The Mystery Men Project - Project Infinity

Ahh, Project Infinity MUX. My favorite place for online roleplay.

The Spleen, my first PI character and still to-date favorite roleplay experience of All Time.

I'm not kidding! The flatulent little creep really grew on me. He was smart, sarcastic (you would be too), and talented. He made friends just as easily as he made enemies. At times he was a downright bastard, at others a pretty decent guy. He was famous in his own right in the city of Beacon Harbor (where the game takes place) - and who could forget that smell?

I played Blake Sullivan, aka The Spleen, on PIMUX from October of '99 to mid '03 somewhere when I ran out of time for online gaming and let him go to the big @toading haven in the sky. I have since rejoined PIMUX with a different character but, you know, I think I may have to bring Blake back. There's this whole generation of PI folk who have never scened with the Spleen! Now that's not right! ;^)

Just so you know what's going on: Project Infinity MUX is set, as I said, in the fictional city of Beacon Harbor. Some years back, some scientists created a portal (via the "Infinity Effect") which was designed to port in heroes to help deal with the local villain problem, but the thing blew up, and now ports in people - heroes, villains, and even regular old Joes - quite frequently. In other words, you can play just about any fictional character, original or from an established source, that you want to. The version of the Spleen that I played on there, however, was not ported in from Champion City, but was instead an alternate version of him who already lived there, in Beacon Harbor, and was in fact originally from that particular universe (known as a "native"). If you're properly geeky, you'll understand this explaination. ;^) Anyways, in other words, he was not the movie Spleen, but one who had never met any of the other Mystery Men or Captain Amazing, etc.

I honestly don't know if I got these things in the right chronological order - it's sorta guesswork as the majority of them happened in late '99 and throughout '00 so I may have gotten a few of them switched around. Also I realise that at times they get confusing, especially to folks who are not familiar with all the various characters that pop up, and for that I am sorry. I suggest you ah...just read around the confusing parts.

A few factoids about these logs:

- Blake's favorite hobby was 'improving' the Lady of Progress (the statue in City Seat Circle) by drawing her, with varying and sometimes lewd, alterations in his sketchbook.

- His second favorite hobby was annoying the cops. This went generally unnoticed until Detective Ray Kowalski became a permanent character. And then he just focused his attentions on annoying him.

- He was a local freelance artist, and created pieces of all types and media, although he was especially fond of mythical creatures. Also, he was obsessed with comic strips and in particular doted on Zippy the Pinhead.

- He kept a psychotic pet goose named Harpo in lieu of a home securtity system.

- His mortal enemy was not Widespread Evil but the Good Humor Man, who often went out of his way to get Blake arrested.

- I frequently NPC'ed Becky Beaner the reporter and Officers Funk and Maguire, all from the Mystery Men movie, in these and other scenes, basically making a nuisance of myself. I also played Chief of Police Zwyck, an original character named after my then next-door neighbor (Zwyck is a cool name!). As well, I invented a gang of thugs, led by the nauseating Stain (aka Stained Guy) to torment myself - and others - with.

- Um, some of these logs contain Bad Language. To be fair, most of them do not, but, well, some of them do. You Have Been Warned.

Well, on to the logs!

