Dr Archeville

In Brief: The Revoltin' Revenant, enemy to graverobbers and death-warpers, friend to all children! Catchphrase: “What’s all that racket? Y’all are bein’ loud enough t’wake the dead!” Alternate Identities: Burton "Burt" Lee Identity: Secret; most people assume Burton Lee died nearly twenty years ago (which is technically true) Birthplace: Durham, North Carolina, USA Residence: Mobile; formerly Parkhurst Hotel in Freedom City Base of Operations: Bedlam City; formerly Freedom City, formerly up and down the East Coast of America Occupation: Advocate, Ghostbuster, Psychopomp, Superhero Affiliations: The Midnighters Family: David Lee (Father), Jamie Lee (Mother), Keith Lee (Brother), Katherine Lee (Sister), numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins; all believe Burt Lee died over ten years ago. Age: 41 (Born October 1977, Died/Reanimated 2000) Apparent Age: Early 20s... ish Gender: Good Ol' Boy Ethnicity: White American (some Irish on his mother's side) Height: 6'2" (1.88 m) Weight: 170 lbs. (77.11 kg) Eyes: Ectoplasmic Cyan Flames (formerly Green Flames, formerly Blue) Hair: White-Grey (formerly Platinum-Blonde) APPEARANCE Dead Head is a mostly preserved corpse, dry though not quite mummy-like, with purplish-gray skin and wild white hair. (“More beef jerky, less cajun gumbo.”) Sometimes he creaks when he moves. He smells like tobacco and spices and rum, and his eyes glow with a soft cyan (greenish-blue) light. He still doesn't get out to the shops much, but has been raiding his teammate’s old wardrobe for outfits to supplement what he gets from dumpster diving (a habit he has not, and probably never will, break); he enjoys wearing a noose as a necktie. He still carries a shovel, but now he's usually able to get new ones instead of using rusty discarded ones. His voice still sounds like a harsh, strained whisper, with an eerie reverb when speaking when he shouldn't be able to (like when his head is detached from his body). Description (Old): Dead-Head's skin is shriveled and rotting (but constantly renewing), and purplish-grey in color, like a bruise over his entire body. The trauma of his death changed his hair from platinum blonde to white-grey, and his eyes (once blue) glow with green, ectoplasmic flames. His mouth has been partially frozen into a rictus grin, and his voice is a harsh, strained whisper. (Sometimes, such as when his head is separated from his body, it has an eerie reverb.) Having neither job nor source of income, he wears whatever he can get from where ever he can get it, though he's sure to always obtain a shovel. Currently, he's wearing discarded Army boots, old jeans, a t-shirt full of holes, and a well-worn black leather jacket. His current shovel is stainless steel model with a spade-like blade and a D-shaped handle. He smells as bad as he looks. Power Descriptions (Old): Dead Head's body is in a state of "dynamic stasis" -- constantly putrefying and rotting yet also regenerating. He takes damage like any other person -- powerful blasts don't bounce off him, they go through him -- but his body restores itself so quickly it takes a lot for him to even notice. His eyes constantly glow with emerald flame, which flares when using his Animate Dead and Resurrection abilities. Power Descriptions (New): Dead Head's resilience still comes not from being so tough that attacks bounce off, but rather that blasts and bullets and fists go through him harmlessly. His eyes constantly glow with a cyan light, which flares when using his spirit powers. HISTORY Burton “Burt” Lee had a very pleasant childhood, with a loving and supportive family. The only real troubles to bother him were frequent headaches, accompanied by odd auditory or visual hallucinations. These were in fact the first signs of his psychic abilities: reading snippets of thoughts, seeing through the eyes of others, and so on. In time the the visions became clearer, but the headaches remained, and he could never consciously control his abilities. After high school he went on to a prestigious college, with plans to study neurology, in the hopes of unlocking the mysteries of psychic abilities (his own and those of others). A few weeks before moving onto campus, Burt was hit with the worst headache he’d ever experienced, and saw things no one should. He found his mind’s eye in a great chamber, surrounded by five great looming figures. These things, from beyond space and before time, were in no way humanoid. They all turned and regarded Burt, and reached out towards him, making sounds that were both unintelligible and terrifyingly clear: he was/is/will be the Gate. Burt awoke right as the things touched him, soaked in sweat. Mercifully, his visions never went to that place again, and in fact the pains of them lessened even more, and he found he had some minor control over his abilities. Burt did well in college, and enjoyed himself. A campus movie marathon on Halloween introduced him to several new friends in his first year, bonding over their love of horror and sci-fi. One of these new friends, Kim, the daughter of posh restaurateurs, would throw very popular New Year’s Eve parties at her parent’s house (while they parents were off in their yacht). Plans were made for the party on December 31st, 1999 to be one that nobody would forget. Unfortunately, their wish was granted. In a hidden place of unwholesome power, the Atlantean lich Malador and the malicious Voudoun loa Baron Samedi enacted a vile ritual. Neither of these mystics cared overly much about technology, but the “Y2K Bug” provided a unique opportunity. While the “bug” itself was nowhere near the threat that fearmongers were making it out to be, the fear that was spreading, the uncertain dread among the masses, was something these evil mages could use, to power a spell that would open a portal between worlds and summon some dread thing to do their bidding. Their work was interrupted by the appearance of Adrian Eldrich, as well as a backstabbing Baron Samedi, who was quite upset when he realized what it was Malador was attempting to summon, a thing so nasty even he did not want to see it loosed on Earth. Malador and Samedi were driven off, and Eldrich undid what progress they had made in their ritual. This was almost enough. What none of them knew was the the horrors Malador had intended to summon -- the same entities that Burt had contacted years prior -- knew of the lich’s attempt, and failure, and had set up Burt as a backup plan. As Eldrich sealed the rift Malador and Samedi had started to open, they sent a portion of their combined essence into Burt’s mind. As the clock struck midnight, and Burt was trying to arrange some adult fun with Kim and her on-again/off-again girlfriend to celebrate the lights not going out, he was struck by a sudden headache. Cursing all the while, the pain grew and grew, until it exploded out of him -- in the form of green lightning, killing him and the score or so of other people at the party. Minutes later, Burt rose up, and slowly made his way around the house, horrified at all he saw. He saw himself in a mirror, and wailed at the sight of himself. Slumping down on the couch, he wondered aloud what to do, who to contact, when the bodies slowly began rising up and turned to face him, as if expecting instructions. Afraid he was hallucinating from blood loss or brain damage, he began laughing, an eerie sound that echoed through the house, and was soon joined by the spectral images of his friends. His friends, their spirits still lingering at the site of their sudden deaths, were all as confused as Burt, and some wondered why they were separate from their bodies instead of in them as he was. After a bit of experimentation, Burt found he could rejoin them, putting each spirit back into its own body. (He did not try to swap spirits/bodies, as there was already enough weirdness for one evening.) Soon enough, everyone was back in their undead bodies, and most decided to get back to partying, seeing no reason to let their current condition stop their fun. A few hours later, just before sunrise, something outside caught Burt’s attention: a large flame, running towards the house! Unknown to anyone else, one of Kim’s neighbors was latent metahuman, and his powers -- to manipulate, but not generate, fire -- had just recently fully activated. He’d been experimenting with it all night, but carelessly set himself on fire... and panicked, as he had no resistance to fire (or at least not to ones he was not consciously controlling). Driven mad with pain, he ran to the nearest source of water he knew, the big pool at the back of Kim’s house. He battered/burned down the front door, dashed through the house, setting things alight all about him. At that exact moment, two of Kim’s friends were fiddling with the gas stove, and had worked the tank’s hose loose. When Burt regained consciousness, he was outside the remains of the house, blown clear by the blast. Everyone was dead, again, their bodies burned beyond recognition. He tried animating them again, and found he could, but the sight of their jerking, twisted bodies was too much for him, so he released them. The spirits of his friends faded out one by one as they felt the call of whatever lay beyond, leaving Burt alone. As the wails of approaching fire truck’s sirens filled the early morning air, Burt ran, thinking it better to let everyone think he’d died along with all his friends. For about a decade, Burt wandered across America, alternating between extreme depression and grim vengeance, seeking to help the dead, who could not help themselves. The ghost of a Jerry Garcia fan gave him the name Dead Head, which he took with humor and pride. By September 2009, he’d made his way to Freedom City, perhaps the hub for superpowered and mystical activity in the world. He opposed numerous cults and necromancers, as well as some more traditional supervillains (and even few Grue kaiju), but things came to a head for him on Halloween 2010. On the 50th anniversary of his imprisonment in Tartarus, Hades, Greek God of the Underworld, tried to manifest on Earth, but was stopped by a group of heroes and by Baron Samedi and his agents. During the battle, something stepped out of Dead Head: Papa Ghede, Baron Samedi's more benevolent counterpart. When Malador and Samedi had opened that rift a decade ago to that pseudonatural prison-realm, Ghede and some other gods rushed to close it. The Horrors fought back, and dealt the guardians a severe blow; desperately seeking some spot to recuperate, Ghede went to the one place available: Burton Lee. He backtracked the mystical link the Horrors had set up, which they had just sent a portion of their essence into. Due to the restrictions of The Pact -- a universal ban barring gods from entering the mortal realm unless invited in -- Ghede still needed Burt's permissions to inhabit his body... but he was dead, his soul about to be intercepted and consumed by the Horrors. Ghede had to act fast, and offered Burt a deal: he'd save him from the Horrors, resurrect him (mostly), let him continue amongst the mortal world, if he could hole up in him for a bit. Burt, not really wanting to be dead (or Horror-chow), agreed... but there was an unexpected hitch. The alterations the Horrors had made to Burt's mind/soul, as well as the damage it caused when it lashed out and tried to send a portion of themselves into him, altered his metaphysical being such that when the wounded Ghede tried to bond with Burt, he was instead trapped and put into a state of semi-hibernation; the resurrection also went awry, bringing Burt back as a type of super-powerful zombie, constantly rotting yet regenerating. The increased magical activities of the past month as Hades tried to free himself finally roused Ghede, who spent some time cleaning and undoing the damage the pseudonatural Horrors had done to Burt before manifesting and carrying Baron Samedi and Hades away. Ghede planned to take Burt's spirit with him to Guinee, where he would be rewarded in final rest, but he pleaded to stay, and his friends rallied for him. Ghede allowed it, but could not fully restore the revenant’s abilities; in compensation, he left behind one of Legba's hounds to help the hero, which he named A Mutt. Fortunately for Dead Head, he knows a few powerful and skilled mages and benevolent necromancers, who would help him relearn those abilities. Dead Head was absent from Freedom for some time, when a cold case took him on a veritable tour of several afterlives. He’s recently returned, and is going to tie up a few loose ends before moving on to Bedlam, a place that seems to be calling to him. PERSONALITY & MOTIVATION At first, Burt was exceedingly depressed and horrified