The Combined DCU-Marvel Universe thread

[Charles Phipps]

Emma Frost



The mutant genome has a sense of humor sometimes. How else can one describe a woman who literally can turn herself into a diamond, cold yet beautiful, as well as manipulate the thoughts of everyone around her but never give her the empathy to truly reach out to someone?

In many respects, Emma Frost is what Charles Xavier could have turned into (minus the career as a stripper and prostitute in exchange for the patronage of the richest men in the world). The telepathic child of a loveless but affluent household, both Xavier and Emma realized they could use their powers to achieve their wildest ambitions.

Emma was almost strong enough to resist the temptation.

In truth, Emma's sex may have played a role in her corruption as she realized very early on how causally she was objectified and how her powers weren't enough to achieve all of her needs. The buxom blonde sexpot is a creation of hair dye, cosmetics, plastic surgery, and tailors designed to control. It's also as artificial as much of her demeanor--carefully controlled and built around saying the perfect thing to achieve the result she needs.

Emma Frost sacrificed her dignity to achieve power in the Hellfire Club and forge whatever alliances she could--including making use of her sexuality in a manner the male members were rarely required to.

Though, as the cinematic X-men: First Class illustrated, Emma Frost was not required to do so often. Emma Frost always sold the fantasy of her first and it was the rare Hellfire Club member who caught her eye. Everyone else remembered what she wanted and nothing more, much like Mastermind.

Indeed, a few of the more misogynist members of the club found themselves ruining their careers or losing their fortunes mysteriously--much to the amusement of Sebastian Shaw and Selene. Emma's just sad Norman Osbourne and Vandal Savage's minds were too different to do the same to.

Emma Frost did not find her true calling, however, until the Hellfire Club came up with the idea of creating the Hellions. While the Hellfire Club contained some die-hard human supremacists like Edward Buckman and Steve Lang, it was firmly in the control of its mutant members by this time. Sebastian Shaw envisioned creating a "hidden elite" to rule the world with their powers while the majority of mutant-kind (as well as humanity) was kept under their control via Hellfire Club-operated Sentinels.

Notably, Sebastian Shaw's plan almost worked and was one of the most subtle schemes for world-domination in history. It's a good thing he was thwarted, though, because the Sentinels eventually would have achieved sentience and overridden Shaw's safeguards against hunting allied mutants.

Emma Frost found herself more at home in the school room than she ever did in the boardroom or the Hellfire Club's parlors. The Hellions loved their Headmistress and she loved them in return. She even found herself respecting Xavier's Institute as a friendly rival, unlike the other members of the Inner Circle who wanted to kill them all.

Unfortunately, one cannot walk with the Devil and not get burned. The Hellfire Club invited Trevor Fitzroy to join its membership in exchange for knowledge of the future. Trevor murdered all of her students so he could use their life-force to bring his criminal associates from the future.

Emma Frost was devastated by this action. Previously, her schemes had only hurt either faceless drones or people she utterly despised. Her Hellions were individuals she knew intimately and which gave her the respect she'd always craved. Emma had not only failed to protect them but she'd practically put them up on the chopping block by teaching them to obey the Inner Circle without question.

To make matters worse, it's quite probable the Hellfire Club arranged the Hellion's mass execution as Emma hadn't provided them the hardened killers and psychopaths they wanted.

Emma Frost has been atoning for this action ever since, first as a teacher of Generation X and later as a full-fledged X-man. Around the X-men, Emma learned to drop some of her cold exterior and reveal the person she might have been without life making her its personal punching bag. Said person is still snarky as hell but few have ever had cause to doubt her good intentions. Ironically, the most consistent doubter has been Kitty Pryde who remembers Emma's Hellions and Hellfire Academy considerably less rosily.

Emma Frost's membership in the X-men has also been controversial in other sections of the superhero world. Wonder Woman remembers Emma Frost as a frequent villain in her early rogue's gallery and finds her personally distasteful (even if she now accepts her redemption is sincere). Batman despises any form of mental manipulation and believes Emma Frost hasn't so much changed as switched sides. Lex Luthor and she have also collaborated several times since Emma's switch as Emma believes him to be the sort of person she can manipulate.

Something which amuses Luthor to no end.

Note: As a 9th level Intelligence, Lex Luthor is immune to Miss Frost's telepathic control.

Hell, the Purple Man can't effect him.

Emma Frost has recently ended her long-term relationship with Scott Summers, though time will tell if they rekindle it. Emma has also discovered Cadmus cloned her (secretly on behalf of Lex Luthor), creating the Stepford Cookoos. Two of the quintuplets have since died, leaving a hive-minded trio that look to her as their mother.

