EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Phoenixverse Cultural Notes (for The Academy) This will be relevant to the Academy, I promise. But first some background. I’ve barely touched on this, as I’ve sought to remain largely non-partisan. But with the emergence of my “oppressed minority metaphor” that can go on no longer. I believe superheroes are an inherently left wing political thing. I mean, don’t just take my word for it. Go ask Sigel and Shuster. Go ask Lee and Kirby. The genre is founded in making the world better for all people, regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, etcetera. Those of you familiar with the general conservative/right wing agenda will note that’s…not exactly what they’re all about. To be clear, I’m not calling anyone bad or evil here. Just pointing out that Superman and Captain America aren’t exactly voting Republican in 2024 (the current year as of writing this), and likely haven’t been for decades barring the Democrat/Republican switcheroo in the South back in the 60s/70s. But y’know, right wing authoritarism is roughly the same wherever you go. Big fans of concentrating power to a central figure or small group, and dehumanizing those not like them at hard as possible. Which brings us to Phoenix Mutates. While the fear of them makes sense (even the weakest can seem like gods among mortals, and the strongest practically are), as Dreamer noted there’s an undercurrent running underneath it. How do you control someone so powerful who doesn’t want to be controlled? You pray someone more loyal does it for you. Supers (of all types, not just Phoenix Mutates) are a rogue element that can screw up years if not decades of work in a few minutes. To be clear, heroes are basically trusted around the world (except places like Iran, China, and North Korea, for obvious reasons). But at the same time, governments and government adjacent organizations also know that heroes are only accountable to other heroes on a fundamental level. A SWAT or elite Spec Ops team may be able to take on a relative newbie hero or villain, but a skilled veteran will cut through them like tissue paper. (Incidentally, this is why the Borealian Vanguard exists, among other reasons.) So such government types are at best understandably wary of supers as a whole. Individuals are, of course, another matter. And if wariness is “at best”, then “at worst” is implacable hostility. Which, again, is where Phoenix Mutates come in. They’re, to a one, significantly more powerful than another class of super on average. The mightiest of them can devastate continents and shatter worlds (if freely shared Academy records are to be believed). Those who believe in peaceful cooperation don’t have any problem with this. They’re still people, so of course they can be negotiated with. For those who believe in a hierarchy with them at the top, that life is a zero sum game, that such power can only be derived from True Evil, or whatever else…it’s not the same. Thus, despite there being less than a thousand Phoenix Mutates on the planet (and possibly less than 500, though the number is growing by the year), that they’re pretty vigorously oppressed in a cultural sense. Actual laws are few and far between (Superpower Registration Act notwithstanding), but there are legions of examples of restaurants and stores refusing service to those known to have a Phoenix Spark inside them. Ill intent is assumed where they may have none. At intervals several months apart, there’s another story where ignorant assholes assault a new Phoenix Mutate. The result is predictably tragic, with the Mutate’s new, barely understood powers killing their attackers or the Mutate dies refusing to defend themselves at all for fear of that result. And that’s saying absolutely nothing of various shady organizations (including the infamous Agency) kidnapping them to better understand how Mutate powers work and perhaps duplicate. Or, failing that, put the Mutate under their control for their ends alone. So y’know it’s a messy situation, and it’s not going to get better any time soon. Dreamer knows this. Supers in general have experienced a population explosion (so to speak) since 2009. And unlike the last one in 1961, there isn’t anyone like Starman leading the charge. It’s really just a matter of time until the feelings about Phoenix Mutates start extending to other supers. First, to anyone whose powers have given them an inhuman appearance. Then it gets jagged and irregular, eventually covering anyone who isn’t a metahuman. Multiple religions aren’t big fans of magic, nor are they fans of other religion’s deities empowering people. Or worse, walking the Earth clad in human flesh. But in the end, they too will be included. This is why the Academy has moved to a newly fortified island chain in the Caribbean, and is has built terraforming facilities on Venus and Mars. The future is ever mutable. If things go well, Earthlings will finally spread their wings into space (not humanity, as there’s more of them out in the universe by multiple orders of magnitude). If things go poorly, supers will have places to run to where those who hate and fear them cannot touch them ever again. The pattern is ever familiar. Dehumanize and demonize the ones on the fringes of acceptance for whatever reason. Once their oppression is normalized, there’s a new fringe to go after. And on and on and on, because an enemy is always required in such ideologies. But it’s not just that. It’s human nature. If a person doesn’t know any Phoenix Mutates or supers in general (and most people arguably don’t; even metahumans with minor powers [the most common type of super] may not know they’re different) then it’s easy enough to shrug off the situation as Someone Else’s Problem. The problem isn’t and never has been just bigotry from a relatively small group. It’s apathy from the majority. We all know the expressions. “It is what it is”, “Such is life”, “It can’t be helped”, “Shit happens”, etcetera. It’s not as easy a thing to fight against as a giant murder robot, but it can be done. This is Dreamer’s plan. And it was kind of Nick Phoenix’s…but that’s gone a little sideways and there’s not a lot he can do about it. Asteroth doesn’t give a damn, because he can vaporize anyone who messes with him or those he has claimed as his own. And Methion is actively involved in making literally everything worse so that better heroes will rise to the stiffer challenge. Well. It’s not like the Academy is the last hope or anything. Just, ironically enough, the strongest one. He does not place his hopes in Javier or Josef (they’re not evil men, exactly, but for this they’re worse than useless), but in Solaria and Lightning. Those two, when they get along, are well…not this generation’s Starman (that’d be Sama-whoops, spoilers), but they can very easily fill in for Gunsmith and Megagirl on the chart. Not like, literally, but in importance. The Icons are lovely people, but inspirational like the Champions they are decidedly not. Especially with the founders off the board.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Carlos Javier Power Level: 15; Power Points Spent: 360/360 STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +5 (20), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +5 (20) Tough: +3/+9, Fort: +6, Ref: +12/+18, Will: +18 Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+5), Bluff 15 (+20), Concentration 15 (+20), Diplomacy 15 (+20), Drive 2 (+5), Gather Information 15 (+20), Intimidate 15 (+20), Knowledge (art) 5 (+10), Knowledge (behavioral science) 15 (+20), Knowledge (business) 10 (+15), Knowledge (civics) 10 (+15), Knowledge (current events) 10 (+15), Knowledge (history) 15 (+20), Knowledge (popular culture) 5 (+10), Knowledge (streetwise) 5 (+10), Knowledge (tactics) 10 (+15), Knowledge (technology) 5 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 5 (+10), Notice 15 (+20), Pilot 2 (+5), Search 10 (+15), Sense Motive 15 (+20), Sleight of Hand 2 (+5), Stealth 2 (+5) Feats: Benefit (Fame (as Carlos Javier)), Benefit 3 (Wealth (near limitless)), Connected, Contacts, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 3, Dodge Focus 7, Eidetic Memory, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative, Improved Throw, Improved Trip, Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate), Well-Informed Powers: Beacon Helmet (Device 2) (Hard to lose) ESP 9 (affects: 1 type; Limited (to finding Phoenix Mutates)) Quickness 12 (Perform routine tasks at 10000x speed; One Task (Search checks)) Super-Senses 1 (awareness: Phoenix Mutate (mental)) Headmaster's Uniform (Device 2) (Hard to lose; Subtle (subtle)) Concealed Body Armor (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness; Subtle (subtle)) Integral Grapple Gun (Linked) Speed 2 (Linked; Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd) Super-Movement 2 (Linked; slow fall, wall-crawling 1 (half speed)) Judo Techniques (Array 2) (default power: strike) Chokehold (Strike 4) (Array; DC 19; Alternate Save (Fortitude); Requires Grapple) Joint Lock (Stun 4) (Array; DC 14; Requires Grapple) Standing Throw (Linked) Throwing (Strike 4) (Linked; DC 19; Limited (Trip Must Succeed)) Tripping (Trip 4) (Linked; Range (touch)) Striking (Strike 2) (Default; DC 19; Mighty) Mind Reading (Mind Reading 15) (DC 25; Duration (sustained); Custom (Insidious), Subtle 2 (unnoticable)) Shon Garden Training (Container, Passive 5) Psionic Immortality (Immunity 3) (aging, disease, poison) Psychic Dodging (Enhanced Trait 16) (Traits: Dodge Focus 7 +6 (+7), Evasion 2 +1 (+2), Reflex +6 (+18), Feats: Defensive Roll 3) Psychic Reincarnation (Features 1) (Notes: This overwrites a previously selected person's mind with his own after death. This, of course, brings along his Phoenix Spark+soul and thus his powers. The body's previous soul is sent to the afterlife. This takes significantly longer than a week, so Regeneration's Resurrection option and Reincarnation power feat are unsuitable.) Telepathic Resistance (Immunity 10) (mental effects; Limited - Half Effect) Telepathic Mind (Super-Senses 15) (accurate: Mind Awareness, acute: Mind Awareness, analytical: Mind Awareness, awareness: Mind (mental), danger sense: Mental, extended: Mind Awareness 2 (-1 per 1k ft), penetrates concealment: Mental, radius: Mind Awareness, ranged: Mental, uncanny dodge: Mental) Telepathic Translation (Comprehend 2) (languages - speak all, languages - understand all; Affects Others, Burst Area (10-50 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5), Selective) Telepathic Tricks (Array 30) (default power: mind control; Custom (Insidious), Subtle 2 (unnoticable)) Emotion Control (Emotion Control 15) (Array; DC 25; Duration (continuous)) Mind Control (Mind Control 15) (Default; DC 25; Conscious, Effortless) Mind Exhaust (Fatigue 15) (Array; DC 25; Alternate Save (Will), Range 2 (perception)) Mind Freeze (Paralyze 15) (Array; DC 25; Range 2 (perception)) Mind Stun (Stun 15) (Array; DC 25; Alternate Save (Will), Range 2 (perception)) Mind Warp (Transform (Mental) 15) (Array; affects: alter mind, DC 25; Duration (continuous), Range (perception); Action (full), Distracting) Weaken Will (Drain 15) (Array; drains: single trait - will, DC 25; Alternate Save (Will), Range 2 (perception), Secondary Effect) Equipment: Academy Space Cruiser (x2), Academy VTOL (x2), Turks and Caicos Islands Attack Bonus: +10 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +10, Grapple: +12) Attacks: Chokehold (Strike 4), +10 (DC Fort 19), Emotion Control (Emotion Control 15) (DC Staged/Will 25), Joint Lock (Stun 4), +10 (DC Fort/Staged 14), Mind Control (Mind Control 15) (DC Will 25), Mind Exhaust (Fatigue 15) (DC Will 25), Mind Freeze (Paralyze 15) (DC Staged/Will 25), Mind Reading (Mind Reading 15) (DC Will 25), Mind Stun (Stun 15) (DC Staged/Will 25), Mind Warp (Transform (Mental) 15) (DC Will 25), Striking (Strike 2), +10 (DC 19), Throwing (Strike 4), +10 (DC 19), Tripping (Trip 4), +10 (DC 14), Unarmed Attack, +10 (DC 17), Weaken Will (Drain 15) (DC Staged/Will 25) Defense: +18 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -4 Initiative: +7 Languages: Native Language (It’s extinct, but related to the Berber languages and Ancient Egyptian.) Totals: Abilities 46 + Skills 55 (220 ranks) + Feats 15 + Powers 177 + Combat 42 + Saves 25 + Drawbacks 0 = 360 Age (as of Jan 2019): Approximately 5000 years (chronological), late 20/early 30s (bio) Height: 6’ 0” Weight: 180 Ethnicity: Spanish (official); Moroccan? (possibly related to Berber; it’s been literal millennia he doesn’t know) (original) Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Hometown: Barcelona, Spain (official), the language is no longer spoken (original) Theme Song: [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMTA3Iw1d2s&pp=ygUPdGhleSBzYXkgaGFsYWNn]They Say, by HalaCG[/url] Background: The story of Carlos Javier starts a very long time ago. It’s been approximately fine millennia, after all, since the day of his birth in what is now Morocco. Well. Probably Morocco. The Sahara was still drying out in those days, and his people were nomadic herders, similar to modern Berbers. He does not know if they are his distant cousins or not, and honestly he kind of doesn’t care. He left that area as a young man and has never returned. His telepathic powers had emerged at 13-14, as all Phoenix Mutate powers do, and inspired a distinct desire to get the hell out of that small (in both mindedness and numbers) tribe. By the time he made it to Egypt, the First Dynasty was well underway, which is how he dates when he was born. Narmer was already dead, but he didn’t get the name of the then current king. Modern spelling and pronunciation is wrong, anyway. Egypt was not somewhere he stayed, however. He set up shop further north. Merchanting along the Levant coastline while moving in Canaanite circles. Being able to effortlessly pick knowledge from people’s brains and alter their attitudes towards him did a lot of the usual set up work that would be required to work as a nominally untrustworthy foreigner. This, of course, did not last forever either. The Shon have many monasteries devoted to studying and practicing the psionic arts. Those monasteries that are known for training young psionics with great potential are called Gardens. One of such Garden is the Garden of Memory. And it was agents for the Garden of Memory out in what was not yet the Edge whose scanners detected a psionic of great power and potential and scooped him up. Javier is…uncertain…of exactly how long he trained there. Between psionic immortality and, of course, a girl (ah, wonderful Teska)…let’s just say there was quite a few centuries spent training and doing the Garden’s will out in the universe. But all good things must come to an end. In the full flower of his abilities, it was only fair to return him to his home. It had been around 1500 years since he’d left. Calendars weren’t exactly standardized when he’d left, and they certainly still weren’t when he returned. The Garden wasn’t particularly concerned what he did on his one pre-industrial world, as long as he could be recalled at need. So he spent a couple of centuries engineering what accidently snowballed into the Late Bronze Age Collapse. To be clear, ending Mycenaean Greece was entirely intentional. You would not believe what those animals got up to in their palaces. The Hittites were not his fault, exactly. Who can predict a shift in climate that screwed over their already fragile food supply? Without that, losing the Greeks would have been a hard blow, but endurable. He intended a power grab, not the near total collapse of civilization. The Sea Peoples weren’t working for him directly, either, though a few invasions of newcomers in Europe which snowballed into their various invasions and raids were his doing. Seriously, he only set a few dominos in motion. He had no idea how fragile the whole system would turn out to be. However, his power grab was successful, and he became the driving force behind the Phoenician ascension. In the shadows, of course. An immortal mind reader who can twist wills and alter memories is not someone who wants to leave any traces of himself. The Garden had trained him very well indeed. He was fabulously wealthy. He dined with kings. And then, alas, the Assyrians had to screw up a good thing. Well, that was fine. He engineered the rebellions against both them and Babylon, profiting all the while. But he tired of endless combat and matching wits with distant rulers and their advisors. So instead of offering hostility to the Achaemenid Persians, he simply engineered a quiet surrender on good terms. He did not, however, get to see how his work turned out. The Garden came calling again, after a thousand years. Well, more or less. He did have time to tie up his affairs before he left, though his merchant and spy networks would collapse without him to winnow out agents seeking the mysterious head of the Phoenician hydra. Some of them were quite clever, having thought of magical influence and procured countermeasures. Unfortunately for them, his powers had nothing to do with magic. He could have returned sooner this time, but he simply didn’t want to. The siren song of a beautiful woman (Teska, still) and a technological level above the friggin’ Bronze and Iron Ages convinced him to stick around. So, it was another millennium and a half before the Garden returned him to his world. This was shortly before the First Crusade, something that he didn’t give a tinned shit about. Truth be told, he was tired of Earthling bullshit. He did recover some long buried resources and reestablish himself as a relatively minor merchant. He quickly made enough money to live in comfort on the fringes of the Seljuk Empire. And the damn messy knot of various successor polities (including the Zengid dynasty, Ayyubid dynasty, Mongol Empire, and Mumluk Sultanate) until the establishment of the Ottoman Empire. Which, for those keeping track of time, is about four and a half full centuries of staying the hell out of things in what was formerly Phoenicia. This is where things changed. No man can foresee all things. He was summoned, by the name he was using at the time, to the court of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. Turns out when you spend a cumulative millennium and a half in one general area, people tend to remember you exist, even if they don’t/can’t know about you directly. There is a hand to be seen in various events for those who know how to look, but nobody knows anything. The absence of something can be just as telling as its presence. He was approached not as a man, but as a supernatural being. Which, being fair to the standards of the time, he was. Being Islamic, nobody attempted to worship him or anything similar. They did not ask for or demand his service for their ends. The Ottoman Sultan requested the benefit of his knowledge and wisdom. To teach his knowledge of practical matters to the learned men in the Sultan’s service. Bemused, the man yet to be known as Javier agreed. And found himself a natural teacher. He taught many privately, from Mehmed and his advisors to Selim I when he took the throne and the one who arguably benefited to most from his teachings, Suleiman the Magnificent. With the death of Suleiman in 1566, Javier vanished from the Ottoman Empire…along with any records he was ever there outside of a few confused, hazy memories. He went to Spain, became one of the Forty Conspirators (which one is…a good question, actually. It’s not entirely clear which man whose life he stole or this particular endeavor), and broke Portugal away from Spain. He took Barcelona for his base of operations after that (having restored whichever Portuguese nobleman it had been to his life as if he had never left it, memories and all) and studiously avoiding having anything to do with the war he’d helped create. It’s not entirely clear if he’d engineering the Iberian Union he helped destroy. The timeline almost fits. 14 years (The Union was formed in 1580) is plenty of time to travel from the Near East to the Iberian Peninsula. Impossible to know for sure. Additionally, this is when he started calling himself Javier. Tracing him here is borderline impossible. He’d learned from the Sultanate tracking him down. Furthermore, his disdain for the humans of Earth had only grown. So while he made a fortune to rival any king, it was not known to belong to any one man or even company. A dense network of agents he’d personally educated and shaped to his needs tended to his affairs while blending into the background of Western and Central Europe. For the very few who know how to look, his hand can be seen in the Constitution of 1812 and in the guerilla warfare Spanish forces used to fight Napoleonic France. It can furthermore be seen in the troubled reigns of Ferdinand VII and Isabella II, and in the Glorious Revolution that topped the latter. Amadeus of Savoy’s frustration was the direct result of Javier’s behind the scenes actions. Javier himself, however, remained offstage and unseen. Until the Spanish Civil War ended, anyway. He studiously had nothing to do with the First World War. When Barcelona at last fell despite his efforts, he left Spain in disgust and began operating out of Marseille, France. After the Nazi conquest of France and the establishment of the Vichy government, his agents and resources (what was left of them after years of war and multiple purges in Spain, Italy, and Germany) were supporting the French Resistance. The man himself was in Italy, turning the Italian military into a bunch of complete incompetents. This wasn’t as much work as it sounds. As the Allies clobbered the Italians and forced the Nazis to invade to aid their ally and avoid a new front opening, Javier was still hard at work. Many of the most baffling decisions of both Nazi leadership and Nazi super operatives can be attributed to his efforts. Misinformation and false memories are dangerous weapons in the right place. But again, Javier himself remained offstage and unseen. Or perhaps it would be better to say unremembered. D-Day came. D-Day went. Titanic clashes between Soviet and Nazi super operatives. Project Blue Liberty doing more than its part. When the 6th Armored liberated Buchenwald, it…was only a liberation in the most technical sense. Everything did happen as the history books say. A few dedicated inmates with engineering skills got a message out. The Third Army came running. The part that’s missing from the history books is that they encountered no resistance of any kind. It was eerie, actually. At every position it was as if the Germans had left perhaps 20 minutes prior. Weapons abandoned. Meals in progress. Spooky shit. When they finally did reach the main camp, the inmates told the story that’s in the history books. Gestapo HQ in Weimar called. A prisoner answered and lied that the camp was already blown up. There was just one small problem with the story that no one really questioned. It seemed like Buchenwald and its satellite camps had simply…not been evacuated. All guard posts and admin buildings like the people in them had just stepped out for a moment and would be back at any moment. Those who stopped to hear what the now former inmates whispered among themselves would hear an impossible story. On April 3 1945, one man had driven up in a jeep. He had seemed amiable enough, but decidedly not German or even European. He had conversed politely with the gate guards, and then the guards simply dropped their weapons and walked away. This was true of the entire camp staff and every other guard. They’d have a friendly conversation with the man, drop whatever they were doing and their weapons, and walk away to only God knew where. When they were all gone, the man (his eyes holding an anger so terrible none could properly look at him) gave very specific instructions to the now freed inmates. Instructions most of them followed without question. He did not say to make no mention of him, but it seemed like the thing to do. Then the man got in his jeep, and drove toward Weimar. That man was, of course, Javier, but he did not give any name to the inmates. Some of the soldiers and staff were never found, swallowed without a trace by the wilderness of South Germany. Others were found with years of their lives missing from their memories. One officer in his 30s claimed to have just had his 6th birthday a few days ago. Others were found unable to speak, bereft of mental function. Bald faced lies went into the reports and the history books, because the truth was terrifying. This was deep in the Golden Age of heroics. Telepaths were a known quantity. But one this strong, skilled, and most importantly vicious had not yet been encountered anywhere. So the truth was buried. The wrath of Carlos Javier was consigned to nightmares and reports so classified the US President wasn’t told of his ability to access them for decades. The truth of what passed between Javier and Josef Petrovich near Auschwitz a little over three months prior is only known to them. How the hell Javier got there. How he stopped Josef from massacring the Red Army where they stood after running out of Nazis. Why nobody remember seeing Javier ought to be obvious by now. Why he was so furious those three months and change later at Buchenwald ought to be just as obvious. The effectiveness of the “ratlines” that got war criminals out of Europe was…diminished, compared to our world. Significantly fewer Nazis escaped thanks to the tattered remnants of Javier’s agents and resources. And in the decades afterward, Nazi hunters had a mysterious ally, as opposed to the known allies Josef and former Lady Liberty Lisa Lindsay. Javier made a very large fortune helping to rebuild Europe after the war. With the death of Franco, he returned to Barcelona from Marseilles. For those who know how to look, his work can be seen in the current Spanish constitution. But truthfully? He longed to teach again. The Champions had kept Josef in check, mostly. That…business in Cambodia in the 70s…even Javier shudders at the violence Josef employed there. All of them together could not fully contain his rage. And it was all the second Starman could do to restrain him in Rwanda in ’94. It did make it easier to paint him as a villain. They agreed with each other in 1945, but 30 years later they had parted company. Josef was old. It wouldn’t be long until he was gone. Truthfully? Javier (now known as a fabulously wealthy philanthropist) started the Javier Academy for the Gifted and Talented as a scheme. He had spent centuries practicing and learning. Decades molding agents and generating resources. It was time for the plan to begin. Something about this century…Phoenix Mutants were beginning to proliferate. The opportunity was now. Josef began to move, and Alpha Team debuted to thwart his scheme. Beta Team debuted later in the year. The Academy was not just for Phoenix Mutates, of course. Finding acceptable people and molding them to suit his purposes was one thing, but starting from childhood ought to provide superior results. This has ended up far from simple, as has already been told. His students and graduates have had to accompany him when the Garden came calling (and they were quite pleased that this seed of theirs had begun to properly flower), some of them have gotten lost in time. One of them is the goddamn Phoenix-bearer. Lightning returned from the future with open hostility were before had only been his usual brand of overly serious. Solaria, his prize pupil, shows more and more signs of becoming like Josef. Ah, and they all died. Turned to dust and blew away. Or so he hears, as he himself was on the list. He considered reincarnating, but by the time he made a decision the Icons reversed the Dusting. All right, fine. Radical Dreamer was right. He was thinking too small. Now he’s thinking bigger. The price of that is that he can no longer manage everything but himself. Where two (Josef and