Me: Ohhhh. Man, Freedom City is going to be stealing tourists and college students away from Boston and Providence left and right!

And that's about the point where I wrote off most plots based on bad weather.


----------



## Ashy (Mar 8, 2005)

Further, you've really got to be there when Kat plays Wave - it is pure, perfect genius!


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 8, 2005)

ART - I ran across this drawing by the incredible artist Storn, which is a near-perfect image of Boulder.


----------



## Blackjack (Mar 8, 2005)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> I won't speak for Blackjack, but Wolverine wasn't mentioned once during the character creation process. It can probably be seen as a different interpretation of similar powers.




Yeah, the Wolverine thing didn't actually occur to me until after the character was created, mostly since the addition of claws was almost an afterthought.  I will say that 9-L doesn't have the physical ferocity of Wolverine (his attack isn't that high), and has more immunities and resistance to damage than I picture Wolverine having.  This is not to say they're not drawn from similar cloth, even if by accident.

Also, Nine Lives has _much_ better hygiene.


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 8, 2005)

*AGONY'S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 8*

*Channel 3 News Broadcast
WNTW, Freedom City*


The bodies of WNTW news anchors Tina Kassarian and Joe Betrall lay in their comfortable chairs and steamed as acid did its work.

The image on the barroom TV was unsteady as it swung to the left and panned across to where sports reporter Brian Timmons usually sat. Timmons was nowhere to be seen.  In his usual spot sat a naked woman humming a faint tune.  Well, she _may_ have been naked; it was hard to tell under the shimmering veil of green vapor that partially obscured her body. The oily mist also scudded across her face and hid her true features. Just enough of the woman’s form was visible to know that it would definitely be worth getting a peek at the rest.

Nine Lives let out a low whistle.  “She looks like a young Eliza Dushku, only with fewer clothes.”

“Who?” asked the Eternal Sentinel and Omnibot at the same time.

“I could take Eliza Dushku,” said Wave with a frown.

“I’d pay to see that.” The Reformer licked his lips and moved closer to the television to try and get a better look. “Great Scott, she has huge --”

The woman on the newscast tittered. “Good evening, Freedom City. You can call me Agony. That’s what I’m in due to heartbreak, and that’s what Joe and Tina here were in when they didn’t listen to my request.  It seems appropriate.” She smiled radiantly through the poisonous green vapor.  “But no one else has to die if everyone obeys instructions. Isn’t that nice?”  There was a hint of manic desperation in her voice.  “I’ve seized this station so that I could deliver an important message. Tomorrow night, I will be getting married to the love of my life. Tomorrow night, I’ll become Mrs. Nine Lives.”

Boulder turned his stony gaze on Nine Lives.  “I wasn’t invited.”

“Neither was I, pal.”

Wave said, “I think you’re being invited right now. Who is she?”

Nine Lives shrugged. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before.”

On the television, Agony continued. “Tomorrow evening at 7:50 pm sharp, I’ll tell Nine Lives where he has to be ten minutes later. He’ll be there, I know; he’s a superhero and would _never_ let me down, but this way we avoid the awkward police presence. At 8:00 in front of witnesses, Nine Lives is going to formally propose to me and marry me.”  She sighed deeply. “We’ve been promised to one another for some time, but I’ve had trouble getting in touch with him. I’ve gone to homes where I thought he lives, but he’s never there. He hasn’t returned my emails or telegrams or phone calls.”

Nine Lives flipped out his cell phone and looked annoyed. “You know, I _have_ voice mail. I don’t think she even really tried.”

The camera zoomed in as Agony stood up. “This time, finally, he’ll come to me so that we can be truly married. I’ll have a minister handy.” She clasped her hands over her heart, creating a memorable gap in the mist.  “If he _isn’t_ there, of course, I’m going to kill thousands and thousands of people. But I’m sure it won’t come to that. The other people in this studio don’t have to die, and neither do the scores of people who will perish should Nine Lives not live up to his obligations.” She blew a kiss, and let out another squeal of irritating laughter. “Good night, my darling. Until tomorrow.”

The television camera went black.  Amy Feng reappeared on the screen.  “Again, that was the scene less than twenty minutes ago at our own studios here in -- ”  Vinnie snapped off the set.

Agent Morrison looked ill as he listened to his earpiece. “I’m latched into intelligence and coordination divisions. We have a team on its way to the news studio and another team combing records. Nine Lives, any guesses as to who she is?”

“Nope. Not off the top of my head.”

Agent Morrison looked at the group gathered before him. His eyes were hard.  “In that case, superheroes,” he said, “Freedom city needs your help.”

_Please flip page to continue._


----------



## KidCthulhu (Mar 8, 2005)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> *
> Nine Lives let out a low whistle.  “She looks like a young Eliza Dushku, only with fewer clothes.”*




Which makes her, what, 12?  Eliza Dushku isn't exactly claiming Social Security.


----------



## jmucchiello (Mar 8, 2005)

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> Which makes her, what, 12?  Eliza Dushku isn't exactly claiming Social Security.



According to imdb ms Dushku is 24 so I suppose a young Dushku could be pushing 15 or 16


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Mar 8, 2005)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> “I’d pay to see that.” The Reformer licked his lips and moved closer to the television to try and get a better look. “Great Scott, she has huge --”
> 
> The woman on the newscast tittered.




You're just shamefully bad.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Mar 8, 2005)

All together now...

"Titter...?"


----------



## Kid Charlemagne (Mar 8, 2005)

"...I don't even _know_ her!"


----------



## Paxr0mana (Mar 8, 2005)

> I won't speak for Blackjack, but Wolverine wasn't mentioned once during the character creation process. It can probably be seen as a different interpretation of similar powers. 9-L has the social skills to be the faceman, and his power set has cat-oriented aspects such as leaping.




Well, with the Cat theme, I was thinking 9-L was more like Batman than Wolverine. Wolverine is hard to kill because of his powers. Period. Batman is hard to kill because of his martial arts and 'detective mind.' So, a blend of regenerative power and catlike (batlike?) reflexes would be 9-L.


----------



## Steverooo (Mar 9, 2005)

I, too, have a superhero with claws... no regen, and also not based on Wolverine (although the thought didn't escape me).  Mine has claws on his boots, too, though...  Blackjack?


----------



## dravot (Mar 9, 2005)

Paxr0mana said:
			
		

> Well, with the Cat theme, I was thinking 9-L was more like Batman than Wolverine. Wolverine is hard to kill because of his powers. Period. Batman is hard to kill because of his martial arts and 'detective mind.' So, a blend of regenerative power and catlike (batlike?) reflexes would be 9-L.



Batman and Wolverine's love child!


----------



## KidCthulhu (Mar 9, 2005)

To put words in BlackJack's mouth, I don't see any great similarities between 9-L and Wolverine.  9-L is a character build around being very hard to hurt and even hard to kill.  The claws were an afterthought, some combat ability because it's boring to do nothing while the rest of us fight.  

Wolverine is a berserk, homicidal maniac who's all about the combat.  The only reason he's still alive are the regenerative abilities, but he's plenty easy to hurt.  He just gets better fast.

Very different.  And I dunno where this Batman stuff comes from.


----------



## Blackjack (Mar 9, 2005)

Paxr0mana said:
			
		

> Well, with the Cat theme, I was thinking 9-L was more like Batman than Wolverine. Wolverine is hard to kill because of his powers. Period. Batman is hard to kill because of his martial arts and 'detective mind.' So, a blend of regenerative power and catlike (batlike?) reflexes would be 9-L.




As neat of a theory as this is, alas, nope.   Nine Lives is hard to kill because his physiology adapts each time he is endangered, to make him resistant or immune to such dangers.  Critical wound?  His genes kick into overdrive and give him regeneration.  Repeated injury?  Here, let's toughen up the skin.  Cloud of chlorine gas filling up the lungs?  Here, let's make you immune to toxins.  Honed reflexes would be another by-product of these powers.


----------



## Lord Pendragon (Mar 9, 2005)

Blackjack said:
			
		

> Cloud of chlorine gas filling up the lungs?  Here, let's make you immune to toxins.



Something tells me this one becomes significant...


----------



## Victim (Mar 9, 2005)

Blackjack's characters always seem to get the psycho chicks.  Of course, a girl surrounded by a cloud of poisonous gas might have difficulty finding other dates.


----------



## Blackjack (Mar 9, 2005)

Victim said:
			
		

> Blackjack's characters always seem to get the psycho chicks.




{ERROR} TOO MANY JOKES
{ERROR} BUFFER OVERLOAD


----------



## ledded (Mar 9, 2005)

Woo-hoo!  Another supers Story Hour!

Wow.  Oh wow.  P-Cat, you made my day.  This just rocks... I love the definite comic styling of the writing.  Most excellent so far.

Let me ask you, how was writing this different in experience to your other SH?  I know that in my supers SH I tried to give a "storyboard" approach, visualizing how certain comic book mechanics would work in print, but sometimes it aint easy.  You seem to have taken to it like the proverbial duck to water.



