Relocating the Marvel Universe — Part 23 — New York

As you can see, I’ve relented on the big move out of NYC … The Avengers (Manhattan) and the X-Men (Westchester County) stick to their official homebases. Likewise, Daredevil (Manhattan) and Spider-Man (Queens/Manhattan)
remain in the Big Apple with no real changes.
Notes: You know how these guys are in the comics? Well, it stays exactly the same here. This helps to keep the core of the Status Quo within the Marvel Universe, but lets me branch out elsewhere. … And you can find your own links to these guys!

NYC/MANHATTAN (Silver Sable, the Black Panther, Sunfire, Wasp)

By sticking both those teams in New York City, the city retains its massive population of superheroes, but also keeps a lot of other heroes moving in and out of the area, which certainly helps for team-ups and what not. It’s importance to international relations also brings frequent visitations by heroes such as Silver Sable, the Black Panther, Sunfire and others.
Notes: These heroes (and probably a dozen more) are NYC residents by matter of their diplomatic functions or for commercial reasons. While they maintain a New York residence, it’s hardly their home base. With that in mind, you can see them in the city from time to time

Beyond those four important placings, let’s look a little deeper into New York City …

Ever the socialite, the Wasp is a New York City girl. Her life revolves around the city’s glitz and glamor. Even when she’s not on active duty with the Avengers, she sticks around and has little interest in any other locales, though she retains residences in Paris and Milan. She originally began her career in Rochester under the direction of Hank Pym.
Notes: There’s only two places the Wasp would work. New York or Los Angeles, everything else is passe in the Wasp’s book. While she’s eesentially the “Sex and the City” comic heroine, she does have a smidge more baggage, mainly her scars from her ill-fated marriage with Hank Pym.

NYC: BROOKLYN (Ant-Man Eric O’Grady)

The current Ant-Man, Eric O’Grady, is a SHIELD agent who operates out of the agency’s second-biggest base. Still, he tends to stick close to his Brooklyn home and even occasionally fights crime there when (a) it suits him, (b) a hot chickis around to impress or (c) he feels the peer pressure from other superheroes to do so. More often than not, he lets other heroes take up the slack while he watches, hidden by his small size.
Notes: I love this version of Ant-Man so much that I can’t possibly consider another route for his storyline.

NYC: BRONX & SYRACUSE (Hercules)

Hercules, the Lion of Olympus, has long since left his home in Greece and adopted New York City as his home. There he drinks, carouses, fights and parties to his best ability. When he seeks a more relaxing atmosphere, he retires to his lush lakeside estate in the Syracuse area. In fact, he typically winters in New York and summers in Syracuse. In either town, Hercules has become a vibrant defender of the city.
Notes: It took residents of Syracuse a few years to realize what Herc was doing, but once they caught on to his “Snowbird” status, they would arrange annual festivals to welcome his return. That’s exactly how I see his treatment here. He’s largely celebrated in Syracuse and mostly ignored in NYC.

NYC: BRONX & STATEN ISLAND (Debrii, Humbug)

Filling out the other boroughs of New York are former New Warrior Debrii, who patrols the Bronx, and Humbug, who’s trying to stake claims on Staten Island.
Notes: Debrii is a relative new addition to the Marvel Universe. As a short-time New Warrior, she’s had little time in the limelight. Staking her claim on the Bronx might help that.
I just found out that Humbug went bad again and then died, so his tenure on Staten Island would certainly be short. Somehow that doesn’t surprise me with a guy who commands roaches. Still, I think it would be neat to set him up as a foil to both Yellowjacket/Ant-Man and Spider-Man. All bug heroes, but for some reason only one gets a modicum of respect.

LONG ISLAND (Justice, Darkhawk, The Eternals)

Just beyond the city, Justice and Darkhawk keep watch over Long Island.
Notes: Yep, I’m leaving these guys where they “grew up.” Not that I had to move many other heroes out of the way, mind you.

