Icons: The Origin

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dngn4774

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#1  Edited By dngn4774

By @batkevin74 & @dngn4774

The Icons are a group of the most dangerous villains to ever reek havoc upon the DC Multiverse. Their original universe was called Earth 198550, a world where Marijuana is legal and tobacco is illegal, the Russians made it to the moon first, and John McCain is President of the United States. To further explain our characters here is the timeline for Earth 198550

-42 years (1971) Desmond Cano is born.

-33 years (1980) David Crock is born.

-30 years (1983) The man known as Burden is born in prison on the island of St Acsirp

-27 years (1986) Lance Tyler is born.

-26 years (1987) Desmond begins his triple doctorate at Stonekey University Kansas

-25 years (1988) Aurora Fiennes is born.

-22 years (1991) Luna C. Truth is born.

Aurora is hidden from the Chaos Lords in a pocket universe known as Panumbra.

-20 years (1993) Desmond Cano graduates with honours and is offered a position at Goldenlake University.

-19 years (1994) Burden kills for the first time

-15 years (1998) David Crock enlists into the military, in record time graduating to a Navy SEAL.

-14 years (1999) Lance Tyler is recognized as a child prodigy and is sent to Goldenlake University. He is taught by the nation’s finest minds including the respected Dr. Desmond Cano.

On a mission in Somalia, Crock is wounded. While healing he gets romantically connected to Nurse Helen Nguyen.

-13 years (2000) After an accident that results in his parents deaths, Lance Tyler powers are awakened and becomes the head of Tylercorp, making him the youngest millionaire in Eminence Isle.

-11 years (2002) Lance graduates from Goldenlake and takes a managing role in the affairs of Tylercorp and under his leadership Tylercorp’s profits increase tenfold, which in turn makes him a billionaire.

David Crock marries Helen Nguyen shortly before giving birth to their child Jade.

-9 years (2004) Dr Cano retires from academic life and joins the Journey Project, to send an experimental spacecraft from Earth to Mars.

-8 years (2005) Lance begins using telepathy to collect insider information. The SEC investigates Tylercorp but cannot find any evidence of illegal activities.

Dr Cano is fired for a combination of things from the Journey Project, mainly for suspected treason with the Australians. Later posing as John Smith returns to the project to sabotage the project.

-7 years (2006) Journey space ship wings blow off, the appearance of Quantum Man saves it. World in awe of the super human.

Battle Man becomes the secret guardian of New Amsterdam.

Desmond attempts to blow up Hunter City, thwarted by Quantum Man press nickname him Dr Volcano.

Due to Battle Man’s vigilantism, costumed villains like the Puzzler and Draconian appear along with white collar criminal like Rudolph Truth. All are convicted and harsh penalties imposed by New Amsterdam’s new District Attorney Harold Deng.

Rudolph’s daughter, Luna C. Truth, poisons Deng in his office for convicting her father. The chemical fumes nearly kill Deng but Battle Man rescues him in time. Battle Man chases Luna through a Jack’s Chemical Plant, after a scuffle she falls over a rail into one of the chemical vats. Tries to resuscitate the girl but he loses her pulse. The NAPD arrive, forcing Battle Man to flee.

A couple of weeks later, New Amsterdam is plagued by the mysterious Yin-Yang killers. It is discovered that the killers are actually one person, mentally scarred Harold Deng. The incident causes Battle Man to question whether he is helping or harming the city.

Crock is honourably discharged from the military. Though he wants to keep fighting, his commanding officers feel that his psychological health has made him a liability on the field. Helen separates from him and files for sole custody over their daughter.

Dr Volcano tries to kill Quantum Man, ends up back in prison.

Journals of Desmond Cano;

12 th of August, 2005: THEY FIRED ME! ME!??? HOW DARE THEY???! After all my blood, sweat and tears on the Journey project, I am fired like an unwanted intern! Those MORONS at NASA will rue the day they ever fired me! Bastards!

8 th of November, 2005: Top secret, pfft! I part my hair to the left, put on some glasses, slightly hunch and I waltz into the hanger bay! What a joke! I should tell my Australian counterparts that if they ever want to know the US’s secrets, just walk on in, don’t bother with the billion dollar satellites.

16 th of December, 2005: I got a promotion! In my fake identity of John Smith, I am now head of industrial services! Ha ha ha ha! Idiots! I have been planting my device into the wing of the Journey, it has taken time but it should be ready for launch day in mid January.

25 th of February, 2006: Nothing ever runs on time! Another delay due to weather and other bureaucratic decisions. I am tempted to detonate but it would be merely brushed away as a tragic industrial accident. I need the world to see!

18 th of April, 2006: Launch day! I take a prime viewing seat amongst the thousands gathered at Cape Nixon, named after that dubious man who initiated the “Space Race” with the Australians. Richard Nixon…How did JFK lose that election in 1960? I fe…Oh my…look at my creation! I am going to savour this; the crowd, the wave of euphoria…the stunned silence when it all happens! Ha ha!

I…I don’t…what in….WHAT JUST HAPPENED?????! A man…FLEW….WHAT???? I don’t believe my eyes! A man flew up and caught the Journey shuttle as one would lift a sofa! HE IS FLYING!!!! A MAN IS FLYING CARRYING THE SPACE SHUTTLE I JUST BLEW THE WING OFF! Is this divine intervention? WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED????