Emma Frost also has a number of superheroes she has had a former relationship with including Namor, Banshee, and others. Hilariously, she dated Bruce Wayne for a time and was unable to get past his Martian Manhunter-installed mental shields to suspect he was anything more than the vapid playboy he pretended to be.

She might choke on her own outrage if she ever found out the truth. Especially since Batman used the opportunity to find the information necessary to shut down the Hellfire Club's attempted takeover of Gotham City.

Twice.

Emma Frost's heart is in the right place but she's fully capable of taking "questionable" action to achieve her goals. The Rogues of Central City, Deathstroke, and Taskmaster are all on her rolodex after all and none of them care about her present allegiance as long as they get paid.

[hypervirtue]

Deathstroke



The year was 1952, when sixteen year old Slade Wilson signed up with the United States military after lying about his age. Young Slade served dutifully when he was deployed to participate in the Korean conflict. He served with distinction, and that was ultimately his downfall.

His combat efficiency and valor were well documented and he was passed up the chain to be considered for the Weapon Plus program. The about to be launched iteration was Weapon VII, also known as Project: Homegrown. Unfortunately while digging into the background of this potential recruit his age, seventeen at this time, was revealed. Slade Wilson was dishonorably discharged from military service.

This discharge was devastating to the young Slade Wilson. In another place, and another time, had his age not been discovered it was likely that his life would have taken a much different path. Instead, however, Slade attempted, on returning the the US, to join up with a paramilitary group. There he managed to make a name for himself as a gun for hire but eventually, thanks to poor decisions on the side of the PMC's leader, the group was arrested for undertaking illegal activities.

Slade spent the next several years in prison. He had a reputation for never backing down, no matter who his opposition was, and that behavior landed him in more than one scrape. In one of these incidents Slade was injured severely and his right eye was gouged out with a shank.

It was then that once again Slade's name was brought up to the Weapon Plus program. After the failure of Project: Homegrown the Weapon VIII program had begun looking into experimentation on criminals. Slade Wilson, former potential candidate for Weapon VII, former US Military Solider with an exemplary combat record, was a perfect subject.

Slade was offered a choice. He could continue to rot in prison, or he could accept a full pardon and join the Weapon Plus program. Slade chose, what he thought, would lead to his freedom.

Wilson excelled in the Weapon VIII training program. He easily surpassed all other candidates in skill and ability. He was quickly moved to the head of the project and was subjected to a series of chemical and genetic augmentations.

Initially, it seemed, that Weapon VIII was successful in a way that only Weapon 0 had ever been with Project: Rebirth. They had thought that they created the next generation of Captain America. Slade Wilson contracted similarly enhanced physical abilities, a light healing factor, and his brain was altered too which allowed him to utilize more of it than a normal human which made him a tactical genius that was considered on-par with the legendary super soldier.

Weapon VIII began to give Slade missions. It was on one of these missions where things took a dark turn. Slade was tasked with the assassination of a target. According to the report the target, a mutant, produced what was called a, "Death Field" that killed any target that came within 300 yards of him. It was determined that Wilson's healing factor would guard him against the field's effects and allow him to eliminate the target which was deemed a, "Clear and Present Danger" to the United States and her citizens.

Slade's mission was to enter the kill zone, locate the mutant, terminate the mutant, then detonate a large scale tactical explosive that would eliminate all evidence of what had happened in the city.

Slade entered the ghost town, and managed to track the target. This was not a difficult task as the target was the only thing alive. Wilson was shocked, however, to learn that the target was nothing more than a 12 year old boy who had no knowledge of what he was doing and no control over his abilities.

Following his orders Wilson killed the boy, then set off the explosive. Slade Wilson, however, did not return to the rendezvous site. Instead he went underground and on the run.

Months after his disappearance a new mercenary surfaced. This one-eyed mercenary named Deathstroke seemed to possess superhuman capabilities and it wasn't long at all before Weapon VIII learned that their prodigal son was still around and kicking. Attempts to retrieve him were launched.

In the years that followed Deathstroke took contracts all over the world. All the while he avoided, or killed, the soldiers from Weapon VIII that were attempting to capture him. Slade knew that it would only be a matter of time before he eventually did fall, however intervention from another source changed the game entirely.

Intervention, and salvation, came in the form of Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Fury saw a kindred spirit, though some joked that it was simply due to the eye, and made Deathstroke an offer. Amnesty for his past crimes and protection from the forces of Weapon VIII. In exchange Deathstroke would work as a freelance Agent of SHIELD. Under the agreement Deathstroke would be given the choice to take, or not take, operations based on his own recognizance.

