Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please! For your delight and amusement we now present four knock-down, drag-out, in-your-face heads-up matches pitting the creativity of some of the Internet's most creative people tackling the challenge of creating "Robin Hood in Space" using HeroMachine 3! The following Elite Eight players survived some tough contests that saw their versions of "Friar Tuck" beat the competition, and now we're moving on to "Little John."
Your votes decide who wins each matchup: You can vote once per day in each of the four matches. That's right, once per day! So get all of your friends to come back to HeroMachine.com each day to stuff your ballot box. You can see a larger version of each entry simply by clicking on the thumbnail and you can read the stories after all the polls are listed. The winner of each match as of midnight Thursday receives their choice of either a) any item they like to be included in HeroMachine 3; b) any portrait they like to be included in HeroMachine 3; or c) a custom black and white "Sketch of the Day" illustration.
Finally, we also have all of the "Little John" entries from everyone who's been eliminated thus far. You can also vote in that all-in scrum once per day, with the overall winner as of midnight Thursday will receive the same prize choices as the matchup winners.
Main Brackets
| MMI vs. Imp [polldaddy poll="4113696"] |
JordanXord vs. Myro [polldaddy poll="4113733"] |
Frevoli vs. VonMalcolm [polldaddy poll="4113748"] |
Gargoyle323 vs. DiCicatriz [polldaddy poll="4113758"] |
Consolation Round 2:
Each of the contestants was invited to provide a story for their setting, but it wasn't mandatory. For a more complete overview of each concept, here are all the entries for both the brackets and the consolation round in a larger format along with the story for each.
AJW
The sith were attempting occupy Kashyyk when from the brush Little john and his band of Wookies brought the sith to their knees, holding hostages, and attacking transport vehicles. When the sith finally left news of Little John spread through the galaxy becoming almost a legend, eventually Robin went looking for Little John on Kashyyk, only to be captured and eventually recruit Little John and his band of guerillas.
Alex
Robin's best friend and pilot of the "Loxley".Before he and Robin met Little John was a gun for hire but Robin convinced him to join the fight against the government.
Alphaalpharomeo
No story provided.
Atomic Punk
Robin Hood gave the name "Little John" to a Domestic Sentry Mark IX (DS-9) in memory of his academy bunkmate John Little. At first, neither cared for the other. During a training exercise, John threw a rock that hit Robin in the head, causing him to bleed.
The Instructor broke the two apart. He decided that they should settle their differences right then with quarterstaffs. John was far taller than Robin. He used his height to great advantage. He frustrated Robin - who vainly attempted to guard, turn, parry, dodge, spin, and thrust.
John knocked Robin into the river. The giant went to help Robin, but Robin pulled him into the water. The cadets cheered. Even John laughed. Robin's "never give up" attitude not only won over his classmates, it served him for a time as he rose through the ranks of the Royal Expeditionary Forces.
There is a fine line between tenacity and foolishness. Robin was the commander of the ill-fated Defence of Loxlie. L'Arme des toiles had landed on the planet. Robin ordered his units to hold the line. Despite pleas from his Second-in-Command and first friend, Leftenant John Little, Robin refused to budge.
Facing overwhelming odds, Robin's men abandoned their post. During the retreat, Robin's ship was shot from the sky. He lost his right arm and right eye. John paid a heavier price.
Robin awoke in a cell. The French had taken him to the prison colony of Papillon. King Louis XXXIV wanted to exchange Robin for the Dauphin, who was in his enemy's hands. His Majesty would have nothing of it. Though it pained him, His Majesty was convinced by the Sheriff of Nottingham and Prince John that Robin was a traitor unworthy of rescue. Robin was able to escape execution with the help of Mech Marian and the Domestic Sentry Mark IX.
Cliff
No story provided.
Danny Beaty
No story provided.
DiCicatriz
Diminutive Zhan, an outworlder exiled by his people for his genetic
experiments, Zhan joins Robenne's crew as a science liason. When pressed or threatened Zhan's species can increase their mass, but tampering with his genetic code has left Zhan's altered form dangerous and uncontrollable.