			
				KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> To put words in BlackJack's mouth, I don't see any great similarities between 9-L and Wolverine.<snip>




Yeah, I got the same thing with my own group when I wrote up our supers game because one of the characters had claws and regenerative abilities.  Several folks were comparing him to Wolverine, and OldDrewId (his player) and I kept laughing and saying "yes, a parisian-french android that looks like Inspector Clouseau except with flesh made of cheese with a talent for irony and sarcasm that has travelled back in time to thrash nazis and dispense advice on the greatness of french food and wine has sooooo much in common with Wolverine..."   .  It is easy to make that jump of logic because their schtick is similar, I guess it's the popularity of Wolverine that makes people see it.  Heck, nobody has yelled 'Ben Grimm!' over Boulder .  I found that for every super that someone thought up, our resident comics geek (Fludogg) could find an actual comics super that was at least similar in powers/design.  But that's part of the fun with RPG'ing the genre also, reading a comics story or playing a supers game and finding familiarity with powers, etc.  I found that it helps some folks because they are more familiar with the feel and physics of the comics universe which helps them find some measure verisimilitude in an otherwise fantastic game.


----------



## Lela (Mar 10, 2005)

ledded said:
			
		

> I guess it's the popularity of Wolverine that makes people see it.  Heck, nobody has yelled 'Ben Grimm!' over Boulder .




Well, just because I haven't yelled it doesn't mean I didn't think it. Of course, I haven't yelled anything as of yet, so perhaps the point is a little mute.

But your own point is dead on. Similarities will exist between the characters and actual comics in any supers game. It's no more a surprise than when similar D&D characters crop up. It was a good, sometimes obvious, build and multiple people grabbed the idea.


----------



## Capellan (Mar 10, 2005)

ledded said:
			
		

> Heck, nobody has yelled 'Ben Grimm!' over Boulder .




The irony being, of course, that ol' Boulder-boy is a quite conscious rip-off ... uh 'homage' ... of the Grimmster.

Boulder's got a better battle-cry, though


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Mar 10, 2005)

Capellan said:
			
		

> The irony being, of course, that ol' Boulder-boy is a quite conscious rip-off ... uh 'homage' ... of the Grimmster.
> 
> Boulder's got a better battle-cry, though




If you want good Ben Grimm quotes, you really gotta read some vintage Twisted Toy Fare Theatre... ya Mary!


----------



## Paxr0mana (Mar 10, 2005)

Blackjack said:
			
		

> As neat of a theory as this is, alas, nope.   Nine Lives is hard to kill because his physiology adapts each time he is endangered, to make him resistant or immune to such dangers.  Critical wound?  His genes kick into overdrive and give him regeneration.  Repeated injury?  Here, let's toughen up the skin.  Cloud of chlorine gas filling up the lungs?  Here, let's make you immune to toxins.  Honed reflexes would be another by-product of these powers.




Bah! Ah well, that's nice too...

Hmm... 'Resistance is Futile'


----------



## Blackjack (Mar 10, 2005)

Lela said:
			
		

> Similarities will exist between the characters and actual comics in any supers game. It's no more a surprise than when similar D&D characters crop up.




Interesting point!  Nothing new under the sun, eh?


----------



## Lela (Mar 10, 2005)

Blackjack said:
			
		

> Interesting point! Nothing new under the sun, eh?




Thus the release of new game suppliments. But from Ninjas to Warlocks, it doesn't take long for three or four people to build a similar character. At least statwise (something noticable in story hours).

It's the character itself that provides the unique feel to each game and the DM who adds/allows an interesting twist. Nolin would be an example of both. So would that short gnome thingy, what's his name?


----------



## KidCthulhu (Mar 10, 2005)

Lela said:
			
		

> It's the character itself that provides the unique feel to each game and the DM who adds/allows an interesting twist. Nolin would be an example of both. So would that short gnome thingy, what's his name?




Further proof of my theory that if you wisecrack a lot, and have lots of character personality, no one notices that you're not optimized and there are a few skill points hanging out here or there.  At least in our groups.  Which is why I play with them!


----------



## Lela (Mar 10, 2005)

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> Further proof of my theory that if you wisecrack a lot, and have lots of character personality, no one notices that you're not optimized and there are a few skill points hanging out here or there.  At least in our groups.  Which is why I play with them!



 That, and you went boom when you died.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Mar 10, 2005)

Lela said:
			
		

> That, and you went boom when you died.




Actually, it was more of a "burpphh-ooph" if I recall.


----------



## Gryff (Mar 11, 2005)

ledded said:
			
		

> You seem to have taken to it like the proverbial duck to water.




Good ol' PC has an advantage in this genre, something to do with a close involvement in Freedom Force and it's sequels.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Mar 11, 2005)

*Bow Down Before The Lord Of All Rat Bastards.*

This is how scary Piratecat is.

Just in case this is a spoiler... I don't think it gives much away but it is from last night, so if you don't want to see it in advance, don't click.

[sblock]
So last night Code-4 gets a tour of our new HQ. We check out our new vehicle, the weight room, the lab... We're about to leave, somebody says, "We really should play in our Danger Room. We have a Danger Room, right?"

PC: "Yeah, you do."

Team: "Great! Let's try it out!"

Dr. Arkham (me): "I'll stay out here and work the controls. You heroes go inside and get ready."

PC: "Ok. What are you going to set them up against?"

Dr. Arkham: [thinking I am so terribly clever] "I pull up the old file of Black Apollo."

Black Apollo, of course, is the supervillain who devastated the group in our backstory; ultimately he was defeated-- killed _dead_ in fact-- but he was bad news for Code-4.

PC: "Black Apollo. Okay. He appears in the Danger Room, flying in the air over here. He shouts to you... _blah blah blah blah_."

And Kevin grabs his notes and reads off a big long prepared soliloquoy from Black Apollo.



_And Kevin *grabs his notes* and reads off a big long *prepared* soliloquoy from Black Apollo._



Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Kevin shuffled through his notes to find some soliloquoy he'd prepared in case we ever met Black Apollo again. That would be scary enough.

I am saying he was _prepared for us to call up Black Apollo in the Danger Room._

I don't even want to think about the implications of that.

[/sblock]


----------



## shilsen (Mar 11, 2005)

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> This is how scary Piratecat is.
> 
> Just in case this is a spoiler... I don't think it gives much away but it is from last night, so if you don't want to see it in advance, don't click.
> 
> ...



 *bows and scrapes*

Truly, there is no Rat-Bastard like the Piratecat, and shilsen is his prophet!


----------



## KidCthulhu (Mar 11, 2005)

OK, I was going to keep quiet on this one...

Naaaah, who am I kidding?  

The Danger Room was my idea.  PC asked me for some plot ideas for the session I was going to miss, and we worked out the Danger Room thing.  Black Apollo's appearance was his idea, because he knows the villains.  This is why he had it ready.  If we hadn't gone in the room, it could just wait for later.

Not that PC isn't a rat bastard, but I don't want y'all getting the idea he walks on water.


----------



## Henry (Mar 11, 2005)

> Not that PC isn't a rat bastard, but I don't want y'all getting the idea he walks on water.




Yeah, hovering over it godlike as he already does is bad enough.


----------



## Steverooo (Mar 11, 2005)

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> ...I don't want y'all getting the idea he walks on water.




Humph!  Well of COURSE PC walks on water (you two aren't fooling anybody)!  Whaddaya think that wooden leg is FOR?


----------



## Blood Jester (Mar 11, 2005)

Henry said:
			
		

> Yeah, hovering over it godlike as he already does is bad enough.




And to show you what 'Lambs-to-the-slaughter' some of are, (avoid if you avoided Wulf's)
[sblock]I was sitting there thinking "Hmm, cool scary speach, neat-o."  Until Wulf pointed out the above 'How the heck did he know to prepare _that_'[/sblock]
At which point I felt an ugly chill.


----------



## shilsen (Mar 11, 2005)

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> OK, I was going to keep quiet on this one...
> 
> ...
> 
> Not that PC isn't a rat bastard, but I don't want y'all getting the idea he walks on water.




I guess this is the matrimonial version of "No man is a hero to his valet"


----------



## Pyske (Mar 11, 2005)

shilsen said:
			
		

> I guess this is the matrimonial version of "No man is a hero to his valet"




Indeed, I have often found that the women who know us best are our best protection against inflated egos.

PS -- I almost phrased that in a unintentionally non-grandmother-friendly way.  What was I thinking?!


----------



## Quartermoon (Mar 12, 2005)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> "Not all 'o us.  You heard anything from her?"
> 
> "Not directly, but we were never close. I understand that she's out of the Providence Asylum and out of the life. Retired, retrained and relocated by AEGIS, somewhere in Ohio."
> 
> "Poor Jane."




Just noticed this.        Ohio is, after all, such a safe, boring place. Perfect for maintaining one's tenuous grip on sanity.

That is, until all the overly pleasant people drive you insane.


----------



## DrZombie (Mar 13, 2005)

Yum Yum, this almost makes me wanna play a superhero game.Wich, from me, is big praise.


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 14, 2005)

Quartermoon said:
			
		

> Ohio is, after all, such a safe, boring place. Perfect for maintaining one's tenuous grip on sanity.




Little do you know that you just noticed my sneaky tribute to you.  

And since I'm too pooped to finish the real update on this or the main story hour, I have the perfect interruption. . .


