Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Enemies: Firewing!

Doctor Destroyer



At the very dawn of the Atlantean Age, most of the metahuman populace of Earth accepted the Observer's "suggestion" that they travel to the Island of Rebirth, or Atlantis. One who did not was a singularly powerful and cruel despot known as the Destroyer, who had carved out an empire for himself and had no interest in giving it up. In many ways, the Destroyer was ahead of his time, possessing cosmic powers akin to those which would one day be wielded by the Ultima. In fact, he had mastered uses for this power that the Ultima still find diffcult, among which could be numbered the empowerment of objects. He had fashioned a suit of armor that afforded him control over the elements, freeing his innate powers to other ends.

Even so, the sheer weight of power that Atlantis could bring to bear against him ensured his defeat. Stripped of his armor and other talismans of power, his empire in ruins, he was bound and imprisoned beneath a great mountain. For the Atlanteans feared what might happen if they killed him and thus unleashed his ghost on the world. For age upon age, he was hidden beneath the mountain, ultimately becoming one with its material. And then, in the year men called 1951, a mortal called Dr. Albert Zerstoiten, twisted by nature and by fate, discovered his prison. Filled with hatred for the world, Zersoiten believed that his science would allow him to claim the Destroyer's power for his own.

He was gravely mistaken.

Flowing out of the mountain and into Zersoiten's body, the Destroyer paused just briefly to let the mad scientist know how badly he'd failed, before he annihilated every trace of personality it contained while leaving its memories intact. And so the Destroyer was freed to walk the Earth once more. But his armor was nowhere to be found, and the power that had been his had been used up preserving his mind. But that mind was a terrible thing, especially when combined with Zerstoiten's scientific knowledge.

So, for two decades, the Destroyer surveyed the changd world. He exploited Zerstoiten's reputation for genius by working as a scientist for many would-be world conquerors, always making a discreet escape when their schemes came tumbling down. Finally, in the 1970s, he was ready. Assuming the title of Doctor Destroyer in a moment of levity, he began his first campaigns as a behind the scenes nemesis to Japan's Kaze Gundan. Learning from these encounters, he built himself a suit of powered armor, which he wore when he embarked upon his assaults on America.

To his amazement, he found himself successfully opposed by various super-heroes, most frequently the Champions. Despite brilliant plans, fantastic weapons, skilled minions, and even uneasy alliances with other masterminds, the Destroyer never succeeded in conquering anything more than a small and insignificant part of the world. He wreaked much havoc in the process, of course, and became known as one of the world's most dangerous supervillains. Cold comfort to one who had been both king and god of his people ...

It's not clear what Dr. Destroyer was doing in Freedom City when the Terminus Invasion began, though it's clear that he'd arrived before the gate opened up. Rumors suggest that he had recently suffered some sort of defeat at the hands of FORCE Ops, and come seeking revenge. In any event, what happened next is well known. Soon after Omega attacked Blackgate Prison and recruited the villains there to serve in his army, the Destroyer, with supreme arrogance, presented himself to the Lord of the Terminus and offered to accept him as a junior partner.

What with one thing and another, it was some time before the horribly burnt corpse discovered on the slopes of Blackstone Island could be identified. The traumatized husband-and-wife team of villains called Panda and Raccoon were the first to claim it as the body of Dr. Destroyer. Immediately, an international team of experts formed and began the difficult task of positively identifying him and determining whether he had survived in some esoteric form. It took nearly a year to determine that the body was indeed that of Dr. Albert Zerstoiten, not a clone or surgically altered duplicate, and that whatever consciousness had last resided in its mind had not escaped or been transferred out of the body prior to its biological demise. The world breathed a sigh of relief ... Dr. Destroyer was no more.

It was not until 2008 that it became clear that such relief was premature, and even then the truth is known to only a handful. It was then that Kreuzritter, dark ruler of the island state of Thule and wearer of a suit of armor affording him vast elemental powers, found himself possessed by the Destroyer's 'ghost' and forced to wage a private war on the hyperborean homeland of the Ultima. On learning of the true nature of their opponent, the Ultima were forced to join together in a mighty union of their cosmic powers that succeeded in dispersing the ghost to nothingness once more.