20 th of April, 2006: Everything I learnt in school means nothing since the appearance of quantum Man. A being who defies logic! He can fly…that is physically impossible for humanoids due to our bone structure AND HE DOESN’T EVEN HAVE WINGS! It’s like a god decided to visit our planet. Everything is pointless due to him! He saved a school bus from plunging into a ravine…thirty six people SHOULD be dead! He has changed their destiny…he has changed mine! I am going to find out what makes him tick! HOW? HOW IS HE POSSIBLE!???

27th of May, 2006: It seems Quantum Man’s appearance has opened the flood gates. Have I gone mad…would I be able to ask that question if I was? Some THING called Battle Man now haunts New Amsterdam! A woman claiming to be from a fairy tale and carrying a battle axe has also….DID I DIE? IS THIS EVEN REAL? NONE OF THIS MAKES SENSE!

3 rd of June, 2006: I have built a device which is essentially a mini hydrogen bomb. I am going to detonate it under Hunter City, Quantum Man’s designated home, causing the tectonic plates to shift sending liquid hot magma up and the city down into the mantle. It will also help my data on Quantum Man. People will die…people often die in the name of science!

5 th July, 2006: Prison! I have been incarcerated due to my attempt to level Hunter City! Idiots! No prison can hold me long…the game is afoot oh man of quantum. The press have dubbed me Doctor Volcano…very droll, must put Louise Lane upon my ever expanding list of people to kill!

30 th of October 2006: How does one not die after being shot in the eye with a plutonium core bullet! WHAT ARE YOU????

19 th of August 2007: He loves that Louise! Feisty, headstrong, pleasing to look at…She may be the lynch pin. My time in prison will allow me more time to plot. Have heard amongst the rabble of someone called Top Speed.

2 ND of January 2008: Putting the final touches on my purple spectrum cannon, if my theory is correct the wave length should hurt, if not kill Quantum Man with enough exposure!

16 TH of June 2008: You won AGAIN!

10TH of August 2008: I have just met a very interesting brute called Burden. He claims he snapped Battle Man’s neck in single combat. He is not just a thug, but a scholar…violent temper and convicted rapist as well. Perfect addition to Icon.

12 TH of September 2008: QUANTUM MAN FLEW AROUND THE PLANET AND REVERSED TIME!!!! THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE! IT DEFIES LOGIC! TIME DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY! THE SMUG BASTARD TOLD ME THAT AS I PREPARED TO FIRE MY EARTHQUAKE MACHINE! NOTHING SEEMS TO WORK AGAINST THIS, THIS THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD!!!! TURNING THE PLANETS SPIN….AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

2 ND of June, 2009: I have been locked up in a Chinese prison due to my latest scheme of trying to drown half the country. Some fascinating people in here; intellectuals, artists, very few criminals though. I have been chatting about the commonalities between this burgeoning scientific theory called Spider Web theory and Buddhism; the two almost work hand in hand. And it makes my mind race at the possibilities if even half of Spider Web theory is true.

3 RD of July, 2009: Seems Quantum Man and his lackey Kid Quantum have had a falling out…couldn’t be happier! Anyways there seems to be at least eleven other dimensions beyond the four dimensions we perceive! Amazing!

So every possibility is possible! Whilst I write this down, another me somewhere else is not writing this down while another is left handed. Every decision begins to flow in the idea that if I went right instead of left how would things change, would things change…but since I am not the only one in that system what would a world like mine look like. Fascinating!

17 th October, 2009: I am almost relieved when Quantum Man catches me stealing the picture of the Man With The Pearl Earring by Johanna Vermeers. I seem to need the hum of a prison to stimulate my plans of revenge and reward! I tell Quantum Man of my theory which he dismisses! I break my hand punching him in the face for such disrespect! WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?!!?

7 TH of January, 2010: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!

8 TH of January, 2010: Some interstellar thing named Ragnarok, has killed…

9 TH of January, 2010: Quantum Man is dead!

-6 years (2007) When Crock refuses to eliminate a target for ethical reasons his employers attempt to kill him. He executes each of his employers and decides to assign his own targets and follows a strict moral code when hunting. From then on he is known as the Gamesman.

New vigilantes Black Quiver and Sonicboom appear in Sun City.

For the six months after the Yin-Yang incident, Bryce Wynne has quit being Battle Man. As a result, Karl Vogel takes over Truth’s territory becoming the Don of Amsterdam.

Young hacker Tom Jacobs uses his skills to give the money back to the victims. Vogel’s men manage to trace the IP to the Jacobs’ household and send hit men to “take care” of the problem. A reluctant Battle Man intervenes in time to save the boy which leads to Tom becoming Battle Man’s sidekick Boy Wonder

In the later months, rumours of Battle Man and Boy Wonder reach national fame.

Stories about a speeding super villain in Middlesburg surface, believed to be called Top Speed.

A domestic terrorist cell emerges in New Amsterdam. Little is known about them other than that they are called the Laugh Riot. Laugh Riot’s first act of terror occurred when they bombed seven of the largest police precincts, causing mass casualties that nearly wiped out half of New Amsterdam’s police force with a toxic chemical called Bliss.

