WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

[Powerhouse]

One day at the HQ of the heroes (or if their HQ is secret, a call over the media is possible), their WORST enemy shows up. Maybe it's Dr. Destroyer. Maybe it's Dark Seraph. maybe it's someone who killed your lover/family/puppy.

 

Whoever it is, he or she has not come to fight but instead makes two requests:

 

1. Forgiveness for past sins.

2. Atonement for past sins.

 

He (I'm using the male pronoun, tired of doing he or she) claims to be dying of cancer as in big tumor and it's spread across his body. Neither conventional medicine, high tech, or magic seems to have the ability to cure it. With maybe 6 months to live, he has looked at his life and realizes all of the horrors that he has committed and feels empty and truly sorry. Perhaps he even worries about his very soul.

 

So, he has come to you asking for forgiveness. Can you grant it? Also, he wants to make up in some small way for his sins if it is within his power. What would you ask?

 

Notes: he's willing to undergo any type of medical test and they all confirm his story. Detecting lies shows him to be telling the truth. While not liking mental intrusions, he will consent to a surface scan which also indicates truthfulness so it seems on the level.

[Badger]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Badger- forget it, his worst enemy killed his mother and little sister. No question he could never forgive. Tell him "Ask God for forgiveness, not me, you are wasting your time on me". If he is truly dying in 6 months then his one request would be answered in 6 months.

 

 

Lesser villains Badger might forgive. But his worst enemy? No.

 

 

frosty Bob- his worst enemy is long dead. As far as those living. He doesnt really have any that has done anything major to him personally. Bob isnt concerned with actual emotional depth anyhow.

[Chuckg]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Starguard -- her worst enemy is unknown, but the odds-on favorite is Luther Black.

 

The man who would vault himself into the ranks of the Kings of Edom, a perennial traitor to all existence, and the most evil servant of the Qlippoth ever to walk the planet, exceeding even the arcanist who became Sharna-Gorak the Ravager... no, Starguard cannot forgive this. Angel of mercy she might be, but there are indeed some things that are so hideously wrong that the only possible redemption for them is to face your death and final judgement w/o flinching.

 

Dr. Pain -- oh, /his/ worst enemy is probably somebody like Boa Constrictor. Forgive? No prob.

 

Baron von Darien -- as horribly cliche as it sounds, in his case it's true -- his 'worst enemies' are, well, let's just say that forgiveness would require apologizing to their tombstones.

[sinanju]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Hell's Angel - Her worst enemy murdered her brother, and kidnapped and tortured her for information for two days (which is what triggered the emergence of her powers). She's made as much trouble for him as she could manage since, and he's returned the favor. Hell's Angel is not a forgiving soul; honest errors are one thing, but knowingly doing evil--especially over the long term--is another. If he's sincerely repented, that's swell--but dealing with the implacable hatred of those he's wronged is simply the foreseeable result of his choices in life. Sucks to be him.

 

The Man-Ape has no serious enemies. His worst enemy at present would probably be nothing more than an especially obnoxious tabloid reporter or photographer.

[ghost-angel]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Jessica - Her worst enemy would be her birth pack alpha who gave her to the vampires as a gift/pet for something or other. The only way she would forgive him would be if she were allowed to kill and eat him, and then she'd still have a hard time letting go of the hate.

 

Silence - Her worst enemy would be her lover that betrayed her tribe to the Romans. He was the last person she killed as a mortal, the last person she killed ever actually. She no longer has enemies, only advesaries of the moment. Anyone who thought that they had to apologize to her for some wrongdoing would get a knowing smile and a note stating she'd see them in 6 months to make sure they pass onto The Afterlife.

[Blue]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Uncle Slam's greatest enemies are mostly gone. Sure, there's Dr. D, but U.S. would automatically think this was a sham. As he's avoided plenty of warrants by faking his own death, he'd make sure he was put under arrest. Being ill doesn't make you immune to the penalty of past crimes.

