WWYCD #122 (or so): Strange Visitor

[SKJAM!]

Your character (and allies, if applicable) is fighting a powerful enemy, when suddenly a side-effect of the battle opens a hole in the air, and someone pops out. The enemy attacks the newcomer out of reflex, and said newcomer helps you to defeat/drive off the enemy.

It turns out that this visitor is a WWYCD thread regular (read previous threads if you're new at this) who doesn't have a counterpart in your character's world. It's quickly established that heavy "weather" in the space-time continuum will prevent said visitor from leaving this dimension for at least a week. What would your character do?

Naturally, this depends quite a bit on which visitor your character got. Which ones would be especially welcome? Which ones would grate on your characters' nerves, or be contrary to the campaign tone? Which characters would be killed outright the moment your character found out who they were?

[OddHat]

Style – Talion falls through into one of Style’s battles with the Crowns. Style attempts to befriend him. Talion’s unluck triggers the Side Effets of one of Style's spells, resulting in 6d6 more Unluck. The entire rogues gallery of CU Mystic villains attacks at once. Talion’s presence continues to trigger the Unluck side effects until Style realizes what’s happening and attempts to flee; the spell misfires, killing Style and pulling Talion into another dimensional rift. As Talion falls through, the last attacks of the Mystic World villains interact with the Unluck effects and Talion’s powers to wreck most of North America. Several days later, Style finally resurrects to find himself in a post-apocalyptic game world.

AnimeGai – Microman II falls into AnimeGai’s Wild Cards variant world, and helps to protect the public from a psychopath called Bloodbath. AnimeGai identifies Microman as a “friend”, and attempts to learn all he can from him. Microman quickly realizes that AnimeGai is another machine, and attempts to discuss the experience of being a machine intelligence in the human world. Upon realizing that AnimeGai is not truly conscious, but merely simulating self-awareness, Microman feels considerable empathy for his unfeeling “cousin”. He attempts to truly awaken AnimeGai before returning home, but ultimately fails. AnimeGai files the experience away and will in future be far better at simulating self-awareness when dealing with other AIs.

Flesh Gordon – Starguard is consistently appalled by Flesh Gordon’s lack of pants, and may be tempted to use the power cosmic to do something about it. She fits right into his Silver-Bronze version of the CU. Flesh’s constant low-key flirtation might actually appeal to her at first, even as it made her nervous. His actions in a crisis are heroic, and he is very physically attractive. However, she will quickly realize that there is something seriously wrong with him, and her true nature is not subject to his type of charm. As his problems are the result of the interaction of his powers, time paradox, strange dimensional energies, regeneration, and repeated blows to the head, she will be unable to “fix” him. The return to her Earth will come as a great relief.

Indomitable Will – The Mask of Justice is shocked to be dropped into Will’s Iron Age version of the Champion’s Universe. Will himself quickly recognizes the heroic nature of the Mask, and the powers of the Mask reveal Will’s essential good intentions. At first the two of them join forces successfully to strike terror into the hearts of Eurostar. Will is also a man out of time, and will attempt to help the Mask to make his way back home. However, Will is a killer. Once the Mask realizes this, he will attempt to subdue this mad socialist, self-proclaimed “hero” or no! Will is (probably) more powerful than the Mask, but is unwilling to kill an obvious champion of Justice from so close to his own era; for his part, a tiny part of the Mask’s Golden Age paradigm will make its way into Will’s world, helping the Mask to overcome all odds! Their battle will be interrupted by the return of the surviving members of Eurostar. Upon his return to his own time, the Mask of Justice will vow never let the nightmare future of Indomitable Will come to pass.

