Apocalypse How: Application

[punched_hitler]

→ PLAYER INFO

Name: Ali-chan
Age: 40
Contact: PM this journal or contact me on Plurk (antipositional)
Character(s) in game: N/A
Permissions: here

→ CHARACTER INFO

Character Name: Steve Rogers/Captain America
Age: 38 (physically)/105 (chronologically)
Canon: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Canon point: Just before the very end of Avengers: Endgame, while he's returning the infinity stones to the correct points in time. Specifically, Steve will be nearly done with this task, having just replaced the reality stone on Asgard, but before he can give back Mjolnir and with one stone (soul) left to return.
History: MCU wiki
Personality:
NOTE: I got a bit lazy in a few places and started using acronyms for movie titles in some instances. TFA = Captain America: The First Avenger; TWS = Captain America: The Winter Soldier; CW = Captain America: Civil War; IW = Avengers: Infinity War

Steve is very genuine and direct in just about everything he does. He is not necessarily subtle or patient, preferring openness and honesty whenever possible. This can certainly be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the circumstances. He's extremely honest (by his own admission in TWS) and while he can keep his actions under the radar (sneaking into HYDRA/SHIELD bases, taking out pirates on the Lemurian Star, even "playing" himself during the time heist), he prefers to come at problems head-on, rather than from the side. Instead of trying to salvage a SHIELD that has been infiltrated by HYDRA, he'd rather dismantle it entirely. He tries to find Bucky Barnes following the events of TWS to help his friend, rather than letting Bucky come to him. And when his friends are imprisoned for helping him during the events of CW, he simply breaks them out of jail. Although he has a hard time playing the long game, he can do so — likely with the guidance of others (e.g., staying off the radar with Sam and Natasha in the time between CW and IW).

Steve is naturally quite resourceful, able to think outside the box and solve problems that others might struggle with. We're first introduced to this early on when he knocks down a flagpole rather than futilely trying to climb it to get the flag at the top. His fighting style with the shield shows how he can take something generally meant for defense and turn it into not only an offensive weapon, but often a multitool as well. In fact, that describes his fighting style in general — Steve uses his body and his surroundings in whatever way necessary to accomplish his goals, often mixing fighting styles and generally using the fact that he's hardier and heals faster than most to his advantage. He's an excellent tactician, always looking for creative solutions to problems. One of his greatest strengths is his ability to look at what he has available to him and put it to use where it's best suited (generally seen when he directs the Avengers in any given situation, especially during the Battle of New York or the time heist). His innate artistic ability, coupled with his eidetic memory, are also big aids in this respect: He's got a good eye for things like enemy/troop movements and can measure up a location or situation quickly to make decisions on where and how people can do the most good (The Avengers, Civil War, Age of Ultron). And when situations go sideways or south, such as losing the Tesseract during Endgame, he's willing to alter his plans and come up with alternative solutions (even when they're long shots) to get the job done. In fact, he's often willing to stake everything on long shots (Age of Ultron, Endgame) and while this has worked for him in the past, it isn't necessarily given that it always will.

Steve Rogers is monumentally stubborn, almost to the point of what some might consider stupidity. He refuses to stay down in a fight, even when he doesn't have the upper hand (see: pretty much any movie he's in, from first to last). He will stick to his guns even when it’s not the smartest thing to do and he generally doesn’t believe in running away from a problem or fight. From the beginning, he refused to back down from bullies and attempted to enlist in the Army five times in five different cities, regardless of the fact that he was unfit for duty and rejected each time. (He obviously did not let the illegality of this practice stop him, either). He buckles down in his belief that the Avengers are better off directing themselves, rather than submitting to a committee in CW. Once he's made up his mind, it is very hard to change it. He can and will listen to reason, but it's got to come from people he respects and it can be a slog to get him to stop or slow down once he's made a decision. He is not the kind of guy to second-guess his actions once he's committed to them, even when those actions involve ending his own life (TFA, TWS).

Closely related is the fact that Steve is also loyal to a fault. If you earn his trust, you’ve got it for life, up to and including giving his life for you. He believes in people and in their ability to do good when presented with the option. (He writes to Tony that his faith is in people, who haven't let him down, in CW.) He went AWOL to sneak 30 miles behind enemy lines simply to save his best friend in TFA, and he plans to save Bucky/the Winter Soldier rather than stop him in TWS, even if that means letting Bucky kill him. That same loyalty to Bucky is cause for much of the conflict in CW, when those loyalties come into conflict with others'. In fact, Steve is pretty much loyal to Bucky above all else, for better or worse, but that same loyalty does extend to others once they've earned it (in particular Sam and Natasha, but we see it in the way he protects Wanda and even in the way he does his best to make amends with Tony every time they fall out, even if it takes a while to do it).