 

Audra Blue's greatest enemy would never be forgiven. What's more, she couldn't sit there and listen to him without freaking out. Someone would have to relate his request second hand and she'd ask why they didn't kill him dead on the spot.

 

Anthem's greatest enemy is her father, who has already asked her for forgiveness, but there's too much water under the bridge for her to listen. She doesn't wish him ill (as he's already in super-prison), but she won't see him and it will still be some time before she can forgive him.

[Duke Bushido]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Martin Power: You can't hurt me. I can kill you on accident. It's easy to beg me for forgiveness. I can't forgive you like this. I can't believe you like this. If you want forgiveness from me, atone to all the people you'ver hurt, and undo all the damage you've done. Or die trying. Words are cheap. They fall easy and twist easier. Show me.

 

Armorine: Her worst enemy is the semi-sentient bio-armor that gives her her powers. All she would ask is that it locate the other relic suits and destroy them, then leave her body for good.

 

The Good Guy: DIE! DIE! DIE, YOU FILTHY STINKING WEREWOLF THINGY! DAMN YOU FOR SPLITTING THE MOON AND ECLIPSING THE SUN IN AN ETERNAL TWILIGHT! NOW DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!!

[he's got issues. And spends a huge chunk of his time in a world that is his, and his alone]

 

None of my other characters have a truly vile arch.

[Haven Walkur]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Gamma Girl

 

"Vandal Savage...you want me to forgive you? You're out of your mind." Gamma Girl shook her head, a fierce snap that made her hair fly...glossy blue-black hair just like her father's, and her father's famous ancestor's. "Being immortal hasn't saved your sanity, Savage.

 

"You hunted my father down and killed him with your bare hands...but first you put a hunting knife in my mother's back. She lived just long enough to see the point come out through her chest." Gamma Girl's eyes had once been as dark a brown as her mother's but now they were pale hazel, burned light and transparent by the fire of a maverick sun. They weren't kind eyes. Just now they were fierce.

 

"She got you first though, didn't she, Savage? Before you stabbed her? She'd just broken your neck, but you got better, just like you always do, and you killed her. Did you even know her name? It was Llornu. Llornu Durgo Walkur. Duo Damsel.

 

"She was retired, Savage. She retired from the Legion of Superheroes to marry my father...and Kal-L Walkur wasn't ever even in the Legion, they rejected him because the only power he inherited from the original Kal-L was invulnerability -- and you got around that pretty easily.

 

"They were both heroes and I never even knew them. You killed them, you son of a b*tch, killed them both so Superman's bloodline would end and you'd get the power of the Mystic Lantern. You did it for...power.

 

"But you missed a descendant, Savage, you kept missing me and now it's too late; you're going to die and not even the Mystic Lantern can save you. You're going to die for real, this last time; you're going to die forever...and you're going to die unforgiven.

 

"There's nothing you can do in the time you've got left to make amends for what you've spent your immortal life doing. You couldn't make up for what you've done even if you had another immortal lifetime to spend doing it. You killed my parents. No, I won't forgive you. Go to hell, Savage...and I hope it hurts."

[Hermit]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Astro-Knight: The White Lions leader, oddly enough, Sabretooth would probably qualify. AK has been frustrated by them several times with Sabretooth pulling strings. Yes, AK would want it verified, but being quite the softy, might be willing to TRY To forgive. He'd tell the guy to break up the lions as part of atonment, and repay the city, not him.

 

Gaze: Gaze's most hated foe is a drooling vegatable. Guess who put him there? That said, there are others that come close. If Vendetta seemed sane again, he would be torn, but possibly let it slide. In atonment, he'd want to ask Vendetta who was behind the villain's creations (he has his suspicions) and everything he knew how to capture him. If it was Falco's son, then well, perhaps he'd ask for forgiveness in return (Falco being the drooling vegatable, Gaze was -new- to his powers then)

 

Max Thunder: Somehow I don't think Hera can get cancer.

Anyone else? Heck, Max would try to help them medically. And IF Hera were wasting away painfully from some curse, he'd probably sigh, just ask her to leave he and her friends alone. Then go try to save the #$#$.