Lightning) oppose virtually everything he says on sheer principle, and the other four have minds of their own. He can’t even rely on Solaria to support him anymore. It’s sad. Ah, well. At least he still has his global reputation. His powers are still secret from…well, basically everyone outside of the Academy. Telling people would cast doubt on whether or not even the High Table were his mind controlled puppets, after all. So as far as the world is concerned, he is still their beloved Headmaster. Powers & Tactics: Carlos Javier is a Phoenix Mutate, like the vast majority of Academy members, he has two technological devices, some judo skills, and his training from the Garden of Memory. He is a psionic telepath. His Expression Method (so far found to be unique to him) is Manipulation. This means he specializes in twisting minds to behave as he wishes them to. Whether that’s something as simple as giving him the exact information he wants to know (aka mind reading) or as complex as rewriting personality traits and memories (aka mind warping), it’s something he can do. Ironically, what he can’t do is actually communicate telepathically. It’s unclear if this is from personal distaste or genuine inability (the man is known to obfuscate at minimum), but regardless he can’t do it. With that said, being able to alter emotions, control minds, exhaust, paralyze, stun, or simply drain the willpower of any mind within sensory range makes him one of the most frightening people on the planet. Especially because his sensory range is easily 100 times as large as the average telepath, meaning that he can do all of this from miles away. He prefers not to (it’s so impersonal, after all) but he’s got the capability. And, it is important to note, only those who can sense telepaths (including the targets of his powers) are capable of noticing anything is happening to begin with. Lastly, he can project a “telepathic translation” field of 20 to 100 feet in diameter. Anyone inside the field can speak and understand anyone else inside of it. He can exclude people from the field if he so chooses. His two technological devices are his Beacon Helmet and Headmaster’s Uniform. They’re both pretty simple. The Helmet facilitates searching all of Earth for Phoenix Mutates. It can locate any given one in about 13 minutes or about 4 and a third hours if he takes the time to be meticulous. He also wears it as a disguise on the rare occasions he’s in the field with the Academy, using the codename Beacon. The Uniform has some concealed body armor, and a grapple gun to slow falls and get him up walls if necessary. It also looks a lot more like a sharp suit instead of some obvious costume. The Judo…well…that’s really something for the public persona of Carlos Javier to use. A chokehold. Various joint locks. Plenty of throws. And believe it or not, judo does have some basic striking techniques. His skill level is all right, but genuine masters or anyone on the superhuman level outclass him easily. Again, it’s for his public persona. The Garden of Memory taught him to use his psionic energies to do things that aren’t strictly speaking normal telepathic feats. For example, he’s immune to aging and mundane diseases and poisons. He has split second precognition, enabling increased attack evasion and, with proper timing, he can roll with impacts to improve his damage resistance. He is highly resistant to other telepathic powers, as well. The last one is something he’s tried very hard to never need. He can psychically reincarnate himself and his Phoenix Spark into someone else’s body. This isn’t a shared body situation. The original owner is suffers a lethal ejection from their former body. There’s limitations on this. He has to select someone ahead of time, and it takes quite a long time to gather his dispersed psionic energies to do it. And if it somehow is blocked or fails, he’s dead for realsies. Or at least as much as a Phoenix Mutate can be dead, anyway. Not that he knew anything about that until…quite recently, actually. Tactically…absolutely nobody who knows Javier has powers wants to fight him. He’s the proverbial Bathroom Psychic, though in truth his practical range is about two miles. Far from the entire world, and that’s the truth. Unless the target is basically a civilian, Weaken Will is always first. Followed swiftly by Mind Exhaust, Mind Freeze, or Mind Stun. He’s not particular. Emotion Control and Mind Control are more…utility options. Fight avoiders rather than fight enders. Mind Warp isn’t used in combat at all, as it occupies too much of his concentration. As said above, if physically attacked in public, he’ll use his Judo Techniques (from Standing Throw to Joint Lock to Chokehold to Striking in order of priority) but usually security tackles them before he can do much more then get out of the way. He uses Mind Reading liberally, except on Academy members and veteran supers. His ethics prevent use on Academy members, and veteran supers deserve more caution. AKA Weaken Will beforehand. He has no power stunts that he’s willing to use. He’s 5000 years old. He’s fully explored his abilities. For the record, the one he’s not willing to use is Mind Crush (Mental Blast 15). Personality: Lightning is correct. Carlos Javier is a bastard. It is said that telepathy either engenders great compassion or great misanthropy in sentient beings. There is really not in between. Javier falls on the misanthropy side of this. He’s lived a very, very long time. He’s known a hell of a lot of people (not all of which were human). And of that nigh uncountable number of people, the vast majority were more or less awful in his perception. Everyone has vices and flaws. People can and do suck. But not always, and not all the time. However, Javier feels that a few extraordinary examples don’t redeem the species. The humans of Earth need a guiding hand to keep them in line and prevent any more…unpleasantness like the Holocaust. While this, he will carefully note, may be the most famous and largest scale genocide, it is very far from the only one. Peruse Wikipedia some time, and weep. Then remember that those are the ones that have been recorded. Lightning is also wrong. Carlos Javier is a diehard pacifist. Killing is something animals do. Violence for violence is the rule of beasts. He will not do with violence what can be done with his powers. He will not do with his powers what can be done with words and/or trickery. Yes, the fact that he employs others to use violence and kill on his behalf is blatant hypocrisy. But well…sometimes such terrible deeds simply need doing. A ugly truth about an ugly world. So to all appearances he is a highly accomplished diplomat. A skilled political maneuverer. He knows how the grand game is played, where all the bodies are buried, and who buried them. There is always another connection. Another contact. Another mind read like a book. A few key memories altered. The mastermind and master manipulator, the truth of whom stays in the shadows. Could he stroll into, well, any government building and command the absolute loyalty of the inhabitants by lunch? Oh, absolutely. But it would be the work of a beast, not a man. For what he wants to accomplish to last, it cannot be the work of a beast. Such things are easily undone. One man can be cast down and destroyed, his works undone and plans thwarted. So what is the plan, actually? Oh, you know. The usual basic one. Take Over The World. Specifically, to put those with superhuman powers on top of the heap, with Phoenix Mutates on top of them. Simple and clean, yes? Well, there’s a bit more to it than that. The percentage of powered people who turn out to be extraordinary is far higher than the percentage of unpowered people who do. Correlation does not equal causation, of course, but still. That’s what the Academy is actually for. Training those with power to be superior beings to those without. And then, he will make sure than his handcrafted cream rises to the top and remains for all time. Because, in the end, Lightning is still right. Carlos Javier is a bastard. Aside from the anomalous pacifism, he’s the picture of a fascist. A supremacist hell bent on putting the people he thinks are superior to all the rest in permanent control of all the others.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Josef Petrovich Power Level: 15; Power Points Spent: 360/360 STR: +0 (10), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +0 (10), INT: +5 (20), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +5 (20) Tough: +0/+18, Fort: +6, Ref: +6/+12, Will: +18 Skills: Bluff 5 (+10), Concentration 15 (+20), Craft (electronic) 10 (+15), Craft (mechanical) 10 (+15), Craft (structural) 10 (+15), Diplomacy 5 (+10), Gather Information 10 (+15), Intimidate 10 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 10 (+15), Knowledge (streetwise) 10 (+15), Knowledge (technology) 10 (+15), Language 5 (+5), Notice 10 (+15), Sense Motive 10 (+15), Survival 10 (+15) Feats: All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged) 8, Connected, Contacts, Eidetic Memory, Evasion 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improvised Tools, Interpose, Inventor, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Second Chance (Concentration checks to maintain powers), Skill Mastery 2 (Craft (elec, mech, & struc), Gather Info, Intim, Not, Sen Mot, Surv), Ultimate Effort 2 (Toughness saves, Will Saves), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Well-Informed Powers: Telekinesis (Move Object 27+12) ([Stacking ranks: +12], Strength: 195, Carry: 2.3bn tons / 4.6bn tons / 6.9bn tons / 13.7bn tons; Range (perception); Precise) Telekinetic Flight (Flight 9) (Speed: 5000 mph, 44000 ft./rnd) Telekinetic Radar (Super-Senses 3) (extended: Normal Tactile 2 (-1 per 1k ft), ranged: Tactile) Telekinetic Shield (Linked) Enhanced Trait 21 (Linked; Traits: Defense Bonus +6 (+12), Reflex +6 (+12), Feats: Evasion 2, Improved Defense) Force Field 18 (Linked; +18 Toughness; Impervious [15 ranks only]) Telekinetic Techniques (Array 18) (default power: move object) Internal Attack (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Alternate Save (Fortitude), Range (perception)) Psychokinetic Teleportation (Teleport (Array; 2000 miles as full action, DC 18; Accurate, Affects Others, Shapeable Area (8 cubes of 125 cu. ft. (5x5x5) - General); Long-Range; Easy, Progression, Mass 3 (carry 1000 lbs)) Telekinesis Boost (Move Object 12) (Default; Strength: 60, Carry: 17 tons / 34 tons / 51.2 tons / 102.4 tons; Range (perception), Stacks with (Telekinesis (Move Object 27+12))) Telekinetic Bolt (Blast 18) (Array; DC 33) Telekinetic Constructs (Create Object 12) (Array; Max Size: 12x 5' cubes, DC 22; Impervious) Telekinetic Crush (Blast 12) (Array; DC 27; Range (perception)) Telekinetic Grasp (Snare 18) (Array; DC 28) Telekinetic Grasp Burst (Snare 12) (Array; DC 22; Burst Area (60 ft. radius - General), Selective Attack; Range (touch)) Telekinetic Hammer (Blast 12) (Array; DC 27; Burst Area (60 ft. radius - General)) Telekinetic Healing (Healing 11) (Array; Action (standard), Total; Personal; Persistent, Regrowth) Utility Belt (Gadgets 1) Willful (Immunity 30) (will saves; Limited - Half Effect) Attack Bonus: +4 (Ranged: +12, Melee: +4, Grapple: +4) Attacks: Internal Attack (Blast 9) (DC Fort 24), Telekinetic Bolt (Blast 18), +12 (DC 33), Telekinetic Crush (Blast 12) (DC 27), Telekinetic Grasp (Snare 18), +12 (DC Ref/Staged 28), Telekinetic Grasp Burst (Snare 12) (DC Ref/Staged 22), Telekinetic Hammer (Blast 12) (DC 27), Unarmed Attack, +4 (DC 15) Defense: +6/+12 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -16 Initiative: +5 Languages: Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Hebrew, Polish Native, Spanish Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 35 (140 ranks) + Feats 25 + Powers 224 + Combat 20 + Saves 24 + Drawbacks 0 = 360 Age (as of Jan 2019): 88 Height: 5’ 11” Weight: 155 Ethnicity: Jewish (Ukrainian) Hair: White Eyes: Blue Theme Song: [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB1lD02WOhc&pp=ygUUc2F2ZSB0aGUgd29ybGQgZmFidmw%3D]Save The World, by Fabvl featuring Johnald[/url] Background: Josef Petrovich is a Ukrainian Jew whose family moved to Poland in the mid 1920s. Josef himself was born in 1931. This is only known because of tales told to a young Josef. The records are long gone, if they ever existed in the first place, and his family, well. As is well known, Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939. It was so long ago. The memories are scattered and chaotic. He was just a boy. By the time it mattered, he was big for his age and could pass for a much older boy. He does not know when he arrived as Auschwitz, and he does not know how he survived until January 1945. He knows the specific date. January 16th was the day he felt…different. On the 17th, they were to march to Germany. And for the first time, his rage boiled over. The resultant telekinetic rampage tore Auschwitz apart. No one in a German uniform was spared. He was simply too enraged and inexperienced to be careful or cautious, and so detainees and inmates were slain as collateral damage. He lives almost like a wild animal for ten days, as those still alive cowered in any available building fearful of the sudden demon in their midsts. The tenth day was the 27th, when the Red Army arrived. The sight of more military uniforms and equipment set Josef off like a bomb. He tore the 60th Army of the 1st Ukranian Front apart. It was an outright massacre. The official story is that he was driven off with sustained long range artillery fire. And while the artillery barrage did happen, it was an encounter with the man one day to be known as Carlos Javier that resolved the matter. But of course, no one but Javier and Josef actually remember Javier was ever there. Josef fled, injured and now in possession of both his senses and a great deal of shame. He had a brief encounter with Sasha Ivanoff (who healed the wounds that may very well have killed him), but otherwise he disappears until the Nuremberg trials starting in November. There, he was arguably the powerhouse of an ad hoc squad that fended off or outright killed the tattered remnants of the apparent legion of Nazi super operatives created before and during the war. With the end of the trials on Oct 1 1946, he lingered just long enough to see the last execution carried out, and then seemed to disappear again. In reality, he had teamed up with Lisa Lindsay (the now former Lady Liberty) to do some good ol’ fashioned Nazi huntin’. How long they worked together is unclear. Lisa was assumed to have been killed by Leonard Kingman in 1964 after her apparent defection to the Soviets in 1962. So they clearly had parted ways by 1962, but when is a question only the two of them can answer. Furthermore, Josef’s reputation was souring by the year. Even as a young man (18 in 1949, 31 by ’62) he was uncompromising and prone to savage violence when sufficiently provoked. He spent the 60s, 70s, and half of the 80s as basically and then literally a supervillain. Though he never thought himself one, his repeated clashes with the Champions of Justice (both before and after their founding as a team) made him one whether he liked it or not. Certainly, threatening to rain down hell on any government that oppresses its people and then actually attempting to follow through on the threat while only being foiled by numerous superheroes unifying just to stop him…doesn’t exactly make friends or influence people positively. He was never conclusively defeated, either retreating or being driven off. Since no group but the Champions could overpower him (and even they could barely do it, and only sometimes at that), the general goal when combating him was to reach behind the unyielding rage and uncompromising ideology to the fundamentally decent man behind them. Because no, Josef, you can’t just massacre entire governments for what they’re doing to their people. Not even if it’s 1975 and it’s way past time for the Khmer Rouge to pay for slaughtering nearly 2 million of their own people. Josef’s rage at the Killing Fields was so great, not even the Champions could fully restrain him. Though in truth, all but one of them were perhaps a little less motivated to do so than they would be on all other occasions. The lone holdout being, of course, Starman. God, Josef hates that man. He’s been dead for over 25 years and Josef still hates him. So…Josef just may have the highest direct body count of anyone on Earth. Which would be another reason why his reputation was and is that of a supervillain. Ironically, he’d first met Raymond McGibson in 1974, the year before his rampage in Cambodia. And it was Josef who was paying for Sasha Ivanoff’s life raising her child Daniel. He has never spoken of this to anyone. Nazi gold provided the wealth. Surprising everyone who wasn’t paying attention to the type o man he was, he was a key figure in both the invasions of ’71 and ’82. Raymond was by his side in the latter one, and while the two have parted ways from time to time, they have spent more time together than apart. It was Raymond who helped Josef finally get his legendary temper under control. Thus, incidents involving him sharply declined after recovering from his injuries from ’82. Aside from his appearance in Rwanda in ’94 (where Starman II talking him down after a glorified scuffle), there were no major incidents involving him throughout the 90s. This did not mean he was idle, of course. A different breed of criminal and supervillain arose in the late 80s and throughout the 90s. A type he found extremely distasteful, and violently killed whenever they crossed his path. A few, the poor stupid bastards, actually tried to make their names by killing him. This did not go well for them. At all. Regardless, by the time of that terrible day in September 2001, many were openly speculating that he had died of old age. These voices only got louder when he did not appear to fight Armageddon, and louder still when he didn’t appear at all for another 6 years. In truth? He was old and tired. He turned 70 in 2001, after all. He slept through 9/11, being in Malaysia at the time. He may have faded away quietly, virtually forgotten. Except that Javier founded the Academy. So instead of succumbing to quiet retirement he began moving to counter that bastard. After the war they had been friends for a while, but they had parted company long before Cambodia. It is written that Alpha Team debuted to stop his scheme. This is the technical truth. But still, a misunderstanding. He didn’t want those nukes to use them. He wasn’t a thief. They were unstable. Dangerous. He was going to get rid of them. Toss them towards the sun as hard as he could and let gravity do the rest. Instead Pyrox and Broyle had to tax their powers to their limits to prevent a nuclear disaster after all five members and Eagle Eye had gone all out to drive him from the scene. Beta Team debuted by the end of the year, adding to his irritations. It was just like before. Yes, he could have killed them and gone on about his business. For the most part, he could have started doing that back in the 60s. Except heroes didn’t deserve it. They had not earned by their evil deeds. That was why they were heroes. It would not have been right. Thus the pattern was set. Javier kept recruiting more to his Academy, so Josef, tired of being outnumbered, began recruiting his own allies to train up. Many battles. The Schism. More battles than before. And then, Radical Dreamer. That vision he showed them…indeed, he was thinking too small. Then they were all dead for a years before the Icons reversed matters. He tore multiple ships from the skies during the Endgame, and now he sits the High Table. Opposed to Javier, he appreciates the neutrality of Miss Invincible. Lightning, unfortunately, is hostile to both him and Javier. Monique is a pupil of Javier, despite any protestations to the contrary. Solaria, on the other hand, shows signs of having begun to see matters the way he does. It is like seeing himself in a mirror, and he is not quite certain he likes what he sees. Powers & Tactics: Josef Petrovich is a Phoenix Mutate, like the vast majority of Academy members, and he is a tech specialist with a technological device of sorts. He is a psionic telekinetic. His Expression Method (so far found to be unique to him) is Long Range. This means he is a fairly standard telekinetic, except in one area. Sheer, unadulterated power. Without hyperbole, he is the strongest telekinetic on Earth, and quite possibly in the entire universe. Barring beings of cosmic power, of course. How strong is he? He once reached to the sun (the extended range granted by a gadget) and pulled out enough mass to manually cause a solar flare. The entire planet would’ve gotten hit with an apocalyptically strong electromagnetic pulse if he hadn’t turned it into a glancing blow at the last second, and if Lightning hadn’t raced to the North Pole and bolstered Earth’s natural electromagnetic field with his powers. The average mass is a solar flare is 3.5 billion pounds. Or approximately 175 million tons. He did this without using Plus Overdrive. With power like that, it’s less surprising that he could take on the entire Champions of Justice basically by himself and hold his own. He uses his telekinesis for basically everything these days, as he’s old as hell. Hypersonic flight. A “telekinetic radar” that extends his sense of touch. It lets him fly, propelling himself at hypersonic speeds. His Telekinetic Shield deflects attacks (he’s too old to be much good at dodging anymore) and tanks an exceptional amount of damage should he be hit regardless. The main guns of battleships have failed to penetrate it. Rockets and artillery have no chance at all. He has a wide variety of telekinetic combat techniques. Many of these are big damage attacks or restraints made of telekinetic force in undodgeable single target or potentially dodgeable area varieties. Still, he can make constructs (that rockets fail to even scuff), boost his base telekinesis (which is how be pulled off that solar flare feat), and two exceptionally esoteric feats. The first is knitting together wounds and injuries telekinetically, repairing flesh at the molecular level. The finesse and precision required to do this is phenomenal. The finesse and precision required to near instantly disassemble, move up to 2000 miles, and reassemble the molecules of not just himself, but anyone in a certain area, is dramatically higher. Nobody else on Earth has ever managed to perform any “psychokinetic teleportation” with horrifically maiming or more often killing whoever was “teleported”. He’s not only the strongest telekinetic in known human history, but the most skilled by a country light year’s worth of miles. His technological device is actually a small scale utility belt. He’s got a lot of different little items in there, letting him be prepared for just about anything. In fact, it’s how he increased the range on his telekinesis to reach the sun in the first place. Tactically, Josef has two modes. Defender and Destroyer. Defender is a support mode, used when he’s got people to protect and can’t cut loose in the way he’d prefer. He’s prone to use Constructs, Grasp, Grasp Burst, and Healing to inhibit enemies and protect allies. Telekinesis can be used for this as well, moving objects to grant cover and/or concealment when Constructs can’t. Destroyer, on the other hand, is when he can cut loose or his temper has gotten the better of him. Internal Attack, Bolt, Crush, and Hammer are used to inflict massive damage as needed. Telekinesis can hold foes in place, helplessly grappled, so he can hit them really, really hard. Defender doesn’t use combat feats, feint,or demoralize. There’s just no real need with his priorities in that mode. Destroyer, on the other hand, uses All Out and Power Attack with Bolt (sometimes together, which is terrifying) and Demoralizes pretty consistently when unloading Area attacks or using Crush. Interpose and Move by Action are always on deck, no matter the mode. Staying mobile is important, as is defending allies and innocents. Inventor can be used to spice up his abilities with something unexpected. He was active through the entire Silver Age. He’s pulled out some wild stuff. Ultimate Toughness and Ultimate Will make his strongest defenses even stronger. Like a lot of Phoenix Mutates, his list of power stunts is legion. If a telekinetic can do it, so can he. And he probably has. With that said, Destroyer has little use for stunting. He’s a killing machine. His powers are tried and true. It’s Defender who will try something esoteric, like a Perception Area Visual Dazzle or Perception Range Nauseate. He’s trying to disable, not kill here. Personality: Lightning is still correct. Josef Petrovich is a bastard. Not because he doesn’t care about people, but because what caring about people leads him to do. He is not merely a Nazi/fascist puncher. He is a Nazi/fascist killer. He does not care for other opinions on the subject. He is intimately familiar with where the road of hatred and oppression leads. To be clear, he is willing to allow such persons to stand trial for their crimes. He has never attempted to break into a courtroom or prison simply to kill one. The purpose of killing them is to bring justice for their victims, and prevent any future victims. And he will stop at nothing to kill them if he believes they deserve it and no law can touch them. The property damage he’s committed is staggering in scope. He’s tortured people in horrific fashion. Shattered armies sent to stop him. The list of savage and violent acts goes on and on. He is terrifyingly committed when on the warpath. However, Lightning is still wrong as well. He’s a committed, if…aggressive…defender of the weak and helpless. He is not so focused on killing those he thinks deserve it that he will allow innocents to be harmed in the process. Well…anymore. It took decades to learn anger management, so he does not lose himself in a rage and cause harm he did not intend. He is a kind, compassionate, and generous man. His courage and conviction have never been in doubt. While his violence may headline his Wikipedia article, there is also a large section about his genuine heroism. He does not hate Starman for being a hero. He’d have killed a lot more heroes if he thought that. He hates Starman for having insisted to the day of his retirement that heroism had to apply equally to everyone, no matter their ideology or crimes against humanity. Bullshit, sayeth Josef. “They’re not worthy of heaven; they just don’t deserve to be murdered”? CLOWN. IDIOT. FOOL. Such things are conditional. They can be voluntarily surrendered through wicked and evil deeds. You understand nothing of evil. His philosophy is not a complex thing. Tolerance. Inclusivity. You know, the opposites of oppression and genocide. Those who are down to do some oppression and genocide answer to him. If someone wanted to break it down to a simple sentence, it would be something like “Be good, or I’ll kill you”. Which…uh…perhaps not the most productive thing to say to people? Benevolent tyranny still being tyranny, and all that. The reasons he champions his philosophy the way he does are twofold. The first is obvious. Holocaust survivor. Never again. To anyone. No. ‘Nuff said. The second is…twistier. He has some self-awareness. He knows how bloody his hands are. He is only one man. An extremely powerful man, but just one man. Is it really worth creating more of him, just to claim supremacy for the limited time before the new versions of him commit their own genocide? The cycle must be broken. All must become equal members of society, or eventually society will cease to exist, choking on its own blood. He’s trying to save the world, really. He admits that perhaps he has not done the best job of this. But he is trying. Even now, he is still trying. What are you doing?