about his condition. All his friends were dead, twice over, and his family thought he was gone. Lacking any ties to the world of the living, he wandered and did what he could for the dead, but some of them wanted him to do horrible things. He never did them, but being constantly exposed to those requests didn't help his mood. Over the past few years, however, Burt has learned to lighten up -- thanks in part by helping to bring peaceful closure to several families -- and to even enjoy some aspects of his condition (like his Anatomic Separation power). Of course, given his appearance, voice, and mannerisms, his humor is very much in the vein of Tales from the Crypt's Crypt Keeper. He is very much like a member of The Addams Family: compassionate and loving, friendly to all he meets, eager to help strangers in times of need, tolerant to a fault... and largely incapable of noticing how creepy and wrong he comes off, or just how badly his "idle fun" (like snapping off a hand and having it crawl around like a spider, or stretching and twisting in ways no living person should or could) unnerves some people. For all his strange abilities and creepy nature, there is one sure way to make him uncomfortable: overt sexual talk. He was still a virgin the night he’d died (and had never gotten much farther than kissing a few girls), and his lack of hormonal responses has muted those urges. Not that he could engage in them even if he wanted, since that’s the one dead thing he cannot raise. He has, of course, made a few enemies, and holds particular types of criminals with special distaste. Baron Samedi and Malador both wanted him, either to lead their armies of undead monstrosities, or to rip out whatever power is in him and add it to their own; now Samedi wants him destroyed just out of spite. Hades has also become an enemy, due to his role in preventing his possession of/merging with Daedalus. Burt himself takes special interest in cases involving children (especially those who weren't able to fully enjoy life) and those who disturb the dead (such as graverobbers and most necromancers). POWERS & TACTICS Due to his undead nature and unearthly fast regenerative abilities, Dead Head is monstrously tough and near-impossible to put down; shots to the head do no more than shots to anywhere else, but his body restores itself slightly slower from wounds inflicted by magic or silver weapons. Separated body parts can still operate independently, and he can willingly remove pieces to have them scuttle about. (On one disgustingly memorable occasion, he separated his head & viscera from his body, and through a combination of necromanticaly-charged decompositional gases and flapping lungs flew after a group of drug smugglers hoping to escape by plane.) His strength level is not superhuman, but it is nearly peak-human, and his undead nature means fatigue poisons don’t build up so he never tires; he can (and frequently does) push his body past the point where muscles shred and bones break. He can also communicate with the spirits of the dead (who can sometimes be frustratingly difficult to understand), and physically interact with them. He can transfer a portion of the energies animating him into another corpse to animate it, and ‘insert’ a spirit into a corpse to create a sapient zombie. (He is reluctant to do this, partly because he believes the dead should lay dead, partly because sometime the process goes horribly wrong.) Thanks to all he’s done for the dead -- and the simple fact he can hear and listen to them -- many are willing to help him out in non-combat ways, such as by translating languages or revealing long-lost secrets to him. He is also sensitive to mystical energies, particularly necromantic ones. In combat, Dead Head takes the Stone Wall approach, letting his foes wear themselves down and then striking (usually with a shovel) when they’re weakened. He’s also quite fond of striking unholy terror into his foes, either by contorting his body in hideous ways, or simply channeling the chill finality of the grave. Powers & Tactics (New): When he lost his connection to Papa Ghede, Dead Head lost much of his power. He was still monstrously tough and near-impossible to put down, push his body to beyond what the healthiest athlete could manage, and could still communicate with and even grab spirits of the dead, but that was about it. (He also found one odd change: with the corruption from the Horrors gone, he was no longer susceptible to damage from blessed/consecrated/holy weapons, but is now susceptible to the bane of voudou zombies, salt.) Fortunately, with the help of his friends in the Midnighters, and some self-experimentation, he’s worked out several new tricks. He re-learned how to animate the dead, and to control himself if separated into up to four pieces; he can even make his detached head fly around. He can summon spirits to help him translate languages, and take on the appearance, sound, and even smell of anyone who has died -- good for confronting a murderer with their victims (either as they were in life, or as the corpse is now), bad for trying to sneak into guarded areas. He can form weapons from his body, such as having supernaturally-hardened bones break through his skin to use as claws, yanking out a rib and using it as a dagger, or removing one arm and using it to club someone; he can charge these weapons with necromantic energies so they can penetrate armor and so the wounds don’t easily heal. His Fearsome Presence can be either contorting his body in hideous ways, channeling the chill finality of the grave, or making himself look like the decayed remains of someone the person knew. He can teleport, with great skill and barely any hint of his coming or going, but only to & from “places of death” such as cemeteries and morgues. ALLIES Owing to his appearance and personality, making friends was not easy for Dead Head, and those friendships he did make are very dear to him. For a time he was a member the Midnighters, a group of (mostly) supernatural-themed fellows who fought against the darker, hidden things out there, and he considered them all to be family. He also had some interactions with some members of the Interceptors. When Papa Ghede left Dead Head, he left behind a parting gift: one of Legba’s spirit-hounds. A Mutt, as he came to be known, is a faithful sidekick and confidante. A Mutt appears to be a mix of Mastiff (Neopolitan and Tibetan), Newfoundland, and Saint Bernard, standing about two feet (~0.6m) tall at the shoulder, though most of their foes only see his terrible jaws and glowing red eyes. A Mutt is a spirit, and as such naturally exists in an incorporeal and invisible/inaudible/un-sensable form. He can run up walls and across the air with ease, and his mighty jaws can bite corporeal and insubstantial foes, whether he is corporeal or not; these wounds are slow to heal. He can let our a baleful howl, far more terrifying than the call of any mere wolf. Most impressive of all, though, is his extraordinary sense of smell, which allows him to track creatures even across other dimensions! Since moving to Bedlam, he's become close friends with Mr. Strix (in an Odd Couple, "Rorschach & Deadpool" sort of way), as well as most of the supernatural-leaning heroes in that city. ENEMIES Baron Samedi, Hades, and Malador were at the top of his list -- or, rather, he was at the top of their lists. He also has a special dislike for those who disturb the dead (graverobbers, necromancers), who profit off people’s grief over lost loved ones (psychic scammers), and those who endanger children. HEADQUARTERS For most of his unlife, Dead Head’s been a drifter, a wanderer, going wherever the dead needed him. When he was running with the Midnighters, he stayed at Parkhurst Hotel with them, helping where he could. Later, when he'd moved to Bedlam, he helped Mr. Strix and some other clear out the Twilight Lodge, and became a tenant there. MISCELLANEOUS Behind the Scenes What if... Evil Ernie was a fun-loving Southern boy? That's basically where Dead Head started, though before coming here I'd played a similar character in a short-lived online sci-fi RPG. COMPLICATIONS Appearance: It's a zomumbie! Eek! Creepy and Kooky, Mysterious and Spooky: Even when he's trying to present himself as 'normal,' Dead Head always has an 'Addams Family vibe' about him. Enemies: Baron Samedi, Hades, and Malador are the big three. Then there's all the graverobbers, organlegging rings, and death-cults he's busted up. Pain Don't Hurt: Dead Head feels no pain, literally. He wouldn't know there's a knife stuck in his back unless someone points it out to him. This could get problematic if he's in a situation where he's being damaged but doesn't directly see it. Spare Change? Chaaange? : No job, legally dead, gets most of his clothes from the dumpsters behind the Goodwill and Salvation Army (or his teammate’s closet). Temper/Hatred: Dead Head has a special dislike of those who harm children or disturb the dead. OTHER Character Sheet [link] HellQ [link] Interview/20 Questions [link] Tropes of Dead Head [link] TIMELINE 1977 Summer: Burton "Burt" Lee is born to David and Jamie Lee in Durham, North Carolina. 1995 Fall: "Burt" enrolls at NC State University, majoring in biology, with plans to focus on neurology. 1999 December 31st: Burt attends a big Y2K party with all his college friends, including that one gal he really likes & her girlfriend… 2000 January 1st, 12:00am: ... and then they all die when Burt's head explodes in pseudonatural energy... January 1st, 12:01 am: ... and then they start rising up... and continue their party. Until a burning man runs in and re-kills everyone. Burt becomes an undead avenger, seeking to right wrongs and balance injustices, and mortal pains are no deterrent. 2008 Spring: Dead Head begins to shift out of his "grim & brooding" mindset and into his "have fun, laugh while you can" mode. He visits some kids in Virginia after an April Fool's Day prank goes horribly wrong. 2009 September: Dead Head arrives in Freedom City. He meets Blink, Jack of Blades, Leon Mighty, and Tempest while Leon is Training in Wharton Forest. October: Atlas, Avenger, Dead Head, and Phantom meet up to stop the Darkness Rising in south Lincoln. Later, Breakdown gets back together with an old friend (Grimalkin), and meets a new one (Dead Head) in Lantern Hill. He soon discovers that Death Don't Have No Mercy. Later, Deedra's Traveling Menagerie in in town, for a full ten days! Colt, David (Ironhide), Dead Head, Erik (Jack of Blades), Kristian (Razorwing), Lynn (Grimlakin), Marcus (All Star), Max (Spitfire), Megan (Velocity), Tempest, and Yuki (Tarantula) are all present at the Carnival in the Park. Hilarity ensues! Dead Head makes some money (and interacts with some real live people) by working at the Haunted House. Halloween: Dead Head enjoys himself at the 14th Annual Haunted Block Party in the Theatre District. November: Dead Head fights lots of demons alongside Atlas, Avenger, and Phantom (Invasion! Riverside), but later retreats to Ace Danger's warded mansion (Invasion! Danger Mansion). December: Once things settle down, Avenger and Phantom decide to try and make a new team of heroes, ones geared more towards the dark and ugly side of things. Atlas, Dead Head, and Hellion are recruited, Once Upon a Midnight. 