Kineto Returns In...The RETURN of the RETURN of KINETO!

Let's finish up 2023 with the completion of my most popular series this year so that we can begin the new year fresh! Well...fresh-ish. Kind of fresh. 

Following the events of Kineto's encounter with the mysterious Faust, there was no sign of the Master of Motion for almost a year.

One morning the following Spring, the Monitor Room in UNITY New York's secret base (located in New York City's Central Park beneath Belvedere Castle - Shhh. Don't tell anyone.) alerted the team to a lifeform with a high Meta-Energy signature mere meters from one of the base's auxiliary entrances. Within seconds the sensors were able to identify the individual as Kineto.

UNITY immediately mobilized all the heroes they had on hand as well as more than two dozen heavily armed UNTIL Agents. Additional heroes and agents were placed on high alert. Leading the response team was Night Force (who had recently taken over field operations from Omni, the latter having been promoted to a more behind-the-scenes leadership position). As the Supers and UNTIL Agents popped out of hidden exits and quickly surrounded Kineto, recessed security systems aimed automated high-energy weapons at him. 

For his part, Kineto stood calm and still. He had a slightly irritated scowl on his face and he crossed his arms as if impatiently waiting for the fuss to subside. Finally, with all of UNITY and UNTIL's operatives in place, Night Force asked Kineto why he was there and what he wanted. 

Kineto went right into explaining that another Supervillain (sadly I forget which one but he was another upper tier threat) was concocting a plot to cause a disturbance to distract from stealing a thing. The villain intended on using that thing to destroy a place and hold an entire country hostage. Kineto gave as detailed a timeline for these events as he could based on the intel he had. When Night Force responded, "Why are you telling us this?", Kineto said simply...

"So you can stop him. You're Superheroes. Isn't that your job?"

With that he shot skyward at such an incredible velocity it was virtually impossible to determine the direction he took off in. Sensors on the ground and even UNTIL satellite surveillance completely lost track of Kineto within seconds. 

A few months later Kineto aided the heroes of UNITY, as well as those of two other Earths, in battling the machinations of three cosmic level threats: Dark Seed of Champions League Earth-Delta Ceti-1A, Dark Unicorn of Challengers Earth-Mu-1A, and Dark Seraph of Champions Earth-Alpha Delta-1A. This 'Dark Trinity Event' saw these beings try to merge their respective worlds into one, killing billions in the process and absorbing their life forces to gain more power. Kineto played a key role in helping thwart their plans and saving the lives of a great many, including several Superheroes and Supervillains from all three dimensions. 

The Dark Trinity

Left to Right: Dark Seed, Dark Seraph, Dark Unicorn.

This becomes something of a trend; Kineto's subsequent appearances do more good than harm, assisting the good guys in roles ranging from support to direct intervention. One incident of particular note was when Champions Earth-AD-1A was invaded by 'Big Brother', a team of four superpowered teenage individuals from a seemingly utopian Alternate Earth.

When it appeared the heroes of Earth-AD-1A were going to lose to the invading Alternate Earth superbeings calling themselves Big Brother, Kineto threatened to destroy the planet rather than let it fall under the invaders' rule. He claimed he could absorb the motion and kinetic energy of the world turning - yes, the rotation of the Earth - and re-apply it in such a way as to send the planet out of its orbit.

Big Brother

Left to Right:

The Harmonist, The Whimsy, The Revolutionary, The Anachronist

The 'leader' of Big Brother, The Revolutionary, could tell he wasn't bluffing (Kineto believed he could do this and would do it but they had no idea if Kineto actually had that much power). This made the four invaders reconsider their approach and objectives. They decided to return to their home dimension and let the people of Earth-AD-1A work toward a better tomorrow on their own. See the entry on Big Brother Earth-Alpha Delta-Z for more information

Kineto's actions over that year lead many to question whether his motives had changed. Was he still going full bore with his 'Manifesto' or had he returned to his Golden Age heroic ways. Night Force noted that Kineto's focus and objectives likely haven't altered at all. His actions are always directly related to his views, whether obvious to us or not. 

The next appearance of Kineto occurred a few months later in an incident that started small but escalated to epic fairly quickly. It all began when Tempus Fugit, a one time C-List Supervillain who'd worked his way up to B-List 'Mighty Mook', contacted Kineto with a proposition.

Fugit wanted to join Kineto's cause and said that if he was allowed into the organization he would share his latest invention, a 'device of great power and near-infinite potential". Normally Kineto would ignore this sort of person but the man's confidence and bravado intrigued him. While he took Tempus Fugit up on his offer to meet, Kineto also alerted UNITY New York to the situation so they might capture Fugit and any associates. Kineto's personal goal was to ascertain what this device of near-infinite potential was and could he use it to his advantage. However, he considered destroying it if he deemed its operation too dangerous. First he had to know what it was and if Tempus Fugit wasn't just selling snake oil. 

As the two parties - Tempus Fugit and his henchmen and Kineto - met in the sub-basement of an abandoned downtown watchmaking shop, a third group consisting of several UNITY heroes monitored the proceedings from hidden positions. Fugit attempted short and awkward pleasantries before revealing his invention...a gosh-dang-completely-legit TIME MACHINE! This was no small hand-held item. Rather it was a four-person circular platform with standing crossbars and spinning rings going around it. Imagine a mix of a playground roundabout and the prison rings that held Zod, Ursa, and Non in Superman II.  

As Tempus began to activate it and explain its operation to Kineto, a whirling vortex of white light appeared on the far wall and out of it stepped a metallic being calling itself Avatar-7. Speaking in the third person, Avatar-7 made it clear his mission was to destroy the device and eliminate Fugit. 

Avatar-7

The UNITY team came out of the shadows and sprung into action to protect and secure Tempus Fugit. At the same time, Kineto moved to the Time Dial (or Time Revolver) to deactivate it and see how to remove it from the area. Before he could complete his objective additional vortexes of light appeared, these surrounded by halos of primary colors. Two new individuals, a female named Era and a male named Eon, declared their intent on destroying Avatar-7 (who they identified as an Android) and obtaining the Time Dial platform. 

Chaos erupts, with everyone present essentially battling everyone else. The fight spilled out to the ground floor above and then eventually into the street. At one point, Eon struck a member of UNITY sending him flying, only to have the hero suddenly disappear.* Kineto fought the newcomers and Avatar-7 but tried to avoid engaging with the UNITY members. Fugit was attempting to hide for the most part, occasionally tossing a gadget into the fray to hurt or hinder Era, Eon, Avatar-7, and UNITY. Finally, as Avatar-7 attacked the Dial itself, Kineto countered, causing the temporal displacement effects of the platform and the Android to activate simultaneously and releasing a blinding blast of Chronoton energy. 

