There are no superheroes in the city until now (Why is that?)

[Hermit]

I'm thinking of starting a new campaign for some friends. One aspect that is appealing is a city with no apparent superhero heritage at all. Yes, that can restrict the players a bit in the legacy department (Though they can still play an ex side kick now finding a city of his own or some such) but I was thinking it might be cool to have the public of the city being relatively unjaded when it came to meeting people with true superpowers. Or maybe said public is used to it, but only from villainous sorts and thus alturistic empowered types will confuse them  ("Here's my wallet..wait, you're helping me??").

 

Some ideas that come to mind:

 

1) Boom Town-  The city is a modern day boom town, having gone from small city (or smaller) to sizable draw for one reason or anothe very recently and very rapidly. Maybe it's become the next silicon valley, maybe a natural resource was found nearby and its almost a modern day 'gold rush'. Maybe it's just where the jobs are in a time of economic trouble elsewhere. With this sudden growth, there is also new crimes, with the sudden wealth, there are people wanting to steal that wealth and take it for themselves. Enter the need for superheroes to settle. Maybe they're natives who have had origins there and realize their city needs them to stick around instead of heading to NYC or the other 'usual hero grounds'. Maybe the city government has put out word that any super team moving in would have the mayor's support.

 

The Locals might feel superheroes really put them on the map like they deserve, or they might mutter 'There goes the neighborhood". If supervillains arrive first, then the heroes probably can't show up quickly enough in the mind of some here.

 

 

2) The Deal Undone- I should add this idea is totally stolen from a great guy name of Winterhawk. He used the concept for Vegas very well. The idea is that sometime in the city's past, an odd 'no mask' agreement came up between various powers that be. Any supervillains OR Superheroes seemed to be sublty, and covertly redirected or even encouraged to go elsewhere. Organzied crime groups agreed not to hire nor try to create powered types with each other. The government might have decided heroes would break that odd 'no paranormals' peace. Maybe some old superheroes themselves helped set it up for reasons unknown. Now, however, the deal is broken, the genie is out of the bottle...etc.

 

With the status quo gone, it might be interesting to see if EVERY crime group decided it wanted to get the jump on its rivals by hiring their super powered muscle...but how do you keep the guys loyal?

 

 

3) The Device Broken- Up to now, this city has had a few 'masked men' in its history but none exhibited true super powers. The reason? Powers just didn't work here. Supers, good and bad, found their powers rapidly weakening within a few days of coming into the city. Maybe it even affected magic and  tech of a certain level. The town might have become something of a hidey hole for non powered individuals who had made enemies of supers elsewhere.  Now, however, the McGuffin has been broken (Or turned off, or stolen, or whatever) and superpowers are possible. Indeed, depending on the nature of the device and how it worked, it's possible orgins will be happening all over the place as the "Dam has broken" allowing a flood of origin causing energies have quite the excess to clear out. However colorful they are, the criminals of the city find themselves now facing folks with REAL powers. However smug the police department was, they find themselves unprepared for supervillains who have enough raw power to give the likes of PRIMUS trouble. The McGuffin could be forgotten after this, or could become a recurring plot seed. After all, some folks are going to miss 'the good ole days' and if they can fix the device...dot dot dot.

 

4) Forgotten History - The city actually DID have superheroes (and supervillains) at one time. A golden (or dark) age of wonder (or terror). Too bad no one knows about it. They've been erased from thie history books. Folks who should be old enough to remember, don't. Should superheroes appear, folks will act like it's a brand new experience for them though other than that, it may vary "About time" or "What are THEY doing here?". Is magic at work? Some alien device? Is it a grand conspiracy by the government, villains, or the heroes themselves? Regardless, eventually the PCs may find signs that there were once heroes here who fought for right, bleed for others, and maybe even died protecting a city that no longer knows they ever where.

 

In a way, this city violates some of the basic premise as it DID have heroes, but it still might give a similar vibe at first.

 

5) Instant City - The city has never had superheroes because the city has only recently appeared. Perhaps, in 2012 when folks were waiting to see if the Mayans were right, a complete modern city with almost everything you could want just appeared... but it had NO people: None, nada, zip. Maybe an old superhero with vast powers and resources decided it was time to leave the planet (or maybe he only had a month to live, whatever) and assembled a city with a speed that would be impossible for just about anyone else leaving it as a gift to the country (Or as a way to thumb his nose at the government which had told him to stop upsetting the status quo). Then said hero left. However it got here, there is now a perfectly usuable city and while authorities might have tried to keep people out, lawsuits and persistence would eventually have a population playing 'Sooner' and moving in period. And they're coming in by the thousands! In the chaos of the rush, superheroes are going to be needed, because some villains plan to be preying on these modern pioneers.

 

The idea of a city coming out of nowhere has been mentioned on these very boards, but I don't recall the name to give credit to (Very sorry). One advantage to this is it allows me as a GM to put almost any type of population I want if I can even remotely rationalize it. Maybe a large chunk of the town will be third world refugees, another a company trying to get a monopoly on the city, and then we throw in a think tank of scientists to study the city in question.