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Solaria (Autumn Winters) Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 240/240 STR: +3 (16), DEX: +5 (20), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +3/+9, Fort: +8, Ref: +14, Will: +11 Skills: Acrobatics 10 (+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Diplomacy 12 (+15), Drive 5 (+10), Gather Information 12 (+15), Knowledge (current events) 2 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 2 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 2 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 12 (+15), Language 10 (+10), Notice 10 (+15), Pilot 5 (+10), Search 2 (+5), Sense Motive 10 (+15), Stealth 10 (+15) Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (melee) 3, Blind-Fight, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Martial Arts (Strike 3)), Improved Critical 2 (Laser Beam (Blast 15)), Improved Critical 2 (Pulse Laser Beam (Blast 9)), Improved Initiative, Jack-of-All-Trades, Master Plan, Master Plan 2 (tactics), Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot 2, Set-Up, Takedown Attack, Taunt, Teamwork 3, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Academy Operative Uniform (Device 4) (Hard to lose) Concealed Body Armor (Protection 5) (+5 Toughness; Subtle (subtle)) Enviromental Gear (Immunity 2) (environmental condition: Cold, environmental condition: Heat) Integral Grapple Gun (Linked) Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd) Super-Movement 2 (Linked; wall-crawling 2 (full speed)) Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle)) Camera Goggles (Device 1) (Hard to lose, Only you can use) Features 1 (Notes: Negates Blindness Drawback) Super-Senses 4 (extended (type): Vision 1 (-1 per 100 ft), infravision, ultravision) Light Source (Features 1) (Notes: Solaria can emit a directed cone or beam of light at will, as if she carried a powerful flashlight at all times.) Martial Arts (Strike 3) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical (Martial Arts (Strike 3)); Mighty) Optical Photon Emission (Array 16) (default power: blast) Brilliant Flash (Dazzle 12) (Array; affects: visual senses, DC 22; Cone Area (80-3000 ft. cone - General); Range (touch); Progression, Decrease Area 4 (-4 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 4 (area x25)) Concussive Laser (Trip 15) (Array; Knockback; Improved Range (375 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 3750 feet)) Laser Beam (Blast 15) (Default; DC 30, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Laser Beam (Blast 15))) Laser Cone (Strike 12) (Array; DC 27; Cone Area (80-3000 ft. cone - General); Progression, Decrease Area 4 (-4 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 4 (area x25)) Photonic Press (Move Object 15) (Array; Strength: 75, Carry: 136.2 tons / 272.9 tons / 409.6 tons / 819.2 tons, DC 30; Damaging; Limited Direction (Pushing Away)) Pulse Laser Beam (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Pulse Laser Beam (Blast 9)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate 3 (+6)) Photonproof (Immunity 10) (common descriptor: Light) Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +12, Grapple: +15) Attacks: Brilliant Flash (Dazzle 12) (DC Fort/Ref 22), Concussive Laser (Trip 15), +9 (DC 25), Laser Beam (Blast 15), +9 (DC 30), Laser Cone (Strike 12) (DC 27), Martial Arts (Strike 3), +12 (DC 21), Photonic Press (Move Object 15), +9 (DC 30), Pulse Laser Beam (Blast 9), +15 (DC 24), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 18) Defense: +14 (Flat-footed: +7), Knockback: -4 Initiative: +9 Drawbacks: Disability, uncommon, minor, Blindness Languages: American Sign Language, Arabic, Braille (English), Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, French, Hebrew, Japanese, Neo-Nobellian, Russian, Spanish Totals: Abilities 44 + Skills 29 (116 ranks) + Feats 27 + Powers 75 + Combat 46 + Saves 20 - Drawbacks 1 = 240 Age (as of Jan 2019): 26 Height: 5’ 9” Weight: 140 Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Hometown: Aliquippa, Pennsylvania Theme Song: [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygz9tRei1EI&pp=ygUZc2VlaW5nIHJlZCBkYWRkeXBoYXRzbmFwcw%3D%3D]Seeing Red, by Daddyphatsnaps[/url] Background: Autumn Winters was one of the first students at the Javier Academy. Her powers emerged at the age of nine, bursting out in a blast so powerful it would take her years to replicate. Her eyes had been bothering her all day. Itching and burning like mad. Still, her mother and father were coming home from their trip into town. Her aunt had been watching her while they were away on their Date Day. As their car pulled into the driveway, Autumn ran out the front door. Her aunt was close behind her. Her mother and father were getting out of the car. Suddenly, the itching and burning turned to white hot agony, and she screamed. Her aunt screamed also, but for entirely different reasons and for several minutes after the pain drove young Autumn unconscious. She awakened to darkness. Her corneas and retinas were badly burned and her lenses had rapidly formed severe cataracts. Her corneas and even her lenses could be technically be replaced, but the damage to her retinas was too much. Her vision was gone, and it wasn’t coming back. Hell of a thing to have to tell a kid. Especially one who remembered the last thing she saw, and knew why Mommy and Daddy weren’t coming to visit her. Even her aunt…well…put yourself her shoes. Your niece just killed your sibling and their spouse and permanently damaged your vision. By accident, admittedly, but still. Perhaps not a grudge, but definitely fear. Then there’s taking on the enormous responsibility of a whole child. A disabled child, at that. It’s understandable that her aunt hesitated. Would she have stepped up? Absolutely. No doubt about it. But as it turned out, she didn’t have to. The Javier Academy for the Gifted and Talented was still technically under construction. But the main facilities were finished and while the first dormitory needed some finishing touches, everything was fully functional. So Javier was recruiting his first class. Not of normal students. Underlings could handled that. No, he was looking for Phoenix Mutates to be his first team of heroes. Lo and behold, here was the early blooming Autumn Winters. Lovely. To be honest, at first it was lonely. She was the only Special class student in the whole Academy. But Javier spared no expense. Normally that means financial expense, and here that’s still true. However, here it also means time and human resources. Javier had plenty of time for her, and when he didn’t, he had already made sure that someone (such as Russell Harris, Francine Simms, Frank Simms, Monique Dejardins, or Rohan Zaveri) did have time. And then there was Rusty. And Nick. And Pietro. Vernon, Jason, and Rachel, three of the five who would become Beta Team. Plus Jason’s sister Olivia. The lessons were demanding, but her instructors were endlessly patient. She worked hard. The day she was named Alpha Team’s leader was the proudest day of her life. And then the rubber met the road. Solaria led Alpha into battle and various circumstances. Just a bunch of teenagers, trying to make sure the world didn’t fall apart. Beta Team (whether she liked it or not) took some of the weight off of their shoulders. Dealing with even one of Josef’s crew was a trial and a half. Their other missions weren’t exactly cakewalks either. But with her tactical leadership, Pyrox (aka Rusty), Broyle (aka Nick), and Titan (aka Pietro)’s toughness, and Broyle and Wilder’s rapid recovery powers, they got the job done again and again. Along the way they became fire forged friends. Autumn and Nick even fell in love. It wasn’t easy. Things didn’t always go as well as they could have. Nick rapidly gained practice using his healing flames. But they grew stronger, thriving under the pressure. Until, finally, graduation day. The day itself was peaceful enough. She’d started seeing a few more Special class students around, so Gamma team debuting made sense. The part that didn’t was how Headmaster Javier had ties to outer freakin’ space, and how they had to go with him. A very long, dramatic, and complicated series of events ensued. They weren’t away from home the entire time, to be clear. But things just kind of…spiraled out of anyone’s control. There didn’t seem to be anything anyone could do. Nick lost control of his powers, and they (according to the explanation at the time) gained control of him. Then he ate a star so hard it turned into a supernova, and murdered a world. Over 2 billion people. Gone…just like that. The team tried to stop him after that, but he slapped them around like children. And then, for her, Nick wrested back just enough control to let a single ship obliterate him. This, astonishingly, didn’t take. He regenerated from virtually nothing, laughing maniacally. So the ship did it again. And again. The most powerful weapon she had ever seen took three hits to make Nick…not come back anymore. At least, for a whole month. They were at home by then. Mourning. He popped back in sheepishly, of all things. He’d learned a thing or two about staying in better control, now. Also, death wasn’t a problem for him. Then again, they kind of knew that. When you’re one of the beta versions of the universe’s greatest hero, people tend to notice when you use your powers. And call it out. Phoenix-bearer. It made sense. His name was Nick, after all. The reasons events were so long, dramatic, and complicated was only partly to do with Javier’s obligations. The other half was about a million different people wanting to get their hands on and influence a very young Nick Phoenix. This, of course, both worked and didn’t. Over 2 billion people paid for a handful of assholes trying to play with a power beyond anyone’s comprehension. But of course, time keeps moving. Lightning returned from being lost in time. He knew the truth of Javier and Josef. He spilled it. Autumn was…kind of irritated, actually? Because so what? What did that have to do with how they, the students, choose to live their lives? Okay, so Javier’s missions furthered his goals. It wasn’t like he picked every mission they did, right? And even when he did, they were still ultimately helping people, right? Wasn’t that the damn idea? And on that subject, Richard, you’re real damn quiet about how despite three teams now, the world was still getting worse. You’re acting like Josef never had a point. Sure, he takes it too far, but his heart is in the right place. Like yeah, the two of them aren’t great people, but you’re acting like they’re 100% wrong about everything ever, and that’s simply not true. You’ve always been like this, Richard. You’ll sacrifice tangible, necessary goals in a second for your morals. Feeling a little betrayed by Javier, a little confused by Josef, and absolutely fed up with Lightning’s insistence on doing what was right instead of smart, the Schism began. Smart and right don’t have to be opposite, she says. The less said about the Schism days, says Autumn, the better. Infinite aggravation. Three other forces working at cross purposes with hers. Limited resources. Javier had a new team. Josef had a new team. Gamma sided with Lightning en mass. Alpha and Beta swapped three members each. Instead of Rusty, Anna, and her beloved Nick, she had Erased, Charger, and Sureshot. Still, she also had Josef’s Sheni Team to work with. Ugh. Talk about a situation that taxed her to her limits and beyond. This is without discussing how betrayed she felt by Rusty and especially Nick. She and Anna had never exactly been as close as the others. Her few interviews during this period are fiery. It’s not quite clear who the first T shirt design belonged to, but this is when they first started appearing. Just a simple stencil of her goggled face with the words “Solaria was right” below it. There’s been a small legion of imitators since. This is what both had and still has governments losing sleep at night. Because it is impossible to walk a city street without seeing a handful of these shirts, and there isn’t a college/university campus in the Americas or Europe where they’re even more plentiful. A popular figure with perfectly reasonable sounding rhetoric and philosophy, enough raw firepower (personally and on her side) to smash armies and conquer nations, and little loyalty to anyone or anything but her own goals? No matter how heroic she claims to be, that’s still insomnia inducingly terrifying. And then it got worse. The quartet who been at each other’s throats all year had a meeting and decided it was time to found their own nation together. They take a set of Caribbean islands from Great Britain (surprise, Javier owned them the whole time). Though if Autumn is being honest, that vision of Radical Dreamer’s terrified her. He didn’t tell her exactly what to do. That’s not his style. Aside from the Islands, everything’s been left to them. So yeah, she joined the High Table. Like hell she’d let Javier, Josef, and Lightning make all the decisions. Yes, she turned to Dust and died. Yes, the Icons reversed it and she came back and fought in the Endgame. She’s been interviewed again since, fought more battles, and saved more people. She didn’t exactly intend to start a revolution. Nor did she intend to lead one if it formed. However, one seems to be slowly forming anyway. Powers & Tactics: Solaria is, like most members of the Academy, a Phoenix Mutate. She has two technological devices and is an expert martial artist who can hit far harder than her strength level might imply. As a Phoenix Mutate, she is a Light Absorber with the External Expression Method. More precisely, she absorbs light through her skin and stores the energy inside of her body. It then can be emitted through her eyes in a variety of ways. The main one is, of course, a big laser beam. But she can do weaker rapidfire shots, a flash of light bright enough to blind anyone in front of her, unleash a massive cone of laser blast, use lasers so intense they push the target away, or use “hard” light to knock people away she doesn’t want to injure. Aside from this, her eyes can also function basically as a paired set of ordinary flashlights. Obviously, they can’t be separated, but still useful. You know, to other people. As an Absorber, she cannot be affected in any way by the energy she absorbs except by one. Her first ever laser blast destroyed her ability to see. Repairing the damage is beyond medical science, but not superhuman powers. This is irrelevant, as any subsequent blasts would destroy her sight all over again. Never using her powers again is also not an option. Absorbers can overfill their reserves, causing a massive release. Which would, as stated, blind her all over again. So, Solaria is simply blind. Blind, that is, without her technological devices. Specifically, her Camera Goggles. She has just a bit of cybernetics implanted in her temples that they connect to when worn. The camera funnels the live images directly to her optic nerves, bypassing her eyes entirely. Said camera is tough enough to take no damage from any level of light exposure short of direct physical damage to the mechanisms. So she may laser blast as much as necessary. She can’t use the goggles all the time because when worn for long periods they give her headaches. The longer she wears them, the worse they get. But that’s not all. The camera can see in both the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums, in addition to further away than most. Her other device is her Academy Operative Uniform. It has high quality body armor that’s difficult to detect without special senses, a grapple gun to climb heights, an encrypted radio with 20 mile range, and some environmental gear that makes working in extreme temperatures easy. To be clear, she can technically do more with her powers than emit laser blasts out of her eyes. After all this time, she’s pretty sure she could both fly and generate a protective force field if she wanted, for example. But that’s the thing. She doesn’t want to. By the time she figured out she could do more than emit laser blasts out of her eyes, she’d already trained hard to make up for the everything else she couldn’t do. She refuses to abandon her training just to rely more on powers that need recharging. That’s not smart. (This isn’t a shot at Waverider, mind. Vibrations and sound are far easier to come across than light.) Left unsaid is a simple question. Why the hell would she rely exclusively on the thing that killed her parents? Tactically, Solaria is a versatile young woman. Laser Beam is what she’s best known for, but she gets just as much mileage out of Laser Cone (can be anywhere from 0 feet to over a half mile at its base) and Pulse Laser Beam (with which she is one of the few people with an Autofire Blast who both remembers and regularly uses Autofire’s Multiple Targets, Covering Fire, and Suppressing Fire options). Brilliant Flash can make anyone in range (which is as potentially wide as Laser Cone’s) as blind as she is temporarily. Concussive Laser is her nondamaging option. And Photonic Press is more or less utility to blast away falling objects of any kind. There is, naturally, just punching them, but that’s reserved for basic thuggery. She doesn’t get to face that as much as she’d like. She has both Accurate and Power Attack to move offensive caps around as needed. This is useful for when thuggery is over there. Improved Acrobatic Bluff and Feint are on deck to strip dodge bonuses at need, and Improved Taunt can make saving against her attacks more difficult. Set Up can extend the benefit of either to a harder hitting teammate. Teamwork 3 rounds on her consummate team player nature. Move by Action helps her stay mobile. She’s even got Improved Aim for ranged combat and Takedown Attack for melee combat. Note Precise Shot 2. And lastly, Master Plan 2. With a little bit of time to set it up, she can give her Phoenix Mutate teammates +3 to attack rolls and skill checks for three turns, followed by +2 and +1 for one turn each. Unlike most blaster type Mutates, she doesn’t have a list of power stunts as long as her arm. In fact, there’s only one in regular rotation. Super Movement (Safe Fall). Unlike many Mutates, she relies just as much on her skills and training as her powers. Personality: Solaria has spent nearly half of her life being a superhero team leader. She’s a logical thinker, extremely driven, and an exceptionally hard worker. She has proven over and over again to be pretty good at this superhero thing. She adheres to a rigorous set of ethics and morals. She worked herself to the bone to become the ideal superhero. It’s all she has ever been, and all she has ever aspired to be. At least, if there was anything else, she can no longer remember it. Yeah, she’s a little uh, boring. She genuinely believed that is she worked hard and fought harder, she could accomplish any goal. Like changing people’s minds about Phoenix Mutates being scary and dangerous or making the world a safer, better place to live and thrive. She could lead the way to a better tomorrow for everyone. This is, in many ways, the problem. The world, universe, and reality itself are cold and uncaring. Minimal effort succeeds when maximum effort fails. Anyone can try their hardest and still come up short. That’s just how it is. Life is unfair. Solaria…has not taken this as well as some. At first she worked harder, but there’s limits to how hard a person can responsibly work. So if the fault didn’t like with her, it must lie with someone else. She quickly determined that it wasn’t her teammates. She’s a smart, perceptive young woman. She identified the sources of the problem. But therein lies the rub. They weren’t supervillains or terrorist masterminds. They were just, y’know, people. Corporate executives, politicians, religious leaders, etc. People who hadn’t yet done anything a proper hero could punch them in the face about. The type all too seldom held accountable for their actions because, as everybody knows, there’s two sets of rules. One for the powerful, and one for everyone else. This is the reason she is angry. It’s also the reason she’s stopped listening to authority figures who in any way obstruct her goals. To be clear, her philosophy is still a heroic one. Saving lives, protecting people, inspiring others to be better than they are, the whole bit. But her tolerance for bullshit has hit zero. She herself is not killing people. She does, however, know a handful of very effective killers (such as Wilder and Eagle Eye, for starters). The plan isn’t to kill people. The plan is to get justice under the law and/or speak out to move public opinion. But she’s got a keen tactical mind. Occasionally, regretfully, the only way to make someone stop harming the vulnerable is to separate body from soul. She doesn’t want to take the law into her own hands. She doesn’t want to treat sovereign borders like they’re irrelevant. She is more than happy to do things the full, proper hero way. But, bluntly? She is not going to stand aside and allow people to be harmed when she can do something about it. Governments, militaries, and law enforcement can either help her or get the hell out of her way. This is why governments around the world are kind of terrified of her. Because she sounds like a more reasonable and less homicidal Josef Petrovich. The specter of someone powerful enough to ignore the rule of law and any type of federal authority when they find either or both inconvenient has haunted them since the Golden Age. The fact that it’s an attractive, well spoken young woman who happens to have a point whenever interviewed just makes it worse.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Lightning (Richard Jones) Power Level: 15; Power Points Spent: 255/255 STR: +3 (16), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +3/+15, Fort: +7, Ref: +8/+15, Will: +11 Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+5), Concentration 12 (+15), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 8 (+10), Knowledge (streetwise) 3 (+5), Language 1 (+1), Notice 7 (+10), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 8 (+10), Survival 2 (+5) Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged) 5, Attack Specialization 2 (Unarmed Attack), Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Startle, Dodge Focus 7, Evasion 2, Improved Critical 2 (Electric Blast (Blast 18)), Improved Critical 2 (Magnetic Binding (Snare 18)), Improved Initiative 7, Leadership, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Second Chance (Concentration checks to maintain powers), Startle, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Electric Generator Physiology (Container, Passive 14) Electromagnetic Flight (Flight 14) (Speed: 250000 mph, 2200000 ft./rnd) Electrosense (Super-Senses 4) (acute: Electricity Awareness, awareness: Electricity (mental), radius: Electricity Awareness, ranged: Electricity Awareness) Lightning Fast Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 23) (Traits: Reflex +7 (+15), Feats: Dodge Focus 7, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative 7) Overcharged Brain (Immunity 10) (mental effects; Limited - Half Effect) Shockproof (Immunity 10) (common descriptor: Electricity) Electromagnetic Control (Array 20) (default power: blast; Custom (Array 19.5)) Brain Electricity Reading (Mind Reading 15) (Array; DC 25; Duration 2 (continuous); Limited to Surface Thoughts) Electric Blast (Blast 18) (Default; DC 33, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Electric Blast (Blast 18)); Precise) Electro-Burst (Strike 12) (Array; DC 27; Shapeable Area (11-60 cubes of 125 cu. ft. (5x5x5) - General), Selective Attack; Progression, Decrease Area (-1 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5)) Electro-Magnetic Pulse (Nullify 15) (Array; counters: all powers of (type) - electronics/technology, DC 25; Burst Area (50-1875 ft. radius - General); Range (touch); Progression, Decrease Area 5 (-5 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 4 (area x25)) Flashing Thunder (Dazzle 9) (Array; affects: 1 type + visual - auditory, DC 19; Burst Area (40-225 ft. radius - General); Progression, Decrease Area (-1 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5)) Magnetic Binding (Snare 18) (Array; DC 28, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Magnetic Binding (Snare 18)); Precise) Magnetic Control (Move Object 19) (Array; Strength: 95, Carry: 2.2k tons / 4.4k tons / 6.6k tons / 13.1k tons; Range (perception); Limited Material (Metal); Precise) Shape Metal (Transform (Array; affects: 1 thing > 1 thing - metal into metal (reshaping), Transforms: 250 lbs., DC 18; Duration (continuous); Accurate 3 (+6)) Taser Blast (Stun 12) (Array; DC 22; Range (ranged); Accurate 3 (+6)) Repulsion Field (Force Field 12) (+12 Toughness; Impervious) Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +12, Melee: +7, Grapple: +10) Attacks: Brain Electricity Reading (Mind Reading 15) (DC Will 25), Electric Blast (Blast 18), +12 (DC 33), Electro-Burst (Strike 12) (DC 27), Electro-Magnetic Pulse (Nullify 15) (DC Will 25), Flashing Thunder (Dazzle 9) (DC Fort/Ref 19), Magnetic Binding (Snare 18), +12 (DC Ref/Staged 28), Shape Metal (Transform 8), +18 (DC Fort 18), Taser Blast (Stun 12), +18 (DC Fort/Staged 22), Unarmed Attack, +11 (DC 18) Defense: +15 (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -13 Initiative: +30 Languages: English Native, Spanish Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 17 (68 ranks) + Feats 17 + Powers 141 + Combat 30 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 255 Age (as of Jan 2019): 26 Height: 6’ 3” Weight: 210 Ethnicity: African American Hair: Black Eyes: Dark Brown Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri Theme Song: [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrg9KxGNeJY&pp=ygUOYnVyeSB0aGUgbGlnaHQ%3D]Bury The Light, from Devil May Cry 5[/url] Background: Lightning (he doesn’t even acknowledge having a legal name most of the time, let alone ever answer to it) doesn’t talk about what happened the day his powers emerged. To be fair, who would? He was thirteen. It was the Jones family vacation. A remote cabin, deep in the forested Rocky Mountains. He had a mom. A dad. A cute yet annoying little sister. He tries, very hard, to remember this part. Before. Because after was nothing more than a horror show. It wasn’t so bad at first. Just a lot of static. Nothing to interrupt dinner over. It was his sister’s birthday, you know? She was pouting a little because they weren’t doing this at home where all her friends could come. But they’d have a second one later. This was for family only. It didn’t stop at static. The three of them (not Richard, nope) were being legitimately and painfully zapped every time they moved too close to anything metal. They were using plasticware and the furniture was wood, or they’d have had more warning. It was weird, but not quite enough to interrupt the birthday dinner. What happened after that is something Lightning profoundly wishes he could forget. It is unfortunately, however, engraved on his memory forever. His little family. His mother, father, and cute yet annoying little sister, started…twitching. Spasming and jerking uncontrollably while screaming in pain. Like they were being tased or hit with a stun gun, but what that wouldn’t stop. He’d have been just fine with letting them scream forever, because everybody knows what happened when someone being shocked stops making any sounds or independent movements. And yet, it was still not finished. Enough electricity applied to organic material causes carbonization. Or, in plain English, they burned. The wood furniture caught fire. The cabin walls caught fire. He had to run, or die with them. He ran. And, in the process, started a massive wildfire. The wildfire was assumed to have killed his family. Because he doesn’t talk about it, this is assumed to be true to this day. It’s kind of unimaginable, isn’t it? He did get his powers under control, to a degree. No more fires. He did what any boy would do. He went to get help. And learned his powers weren’t as under control as he thought. The cop who touched him was instantly electrocuted and dropped dead on the spot. He ran, again, finding himself faster than before. He was a street kid. Homeless, trying to stay away from people. It’s not quite that easy, for a normal enough to kid to transition like that. He made mistakes. Mistakes that other people paid for with their lives simply for touching him. Being struck counted, too. He learned kindness and hostility were to be equally feared. Along the way, he partnered up with a young woman of the same age, Phoenix Ramsey (the future Cinder). She had her own reasons to never touch anyone, and so the two were kind of making it work. Badly, admittedly, but they were learning. All the wrong lessons, but they were learning. It was a dark road and getting darker every day. Enter Carlos Javier. Rather literally, actually. Alpha Team was in training, the Academy had at last finished construction, and he felt that perhaps a second team would do nicely. He already had three that would work for the team, but he needed a leader and someone to round them out. So he sought out the obvious Mutate duo and walked right into to the building they were squatting in while Lightning was out. Young Miss Ramsey was kind of on board with the sales pitch. A better place to stay. Help with getting control of their powers. Sounded great. Lightning, on the other hand, not so much. 100% grieving, angry black teenager. If Javier had come alone, Lightning would have probably killed him and cemented his supervillain status. Because they were street kids, they were habitual thieves. And both of their touching people issues were hardening them to the idea of killing to get along in the world. Fortunately, Javier doesn’t go on recruitment missions alone. He’d brought along Miss Invincible, Eagle Eye, and Cynosure. The latter two were only but so useful, but Francine? True to her name, he couldn’t hurt her. And considering they really didn’t want to hurt him, the end result was he smacked her around for a while before emotionally crumbling in the face of perhaps the one person in all the world he couldn’t hurt. So, Lightning and Phoenix (now Cinder) joined up with Erased (Vernon Chase), Charger (Jason Montanez), and Sureshot (Rachel Harris) to form Beta Team. If Alpha was Team Sunshine and Rainbows (because they all basically got along or could fake it until they did), Beta was Team Stormy Skies. Lightning and Sureshot were antisocial loners, with Lightning being abrasive in the bargain. Erased had zero charisma. Still does, really. Cinder was and is incapable of being Team Parent, and early Charger was a bit of a hothead. Dysfunction junction, thy name was Beta Team. Yet somehow…it worked. Despite the drama, when