The explosive release of uncontrolled temporal power sent everyone present ('present' - see what I did there?) into different places in space and time. Tempus Fugit and two UNITY members ended up in Medieval England. Two other heroes and Era appear in Ancient Rome. Eon and two more UNITY members wind up in the American 'Old West'. It took time (*rimshot*), teamwork, and a host of period specific allies and enemies to figure out what was going on and how it all connected with Doctor Epoch, aka Father Time!

Left to Right:

The Time Twins - Era and Eon, Doctor Epoch/Father Time, and Tempus Fugit

But this is a post about Kineto...so what became of him? Kineto was transported to the far future where he encountered the perfect utopian society of The Galactic Unity, defended by the Galactic Champions. Kineto was amazed by the peace that had been achieved in this distant era. Unfortunately, it would be revealed to him by members of the Galactic Champions that he, Kineto, had nothing to do with it. According to the information archived in their computers and the Museum of The Supernormal, Kineto was merely a footnote in history. His activites, cause, manifesto, and everything he had struggled to achieve were simply one of many curious stories on display in the 20th and 21st Century exhibitions. In fact, his actions as a young hero of World War II received much more representation. 

"My dream...my plans...Superhumans ruling and guiding normal Humanity to a better tomorrow. Surely that came to pass, yes? You have a utopia here." Kineto said.

The leader of the Galactic Champions, a Mandaarian**, replied, "Essentially. It isn't absolutely perfect. Nothing is or can be. It was achieved through finding harmony among all the peoples of Earth and beyond. Human, Superhuman, Aliens...we all worked together to get here and we got here on our own."

In the end, all involved were returned to their proper time and place. Tempus Fugit was arrested and the Time Dial confiscated by UNITY. Era and Eon trapped Dr. Epoch, their father, in a pocket of pre-time until they could find their mother (whose identify was unknown to them). Avatar-7 was very badly damaged and left drifting into a black hole (he would return eventually). As for Kineto, he appeared quiet and introspective. He thanked UNITY for there efforts and Fugit for giving him a glimpse into his possible future. Kineto then departed without any further incident and the heroes let him go. 

Finally...

Six months prior to now*** ('now' being the start of any campaign I run or have run in my version of my friend William Corpening's Age of Champions setting) the Earth was invaded by an alliance of alien species who were attacked by an unmanned, heavily armed space satellite/combat platform. That platform was constructed by Scaramangler Industries and posthumously activated by 'accident'. The alien species that were targeted had all been enemies of Humanity in the past and saw this as sufficient reason to eliminate the Earth once and for all. They dubbed their joint operation Invasion: Earth and the conflict has been dubbed the Invasion: Earth War. 

At one point in the fighting, two or three dozen starfighters were launched at Great Britain. Most of the British Superheroes were already battling the invaders on the ground but the Ultramarine, one of the world's most powerful supers, flew to intercept. As he reached the edge of the stratosphere he noticed a much larger starship just beyond the exosphere. It had clearly sent the starfighters and would provide support for them.

Just then he became aware of an object or individual approaching him from below at great speed. Readying himself, he saw that it was Kineto! When Kineto reached the Ultramarine he hovered some 50 ft away from the British Superman and the two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. They had never met face-to-face. Kineto nodded upward, as if indicating Ultramarine should take on the larger starship. Cocking his head to indicate confusion, Ultramarine was surprised when Kineto looked at the oncoming small attack craft, then to Ultramarine, and finally giving a reassuring nod. Somehow, even though they'd never met, Ultramarine understood and returned the nod before rocketing to escape velocity. 

As Ultramarine shot past the starfighters, Kineto smiled (never a good sign). He snapped his fingers and all the fightercraft stopped dead in the air as if frozen in time. Their pilots...didn't. Didn't stop their forward motion that is. As the fighters fell from the sky and into the ocean below, Kineto looked up to see Ultramarine tearing through the Vilarian cruiser. He noted an interesting and remarkable similarity in Ultramarine's approach and powers to that of his own.

And that uniform...

Whew. Wow. Kineto's tale is finally complete. Until it continues that is...

Thanks for coming by in 2023. Hope you found something to enjoy. Looking forward to 2024 and all the new ideas it'll bring.

Happy New Year Everybody! 

AD

Barking Alien

*This was hilarious. The character known as Eon punched a PC Superhero and that hero disappeared. The player was told that his hero appeared to be gone, vanished, undetectable. He opted to use an Alt (alternate character) until a week of real time later when the original hero reappeared in the same place he vanished from and continued forward, finally hitting the ground. Eon quite literally punched him into next week. 

**The superhero Omni, mentioned throughout these entries and basically the founder and head of Project: UNITY is a Mandaarian. 

***This story arc was the last one I was in as a player. Following the Invasion: Earth War  events, we all started college and didn't get to regularly play together. The campaign setting did indeed continue on with different players but this is the final major incident I was part of. As such, I view it as the completion of the campaign's history and therefore Kineto's history before adding anything to it with any new campaign's canon.

RPGaDay Challenge 2023 - Day 28

I've fallen behind with the RPGaDay Challenge because of work and other aspects of Real Life TM and for that I apologize. Let me try to catch up...

Horror isn't where I go when I want to talk about scary games.

What creates real fear in the hearts and minds of RPG players isn't B-Movie Slashers, Vampires, or even Nameless Horrors from Beyond...though it could feature any of those. What truly freezes the blood is when you are concerned for the safety and well-being of a character you've invested emotion in. 

As my Sunday Group discussed just last night, player buy-in is the key to making any RPG frightening. If the players aren't deeply connected to their PCs, NPC friends and family, and the world they're living in, there's no way they'll be afraid of losing everything. 

The last time I responded to this prompt in 2014 it was as a player and my answer involved our old Champions: Age of Chaos campaign. Check it out here. This year I'm recalling a scary moment as a GM, one that took place in a old session of FASA Star Trek.

The Miranda Class USS Odyssey (the PC vessel), detects a weak distress call from a much older Starfleet Science Ship, the USS Endurance. The Endurance is found adrift in space, suffering from both internal and external damage as well as being desperately low on any and all consumable resources. After securing the science ship, USS Odyssey proceeds to tow the craft via tractor beam to the closest Starbase. 

The Captain and crew of the Odyssey see to accommodations for the surviving crewmembers of the Endurance and answers as to what happened to them. After conversations with the NPCs, investigations into the conditions of the science vessel, and observations by the Odyssey's Caitian Science Officer, it was the opinion of the Odyssey's Captain and First Officer that the crew of the Endurance had been possessed or mind controlled by some sort of outside source. They believed it likely to be someone with Psionic Abilities or a God-Like Entity. 