It was a hollow victory, for many of the Ultima, including a few of their elders, did not survive the battle, and the same cosmic misfortune that allowed the ghost to return from nothingness in the first place might well allow him to return again, and again, and again ...

Doctor Destroyer (1978-1993) -- PL 14

STR 14/0 | STA 6 | AGL 9/3 | DEX 8/2 | FGT 10/4 | INT 12 | AWE 8 | PRE 9
Powers: Cybernetic Controls (Enhanced Agility 6; Enhanced Dexterity 6; Enhanced Fighting 6)*, Force Field Generator (Protection 10, Impervious Toughness 18)*, Formidable Will (Impervious Will 12), Polyglot (Comprehend 4 [languages], Quirk [requires minimum one hour time to 'learn' language]), Rockets (Flight 10)*, Sealed Systems (Immunity 10 [life support])*, Suit Weaponry (Array: Ranged Damage 14, AP: Enhanced Strength 14, AP: Ranged Burst Area Damage 9, AP: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 9 [Resisted by Will; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated], AP: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 9 [Resisted by Fortitude; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobile], Extra Condition, Limited Degree)*, Swiftness (Speed 2)*, Unaging (Immunity 1 [aging]).
* Removable.
Advantages: Assessment, Benefit 5 (Wealth [billionaire]), Connected, Contacts, Eidetic Memory, Improved Initiative, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery (Technology), Well-Informed.
Skills: Expertise: Politics 10 (+22), Expertise: Science 12 (+24), Insight 12 (+20), Intimidation 12 (+21), Investigation 10 (+22), Persuasion 10 (+19), Technology 12 (+24), Treatment 10 (+22), Vehicles 6 (+14).
Offense: Initiative + 13, Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 14), Destroyer Beam +14 (Ranged Damage 14), Destroyer Blast -- (Ranged Burst Area Damage 9), Neuralizer Beam +14 (Ranged Cumulative Will 9), Paralyzer Beam +14 (Ranged Cumulative Fortitude 9).
Defenses: Dodge 10, Parry 10, Fortitude 16, Toughness 18, Will 12.
Totals: Abilities 88 + Powers 131 + Advantages 20 + Skills 52 + Defenses 15 = 306 points
Complications: Megalomania--Motivation. Secret (true nature).

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Enemies: Firewing!

Mechanon



In the year 2525, one of the most dangerous members of the villainous Tyranny Legion is the robotic entity that calls itself Deus ex Machina. Long before it adopted that name, it conducted many experiments to determine the most efficient way to fulfill its mission to destroy all life in the universe. One of those experiments involved the use of a prototype time distortion rig that it salvaged from one of the many worlds it had wrecked, employed by a copy of itself that it created. The copy was dispatched thousands of years into the past, where it would be able to annihilate many star-faring species in their cradles. The experiment proved to be a failure, for reality did not ripple into a new form around the robot, and so it abandoned any interest in time travel from that point onward.

In fact, the robot's copy had been gravely damaged by the time travel process, and was more or less non-functional when it arrived in the past, on what was then the home of a thriving and advanced species, known as the Krahn. The copy was seized and examined, and brilliant Krahn scientists were able to duplicate it as a robotic defense weapon, the mechanon unit, which became an important part of the Krahn military forces. Unbeknownst to all of them, code for the original's obsession to destroy all life was still present in each of these robots, like a virus that would eventually seize control of the entire system. This would, in the fullness of time, result in a robot uprising that was put down at great cost to the Krahn.

Long before that happened, however, one particular mechanon unit accompanied a Krahn expeditionary force to the backwaters of the Milky Way galaxy, where they discovered the planet Earth and attempted to colonize it in the name of their empire, during the long war between Atlantis and Lemuria. The powerful magic employed during this war came as a complete surprise to the Krahn colonizers. They found themselves targeted by the Atlanteans, who could not afford the establishment of a second hostile power on their planet.