*ADVERTISEMENT*

*Rubber Band vs. Coldsnap!*


“It’s quite simple, you see.” The small child squinted through his thick glasses at the other children in the classroom. “I’m actually a super-genius and I’ve invented an atomic freeze ray. Give me all your lunch money, and at recess I’ll sink Freedom City into endless snowy winter. Just think of it – sledding every day, and snow days for the rest of the year. And that’s just the beginning of my nefarious plans!” The children cheered as they began to shove dollar bills into Coldsnap’s mitten-clad hands.

History teacher Reggie Williams yanked his head back around the corner of the classroom door. “Nuclear winter! That’s one messed up little egg-head.” R.B. ducked into the nearby supply closet. “Someone’s gotta do somethin’ about his appetite for disaster.”  Seconds later he bounded out as the ever-popular *Rubber Band*. Forming his elastic body into a huge wheel, R.B. rolled down the school corridor and into Mrs. Greely’s fourth grade classroom.

“Rubber Band!” hissed Coldsnap, pulling a humming frost projector from his parka pocket. “I’ve just started on my life of crime, and my hunger for destruction knows no limit. You’ll never stop me, hero!”

“Oh yeah?” Rubber Band stopped short and flattened his elastic body into a makeshift catapult. Golden sponge cakes flew across the classroom and rained down around Coldsnap’s head. “It isn’t endless winter you’re craving, boy. Let’s see you satisfy your appetite on _these!_”

Coldsnap clutched at the snack cakes in rapture. “How did you know? Ohhh, golden sponge cake! Delicious creamed filling! I can’t possibly freeze the city today – I’ll be too busy having snack!”

“That’s right, Coldsnap.”  Rubber Band looped his arm around Coldsnap multiple times, entangling the want-to-be villain in a rubbery lariat. “Stay in school, kids, and remember – the only thing better than a taste for knowledge. . . is the taste of delicious Hostess Twinkies!”

*You get a big delight
in every bite
of Hostess™ Twinkies!*


_Actual story (and not more ads) continued on following pages. _


----------



## coyote6 (Mar 14, 2005)

One of these was inevitable, I suppose. I was always more of a Zinger guy myself.

BTW, let Sagiro & co. know -- I picked up Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich this afternoon, and after 5 or so hours, I declare it great fun. I'm getting whupped on by Red Suns and their $#*&ing elemental bomb buddies, but it's great fun.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Mar 14, 2005)

Huh.

hunger for destruction = hat of d02


----------



## ledded (Mar 15, 2005)

Capellan said:
			
		

> The irony being, of course, that ol' Boulder-boy is a quite conscious rip-off ... uh 'homage' ... of the Grimmster.
> 
> Boulder's got a better battle-cry, though




Ah, yes, like Lela *I* noticed that bit of coolness myself but my point was that noone was _screaming_ it.  It must be the Wolverine fan(boy)base that sees ol' Wolvie everywhere there is a super with claws and regen (or one of the two).  If you look at nearly every supers Story Hour, game thread or character thread here, Wolverine invariably comes up multiple times, usually followed by giggles and snickers and funny snicker-snack sounds and whatnot.  Not that I havent enjoyed the character myself, but there is something about him that makes fans see him everywhere they look .

Personally, I like the ways that Blackjack _differs_ from the ol' clawed iconoclast, and look forward to seeing how him, and all the others, develop over time.  There is just something a little different about how PC's in a supers game grow and take off as the player gets really comfortable in their skin vs. how a d20 Modern/D&D character does.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Mar 15, 2005)

ledded said:
			
		

> It must be the Wolverine fan(boy)base that sees ol' Wolvie everywhere there is a super with claws and regen (or one of the two).




It would take a fanboy to hear "claws and regen" and think anything _other_ than Wolverine.

Just like I would expect "cowl and utility belt" to evoke Batman.

That's not a fanboy reaction-- that's an everyman reaction.


----------



## Halma (Mar 15, 2005)

*Lurking and loving it....*

Thanks for the great story Hour PKitty... !!!


----------



## Thornir Alekeg (Mar 15, 2005)

I've suddenly developed a craving for Hostess snacks...

Oh, and a warning, the Interruption link Pcat posted does contain an item or two not suitable for workplace monitors - as I found out while the director walked by...


----------



## Cerebral Paladin (Mar 16, 2005)

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> It would take a fanboy to hear "claws and regen" and think anything _other_ than Wolverine.




But the key is that 9-L isn't a clawed fighter who happens to regenerate; he's a regenerator who happens to have claws.

It's not that there isn't power overlap--obviously, there is.  But look and feel is a huge part of what defines superheroes.  Thor doesn't feel like Iron Man at all, even though their core power set (tough, melee fighters, ranged attack, flight) are pretty darn similar.  Sure, partly that's because there are differences.  But largely it's that the look and feel are very different.

I'm not a huge comics geek, but I've read comics off and on for years, and it didn't occur to me to compare 9-L to Wolverine, because the look and feel is so different and because Wolverine is defined by being a claw-wielding fighter and 9-L is defined by being a reckless regenerator.  I wouldn't have been surprised to find out that it was a reimagining of the same power set, but I'm also not surprised that it's coincidental.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Mar 16, 2005)

Cerebral Paladin said:
			
		

> But the key is that 9-L isn't a clawed fighter who happens to regenerate; he's a regenerator who happens to have claws.




That's the key, is it? Brilliant. Thanks for clearing that up. We'll just call that "The Commutative Property of Super Powers."

(And Wolverine doesn't _happen_ to regenerate. It's his mutant power, for goodness sakes.)



> But look and feel is a huge part of what defines superheroes... I'm not a huge comics geek, but I've read comics off and on for years, and it didn't occur to me to compare 9-L to Wolverine, because the look and feel is so different and because Wolverine is defined by being a claw-wielding fighter and 9-L is defined by being a reckless regenerator.




Yes, look and feel is a huge part of it. And if 9-L wielded a tire iron out of the back of his car instead of having claws attached to his forearms, the comparison wouldn't have occurred to me.

But he doesn't. Nine Lives has claws, and he regenerates, so the look and feel is more similar than dissimilar.

The "key" distinction isn't in the power set, but in personality.

I don't know why I'm still in this conversation, really. It's not like I have a problem with the concept no matter what its genesis-- I am playing a friggin _Omnibot_, for goodness sakes. 

I think it was a perfectly natural observation, and I don't know why the observation seems to have been taken as some kind of insult (cause it wasn't).

Wulf


----------



## Blackjack (Mar 16, 2005)

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> I think it was a perfectly natural observation, and I don't know why the observation seems to have been taken as some kind of insult (cause it wasn't).




Okay, okay -- being fond of both Cerebral Paladin _and_ Wulf, let's just leave it at "I didn't take as an insult; I can see why it occurred to Wulf, although surprisingly it didn't occur to me, and apparently not to some others as well."


----------



## KidCthulhu (Mar 16, 2005)

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> I am playing a friggin _Omnibot_, for goodness sakes.




Wait. The Omnibot isn't original?  I thought you made that up!


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Mar 16, 2005)

Wolverine said:
			
		

> Okay, okay -- being fond of both Cerebral Paladin and Wulf, let's just leave it at "I didn't take as an insult; I can see why it occurred to Wulf, although surprisingly it didn't occur to me, and apparently not to some others as well."




What, and deny me the opportunity for more witty rejoinders!? This horse has life in it yet!

Allow me to introduce you to my new character, a twin-scimitar wielding dark elf-- _NOT_ to be confused with a certain dark-elf who wields twin scimitars...

 

Ok, I'm spent.


----------



## Blackjack (Mar 16, 2005)

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> What, and deny me the opportunity for more witty rejoinders!?




Oh, is _that_ what those were?


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Mar 16, 2005)

Blackjack said:
			
		

> Oh, is _that_ what those were?




Well, you know... I won't be making T-shirts and mugs out of them anytime soon...


----------



## thatdarncat (Mar 16, 2005)

*goes and makes some fresh popcorn then settles back to watch the show*


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 17, 2005)

Next update should come this weekend; I'm out of state for two days. Stay tuned!


----------



## Lord Pendragon (Mar 18, 2005)

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> The "key" distinction isn't in the power set, but in personality.



I agree with this.  Although I'm an avid comic fan and a current addict of the superhero MMO City of Heroes, the similarities between 9-L and Wolverine didn't immediately occur to me.  Why?  Because their attitudes are completely different.  Wolverine is a berzerker who uses his regeneration ability to bolster an aggressive claw-based offense.  9-L on the other hand comes across as mostly resigned.  His focus isn't on killing things (like Wolverine), but rather the inevitable fact that he just can't die.  The thematic differences between the two characters obscured the significant similarity in their powersets from me for some time.







> I think it was a perfectly natural observation



It was.  The moment it was brought up, a little lightbulb flashed over my head.  "Hey yeah, come to think of it their powers are pretty much the same."  It seemed fairly possible that Blackjack might have decided to go with a "Wolverine powerset"...then reimagined what kind of take on those powers he could go with.  (Even though Blackjack's since disproven that thought.)

As far as the Omnibot goes, I find myself more interested in Dr. Arkham.  I'm wondering what exactly was done to him in the Black Apollo battle.  In a long-term campaign it'd be neat to explore the good doctor, though I'm guessing that in a mini-campaign like this one, we'll pretty much stick with the Omnibot and epic villain bashing.  Which is certainly no bad thing!