2010 January: An angel appeared in Freedom on Christmas Eve, or so the rumor goes. Is there truth to it? Dead Head plans to find out. Along the way, he finds two others who wish to know: Moira and Mongrel Angel. What will come of this Holy Meeting? February: Physicus speaks to the family of his mentor, the first superhero under that name, seeking their permission to take up his now-dead friend's mantle. He learns many things that the first Physicus never told him when the superhero's brother talks of Happier Times, and encounters Dead Head when he seeks something the old superhero left behind. March: Breakdown, Dead Head, Fleur de Joie, Hellion, and Jack of all Blades fight weird plant-creatures, mutated by a meteor that the Green Man is after! Can they stop him, leaving him Green with Envy? Later in the month, Dead Head is interviewed by Rich “Voyeur” Royer, in Greenville Cemetery. The interview is never aired, deemed too controversial for airing by the Globe Broadcasting Network execs, though tapes of it do exist in the GBN studios. April: Moira and Dead Head team up to stamp out a new threat to the city, before it becomes a threat to all life, in Gods & Zombies. Later, Avenger & Dead Head have a chat while bustin' cultist heads. Dead Men Do Tell Tales! May: Avenger, Dark Star, Dead Head, and Phantom fight Monsters in the Streets of Midtown! Later, Nick Cimitiere, the new necromancer in town, heads to Lantern Hill Cemetery to check out the Fresh Plots and ends up meeting some of the heroes who regularly haunt the place. Later, Following the Grue Invasion, several of the city's heroes meet to let off steam. Dead Head decides to check it out, and is immediately attacked by Wander. When he uses a newfound ability to see certain parts of her past (which she then relives), she beats him again. (Fisticuffs 2: The Opening Credits/Wander vs. Dead Head) Later, Robin Cross seeks out Dead Head for some assistance in a case involving a Hand of Glory. (A'Walkin' Amongst the Lilies) June: Lady Winter and Dead Head meet. Hilarity ensues! (Cold Case) Later that night, he meets with Fleur to see about restoring the graves which were disturbed during the meeting with Lady Winter. (Groundskeeping) July: Midnight's grandfather has been kidnapped! But by whom? And why? Can Dead Head help? Perhaps... but while they'll find the trip is short, the exchange rates are murder! Later, The Midnighters -- Atlas, Avenger, Dead Head, Hellion, and Phantom -- receive a distress call from a strange world where vampires have taken over! But is it a true distress call, or a trap set by the denizens of this World of Darkness? Later, Dead Head and Wander meet again, but this time just to talk. (Crypt Tonight) August: The various mystics, magicians, and spellcasters of Freedom gather at Pyramid Plaza to discuss the arcane and the unknown, in Thistle and Thyme. November: During a massive battle between Hades & his forces, many of Freedom City's heroes, and Baron Samedi and his minions, Dead Head undergoes a radical change. (Unbalanced: Dead Head's Oct 2010 Vignette.) Later, Dead Head volunteers to be a medical cadaver... for Doktor Archeville! [Meet Up Vignette] Later, Dead Head meets (briefly) one of Freedom's newest heroes, the kinetic manipulator Push. (When Push Comes to Shovel) Later, Dead Head, while tracking down rumors of cultists, finds other heroes at the warehouse he'd tracked them to: Cobalt Templar, Dragonfly, Ironclad, and Push. When the dust settles, they are left with Too Many Questions, Too Few Answers. Later, Miss Americana happens across Dead Head while he's fighting a mad graverobbing scientist, and helps him out of a sticky situation. After the brief fight, she takes the revenant back to her laboratory for study; he is remarkably okay with this. DOA? A-Okay! Later, Gabriel gets word of a zombie running around n the cemeteries. He investigates, and finds Dead Head, chasing down some organleggers. (Carson Finbar and the Deathly Fellow) December: Dead Head's heard rumors about people who've been killed by the Mob being buried by Mob-affiliated contractors into the foundation's of buildings, so he began checking out some of these tales. It was perhaps unwise to chose to investigate the Millennium Mall four days before Christmas, but it's a good thing he was there at that time, due to an attack by hideous monsters! (The Closing of the Year) Christmas Day: Dead Head finds a card on one of the tombstones at Lantern Hill, addressed to him! It's from Push, asking him to help move in. Having nothing better to do, he partakes in A Moving Day Christmas. 2011 March: Dead Head helps Grimalkin take out some Neo-Nazi Cultists who've been desecrating Jewish graves (with White Knight's help!). Along the way, they talk about their odd forms of immortality, and what the future may hold for them. (Whole Kit and Kaddishle) April: Dead Head abruptly finds himself transported to a hellish, toxic world -- Earth of the year 3,500,000,000! ([Time Warp] (Red) Giants Win!) June: There's a dead man walkin', and he's after a little girl. Dead Head works to get to the bottom of it! (Die and Let Live) September: Nick Cimeterie, Dead Head, Equinox, Kid Cthulhu, Phantom, and Rene de Saens deal with an invasion by magical creatures and their goons while the Gorgon looms. (Gorgon: Unwelcome Guests) October: Nick Cimitiere's taking Ghost Girl around on a tour of Freedom's necropoli, and takes her to see their other resident caretaker, Dead Head! Equinoix is there, too. (Fine Spirits) November: Dead Head, Equinox, and Nick Cimitiere investigate a series of grisly murders, and try to find out who made Burnt Offerings to Baron Kriminel! 2013 January: Dead Head, Nick Cimitiere, Equinox, and Ghost Girl investigate weird goings-on at the Levant Arms, an apartment building in the West End. What will they find of The Lonesome Death of Henry Darger? 2014-2018 For part of this time, a cold case takes Dead Head on a veritable tour of several afterlives. 2019 April: Dead Head resurfaces briefly in Freedom City, paying final respects to the spirits in Lantern Hill. He meets Hypno-Hippie, revenant, and Sea Devil. May 18th: An investigation of magical disturbances leads Burt to a Goth-themed party at fancy manor in Bayview Heights, one attended by Miracle Girl and some of her sorority sisters. He knows better than most how dangerous supernatural energies and partying young adults can be -- can he stop it from becoming a Dance Macabre? June 21st: Dead Head attends Phantom's gathering for the mystically-inclined, eager to meet familiar faces and new in the supernatural community. (Down in the Underground) July 22nd: Dead Head, Merge Troi, and Strix investigate a series of strange fires in the poorer sections of Bedlam. (Bedlam Burning: Beauty and the Beasts) [???]: Mister Strix and Dead Head investigate the Nowhere Men... (Everyone Is From Somewhere) [???]: Dead Head and Lady Horus help Mister Strix deal with the new threat Johann has unleashed upon Bedlam City... (Red Death Redemption) 2020 TBD 2021 TBD 2022 TBD 2023 December: Dead Head helps Ghost Girl fulfill the duties of the Spirits of Christmas (she as Christmas Present, he as Christmas Yet to Come) at the Freedom League Holiday Party. (Holiday Cheer!)

In Brief: German Omnidisciplinary Scientist with a gravity-manipulating Belt and an "Electromagnetic Screwdriver,"* trying to use his Science! for good, in part to undo the evils his grandfather (and he 'himself') did. * the Belt and Screwdriver are faaakes, he's really a freakish cyborg with a holographic disguise! Alternate Identities: Viktor Helmut Archeville Identity: Public, mostly. The general public does not know the full details of the “ArchEvil” event, nor of his current status as a technorganic being. Birthplace: Schönwald im Schwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (West Germany at the time of his birth) Occupation: Scientist, Philanthropist, founder & CEO of ArcheTech (former) Affiliations: ArcheTech (founder, former CEO and Majority Shareholder), numerous hospitals and universities in Germany, the European Union, and North America (Donor). Family: Cynthia Bauer Archeville (Mother, Deceased); Varick Heinrich Archeville (Father, Deceased); Verrill Herman Archeville (Paternal Grandfather, Deceased). Age: 41 (DoB: June 1977) Apparent Age: late-20s Gender: Male Ethnicity: German Height: 5'10" (1.78 meters) Weight: 151 lbs. (68.49 kg) Hair: Golden Blonde Eyes: Rhine Blue APPEARANCE Archeville's strong features would've made him a prize nab for the Nazi Party, had he been born when they were ruining his homeland. His alabaster skin, thin and imperial nose and lips, and cheeks cut of marble make for a regal face. His eyes are Rhine-blue & carry the wolf's glare, and his hair is silky and golden, falling down past his shoulders; he speaks (and occasionally sings) with a rich tenor voice. Though he is 46, he looks to be in his earlys 30s, having aged at roughly half the normal pace since he turned sixteen. That's what the holodisguise presents, at least, and it is how he once appeared. When it's down, his true nature -- a constantly shifting hybrid of flesh, metal, and circuitry shaped like Viktor Archeville, whose voice has a slightly echoed, mechanical edge -- becomes clear. (He is still Attractive in this form, just in a Warlock/Douglock kind of way.) Archeville usually wears sturdy black rubber-soled boots, khaki pants (black or dark blue), a short-sleeved dress shirt (usually solid red, blue, green, or purple, made from transgenic spider-goat silk), and his white lab coat. Unlike the stereotypical mad scientist, he gives some consideration to his appearance, wearing clean, pressed clothes and keeping his hair neat and tidy. He stands 5'10" (1.78 meters) and weighs 151 pounds (68.49 kg). (When his pseudonatural heritage fully manifested, Archeville’s body was radically altered. His skin became covered in fine black scales, his lips and gums turned green, and his blood blue-purple. His eyes bulged and pupils became unnaturally wide,them look almost completely black, like a shark’s. His mouth, half again wider than usual, was full of two rows of yellowed teeth, one needle-like and one triangular. His arms and legs became more slender, almost willowy, but his hands and feet became broader and distended; green webbing sprouted between his fingers and toes, which ended in nasty talons. When agitated, fins would extend from his arms and back. Eerily, his hair remained, though it became an unnaturally vibrant shade of crimson, and swirled about him -- even when the air was still -- like the trailing tentacles of some poisonous sea creature.) Of late the Doktor's genial nature has taken a more somber tone, as he has become haunted by past failures and plagued with guilt, but he tries to maintain a positive face and not let the general public see just how deeply shaken he has been by all that has transpired. Power Descriptions: Archeville’s force field glows with a soft blue-grey light, flaring brighter when resisting an impact. When he teleports, gravitational distortions at his departure and arrival points play hob with the inner ear of bystanders, giving them all a brief flash of vertigo; he appears to collapse in on himself (as if swallowed by a black hole) when teleporting from somewhere, and to explode out from a pinpoint when teleporting in. His Electromagnetic Screwdriver (or, as of Phase IV of his existence, he) makes a wide range of buzzing noises, and the 'barrel' at the end glows with all sorts of colors. His Belt and Screwdriver (and, as of Phase IV, his metal skin) are covered in Jack Kirby-esque 'circuit pattern' designs. HISTORY Archeville has gone through three distinct phases in his life, and is currently in his fourth. Phase I lasted the longest, from birth until his early 30s, where he was -- as far as everyone could tell -- merely a gifted human inventor, possibly a metahuman. Phase II was when his secret Cthulhoid/Deep One heritage manifested, causing changes both mental and physical as a Jekyll/Hyde-like shift. Phase III was when his pseudonatural heritage was purged completely (following several horrific acts), but with it so was his advanced intellect, which he later restored with nanite enhancements. He is currently in Phase IV, existing as a weird technorganic hybrid following his death and resurrection. Phase I Viktor Helmut Archeville was born June 2nd, 1977, to Varick Heinrich Archeville and his wife, Cynthia Jacqueline Bauer, in Schönwald im Schwarzwald, a small town in the majestic Black Forest of Germany (West Germany at the time). Varick was the son of Verrill Herman Archeville, the notorious war criminal who had worked as a soldier for the German Empire in World War I and as a "mad scientist" for the Nazis in World War II. Varick's mother had fled Verrill's side (after he tried to kill her when he found out she had some Jewish heritage), and Varick was raised by her alone. Varick and Cynthia had met in college -- he was studying computer engineering, she a psychology student. Tragically, complications that arose during the pregnancy lead to Cynthia dying as she gave birth to Viktor, leaving him to be raised alone by Varick. This task was made a bit easier by Viktor's extreme intellect -- he was speaking coherent sentences before his first birthday, and when he entered kindergarten he was reading at a second grade level. But this also worried Varick, for he knew that extreme intellect carried an increased risk for mental problems, as shown by his father, and rumored to exist in many of his ancestors. Verrill's father, Victor Hobart Archeville, was a glassblower and silversmith obsessed with duality, and ancestors had shown evidence of extreme bipolar, multiple personality disorder, and the gamut of psychopathological and sociopathological disorders. Concern over Viktor's own mental health, combined with increased stresses at work, took a toll on Varick's own sanity. Viktor himself had his first brush with madness in the early summer of 1990. In mathematics class, the teacher told him that he had made a mistake in one of the problems