BW/BM-3 Discussion

[Long Haul]

When developing DZ-3 characters, it helps to have an idea of what their original universe is like. As with regular Deadzone, these characters are all being pulled from realities that have certain set groups of characteristics, although the one thing that will be common to all the -3 realities is that they are AAEDAG (Autobots Are Evil, Decepticons Are Good) universes (or MAEPAG, or AAEPAG, or MAEVAG). Specific details can vary from universe to universe, though. Perhaps the Decepticons are a group of noble but desperate rebels in one reality, an established democracy in another, and a benevolent Empire in the third? Meanwhile, the Autobots might be the stereotypical Evil Empire in one place, a group of violent malcontents in a second reality, and a corrupt state run on profit at the expense of others elsewhere.

We don't really need too much detail. Just enough to get a springboard for the characters that come from them. After all, these are universes that we're never going to actually see. It's just a way to bounce around ideas while getting a feel for our alternates, and to have fun in the discussion besides.

The usual cliché when it comes to a "reverse-universe" type plot, based on my personal experiences of watching way too much television in the '80's and reading way too many comic books, is that the "reverse-universe" is always a much darker reflection of the original in order to leave the viewer or reader with a feeling of, "Boy, wouldn't it be suck if that were the normal fiction reality? Aren't you glad we write the series the way we do instead?" Often, interactions with the normal universe inspire changes in the better in the reverse universe, either by giving the beleaguered heroes of the reverse universe (the counterparts of the normal universe villains) a greater glimmer of hope, or by somehow inspiring the normal universe's evil counterparts to become better people. You know what, though? There's no reason we need to follow the cliche. Especially when we've got so many different realities to work with. Sure, I imagine some will be darker. Maybe some, however, will be brighter. Like normal Deadzone, we're looking at a mismatch here, but maybe, just maybe, while looking into the mirror, our normal characters can find something to inspire them rather than it always be the other way around. We've got a lot of stuff to play with, a lot of areas to explore.

As with normal Deadzone, there are only going to be set reality "groups" that get pulled from, and within that set, the only thing that changes is the pull-point for the various characters. Thus, all DZ-3s who come from G1 Cartoon-3 are going to come from pretty similar home realities, all the ones from the G1 Marvel-3 have similar homes, and so forth. The exact nature of each -3 home reality is being left up for discussion by the individual players who run characters in those realities and who are also participating in the DZ-3 plot itself.

This thread is for the discussion of what the BW/BM-3 universe is like, to be determined by those who run characters in from the normal BW/BM universe and who wish to participate in the plot in some way (even if it's just by running their normal characters).

Current characters from the BW/BM universe are: Blackarachnia, Rattrap, and Jetstorm.

[Starscream]

Hmm. Cybertron is an authoritarian state, with the Predacons as a lower caste - a slave race. A noble Predacon tires of his council's inability to instigate change, and thus decides to leave a resistance movement. He renames himself Megatron, hoping to inspire his troops with the name of their beloved ancestor. He acquired a golden disk which - I'll have to think about that one.

The Axalon was a shuttle with a prison transfer to a penal colony - they were carrying Predacon Protoforms. The ship was headed up by Optimus Primal, whose crew was going to settle a new prisoner colony before unloading the Predacons to mining energon. Megatron knew that if he could free these people that they more than others would be aware of the attrocities of the oppressive Maximals and would willingly take up arms against them. They wound up on Primitive earth. Dinobot, one of Megatron's trusted lietenants, revealed himself as a double-agent and was defeated, and the Maximals welcomed him back.

The Predacons struggle to regain every single Protoform they can, but the Maximals often beat them to the cell-like stasis pods. Installing shell programs that reformat them into loyal Maximals. Blackarachnia was one such prisoner that the Predacons freed. Blackarachnia is in every way a submissive. She feels that without someone to watch over her and tell her what to do, she can be overwhelmed with a feeling of being lost, without guidance. She knows that the Maximals are wrong, and is grateful to Megatron for freeing her. She looks to Megatron as a source of confidence. While this isn't a romantic attraction, it is a very intense one. Perhaps a little too intense for Megatron, who in an attempt to prompt Blackarachnia into a bit more independence, causes her to feel hurt and betrayed, and running into the arms of the first person who lets her do so - Silverbolt - and leads to her aligning herself with the Maximals, feeling she has nowhere else to go.

I'll await Jetstorm's thoughts as to how the BA/Silverbolt relationship should be handled, this is only a thought.

[Shanodin]

Botanica-3 is the Poison Ivy of the TFU. After being driven feral by Megatron’s purification virus, Primal succeeded in reformatting her a technorganic form, but her personality never quite reset from killer-plant mode. She’s still highly intelligent, but prone to snapping (literally) at even the smallest annoyance, and she can be quite cruel. She has heartily embraced her technorganic nature, and believes firmly that this form is the ultimate evolution of all Transformers. And she’s not above forcing that opinion on others. This, along with her violent temper means Botanica-3 spends most of her time skulking about in the forest around Autobase, occasionally visited by Perceptor-3, whom she educates on the uses of certain organic plant compounds in his work.

She also uses this time to familarize herself more with the local flora, and strengthening her bond to the planet. Botanica would, of course, never think of using her connection and control over the green to shape it into a weapon, except perhaps as a last resort. Botanica-3, sees doing so as the most effective way for the green to defend itself. And woe be unto those who damage her precious forest.

If Thrust and Jetstorm's players want to discuss BM-3 specifics, please LMK.

[Shortround]

Claw Jaw-3 isn't going to be appearing, but here's his stuff just in case

Claw Jaw-3 is a creature controlled by his robot mode completely. He finds it hard to utilise his beast mode to its fullest extent, and thus does not rely on it much. Unlike his alt-verse counterpart, Claw Jaw-3 is most deadly with solid ground beneath his feet, rather than swimming through the water

Claw Jaw-3's suction works better outside of water than for regular Claw Jaw, and he is capable of hanging off roofs to drop down on unsuspecting prey, but he prefers to instead use his robot form to fight

Claw Jaw-3 follows the simplest impulses of his robot form, and thus every one of his decisions is done because it is logical, rather than following some primal predatorial instinct

As for where he is, he's holding up the fort with the others

[Rattrap]

Somewhere along the way, Rattrap-3 took a turn Rattrap didn't and went sour. Maybe he never befriended Rhinox and therefore missed that important grounding influence in his life. Maybe he fell in with a worse crowd than usual. Whatever the case, Rattrap-3 is a sleaze through and through. A liar, a sneak, a cheat, a coward and a petty crook, he knows he's scum and he isn't the least bit ashamed of that fact. Far more likely to run from a fight and hide than help out, leaving the work to heavier guns. He still considers himself above Predacons, whom he thinks a substandard line at best. He'd just as soon never have to see one again in his lifetime and is of the opinion they should've been either kicked off Cybertron altogether or just tossed in the smelters. His only redeeming quality – and this is entirely dependent on one's point of view – is that he's good at his job. That is, he makes things blow up real good.

Since his arrival in Gillanan III, he's picked up a hobby of blowing up random buildings. Why? Because it makes Botanica-3 happy. Yes, they're a couple. No, don't ask.

Rattrap-3 won't actually be participating in the festivities, though. He's back home, holding down the fort. Sort of.