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IN CHARACTER

Character Name: Rocket
Canon: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Canon Point: Post-Avengers: Endgame

In-Game Tattoo Placement: On that scarred up bald spot in the middle of his back
Current Health/Status: Alive
Age: Unknown, but probably about 14. Which is old for a raccoon.
Species: Cyborg Space Raccoon

Content Warnings: Animal cruelty/experimentation, major character death, ableism, PTSD symptoms

History: Rocket's history

MCU wiki


Personality:

Rocket began life as a laboratory experiment, one who was tortured extensively ("ripped apart and put back together over and over again," by his own words) to become what he is currently. As such, he's extremely sensitive about being seen as nothing more than a thing, because he "grew up" for lack of a better term believing that was all he was. Anyone attempting to belittle him by calling him a vermin or a rodent will incur his temper and he has a huge one. He won't take any insult lying down, even a vaguely perceived one, and will lash out violently if he thinks you've given him a reason to act aggressively, whether it's hitting one of his buttons or- god forbid- touching him. (Or touching his things- people, included.) Anyone who enjoys explosions and causing other people pain as much as he does isn't really the kind of person you want to be pissing off, anyway.

At this heart, Rocket wants desperately to be treated like a person and, as such, behaves in an aggressive, dominant manner to get people to take him seriously, and to hide his fear that it will never be enough. It's not just his overblown theatrics with his unfeasibly large weapons or his big mouth, it's his attitude. For someone so burdened with anguish and self-doubt related to his own origins and where he stands because of it, Rocket exudes confidence. He knows he's smart, he knows he's talented, and he knows he's capable. When he threatens you, it isn't an act or a show- it's because he means it. And sure those words usually work better when there's someone big and scary behind him ready and willing to smash some faces in at a word, but it doesn't change the fact that Rocket Gets Shit Done and he doesn't let anyone push him around. He's been to prison. He has no problems going back. And he has no problems getting out once he does go back.

He's a selfish, entitled little brat, generally concerned with what he will get out of something or, otherwise, believing himself to be entitled to a thing if he wants it more. The universe hasn't done right by him, so he doesn't really feel that compelled to do right by the universe, which gives him all the reason to do whatever he pleases as his own personal brand of "payback" for the world being horrific to him. He even goes as far as picking on people with similar misfortunes to his own as his way of compensating for his own shortcomings- likely why he has such a grand obsession with stealing cybernetic parts. Rocket can martyr himself like a pro and pretty much lives up on a cross when it comes to believing anything he does can be rationalized, and if you don’t agree, well… you’re a jerk.

(He has grown out of this somewhat, but he still retains a certain amount of selfishness in his actions- he called Thor out on acting on his own PTSD by focusing entirely on what he lost and how Thor could help him, for example.)

The problem with being a lab-created experiment is the general existential why of it all. Rocket has deep-rooted issues that tend to only come out when he's drunk (or likely when he's triggered by something) and they all stem from the same horrific fear- he's a thing. He didn't ask to get made, he didn't ask to exist, and he probably doesn't even know why- if there was ever a reason- that happened to him. Regardless of what he does or how he acts, he's well aware he will never ever shake the stigma of being a freak and the only choice he has in the matter is how he takes the treatment (not well, as previously stated). That doesn't make it easier on him, of course. If anything, it leaves him with the constant, horrific burden of self-consciousness that he has to overcompensate for every day of his life. He's a monster and whatever niche he carves for himself won't change that. To that end, he even considers himself to be unlovable, due to being unloved for most of his life, and people getting close to him reminds him that it’s never going to be enough, causing him to freak out and lash out very strongly. He can deal with people hating him, because he can control that easily. But people loving him and caring for him? He can’t handle that. He can’t trust that. Better to be a misanthrope with no friends then somebody who can be tossed aside. You have to be willing to push back when he pushes or able to tolerate his behavior if you want to be considered a friend. Four years with the Guardians and five with the Avengers have made him relatively more at ease around people and less likely to test his luck, but he's still abrasive and seems to stick to the people he's more familiar with, rather than branch out too much, but he doesn't seem to do well alone.