trouble came the team handled business like they’d been doing it all their lives. They may have been a band of perpetually squabbling outcasts, but when the fecal matter hit the oscillating device they fit together like fingers in a glove. This is the period where Lightning started disliking Josef Petrovich, as well. After graduation, with Javier and Alpha Team off planet (what the hell was up with that crap?) and Gamma Team being rookies, Lightning and Beta took the ball and ran with it. They earned a reputation for being powerful, versatile, and effective in a variety of situations. But of course, nothing’s ever so simple. It started with a young man named Ray Jones (apparently Lightning’s son?) coming from the future to ask for help from the only person he could think of. So it was a hero team teamup, in the future. Beta teaming with Youth Justice. Bio electric “webbing” super strong regenerating Fury (April Peterson, which was a name vaguely familiar to everyone in Beta), nanomachine battlesuit Silver Angel (Zoe Jane Rogers-Stark), demigod weather controller Typhoon (Wilhemina Smith), electromagnetic/life force controller Blaster Ray (Ray Jones), and the alien powerhouse Atlas. It wasn’t quite as simple as it sounds, of course. There was a lot to be done. Lightning specifically learned a lot from Fury on how to be a leader. Not battle tactics or specific techniques, but how to be the type of person others will willingly follow. But when the crisis was at last passed, it turned out that the hardest part for Beta would be getting home. Time travel can be a fickle beast, and so they did not return to their part of the 21st century, but to decades earlier in 1981. To where a certain woman in a silver bunny suit (minus the ears and tail) was waiting. Countess hadn’t interfered with their trip, nor did she know who was arriving. She only knew about the temporal disruption. To say she was surprised to see Beta Team was a bit of an understatement. Someone had interfered with time, which was way above her pay grade. The situation declined from there. Before the Champions of Justice could be brought in (and indeed before anyone could do much of anything), all five members of Beta were scattered across the Golden and Silver Ages in both time and space. Lightning specifically ended up in 1970 El Paso, with Arriba. The two didn’t exactly get on, but that wasn’t a requirement to investigate the temporal disturbance. They slapped down multiple goon squads and brawled with hired supervillains from across time before reaching the end point where only the temporally unstable Lightning could go. Beta Team was reassembled. Outside of time. In a mostly destroyed facility that, as a tiny woman with a white stripe in her hair informed them, used to belong to the Time Marshals. They’d made a valiant attempt at policing the timestream, except for the part where making enemies from all of time and space was basically an elaborate form of suicide. The woman (Future Pacer, as some may have already guessed) pointed out a case in point. Endorphine, who was probably her biggest mistake. He’d wrecked the Time Marshals singlehandedly. She could handle him, but that would leave a time pirate crew (no relation to Kendra Farron’s) do as they pleased with the advanced tech from literally all of time. She couldn’t handle both at the same time. Lightning led Beta into action once again. Even with Phoenix Mutate power on their side, however, it was all they could do to hold the time pirates back. Fortunately, that was enough. Future Pacer drove Endorphine away, and instantly scattered the time pirates. There was one working time portal to send them home with, but it didn’t have enough power. Erased was able to rig it so that Lightning could power it, and as he was doing that Beta (except Lightning himself went through). Lightning, however, had a question. Anyone could raid this place at any moment. What was (Future) Pacer’s plan to deal with that? The tiny woman shrugged. Her powers didn’t work so well at breaking floating buildings. Speedsters needed something to stand on to be speedy, after all. But don’t worry about it, kiddo. She’d figure something out. Lightning looked through the time portal at Beta telling him to come on. At Miss Invincible looking dead at him. Then he looked at the time pirates making their return after recovering inside of time. And decided. Pacer didn’t need the time portal to get out of here (otherwise how did she get here?), so he cut the power and told her to get going. She knew what he was going to do, and got gone. Lightning greeted the time pirate with eyes glowing with Phoenix fire. He became the first Academy Mutate to stack a Plus Overdrive on top of a Plus Overdrive. Reality bent, just a little. The Time Marshal facility, its structure built of the some strongest materials ever made throughout all of time, shattered into an uncountable number of miniscule pieces as one of the four fundamental forces disintegrated it from the inside out. Lightning thought he would die. Instead, he landed in late 1981, his powers gone. He manages to survive on the streets until the invasion of ’82, where his extreme desire to help kick started his Phoenix Spark and reactivated his powers. Here, the timeline splits in two. Originally, he went underground and did his level best to stay out of historical events so he wouldn’t change the timeline. So, one day very shortly after Beta returned home from their jaunts through time, a version of Lightning over 30 years older than he had been returned to the Academy. This was Old Man Lightning. His hair had turned salt and pepper. He was merely a little gruff instead of abrasive. He never talked about the life he’d lived. Not really. Nor did he ever explain why he bristled around Javier. He simply wanted to return to the only place that he’d ever felt like he belonged. Of course, it wasn’t that easy. He was more of a mentor for Beta than a leader, now. With Javier back full time, Miss Invincible began to accompany Beta on their missions and adventures once more. The actual stories, however, were 1) Old Man Lightning and Miss Invincible slowly falling in love and 2) Erased’s feverish work to duplicate the time portal he’d worked with back then. Time travel is absolutely impossible with early 21st century tech. So he was having a rough go of it. Meanwhile, Old Man Lightning and Miss Invincible had firmly coupled up. It could have lasted forever, or at least the few decades left in Old Man Lightning’s life. But both he and Miss Invincible knew better. Three decades of his life had been essentially stolen from him. No matter how much it didn’t seem to be hurting anything, it was still a wrong that had yet to be put right. Old Man Lightning was more than Lightning enough to know that, and to convince Miss Invincible. Regretfully, they started taking steps. Old Man Lightning talked to Broyle (Nick Lachlan), and Francine spoke with her brother Frank (Aerialist). This led to the repaired timeline. Old Man Lightning said goodbye to both Beta and especially Francine, and the plan was set in motion. In the repaired timeline, Nick Phoenix rescued Lightning in the chaotic aftermath of the invasion of ’82. They had an adventure or two together, most notably featuring Nick formally apologizing for what had happened to Lightning’s family. It hadn’t been something under his control (who gets a Phoenix Spark, when their powers activate, and what powers they get are things Nick does not control), but they were entirely his fault. Nick even went so far as to endure an enraged Lighting beating the shit out of him. (It’s okay, Nick recovered in seconds, like they both knew he would.) Erased, Aerialist, and Gamma’s Apocrypha managed to build a one shot time portal to 1982, and Lightning was at last able to come home. This retconned Old Man Lightning out of existence, as he knew it would. Beta and almost all of the Academy (and indeed the entire world) forgot he ever existed. Because now, he hadn’t. That almost included Miss Invincible and surprisingly enough, Lightning himself. Between memories of Old Man Lightning’s life, and Beta finally getting to compare notes about the various time periods they’d been shuttled to, the truth about Javier and Josef became known to all Academy operatives. This, as is known, sparked the Schism. Lightning refuses to accept that moral goals can justify immoral methods. Still, there’s levels to his refusal. He is neither an idiot nor blinded by naïve idealism. But goddamn it. Javier doesn’t care how much wreckage his scheme leave in their wake as long as he gets what he wants. How many lives has he destroyed? And no matter how noble Josef’s motivations may seem to be, the man is still a damn butcher. The only way he’s different is how lethally he operates. Solaria makes his blood boil. Her argument is perfectly rational. There are no flaws in her logic. But Lightning is more of a creature of emotion and intuition than logic and reason. No, doing what’s smart and what’s right don’t have to be opposite. But everyone else who’s ever said that has easily fallen into doing things the easy, more effective way. Found ways to justify destroying lives or even taking them. Found ways to excuse hideous evil in the name a noble goal. No. Lightning will die trying to do what’s right first before he sets one foot on the slippery slope of self justification. Again, he is neither an idiot nor blinded by idealism. He knows that sometimes to accomplish heroic goals and avoid terrible outcomes compromises must be made. But he will never view such compromises as right or justified. So yeah, he and Solaria can really get under each other’s skin. It wasn’t a whole lot different with Radical Dreamer. He would have simply told him to go to hell and continued doing his own thing with Cinder, Pyrox, Broyle, Wilder, and Gamma team. Even if none of them followed him, he’d have still walked out. Until Francine cut through his bullshit like she was wielding a chainsaw. They needed him, and he’d rather sit on his high horse and Be Right, and damn the consequences that he LITERALLY JUST SAW? How exactly was he different from Javier, Josef, and Solaria again? This only pissed Lightning off further. She was right, and damn did he hate it. And so the High Table was formed, and the Islands became an independent nation. Every Phoenix Mutate turned to Dust and blew away. Then the Icons undid all that and Lightning was possibly the most visually impressive person at the Endgame, as the wrath of a virtual god descended on Kuros’s forces. His powers have been vital to the Venus and Mars terraforming projects, charging uncountable numbers of batteries and even powering both facilities directly when their generators need maintenance, repair, or have gotten an upgraded replacement. Powers & Tactics: Lightning is, like most members of the Academy, a Phoenix Mutate. As a Mutate, he is an Electromagnetic Generator with the External Expression Method. This means that he constantly generates electricity and magnetism (for starters) on a vast scale. Put simply, he’s virtually one of the four fundamental forces incarnate. He’s powered entire cities without visible strain. Indeed, he still had to hold back to protect the power lines from damage. Like most veteran Externals, he’s developed a vast array of ways to emit and use his power. Flying at the literal speed of lightning. Sensing electricity with his mind. Reflexes just as fast as his flight speed, aiding significantly in attack evasion. Naturally, electricity can’t harm him, and even telepaths have trouble affecting his mind due to how much electricity is coursing through his brain at any given time. He can even generate a protective force field that not even rocket fire can penetrate. Actual direct combat applications include the expected high powered energy blast and a very strong ranged area attack. The ranged taser-like blast completes the expected list for an electricity guy. But he’s not just an electricity guy. He’s a magnetism guy, too. So he can move metallic/ferrous objects (or those containing enough) at will, with a weight limit in the double digit tons. There’s the restraints made of nothing more than pure magnetic force, and shaping hundreds of pounds of metal at a time. He’s even got an electromagnetic pulse that can fry tech in an area around him over a mile in diameter. Now things get esoteric. Electricity is bright, yeah, but using it not just for that but to create a deafening burst of thunder at the same time is decidedly unexpected. And reading the minute electrical discharges in brain neurons so well he can effectively read someone’s surface thoughts is a phenomenally impressive bit of skill. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though. As a Generator, his powers never turn off. They literally can’t be, short of his death. Training to make sure anyone who touched him wouldn’t be instantly electrocuted took some time. Training so that he wouldn’t electrify the neighborhood while he slept took more time. (And, incidentally, helped keep the original Academy’s electric bills down to near nothing for a facility of that size.) Making himself safe again after combat used to take several minutes. Now it’s down to a handful of seconds. It’s still not safe to make contact with him in the middle of combat. Nothing might happen. Or a bazillion volts might leap into whoever made contact. There’s still a risk of electrifying the neighborhood if he’s knocked unconscious. He’s made great strides with his control, but his powers are still extremely dangerous. And oh man, is he ever aware of it. Tactically, the first thing to know is that goddamn does Lightning know how to make an entrance. This is a man who is fundamentally incapable of joining a battle in the most flashy and dramatic way possible. To be clear, this isn’t exactly intentional. But it’s not exactly unintentional either. Make of that what you will. Moving on, thuggery gets his +11 atk, +3 damage fists. It’s not like they’re any real threat at all. Minor supervillains get Flashing Thunder, Magnetic Binding, or Taser Blast. Acceptable Targets or bigger threats, though? Electric Blast and Electro Burst come out to play. He has Improved Demoralize to weaken resistances, and Improved Startle to weaken defenses. Accurate, All Out, and Power Attack on are deck. He’s even got Leadership to get an ally back into the fight if they’re suffering from a status effect. His list of power stunts is legion. Everything an electric control can do and everything a magnetic controller can do that he doesn’t already do is a very long list. That is not, however, all of them. When faced with foes immune to electricity, he gets creative. Electricity superheats air as it passes by. This causes thunder as superheated air expands, hits much cooler air, loses its heat, and contracts again rapidly. Strong enough natural thunder has cracked glass. So Lightning can do a limited variety of sonic effects if he should need to. That’s not all. The reason air superheats is that it’s not a perfect conductor. So yes, Lightning has also learned to weaponize electrical resistance of objects (or the target itself, depending on how their electrical immunity works) to create a limited variety of heat effects, too. As I said, Lightning’s gotten very creative over the years when his usual tricks are ineffective. Personality: Look, Lightning is kind of a prick. He’s one of those guys who doesn’t care what people think and tells it how he sees it. He’s not particularly interested or skilled at intentionally making friends or influencing people. He takes himself too seriously, is a little quick tempered, and is generally kind of prickly. He’s a loner, cynical by nature, and difficult to get to know. It’s just bad enough that people who don’t know him question why on Earth this guy is a leader. Why he inspires such undying loyalty in the people who’ve actually taken the time to get to know him. He wears the pain of and guilt from technically being responsible for his family’s deaths like armor and at times wields those feelings like weapons. Nobody else can truly know what it was like. He was just a boy. Begging and pleading for it to stop. For no one else to die simply because they touched him. Even now, with the control he’s gained over his powers, he’s still afraid. He even remembers being Old Man Lightning. Not everything. Much of those memories have faded, and more fade with every passing day. But he remembers that Francine loved him, and that he loved her. But he’s not that guy, and thus it can’t be what it was. Sometimes he catches her looking at him. He remembers that soft, tender expression. Stab. Twist. God, his life is fun. So yeah. He keeps people away so that he will never be touched again. Physically or emotionally. At least, that’s the plan. The problem with it is that his actions continually make the words of his mouth lies. Lightning is a straight up no bullshit superhero. Loyalty. Integrity. Honor. Compassion. Protect. Save. Sure, he’s abrasive, but the rest of what makes a genuine hero comes as naturally to him as breathing. To be clear, this isn’t a result of his trauma. He was already the heroic type long before that trip to the cabin. Maybe not a figurative boy scout, but never in trouble, good student, inspired friends and classmates to be better with his own conduct, etcetera. A damn good kid who was clearly going places. Until things changed. Now he’s really no boy scout, but inside that damn good kid grew up to be a damn fine man. Just one who’s a bit of an asshole if one pays attention to his words instead of his actions. His philosophy is not so easy to pin down. On the surface, it’s basically the superhero code as inspired by Starman all those years ago. Power inherently comes with responsibility. But that’s not quite right. Lightning would have simply gone away quietly the first time he was depowered if that was the case. Something in the man fights against taking the easy way out of anything. Fights against the idea of “It is what it is”, “such is life”, or “it can’t be helped”. He’d never say it out loud, and it’s possible that he’s never even conceptualized in his mind. This little bit of a thing called hope, truth, and justice. As long as we’re still drawing breath, there is always hope for a better tomorrow. People can change. Truth can win over lies. Justice can be done. (Incidentally, this is why he’s never gotten along with Josef. Josef believes in threat negation more than justice.) It’s not supposed to be easy or painless. It’s supposed to suck. Suck a lot. Because people suck. But not always, and not all the time. Besides, it’s not about what people deserve when they suck. It’s about the type of person someone wants to be. Lightning decided a long time ago, so long that Richard Jones was still learning to spell his own name, the type of person he wanted to be. So long ago that it wasn’t even really a conscious decision. Even in the darkest of times, he has never lost or given up on this part of himself. It’s not clear if it’s even possible for him to do so. It’s that core to his identity. As the couplet goes “Justice, like lightning, ever should appear / to few men’s ruin, but to all men’s fear”.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Miss Invincible (Francine Simms) Power Level: 15; Power Points Spent: 345/345 STR: +5 (20), DEX: +5 (20), CON: +20 (20/50), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +2 (14) Tough: +20, Fort: Immune, Ref: +10, Will: +10 Skills: Acrobatics 5 (+10), Bluff 8 (+10), Diplomacy 8 (+10), Disable Device 8 (+10), Disguise 8 (+10), Gather Information 8 (+10), Intimidate 8 (+10), Knowledge (current events) 8 (+10), Knowledge (streetwise) 8 (+10), Language 2 (+2), Notice 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 5 (+10) Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (melee) 7, Benefit (Security Clearance (Intelligence Community)), Connected, Contacts, Dodge Focus 3, Interpose, Move-by Action, Precise Shot, Second Chance (Constitution checks when All Out Moving), Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Info, Stealth), Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Well-Informed Powers: Avatar of Stamina (Container, Passive 32) Invincible Body (Immunity 114) (aging, environmental condition: Vacuum, fortitude saves, lethal energy damage, lethal physical damage, nonlethal energy damage, nonlethal physical damage, suffocation (all)) Invulnerable Mind (Immunity 30) (will saves; Limited - Half Effect) Stamina Incarnate (Enhanced Constitution 30) (+30 CON, Feats: Second Chance (Constitution checks when All Out Moving)) Borrowing From Family (Alternate Form 7) (Duration (continuous)) Side Effects of Invincibility (Container, Passive 2) "Hysterical" Quickness (Quickness 2) (Perform routine tasks at 5x speed) "Hysterical" Speed (Speed 2) (Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd) "Hysterical" Strength (Super-Strength 2) (+10 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 1.6k lbs; +2 STR to some checks) "Hysterical" Vaulting (Leaping 2) (Jumping distance: x5) Power Settings: Borrowing From Frank (Alternate Form) (Powers: Omnnilingual (Comprehend 2), Intelligence +16 (30, +10), Wisdom +16 (30, +10), Will -8 (+2), Feats: Artificer, Eidetic Memory, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Ritualist) Borrowing From Mickey (Alternate Form) (Powers: Mickey's Leaping (Leaping 1), Mickey's Might (Super-Strength 7), Strength +20 (40, +15)) Borrowing From Mona (Alternate Form) (Powers: Mona's Movement (Super-Movement 3), Mona's Quickness (Quickness 8), Mona's Speed (Speed 8), Speedy Punch (Strike 5), Attack Bonus +5 (+13)) Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +15, Grapple: +20/+22) Attacks: Speedy Punch (Strike 5), +15 (DC 25), Unarmed Attack, +15 (DC 20) Defense: +10 (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -10 Initiative: +5 Languages: Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, Russian Totals: Abilities 42 + Skills 23 (92 ranks) + Feats 23 + Powers 214 + Combat 30 + Saves 13 + Drawbacks 0 = 345 Age (as of Jan 2019): 72 (chronological), early 20s (biological) Height: 5’ 9” Weight: 160 Ethnicity: White Hispanic Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Hometown: Glen Burnie, Maryland Theme Song: [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPJaSpl-XGM&pp=ygUUdG94aWMgc2FpbG9yeW91cmxvdmU%3D]Toxic, by Sam Sky, Sailorurlove, and Rolessi[/url] Background: It started with Project Blue Liberty. Sort of. There was a girl named Holly Wood that was more than happy to use her powers to help people. Her sheer speed was perhaps her most notable quality, and so she named herself the Silver Streak. The thing was, she was just as strong, tough, and smart as she was fast. Naturally, she had no idea how deep these qualities ran, nor did she know where they came from. The records are a little…unclear as to how she signed up for the Project. And Wood may not have been her real last name, considering the time period and her Hispanic ancestry. Regardless, Silver Streak was side by side with the rest of the Project’s members throughout World War II. She was more scout and message runner than frontline combatant. She did see her fair share of combat with Nazi super operatives after D-Day, and was present in Berlin for the confrontation between Russia’s Defenders of the People and the Project. After the war, the Project was disbanded and Silver Streak returned to being just Holly Wood. It wasn’t that she didn’t break out the costume now and again when things got serious, but in truth she was just…done. She’d seen and done too much in a Europe shattered by war, and barring an emergency, she was finished. Had she kept going, she may have discovered how powerful she actually was. There were at least four distinct cosmic energy beings possessing her, you see, each with a nigh infinite power of unique to it. Strength, Speed, Stamina, and Mind. It remains to be seen if there were any others. Why they possessed her is actually still a mystery. Francine, Frank, Mona, and Mickey don’t know, and if anyone would it would be them. Because Holly Wood had three children. Hannah first, and then the twins Francine and Frank. With Hannah went Strength and Speed. Francine got Stamina and Frank got Mind. The kicker about this is that the twins were born in 1947. Hannah was born two years earlier. V-E Day (aka the formal end of WWII in Europe) was in May 1945, so Holly had to be pregnant at that time. The fathers of all three are unknown. Aside from the biological requirements, it’s not even clear they have one to begin with. Strangely, even today Holly still has a fraction of her original powers despite the energy beings leaving her via childbirth. So she’s still alive and not nearly as old as someone chronologically in her 90s ought to be. Still living quietly on her service pension. Francine, from the day she was born right until literally today, has been completely and totally invincible. Or near enough as to make no difference. This hasn’t always been obvious. There aren’t a lot of opportunities for a girl growing up in the 50s and early 60s to get seriously injured. With that said, she wasn’t an idiot. Her mother may have never talked about who she had been, but Francine knew she has far more physical stamina than anyone she knew. She simply didn’t get tired. Everyone bangs their toes against something at some point. Everyone falls down hard enough to skin their knees at some point. Francine was always totally unharmed. The older she got, the more she realized she was missing something. Several somethings. She could go days without food, water, or even sleep with no noticeable effect. When she went swimming, she could stay underwater as long as she liked. Breathing was apparently optional for her. It was alienating in a way that’s difficult to express properly. It’s one thing for a teenage to feel like they’re not normal. It’s quite another for them to be absolutely correct. A normal life just wasn’t going to cut it. Shortly after her 18th birthday in 1965, Francine walked away from her home. Whatever she was (and arguably still is) searching for she still hasn’t found. In the ensuing 4 decades, Francine has seen a lot. She’s learned just how indestructible her body, mind, and heart are. “Miss Invincible” didn’t originate as a superhero code name. It did so as a spy code name. She’s probably the only person on the planet allowed to do freelance espionage. After all, how does anyone stop someone who’s literally invincible from doing whatever they please? Well, there’s capture weapons, one supposes. But even then, she has to be kept captured and forget getting any information out of her or anything in trade for her safe release. And then there’s Frank, who took it upon himself to act as her Mission Control. Whenever someone thought they’d finally found a way to take an invincible woman off the board, he stepped in. She’s been around the world over a dozen times, but he’s always made sure she has somewhere to come back to. In those 40 years, she’s had allies, lovers, enemies, and nemesis. 1965 was right in the middle of the Cold War, so she’s definitely had an entire long running novel series’s worth of adventures. Since she was freelance, not attached to any government, and superpowered, she could do a lot of extremely secret things no one on either side would ever want to come to light. A Nazi last gasp under Antarctica with world conquering dreams and a terrifying superweapon. Rogue demon worshiping Soviets, with a nuke as fallback plan. Lost Aztec gold chased by multiple factions before it turned out to be cursed. Multiple billionaires with their own privates island with elaborate facilities and dreams of world domination or destruction. Look, name the super spy or pulp style adventure, and she’s probably had a version of it. The trouble is that it’s an extremely dangerous type of life to live if one isn’t invincible. And naturally, any allies, friends, and/or lovers inevitably weren’t anywhere close. Even if they didn’t get killed or suffer permanent injury, Francine’s way of life is legitimately suicidal for anyone to attempt without world class superpowers of their own. So others have walked away of their own volition before suffering death or permanent injury. And sometimes such a split has been acrimonious. Others parted with her amicably. 