Thirteen – Husky will find Thirteen’s Bronze-Iron world relatively easy to deal with, even lacking his army of support robots. Thirteen will for his part almost immediately realize the nature of Huskies Huskatonian powers and transformation, but will keep this knowledge to himself. Together they will foil a Viper plot (Husky may be surprised by the number of Superhumans that this world’s version of Viper employs). Husky will then try to secretly take control of the Viper tech in order to get Kenneth the equipment that he’ll need to get Husky home. Thirteen will see through this ploy, reveal part of what he knows, and help set up the lab. When Kenneth emerges, he will seriously consider killing Thirteen to protect his secret, but will quickly reject that idea based on its high risk factor and poor cost-to-benefit ratio. Thirteen will then use his Super-Skills to help Kenneth build a dimensional gate using Viper technology. After the interdimensional interference eases sufficiently, Kenneth will return to his world, having set the gateway to emit memory-erasing Huskatonian rays. Thirteen will have noticed this and sabotaged the trap. Thirteen’s new understanding of Huskatonian technology will come in very handy.

[Chuckg]

Actually, flirtation just makes Starguard nervous.

[OddHat]

Actually, flirtation just makes Starguard nervous.

Fixed.

[dbsousa]

<b>Golden Eagle</b> would assume that <b>Flesh Gordon</b> was part of yet another robot plot concocted by <b>Yo-Yo</b>, to defeat/join the team. The rest of the team would spend some time figuring out what he was an homage to, and when he found out Flesh was from a "counterverse", would try to get him back, for everyone's sake.

<b>Protector</b> would have a long, Denny O'Neill style political discussion with <b>Uncle Slam</b> and tell him, "I don't care what you do in the rest of this country, but everything that happens between 96th and 125th Streets in Manhattan is <i>my</i> business."

<b>Bouncer</b> would ask <b>Husky</b> to be his crimefighting/Extreme wrestling partner. He would introduce him to his agent/informer, and explain to him how "In this world, you gotta market yourself, hero or celebrity, it's all about the press release"...

[Blue]

<b>Protector</b> would have a long, Denny O'Neill style political discussion with <b>Uncle Slam</b> and tell him, "I don't care what you do in the rest of this country, but everything that happens between 96th and 125th Streets in Manhattan is <i>my</i> business."

Uncle Slam is forced by his job to focus on the "Bigger Picture" most of the time, so there's no problem there. And as for politics, he'd say "Aren't there more pleasant things to discuss?" And if you touch on any subjects that he may have had some kind of historical knowledge of he'd have to just say, "I can't really comment on that" because his security clearance forbids certain discussions.

[The Watcher]

I'm going to make a separate post for each of my characters encountering various "guest stars." Here's Warp's first.

Audra Blue: Considering her phobias and the fact that the fight was probably taking place outside would mean she'd be going into panic attack pretty fast. If Warp realizes the cause of her panic he'd port her to an indoor area he's familiar with that's in his range, like perhaps a room at the Barlowe Hotel or Microman I's lab.

After she was calmed down enough he and the rest of the Sentinels would talk to her and then find out what happened. Warp would try to reopen the gate that deposited her on their world and run into the interference mentioned above.

Since she's stuck on their world for a week, Warp would try to be a good host and spring for any equipment or medicine she needs. He would want to know more about her Earth and what caused the gate that sent her to his. He might also ask her to help out as a consultant on the computer systems that are going to be installed in the Sentinel's base.

Anthem (Blue's): After finding out where she's from, what happened, and how her world is different, Warp helps her out by setting her up with a room at the Barlowe till he manages to get her home.

If she wants to go patroling Warp will show her around Millenium City if she doesn't know her way around (since he's got AK 14- of it) and will be on call for pop-in assistance should she encounter something too big for her to handle. She could also help in some Sentinels missions, especially those involving a lot of low powered minions or henchmen.

Uncle Slam: Same as Anthem, except that thanks to his higher power level he could actually hang with the Sentinels against major threats. Heck, with his Invulnerability (invisible effects Desolid) he looks tougher than even Horus.

Baron Darien: This will be interesting as the Baron comes from an alternate Sentinels team in which Horus-Re is the only member in common. He'll recognize Horus but not the rest of the team, while Horus, depending on how history went here, either woudn't know him or would recognize him as that mortal who he met centuries ago.