A better deal he could not find.

Since then Slade has continued his mercenary behavior. He takes missions from SHIELD, and from anyone else who can pay his fees. He tends to avoid outright criminal behavior but he has come into conflict with heroes now and again. He is somewhat of a wild card, sometimes he seems to be a hero, other times he seems to be a villain.

Rumor has it, however, that Slade may have a daughter somewhere, allegedly, named Rose. According to reports, while Slade was in the military, prior to his discharge, he had relations with one of his commanding officers. She later bore a daughter that Slade seemed to have no knowledge of until fairly recently. It is rumored that this information may have come from Fury and might have been why Slade took the deal with SHIELD. They say a portion of all of his pay goes to a private account for the child.

Known Associates:

Nick Fury: Director of SHIELD
Heroes for Hire (He has been known to work with them from time to time.)
Paladin aka Paul Denning (The pair have both worked together and have worked as rivals.)
Captain America
Wolverine
Victor Creed
Deadpool (Who claimed, in their initial meeting, to be a clone of Wilson, this claim was later debunked. Despite this Deadpool has an annoying habit of calling Deathstroke, "Brother!" and trying to give him hugs whenever the two meet. This has resulted in Deadpool being stabbed more than once, Deadpool however claims, "That's just how Sladey shows his brotherly love!")
Lex Luthor (Who has employed him numerous times.)
Batman (Who he has come into conflict with on occasion.)
Bane (Who has has both worked with, and worked against as a rival from time to time.)
Azrael (Who he has also worked with and against in the past.)

Fun Facts:
The venom serum used by Bane was also part of the Weapon VIII trials. As such the pair have a similar kinship in that regard even if Slade does regard Bane as more of a monster than a man.

[Charles Phipps]

HA! Now that's an interesting alternative path things might have taken.

Nice job!

Very entertaining!

[Libra]

Very fine work Hypervirtue!

Charles, excellent work on your own articles, but please understand that I don't LOVE the Genocidal Old Man of the Mountain, I merely regard Ra's Al-Ghul as being as tragic a cautionary tale as he is a sterling example of super-villainy from the shadows.

[Voltron64]

Very fine work Hypervirtue!

Charles, excellent work on your own articles, but please understand that I don't LOVE the Genocidal Old Man of the Mountain, I merely regard Ra's Al-Ghul as being as tragic a cautionary tale as he is a sterling example of super-villainy from the shadows.

Yes, Hassan-I Sabbah and the Order of the Hashshashin do provide quite the inspirational for Ra's al Ghul. (Maybe in-universe too!)

[Charles Phipps]

Deadpool (Who claimed, in their initial meeting, to be a clone of Wilson, this claim was later debunked. Despite this Deadpool has an annoying habit of calling Deathstroke, "Brother!" and trying to give him hugs whenever the two meet. This has resulted in Deadpool being stabbed more than once, Deadpool however claims, "That's just how Sladey shows his brotherly love!")

This should be canon in both universes, BTW.

[Voltron64]

Yeah, Deadpool and Cable need to done too.

(And if there's any way to portray Cable other than Nineties Anti-Hero, it's Spiritualist Warrior Poet/Monk.)

[EnigmaticOne]

Deadpool (Who claimed, in their initial meeting, to be a clone of Wilson, this claim was later debunked. Despite this Deadpool has an annoying habit of calling Deathstroke, "Brother!" and trying to give him hugs whenever the two meet. This has resulted in Deadpool being stabbed more than once, Deadpool however claims, "That's just how Sladey shows his brotherly love!")

This should be canon in both universes, BTW.

I should point out, in the excellent DC-Marvel crossover webcomic on DeviantArt by YogurthFrost, they are in fact brothers. Interactions so far have been hilarious.

[Charles Phipps]

I'm currently running a combined DCU and Marvel M&M game and I decided I'd share our first adventure.
The PCs are contacted by SHIELD to investigate the island of Genosha, which was still devastated in my world. Once arriving, they discover it's covered in a massive cloaking field and underneath is a thriving mutant-civilization. This seeming Utopia is thwarted by the PCs getting captured by a host of classic X-men and Titans under the monikor, the Brotherhood of Evil Metahumans.

Tossed in prison, they discover themselves next to a depowered Magneto. It turns out that Magneto got here first after sensing a change in the Earth's magnetic pull and found out the island is an "ark" from a alternate Earth-777. Its Magneto and Professor Xavier transported it over to replace the existing Genosha and saved 14,000,000 lives when Galactus destroyed their Earth.

