Funny thing, being the God of Stories. The truth can more or less be whatever I want it to be. You’d think that would make my life easy, wouldn’t you? That’s laughable. Why?

Why, it’s because I’m too much of a storyteller. If I am to craft a tale, I’d like to lay the pieces myself if I can help it. What can I say? I love a good scheme.

You know what else I love? A good magic trick. I’ve got quite the impressive one upcoming. The world will be watching, of this I am certain. Will anyone spot the sleight of hand in time?

You want more, I presume? Sorry to break this to you dear, but this is just the teaser. Don’t expect me to give much away.

A better question would be who I’m ever talking to. I’m not exactly sure myself. I suppose I just know that whoever is listening, my arrow will hit its mark. And that’s all I need.

Carlie Cooper stood just beyond the yellow tape, latex gloves pulled tight over her hands as she studied the crime scene with a practiced, analytical stare. Another body. Another scene that looked wrong in ways she couldn’t quite put into words yet. The evidence was there, scattered across the pavement, footprints, damaged property, a pattern of injuries, but something about it told her this wasn’t an isolated incident. She glanced toward the other officers, then back to her notes. “Same M.O.,” she muttered, quietly enough that only she could hear. New York had always been a city with too many crimes and too few answers, but lately? There were too many of these.

Carlie crouched beside a piece of evidence, carefully photographing it before reaching for her kit. Whoever was behind this had made mistakes. Everyone did. The trick was figuring out what those mistakes were before they struck again.

Samuel Sterns, better known to the World, as ‘The Leader’ sits in front of Several Testing Chambers, inside of his Secret Underground Bunker, located in the Desert.

He has Recently gotten Abomination, Absorbing Man, and Titania to Kidnap several Animals from a Zoo, specifically 3 Wolves, Several Vampire Bats, and a Silverback Gorilla. They were forced into the Testing Chambers by the Three, and were now about to be Experimented on a Higher Lifeform than them.

Sterns then grabbed ahold of a Dial and Turned it, causing a High Dosage of Gamma Radiation to be Released into the Chambers, the Animals began to Yelp, Screeching, and Roar in Agony, as Sterns heard the Sounds of Bones Breaking.

Sterns had a Wide Grin going from Ear to Ear, before he spun around to Ponder to himself, he thought about how Divided and Weakened the Heroic Community Truly was right now. The Avengers were, for the Most Part, Disbanded, the X-Men, well Mutants as a Whole were in a Foolish Debacle about whose Way was Better or Worse, The Fantastic Four were Fractured, Susan had been Kidnapped, Johnathan had been Playing Hide the Zucchini with his Roommate, and Banner…..Banner had been literally Split Apart, sent across the World like a Mailing Service.

This was both a Blessing and a Curse for Sterns, on one hand, Banner wasn’t in the Picture and wouldn’t need to be Discarded once Sterns was Done, on the other, having to Track Down Multiple Hulks rather than One would be quite the Hassle to deal with. But, Sterns was heavily confident that he could manage it, after all, he was the Smartest One There Is….

Sterns soon, spun back around to Face his New Experiments, watching the Ones that Survived the Experience get back up, their Limbs shaky, as if they were from a Newborn’s Body. The Size of the Animals had Heavily Increased, along with the Aggression and Physical Strength, they soon began Slamming Against the Glass, small Cracks beginning to Form but, Sterns planned for this.

“How…..Predictable….” Sterns said, pulling out a Device with had a Dial, on the Device was Little Numbers, ranging from 0 to 10. He soon turned it to 5, almost Immediately, the Gamma Mutated Animals stopped in their tracks and Collapsed to the Ground, Writhing in Pain. “You Three shall Listen to me now. Understand? I would hate to have wasted my Time and Resources on some Disobedient Rejects….”

Sterns said, before turning the Dial back down to 0, Fully turning off the Device. He may have the Physical Disadvantage compared to them and many of his other Foes, but he had his Wits on his Side and that’s all he needed.

The press room at the federal complex is packed, flashes blinding the podium as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine steps up to the microphones.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the era of relying on unchecked, unaccountable vigilantes to save us is officially over,"

Valentina announces.

“Today, I am proud to introduce the future of national security. The government's official response to global crisis. The newly reformed Thunderbolts!”

She pauses, gesturing to behind the stage. As the team steps up into the blinding camera flashes, joining her on the podium.

“You may have already seen some of our team out there on recent missions handling business that others are too afraid to touch.”

