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  1. #61

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    Part 2

    Time passes. Victor takes in any information he can find. They still face prejudice because of their ethnicity. So they are often on the move or in a fight. Werner is gravely wounded. His deathbed plea is a lot like Uncle Ben’s. But it mostly falls on deaf rage filled impatient ears. It’s just Victor and Boris now. The latter gifts him his mother’s tome of magic and challenges Victor to decipher it. Hurrying this along, Victor ends up at Oxford instead of ESU. He forges an identity, school records, and quickly proves his worth through sheer work ethic. He uses the university for their equipment and library access. In return he helps a few academics become wealthy. This all ends the same way as in the comics. He builds some contraption to contact the underworld. It blows up in his face. This sets him on his next path. If you’re wondering, Boris has given him the big speech about being destined for greatness prior to him going to college. Victor thinks that Boris has sought out their tribe.

  2. #62

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    Part 3 The Benga Dom

    Victor has realized that his science won’t be enough to protect him if he reaches the afterlife again. And the first time was pure scientific curiosity. But what he saw was his mother in the clutches of Mephisto before being dismissively shunted back to earth. Victor seeks out magic practitioners. He has translated his mother’s book. But much of it was incomplete (on purpose). He eventually has his league of shadows moment when he tracks down an urban legend at the top of a snow covered mountain. These monks, the Benga Dom, have been expecting him. He is tested. Moreover, he is fated to become their “bringer of doom.” But first he has to accept their gift in exchange for something he values greatly. The monks remove his face and give him that metal mask. By the time he leaves the mountain he’s sorcerer supreme material along with his science mastery. You’ll notice the lack of Richards in the story.

    The next time he surfaces, Victor von Doom(a name he adopted as a nod to the monks) is somewhat of a Rasputin-esque figure; walking around in a tailored suit and wearing a metal mask. He’s a man of mystery. He’s a political and financial advisor to royalty and heads of state. But he’s only interacting with people with influence, money, and power. No one else sees him come or go. He’s a worrisome x-factor to American and British intelligence. He also shows up at a few science conferences unannounced with wild theories and warnings of future cosmic level threats. There are stories of him curing outbreaks of disease in 3rd world countries and resolving territory disputes. But there are just as many rumors of him being the architect of global chaos.

  3. #63

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    Finale

    He doesn’t officially become Doctor Doom until after Secret Wars. It’s the taste of godhood and organizing superhumans that illuminates his path/helps him visualize his mission. He creates the homeland of Latveria. He claims a castle. He formally invites the tribe that cast him out to occupy Latveria (remember Cynthia’s deal). The population is mostly displaced peoples. The society is agrarian but there’s a tech/magic laden framework. His colorful costume was adopted during Secret War because it made the supervillains readily identify him as one of their own. He’s big on stagecraft. He lives by studying potential enemies, doing prep work, and being a lifelong student (like with Morgan Lefey. Valeria didn’t stay long in Latveria. But Victor has kept tabs on her. It wasn’t just that she was the prettiest. She was Boris’ granddaughter and acted confused when Victor asked about him.

    I wanted to put some mystery back into the character and his career trajectory. He tragically has every skill necessary to make the world a better place. But Mephisto has set the playing field in a way that makes it more likely that Doom will be the one to end it. As for Reed, he is someone who can match Doom on an intellectual level. That alone makes him a person of interest. Doom will periodically test Reed in some overly complex fashion. And he might not even know why he’s doing it. Reed intellectualizes everything and has no personal attachment to Doom or his games. Any physical encounter with the FF is accidental; generally a robot sent to distract.

  4. #64

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    Scarecrow

    Wish there were a better name to use. DC took Scarecrow AND Strawman. I don’t know if they have a ‘Hollow Watcher’ yet. Anyways, it’s not as important as the man beneath the straw.