the class was working on. Viktor felt like a storm broke in his mind, and he jumped on the professor and attacked him, pounding at his pressure points with his fists, then hitting him with the teacher's edition of the class textbook, and his chair. Some of the other students tried to stop Viktor, but he assaulted them, too. Two of the boys had to be taken to the school nurse, and the Professor had to be taken to the hospital. The investigation into the event revealed that the mistake was in fact the Professor's, not Viktor's, which was what precipitated his assault. That night, Varick tried to kill his son. He ran at Viktor with a cleaver, screaming about 'protecting the world' and the 'danger' he posed. Viktor evaded him, got out of the house, and ran to the Bundespolizei, the local police. They captured his father, who never stopped ranting about him, and had him committed to an asylum. Varick was diagnosed with "a heretofore unseen combination of late-onset Tay-Sachs disease and something akin to Lesch-Nyhan syndrome." As for Viktor, well, adoptions are tricky at best, and near impossible if the child is in his teens, so for several years, he was effectively a ward of the state... an especially difficult life, given his grandfather's status. Viktor busied himself with reading and studying, and at 16 enrolled in the Technische Universität München, the Technical University of Munich. He later transferred to the Hanover Institute of Technology in Freedom City, NJ, USA, graduating at the age of 22 with a Doctorate in Mathematics, Masters degrees in both chemistry and physics, and a BS in Psychology. (While in college he also began self-medicating for his emotional & mental issues.) He then returned to Germany and worked as a superhero in and around his homeland for nearly a decade. He wanted to be at the center of metahuman activity (and technologies), and so returned to Freedom City. He worked hard, and gained the respect of many. He made allies of other superheroes, made some enemies of power-hungry villains, and worked to share his gifts with all. He joined the Freedom League, and helped mentor a team of younger street-savvy heroes. He founded a company, gained wealth and more prestige, and was set to bring scientific and technological wonders to the world. Phase II And then it all went horribly wrong. The supernatural evil from beyond reality slumbering within him, which had been slumbering in his past thirteen generations of ancestors, awoke with a terrible fury. At first it was subtle, manifesting for a few hours while Archeville slept, and committed atrocities. But in time the malevolent Other took over completely, dominated many of his friends, and loosed chaos and horror upon the world, using the very infrastructure and networks Archeville had built up to do so. But the heroes rallied, and the day was saved, with little loss of life, but much loss of trust. Though the world believes his company and technologies were taken over by an outside invader (which is partially true), and assume the heavy guilt he feels is from a failure to properly secure it (which is also technically true), those who know the real story -- who are, for the most part, the ones 'he' betrayed -- had a much harder time forgiving him. He remains his own harshest critic (though some may question that). Phase III Out of his guilt for all that happened, and a desire to focus on making amends to those he could, his company ArcheTech (and the orbital station ArcheStern, the remains of Schloss Wissenschaft and the super-sub Fjölnirskraft, and the secret satellite Nichtuberall) was ceded to Miss Americana and the Scarab (via the Rhodes Foundation), to be returned to him if and when the three of them feel he has adequately atoned. In addition, Scarab and Phantom erased the knowledge of all heroic secret identities from his mind, and Dragonfly and Miss Americana did to same to his computer systems; regaining this knowledge will have to be done the hard way, by regaining the trust of the heroes. While convalescing in Providence Asylum, several heroes came by to visit him, some openly, others in secret. One informed him that his beloved Fulcrum, who seemingly sacrificed herself to stop the beast from the darkest parts of his psyche, may not be dead -- there was a chance she could still be alive, trapped between dimensions. He dismissed this at first, but soon Archeville came to realize it was possible she could still be out there. Under League supervision, he left the Asylum, returned to his laboratory, and activated one of his many contingencies: an injection of nanites that would enhance his mental abilities, restoring him to his former super-genius condition, as well as granting some minor physical enhancements. Phase IV Later, Archeville was 'reformatted' following a fatal encounter with the Power Corps and the Sinister Science Squad, and was resurrected as a technorganic transhuman. He made sure to let the Freedom League and Interceptors know of his change, and he (and Fulcrum) were coming to grips with this new state. He then disappeared for a lengthy period -- convalescing, working to restore his body and his mind. Archeville spends some time in secluded convalescence, working to stabilize and restore his body and mind. His complete absence during The Incursion was noted by some; few realize he was stuck fighting on another planet, and desperately trying to avoid capture by the Communion, for fear of what they could do with his knowledge and his technorganic self. He also spent some time re-acclimating himself to working with the public by serving (in disguise) as a substitute teacher in Germany. PERSONALITY & MOTIVATION Archeville's arrogance, pride, and tendency to keep secrets and act without explaining his actions (assuming no one could keep up with his trains of thought) took some huge hits following the ArchEvil Event, since those traits all lead to it. Now he tries to work humbly to redeem not only his family name but his own name as well, though this is sometimes challenging because he really is so vastly smarter than most people he encounters. For a few months post-ArchEvil Event, Viktor was more alone than many realized: when the pseudonatural influence was separated from him, so was the 'Other,' the split in his personality he had labored under most of his life. (The truth is that it was not a true split personality, the Other was an 'interface' the pseudonatural entity used to study and later interact with the world, both based on and feeding Archeville's darker, baser impulses.) With that voice gone, Viktor Archeville was alone with his thoughts for the first time. This eventually changed, when several voices came back (during the "Hot Zone" event, March 2012), but all ultimately answered to his core/primary personality, which is that of a determined man trying to make good in the world. In time those voices disappeared, too. Archeville still engages in a professional rivalry with other high technologists, and still distrusts magic, largely because it is something he does not (and perhaps cannot) understand. (His distrust/disdain for magic was initially due to the pseudonatural corruption in him, subconsciously forcing him to push away those things which might best be able to identify and purge their influence from him.) He reserve his more intense hatred, though, for the mystical practitioners and entities that are decidedly inimical to mankind & reality, like the thing that had been in his family line for so long, and those who worship such pseudonatural beings. POWERS & TACTICS Archeville’s primary ability -- initially believed to be the result of a mutation, eventually revealed to be the result of pseudonatural magic, later replaced/recreated with advanced technology -- is his superhuman mind. This is not just limited to scientific/technical intelligence, but all areas: acquisition, retention, performance, and transfer, mathematical and logical reasoning, linguistic communication, pattern recognition, spatial visualization, and more. This even extends to interpersonal intelligence (the ability to influence people by playing on their moods, feelings, temperaments and motivations), intrapersonal intelligence (introspective and self-reflective capacities, which reinforces his comprehension of self to prevent manipulation by telepathic or other mental manipulations), and coordination & kinesthetics. Archeville possesses such a keen meta-awareness of his own mental processes that he can perceive and edit them, as a programming language, one that is meta-self-descriptive and -self-editing. Not only can this "language" describe thought, it can describe and modify its own operations as well, at all levels, where modifying a statement causes the entire grammar to be adjusted. With this language, he can see how his mind is operating, perceive the gestalts, see the mental structures forming, interacting. "I see myself thinking, and I see the equations that describe my thinking, and I see myself comprehending the equations, and I see how the equations describe their being comprehended." The neural network-based bioceramic nanites which he used to replicate his prior enhanced mental capabilities also grant him various technopathic abilities, mitigate the effects of certain exotic body- and mind-altering effects, and repair severe trauma at an accelerated rate. These nanites proved far more effective than anticipated, and brought him back from death as bizarre technorganic transhuman. Now all the abilities once granted by his gear -- the gravity-warping effects of his Gravimetric Belt, the electromagnetic energy harnessing powers of his Screwdriver, and even the protection of his energy-diffusing polymer-laced labcoat -- have been incorporated into his body. He can fly and teleport, create an electromagnetic bubble around himself that can either protect or conceal, and generate & manipulate many forms of energy with a mere thought. Archeville does still carry some gear on missions. The (non-'armored') labcoat he wears contains numerous pockets holding small capsules, filled with a variety of chemicals for a wide assortment of effects. He rarely carries many with him, trusting mainly in his own abilities (both mental and technological), but he does enjoy having a few surprises up his sleeves. Archeville is a mathematician even in combat. He analyzes every possible permutation of an opponent's moves and profile almost instantly, and adapts to exploit weaknesses and apply his own strengths to their best effect. Here are descriptions of some of his inventions. Here are a few more, mostly medical. And here's ten more. ALLIES As a prominent scientist, noted philanthropist and respected superhero, Doktor Archeville had a wide range of contacts and was a part of many networks in several fields. He was a member of the short-lived Knights of Freedom, the founder (and funder) of The Interceptors, and a member of the Freedom League Auxiliary. He was in a romantic relationship with Fulcrum, but that ended. Following the ArchEvil Event, all knowledge of superhero secret identities were removed from Archeville's mind (by Phantom & Scarab) and computers (by Dragonfly & Miss Americana), and all biological samples and other data were confiscated and/or destroyed. ENEMIES Der Wissenschafts-Geschwader (The [Sinister] Science Squad) was the first group of enemies he faced on a recurring basis, first encountered during his early days as a hero in and around Germany. After moving to Freedom, Captain Knievel and Malice became recurring foes, as did Doc Otaku, the Power Corps, and the White Knight. HEADQUARTERS & VEHICLES On Archeville’s 18th birthday (1995 June), he received a unexpected inheritance: a castle! Well, more of a run-down keep, a five-story tower straining under decades of neglect, in an exquisite location overlooking the majestic Danube river. He spent a few months fixing it up, but slowed as he immersed himself in studies at college. Once he graduated (1999 Spring), he revisited the keep with many plans, making it not just a home but a headquarters for his activities as a superhero, and the start of ArcheTech (which was still several years away). In a few years, Schloss Wissenschaft ("Science Castle") was transformed into a sprawling 110-room castle with an expansive subterranean structure. See here for more details. When Archeville first moved back to Freedom (2008 January), he bought a house in Hanover (North Freedom), roughly halfway between the Hanover Institute of Technology and the Albright Institute. Haus von Archeville appeared to be a standard two-story suburban home, neutral gray in color, with solar panels on the roof and a white picket fence around the well-maintained