Battle Man and Boy Wonder cultivate an antidote to Bliss. Laugh Riot leaked a broadcast informing that Lunatic, the Riot’s leader had seized hostages at Wynne Tower and would kill a person for every half hour that the Battle Man had remained masked.

Battle Man defeats Laugh Riot and Lunatic, revealed to be Luna C Truth, though Boy Wonder is nearly killed and loses and arm in the fight. Lunatic is sent to The Amadeus Asylum For The Mentally Unwell.

-5 years (2008) Burden escapes from St Acsirp and begins his long trek to New Amsterdam

Lance Tyler runs for mayor of Eminence on the promise that he can reduce Eminence’s crime wave.

Quantum Man flies around the Earth, reversing time to thwart Dr Volcano.

Detective Mace Gardner investigates a link between gang activity and Tylercorp. He is captured and executed by one of Eminence’s new gangs. After his brother’s death, rookie police cadet, Guy Gardner becomes determined to prove his brother’s case. In a fire fight with the gang responsible for his brother’s murder, Guy runs out of ammo, but continues to fight the gang. Before he is cornered he is selected by the Protectors of the Universe to be Sector 2814’s torchbearer; The Green Torch

Although Lance loses his main platform, he still wins the election through mass mind control during the televised mayoral debate.

The Green Torch finds more evidence linking Lance to the crimes and confronts him with the evidence. The new mayor simply laughs and dismisses the costumed hero. He also gloats of how he will outlaw vigilantism as soon as he is inaugurated.

At home Guy is attacked by his brainwashed family members and neighbours. Once he restrains him it is made clear that Lance Tyler knows the Torch’s identity. He takes the battle to Tyler in his mansion. After a decisive battle ensues Guy Gardner is able to knock Tyler unconscious, breaking his mind control over the people of Eminence. He is transported to Reve Le Belle and Tylercorp is dismantled to pay for the damages to Eminence. Lance Tyler invents the new identity Synapse.

Aurora Fiennes defeats her father and absorbs his Chaos magic. She becomes a respected Chaos Lord.

Archaeologist Kendra Neilson discovers the Cross of Destiny, an ancient relic of Nabu. The Lord of Order, Nabu chooses Kendra to become a champion of Order and trains her for the upcoming battle.

The Gamesman attempts to kill a target across Port Phillip Bay. The target is marine biologist who is protected by Hydro Master, who defeats the Gamesman in combat, and becomes David’s #1 target. He often calls the King of Atlantis his white whale.

Dr Volcano joins a short lived villain group along with Top Speed and Shiv.

-4 years (2009) Aurora allies with other Lords of Chaos to conquer the universe; she leads an army of dead Panumbrans to invade the Amazon’s homeland, Utopolis. The Amazons fought bravely, but they were outmatched by the undead army.

Princess Thunder joined the frontlines to turn the tide of the battle. The other Chaos Lords intervene as Diane finishes the undead generals and Aurora kills the Queen of the Amazons.

Destiny arrives in time to battle the Chaos Lords. Diane battles Aurora. Destiny defeats the other Lords. Aurora uses this opportunity to absorb their magic. She merges with her familiar Mar to take her Horigal form. Though, Diane is nearly killed by Aurora, Destiny interferes. Together Destiny and Princess Thunder defeat Aurora and lock her away in Panumbra with the remainder of her undead army.

After a full year, Battle Man and Wonderboy, complete with new cybernetic arm, are at the top of their game.

Burden appears in New Amsterdam to challenge Battle Man. In the fight he breaks Battle man’s neck. He and his army of soldiers take New Amsterdam and threaten to use warheads if the government attempts to reclaim New Amsterdam. The government declares New Amsterdam to be in a state of emergency. Battle Man is shipped to St Acsirp.

Battle Man Files: B001-2009

Burden: Real name unknown. No matches upon fingerprint databases

Description: Male, late twenties, tan skin (possibly Sanskrit or Pakistani half-caste?), 6ft 8, roughly, 300-350lbs

He is one of the most dangerous foes I have ever encountered. I have been hit, kicked, shot in the past. Burden nearly killed me!

He appeared like a sick copy of myself, my dark half. And I am lucky to be alive! He snapped my neck (C6-7) millimetres either side would’ve severed my spinal cord and rendered me permanently a quadriplegic.

Burden took over my city, my home. He sent me to his home, the island of St Acsirp in the Bay of Bengal, to live the horror life he had whilst he and his army ransacked New Amsterdam.

I spent 26 weeks recovering, healing and getting back to basic mobility, so severe was the damage inflicted. But I returned to take by my crippled city that held the US to ransom, like a no-man’s land for nearly a year.

But thanks to Burden’s attack, the American League of Justice was formed. I am loathe to admit it but I need them from time to time.

He is now a resident of The Amadeus Asylum For The Mentally Unwell

After growing attacks from super villains across the nation, the President asks Quantum Man to form a team. Wonderboy sneaks out to inform the Quantum Man of the crisis.

After several weeks, Wonderboy returns to with Black Quiver and Sonicboom. Burden fights the strike team to a stalemate before a recovered Battle Man appears, who defeats Burden and disables the warhead, allowing the rest of the team to finish off Burden’s army. Burden is locked away in Amadeus’ solitary confinement.