Either way Horus would know the Baron isn't lying, so the idea that it could be a trick would be diminished. After finding out what happened Warp and the others would question him about his Earth and whether the current situation involving probes apparently sent by Isvatha V'han is happening there as well. A general information exchange about the status and activities of various villains and organizations would happen.

Warp personally would also try to ask about his secret id and his father without tipping the Baron off to his secret id. Tricky if not impossible due to the Baron's intellect and suspcious nature. Best chance to do this would be when everyone is trying to figure out all the divergences between worlds, and also when the subject of the robot attack of Daniel Stone comes up in the discussion about probe activities.

When the Baron returns home he'll be taking back a proposal to his Sentinel team for an alliance between teams in regards to multidimensional threats such as V'han. Thanks to Warp's Opening application of his Dimensional Manipulation power he'd be able to reopen the gate anytime he wished after the "interdimensional storm" ended, thus enabling the teams to potentially have regular communication and a long term working relationship.

Dr. Pain: He'd get asked if the Sentinels exist in any form on his world, and just the general info about it as well. If he teams up with the Sentinels for the week that he's there I can see him and Warp getting into a contest on who can put down the villains with wise ass remarks the best.

Husky/Kenneth: Assuming that he arrives in Husky form, due to the lack of serum and the desire to keep his secret id he'll be stuck as Husky for the duration of his stay. Outgoing and charming, he'd get along well with all of the Sentinels. Warp would try to warn him away from Cyrande (he thinks she's trouble), and they probably have a snappy banter contest while fighting villains.

Cannis: Well, she'll probably be smart enough not to reveal herself as a supervillain so the team wouldn't have any immediate problems with her. However, thanks to Horus's truth sense the team will find out eventually when asking her about her world.

Since she hasn't commited any crimes on their Earth and isn't a mad dog killer type the Sentinels won't do anything but keep a close eye on her while she's their guest. She could go where she wants until she commits a crime.

Warp would be interested in the state of mutants where she's from, and try to talk her out of her current criminal lifestyle by pointing out that it might contribute to the problem. Since the state of human-mutant relations seem to be worse on her world, would also ask whether she wants to go back, or if she would rather stay and make a new life for herself on a world where the IHA and its positions are more on the fringe.

Sailor Io: Young, innocent looking girl with super powers? Warp will see her like another Starguard and treat her in a similar manner. He'd find her world seriously weird (no mutants or public super humans) and be curious if he and his family had an analog in her world.

Conversely, Sailor Io might find the existence of non-supernatural threats equal or greater to the enemies she usually fights weird, as well as the public nature of the superhumans and weirdness.

Style: Asked about his world like the others. The Sentinels would definitely try to enlist him as a mystical consultant for the duration of his stay on their Earth.

Flesh Gordon: When the team learns he was once a prisoner of Isvatha V'han their interest will be peaked. As a high ranking defector from her empire, Warmaster Fielan might be able to discern which of his recollections of her realm are real.

Warp will try to warn Flesh against getting involved with Cyrande, but of course he won't listen. If Flesh wanders around Millenium City he and Warp's secret id multibillionaire playboy Daniel Stone could end up in competing for the same woman.

Menagerie: Her true nature will quickly be discovered due to Menagerie not knowing to lie to her "fellow mutants" after they help her repel the flatscan attack by VIPER. Once Warp finds out she's a mutant supremacist terrorist who's gleefully killed humans in the name of her cause he's going to try to beat the holy crap out of her.

He won't kill her but if his teammates don't intervene quickly she's going to get pretty messed up. She presses all the wrong buttons for him. She's a casual killer of humans, and he has Protective of Innocents and Hatred of Casual Killers. She's a mutant supremacist and he's trying to support tolerance between humans and mutants.

The only way she's getting sent back to her world by him is gift wrapped for the authorities, and with a disk full of information about her cohorts that the team mentalist extracted from her mind.

