Avenger Assembled

Note that I am not dropping a chest-burster on you, so don't panic. But make a Will save nonetheless.

Wesley was flying down to meet Phantom when suddenly he saw something small and fast flying right for his open mouth! Before Wesley could react, something small and winged flew into his mouth! And then he felt the most shocking thing of all, something beginning to grow and swell right inside his throat!

Eventually Grimalkin's efforts proved sufficient to win over even the dubious Fens crowd, and they joined her in cleaning up the mess left behind by Columbia's rampage. Unfortunately, she had a pretty good idea that they would get hostile again if she left them to their work and pursued the fleeing powerhouse out of the neighborhood. If she wanted to keep the Fens crowd on her side in general, she'd need to stick around for the cleanup effort. No one had been hurt by Columbia, but a lot of damage had been done to some important monuments, and the crowd wasn't very happy about it.

"Suggest you go at night. Let yourself be seen," replied Avenger, Jack's mind on when Pitt would be paying attention. "But not so much as to attract too much attention to yourself. And then meet up with Knight at his place? He can direct you." Avenger hardly moved as he spoke, crouching eerily like a statue on the edge of the railing. He'd have invited Grimalkin over, but he had a feeling his fellow hero would object to his lifestyle choices. Even if he wouldn't have minded hitting that.