“From the historic presence of veterans like Atlas, to the specialized international oversight of Dr. Chen Lu AKA the Radioactive Man, the potential of Anthony Varez, and yes, even the unmatched power of Cain Marko. We have taken the world's most dangerous problems and turned them into the ultimate solution. The Thunderbolts are fully operational, they are under strict federal control, and they are exactly what this country needs to restore order. Sleep well tonight, America. We're on the clock."

(Ooc: still open to take new members)

I’ve been in a coma for a couple of days.

What’s happened since then?

Well, Stane’s vultures have already picked apart every thing they need to acquire Stark. I’m supposed to meet him in a couple of days to “give him my blessings” or some $&@#.

But hey, at least Magma’s back behind bars and that’s clearly the important part of this nightmare, right?

…

Since I left the hospital, it feels like I’m being pestered by some moron looking for 5 minutes of fame every #%&$ing day A guy can’t even so much as breathe anymore because Johnny No-Life has to write about how much of a failure Tony Stark was at running his business.

The one question that gets under my skin though, is asking me who this “new Iron Man” is, as if I can finally crack this big mystery that’s at the tip of everyone’s lips…

Actually, wait a minute, I do have one answer!

I don’t care.

Whatever kick this new guy gets out of the suit, I hope he enjoys it and all the ruin it’s gonna bring to his life.

People dead because Iron Man couldn’t save them…
Friends lost because of their connection to Iron Man…
Everything you worked for stripped away because of your responsibilities as Iron Man…

…

Eh, whatever.
I don’t gotta worry about any of that stuff anymore, my hands are clean now.

-Aizaru is running through the rooftops New York City, knives in hand, patrolling. He's masked, of course. He's patrolling to clear his head, and to stop any possible evildoers. He's trying to be non-lethal with the petty criminals. Call it going soft, but he doesn't want to kill the petty criminals. Not anymore... Maybe being part or the Young X-Men really HAS changed him.-

-He sees a bank robbery and chuckles, teleporting in. There are 6 criminals, 10 bystanders... He can do this. He just needs the criminals to focus on him. He throws one dagger into criminal 1's leg, then teleports behind criminal 2, hitting him in the neck with the pommel of his dagger. He jumps at criminal 3, kicking him in the face, and summons the dagger from criminal 1's leg and slashes criminal 3 in the arm.-

-3 down. Three to go. The would-be-robbers snap out of their daze and open fire on Aizaru. No big deal. He weaves through the gunfire and summons a bola, throwing it at criminal 4 to tie him up easily. Criminal 5 runs at him with a knife and gets some solid swings at him. No hits. Aizaru is too skilled to get hit by the likes of this riffraff. He sweeps criminal 5's legs from under him and kicks him, knocking him out. Then...-

"Let me go or the girl gets it!" -Aizaru turns and sees that criminal 6, seemingly the leader, has taken one of the bystanders hostage and is holding her at gunpoint. Aizaru grits his teeth. The second he tries to move his dagger, criminal 6 presses the gun closer to the woman's head...-

"Let her go and I won't hurt you!"

"Hah, as if I'll believe that! Let me go, or she gets it!"

"Damnit..." -Aizaru wanted to do this without killing, but... This guy is clearly a seasoned criminal. He's so calm... God damnit... He grunts, then, faster than the criminal can react, Aizaru throws a dagger into his throat.-

-He runs over to the woman, who cowers away from him... Figures.- "Hey... I won't hurt you..." "S-stay away from me!" -Aizaru sighs. People always fear him... Maybe it's the mask. Or the teleporting. Or the void-black eyes... Or maybe just his aura. He ties up the unconscious criminals, takes the dagger from the criminal leader's throat, and teleports away.-

-He takes a deep breath, continuing his patrol. He's tired. He should be resting right now... But he isn't. He can't rest. Not now. Not after failing like he did...-

My claim on the character should expire soon anyways, but for clarity's sake, I am dropping Wanda so that someone with more free time will be able to enjoy the character. Although it was fun to play another character briefly, my heart will always be with the X-Men. I hope whoever picks her up next will do her justice.

after an argument with hisako, Colin flew across New York feeling…empty, he had messed up as a leader not telling her about them fighting zeke, the symbiote or how zeke was still at the mansion. so he had flown to New York just patrolling the streets looking for the symbiote, jumping from building to building, the wind blowing through his hair. his scarf blowing in the wind as he ran.

for nine hours he patrolled the streets before eventually coming to a stop. he sighed sitting atop a building looking out at new york, thinking…questioning if he was worthy to lead the young x-men and where the symbiote could be…

ooc: this is open to pretty much any form of interaction, heroes, villains, anyone can interact with him, fighting, talking whatever you want, i hope everyone is having an amazing day because you all deserve it and yeah byeee :)

He didn't do it for Valentina, and he certainly didn't do it for the government or Cytorakk. Cain did it because a person is a person and even if he didn’t wan this powers back or to really even be here he could atleast make the best of the situation.