Finally, Steve has a strong moral compass, essentially committing himself to what he thinks is right and refusing to let others tell him what he should or shouldn't be doing. Once he has the abilities given to him by the serum, he seems to consider no other options but to use them for good. This is the reason he was chosen to receive the super soldier serum in the first place, and his commitment to being a good man and doing the right thing are seen over and over in his plans and his self-sacrifice. (Despite that tendency for self-sacrifice, he doesn't believe in "trading lives" and has a hard time leaving people behind, preferring to fight rather than let Vision sacrifice himself and being willing to stay on the floating city in Sokovia rather than abandoning it and letting its inhabitants die, even when it looks like there's no way to save them.) He tends to be very bad at following orders when he finds them questionable and rejects the Sokovia Accords, preferring to make his own choices on when and where his help is needed in CW and IW. Steve is often the person that others rally behind because they believe he is capable of leading them down the right path, but of course this, like many of his other traits, can put him in conflict with others when it butts up against what they think is right (again, CW). That being said, he certainly respects others for following their own morals, even when they clash with his (his letter to Tony at the end of CW says that pretty clearly).

Suitability: There are several reasons Steve would stick around. Even if he doesn't initially trust ADI, there's clearly Something Going On that he'll want to know more about, especially if there is some way he can help avert a supposed apocalypse. He can't, as he has admitted himself, walk away from a situation pointed south. Even if he won't like the fact that he's been essentially kidnapped, sticking around will be his best bet for figuring out what happened and how to get back, as well as potentially doing some good along the way. Furthermore, once he discovers there are people he knows and trusts involved, his loyalty and trust for them will kick in and override any immediate misgivings.

Powers/Abilities: Steve has a range of abilities granted to him by the super soldier serum. He is basically a peak human specimen; while he has no “superpowers,” per se, he possesses abilities that are at the extreme height of human potential. These abilities include strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, memory, sensory perception, and analytical thought. As a few examples, he can bench press 1200 pounds, run a mile in 73 seconds, and make jumps 50 yards in length and 20 feet in height without a running start. He has an eidetic memory (perfect recall) and is extremely adept at analyzing complex situations to devise solutions and strategies quickly. He has master-level combat skills (including hand-to-hand, firearms and other modern and WWII-era weaponry, and the use of his shield as a multi-purpose weapon) and can adapt to most situations quickly with a minimum of lost time or resources. You can check out a full list of his capabilities here for the full details in case I missed anything.

The serum also offers Steve a number of medical benefits. He has enhanced healing and his white blood cells can fight off virtually any type of biological or chemical attack — he doesn’t get sick, can’t get drunk or high, and is immune to the effects of most known terrestrial chemicals, drugs, poisons, and diseases. He can also handle pain and injuries that would incapacitate or kill a normal human, including blunt force trauma, electric tasing, falling several stories, and stabbing. Minor injuries like cuts and bruises will heal within minutes. More severe injuries like gunshot wounds and fractures will heal within the span of about 2-3 days. His body has the ability to sustain itself under extreme conditions (e.g., freezing cold). As a side effect, his metabolism burns at four times the rate of a normal human being, and he generally needs to eat about four times as much to keep up.

Notable mundane skills include the ability to speak several languages (Irish/Gaelic, French, German, possibly some Russian) and very basic Army training, including basic combat medical training. Steve is an artist and even attended at least one year of a specialized school for art; he has excellent artistic skills and knowledge in a variety of media, notably pencils and paint (though it's reasonable to also assume things like charcoal and pastels). He's good at general making do — repairing or reusing items that might otherwise seem worn out or useless, as well as cooking with limited ingredients. Steve knows how to drive a motorcycle and fly a quinjet (which is likely at least somewhat useful in similar types of aircraft), as well as hot-wire a car for all your vehicle-stealing borrowing needs!