lawn. A cobblestone path leading from the gate to the front door was flanked on both side by eight lawn gnomes. The inside was far larger than the external dimensions indicated, with a foyer, formal dining room, library, and parlor on the ground floor, and a master bedroom and ten guest rooms on the second floor. The basement contained storage, a beer/wine cellar, and backup power generators and computer cores. The first sub-basement contained his primary personal laboratories and workshops, as well as a gym, and the sub-basement below that held his “Hazard Hall” for combat training. Defenses included multiple redundant locks, force fields, capturefoam projectors & a variety of energy projectors, and a veritable army of robots, most designed for household tasks but which could double as guardians. See here for more details. In early Fall of 2009, the first dedicated ArcheTech facility was opened in Freedom City. See here for more details (and here for stats). A few months after the first ArcheTech facility opened in Freedom, after becoming a member of the Freedom League Auxiliary (2010 January), he set ArcheStern (“Arche-Star”), his satellite laboratory and research facility, into geosynchronous orbit over South America. See here for more details (and here for stats). A few months after that (2010 April), Archeville launched Fjölnirskraft ("Fjölnir's Power/Strength"), a giant submarine filled with laboratories and workshops dedicated primarily to oceanography/the marine sciences. See here for more details. At around the same time, unknown to anyone, Nichtüberall (“Not Anywhere”), Archeville’s super-secret laboratory/workshop set in an asteroid in the belt between Mars and Jupiter, was completed. See here for more details. All headquarters contained teleport pads that could instantly transport people or cargo between them. During the ArchEvil event (20011 June), ArchStern was weaponized & then partially destroyed, Fjölnirskraft was boarded by Deep Ones and used to invade Freedom, Blueshift & Push fought Meta-Ceptors on Nichrüberall, and Schloss Wissenschaft was destroyed by UNISON Agent Mark Lucas. What remained of all of them were given to Miss Americana and the Scarab; ArcheStern was later decommissioned and abandoned. Nichtüberall was used by members of The Lab as a secure place to study Gorgon nanites in Fall 2011, and later given to the Freedom League for use as a long-range early warning system to warn of extrasolar threats. In 2019, Archeville left Earth aboard the Cynthia Bower, a spaceship of his own design and construction, based on a Freedom League Pegasus spaceplane. It possesses many of the same features as Haus von Archeville, including being considerably bigger on the inside than its outer dimensions suggest. MISCELLANEOUS Archeville is very much a supporting character, filling in gaps and helping others on whatever team he's with. He's also a mentor for others, eager to support up and cominc inventors with advice and resources. Behind the Scenes Long ago (1995) in a distant land (college), when I made my first forays into the internet, some of the first sites I visited were messageboards for Transformers. I saw that most users had handles/characters based on exiting TF characters, so I decided to follow suit. I recalled a mad scientist from a few eps, and went with that (though I did not know at the time that his name was spelled Arkeville), and so Doctor Archeville came into being. I've used that handle (or one like it) in many places, and is still one I use most often. When I discovered FC PbP (back in February 2008 ), I decided to make a mad scientist gadgeteer with the same name, though with a significantly different backstory, which incorporated my interest in Lovecraftian cosmic horror. (Some years earlier, around 2005, I'd joined Jack Butler's Global Guardians PBeM Universe, and made a similar character, though without the supernatural aspect.) As with many of my characters here, he became something of a "Heroic Version" of some existing comic book supervillains. I'd meant for him to draw heavily from Marvel's Doctor Doom -- though without the power armor -- but as I playd him, a lot of Baron Zemo crept in. COMPLICATIONS Enemies: Assorted supervillains from Germany and the rest of the European Union, as well as ones in America. In particular, Doc Otaku, the Power Corps, and White Knight all have it in for him, as do Captain Knievel, Havoc, Malice, and the Science Squad. Fame: Doktor Archeville is a very public figure, and has been for over a decade. Going out can be difficult for him: fans can make tempting targets for unscrupulous villains, and detractors can pop up at the most inopportune of times. Hatred: Archeville has a dislike of magic users and other supernatural beings (viewing them as at best ignorant people using metahuman powers, extraterrestrial technology, or something similar which they do not fully understand, and at worse as someone willingly using such techniques but purposefully hiding it behind superstition and fear to deceive others), but outright hates entities that are decidedly inimical to human life and sanity (like pseudonatural entities). Jobless Millionaire: After the ArchEvil event, Doktor Archeville ceded control of ArcheTech (and with it ArcheStern and Fjolnirskraft) to Miss Americana and Scarab (via the Rhodes Foundation), until such time as he could be trusted with them. Until then, Archeville may only use them as much as any other superhero. My Own Worst Enemy: Archeville's divided has caused him no end of trouble, and continues to do so from beyond in the form of caches of ultra-tech devices and mutagenic compounds spread throughout the world, waiting for some unscrupulous person (or innocent victim!) to find them. Obsession: To say Archeville is obsessed with science and technology is like saying the Sun is warm and the oceans are damp. He is the tinkerer, always pushing the hardware to the limit and beyond, always MacGyvering toasters into heat beams, with both an unwavering childlike wonder at the scientific miracles inherent in everyone and everything around him, and an unrelenting optimism that scientific discovery ultimately makes the universe a better place to live in. Reputation: Many people still remember the name Archeville, for his grandfather, the Nazi super-scientist. And several of Freedom City's heroes know the evils Viktor (albeit under the influence of his Other) did do (although the story fed to the public is that it was some other force, possibly an alien, that mind controlled Archeville and used him & his holdings to wreck havoc upon the world). Responsibility: Membership in the Freedom League Auxiliary and his personal relationship with Fulcrum would be enough for most, but Archeville is devoting much of his time to healing/repairing everything (and everyone) he harmed. At the top of this list are the Interceptors, who were stung worst of all by 'his' actions. Rivalry: Archeville has a friendly rivalry with most other battlesuit and gadgeteer superheroes, and many battlesuit and gadgeteer supervillains see him as the one to best. Secret: Archeville's pseudo-Multiple Personality Disorder was not widely known, nor is the extent of his involvement in the ArchEvil events. Also secret is that he is now a technorganic transhuman; he still carries non-working replicas of his devices to give the illusion that his powers stem from his gear, and uses holographic disguises and/or synthoflesh to make his appearance. Technorganic Body: Archeville's new body is as much technology as it is biology, which comes with a few drawbacks. Attacks that would normally affect only nonliving objects (like certain forms of electromagnetic pulse) work on him, as do technopathic powers. His body also requires certain metals and other substances as "nutritional supplements" that most organic life forms don't, and if unable to get them he may begin suffering glitches and other performance issues. OTHER Character Sheet [original] [current] Doktor Archeville’s HellQ, v1 (done March 2009) [link] Family Tree [link] How To Talk Like An Archeville [link] Tropes of Archeville [link] TIMELINE 1977 Summer: Viktor Helmut Archeville is born to Varick and Cynthia Archeville in Schönwald im Schwarzwald, a small town in the majestic Black Forest of Germany (in the southwestern portion of what was then known as West Germany), in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Tragically, Cynthia dies in childbirth. 1990 Summer: Viktor's father is incarcerated in an insane asylum, and Viktor Archeville, having no other living family, is made a Ward of the State. 1993 Fall: Viktor enrolls in the Technische Universität München, the Technical University of Munich. He later transfers to the Hanover Institute of Technology in Freedom, USA. 1999 Spring: Viktor Archeville, now Doktor (Doctor) Archeville, graduates with a Doctorate in Mathematics, Masters degrees in both chemistry and physics, and a BS in Psychology from HIT (and gets away with pulling a rather epic prank). 1999 Summer: Doktor Archeville begins working as a superhero in and around Germany. He crosses paths with Der Wissenschafts-Geschwader (The [Sinister] Science Squad) several times. 2006 August: Doktor Archeville fights Blözan in Berlin. [summary] 2008 January: Doktor Archeville returns to Freedom City, after having spent nearly a decade in Europe working as a superhero. [journal] February: Dr. Archeville, along with two young metahumans (shadow-manipulating Kizzy and the gleaming silvery space-man Star) stop Dryad in her mini-rampage at Midnight Hour. Dryad is sentenced to seven months in Blackstone. (A New Day, A New Way) Later, Kizzy and Archeville, and Legionnaire fight some evil tech-priests in a temple; Kizzy accidentally kills one of the tech-priests. Archeville confiscate the body in order to study the cybernetic implants it contains. (We Are Legion) March: While Dr. Archeville visits Dryad in Blackstone, a riot breaks out. White Knight and some of his cronies hold several guards hostage. (I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings) Later, Emissary holds an "open trials" day at the Freedom League's hall, allowing new superheroes in Freedom City to come and show their stuff. In attendance are Captain Wonder, Dr. Archeville, Legionnaire, Mongrel Angel, and Velocity. The sparring match between Legionnaire and Mongrel Angel gets out of hand when the time-lost Roman goes into a seeming berserk fury, but Emissary and Captain Wonder break it up before anyone is too seriously injured. Captain Wonder helps Legionnaire return to his own time. (A Day At the [Super] Gym) April: Emissary tries to continue/expand his prior training session by organizing a charity event. Invited to the planning session are Captain Wonder, Dr. Archeville, Gossamer, Rusty Nail, and Velocity. Personal matters draw Captain Wonder, Gossamer, and Rusty Nail away before any plans could be finalized. (You Know, For Kids!) Also, Archeville ponders his upcoming birthday, and on his legacy. [journal] May: Dr. Archeville gives a speech at HIT. Among those in attendance are Exile, Malice, and Quark, all in their civilian IDs. (HIT Science & Engineering Lecture Series, v1) Dr. Archeville pays Eric Micheals a visit at Darts, Inc., and Eric gives Archeville the grand tour. By the end of the day, Archeville agrees to work as a consultant for Darts. (Business & Technology) Dr. Archeville pays Darian Cale a visit. (Quantum Mechanics) September: Scarab II and Slamdance ask Dr. Archeville for some help as they investigate a Triple Murder in Riverside. October: Dr. Archeville accepts a dinner invitation to Pharos (the world-famous Egyptian-themed restaurant on the top floor of 2 Pyramid Plaza) with Sofia Hernandez de la Cruz, CEO of the Rhodes Foundation (who also sent a large grant cheque with the invitation). He is instead met by Elena Guerrero, who (telepathically) reveals herself to be The Scarab. Before they can order dinner, though, the Power Corps shows up. The two defeat them, but Elena erases everyone's memory of her presence and Archeville gets all the credit; only Archeville himself retains the memories and knows the truth. (Networking) 2009 January: Lullaby pays Dr. Archeville a house call. (The Amazonian Technology) Later that month, Dark Star arrives at the Star Island Space Control Center (SCC). Dr. Archeville, Quark, and a few others happen to be there to meet him. They foil an attempt by terrorists to blow up Daedalus' new space-plane (using Grue explosives!). (SCC & Star Island) March: Topaz needs help in controlling some aspects of her abilities, and in obtaining furniture that doesn't break so easily. She comes to Doktor Archeville for help, who runs her through