I have always wanted to create a super hero universe for a role playing game. I think this type of world creation is more gratifying than any other type of world-building, like fantasy for example. Each custom superheroes campaign could be seen as a separate Comic Book in-print. Comicbook universes are not created by one single author, they are often a combination of different almost disparate stories that happen to share the same world.
I though that a very interesting exercise in RPG world building might be to give the players some power to create the campaign world with the Gamemaster. For example, one could use a tool-kit system to run the game. I thought about the 4C system which is very simple and only requires a player or gm to read thirty-something pages. Each player will be tasked with creating his character's background (allies, enemies, organizations he's belong to, ect...) and powers. If there are 4 players in the group, a gm may find himself with a pretty decent amount of npcs, mayor events, and powers to put together into a some-what coherent universe. The gamemaster would probably be responsible for coming up with the origins of the world or guidelines for the source of the super powers. After a year of gaming, the group could probably find themselves with a detailed and vibrant world full of super heroics and dastardly deeds.
I expect the creation to be a group effort. I like as the GM creating a basic premise, but I enjoy letting that unfold and adding in player's input and elements from their backstories, if any, to the game.
It makes more for the "good editor+various writers" feel of comic books, rather than the "sole creator comic books" both can be good, but the latter tends to be very specific and often runs into reused tropes. I noticed this in some Image titles, mind you most Image people can't write worth a damn, but for Kirkman. But I also see it in l J.M. Straczynski's works as well. On the other hand there is Kurt Busiek who manages to do it WELL, and not seem to be "reusing" so much as examining them with purpose.
In other words you get more breadth of ideas if you involve the players.
yeah.
This is an RPG experiment I really want to do at some point. The 4C system may not be it, but I would definitely give Mutants and Masterminds a try. Of course, it would require a group of players willing to learn the system to make all of it work.
Alternating gamemasters could add even more to the mix, running different comic series set in the same universe. You can get pretty ambitious by running mega-crossovers ( ala Infinite Crisis or Civil War).
If only I had a steady group :(