Stopwatch: Once her background is known Warp will try to appeal to both her better instincts and her self interest to turn her life around and quit the mutant gang she's in.

On the powers front, being in the vicinity of her time control powers might help awaken the temporal aspects of his Dimensional Manipulation power. Unfortunately, since they're both inexperienced with time manipulation, it will be like the blind leading the blind. Still, Warp could learn some very useful tricks from her.

Pinnacle: She'd probably get along with all of the Sentinels. Warp would find a world in which superhumans hadn't been around much longer than he's been active strange. Pinnacle would get to train with a team that has superbeings more experienced than any on her world, which could give her an edge when she goes back.

The Mask of Justice: After figuring out what happened to him the first thing the Sentinels will do is try to look him up in the history books to find out if he ever got back or not. One of two things could possibly happen. Either they find out if and when he got back, or they discover that there was no Mask of Justice in their WWII era, meaning that he's from an alternate timeline.

If he's actually from their past, then the question is whether or not history has any record of his activities after the date he said it was when he fell through the gate. If there is no record, then obviosly he didn't make it back and it would be futile or dangerous to try to send him back.

If history books do record deeds of his after the date of his time travel, then Warp will try to send him back. The big problem then becomes keeping Nick from seeing too much of the future before he goes back, to prevent changing history. And there's also the temptation for Warp to go back with him and try to kill Dr. Albert Zerstoiten, the man who would become Dr. Destroyer.

If it turns out there's no record of a Mask of Justice, then obviously the Mask is from an alternate dimension. In that case, worries of changing history or temporal paradox won't exist. The big question will be whether to go back with him when Warp manages to successfully reopen the gate and help him beat the Axis.

Warp would argue for doing this, saying that "One of the greatest evils the world has ever known is happening again, and this time we have a chance to end it." Starguard would probably support him on this. If the Sentinels do go, unless the Nazis have some really nifty plot devices in reserve Hitler and his cronies go down a lot earlier.

Rock Bottom: Warp and the rest of the Sentinels probably get along with him ok for the week he's with them.

Calculus: He would be a big help figuring everything on the Sentinels' plate. Depending on what sciences he knows, Warp could get some valuable insight into the nature of dimensions and how his power interacts with them. Warp might also ask him to enhance some of his gadgets or make some new ones for him.

Kira Midori: Alas, while Warp can open the gate back to her world after the week long "continuum storm", at his current mastery of his power he can't send her to her own time but only to the time she left from.

However, there is a man who might be able to help her unless he doesn't exist in Jeff's campaign, Captain Chronos. Warp and the rest of the Sentinels could help Kira track him down and ask for his help in sending Kira back to her own time as well as her own world.

Talion: With his Unluck he could be mistaken for a V'han minion when he shows up.

Spectrum: He's from the same Alt Sentinels team as Baron Darien, and will be treated similarly. Of course, Spectrum would suggest than not only would their teams working together be a good idea, but would raise the possibility of his United States opening up diplomatic relations with their United States.

Mystic: Once the Sentinels learn about what happened and who he is, they would welcome his help for as long as he's there. Mystic would be disappointed that this Earth's Archmage was also dead. He would be interested in talking to Horus, who has an counterpart on his world, and fascinated by Starguard, who would register quite brightly on his mystic senses.

Warp, for his part, is not a big expert on magic, though he would be interested to know whether or not his Dimensional Manipulation powers could allow him to reach the "Higher Dimensions" that Mystic talks about.

Flippant: Warp would be fascinated to talk to a skilled dimensional traveller, and ask if he could help him refine the extradimensional aspects of his own power.

The Sentinels would also be interested if he had heard any news about Isvatha V'han and her empire in any of the dimensions he's been to, and what other extradimensional threats were out there that he knew about.

Thanks to both Flippant's and Warp's powers, establishing a regular long term relationships between their two worlds should be easy.