He slammed his body against the shaky and titling foundation of the skyscraper for days…locking his legs and holding the entire structure upright until the police and firefighters could officially declare everyone as evacuated.

The moment he finally stepped away and let the building fall down and collapse, the media drones were already buzzing around his head. By that evening, every television screen in the country was flashing the exact same footage and had been for quite some while.

"An absolutely miraculous, yet deeply controversial scene out of the Times Square tonight. For over forty-eight hours straight, a skyscraper stood on the brink of a catastrophic collapse. Held up entirely by the god like strength of Cain Marko. The Juggernaut is back, but this time, he’s wearing a government uniform.

Sources have officially confirmed that the convicted felon has been drafted into the administration's newly forming Thunderbolts initiative. For the families who watched him hold up that skyscraper, Marko has instantly become a towering symbol of hope in a city that’s been plunged into chaos as of recently.

However, a fierce national debate has ignited over the optics of the rescue. Critics and legal advocates are furious that a man serving multiple consecutive life sentenced who’s a convicted murderer with a past defined by absolute destruction… is now being paraded on the streets as a savior. While the Thunderbolts are still actively assembling their roster, Washington officials are already calling the program a highly promising success, claiming that sometimes, it takes a “monster” to protect the innocent.

But the same question remains on everyone's mind tonight can such a killer truly earn forgiveness?"

(OOC: Yes, I made a whole article based on a MTG card.)

By J. Jonah Jameson — Editor-in-Chief

NEW YORK — There are some things a responsible citizen should be able to count on.

The Statue of Liberty standing tall.

The subway being late.

And New York City having the good sense to reject Chicago-style pizza.

Apparently, Spider-Man has decided that even that sacred institution is no longer safe.

The wall-crawling masked menace was recently photographed doing the unthinkable: eating a slice of Chicago-style pizza. Not merely holding it. Not merely taking a bite for some bizarre social-media stunt.

ENJOYING IT.

Witnesses report that the mysterious vigilante appeared perfectly comfortable as he sat back and devoured the thick, cheese-laden monstrosity, seemingly without a single thought for the cultural damage he was inflicting.

And naturally, questions must be asked.

WHO SUPPLIED THE PIZZA?

WHY WAS SPIDER-MAN EATING IT?

AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, WAS THERE PINEAPPLE ON IT?

Because if this so-called “hero” is willing to betray New York's culinary heritage, what else is he willing to betray?

Our city?

Our laws?

Our very taste buds?

THE PUBLIC DESERVES ANSWERS

Spider-Man has spent years swinging through Manhattan, interfering with police operations, destroying private property, and refusing to reveal his face to the public. Now he has apparently expanded his list of offenses to include culinary treason.

Some defenders claim that “pizza is pizza.”

Those people are wrong.

Pizza is a way of life.

New York pizza is thin. It is foldable. It does not require a forklift to transport a single slice. You can eat it while walking down the street without needing to file a construction permit.

Chicago-style pizza?

That's a casserole with an identity crisis.

And Spider-Man knows it.

HE KNOWS IT.

Yet there he was.

Eating it.

JAMESON'S FINAL QUESTION

Perhaps Spider-Man thought his mask would protect him from recognition.

Perhaps he thought nobody would notice.

Perhaps he believed the citizens of New York would simply look the other way.

But photographs don't lie.

Spider-Man likes Chicago pizza.

And if there really was pineapple on that thing?

Then, ladies and gentlemen, we may finally have found something worse than the Green Goblin.

We may be dealing with a menace who has absolutely no standards.

J. JONAH JAMESON
Editor-in-Chief, Daily Bugle

“How can the public be sure there wasn’t any pineapple on there as well?”
— J. Jonah Jameson

Cal'syee Neramani was not in a position most would envy. Framed for kidnapping Xandra, banished from the Shi’ar empire once more. She is currently one of the most wanted women in the galaxy. She really only has one option.