Not quite right but on the right track...

Instead, the Endurance's Crew were being controlled by variants of the Flying Parasites first encountered at the Deneva Colony by the colonists there and later Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise (in the episode Operation: Annihilate). In addition to Parasites attached to the surviving crew of the Endurance, there were hundreds of them stored in the science ship's cargo hold. Using the transporters aboard the Odyssey, the Endurance's infected Captain was able to connect with the cargo transporter on her ship to beam over the creatures in massive numbers. 

The big twist was that the Flying Parasites seemed unaffected by their documented weakness, exposure to Ultraviolet Light. Previously that killed them but when the Odyssey crew tried that here it seemed ineffective. 

The PCs fought valiantly against the hivemind of killer pancakes (as the PC Captain referred to them) and possessed shipmates but were drastically outnumbered. They had to fall back, eventually making a last stand in the Odyssey's Sickbay. The Doctor was particularly badass when covering the rest of the group, firing his Phaser three times and hitting with each shot, one being a critical strike.

Once 'safely' in Sickbay, the Doctor and Science Officer analyzed an injured but living Parasite to find out why Ultraviolet Light didn't effect them. They discovered the creatures were actually affected, just very mildly. These Parasites were different from those previously encountered, having built up a resistance to UV Light over time. Very likely they did this during the years the Endurance was lost.

Using the Odyssey's Ventilation System, the PCs were able flood the ship with a biochemical agent that weakened this resistance. Once that happened, the ship's interior was bathed in Ultraviolet Light and the Captain was able to marshal the crew to retake their vessel. 

The end of 'Act Two' - after the Flying Parasites were revealed but before the PCs reached Sickbay - was intense! The PCs were on the run and a step behind the Parasites and infected Endurance personnel at every turn. The PC Engineer wasn't with the rest of the group, taking to the ship's Jefferies Tubes as a way to hide and get to important systems (he was vital to activating the Ventilation System without access to the Bridge). The characters were desperate but not for their own safety, focused more on their NPC crew and each other. 

It was the SCARIEST game because, quite simply put, my players and I weren't guaranteed it would have a happy ending. At many points we were thinking it wouldn't. It was only through smart planning, creative use of knowledge and skills, and a little luck that things turned out OK.*

AD

Barking Alien

*There were some NPCs losses and PC injuries but the crew succeeded in the end. 

RPGaDay Challenge 2023 - Day 7

 

What makes an RPG 'Smart'? 

Is it complex rules that reflect real world physics and others sciences while simultaneously remaining accessible and of course playable to a mass audience?

Is Traveller a Smart game?

Is it a clever approach to a genre or setting, nailing the feel and atmosphere of what the game is trying to emulate with the simplest mechanics and fewest moving parts? 

Is ALIEN a Smart game?

Is it a game that subtly comments on an aspect of the Human experience under the veil of humor, poking fun at us and we at ourselves by playing it?

Is Paranoia a Smart game?

Yes. Yes to all three. I think each game mentioned above can be viewed as Smart in its own way. There are after all different kinds of intelligence: Creative, Existential, Interpersonal, Logical-Mathematical, and so on. 

Fun to muse about this for a time but it still doesn't get us an answer to the question at hand, 'What is the SMARTEST RPG I've ever played or run?'

As a player I think I would have to go with Champions, specifically the oft-mentioned 'Age of Champions/Age of Chaos' campaign run by my dear friend William Corpening. In a world full of powerful foes, the PCs often needed more than raw damage to win the day. Being Smart was more important [in many cases] than being powerful. 

As a GM, I'd have to say my Star Trek campaigns, particularly those that utilized the FASA system, were among the Smartest I've run. If I had to choose particular games that were especially Smart I'd have to go with the USS Fedifensor, the USS Odyssey, the USS Renown, and without a doubt, the USS Thunder Bay.

I think of Star Trek RPGing as Smart because it isn't focused on violence, the acquisition of wealth (well, except for the Ferengi), or any such petty or mundane things. It concentrates on, at its core, exploration, discovery, the expansion of knowledge, and the sharing of experiences. The goal is understanding, the reward is peace and prosperity. Philosophies are challenged more than stats or rolls of a die. 

AD

Barking Alien

The History of A World - Part II

Continuing my rough history/catalog of major societal events from my current Champions campaign, 'Champions: UNITY'. 

These events take place on Champions Earth-Alpha-Delta-1A, my present take on the campaign setting created by my good friend and the greatest GM I've ever known, William Corpening. His 'Age of Champions' game ran from 1982 to 1993 [if I'm not mistaken] and was set on his original world of Champions Earth-Wilcox Charlie-1.

I was a part of that game during the period William referred to as 'The Age of Chaos', which is the era I will be going over below. In reality, it took place between 1986 and 1989. I've expanded the period and moved up the timeline to enable my current players and I to play in the world with the same events and characters being relevant to the present. 

Note that this isn't even close to all the events that occurred in our old campaign nor in the history of my current one. I have focused on elements that point out the differences between the game world's history and our real world history, especially as it applies to the normal Human populace. There are many things the supers community and secret intelligence community know that the common people don't know. The information here is know to or available to the average person. 

'The Age of Chaos'

1980s-2000s 

The popularity of superheroes reached an all time high during the mid-80s. The number of members of UNITY increases across the globe. While prejudice against aliens continued to mount, the world populace still adored Omni; he was viewed as a calm, well spoken, and rational man and a great leader. 

Superhero products and merchandise such as clothing, action figures, and even breakfast cereal were in great demand, with proceeds going to various charitable organizations. While the heroes themselves had varied opinions on the matter, the people loved it and loved the idea that it supported worthwhile causes. 

'The Maroon Marten', the long running Television Sitcom/Dramedy, celebrated its 200th episode in 1983. While its popularity had gone up and down in the Nielson Ratings over the years, it never left the top ten most watched shows in its time slot. The series centered around a fictional up-and-coming superhero (the titular 'Maroon Marten') and his relationships with family, friends, and next door neighbor/romantic interest while living in LA. Little superheroics were ever seen on camera, with the Maroon Marten or more often his secret identity of Mark Mulligan always heading out to fight crime or just returning from doing so in the show's cold openings. The series won numerous Emmys over its 9 seasons (up to that point) for writing, direction, and both the male and female leads had won Best Actor and Actress. 

The Maroon Marten Television Show Logo Beginning with Season 3

This version was used for the majority of its run.

