Captain-Electric

UPDATE: The CCC feels their existing avenues of dissemination are working as intended, and out of much-earned respect, I'm filing this under "Sounded good on paper, but...."

Today, as I thumbed through a catalog of upcoming Marvel Comics titles, a thought occurred to me. A discerning reader, such as myself, ought to be able to thumb through a catalog of recent, upcoming, and just plain noteworthy City of Heroes comics.

So, after February 15, I'm going to post a thread containing a catalog of recent, upcoming, and just plain noteworthy City of Heroes comics.

Of course, I'm only doing a fraction of the work. That's where you come in. I'm calling on you, the creators, to PM me with brief blurbs about your comic creations. Replies posted in this thread will not be used as submissions, because at that point, you're doing your own publicizing. And just to clarify, this is not a "game engine only" catalog. Comics made using methods outside of the game engine (such as original artwork) are also wanted! If we each do only our small part, it will help bring more eyeballs to some cool stories!

Blurbs: For each title you submit, the question is, What can you say about it in 100 words or less? Other data to include with your blurb is the comic's title, publication date (Soon™ counts, and so does retrospective guesswork, "September 2005-ish"), author and other contributors, and a link. If you are not associated with City of Comic Creators, please indicate that, so I don't incorrectly misrepresent you as a member.

Other stuff you may want to include with your submissions: Links to articles about you, your work or your characters (for example, Ouroboros Portal and Virtueverse pages, podcast interviews and DeviantART pages). This is all about you! Just pretend you're Ascendant, and I'm Saul.

Graphics: Banners, related artwork (whether in-game or other), and comic book covers are encouraged, but not necessary. But please limit image size to no larger than one 800x450-pixel image per blurb. This is a catalog for yours and others work, not a single full cover preview, hence the miniature dimensions for reader convenience. If I had a preference, I'd have us all agree on a standard image size to give future catalogs a more consistent, professional sheen, but for now, I'm more interested in seeing how well this idea works out to begin with. If using a mat, however, 800x450 pixels gives you space to provide one fair-sized image, or multiple smaller images. Fair 'nuff?

Image size example



On the contrary, feel free to submit a larger, non-branded image showing lots of heroes (or something in the spirit of an all-inclusive catalog featuring many titles). I may use it as a larger, over-sized "cover" picture for the entire catalog. No image restriction, just be kind to the reader. Describe separately what the image depicts. It will need to be free of text, otherwise I can't use it. This is so that I can Photoshop a few magazine-style "Contents inside" phrases around it--probably emphasizing the events on the cover with larger text than the rest.

Quality of submissions: (This refers to your blurbs, not your comic books.) I understand, not everybody is a world-class grammarian, or you may be a talented artist with Dyslexia. But the blurbs need to be readable, and the point of the exercise is to make you look good. So I reserve the right to edit submissions. However, the more work I have to do, the longer it might take to post the catalog, and the less enthused I may be about doing them in the future. Primarily, I want my task to involve some formatting and light editing. I enjoy reading these comics, and I want to do something for the CCC community, but I don't enjoy spending hours on the forum.

Quantity of submissions: For this catalog, I'm expecting anything, from a super-sized issue requiring multiple posts, down to a sad, pathetic catalog featuring some dude's best MS Paint interpretation of the Hollows story arcs. That's up to you guys and gals, not me. If I do this again, I may impose limits on the number of submissions. But this is the inaugural issue, so I'm giving creators plenty of breathing space to create their own "mini catalogs" within the larger catalog if it pleases them. The reason for this is simple--some creators have been stringing their comics together into series and arcs for quite some time. Using blurbs, they can "lead up" to current events for those who'd just like to jump in with the latest issue.

So, today, there is only one title on sale for 99¢, but there are over forty issues to choose from: Cable & Deadpool, two characters I have very little experience of. Not because of any negative criticism, but because I'm more of a classic Avengers, Spidey, Spidey, and more Spidey reader. Oh, and the Marvel Noir universe (can't get enough of that). Between those titles, Batman, the occasional Dynamite Entertainment and Top Cow comics, and a healthy handful of CCC titles, I probably don't get around to exploring other comic books enough.

So my question to anyone with an opinion is this. What Cable & Deadpool issue (of those listed for 99¢ today) would you consider a nice representation of the series? Not merely a good "jumping on" point, but more of a, "If you were ever only going to read one Cable & Deadpool listed here"...sort of thing.