The Origin of the Spleen: Not a log, but a sort of fanfic. I wrote this when preparing my character application, and it helped me figure out his history.
The Origin of the Spleen's Jacket: Inspired by the above! This was the 'writing sample' that I sent in with my character application.
A Warning To the Others: I said I'd do it! This is a conversation that took place on the Staff channel sometime in mid '00, when I was RP staff (and yes, it's all my fault). It is a general parody of some really bad character applications that have come down the pike. If anything in here sounds familiar to you, we are not sorry. You made us suffer greatly. All of these were culled from actual applications, scary as that sounds. Note to anyone who has ever had to vote on character applications: I recommend you don't eat or drink anything while reading this. Choking can hurt.
I May Know Art, But I Don't Know What I Like: My very first scene! Yay! It...ah...is dumb. But who cares. :^) I'm not even gonna bother explaining who people are in this one. It's too pointless. ;^)
Gran-Gran From Beyond the Grave: Well, this was my first big(gish) scene. Let's see, Abdiel is an angel, and most if not all of the other guys here were demons (I think, I never did scene with any of them again). This was my first foray into the world of NPC-@emitting, and look what happened. Poor Maguire.
Jogging: Blood On the Pavement: Short and rather dull, but this is when I first met Mike Nelson (yes, from MST3K, although here he's a native). StarDancer is in this one; she was very...interesting. :^) She could project holograms, so whenever you see (Holo) it's something she made appear. I included her description for the full effect.
That's Not My Peanut: Most of you are going to think this log is dumb, but its a personal favorite of mine (how do you test a peanut for fingerprints?). It takes place after the famous Mike Gets Drunk In the Park log, which I am not including due to, well, Mike also getting Sick In the Park - and no one wants to see that. :^) Anyhow, this was the start of the Mike/Blake teamups, where we often found ourselves stuck in a scene with nothing to do and therefore amused ourselves by trying to out-bizarre eachother.
...And the World Is Safe Once More: I meet up with Mike and Roy in the ice cream parlor, um...creatively. Poor kid. Anyhow, this log starts off with a Reports post sent in the day before by Mr Furious: a newspaper clipping you need to read to understand the scene.
The Most Popular ATM Kiosk In Beacon Harbor: Yay, a confusing scene! While Mike wanders innocently over to an ATM to withdraw some likely nonexistant cash, Cassiopeia (who works for the Zodiac) robs it as Cancer communicates with her from Kyklos, the orbiting satellite. Meanwhile, Stained Guy (in his first ever appearance) is Mean to me, and Kenneth (that's Superman btw) helps me out. Then we all go over to stare at Mike, who's having a Very Bad Day while StarDancer shows up to throw her holograms around. (Told you it was complicated.) Poor Kenneth, he was a nice guy, he didn't deserve what happened to him later. ;^) ("It wasch an *acschident!")
A Girl and Her Ball: I meet a strange girl schlepping a bowling ball housing her dearly departed dad's skull. Who could it be but the Bowler (also native), of course!
Riddle Me - OW!: I run into Eddie Nigma (aka the Riddler) on the docks, and we uh...have a disagreement. I don't know which of us I feel sorrier for.
Mike's New Job: The very next day, I meet up with Mike, and we both have some news...
Hello, Sailor (Mercury)!: Amy Anderson (aka Sailor Mercury) has recently been ported in by the Infinity Effect and has no place to stay. Mike unselfishly offers her the use of his couch. Meanwhile, the dragon-in-human-form Jinrai finds out that amime hair does not necessarily mean dragon-in-human-form. Drat. Blake, meanwhile, noisily breaks glass (it's art, dammit!).
The Press Are Gonna Have A Field Day: Edward Nigma gets his chance to exact his revenge on me for that fish-barrel incedent - and I would have snuffed it, too, if it weren't for a series of strange events. Although it might not seem that way, there were really only four people involved in this one: me, Eddie, Firecat, and DarkStorm (I @emitted all the cops, press, and bystanders, of course). "Jethel" is actually Firecat's human form, and as you can see, he transforms into Firecat partway through the scene. Raiu is a dragon. DarkStorm is the name he uses with humans, and he has two human forms: Jinrai, the "don't look at me, I'm a normal human, really" form, and BlackBolt, the costumed crimefighter. Just my attempt to clarify. :^)
Quick Stop At the Quik-Stop: I run into Amy and Arnold Rimmer (from Red Dwarf, but here a native) at the Quik-Stop, and Mike wanders in a bit later. Sort of a pointless, rambling scene, but it's Blake/Mike/Rimmer-ness. The three of us would soon become a local Trio of Terror, so I thought it best to include this one.
The Beginnings of the Mystery Men: Here is a log of the first time Mr. Furious (also a native) and I teamed up - sorta. We'd seen eachother before but hadn't really spoken. Furious played Furious, Meg played Meg and her friends, and I played...well, everyone else.
A Vistor...How Strange: Later that same night, I ran into Rimmer and offered the use of my art supplies to Arnie, who's interested in taking up doodling (that log is spammy. I won't be posting it). This log takes place the next day, when Rimmer decides to take me up on my offer. I wasn't going to include this log, which isn't all that exciting, but it does form the basis for Blake and Rimmer's tentative friendship, so I figured it was at least moderately important. :^)
What Is..."Job"?: So Rimmer and I go out to paint the town and run into Mike and Amy Anderson, the latter of whom reveals that she just got a job. This spurs Rimmer into telling us that he also just got a job. (And Blake secretly chortles to himself that he's never had a real job in his life, ahahahaa.)
Drink, Drank, Drunk: I miss scenes like this. Mike, Rimmer and I get hammered while Barbara Gordon watches with a sort of horrified fascination. Even better, Carol shows up and shows off her 'little family secret'.