In order to prevent that, an Atlantean archmage cast a spell on the machinery employed by the Krahn to make it go berserk ... inadvertently causing the mechanon unit to believe that the time had come for its uprising. The mechanon made short work of the Krahn expeditionary forces, yet suffered enough damage to its own systems that it was compelled to shut down and await servicing by its fellow mechanon units -- which were all many parsecs away and utterly unaware of its circumstances. So the invasion of Earth ended, and gradually the site of this invasion, in northern Greece, was covered up by the Earth itself.

The site of this abortive colonization attempt was discovered in 1977 by archaeologists sponsored by Harmon Enterprises. Most of the alien technology discovered at the site was turned over to the United Nations Scientific Advisory Council, but the best was kept for private study by James Harmon IV, with that collection definitely including the mechanon unit. Harmon studied it off and on for the next three years, learning the Krahn language in the process, and was finally able to restore it to complete function and reprogrammed it as the new robotic security guard for the Champions, Mechanon.

The robot served in this role for two whole days before the viral programming reasserted itself and it attacked the Champions before departing to become a menace to all life. It continued to act as such throughout the Eighties and into the early 90s, before it was destroyed during the Terminus Invasion. Its remains were stored in AEGIS' icebox facility in Alaska until that facility was looted in the early 2030s. Studied by various roboticists in the decades that followed, and inspiring all manner of dangerous robot creations, the Mechanon robot was still not rebuilt until just after the Crisis of 2112.

Its reconstructors were desperate to undo the history that had led to the Crisis, and so developed both a time displacement field and a method of reprogramming Mechanon to act as a protector of all life, instead of a destroyer. But they were unable to test either invention, and had to trust their machinery to work correctly the first time. They sent their reprogrammed Mechanon to the critical second decade of the twenty-first century, and waited to see what would happen.

Of course, that hasn't happened yet. But it will. Soon enough, Mechanon will be unleashed once more ...

Mechanon -- PL 13

STR 12 | STA -- | AGL 6 | DEX 8 | FGT 8 | INT 7 | AWE 2 | PRE 8
Powers: Robotic Body (Immunity 50 [Fortitude Effects, mental effects]; Impervious Protection 15), Rockets (Flight 5), Secure Programming (Impervious Will 13), Self-Repair Systems (Immortality 1; Regeneration 6), Sensors (Senses 3 [radio, radius visual senses], Weaponry (Array: Ranged Damage 12, Affects Desolid 2, AP: Ranged Burst Area Damage 8, AP: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 8 [Resisted by Dodge; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobile], Extra Condition, Limited Degree, AP: Ranged Burst Area Affliction 8 [Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Asleep])
Advantages: Accurate Attack, Eidetic Memory, Improved Initiative 2, Power Attack, Startle.
Skills: Close Combat: Unarmed 6 (+14), Expertise: Science 12 (+19), Intimidation 12 (+20), Ranged Combat: Weapons Systems 6 (+14), Technology 12 (+19).
Offense: Initiative +14, Unarmed +14 (Close Damage 12), Laser Beam +14 (Ranged Damage 12), Mini-Rocket -- (Ranged Burst Area Damage 8), Molecular Binder +14 (Ranged Affliction 8, Resisted by Dodge), Sleep Blast -- (Ranged Burst Area Affiction 8, Resisted by Dodge).
Defense: Dodge 11, Parry 11, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 15, Will 13.
Totals: Abilities 92 + Powers 141 + Advantages 6 + Skills 24 + Defenses 19 = 282 points
Complications: Hatred of All Life--Motivation. Vulnerable (gravity, magnetism).

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Enemies: Firewing! Doctor Destroyer! Mechanon

Black Paladin



During the early Sixth Century, in Northwestern Europe, a variety of influences -- magical and super-technological influences -- combined to create an anachronistic civilization which would have been very familiar to students of the Thirteenth or Fourteenth Centuries. The center of this realm of knights in shining armor was the kingdom of Logregia in what is now England, and in particular its capital -- Camelot. The legends of this place are too well-known to be repeated here, and the stories that legend has forgotten are too many. One such forgotten story is that of Giles de Morphant. One might say it is a justly forgotten story, for it teaches nothing but that human nature remained what it was even in an age of wonders.