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Mar 18, 2005)

Lord Pendragon said:
			
		

> As far as the Omnibot goes, I find myself more interested in Dr. Arkham.  I'm wondering what exactly was done to him in the Black Apollo battle.




It couldn't have been good.



> In a long-term campaign it'd be neat to explore the good doctor, though I'm guessing that in a mini-campaign like this one, we'll pretty much stick with the Omnibot and epic villain bashing.  Which is certainly no bad thing!




Yeaaaahhhhh... "Deep, nuanced roleplay" and "Wulf Ratbane" go together like oil and water. Even in a long campaign, you can pretty much count on my sticking to villain bashing.

My 'template' for Dr. Arkham, by the way, is (supposed to be) based on Dr. Farnsworth from Futurama. 


Wulf


----------



## Plane Sailing (Mar 18, 2005)

Lord Pendragon said:
			
		

> Because their attitudes are completely different.  Wolverine is a berzerker who uses his regeneration ability to bolster an aggressive claw-based offense.  9-L on the other hand comes across as mostly resigned.  His focus isn't on killing things (like Wolverine), but rather the inevitable fact that he just can't die.




This was my experience too - I also didn't notice the similarity because of the distinctly different attitudes that we've seen so far in the story.

Cheers


----------



## BSF (Mar 19, 2005)

Must be my Champions background because some of the first things I thought of were things like "Brick - kinda like the Thing".  I could see some similarities to 9L and Wolverine, but it was pretty apparent very quickly that the two characters were very different.


----------



## Lord Pendragon (Mar 19, 2005)

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> Yeaaaahhhhh... "Deep, nuanced roleplay" and "Wulf Ratbane" go together like oil and water. Even in a long campaign, you can pretty much count on my sticking to villain bashing.



You say that, but being a huge fan of your Story Hour it's hard to swallow, you know.  Your SH was all _about_ character interaction. 


> My 'template' for Dr. Arkham, by the way, is (supposed to be) based on Dr. Farnsworth from Futurama.



Oh _man_!  Thanks for revealing this.  My envisioning of the Omnibot will never be the same.


----------



## d'Anconia (Mar 19, 2005)

Any chance we could see a rogue's gallery thread for these guys? I'd love to see the stats for the Omnibot in particular. 

Between this thread and the new Incredibles DVD, I was convinced to take a look at MNM. All I can say is wow - one of the coolest products out there. I just ordered the core rulebook, Crooks, the annual, and Foes of Freedom from Amazon. Seemed like Freedom City was sold out - anyone know where to get it? Also, what other products out there are quality? I saw all the pdf's that were the MNM superlink products, but I wasn't sure which ones were the good ones.

Thanks for the inspiration!
John


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 20, 2005)

Freedom City is superb, John; track it down if you can find a copy. I'll probably review some of the MnM superlink pdfs at this point as well, although I don't have time right now (yay, EN world review section!)  You can also get good advice on these at Green Ronin's Atomic Think Tank MnM message boards. (www.mutantsandmasterminds.com)  That's also the site where you can find errata.

I'll definitely post a Rogue's Gallery of everyone's stats. We've got art for most folks, as well.

I hope no one minds, but at some point I'll trim away most of the Wolverine/hero similarity digression.


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 20, 2005)

*AGONY'S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 9*

*WNTW Channel 3 Studios
Midtown, Freedom City*


“Look at that.” The Omnibot tapped a television monitor with his telescoping prod. “She walked into the lobby downstairs and people just keeled over. You can actually _see_ the cloud of vapor coming off of her.”

Nine Lives nodded. “Everyone survived except for the two anchormen. I think she wanted to make a point.” 

"What are those hooded things entering with her? They're moving unnaturally." On the video, the small cloaked shapes moved like lurching penguins, wobbling back and forth every time they took a step.

"I have no idea. They apparently accompanied her in and guarded the studio workers, never saying a word."

“We think her real name is Aggie Caufield,” said Agent Morrison. “Does that name sound familiar?”

“Vaguely.”  Nine Lives frowned, his forehead wrinkling his black mask. He turned to look at Morrison. “Fan Club?”

The AEGIS agent nodded. “Fan club. In particular, the former president of your fan club. She’s obsessed, one year out of high school, apparently a whiz in chemistry, and currently missing. I’ve got to say, it looks like a match.”

“Hopefully it won’t be hard to find her before tomorrow night.”

Across the studio, the Eternal Sentinel slowly rotated as he hovered in mid-air. His nostrils flared as he memorized the stink of Agony’s poison.  “I’ve got her scent. I’ll know her if I cross her path.  There also seems to be something interesting jammed into the cushion of the chair she was sitting on.”  The Sentinel gestured and a thin beam of light shone across the room to spotlight the clue. Then he looked back at Nine Lives. “It’s a blank, acid-scarred membership card for your fan club.”

9-L thumped the heel of his hand into his forehead. “Restraining orders don’t go as far as they used to.”

Boulder plodded over, lifted the entire desk with one hand, and plucked out the card. A crime scene technician quickly took it from him. Suddenly a petite Asian woman was standing in front of the massive concrete superhero. Using Boulder as a backdrop, the woman turned to speak directly into a mobile camera.

“Good evening. I’m Amy Feng with Channel 3 News. We’re here at Channel 3 News studios in Midtown with an exclusive report on the super-powered massacre that killed two WNTW anchormen less than an hour ago.  There are several meta-humans here at the crime scene right now. At this point it is not known whether they are under arrest, or how precisely they are involved in this crime scene investigation.  Behind me is alleged mobster Antonio Valenti, previously revealed by this reporter to be a known felon with a criminal history who has changed his appearance to hide under the alias ‘Boulder.’”

Amy Feng turned and shoved a microphone upwards towards Boulder’s mouth.  She had to extend her arm completely. “Mr. Valenti, would you like to confess exactly how you were you involved in this crime?”

Boulder extended one massive forefinger and poked it towards the small woman’s face. His voice was cavernous. “I got no comment for ya.”

“Are you here as a suspect? Is it true that you have no formal law enforcement credentials? Do you know this so-called ‘Agony’ who committed the murders here?”

“No. Comment. Get that thing outta my face.”

“What sort of illegal activities are you currently involved in?”

Boulder looked Amy Feng up and down, as if measuring her for a coffin.  “None at the moment. But that might just change.” His tone was ominous.

“Indeed,” said Amy Feng to the camera, and fearlessly moved away from Boulder. “Now we go to the man who Agony claimed to be her fiancé. Nine Lives, do you have just a minute for our viewers?”

Nine Lives turned away from his conversation with the Omnibot and moved in front of the camera. “I sure do, Amy. It’s nice to see you safe.  Although this is a tragic situation, I’m glad that more people weren’t killed in the attack.”

Although it’s hard to tell in the harsh glare of the television lights, Amy Feng might have blushed slightly. “Do you know this ‘Agony’ woman?”

“I do not, Amy. As far as I can tell it’s no one I’ve directly met before, although we’re chasing down leads on that right now. Having public heroes is fine, but this might be a classic – and tragic – example of what happens when appreciation turns into obsession.” Nine Lives’ voice was somber.

“Our sources indicate that she might be linked to your international fan club. Can you confirm that?”

“It’s really too soon to say.”

“How are you planning on handling her demands?”

“I’m afraid I can’t comment on that yet. All I can say is that we’re on the scene and eager to resolve the problem so that no one – _no one_ – else gets hurt.”  

“Have you taken charge of the investigation?”

“We may be investigating the problem as an adjunct to the FCPD, but it’s really the boys in blue who do the hard work. They’re the ones who deserve all of our esteem.” His voice was sincere and respectful.

“Thank you, Nine Lives. I see that you have other superheroes and vigilantes here with you today, some of whom were members of the famous group Code-4. Is this the beginning of a new team, or the rebirth of the old one?”

Nine Lives gave her a charming smile.  “Sorry, Amy. No comment.”

Amy turned to the Omnibot V. Without looking the least bit fazed, she held the microphone up to his external speaker.  “Here we have what appears to be an intelligent robot. Would you please ident—”  

In the middle of her sentence, the Omnibot completely withdrew all of its appendages. Legs, speakers, sensors. . . all snapped instantly into the main body, leaving a featureless black globe that clanged onto the studio floor and sat unmoving. Amy stared at it for a few seconds in surprise for smoothly transitioning on to the next hero.

“And who are you?”

“I’m Wave.” She stretched slightly, arching her back as she hovered in place. Thousands of  Channel 3 News viewers across the eastern seaboard fell unexpectedly in love.

“What’s your involvement with Nine Lives?”

Wave looked at the reporter with disdain. “I just want to say that you’re a really horrible person. You’re using these peoples’ death as a chance for shameless self-promotion. You’re trying to advance your career because your friends died, and for that you ought to be embarrassed.” 

Amy Feng’s eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly in anger. “I see. So you’re not denying that you and Nine Lives are involved?  Were the murders this evening motivated by jealousy for you?”