Frevoli
Realising they'll next some extra muscle, the duo track down Jonkwart Erstaff - owner of The Bridge Tavern - a veteran of the PKF. Jon is reluctant, but agrees to join them. Wielding a pole of concentrated light, he's "Little" John
Gargoyle323
John is another of the M.E.R.-E men (Mechanically Enhanced Rebels-Earth class), led by Robin Hood. He is one of Robin's best and trusted soldiers.John was seriously injured by the Sheriff's attack on Earth. He agreed to the enhancements so he could continue his fight against the evil forces that destroyed his home world. The weapon arrays in his arm can be switched out depending on what he needs.
GeneH
No story provided.
Hammerknight
Around 2100 the John Deere company began to make A.I. units to run other farming equipment. These units took on the name John. They were a wonderful addition to the farm. A.I. units were being built to work almost every job out there. When Earth's population began to rise, jobs were hard to find because everyone was using the A.I. units for labor. In 2143 a call for the end of the A.I. units was made. With big businesses not wanting to pay for human labor, they did not want to end the use of the A.I.'s. In 2147 the war against the A.I. erupted into chaos. People began destroying the units every chance they got. By the end of 2152, A.I.'s were outlawed on Earth. A.I. units, including the Johns were ordered to be destroyed. There were some units, knowing they were going to be destroyed, went into hiding. One of the John units found a hiding place on the farm of Robert Locksley Sr. Years later this unit would travel with Robert Jr. to the planet of Nottingham. The colonies did not outlaw the units, so the John unit was safe. Robert Jr's grandson, Robin, would later develop a friendship with the John unit, calling it Little John.
Haxxx
Robin's first mate and second in command, Little John fought the Muslims but lost and was bound to watch over the Star-Bridge, the high-speed gateway away from the Nebula. John lost his right arm and leg from an explosion when he was captured.
The Star-Bridge was parked right outside Loxley when Robin came home. Trying to escape the system, Robin faced John and beat him. John has pledged his allegiance to Robin.
Imp
A member of the Varsulan race. A hero on his native planet during their war against the Empire thirty years ago (a war which the Varsulans lost; they were inducted into the Empire as part of Covington Sector), John has joined Hood's Rebellion on the condition that Varsu be freed when and if they triumph over the Marshalls. 'Little John' is Hood's nickname for the alien; his real name is pretty much unpronounceable by the human tongue.
Jean
Dr. John Little isn't just a medic, he was also a former Arenaball player who was considered one of the toughest in the Northwest hemisphere devision of the Terran league. An old college friend of Robin's, he was horrified when his friend asked for his help in trying to restore TUCK to a normal body. While unable to help he did decide to join the two and work outside the system that he could no longer trust. He currently serves as the Sherwood's medic. Little is a mutant who can compress the space in his molecules. By doing so he can shrink in size down to only an inch tall (while still retaining his full mass and strength).
JordanXord
Lyjorn is an alien from a planet called Harius. While travelling to Earth with the purpose of making some business, his transport suffered a serious accident and he was gravely injured. Lyjorn was then submitted to extensive surgery in which he was rebuilt as a cyborg, removing damaged body organs and limbs and replacing them with cybernetic prosthesis. When the evil Baron Mordach started his tyrannical rule, Lyjorn opposed his reign and was arrested. When he was transferred to another prison in outer space, he was rescued by Robin Hood and became an ally of the now feared outlaw. Robin called him affectionately “Little John”. His massive physique is enhanced with cybernetic devices, making him strong and fast. He has great fighting skills and is a brilliant master planner.
Kyle
No story provided.
Me, Myself, and I
John spent most of his life in the military, first as a cadet, then as a soldier. He was an infantryman trained in the use of heavy weapons such as the old machine gun or recoilless rifle. Due to his large size, John was the only man he knew who could actually fire accurately any of his weaponry without using the associated tripods or supports. He still remembers when the UN Defence Force introduced the new weaponry. The Energy rifles were nice and really quite powerful in their own way but John never really did take to them. Give him an old machine gun any day over a laser rifle and he would be a happy man.
