Revamp a Villain

[Michael Watkins]

Helmut Zemo

. I want to wed the comic and movie origins
. Heinrich, like all of the Hydra captains from his era, takes regular life extending drugs and starts a family later in life
. Helmut is enrolled into a military academy, does well, and has a brief stint as an intelligence officer
. He’s uninterested in following in his father’s footsteps as a military man
. He settles into a boring existence as a history teacher and finds a wife, Heike
. The relationship is not doing so well - he’s not ambitious enough - she’s looking to separate
. She’s collateral damage in a fight between superhumans
. Increasingly despondent, Helmut focuses on his work
. Helmut learns of his estranged father’s fate and double life as a WWII era enemy of Captain America
. In my timeline, Heinrich was a decent father but after having that hood stuck to his face, it was all downhill
. His death was arranged by Hydra but was made to look like a suicide
. It’s too much for him to bear and he begins fixating on the costumed community and bringing honor back to the Zemo name
. He sets about tearing down the legacies of various heroes and pushing them to their limits
. When he finally gets a shot at killing Captain America, he has a moment of clarity resulting in a grenade going off just close enough to ruin selfies
. He comes back even harder and with a team behind him to break into Avengers mansion
. He draws blood but ultimately fails
. The establishment that saw him as an unwanted variable attempt to woo him to Hydra (Where he meets Norbert Ebersol who is Hydra’s alternative to Phinaes Mason)
. Zola uses a clone of Heike
. It doesn’t work out and now Zemo’s a threat to everyone
. Fast forward to him forming The Thunderbolts and all of those shenanigans
. Zemo is the rare villain who holds no allegiances or maintains a goal other than being chaotically neutral

[Michael Watkins]

Screaming Mimi
. same childhood
. joins Angar the Screamer’s “family”
. He’s a Vietnam era experiment they weren’t able to control doing his best impression of Charles Manson; underage girls and all
. She eventually gets fed up with the abuse and uses him getting shot as an opportunity to run
. She’s taken in by the Grapplers as a pet of sorts
. She shows some talent as a hype girl and they create a costumed persona for her/work her into the act
. When the Grapplers start selling their services as enforcers, she begs to participate (tired of being low woman on the totem pole)
. The Power Broker or whoever determines that she wouldn’t survive the strength augmentation process
. They do some radical surgery on her vocal chords using remains of Klaw’s sonic cannon
. She’s still treated poorly and is easy pickings for Zemo
. Fixer upgrades her gear and gives her new cheekbones
. She doesn’t like to be alone and soon falls for Abe Jenkins (see my syndicate revamp) who is closer to her age
. You know the rest
. Mostly I just made the relationship with grampa Angar one-sided

[Huntsman Spider]

I like your takes on Zemo and Screaming Mimi. I'll contribute one myself.

Venom 2099

Over in the "Revamp a Hero" thread, I did my take on Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099, Daredevil 2099, and Black Panther 2099. I'll be doing another 2099 revamp, but for a villain instead of a hero. Like in the recent 2099 relaunch/reboot, Alchemax managed to (re)obtain the Venom symbiote sometime after The Cataclysm and after experimenting on it for years, the megacorporation believes it has successfully tempered the symbiote into a weaponizable piece of bioware it can bond to its agents and operatives, especially given the likes of Spider-Man and Daredevil making its and other megacorps' operations more difficult. Unfortunately for Alchemax . . . and the world . . . the Venom symbiote is still sapient and has been merely biding its time, so when Alchemax sends Venom-enhanced operatives to deal with Spider-Man, the symbiote uses them to gather information and intel before (violently) assuming control over them and directing them to take its revenge on Alchemax for years of torturous experimentation. After getting the intel it wants from those operatives and doing significant damage to Alchemax's operations, the symbiote reconstitutes itself as a singular entity and goes searching for a "proper" host.

[Draegwolf]

I like your takes on Zemo and Screaming Mimi. I'll contribute one myself.

Venom 2099

Over in the "Revamp a Hero" thread, I did my take on Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099, Daredevil 2099, and Black Panther 2099. I'll be doing another 2099 revamp, but for a villain instead of a hero. Like in the recent 2099 relaunch/reboot, Alchemax managed to (re)obtain the Venom symbiote sometime after The Cataclysm and after experimenting on it for years, the megacorporation believes it has successfully tempered the symbiote into a weaponizable piece of bioware it can bond to its agents and operatives, especially given the likes of Spider-Man and Daredevil making its and other megacorps' operations more difficult. Unfortunately for Alchemax . . . and the world . . . the Venom symbiote is still sapient and has been merely biding its time, so when Alchemax sends Venom-enhanced operatives to deal with Spider-Man, the symbiote uses them to gather information and intel before (violently) assuming control over them and directing them to take its revenge on Alchemax for years of torturous experimentation. After getting the intel it wants from those operatives and doing significant damage to Alchemax's operations, the symbiote reconstitutes itself as a singular entity and goes searching for a "proper" host.

