Show me the money! Or Who's cashing in on the caped crusaders?

[xgotghrrl]

As my troupe and I continue to work on our upcoming capaign, I'm trying to add a bit of real world commerical realism to our setting.

 

So I was wondering something...how the heck does your average non wealthy superhero manage to stay gainfully employed? I mean most ultra-villians don't tend to respect the 9-5 mon-fri work week, so unless the super is a CEO or a waiter at bennigan's...it seems to me that the saving the world sideline could put quite the damper on one's day to day job options. So where does that leave our gallant heros?Coporate endorments, Services for hire, Goverment contracts. charitable orginazations??

 

Also I started to wonder, in a world where superheros and villians did exsist what types of companies would be around to make money off their presence?

 

For example...lawyers.

 

Datalynx a computer megacorp, has it's world wide headquarters in Metropolis and during a battle between Superman and Soloman Grundy the 42nd floor of the Datalynx tower is demolished due to Superman defecting a gasoline truck that the Grey skined Cajun hurled at him and this only three weeks after having to repair a caved-in rooftop and heliopad which was damaged by a rampaging and ultraleaping hulk. Now could Datalynx sue the Son of Krypton for damages or would their superhero insurance take care of it?

 

And going back to corporate sponsors..can you imagine an agency out there just for superheros? They could provide a whole range of services for the caped ones, everything from PR, to endorsements, to legal repersentation and dry cleaning.

 

Can anyone else think of any companies or enterprises that could benifet from the presence of superheros in the world?

 

And what would be a good name for a "Sport's Agency" For Supers...think Arliss working for Hmmm Flash, Wolverine, Spiderman, and Beast Boy.

 

Love Always

xgoth

[Blue]

I actually have an agent (and since she owns her agency then I guess they qualify) who handles heroes. The players have yet to encounter her.

 

My players are paid by the city to enforce the same laws that the cops impose, only on individuals of a "higher order". They get a comfortable check and residence in the city's superbase.

[xgotghrrl]

Ohh I just have to ask, how does your agent solicate for clients? Do they come to her or does she listen to the police bands so she can show up at the scene of battle, business card in hand?

 

I would love to hear her sales pitch.

 

Stick with me kid, and this time next week I'll have your face on every box of wheaties in the country.

 

Love Always

xgothgrrl

[Blue]

Well, she started out as a regular agent, so she already has a rep. So her name is already well-known. Her switch came to super-types came a few years ago after bringing in a hero for a campaign involving a famous soda ("Choice of the Next generation"). After that heroes came into vogue for advertising. Most turn their noses up at the opportunity, being altruistic. So she has discovered that the only way to get them at this point is to find the young ones who don't have the infrasturcture of the big heroes.

 

She does not come across this way, being well thought of publicly, but she is essentially a bottom-feeder. Think "ambulance chaser". She'll listen to police scanners and show up at the scene where a hero has triumphed. If they are gone but the press are present, she'll prance around the scene and make herself obvious, raising speculation about her having the hero as a client. If that isn't enough to get the hero in contact, she'll actually use the media directly to get the word out. Maybe a full-page ad in a major paper (The hero would have to have real marketable potential to do this). And lastly, if all else fails, she'll stage a crime in their territory.

 

She would rely on past campaigns, imply that her clients are all rich, and then sign the hero to a long term deal. Then she'll pimp them out to the highest bidder. The youthful less-worldly heroes are great for this because they can wind up doing ads for things they would otherwise not approve of... if they had been wise enough to get a "veto" clause of some kind.

[xgotghrrl]

Honey...that's just brilliant...I Have to say...simply brilliant!

 

Actually you've helped give inspiration to insurance claims adjuster I've just come up with.

 

I'm sorry Mr. Gates but after carefully reviewing your policy I'm afraid we are not going to be able to pay out your claim.

 

What do you mean, not pay out?!

 

Well, It's all very clear Sir. You see your policy specifically covers you for damagers occured by Mutants, Extraterristals and Radioactive monsters; Thor, son of Odin would fall under the catagory of deity and you are simply not covered for that.

 

That's complete bullshite Whitworth, it states right here in black and white...acts of God, and if Thor does no apply to that, then I don't kno....

 

Mr. Gates that's God with a Big G, not a little g. Again I am sorry, but we have made our desicion Sir. Good day.

 

*S*

 

Xgoth

[drrushing]

attorneys and insurance adjusters

 

I'm not sure who the greater evil is. I'd have to say the Insurance Adjuster, after all, just about everyone knows what to expect from an Attorney.

 

The idea of corporate backing or even government support is attractive, but difficult to realize. The first time a hero or heroes do something that incurs the negative publicity of the media, their funding is cut, or they're censured.

 

I did set up a "Corporate Hero" perk that provided many benefits, but the Group was not Directly connected to the major corporation. The group was it's own Non-profit organization, receiving funding from many sources without having to answer to any government or political group directly. This also motivated them to present a positive public image and do a great deal of community work to ensure their continued funding.

[xgotghrrl]

The idea of corporate backing or even government support is attractive, but difficult to realize. The first time a hero or heroes do something that incurs the negative publicity of the media, their funding is cut, or they're censured.

 

You see that's exactly why you need a good agent...or PR guy working for. Even superheroes need spin doctors *S*

 

xgothgrrl

[Southern Cross]

true enough.Just ask Spider-Man about the perils of having a major publisher starting a feud against you.

