A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

[DataPacRat]

I'm part of a long-running PBeM which is based in a vaguely Star Trek setting, plus elements of Star Wars, Bugs Bunny, and whatever else we feel like making fun of or fun with. I've written a character mentioning that her species (a sort of bipedal rat) had a 'century of masked vigilantes' around five hundred years previous, which is now viewed much the way we view knights and King Arthur and so on. This period was followed by something called a 'Crazies War', a sort of Kingdom Come slash WWIII slash Moore's Twilight of the Superheroes event, in which the Crazies had gotten to the point of running whole countries (eg, imagine the Joker running Latveria) before the big climactic battle between the heavy hitters. Another detail of this species is that, over their history, they have had various 'Prophets', several of whom claimed to be time-travellers.

 

I'm currently thinking of having some of the game's main PCs ending up traveling from their somewhat 'Legion of Superheroes' present to the costumed crimefighter past era, and seeing what fun can be done there. Of course, this also means that I have to come up with some more detail about this past era, and I'm trying to come up with as many cliches as I can possibly fit into the historical period. That is, there's a certain limit to the available technology, no magic, specific arrangements for psionics, and nothing that obviously violates the laws of physics. But we can still have crimefighting-obsessed vigilantes, a stranded alien or two, some other time-travellers, increasingly useful powered armor (and robots, and maybe even a few AIs), secret identities and lairs, costumes and masks and capes and utility belts, and a whole variety of whackos that need to be smacked down... maybe a visit by a Q-type entity... I've mentioned that the general IQ of the species went up about 20 points during that century, allowing for a certain amount of 'mutants' and a Wold-Newton style family... lots of "advanced" technology prototypes made by geniuses, like night-vision goggles or pheromone emitters... probably super-adventurers were the first rocketeers and astronauts... maybe a few one-offs that break these limits, but were lost by the end of the Crazies War... I'm thinking of having some of the top runners being called Brick, Blaster, Gadgeteer, Speedster...

 

 

 

Any thoughts, opinions, or suggestions?

[OddHat]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

Trek technology, aliens and psionics were all over the place, with godlike aliens showing up semi-regularly (though the early TOS ones were machine dependent). A Q class alien could give out almost any superpowers you liked; heck, he made Riker a Q. From "Who Mourns for Adonis" we know that the Greek gods were aliens in the Trekverse, and we also know there were witches, shape shifters, and immortals running around.

 

For jokey nods to TOS, have giant hands show up in space, or giant dancing green girls. The most powerful Superhero is confined to a Dalek-esque wheelchair and can only communicate through two flashing lights on the front. And defeating the mightiest villains requires finding the absurdly poorly guarded large, bulky sources of their powers, or confusing them by saying "I am a liar".

 

For jokey nods to TNG, have one Martial Brick with an inflated reputation, who inevitably gets pounded into the dirt again and again by villains, heroes, and passing girl-scouts. Name him "Clark Worf, the Seeker".

 

Or you could do it as a straight Supers setting; science was pure technobable in Star Trek, and Superpowers were common.

[Vestnik]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

 

Or you could do it as a straight Supers setting; science was pure technobable in Star Trek, and Superpowers were common.

 

Don't forget that, despite being set in the far future and with superscience levels of technology, computers run on tapes and are easily destroyed by presenting them with simple logical paradoxes.

[sinanju]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

Don't forget that' date=' despite being set in the far future and with superscience levels of technology, computers run on tapes and are easily destroyed by presenting them with simple logical paradoxes.[/quote']

 

"Nice try, but my head was built with paradox-absorbing crumple zones!"

--Robot Santa to Leela after she tries to "paradox" him to death, Futurama

[Lord Liaden]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

Well, the Trekverse (all incarnations) routinely featured sophisticated androids, powerful telepaths, empaths, and psychokinetics, genetically augmented humans, humanoids with enormous physical strength or fantastically enhanced speed, shapeshifters, creatures of "pure energy," immortals, time-travelers and -manipulators, and every level of technology imaginable, up to godlike entities. Now that I think about it, it's one of the most receptive settings for "super" characters outside of comic books.

[Clonus]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

Don't forget that' date=' despite being set in the far future and with superscience levels of technology, computers run on tapes and are easily destroyed by presenting them with simple logical paradoxes.[/quote']

 

Well they call those little boxes that they stick in slots "tapes" but Star Trek was remarkable in that it was a 60s science fiction show which didn't have reel to reels on their mainframes. Also while one computer was destroyed by simply showing it irrational behaviour and another couple were convinced to commit suicide because they were behaving in an unethical manner, most of them were destroyed by you know, just shooting them.

[Badger]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

Trek technology, aliens and psionics were all over the place, with godlike aliens showing up semi-regularly (though the early TOS ones were machine dependent). A Q class alien could give out almost any superpowers you liked; heck, he made Riker a Q. From "Who Mourns for Adonis" we know that the Greek gods were aliens in the Trekverse, and we also know there were witches, shape shifters, and immortals running around.

 

For jokey nods to TOS, have giant hands show up in space, or giant dancing green girls. The most powerful Superhero is confined to a Dalek-esque wheelchair and can only communicate through two flashing lights on the front. And defeating the mightiest villains requires finding the absurdly poorly guarded large, bulky sources of their powers, or confusing them by saying "I am a liar".

 

For jokey nods to TNG, have one Martial Brick with an inflated reputation, who inevitably gets pounded into the dirt again and again by villains, heroes, and passing girl-scouts. Name him "Clark Worf, the Seeker".