Bee-Keeper II: Tier 1 PL 6 NPC Power Level 6 Tradeoffs: [-2 Attack/+2 Damage, -2 Defense/+2 Toughness] Character Name: Barry Brewster Bowles Alternate Identity: Bee-Keeper II, Second to Bear that Proud Title! Height: 5'8" Weight: Average leaning to skinny Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Description: Barry Brewster Bowles is a wide-eyed African-American man in his early 30s with a narrow face and too-ready smile, given to wearing yellow and black sweaters and talking animatedly about his his two great passions: his electronics resale shop in the Fens, and the apiary he owns out in the countryside. Voluble on his favorite subjects, he is quiet and reserved, almost shy, when it comes to anything else. He carries his costume around with him in a small briefcase, the suit a soft, flexible garmet that he can snap on in just a few seconds. Bee-Keeper II is a confident man bursting with energy and volubility, ready and willing to let everyone within earshot know who he is and why he's robbing them of their hard-earned valuables. His speech is peppered with horrible bee-related puns, often inaccurate ones, and his laugh is buzzing and maniacal. His Bee-Keeper suit is bright yellow with a black stripe around the mid-section, his glossy, transparent wings made of a high-tech plastic he ripped off from Doc Otaku after a supervillan fight in his neighborhood. His costume is insect-themed, giving him "bee claws" on his hands and feet and covering his head with the cartoonish likeness of a bee's face. He shoots streams of specially-trained bees (so they don't die after they sting) he keeps in a tank on his back out of shooters on his wrist. (How did he train bees not to die when they sting? Science!) History: Barry Brewster Bowles has always been a weird guy. He grew up the son of middle-class shopowners in the Southside, where his strange personality, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and high intelligence made him a constant target of bullying and harassment both at home and on the streets. He resented his parents for their lack of intelligence and "low-class" ways, and they resented him for being such a little punk. He might have made something of himself if he hadn't been so weird all the time, ignoring the teachers whose intelligence he outclassed and bitterly resenting those peers who could match him intellectually. Despite his intelligence, his grades were always very low. Eventually he managed a BA from Freedom City College and inherited his father's electronics shop, where his strange behavior around customers drove away enough regulars that eventually he had to move his business into the Fens. Bitterly resenting having to sell to "low-lifes and drug dealers," Barry's wide, weird interests began falling into new, less pleasant areas. A couple of years ago a tanker truck overturned on his block and poisoned a lot of people, Barry included. He was part of the class-action lawsuit that eventually won a great deal of money from the shipping company, leaving him with enough money that running the shop became a hobby rather than a necessity and furthering his generalized resentment towards the "no-class" world at the beginning of the 21st century. While Barry was laid up, he started reading history. It was there that he first read about the Bee-Keeper, aka Brian Nisbet. Now there was a man! A black man back in the day who didn't take guff from anybody, who fought the Centurion and all sorts of annoying superheroes who never actually did any good for anyone. And really, what better symbol for a man is there than a bee? Always hard-working, always ready to stand up for their relatives, never neglecting what really mattered! And honey was so tasty! At first he was just a voluble fan, buying up Bee-Keeper merchandise from Nisbet's online business and buying up everything he could read about the man. As the years went on, though, he began thinking more and more about how wonderful it would be (heh, be) if someone like Nisbit was still around. A rogue who showed up superheroes without hurting anyone, a cunning adventurer pitting his wits and luck against the law...and a man who made lots of money (even if he spent it all or had the state take it all!) and eventually retired safe and sound! He bought a beehive and studied bees, learning how to incorporate them into a blueprint for powered armor he found and significant improved on the Internet, and when he was done he approached Brian Nisbet. Nisbit was pleased and concerned simultaneously; he didn't like the idea of going back to prison one bit, but he did like the idea of having a successor to carry on his legacy. When he was absolutely sure that Barry's heart was pure, that he would do his best to never actually hurt anyone and carry on the bee-loving legacy of the Bee-Keeper in style, Brian Nisbet gave the younger man permission to carry on his legacy. Watch Out, Freedom City! The Bee-Keeper has Buzzed Back into Town! The new Bee-Keeper is a supervillan in the finest tradition of the Silver Age, a mad rogue out to rob only those who can pay for it and show up superheroes without actually hurting them. He would never deliberately hurt anyone who couldn't fight back, and never fires first. He's new to the buzzness and has few contacts yet, but hopes to make some friends in the "Rogue Community" as soon as he pulls off his first big heist. Abilities: (10 pp) Str: 26/10 (+8/+0) Dex: 10 (+0) Con: 10 (+0) Int: 18 (+4) Wis: 12 (+1) Cha: 10 (+0) Combat: (14 pp) Attack +3, +4 (ranged), Grapple +14, Defense +4 (+2 flat-footed), Knockback -8, Initiative +0 Saving Throws: (9 pp) Toughness +8 (+6 Impervious)/+0, Fortitude +3 (+0 from Con, +3), Reflex +3 (+0 from Dex, +3), Will +4 (+1 from Wis, +3) Skills: (36 r=9 pp) Craft (electronic) 6 (+11/+12) (w/masterwork tools), Craft (mechanical) 6 (+10), Disable Device 0 (+4/+5) (w/masterwork tools) Knowledge (life sciences) 6 (+10) Knowledge (technology) 6 (+10), Perform (oratory) 6 (+6) Notice 2 (+3) Sense Motive 4 (+5) Feats: (6 pp) Attack Focus (ranged), Benefit: Wealth x2 Equipment Inventor, Power Attack Powers: (48 pp) Device 12 (Bee-Keeper armor, hard to lose): Drain Dexterity (Ranged) 8 [suffer the Stings of a Million Bees!] AP: Enhanced Strength 16 [Proportional Strength of the Mighty Bumblebee!] Flight 4 (100 MPH), [speed of the Swiftest of Bees: The Honeybee!] Immunity 9 (life support), [You Can't Smoke Out This Bee!] Protection 8 (Extras: Impervious 6), [As Tough as a Sturdy Soldier Bee!] Super-Senses 6 (Blindsight [Radio, Extended], Extended normal vision), [Cunning Antennae!] Super-Strength 3 (Heavy Load: 3.6 tons) [Proportional Strength of the Mighty Bumblebee!] Equipment: Epi-Pen (1 ep) Masterwork Disable Device Tools (1 ep) Masterwork Cell-Phone (1 ep) Masterwork Electronics Tools (1 ep) Masterwork Multi-Tool (1 ep) Drawbacks: (-6 pp) Normal Identity (free action, -3 pp) Vulnerable (Bluff Checks designed to make him gloat; common, moderate (50%) (-3 pp) DC Blocks Unarmed DC 15 Bruised Unarmed in Suit DC 23 Bruised Dex Drain DC 18 Drained Abilities 10 + Skills 9 + Feats 4 + Powers 48 + Combat 14 + Saves 9 + Drawbacks -6 = Total 90 Story Hooks: Honor [silver Age values] Obsession [bees] Obsession [fame] Obsession [proving himself to be smarter than everybody else] Reputation [not in it for the money; has trouble hiring goons] Reputation [crazy as as a honeybee in a thunderstorm]

Mark, I would like to run this thread for you. :)

Defensive Roll (1) Distract: Intimidate Attack Focus: Melee (1) (3 pp total) +3 to Diplomacy and +1 to Stealth (1 pp total) Done by Sandman XI

I need Wesley's Notice check.

