Char's Public Service Announcement


The things that pop into my head: I sent one of my players a text message of the Captain America Patience PSA from the end credits for Spider-Man Homecoming and it got me to thinking.  First of the Guns ‘N Roses song and then of an older superhero sitting down and giving some advice and within a minute or three it turned into this snippet of story that takes place on Earth-218…

Rudy/Char was my main superhero character for the old Marvel Superheroes campaign I was part of back in high school.  Rudy’s uncle (Juan) trained him in wrestling and helped provide alibis for his secret identity.  Pablo is Juan’s son and has tested positive for the X-Gene and wants to become a superhero too.
Do not try this at home...you will not get superpowers.  You will die.



Rudy’s Story - The Public Service Announcement

Pablo kicked the soccer ball in disgust and it sailed away into the darkness.  “I just don’ get it, man!  If my DNA says I’m s’pposed to have powers, then how come I ain’t got powers?”

Char shook his head, sat down and then the Hispanic hero peeled off his Luchador’s mask and tucked it into his belt.  He took a deep breath and that was when Pablo noticed the flecks of gray in his cousin Rudy’s goatee.  “It’s not something you can rush.  You can’t force it.  It will either happen or it won’t.  You have to let nature take its course.”


“Yeah, but you out there fightin’ monsters and supervillains and savin’ the world.  I’m sittin’ here jus’ bein’ useless.”

Rudy shook his head and sighed.  “I knew a kid like you once.  His name was Luis – he lived up the block from our grandmother.  Had the X-Gene or Metagene or whatever it is they’re calling it these days and tried to give himself an origin.  Hooked up a toaster to a car battery with some jumper cables and dropped it into a bathtub full of water.”


“Madre Dios…what kind of powers did he get?  Like shooting lightning?”

“No.  It killed him.  You get what I’m saying?  Best thing you can do is help out around here.  That’s how you help.  Take care of your family so I can do what I need to do out there.”

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