several tests. (Shards) Later, Dr. Archeville attends Emma Twill's high society party. Also in attendance are Jack Faretti (and Melinda Ailey), and Elena Guerrero (Scarab II). (High Society) Much later, Dr. Archeville gives another speech at HIT. Among those in attendance are Arrowhawk and Dark Star (either in civilian IDs or invisible), and Captain Knievel, who crashes the event. (HIT Science & Engineering Lecture Series, v2) Even more later: Malice stole Arrowhawk's arrows. To stop that technology being in villainous hands, Arrowhawk attempts to find and break into Malice's headquarters. There is a HUGE EXPLOSION.... (The Arrow Strikes Home, then Massive Explosion in Riverside!) Though Doc is not involved in the rescue & clean-up efforts during the explosion, his association with Darts, Inc. -- the company owned & operated by Eric "Malice" Micheals -- does lead certain authorities to heavily question him. April: Hellbound gets airborne, with some help from Doktor Archeville. (Hellbound gets Airborne) Later, Avenger, Hellbound, Dark Star, Divine, Doktor Archeville, Geckoman and Wesley Knight have been used as the test subjects for Dok Otaku's new improved Gender Ray. They need to fix this problem (duh)! (The Great Genderswitch Caper) May: Emissary sets up a meeting for some of the brainiest of the brainy among Freedom City, to exchange ideas on how they might use their skills for the betterment of all. (It's a Friday night, what else are brainiacs going to be doing?) Dr. Archeville, Psyche, Quark, and Twilight Gryphon all show up. (Brainiacs of Freedom! ver 2.0) Later: Doktor Archeville visits Eric "Malice" Micheals at Blackstone Federal Penitentiary. (Stocks and Bonds) Much later, a peaceful Sunday afternoon of experimenting with Dark Star's powers at Dr. Archeville's laboratory is interrupted by an extradimensional visitor who goes by the name Odysseus. DS & Doc follow Odysseus to his home -- a parallel Earth -- but things quickly degenerate as they realize Odysseus and his fellows are the vanguard of an extradimensional invasion force! (All Ways of Contending, later Vaster than Empires and More Slow, later Checkmate) June: Dr. Archeville takes the Albright Institute up on their offer to test Metahuman abilities. (Power Gauging -- Dr. Archeville) July: Estelle "Gossamer" de Havilland and Doktor Archeville have a pleasant meal out at der Biergarten. Pleasant, until it is interrupted by the Power Corps, looking to get revenge on Doc for his role in defeating hem months earlier! ("When They Hear Oom Pah Pah!") August: Doktor Archeville, Quark, and Gossamer try to retrieve some of the Claremont kids (Breakdown, Edge, Geckoman, Hellion, Hope, Phalanx, Psyche, Wander) from an interdimensional transporter mishap. (They were sent to Erde/Nazi-Earth!) (Team Science!, later Reunited and It Feels So Good) September: A lot of unexplained mechanical failures have been happening all around the city. Havoc ensues when the "Y2K Bug" hits Millennium Mall. Later, The Knights of Freedom meet to have a discussion about recent events, events which have made some question their teammates and their places. (Knights - Fallout) Much later, A mysterious event causes a number of Freedom's heroes (Avenger, Dark Star, Doktor Archeville, Jack of All Blades, Thunderstanding, and Twilight Gryphon) to travel to The Days of High Adventure. A bit later, a dimensional breach opens at the Ashron Mall in West End. Archeville's sensors detect it, and the man who exits. Archeville goes to greet him, but in addition to "Dr. Annihilate" he also finds Captain Knievel and Emperor, a young malicious magnetic Metahuman! The muscular man-mountain Atlas also shows up, but the villains focus on Archeville, putting a severe hurt on him. In the fight, the villains escape. (Annihilation: The Rise of Dr. Annihilate!) Atlas carries Doc back to his Hanover home, where he is treated by his own hyperadvanced technology. Then sandwiches are eaten. (Brains & Brawn & Sandwiches) October: Doktor Archeville joins Jack (Avenger), Taylor (Phantom), Stesha (Fleur), Derrick (Dark Star), an incognito Ace Danger, and Lynn (Grim) in celebrating Taylor's birthday. (Archeville gives Taylor & Jack a handmade wood-and-brass cuckoo clock, featuring figurines of the two lovers.) There'll be drinks! And karaoke! And Blackjack! Later, Archeville's newest (and possibly most ambitious) superhero-ing project, The Interceptors, goes into operation. November: The ArcheTech HQ is attacked by demons (Invasion! Hanover)! Fortunately for those inside, Archeville (with some help from Quark, Spitfire, Tarantula and Tempest) gets everyone to the safety of Ace Danger's warded mansion (Invasion! Danger Mansion). December: Taylor (Phantom) and Jack (Avenger) have their white wedding. The wedding itself is small, but the reception afterward is a larger affair with many friends in attendance. Archeville pops in long enough to present a gift to the happy couple: a small robot that can clean, do basic housework chores, and generate a blood substitute that should meet Jack's dietary needs. Too bad the wedding is crashed by a Death Squad, come to punish Avenger for his breaking of the Dragon's Laws! 2010 January: Taylor (Phantom) tells Stesha (Fleur) about some queasy feelings, and they put two and two together to realize Taylor is pregnant! But... Jack (Avenger) shouldn't be able to do that... should he? To get to the bottom of these pressing concerns, Stesha asks Ace Danger for advice, and he suggests calling in Dr. Archeville. What will he say about the possibility of a fetus growing up vampire? Who knows?! Later, Ace Danger, Dark Star, Doktor Archeville, Fleur de Joie, and Freedom Angel find the Freedom League is missing! The culprit: the Tyranny Syndicate! Can these five save the revered heroes and stop their dastardly doppelgangers? (Childhood Dream) Doktor Archeville made member of the Freedom League Auxiliary. Later, Doktor Archeville helps Fulcrum get a hold of her powers. After all, Containment means never having to say KABOOM!. And a most curious thing happens: they find they're attracted to one another. Later, Doktor Archeville and Fulcrum go on a date, and find out whether opposites attract. Hilarity ensues, as does a fight with the Sinister Science Squad as Archeville's castle! February: Doktor Archeville has Grimalkin go back to school, undercover at Claremont and spy on Michael Harris (Phalanx) and Alexandra Albright (Psyche). When she returns, she tells him of their daughter-from-the-future, Zoe MacMillan (Zephyr), a revelation which unnerves him. Later, Doktor Archeville goes to Scarab for continued psychotherapy, as well as some answers to questions that have been gnawing at him since the Knights had their falling out. What will come of this Meeting of the Minds? A bit later, Colt, Dark Star, Grim, Jack of All Blade, Jester, and Doc are all whisked... somewhere quasi-Medieval. How? Why? Who knows, but surely they'll find that Life's Bazaar. March: On his way back into the city, Lukos is met by something quite unexpected: Doktor Archeville! What will come of his Interview with a Werewolf? April: Doktor Archeville, Jack of All Blades, Moira, Phalanx, and Sarah Prescott fend off an attack on an ArcheTech facility made by several superpowered teens. Their leader? Captain Knievel and Malice! No Mutation Without Representation! Later, Carbon and Doktor Archeville investigate a string of high-tech thefts. The trail leads Archeville to ASTRO Labs, where Gossamer, Midnight (II), and Phalanx had fought off the robotic minions of the armored madman Havok! (The Game's Afoot!, leading to Cry Havok!) Later, a flashback to when Archeville reveals his fractured Other Side's to Fulcrum. (See also Sep 15th, 2010) Later, Doktor Archeville helps deliver Avenger & Phantom's baby... while in the middle of a fight with Dracula! Fortunately, Ace Danger and Fleur are there to help. (The Dragon Wakes, later This Woman's Work) May: Rycon pays a visit to Doktor Archeville, one of the scientists who'd helped her some years ago. (Sturm und Dr... Archeville) Later, Assorted Kaiju attack the streets of Freedom, and Docktor Archeville is called in by AEGIS to see what's what. But all is not as it appears. (Monsters? In the Streets!? - AEGIS HQ). Archeville later takes the fight directly to the Grue fleet. Later, following the Grue Invasion, several of the cities heroes meet to let off steam. Doktor Archeville attends, primarily to provide medical support in case anyone gets too eager in their fighting. (Fisticuffs 2: The Opening Credits) June: Rift comes to ArcheTech for some general power checking. He and Doktor Archeville explore the Sounds of Science. Later, Doktor Archeville decided to test the security at the Interceptor's Brownstone, and hires Avenger to do so by breaking in. But when there's a bored vampire involved, things quickly spiral out of control. (Interrupting Cow) Between Avenger's first and second intrusions, the Scarab comes to Archeville and makes him aware of things he had not been noticing. (Working The Bugs Out) Later, Archeville watches on with the other Interceptors as Alexandra Albright outs herself as both Psyche of Young Freedom and as a Terminus Baby in a television interview. (He did not tell the team he already knew, nor about the spying he'd had Grimalkin secretly do on both Psyche and Phalanx.) ("...And I'm a Mutant.") August: The Bee-Keeper (II) attacks Freedom Hall, with an all-new (and vastly more powerful) suit of armor! His mission? Take over the city, and take Fleur de Joie as his Queen! Can the Freedom League's newest recruits -- Ace Danger, Dark Star, Doktor Archeville, Fleur, and Freedom Angel -- stop him? Or will they all wind up saying "Imma Bee"? Later, Doktor Archeville hosts the semi-annual Brainiac Brunch at the Freedom Public Library, open to all super-scientists and tech-heads as both a way to socialize and put their heads together on many of the world's problems. In attendance: Arrowhawk (civilian id), Dragonfly (heroic id), Dyne (civilian id), Gossamer, Ironclad (civilian id), Miss Americana, Rift (heroic id), Supercape (civilian id), Valkyrie (civilian id), and Victory. Later, Fusion needs a routine checkup, to make sure she's not mutating any further. She visits Doktor Archeville, and an entangling alliance is made. Later, Jack Faretti, Jr. gets a most unusual visitor: a doktor who makes housecalls?! But what happens when Archeville enters a house full of mysticism and sorcery? Whatever happens, certainly Jack's father and babysitter will be able to handle it... right? Well, no, not entirely, but fortunately Kid Cthulhu is nearby! [Phase II of Archeville’s life begins, when his secret Cthulhoid/Deep One heritage manifested, causing changes both mental and physical as a Jekyll/Hyde-like shift.] September: The Interceptors get a new "reserve" member. Welcome to The Interceptors, Jill O'Cure! Later, Archeville joyously shares the news of his Other Side's "exorcism" with Fulcrum, and they flashback to when he first told her of his Other Side and the fractures in his psyche. (See also April 13th, 2010) [Evil!Archeville kills Dryad, Lullaby, and two others.] October: Archeville invites Grimalkin over to his Hanover home for a nice little chat. [Evil!Archeville kills Dark Vixen.] Later, Valkyrie/Vivian is badly injured following a fight with Nacht-Krieger, Ragnarok, and other SHADOW minions, and Arrowhawk knows of but one man who can help: Doktor Archeville. (Die Me, Dichotomy) [A week later, she is visited by Evil!Dok. He nearly beats her to death, but she sacrifices herself in trying to stop him.] Later, Miss Americana stops by ArcheTech for an audition/interview with Doktor Archeville. He impresses her so much, he hires her on the spot. [Evil!Archeville kills Cougress.] November: Doktor Archeville's been looking for a medical cadaver (to keep his skills sharp), and he's found one... in Dead Head! [Meet Up Vignette] Later, Doktor Archeville attends a party at the mansion of Felix Fassbinder, arriving with Miss Americana as part of an ArcheTech promotion but later spending the evening with Mona Teymourian. Joan Collier, Lt. Lance Factor, Dr. Estelle de Havilland, Corbin Hughes, and Etain Maher were also in attendance. What sort of champagne shenanigans will ensue?! Later, Rift requires help: he found a cyborg bat of unusual size! Can he keep it? Archevillle's not sure: where the heck did it come from?! Later that night, Viktor faces his most challenging test yet: meeting Mona's parents! Even the famed Doktor Archeville realizes There's No Equation For This. Later, Kid Cthulhu needs medical help. Who you gonna call? Doktor Archeville, that's who! [A week later, Evil!Dok beats the Cthulhu out of Kid