 

 

Recluse: Assuming his foe was no longer cursed, twisted, and evil, Recluse would merely want to know what devicous deals the guy had done before he was cursed so that he could undo them, legally.

 

Scarlet Archer III : Too new to have such a personal enemy of his own yet. Though VIPER seems to hate his guts.

[Whitewings]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

You know, I don't think I have a single character to whom this applies. The closest wolud be Champion Wind, and her greatest enemy died before she was even conceived. She helped to kill his ghost.

[Zed-F]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Soulbarb's worst enemy is her father, who is (as far as she knows) dead and in Hell where he belongs. He's the one that tried to ritually sacrifice her for demonic power in the first place. It's a little late for him to be asking forgiveness. Besides, Soulbarb's not the forgiving sort.

 

Cerulean is too new to this dimension to have any enemies yet. Although if V'han decided she wanted to give up dimensional conquest, he'd probably approve, and ask her to instead form a mutual defense league of willing participants against the depradations of other dimensional conquerors. Her role itself would not change all that much, but the attitude that role is approached with makes a huge difference.

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

I'm afraid most of my characters wouldn't believe it until they had seen proof of the villain's condition for their own eyes. At least one character I've run would have volunteered to have a go at whatever was ailing the villain (he had some serious healing and transformation powers).

 

Slightly off subject, doesn't a really good body aid fix "incurable diseases" or does it just put them in remission for a short time? I was always under the impression that a healing aid did exactly what it said it did -- return STUN & BODY stats back to original values.

 

Matt "Still-hasn't-figured-out-the-details" Frisbee

[Powerhouse]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Lots of cool responses so far, thanks! I was surprised by Starguard's response though: given her nature I would think that she would be the first to be forgiving. That said, given the villain in question, I really can't say nay. Hell the same one in my fanfics led Lady Silver to break her no kill vow.

 

Slightly off subject, doesn't a really good body aid fix "incurable diseases" or does it just put them in remission for a short time? I was always under the impression that a healing aid did exactly what it said it did -- return STUN & BODY stats back to original values.

 

It's kinda the "GM fiat trumps powers" rule. Just like a VPP can completely unravel an adventure to the detriment of everyone's enjoyment, I don't mind doing some hand waving to negate something as simple as a power to undercut a really good story (and that cuts both ways). Of course I look at it more as a writer than a GM. Still a good handle of when and when not to enforce the rules can be a good thing. By the rules, I don't think that you would often get those "mortally wounded final speeches" that we all love in comics. Instead either they are already into negative max body and dead or can be stabilize with a decent Paramedic role or healing power.

 

In theory I suppose you could use a potent healing or transformation but it can undercut a strong story. Clever/unexpected use of powers are cool and should be usually rewarded of course.

[Chuckg]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Lots of cool responses so far' date=' thanks! I was surprised by Starguard's response though: given her nature I would think that she would be the first to be forgiving. That said, given the villain in question, I really can't say nay.[/quote']

 

Exactly. It's not that Starguard's unforgiving or anything, it's just that we're talking about Luther Black here. There comes a point beyond which forgiving something is flatly impossible without turning traitor to every moral code you've even idly thought about upholding, and ol' Luther is about ten gazillion light years past that point.

 

Or, to quote Countess Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan -- "I'm afraid I'll have to leave that to the Infinitely Merciful. You exceed my capacity."

[Stormraven]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Let's see...

 

Checkmate He isn't ruled by emotion, so doesn't have anyone he hates. On the flip side of that, he would have to see solid evidence that the person has reformed. In any event, his response would be "If you wish forgiveness, you must ask it of your victims or their families. I can neither offer you forgiveness nor atonement - that is for them."

 

Guardian Doesn't hold grudges. If someone's hurt her directly, she's already either killed them or died trying. If they've somehow escaped her immediate response, she'll be willing to listen, and will usually give them the benefit of the doubt.

[shadow_walker]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Of all my Super heroic characters I have only two of them have anything that match's a worst enemy is shadow hawk and dark avenger.