Be as brief or verbose as you like, but be forewarned, my enthusiasm turns into a pumpkin at 11:59 EST.

Which brings me to my double-post.

We are going to need seams that show up on black tights. Really shiny, upraised seams.

The white shows off the vertical seam. Zombie Man's alternatives make it nearly impossible to see. This may partly be why the devs settled on white. I suspect they explored other color options, just like Zombie Man did.

As for the rest, Penelope's all grown up now, but she's kind of a brat. Not the first time anyone's run into an early 20-something with her disposition. But she just happens to be the most powerful psychic in town, and the Freedom Phalanx are smart to snag her. Frankly, if Penelope were real, and she saw all of the "much too sexy, look at that belly button gasp" grumbling, I'm sure she'd only have one reaction:

So much I could comment on here, but so little time. And I mean that in a good way. Lots of good ideas, and good intentions otherwise, at least. My biggest wish for City of Villains, at this point, is just for a dev to read this thread, and ponder on some of the problems and solutions we've brought up. Riptide made a point I wish I'd clarified when I alluded to many villains desiring to "just watch the world burn." It doesn't have to be the whole world in one go. In fact, I lifted the line from the Dark Knight movie; the line is attributed to the Joker's true motivations. Saying "the world" is metaphorical. For the Joker, Gotham City will do.

What if your super villain finished the job that so many villain groups had started at the Faultline dam, laying waste to a revamped section of Skyway City before heroes could stop it? What if the heroes were forced into a position of helping Arachnos against your large-scale plot to destroy many Rogue Isles buildings in one fell swoop--and what if phasing technology could be used to change the outside appearance of buildings? All of this, and I haven't even mentioned co-op plots where the heroes are tricked into helping villains achieve some end or obtain some kind of technology or magic power. What if a great evil attacked Paragon City, and the super villains showed up to help, but their real intention was to take control of the entity and use it to completely destroy a section of Paragon before making off with whatever technology or artifacts the entity possessed? What if they succeeded? If you think frustrated heroes would avoid playing these kinds of stories, think again. Players will play them if the rewards are nice, if the badges are plenty, and if the stories and mechanics are fun and entertaining.

With respect for Rick Dakan, whose world-building genius I can only admire, he began helping to build City of Heroes at the very edge of the beginning of the modern era of comic books. The Dark Avengers hadn't come along yet. If it wasn't for the Dark Avengers series of comic books, I probably wouldn't have any super villains outside of Mission Architect creations. It is difficult for me to go back and read most graphic novel collections from before 2003 or so, when the "big two" started to indulge a maturing audience. In Siege Prelude, a super villain, Doctor Doom, became one of my favorite characters for the first time. Not because of his evil deeds, but because I was so darn impressed by this new age, where super villains like Doom and Osborn had traded their mustache-twirling days in for real personalities.

I say all of this as a Blueside loving super hero at heart: City of Villains has yet to reach its full potential. That can only happen when its player character inhabitants are given tools, goals, rewards, and storylines in which to reach their full potential as villains.

I deleted my post a few moments after making it (oh my, you are quick). I don't want to be a hypocrite, but I have neither the time or inclination this morning to...basically sacrifice my morning.

But I do see how you snipped the part where I complimented all of your ideas. Not fair.

Shadow Kitty, a not small difference between our lines of thought is that you're reasoning from outside the game world, and I'm imagining from inside the game world. The other day, I saved the world from the Devouring Earth, who were attempting to bring about humankind's end. Of course they were never going to succeed. But then, it was just a story.

When asked for playable villains, Jack Emmert once quipped that the very idea of a "City of Villains" sounded like a ridiculous idea.

What you're saying can't be done well, I'm saying can be done well: a well-written story arc in which villains attempt to destroy the world. What I'm referring to is a good story where villains take a stab at ending the world. Of course they won't succeed. But what will they accomplish throughout the course of the story? How entertaining might the journey be? What if the heroes managed to save Primal Earth from your villain, but failed to save ten other parallel Earths, and untold billions of lives?

Let me put it to you a different way. Say I've just hired you, as a writer. Presumably you're interested in me not firing you. Your first assignment, due in two weeks, is to bring me an entertaining story arc wherein the player characters just want to watch the world burn.