"Wesley's place. And a friend's. He can direct you." Avenger laughed, just once. "My way not suitable for permanent inhabitants. You would not enjoy the place where I sleep." Well, it was more than it would be really awkward. But there was no need to dwell on that fact. "Very short task. Can get the job done quickly."

Why yes! He has the exact same weird, undefinable accent as Daedalus.

The golden man removed his helmet, revealing a weather-beaten face topped by short black hair and a scruffy beard graying at the temples. He was of indeterminate age, somewhere between thirty and sixty, with black eyes that seemed ancient indeed. "Ah, you have your Phaeton with you. Marvelous." When the man smiled, his face spoke volumes. "I am Odysseus. I have come to speak with you on a matter of great importance. Will you fly with me, or would you prefer to conduct your business within your chamber?"

I concur, D-A, there's no reason he shouldn't be able to do that.

Everyone wound up with a pretty decent picture on their student ID, the three kids generally all looking hopeful about the bright future that studying at Claremont promised them. Eventually Alex's mom finished up with her forms and came out to give her daughter a big hug. "Okay, kiddo, it looks like I've got everything taken care of here. Are you going to be okay here tonight?" she asked, giving a worried look down at her little baby girl. "You can call me anytime if you decide you want to come home. I love you, honeylamb."

From the tone of Avenger's voice, the situation had evidently shifted for the better. "Yes. Wesley, meet me at the Atlas Stockyards in Greenbank in two hours. Grim, suggest you return home and gather what's yours expediently. Bring cats as seems prudent. Happen to know that Wesley's landlord loves cats. Has large statue of Bast in private boudoir."

Avenger dropped the nearly-unmoving Vulture, feeling a twist in his gut at how close he'd just come to taking yet another life. Not an innocent life, mind you, but a life nonetheless. Blood on his hands, his face expressionless even behind his mask, he walked up to Shark and punched him in the face, putting his full body weight into the blow. No more killing; no more blood. Well, maybe a little more. "Two!"

I need a Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check for your school pictures, depending on what kind of face you're making. You can roll a skill untrained for this too.

There was more mundanity on the agenda to come; some of it more entertaining than others. First came pictures for their student IDs, the kids all sitting before a blue and yellow background that matched the colors of the Claremont Academy. Next they traipsed across campus to get measured and fitted for their school uniforms, a quick, if embarrassing moment undertaken with Mrs. Dugan and a professional tailor they'd brought in. "Uniforms aren't a requirement for day-to-day wear," Dugan explained, "but you'll be glad to have them anyway. They're not quite as high-tech as what the Atom Family or the Freedom League wears, but they're insulated enough that your powers won't damage them." They were in the gym for this one, the kids having stepped into an empty coach's office for their brief consultation with the tailor, Mr. Mbuse.