Cthulhu.] Later, Slick decides to get a full medical workup, and goes to Miss Americana to do so. But when something goes awry, she call in Doktor Archeville for help in this bizarre medical matter. Later, Powerhouse stumbles into ArcheTech, in the clutches of early onset lycanthropy! Can Doktor Archeville help? Probably; it's not lupus, after all. December: Archeville (discreetly) attends the opening of The Lab. Later that day, Wesley Knight calls Archeville for some tests on his biokinetic powers. The Doktor is always eager to explore new metahuman powers; Wes just wants to know "How Do I Mold Life?" [Evil!Archeville kills Lion and Finder.] Christmas Day: Doktor Archeville enjoys A Very Interceptors Christmas with Colt, Dynamo, Grimalkin, Jack of all Blades, and Jill O'Cure. 2011 January: In another dimension, a Doktor Archeville sings about poor superstitious fools to a Kid Cthulhu. Later, it's the wedding of Stesha "Fleur de Joie" Madison and Derrick "Dark Star" Lumins! To his considerable honor, Lumins chose Archeville to be one of his Best Men! The wedding is held Somewhere That's Green. [Evil!Archeville kidnaps Kakoku.] [Evil!Archeville burns down Ferlyn's magic shoppe, with her in it.] [Evil!Archeville kills the community of mages living in a pocket dimension outside Edison, NJ, including Naxean and Berserker.] [Evil!Archeville kills the Crimson Martyrs gang.] Later, Jessica "Ironclad" Parker comes to Doktor Archeville for some medical advice. (Exposure to a neurodegenerative compound, and the treatments Freedom Medical gave her for it, resulted in her being able to 'hear' electronic signals such as radio waves and wi-fi!) Will she have a clean Bill of Health? [Evil!Archeville kills & steals the body of Black Priestess.] [Evil!Archeville kills Hellbound.] Later, Fulcrum moves in with Dok. While packing up, he reveals a new revenue stream for ArcheTech, one she helped inspire. Things go horribly awry when Mona's Terminus energies interact with his womrhole, and they find themselves on an alternate pseudo-Medieval Earth! (Now You're Moving With Wormholes) Later, Blueshift, Doktor Archeville, Push, Suprcape and Victory work together to stop a gigantic asteroid from colliding with Freedom City! Damage to their spaceplane then forces them to find someplace to touch down and make repairs, which results in Archeville revealing Nichtüberall to them. (The Heroes are NEAR) February: Doktor Archeville spends some time with Jack of all Blades. It is cut short by an attack by giant robots on the HIT campus. (Science of Stabpunching 201) Later, Doktor Archeville spends some time with Colt. They fire weapons, and make chili. (Ballistics Is A Science, Right?) Later, Doktor Archeville spends some time with Dynamo. (Magnets! How Do They Work? Science, You Clown!) Later, Jubatus comes to ArcheTech for a checkup, and to his surprise finds none other than Doktor Archeville himself is to be one of the attending physicians! What are the odds? Of course, things go wrong... (I Kan Haz Humanity?) [Evil!Archeville kills Honey Bee, and frames Bee-Keeper.] March: Doktor Archeville asks for a second opinion from Miss Americana on a set of brainscans -- his own! She brings in Dragonfly to help. During the consult, Archeville shows just what his brain can do, and reveals a very disturbing incident from his childhood. [Evil!Archeville kidnaps Topaz.] [Evil!Archeville kidnaps Je'La.] April: Dok and the other Interceptors help Lynn and Billy (mostly Lynn) plans for their wedding! (Interceptors: Planning for the Big Day) [Evil!Archeville kidnaps Big Man.] Later, Dok accompanies Mona to dinner with one of her fellow artists, Carrie Wendle, at Timothy's Bistro. Then the giant robots come... (Dine and Crash, later Homeland Insecurity) Later, Doktor Archeville puts on the last finishing touches to his Time Portal... [... and then Evil!Dok uses said Time Portal! (Time Warp: Pair o' Doks)] [Evil!Archeville kills American Patriot.] May: Fenris (the Norse monster) and Thrude are unleashed in Midtown! Just when it seems the Fen-wolf is about to kill the Donarsdottir, Doktor Archeville, Fenris (the battlesuit-wearing hero), and Freedom Angel appear to turn the tide! (A Perfect Storm) Later, Archeville has a nice chat with Thrude, trying to learn more about what she is and where she's from, and offers her a spot on the Interceptors. (Freyja's Day, Freyja's Day, Freyja's Day) Later that day, after realizing she'd fit in well with the team, he takes her to the Interceptors Brownstone -- at the same time Jack of all Blades is introducing the team to Willow, his newest 'recruit'! (Dok & Thrude & Jack & Willow) Later, Keeley White's going to need a job after she graduates from Claremont! ArcheTech needs security guards, preferably those with extranormal experience! After this interview, both Doktor Archeville and Wander should Sleep Sound Tonight. Later, Billy/Colt and Lynn/Grimalkin are finally getting married! But will all be well when Colt's rival Gillman shows up? And just what is that pulsing box in Archeville's jacket pocket? Why, it's an engagement ring: Archeville proposes to Fulcrum! June: Doktor Archeville meets up with Ferros, and extends an invite to the Interceptors. (The Case of the Mock Magnetokinetic) June 17th, 2011: Archeville's Evil/Other Side finally makes it move! Can the heroes stop him? And will anyone be prepared for the true mastermind that's been pulling the Doktor's strings? (begins at [ArchEvil]: Revelations, then to [ArchEvil] Terrible Bosses, then a News Broadcast, then [ArchEvil] Omnia Mutantur, Nihil Interit and [Arch-Evil] Load-Bearing Bosses and [ArchEvil] Gestalt Theory, concluding in [ArchEvil] Atermath.) In the aftermath, Miss Ameircana, Phantom, and Scarab erase all knowledge of superhero secret identities from Archeville's mind and computer systems. June 24th: Miss Americana and Harrier (in his civilian ID) visit Doktor Archeville in Providence Asylum, where they inform him of ArcheTech's downward spiral following the events of ArchEvil. The Doktor, realizing (even in his depressed state) that drastic action must be taken, names Miss Americana acting CEO of the corporation. Before leaving Harrier offers some advice on dealing with the guilt; later Archeville is visited by Ace Danger, who attempts to rouse him. (The Doktor is In[sane!].) June 27th: Arrowhawk pays Doktor Archeville a visit in Providence, demanding to know what happened to Vivian Krieger. The investigation is partly hindered by the fact Archeville no longer knows Vivian Krieger and Valkyrie (whom his Other Side mercilessly attacked) were one and the same. (Kilts & Kooks) July 1st: Nacht-Krieger has come to assassinate Doktor Archeville! No, wait, it's just Silhouette, dropping in to find out what happened to Fulcrum. She talks him into checking out of Providence and work on rescuing her. (Off-Hours Visit) July 16th: Two weeks later, Archeville has restored his mind (with nanotech) and rebuilt his Electromagnetic Screwdriver and Gravimetric Belt [i.e., Phase III of his life begins], and sets off with Silhouette (and some of her friends from Earth-Victoriana) to rescue Fulcrum. Things quickly go wrong when the two heroes are separated and flung across dimensions! (Never Split the Party, later Dunkel Sonne.) November: Doktor Archeville returns to Earth-Prime (missing out on everything Gorgon-related) from his journey into the Terminus and adventures on Nede. December 15th, 2011: After working in a secret ArcheTech lab for three months to free her from her Terminus-energy crystalline cocoon, Mona finally breaks free! Archeville is there to meet her on this New Day, as is Carrie/Silhouette. 2012 February 1st: Doktor Archeville is invited along for the maiden voyage of Hanson Enterprise's new SX-1 spaceplane; Glow is also in the plane, in her civilian ID. During the flight, it is hit -- by a Gremlin! But the Gremlin is no ordinary monster: it is one Archeville had a hand in making. (Nightmare at 200,000 Feet) March 27th: Dok takes a trip to the E-Sea bank to check on some safety deposit boxes. Of course, it gets robbed, by Breaker and his gang of seventeen goons. They don't stand a chance. (Doktor, Banker, Breaker, Thief) April: Dok and Harrier deal with the problems of the past. Specifically, Harrier's parents. (Last Record). Later, While investigating the crater where Scholss Wissenschaft once stood, Archeville meets up with Edge and Nina... and a dragon! What else is in store for the Lord of the Manor? May 25th: Doktor Archeville offers his assistance to Fleur de Joie in her reclamation efforts on Sanctuary. (Forge Works) June 8th: Doktor Archeville attends Cosmo Accurso's masquerade ball in Castle Accurso in Switzerland. Also in attendance is Eve Martel, secretly the superhero Sage. No one recognizes Archeville -- he's cross-dressed, and did a really good job! (Money, money, money) July: After a disastrous fight with the Power Corps and the Science Squad in Germany, Doktor Archeville is killed, but later resurrected... or, rather, reformatted. [Phase IV of his life begins.] 2013 January 25th: Doktor Archeville helps Baron Katastroff, Voltage, and Cyberknife/Miss Americana investigate the remains of a crashed Curator ship in the Arctic, near Centurion's Sanctum. Will their research help them in Getting Ahead With Science? 2014-2018 Archeville spends this time in secluded convalescence, working to stabilize and restore his body and mind. His complete absence during The Incursion was noted by some; few realize he was stuck fighting on another planet, and desperately trying to avoid capture by the Communion, for fear of what they could do with his knowledge and his technorganic self. He also spent some time re-acclimating himself to working with the public by serving (in disguise) as a substitute teacher in Germany. 2019 March: Doktor Archeville has a few brief meetings with former allies in Freedom City. He starts his fence-mending by meeting with Grimalkin at Millennium Comics. April 1st: Archeville stops by Freedom Hall to check in with the League/let the League check up on him. He is greeted by Comrade Frost, and introduced to a young woman the League's had their eye on: Aquaria Innsmouth! Do you want tentacles? Because that's how you get tentacles. April 2nd: Archeville pays Miss Americana a visit, to let her know how he is, to let her know how happy he is with what she's done with ArcheTech, and to discuss some possible future plans. (One Boss, Two Boss, Red Boss, Green Boss) April 4th: Archeville and Delta help W.E.S.T. deal with some Darwin X-mutated chimpanzees. Can they offers some Better Thinking in the Lost World? May 17th: Archeville -- in disguise as Freelance Technician "Patch Menderson" -- crosses paths with Facsimile. Their chance encounter will wind up Upgrading the Supply Chain (and later The Strongest Link). June 19th: Viktor Archeville & Mona Teymourian discuss A New Enterprise: leaving Earth, heading out into SPAAACE! Also, having a child! Also also, discovering that Mona's cat has been affected by prolonged exposure to her Teminus energies!!! November 26th: Viktor Archeville & Mona Teymourian leave Earth aboard Archeville's ship, the Synthia Bauer. 2020 February: Archeville finds a strange structure in the Nakara system, what appears to be more stone temple than spacecraft. Dirge and Starlok are also there, with a Lor archaeologist, and all four investigate. (All Aboard the Nightmare Ship!) 2021 TBD [SPAAACE] 2022 TBD [SPAAACE] 2023 December: Due to the actions of an alien Santa Claus being whomh he'd helped, Doktor Archeville is temporarily transported to the Freedom League Holiday Party. Things go... awkwardly, but no one comes to blows. Lynn "Grimalkin" Epstein even offers Viktor a place to stay! (Holiday Cheer) 2024 January 15th: An intense storm dumps over a foot of snow on Freedom, paralyzing the city. Viktor and Lynn are safe & cozy inside Silbermann's Books, and the weather forces them to stop avoiding each other and engage in some long-overdue conversations. (Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow) ??? (before Feb 14th): The second planet orbiting the Ferrum binary star system is home to a vast array of solar cells, collecting energy for Republic and Coalition worlds. But their operations have been disrupted by the arrival of several dozen Sarcota, immense space-faring eel-like beings. The corporations that run operations on Ferrum II called in two specialists to assist them: the interstellar safari hunter Starshot, and Terran scientist Doktor Archeville. As the two work together to discover the Sarcotan shoaling patterns, they are joined by a third: Kinarr Khan, son of Kinan Khan and heir apparent to the Stellar Khanate, who claims he's here to help!