 

 

6) Villain Ville - The city in question has had people with powers, high tech, and colorful costumes for a long time now. Unfortunately, about 90% of them have been supervillains. Maybe a big hitter on par with Dr. Destroyer took over it decades ago, opened it to other criminals, and the government and heroes alike failed to stop it again and again. Maybe the villains just showed an uncanny knack for organizing? Maybe Corrupt politicians were heavily invested in supporting the villains covertly and made laws that made it almost impossible to be a superpowered vigilante? Maybe the villains weren't obvious about owning the town. Regardless, just a few months ago, a great coalition of superheroes from over a dozen super teams stormed the city, took out the bad guys, and cleared the place up.

 

Both authorities and superheroes alike know that it won't last. Someone always tries to fill a power vacuum. The only solution? A group of heroes needs to stick around and make what was a villain haven a place where justice can continue to prevail.

 

------------

 

And there are possibly others I didn't think of , feel free to share.

 

And just because I can, I'm putting up a poll asking folks which city without superheroes idea they'd like to play in.

 

[SteelCold]

I would combine Boom Town and Villain Ville ala Emerald City or even Arroyo Verde (from San Angelo) but some of the PCs might part of the "status quo" of villains running the show until they reformed.

 

Heck, it might not even be supervillains but an organization like Viper. A company town run by them is very scary.

[bubba smith]

I go for boom town

[Hermit]

I would combine Boom Town and Villain Ville ala Emerald City or even Arroyo Verde (from San Angelo) but some of the PCs might part of the "status quo" of villains running the show until they reformed.

 

Heck, it might not even be supervillains but an organization like Viper. A company town run by them is very scary.

VIPER Ville might work very well indeed. If I recall, there is a town that's pretty much a company town for VIPER n the official CU

[IndianaJoe3]

You forgot Disaster Recovery. There was a city here originally, with supers and everything, but it was rendered uninhabitable or destroyed  by <reasons>. It has now been rebuilt, and is looking for a few heroes. Millennium City is the CU example, but Chernobyl would also qualify.

[Hermit]

You forgot Disaster Recovery. There was a city here originally, with supers and everything, but it was rendered uninhabitable or destroyed  by <reasons>. It has now been rebuilt, and is looking for a few heroes. Millennium City is the CU example, but Chernobyl would also qualify.

True!

 

Good catch

[GhostDancer]

Also east coast retirement community Sunrise City, home of elder supers- former heroes, villains and neutrals.  May have a dash of The Village or Pig Alley flavor.

 

 

Close your eyes and imagine what you want your retirement to look like...

 

Do you want a cruise ship or resort lifestyle? Do you want to play golf or shuffle board or bridge 24/7?

 

Or are you looking for somewhere different? Somewhere you can make a difference? Then take a look at Sunrise City. It's truly one of a kind – active, caring and affordable.

 

You'll find that Sunrise City is a thriving, active, non-profit hometown. You can live a purposeful lifestyle through service to others, enjoy countless activities, and create friendships with diverse people blessed with impelling life journeys. All on a lovely, 200-acre campus full of giant live oaks, Southern magnolias and sabal palms.

 

There's a wide range of amenities and independent home choices. Plus you'll be able to age in place because Sunrise City is a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC).

Does the prospect of living in a hometown of caring, diverse, 55+ adults speak to you? Then visit us and experience new friends, new adventures, and new opportunities to learn and grow.

Come explore Sunrise City for a life more abundant!

Why retire — when you can rewire?

If you believe there is more to retirement than sitting on the porch, you’ve found the right place. Some residents find that they are busier now than ever before. And they love it!

The big difference is they’re doing enjoyable, meaningful service to others. And they still have time to embrace all the fun activities available, on campus and off.

Whether you’ve spent your life volunteering or would like to try it, you can find purpose, fulfillment – and joy – sharing your time and talents with others.

We take care of each other — and the earth.

Not only are we careful stewards of each other, we believe in making every effort to conserve the abundant natural blessings around us.

We have community garden plots. We’re Stewards of the Earth, involved with recycling, regional conservation partnerships, increasing solar use and more.

There are endless opportunities for walking and bicycling, plus nature 
trails and bird habitats. Sunrise City residents are engaged and committed 
to living lightly.

 

Come visit and see for yourself why Sunrise City residents are so 

happy with their choice of retirement hometown.

-swiped from Penney Retirement Community

[Enforcer84]

I kind of like Instant City for some reason. *Poof*

[bubba smith]

for the deal undone...how about this

either a  "thanks but no thanks" policy by the city o a persona non greta policy is in effect making the city unavaiable to heroes?

[Hermit]

Looks like villain ville isn't getting too much love.

 

I'm rather surprised Boom Town took the lead. I actually thought it might be considered the least exciting of the options.

[massey]

There just aren't that many heroes to go around.

 

Previously, superheroics have been confined to NYC, Chicago, and maybe L.A.  Since Mighty Man appeared back in the late 30s, superpowered individuals have flocked to those cities for one reason or another.  Given that there's only about 30 known superheroes, organized into 6 different teams, it's not surprising that Raleigh, NC doesn't have one.  Well, they're stepping into the bigtime today, folks!