[Kaeto]

Indigo works in the county coroners office as a medical examiner.

 

Frostburn owns her own electronics company.

 

Aquarius is an oceanographer.

[Trebuchet]

There are several ways you can deal with this:

 

1) Get funding from government, corporate or private organizations. Our team MidGuard is secretly funded by an international philanthropic organization. Our teammates are all employees of this organization as covers, with job descriptions that would make regular travel plausible. Each earns between $100,000 and $120,000 annual salary depending on seniority.

 

2) Make the character(s) independently wealthy, or self-employed. In a PBEM game I'm in my character works as a translator on her own schedule; she speaks 11 languages fluently.

 

3) Give the characters jobs with a lot of "out of the office" time such as salesmen or reporter.

 

4) Do the Peter Parker thing and just have the character continually struggle to pay the rent/mortgage.

[McCoy]

In my current campagine the PC's are sponsored, they are on a Reality Show and have cameramen following them at all times.

 

Hasn't come up latly, but in the past I have used Paladin magazine as the publication of record for the metahuman community (they publish bios and interviews with both heros and villians). The publisher is the Granddaughter of the Green Hornet and great grandneice of the Lone Ranger.

 

A lot of metahumans with resistand defenses and/or regen have taken up stunt work in the movies and television.

[Ghost who Walks]

Lets see, avoiding those who are independently wealthy or work for a living:

 

1) I had one guy who had a public ID, and wrote "action novels" under a pseudonym. The action novels were based on the teams adventures.

 

2) The team sells action figures out of a company in Taiwan. They hate their action figures...only the Martial Artist has one who looks good, and thats because he used the power of his Kung Fu to travel to the company headquarters.

 

3) Their own comic book, which chronicles their adventures. Most of the stuff in the comic book happened several years ago, and the writers often take "creative licence" with it.

 

4) A wealthy member of the team purchased their headquarters and the parking garage next to it. The lower 20 stories of the headquarters are rented out as office space and stores, while the parking garage yields a tidy profit. (Team helicoptor is parked on its top floor, team vehicles are on its private level)

 

5) Another Hero has his own magazine. He writes a shor column for it every month, and his name is on the cover. Rather like the other "vanity magazines", like Oprah.

 

6) At their website, you can view video clips of them in action. $1.99 per download.

 

7) The lawsuits they file against those who misuse their name, image, or slander against them.

 

All the money is put into a fund that pays for the team. Team members can withdraw a "living expense" check every month if they are willing to life at the base. (and be on call)

 

Thats most of the stuff I remember. Its usually talked about as filler/background when the team has their meetings.

[ShadowHawk]

Re: Show me the money! Or Who's cashing in on the caped crusaders?

 

Funny you should mentions this. I saw an episode of The Justice League recently where Flash has just such an agent, who sets him up with TV sponsors, then stops taking his call when he gets bad publicity. Its a pretty amusing concept, really, and no doubt supers would do exactly that if comics came true. Really, how else could you make a living unless you had some sort of sponsorship, worked for the government or were independently wealthy. Sales wouldn't really work unless the PC constantly changes jobs (they actually expect salesmen to sell, you know?).

 

Originally posted by xgotghrrl

And going back to corporate sponsors..can you imagine an agency out there just for superheros? They could provide a whole range of services for the caped ones, everything from PR, to endorsements, to legal repersentation and dry cleaning.

[Steve]

Well, for an example of a corporate-sponsored superteam, there was Zen Team from the 4th Edition Allies supplement.

[Trebuchet]

Our campaign has always operated on the principle that superheroes would be media icons just as much as movie stars or professional athletes. So it's natural for characters to either love, tolerate or loathe this kind of treatment. Some will make money with it, others will spend serious time and effort avoiding it.

 

I don't think there is any one good way to deal with it, although clearly sponsorship by a government or other large entity has its advantages for keeping a team intact. (And downsides: "Introducing Team Sonyâ„¢!")

[lemming]

Well, current campaigns:

Spectrum: Independantly wealthy and the team has a couple incredibly smart characters, so investments are easily justified.

 

The game I run has the State of Oregon sponsering the team out of a base in Portland.

 

Previous campaign, I think most of the hero groups were being funded by our version of the Protectors. We had some pretty rich characters, and then we had a large infusion of wealth when Atlantis got raised. So pretty much money was never an issue.

[assault]

Assault and his then-partner Battery started off as private investigators and security experts.

 

If you needed something valuable protected from VIPER, you just had to call Assault & Battery Security Services, and your problems were over.

 

And their fees were quite reasonable once you factor in the insurance coverage.

 

Assault still prefers cold weather - it allows him to wear a trench coat without looking like a total prat.

 

Alan

[TheEmerged]

File this one under "Yet another reason why Secret ID is the stupidest of the genre's convetions", at least in my opinion

[assault]

Originally posted by TheEmerged

File this one under "Yet another reason why Secret ID is the stupidest of the genre's convetions", at least in my opinion

 

Oh dear, here we go again...

 

How about: because most of what "superheroes" do is illegal.

 

Assault was able to get away with a lot by virtue of careful use of "reasonable force" against demonstrated superbeings. He was, and is, well aware that nobody was paying him to start a civil war.

 

Alan