Long Island is also the home to several Eternals, who reside in Sersi’s fabulous mansion. The group, which mainly comprises of Sersei, Ikaris, Makkari and Sprite, is small in number, since most of the Eternals reside in Greece. Of this group, Sersi is a reserve Avenger and only rarely active as a superhero. Ikaris too is rarely active, but in recent months has made his presence known now and again. Sprite and Makkari are the most active of the bunch, and patrol the entire island on ocassion, mostly because they think being a superhero is fun.
Notes: I see the Eternals as populating the rich shoreline of Long Island. These are the heroes who don’t much bother fighting for the good of the world. They just fight those who seek to hurt, belittle or endanger their own kind. They are, in fact, “heroes” that are so elitist that few people in the general populace even know they exist.

POUGHKEEPSIE (Mercury, Rockslide, Wither)

A number of mutants not currently associated with the X-Men reside in the Poughkeepsie area, including Mercury, Rockslide and Wither.
Notes: Not all mutants get along with the X-Men, the Morlocks or the Brotherhood. This small group has kept to themselves and adopted a small area to defend. While not praticularly heroic, this group will respond to general threats and disasters.

ITHACA (Stature)

When he was still alive, Scott Lang, the second Ant-Man,adventured in and around the Ithaca area. Hardly a hot-bed of supervillain activity, his work as Ant-Man more focused on scientific studies and experiments. Still, those experiments lead to many untold stories of adventure through multiple dimensions and in the Microverse.
Notes: Ithaca is a way small town, but it does hold an Ivy League university. That’s what kept Lang there. His research isn’t much into miniaturization. Instead, it’s electrical engineering, particle physics and dimensional exploration. His superheroing activities are minimal in Ithaca, but extensive throughout the multiverse.

SYRACUSE (Stature)

After his death, Scott Lang’s daughter, Stature moved into her mother’s home in Syracuse. There she focuses on being the city’s primary defender, though she’s often flummoxed by Hercules during his extended stays there.
Notes: Though Stature is just a teen, she’s served the city of Syracuse well. She’s proved immensely popular among the residents of Central New York. This is partly because you can’t ever NOT notice when Stature is duking it out with a bad guy. Beyond that, she’s also offers regular assistance to any municipality that borders Lake Ontario.

ROCHESTER (Yellowjacket)

Yellowjacket has resided in Rochester most of his life, only briefly leaving the area during his initial memberships with the Avengers. Once he and the Wasp divorced, he returned to the city. With his spotty past, Yellowjacket isn’t a huge favorite of Rochester residents.
Notes: Hank Pym isn’t “hiding out” in Rochester, as some people say. They also suggest he’s “scared” of bigger cities. As far as he’s concerned, there’s one reason to be in Rochester: Technology. As far as the East Coast goes, Rochester is one of the key hubs for development, and that’s why Hank Pym is there.

BUFFALO/NIAGARA (Goblyn, Ghost Girl)

A former member of Alpha Flight, Goblyn is a mutant with the ability to exchange dimensions with her monstrous sister. Since her move to America, Goblyn has set up another mutant safe-house used to shield mutants from the public (it’s part of the network devised by Skids from her residence in Indiana). Since M-Day, her services are less needed, which in turn has increased her activities in Buffalo as a crimefighter. She adventures with Ghost Girl, another transplant from Canada, through the city. The duo of “Goblyn & Ghost Girl” have become quite popular in the region, which includes activity in Niagara Falls, Ontario and Erie, Pa., as well as Buffalo.
Notes: In my book, there just aren’t enough Dynamic Duos in the Marvel Universe. This pair makes for a unique mix of subtlety and savagery. Then drop them in a relatively isolated city and have them fend for themselves. And while Buffalo isn’t any major hub of crime, it is a city big on illegal trafficking between Canada and the U.S. Add that to Niagara’s status as a tourist attraction (which would include some movement of other heroes and villains) and you’ve got a recipe for some unique adventures.

Have I tackled your state yet? Take a look at my Relocating the Marvel Universe index!
Need a good explanation of just what I’m doing? Then visit the first entry, which offers a look behind for my initial idea for this series.