I bet you'd come back in two weeks with a story.

Shadow Kitty, those are all fine examples. But there is a well-established precedent in comic books for super villains who just want to watch the world burn.

City of Heroes is a comic book that has been inserted into a massively multiplayer online role-playing Game. For PCs, not consoles.

It's also a superhero arcade fighting game with RPG elements.

Seems to depend on who you ask, I've found.

Which is awesome, if you ask me.

Which, you didn't.

Sorry.

This is a slap in the Faces.

Thank you!

That's actually my title by the way--

Some text re-posted from the SSA 5 Discussion (And countdown till its live!) thread, but with plenty of RP additions.



Years ago my namesake Captain-Electric was sort of "cursed" with a permanent sense of optimism after his science accident, so he doesn't often experience misery, but even he was grief stricken.

After a bit of fruitless attempts at revival... and shouting and yelling at the sky... and swearing murderous revenge... a psychic team member confirmed that Statesman's spirit hadn't hung around for long, instead choosing to depart this world only moments before they all arrived on the rain-drenched platform. After a long silence, save for the sound of rain, the eight of them--Captain-Electric, and seven members of the Union Supreme--came to their senses and committed to filling Statesman's shoes and upholding his principles--



"...to hold the line," they all agreed, nodding at one another; but the team lead, a commander of the Union Supreme and close friend to Captain-Electric for the past year, still reeled from the event. He stumbled up and through the mud, away from the group. Seeing the circle broken, Cap stopped him in his tracks, accepting an invitation given several times in the past: "We're going to need help; lots of help. And all of us are going to need to help each other. I came to Paragon with a singular cause, and have remained singular in my pursuit of it. But my super villain dad isn't the only great threat to our existence, and I'm ready to start behaving like it. I'm ready to join up."

His friend straightened tall, and trudged slowly back into the circle. A brief vote was held in the rain. Captain-Electric had made many allies over the years, was an honorary member of several super groups, appeared in comic books, had even seen a sidekick grow up and away from him. But he had never formally embraced a group, a community.

He was unanimously accepted into the Union Supreme.

All wished it could have been under more ceremonious circumstances; but Cap made no decision lightly; he'd never have joined up on a bright and sunny day, when all seemed right with the world.

After loading the body onto the Union Supreme jet, one member of the team planted his shield in the ground where Statesman had fallen, and laser-engraved a "last stand" message on it. Captain-Electric used his powers to solder it permanently to the earth and stone, sending a great arc of lightning both into the ground, and skyward... and thereby sending a message in secret to a far-away demigod construct, an ally among allies: "The proverbial crap has hit the fan, please send help! And be here in time for next Tuesday's RP night!"

As they all turned to leave, Cap took off his cape, draped it over the memorial shield, and left it there to soak in the rain, and disintegrate in time.

For the next year, have 12 heroes from each server fill in for Miss Liberty (one hero for each month on each server). That would be a lot of contest winners! The characters must not only look the part, but have a bio that shines, because trainer bios are now readable. (Which is awesome!!!)

Devs could pick from the runners up in the upcoming Freedom Phalanx contest. It would give a lot of depressed finalists a pick-me-up!

After that, the role can either be filled with an established lore character; or...maybe even better, each server could vote for a winner from the year's 12 trainers. This would give each shard of Primal Earth its own trainer!

P.S. Sorry if I responded off-topic...the title of the thread reads "Replacing Statesman" and everyone seems to be responding to that. The body of the original post seems primarily to ask who might replace Miss Liberty as a trainer in Atlas Park, which is what I responded to.

Heroes may die, but heroism never shall.

Pick a sketch if the mood strikes you, or a mini-sketch with two or all three!

Captain-Electric





Scientist. Technologist. Genius. Despite his power to command the full force of electricity, the courageous Captain-Electric (Elliot Warner) lives by an old-fashioned code, preferring to take on crime and corruption with inventive solutions.

He's been at it for some time. Twelve years ago near Dallas in Duncanville, Texas, at the age of 10, a science accident gave rise to both his and his arch nemesis's powers. His father (physicist Alan Warner of Parallel Power Systems) built an experimental micro-portal to a negative dimension that imploded, twisting him into a living conduit for negative energy: Dark-Eyes.

