Post by Dream on Nov 5, 2016 14:56:33 GMT -5
Four year ago, in 1943, the appearance of Captain America as a symbol of the United States Allied front had caused quite a stir in the public. What started out as a simple stage show tour used to promote the buying of war bonds and to raise both patriotism and hope in the hearts of many, blossomed into an unexpected phenomenon as the Star-Spangled Man With a Plan was seen leading troops into battle and giving the old ‘one-two’ to HYDRA, Hitler, and the rest of the Axis powers.
When news of Captain America’s death hit the papers, the nation mourned his loss. However, it was noted that, not long after the Captain’s heroic sacrifice, the tide of battle turned in the Allies’ favor, the war was won, and many a happy soldier began to return home. This led to more than a few skeptics to say that Captain America was nothing more than a propaganda tool created by the government to bolster moral and keep the home front happy. After all, if one man could make such a difference on the front lines, why didn’t the Allies suffer losses upon his supposed ‘death’? The fervor eventually died down as the real heroes, battle-worn and tired, came home and Captain America was relegated back to where he started: a face and name used for entertainment purposes in a weekly radio show.
However, while the majority of the populace could be swayed into believing such things, other governments and countries were not so fooled. America had created a super soldier. Yes, it was only one, and the formula used was currently lost, but it could be replicated. Germany, through HYDRA’s use of the so called ‘Cosmic Cube’, a purported weapon of the gods, had gained power sources and weapon technology unheard of at the time. The fear of a potentially catastrophic third World War loomed on the horizon.
Quietly, governments began researching both technology and the arcane in order to produce their own super-powered soldiers, beginning an odd sort of arms race. The Russians doubled down on the Red Room Academy, while the United Kingdom focused on the Brythonic legends of their islands, and even private business man and scientists used this opportunity and the flourishing sciences to further their endeavor and curry favor with officials. Even the United States continued with their experimentation on the human body. Eventually, fantastical news reports began to filter in through the tabloids; Mediterranean sailors claiming to see a mysterious, disappearing island inhabited solely by women, a man who could burst into flame and, amazingly, remain unharmed, a railroad worker being saved by a simple glowing lantern, and even a photograph of an unknown strongman lifting a car over his head in the city of Metropolis. The stuff of science fiction and fantasy stories, to be sure, but unlike most articles featured in the daily rags, these did not wither and die after a week or two, instead they blossomed and grew.
On the more mundane front, with the war over, business and life could return to normal. The war had created vacuums of power, some rather small while others loomed large and were ripe for the taking. Mafia men and gangsters saw this as not only an opportunity but a reward for their hard work of briefly allying themselves with the government in order to keep their home turf and the great cities they loved safe from enemy sabotage. You would have to be a fool to let what you gained during a crisis go to waste.
The year is now 1947, and the world is becoming something new, evolving into something no one is entirely sure of. What is known is that humanity will need to face these new, and possibly dangerous, challenges. Whether this will be a success remains to be seen, but either way, guidance all be needed. Will a new evil gain a foothold and rise to power? Will heroes once again prevail? Will darkness creep back in or will someone strike a match and keep it at bay? Only time will tell who will rise to the top in this brand new world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Strike A Match is an alternate universe role-playing game that incorporates both Marvel and DC characters, and is set in the post World War II era. For those of you not familiar with such a setting, think the television show Agent Carter, the movie Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel Noir, DC's A Brave New World, and the DC Bombshells graphic novels, or any of your favorite black and white movies on the Turner Classic Movie channel.
This is an alternate universe where modern superhero and villains are existing in the late 1940’s. They all started making themselves known shortly after Captain America's disappearance in the arctic. Essentially, this is the Golden Age of comics. Feel free to keep characters close to canon or have them branch out into something different, possibly being influenced by this noir-like setting. How will current events or the recent war have shaped who you play? Will there be a young, Jewish mutant fresh from war-torn Europe? Will Howard Stark's next invention be a mechanized, iron suit of armor? Will an Amazon princess decide to become an ambassador to Man's World and will there be a newspaper reporter from Kansas to interview her? Only you can decide that.
When news of Captain America’s death hit the papers, the nation mourned his loss. However, it was noted that, not long after the Captain’s heroic sacrifice, the tide of battle turned in the Allies’ favor, the war was won, and many a happy soldier began to return home. This led to more than a few skeptics to say that Captain America was nothing more than a propaganda tool created by the government to bolster moral and keep the home front happy. After all, if one man could make such a difference on the front lines, why didn’t the Allies suffer losses upon his supposed ‘death’? The fervor eventually died down as the real heroes, battle-worn and tired, came home and Captain America was relegated back to where he started: a face and name used for entertainment purposes in a weekly radio show.
However, while the majority of the populace could be swayed into believing such things, other governments and countries were not so fooled. America had created a super soldier. Yes, it was only one, and the formula used was currently lost, but it could be replicated. Germany, through HYDRA’s use of the so called ‘Cosmic Cube’, a purported weapon of the gods, had gained power sources and weapon technology unheard of at the time. The fear of a potentially catastrophic third World War loomed on the horizon.
Quietly, governments began researching both technology and the arcane in order to produce their own super-powered soldiers, beginning an odd sort of arms race. The Russians doubled down on the Red Room Academy, while the United Kingdom focused on the Brythonic legends of their islands, and even private business man and scientists used this opportunity and the flourishing sciences to further their endeavor and curry favor with officials. Even the United States continued with their experimentation on the human body. Eventually, fantastical news reports began to filter in through the tabloids; Mediterranean sailors claiming to see a mysterious, disappearing island inhabited solely by women, a man who could burst into flame and, amazingly, remain unharmed, a railroad worker being saved by a simple glowing lantern, and even a photograph of an unknown strongman lifting a car over his head in the city of Metropolis. The stuff of science fiction and fantasy stories, to be sure, but unlike most articles featured in the daily rags, these did not wither and die after a week or two, instead they blossomed and grew.
On the more mundane front, with the war over, business and life could return to normal. The war had created vacuums of power, some rather small while others loomed large and were ripe for the taking. Mafia men and gangsters saw this as not only an opportunity but a reward for their hard work of briefly allying themselves with the government in order to keep their home turf and the great cities they loved safe from enemy sabotage. You would have to be a fool to let what you gained during a crisis go to waste.
The year is now 1947, and the world is becoming something new, evolving into something no one is entirely sure of. What is known is that humanity will need to face these new, and possibly dangerous, challenges. Whether this will be a success remains to be seen, but either way, guidance all be needed. Will a new evil gain a foothold and rise to power? Will heroes once again prevail? Will darkness creep back in or will someone strike a match and keep it at bay? Only time will tell who will rise to the top in this brand new world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Strike A Match is an alternate universe role-playing game that incorporates both Marvel and DC characters, and is set in the post World War II era. For those of you not familiar with such a setting, think the television show Agent Carter, the movie Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel Noir, DC's A Brave New World, and the DC Bombshells graphic novels, or any of your favorite black and white movies on the Turner Classic Movie channel.
This is an alternate universe where modern superhero and villains are existing in the late 1940’s. They all started making themselves known shortly after Captain America's disappearance in the arctic. Essentially, this is the Golden Age of comics. Feel free to keep characters close to canon or have them branch out into something different, possibly being influenced by this noir-like setting. How will current events or the recent war have shaped who you play? Will there be a young, Jewish mutant fresh from war-torn Europe? Will Howard Stark's next invention be a mechanized, iron suit of armor? Will an Amazon princess decide to become an ambassador to Man's World and will there be a newspaper reporter from Kansas to interview her? Only you can decide that.