Interesting take on the idea. Honestly I never really cared all that much for Venom 2099, didn't really care for how the Venom symbiote was handled or the host they picked out for him during the original run of Spider-Man 2099. Felt like they were trying too hard to outdo Brock and mix in some Xenomorph characteristics for good measure.

Venom 2099 (Kron Stone)
- honestly how he wasn't a Punisher villain is beyond me given how closely tied Kron was to Jake Gallows becoming Punisher in the first place, would probably play around with this idea a bit even if I were to phase out Gallows for someone else.
- really didn't see any reason for Kron to be related to Miguel, at the very least wouldn't have made him into his half-brother. at the most he could be a cousin but honestly I prefer not to have them related at all as it really doesn't bring anything to the table since Kron was already more or less psychotic without needing Miguel as an excuse.
- since Marvel's went back and forth with Kron being Venom AND Scorpion, probably better to just have this iteration of meet both concepts halfway and pretty much be what Gargan's version of Venom should have been. That being a Venom who's appearance and abilities are very heavily influenced by (a) Scorpion
- symbiote eventually revealed to be the Mania(c) symbiote rather than the actual Venom symbiote, opening the door for the Venom symbiote to pop back up somewhere down the line if people really want to see it
- symbiote shown to exacerbate Kron's psychosis through its bond with him, overloading his mind with the memories of all its previous host from across the years resulting in Kron/Venom exhibiting some form of schizophrenia or full blown MPD. The trade-off would be the accumulated knowledge, fighting skill, and sheer unpredictability possession of the symbiote offers.

[Rod G]

Peter Petruski.

The Trapster.


Forget Paste-Pot Pete.

[Michael Watkins]

Peter Petruski.

The Trapster.


Forget Paste-Pot Pete.

Personally I find the term trapster to be nonsensical. That’s why I renamed him Trap Master in my revamp. It’s his specialty after all.

[Michael Watkins]

I like your takes on Zemo and Screaming Mimi. I'll contribute one myself.

Venom 2099

Over in the "Revamp a Hero" thread, I did my take on Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099, Daredevil 2099, and Black Panther 2099. I'll be doing another 2099 revamp, but for a villain instead of a hero. Like in the recent 2099 relaunch/reboot, Alchemax managed to (re)obtain the Venom symbiote sometime after The Cataclysm and after experimenting on it for years, the megacorporation believes it has successfully tempered the symbiote into a weaponizable piece of bioware it can bond to its agents and operatives, especially given the likes of Spider-Man and Daredevil making its and other megacorps' operations more difficult. Unfortunately for Alchemax . . . and the world . . . the Venom symbiote is still sapient and has been merely biding its time, so when Alchemax sends Venom-enhanced operatives to deal with Spider-Man, the symbiote uses them to gather information and intel before (violently) assuming control over them and directing them to take its revenge on Alchemax for years of torturous experimentation. After getting the intel it wants from those operatives and doing significant damage to Alchemax's operations, the symbiote reconstitutes itself as a singular entity and goes searching for a "proper" host.

It’s cool. I would say more but I don’t really know anything about the 2099 to compare and contrast.

Continuing the earlier story...

Part of the world building I am attempting involves spreading the villains across time periods. Angar, Nuke, Mad Dog, and Nitro are all Vietnam era super soldiers or military experiments. What’s important to understand about any of my rewrites are the rules of genetic augmentation. There are all sorts of ways to get powers. But you’re really only one of 5 categories. Extraterrestrial, mutant, inhuman, magically altered, or cosmically altered. Most of the villains who seemingly get their powers by accident were latent mutants or latent inhumans. Their genes needed a jumpstart (which generally involves the application of intense pain).

This was figured out some time in the 60s (they had grown tired of attempting to replicate the SSS) along with the reveal that all mutants (latent or otherwise) share the same blood type. So it’s no accident who they choose to experiment on. A latent mutant is an ideal candidate because they identify as human until told otherwise. Don’t remember if I included this point in another revamp. But there is an active campaign against mutants early on because they are an unwanted variable; something the ROXXON corporation or other evil business entities can’t control. If you wonder why humans fear mutants but not the Fantastic Four, this is why.