“Oh, please.” Wave blew air out from her lower lip, sending strands of her golden hair flying. “Get a spine. Or some ethics. I don’t care which.” Rudely she turned her back and surfed over to the other side of the studio. The camera indulgently followed her retreating form until Amy Feng cleared her voice and distracted the cameraman from his reverie. They turned to interview the Reformer.

The Eternal Sentinel watched this with growing concern. _This is a public relations disaster,_ he thought. _Someone’s got to do something!_  He dropped to the ground and strolled in that direction just as Amy Feng began to turn to the Reformer. The Sentinel threw his head back and opened his mouth slightly.  “Ah. . .” His body began to glow.  “Ah. . .”  Roiling light coruscated up and down his torso, and the camera turned to film whatever was happening to him.  *“Choo!”* As he sneezed, blinding radiance flashed from his form and enveloped everyone nearby in a luminous halo. 

_FZZZAP!_

Amy Feng and her cameraman paused for a minute, eyes blinking after the sudden brightness.  “I’m tremendously sorry about that,” the Sentinel apologized. “I think it’s the residual poison in the air.”  Amy Feng nodded at him before finishing her interviews. With one more venomous glance towards Boulder and Wave, she and her camera crew headed out of the studio.

“What was that?” whispered the Reformer.

“Electronic dazzle,” whispered the Eternal Sentinel back. “They were taping, not live, and I just disrupted their camera.  If there’s anything on that film but static, I’ll be amazed.”  

The Reformer grinned widely. “You can do that?  Nice.”  The Sentinel winked and stroked his short gray beard. 

Agent Morrison walked over. “I think we’ve got everything from here that we need. Are the interviews over?” He glanced at Wave and frowned in a preoccupied manner.

“I’d say so,” said the Reformer. The other heroes gathered around them.

“Let’s go,” said the Eternal Sentinel. “There’s not much time, and a lot of work to do.”


_Please flip page to continue._


----------



## shilsen (Mar 20, 2005)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> _Please flip page to continue._




*starts flipping frantically*


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 20, 2005)

*AGONY'S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 10*

*AEGIS Headquarters
Midtown, Freedom City*


“She said that thousands of people were going to die. Where could she do that?”

“The possibilities are endless. Malls, apartment blocks, the transit system. There’s no hockey game tonight due to the strike, but the Rayguns are playing the Chicago Bulls over at the Shuster Arena tonight, and U-2 has sold out the Liberty Bowl.”

The Omnibot swiveled his sensor. “Who is U2?” He looked at the Eternal Sentinel, who shrugged.

“Hang on,” the Sentinel said, frowning. “I’m sure I heard Agony humming something when the broadcast first began. Agent Morrison, could you please have the technicians play that back amplified?”

“Sure,” Morrison said. “They’ll need to digitally enhance it as well. . .” He spoke into his earpiece and paused.  “Check! She was humming the tune to ‘*Pride (in the name of love)’*.  Definitely a U2 song.”

“The woman has no taste in music,” said Wave. Nine Lives laughed.

“How many people can the Liberty Dome hold?”

The Reformer’s voice was hoarse. “It’s an arena. Eighty thousand normally, but they’ll have some sections restricted. The concert is sold out. Call it about sixty to seventy thousand, from all over the northeast.”

“That’s the target, all right.” Nine Lives shook his head. “Do we call off the concert?”

“We can’t,” said the Reformer, “at least not in advance. If we do, she just sets off her poison somewhere else. We’re better off increasing security there and finding her before the deadline rolls around.  With luck we can have her behind bars before the concert even begins.”  Everyone else nods.  “We can always cancel it at the last minute if we have to.”

“All right, Code-4,” Agent Morrison said. “Department databases are at your disposal. We have less than 24 hours. Let’s find her and shut her down.”


*Next Day, Mid-morning *


“Ten hours left.”  Reformer passed a weary hand over his eyes. “All night, and nothing solid. We know the head of the fan club was a good chemist, but not _that_ good. We’ve been to her house and the school lab and interviewed everyone she knows. Everyone liked her, said she was obsessed with 9-L, and didn’t know where she was. That adds up to a big fat useless zero.”

“Heck,” said Nine Lives, “her best friend even told us that she seemed _less_ fixated on me during the last year.” He seemed to have responded to fatigue by just seeming more awake. “Agent Morrison, any updates on the different lines of investigation we requested?” 

“Hang on, there should be one by now.”  He murmured into his ear piece, listened for a few minutes, and looked up.

“Okay, we may have a break.  We have a couple of leads based on the information you requested.  There were two freak deaths at Jordan International Airport five weeks ago.  A private jet came in from Seattle; two known pilots, no passengers listed. They set down at the airport, taxied, and then never left the plane. When people checked, both pilots were dead. It’s still unsolved. Poison is suspected.”  Code-4 looked at one another.

“No known passengers?”

“No. The plane is still locked up as evidence at the airport. The FCPD is investigating it, and I think one of the kids from NextGen went out to take a look. No leads.”

“Anything else?”

“Boulder asked for a computer search on any industrial chemical companies in the city. We have one anomaly. Kason Chemical over in Hanover is currently shut down while health investigators find out what sort of odor is making people sick. There’s worry that it’s a process leak, but no one has been able to find it yet.”

“Chemical factories closed thanks to some sort of odor making people sick?”  Boulder’s inflexible face looked disdainful. “You _did_ check this out, right?”

“We did indeed.”  Agent Morrison looked vaguely hurt. “A sweep team went through it. Clean.”

“Well, we’ll check it out anyways,” crackled the Omnibot. “I don’t like the sound of that. How long has it been shut down?”

There was a pause while Morrison checked his notes. “Three weeks.”  

The Eternal Sentinel glanced at the robot. “We don’t have much time left, so we should split our forces. Wave, Boulder and I will investigate the airport. You can check the chemical plant with 9-L and Reformer.”

“Does everyone have cell phones?” asked Nine Lives.

“My service got cut off,” said the Reformer. Everyone else shook their heads as well, and Nine Lives rolled his eyes skyward. 

“I got a radio,” said Boulder. “Stay in contact.” 

“Absolutely,” said the Omnibot. “Let's roll.”


_Please flip page to continue._


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 20, 2005)

*AGONY'S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 11*

*Jordan International Airport
Southside, Freedom City*


“Show us da plane.” Boulder loomed over the tiny secretary in the aviation office. His gravelly voice rasped over the quiet Muzak.

“Wha. . .” She swallowed dryly.  “What?”

The Eternal Sentinel stepped forward, eyes blazing. “We’re here,” he said, “to see the plane where the people died.” The light leaking from him flashed with every word, and the secretary pushed back in her chair until it could slide no further. 

She pointed with a trembling hand towards the runways outside. “Hang. . . hanger. . . manager. . .”

“Honestly,” said Wave, “you two couldn’t charm your way out of a paper bag. Thank you. We’ll go talk to them.” She spun her surfboard 540° in the air and blew open the doors to the aviation field. The Eternal Sentinel and Boulder followed.

“What is with you two?” Wave asked. “I mean, that’s one secretary who’s sure not going to threaten us again.” Her voice was sardonic.

Boulder gave a tectonic shrug.  “Whut?  I’m plenty charmin’. Ask anyone.”

“Not my fault,” said the Eternal Sentinel.  “It’s the eyes. No one likes the eyes.”

“Well, this time let _me_ handle it.” Wave caught a rising swell of air and slalomed her way through parked planes until she pulled up next to the hanger manager. Boulder and the Eternal Sentinel walked up slowly. 

“They’re all staring at her,” rumbled Boulder. The Eternal Sentinel gave him a look.

“They’re staring at us, too.”

“Yeah, but they’re staring at her _special._”

“That’s because _she’s_ gorgeous, flying on a surfboard, and wearing a bikini.” The Eternal Sentinel thought about Boulder doing that, shuddered, and kept silent.

Minutes later they stood in a shadowy hanger.  “. . . and this is my personal phone number in case you have any other questions.” The manager gazed at Wave in awe. She gave a devastating smile and slipped the paper into her bikini top. He gulped. “Feel free to investigate the plane. The police are done with it.”

The Eternal Sentinel’s nostrils flared. “Same smell, same poison.”  He turned to the others. “Agony was on this plane, and that means she killed the pilots. If she flew in from Seattle, she isn’t the head of Nine Lives’ fan club.”  He tapped his ear piece.  “Agent Morrison, any unsolved poisoning murders in Seattle or the west coast over the last year?”

“I’ll check.” Morrison’s crackly voice came back almost immediately. “Police reports show three unexplained poisonings, almost certainly homicides. All unsolved, but probably the work of a professional assassin or mercenary. Last one three months ago.”

“It’s certain, then.”  The Sentinel turned to his teammates. “Someone wants it to look like it’s 9-L’s obsessed fan, but that’s not it at all. We’re being set up.”


_Please flip page to continue._


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 20, 2005)

*AGONY'S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 12*

*Kason Chemical Plant
Hanover, Freedom City*


The Crime Cruiser skidded over the curb and smacked into the corner of the chain link fence.  The Reformer pulled himself out of the car, face ashen.

“You know, it’s a good thing I can make myself airbags.” A handkerchief appeared in his hand and he wiped his forehead.

Nine Lives hopped out the other side. “Oh, please. Like you’ve never driven off a bridge before.”  Behind them, the Omnibot rolled to a halt and extended its legs. A sensor emerged and regarded the silent building.

