Mutant for Hire Posted February 14, 2003 Report Share Posted February 14, 2003 I picked this off another board: http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/3797336.htm Yes folks, someone is working on the super-soldier formula. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Posted February 14, 2003 Report Share Posted February 14, 2003 Re: Real World becomes more like Comics Originally posted by Mutant for Hire I picked this off another board: http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/3797336.htm Yes folks, someone is working on the super-soldier formula. Oh that's just weeeiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrd... Of course if this were to progress like it did in the comics, then it would turn out that all those who used the formula would slowly turn evil. The underlying assumption is that you're supposed to earn your advancement, not swallow a pill. I'm guessing that in about 10-15 years the results of this study will be available over the counter as a diet pill, or at least available by perscription from a doctor as a geriatric treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutant for Hire Posted February 14, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2003 The question is, if they do pull it off, what will happen to Captain America? Or other comic book characters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted February 14, 2003 Report Share Posted February 14, 2003 Originally posted by Mutant for Hire The question is, if they do pull it off, what will happen to Captain America? Or other comic book characters? Marvel will sue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patriot Posted February 14, 2003 Report Share Posted February 14, 2003 Super-Soldier serum I volunteer to be the first Silver avenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkusDark Posted February 14, 2003 Report Share Posted February 14, 2003 Lawsuit already happened There is a prototype battlesuit the army is working on. It's scheduled release is in 2020. I bought a "Popular Mechanics" magazine that had a whole bunch of articles on the future of warfare - including tanks who's outer surface is self healing and can change colors to fit camoflage. In the magazine, the battlesuit was detailed and I tried to recreate the suit for a Champions game - came out to about 200 points overall. The original design concept included a wrist launcher with 4 mini-missles and a mult-weapon 'toolkit' that can be quickly assembled to create a plethora of offensive choices. The original artwork/design of the battlesuit, however, was apparently 'stolen' from a comic whose title escapes me at the moment, but they put out a suit against the Army who admitted that the concept artist did indeed take the character from it. Sorry I don't have more details - I am studying to be a Pentagon Spokesperson so I am working on my vagueness. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEmerged Posted February 14, 2003 Report Share Posted February 14, 2003 BTW, the wristrocket laucher is no longer part of the program, it's been replaced by a more standard sidearm that happens to have 4 tubes for small rockets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patriot Posted February 15, 2003 Report Share Posted February 15, 2003 Mecha... Thats just what we need for battlefeild superiority(like we dont have it already) Mecha.... I'm gonna go watch the Robotech saga! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutant for Hire Posted February 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2003 Originally posted by Hermit Marvel will sue? Or maybe they'll send someone to assassinate the scientist who made it after they use it on the first test subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutant for Hire Posted February 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2003 I have that Popular Science collection on the future of the military. It's getting rather frightening how today's science fiction or comic books are being actively researched by the military. It could lead to an arms race in the superhero comics, come to think of it. As the military gets increasingly powerful equipment the superheroes with innate powers just have to keep getting stronger to up the ante... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent Escafarc Posted February 15, 2003 Report Share Posted February 15, 2003 Originally posted by Mutant for Hire I have that Popular Science collection on the future of the military. It's getting rather frightening how today's science fiction or comic books are being actively researched by the military. It could lead to an arms race in the superhero comics, come to think of it. As the military gets increasingly powerful equipment the superheroes with innate powers just have to keep getting stronger to up the ante... I seem to remember reading about a comic writer who did a story near the end of WW II about an atomic bomb-like device and military intelligence anf the FBI came knocking on his door wanting to know what he knew about the Manhattan Project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Mike Posted February 15, 2003 Report Share Posted February 15, 2003 Speaking as a biologist... Well, it could definitely fit the comic book idea of nasty side effects for Tampering in God's Domain . To my knowledge growth factors like IGF are Bad Things to have constantly on; that way would lie cancer I'd think. Hopefully the scientists have some way to regulate it; cell signals like IGF aren't supposed to be on constantly. But some setup where this could be turned on after injury might work OK. I'd just think there'd be SOME long-term consequences for casually upseting the usual cellular equillibrium so violently, even if it was only locally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Steve Posted February 15, 2003 Report Share Posted February 15, 2003 Upside of genetically modified superhuman freaks:less 'roid rage. Downside:less 'roid sucking morons kicking of from heart failure. I'm fence sitting on this one for now. Some parts of me see it as another attempt to avoid actually working to improve oneself, like diet pills. On the other side, the potential health benifits for people who are, ('scuse the terms) too far gone for normal processes to help would be greatly helped by this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armitage Posted February 15, 2003 Report Share Posted February 15, 2003 Originally posted by Agent Escafarc I seem to remember reading about a comic writer who did a