[floatr][/floatr] Player Name: Davis Character Name: Edge Secret Identity: Mark Mason Lucas Age: 16 (going on seventeen...) Power Level: 15 (250/250pp) [256] Trade-Offs: None Unspent PP: 0 Progress to Platinum: 106/120pp (Gold status earned with Avenger) Click here for Edge's new sheet without Player Rewards, to be used after August 21, 2011. Description: At 18 years old, Mark Lucas is tall, rugged, and athletic, the perfect vision of a hero. With his chiseled good looks and sculpted physique, he’s the darling of the ladies of Claremont, and not a few older women as well. His most remarkable feature is his eyes, glowing with a force of personality that’s almost superhuman. Mark may be afraid, Mark may be angry, Mark may be a million other things: but you will never, ever see him doubt. His costume is a blue bodysuit with gold cape and white diamond over his chest, his face hidden by goggles. Personality: Mark is a cheerful, jovial guy, often literally bouncy with energy, who’s not really sure how to handle the feelings of grief and loss that have come with his father’s departure and his own worries about the future that’s awaiting him. He doesn’t worry about his fantastic power by dint of simply not worrying about it. He’s fully conscious of his responsibility, and does his best to live up to it. Especially now. His success with women comes from his ability to hyperfocus in romantic situation: he’s very intense in a lot of ways, and when that’s turned on a girl his own age it’s something many find very attractive. Backstory: Mark Lucas is the first person in his family with superpowers, but not the first hero. His grandfather Jimmy Lucas went from being the Centurion’s Pal in the 1940s to a hero in his own right after a magical adventure. “Jimmy and his Genie” were perhaps the most powerful members of the League, though by no means the most wise. A badly-worded wish by his grandfather at the end of the war meant that it was technically the genie who fathered Mark’s dad Rick, infusing magical genes into the family line. Having grown up around superheroes, it was no surprise that Rick Lucas fought alongside them. Though never more than an honorary member of the Freedom League, Rick adventured alongside every superhero of the 1960s and 1970s, teaming up with his fellow heroes all across the world for a lifetime of wonderful adventures. Only belatedly have Freedom’s super-scientists begun to wonder: was it unconscious manipulation of reality by the half-genie that made those days so bright and shining? It’s tough to say, but the world did get a lot darker when Rick left town in the early 1980s after the Silver Age League finally dissolved. He returned in 1993 with his wife Martha and infant son Mark, just in time to fight in the Terminus Invasion and watch the Centurion die. Rick raised his son to be the shining Silver Age hero he’d always admired, making sure that Mark grew up happy and contented with the perfect family. It helped that young Mark had been born with probability-warping powers obvious from an early age: he was working to make his own destiny wonderful. Perhaps that’s why Mark is so thoughtless, but it’s also why he’s so absolutely sure that a better world can be built for all mankind. Rick ultimately couldn’t handle the new era: excluded from the new League thanks to an old feud with Captain Thunder, he developed fantastic powers and went mad on his son’s temporary ‘death’, ultimately disappearing into the multiverse after creating a false vision of Freedom City. His father’s loss (not death) has made things difficult for Mark and his mother, who now supports the family with her cartooning. But Mark is still convinced that he and his friends in Young Freedom really can make a difference for everybody. It’s just a matter of believing in yourself. Complications: Allies (Heroes of World War II and the Silver Age) Enemy (Nazis) Friend (Midnight II, old chum) Reputation (Defend the family honor) Responsibility (Young Freedom, Martha Lucas) Rivalry (Rick Lucas) Turf (Claremont Academy, Lucas family house) Secret (The Lucas family has shaken many horrors from its closet) Secret ("The Terminus is coming! The Terminus is coming!") Abilities: 2+4+4+2+(-2)+14 = 24PP Str 12 (+1) Dex 14 (+2) Con 14 (+2) Int 12 (+1) Wis 08 (-1) Cha 24 (+7) Combat: 10 + 12 = 22PP Attack +5, +15 Ranged Grapple +6 Defense +15 (Base 6, Dodge Focus 9) +3 flat-footed Knockback -7 Initiative +6 Saving Throws: 6+6+9 = 21PP Toughness +15 (+2 Con, +13 Protection) Fortitude +8 (Con +2, +6) Reflex +8 (Dex +2, +6) Will +8 (Wis -1, +9) Skills: 80R = 20PP Bluff 20 (+27)SM Diplomacy 20 (+27)SM Gather Information 12 (+19) Knowledge: History 8 (+8)SM Languages 4 (English [native], French, German, Japanese, Swahili) Notice 8 (+7)SM Stealth 8 (+10) Feats: 15PP Beginner's Luck Connected [people associated with the Golden Age and Silver Age Leagues] Equipment Evasion 2 Fearless, Improved Initiative Seize Initiative Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge [History], Notice) Ultimate Save 4 (Fortitude, Toughness, Will, Reflex) Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Well-Informed Powers: 4 + 25 + 2 + 19 + 13 + 9 + 76pp = 148PP Enhanced Defense 2 [4 pp] 'luckily, you missed me!' Enhanced Feats 25 (Attack Focus: Ranged 10, Dodge Focus 9, Inspire 5, Leadership) [25 pp] 'who needs training?' Immunity 2 (aging, despair effects) [2 pp] 'hooray!' Luck Control 4 (cancel GM Fiat, cancel HP expenditure of others, give someone else HP, spend HP for someone else; PFs: Luck 7) [19 pp] 'fully awesome' Protection 13 [13 pp] 'didn't hurt!' Enhanced Feats 3 (Ultimate Save 3 [Fortitude, Reflex, Toughness]) (Extras: Affects Only Others [+0], Range (Perception) [+2]) [9 pp] Reality Warping Array 35 (70 points; PFs: Alternate Power x6) [70 + 6 = 76pp] BP: Create Object 15 (Extras: Duration [Continous], Moveable; PFs: Innate, Precise, Progression 7 [15 cubes 1000 ft on a side], Subtle) {70/70} 'summoning' AP: Damage 15 (Extras: Area [shapeable], Selective Attack) {70/70} 'bad things happening to you!' AP: Disintegration 15 (Flaw: Full-Round Action; PF: Improved Crit 2, Indirect 3, Insidious, Precise, Power Attack, Reversible, Subtle) {70/70} 'you go away' AP: Probability Control 10 (Extras: Affects Others, Area [burst]) {70/70} 'things are great now' AP: Telekinesis 15 (Extras: Damaging, Range [Perception]) {70/70} 'movin stuff around' AP: Teleport 9 (anywhere on Earth; Extras: Accurate, Affects Others, Area [burst], Ranged, Selective Attack; PFs: Change Velocity, Easy, Progression 4, Turnabout) {70/70} 'literally warping reality' AP: Transform 10 (anything to anything, 1000 lbs; Extras: Duration [Continous], Ranged) {70/70} 'making things different than what they are' Regeneration 1 (Resurrection 1/week) [1 pp] 'too lucky to die' Abilities 24 + Combat 22 + Saving Throws 21 + Skills 20 + Feats 15 + Powers 148 = 250/250 Power Points NPCs will be statted up: Use the Mystic Ally from Hero High for Golden Age Jimmy Lucas and his Genie Use the Two-Fisted Adventurer from Golden Age for Rick Lucas in his prime

