What is the right super heroes system for my campaign?

[ProtoClone]

So, been thinking of running a super heroes game in the DC universe, during "Blackest Night". I currently own M&M but am not too impressed with the ease of it...and I know my players would resist it, can't blame them.
So I want to know if there is a system out there that isn't heavy like M&M, but would still be enough to carry such a campaign?

Some systems I am curious about and wondering if they are up to the task:
Wild Talents
ICONS

 

[Corathon]

I'm a big fan of Champions; its very versatile and powerful. However, if you're looking for a simple system it may not be for you. Attacks and combat are simple, but character creation is complex.

John Stater has a new superhero system (called "Mystery Men" IIRC). I haven't used it, but based on what little I know about it, it looked straightforward.

 

[Crothian]

In what ways is M&M heavy? Without defining why you think the players will resist that game it is hard to suggest something else.

That being said go with Villains and Vigilantes. It is very different from M&M in nearly all respects of game mechanics.

 

[kdesjar]

Although Champions does take a bit to get used to, it's an awesome system in terms of customization. My group ran a DC "Batman Beyond" setting using the HERO system and it was pretty cool.

 

[ProtoClone]

In what ways is M&M heavy? Without defining why you think the players will resist that game it is hard to suggest something else.

That being said go with Villains and Vigilantes. It is very different from M&M in nearly all respects of game mechanics.

M&M is heavy in character creation, and awkward in combat (IMHO).
My players have taken a liking to games like Gamma World 4e and Savage Worlds. The level of crunch M&M/Champions/etc...turns them off. They don't mind, at the most, medium crunch but not any more then that.
I know SW has their Supers supplement, but I am not convinced it will work on the scale of Blackest Night.

 

[Corathon]

I know SW has their Supers supplement, but I am not convinced it will work on the scale of Blackest Night.

I haven't seen the super hero rules for SW, but its hard to imagine handling cosmic-level super heroes (e.g. any of the various lantern corps, Superman) in that system. Low-powered super heroes work well enough in SW (I will be playing one on Sunday), but you'd need a lot of special rules to create high-powered ones.

 

[Spatula]

The new Marvel Heroic Roleplaying game might be a good fit. It sets its goals on emulating superhero comics rather than superhero physics, and thus (IMO) avoids the common superhero RPG problem of having to precisely define every aspect of a character's power set. But it's hard to say without knowing more about what you're looking for.

 

[Ariosto]

As Spatula said, more information would be helpful.

V&V is definitely more slender than Champions, etc., and a new edition came out a few years ago.

Marvel Super Heroes (TSR's "FASERIP" system) is dead simple, especially without the Advanced elaborations. There's a retro-remake called Four Colors.

 

[ProtoClone]

The new Marvel Heroic Roleplaying game might be a good fit. It sets its goals on emulating superhero comics rather than superhero physics, and thus (IMO) avoids the common superhero RPG problem of having to precisely define every aspect of a character's power set. But it's hard to say without knowing more about what you're looking for.

Hm, let me see if I can explain more of what I am looking for.

I want an epic game, but not straight out the gate. The players have to feel like they have a part in this, not just something that happened to them...but that is more on me then it is the system.
I want an element of danger, like this isn't your normal DC. Death should be a concern, but not at first. If the players feel death is the only option for themselves/the villains, then it is an option. Although this should only be in the most dire of circumstances/fitting to the story.
As the story progresses so will the difficulty of the antagonists to the point of cosmic. So starting out, as rookies let's say, thugs won't be too much of a problem. As the players progress, they will find the villains are more cunning/dangerous/deadly.
Power Rings, of all colors, will be something I will need to be able to create.
I want character creation to be fun and allow the players feel like there is room for creativity. I don't want them to be bogged down by large amounts of number crunching in creation/combat.

 

[Cam Banks]

Marvel Heroic Roleplaying would probably be ideal, in that case. Much of a hero's growth comes in the form of investment in the setting and story by way of unlockables earned by XP, and XP are awarded when the hero hits their narrative story arc beats (Milestones). It's easy to represent thematic power sets, and while it's possible to die it's not something that happens by accident.

Of course I am terribly biased.

Cheers,
Cam