    My version of Ebeneezer starts out as a costumed athlete protecting those using the Underground Railroad. He’s one of a handful of former slaves-turned-heroes operating back then. Their exploits have been mostly forgotten. He’s romantically involved with (eventually marries)another hero, an African witch of sorts. She finds herself having to heal Ebeneezer from a gunshot wound to the temple. In the process, he’s given the ability to see through the eyes of birds. It makes him an exceptional lookout for the freedom league.

    Time passes. People grow old and die. Some die on the job. Despite all they’ve done, racial injustice persists. Ebeneezer is one of the last men standing. He’s battle damaged and jaded. He’s just buried his wife (natural causes). He has learned just enough from his wife to make a deal with demonic forces. He needs to get back in the game. His strength is enhanced. He heals more quickly than a regular man but not in the pretty way that Wolverine does. He looks like twisted scar tissue beneath the Scarecrow costume he adopts. He replaces the staff he once used with a pitchfork. And he goes about killing anyone who might oppress his people. He loses a bit of his soul with each act of violence. And that continues into the present day. But by this point his contempt for society has extended to black people as well. He’d kill someone sagging their pants just as readily he would a skinhead. He likes to dramatically stage the bodies too. For clarification, he doesn’t control birds. It’s remote viewing. he seems to be haunted by his dead wife. And he moves strangely because his bones aren’t always set properly when he heals.

  5. #65
    Formerly Assassin Spider Huntsman Spider's Avatar
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    I like those takes on Doctor Doom and Marvel's Scarecrow. That said, let me throw in my own villain revamp ideas.

    The Life Foundation, led by Carlton Drake, is a combination of the Venom movie version and the original comic version --- a megacorporation that deals in science and technology oriented toward extending and enhancing human life and human capability. The Life Foundation is secretly preparing for the eventual apocalypse in which those who are able to access and utilize the human enhancement and life extension technologies pioneered and developed by it will take the lead in establishing a new-and-improved version of human civilization, a.k.a. "Society v2.0." Also secretly, Carlton Drake is trying to extend his own life and enhance his own biology so he can stave off a terminal disease, the effects of which are gradually worsening, so to that end, the Life Foundation is part of the secret conspiracy within the American military-industrial complex, in collaboration with American organized crime, to create enhanced human criminals and mercenaries that can keep the superhero community occupied and distracted from using their abilities to meaningfully challenge the status quo. At the same time, Drake is experimenting with the most promising human enhancement treatments engineered by the Life Foundation to cure his illness, and among those projects is what he believes to be the crown jewel of the Life Foundation --- the "Queen" of homo arachnis, Adriana Soria.

    Back in World War II, after the secrets of the Super-Soldier Serum that turned sickly, skinny Steve Rogers into the absolute pinnacle of human ability henceforth known as Captain America died with Abraham Erskine's assassination, Project Rebirth's secret backers, Weapon Plus, initiated another covert super-soldier experiment. Exposing several recruits and volunteers to a biogenetic formula that could only be catalyzed by a unique radioactive isotope, Weapon Plus hoped to trigger superhuman mutations in those test subjects, and in the case of Adriana Soria, they succeeded. Soria's mutation endowed her with superhuman physical capabilities that were bolstered and supplemented by similarly enhanced mental abilities, including a preternatural awareness of her surroundings and the presence of everything and everyone in those surroundings. Sent into the battlefield, Soria got acquainted, perhaps even too acquainted, with the worst of humanity, both in the enemy camp and on her own side, eventually developing disdain and contempt for humanity as a whole. Discovering that she could "infect" others with her will through mutagenic enzymes in her saliva, transmitted by oral contact, Soria christened herself the Queen of a new, superior species dubbed "homo arachnis," a web of followers and pawns that she intended to spin until it covered the whole world. However, she would ultimately be foiled by the Invaders and locked in stasis for decades by Weapon Plus, who in later years "loaned" her to the Life Foundation and Carlton Drake.

