Campaign created Saturday, May 31, 2008 04:38:01 PM by The Bunny

Not every supervillain lives in New York and not every Cosmic Threat hits the east coast, so SHIELD has created a new team: The West Coast Avengers!

This game ties in with the Avengers, Thunderbolts, and X-Men: The Next Generation games. This game is by invitation only. Please submit character concepts on the Avengers: The Next Generation thread found on the Hero forums.

Three people sat at the darkened table. "I think we're ready to begin," Colonel Pryde said, keying a command into her controls. "Everyone on this list has already been fully vetted. It's a..." she paused, searching for the right word. "An ecclectic bunch."

"But that's what we want," Henry Gyrich added, his gravelly voice in stark contrast to the Colonel's softer tones. "We're not interested in candidates for a Miss Congeniality contest. These are the people charged with defending the Earth against the likes of Galactus,"

"I thought that's what those guys on the Island were for?" the third attendee asked.

"There's an old proverb about putting your eggs in one basket. After the Grim Reaper incident, we realized we needed to spread out a bit more. Not every supervillain in the world lives in New York City." Gyrich tapped his pencil on the desk. "Shall I begin? This is our first candidate, Jade Widow. Definitely a heavy-hitter. Her father's company is headquartered nearby. She's been making noises privately about making the jump to the big leagues, I think she'll be an easy sell."

"She may be ready, but is the public? It's been 25 years, but I don't think anyone has forgotten about daddy dearest's alter ego."

"Oh, yes. She's pure Hollywood," Colonel Pryde said. "The press loves her, and the feeling is mutual. She's a good fit. Trust me."

"Fine. If you're convinced, I'm convinced. Who's next?" The holographic display flickered and the next candidate's image appeared. "Oh hell. Seriously, Aquatica? After that whole bruhaha last week? They're still trying to get the smell of seawater out of my building!"

"Namor promised us that it was a rogue element..." Gyrich started to say.

"That's what he says every time! Every! Time!"

"Nonetheless, it'll go a long way towards smoothing relations with Atlantis -- and possibly preventing future attacks," Gyrich continued, his voice betraying more than a hint of impatience.

"And we'll do well to not alienate a monarch who controls two thirds of the Earth's surface," Colonel Pryde added with a slight smile.

"Fine. The rest of your team had better be better than this. So far I'm not that impressed." The holographic image changed again. "Oh, now [u]him[/u] I like the looks of! Did one of Tony's boys finally decide to put on the armor?"

"Ah... no sir," Colonel Pryde glanced over at Gyrich, who was keeping a perfectly neutral expression on his face. "He calls himself Carbonite. The armor is a completely new design. His father... well, his father used to be the fixit man for the old team."

"Quite brilliant, really," Gyrich confirmed.

"So far you've shown me the daughter of the world's most infamous berserker, the daughter of a guy who's declared war on the U.S. more times than I've had hot breakfasts, and the son of the Avenger's mechanic? You had better be holding back the moneyshot or this experiment of yours will be over before it's begun!"

Colonel Pryde and Henry Gyrich shared a nervous look, and the holograph flickered again. There was a long moment of silence. "That's it? Tiger-boy, or whatever he's calling himself these days?"

"Tyger Fury," colonel Pryde corrected.

"Bengal, actually," Gyrich said. "He, uh, he changed it again. His qualifications are actually pretty impressive..."

"Being the World Wrestling Federation champion isn't a qualification for the Avengers!"

"Ultimate Fighting League, actually," Colonel Pryde corrected. Gyrich shot her a "you're not helping" glare and continued.

"Not only did he inherit his mother's strength and speed, we have reason to believe he also has the power to manipulate Cosmic Energy, just as his father did. He's the grandson of one of the most powerful beings in the universe," Colonel Pryde noted that Gyrich didn't mention Bengal's uncle, "And therefore his potential is virtually unlimited. Prime Avengers material."

"Cosmic Energy..." Pryde and Gyrich could see him mulling it over. "Well, that's a whole different animal. All right, I'm starting to like this one. Who else?"

"The last one, for now," Colonel Pryde said as the holograph changed.

"An Asgardian? That's good. That's very good. That's almost more impressive than the rest of them put together!" Silently, Colonel Pryde breathed a sigh of relief. "All right. I've got my doubts, but you've never been wrong before, Pryde." He pushed himself away from the table. "I expect good results from these West Coast Avengers of yours."

Colonel Pryde and Henry Peter Gyrich looked at each other. Pryde was smiling broadly. Gyrich was not breaking his 30 year track record of never smiling, but the Colonel could tell he was pleased nonetheless. "Call Simon," she told him. "We're going to need to get the compound ready."