40 years of that, plus y’know those amicable partings getting older or dying of old age, would wear anyone down. Many would break, but alas. Francine Simms is invincible. Right when she was feeling bummed, Carlos Javier got in touch with a job offer. She’d worked for him before, but this was something different. Something stable. Well, stable-ish. An academy. This was especially important, as her younger sister Hannah had just died giving birth to her twins Mona and Mickey. So Francine needed to be home more than she had been, to help Frank take care of her niece and nephew. She helped recruit and train Beta Team and then watched their backs in the field until they graduated. A lot more stuff happened after that. Old Man Lightning, who she loved dearly but had to let go of like everyone else. The Schism, which she didn’t take a side on. Taking over Turks and Calcos. Joining the High Table, which was done as a favor to both Javier and Lightning, as someone nobody on it could influence and who would remain neutral in the first four’s infighting. Moreover, she was the one who held the Islands together after the Dusting, as the only High Table member not Dusted. Well. There is one thing that’s new. As Mickey and Mona turned 14 something….changed. The younger twins could always borrow a bit of the other’s power, but now the elder twins (Francine and Frank) can borrow from those two and each other, somehow. She’s, uh, still getting used to being able to run at hypersonic speeds, lift hundreds of tons, or become a super genius on command. Powers & Tactics: Miss Invincible is the only member of the High Table and one of the few members of the Academy who isn’t a Phoenix Mutate. Her power originates from the cosmic energy being that is functioning as her soul. As such, any scans of her body don’t detect any powers at all. Regardless, she’s the Avatar of Stamina, or Stamina Incarnate. Her name is not bragging. She has never, at any point, been injured by any amount of force applied to her body. The manifestation of this is unusual, as well. Most people with exceptional resilience typically have very hard or very dense flesh and bones. This is because the source of that resilience is said bodies. Francine’s, however, is her soul. So she appears to be a regular human being with regular human flesh and bones that just don’t ever take any form of damage from anything, no matter the power level. But it goes deeper than that. She can’t be harmed by not having enough water, food, sleep, or air. She may (it seems to be at least partly voluntary) pass out, but the trauma sustained by not enough of anything the human body needs to survive simply doesn’t happen to her. But it goes deeper than even that. She’s not uninfectable by diseases. They simply can’t penetrate her cell walls and might as well be outside of her body for all the hospitality her body shows them. Poisons don’t do anything but get processed out eventually. She’s peed some weird colors after some attempting poisonings, I tell you what. She literally can’t age, as the usual process involved long term damage to bodily tissue that she can’t take. To make a long story short, Francine Simms’s body cannot be harmed in any way, shape, or form by anything. It can be affected by anything right up until the point where such harm would happen and no further. So she’s got no special resistance to being slapped around by concussive force. However, for the last time, it still goes deeper than that. Her physical stamina is functionally bottomless. Even by superhuman standards, the list of people who won’t tire or need sustenance before she does is vanishingly short. Furthermore, the unpowered human body is capable of more than is commonly used by unpowered people. This is because using the full potential of one’s musculature at any give moment can cause significant to severe damage to bones, muscles, and tendons. Francine, being completely invincible, has never had that particular problem and so can push her body to the absolute limit of what a human frame is capable of routinely. Meaning she makes gold medal winning Olympic athletes and even some super soldier types look like they’re not trying hard enough. Even her mind is highly resistant to damage and trauma. To her relief and chagrin. The last bit of her powers is how she can borrow from the other Avatars. Her family.Borrowing from her brother Frank makes her a supergenius capable of doing a wide variety of things including advanced tech inventions and literal magic rituals. Borrowing from Mickey makes her vastly stronger, from about peak human (plus a little extra) to cracking titanitum and lifting thousands of tons. Borrowing from Mona makes her basically a speedster. Hypersonic foot speed, physical quickness keeping up. Attack accuracy improved. Hell, she can run up walls and over water. Her life is getting weirder by the day. Tactically, Francine is still getting used to Borrowing From Family. She does tend to stick with what brought her to the dance. Beating the shit out of people while being totally invincible. Seriously, she basically doesn’t bother dodging attack most of the time. Her defense bonus is basically decoration. Except that it’s important to remember that she can still be knocked around fairly easily, and getting smacked out of the room and/or taking a long fall when you’re trying to do something important right where you are is a bad idea. So when it’s important enough, she’ll put her defense bonus to use. She can Acrobatic Bluff, Demoralize, Feint, Startle, and Taunt, but her bonuses aren’t elite. She doesn’t have any o the cap shifting feats, so she’s +2 for any shifting around. Though she’s got no reason to use Defensive Attack normally. She’s not really that skilled of a fighter, aside from her melee accuracy. Though she can keep mobile with Move by Action. She exploits her invincibility with Interpose. And she can smack through foes with Takedown Attack 2 She can bring her Connected, Contacts, and Well Informed to bear so she knows what to do, but that’s about it, normally. Borrowing From Family is, as previously stated, a very new thing. She’ll use it if she has to depending on the situation, but mostly she doesn’t. She has no power stunts available. Personality: Francine Simms is very…laid back. A chill, easygoing personality. Not that she can’t turn it up when necessary, of course. One might expect someone who is literally invincible to be arrogant and insufferable, however Francine is just kind of bored with it all. Her invulnerability has been there every second of every day of her life, so she’s never felt physical pain. That is where an underlying melancholy slides in. She’s disconnected, and she knows it. She doesn’t know what physical weakness feels like. Thirst. Hunger. Fatigue. All virtually alien sensations to her. The older she gets, the more she feels isolated. It’s not self-pity. Oh, no, nobody will ever know how I feel. Boo hoo. Sadness. It’s the other way around. She’s keenly aware that she’s missing a giant chunk of what it means to be human. It’s…not fun. She only understands on an intellectual level what most people fear. This is why she’s thrown herself into situations that would be absurdly dangerous for virtually anyone else over and over again. Because the only things she has to be afraid of are failure and personal loss. Threats to her mental or emotional well being. Death? Permanent injury? Pain? Injury recovery time? No. Her physical well being is 100% guaranteed from now until reality ceases to exist. And alas, it still goes deeper than that. Because of the sheer resilience of her mind, every day emotional pains slide off of her. If she genuinely wants to feel fear that she might be mentally or emotionally harmed, the threat level has to be practically through the ceiling. It was easier, at first. But the returns have been diminishing, which is another reason she changed things up and joined the Academy. Her adrenaline doesn’t spike like it used to. She’s gradually losing the ability to give a damn, and she’s keenly aware of that, too. She wants to keep her memories of what fear and pain feel like fresh. Because if she forgets, then she’s lost all ties to whatever humanity she ever had. Having to lose Old Man Lightning helps with that, but it’s been years now. It’s not as effective as it used to be. Incidentally, Francine doesn’t have a philosophy on heroing, saving the world, or whatever. She’s not a superhero, to be perfectly clear. She’s functionally incapable of being one. Helping, protecting, serving, etc, yeah sure she can do that. She can perform the tasks just fine. But y’know, the tasks are performed at personal risk. Fighting crime and supervillains, heroes can be hurt or even killed. Same with rescue operations. Accepting that risk is part of what makes a hero one in the first place. And Francine has absolutely no need to accept that risk, because there is none to her whatsoever. Furthermore, she’s never really adhered to heroic morality, seeing as she was in the spy game. So she’s killed a lot of people. Done or been party to a lot of shady or illegal activity. So while she’s arguably saved the world a handful of times, she’s not a hero. She doesn’t even try to be. However, calling her a villain would be hilariously wrong. So she’s just kind of stuck in the middle. To be clear, her empathy and compassion function just fine. Her conscience is a little more battered. But she’s not like, self fixated. She’ll help people in front of her if she can and they need it. But at the same time, it’s absolutely not something she goes looking for.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Monique Desjardins Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 255/255 STR: +3/7/10/15 (16/25/30/35), DEX: +5 (20), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +5 (20) Tough: +3/+9/+12/+15, Fort: +9, Ref: +9/+12/+15, Will: +9 Skills: Acrobatics 5 (+10), Bluff 15 (+20), Concentration 17 (+20), Diplomacy 15 (+20), Gather Information 15 (+20), Intimidate 15 (+20), Knowledge (art) 2 (+5), Knowledge (behavioral science) 17 (+20), Knowledge (business) 7 (+10), Knowledge (current events) 7 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 2 (+5), Knowledge (popular culture) 2 (+5), Language 3 (+3), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 7 (+10), Sense Motive 17 (+20) Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 3, Attack Focus (melee) 6, Benefit 2 (Wealth (millionaire)), Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Distract, Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Startle, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Distract (Bluff), Dodge Focus 3, Dodge Focus 6, Evasion, Fascinate (Diplomacy), Improved Critical (Angel's Claws (Strike 2)), Improved Grab, Improved Grapple, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, KN (behavior sci)), Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Morph 4 (morph: broad group - humans, +20 Disguise) Shapeshift 12 Shapeshift Settings: Hair Queen (Power Setting) (Powers: Hair Armor (Force Field 6), Hair Attack (Strike 2), Hair Swinging (Linked), Prehensile Hair (Linked), Strength +9 (25, +7), Reflex +6 (+15), Feats: Attack Focus (melee) 6, Dodge Focus 6, Evasion, Improved Grab) Hair Armor (Force Field 6) (+6 Toughness; Impervious) Hair Attack (Strike 2) (DC 27; Mighty) Hair Swinging (Linked) Speed 2 (Linked; Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd) Super-Movement 4 (Linked; slow fall, swinging, wall-crawling 2 (full speed)) Prehensile Hair (Linked) Additional Limbs 3 (Linked; 5 extra limbs; +3 to Grapple when not using Imp. Grapple, Feats: Improved Grapple) Elongation 3 (Linked; Elongation: 25 ft., range incr 30 ft., +3 Escape & Grapple) Hard As Diamond (Power Setting) (Powers: Diamond Armor (Protection 12), Diamond Might (Super-Strength 6), Strength +24 (40, +15)) Diamond Armor (Protection 12) (+12 Toughness; Impervious) Diamond Might (Super-Strength 6) (+30 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 39.3k tons; +6 STR to some checks) Shining Angel (Power Setting) (Powers: Angel Wings (Flight 5), Angel's Claws (Strike 2), Angelic Armor (Protection 9), Angelic Might (Super-Strength 3), Strength +14 (30, +10), Reflex +3 (+12), Feats: Attack Focus (melee) 3, Dodge Focus 3) Angel Wings (Flight 5) (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd; Power Loss (Restrainable)) Angel's Claws (Strike 2) (DC 27, Feats: Improved Critical (Angel's Claws (Strike 2)); Mighty) Angelic Armor (Protection 9) (+9 Toughness; Impervious) Angelic Might (Super-Strength 3) (+15 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 39.3k tons; +3 STR to some checks) Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +9/+12/+15, Grapple: +12/+25/+30) Attacks: Angel's Claws (Strike 2), +12 (DC 27), Hair Attack (Strike 2), +15 (DC 25), Unarmed Attack, +9/+12/+15 (DC 18/22/25/30) Defense: +9/+12/+15 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -1/-7/-10/-13 Initiative: +5 Languages: English, French Native, Russian, Spanish Totals: Abilities 44 + Skills 37 (148 ranks) + Feats 18 + Powers 104 + Combat 36 + Saves 16 + Drawbacks 0 = 255 Age (as of Jan 2019): 34 Height: 5’ 10” (without powers) Weight: 140 (without powers) Ethnicity: Caucasian (without powers) Hair: Blonde (without powers) Eyes: Blue (without powers) Hometown: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Theme Songs: [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7wFkFelQjE&pp=ygURaGFsYWNnIG1lYW4gZ2lybHM%3D]Burn Book, by HalaCG featuring Lollia, DayumDahlia & Jenny[/url] and[url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CoQddKqoEY&pp=ygUWaGFsYWNnIHJlc3QgaW4gaGFybW9ueQ%3D%3D]Rest In Harmony, by HalaCG featuring Nahu Pyrope[/url] Background: Monique Dejardins first appears as a spoiled little rich girl dependent on Daddy’s money who grew up into an entitled wealthy woman who has inherited Daddy’s money. But then one finds out that she’s probably the best practicing psychologist of any specialty on the planet, and that image starts to crumble. Monique was born in ’85. Her father wasn’t a good man. The wealthy hotelier was both a ruthless businessman and, by the time Monique was ten years old, one of several quiet financiers to the original villainous Chasseur’s organization. He was the type of man to see his beautiful blonde girl as a tool to further his aims, not a daughter to be cherished. So Monique, while she attended the best private schools, ate food prepared by world class chefs and nutritionists, and dressed in nothing but the latest fashions straight from Paris, she grew up in the type of home where all relationships are transactional. She knew quite well by the time began attending high school that she was an investment and that her relationships with mother, father, and younger siblings (a boy and a girl) were transactional at best. She will freely admit that she was quite awful during this period, using and discarding “friends” and “boyfriends” when their usefulness to her had ceased. Then her Phoenix Spark awakened, and things changed. Not for the better. Unlike some, she got them under control inside of a day, passing it off as a stomach bug. Changing her appearance on a whim was exactly what she needed to get the advantage over, well, everyone really. So, by her high school graduation and 18th birthday, she’d arranged a few things. Acquiring her own independent wealth by siphoning off her father’s funds and gathering evidence of his various misdeeds by impersonating him periodically. It was a delicate process, but she had four years to do it. And then, to cap things of, letting one school “friend” who’d only approached Monique in the first place because she wanted to replace Monique’s mother in the role of pampered trophy wife…give it her best shot. Men could be such idiots about women. Honestly. Large breasts, pretty eyes, adequate physical fitness and an apparent willingness to please were all it took to send most of their IQ points into the single digits. When her father was inevitably caught sleeping with someone who’d only not been a minor for about a week and a half, well. Such scandal. Much wow. And when that young woman turned up pregnant? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how complicated things got for the poor man. An ugly divorce. Jail time barely dodged. Forced to resign from the board of his hotel empire in disgrace. And oh dear, his personal accounts were missing money. That’d he had no memory of authorizing to be transferred to other accounts. And yet, transferred they were, disappearing upon arrival. Monique was free. So, she went to university, and promptly met Carlos Javier. He knew who she was, of course, and apparently knew what she’d done. He was impressed, and offered to train her in the use of her powers. She had less than no interest in being under the thumb of yet another man, but he insisted that he would be teaching only, and anything else would be strictly voluntary. Two manipulators, wise to each other’s ways, began fencing. 4 years into that and her university education, the Academy opened. The children needed a quality counselor to come to about their problems. Was it manipulation by Javier to bring her in closer? Yes. But she could have said no, and he’d have found someone else without complaint. And the children needed her. She chose psychology for two reasons, after all. She wanted to understand people better. Both to better manipulate them and to find someone to actually care about her as a person. And two, to help people become better. She was neither blind nor stupid. So many bad coping mechanisms. So much unprocessed trauma and unresolved issues. And the personality disorders, my goodness. It simply wouldn’t do. As time has gone on, she’s arguably become Javier’s most trusted Operative, paradoxically precisely because she doesn’t trust his words, obey him at all really, and is continually pursing her own (admittedly complimentary) goals. She’s Chief Counselor, advising Students and Operatives alike, and she’s functionally Assistant Headmistress as well, filling in whenever Javier has to be away for a time. She actually clocked almost zero field time (being far, far more Academy Faculty than Operative) until the Academy took over the Turks and Calcos Islands. That, and her joining the High Table have seen her in the field a number of times at this stage. She was among the Dusted, of course. Every Mutate in the Academy was. But they all came back. She still doesn’t know why the Exiles invited her to the Endgame (she’s definitely no hero), but she fought there. Josef and Lightning, these days, dislike and distrust him. Solaria…part of that girl still looks up to the man she thought he was, and the rest is a mix of bitter disappointment and anger. And, of course, Miss Invincible is more neutral than Switzerland. So, it’s generally up to Monique to untangle the endless dysfunction of the High Table. That is, when their seventh member isn’t doing it. It isn’t quite what she expected out of her life, being a therapist, teacher, and national leader, but while she may not exactly be the most liked member of the Academy, she is among the most respected. She’s built genuine bonds here. She will be remembered and mourned as a person instead of a useful tool when she inevitably dies as everyone does. Her funeral may not be the best attended funeral of all time, but you know…she’s satisfied with that. Powers & Tactics: Monique, like most members of the Academy, is a Phoenix Mutate. As a Mutate, she is a Molecular Controller with the Internal Expression Method. This means she can reconfigure the molecules that make up her body into any configuration she can think of. Theoretically, she has full, complete shapeshifting at her disposal. She could turn into anything under the sun with any type of abilities imaginable. However…in practice she doesn’t use her powers to anywhere near their full potential. She can, of course, alter her appearance with impunity, but she’s not about to turn into a motorcycle, a large dog, or a living sandstorm. This isn’t because she can’t change into those things, but rather that she’s afraid she won’t be able to change back. (To be clear, this is nonsense, and she knows it, but fear isn’t a rational thing.) So while she may alter her hair, grow additional body parts such as wings, or turn herself diamond hard, she alters her internal anatomy and especially her neurology as little as possible. To be absolutely clear,s he cannot generate or emit any form of energy with her powers. She can only make physiological changes down to the molecular level. She has three standard forms she uses when shapeshifting. Hair Queen doesn’t actually change that much about her except her hair, which grows extra long, splits into multiple appendages, and hardens while remaining flexible. She uses it to swing around, protect herself with a wall of bulletproof hair, and strike harder than any mundane hand portable weapons normally can. The hair is good for grappling purposes and has just about the pinnacle of human physical strength for carrying objects. Hard As Diamond is her standard Powerhouse form. No special movement powers, but immune even to rocket fire and strong enough to crack titanium with a casual punch and lift hundreds of tons. Shining Angel isn’t quite that strong (single digit tons lifting power) or tough (ignoring most artillery fire instead of rockets), but it’s got sharp claws (that can shred steel with her strength behind them) and most importantly, wings to fly at racecar speeds with. Tactically, Monique is easily the most versatile member of the High Table, if not the entire Academy. Just with her standard forms alone have a high accuracy/high evasion form (Hair Queen), a high damage/high toughness form (Hard As Diamond) and a middle ground (Shining Angel). Hair Queen and Shining Angel bring some mobility. Hard As Diamond brings the raw strength even if Shining Angel isn’t exactly slacking off in that department. With a different form from standard, there’s an absurd amount of options on the table. A form based around not being detected. An aquatic form. Immunities to various descriptors. So if the usual three aren’t going to do the job right, she can absolutely do something else. She has access to Accurate, All Out, and Power Attack to move her caps around. Improved Feint and Startle disable dodge bonuses. Improved Demoralize and Taunt makes foes more vulnerable. Improved Distract also has its uses, as does Fascinate. She even has Takedown Attack 2 to mow through minions like it’ll be banned tomorrow. She does not power stunt, as she literally has a variable power. Personality: Monique, on the surface, is a arrogant, smug, turbo bitch. Vain, extremely fashion conscious, and classist in the bargain. A world class Mean Girl. A manipulative, selfish, entitled waste of oxygen who does whatever the hell she wants who gets away with it by having a silver tongue and the ability to appear as a theoretically infinite number of other people. A walking nightmare and completely insufferable, with no tolerance for the stupid, lazy, or useless. The supreme ice queen of the universe, sanguine in the unassailability of her…well, everything. The type of person that despite how awful they seem to be, many can’t help but like them. However, those who pay closer attention notice how extremely carefully her words are chosen. Knowing who she’s actually speaking to and the purpose of her doing so changes the entire complexion of her words. Anyone can insult people blindly. It takes a genuine master to make someone think about the flaws in themselves that she’s pointing out. And it is also worth noting that her hardest verbal punches go upward, towards those who know better than to behave the way that they are. The point is to build people up and improve them, not tear them down and/or apart. She’s not a bully, for heaven’s sake. As such, she’s genuinely a fantastic therapist. It’s also worth remembering that she chose psychology because she wanted to understand people better. So she could manipulate them better, yes, but also because she was a lonely, unloved child who just wanted someone to give a damn about her beyond how useful she was to them. How well she’s managed to get someone like that, well. Success has been somewhat mixed. As stated prior, however, her funeral (whenever it may be) will be attended, and not sparsely, but people who are mourning her, and not what she could do for them. It’s enough. Her philosophy is…complex. Yes, it’s inherently deeply selfish and entirely about what she wants out of people and the world around her. But what those desires are to begin with aren’t necessarily particularly selfish at all. Nobody becomes such an excellent therapist without caring deeply and profoundly about people and wanting them to improve as people. Monique is not an exception here. So she wants people to be the best version of themselves, and gets progressively bitchier the longer and more adamantly they refuse to do it. Yeah, that’s the selfish part. No, nobody gets a choice. They’re going to become better whether they want to or not, and that’s her last word on the subject. Uncooperative patients are the worst. Honestly…
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 The Seventh (Radical Dreamer) Radical Dreamer's original entry What, you thought he’d not be a part of it? Not a chance. The seventh member of the High Table’s name is kept secret. None of them refer to him by name or at all, really. As someone perceptive once said, Dreamer is herding several cats, and sometimes this requires his personal attention. With something as complex and important as the Academy, this is doubly so. Though to tell the truth, he’ s not actually at most High Table meetings. They don’t need him to settle most mundane matters. So when he does show up, it’s either because they were about to be hopelessly deadlocked or it’s extremely important. And before anyone asks, no, none of the other Exiles know the first thing about anything he’s doing or done with the Academy. It’s just another of his many secrets. Background: This is not a lie. It’s…just not the whole truth. His powers activated fairly early on, making one of the rare early bloomers who start at around 9 or 10 years old instead of 13 or 14. Everything with the Exiles happened as it was written. The missing pieces are in how Astra was recruited to the Exiles in the first place, and what happened after the team shattered in the wake of Hummingbird’s death. The first time, you see, Astra wasn’t there. Dreamer found her during that break the same way Blackrose found Cory earlier on. In the process of delving deeply into his powers, he stumbled across someone who broke all the rules of reality he understood. He befriended a lost girl about his own age, and god help him, started using her. A Plus Overdrive retconned reality to its current state. This is why it’s relatively unclear how or why Astra joined the Exiles in the first place. It’s also why Dreamer has had his powers as long as he can remember. More time to look, more time to think, more time to plan. It was a little weird, reality just rippling like that and his memories changing, but it was worth it. See, Dreamer’s main power is still precognition. Every possible future, like pages in a very large book. So yeah,he knows what’s c oming next year. The Year of the Demon. 4 portals to Hell, narrowly stopped by basically the entire supers scene, hero, villain, and tweener alike. The problem is that this is the incident that’s finally way too damn public. Stuff’s been building for a while now. Lord knows the Exiles aren’t the most subtle group in the world. Not that it’s their fault, but John Q. Public isn’t going to care about that. The Demon Lord that almost opened a portal a few years back and was narrowly stopped by the Seawings is on the list too. The Darkest Night, when Vincent Mortelini let go of the chains of Death for a little while, and the dead rose from the their graves around the world and rampaged for several hours? On. The. List. The Dusting, where four BILLION people vanished for a year? Well, there’s no proof that was connected. Nobody’s been dumb enough to claim that one publically. As far as John Q. Public knows, it was a very weird natural disaster that the Icons thankfully managed to undo. Knowing it had been done by a single being would have been disastrous. But it didn’t help. Not at all. Of those four portals, three will be in sufficiently remote areas that they can be written off as not a threat by the general public. The one on the San Francisco waterfront and the violent and destructive fighting that will both precede and ultimately prevent it’s full opening, however, will do significant damage to the city and be staggeringly public. For basically all of modern heroic history, the worst and most intense battles have largely been kept out of the public eye for a very good reason. If the general public had any idea of how bad things could actually get, they would understandably panic. A panicked public demands things be done. These things are not always well thought through or actually helpful. And they’ll turn on their protectors if they object to those things real fast. It may be couched in words like accountability, but it’s ultimately about controlling that which can’t be controlled. It’s a very simple fear, when we get right down to it. The common people want to feel like they’re in charge of their own destinies (for good or ill), and finding out that they’re not and really never were has the potential to go very poorly. The Academy isn’t the only iron Dreamer has to prevent the worse case scenarios, but it’s the strongest and most likely. Meanwhile, in the back of his mind, Dreamer knows that one day this year he’ll meet with Countess. She’ll have no idea who he is, which y’know not so weird. He’s not gone out of his way to be historically important in any of the ways that get remembered. The problem is that she’s never heard ot the Exiles. Not the team nor any of the people on it from Core to Third Gen. She’s heard of NPC Investigations, the Seawings, BLACK (well, Mortelini anyway), the League of Seven (not some of the subordinate groups, but that makes sense), the Strength Revolution, the Icons, and the Borealian friggin’ Vanguard. Hell, she knows about Roth Investigations, which barely exists anymore. But no Exiles. At all. Something is very wrong here, and for once Dreamer doesn’t know why. This is, understandably for him, completely terrifying. Powers & Tactics: Radical Dreamer is, like all but one of the High Table, a Phoenix Mutate. At least, in the most technical sense, anyway. He is a psionic telepath. His Expression Method (so far found to be unique to him) is Precognition. Astra has…altered this, a bit, but the Phoenix Spark is still inside him and he could use Plus Overdrive if he ever saw the need. Astra’s alterations shield him from being detected as a Mutate, made sure his powers activated much younger than even the early bloomers of about 9 or 10 years old, and made them less dependent on his willpower than typical psionics. Otherwise, he’s the same ol’ Dreamer. Personality: No updates here. He’s still just Dreamer. Doing his best to be a hero but forced to behave more shadily to avoid the worst outcomes. A young man of many secrets and lots of stress, just trying to save a world that gets more difficult and complicated daily.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Turks and Caicos Islands Equipment Points Spent: 30 (30 shared) Toughness: +20 Features: Combat Simulator, Communications, Computer, Dock, Fire Prevention System, Garage, Gym, Hangar, Holding Cells, Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Pool, Power System, Security System 2, Workshop Powers: Interplanetary Teleporter (Teleport 14) (2 billion miles as full action; Portal; Limited (to pre established locations), Long-Range; Easy, Progression, Mass (carry 250 lbs)) Resurrection Protocols (Healing 15) (DC 25; Resurrection; Limited (to Resurrection), Limited (to Phoenix Mutates); Persistent, Regrowth) Size: Awesome Totals: Abilities 0 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 19 + Powers 2 + Combat 6 + Saves 3 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 0 ************************ Getting to Venus and Mars was the hard part. After that, with the teleport beacon in place, no big deal. The Resurrection Protocols are a nifty bit of tech that calls the Phoenix Spark to the room it's in, and just, well, makes it do Phoenix things. The Mutate resurrects in a whole new body in blaze of regenerating flames. Haven't used this a lot, but it's good to have. Thanks, Aerialist and Apocrypha. And yes, 2 billion miles is enough to get to Venus and Mars...most of the time. Occasionally they're a little further away. Otherwise, it's almost identical to the real one. Politically, there's no Governor appointed by the British monarch and none of the Islands' services answer to the British government anymore. That's all the High Table's job both individually and collectively. The High Table isn't literally jsut seven people. There's support staff for the six with known names that handle day to day matters. As for everything else, they've really left just about all of it intact, aside from a few new low key corporate HQs, some upgrades for Providenciales International Airport and JAGS McCartney International Airport, and of course the new Academy buildings in Providenciales and Cockburn Town. There may or may not be some emergency facilities in the less inhabited islands.