The American League of Justice is formed

Dr Volcano imprisoned in China learns about Spider Web Theory

Quantum Man and Kid Quantum have a falling out

-3 years (2010) Synapse manages to deactivate his collar in Reve Le Belle. After hearing of Burden’s defeat he concludes that no villain can defeat the ALJ by themselves.

Battle Man Files: B002-2010

Burden has escaped from Amadeus, along and The Puzzler. Burden was bad enough but to team up with the Edmund Nygmar (cross reference PP001 Puzzler note) could put a bullet in this city that has suffered so much.

Synapse contacts Doctor Volcano and informs him of an abandoned lab where Desmond can work while maintaining a low profile. Using the Spider Web theory, Desmond makes a prototype machine that can per into other dimensions. Cano upgrades the device tests the prototype and is sent to Panumbra.

Upon reaching Aurora’s kingdom, the Chaos Lord demands the Doctor to explain his intrusion who baffles them with science, he equally impressed with their magic. Synapse contacts Aurora and persuades her to join their forces.

After weeks of psychic communication with the recruited members, Icon is official formed.

Wasserhell, 30 miles south of New Amsterdam

Aurora arrived with the Gamesman at the abandoned warehouse. Most of Wasserhell was abandoned. It was where things that were too dirty for New Amsterdam came to die. They’d both been psychically contacted by Synapse about a partnership and after weeks of telepathic talk it was time for face to face.

Inside in a lower basement, the witchgirl and the hunter approached a round table with several of the world's most infamous villains. To the close left sat the sinister speedster Top Speed, beside him sat the psycho clown, Luna C. Truth who was made infamous in New Amsterdam by her alias, Lunatic; across from her sat none other than the man who broke Battle Man, Burden; and to the close right sat the only person that Crock had recognized, another killer codenamed Shiv.

As the Gamesman and Aurora took their seats at the table David noticed that there were still two unfilled seats. The sorceress called for her pet, a Norfolk Terrier she had named Mar. She cradled the small dog into her arms and gently patted its head. Shiv casually shifted her vision, almost as if she was calculating the ways she could kill or evade her neighbouring associates. Top Speed continued to recklessly fidget; it was clearly that the young man's power had turned waiting for even the smallest period of time into a hassle. He took a pair of modified handcuffs out of his orange jumpsuit and flicked them back and forth between his hands. The speed of his movements quickly melted the metal into an ingot which he quickly shaped into a miniature statue of himself.

Lunatic stared at Burden and opened up a bloody straight razor. She slowly rolled her tongue along the blade, emphasizing explicitly crude behaviour. Burden stared briefly at the clown then returned his eyes to the vacant seats. In boredom Luna collapsed her blade and began to empty her pockets on the table, when she finished nearly a dozen small weapons rested before her. She tossed each razor, chain, shank, and knife into the air and began juggling. Most of the villains turned their attention to the serrated circle of death which rotated above them, but Burden continued to focus on the seats. With her finale, she let each of the sharp tools fall into the centre of the table, together they landed in the form of a cursive capital L

"Why thank you!" Lunatic said as she bowed for the imaginary applause.

"You're welcome!" A familiar voice echoed near the front of the room. Two men emerged from a door atop of the staircase adjacent to the table. The first was a tall, handsome man in an expensive suit, beside him was a balding gentleman in a white lab coat.

Lunatic squinted closely before she recognized the young man's face, "Well juggle my balls and call me Bozo! How's it goin' Cuz!?"

The other members furrowed their brows in disbelief. "You both materialized from similar genetic materials?" The scientist inquired.

"We have more important matters to discuss. I apologize for the wait but all great things take time. I am Synapse, and the colleague beside me is Doctor Volcano. Some of you might be wondering why you are here, others may already know. I’ve assemble this group so that we may combine our forces against the American League of Justice.”

“Um…No thanks!” said Top Speed “I didn’t get yanked out of jail just to get sent back in.”

“You can run as fast as you want Mr. Berry but you’ll truly never be free, none of us will.” The Doctor asserted. “Though we have all escaped our cells, we still remain prisoners to this world. These so called heroes will always thwart or goals if we don’t deal with them together.”

“There is no reason for me to serve you. I needed no help in crushing Battle Man. I’ve already done it alone once and I can do it again!” stated Burden as he folded his arms

Synapse rolled his eyes in objection. “You of all people should know that we can no longer prosper by ourselves. Even if we defeat our arch-nemeses, there is still an entire league to deal with. I’m not asking you to follow us; I’m just pointing out that we can be even more effective if we pull our resources together against the ALJ.”

“I’d rather die than work with this animal!” The Gamesmen snarled at Shiv.

“Oh trust me gameboy, that could be easily arranged!” Shiv retorted as she scooped up one of Luna’s knives from the table.

“Enough! Bickering!” Aurora screamed as the air rippled with magic. “The hostility makes Mar feel tense.” She began petting the canine’s fur and it licked her chin. “Good boy!” She teased.

“I’m supposed to be the only crazy one here!” Lunatic snarled. Mar growled at Luna but Luna growled back even louder.

Synapse cleared his throat. “Aurora makes a good point. There is no reason to let one petty rivalry distract us from the true threat that the League represents. Once we defeat them we can finally become the Icons that world has been waiting for.”