Despite having them and feeling them strongly, Rocket has a better handle on most of his emotions than most would give him credit for. Sure, he's angry and volatile and will throw a temper tantrum at the slightest insult, but anger is useful for cultivating his aforementioned tough guy image. Impractical emotions like fear and sadness and god forbid love, he tries not to waste any time on. He's emotionally selfish as well as physically- people exhibiting emotions that inconvenience or annoy him in any way are belittled or insulted, which may well be him overcompensating for his own feelings. (There are exceptions, of course- he can make himself emotionally available if the situation calls for it, but only if there's no stakes, and even then he's pretty awkward.) He doesn't go around feeling his feelings and leading with anything other than his brain (and his temper) and getting other people killed or making himself look like a fool, so why would anyone else? That's just stupid. That said, moments of utter despair (and also alcohol) can push him to actual breakdowns and when he's pushed that far, he generally doesn't give a shit if the whole world sees him cry. He'll probably threaten you later if you ever bring it up again (or seconds after, he's feeling particularly spunky), but in the moment, he'll allow himself the weakness. It takes a lot to push him that far, but he's lost a lot of people and he has grief in abundance.

He's practical, not gifted with an overabundance of altruism or any real need to be heroic (it just sort of happens) and of all the Guardians, he protests the hero thing the most, only giving in to Quill's plan in the first film, because he believes he won't live much longer anyway. Once in the field, however, he displays true compassion for the civilians of Xandar and grieves the causalities of the battle- he's especially shown to be affected by Denarian Saal's death, despite the man insulting him. This (along with his relationship with Groot, which is one of the few scraps of proof we're given that he's not a total dick early on) proves that Rocket does have a lot of compassion in him when given a reason to be compassionate. It takes him quite a long time to become a true "hero," but if deciding to stay with the Avengers after losing everything says anything, he's definitely in it for the long haul now. Even at his most heroic, however, he prefers to be pragmatic, especially where sheer numbers are involved- one life isn't worth multiple lives. He'll always make that call even when it hurts, as evidenced by his being willing to help Yondu sacrifice his own life to save Quill's, knowing that his new friend would die.

Because Rocket keeps such a tight lid on his affectionate emotions, he tends to display them in ways that are more insulting and demeaning than actually loving- if you know him, then you probably know that he cares about you, because he's more "show" and "not tell" about things like that. It doesn't really change the fact that he will call you an idiot constantly and half the time when he says it, it means "you made me worry about you and I hate it" and the other half of the time, he just... thinks you're stupid. There's a hard line between Rocket being genuinely insulting and trying to cover up that a person made him feel things that can be tough to discern. He's an extremely difficult person to care about, which means when people do care about him, he tends to be possessive and protective of them in his own way, because these are his people. To get there, however, you have to deal with his habit of pushing people away to overcompensate for his own issues with being unloved, but once you appreciate him, he's your friend for life.


He suffers from PTSD, and his symptoms include reoccurring nightmares about his time on Half-World and the experiments performed on him; increased anxiety/agitation when around or in laboratory/hospital settings; an extreme aversion to the smell of antiseptic; intense fear of having any kind of surgery performed on him; violent reaction to anyone touching him unexpectedly, especially on the neck or back, or grabbing him from behind (with people he trusts being the only exception).

Abilities/Powers/Weaknesses & Warping:

Enhanced Intelligence — Rocket's cerebral cortex was genetically enhanced meaning that unlike other members of his species he has a cognitive and intellectual equivalent or superior ability to the most sensitive species in the galaxy. He can talk and communicate with other species, as well as perform extremely complex tasks. He considers himself a genius and will talk up this point at any available opportunity. Despite seeming to not give a shit about anything outside of his sphere, he's shown to be extremely knowledgeable even about things of a cultural significance- he recognizes Drax's species on sight and knows they're extremely literal, and can understand Groot's speech easily- and, in fact, is the only one who can at the start of the series. He even knows about Gamora and Ronan's reputation when Quill doesn't, suggesting he keeps very strict tabs on things and likes to stay informed. He even goes as far as to mock the Avengers when he realized they didn't know how to defeat the Chitauri, saying everyone knows that.