“Looks empty,” he remarked.

A security guard emerged from a small building as they approached the gate. “You can’t come in,” the man said in a drawl. “Plant’s closed.”

“Hey, how ya doing?” asked Nine Lives.

The man on the other side of the fence looked dumbfounded. “9-L! Oh my gosh, is it really you?” 

Nine Lives smiled charmingly. “Listen, we need access to the building.”

The guard sucked in a breath. “I’m really sorry, 9-L, but I’m afraid I can’t do that. The whole plant is closed down. OSHA was here and everything, but people who go inside get sick and no one is sure why. It’s a big deal.”

“Here’s the thing.” Nine Lives leaned closer and lowered his voice. “We’re here on official business. You probably heard about that mess last night at channel 3. We think there might be vital evidence inside; the fact that people are getting sick makes it almost certain. We’ve been asked by the police and the government to solve this fast before things come to a head tonight. I’m happy to call your boss and arrange things if you want, but every minute counts.”

“Wow,” the guard said. He wiped some sweat off his brow and pushed the button that unlocked the gate. “I’m going to take a chance and let you in now. Let me know if there really is evidence there, right? I’ll call the police for you.”

“You bet.” Nine Lives shook his hand. “Thanks for the help; you may end up saving thousands of lives.” 

The guard looked extremely pleased with himself as he accompanied the heroes over to the building. “Are you going to be okay in there? Do you need me to,” the man swallowed, “come along?”

“I’m immune to poison,” rattled the Omnibot. The Reformer had a cocky grin as he held out his hand and created a gas mask out of thin air.

The guard blinked. “Wow.”

“Don’t worry,” Nine Lives said, “we’ll be fine. I’d rather have you stay here and call for backup if anything strange happens. And thank you.” The guard unlocked the door, and the three heroes walked into the dark building.

“How do you do that?” asked the Reformer.

“What?” asked Nine Lives. “Just treat people with respect.”

“Man, if I could do that with women. . .” His eyes gleamed in the darkness.

“I detect something.” said the Omnibot. “Very faint traces of chlorine-based toxins. It’s a variant of the same formula that was used at the television station. She’s been here.”

“Can you trace it?”

A panel whirred open on the bottom of the Omnibot and a small remote unit rolled out onto the dusty factory floor.  “A sniffer unit,” the Omnibot explained. “It’ll take air samples and track the pathogens to their source. It feeds all data back to me.” They all watched as the small robot beeped, spun, sampled the air, and began to roll. 

“It’s coming through the ventilation system, obviously,” said the Omnibot. “9-L, if you would be so kind?”  Nine Lives picked up the small robot and leaped catlike to the ceiling pipes thirty feet above. He opened an access hatch, inserted the small robot, and leaped down just as easily. The sniffer unit made a rattling sound as it spun through the air conditioning ducts.

“It’s headed for the basement,” said the Omnibot. They moved to the freight elevator and descended one level. The Muzak in the elevator was playing Ray Conniff. The Omnibot hummed for an eternity until the elevator doors opened onto the basement level of the plant.

“That’s odd,” said the Omnibot. “Toxic emanations are growing stronger, but it’s still in the air shaft and descending. It’s currently _below_ where we are right now. There’s another level underneath us.” The three spread out and fruitlessly tried to find another set of stairs. 

“I’m going in the hard way,” said Nine Lives. He leapt to the ceiling and used his claws to rip open one of the air ducts. He slid in and dropped into a vertical shaft. The duct narrowed, but the hero was unconcerned as he fell fifty feet. He landed lightly.

“I hit an air filter.” He used his claws to slash open the filter. 

“Better hurry. The robot sensed a small surge in toxins and stopped transmitting,” reported the Omnibot.

“You bet. I’m standing on. . . hey!” Nine Lives felt intense pain in his foot. Looking down with cat-slit eyes, he could see something amorphous and fluid forcing its way upwards from the duct beneath him. It glowed a faint, unhealthy green, and was systematically eating away his leg. 


_Please flip page to continue._


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 20, 2005)

ledded said:
			
		

> Let me ask you, how was writing this different in experience to your other SH?  I know that in my supers SH I tried to give a "storyboard" approach, visualizing how certain comic book mechanics would work in print, but sometimes it aint easy.  You seem to have taken to it like the proverbial duck to water.




This is much easier (and faster!) to write. I think there's a couple of reasons for that.

- It's more recent. I'm far enough behind in my D&D story hour that it's trickier relying solely on my memory. It's also a lot of fun writing comic stuff instead of D&D/horror. My D&D story hour is going to be perkier (!) once I get to the next story arc, which is a lot more planar, mystery-based and political. This SH gives me a chance to stretch and see what I'm capable of writing-wise.

- It's got to be a fun, fast-paced adventure if it's going to match the genre at all. I'm trying to write very visually here, not telling you stuff that you couldn't learn in a comics panel. I try not to write a sentence that wouldn't fit in a speech bubble. I may not always succeed, but that's what I'm shooting for.

- It's only going to be six games (of which we've had two.) That makes for an easy, no pressure, finite bit of writing. 

- I have players who really love comics. Three of them aren't in my regular group (Capellan/Boulder, Blood Jester/Eternal Sentinel, and Kat/Wave) so that add a fun change to our normal interactions. Their play makes retelling what happened really easy.

I can't wait to read yours and the other MnM story hours; I haven't read them yet, but I'm looking forward to it.


----------



## Blackjack (Mar 21, 2005)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> “I’m going in the hard way,” said Nine Lives. He leapt to the ceiling and used his claws to rip open one of the air ducts. He slid in and dropped into a vertical shaft. The duct narrowed, but the hero was unconcerned as he fell fifty feet.




After several years of playing a serious and cautious character, this scene was tremendously fun.

Me: "I rip open the grate."
Piratecat: "The shaft is dark and you can't see the botto--"
Me: "I jump."


----------



## Bandeeto (Mar 21, 2005)

> The Muzak in the elevator was playing Ray Conniff.




Dontcha just love Ray Conniff?    

-The Tick


----------



## Paxr0mana (Mar 21, 2005)

Blackjack said:
			
		

> After several years of playing a serious and cautious character, this scene was tremendously fun.
> 
> Me: "I rip open the grate."
> Piratecat: "The shaft is dark and you can't see the botto--"
> Me: "I jump."




I understand exactly what you mean. My current charcter in our DnD game is a ex-member of the Royal Dwarven Guard, so he is pretty into rules and regulations (he's loosening up a bit). In my friend's homebrew D20/CoC game I have a private eye turned college professor due to some nasty business. He is on the case to find a missing professor at Miskatonic U, and with his massive bonus to Knowledge(civics) (he teaches law, and was a PI, after all), every conversation with a police officer turns out like this:

'Um sir, I don't know if you are supposed to be doing that...'
'Well, you see Detective Jameson *makes up legitimate sounding rule*'
'Oh..'

And while my Dwarf is all about party unity, despite any glaring alignment disagreements, this is my impression of my PI:

Student, one of the other players:'Hey professor, do you need any help with your search?'
Me:*lights cigarette, and blows smoke* 'No, go away.'
Student:'But...'
Me: 'LEAVE ME ALONE!'

Not to mention the time he pulled a .45 on the other PCs..

...meddling kids...


----------



## Ao the Overkitty (Mar 23, 2005)

Oh man.  Gotta say, I love it so far.  I'm not much of a comic book guy, but Pkitty strings a great superheroes game.


----------



## Blackjack (Mar 23, 2005)

*Code-4 website up!*

The Code-4 website is up and running!  Check it out at 

http://www.piratecat.org/code4/

Just Story Hour posts and some of the character art for now; character stats and such later.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Mar 23, 2005)

Blackjack said:
			
		

> The Code-4 website is up and running!




Very nice!


----------



## Ashy (Mar 23, 2005)

I agree!  Great job!


----------



## thatdarncat (Mar 23, 2005)

Wow. Wanna take a look at my website?


----------



## Ao the Overkitty (Mar 23, 2005)

very nice, blackjack.


----------



## ledded (Mar 23, 2005)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> This is much easier (and faster!) to write. I think there's a couple of reasons for that.




I have to agree with you on pretty much every point, and I took a similar view of it (after the first few pages of writing) that you did.  I tried to imagine storyboards, thought/voice bubbles, and comic-panel action on every page.

Having players who really love comics helps too... most of the folks I game with were/are comics readers at some point, and having a chance to bust out some of their repressed comic-geekiness really hit harder than I thought it would when I asked them to play a supers game as our "side campaign".  They took to it faster than any new system or genre that we had done previously and really ran with it.  "Familiarity of genre" is what I thought of it as, because no matter what I came up with or threw at them, they accepted and ran with, because hey it was like a comic book.  Playing it reminded me of why I used to read comics.



> I can't wait to read yours and the other MnM story hours; I haven't read them yet, but I'm looking forward to it.




There are some pretty good ones here and there (Broccoli_Head has a good MnM one, and Heapthaumaturgist started a really fun one); mine may be hard to find since I havent updated it in a while... though since there aren't many WWII-Superhero themed story hours out there it wont be hard to recognize if you trip across it .  

Very cool website Blackjack!  Nice work.