“Icons eh? I like the sound of that!” grinned Top Speed

“No fair!” said Lunatic. “I wanted to pick the name. We could be the All Smiles Society.

“No!” said Dr Volcano as he checked his notebook

“There is no way am I going to be in a group called ASS!” Top Speed rebutted.

“Aw, C’mon, you know…most people would kill to be in my…”

“Analogies aside I think we stick with Icons.” Doctor Volcano interjected raising an eyebrow at the young lady.

“The name isn’t important!” Burden growled

“But building a strategy is!” said Synapse “If we have any chance against the ALJ we must first stop Quantum Man.”

“Glad to see that we’re on the same page.” Doctor Volcano said.

Dr Volcano has break down after learning Quantum Man was killed by the alien beast Ragnarok, gets worse when Quantum Man, now calling himself just Quantum, returns from the dead later in the year.

-2 years (2011) Dr Volcano synthesizes a new drug for Burden called “Havoc” that grants him superhuman strength, speed, and durability. They send Burden, Synapse and new member Shiv to capture Kid Quantum.

Synapse uses his power to effectively wipe Kid Quantum’s mind as Dr Volcano experiments on him, reprogramming him to become a super villain named Monarch.

Monarch viciously attacks his former mentor; Quantum is forced to lobotomize his former companion, effectively paralysing Monarch. As he stood over his fallen sidekick’s body, Quantum noticed a glowing from the core of Monarch’s suit. Doctor Volcano’s voice via Synapse’s telepathy rang through his ears, gloating how he was finally victorious, the suit contained nuclear warhead infused with Mythrodite, a substance lethal to Quantum. Quantum sacrifices himself to save Hunter City.

After Synapse reveals their secret identities, Lunatic and Shiv torture Black Quiver aka Fagin Queen and Sonicboom aka Deena Lanz on “a girls’ night out”, forming a unique friendship. Luna agrees to become Shiv’s pupil in martial arts so long as she is occasionally allowed to give Shiv makeovers.

“Does it matter?” growled Shiv as she stabbed the blade into Lunatic’s arm, making the clown girl scream “And why do you want to know?”

“Jebus Christy!” screeched Lunatic “You said we were sparring, not playing slashy slashy stab stab!”

“I am sparring, you’re just rubbish!” scoffed Shiv as she flicked the blade clean “If you manage to tag me, I’ll answer your questions, okay?”

Lunatic’s eyes lit up “Really? Aww Shivy-wivy you’ve made me the happiest girl in the room!” With a quick flick she threw a palmed knife at the assassin’s head. Shiv caught the blade with a clap, millimetres from her eyeball.

“Close Luna, but no…” Shiv stopped as she watched Lunatic pull a semi automatic pistol from her belt “Don’t!”

“You said we sparring,” grinned Luna “And you also said I was rubbish. Well this is how rubbish fights. We cheat!” She pulled the trigger. BLAM! Shiv ducked and rolled, running across the room, knife wedged between her teeth.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Shiv tumbled up and off the wall, flipping around so Luna couldn’t get a bead on her. In a dazzling display of gymnastics Shiv back flipped over Lunatic and landed behind her, knife pressed to her pale throat.

“You’re dead!” snarled Shiv as the knife cracked the skin.

“You first!” giggled Luna as she put the gun to her collarbone and pulled the trigger BLAM! The bullet rocketed through her and into the startled Shiv.

“Tag…you’re it!” moaned Lunatic as she collapsed on the ground. Shiv looked at the bullet graze to her own shoulder. She walked over to the intercom.

“Dr Volcano, I need you in the sick bay”

**

“That’s insane!” cried Luna from her bed, the blood soaked bandage prepared by Dr Volcano doing its job. “Really?”

“Unfortunately, yes” said Shiv as she looked around the room.

“You, were a Girl Scout!”

“You tell anyone and I’ll cut your tongue out and choke you with it, okay!” snapped Shiv pointing at her.

Lunatic crossed her chest “Scouts honour he he he!”

Shiv exhaled in frustration “This is why I don’t tell anyone anything! It’s easier that way. No mess, no fuss. You pay me; I kill the target, the end. But you want to be my friend, you idiot!”

Lunatic hopped out of bed and skipped over to her, gently pecking her on the cheek “I’ll show you my cookies, if you show me yours”

Shiv glared at Luna before pushing her face away and storming off.

“Don’t be late tonight, Snappy-McSynapse is telling us what Black Quivers real name is!” called Luna followed by a cackle of laughter that seemed to chase Shiv up the corridor.

Top Speed is freed from prison and sent on a cross-country thieving spree to gather materials for Cano’s projects. Monarch is rebuilt

-1 year (2012) With help from Aurora, the Gamesman finally catches his white whale Hydro Master. Once Hydro Master is killed, the Gamesman collects his head to mount on the wall of the Icon’s secret lair. Lunatic painted a smile on the head and admits to occasionally using it as a dartboard when she’s bored.

Quantum returns again from the dead and captures Icon except for Aurora in a display of raw power that scares them. All are imprisoned across various sites.

Battle Man Files: B003-2010

Burden back in custody, along with members of Icon (cross reference IP001 Icon notes) Generous funding sent to upgrade the facilities at Amadeus.