NBC, the National Broadcasting Company, commemorated the 200th episode with a surprise appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson by none other than the Real Maroon Marten! Yes, the actor who played Mark Mulligan/Maroon Marten, one Paul Baron, shared the stage for the first time with the mysterious real life superhero of the same name who first appeared on the scene thwarting a grocery store robbery in 1976 (around the time of the TV series' second season). This quelled a popular rumor that the two men were the same person. This was clearly disproven when the real Maroon Marten displayed his Super Strength in front of a live audience, lifting a weight neither Paul Baron, Johnny Carson, nor several stagehands could. 

The show remained on the air until 1989. Baron went on to play several dramatic roles on TV and a small but very well received cameo in a Mel Brooks motion picture parodying Supers. The actual Maroon Marten appears to age very slowly and is still active in 2023. In 2022 a new Maroon Marten series made for Streaming aired on Netflix. It did very well and follow up seasons seem likely. 

The creators of the website Superhero Hype were so good at covering superhumans that it almost seemed like they had inside information. They were contacted by UNTIL and it turned out their staff included a number of low level supers. UNTIL decided to hire them to create a channel only members of the superhero community could access. While Superhero Hype is basically an amateur or fan site for the public, the new 'SuperHype' is a professional/industry site 'by superheroes, for superheroes'. There is a lot more to this element of the setting than this but this is what most civilians in the world know. SuperHype eventually evolves into a combo Streaming Service, Social Media Site, and an Information Archive for Superheroes and their international intelligence allies such as UNTIL but not PRIMUS and the other national groups (it is considered a perk of UNTIY membership and is not usually accessible to non-UNITY/Independent superheroes). 

Mann Enterprises, a corporation known for its development of eco-friendly fuel, transportation, and ergonomic product design, wins the exclusive rights to extract resources from the 'Lost World' by a United Nations council on the matter. Mann is awarded this near-monopoly based on the company's long history of environmentally conscious business practices. The key material that Mann extracts from the Lost World is 'Polybioplast': a naturally occurring, thick liquid polymer made from the remains of ancient plants, animals, and bacteria found in the Lost World's unique biosphere. Flexible, extremely durable, and enabling other materials to bond together on a molecular level, Polybioplast allows for the creation of many other incredible alloys and compounds. Mann allows other companies to purchase limited quantities of the substance from them for remarkably reasonable prices given the practically priceless nature of Polybioplast. 

Kineto, the former teenage superhero of the Golden Age turned supervillain, gives a speech while he and his group of super-terrorists battle UNITY in New York. The speech is televised by a number of local and national news outlets. Kineto's message and motivations are clear to the average person for the first time. While the fear many have of him is reinforced or even increased, many others see his point of view. Many superpowered beings, hero and villain alike, are given much to consider. While his team is defeated, Kineto himself escapes. 

Scaramangler Industries creates Impervium, the most indestructible material in the known universe. It is formed by dispersing and recombining the molecular structures of an equal amount of Stellar Titanium, magical Adamantine, and Polybioplast. The resulting metallic alloy substance absorbs and reflects back all energy, including kinetic. If a disc shaped shield were made of Impervium, it could be thrown by a strong normal person but if thrown by someone with super strength it might only travel a short distance, reflecting the force back at the thrower. It definitely couldn't be bounced off people and objects the way Captain America's can. Instead it would hit the target and the target would go flying backward as if it had run into the shield at speed. The British Superhero Crusader gets such a Shield and learns to throw it but again, he can not safely throw it partially far. It should be noted that while very strong and athletic, Crusader is not Super Strong. 

After the kidnapping of his sister, a popular television newscaster, the semi-retired Tachyon activated his powers for the first time since his initial overload of energy appeared to neutralize them. In doing so, two novice superheroes were vaporized by the intense blast while another - an android - was badly damaged. Instantly traveling to the Mediterranean island hideout of the criminal kingpin Mr. Grimm, Tachyon was still too late to save his sister from being murdered by the criminal. Grimm was eventually killed by the superhero Night Force in self defense. Tachyon turns himself in to PRIMUS custody, pleads guilty, and is sent to Stronghold Super Prison where he remains.

The sentient robot supervillain Mechanon, after years of menacing organic life, is finally and permanently defeated by a combination of UNITY New York and UNTIY California (aka The Protectors). It is reported to the public that the key to Mechanon's destruction involved Communication Satellites, Omni's Telemetry power, and Christian Scaramangler's technical genius. This will come up again later. 

An alien superbeing representing 'The Pleiades Imperium' and calling himself Starguard begins operating on Earth, regularly teamed with the members of UNITY's New York group. Little is known about him and his initial relationship with Omni seems more frenemy than staunch ally. Rather quickly, Starguard proves himself every bit the hero and his boisterous attitude and striking appearance make him very popular, especially with young people.

Adamant, a member of Kineto's supervillain inner circle, goes on a drunken rampage through the Rockefeller Center area of New York City. After defeating Starguard in battle, Adamant is confronted by Omni who is able to talk him down without a physical fight. Adamant allows himself to be arrested and get help while in prison. Omni is known to visit him regularly. 

A young boy named Pablo Nestor Nunez, aka 'Neutronium Boy', ran away from home in an attempt to reach the Scaramangler Foundation building in New York City. Young Pablo had discovered he had a Mutant Power he couldn't control and sought the Foundation for help. During his 6 hour struggle to get to his destination, the boy's body transformed, slowly at first and more rapidly as he became stressed, into a being made of extremely dense, heavy, neutron-degenerate matter. Using a payphone, Nunez was able to contact the Scaramangler Foundation for help but he was lost and scared, unable to pinpoint his location. The Foundation contacted UNITY for help.

As UNITY searched for the boy with police assistance, Nunez found himself pursued by a group of supervillains hoping to use him or his power in some way. Eventually, the available UNITY members engaged the villains as Nunez's transformation into 'Neutronium' made it virtually impossible for him to move. At just over 4 feet in height the boy weighed hundreds of tons. The dull metallic material covering him went over his joints making it even harder for him to continue. In the end, Pablo reached the front 'courtyard' of the Scaramangler Building as no more than an inert rock. 

Omni was there, holding the boy until Nunez no longer showed any signs of life (confirmed by Omni's Telepathy). Following funeral services, a statue and plaque honoring Nunez was permanently installed in front of the Scaramangler Foundation Building on nearly the exact spot where Nunez ended his journey.

The front of the Scaramangler Foundation Building in New York City

featuring the statue of Neutronium Boy. May he rest in peace.