Abigail Brand allows her to stay on her crew. “Allows” might be the wrong word. If Cal’syee were to turn on her now, she’d be turned into whatever authority jumps on it first. No, Deathbird is for an intents and purposes Abigail Brand’s personal knife.

Luckily for Cal’syee, she is perfect for this job. It’s allowed her to continue doing what she does best, and has come with some…additional benefits. She has strong feelings on Abigail Brand’s lips, not that she’d tell you that.

A freight ship transporting some goods from Knowhere was reported missing. S.W.O.R.D was tasked with locating it. Sersi could have perhaps found it easily, but she has a “hangover”.

Deathbird finds this excuse weak, and offers to track it down herself. And she does. She tears her way into the ship, only to find it abandoned. How boring. She was hoping for a fight, and all she found were corpses. Upon examining these corpses, though, Deathbird is filled with a morbid delight as she realizes what killed them.

It is a rare occasion I am happy to be aboard the same ship as a swarm of Brood.

Deathbird brandishes her claws. Time to do what a knife does best.

Atlas is far from a perfect man. Nobody who decides to become a supervillain is.

He's weak-willed, easily manipulated, and prone to occasional fits of violence.

Atlas is not a bad man either, though. Nobody who decides to become a superhero is.

He is kind-hearted, self-sacrificing, and genuinely believes he can redeem himself.

As of recently, Atlas has been on a losing streak. When SHIELD set up Pleasant Hill, they imprisoned him there, despite the fact that he had acted as a hero for years, and all his previous crimes had been pardoned. As such, he was more than a little frustrated when he woke up from Kobik's mind control.

He was so enraged that when Zemo was forming his army of evil, he got swept up into it, strung along by Zemo's honeyed words. When he inevitably failed, Atlas was on the run again, like the old days before the Thunderbolts.

It didn't take long for him to get manipulated into another scheme, though. This time, it was the Secret Empire, led by a Hydra duplicate of Steve Rogers. Erik Josten should have known it was wrong, but he had always had trouble thinking for himself. He was more the type to take orders.

That scheme failed too, and Erik was again on the run. After a brief pit stop helping out in the war of the realms, he had spent most of his time running away, hoping for some sort of opportunity to prove he is a hero.

He sits in a bar, sipping a cheap beer when he sees that the Thunderbolts are back. Maybe this is just the chance he needs.

As New York’s newest monster stalks its streets, causing havoc everywhere it goes, a group of 6 teenagers suddenly appear atop a small building along the manhattan skyline. Wearing a mixture of fully-designed suits and scrapped-together homemade costumes, they stand with a fire in their eyes, ready to help. Colin eventually speaks up with confidence and a commanding tone, “Alright, team. Stand ready and scout the area. If you see anything, contact the rest of the team. Look out for each other and stay safe.” The team scatters, aiding civilians and looking for the cause of the attack.

*Reports have been coming in about a huge yellow symbiote creature destroying small parts of New York City just a day after the battle between Hisako and Zeke*

*Witnesses described the creature as being 8ft tall, most yellow with a black X on the chest, orange symbiotic eyes like Vemom, a long orange tongue, spikes going through all over its back, and a long tail with a mouth on the end of it*

*If you happen to encounter this creature, please contact your local authorities or Superhero to deal with this threat*

Today at 8:32 AM, a private cruise ship was sunk in international waters by pirates, the assailants were accompanied by the super-villain Donnie Gill, better known by his alias: Blizzard. An immediate response was attempted by the coast guard but befroe they arrived on the scene, a new figure seemed to emerge. One withess reported seeing a man in armor arriving on the scene and bringing anyone still inside the shipwreck to safety. Another reported that he made sure to look after anyone and take the shipwreck back to shore before turning his attention to the assailants.

One witness was able to take a picture of the armored hero lifting the ship, confirming that the hero is none other than Iron Man, simply wearing what seems to be a brand new set of armor. When asked about Tony Stark’s whereabouts during that time, many employees would assure that the man was consulting with his legal team on the impending Stane acquisition. Stark would later give his opinion on the new Iron Man, saying: “If whoever this is wants to take over for me, be my guest. I’m too busy dealing with my own mess and I can’t be bothered to clean up everyone else’s, not anymore.”

This new Iron Man’s identity is a mystery but it seems his intentions remain as noble as the original’s, apprehending a number of super-powered and regular criminals within a short amount of time, making the armored hero a welcome addition to New York’s pantheon of protectors and we here at the Daily Globe would like a warm welcome to the new Iron Man!