Marvel-DC World Building Help

[Drakyrias]

I've recently embarked on running a 'street' level Supers game set in a crossover world drawing on elements of both DC and Marvel Universes.

Details already set in the game: The game is currently set in Nov 1996

Charles Xavier, Magneto, General William Striker, Amanda Waller, Bruce Wayne/Batman, Victor Zsasz (a version combining Arkham city and Gotham tv series), and Carmine Falcone all exist.

Nathaniel Essex/Sinister and the Court of Owls have been introduced in peripheral ways.

Mutants are not known about and widely the subject of tabloid reporting.

Stark Industries, Wayne Enterprises, Roxxon Energy, Trask Industries all exist as corporate entities.

The Game takes place in Gotham City.

I have stated that the son of Krypton and the speed force will not be present. These are primarily because of the god save issues that the Flash and Superman tend to present, and my personal dislike of Superman as a character. The Speed Force as well is an incredibly unbalancing force in a game setting in my opinion.

The only core cannon group from either universe I see as existing without any real tampering is the X men since they exist a a mutants training and protection group that primarily looks at the rest of even their own universe and tells it to shove off as often as not.

Batman is still in year one.

Nobody asked but my initial ideas for Captain America is that the public record is that he was a PR campaign and the victories credited to him and the Howling commandos are largely believed to be a propaganda campaign.

The game is still set in a heroes are unknown level of power.

I'm looking for help and inspiration with any and all cannon characters and team or group affiliations from either universe. (i. e. Dr. Fate and Dr. Strange etc) along with stat help. 3rd edition rules preferred but I'll backwards compatible if I like something.

Thanks!

[rkbrown419]

You could add Superman at power levels closer to what he had when first introduced. If memory of various stories about the character serves he would have DR strong enough to resist small arms fire not anti tank weapons, ST strong enough to pick up a car and could vertically jump to the top of a skyscraper or leap between them but not fly. Many of the other powers, heat/x-ray vision, super speed came along later. The Flash might also exist similarly down powered. i.e. fast but no going through walls or time traveling. Are you including the lanterns or leaving them out.

I've actually tossed around a similar idea but characters were real when the comics were written and the comics were dramatization of actual characters. secret ID's were made up and backstories were what the character claimed but might not be true.
Superman and Batman existed in the 1930's although the bat mantle may have been passed on with Robin/Nightwing/Batgirl being apprentices getting on the job training. Superboy might have been a title given someone young trying to pick up the Superman mantle (may or may not have been a descendant). He might have been an early mutant instead of an alien. The Phantom has been running around the Indian Ocean for centuries and might actually be immortal. Captain America and Wonder Women fought during WW2. Origins of both might have been propaganda his to prove superior science over Nazi Ubermen and hers to suggest the Greek pantheon was on the allies side. Justice League was around in the 40's, Avengers Fantastic Four and X men were around in the late 60's along with Spiderman. Some teams have continued with changes in membership and often heroic titles have been passed on with some changes. Spider Girl (may or may not be related to Spiderman active in 90's) for example.
I was thinking alien activity was usually metaphor for actual political action in the real world. How were you planning to handle them?

[whswhs]

The original Superman was faster than a locomotive and more powerful than a speeding bullet.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by rkbrown419

You could add Superman at power levels closer to what he had when first introduced. If memory of various stories about the character serves he would have DR strong enough to resist small arms fire not anti tank weapons, ST strong enough to pick up a car and could vertically jump to the top of a skyscraper or leap between them but not fly. Many of the other powers, heat/x-ray vision, super speed came along later.

X-ray vision was seen as early as the second Superman carton from the Fliescher brothers.....

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033888/?ref_=tt_rec_tt

..... and it might have been earlier in the comics. So it's pretty early. It definitely predates flying. That may have come along about a year later (in the cartoon series at least).

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

X-ray vision was seen as early as the second Superman carton from the Fliescher brothers.....

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033888/?ref_=tt_rec_tt

..... and it might have been earlier in the comics. So it's pretty early. It definitely predates flying. That may have come along about a year later (in the cartoon series at least).

His earliest use of x-ray vision that I find was in Superman #5, Vol.1, from May 1940, in Luthor's Incense Menace. That story is notable for a couple other firsts: the mention of his costume being indestructible; the ability to change his facial appearance.

[smurf]

I'm doing my own superworld too. But with ideas from Marvel/DC because I think there power levels are too crazy.

[Culture20]

For Submariner/Aquaman, you could assign Subby's heroic persona to A-man, and make Submariner the Atuma/Black Mantis. Or maybe Namor and Arthur are fraternal twins seperated at birth: one raised on land, the other under water. Arthur doesn't want the crown, but he's older by a few minutes... Namor could still be a mutant hybrid while Arthur is a "normal" hybrid.

[Drakyrias]

Originally Posted by Culture20

For Submariner/Aquaman, you could assign Subby's heroic persona to A-man, and make Submariner the Atuma/Black Mantis. Or maybe Namor and Arthur are fraternal twins seperated at birth: one raised on land, the other under water. Arthur doesn't want the crown, but he's older by a few minutes... Namor could still be a mutant hybrid while Arthur is a "normal" hybrid.

Interesting. From what I know of Namor, he's Machiavellian enough to be able to pull off the dual identity of twin roles. Perhaps combining the two?

Namor banished Arthur from Atlantis as a child as a threat to his rule. But uses the persona of Arthur to rally his people, or to be the 'carrot' super hero against the surface dwellers, allowing his Arthur to defeat his plans after he's already caused destruction to ocean destroying firms and enterprises. That way his Arthur can encourage them to pull back their efforts.

Of course since he's not the true heir of Atlantis he can't truly power the magic of the city, much of it encoded to only react to Prince Orin (Arthur)

[vitruvian]

Originally Posted by Drakyrias

The game is still set in a heroes are unknown level of power.

Could you clarify here? I'm not sure what if any relevance whether superhumans are publicly known about or not has to their power levels. Whether they make a habit of using their powers in conspicuous displays in front of witnesses or not, sure, but not how powerful they actually are.

[Drakyrias]

Originally Posted by vitruvian

Could you clarify here? I'm not sure what if any relevance whether superhumans are publicly known about or not has to their power levels. Whether they make a habit of using their powers in conspicuous displays in front of witnesses or not, sure, but not how powerful they actually are.

Think Iron Man 1 or pre Tim Burtan's Batman. Superhumans are not known about and are covered up.

I forgot to mention SHIELD is a covert but recognized intelligence firm.

The game opened up with the tabloids featuring a story about a "Werewolf fighting a Green Giant" in Canada.

Batman's own activities in the city are being concealed because the police don't want to admit they have a masked vigilante terrorizing criminals and making them look like fools.

Hope that helps.