2001-2020s

The world at large becomes acutely aware of the existence of Parallel Earths when the villains of three different ones - ours and two others - combine forces to merge the planets into one. The resulting Earth would have 7 billion people. Since that was the rough population of each world, it was understood that 14 billion would die. The heroes of Champions Earth-AD-1, Challengers Earth-Mu-AD1, and Champion League Earth-Delta Ceti-AD1 united to save the three variant planets in what would come to be known as 'The Dark Trinity Event'. In the aftermath of the incident, some heroes and villains were trapped on the wrong Earths, with travel between dimensions now far more difficult than ever before. 

Payphones, still in operation across most of the world, got a major upgrade at this time thanks to Scaramangler Industries. Benefiting from S-Phone and improved satellite technology,  the modern payphones were built into ATM-like kiosks that provide internet access and one button emergency services contact. This includes the ability to alert one's local Superhero Team/UNITY base. Emergency service calls are free. All other uses can be paid for by cash/coinage, credit card, or charged to your home or business communications provider. 

S-Payphone by S-COMM

A Telecommunications Subsidiary of

Scaramangler Industries

A US Covert Operation in the Middle East goes incredibly poorly when the target turns out to be protected by superhuman bodyguards. UNTIL and UNITY are sent in to rescue the American operatives but encounter a team of Black Ops Supers working for PRIMUS. After a team-up between UNITY and the PRIMUS group, First S.T.R.I.K.E., several members of the latter turn on and attack the former. One member, Overload, switches sides to help UNITY while nearly all the rest are arrested after a short but intense battle. Unfortunately, a First STRIKE operative code-named 'Inkblot' goes absolutely insane, killing several PRIMUS and UNTIL agents before ultimately escaping. Sometime after returning to the US, Overload is cleared and joins UNITY. 

Christian Scaramangler went missing and a series of attacks against UNITY New York followed, largely undertaken by a variety of extremely advanced and powerful robots. When Scaramangler reappeared he claimed he'd been the captive of technologically superior alien entity he did not recognize. 

Adamant, aka Adam Kennison, is released from prison on probation due to good behavior and into the custody of Omni. The two have become friends and Omni takes a personal interest in Adam's rehabilitation. Adam get's a normal job and works hard to his villainous past behind him. 

A number of world-threatening situations occurred in the 1990s that the public had no knowledge of. This obviously occurred throughout history but this period saw both a large number and scenarios with massive scope and consequences. 

Damage during a battle with supervillains reveals Christian Scaramangler to be an android! It is assumed he had been so since his disappearance/abduction a year prior. See above. In a very public battle, the False Scaramangler is seen engaged in combat with several members of UNITY New York, fighting them to a standstill.

The alien hero Starguard challenged the pseudo-Scaramangler to Pleiadean Ritual Combat. The Android refused at first, until Starguard threatened to call upon the entirety of his team The Protectors of Pleiades. At that point the Android and Starguard announced their one-on-one fight would be on Earth's moon 12 hours later.

In the interim time, investigations revealed that the Android had been behind several crimes and responsible for numerous attacks against Omni and Starguard, as well as others, since the imposter 'returned' from his supposed capture. A long time friend of the real Christian Scaramangler who had benefited from the Scaramangler Foundation, John Gideon, decided to join UNITY until the false-Scaramangler situation could be resolved. Under the code-name 'Sword of Gideon', John aided the New York team by handling local, low-to-medium scale threats.

Starguard managed to destroy the Scaramangler Android...or so he thought. It returned several times after this battle in different bodies, all utilizing Scaramangler's advanced technology. The entity was eventually discovered to be using an upgraded version of Mechanon's 'Consciousness Transfer' system to 'survive' each fight. See way above. Once they knew this, Omni and the other UNITY heroes were able to permanently eliminate this villain in a similar way to their defeat of the Mechanon robot. Exactly who they were was not uncovered. The real Christian Scaramangler was never recovered and was presumed dead.  

The Invasion: Earth War which ended 6 months prior to the start of my current campaign is considered one of the biggest milestone's in the history of Champions Earth-AD-1. It began with a fleet of alien spacecraft attacking and landing their troops at various coast cities and islands all over the world. UNTIL and UNITY mobilized immediately, showing the benefits of a such a network. In spite of Earth's efforts, the invaders were able to siege and hold several locations. Sadly, these actions only constituted the first wave. 

A second and much larger fleet arrived soon after, once again descending upon coastal regions, islands, and even areas of open ocean. It would be revealed that three out of the five alien races unified in attacking the Earth - the Gadroon, Hzeel, Qularr, Roin'Esh, and Vilarians,  - were amphibious or largely aquatic. Once this was determined, UNTIL and the United Nations coordinated with the seagoing Navies of its member countries. Navy and Coast Guard personnel became extremely important during the conflict but also suffered the most casualties. Aquatic superheroes weren't numerous so UNITY's strategy in many cases was to draw their opponents inland. A side effect of this approach was that many local/regional superheroes who weren't UNITY members were able to join in. It should be noted that only a handful of Roin'Esh were involved, making no claim to be representative of their species as a whole. 

The Invasion: Earth Alliance: Gadroon, Hzeel, Qularr, Roin'Esh, and Vilarians

Within 24 hours the entire world, Human and Superhuman alike, were united in defending the planet Earth. Many supervillains joined in to help defeat the invaders as well. Most notable were members of CLOWN, Doctor Silverback, Kineto, and Mr. Fiacho and EuroStrike. Adam Kennison, formerly the villain Adamant, teams up with UNITY members to fight the enemy as well. Meanwhile, Omni, Starguard, and a small team of other supers left the planet in an attempt to negotiate for some assistance from the Pleiades Imperium and Mandaarian Republic. The Mandaarians are Omni's people. 

After an intense three day conflict with many lives lost on both sides, the alien invasion forces surrendered to the United Nations of Earth. Our victory was largely thanks to the efforts of Humanity and its allies, as well as reinforcements from the Mandaarians and Pleiadeans, including the alien superteam The Protectors of Pleiades.  

Following the Invasion: Earth War, the Mandaarian Republic and Pleiades Imperium signed a pact to mutually protect but not otherwise interfere with the planet Earth. Omni spent 3 months reworking the Mandaarian government and negotiating a more lasting peace between it and the Pleiades Imperial government. 

A section of Central Park in New York City was dubbed Heroes Row and dedicated to super and non-super heroes who'd fallen in the war. Numerous statues were added depicting those who perished. Christian Scaramangler receives a stature at the Scaramangler Foundation Building. John Gideon retires his Sword of Gideon superhero identity and becomes Chief of Security Operations for the entire Foundation. 

The overall attitude towards alien beings became far more diversified and nuanced. The Invasion so many had feared had happened but extraterrestrial allies helped win the day. Generally speaking, aliens were now viewed as just people from far away. 

Whoo! That was A LOT. I hope I didn't overdo it.