story near the end of WW II about an atomic bomb-like device and military intelligence anf the FBI came knocking on his door wanting to know what he knew about the Manhattan Project. Close. It was a "Private Snafu" Cartoon, Directed by Chuck Jones and written by Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) as a training film for GI's. 1945: Coming Home Private Snafu: Unreleased; Chuck Jones Private Snafu comes home and tells Army secrets to everyone in town. Because of his loose lips, his troop is ambushed. One of the secrets that he revealed was the testing of a new bomb powerful enough that one was able to obliterate an entire island. All of the films had to be approved by the Pentagon prior to release and since this one hit so close to the Manhattan Project it was scrapped and never released. Cartoon Network showed it on an episode of Toonheads featuring wartime cartoons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaosliege Posted February 15, 2003 Report Share Posted February 15, 2003 Re: Real World becomes more like Comics Originally posted by Mutant for Hire I picked this off another board: http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/3797336.htm Yes folks, someone is working on the super-soldier formula. This was interesting to read, and seems plausable enough, but there is nothing that I could find at the Penn ST medical school site that even hints at any such reserch. I'll beleave it when I see the infomercial Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcw43921 Posted February 23, 2003 Report Share Posted February 23, 2003 Re: Mecha... Originally posted by Patriot Thats just what we need for battlefield superiority(like we dont have it already) Mecha.... I will say this--as awesome as mecha look, and as great a storytelling device as they are (I got the Cartoon Network for the purpose of seeing the Gundam Wing series), they don't strike me as all that practical as far as combat goes. Yes, they have tons of firepower, but they make a really huge target, and ideally in a firefight one is trying to AVOID getting shot. Plus, they're really only good against fixed installations and other mecha and vehicles--they have no real defense against infantry, other than their size. A resourceful infantry squad with a lot of explosives could give a mecha one HECK of a hotfoot. And I shudder to think what a squadron of attack helicopters--or even only ONE--could do to a mecha. I think the ideal land war machine of the future will be something like a flying tank, possessing a helicopter's mobility, but capable of manuevering on the ground as well (you know, not having to worry about those pesky rotor blades). The Trade Federation's repulsor tank from STAR WARS: Episode I comes close, but it doesn't go very far off the ground, and it's not very fast. A better concept would be the Republic Gunships from STAR WARS: Episode II--with those you had both exceptional mobility and tremendous firepower. I'd definitely take one of those over a mecha--even a Gundam mobile suit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Cross Posted February 23, 2003 Report Share Posted February 23, 2003 Mecha I agree-if mecha are used in future combat,they will probably more resemble the Bubblegum Crisis hardsuits instead of the Gundams. Incidentally, has anybody thought about how ridiculous the Super-Soldier Serum is.How could Professor Erskine develop what amounts to nanotechnology in the 1940's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutant for Hire Posted February 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2003 Re: Re: Mecha... Originally posted by wcw43921 I think the ideal land war machine of the future will be something like a flying tank, possessing a helicopter's mobility, but capable of manuevering on the ground as well (you know, not having to worry about those pesky rotor blades). The Trade Federation's repulsor tank from STAR WARS: Episode I comes close, but it doesn't go very far off the ground, and it's not very fast. A better concept would be the Republic Gunships from STAR WARS: Episode II--with those you had both exceptional mobility and tremendous firepower. I'd definitely take one of those over a mecha--even a Gundam mobile suit. There are problems with flying platforms in urban environments. In the end you need to be on the ground. That means finding a way to enhance infantry period. Yes, you'd rather be in a gunship but what if you end up in the infantry? What do you do then? The army is working on powered exoskeletons. Something that doesn't necessarily increase a warrior's profile. I used to have the links for it, long since misplaced. Essentially its a device that enables a soldier to run and jump better than he could do unaided, and to use the exoskeleton's strength to carry their gear. In HERO terms, STR, Running and Leaping powered from an END reserve. Likely as not these exoskeletons in time will be armored over. There's a question of what they'll mount on the exoskeleton? My personal feeling is as little as possible. The army is going to design the equipment with the idea that it's going to get shot and the soldier is going to have to abandon it in battle. That means losing as little gear as possible. The helment with the communications and sensory gear will be worn by the solider and the weapons will be carried and used by the trooper as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfessorM@ss Posted February 23, 2003 Report Share Posted February 23, 2003 Re: Speaking as a biologist... Originally posted by Mad Dog Mike I'd just think there'd be SOME long-term consequences for casually upseting the usual cellular equillibrium so violently, even if it was only locally. It's pretty common for people to assume this about new science. There were a rash of articles about the polio vaccine that claimed the long-term risks were unknown. IMO, this is utter hogwash. The safety measures for scientific tests are incredibly stringent, especially in regards to genetic research. For example, nobody serious is considering human cloning at this point. Even though Dolly the Sheep seemed like a great success, 5 years later, she's dead. All the talk in that Philly article about "genetic engineering at the 2004 Olympics" is just your typically hysterical media nonsense. I doubt we'll see serious gene therapy of the kind discussed in that article for 20 years, by the time they work their way from mice to dogs to monkeys to us. --->M@ss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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