    After harvesting Soria's mutagenic enzymes and exposing ordinary spiders to them, Drake discovers that the spiders have developed enhanced traits, which drives him to extract their venom to synthesize a serum so that he can test his hypothesis that the enhanced spiders' venom will in turn enhance a human body's existing capabilities, especially recuperation from injury and disease. Initiating human trials with the spider serum, Drake creates spiderlike augmented humans that he dubs "homo arachnis," believing he has created the vanguard of a new, superior human being --- at least until Soria begins exerting her will over them, as they were mutated by the enzymes harvested from her, turning them into her own army to free her from Drake's confinement and restart her plan to remake the world in her own image. However, Drake has at least one more trick up his sleeve to stop the Queen and her followers, as well as recoup his losses before everything he's worked for slips out of his reach. . . .
    The spider is always on the hunt.

  6. #66

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    Niice. I like it. It even fits within my own framework. Good to dust off someone like The Queen. Off topic but I have always wondered why they chose spiders. They aren’t social creatures. Once they “nest” they kill anything that enters their territory. There’s no such thing as a spider queen. But it’s a comic. So I’m game.

  7. #67

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    This will be quick. I would make Samuel Smithers, Ralph Roberts, and Elias Starr mutants. I want the Emissaries of Evil to be a mutant team, at least this incarnation. The roster is Solaar, Cobalt Man, Plant Man, Gypsy Moth, and Whirlwind. They are organized by Egghead for a specific mission that Hank and Maria (Ant-Man and The Wasp) have to thwart. Smithers’ secondary mutation turns him into Blackheath.

  8. #68
    Cosmic Curmudgeon JudicatorPrime's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PCN24454 View Post
    But if you do that, can it really be called a Zodiac team?
    Yep. The team's active members would only number 12 as Kang could only gather 12 Zodiac gems from the Lifestone Tree. In addition to the Zodiac gem the members would receive a mantle and crest, unique costume, demesne, etc. When a hero takes on the Zodiac it's like going to war with 12 different kingdoms. As far as identity goes, all of the members take an oath not to reveal their true identity. To that end, the cabal will likely employ someone like the mutant, Masque, to alter the physical appearance of active members.

  9. #69

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    Quote Originally Posted by JudicatorPrime View Post
    Yep. The team's active members would only number 12 as Kang could only gather 12 Zodiac gems from the Lifestone Tree. In addition to the Zodiac gem the members would receive a mantle and crest, unique costume, demesne, etc. When a hero takes on the Zodiac it's like going to war with 12 different kingdoms. As far as identity goes, all of the members take an oath not to reveal their true identity. To that end, the cabal will likely employ someone like the mutant, Masque, to alter the physical appearance of active members.
    Interesting, Lifestone Tree and the stones were mentioned in Moonstone story line during Thunderbolts, If I remember it was being explained to her by the Eternals. I found it very interesting.
    I always wondered why writers never expanded on lifestone tree which has so much potential.
    Stone weilders like Blue Diamond, Basilisk & Sphinx to name a few are very powerful. Specially Sphinx with the Ka stone.
    With that your kinda wondering how much stronger could people like moonstone or bloodstone get.
    Also The whole lifestone tree storyline is interesting as it is one sure way for ordinary humans to become extremely powerful.

  10. #70
    Formerly Assassin Spider Huntsman Spider's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Watkins View Post
    Niice. I like it. It even fits within my own framework. Good to dust off someone like The Queen. Off topic but I have always wondered why they chose spiders. They aren’t social creatures. Once they “nest” they kill anything that enters their territory. There’s no such thing as a spider queen. But it’s a comic. So I’m game.
    Thank you very much. As for why they picked spiders, apparently, spider venom does have some medicinal uses in real life, so the idea might well have been that enhancing spiders' natural traits could also extend to the medicinal aspects. The last Life Foundation story, The Arachnis Project, even started with them targeting a scientist who had figured out how to cure cancer by studying spiders, which was what inspired my idea.