Did you all like these posts? Please let me know in the comments. 

We'll talk soon,

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Barking Alien

Among The Spider-Verse

As I think I've said before, while I've always liked Spider-Man, he's never been my favorite Comic Book Superhero. He's definitely cool - great costume, interesting and unusual power set - but Spidey's down-to-earth-everyman nature, the very thing that makes him so popular, just didn't excite me. I was always more attracted to the larger-than-life cosmic adventure type characters, with my favorite comic books being Green Lantern and The Legion of Superheroes.

This all changed with the creation of Miles Morales and the Spider-Verse. In both cases, I'm talking about the Marvel Comic Books here, with Miles' first appearance in 2011 and writer Dan Slott's Spider-verse storyline that ran in The Amazing Spider-Man and throughout several tie-ins in 2014 through 2015.

Something about the character of Miles grabbed me in a way Peter Parker never did and honestly, I can't really say exactly why that is. Maybe it was getting in on the 'ground floor'; I saw his character emerge just as the rest of comicdom did. He was Spider-Man, a Spider-Man I suppose you could say, that was instantly familiar yet very different and definitely his own character.

With the Spider-Verse, well my love of that concept is likely unsurprising to anyone whose been on this blog for any length of time. I am fascinated by the idea of a Multiverse and the possibilities of Alternate Realities. Making Spider-Man the key to a saga about Parallel Universes was really engaging to a classic DC Comics guy like myself. 

In between these new additions to the Marvel Comics milieu, Margaret Weis Productions published the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game. In a demo of the game run at my friendly local game store I actually got to play Spider-Man and it gave me a new appreciation for the character. He was a fun character to play, to be for a time. Maybe I thought, he's more fun to read about and explore than I'd thought.

Fast forward to 2018 and the groundbreaking Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and my mind was blown. The movie was incredible, both narratively and visually. Absolutely incredible. With the recent release of the film's sequel, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, I was completely brought back to that moment of WOW I had seeing the first Spider-Verse movie. 

Over the decades, I have run and played a lot of Superhero RPGs and in a few of them we've had some variation of the character of Spider-Man. Now I'm not talking about someone simply playing Spidey in a game of, say, Marvel Super Heroes or Marvel Heroic. I'm talking about a PC designed to be an alternate version of the Spider-Man character. Between Alternate Earth one-shots and campaigns, a Champions campaign visiting a Parallel Marvel world, and a homage to the Spider-Verse films themselves, it turns out I've encountered quite a few Spider-Men. Spider-Mans? Spider-People?

Follow me on an RPG tour of the characters I've seen that dwell...Among The Spider-Verse.

Armored-Man (Peter Parker of Earth-GC82092)

Art by Midjourney AI and modified by me in Photostudio.

Secret Origin: Armored-Man was a pre-generated PC created by Villains & Vigilantes Gamemaster Mark Olsen for a two session run at the Gen Con Gaming Convention in 1992. The players chose their characters by blind pick and a young man got this one and ran with it. The Player created the character's backstory and I came up with the name when my own character, in-game, referred to him as 'The Amazing Armored-Man'. 

Peter Parker, a science prodigy and inventor, missed the infamous science exhibit where he would have been bitten by a Radioactive Spider when he was almost hit by a car! That car belonged to billionaire industrialist Tony Stark of Stark Industries. One thing led to another and Stark took on Parker as a intern, then an employee, and eventually a close confidant and friend. Parker helped perfect the 'Iron Man' Class Battlesuit that Stark was planning on selling to SHIELD. Unfortunately Stark never got the chance, as an attack of industrial sabotage left Tony Stark dead and destroyed the Iron Man Prototype. Only...it didn't. 

While Stark was indeed murdered, Parker managed to escape the burning facility using the Battlesuit and proceeded to track down and defeat the saboteurs. He turned the criminals over to SHIELD but kept the survival of the Iron Man Armor out of the report. It would turn out that Tony's will left a large portion of the company to Peter and the younger man continued to work on the suit in a hidden workshop below Stark Industries Headquarters. Sometime later, Uatu the Watcher would assemble a team of secret superbeings on this Earth to thwart the threat of a malfunctioning artifact known as The Cosmic Sphere. Parker was among the chosen and used his most updated suit for the adventure. Never intending to become a 'superhero' Parker simply introduced himself to his fellow adventurers by his real name. He received the name 'Armored-Man' from fellow hero Superguard.

The armor had many impressive abilities such as Repulsor/Tractor Ray Emitters, Super Strength, Computer Enhanced Senses, and made the wearer nearly-invincible to physical harm. One of its most clever features were the repulsor jets in the boots that enabled the user to fly but could also be reversed so as to pull things to him or him to things. As a result, Armored-Man could 'attach' himself to surfaces by tractor beams and walk on walls! 

The Black Spider (King T'Challa of Wakanda of Earth-71966-M)

Illustration by Me based on illustrations by Frank Cho

Secret Origin: The Black Spider, along with The Golden Age Spider Man (see below), was a PC created for a Superhero One-Shot I ran soon after seeing Into The Spider-verse titled 'Spiderpocalypse!'. This particular character was the creation of my good friend Arthur, a member of 'Dan's Group' with whom I run Star Trek Adventures and play our Hogwarts homebrew. Arthur's idea was to pose and answer the question, 'What if Wakanda's founding was tied not to the Cat God/Goddess Bast but instead the Spider God Anansi?'

King T'Challa is the ruler of the highly advanced African nation of Wakanda, a hidden utopia gifted with the blessings of Anansi, the Akan Trickster God of knowledge, stories, and wisdom. These gifts manifest in the form of massive deposits of Vibranium and a Heart-Shaped Herb that grants T'Challa the powers of 'The Black Spider'. The mantle of The Black Spider is a hereditary position passed down from the first kings of Wakanda onward to T'Challa in the modern day. The Black Spider, through a potion made from the Heart-Shaped Herb and Spider Venom, possess powers such as Super Strength, Super Agility, Super Leaping, a Danger Sense, and a number of Trickster abilities such as Merging into Shadows, Moving Silently, and an amazing ability to Disguise his voice and appearance out of costume. 

Speaking of his costume, The Black Spider's suit is a wonder of Wakandan technology. Lightweight and as flexible as cloth, the costume has Vibranium mesh and is highly resistant to attacks by kinetic/concussive force. The suit allows The Black Spider to Cling to Surfaces, generate Webs, and gives him retractable Claws in the fingertips of his gloves. 

Captain Spider (Steven 'Steve' Parker of Earth-BL2001-M)

Like the Action Figure he is based on,

I made him out of cut and pasted images

and repainted parts.