Air Raider: Will have to tone down any tendencies to kill while with the Sentinels, lest he find himself turned over to the authorities rather than helped back to his world. His desire to get back to Bridget and the fact that Warp is the only one he knows who could help him would probably help him refrain from killing unless absolutely necessary.

Hardware: When the Sentinels take him in he'd probably end up talking shop with Microman and his dad. He could be a really big help on the cases they're working on. Warp would ask if he could improve on the gadgets he has or make some things he wants that the companies he buys from haven't managed to do yet.

Tiger Shark: Hmmm, Starguard might be able to cure him if he expresses his wish, but allowing him to change at will back and forth between forms might be a little tricky. If she can't, Warp will suggest just transforming him so he has the abilities of his current form but a human appearance.

Ballistic: Warp and the others would be interested in his knowledge of other dimensions, and his mystical skills would be a big help while he's around. Especially now that Horus is looking into Starguard's origin.

Special Agent Trent: Will be kept far away from Warmaster Fielan. And due to his relatively fragile nature, will be loaned a suit of lightweight body armor by Warp. If he refuses to put it on Warp will just teleport it onto him.

WILL DO REST LATER

Apex:

Wildcard:

Tao:

By the way, this thread should come in handy for people trying to figure out various guest stars. The New Sentinels thread could also be useful.

[Katherine]

WILL DO THE REST LATER

The Mask of Justice:

Rock Bottom:

Calculus:

Kira Midori:

Talion:

Spectrum:

Mystic:

Flippant:

Rocketman:

Apex:

Wildcard:

Hardware:

Tiger Shark:

Tao:

Ballistic:

No Menagerie, Stopwatch or Pinnacle?

[Wormhole]

here's the info on some of my characters:

Air Raider: A ruthless viglante operating mostly in Los Vegas, Nevada. Raider is equiped with a rocket pack, armored stealth suit, and an arsenel of lethal weaponry (basically, a dark and grim version of Rocketeer). He has a background as an ace fighter pilot in the USAF and has a contact within Air Force intellegence in the form of Major Roger Briggman (Briggman supplied him with the rocket, the stealth suit, and some of his weapons). Works as a civillian flight instructor in secret ID. Air Raider's first official viglante act was to hunt down a kill a wannabe gang banger that attack Bridget, his girlfriend. Bridget is the only thing in his life he cares about more than his crimefighting career and he goes to great lengths to safeguard her, even doing some questionable things in the process. Indeed, if any tragedy were to befall Bridget, her death would make him an even grimmer, scarier character than he already is.

Hardware: A superintellect and gadgeteer who works for a high tech company by day and fights street-level crime by night. Hardware recently found out he was a mutant when he was attacked by IHA forces. In secret ID, he's an approachable fellow with a love for technology and is a single father of a teenager daughter named Lisa (who is also a latent mutant).

Tiger Shark: Was part of a Navy SEAL team sent to raid one of Teleios' secret labs near Hawaii. They were capture, most of his friends died in experiments the evil scientist performed on them, and he was turned into a man-shark by a mutagenic concoction containing shark DNA. He eventually broke free of Teleios' control and rejoined the Navy, resolving to make him pay for killing his buddies. Tiger Shark is an aquatic brick with an arsenel pool (only change at HQ). One of his fondest wishes is to find a way to be restored to human form while retaining the ability to become the man-shark when needed.

[The Watcher]

No Menagerie, Stopwatch or Pinnacle?

Hey, I don't have Eidetic Memory on my character sheet.

[ParitySoul]

Brand X - "Hi. I'm Brand X, UNTIL Super Science Crime specialist. I hope you don't mind me asking you to fill out a short form will you? Otherwise, if you need a place to sleep I think we can arange a room at HQ. We'll run a few quick tests and get you a clearance pass from there. Thanks for the help."

[Blue]

Wish I had time to write one of these right now. This is fun readin'.

[SKJAM!]

