Universes, Comics and Podcasts! Oh My!

Last week I was invited by Walt Robillard (or Hazard Studio) to play in a game of Supers! The Comic Book RPG for the BAMF Podcast. Joined by Mike Lafferty and Ade Smith, we were part of the Battle Action Meta Force (or BAMF for short).

My character, Fortune, was a Probability Manipulating agent that used batons and acrobatics to battle the bad guy. You can see his stats for Supers! below, or check out the blog to download the episode and the other characters as well. 

This was my first time playing Supers! and I'm positive it won't be my last. The game was just part of a successful Kickstarter and is a blast to play. If you like your superhero games fast and fun, then it's definitely the game for you!

First, let me apologize for not getting this blogged on Sunday, as my original intention was to get some fun Tribute Universe stuff out to my readers this weekend. That said, I'm glad I waited till comic book day, as I'd like to talk about Mutants, or, as we call them in the TU, Gene-Actives. I have an on-again/off-again love affair with Marvel's X-Men. I started seriously collecting the title somewhere around Uncanny X-Men #165 and dug into back issue bins to grab any previous issues that I didn't have. And, while I dumped my collecting back around when the first movie hit (a move I'm still kicking myself for), I got back into them around the House of M miniseries and have been getting issues here and there. 
That said, it shouldn't come to any surprise that I wanted to establish my own take on the next evolution of mankind, but I also didn't want a carbon copy of what had come before. Thus came the concept of Gene-Actives, which are mainly influenced by the X-Men flavored Mutants, as well as Wild Cards and the legacy characters found in DC Comics' Infinity, Inc.
In the Tribute Universe, gene-actives are separated into three categories:
• Gene-Positives (or Gen+): Like most of the superheroes in comics, Gen+ individuals look basically like humans with powers. There's little difference between humans with powers and a Gen+ character.
• Gene-Negatives (or Gen-): Unlike the others, Gen- characters stand out in a crowd. This could be due to a physical mutation that's very apparent or an aura about them that draws attention. Being Gen- doesn't mean the character is ugly or deformed in some way, in fact there are some that are quite attractive or share traits with trusted mythological beings. The term "Gen-" infers that the character stands out a bit more and can cause more of a reaction if noticed.
• Gene-Zeroes (or Gen0): Different from their cousins, a Gen0 is someone with relatively minor powers, with some bordering on useless. That guy who can heat bread as his main power? Probably a Gen0. The woman that can track by cologne? Gen0. The kid who can burrow two feet into the ground in seconds without a tool? Yup, Gen0. 
In game terms, all Gene-Actives have the following template:

Gene-Active [8 points]
STA +1
Advantages: Diehard

Powers: Enhanced Recovery: Regeneration 5 • 5 points
Complication: Prejudice (Gen-Active): Gene-Actives can be found using equipment that zeroes in on their unique genetic signature. Much like fingerprints, every gene-active has their own signature and some can be traced along their lineage.

Gen- characters have a more severe version of the Prejudice Complication, as they have to take great means as to not be noticed (especially when someone is hunting them). However, in the TU proper, gene-actives are starting to get more rights every day thanks to the Gene Equality Act that was passed in 2010. Before the act was passed, these characters were considered second-class citizens by most and were often subject to extreme prejudice in the media. Hector Helix, a Gen+ activist, started changing that in the late '90s when he founded the original Helix Foundation, a non-profit organization that took in gene-actives and gave them a safe house from the world. Existing to this day, the Helix Foundation has helped law makers create a safe environment for human and gene-active alilke. Because of these laws, it's become mandatory that superhero groups looking to get government funding must have a gene-active member in their roster. If a group applies and doesn't have one, they may contact the Helix Foundation for a list of suggested members in their area. 

Gene-Active, Helix Foundation and all other information on the Tribute Universe setting (including the name Tribute Universe) is deemed product identity and is © DT Butchino, 2013. Mutants & Masterminds, Third Edition is © Green Ronin Publishing.

 
This week, I grabbed Five Ghost #6, Infinity #5, Avengers #22, Nightwing Annual #1 (New52) and X-Men: Battle of the Atom #2. It's partially due to X-Men: BotA #2 that I posted info on Gene-Actives today, as the comic has been a fun ride for me. I enjoyed the ending and I'm really looking forward seeing where they go with it. 
For those that follow me on Facebook, you've heard this before but I'm saying it yet again: read Five Ghosts! Great comic with lots of pulp action and weird mysticism. If you're not reading it, you're missing out. 
Nightwing has always been a favorite character of mine and, while his status in the current DCU is a bit shaky, I kind of enjoyed the Annual. It wasn't the greatest story I'd read, but it was a fun read. 
I haven't had a chance to read Infinity or Avengers at this time, but I'll include my thoughts sometime this weekend.