Secret Origin: Sometime around 2005, maybe earlier, I lived in NYC's Chinatown and everyday I would pass a particular store on my way to work. It sold bootleg and knock-off products - bags, shoes, toys, etc.. One day I saw this Action Figure...it had Spider-Man's head, painted blue, atop the body of a Captain America figure in inverted colors. A white spider sticker was placed on his chest as well as the center of a miscolored shield. Every day I would look at it and wonder, 'Who is this supposed to be?"

In my minds-eye this wasn't a bootleg figure but a toy representing the most popular hero of some Parallel Earth. He was, um, Captain Spider! I told my then wife about it and said, "It's only $5. If it's still there Friday, I'm buying it."

Selina, in her typical psychic fashion replied, "It might be gone." Gone? Who would buy something like that other then me? Fast forward to Friday and as you probably guessed, it was no longer there. Never saw it again. I like to think it wasn't purchased but rather it shifted back to its own dimension. 

My idea is that on Earth-BL2001-M, during the Second World War, a young army man named Steve Parker volunteered for an experiment to create the USA's first Super Soldier. A secret serum and some vita-rays later and...nothing. Nothing happened. The project was a failure...or so they thought! Some days later Parker is bitten by a spider and its venom reacted strangly with the serum in his blood. He becomes Captain Spider, the American Arachnid! The Star-Spangled Spider-Man! Give those Ratzis hell Spidey!

I got the chance to play a version of Captain Spider in our ol' Kapow! campaign with a new secret identity and slightly different backstory. 

Interesting, this independently devised backstory is remarkably similar to the one for my friend Leo's Golden Age Spider Man. (See below). 

Creepy Crawler (Eugene Enfield of Earth-WC871-M / Challengers Earth-Mu WC1)

Based on a Spider-Man illustration by Dave Williams

Secret Origin: Creepy Crawler appeared as an NPC in my friend William Corpening's long running Champions campaign 'The Age of Champions'. My specific encounter with him was in our 'Age of Chaos' era of the campaign. During a multi-part adventure titled, 'The Dark Trinity Event' (or something like that), our Champions campaign world - Champions Earth-Wilcox Charlie-1 - encountered the heroes and villains of two Parallel Earths: The DC Comics world of Champion League Earth-Delta Ceti-WC1 and the Marvel themed Challengers Earth-Mu-WC1. During this adventure, the big bads of three different Earths tried to merge their worlds and absorb the life energy of all those killed in the process of doing so.

Will likely created Creepy Crawler as a background element, a touch of local color to remind the players the universe they were interacting with was a Marvel type of universe. After all, a Marvel-like setting absolutely needs a Spider-Man. Of course with Will Corpening, nothing is incidental. No character is just an extra. Everyone you meet has a story, personality, and a reason to be there. 

At one point in the game my street level alternate character The New Yorker found himself on Challengers Earth-Mu-1 and saw a gaggle of six sinister supervillains beating up on one young hero. After falling about 20 feet onto the pavement from an aerial battle with one opponent, the black clad super-teen wasn't moving and New Yorker ran to his aid. Removing his mask, New Yorker found out he was 'just a kid', albeit one with some weird superpowers.

After a quick reassurance to the boy that everything would be alright, The New Yorker turned his attention to the six bad guys. By 'attention' I mean brass knuckles, a crow bar, hitting one with a car (driven not thrown) and a lot of face punching. I mean A LOT. Thanks to an upgrade/assist from a Champion League Earth-DC-1 hero named Fusion, the otherwise outclassed New Yorker unloaded a Yankee Stadium worth of payback on Creepy Crawler's assailants, forcing the still conscious ones to retreat. New Yorker than took the kid, who revealed his first name to be Eugene, to a nearby hospital. New Yorker waited while the doctors got to work even though Crisis on Three Earths was going on outside. The New Yorker was kind of a joke character but after this I, and the rest of the gaming group, starting treating him more seriously and with respect. 

Eugene Enfield was a sickly orphan kid from Staten Island who was raised by his Aunt and Uncle after his parents' mysterious disappearance. A genius fascinated by all things that crawled, skittered, slithered, and squirmed, Eugene collected and studied the biology of bugs, lizards, snakes, worms, and especially spiders. By the age of sixteen, Eugene was taking college courses in biochemistry, genetics, and hoped to develop a way to change his own medical conditions using the amazing advantages he'd found within the critters he loved that so many others considered icky. 

One night, while working in his home lab, a burglar broke into his family's house. His Aunt and Uncle confronted the crook who panicked and shot his Aunt. As she began to fade away right in his Uncle's arms, Eugene injected himself with an as yet untested serum that rapidly re-wrote his DNA, turning him into a hideous but powerful superbeing. While he managed to quickly and easily defeat the criminal, his appearance terrified his Uncle and Eugene was forced to run from the house with burglar in tow. Eventually he left the baddie webbed to a lamppost in a nearby town while he hid in a heavily wooded area where he tried to control his monstrous transformation. Eugene ended up passing out and waking the next morning seemingly back to normal. He returned home to discover his Aunt had gone to the hospital and his Uncle in dire straights. Believing Eugene had been kidnapped by either the burglar or the monster from the night before, his Uncle shed tears of joy upon seeing him. Then and there Eugene decided to use his new capabilities to protect the weak, defend the innocent, and scare the living crap out of the criminal element. 

Creepy Crawler is and very much isn't Spider-Man. His powers are similar: Super Strength, Super Agility, Wall Crawling, and Webs (which are biologically generated like Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man) but also near invisible Camouflage, Multi-Faceted Eyes, a Paralyzing Venomous Bite, Regeneration, and more. In some ways he's more like DC's Animal Man but limited to a group of thematic creatures. Changing abilities too quickly or too often under duress or stress causes Eugene to physically mutate, exhibiting such traits as insect eyes, lizard-like skin, and suction cup growths on his hands and feet for example. His largely black costume is designed to hide his appearance as much as possible.

That said, he sometimes purposely shows his lower face and mouth, takes off a glove, or something similar to reveal his frightening appearance when it manifests. In this way he is more akin to Batman, using fear to intimidate lesser opponents so he doesn't have to fight and hurt them. 

The Golden Age Spider Man (Benjamin 'Ben' Parker of Earth-82817)

Art by Kitbash and Modification n Photostudio 

Secret Origin: The Golden Age Spider Man, along with The Black Spider (see above), was a PC created for a Superhero One-Shot I ran soon after seeing Into The Spider-verse titled 'Spiderpocalypse!'. The character was created by my pal Leo, a member of both 'Dan's Group' and my Sunday Night Group. He plays First Officer and Chief Science Officer Mr. Solok in Star Trek Adventures, The Paladin in our Champions campaign, and as Arimus Bonaventure in our Hogwarts homebrew.

