8FOLD/META: YOU can help write JOLT CITY # 19!

[Tom Russell]

HEY, TOM, WHAT ARE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH A SHARED UNIVERSE?

Hello, there!  Why, I'm glad you asked.

One of the problems with a shared universe is that other characters in
that universe often have to arbitrarily act like dicks in order to not
upstage the hero of a given title or story.  You know what I'm talking
about: Batman's fighting Cthulhu for the fate of not just Gotham City
but the world, if not the universe, a threat that could ably be met by
the combined forces of the Justice League, but it's up to Batman alone
because we're reading DETECTIVE COMICS.  It makes for a more
impressive story-- holy crap, Batman's so bad-ass that he just beat
Cthulhu single-handledly!-- but kinda breaks the universe just a
little bit.  It's not quite as believable.

One reason why Darkhorse, Jolt City's other hero, was put into
traction back in # 11, besides to show how bad-ass Martin Rock can
be-- holy crap, he just put Darkhorse into traction!-- was to remove
him from the equation temporarily.  Problems that are nearly
insurmountable for the Green Knight barely require effort for
Darkhorse to solve.  (Which is kinda the point of Darkhorse, and kinda
the point of having him in Jolt City-- to make Martin feel
inadequate.)

In the next issue of JOLT CITY, which is (I think) nearing completion,
Martin finds himself face-to-face with a threat that is so massive,
even he readily admits he's out of his league.  He turns to the still-
on-the-mend Darkhorse and asks him to call in some favours--
contacting other heroes and asking for their help.  And this is where
YOU come in.

REALLY? HOW MIGHT I BE OF ASSISTANCE?

I'm looking for short vingettes (5-15 lines at max) in which a hero of
your own creation is approached via phone by Darkhorse to help the
Green Knight.  Said hero turns him down.  To make it interesting,
however, I *don't* want to do the "I'd love to help, but I'm fighting
to save the universe from this other threat" schtick.  What I'd like
is for the heroes to actually act like, well, dicks.

WHAT VARIETY OF DICKERY DO YOU PREFER?

Really anything you can think of that doesn't cross the line into anti-
superhero cynicism.  Maybe they don't like the anti-social Green
Knight.  Maybe they're hesistant to get involved with the crime-ridden
metropolis in decline (think of it as asking someone to come and save
Detroit).  Maybe tonight's his/her special night with their fella/
lady, or perhaps they're even in mid-coitus.  Perhaps they're
forthright about it, or perhaps they try to weasel their way out
("Sure, I'd love to... but I've got this thing, you know, and...")

That much is up to you.

WHAT'S THE THREAT?

At this point in the story, it's pretty vague, but the information
that your characters would have is that there is at least one, and
possibly more, Doc-Class super-beings wreaking havoc.  Now, before you
ask what "Doc-Class" means...

HEY, TOM, WHAT DOES "DOC-CLASS" MEAN?

Rassum-frassum.  Doc-Class means the character is considered to be
near, at, or above the power-level of Docrates, a cat that's
acknowledged to be the Most Powerful Mammal in the Universe.  Think of
it, basically, as a Superman-level character.

PRE- OR POST-CRISIS?

Which crisis?

YOU KNOW WHICH CRISIS.  DON'T BE DIFFICULT.

Just, look-- really, really powerful, no one else like 'em on earth,
out of everyone's league, basically-- which could very well be another
reason why your hero doesn't want to get involved.  Several Evil
Supermen on what appears to be an unstoppable rampage of murder and
destruction.

WOW, SHIT JUST GOT SERIOUS.

It certainly did.

WHAT ABOUT THE RIGHTS-TYPE STUFF?

You would retain all rights to your character, and if you'd like to
flesh them out in an Eightfold title of their own, hey, that's cool
and the gang.  (And if you'd like to use one of my throwaway-idea
characters, be my guest.)  All that I ask is that if this portion of
Jolt City finds itself published in what Saxon endearingly called
"deadtree format", that I get to publish your contributions as part of
the story (you will, of course, be credited within the book for both
your character and contribution).

THAT SOUNDS EMINENTLY REASONABLE!

Well, thank you.  I try.

MIGHT I ADD THAT I LIKE YOUR NEW HAIRCUT?

Thanks!  I'll tell my wife.  And let me say that that's a fetching tie
and/or skirt you have there, sir or madam!

AW, THANKS. SO, WHEN DO YOU NEED THIS BY?

The sooner the better, frankly.  Maybe a week or two from now?  One
vingette per person-- so we have enough room for everyone who wants to
get involved to do so without slowing down the story's momentum (such
as it is).

==Tom