After laying low for nearly eight months, Aurora helps them escape and Doctor Volcano finally perfects his machine and transports the Icons to a new universe.

Present (2013) …… Earth 198550: New Amsterdam, The Amadeus Asylum For the Mentally Unwell

Six weeks ago

The clownish young lady puffed merrily away on a marijuana joint, blowing smoke rings before putting it put in her palm, the skin slightly sizzling.

"It's a tough job to make the world smile, but somebody has to do it. Life is such a joke but no one else seems to get the punch line. We're born in one moment only to die in another. We are only smart enough to learn that they'll never know everything, and for every answer that we find leads to even bigger questions. So many people live out their existence in sorrow, chasing a dream that teeters of the edge of reality. They don't appreciate the things that they have until the very moment they learn that they've lost it, and like a disappointed child they cry. It's so funny yet so sad, but that's exactly why we need to smile." She claimed

"A touching philosophy Ms. Truth, but how does terrorism help the world smile?" Dr. Harleen Quinn asked as she sat opposite writing notes.

The clown girl scoffed "Tomato tamato, Quinnie! It's all semantics. Some antics…funny! Anyways, where you see terrorism, I see liberation! I'm freeing the average Joe from the cage you eggheads call the social contract. Sure the victims' families get all butt hurt, but once they realize that they're not controlled by their fear or their sadness, that's when the truly get the joke. Everyone wants to smile, even if they don't realize it yet."

Dr Quinn grinned at the girl hardly even in her twenties, then scowled in disgust as she made another note "You truly are a Lunatic!"

"Gee Doc, that really hurts, but you'd be surprised how many of us are out there. I bet somewhere outside those walls there are a few little girl putting on a wig and a squeaky noses wishing they could be more like me. How many girls do you think lie there stuffed animals on the sofa and ask them what they think of the inkblots?"

"We're done here." She rose from the table and began to walk away.

"Awe, don't be that way." Luna giggled. "You didn't even ask me about my mommy!"

Harleen tapped on the metal door, slightly nervous as the giggle turned into full blown rapturous laughter.

**

Dr Quinn walked down Broadway, escorted by two armed guards. It wasn’t the official name for Ward F but since most of the costumed felons ended up here, it was what the guards had nicknamed it. Lepidoptera aka Drury Walker, Mistress Freeze aka Nora Freiz, Man-Cat aka Blake Thomas, Doctor of Pigs aka Lazlo Valentino

So many broken people, she felt sad for them. Especially for Luna C Truth; so young, so damaged. She was another girl with a Battle Man fixation and homicidal tendencies, plus trust issues and several other mental problems. But here at the Amadeus Asylum, through drugs, therapy and time, she like the others could be brought back to societal version of normal.

Harleen glanced at her watch. It was nearly five, time for lockdown. She headed back to her office.

Four weeks ago

“My name is Burden.” he stated from the restraint cage

Dr Harleen Quinn raised an eyebrow above her glasses as she tapped the pen to her lips “That’s not a name. Your birth name?”

“I was born with the name Burden”

She uncapped the pen and scribbled some notes “So tell me about your mother?”

The big man in the double straitjacket, face muzzle and chains sighed “My mother was a whore. My father liked whores. That was my family life.”

“There is more to that?” she said knowingly.

“You want my origin story? How I came to be nemesis of Battle Man?” he smiled beneath the mask “No, I think not young lady. Send me back to my other cage please.”

“This is a court appointed session,” she retorted as she scribbled some more notes.

Burden banged his head backwards “Please, send me back to my other cage!”

“In here, at this time, I am in charge!” she said slapping her pen onto the table. “You don’t get to dictate terms.”

His cold blue eyes locked onto hers “If you do not send me back to my other cage, I will step out of these restraints and do violent, horrific things to you!”

“You’re locked in…”

“And you’re locked in here with me!” he said as there was a sickening pop as his left shoulder, followed by the right cracked out of their sockets, the jacket falling away along with the chains. The young doctor opened her mouth to scream but the face muzzle flew across the room hitting her in the throat sending her to the ground.

“I warned you!” he said as he crossed the room. The young doctor claws her way towards the door and the panic button as Burden stalked her. “But you didn’t listen!”

“P-please!” she whimpered hoarsely.

Burden smiled as he crouched down “Now, who is in charge?”

**

New Amsterdam, Police Headquarters

Battle Man crouched on the rail glaring at Commissioner Maggie Sawyer who turned and jumped at his presence. “Seriously! One day I am going to have a heart attack with all your sneaking up on me!”

“Your heart rate is elevated, but nowhere near cardiac arrest.” growled the man in the black suit “You called?”

“Burden escaped” said Sawyer as she lit up a joint and took a puff.

“Is there a revolving door on that asylum!” snapped Battle Man.

“If you put some real bullets in your guns…” moaned Sawyer as she exhaled “Rubber bullets hurt but a lead one would honestly make my life and probably yours a damn sight easier!”

“Anyone hurt?”

“He raped and tortured the prison shrink on his way out,” she flipped through a notepad “A Doctor Harleen Quinn, only twenty four. Poor thing.” She stared at the vigilante through her own personal haze.

“Marijuana is the leading cause of schizophrenia Commissioner!” stated Battle Man as he blended away into the night like he was part of it.

Maggie stared out into the night and shook her head in disgust before slowly clicking off the Battle Signal.