 

Shadow hawk's worst enemy is not a super villain of any size, but a regular street thug who killed his girlfriend. Lets call him Bob for now.

Bob: Please forgive me.

Shadow hawk: YOU!!!! *haymaker pushed martial strike*

Hardwire: OMG shadow hawk snapped *entangle attack*

Shadow hawk: I'll never forgive you, NEVER!!!!

 

If dark avenger's worst enemy (who's ID will not be reveled) ever came up to him and said he's dying and wants his forgiving. Then the world has just came to a end, literally.

[Guest HeroPink!]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

One day at the HQ of the heroes (or if their HQ is secret, a call over the media is possible), their WORST enemy shows up. Maybe it's Dr. Destroyer. Maybe it's Dark Seraph. maybe it's someone who killed your lover/family/puppy.

 

Whoever it is, he or she has not come to fight but instead makes two requests:

 

1. Forgiveness for past sins.

2. Atonement for past sins.

 

He (I'm using the male pronoun, tired of doing he or she) claims to be dying of cancer as in big tumor and it's spread across his body. Neither conventional medicine, high tech, or magic seems to have the ability to cure it. With maybe 6 months to live, he has looked at his life and realizes all of the horrors that he has committed and feels empty and truly sorry. Perhaps he even worries about his very soul.

 

So, he has come to you asking for forgiveness. Can you grant it? Also, he wants to make up in some small way for his sins if it is within his power. What would you ask?

 

Notes: he's willing to undergo any type of medical test and they all confirm his story. Detecting lies shows him to be telling the truth. While not liking mental intrusions, he will consent to a surface scan which also indicates truthfulness so it seems on the level.

 

Glarg: No baddy has ever made enough impression on him that he'd remember him as a "worst enemy." If a baddy thought of himself as Glarg's "worst enemy" and asked forgiveness, Glarg would grant it. He's a nice guy, really, except when he looses his temper.

 

Panweesio: "Forgiveness comes after atonement. Atonement comes after remorse. Remorse must be proven. A surface scan of your mind is insufficient. You will undergo a scan in depth." Block all senses (just like sensory deprivation chamber, but more complete), throw Mental Ill.s and Images and Darkness, Flash, etc., until he is pretty much insane. Constantly asking question, grilling this guy until he reveals his entire being. This drives the guy nuts; total catatonia. "It seems you told the truth. You have remorse. You have now atoned. Therefore I forgive you." Then walk off, leaving the catatonic vegetable lying there.

 

Thena: XDM her (female in this case) to someplace that can treat her, but only if she takes an oath on her family's honor not to try and leave that dimension. Keep going back to make sure she isn't trying to destroy that dimension.

 

Lana van Hoom: Hasn't been around long enough to collect a worst enemy.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

The Greek would be instantly suspicious. Her worst enemy is the goddess Hekate. Greek goddesses don't apologize.

 

Weather Girl doesn't HAVE a worst enemy. All of the people she's fought against, she's imagined herself being able to befriend them. Most of them. She killed the biggest threat to the party.

 

I guess, now that she's in an alternate timeline, she might run into him again. Were that to happen, she'd speed up the process and make sure he's gone before 6 months are up. The idea of forgiving or letting him make amends wouldn't even cross her mind, because technically, in this timeline, he hasn't DONE what pissed her off so badly. She'd rather see to it he can't do it this time around.

 

Beacon is a bit tricky. Her worst enemies are the people who made her what she is, and she hasn't really thought to be too pissed at them. She's completely disconnected from her emotional responses, though. She'd probably think it was odd anyone cared what she thought of them.

[ZootSoot]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Sword Dancer: "You are the vilest creature I have ever heard of. Your deeds and desires are so black and twisted they have destroyed the potential for good in hundreds of thousands of others. You eat good and excrete evil. The crimes you have committed against me, as horrendous as they are, pale in comparison to those done to others far more innocent. Thus I must defy your final act of corruption. I forgive you for all you have done, I will not follow your fall."