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Academy Space Cruiser (x2) Equipment Points Spent: 90 (90 shared) STR: +20 (50) Toughness: +13 Powers: Light Scattering Systems (Concealment 4) (all visual senses) Radarproof Airframe and Paintjob (Concealment 1) (other sense: Radio; Permanent) Reactive Armor Plating (Impervious Toughness 10) Stealth Ion Engines (Flight 12) (Speed: 50000 mph, 440000 ft./rnd; Subtle (subtle)) Superluminal Drive (Super-Movement 3) (extra ranks 3) Weapons (Array 17) (default power: blast) . . Automatic Blaster Cannon (Blast 10) (Default; DC 25; Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Improved Range 2 (500 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range 2 (max range x5, 5000 feet)) . . Rockets (Blast 10) (Array; DC 25; Burst Area (50 ft. radius - General); Improved Range 2 (500 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range 2 (max range x5, 5000 feet)) Defense: -8, Size: Colossal Totals: Abilities 0 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 0 + Powers 86 + Combat 4 + Saves 0 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 0 ********** Academy VTOL (x2) Equipment Points Spent: 40 (40 shared) STR: +15 (40) Toughness: +11 Features: Ejector Seats, Navigation System 2, Remote Control Powers: High Powered Jet Engines (Flight (Speed: 2500 mph, 22000 ft./rnd) Light Scattering Systems (Concealment 4) (all visual senses) Radarproof Airframe and Paintjob (Concealment 1) (other sense: Radio; Permanent) Reactive Armor Plating (Impervious Toughness 7) Defense: -4, Size: Gargantuan Totals: Abilities 0 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 4 + Powers 33 + Combat 3 + Saves 0 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 0 ********** The Space Cruiser is for missions that take an Academy team out into the wider universe, and the VTOLs are just for jetting around Earth. That's it.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Alpha Team Alpha was the first team for a reason. With the exception of Wilder, they were all relatively well adjusted and friendly teenagers. And even Wilder fit the "bad girl" archetype at first look. No full minorities with only Broyle and Titan being less than lily white. A clean cut, easily acceptable public face of the Academy. If this sounds deeply cynical, remember that Javier has nothing but disdain for virtually all of the human race. While he was genuinely creating a superhero team, he was also creating a tool to better manipulate society towards his end goals. Alpha Team, these days, are the Wrath of God team. Melee power. Ranged power. Tactical genius. Two regenerators. One healer. Facing Alpha in direct combat is, in most cases, an exercise in sheer futility. They can dish it out. They can take it. And do both better than you. It should say a lot that as threatening as Solaria can seem, she’s the least directly dangerous of her team. As such a full scale Alpha deployment most often happens out in the universe somewhere. On Earth it’s a rare thing. It’s more likely that only two or three will go. But when the Academy absolutely, positively, needs to put the smack down, it’s usually Alpha that gets the call.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Pyrox (Rusty Jenkins) Power Level: 15; Power Points Spent: 240/240 STR: +2 (14), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +3 (16), INT: +1 (12), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +3/+18, Fort: +7, Ref: +12, Will: +8 Skills: Bluff 12 (+15), Concentration 13 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 4 (+5), Knowledge (popular culture) 9 (+10), Notice 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged) 4, Dodge Focus, Improved Critical 2 (Flamethrower (Blast 18)), Improved Critical 2 (Ice Bonds (Snare 18)), Power Attack, Precise Shot, Second Chance (Concentration checks to maintain powers), Startle, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Themokinetic Flight (Flight 10) (Speed: 10000 mph, 88000 ft./rnd) Themokinetic Physiology (Container, Passive 5) Fire and Ice Proof (Immunity 20) (common descriptor: Fire/Heat, common descriptor: Cold/Ice) Thermal Vision (Super-Senses 1) (infravision) Thermokinetic Basics (Features 4) (Notes: Pyrox can cool small, hot items instantly by touch, turning boiling water into ice water, for example, or making hot food cold. This also can work in reverse. Heating small, cold items instantly by touch, turning ice water into boiling, or cold foot piping hot. Furthermore, he can alter temperatures in a localized area down one grade from Intense Heat/Cold to normal temperatures or from Extreme Heat/Cold to only Intense. Like he's a portable heater or air conditioning unit. Enclosed and/or insulated spaces may amplify or expand this effect at GM discretion.) Thermokinesis (Array 20) (default power: blast) Controlled Fireball (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Burst Area (45-1125 ft. radius - General), Selective Attack; Progression, Increase Area 4 (area x25)) Fireball (Blast 12) (Array; DC 27; Burst Area (60-1500 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area 4 (area x25)) Flamethrower (Blast 18) (Default; DC 33, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Flamethrower (Blast 18)); Improved Range (450 ft. incr), Precise) Frozen Bindings (Snare 12) (Array; DC 22; Burst Area (60-1500 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area 4 (area x25)) Heatstroke (Fatigue 12) (Array; DC 22; Range (ranged); Accurate 3 (+6), Precise) Ice Bonds (Snare 18) (Array; DC 28, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Ice Bonds (Snare 18)); Improved Range (450 ft. incr), Precise) Ice Shapes (Create Object 18) (Array; Max Size: 18x 100' cubes, DC 28; Duration (continuous); Fades; Progression, Object Size 4) Nova Blast (Strike 15) (Array; DC 30; Burst Area (75-187500 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area 10 (area x2500) Snuff The Flames (Nullify 18) (Array; counters: all powers of (type) - fire/heat, DC 28) Thermokinetic Field (Force Field 15) (+15 Toughness; Impervious) Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +12, Melee: +8, Grapple: +10) Attacks: Controlled Fireball (Blast 9) (DC 24), Fireball (Blast 12) (DC 27), Flamethrower (Blast 18), +12 (DC 33), Frozen Bindings (Snare 12) (DC Ref/Staged 22), Heatstroke (Fatigue 12), +18 (DC Fort 22), Ice Bonds (Snare 18), +12 (DC Ref/Staged 28), Nova Blast (Strike 15) (DC 30), Snuff The Flames (Nullify 18), +12 (DC Will 28), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 17) Defense: +12 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -16 Initiative: +2 Languages: English Native Totals: Abilities 26 + Skills 20 (80 ranks) + Feats 13 + Powers 123 + Combat 38 + Saves 20 + Drawbacks 0 = 240 Age (as of Jan 2019): 26 Height: 5’ 10” Weight: 165 Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Red Eyes: Blue Hometown: Bowling Green, Kentucky Background: Rusty Jenkins was an orphan. His powers didn’t do it. His father disappeared before he was born, and his mother died in a car accident when he was extremely young. Too young to really remember her. Being an orphan in the foster care system is isolating enough on its own. It’s not that people don’t care. It’s that many of the kids either end up with those that don’t care, do but are overwhelmed, or simply get shuffled around before they can make genuine connections. That last one is Rusty’s case. And that’s before his powers activated at age 12 and the fires began. People look at you differently when they think you’re a firebug. Proving it was difficult, though, as he didn’t have access to matches or a lighter. Yet things just kept catching on fire around him. Adding to the trouble was that he didn’t always seem to even notice it had happened, creating an apparent eerie lack of fear regarding flames. The thing that changed this situation is that finally help did not arrive in time and an entire building burned down. The kid was dangerous. Circumstantial evidence would have to do. Except a whole building burning down despite the arsonist in question not having access to any fire making devices was what got the attention of one Carlos Javier. A little selective memory editing (that Rusty will never know anything about) and Javier took him off of the system’s hands neat and tidy. Well, all right. There was a lawyer or two involved, but still. Javier had found his second Special class student. It was...unusual. Autumn was someone who grew up well loved. Rusty...was not. Their earliest interactions were decidedly awkward. Being a student at the Academy was...warm. And not in the "he'd accidentally set something on fire again" sort of way, to be clear. They were all so...nice. Welcoming. It was not something Rusty was equipped to deal with. Indeed, he kind of struggled for a while. Until the equally lost Nick came to the Academy. Don't misunderstand, he gets along great with just about everybody these days. But he only figured out how to do that because he bonded with Nick so hard. It's a shame Best Friends Forever has been labeled exclusively a girl thing, because the label fits them. Platonic Life Partners just doesn't have the same ring to it, and Best Bros has implications of bro-like behavior, which neither engages in. Regardless, with Nick on the scene Alpha Team really got going. Battles and training. Growth and graduation. Pyrox Py-rocked the house. Or so he says, the dork. Then they went to space to help out the Headmaster, and Nick lost his mind. Rusty...doesn't like to talk about it. It was a whole lot of things he didn't understand happening all at once. 2 billion alien people died in a blinding flash as their star did. And in the end, he was about as useful as lipstick on a pig. Like, so was the rest of the team, arguably? Autumn couldn't reach him. He nearly killed Anna with one punch and beat Pietro senseless, which was impressive. Then that ship blew him up enough times that it stuck. The team was just sitting at home in shell shocked mourning when he walked back in the door like all he'd done was broken a window. Rusty, well. Maybe it speaks badly of him, but he was just glad his friend was back and back to normal. The rest didn't really matter. So, the Schism. Look, Rusty didn't and still doesn't care about all that philosophical crap. He had to pick a side, so he picked the one his best friend did. It's not rocket science. A body's got to stay loyal to their friends. It's not that he wasn't good friends with Autumn and Pietro, Nick outranked 'em. Simple as that. He does kind of feel bad about it, but the situation wasn't his fault. Both was not an option on the table. So he picked. Fortunately, that bit of insanity came to an end after a year or so, and they kind of...took over a country and made it theirs. It sounds worse than it is. Didn't really evict anybody, and it's really a lot more "under new management" than "ruthless conquest" but it still makes him a little uncomfortable that they just..did that. And he died like everyone else, came back like everyone else, and fought in the Endgame. That was a fight and a half, yessir. Now? There's nothing going on. He's arguably Alpha's second in command, if that counts. Otherwise he's just taking life as it comes. Though part of him will always be that scared, lonely orphan who didn't know why things kept catching on fire around him. Powers & Tactics: Pyrox is, like most members of the Academy, a Phoenix Mutate. As a Mutate, he is an Thermal Generator with the External Expression Method. This means that he has near absolute control over the temperature of any nearby matter. He can generate fire, ice, or extreme temperatures out of practically nothing, granting a dazzling variety of offensive options. Gouts of fire, tremendous explosions, freezing targets in ice, and great structures of said ice. This may sound somewhat typical, but remember this is at fully powered Phoenix Mutate levels. The gouts of fire melt through even titanium in one shot, the ice is stronger than steel, and even the weakest explosions are like precision artillery fire. Obviously, if he can start fires he can just as easily snuff them out. Additionally, he can fly and protect himself with a force field strong enough to outright ignore missiles and even some battleship cannons. To wrap up, any effects based on extreme temperature, fire, or ice simply have no effect, and he can see into the infrared spectrum. It is, of course, not all sunshine and rainbows. Energy type generators have significant troubles with power bleed, and Pyrox is no exception. Strong and/intense emotions can trigger surges in heat around him roughly equivalent to the strength of the emotions. The air nearby objects, or even people can catch fire from the sudden temperature change, if they're not already burning from the heat alone. Going emotionless isn't an option, either, as the few times he's been that emotionally drained there were cold surges equivalent to the heat ones of strong emotion. So in order not to potentially trigger either effect, he has to keep his emotions both in check yet fully present. A challenging endeavor. Tactically, Pyrox tends to hold back on y'know, burning the battlefield to the ground. He leans pretty hard on the ice effects in his array and Heatstroke to against living opponents. And to be fair, if someone can break loose from a rank 18 Snare they've kind of proved they can survive the burns they're about to get. Against the unliving or Acceptable Targets, however, the world can seem to catch fire as Fireballs and Flamethrowers rain from the sky. Controlled Fireball isn't that strong, but it doesn't destroy buildings so pros and cons. Nova Blast is for when he absolutely positively has to incinerate everything in an absolutely massive radius. 187,500 feet is approximately 35.5 [i]miles[/i]. That's a 71ish mile diameter. A Plus Overdrive will crank that maximum to 42.6 mile radius or 85.2 mile diameter. Of Rank 18 damage. Good ol' Rusty is the Academy member responsible for shattering a world, and Nova Blast is how he did it. He didn't do it for fun. The world was overrun by red insectoid horrors and he and Nick were the last ones out. Alpha Team mission, couple years back. Did not go as well as it could, but it wasn't their fault. One world vs the universe. Easy decision. Anyway. He can Feint, Demoralize, Startle, and Taunt, but not at the Improved level. Accurate, All Out, and Power Attack are on tap for moving caps as needed. And that's kind of...it. He doesn't do anything fancy. As a blaster style Mutate, his list of power stunts is lengthy. Anything a Fire or Cold Controller could do is on the list, but he's also got a few interesting extra tricks. Heat from the sun is arguably what makes wind exist. So he can do some Air Control tricks. Put heat, ice, and wind together and that's kind of weather, so he does have a Weather Control trick or two in his back pocket, too. And bright enough fire or appropriately shiny ice gives him a thing or two from Light Control, too. The lesson is don't underestimate him. Personality: Pyrox is kind of everyone's best friend, you know? Friendly, gregarious, and easygoing. Universally well liked, which cannot be said of every former or current Academy student. This is, of course, a facade put up to keep most people from probing deeper. And it's extremely effective, too. He's really very good at having conversations about nothing of substance or the other person's topics. To most of the Academy, Rusty is nothing more than the good ol' boy who slings major league fire and ice. To those who've taken the time to get to know him, however, he's a bit different. To be clear, he's still a nice, likeable guy. But he's also an intensely private individual. He's the type that after years of friendship, people may suddenly realize they don't know where he lives, what he does for work, or when his birthday is. Because, as previously stated, part of him is still that scared, lonely kid. His powers don't help. He has to keep his emotions under control every second of every day, or someone could burn. He craves connection, but having it is risky to his psyche and the other person's health. It's monstrously unfair. He can't get too angry. Too sad. Too excited. Too happy. Etcetera. Any intense emotion carries the risk of increasing the temperature enough to burn or even lighting the air on fire around him. So he doesn't try to connect with very many people or care all that much about anything. And, frustratingly enough, he can't choose numbness and apathy either. That triggers the cold like strong emotions trigger the fire. He's just...stuck. It's not fun, no sir.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Broyle (Nick Lachlan) Power Level: 15; Power Points Spent: 255/255 STR: +20 (18/50), DEX: +4 (18), CON: +20 (18/50), INT: +4 (18), WIS: +4 (18), CHA: +4 (18) Tough: +20, Fort: +20, Ref: +10, Will: +12 Skills: Bluff 6 (+10), Concentration 6 (+10), Craft (electronic) 1 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 1 (+5), Diplomacy 6 (+10), Gather Information 6 (+10), Knowledge (current events) 1 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 1 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 1 (+5), Knowledge (technology) 1 (+5), Notice 6 (+10), Search 6 (+10), Sense Motive 6 (+10) Feats: Accurate Attack, Dodge Focus 5, Improved Initiative, Interpose, Power Attack, Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Eternal Flame of Destruction & Rebirth (Array 20) (default power: - linked powers -) Flames of Rebirth (Healing 9) (Array; DC 19; Action (standard), Range (ranged), Total; Limited to Others; Persistent, Regrowth) Phoenix Fire Blast (Blast 20) (Array; DC 35) Phoenix Fire Burst (Blast 12) (Array; DC 27; Burst Area (60 ft. radius - General)) Phoenix Might (Linked) Enhanced Strength 32 (Linked; +32 STR) Super-Strength 4 (Linked; +20 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 6.6k tons; +4 STR to some checks) Infinite Rebirth (Container, Passive Immunity 10 (aging, life support) Regeneration 28 (recovery rate (bruised) 3 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (disabled) 8 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (injured) 6 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (staggered) 6 (recover 1 / round without rest), resurrection 5 (20 minutes); Persistent, Regrowth) Movement (Array 10) (default power: flight) Quickness 10 (Alternate; [0 active, 20/20 PP, 1/r], Perform routine tasks at 2500x speed) Speed 10 (Alternate; [0 active, 20/20 PP, 1/r], Speed: 10000 mph, 88000 ft./rnd) Flight 10 (Default; [5 active, 20/20 PP, 2/r], Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd) Super-Strength 10 (Array; [5 active, 20/20 PP, 2/r], +25 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 6.6k tons; +5 STR to some checks) Phoenix Stamina (Enhanced Constitution 32) (+32 CON) Attack Bonus: +10 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +10, Grapple: +30/+39) Attacks: Phoenix Fire Blast (Blast 20), +10 (DC 35), Phoenix Fire Burst (Blast 12) (DC 27), Unarmed Attack, +10 (DC 35) Defense: +10 (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -10 Initiative: +8 Languages: English Native Totals: Abilities 48 + Skills 12 (48 ranks) + Feats 11 + Powers 140 + Combat 30 + Saves 14 + Drawbacks 0 = 255 Age (as of Jan 2019): 26 Height: 6’ 3” Weight: 225 Ethnicity: ½ Caucasian, ½ African American Hair: Dark Brown Eyes: Dark Brown Hometown: Cape St. Claire, Maryland Background: To get it out of the way, yes. This is Nick Phoenix. But this is him before...everything, really. Or at least one version of that guy. He's not the greatest hero of all time and space yet. He's just a not so young anymore man overwhelmed by who he's supposed to be. Seriously, put yourself in his shoes. You're just a small town kid. Nobody with no ambitions to be somebody. And then one night fire rains from the sky and you get superpowers. This guy Javier (who you don't trust as far as you can throw him, and never mind that's a lot further than it used to be) comes by to personally invite you to his Academy. He talks your parents into sending you. So you're kind of superhero in training, ish? It's not how you saw your life going, but people do need help. And Autumn is so pretty and Rusty's a great guy. So you go along with it. Heck, Anna's not so bad and you like Pietro fine. You grow up. You have a great girlfriend and teammates you can rely on. It may not be the life you wanted, but it's a good one. And never mind that suspiciously avian voice in the back of your head. Couldn't possibly be important, nope. You end up going to space to support your Headmaster (you still don't trust him, but you don't know why and all your friends do trust him, so you go along) and that's...surprisingly fine? It's the same superhero stuff that you've been doing, honestly. Just...in space and with aliens and magic and cyborgs. What's not fine is the people who take every available opportunity to whisper sweet promises into your ears if you'll just do X tasks for them. Like, obviously you're not gonna. They're talking murder and thieving and general evildoer stuff, and that's not who you are. But that suspiciously avian voice is all for getting its BURN KILL DESTROY on and honestly would it really be so bad if you indulged, just a little bit? You're always so nice and good to everyone. Don't you just want to go apeshit juuuuust once? Well. About that. It's a spectacularly bad idea. You don't entirely understand the explanation later. Something about how "everyone has a dark side" and "if you don't control the power, the power will control you". And...yeah, you'd been holding back ever since you got your powers. It's not like you want to hurt or scare people, okay? And God, you just want as normal of a life as possible. You don't want to be Nick goddamm Phoenix, greatest hero of all time and space and also, committer of multiple genocides. How is that a hero? How does that work? You're just some small town guy, for the love of God. You don't want this. You don't want any of it. You never did. Why can't God or Fate or whoever just leave you the hell alone? So, you watch as you kill the idiots who tried to manipulate you and all their bodyguards. You watch as you eat a star so hard (mmm, delicious) it explodes into a supernova and erases a planet with billions of lives on it. You watch as you slap your friends around like they have no power at all. It occurs to you that they're trying to stop you, and it's the funniest thing you've heard all year. But you're also about to kill them for it, and that won't do. You may have a different perspective on life at the moment, but they're still your friends. And...and they're right. What are you doing? This superweapon of a ship actually managed to hurt you, which is the new funniest thing you've heard all year. The second shot wasn't so funny, though. The third you could have stopped, but you decided not to. Oblivion claims you...for just a little while. Because of course you're totally immortal. Everyone's been gone for God knows how long. You make your way back to Earth slowly. You spin a lie that's not entirely one, about how you're in better control of your powers now. The apology is entirely genuine. It's not entirely a lie because you allowed all of that to happen. You could have stopped it if you tried. See when you actually did. That's something you get to live with now. Lucky you. But you've also learned what the price is for letting such negative feelings consume you like that. So you go on with the superhero thing, changed but doing your best now. The Schism gives you an important moment to yell at your future self (there returning Lightning to the present) for being a bastard. And the bastard doesn't refute any of it, which is how you know he's you despite his different face. Because you'd have nothing to say about the world you supernova'd if anyone confronted you about it. Because what can you say, when "I'm sorry" is profoundly inadequate and you can't permanently die for your sin? Nothing, that's what. And then the Schism actually happens and Autumn starts talking like Josef Petrovich but sane (and never mind thatshe's been sliding that way for a while, rose colored glasses and all that). You...you can't go with her on this. You love her as much as you thought it was possible to love another person, but...you can't. You never wanted to be some kind of revolutionary. Hell, you're content with helping out where you can. Something breaks between you, and even now you don't know how to fix it. Or even if it can or should be fixed. Because that suspiciously avian voice (the Phoenix, you know that's who it is, but never mind that) has never been entirely quiet since then, but with the Islands getting founded as the Academy's personal nation it's been gradually getting louder. Impatient. Everyone died for a year, and you didn't know why until the Endgame. And you still don't know why your future self let it happen, never imagining that you'd live long enough to forget something like that. You didn't die. You...went and did some light Nick Phoenix stuff here and there, pretending to be dead until everyone came back because the hell else were you going to do after almost everyone you knew died out of nowhere. That appeased the damn bird a little, enough to realize the bird is you and you are the bird. Sort of. The time is coming, far faster than you'd like. The time where you leave the Academy for the last time. When you say the words "Now and forever, we are PHOENIX" and become HIM. You don't want to do it. You've never wanted to do it. But if you don't use the power, the power will use you. That quiet, peaceful life? You can't have it. You never could. And you know, it's not like you hate being a superhero or anything. It's actually a very rewarding experience, for the most part. People need you, all over time and space. There's no one else who can do the things you're going to do. It's not necessarily going to be a bad life, no matter how long it lasts. But you'll always carry with you the desire to stop. Or at least slow down, or take a break for a while. It'll be the root of some of your most awful mistakes. It's a lesson you'll never quite finish learning. That only the bearer of the Phoenix can truly bear the burden of being the multiverse's greatest hero? No. That only Nick Lachlan can do it. Only you, of all the people, human or not, who have ever lived, live now, or ever will live, can do this. That, Dear Readers, is what it's like to be Nick. To stand in his shoes and walk where he's walked. I leave how that feels to you Powers & Tactics: Look, again he's just Nick Phoenix, beta version. Very strong (a maxed out lifting capacity of over 400 thousand tons), quite fast, very resilient, can regenerate rapidly from any injury, and fire off blasts of energy that do extreme damage (Flames of Destruction) or simply heal other people (Flames of Rebirth). The source of this is the same Phoenix. Time is basically irrelevant to it, except when it isn't. The main difference is that he's far less powerful owing more or less entirely to not wanting to be. He's getting there. It's like pulling healthy teeth without anesthetic, but he's getting there. Tactically, Broyle is significantly different than his future self despite having basically identical abilities. Under virtually all circumstances, he can't flash up to the PL X Tiers his future self can. And he has none of the extra tricks that fella uses to at least attempt to avoid combat. Broyle really is a simple combatant. Melee attack. Ranged attack. Ranged area attack. Healing allies. No Feinting or Demoralizing. Just Accurate and Power Attack for modifying damage output. Interpose is there even this early, because he can both take the hits and rapidly recover from them. Takedown Attack is melee fighter's staple. And that's it. He doesn't power stunt at this stage. Personality: For a third time, he's Nick Phoenix, beta version. He is functionally the same guy, just a helluva lot younger. Only one terrible mistake on his ledger instead of more than he'd prefer to think about. No wars, which is...good. The pacifism manifests at this stage as a desire for people to just leave each other the hell alone, himself included, more than an outright dislike or distaste for violence. But the warm, soft, tender heart is the same. Absolutely identical, really. The conflict between the two is what both makes him a genuine hero but also tends to fuel all of his mistakes in one way or another. The twin desires to both be left alone in peace and not be the jerk in any given situation can lead to some genuinely dumbass decisions. See, properly being a superhero does require, sometimes, being a total immovable hardass. Nick is the kind of guy who doesn't want mass murderers to feel bad, but also doesn't want them to, y'know, mass murder. Basically he's taking way too much responsibility for how other people think and feel while simultaneously having his own desires he wants to achieve. It's a giant clusterfuck of completely understandable stupidity. Nothing wrong with being a deeply kind and compassionate person who wishes others could be just as kind and compassionate, but when it's paired with an equally deeply seated desire to be involved as little as possible or not at all, well...you, Dear Reader, can see the conflict that inevitably make Nick fuck up severely and repeatedly, as well as making him the greatest hero of all time and space. Or to put it one last way. Nick isn't opposed to the existence of the GOAT hero. That's excellent. He's not even really all that opposed to being that guy. He's opposed to what it means. The things good, bad, and neutral, that he's going to need to do to earn that title. The way people will look at him while he is and when he does. He never wanted to be special, yet he's stuck becoming the most special guy literally ever. He can't even complain, because then it sounds like he's complaining about all the lives he's going to save and ugh. That's not the problem here. Why does it have to be him specifically? Because there's no one else it could be? Well that's just circular. And annoying. Does he not get a say? Oh he does? Cue significant fuck up, because what part of "only one who can" was unclear? Nick Phoenix proper is a lot more over this nonsense, but it still eats at him and eventually he's going to make another incredibly dumbass decision. No matter how long he lives, he's going to still be learning that he's fundamentally incapable of being Just Some Guy. It's not the invisible hand of Fate. It's not the Phoenix screwing with him. It's Nick himself.