OK, anyone want anything else out of this thread?

OK, you kind folks are up. Dark Star? :D

Andrea Atom threw her hands up to the sky and screamed wordlessly before suddenly leaping into the air, very, very high indeed! Grim could just track her arc as she disappeared over the low buildings of the Fens, heading somewhere for the Theatre District. That left her alone with a crowd, and an angry crowd to boot. "Hey, what do you think you're doing! You're supposed to be a superhero!" One of the people in the crowd yelled. An old woman with a sad face cried, "She broke my Lenny's tombstone! I hope Captain Thunder punches her into space!" The crowd was mad, and getting madder as the sirens got louder, the police getting closer and closer. Something had to give! "Hey, wait a minute! Since when does Vicky Atom have claws!"

Sure, you notice Columbia's hair is doing a thing.

Even Avenger seemed to blanch at that, if only momentarily. "Might want to warn people about that. But good. Will use that." He turned and looked at Grim. "Wesley will give me a hand..." He sighed audibly and raised his gloved hand to his mask. "Blast. Yes. Wesley and I will handle deception. Have you place to go?"

Wesley, you are...1600 feet up, nearly at the top of the Plaza. Good thing your Flight effect is still active! :D

"We'll take care of all of that for you," said Mrs. Dugan reassuringly. "You're a kid. You're allowed to be one here." She smiled. "I've got your class list and your tutoring list, so I'll make sure all your books are in your room first thing in the morning. Your first classes will start on Wednesday, so you'll have a little time to unwind and get familiar with campus before you need to worry about your schooling."