[Cassandra]

Boom Town makes the most sense in why the city wouldn't have heroes.  It reminds me of the plot of "Support Your Local Sheriff"

 

Forgotten History is a lot like the "Birds of Prey" TV Show in which Batman is only a legends and not generally known to the public.

[tikiman]

How about super heroes just being a new thing altogether?

[bubba smith]

birds of prey is bases on theDC comic regarding oracle [ Barbara Gordon paralyzed by the joker  adopts the codename oracle  forms a team of black canary and  huntress] the tv version took some liberties with the concept support your local sherriff was a western movie

[Hermit]

How about super heroes just being a new thing altogether?

Well, I was thinking more of 'if you were starting in a setting that had superheroes in other cities'. One could certainly start a game where the whole world is stunned true, and nothing wrong with that.

[Greywind]

Because the council hasn't assigned any heroes to it yet.

[Hermit]

Because the council hasn't assigned any heroes to it yet.

 

"Ladies an gentlemen, the Blowfish Avenger!"

"Blowfish gets New Rochelle."

[Chris Goodwin]

I too voted Instant City.  I love that idea.  I think it would be even more awesome if infrastructure and people started to appear there as more and more people settle.  Like, say, once it hits 5000 people, all of a sudden there's a police department, fully staffed.  Everyone who works for the police department has a history, address, Social Security number, and the like, even though the newcomers would swear that these people didn't even exist the day before.  

[SteelCold]

You could have a televised event where the Ultimates (or another supervillian team of your choosing) instead leaving a crime scene, just stood there laughing at the authorities' (and PRIMUS) attempt in capturing them.

[Cassandra]

birds of prey is bases on theDC comic regarding oracle [ Barbara Gordon paralyzed by the joker  adopts the codename oracle  forms a team of black canary and  huntress] the tv version took some liberties with the concept support your local sherriff was a westenr movie

 

Some plots are universal.

[Territan]

One of the campaigns I'm running now started with a very different take than any of these others.

 

There was a thriving superhero team, but suddenly about a decade ago, a team of very well-armed assailants stormed the base at the same time the team itself imploded—violently— leaving one dead, two "declared" villains, and the others disappearing into the woodwork. If there were superheroes still at work in the town (and nobody's sure there were any), they were solos, working from the shadows and claiming no credit. The public relations pool for super heroism had been poisoned. Villainy has been a constant minor problem, one the city could ignore or live with until recently. For some reason, lately it's gotten much worse.

 

In what is described by some as a "Hail Mary" play and others as a "big mistake waiting to happen," the mayor has reactivated the base and "gathered" team members from various parts to try to combat the city's problems. There aren't many locals on the team; most locals still remember with shock and horror the epic fail that was the old team. The two locals on the team are young and inexperienced, uncontaminated by the base's history.

 

This is a rich source of subplots for me, because I've got plot threads from the old team's blow-up, a coming re-election plot, a new master-level super villain, a possible issue or two with the base itself, and the baggage the PCs bring into this too.

[SKJAM!]

I might favor a combination of Boom Town and Instant City.  Recently, a vast deposit of Originite, a mineral with properties that trigger superhuman abilities in people susceptible to that, was found under what was a ghost town in Wisconsin.  Realizing that this unfortunately widely-publicized event would draw a boom town, the US government paid a superhuman construction team to put up housing and infrastructure in a matter of weeks.  Now, as people fill up the town, PRIMUS wants a superteam to handle any problems that crop up.  (there's an origin event every few days at the moment.)  Boomville is really ugly, given the kitbashed architecture, but it needs you badly.

 

I recently read a story titled "Capeless City" which was set in Philadelphia.  People with powers were encouraged to keep them on the down low.  Anyone who didn't comply woke up the next morning in New York City, and dealing with the powered population there.  This was accomplished by the city government secretly employing a paranormal being that copied powers--and kept them.  With such a wide variety of powers, he could find something to knock you out long enough for transport.

[Hermit]

There are some excellent ideas here guys. Consider a few of them stolen for later use

[bubba smith]

ok glad to help

[assault]

Boom Town has the most obvious plot structure - the Western. There's a reason why it's a bit of a cliche - it works. And it translates across time and space - Kurosawa showed that it works in Shogunate era Japan.

 

Over time it would tend to evolve into something more traditional, but that's fine.

 

Instant City has the advantage of "Superman-ness". It's the kind of thing a Silver Age hero (team) would be called in to investigate. Big points for that. Better yet if you can mix in references to Surtsey, and similar events, if any. There was a famous Silver Age Jimmy Olsen story where he was appointed the US representative in a duel to decide who would own a similar island.

 

And that raises interesting possibilities for Instant City. In many respects it could be similar to a Boom Town scenario (which tends to make the latter a little redundant), but things could get a lot weirder.

 

After all, if it mysteriously appeared, why couldn't it equally mysteriously disappear?