The (Super) West Wing

[Lord Liaden]

Over on RPGnet a discussion has been going on about how to incorporate real-world issues into a game world featuring super-powered beings. It's an interesting topic with some very good advice put forth: you can read it here.

 

One of the posters, SteveD, suggested that one could take any of the scenarios from the television series The West Wing and add supers to the mix. Another poster asked for examples, and SteveD's response was such a hoot (especially for WW fans) that I had to share it:

 

Well, there's this little ditty I did up:

 

Scene: the Justice Alert has gone off.

 

Josh (entering): What's going on?

CJ: The Washington Post is calling us fascists, a fifty foot T-rex is savaging Belize, and a meteor the size of Sheboygan is heading towards earth.

Josh: Do you actually know how big Sheboygan is?

CJ: Not off hand, no.

Josh: Okay then. Maybe we can look that up.

Toby (entering): Somebody paged me. Is it a meteor again?

Josh: Yeah.

Toby: Wow. Okay. What do we know?

Josh: We know it's the size of Sheboygan.

Toby: How big is that?

CJ: This is just what meterology told me, okay?

Josh: Do they know how big Sheboygan is?

Donna (entering): It's about forty-five miles across. (off their reaction) I looked it up when I saw it on the news.

Leo (entering): Alright people, we all heard the Trouble Alert. What do we know?

Josh: Amazingly, we know that Sheboygan is forty-five miles across.

Leo: Okay. I'll be sure to tell Superman that. What do we know that’s important?

Josh: I can talk to the Pentagon, maybe get some missiles...

Leo: Too slow. Sam?

Sam: I've been working on something up where the Flash could vibrate the meteor’s molecules into harmless pieces of dust.

Toby: You're thinking of the old Flash.

Sam: Okay, well I never got that memo.

Toby: I don't understand why we just don't send Superman! This is, strangely enough, exactly what he's supposed to do!

Leo: Toby, the human race is about to become extinct. This is not the time to debate Superhero policy.

Toby: No, this is exactly the time to debate it. We never debate it any other time! You know why? Because except for the meteors, we pretend supers don't exist in this country!

Leo: Toby -

Superman (entering dramatically): No, he's right, Leo. Superheroes are being taken for granted. And it's going to stop, right now.

Leo: I'm sorry, Mr Superman.

Superman: About what? About the meteor? Hate to break it to you, Leo, but I don't think you can take credit for that. Okay people, what have we got?

CJ: I have figures from meterology.

Superman: Hmm. The size of Sheboygan. Did you know Sheboygan is 45 miles across?

Josh: Yes sir.

Superman: Well, did you also know that it's the leading producer of woodcrafts in the northwest?

Josh: No sir.

Superman: Okay then. CJ, call the Pentagon and clear my air space. Toby, I'm going to need -

Toby: Heroic monologue. Yes sir.

Superman: Good man. And Toby?

Toby: Yes sir?

Superman: Don't call me a "super" again. I don't like it. It's demeaning.

Toby: Sorry sir.

Superman: That's all.

Toby: Thank you sir. (the staff leave)

Superman: (to Leo) Is he on decaf again?

Leo: I'll talk to the cafeteria.

[Publius]

Re: The (Super) West Wing

 

Actually, I think that he got the patter down about right. Especially how a politically correct Superman on caffine could be a terrible thing.

[zornwil]

Re: The (Super) West Wing

 

This is great, I have to bump this, thanks for posting LL.

[Reneshat]

Re: The (Super) West Wing

 

Absolutely brilliant. It has the flow and the characterizations down right. Wouldn't happen now of course, well, unless some necromancer in super world brings Leo back from the dead. That's always a possibility....

[Mark Rand]

Re: The (Super) West Wing

 

Absolutely brilliant. It has the flow and the characterizations down right. Wouldn't happen now of course' date=' well, unless some necromancer in super world brings Leo back from the dead. That's always a possibility....[/quote']

I agree that it's brilliant. However, Leo isn't dead. He resigned before nearly being killed by a massive heart attack. Fortunately, he was found in time and airlifted to a hospital.

CJ's to be, at Leo's recomendation, the new Chief of Staff. Carol will, I think, replace her as Press Sceretary. Toby, according to the previews, turns in his resignation. I wonder who will replace him.

[rjcurrie]

Re: The (Super) West Wing

 

It's not unheard of (in some organizations, anyway) for underlings to tender their resignations when there is someone new in charge (especially if they take over in mid-stream) so that the new boss can make desired changes without having to fire people. So I suspect that you will see both Toby and Josh (who both now work for C.J.) resign only to be rehired.

 

Rod

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: The (Super) West Wing

 

(OK, getting way OT for a Champions forum, but...)

 

Not everyone who turns in a resignation actually goes away, but it's a great teaser moment. Hasn't Toby tried to resign before, only to be told to shut up and get back to work?

 

If Toby does go, I think Will might come back over.

 

Carol as press secretary...I dunno. I would like to see her developed more, but I think it might be more likely they'll bring someone new in. Carol might follow CJ over to her new job.

 

But what will happen to Margaret?