Style – Talion falls through into one of Style’s battles with the Crowns. Style attempts to befriend him. Talion’s unluck triggers the Side Effects of one of Style's spells, resulting in 6d6 more Unluck. The entire rogues gallery of CU Mystic villains attacks at once. Talion’s presence continues to trigger the Unluck side effects until Style realizes what’s happening and attempts to flee; the spell misfires, killing Style and pulling Talion into another dimensional rift. As Talion falls through, the last attacks of the Mystic World villains interact with the Unluck effects and Talion’s powers to wreck most of North America. Several days later, Style finally resurrects to find himself in a post-apocalyptic game world.

The "good" news is that most of the CU Mystic villains are also in pretty tough shape, having used their deadliest attacks on Talion with the obvious results.
"Where's Tyrannon?"
"Still waiting for his leaves to grow back in."

Indomitable Will – The Mask of Justice is shocked to be dropped into Will’s Iron Age version of the Champion’s Universe. Will himself quickly recognizes the heroic nature of the Mask, and the powers of the Mask reveal Will’s essential good intentions. At first the two of them join forces successfully to strike terror into the hearts of Eurostar. Will is also a man out of time, and will attempt to help the Mask to make his way back home. However, Will is a killer. Once the Mask realizes this, he will attempt to subdue this mad socialist, self-proclaimed “hero” or no! Will is (probably) more powerful than the Mask, but is unwilling to kill an obvious champion of Justice from so close to his own era; for his part, a tiny part of the Mask’s Golden Age paradigm will make its way into Will’s world, helping the Mask to overcome all odds! Their battle will be interrupted by the return of the surviving members of Eurostar. Upon his return to his own time, the Mask of Justice will vow never let the nightmare future of Indomitable Will come to pass.

Mask of Justice is "Will Not Kill" rather than "Code vs." He knows that under certain extreme circumstances, it may be necessary for other people to kill in self-defense or to protect innocents. After all, not everyone has the ability to see exactly where to strike to bring down an opponent non-lethally, or a handy knockout gas gun. On the other hand, if Indomitable Will kills people merely because it's expedient, the Mask would have a huge problem with that.

[SKJAM!]

I'm going to make a separate post for each of my characters encountering various "guest stars." Here's Warp's first.
The Mask of Justice: After figuring out what happened to him the first thing the Sentinels will do is try to look him up in the history books to find out if he ever got back or not. One of two things could possibly happen. Either they find out if and when he got back, or they discover that there was no Mask of Justice in their WWII era, meaning that he's from an alternate timeline.
If it turns out there's no record of a Mask of Justice, then obviously the Mask is from an alternate dimension. In that case, worries of changing history or temporal paradox won't exist. The big question will be whether to go back with him when Warp manages to successfully reopen the gate and help him beat the Axis.

Warp would argue for doing this, saying that "One of the greatest evils the world has ever known is happening again, and this time we have a chance to end it." Starguard would probably support him on this. If the Sentinels do go, unless the Nazis have some really nifty plot devices in reserve Hitler and his cronies go down a lot earlier.

The Mask is from the GGU (Worldmaker's timeline), and I have no idea what the GM of the Golden Age campaign is cooking up to keep the PCs from one-shotting Hitler.

And I'm pretty sure The Mask of Justice would be thrilled with a little help....

Talion: With his Unluck he could be mistaken for a V'han minion when he shows up.

Microman II should be able to deal with him. Does anyone on the Sentinels have Personal Immunity on their main attack?



SKJAM!

[OddHat]

Mask of Justice is "Will Not Kill" rather than "Code vs." He knows that under certain extreme circumstances, it may be necessary for other people to kill in self-defense or to protect innocents. After all, not everyone has the ability to see exactly where to strike to bring down an opponent non-lethally, or a handy knockout gas gun. On the other hand, if Indomitable Will kills people merely because it's expedient, the Mask would have a huge problem with that.

Indomitable Will is a Shadow/Spyder style pulp hero transported to 2002, though he has become somewhat less violent in recent years. He would never harm an innocent, but he will use lethal force against foes that refuse to surrender. Once that becomes apparent, I expect that there would be problems.