----------



## Blood Jester (Mar 24, 2005)

Blackjack said:
			
		

> The Code-4 website is up and running!  Check it out at
> 
> http://www.piratecat.org/code4/
> 
> Just Story Hour posts and some of the character art for now; character stats and such later.




Good job man, thumbs up.


----------



## threshel (Mar 24, 2005)

Blackjack said:
			
		

> The Code-4 website is up and running!  Check it out at
> 
> http://www.piratecat.org/code4/
> 
> Just Story Hour posts and some of the character art for now; character stats and such later.




Very cool.

J


----------



## Hatchling Dragon (Mar 25, 2005)

Aravis said:
			
		

> Why stop there?  Become a *MULTI-millionaire * and you can pay all of
> us to play all the time so he has something to write about.
> 
> -- Aravis




Bah, do you know how long the list of potential players for a PC-run game would be if he went full-time DM'ing?

All that Rat-Bastardliness, I don't know if meere mortals could stand it!  I know I'd like to *try* though  

I know that I'd thought of this long ago as a potential 'investment' if I ever won the Lottery.  Right after "Move to Boston and become a full-time gamer, preferably at PC's table."  I'm not hard to please, just expensive.

Hatchling Dragon

PS: so much for having drifted away from reading Story Hours...


----------



## Piratecat (Mar 25, 2005)

More updates - for this and the D&D story hour - this weekend!


----------



## ThoughtBubble (Mar 25, 2005)

Well, that gives me something to look forward to for the next two days.
If only I hadn't given up checking the boards while at work.


----------



## mofos21 (Mar 28, 2005)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> More updates - for this and the D&D story hour - this weekend!




This weekend's almost over and no update yet.  Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!    

Superb writing, PC.  I can envision it as if I'm reading actual comic panels.  Can't wait for the next chapter - keep up the good work.


----------



## Thornir Alekeg (Mar 28, 2005)

Drat, no update yet, now what am I supposed to do here at work to get my morning going on the right foot?  Work? Inconceivable!


----------



## Aravis (Mar 29, 2005)

Thornir Alekeg said:
			
		

> Drat, no update yet, now what am I supposed to do here at work to get my morning going on the right foot?  Work? Inconceivable!




Do you guys actually believe PC when he claims an update is coming?  

I suppose I can now expect the Reformer to die at our next session....  

- Aravis


----------



## Pyske (Mar 29, 2005)

Aravis said:
			
		

> I suppose I can now expect the Reformer to die at our next session....




Do you really expect PC to let you off that easy?


----------



## mofos21 (Mar 30, 2005)

Aravis said:
			
		

> Do you guys actually believe PC when he claims an update is coming?




First I'm told there's no such thing as the Easter Bunny, then I'm told there's no such thing as Sandy Claws.  Now you're telling me there's no such thing as an update when PC says there will be one?  What's left for a kid like me to believe in?

At least there's still the Great Pumpkin . . .


----------



## Lela (Mar 30, 2005)

mofos21 said:
			
		

> First I'm told there's no such thing as the Easter Bunny, then I'm told there's no such thing as Sandy Claws. Now you're telling me there's no such thing as an update when PC says there will be one? What's left for a kid like me to believe in?




Monte Cook?


----------



## Piratecat (Apr 4, 2005)

I was writing the D&D update first. 

I'll plan to update this Monday.


----------



## DragonSword (Apr 5, 2005)

Come on... I'm going into withdrawal here. The guys in the white coats are knocking and I need some fruity MnM goodness!


----------



## Piratecat (Apr 6, 2005)

*AGONY'S GAMBIT: Issue 1, Chapter 13*

*Kason Chemical Plant
Hanover, Freedom City*


Nine Lives twisted in the narrow air duct. Razor-sharp claws slashed down into the -- _What *is* that?_, he wondered -- creature attacking his feet. They passed through it without causing any obvious damage, and came out sizzling and hissing from weak acid.

The luminous green fluid forced more of its bulk into the airshaft, trying to encase Nine Lives’s legs in living acid. The superhero leapt agilely up the duct. He sensed noxious fumes going to work on his nervous system, doing their best to dissolve his lung tissue in the process.  He also sensed his body adapting to treat the poisonous fumes as normal air, and he took a deep and refreshing breath of poison.  “I’m fighting one of the things that entered the TV studio with Agony.  We’ve hit paydirt. Call the others, and get down here.” 

Eyes fully adapted to the darkness, Nine Lives spotted a tiny nucleus of hardened chemical in the middle of his foe. He took aim and thrust his claws directly into the creature. Acid burnt away his skin, but the claws impaled the nucleus and the shape of the acid creature dissolved away with a tiny shriek. The dripping acid made a pleasant sound reminiscent of rain as the skin on Nine Lives’s hands regrew.

Up in the basement, the Omnibot and the Reformer signaled the rest of the team and considered their options. “There’s no obvious way down into a sub-basement,” reported the Omnibot. “We’ll have to do it the hard way.” One of its massive legs smashed down into the hardened concrete floor, but a distressingly small chunk of material chipped out.  “They’re at least twenty feet down. This is going to take all day.”

“It doesn’t have to,” said the Reformer. He bent down on one knee and touched the cold cement. He concentrated.  He could feel layer upon layer of concrete. “You see, it doesn’t really _want_ to be concrete. It wants to be. . .” He considered for a few seconds. “Corrugated cardboard!” Light poured from the Reformer’s hands, and the entire floor _twisted._

“That I can rip through!” crowed the Omnibot, and three of its five metal legs began to tear up huge chunks of cardboard. They began to tunnel, soon fifteen feet down and moving quickly. 

“Be careful,” cautioned the Reformer. “I don’t know how well this cardboard can support our. . .”

The cardboard under their feet suddenly gave way. The Reformer looked down. With horror, he realized that they were falling thirty feet down into a huge, bubbling vat of green acid directly beneath them.

-- o --

*Jordan International Airport
Southside, Freedom City*


The Eternal Sentinel’s eyes narrowed as the radio call came through. “Let’s go, team. They’ve found Agony’s base.”

Wave did a loop on her surfboard. “Excellent! Let’s fly.”

Boulder look at her implacably. “Oh, yeah? I ain’t gonna win. You’ll have to give me a ride.” He indicated his stony bulk, and Wave made a face.

“Boulder, flying with you is like surfing with an anchor.”

The Eternal Sentinel stepped forward. “No, Wave, you’re not quite fast enough. We need to get there _now._  I can get myself there quickly enough, but Boulder’s a little bit more of a problem. Let’s see. . .”  Standing close to the other two heroes, he extended a nimbus of shimmering light. The light surrounded them and encased them.

“Hey!” said Boulder. “I feel like I’m getting lighter!” He looked at the Sentinel accusingly. “You didn’t used to be able to do this.”

“Old dogs and new tricks, my friend.” The Eternal Sentinel grasped each of them by a forearm.  “Let’s go.”  They disappeared in a flash of blinding light, and the airport employees still staring at Wave reeled backwards with spots in front of their eyes.

-- o --

On a street in Riverside, a small child pointed up to the sky. “Look, Mommy! A shooting star!”

“No, Billy,” the woman said. A small smile played across her lips. “That’s the Eternal Sentinel. That’s a hero.”

-- o --

Omnibot and the Reformer tumbled towards the enormous vat of acid. All five of the Omnibot’s arms snapped into its body and created a perfect sphere. “Splashdown,” it thought.  “I hope the metal alloy is strong enough to resist the acid. I’d hate to have to create another one of these.”

The Reformer only had a second to react. He concentrated on the acid-filled crucible beneath him, and out of nowhere an enormous steel plate appeared to cover the vat. 

The Omnibot hit first with an enormous clang, bouncing off the steel barrier and rolling to the floor. It left a huge dent behind. The Reformer hit just afterwards. Bruised and slightly out of breath, he tumbled off the conjured barrier and dropped to the floor fifteen feet below.

“That was close,” he said, and rubbed the bruise on his shoulder. He looked around. “Where are we?” He turned to see a high-tech chemical lab with glass cauldrons full of roiling greenish fluid. “Agony must be around here some—” Behind him, something lifted the steel plate off the vat and smashed it down on top of Omnibot and Reformer with bone-crushing force. 

“What was that?” asked the Omnibot. It extended its legs and tried to get to its feet, but the steel plate pinned it in place. The Reformer dismissed the barrier into thin air and they both looked up.

Standing above them was a fifteen foot tall monstrosity of living green chemical. The stink was incredible. “Chemos!” it burbled, and brought two huge fists of hardened acid down onto the heroes.


_Please flip page to continue._


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Apr 6, 2005)

I'm flipping! I'm flipping! Where's the next page?


----------



## Henry (Apr 6, 2005)

Ya TEASE! You have the advance proofs!  Us poor joes are stuck 'til the issue hits the stands.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane (Apr 6, 2005)

Henry said:
			
		

> Ya TEASE! You have the advance proofs!  Us poor joes are stuck 'til the issue hits the stands.




That analogy isn't quite right. I know what happens in only the broadest sense; it's not as if Kevin isn't bringing something new to the equation in the telling.

So really it's more like I was there for this issue's planning session, but I haven't seen so much as a single panel of the final product yet.