Unfortunately John’s military career did not end as he hoped. Eventually John had found himself court-martialled and sentenced to a year in military prison for disobeying a direct order. He felt that what he was asked to do was wrong and, though it didn’t matter anymore, still held to his convictions. Having a criminal record and being discharged from the military he found his options few. After years of trying to make ends meet John ended up in Nottingham’s sprawling shanty town doing odd jobs when available or stealing what he needed to survive. He would always try to steal from those that could afford it and wouldn’t feel the loss to hard but it never sat well with him.
It was in the shanty town that John met with Friar Tuck. This was a man in need even more than he was and he felt pity for the Friar. If it wasn’t for the fact that the authorities seemed to have a reel interest in Friar Tuck, John would have simply chocked his crazy stories up to madness. The Friar’s lack of understanding of any of the modern technology helped emphasize the point that The Friar may be not as crazy as he first seemed.
Meanwhile in the mirror dimension Jenkin Slater had come down from the Highlands of his ancestors looking or his old friend Friar Tuck. He had heard of the disappearance and wouldn’t abide the loss of a friend easily. When asked his name he of course used a pseudonym; Little John is what came to mind. It was an easy name to remember as it was a very literal English translation of his first name Jenkin.
Though risking great danger to himself, Little John eventually discovered that Friar Tuck had been taken to the Sherriff’s world or dimension as these invaders liked to call it. He returned to The Merry Men with the tale and they began to make plans.
Myro
Jane Smalls was born on Taledu III, a center for genetic research. As a result of pre-natal genetic manipulation, Jane had developed her unique Amazonian stature and quick mind. She enlisted in the Galactic Army as a grunt, specializing in heavy weapons use. She was on Andora IV during the bombardment, to which she lost her right arm and suffered severe facia-cranial damage to the right side of her head. It was only by a miracle that she was discovered by a patrolling medical team that her life was saved, and she was transported back to a medical planet for surgical reconstruction. Her skull was repaired through the use of cybernetic implants and a bionic skull section, and her arm as replaced with a cybernetic prosthetic. The depression and post-traumatic stress disorder took longer to treat, but she was reassigned, upon being given medical clearance, to the military hospital’s mechanical pool, to work on land, air, and space vessels, where her immense strength, and electronic sensors made her invaluable. Feeling useful again and interacting with others outside of the medical team helped her deal with the depression, and she was surprised to still find that she attracted male suitors, despite her size and cybernetics.
After her tour of duty, Jane returned to a galaxy crippled by an intense taxation policy. Turning quickly to a life of crime to make ends meet, Jane founded a gang of thieves and crooks composed of like-minded, and often similarly experienced individuals. Soon, they fell in with Robyn, who helped them plan and execute the hijacking of a space destroyer, turning them into intergalactic pirates. Jane currently serves as the ship’s mechanic and weapons’ officer. She is known for her ferocity in battle, sexual aggressiveness, and crude sense of humor.
Rancid
A nomad with no alliance to anyone. He guards the bridge to Sherwood Forest and the towers.
Rozenstal
No story provided.
TJ
Little by no means, John Little was a grunt, hard chargin Tech Sergeant in loxly's devision. Because he has the upmost respect for his former commander he vowed to always fight at his side.
VonMalcolm
The Robbing Hoods primary fighter is Little John: Prince John’s giant first android Avatar. Little John is a chip of the old block being infused with the same twisted ambition that Prince John had accidentally been infused with. Before switching sides from Prince John to the Robbing Hoods, Little John ripped Robbin’ Hood’s arms off in a duel; this led to Robbin’s cybernetic replacement arms. Big John, Prince John’s new Avatar, was purposely stripped of its soul by its maker to ensure absolute loyalty and dedication to all that oppose its master: namely The Robbing Hoods.