 

Or you could do it as a straight Supers setting; science was pure technobable in Star Trek, and Superpowers were common.

 

 

Hey, me and a friend when watching The Menagerie got the idea of making crippled Captain Pike into a power armor type. (Course, we also added to the beeps for communication, we kept the yes/no thing, but added one for 3 beeps, which was essentially giving the finger ) Bored college days, Good times.

 

Course, there are always the Organians. (though, I detested those damned holier-than-thous)

 

 

And the Talosians (and several others) could be pretty damned powerful mentalist types.

[Badger]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

Don't forget that' date=' despite being set in the far future and with superscience levels of technology, computers run on tapes and are easily destroyed by presenting them with simple logical paradoxes.[/quote']

 

Well, Shatner was good at that. I mean that toupee of his is a logical paradox unto intself.

[OddHat]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

Well' date=' the Trekverse (all incarnations) routinely featured sophisticated androids, powerful telepaths, empaths, and psychokinetics, genetically augmented humans, humanoids with enormous physical strength or fantastically enhanced speed, shapeshifters, creatures of "pure energy," immortals, time-travelers and -manipulators, and every level of technology imaginable, up to godlike entities. Now that I think about it, it's one of the most receptive settings for "super" characters outside of comic books. [/quote']

 

Quite right. If I were going to do something like this semi-seriously, I'd start with Who Mourns for Adonais, the Q, and Borg time travel. WMfA establishes the Gods as powerful aliens with an interest in Earth, so that gives you a Thor, Hercules, Athena, etc; any pagan divinity can be around in a Twentieth or Twenty First century Star Trek setting as a Hero or Villain. The Q have an established history of granting super powers to humans, so let them; that gives a fair range of Heroes and Villains. The Borg become the big background threat our Heroes have to deal with, and one or two renegade Borg become Cyborg superheroes. Data's buried head can also be discovered anywhere from the early 20th century onwards, giving access to whatever high technology you feel like handing over to gadgeteer heroes and villains. Gary Seven is active, with his own range of super powers and super science, and his Alien mentors can play a Guardians of Oa role. "Flint" from Requiem for Methuselah is also around, which means that skill monster immortals are a viable option.

 

Really, it hangs together as well as any Supers world.

[Peregrine]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

You know, "Trek as a Supers setting" suddenly explains the whole damn franchise, complete with retcons...

[Clonus]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

Quite right. If I were going to do something like this semi-seriously' date=' I'd start with Who Mourns for Adonais, the Q, and Borg time travel. WMfA establishes the Gods as powerful aliens with an interest in Earth, so that gives you a Thor, Hercules, Athena, etc; a.[/quote']

 

Not to mention Apollonia Palamas. I always wondered what happened to Apollo's kid after she grew up. Did she become an entertainment star, or a Starfleet hero to feed her appetite for adoration? Of course the Legion of Superheroes seemed kind of Star Trek-influenced to me. Khunds, anyone?

[Peregrine]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

Then there's this site that I've had bookmarked for many years. It takes the DCU (a crisis or two ago) and drops the Trek setting into the timeline between the 20th-21st century and the 30th-31st.

 

I tried to do something similar, extrapolating forward from the 4e CU to Trek, but I never got it written up.

[OddHat]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

Then there's this site that I've had bookmarked for many years. It takes the DCU (a crisis or two ago) and drops the Trek setting into the timeline between the 20th-21st century and the 30th-31st.

 

I tried to do something similar, extrapolating forward from the 4e CU to Trek, but I never got it written up.

 

Many Wold Newton timelines work in Star Trek and Doctor Who, along with the Wold Newton default of incorporating most Pulps and period Science Fiction into a rough timeline. The combination can be tweaked into a rocking Supers setting, if you're willing to have fun with it.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

Then there's this site that I've had bookmarked for many years. It takes the DCU (a crisis or two ago) and drops the Trek setting into the timeline between the 20th-21st century and the 30th-31st.

 

I tried to do something similar, extrapolating forward from the 4e CU to Trek, but I never got it written up.

 

My own favorite craziness was the X-Men/Star Trek TNG crossover novel I saw about 10-ish years ago. Later after the X-Men movie came out, I kept envisioning the film version of that novel. Patrick Stewart as Picard meets Patrick Stewart as Xavier.......

[Badger]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

My own favorite craziness was the X-Men/Star Trek TNG crossover novel I saw about 10-ish years ago. Later after the X-Men movie came out' date=' I kept envisioning the film version of that novel. Patrick Stewart as Picard meets Patrick Stewart as Xavier....... [/quote']

 

 

Patrick Stweart meets Patrick Stewart. I think my brain has a cramp.

 

 

Though I did wonder what it would be like if Han Solo and Idniana Jones met.

[Peregrine]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

Patrick Stewart meets Patrick Stewart. I think my brain has a cramp.

 

 

Though I did wonder what it would be like if Han Solo and Indiana Jones met.

 

I seem to recall reading a fanfic to that effect, once upon a time...

[Peregrine]

Re: A strange setting: Trekkian alien supers

 

Many Wold Newton timelines work in Star Trek and Doctor Who' date=' along with the Wold Newton default of incorporating most Pulps and period Science Fiction into a rough timeline. The combination can be tweaked into a rocking Supers setting, if you're willing to have fun with it. [/quote']

 

I actually encountered the whole Wold Newton scene a few years later, prior to reading your own excellent work in that regard. Good call!