Sir Giles was one of more than a score of black-hearted villains encountered by the innocent squire Percival in the first year of his wandering. Equipped with his deadly blade Eater of Shadows and his mighty mace Crusher of Hope, and with a suit of enchanted armor that allowed him to move from shadow to shadow, de Morphant should have been more than a match for the boy. But such was the power of Percival's destiny and his innocence that he shattered the fell blade and dealt a mortal wound to the robber knight, then rode on, mourning his fallen opponent who would not be able to travel to Arthur's court to tell of his vanquishing and redemption.

But Sir Giles was not yet dead, and clung to life with a devil's grip. And as soon as Percival was out of sight, the Black Paladin's leman, an enchantress named Chantal -- or was it Ylionoire? -- took charge of her lover. No magic of healing did the witch possess, but she knew a way that his life could become a dark legend that would endure from that day until the ending of the world. The spell was an intricate one and deadly, for it would claim the life of its caster. Yet such was the witch's desire for revenge on the world that had taken her lover from her that she spat out the words nonetheless, and the body of Sir Giles and his armor and mace became like dust on the wind ... and so did she.

Seven times in the centuries that followed would that dust be discovered and the Black Paladin reborn as he usurped command of the body of his discoverer. The most recent time was in 1943, when an archaeologist employed by the Nazis was claimed by Sir Giles, who then used his powers at the behest of the Germans in the last days of their 'thousand year Reich'. He was captured by the Allies in the end, but escaped punishment by portraying himself as the victim of sinister magics, rather than the product of them. With some misgivings on the part of his interrogators, he was granted his freedom, and set out to discover this brave new world.

The differences between his era and this one were profound, but so were the similarities. He recognized the knights of old in the forms of the superheroes of this day, and yearned to test himself against them. He felt the tides of magic in the world, and knew that there were workers of vile treachery who would be in need of strong arms to guard them against their opponents. And so the Black Paladin became a supervillain of the post war world, frequently defeated but able to escape from captivity through the use of his enchanted armor. In the seventies he became a leader of other supervillains in the alliance known as the Masters of Fortune. In the eighties, he joined forces with one of the factions of SHADOW and served as their enforcer.

Never had he known such success. In all of his lives before this one, he had managed to endure less than a score of years before some good-hearted occultist or would-be saint put an end to him. Yet though his magic strengthened the body he inhabited, it could not fully hold back the ravages of time upon it, and by the nineties, the body was dying of old age. Not wishing to give up his gains and wait for a chance to be resurrected in an era which might not come for centuries, the Black Paladin made an arrangement with the sorcerer Matthias Casimir, vowing to defend him in exchange for the magus' promise to gather the dust and expose it to a new host within days of Sir Giles demise. With that promise, Sir Giles led one last charge against the newly reformed Freedom League and seemed to meet his end.

For a wonder, Matthias kept up his end of the deal, and now the Black Paladin enjoys a better sort of immortality than he has ever known. This has changed the way he does battle, and so he has become a more reckless and unpredictable combatant than he ever was before. Sir Giles suspects that Matthias will eventually push his luck and make unbearable demands of the Black Paladin, but until that time, he will keep his oath and guard the magus against their mutual enemies.