**

Two weeks ago, Hunter City, New Troy Penitentiary

Dr Volcano sat at his table alone, quietly holding a banana over a candle while several piles of salt and pepper littered the table.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Volcano looked up at the guard in powered armour rapping his nightstick on the table. He smiled “Yes officer?”

“What are you doing?”

“Science” and went back to work.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Volcano sighed and looked up “Yes?”

“Put it out”

Dr Volcano glared at the guard and calmly blew the candle out “Happy?”

“You’re up to something!” stated the guard “You’re always up to something!”

“Me?” Dr Volcano faux blushed “You’re a clever one! Caught me red handed. Out foxed by the canny Officer Dibble!”

“It’s Captain Dibble.” corrected the guard pointing to his name badge.

“My apologies…Captain. But as lovely as this exchange was could you go away now, as I will return to heating my bananas”

“You tell me why and we’ll see”

Dr Volcano groaned, thumped his head on the table and stood up “How about I show you, it’s easier! Please pay attention, as one I know you’re slow and two it’s very exciting! I’ve been heating the bananas to extract potassium,” He grabbed a paper plate and rolled it into a tube “Now these piles of salt, are not actually salt. I must confess I’ve been smuggling in saltpetre which is full of nitrate.”

Several inmates gathered around at the animated show going on as Dr Volcano picked up a spoon and placed it into the tube and scraped the saltpetre into it “Nitrates are good for the body, good for the mind, just like bananas. But mixed with potassium they form the chemical compound known as NKHO3,” He scraped the potassium into it “Which was also the name of boy band from the eighties, remember?”

“Yeah…” Dibble looked at him suspiciously.

“Now I have a tube, a spoon and NKHO3, the compound not the band,” Dr Volcano looked around “Though Jamie Kelly may be over in D Block!” The gathering crowd chuckled at the joke “By the way, what was their first album called? Anyone? For a packet of marijuana?”

“Gunpowder!” came a slightly embarrassed voice from the back.

Dr Volcano smiled as he struck a match “Precisely!” The tube exploded, sending the spoon flying out and right through Dibble’s eye, killing him instantly.

“Feel free to riot!” declared Dr Volcano as he grabbed Dibble’s keys and headed for the door. “But I have somewhere else to be!”

**

Quantum landed next to Warden Waller and shook his hand “I came as fast as I could. I was saving a sinking oil tanker from breaking up.”

“Dr Volcano escaped again!” said Waller “Homemade explosive device which killed a guard and then he escape during the subsequent riot”

Quantum sniffed the air and screwed his face up as he looked around “Cayenne pepper”

“The rioters were throwing bags of the stuff around”

“It’s Desmond covering his scent” said Quantum “Should’ve expected that from an evil genius”

“First Burden, now Dr Volcano” said Waller “They say things come in fours”

Quantum nodded “I think I may need some help on this. Excuse me Warden” and with that he was up, up and way.

**

The Guard Tower, Headquarters of the American League of Justice

“Every member of Icon who was incarcerated has broken out within the last six weeks!” stated Battle Man “Burden, Dr Volcano, Lunatic, Top Speed and Synapse”

“Are we really that worried?” asked Black Quiver as he picked his teeth with an arrow, feet up on the table like he was at a resort “It is just Icon!”

Battle Man stared at what he regarded as a poor man’s version of himself, his fingers pressing hard against the table to stop himself from knocking the stupid out of him “Three people are dead!”

Princess Thunder flipped Black Quiver’s feet off the table, upending him on the floor “I believe Fagin meant, that previously Icon has always been on the lower side of the threat level.” She extended a hand to help him up ‘Wasn’t that right Fagin?”

“Yeah, what she said” he tapped the hand away and stood on his own.

“Dr Volcano on the loose means I have to watch my back” said Quantum as he entered the room “He’s fixated on testing me, trying to hurt me.”

AWOOOOGAHHHH! AWOOOOGAHHHH!

“Computer?” barked Battle Man.

“A giant starfish creature has entered the Earth’s atmosphere, heading towards Hunter City”

The American League of Justice were up and off in an instant to deal with the threat.

**

Battle Man Files: B004-2010

Burden broke out of Amadeus, raping a young doctor in the process. He makes my stomach turn. Also all incarcerated members of Icon broken out within the last six weeks. Something is going on?

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#2  Edited By batkevin74

And so it begins!

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#3  Edited By dngn4774
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#4  Edited By batkevin74
No Caption Provided

This is Burden!

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#5  Edited By dngn4774
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Hopefully some other than us will read this @dngn4774

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#7  Edited By batkevin74
No Caption Provided

Nanananananananana-Battle Man!

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@dngn4774:

Wow! You've got an entire universe here! Some interesting turns and changes and originality (I don't know/nor can pick a DC Synapse unless he's Psimon or a White Martian) and some droll like Green Torch but using Guy Gardner is a nice twist.

Quite brutal your treatment of Dr Quinn, but a very thought out timeline that echoes pre-52

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@4donkeyjohnson: Synapse is actually based off of two Superman characters, imagine Manchester Black's power set combined with Lex Luthor's ego. I also envision his villain costume to be a green and gold version of Ozymandias' costume from the Watchmen.