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Wilder (Anna-Marie Winston) Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 240/240 STR: +5 (20), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +5 (20), INT: +1 (12), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +10, Fort: +10, Ref: +14, Will: +9 Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 7 (+10), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (history) 9 (+10), Knowledge (streetwise) 4 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 4 (+5), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 4 (+5), Language 4 (+4), Notice 13 (+15), Sense Motive 13 (+15), Stealth 12 (+15), Survival 8 (+10) Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 5, Beginner's Luck, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Startle, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Extruded Metal Weapon (Strike 5)), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Intimidate, Notice, Stealth), Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Academy Operative Uniform (Device 3) (Hard to lose) Integral Grapple Gun (Linked) Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd) Super-Movement 2 (Linked; wall-crawling 2 (full speed)) Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle)) Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 3) (infravision, tracking: Visual 1 (half speed), ultravision) Indestructible Metal Bones (Linked) Immunity 20 (Linked; very common descriptor: Bludgeoning; Limited - Half Effect) Protection 5 (Linked; +5 Toughness) Internal Metal Control (Array 7) (default power: strike) Extruded Metal Weapon (Strike 5) (Default; DC 25, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Extruded Metal Weapon (Strike 5)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Mighty, Variable Descriptor (Narrow group - Bludgeoning/Piercing/Slashing)) Metal Lifting (Super-Strength 7) (Array; +35 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 25.6 tons; +7 STR to some checks) Self Levitation (Flight 6) (Array; Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd; Subtle 2 (unnoticable)) Soviet Regen Treatment (Linked) Immunity 3 (Linked; aging, disease, poison) Regeneration 35 (Linked; ability damage 8 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery bonus 4 (+4 to recover), recovery rate (bruised) 3 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (disabled) 8 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (injured) 6 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (staggered) 6 (recover 1 / round without rest); Persistent, Regrowth) Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +14, Grapple: +19) Attacks: Extruded Metal Weapon (Strike 5), +14 (DC 25), Unarmed Attack, +14 (DC 20) Defense: +14 (Flat-footed: +7), Knockback: -5 Initiative: +7 Languages: English Native, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian Totals: Abilities 38 + Skills 29 (116 ranks) + Feats 23 + Powers 83 + Combat 44 + Saves 23 + Drawbacks 0 = 240 Age (as of Jan 2019): 100 (chrono), 26 (bio) Height: 5’ 3” Weight: 260 (90 from metal bones) Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Dark Brown Eyes: Blue Hometown: Thief River Falls, Minnesota Background: Betsy Hartwell was born in 1919 in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. It's not a big town in 2019 (just short of 9k souls), and it was even smaller then. She was just a small town girl. Nobody, really. Until one day when she was 13. Or rather, one night. Her bones turned from the usual weight (6 pounds or so) in calcium-based structures to over ten times that in some unknown metal. This was, naturally, extremely unusual. She required some physical rehabilitation to get her strong enough to actually move without difficulty. In fact, she was unable to move at all when she woke up that morning. Talk about terrifying. But time moves on, and the unusual becomes normal. She was just the girl with steel bones for some reason. That did kind of shrink her potential dating pool, so she took a government job to get out of Thief River Falls. Secretarial work, but a job was a job. This was 1939. Spring. New York was a hell of a change from home, and that was a fact. Her secretary job lasted until her boss's boss learned about her bones. That was mid-September, after the Nazis had taken Poland. The scientific project would eventually be named Project Blue Liberty (after its arguable two greatest successes) was hard at work even then, and a superpower was a superpower. They trained her in both using her powers (who knew she could move the steel around? Not her.) and general combat. She was restricted to helping take down Nazi Fifth Columnists in the US (and on one memorable occasion, Canada) until December 1941. The 8th, to be precise. The day before lives in infamy, after all. Pearl Harbor changed everything. It was war, now. And with a year of seasoning in superhuman combat, Betsy would do her part. Project Blue Liberty, Pacific edition. The scientific research project transitioned into a special operations group. The genius inventor Human Rocket II. The ageless samurai Jin. The equally ageless Desert (now Pacific) Stranger. And the magnetic Shining Guardian. They were not superheroes. They were military operatives, and they acted accordingly. Key details can mostly be found in the entry for The Shining Guardian. The thing to understand here is that Betsy was there the whole way, being the liaison with the Project itself and the military and government as wholes. After the war and the end of the Project, Betsy was one of the ones who mustered out of government service. At this point, she kind of...disappears from the record. She may have returned to Thief River Falls, but she didn't stay there. The theory among supers historians is that she was among the Project members like Silver Streak, who simply had enough fighting to last a lifetime. Perhaps she even had PTSD from the war. It's just not known. What is known is that not even old allies and friends from the Project days could find her by 1950 (for a pilot program to send the original Pacific Project members to Korea). That's the latest that the Soviets could have nabbed her. The Soviet agent known as Natalia Godunova (the future Icon Shadowspirit) was not the first to receive a certain treatment. It had to be tested first, after all. It is highly likely Betsy Hartwell died screaming in some underground lab as her body overwrote her entire anatomy. Except, as it turned out, her apparently indestructible metal bones. What was left was as close to a blank slate as a human can get. Somehow, she'd been reverted to the instant after her bones had turned to metal at 13 years old. With precisely zero memories in her head. Not one to waste an opportunity like that, the Soviets happily accepted their good fortune and made her their new untraceable super agent. Between outings, she was cryogenically frozen to preserve her longevity. Because while "Natalia" had to be discharged after the Treaty of Havana in 1963, this was because she was publicly known as a Soviet operative. The former Betsy (they did not give her any name) was not. This state of affairs lasted right up until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. At which point her papers were conveniently lost, and she stayed in cryogenic stasis for over a decade. Until Javier and his contacts traced a certain unstoppable Soviet operative to a lonely, forgotten lab deep in Russia's northern wilderness. Above the Arctic Circle, a young girl awoke for the first time in years. A kind man gave her a name, after suppressing intense rage when discovering she didn't have one. And Anna-Marie Winston, alias Wilder, joined the Javier Academy. It may sound like a poor idea, putting a mentally unstable teenage girl into a superhero team. But Javier was insistent that she was a person, not a weapon, and deserved to be treated as such. This may initially seem contradictory. Person, not a weapon, but sending her into combat situations? Well first, it was as a member of a team. Four other students training alongside her to operate as a smoothly functioning unit. Second, operating as a superhero. Special operations missions, yes, but the central methodology was inverted. She wasn't being sent alone to kill someone and anyone who got in her way. She was being sent with four other people (plus initially Eagle Eye as Staff Advisor) to accomplish specific objectives that did not involve killing anyone. There were some missteps and mistakes along the way, but Anna would have lost the little mind she had being cooped up in one location and given nothing to do. The structure of training and regular missions kept her mostly balanced while the content of both plus semi-regular counseling sessions with both Javier and Monique helped her learn how to be a complete person. That's probably cold comfort to the families of the people killed on the not nearly rare enough for anyone's liking occasions when she reverted to Murder Machine Mode under extreme stress. It certainly is for Anna. Regardless, by graduation this was basically a solved problem. She could "go berserk", so to speak, if she needed to, and pull herself out of the state just as easily. The only reason she might snap at this point would be if someone deliberately screwed with her mind. This was good, because holy shit outer space time. People screwing with Javier. People screwing with Nick. Uncool. That's been recounted elsewhere. The main thing to take away from the whole scenario is just how indestructible her bones seem to be. Out of control Nick punched her in the chest with enough force to cause an earthquake. On the other side of the planet they were on. Anna did not do any more fighting that day, understandably, especially because her sudden flight was interrupted by a mountain. Which kind of...broke...when she hit it. Needless to say, her flesh took some deeply unpleasant to all senses damage from this, and she nearly died. But her bones not only didn't break, there wasn't a mark on them. So she had that going for her. She was not involved in the rest of the incident. She got dug out the mountain by a corpse retrieval team who was very surprised she wasn't dead. After that, things went back to the Academy's off kilter definition of normal until Lightning came back from the past and kicked off the Schism. The expected answers for why she abandoned Solaria and Javier for Lightning's side are what she said at the time. She'd never quite gotten along with Autumn. Stick up the ass, says Anna. Undisciplined, says Autumn. Your basic personality clash. For Javier she said some stuff about feeling betrayed and whatever. But really, she kind of expected better of both of them. She'd spent the past eight years under their leadership, learning and then practicing superheroism. And now she finds out they're just not that into it? Really? Javier always was a bit of a manipulative dick, even if he used it for the common good. Or pretended to, at least. But Solaria? What's that stick up her ass made of? Crystalized optimism? Some things just can't be helped if you don't want to walk a long, bloody road. And heroes? The real deal? That's a road they refuse to set foot on. Easy as that. And if Anna was being honest? That's not a road she ever wanted to see her noble leader even think about walking, let alone start. The Schism ended. The Academy took over the Turks and Caicos Islands. And Anna decided. If Autumn was hellbent on walking that long bloody road, it would be the least Anna could do to shield her from the worst of it (by shedding that blood with her own hands), and keep her on course. Thus Alpha's most distant member was the one to reassemble the team. The team's killer paradoxically also being the conscience. One last thing. Yes, Anna turned to dust and blew away and returned just in time for the Endgame, like every Phoenix Mutate at the Academy. The twist is twofold. Not only did literal cosmic power fail to destroy or even damage her bones once again (leaving them in a relatively neat pile after she was gone), but the regen treatment stretched itself beyond the limit in its failed attempt to heal her being Dusted. When she did return, (bones reassembling in their correct locations like magic) Anna-Marie Winston remembered being Betsy Hartwell. Or was it that Betsy Hartwell who had returned and remembered years of being Anna-Marie Winston? She's not really too sure, and it might be kind of both. To be clear, absolutely nobody still alive (not even Javier) knows that Betsy Hartwell and Anna-Marie Winston are in fact the same person. Hell, until the Dusting was undone the woman herself didn't know. So, that's what she's dealing with as 2019 dawns. Powers & Tactics: Wilder is, like most members of the Academy, a Phoenix Mutate. Additionally, she has a mutant power and one technological device. As a Mutate, she is an Metal Controller with the Internal Expression Method. This means that she has a certain amount of metal in her body that she can freely manipulate. In her case, this metal is of only one apparently completely indestructible type and is serving as her entire skeletal structure. However, there is a certain amount of excess that she can extrude through her flesh. Initially (through a lack of imagination), this was only slashing blades and they cut their way out, resulting in wounds equivalent to their size. Naturally, Betsy Hartwell did this only in extreme circumstances, as she lacked the regenerative speed of the nameless Soviet super operative who became Anna-Marie Winston. Anna herself, with Academy training, can both create any type of physical melee weapon and extruding them causes no harm to her body. Furthermore, she can haul herself through the air by her bones. Manipulation includes movement, and there ain't no rule that says her very attached flesh can't come along. Betsy could do this as well, but with her lesser expertise it was painful and distracting. What Betsy never learned to do was simulate superhuman strength via a similar method. In this case, it's technically Anna's power over her metal bones doing the work, not her muscles, but the result is functionally the same. To be clear, her top flight speed is below the speed of sound and her maximum lifting capacity is approximately 50 tons. And as yet she cannot fly, use superhuman strength, or extrude weapons at the same time. The bones themselves, merely by existing, significantly improve her physical resilience, especially against blunt force. This in total may seem a little...underwhelming for the storied power of a Phoenix Mutate, but it's important to remember that Anna is by no means expert in the use of her Mutate powers. Her life experiences and pre-Academy training have shaped her into a relatively blunt instrument of violence. Betsy Hartwell with Academy training would likely be very different. For example, part of what transmits sound from the eardrum to sensory nerves are bones. Hearing enhancements are no doubt possible. Protective shields could be extruded as easily as weaponry. And remember that she cannot use flight, strength, and weapons simultaneously. Anna is not using her powers to their fullest capacity in the least. Seriously, that metal is indestructible. It's been rigorously tested on extruded weapons. If it has a melting point, it's significantly higher than that of tungsten. If it has a shatter frequency, it can't be found. Etc. Ad nauseam. (The point of the tests was to figure out what to avoid and any possible repair methods if natural healing didn't work. Don't need to know, apparently!) Anna's mutant power is the same as the late Shadowspirit. Earlier version, yes, but functions almost identically. The "almost" is the part where it reverted a grown woman of about 30 to 13 years old and also completely wiped her brain clean of apparently all information stored in it beyond basic human stuff like "how to eat" and "how to walk". It's not clear if talking was on that list because Betsy didn't speak Russian to begin with, so the future Anna had to be taught it regardless. Short version, for those not following the link. She recovers at warp speed from all possible forms of injury and/or damage. Including the types that result from exercise (muscle grows in response to being stressed beyond its current capacity and suffering minor damage) and in part cause aging (go check a Biology textbook, it's complicated). As an additional result, she's functionally immune all mundane diseases and poisons. She can still technically get drunk or sick, it's that she recovers so fast that it takes a staggering amount of extremely potent liquor or an illness that would kill almost anyone else to have any effect. And even then said effect doesn't last particularly long. Her device is far simpler than any of that. The Academy Operative Uniform skips the concealed armor some have, as she doesn't need it. It does, however, still have the grapple gun to get up walls, the encrypted radio with 20 mile range, and the goggles that broaden visual range into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums. Wilder's set also includes a tracking function. She lacks Solaria's visual distance as well as the flight speed of Pyrox and Broyle, so she added her own way to "keep up". Also extremely useful for finding foes who have managed to evade that trio. Titan is many things, but finder of foes isn't one of them. Not his job, really. Tactically, Wilder is pretty exclusively a melee fighter with her Extruded Metal Weapons. She does avoid using them on garden variety thuggery, but honestly Alpha isn't up against those very often. She has Improved Acrobatic Bluff and Improved Startle for stripping out Dodge Bonuses, and Improved Demoralize for decreasing resistance. She has all four cap shifting feats. Accurate, All Out, Defensive, and Power Attack. Great versatility there, even as someone defense shifted she has no reason to be afraid of taking damage from All Out Attack thanks to her Regeneration. So she can play it reckless or safe in equal measure, depending on the situation. With Integral Grapple Gun and Self Levitation, she can reposition with ease. She's the rare melee fighter with Improved Aim, so don't under estimate how useful it could be for a Stealthy first strike. And there's Takedown Attack 2 for mowing through minions like it'll be banned tomorrow. She doesn't actually have any power stunts due to the aforementioned lack of expertise in her Mutate powers. Ah, but to be clear. She is the killer in Alpha. Alpha is really the only team that has one, barring Josef's original crew, but still. If there's lethal damage to intentionally be done on an Alpha mission, she's the one doing it. Personality: Betsy Hartwell was friendly, optimistic, and hardworking. A real Rosie The Riveter type. An easily likeable small town girl. It would be fair to say that she didn't really have big dreams. A good job and a good boyfriend made for a good life, especially if they could get married. Small town girl, small town dreams. Nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, the war did a number on her. Both the Atlantic and Pacific fronts got savage, especially as the war went on and the Axis got increasingly desperate. But Germans surrendered a hell of a lot more often than the Japanese ever did. Jin, The Stranger and The Shining Guardian didn't bat an eyelash at all the killing, and even the second Human Rocket eventually sighed and shrugged it off as the cost of winning the war. But Betsy never quite managed to get even that far. The woman the Soviets nabbed and functionally killed with their treatment was a shadow of who she had been. Anna-Marie Winston started as a twitchy and ill-tempered girl. Social interaction was, understandably a foreign concept. But with practice and plenty of therapy from both Javier and Monique, she's actually a functional adult in basically every respect. No, she's not the nicest person in the world. But purposefully mean she normally is not. Just a little...grumpy and gruff, with little patience for adult nonsense. She's actually quite nice to children. Though her alcohol consumption and love of combat would be genuinely alarming in someone without her Soviet granted powers. A firm tomboy, yessir. Indeed, everything was going quite well for her...until she remembered Betsy. Or Betsy suddenly had all of her memories. Look, it's confusing as hell. The memories of her murderous Soviet super operative days popping up too? So not helping. She'll...figure it out eventually. Monique will help. She did before.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Titan (Pietro Cole) Power Level: 15; Power Points Spent: 240/240 STR: +20 (20/50), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +20 (20/50), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +20, Fort: +20, Ref: +10, Will: +10 Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+5), Concentration 13 (+15), Diplomacy 12 (+15), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (civics) 8 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 8 (+10), Language 1 (+1), Notice 8 (+10), Perform (oratory) 7 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 5, Dodge Focus 5, Equipment 1, Improved Initiative, Interpose, Power Attack, Startle, Stunning Attack, Takedown Attack 2, Ultimate Effort 2 (Strength checks, Toughness saves), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Titan Shift (Alternate Form 25) Immutable Form (Alternate Form) (Powers: Immutable (Immunity 15), Immutable Durability (Impervious Toughness 15), Immutable Stamina (Enhanced Constitution 30), Immutable Strength (Enhanced Strength 30), Immutable Tricks (Array 15), Feats: Ultimate Effort 2 (Strength checks, Toughness saves)) Immutable (Immunity 15) (alteration effects, custom: Trait Effects 10) Immutable Durability (Impervious Toughness 15) Immutable Stamina (Enhanced Constitution 30) (+30 CON) Immutable Strength (Enhanced Strength 30) (+30 STR) Immutable Tricks (Array 15) (default power: super-strength) Countering Punch (Nullify 15) (Array; counters: all powers, DC 25; Effortless; Limited (Countering Effects That Can Affect Titan), Range (touch)) Immutable Invulernability (Immunity 80) (Array; lethal energy damage, lethal physical damage, nonlethal energy damage, nonlethal physical damage; Duration (continuous); Distracting, Duration (sustained), Limited - Half Effect) Immutable Might (Super-Strength 15) (Default; +75 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 419.4k tons; +15 STR to some checks) Shockwave (Strike 15) (Array; DC 30; Cone Area (150 ft. cone - General)) Equipment: Commlink, Flash Goggles Attack Bonus: +5 (Ranged: +5, Melee: +10, Grapple: +30/+45) Attacks: Countering Punch (Nullify 15), +10 (DC Will 25), Shockwave (Strike 15) (DC 30), Unarmed Attack, +10 (DC 35) Defense: +10 (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -17 Initiative: +6 Languages: English Native, Latin Totals: Abilities 38 + Skills 20 (80 ranks) + Feats 21 + Powers 125 + Combat 20 + Saves 16 + Drawbacks 0 = 240 Age (as of Jan 2019): 26 Height: 6’ 6” (untransformed), 7’ (Immutable Form) Weight: 280 (untransformed), 320 (Immutable Form) Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Black Eyes: Brown Hometown: Atlantic City, New Jersey Background: The tale of Pietro Cole is that of a young man who refused to be his father so hard he almost went too far in the other direction and became him anyway. Fortunately, he course corrected in time, thanks to a number of factors. You see, Pietro's father is Russian Mafiya. To be clear, Anatoly Sidorov (Pietro has his mother's surname) at no point had any custody of his son. He did, however, have unsupervised visitation rights and paid child support promptly. It was extremely isolating. Everyone knew his father was a gangster and a garbage human. Proving it legally was another, far more personally dangerous matter. And his father's people were quite racist and unkind. It wasn't an absolute isolation, of course. His mother was lovely. There were some teachers. A friend or two who looked past "Mafiya gangster's son". And most importantly, a priest at the local church. Father Micah. Just enough to make it infuriating instead of traumatic. But large boys with obvious African ancestry aren't allowed to be visibly angry without scaring people in these United States. So he had to simmer instead of blaze, lest his life become a cautionary tale. He took solace in faith. This, of course, was something his father refused to allow. Anatoly wanted a successor, not a choirboy. He wanted a son who hurt people out of malice and sadism. Pietro threaded that challenging needle as a child just fine. As his teen years began was another matter. His powers awakened. He had no trouble controlling them. He did have trouble not deploying them to simply end Anatoly and his entire crew. Harrassment of his mother. His teachers. His few friends. Little bits of petty violence. He threatened his father transformed, and the man only grinned. Anatoly knew his boy was in there somewhere. Then the man took it too far. Father Micah was savagely beaten. Though of course, nobody saw or knew anything. What Pietro did next was as much about his simmering rage as protecting those important to him. The local Mafiya had a base of operations. He transformed, walked in, took everything remotely resembling records, and walked out. The fact that the building collapsed behind him was, he said, surely because of its terrible construction and materials. He, as a dutiful and compassionate Christian, aided in the rescue of the people buried in the rubble. The fact that most of them had been attempting to violently assault or restrain him scant minutes prior had no bearing on his duty. And if some of them had more broken bones than the building collapse could have caused, that was an odd coincidence he knew nothing about. He took his collection of record-looking items not to the local police, but to the local FBI office. A few agents were in the lobby, so he left it with the security at the front desk after a short but clearly audible explanation. Then he found a spot to revert and went home. This...kind of kicked off an absolutely enormous shitshow of arrests, prosecutions, and Mafiya retaliation that would keep Anatoly Sidorov very busy for a long time. Success, right? Well, no. Anatoly was bursting with pride in his boy. And he didn't need to lift a finger for the clever folks at the FBI to figure out exactly who the unknown person who had dropped off that evidence was and who had literally leveled a multistory building to get it. That's illegal too, Pietro. Seriously ungood. However. Carlos Javier is quite the smooth talker and has nigh infinite money for extremely good lawyers. He was also paying attention through his various contacts for the signs of a Phoenix Mutate. A teenager who could level a building with his bare hands while ignoring gunfire and really anything man portable was definitely one. So, he poked his nose in, worked his magic, and brought Pietro Cole to the Academy. It was either that or be left to the not entirely tender mercies of the New Jersey legal system. Life at the Academy was...fine, actually? Autumn, Rusty, and Nick were good people. Anna...was a work in progress, but even Pietro could see she was trying. And in their missions, he found his calling. It wasn't really any different than what he had done at home. Protecting people. Stopping those with wicked and/or malicious intentions from carrying them out. He was a superhero, and it was pretty great. Then they graduated, and had to help the Headmaster out in space. No big deal. More of the same, really. The opposition simply had access to better tech and more magic. There was even a lovely young woman who thought the world of Pietro to spend time with. The problem was that Nick lost himself in the process. It was...hard. Nobody had made him feel more welcome or accepted at the Academy than Nick. And he could stand up to Pietro in a fistfight, which was useful to work out some of the remaining rage from his childhood. He tried to stop Nick. He really tried. Even used Plus Overdrive. It just...wasn't enough. Nick simply beat him senseless, absorbing tremendous answering blows like it was nothing. He knows what happened after from Autumn and Rusty. Sigh. Well, at least Nick knows what not to do now. Because there is no meaningful consequence that can be inflicted on someone who can neither age nor permanently die. Not that Pietro wants to inflict one, of course. He forgave Nick as soon as he reappeared, looking like a kicked puppy. The above is more about the families and friends of the 2 billion people killed in the supernova Nick caused, who Pietro does not put his desires above. At any rate, the Schism happened. Pietro stayed with Solaria for reasons that should be obvious by now. While he didn't quite agree with her rhetoric, he did agree that the good work they were doing should continue. He understood Lightning's points very well. But the approach to combatting malice, wickedness, and evil could not be so rigid. A good man should not be afraid to face it where it was. Not where he wished it was or where it was more convenient for it to be. Needless to say, Pietro was approaching the subject from a religious perspective, and not a legal one. He did not answer to Lightning for his conduct. Nor did he answer to Solaria, Javier, or even Josef. He answered to the Lord God Almighty. Pietro said this kindly but firmly, in such a way that none, not even brash with anger Lightning, could reasonably object. But, of course, that situation only lasted a year. They moved to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The good work has continued, only interrupted by the Dusting. Prior to that, however, there was a small problem. Alpha went to space on a mission, and Pietro was fortunate enough to meet that lovely young woman from years ago again. And her son. Pietro's son. Her name was Kazimira, and she was human, not Nobellian. The ears were an affectation and she was naturally quite slim. Thus she was able to have children with other humans when Nobellians could not without technological and/or magical assistance. Ah, youthful indiscretions. Kazimira was happy to come to Earth with him and young Vytenis. So, post Endgame, Pietro is raising a son with a wife who is, to his slight horror, a couple of years younger than him. And on top of that is seeking to be ordained as a minister. Powers & Tactics: Titan is, like most members of the Academy, a Phoenix Mutate. As a Mutate, he is a subset of Molecular Controller called Immutablity Controller, with the Internal Expression Method. This means that he can make his body extremely resistant to any form of change. Including damage. He's packaged this into the alternate shapeshifted form Molecular Controllers are known for. In this form, he grows 6 inches and gains 40 pounds. His skin turns a glossy black, and his eyes disappear into glowing yellow sockets. A funny little side effect of making himself fantastically resilient to all forms of damage and other changes to his molecular structure is granting said structure equally fantastic strength. So he's a powerhouse among powerhouses and a brick among bricks. His lifting capacity tops out north of 800 thousand tons. That's Tex Austin and Megagirl territory. So he's, uh, pretty strong. He can additionally rechannel that strength in multiple other ways. Dramatically higher damage resistance is one, and considering it already requires the main gun of a battleship to even potentially harm him, this can make him seem completely invincible. This does make him significantly easier to hit, but that is mostly irrelevant. Instead of tanking that giant shell, he could punch it out of existence. This "countering fist" weaponizes his immutablity to literally punch any effect that could possibly affect him away. It's pretty cool to watch, actually, because physics as generally understood says that's outright impossible. And yet it works. The last regular trick in his arsenal is a surprisingly normal move for a powerhouse/brick type. He claps his hands together with tremendous force, creating a devastating cone shaped shockwave in front of him. Tactically, Titan is a pure melee fighter. Nothing he does can be done at range without picking up something and throwing it. Shockwave is for groups. Countering Fist is usually for Area effects he knows are coming, especially if allies are in range of the attack. Otherwise he has Immutable Invulnerability up most of the time in combat. Out of combat, Immutable Might is still the base. Never know when that much strength is needed. Accurate Attack is his go to move, enough that him not using it can be perceived as him Power Attacking, which he can also do. All Out Attack is also available, and is a mean thing to do with Immutable Invulnerability active. He can Startle and Demoralize regularly if needed. Interpose lets him step between someone like Solaria or an un Force Fielded Pyrox and soak damage that they can't. He can even save Wilder some regenerating. Stunning Attack let's him swing full force without potentially killing his target, which is good. Takedown Attack 2 is blowing through minions. Leaving Ultimate Strength & Toughness for when he needs to be just about the strongest or soak indescribably powerful attacks. He does have a handful of power stunts, but they're the usual powerhouse/brick stuff. Tripping. Deafening. Etc. They're all likely rank 15, too, and the appropriate type of area such as Burst, Cone, or Line. Personality: Titan is a genuinely kind and gentle giant of a man. He is always willing to lend an ear to the troubled or give advice upon request. He is quiet, doesn't express his emotions strongly, and can say more with a few words than most do with a conversational barrage. In fact, if not for his sheer size, he'd be by far the easiest member of Alpha to lose track of or miss when looking around. He is a man of strong and vigilant faith. Diligent, humble, and hardworking. This is genuinely who he is, without artifice. A solid, dependable, and kind man of faith. The rock on which Alpha was built around and many at the Academy rely on.This is, in many ways, kind of the problem with him. It was alluded to above, but he is not a man who can be swayed from his course once he has decided it. He will, at no point, be rude or lose his temper about it. However, he is as immovable in this regard as he is in being the quality of man he is. He is answerable and accountable only to the Almighty. Prior to that decision, however, he is completely reasonable. He'll weigh all sides, come to a decision, and carry it out. Come hell or high water. There is a line where he'll reconsider, of course, but it's never merely because someone said to. He doesn't worry about what people think or what they say. Because again, he is neither answerable nor accountable to any one person.