 

Tom Cat: "You want me to forgive you? Oh, damn honey, I'm so, so sorry . . ." and breaks down in tears.

 

Pug: "You have got to get over yourself, dude. I have no idea who you are or what you did that you think you did that is so bad, but I think your ego has easily taken over your tumor in growth rate. Get a life." (Pug thinks pretending not to even remember this guy will hurt him more than any sort of acknowledgement or failure to forgive.)

 

Ishtar: has no idea who the assassin was who killed everyone else in the dorm and shot her, leaving her for dead. If this guy can prove he is that triggerman he will burn out in seconds, not months.

 

Luna: After catching her breath from laughing " . . .all right . . . you're . . . forgiven . . . "

 

Brickhouse: If she recognizes him before he can speak (oh and she can recognize him, believe me) he is dead before the first word leaves his mouth.

 

Tide: Umm, Tide murdered his worst enemy with a hunting rifle from concealment within a week of meeting him.

[Powerhouse]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

I was going to note my character's actions but decided that since I might publish one day, it would be better to not speak about them too much. Sorry!

[Black Rose]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

I can't tell which would be Penumbra's "worst enemy":

• The current Prince of Darkness (not the guy with horns, the actual ruler of the dimension known as Darkness), who keeps trying to "help Penumbra rise above his origins" - i.e., abandon his humanity - and relocate to Darkness to rule as his successor.
  
• His massive brood of children, all of whom are completely and utterly convinced that, should Penumbra relocate to Darkness, he will immediately begin upon them a regimen of torture that will last for far longer than Western Civilization has existed.
  

I'd be inclined toward the Prince, since he's the one who causes more trouble, but his kids are more vicious; they're fighting for their lives and the lives of those they love, after all. If he could prove the dying thing - he's tried the "I'm dying, you must take my place" thing once already, Pen might be inclined to really give the role serious consideration, despite his misgivings about his qualifications. The Prince would have to completely convince his family that Pen wasn't going to kill or torture them, and that they should return the favor.

[Marketeer]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Blackberry isn't the sort to run across mass murderers, pillagers, or other truly vile types. She's also a deeply optimistic, compassionate person.

 

Given that, her "worst enemy" is unlikely to have done anything truly unforgivable. Blackberry's forgiveness would be relatively easy to earn, but that's due in no small part to the fact that she'd take a genuine desire on the part of the reformed villain to atone as a given, and treat him as such.

 

She'd try to save him too, and if/when she failed, and he died, she'd reflect upon another one of the tragedies of life--how only something as shocking as imminent death can cause some people to bring meaning to themselves.

[Metaphysician]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Microman II: For the New Sentinels, Dr Destroyer is definitely a candidate. Microman would be surprisingly disinclined to give him any benefit of the doubt, though, even aside from the most thorough examination the team can do. He's definitely getting turned over for trial.

 

Diomedes: Probably VIPER-X. If he ends up telling his whole story, though, and if the terminal cancer is provable, Diomedes would believe him. Doesn't change the fact that to atone, he definitely needs to testify. . .

 

Jack Frost: Never got far enough to figure a likely villain.

 

Hermes: Lordy lordy. While there are a number of candidates for 'worst enemy', the problem is, Hermes and the rest of his group would have a response to them showing up of, at best, "Don't listen to a word out of their mouth," and more likely "Run, quickly." Later in the campaign, "Roll initiative and try to kill them" might be added to this list. When your enemy list has at its top people like "The guy who is like Hitler crossed with Satan," atonement isn't in the conceivable range of developments. Though, with the recent discovery about Anubis. . .

[Pendaran]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

When your enemy list has at its top people like "The guy who is like Hitler crossed with Satan,"

 

I think I have to wonder what it says about my campaign when I have to pause and think /which/ villain you mean when you say that..

[Sundog]

Re: WWYCD: Will you forgive me?

 

Terminus' greatest enemy is The Red Cyborg, terrorist, mass murderer, assassin and all-around pure evil. Terminus would put a 1/2 inch railgun shell into his forehead before he'd finished speaking.