The problem is its Magneto is full on Silver Age EVIL. He cackles alot, forces the mutants of Genosha to fight in gladiator competitions (which he intends for the PCs to participate in), and revels in his card-carrying villainy. His version of Charles Xavier is distinctly "off" too, being a smug pacifist who doesn't mind-altering his X-men or other's minds whenever he wants.

Earth-777 Magneto wants to assist the players in killing his alternate doppleganger for various reasons, not the least bit being good taste. In the end, they have to stop their version of the Professor too because he's going to use Genoshan technology to cause the entirety of the planet to embrace his "new" dream. One of mutant supremacy as defined by his superiority.

Our players ended up defeating this Xavier by creating a device which gathered the spent psychic essence of the "real" Charles Xavier and overwhelming his doppleganger, effectively bringing him back to life.
Earth-777 Charles Xavier was suitably appalled by this act but, admits, his other self was a ****.

[Daibhid C]

I'm really enjoying this thread. Here's an idea that occurred to me:

The Brotherhood of the Shield

The world is stranger than you think. However strange you might think it, it's always stranger than you think.

It's possibly stranger than you want to think, which is why, for thousands of years, the Brotherhood of the Shield has been saving you from having to do so.

Like so many things, the Brotherhood has its origins in Ancient Egypt. In the 27th century BC, the polymath engineer Imhotep repelled a Brood invasion with the assistance of Nabu the Wise, the Moon Knight, and a mysterious figure known only as Adam (he can't be Black Adam; the dates don't match up). The shield Imhotep bore became the symbol of a secret society, protecting mankind from The Things Beyond.

The Brotherhood attracted brilliant philosophers, warriors with unearthly powers, and eccentric magicians; because although proponents of what would one day be called "science", most of them saw magic as another force to be studied. Indeed, it was a Brother of the Shield who first coined the term "etheric sciences" for the scientific study of the unscientific, and long before that Merlin was an occasional member (albeit one they felt they had to keep an eye on).

With their rallying cry of "This is not how the world ends!" the Brotherhood would spend millennia repelling the cosmic forces arrayed against Earth. From the Roman Empire onwards, they were based in a Hidden City beneath Rome itself, as they forged fantastic weapons to battle against threats ranging from plagues of mind-sapping starfish to defending Avalon from Mephisto. And at the same time, they protected the common folk from knowing how fragile life on this planet really was. As the centuries passed, however, they were more and more keeping secrets for their own sake, especially as the paranoid Sir Isaac Newton rose in their ranks.

In the 1950s, the Brotherhood underwent a schism, provoked by the return of Leonardo da Vinci and the ousting of Newton from the Shadow Lords. The Outer Brotherhood, under the influence of Howard Stark and Alan Armstrong, became more concerned with "mundane" threats such as the Cult of Kobra than Celestials and Daemonites. It eventually became a James Bond-type organisation, with a convoluted name apparently devised because "Someone really wanted our initials to spell out 'S.H.I.E.L.D.'" In the Hidden City, meanwhile, the keepers of the secret histories grew even more secretive.

As the meaning of the symbol of the Shield changed, a decision was made by the Brotherhood's Shadow Lords: The "true" organisation would take a new name. In keeping with the predictive nature of their motto, they decided that their new identity would be based on one of Merlin's titles, referring to his ability to see the future in weather patterns.

And so the Brotherhood of the Shield became the Watchers of the Storm.

[Charles Phipps]

Wonderful combination of SHIELD, Stormwatch, and other matters,

Bravo.

*clap clap*

[Phrozen]

This is something that bothers me. People want to lionize Leonardo Da Vinci because he was brilliant. The problem is that Leonardo Da Vinci really really wanted to design weapons for Cesare Borgia. Not exactly a heroic or good ambition.

[Charles Phipps]

This is something that bothers me. People want to lionize Leonardo Da Vinci because he was brilliant. The problem is that Leonardo Da Vinci really really wanted to design weapons for Cesare Borgia. Not exactly a heroic or good ambition.

To be fair, Cesare Borgia wasn't the sort of troll Assassin's Creed makes him out to be either. You know, at least until the syphilis got him. I don't mind lionizing Leonardo Davinchi as a Renaissance Man, scientist, and artist but everyone in the world is more complicated than the sum of their parts.

Except Henry Ford, he was just a ****.

[Phrozen]

He wasn't ugly physically but he also was quite happy with murdering people he didn't like including his brother (most likely) and his sisters fiance (no questions there).

[Charles Phipps]

Not saying he was cute and cuddly either.

Just he was the only game in town.