Anyways, Wade Wilson’s father oversaw the special projects that created folks like Nitro. That’s why Wade’s name comes up much later in the timeline as a potential candidate.

[babyblob]

Okay so I am going to revamp a villain and a hero who I will turn into a villain.

Norman Osborn as always wanted one thing. Power. Sadly after years he felt he has gone as far as he could in the business world. So he decided to move into organized crime. He needed a name that would inspire fear and let people know he was the absolute boss. He chose the title The Kingpin. He didnt start by taking over the mobs. he didnt have an army for that. So what he did was start the second chance program. he started a program that would give felons an honest job with the goal of rehabilitation. But the real goal was to scan the ranks of the criminal underworld and amass an army without going to war. He found several cons who were more then happy to do his dirty work. And he blackmailed thos felons who were looking for a real fresh start by threatening to fire them or frame them for crimes. Soon he had a pretty good gang of his own. His top assassin is a feared man in a red suit known as the Daredevil.

Matt Murdock was the son of broken down prize fighter Jack Murdock. When Jack could no longer find work as a fighter he turned to his high school classmate Norman for a job. Soon Norman had Jack doing all sorts of shady things. When Matt was 16 Norman gave him a job as well. Matt who had been bullied his whole life and growing up poor saw crime as an easy way to solve these problems. and he planned on using his father's friendship with Norman to his advantage. One night when unloading illegal waste a barrel came open and fell on Matt. The contents inside burned and disfigured the upper half of his face eating away at his eyes. But as he learned the waste gave him amazing powers. Jack upset at what happened to his son vowed to bring Osborn down. When Matt who was told of this plan informed Osborn. In a show of loyality and knowing such an act would set him up for life Matt Killed his father.

With Daredevil's help Osborn became the undisputed Kingpin of crime in New York.

[Huntsman Spider]

Interesting take on the idea. Honestly I never really cared all that much for Venom 2099, didn't really care for how the Venom symbiote was handled or the host they picked out for him during the original run of Spider-Man 2099. Felt like they were trying too hard to outdo Brock and mix in some Xenomorph characteristics for good measure.

Venom 2099 (Kron Stone)
- honestly how he wasn't a Punisher villain is beyond me given how closely tied Kron was to Jake Gallows becoming Punisher in the first place, would probably play around with this idea a bit even if I were to phase out Gallows for someone else.
- really didn't see any reason for Kron to be related to Miguel, at the very least wouldn't have made him into his half-brother. at the most he could be a cousin but honestly I prefer not to have them related at all as it really doesn't bring anything to the table since Kron was already more or less psychotic without needing Miguel as an excuse.
- since Marvel's went back and forth with Kron being Venom AND Scorpion, probably better to just have this iteration of meet both concepts halfway and pretty much be what Gargan's version of Venom should have been. That being a Venom who's appearance and abilities are very heavily influenced by (a) Scorpion
- symbiote eventually revealed to be the Mania(c) symbiote rather than the actual Venom symbiote, opening the door for the Venom symbiote to pop back up somewhere down the line if people really want to see it
- symbiote shown to exacerbate Kron's psychosis through its bond with him, overloading his mind with the memories of all its previous host from across the years resulting in Kron/Venom exhibiting some form of schizophrenia or full blown MPD. The trade-off would be the accumulated knowledge, fighting skill, and sheer unpredictability possession of the symbiote offers.

Thanks. Your idea for Venom 2099 is pretty solid, although I think once Tyler Stone was revealed as Miguel's actual father in the comics, to put some real dramatic tension into Miguel's animosity toward him, Kron as Miguel's half-brother was the obvious outcome. I did like some of the backstory for Kron as revealed by Miguel's childhood/early adolescence flashbacks --- he was basically a bully enabled all his life by his father's wealth and position to get away with his abuses and misdeeds, which became actual crimes, including familicide, in adulthood. In a way, the original 2099 comics predicted "affluenza."

It’s cool. I would say more but I don’t really know anything about the 2099 to compare and contrast.

Continuing the earlier story...

Part of the world building I am attempting involves spreading the villains across time periods. Angar, Nuke, Mad Dog, and Nitro are all Vietnam era super soldiers or military experiments. What’s important to understand about any of my rewrites are the rules of genetic augmentation. There are all sorts of ways to get powers. But you’re really only one of 5 categories. Extraterrestrial, mutant, inhuman, magically altered, or cosmically altered. Most of the villains who seemingly get their powers by accident were latent mutants or latent inhumans. Their genes needed a jumpstart (which generally involves the application of intense pain).