Daily Bugle reporter John Jonah Jameson and photographer Benjamin 'Ben' Parker were on assignment in Europe covering the activities of the Allies greatest heroes, none other than Captain America and The Invaders, during the height of the Second World War. A surprise attack on the Invaders left Jameson dead and Parker badly injured. In the instant an explosive device shattered their camp, Ben Parker flung himself to knock Captain America clear of danger, saving the First Avenger but at the cost of being fatally wounded and the loss of the life of Parker's long time friend J. Jonah Jameson. Captain America insisted on a blood transfusion to help save Parker, even though that might have unexpected consequences given the Super Soldier Serum in Cap's veins. Luckily, Parker lived and there were no unusual side effects. At least not right away...

Weeks later on a mission in a jungle environment, Parker was bitten by a venomous spider while tagging along with Capt. America and his team, continuing his role as wartime photographer. The spider bite reacted with the Super Soldier Serum giving Parker spectacular spider-like abilities! After a crash training course and the development of 'Web-Shooter' Pistols and a colorful costume, Ben joined the Invaders as Spider Man. 

[The Golden Age] Spider Man has the same suite of superpowers as the typical Spidey, though he seems physically stronger but slightly less agile. His pistol-like Web-Shooters can fire 'Web Bullets' that explode into a large web upon impact or he can hold the trigger to fire a long stream (for spraying or swinging for example). 

The Spider-Man (Eugene 'Flash' Thompson of Earth-AD6163-M)

Art by Midjourney AI and modified by Me in Photostudio

Secret Origin: This variant of Spidey was the creation of my friend Daniel Grant and myself as part of the backstory for his version of the Prowler [his PC in our 'What If?' Marvel Super Heroes campaign, The Sentinels.]. Dan knew he wanted to create a heroic Prowler and needed both an antagonist and a motivation for his character to become a costumed vigilante and fight crime. It only made sense, given the fact that Marvel Comics' Prowler is part of Spider-Man's rogue's gallery, to make Spider-Man the arch-enemy of Dan's character.

In the midst of bullying his classmate Peter Parker, high school jock Eugene 'Flash' Thompson was bitten by a radioactive spider on a field trip to a science exhibit, developing amazing superpowers such a Super Strength, Super Agility, a Danger Sense, and the ability to Cling to any surface. Flash intimidates Parker, a brilliant young scientist, forcing him to make Thompson a colorful costume and Web-shooters. With his new look and abilities, Thompson enters an Open Match Challenge to wrestle the Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. Not only does Flash win as 'The Spider-Man' but a TV producer offers to make him a star. Moments later The Spider-Man thwarts a criminal trying to steal the profits from the wrestling match. Within a very short time, The Spider-Man is a media sensation!

Never learning the great lesson of Uncle Ben, Flash Thompson thinks, 'With Great Power Comes No Responsibility'. Flash quickly becomes wealthy, popular, and even more of a jerk then he already was. His popularity is maintained through real and staged crime fighting, talk shows, and endorsing various products. One night, The Spider-Man decides he's 'too busy' to help the police stop a serial burglar in the Bronx who ends up robbing and killing the father of engineering student Hobart 'Hobie' Brown. Brown, a teenage inventor paying for Engineering School with a Window Washer job, decides to expose The Spider-Man for what he is, an attention whore and no hero. Brown creates a special suit and crime-fighting equipment and the ironic identity 'The Prowler'. 

The Prowler's encounter with The Spider-Man reveals the latter's true nature on live television. Additionally the public learns he's been continually blackmailing Peter Parker to keep Parker helping him and not going to the authorities. The fight between Prowler and The Spider-Man begins an ongoing feud between the two, with The Prowler repeatedly embarrassing and thwarting Thompson again and again. The Prowler's activities earn him the attention and respect of the superhero known as The Patriot and eventually a spot on the SHIELD sponsored superteam 'The Sentinels'.

Nowadays when I think about this character I think of a crooked version of DC's Booster Gold.

Spider-Woman (Patricia 'Patty' Parker of Earth-SC9509)

Art by Shunya Yamashita of Kotobukiya, modified by Me in Photostudio

Secret Origin: My criteria for this post was that each character had to be an intentional variant or version of Spider-Man. This one is therefore a special case. This Pre-Generated Player Character was created for a Marvel Super Heroes RPG one-shot at a gaming convention in the Fall of 1995 (If memory serves). It was not intended to be an Alternate Spider-Man but rather the traditional, classic, Earth-616 Peter Parker/Spider-Man you all know and love. Thanks to the jumbled memory of a very creative and entertaining young woman, we got this instead. 

I was hanging out with some friends between events and I happened to overhear a Marvel Super Heroes session occurring at a nearby table. Pre-generated characters were chosen or handed out and after some discussion with a friend of hers, one of the two female players said something like, "it's fine, I'll take Spider-Man. But I want to play a woman."

This confused the GM and he asked her if she wanted to change characters. He quickly looked through his notes and materials for another character but the player said, "No, no. I am playing Spider-Man. A female Spider-Man." At first this clearly irked the GM but he changed his tune after seeing the positive reactions from the other players.

Throughout the rest of the game the female player, let's call her Kate, established the personality of this PC and it was great! She had the character using wisecracking quips volleyed against the villains to hide a lack of assurance and a heap of self doubt. At the same, Kate had a weird view of Spidey's powers. She would pantomime shooting her webs with her hand out, palm down, more like a superhero blasting a ray than the typical way Spider-Man's web-shooting is depicted. She would often suggest her Spider-Woman could fly or glide. When corrected, 'Spider-Man can't fly', she would respond, "OK. Why the 'Web-Wings'?" There were other odds bits: references to her origin, background, and other elements that made me wonder, "Does this person know who Spider-Man is? Or...".

By the end of the game, Kate had made Spider-Woman, who she named Patty Parker, the MVP of the team. She also revealed that she'd never read a comic and really only knew about Spider-Man from the 1967 Animated Cartoon. It also became clear from her description that she was mixing the Spider-Man cartoon with that of Spider-Woman and Web-Woman. Her attempts to reconcile the different stories in her head resulting in this weird gestalt superheroine.

Weird, wild, and absolutely awesome. 

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Barking Alien

I hate to end on a sad note but I must acknowledge a massive loss to the Comic Book Community and particularly to Spider-Man; John Romita Sr., the legendary illustrator who took over drawing The Amazing Spider-Man in 1966 from original artist Steve Ditko, passed away at the age of 93 on June 12th according to his son, John Romita Jr. (who is also a well known and celebrated Comic Book artist). 

Rest in Peace.