    Continuing with the Life Foundation revamp, though, I would add that one of the human enhancement/life extension projects that the megacorporation is working on is cloning, starting with replacement body parts and organs, then moving on to replacement bodies that are rejuvenated and augmented by the Life Foundation's science to achieve a kind of immortality by transferring the preserved consciousnesses of the original bodies into the "new and improved" ones. The head of that particular project would be none other than Miles Warren, although he's been secretly funneling the Life Foundation's resources toward his own goals, which revolve around a particular woman that has become the object of his obsession, even after her death.

    Side note: The Life Foundation's experiments with "homo arachnis" are indeed what results in Spider-Man's empowerment here, through a spider that gets loose while a certain budding science nerd is visiting the Life Foundation's public exhibits for his school's science elective.
    Last edited by Huntsman Spider; 05-11-2020 at 03:44 PM.
    The spider is always on the hunt.

  11. #71
    Cosmic Curmudgeon JudicatorPrime's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by destinyascension View Post
    Interesting, Lifestone Tree and the stones were mentioned in Moonstone story line during Thunderbolts, If I remember it was being explained to her by the Eternals. I found it very interesting.
    I always wondered why writers never expanded on lifestone tree which has so much potential.
    Stone weilders like Blue Diamond, Basilisk & Sphinx to name a few are very powerful. Specially Sphinx with the Ka stone.
    With that your kinda wondering how much stronger could people like moonstone or bloodstone get.
    Also The whole lifestone tree storyline is interesting as it is one sure way for ordinary humans to become extremely powerful.
    I thought the concept of a Lifestone Tree was pure genius. It was much easier to grasp the origins of the bloodstone or ka stone as something growing out of the inherent abundance of the cosmos -- as opposed to say the Infinity Stones, which we're told are the relics (classical definition: body parts) of a dead, suicidal cosmic being that somehow still have the power to not only function, but completely co-opt the current cosmos, which makes no sense to me. I also liked the fact that the fruit of the Lifestone Tree varies in terms of attribute and endowment. That allows writers to be as creative as they care to be with the bearer's role in their stories.

    Given that everyone not only has a zodiac sign, but a more or less corresponding birthstone, Zodiac gems sprouting from the Lifestone Tree seemed like a no-brainer. How each one interacts with its bearer varies from person to person and gem to gem. This also explains why Kang was willing to share them. Amassing all of them doesn't make him exponentially more powerful. Or put another way, a person is just as potentially OP wielding one gem as he/she is holding all 12 Zodiac gems. It all hinges on your connection with the gem. Might as well keep one for yourself and pass along the other 11 to like-minded friends. The power is meant to be shared. The only true limitation of the gems is that they can only be used by living beings. Sorry Dracula. Sorry Ultron. Sorry Master Order, Lord Chaos and other abstract entities. These gems are not for you.

  12. #72
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Watkins View Post
    Scarecrow

    Wish there were a better name to use. DC took Scarecrow AND Strawman. I don’t know if they have a ‘Hollow Watcher’ yet. Anyways, it’s not as important as the man beneath the straw.

    My version of Ebeneezer starts out as a costumed athlete protecting those using the Underground Railroad. He’s one of a handful of former slaves-turned-heroes operating back then. Their exploits have been mostly forgotten. He’s romantically involved with (eventually marries)another hero, an African witch of sorts. She finds herself having to heal Ebeneezer from a gunshot wound to the temple. In the process, he’s given the ability to see through the eyes of birds. It makes him an exceptional lookout for the freedom league.