The seas have always held a special fascination for Viktor Archeville: their bounty, their mystery, their power. "We know more about the moon than we do about the deep sea," Greenpeace says. Archeville had advised and worked on assorted oceanographic missions before -- designing sensors and propulsion units, going over data, examining new sea life, and so on -- but he knew he could do better. So he decided to build a gigantic submarine, one capable of going faster, deeper, and staying under longer than any other, and which would have less of a "footprint" that would disturb the native life. The result, launched in April of 2010, was Fjölnirskraft, at the time the largest submarine in world history. During the ArchEvil event (20011 June), Fjölnirskraft was boarded by Deep Ones and used to invade Freedom; Gabriel & Ironclad fought them off. What remained of the vessel, along with the rest of ArcheTech, was given to Miss Americana and the Scarab. LOCATION Fjölnirskraft roams the Pacific Ocean. She'll dock wherever she's allowed, but Archeville also has a private shipyard on a small, barren island east of the Marquesas capable of handling most routine repairs and refueling. The Archeneum hull plating and skeletal structure of the kraft allow it to cruise at deeper average depths than most submarines. A Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine can dive to depth of 1,480 feet (450 meters) before beginning to risk hull collapse from the pressure; Fjölnirskraft can dive to depths of up to 2,460 feet (750 meters) without undue strain. APPEARANCE, EXTERIOR Manufactured primarily of Archeneum (a metal with approximately the weight of aluminum but a hardness & durability ten times that of osmium steel), the hull of Fjölnirskraft is, like other submarines, primarily tube-shaped, though the kraft is somewhat wider aft (rear) than fore (front), giving it shape like an elongated egg... or a turkey baster. However, when the eight manipulatory tentacles from the bow & the two from the sides all emerge and extend to their full length, it takes on the appearance of a gargantuan eyeless squid. APPEARANCE, INTERIOR The front third of the Fjölnirskraft is taken up by laboratories and workshops dedicated primarily to oceanography/the marine sciences. The middle third is the habitation area, including the galley and infirmary. Between the habitation area and the laboratories is the command deck, and below the command deck is Archeville's personal quarters. The rear third contains the "cold fusion" power plant (see below) and the life support systems. MISCELLANEOUS Archeville decided to keep the tradition of naming vessels after deities of the sea. According to Norse mythology, Fjölnir is the son of Freyr (son of the sea god Njörðr) and Gerðr (daughter of Ægir, a jötunn [nature spirit/giant] and king/personification of the seas), and thus the grandson of two sea-deities. Fjölnir is also another name for Odin (the chief god of the Norse pantheon), found in Grímnismál when the god revealed himself to Geirröðr, and in Reginsmál when he was standing on a mountain addressing Sigurd and Regin; Snorri also mentions it as an Odinic name in Gylfaginning. The Fjölnirskraft generates power through a ultra-efficient "cold fusion" reactor that can pump out twice the power of a conventional fusion reactor but requires almost no shielding (which helps lighten the sub considerably). The power plant generates more than enough powers to meet the kraft's day-to-day needs, which, combined with its mostly robotic crew (see below), means it can stay underwater for approximately six months without having to even approach the surface. The Fjölnirskraft uses a magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) propulsion system, a major advantage compared to propellers or pumpjet propulsion. The MHD engine uses magnetic energy to force water through tubes, an effect sometimes described as an "underwater jet engine." There are six MHD "jets" total, three each on the port (left) and starboard (right) sides, along the rear 2/3rds of the kraft. The MHD system allows the Fjölnirskraft to attain speeds far beyond those of standard submarines; conventional submarines typically run at 20 knots and max out at around 35 knots, but the Fjölnirskraft can reach over double that. Additionally, the MHD engine makes almost no noise, rendering it nigh-unnoticeable by wildlife (and modern sonar systems). To improve the kraft's stealth profile, Archeville has covered the hull with an anechoic radar absorbent coating, and has acoustically isolated machinery and other noise-causing objects inside the hull by mounting them on vibration-dampening platforms. The Fjölnirskraft contains ultra-advanced communications and sensory gear. It uses powerful active and passive sonars, including a spherical array in the bow, a conformal sonar array mounted around the bow, and several types of towed sonar arrays built into tubular shrouds around the hull. The Fjölnirskraft's communications equipment can receive and broadcast over the full frequency spectrum, from ultra-high frequency (UHF) to extremely low frequency (ELF). Unlike virtually every other sub in the world, the kraft doesn't need to approach or break the surface to use its communications systems (which would be too disruptive for long-term deep sea projects); they work just as well hundreds of feet below the surface as the do on top of it. After careful consideration, Archeville did decide to give the Fjölnirskraft some weaponry. Torpedoes were right out, though: too "low-tech", too unreliable. Instead, he went with 16 energy beam projectors, spaced evenly around the hull, specifically designed and tuned by him to fire underwater with minimal loss of energy. They can also be set to "paralyze" or "stun" mode. Similar projectors are mounted on the inside of the ship, to deal with any intruders or unruly specimens. Also usable as a weapon -- but primarily intended for specimen retrieval -- are the Fjölnirskraft's tentacles, eight at the bow and two along the sides. When retracted the bow tentacles form a spiral cover over the front of the kraft, and the two at the sides lie flat against the hull, so when not in use the super-sub is as streamlined as any other submarine. The super-submarine also contains a dock/hangar for other, smaller vehicles. The Fjölnirskraft has a crew of a couple hundred at most, and often runs with just a few dozen, not the thousands which would be expected for a ship of this size and complexity. This is possible for two reasons. One, the kraft is highly automated, and Archeville's technology rarely breaks down under standard use. Second, basic tasks that can't be automated -- everything from keeping the ship clean to routine maintenance -- are performed by robots. Human personnel only have to perform tasks that Archeville isn't willing to relegate to robots. This of course does not include the "guest" scientists who make use of the kraft's facilities for their own research. Due to its relatively small crew, the Fjölnirskraft requires less in the way of life support systems. These systems include carbon dioxide "scrubbers" to remove that gas from the air, and carbon monoxide "burners" which do the same for that gas. Another system breaks water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen to replenish the air supply; filters, dehumidifiers, and similar equipment keep the air fresh. The sub also has a water distillation facility to produce all the water it needs. The kraft typically carries enough food and other supplies to travel for 180 days in comfort without surfacing. See here for stats.

When Doktor Archeville (or the malevolent Other within him) really needed to get away, he went here. It was his ultimate refuge, a place where he could concentrate on projects without any interruptions, where nothing would disturb him and no one could find him. Nichtüberall, a secret base known only to him, was completed in April of 2010. In January 2011, Doktor Archeville revealed the existence of this facility to Blueshift, Push, Supercape, and Victory, after they stopped a planet-killer asteroid from impacting Earth. During the ArchEvil event (20011 June), Blueshift, Push, and Victory fought Meta-Ceptors on Nichrüberall. What remained of the satellite was given to given to the Freedom League. Nichtüberall was used by members of The Lab as a secure place to study Gorgon nanites in Fall 2011. It is currently mothballed, but may be used as a long-range early-warninng system to warn of extrasolar threats. LOCATION Inside a large (house-sized) asteroid in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. APPEARANCE, EXTERIOR Nichtüberall is entirely contained within the asteroid; there are no external indications that it is anything other than just one of the 2,000,000 other space rocks in the belt. APPEARANCE, INTERIOR Nichtüberall features luxurious quarters, a well-stocked library, an automated kitchen, and enough labs for him to do most of his work; there isn't enough room for extensive testing of devices, so the labs mainly focus on theoretical work and computer modeling of prototypes. (He can save the data to the memory systems in his Electromagnetic Screwdriver and download it into one of his Earth-based computers at the first opportunity.) MISCELLANEOUS Only Doktor Archeville knows about Nichtüberall: no humans were involved in its constructions, all robots involved in the construction were ultimately recycled into components of the HQ itself, and all information related to it was erased from his Earth-based computers (and his Electromagnetic Screwdriver) after it was completed. The only way to track it down (other than reading Archeville's mind) would be an intense analysis of the coordinate system used by the Micro-Wormhole Generator in his Gravimetric Belt, which is how he usually gets there (it takes several "jumps"). It can receive transmissions from Earth, but he never communicates back since that could reveal its location. Additionally, its distance from Earth -- 3 AU from the Sun, so 2 to 4 AU (185,911,614 - 371,823,228 miles) from Earth depending on their relative positions -- means standard transmissions would not reach Nichtüberall for 16.6 to 33.3 minutes. At its closest, it would require Teleport 13 to reach it in one hop from the Earth. At its most distant, it would require Teleport 14 to reach in one go. Its distant location is its best protection, but Archeville does not rely on that alone. A stealth field damps out any electromagnetic "noise" the equipment inside makes, and a "mental stealth field" built into the walls makes it so anyone scanning for him psionically "sees" nothing unusual about the asteroid. A variable phasic shield keeps nosy/wandering energy beings & incorporeal entities out. See here for stats. The name is a pun: Nichtüberall is close to Nacht überall, “Night Everywhere.”

On the day Viktor Archeville turned 18 (June 1995), he was given a doozy of an inheritance: his own ancestral keep! It wasn't much to look at, just a five-story tower straining under more than a century of neglect, but it was in an exquisite location overlooking the majestic Danube river. He spent a few months working on fixing it up, but slowed when he started his college career. After graduation (Spring 1999), he revisited the tower with many, many plans for it. Not only would this be his new home while in Germany, it would be a center for his company (still some years from completion) and a place of learning for all who were determined enough to make the trip. During the ArchEvil event, Schloss Wissenschaft was destroyed by UNISON Agent Mark Lucas. What remained of it, along with the rest of ArcheTech, was given to Miss Americana and the Scarab. LOCATION Schloss Wissenschaft sits in the Black Forest of Germany. Originally a small keep awarded to one of Archeville's ancestors in the 16th century, it stands on a hill overlooking the junction where the Brigach and Breg rivers join to form the Danube river. The closest town is Donaueschingen, a regional rail hub. APPEARANCE, EXTERIOR The keep had started as a 5-story tower with a basement/storage cellar. Archeville restored and expanded it, turning what had been a simple keep into a sprawling 110-room castle with an expansive subterranean substructure. APPEARANCE, INTERIOR The ground floor contains the grand entry hall (with a large art gallery off to the side), a lavish reception hall (with a large and well-stocked kitchen off to the side), classrooms (see below), staff lounge and dining room (for non-robot staff), and a robot repair/recharge area. 2nd floor holds a ballroom, a large meeting room, a formal dining room, servant's quarters, expensively furnished guest rooms, music room, museum, communications center, robotics laboratory/workshop, business offices, and a balcony overlooking the lands. 3rd floor holds R&D laboratories (primarily life sciences), an infirmary (with state of the art quarantine chamber, pathology lab, and cryogenic storage), more living quarters (primarily for scientists and technicians who show exceptional talent and receive training from Archeville himself), a national surveillance center, and aircraft hangar/helipad. 4th floor contains R&D labs (primarily physical sciences) and a global surveillance center. The castle's massive central tower contains floors 5-10. (The reception room in the ground floor, ballroom on the 2nd floor, and R&D laboratories on the 3rd and 4th floors make up and expand out from the lower levels of the tower.) Most of the 5th floor is take up by the gym and Combat Simulator Holo-Chamber (which he can use to show famous battles from history, with himself in the the role of one of the commanders), and the 6th floor contains Archeville's living quarters (sitting room, bedroom, and bath, all luxuriously appointed with the best in carpeting, furniture, and decor). The 7th floor holds private laboratories and workshops for personal projects (with their own dedicated power supply, a tabletop cold fusion generator), and the 8th floor holds labs for studying "unusual" items (which includes nonterrestrial, extradimensional, and "magical" items). The 9th and 10th floors are Archeville's massive library/reading room. In addition to Archeville's personal elevator, the 8th-10th floors are connected by a massive spiral staircase. Beneath the castle are numerous subterranean layers of considerable size; altogether they are about three times as big as the entire above-ground castle. The basement holds wine cellars and miscellaneous housewares; it can be accessed via elevators in the kitchens and Archeville's personal elevator (which runs through the central tower). The first sub-basement is contorted with small winding passageways, and the hangar, with access to the surface coming through the courtyard of the castle or via a ramp leading out behind the castle. The second sub-basement contains all sorts of power inhibiting devices designed to detain and imprison metahuman villains (or unruly experiments), as well as several research & testing laboratories (including his primary psionics/psionic tech R&D laboratories). The third sub-basement contains more laboratories and workshops (primarily robots and alternative energy sources), nestled in a maze of corridors. The fourth sub-basement holds more secret laboratories/workshops (including an extradimensional research laboratory), and a highly efficient fission reactor. Beneath this, an underground offshoot of the Danube River runs through a number of large caverns, and the current of the river powers three backup hydroelectric generators. MISCELLANEOUS Exterior granite walls are supported by titanium/vanadium steel bracing, supplemented with force screens. Schloss Wissenschaft is highly automated, with a permanent staff of only 50 humans and 300 robots. Archeville could streamline operations more -- less humans and less robots via more automation -- but he chose not to because people coming there expect to see robots, and appreciate seeing other humans. Most of the ground floor is open to the public at all hours ("if you can reach the place," he figures, "you deserve at least a little something.") The classrooms contain scores of "teaching computers" that can answer a number of questions; they are free for anyone to use, though they only display in German. These "teaching computers" have fully interactive file libraries on anatomy, astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, ecology, geology, medicine, physics, and zoology; they can also teach algebra, calculus, trigonometry, drafting, and electrical and mechanical engineering. The castle has a "Schwarzschild Wormwole Aperture Producer" (SWAP) system, which allows instantaneous teleportation between it and any other ArcheTech facility. See here for stats.