The boy Elliot, visiting that day on a school field trip, destined to become super powered, was exposed to positive energy discarded from the collapsing portal's event horizon. The event perfected his nervous and synaptic pathways with untold "Power Positive" and intelligence--cursing him with supreme optimism, making him incapable of any apathy, or even much fear.

Soon a dark entity revealed itself to Dark-Eyes as the conqueror supreme of the newly discovered dimension, seizing on his corrupt mind from across the dimensional barrier to prepare our dimension next for its arrival. But before losing his grip on his humanity entirely, Dark-Eyes struck a deal with the entity--his unswerving service in return for the safety of those he once loved.

The next day, news stations from all over the country clamored to the edge of the crater where the entire town of Duncanville, Texas had vanished. Sealed into an idealistic, artificial 1950's-style pocket dimension of Alan Warner's imagining and his dark master's creation (the Retroverse), Captain-Electric (and 20,000 others) would not remember Primal Earth, or discover his way back, until young adulthood.

At 22 years old, he arrived in Paragon in 2009, on the trail of Dark-Eyes, the arch nemesis he hopes to see redeemed.

Detective Marvel



Dark-Eyes



Corrupted by the darkest reaches of his research, this scientist is a twisted shadow of his former self. Twenty years ago, an experiment gone cataclysmic is thought to have given rise to both himself and his greatest enemy, the superhero CAPTAIN-ELECTRIC. Although respected and environmentally active during his career, his first act as a supervillain was to cash in on every investment, invention and savings account in order to pay off (or otherwise silence) collegues who might connect DARK-EYES to his original identity.

Durakken I deleted my post (oddly enough, because I thought it rang too cynical on a reread--yes, cynical about cynics! ), but now I'm glad that you caught it. I liked reading your thoughts. I really don't know what to think sometimes. There are some people that I'm starting to skip over their posts, because they so unfairly bludgeon the devs (and sometimes players) without really bothering to offer any constructive feedback. When asked about that--yes, I asked, on two occasions--I got back that it wasn't their job to tell the writers how to write well. Well, true, true, I can't argue with that! But...I never came to understand whether they were more interested in higher quality stories, or were simply getting their rocks off by trashing other peoples work. I have simply chosen not to give their posts much thought, not because I'm close-minded, but because there's not enough time in the day to try to figure out exactly what would satisfy these people (when there are other people offering actual constructive feedback).

Yeah, that's a byproduct of the kind of MMO this is, not of poor writing or design. I've played MMOs where player-driven events and conflicts took precedence over scripted events, and ones where there was no repeatable content because every event happened in real time (whether scripted, open-ended, or a combination of the two). In which case, for instance, if you hadn't been there for Statesman's death on the date and time it happened on your server, you'd never have been able to experience that story content ever again, sucked to be you.

The only way to avoid this entirely is to go play a single-player game. Some might wish that every major event could turn out differently depending on how the team played, but in that case we'd have no real sense of history, and a game featuring an evolving collection of storylines relies major on major historical points.

This is mostly a useless post. I think we all know this.

Given all my experience with MMOs, I prefer City of X's model, but this strictly comes down to personal taste. Chocolate or strawberry? That sort of thing. There are tradeoffs with every model that MMOs have tried. City of X's way of doing things first appeared in Earth and Beyond (R.I.P.), and although it does take a certain amount of suspension of disbelief to enjoy, I've always preferred it. At major points it puts an already written story first, and so to enjoy the historical flow, you have to give in to that and pretend to have been a participant.

You. Me. Us.

Both philosophically and technically, an external moral center may have been a flawed concept for the City of X universe. Statesman's death planted that seed for me, but I didn't fully realize it until thinking about your post. Just like villain groups take up more of our heroes time than major villains--a major deviation from the standard comic book--an external but morally central character makes less sense for an entertainment medium starring us. Look at the two emboldened words there. It's not so reasonable, now that I think about it.

For those of you who want a moral center in your game, look to your own character rosters, or to upstanding members of your SGs or coalitions. Create one. In the final scene, there was an expectation in Statesman's dead wife's words that we would "rise up" to do just this. I doubt the writers intend to provide us with another Statesman. They have an opportunity to write stories wherein there is no question as to who the central characters are. Me. You. Us. This is something that players have demanded.