Butterfly Effect

Cause and effect

Using the example from the the Commander Overlay section, let’s take a look at what the butterfly effect would be if things went a little different for the Secret Avengers.

Prior to the mission, let’s assume that Winter Soldier did not add Subterfuge Tactics, and Ant-Man didn’t enlist Storm’s help during infiltration. Let’s look at the potential butterfly effects.

1. Killmonger fails his Stealth roll, and the party is spotted on the compound perimiter. He is knocked unconscious during the encounter.
2. This encounter causes an alarm to be raised, and AIM works to remove all schematics about their Skrull weapons.
3. AIM flees and notifies Zemo of the attack. He responds by launching an attack on Japan, turning Tokyo into the next part of NUE.
4. Natasha is freed, but instead of working as an ally of the Secret Avengers, she goes on to join The Winter Guard in an attempt to free Moscow from Zemo’s influence.
5. Unaware of the Skrull influence, the menace goes unnoticed until it is too late. A Skrull infiltrates the team, pretending to be T’Challa.
6. Eventually, the team comes across the impostor, and defeats it. The Winter Soldier player becomes the new Commander. They have little to no Offworld contacts, and are left to react to the Skrull invasion, instead of being proactive.

With great power comes great responsibility. It’s the cornerstone of Spider-Man’s whole belief structure. It’s also a vital aspect of any Marvel Overpower game. Actions have consequences. Both good and bad.

Appropriate response

Obviously, this is an extreme example of a possible butterfly effect, as it’s too much weight put essentially on a single failed roll, but it serves to illustrate how much butterfly effects are a part of this world.