    Time passes. People grow old and die. Some die on the job. Despite all they’ve done, racial injustice persists. Ebeneezer is one of the last men standing. He’s battle damaged and jaded. He’s just buried his wife (natural causes). He has learned just enough from his wife to make a deal with demonic forces. He needs to get back in the game. His strength is enhanced. He heals more quickly than a regular man but not in the pretty way that Wolverine does. He looks like twisted scar tissue beneath the Scarecrow costume he adopts. He replaces the staff he once used with a pitchfork. And he goes about killing anyone who might oppress his people. He loses a bit of his soul with each act of violence. And that continues into the present day. But by this point his contempt for society has extended to black people as well. He’d kill someone sagging their pants just as readily he would a skinhead. He likes to dramatically stage the bodies too. For clarification, he doesn’t control birds. It’s remote viewing. he seems to be haunted by his dead wife. And he moves strangely because his bones aren’t always set properly when he heals.
    I want to read a book with this character.

  13. #73

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    Quote Originally Posted by Doombot View Post
    I want to read a book with this character.
    I just wish that there were a character like him.

  14. #74

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    Porcupine

    Alex Gentry would be a sovereign citizen and former family man who lost his wife to cancer and his eldest child to war. That’s when his mental well-being would dip. He’d lose touch with his daughter and spend most of his time building a bunker. After a few unpleasant experiences with locals and law enforcement, Gentry uses what he learned working on tanks to build the Porcupine armor. It turns him into a one man army. A second encounter with the police led him to go fugitive. This made him easy to recruit as a costumed villain. He’s not a bad guy; just broken and desperate. In the back of his mind, he’s doing jobs for Justin Hammer and others to earn enough to build a secure place for what’s left of his family. His daughter is now dating Roger Gocking. Roger idolizes Alex because the latter let him (a kid with no supervision) tag along when he took his son hunting and taught him how to work on cars. Anyways, Alex goes out in a blaze of glory and even earns Captain America’s respect. Roger eventually dons his own Porcupine suit but can’t make the relationship work.

    I’m using this one to highlight the trap of supervillainy. It’s easy to become one. But you carry out a successful job and the Kingpin or the Thieves Guild will want their cut. Your costume gets damaged and they charge you a college tuition to fix it. And you’re wages are already garnished by Taskmaster. You get shot by Punisher or Daredevil breaks your jaw, Jonas Harrow doesn’t fix you up for free. Worst, some of these “doctors” will mutate you in the process. You complain or break the rules and Scourge or Bullseye takes you out. It’s a rough business.
    Last edited by Michael Watkins; 05-12-2020 at 05:13 PM.

  15. #75
    Formerly Assassin Spider Huntsman Spider's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Watkins View Post
    Porcupine

    Alex Gentry would be a sovereign citizen and former family man who lost his wife to cancer and his eldest child to war. That’s when his mental well-being would dip. He’d lose touch with his daughter and spend most of his time building a bunker. After a few unpleasant experiences with locals and law enforcement, Gentry uses what he learned working on tanks to build the Porcupine armor. It turns him into a one man army. A second encounter with the police led him to go fugitive. This made him easy to recruit as a costumed villain. He’s not a bad guy; just broken and desperate. In the back of his mind, he’s doing jobs for Justin Hammer and others to earn enough to build a secure place for what’s left of his family. His daughter is now dating Roger Gocking. Roger idolizes Alex because the latter let him (a kid with no supervision) tag along when he took his son hunting and taught him how to work on cars. Anyways, Alex goes out in a blaze of glory and even earns Captain America’s respect. Roger eventually dons his own Porcupine suit but can’t make the relationship work.

    I’m using this one to highlight the trap of supervillainy. It’s easy to become one. But you carry out a successful job and the Kingpin or the Thieves Guild will want their cut. Your costume gets damaged and they charge you a college tuition to fix it. And you’re wages are already garnished by Taskmaster. You get shot by Punisher or Daredevil breaks your jaw, Jonas Harrow doesn’t fix you up for free. Worst, some of these “doctors” will mutate you in the process. You complain or break the rules and Scourge or Bullseye takes you out. It’s a rough business.
    In other words, to quote from TV Tropes' parlance, "evil is easy," but . . . "being evil sucks."
    The spider is always on the hunt.

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