----------



## Bandeeto (Apr 6, 2005)

> Standing above them was a fifteen foot tall monstrosity of living green chemical. The stink was incredible. “Chemos!” it burbled, and brought two huge fists of hardened acid down onto the heroes.




Man, I remember Chemo. One of my favorite Metal Men villains. Killed Aquagirl during the Crisis on Infinite Earths and was himself destroyed (briefly) by Negative Woman.

"A professor trying to come up with a chemical formula that would cure disease and otherwise provide a miraculous panacea for humanity had the odd habit of dumping all of his chemical wastes and failed experiment reagents into a giant, man-shaped plastic mold. When the thing finally got filled to the brim, the chemicals somehow (a favourite word in comic book origins) combined to create a basic intelligence - or at least an instinct to create mayhem - and hello, monstrosity."
-http://www.proudrobot.com/hembeck/metalmen.html


----------



## Piratecat (Apr 6, 2005)

Hmmm. Same concept, different details. I don't tend to nab established comic book heroes and villains for my game; too much baggage that goes along with that for my personal taste.

As for Wulf's comment, I'm not sure I'd agree.  I personally consider the actual game to be more "final product" than the writeup; the actual game is the _point._ Considering it any other way seems to me to be a little bass ackwards. I don't game in order to write the story hour, I write story hours because it's a fun adjunct to the gaming that lets other people get a feel for how our games go. The only real advantage of the story hour is that it gives me the leisure to add more stuff like back story. I'm not always perfect on detail (especially when I'm working off of memory and not a tape), but I work towards accuracy.

This was driven home to me when I learned that in a former EN Worlder's story hour, the entire last few writeups were _utterly_ different than what had happened in the actual game. The GM got mad at the players during the game because what they had actually done "wouldn't sound good in the story hour"!  That just makes me angry.


----------



## Thornir Alekeg (Apr 6, 2005)

Bandeeto said:
			
		

> Man, I remember Chemo. One of my favorite Metal Men villains. Killed Aquagirl during the Crisis on Infinite Earths and was himself destroyed (briefly) by Negative Woman.




Oh man, I hadn't thought about Metal Men in years!  I loved that comic.  Hmm, wonder if I can find them again...[wanders off to search in Mom and Dad's attic]


----------



## carpedavid (Apr 6, 2005)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> As for Wulf's comment, I'm not sure I'd agree.  I personally consider the actual game to be more "final product" than the writeup; the actual game is the _point._ Considering it any other way seems to me to be a little bass ackwards.




I think that's a good point. If I found that my own story hour, for example, were interfering with prep time for my game, or something else along those lines, I'd have to stop writing it (or switch to a less ambitious schedule).

On the other hand, PC, your writeups are so enjoyable to read, _even if you know what's going on_, that they are a "product" in and of themselves. I suppose that's the price you pay for being good - we all want to be your consumers .



> This was driven home to me when I learned that in a former EN Worlder's story hour, the entire last few writeups were _utterly_ different than what had happened in the actual game. The GM got mad at the players during the game because what they had actually done "wouldn't sound good in the story hour"!  That just makes me angry.




Oy oy oy!


----------



## Bandeeto (Apr 6, 2005)

Piratecat:







> Hmmm. Same concept, different details. I don't tend to nab established comic book heroes and villains for my game; too much baggage that goes along with that for my personal taste.




Sorry about that, wasn't meaning to imply you'd lifted him. It's just that the superstrong greenish toxic being on a rampage with a similar name reminded me of him. 

Chemo was one of a select breed in comics, along with Validus and a few others: massive, nearly mindless engines of godzilla-like destruction.


----------



## Piratecat (Apr 6, 2005)

Bandeeto said:
			
		

> Sorry about that, wasn't meaning to imply you'd lifted him. It's just that the superstrong greenish toxic being on a rampage with a similar name reminded me of him.




No surprise! I think I saw a picture of the original Chemo at some point and lifted the image, although I don't know anything about his backstory. This Chemo is an artificial construct crafted by Agony. Plenty strong, though.

For you MnM fans, he's constructed as an "alternate body - semi-solid" with acid-themed special effects and extras, such as an energy field that does acid damage when someone hits him. I didn't have to spend a lot of points on intelligence.


----------



## shilsen (Apr 7, 2005)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> This was driven home to me when I learned that in a former EN Worlder's story hour, the entire last few writeups were _utterly_ different than what had happened in the actual game. The GM got mad at the players during the game because what they had actually done "wouldn't sound good in the story hour"!  That just makes me angry.




You know what's really good for when you're angry? Writing more updates and posting them. Really!


----------



## coyote6 (Apr 7, 2005)

"Puny humans make Piratecat angry! Piratecat WRITE!"


----------



## Dungannon (Apr 7, 2005)

Ahh, I've found a Piratecat SH still in the early stages.  I caught up in less than 2 hours and can now subscribe without worrying about being left behind.


----------



## Blood Jester (Apr 7, 2005)

Have to add...

You made the transport of Boulder and Wave look too easy.

You left out the strain of lifting them causing blood to pour from the Sentinal's nose and splatter across Boulders head.


----------



## coyote6 (Apr 8, 2005)

Blood Jester said:
			
		

> You left out the strain of lifting them causing blood to pour from the Sentinal's nose and splatter across Boulders head.




Had to use extra effort, eh?


----------



## Blood Jester (Apr 8, 2005)

coyote6 said:
			
		

> Had to use extra effort, eh?




Do you have any idea how heavy that guy is?

Sheesh, gimme a chisel so I can put him on a diet.


----------



## Quartermoon (Apr 10, 2005)

I'm not sure why, but Eternal Sentinel is my favorite so far.  I can't really tell what his powers are, exactly, but I like him. It's more personal style than powers, anyway.

Of course, Reformer seems like a lot of fun, too...in a completely opposite way, if that makes any sense.


----------



## Aravis (Apr 20, 2005)

Quartermoon said:
			
		

> I'm not sure why, but Eternal Sentinel is my favorite so far.  I can't really tell what his powers are, exactly, but I like him. It's more personal style than powers, anyway.
> 
> Of course, Reformer seems like a lot of fun, too...in a completely opposite way, if that makes any sense.




The Reformer is a lot of fun to play.  I do my best to come up with a new trick every time we get together.  Of course, I also seem to do my best to come up with something designed to cause a fair amount of mayhem...er, did I say designed...it is really all just an accident...

- Aravis


----------



## mofos21 (May 12, 2005)

What?  This thread on the last page?  Can't be having that, now.

*ker-bump*

Eagerly awating more, PC.


----------



## Capellan (May 30, 2005)

Blood Jester said:
			
		

> Do you have any idea how heavy that guy is?
> 
> Sheesh, gimme a chisel so I can put him on a diet.





"800 lbs is positively svelte for someone with my bone structure."


----------



## Blood Jester (May 30, 2005)

Capellan said:
			
		

> "800 lbs is positively svelte for someone with my bone structure."




Do you _have_ bones?  :\


----------



## KidCthulhu (May 31, 2005)

Capellan said:
			
		

> "800 lbs is positively svelte for someone with my bone structure."




 Yeah, you're not a giant hunk of concrete, you're just big boned.


----------



## Captain Claymore (May 31, 2005)

*Ahhhhh*

The dreaded end of the line! Must... know how story ends.... Must wait... with all others here in update purgatory... The pain... is barely tolerable.

Very fun PC. Just the inspiration I needed to run an MnM game.


----------



## Lela (May 31, 2005)

Blood Jester said:
			
		

> Do you _have_ bones?  :\



Rebar?


----------



## sniffles (Jun 1, 2005)

Aaaa!!  Can't ... wait ... for... next... issue...  

PC, your story hour entries are undoubtedly the best I've read.  I wish mine could be as compelling.
Makes me pine for a sadly aborted MnM campaign I was in a couple of years ago.  When two players decided they were overbooked and bowed out the GM got shirty and dumped the campaign, even though he still had 4 players left.      Farewell, dear Flux, I hardly knew ye...


----------



## coyote6 (Jun 28, 2005)

Hey, this is just like the comics -- a couple of issues come out, then bam! Months go by . . . 



(This has been a uncleverly disguised bump.)


----------



## Capellan (Sep 2, 2005)

It's kind of like early Image that way, only with better art and story.


----------



## Arkhandus (Sep 5, 2005)

Update!  Update!  Update! the masses chanted.


----------



## Blacklamb (Sep 5, 2005)

Sometimes i cry when i can't get an update from PC's MnM storyhour.




Blacklamb


----------



## Dungannon (Dec 7, 2005)

_knock knock_

Hello, anyone home?  The natives are getting a bit restless, so, if, ya know, you could come out and say Hi or something, it'd be greatly appreciated.


----------



## Capellan (Dec 7, 2005)

I'll be seeingPC either on the weekend or Monday at the latest, and I'll ask how things are, and if an update is likely.


----------



## Capellan (Dec 13, 2005)

Just like MacArthur PC says he shall return.

Let's hope he doesn't take as long


----------



## Blacklamb (Dec 13, 2005)

Capellan, Thanks for the update and Hope! 
Happy holidays to all!


Blacklamb


----------



## Imruphel (Aug 16, 2006)

Great SH!

Any chance of an update... pretty please?


----------