Expert Tactician — Rocket is a brilliant strategist. He is able to formulate strategies advanced combat and escape, even with minimal resources, and to change them according to the needs of the situation. Rocket already said he fled from 22 prisons. In the Kyln, he quickly devised a plan to escape using only a power source and security band in under 24 hours.

Enhanced Strength — Due to his augmentations, Rocket is able to use weapons that are designed to be wielded by normal sized humanoids with ease. He can also punch hard enough to render an adult male unconscious (though he had to treat his head like a punching bag). Unfortunately, his strength is only akin to a normal human's.

Enhanced Agility — Rocket's entire skeletal structure is cybernetic, allowing him to move more like a human and still be as agile as a raccoon. He is extremely fast, able to dodge bullets with ease. Due to his enhanced strength, he can actually jump higher and further than a normal raccoon could, making him an absolute beast if he fights guerrilla warfare from the trees.

Enhanced Durability — Due to his augmentations, Rocket is capable of surviving damage that would normally be sufficient to kill an animal of his size. He has been attacked with enough force to knock him back several meters and only suffered minimal injury, as well as survived crashing his ship into the Dark Aster and was only knocked unconscious for a brief time.

Enhanced Senses — Due to his species, Rocket can see, smell, hear, and feel better than humanly possible.

Master Marksman — Rocket has a great skill in handling various weapons throughout the Galaxy, with the preference of high-powered weaponry. He has perfect precision, even though he's often seen shooting randomly and loving it. Generally speaking, he can pick up just about any gun he can hold and use it.

Master Engineer — Rocket is an expert in handling, modification and construction of equipment and high-tech weaponry. He was able to modify a power source and security band to break into the control tower of the Kyln, disable the security system, unlock doors, and hijack the security drones. Using scrap from the Milano, he built several high-powered weapons, including the Hadron Enforcer. Using stuff he had in his pockets, he made a planet-destroying atomic bomb. He assisted in building the time machine and the second Infinity Gauntlet alongside Tony Stark and Bruce Banner- two of the biggest geniuses on Earth at the time.

He is also extremely well-versed in ship maintenance and acts as the Milano's primary technician. He is also capable of recognizing make and model of ships and weaponry from his own universe on sight.


Expert Pilot — Rocket is an accomplished pilot of various starships. On Knowhere, he took down several Necropods using only the high durability of his industrial pod. During the Battle of Xandar, Rocket was responsible for leading the attack of the Ravagers and Nova Corps, in the Dark Aster, destroying many Necropods in the process. Rocket also proved capable of piloting improvised vehicles, like the Kyln's security tower. He easily pilots the Milano back to the Ravager ship to rescue Quill and Gamora, and can even pilot effortlessly through space battles and asteroid fields. He considers himself "the greatest pilot in the universe." This is probably not true, but he says it, anyway.

Inventory:

— Jumpsuit with boots, gloves, goggles, and scarf
— One laser pistol
— A utility belt with pouches, containing a small multitool that's only useful in delicate work (like building bombs), a tiny blowtorch, and some misc. bits of wire and metal he shoved in there at one point.


Writing Samples:

TDM thread

Network post

OUT OF CHARACTER

Player Name: Chris
Player Age: 31
Player Contact: plurk: tricksterwind, discord: Chris#6942

Other Characters In Game: Mollymauk Tealeaf
In-Game Tag If Accepted: rocket: chris
Permissions for Character: here
Are you comfortable with prominent elements of fourth-walling?: Yes.
What themes of horror/psychological thrillers do you enjoy the most?: Psychological torture, bloodletting, physical torture, monster fighting, dangerous game-style elements where characters are being hunted.
Is there anything in particular you absolutely need specific content warnings for?: Pet cruelty/death.
Additional Information: N/A