@batkevin74: They like us, they really like us! If i was employed I might've just quit my dayjob.

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@dngn4774 said:
If i was employed I might've just quit my dayjob.

Let's not get too far ahead of ones self just yet! :)

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No Caption Provided

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Okay @tommythehitman and @cbishop that'll do for now, hoping you two could cast a discerning eye over this and tell us what you think, when you get a chance. Thanks in advance

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#14  Edited By cbishop

@batkevin74: If I can get one of the computer stations with Internet at work, I'll look at it tonight.

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@batkevin74: But FRICK that thing was gawd awful long! ...But a decent alternate universe version of the DCU. Although if you're going to put that much trouble into renaming the characters, even though they're recognizable, I'd have gone with making this original fiction. Change Green Torch's power to some other color (although that's [intentionally] harder to now, with the Rainbow Corps).

BTW, In Dr. V's journal, you called Doomsday "Judgment," and later called him "Ragnarok."

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@cbishop: I created Green Torch (didn't want to change the color exactly because of the emotion spectrum).

Crap, I caught that before but I forgot to change it. Editing now.

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#17  Edited By cbishop

@dngn4774: Hence the "Rainbow Corps" comment...I really hate that.

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@cbishop: The idea is not bad in theory, it just gets muddled with sub par writing. I personally would have liked all of the corps' to have the same lantern powers across the board but that wouldn't allow for much distinction.

I guess I'm getting a little off topic. Was their any character that interested you in particular?

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@dngn4774: Now that I've had a couple hours to get home from work and get over the novelty of the characters having different names, not really. With the picture offered of what Battle Man looks like (who is that really btw?) that makes him a little more interesting. The most interesting things to me were the minor variations on names. Louise Lane, Black Quiver, Sonicboom, Battle Man, etc.

My problem with this is what holds me back in fan-fic to begin with: This is a very interesting exercise (otherwise, why would we do fan-fic at all?) but I dunno... it's almost too much work to reinvent characters to this degree, and not cross the line to original fiction. It's fun to read it and figure out that Battle Man = Batman; Black Quiver = Green Arrow; Sonicboom = Black Canary; Shiv = Lady Shiva, etc., but ultimately, it's a little bit frustrating. You've got to skirt this line of hitting some familiar beats (like flying around the world to reverse time- awesome) so it remains fan-fic, but be original enough to make people want to still read it. If it gets too original, it stops being an Elseworlds-y tale of Superman, Batman and company, and if it's not original enough, then the reader is going to wonder why they're not just reading their pile of comics, instead of fan-fic.

As a reader, I find it frustrating that these characters can only meet but so much of their potential, so the story will only be but so fulfilling. As a writer, I get stymied by how far do I go to be entertaining- i.e. just original enough to keep readers around- without putting out really cool ideas that I should have saved for original fiction? Ultimately, I have kind of come to the conclusion that if I've come up with some epic original idea for a character that is based off of a DC/Marvel character, then I should probably just write it for the DC/Marvel character in question, and let readers and history decide if it stands out among the rest of the stories for those same characters...and hope even better original ideas present themselves.

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#20  Edited By batkevin74

@cbishop:

The pic is Batman in the Outsider suit he invented with some Word Paint tweaks :)

It was a deliberate choice on our part to create this alternate universe. Basically this is an echo of New Earth or whatever they're calling current DC continuity but done back in the days of when the had alternate "Earth's", back when it was fun & also a bit stupid having adventures on other earths with slightly different super heroes.

We could've gone original, but then nobody reads it (ahem @tommythehitman ) but this tweaked universe does have a plan! We have a plan don't we @dngn4774 ??? :)

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@batkevin74: Of course there's a plan! That's just what goes through my head when it comes to fan-fic.

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@cbishop: I stand by these choices because fan fic is far more complex than how you generalized it to be. These don't have to be A or B decisions (A= keep names, B= complete original story) and no great character should every fall into a single particular category (for that is the definition of one dimensional). I want my characters to be incorporated into the DC universe without being engulfed by it. Each of them are individuals with more layers than typical superheroes and villains, and if there is any place for them to thrive it is in an alternate universe.

Your conclusion would actually hinder this story because it would limit the potential of our characters. Burden is more than an elseworld Bane, just as Shiv is more than Lady Shiva, as Lunatic is more than a different version of the Joker, these are original characters that we would like to see interact with other DC characters. Hopefully if you view our upcoming first chapter, we could change your mind.

@batkevin74: We're more of the type of writers who jump off cliffs and build our parachutes on the way down...aren't we?

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#23  Edited By batkevin74

Casual bumps

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@dngn4774: I think we work out where we go next with this. It was a good concept but we kinda let it drift away

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@batkevin74: We can get back to this on Friday if you want.

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#26  Edited By batkevin74

@dngn4774: We should, we put a lot of effort in

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@batkevin74: I'll have to check the pm and backtrack from there. I'm really ticked off because I just lost my USB drive today and it had all of my fan fic files. >_<

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#29  Edited By dngn4774

@batkevin74: Yeah...I have an outdated back up of EARTH 4774 on my desktop, but all of my original works (Ulfberht, SWGOT, a Game of thrones project, a DC Mayhem oneshot, and Icons) got wiped out.

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#31  Edited By batkevin74

Bumped

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Bumped