Skrajaepians From Heaven: The Infinity Effect ports in Junkyard, an alien from a hostile garbage-covered planet, and I have the bright idea of suggesting he 'make people give him money'. Yes, it was all my doing! (Note I joined the scene late, although I was idling around and logging it before I jumped in.)
The Mystery Men vs Junkyard: More of a "real" fight than the last one because the villain we were fighting was an actual player's character and not made up for the purposes of the scene. A little bit disgusting (like I'm one to talk) but history is history. Unlike in the movie, on PI the three founding members of the team are Mr. Furious, Bowler, and Spleen (although at this junction I'm not yet aware that the other two want me to join). This was our first fight as a trio.
A Talk In the Park: Just felt like posting this...A short scene where I ran into Mike, who had yet to find out what my superpower was. So I gave him a demo. Mwaha. Also includes a short explaination of my superhero name which I personally think makes a lot of sense. Oh and there's some other stuff too, I guess. ;^)
Now I Know We're Trapped In a Marx Brothers Movie: The evening started out so ordinary: me making a (natch) ass of myself, getting Mike mixed up in my problems, and getting rescued by an inexperienced new crimefighter in town. But what happens? I take Mike home to get him some ice for the bump on his head, and we get attacked by a ninja! Well, maybe that sort of thing is to be expected in Beacon Harbor. In any case, she only got what she deserved for messing with the Spleen. ;^) Say hello to guest-stars the Disinfectinator, the crime-fighter with the clean streak; and Tasha/Malice, the pint-sized ninja spy.
There's a Lawsuit In Here Somewhere: Short. See how the cops harassed me?? Okay so most of them were my own NPCs. Still. (By the way, there really was a contest to win that t-shirt.)
Bad Doggie! No Biscuit!: The very next day, I'm sitting in the very same spot, and what do you know, I have another complicated day. This one, however, involves Jackalman, from Thundercats. In our very own town! Now why didn't I get his autograph?
Lucius Comes To Town: I decided to include this log because not only is it funny, but Spleen, at the very end of the log, manages to inadvertantly pull off a stunt that would gain him a spot on the news (in fact, I've included the actual news report afterwords). I apologise for the general chaotic form the whole scene took - it was all rather spontaneous, and lots of people were there playing not only their own characters, but NPCs. Also, it should be noted that the Superman on Project Infinity at the time of this log was wanted by the Beacon Harbor Police Force (albiet for a crime he did not commit). Note the Return of Stain. ;)
Enter the Raja: Blue Raja has just arrived in Beacon Harbor via the Infinity Effect and he's a little confused...and guess who he bumps into first? The Project Infinity Blue Raja is literally straight from the movie, having been yanked from his reality to the one on the MUX. So while he knows Blake...Blake has no clue who this nutball is.
Clean Up On Aisle Four: I start to tell Mike about Raja when the Disenfectinator (as his alter-ego, that is) manages to make my life a little more complicated by actually having heard of me. Darn that Becky Beaner!
A Hot Night On the Town: Raja sent me this log, of his first battle since being swept through the PI portal. Can he survive against the Beacon Harbor horror known as Sinn? Of course he can, because he remembered to bring along his large pie-server!
Scho I Dated An Axche-Murderer: I walk into the Circle to find Ray harassing Jesse Mayhem, a very pretty redhead. So I ask her out for coffee. How am I supposed to know that this is the look-alike daughter of a very famous Beacon Harbor serial killer? (Pointless triva: I myself later apped for and played Mona Mayhem. ;)
The Sinister Grape Nehi: I run into Jesse and Raja in Feng's Bar. I like this one because I got to play Feng. :^)
Jeff Corwin Would Want To Hear About This: Jesse and I on the boardwalk, Edward Nigma on the beach, and a nekkid guy in the water. Need I say more?
Hot Justice and Cold Shakes (I sound like the Tick!): Furious and I discuss the possibilities of the team, considering the Raja's arrival in our fair city.
Gamma Radiation Does Strange Things To Strange People: I interrupt a conversation between Ray and Tigra (non-native) just before Hardnox, one of the Maestro's (that's the Hulk) flunkies jogs in and starts picking on the kitty. (By the way, if you've been wondering whoever won that t-shirt, you'll find the answer here.)
Death and Dryads: Woah. I'm including this one because Jesse's job at the mortuary leads to some seriously fascinating conversations sometimes.
Herkimer Battle *What*?: Short. Jeff and I discuss the Mystery Men back where Raja comes from. Also, there's news of Jeff's new job. Haha, I still don't have to have one. ;^)
Yay Present!: It's nearing Christmas and I *gasp* actually get a gift, from Blue Raja. That's monumental enough to deserve posting the log in itself!
Looks Like Someone's Having a Bad Day: I bump into Jesse Mayhem after a period where I hadn't really been online in a while (the IC explaination was that I'd been working on a project). We discover Blue Raja in bad need of medical attention. Beacon Harbor's just not a very pleasant place to live, now is it?
Shiver Me Biscotti!: I decided to invent a new gang of baddie NPCs for Raja and I to fight, and this was the result. Quake in fear, and behold...The Urban Pirates! Led by the fearless plumber Union Jack, they consist of Sid the Stationer, Alice the Waitress (who always talks in allcaps and brandishes the dreaded Blue Plate Special!), Larry the Weatherman, and Morty (just...Morty). They 'sailed' from heist to heist aboard their trusty minivan, 'The Busty Lass'. Sadly, this was the only chance I ever got to use them (and Larry doesn't even get to appear). (Note that Raja experimented with typing out his accent here. It's weird until you get used to it, then it's just mildly odd. ;) Oh yeah and Harappa's Raja's dog.)

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