Entity Affinity: The Slaughter: Steve is, by nature, a violent person and his entire life has been irrevocably intertwined with violence. In fact, he has dedicated much of his life to violence — always, in his mind, with a cause. But it is violence without a cause that he fears and abhors, particularly after seeing firsthand the kind of senseless violence and cruelty that can arise from war, hatred, and powermongering. While he will absolutely try to resist using any of his serum-granted abilities, and might even be pretty successful at it, I can imagine that situations are going to arise where he'll feel obligated to use his serum-granted gifts and struggle with the price to do so. Additionally, I think the idea of slip-ups in which he finds himself inciting or escalating violence — things that are potentially within his nature — will be interesting to play with and absolutely challenging for him to come to terms with. While he may have spent much of his life (pre-serum) helplessly railing against bullies, that kind of violence was almost "safe" because he was so helplessly outmatched. Now, the tables have turned, and he has the capacity to do terrible things with the power he has. That will terrify him, particularly because it is a dangerously easy price for him to pay, if and when necessary.

Inventory:
- The clothes on his back: Specifically, the Advanced Tech/Quantum Suit worn by the Avengers while time-traveling. Underneath is his Endgame-era Captain America suit. He's likely carrying a few emergency items, such as a few protein bars and a small, basic first-aid kit. He's also wearing his Army dog tags.

- A Time-Space GPS device for navigating the timeline using Pym Particles. (He will have a limited supply of these left, which he wouldn't plan on using until returned to his own universe, but these can also be rendered inert if needed to avoid causing any issues with the game!) The device can store the nanotech-derived Quantum Suit as well.

- His compass, which is just a run-of-the-mill military compass with a newsprint photo of Peggy Carter pasted inside the lid.

- Mjolnir, Thor's enchanted warhammer. In addition to serving as a heavy-duty blunt weapon, Mjolnir is capable of flight (both on its own when called by a wielder, as well as allowing the wielder to fly) and calling down lightning. Notably, Mjolnir and its abilities can only be wielded by the "worthy." (I assume this will mean only Steve, unless Thor shows up.) Anyone unworthy who tries to lift or use the hammer will find it impossible to move and completely inert. This is a magical item that will absolutely be cursed upon arrival. Using Mjolnir will at first result in temporary bouts of weakness and arthritis-like symptoms, particularly if used only as a blunt weapon. Calling lightning may cause partial deafness, electrical burns on the skin, and arrhythmias. Continued use will mean conditions like deafness, heart issues, and burns last longer or even become permanent. Most of these represent pre-serum conditions that Steve suffered from and represent his helplessness and hatred of his own limitations, and will absolutely spark up old fears and inadequacy in him.

- The soul stone, the last infinity stone yet to be returned. Initially, this stone requires the sacrifice of a loved one to obtain and use. According to the MCU wiki, it has the ability to manipulate the essence that makes up an individual (their soul) as well as to call up the spirit of a person who is deceased. It also contains a pocket dimension in which the wielder can communicate with the souls of the dead. The stone generally seems most useful when combined with other infinity stones, which aren't present. However, it could potentially be used as a tool to manipulate others, whether by messing with their souls or by calling up lost loved ones or enemies. This is definitely another magical item that will be cursed upon arrival, although like with the Pym Particles, I'm okay if this is better off rendered inert and just serves as a chunk of rock to avoid any clashes with the game plot/setting. If it is useable, I'd think the consequences would be something along the lines of an intense feeling or fear that one's own soul or perhaps the soul of someone they care about is slipping away or becoming corrupted, which becomes worse if it's used longer/multiple times until it becomes utterly crippling.

NOTE: I am completely open to mod suggestions if I'm barking up the wrong tree re: curses for Mjolnir or the soul stone. I don't think the Pym Particles count but if those need to be cursed (if not just made useless), that's fine, too. And again, any items that might be potentially game-breaking can absolutely be rendered inert; my intention is not to cause trouble or try to give my character an unfair edge! I'm just a fangirl who thinks it'd be fun to have Steve carting Mjolnir around, but I also personally think he'd save the soul stone to be returned last, which is why he was planning to return it after finishing up at Asgard.

Samples:
Sample 1: conversation (If that's not long enough, this and this from the same post should help!)
Sample 2: thought processes (This is a PSL that was started more than 6 months ago, though later tags from September through December should be valid for consideration. I think it's probably my best sample, particularly because it's from the relevant canon point, but if you need something fully more recent, this should do — the earliest tags are a bit sparse but get much more substantial further down!)