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Beta Team If Alpha is the relatively well adjusted public face of the original Academy teams, then Beta is a looser collection of anti-social freaks and outcasts. Less directly powerful in combat as a whole (with no disrespect towards leader Lightning or Charger) but capable of taking on missions requiring a subtler touch. The dynamic is quite different, as well. Alpha runs on Solaria's tactical leadership skills. Some small degree of micromanagement is to be expected. Lightning is far more hands off. He knows he has capable people and expects them to do their jobs well without his interference. It's a flexible, balanced squad so this generally works. Lightning and Charger bring the power. Erased and Sureshot are stealthy. Erased is also on tech, and Cinder is extremely versatile depending on what people are nearby. To be clear, they didn't and don't get along with each other perfectly like Alpha did pre-Schism and like Alpha and Gamma mostly do now. Lightning and Charger take shots at each other. Cinder and Sureshot bicker. Erased catches strays while miserably failing to meditate. From the outside, it's easy to wonder how Beta functions at all. Then it's mission time, all five lock in, and it makes sense. Their personalities may not mesh well at times, but damn do they work well together.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Erased (Vernon Chase) Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 240/240 STR: +3 (16), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +5 (20), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +0 (10) Tough: +3/+9, Fort: +7, Ref: +14, Will: +9 Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Computers 10 (+15), Concentration 12 (+15), Craft (electronic) 10 (+15), Craft (mechanical) 10 (+15), Gather Information 10 (+10), Knowledge (earth sciences) 5 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 5 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 10 (+15), Knowledge (technology) 10 (+15), Language 7 (+7), Medicine 7 (+10), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 12 (+15) Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (melee) 5, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Dodge Focus 5, Elusive Target, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Armor Piercing (Strike 5)), Improved Critical 2 (Internal Damage (Strike 5)), Improved Initiative, Improved Trick, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Second Chance (Concentration checks to maintain powers), Skill Mastery (Computers, Craft (elec & mech), Stealth), Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Academy Operative Uniform (Device 3) (Hard to lose) Concealed Body Armor (Protection 5) (+5 Toughness; Subtle (subtle)) Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle)) Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision) Air Walking (Flight 2) (Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd; Limited (Must be Incorporeal), Platform) Erased From Senses (Concealment 10) (all senses) Erased From The Corporeal (Insubstantial 4) (Incorporeal) Incorporeal Touch (Array 13) (default power: strike) Armor Piercing (Strike 5) (Default; DC 23, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Armor Piercing (Strike 5)); Affects Corporeal [3 extra ranks], Penetrating [3 extra ranks]; Accurate 2 (+4), Mighty) Internal Damage (Strike 5) (Array; DC 23, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Internal Damage (Strike 5)); Affects Corporeal [3 extra ranks], Alternate Save (Fortitude) [3 extra ranks]; Accurate 2 (+4), Mighty) Neurological Disruption (Stun (Array; DC 18; Affects Corporeal; Accurate 2 (+4)) Pull Attire Into Walls/Floor/Objects (Snare (Array; DC 18; Affects Corporeal, Secondary Effect; Range (touch); Accurate 2 (+4)) Utility Belt (Gadgets 1) Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +7, Melee: +12, Grapple: +15) Attacks: Armor Piercing (Strike 5), +16 (DC 23), Internal Damage (Strike 5), +16 (DC Fort 23), Neurological Disruption (Stun 8), +16 (DC Fort/Staged 18), Pull Attire Into Walls/Floor/Objects (Snare 8), +16 (DC Ref/Staged 18), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 18) Defense: +14 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -4 Initiative: +7 Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, French, Japanese, Neo-Nobellian, Russian, Spanish Totals: Abilities 34 + Skills 36 (144 ranks) + Feats 28 + Powers 89 + Combat 32 + Saves 21 + Drawbacks 0 = 240 Age (as of Jan 2019): 26 Height: 5’ 9” Weight: 165 Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Sandy Brown Eyes: Hazel Hometown: Toledo, Ohio Background: Powers & Tactics: Personality:
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Cinder (Phoenix Ramsay) Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 240/240 STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +3/+9, Fort: +7, Ref: +14, Will: +12 Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 7 (+10), Computers 3 (+5), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Disable Device 3 (+5), Disguise 2 (+5), Drive 2 (+5), Escape Artist 2 (+5), Gather Information 12 (+15), Intimidate 2 (+5), Investigate 3 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 8 (+10), Language 2 (+2), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Pilot 2 (+5), Search 3 (+5), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Sleight of Hand 2 (+5), Stealth 12 (+15), Survival 2 (+5) Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (melee) 2, Attack Specialization (Martial Arts (Strike 2)), Beginner's Luck, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Defensive Roll, Dodge Focus, Improved Initiative, Improved Trick, Jack-of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth), Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Academy Operative Uniform (Device 4) (Hard to lose) Concealed Body Armor (Protection 5) (+5 Toughness; Subtle (subtle)) Integral Grapple Gun (Linked) Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd) Super-Movement 2 (Linked; wall-crawling 2 (full speed)) Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle)) Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision) Blaster Rifle (Device 4) (Easy to lose) Blaster Rifle Shot (Blast (DC 23; Accurate 3 (+6), Precise) Martial Arts (Strike 2) (DC 19; Mighty) Mental Mimicry (Mental Duplication 12) (DC 22; Linked (Mind Burn Touch (Array 12))) Mind Burn Touch (Array 12) (default power: strike; Linked (Mental Mimicry (Mental Duplication 12))) Mind Scorch (Stun 12) (Array; DC 22; Alternate Save (Will)) Mind Sicken (Nauseate 12) (Array; DC 22; Alternate Save (Will)) Mind Wither (Drain 12) (Array; drains: all traits of type - ability scores, DC 22; Alternate Save (Will); Limited (to Mental Ability Scores)) Mindsear (Strike 12) (Default; DC 27; Alternate Save (Will)) Attack Bonus: +10 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +12, Grapple: +14) Attacks: Blaster Rifle Shot (Blast 8), +16 (DC 23), Martial Arts (Strike 2), +14 (DC 19), Mind Scorch (Stun 12), +12 (DC Staged/Will 22), Mind Sicken (Nauseate 12), +12 (DC Staged/Will 22), Mind Wither (Drain 12), +12 (DC Staged/Will 22), Mindsear (Strike 12), +12 (DC Will 27), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 17) Defense: +14 (Flat-footed: +7), Knockback: -4 Initiative: +7 Languages: English Native, Hebrew, Spanish Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 28 (112 ranks) + Feats 16 + Powers 94 + Combat 46 + Saves 24 + Drawbacks 0 = 240 Age (as of Jan 2019): 26 Height: 5’ 8” Weight: 135 Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Red Eyes: Blue Hometown: Providence, Rhode Island Background: Powers & Tactics: Personality:
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Charger (Jason Montanez) Power Level: 13; Power Points Spent: 240/240 STR: +15 (20/40), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +15 (20/40), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +15, Fort: +15, Ref: +11, Will: +10 Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 7 (+10), Craft (artistic) 13 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 12 (+15), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (art) 13 (+15), Knowledge (streetwise) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Language 1 (+1), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15) Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 2, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Improved Pin, Improved Sunder, Improved Throw, Improved Trick, Improved Trip, Interpose, Power Attack, Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Ultimate Effort (Toughness checks) Powers: Academy Operative Uniform (Device 2) (Hard to lose) Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle)) Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 3) (infravision, time sense, ultravision) Charging Up (Container, Active 15) (Duration (continuous)) Charged Durability (Impervious Toughness Charged Leaping (Leaping 3) (Jumping distance: x10) Charged Might (Super-Strength 6) (+30 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 204.8 tons; +6 STR to some checks) Charged Recovery (Regeneration 4) (recovery rate (bruised) 1 (recover 1 / round), recovery rate (disabled) 1 (recover 1 / 5 hours), recovery rate (injured) 1 (recover 1 / 20 mins), recovery rate (staggered) 1 (recover 1 / 20 mins); Persistent, Regrowth) Charged Running (Speed 6) (Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd) Charged Stamina (Enhanced Constitution 20) (+20 CON) Charged Strength (Enhanced Strength 20) (+20 STR) Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +11, Grapple: +26/+32) Attacks: Unarmed Attack, +11 (DC 30) Defense: +11 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -11 Initiative: +7 Languages: English Native, Spanish Totals: Abilities 42 + Skills 28 (112 ranks) + Feats 17 + Powers 98 + Combat 40 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 240 Age (as of Jan 2019): 26 Height: 6’ 4” Weight: 255 Ethnicity: Hispanic Hair: Brown (shaves head) Eyes: Dark Brown Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona Background: Powers & Tactics: Personality:
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Sureshot (Rachel Harris) Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 240/240 STR: +3 (16), DEX: +5 (20), CON: +3 (16), INT: +4 (18), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +0 (10) Tough: +3/+7, Fort: +7, Ref: +15, Will: +11 Skills: Acrobatics 15 (+20), Diplomacy 5 (+5), Gather Information 10 (+10), Knowledge (current events) 1 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 1 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 6 (+10), Knowledge (tactics) 6 (+10), Language 7 (+7), Notice 15 (+20), Search 4 (+8/+20), Sense Motive 15 (+20), Stealth 15 (+20) Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Assessment, Attack Focus (ranged) 4, Attack Specialization 2 (Martial Arts (Strike 3)), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Defensive Attack, Elusive Target, Evasion 2, Grappling Finesse, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Bowshot (Blast 3)), Improved Critical 2 (Martial Arts (Strike 3)), Improved Initiative, Improved Ranged Disarm, Improved Throw, Improved Trick, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Precise Shot 2, Quick Draw, Redirect, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth), Stunning Attack, Takedown Attack 2, Teamwork 3, Ultimate Effort (Aim), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Academy Operative Uniform (Device 4) (Hard to lose) Concealed Body Armor (Protection 4) (+4 Toughness; Subtle (subtle)) Integral Grapple Gun (Linked) Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd) Super-Movement 3 (Linked; slow fall, wall-crawling 2 (full speed)) Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio) Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision) Attack Supremacy (Probability Control 1) (Minimum Result: 1; Limited (to Attack Rolls)) Compound Bow (Device 5) (Easy to lose; Subtle (subtle)) Bowshot (Blast 3) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Bowshot (Blast 3)); Penetrating [3 extra ranks]; Improved Range 3 (300 ft. incr), Mighty 3 (+3 to damage), Progression, Increase Range 3 (max range x10, 3000 feet), Subtle 2 (unnoticable)) Martial Arts (Strike 3) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Martial Arts (Strike 3)); Mighty) Sure Sight (Container, Passive 5) Know Where To Look (Linked) Enhanced Trait 3 (Linked; Traits: Search +12 (+20)) Quickness 6 (Linked; Perform routine tasks at 100x speed; One Task (Search checks)) Past and Future (Super-Senses (postcognition, precognition; Limited (to Visual), Limited (to 30 minutes away from the present)) Temporal Vision (Super-Senses 17) (extended (type): Visual 5 (-1 per 200 mi), radius (type): Visual, rapid: Visual (x100) 2, time sense, tracking: Visual 2 (normal speed)) Attack Bonus: +12 (Ranged: +16, Melee: +12, Grapple: +17) Attacks: Bowshot (Blast 3), +16 (DC 21), Martial Arts (Strike 3), +16 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 18) Defense: +15 (Flat-footed: +8), Knockback: -3 Initiative: +9 Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, French, Hebrew, Japanese, Russian, Spanish Totals: Abilities 40 + Skills 25 (100 ranks) + Feats 35 + Powers 66 + Combat 54 + Saves 20 + Drawbacks 0 = 240 Age (as of Jan 2019): 26 Height: 5’ 5” Weight: 125 Ethnicity: Jewish Caucasian Hair: Black Eyes: Blue Hometown: N/A (Born in New York City, but was mobile afterward) Background: Powers & Tactics: Personality:
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Relay (Tessa Matthews) Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 210/210 STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +5 (20) Tough: +3/+8, Fort: +6, Ref: +12/+15, Will: +12 Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+10), Bluff 5 (+10), Concentration 7 (+10), Diplomacy 10 (+15), Gather Information 5 (+10), Knowledge (art) 8 (+10), Language 1 (+1), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Perform (dance) 10 (+15), Perform (singing) 10 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 7 (+10) Feats: Attack Focus (melee) 5, Attack Specialization (Martial Arts (Strike 2)), Defensive Roll, Dodge Focus 6, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Skill Mastery (Notice, Perform (dance & sing), Sense Motive), Takedown Attack Powers: Academy Operative Uniform (Device 2) (Hard to lose) Concealed Body Armor (Protection 4) (+4 Toughness; Subtle (subtle)) Integral Grapple Gun (Linked) Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd) Super-Movement 2 (Linked; wall-crawling 2 (full speed)) Martial Arts (Strike 2) (DC 19; Mighty) Mental Relay (Communication 12) (sense type: mental; Omni-Directional Area; Rapid 2, Subtle 2 (unnoticable)) Telepathic (Super-Senses 9) (accurate: Mind Awareness, acute: Mind Awareness, awareness: Mind (mental), danger sense: Mental, extended: Mind Awareness 1 (-1 per 100 ft), radius: Mind Awareness, ranged: Mental, uncanny dodge: Mental) Telepathic Dodge (Enhanced Trait 7) (Traits: Dodge Focus 6 +3 (+6), Reflex +3 (+15), Feats: Evasion) Telepathic Tricks (Array 12) (default power: esp) Hallucination (Illusion 6) (Array; affects: all sense types, DC 16; Selective Attack; Phantasms) Limited Clairsentience (ESP 6) (Array; affects: 3 types, inc. visual - visual, auditory, & mental) Mind Reading 12 (Array; DC 22; Duration (sustained)) Mind Shock (Mental Blast 6) (Array; DC 21) Mind Stun (Stun 6) (Array; DC 16; Alternate Save (Will), Range 2 (perception)) Sensory Link (ESP 6) (Default; affects: all types; Simultaneous; Medium, Notes: Medium is targets of Mental Communication.) Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +7, Melee: +12, Grapple: +14) Attacks: Martial Arts (Strike 2), +14 (DC 19), Mind Reading 12 (DC Will 22), Mind Shock (Mental Blast 6) (DC Will 21), Mind Stun (Stun 6) (DC Staged/Will 16), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 17) Defense: +15 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -4 Initiative: +7 Languages: American Sign Language, English Native Totals: Abilities 36 + Skills 24 (96 ranks) + Feats 13 + Powers 84 + Combat 32 + Saves 21 + Drawbacks 0 = 210 Age (as of Jan 2019): 22 Height: 5’ 6” Weight: 125 Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue Hometown: Tacoma, Washington Background: Powers & Tactics: Personality:
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Waverider (Naomi Suliman) Power Level: 14; Power Points Spent: 210/210 STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +3/+17, Fort: +7, Ref: +11, Will: +12 Skills: Bluff 7 (+10), Concentration 12 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Knowledge (civics) 13 (+15), Knowledge (current events) 8 (+10), Language 1 (+1), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15) Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged) 4, Attack Specialization (VIbro Aura (Strike 9)), Challenge - Improved Lip Reading, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 4, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Vibro Blast (Blast 17)), Power Attack, Precise Shot, Uncanny Dodge (Touch) Powers: Vibration Absorbent Physiology (Container, Passive 4) Silenced (Concealment 2) (all aural senses; Permanent) Vibration Sense (Super-Senses 6) (extended: Touch 1 (-1 per 100 ft), penetrates concealment: Touch, ranged: Touch) Vibrationproof (Immunity 10) (common descriptor: Sonic/Vibration) Vibration Control (Array 18) (default power: blast) Frequency Shattering (Drain 17) (Array; drains: single trait - toughness, DC 27; Affects Objects (Only), Range (ranged); Improved Range 2 (850 ft. incr)) Inner Ear Vibes (Nauseate 11) (Array; DC 21; Range (ranged); Accurate 3 (+6)) Phase Cancellation (Nullify 11) (Array; counters: any power of (type) - vibration/sonic, DC 21; Burst Area (55-550 ft. radius - General), Duration (concentration), Effortless; Range (touch); Progression, Increase Area 3 (area x10)) Screech (Dazzle 11) (Array; affects: 1 sense type - auditory, DC 21; Burst Area (50-275 ft. radius - General), Selective Attack; Progression, Decrease Area (-1 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5)) Ultrasonics (Stun 11) (Array; DC 21; Range (ranged); Accurate 3 (+6)) VIbro Aura (Strike 9) (Array; DC 24; Aura, Duration 2 (sustained)) Vibro Blast (Blast 17) (Default; DC 32, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Vibro Blast (Blast 17))) Vibro Burst (Blast 11) (Array; DC 26; Burst Area (50-275 ft. radius - General); Progression, Decrease Area (-1 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5)) Zone of Silence (Obscure 9) (Array; affects: 1 sense type - auditory, Radius: 2500 ft.; Selective Attack) Vibration Field (Force Field 14) (+14 Toughness; Impervious) Waveriding (Flight 5) (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd; Platform; Subtle (subtle)) Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +11, Melee: +7, Grapple: +9) Attacks: Frequency Shattering (Drain 17), +11 (DC Fort/Staged 27), Inner Ear Vibes (Nauseate 11), +17 (DC Fort/Staged 21), Phase Cancellation (Nullify 11) (DC Will 21), Screech (Dazzle 11) (DC Fort/Ref 21), Ultrasonics (Stun 11), +17 (DC Fort/Staged 21), Unarmed Attack, +7 (DC 17), VIbro Aura (Strike 9), +9 (DC 24), Vibro Blast (Blast 17), +11 (DC 32), Vibro Burst (Blast 11) (DC 26) Defense: +11 (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -15 Initiative: +3 Drawbacks: Disability, uncommon, minor, Deaf, Disability, very common, moderate, Mute Languages: American Sign Language, English Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 18 (72 ranks) + Feats 18 + Powers 98 + Combat 28 + Saves 21 - Drawbacks 5 = 210 Age (as of Jan 2019): 22 Height: 5’ 5” Weight: 120 Ethnicity: Indian American Hair: Black Eyes: Dark Brown Hometown: Los Angeles, California Background: Powers & Tactics: Personality:
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Slick (Olivia Montanez) Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 210/210 STR: +1 (12), DEX: +5 (20), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +3/+12, Fort: +7, Ref: +12, Will: +8 Skills: Acrobatics 15 (+20), Bluff 12 (+15), Concentration 12 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 8 (+10), Knowledge (popular culture) 3 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 3 (+5), Language 2 (+2), Notice 12 (+15), Search 3 (+5), Sense Motive 12 (+15) Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Dodge Focus, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Second Chance (Concentration checks to maintain powers), Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Bluff, Notice, Sense Motive), Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Oil Control (Array 15) (default power: blast) Acidic Oil (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Secondary Effect; Accurate 3 (+6)) Flammable Oil + Match = KABOOM (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Explosion Area (90 ft. explosion - General)) High Pressure Jet (Blast 15) (Default; DC 30) Oil Control (Move Object 15) (Array; Strength: 75, Carry: 136.2 tons / 272.9 tons / 409.6 tons / 819.2 tons; Range (perception); Limited Material (Oil)) Oil In The Eyes (Dazzle 15) (Array; affects: visual senses, DC 25) Slippery Oil (Trip 9) (Array; Burst Area (45-450 ft. radius - General), Selective Attack; Progression, Increase Area 3 (area x10)) Sticky Oil (Snare 9) (Array; DC 19; Regenerating; Accurate 3 (+6)) Toxic Oil (Stun 9) (Array; DC 19; Range (ranged); Accurate 3 (+6)) Shock Absorbing Oil Coating (Force Field 9) (+9 Toughness; Impervious) Slick Physiology (Container, Passive 6) Electric Resistant (Immunity 10) (common descriptor: Electricity; Limited - Half Effect) Natural Floater (Super-Movement 1) (water walking; Custom (On/Off Switched (Default is active, turning off is Sustained))) Oiled Hearing (Super-Senses 2) (extended (type): Auditory 1 (-1 per 100 ft)) Slippery Stride (Speed 3) (Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd) Waterproof Oil Coating (Immunity 18) (common descriptor: Water, disease, entrapment, poison, rare descriptor: Own powers) Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +9, Grapple: +10) Attacks: Acidic Oil (Blast 9), +15 (DC 24), Flammable Oil + Match = KABOOM (Blast 9) (DC 24), High Pressure Jet (Blast 15), +9 (DC 30), Oil In The Eyes (Dazzle 15), +9 (DC Fort/Ref 25), Slippery Oil (Trip 9) (DC 19), Sticky Oil (Snare 9), +15 (DC Ref/Staged 19), Toxic Oil (Stun 9), +15 (DC Fort/Staged 19), Unarmed Attack, +9 (DC 16) Defense: +12 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -10 Initiative: +9 Drawbacks: Vulnerable, uncommon, moderate, Soap effects Languages: American Sign Language, English, Spanish Totals: Abilities 34 + Skills 24 (96 ranks) + Feats 13 + Powers 85 + Combat 40 + Saves 16 - Drawbacks 2 = 210 Age (as of Jan 2019): 22 Height: 5’ 1” Weight: 95 Ethnicity: Hispanic Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona Background: Powers & Tactics: Personality:
EternalPhoenix Posted September 6 Author Posted September 6 Motor (Michael Taylor) Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 225/225 STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +2 (14), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +2/+12, Fort: +6, Ref: +9/+12, Will: +9 Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Concentration 8 (+10), Craft (mechanical) 8 (+10), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Drive 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Knowledge (current events) 3 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (technology) 3 (+5), Language 2 (+2), Notice 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Second Chance (Concentration checks to maintain powers), Seize Initiative, Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Temporal Acceleration (Container, Passive Accelerated Movement (Super-Movement 3) (wall-crawling 2 (full speed), water walking; Limited (to while moving)) Temporal Quickness (Quickness 6) (Perform routine tasks at 100x speed) Temporal Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 20) (Traits: Attack Bonus +3 (+12), Defense Bonus +3 (+12), Reflex +3 (+12), Evasion 2 +1 (+2), Feats: Improved Initiative 3, Seize Initiative) Temporal Speed (Speed 6) (Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd) Timeproof (Immunity 5) (custom: Time/Temporal Descriptor 5) Temporal Control (Array 24) (default power: strike) Shared Movement (Super-Movement 3) (Alternate; wall-crawling 2 (full speed), water walking; Affects Others (Only), Burst Area (15-750 ft. radius - General); Limited (to while moving); Progression, Increase Area 5 (area x50), Selective) Shared Quickness (Quickness 6) (Alternate; Perform routine tasks at 100x speed; Affects Others (Only), Burst Area (30-750 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area 4 (area x25), Selective) Shared Speed (Speed 6) (Alternate; Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd; Affects Others (Only), Burst Area (30-750 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area 4 (area x25), Selective) Temporal Quickness Boost (Quickness 14) (Alternate; Perform routine tasks at 50000x speed; Stacks with (Temporal Quickness (Quickness 6))) Temporal Speed Boost (Speed 14) (Alternate; Speed: 250000 mph, 2200000 ft./rnd; Stacks with (Temporal Speed (Speed 6))) Too Fast To Be Seen (Concealment 10) (Alternate; all senses) Punchin' All The Thugs (Strike 12) (Default; DC 27; Burst Area (60 ft. radius - Targeted), Autofire (interval 2, max +5), Selective Attack) Small Accelerated Objects (Blast 12) (Array; DC 27; Autofire (interval 2, max +5), Penetrating) Temporal Rewind (Healing 11) (Array; DC 21; Action (standard), Total; Persistent, Regrowth) Temporally Echoing Punch Barrage (Strike 12) (Array; DC 27; Autofire (interval 2, max +5), Penetrating, Secondary Effect) Time Freeze (Paralyze 12) (Array; DC 22; Alternate Save (Reflex), Autofire (interval 2, max +5), Secondary Effect) Time Stop (Paralyze 12) (Array; DC 22; Alternate Save (Reflex), Burst Area (60 ft. radius - General), Duration (concentration)) Temporal Defense Field (Force Field 10) (+10 Toughness; Impervious) Attack Bonus: +9/+12 (Ranged: +9/+12, Melee: +9/+12, Grapple: +11/+14) Attacks: Punchin' All The Thugs (Strike 12), +12 (DC 27), Small Accelerated Objects (Blast 12), +12 (DC 27), Temporally Echoing Punch Barrage (Strike 12), +12 (DC 27), Time Freeze (Paralyze 12), +12 (DC Ref/Staged 22), Time Stop (Paralyze 12) (DC Ref/Staged 22), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 17) Defense: +9/+12 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -11 Initiative: +15 Languages: American Sign Language, English, Spanish Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 19 (76 ranks) + Feats 10 + Powers 115 + Combat 36 + Saves 17 + Drawbacks 0 = 225 Age (as of Jan 2019): 22 Height: 5’ 8” Weight: 150 Ethnicity: African American Hair: Black Eyes: Dark Brown Hometown: Daytona Beach, Florida Background: Powers & Tactics: Personality:
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