This was figured out some time in the 60s (they had grown tired of attempting to replicate the SSS) along with the reveal that all mutants (latent or otherwise) share the same blood type. So it’s no accident who they choose to experiment on. A latent mutant is an ideal candidate because they identify as human until told otherwise. Don’t remember if I included this point in another revamp. But there is an active campaign against mutants early on because they are an unwanted variable; something the ROXXON corporation or other evil business entities can’t control. If you wonder why humans fear mutants but not the Fantastic Four, this is why.

Anyways, Wade Wilson’s father oversaw the special projects that created folks like Nitro. That’s why Wade’s name comes up much later in the timeline as a potential candidate.

Your take makes a lot of sense, especially when it comes to fear of mutants among the general public being driven by corporate and political interests otherwise perceived to be in danger by them. As for superhumans empowered by "freak accidents" turning out to be latent mutants or Inhumans that needed external stimuli to activate their powers, would that include the likes of Spider-Man, Daredevil, and the Hulk, since radiation was the catalyst for their abilities?

Okay so I am going to revamp a villain and a hero who I will turn into a villain.

Norman Osborn as always wanted one thing. Power. Sadly after years he felt he has gone as far as he could in the business world. So he decided to move into organized crime. He needed a name that would inspire fear and let people know he was the absolute boss. He chose the title The Kingpin. He didnt start by taking over the mobs. he didnt have an army for that. So what he did was start the second chance program. he started a program that would give felons an honest job with the goal of rehabilitation. But the real goal was to scan the ranks of the criminal underworld and amass an army without going to war. He found several cons who were more then happy to do his dirty work. And he blackmailed thos felons who were looking for a real fresh start by threatening to fire them or frame them for crimes. Soon he had a pretty good gang of his own. His top assassin is a feared man in a red suit known as the Daredevil.

Matt Murdock was the son of broken down prize fighter Jack Murdock. When Jack could no longer find work as a fighter he turned to his high school classmate Norman for a job. Soon Norman had Jack doing all sorts of shady things. When Matt was 16 Norman gave him a job as well. Matt who had been bullied his whole life and growing up poor saw crime as an easy way to solve these problems. and he planned on using his father's friendship with Norman to his advantage. One night when unloading illegal waste a barrel came open and fell on Matt. The contents inside burned and disfigured the upper half of his face eating away at his eyes. But as he learned the waste gave him amazing powers. Jack upset at what happened to his son vowed to bring Osborn down. When Matt who was told of this plan informed Osborn. In a show of loyality and knowing such an act would set him up for life Matt Killed his father.

With Daredevil's help Osborn became the undisputed Kingpin of crime in New York.

Your idea for Daredevil sounds a lot like how Spider-Gwen's universe handled him, but with Osborn in place of Fisk.

[babyblob]

Your idea for Daredevil sounds a lot like how Spider-Gwen's universe handled him, but with Osborn in place of Fisk.

Ive only read a couple of issues of Spider Gwen and didnt see Murdock origin there.

[Huntsman Spider]

Ive only read a couple of issues of Spider Gwen and didnt see Murdock origin there.

It's actually in a handbook-style entry in the back of one of the post-Secret Wars Spider-Gwen issues, I believe #3.

[babyblob]

It's actually in a handbook-style entry in the back of one of the post-Secret Wars Spider-Gwen issues, I believe #3.

I will check it out. Thanks for the heads up.

So in Spider Gwen he kills his dad?

[Huntsman Spider]

I will check it out. Thanks for the heads up.

So in Spider Gwen he kills his dad?

No, but the twist that turns him into a villain is that after his dad's death, he ends up being trained and raised by the Hand instead of his canonical mentor Stick, who is killed by the Hand in that universe so young Matt has nowhere else to turn except them.

[Draegwolf]

Given that he's supposed to be the son of the Wild Hunt and what I've learned about that particular entity/event over the years I would definitely make it a point to have Malekith embody more aspects of the Erlking and the Wild Hunt, like to the point that every time he shows up it should be a major event with all the damage he can do just by proxy with his hounds. This is honestly one of those ideas that I could probably expand upon with some time when I'm not feeling wiped but the overall jist of it would be along the lines of a supernatural Yaujta on par with Thor in terms of power & Loki in terms of cunning, who's followers consist of arguably the best hunters in the Nine Realms, preternaturally intelligent hounds, and the totality of the Dark Elves.

[ARkadelphia]

Revampire

He’s Dracula, but only comes out during the daylight hours