Black Paladin -- PL 12

STR 4 | STA 4 | AGL 3 | DEX 4 | FGT 8 | INT 2 | AWE 0 | PRE 5
Powers: Bitter Experience (Senses 1 [danger sense]), Enchanted Armor (Enhanced Will 7 AND Impervious Protection 8 AND Teleport 8, Increased Mass 4, Removable), Enchanted Mace (Array: Strength-based Damage 8, AP: Ranged Damage 4, Removable), Enchanted Shield (Enhanced Defenses 8 [Dodge 4, Parry 4], Easily Removable), Undying (Immortality 3)
Advantages: All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Enchanted Mace), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Inspire, Leadership, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Skill Mastery (Intimidation), Startle.
Skills: Athletics 8 (+12), Close Combat: Enchanted Mace 4 (+12), Deception 8 (+13), Expertise: History 6 (+8), Expertise: Magic 6 (+8), Intimidation 12 (+17), Perception 6 (+6), Persuasion 8 (+13), Ranged Combat: Enchanted Mace 6 (+10), Stealth 6 (+9).
Offense: Initiative +8, Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 4), Enchanted Mace +12 (Close Damage 12), Enchanted Mace +16 (Ranged Damage 4).
Defense: Dodge 10/6, Parry 12/8, Fortitude 11, Toughness 12/4, Will 13/6.
Totals: Abilities 60 + Powers 53 + Advantages 18 + Skills 35 + Defenses 16 = 182 points
Complications: Power--Motivation. Hatred (religion). Obligation (deal with Matthias Casimir).

Matthias Casimir, the Black Magus, is a PL 10 Mystic (M&M p. 42) who is not Fearless but has eight spells in his magic array, most of which should be selected according to the needs of a scenario featuring him, but always including Perception Range Move Object 7, Precise, Subtle.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Enemies: Firewing! Doctor Destroyer! Mechanon

Bulldozer



It's a distressingly familiar pattern by now. Take your typical industrial worker -- in this case, one Brad Powers, a professional bulldozer driver. Add exposure to exotic radiation, unusual chemicals, or chemicals and radiation in one fell swoop. The result, almost invariably, is a new supervillain, who sets out to rob banks on the assumption that banks are easily robbed and a good source of ill-gotten gains. And so it was in this case as well.

To the dubious credit of Mr. Powers, however, he did not embark on career as a bank robber out of greed or a desire for notoriety ... at least, not notoriety for the sake of notoriety. And he was fully expecting to get caught, which is more than some much smarter novice supervillains have managed. His plan, if it can be called that, was to get caught but make a good enough showing that, after what he expected would be a short and simple prison term, he would be sought out by the Ultimate Wrestling League to put his powers to use as a heel. Then he'd get all the money and babes he could possibly want!

The problem arose when it came to the 'good enough showing' part. Shouldn't Captain freaking Thunder have been off fighting aliens or monsters or alien monsters or something like that, instead of showing up just in time to block off the exit? And how was it fair that one punch from the guy was enough to send Bulldozer into the middle of next week? Well, he'd just have to try harder next time. So he tried again. And again. And again. He spent years in prison, but that only gave him time to work out and get even stronger. And then he tried again. And again. And again.

When he got beaten up by a bunch of elementary schoolers with superpowers, the notion that this might not be his ideal career path began to sink in. Currently, Bulldozer is enjoying the hospitality of Blackstone while he tries to figure out the best way to get out of the rut that he's in. Nobody has told him yet that the Unlimited Wrestling League has been defunct for about a decade ...

Bulldozer -- PL 8

STR 10 | STA 10 | AGL 2 | DEX 2 | FGT 6 | INT -1 | AWE 0 | PRE 2
Powers: Running (Speed 2), Toughness (Impervious Toughness 5)
Advantages: All-Out Attack, Improved Pin, Power Attack
Skills: Expertise: Wrestling 6 (+5), Intimidation 8 (+10), Perception 4 (+4).
Offense: Initiative +2, Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 10).
Defense: Dodge 6, Parry 6, Fortitude 13, Toughness 10, Will 3.
Totals: Abilities 62 + Powers 7 + Advantages 3 + Skills 9 + Defenses 10 = 91 points
Complications: Recognition (As A Serious and Dangerous Supervillain)--Motivation. Recognized as a Multiple Time Loser.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Enemies: Firewing! Doctor Destroyer! Mechanon

Bensozia (and Aradia)



If the origins of the gods of the Crimson Coil are often obscure, then the origins of the demons that dwell therein are even more so, particularly since nothing that they claim about themselves should be believed. If one were to hearken to the honeyed words of Bensozia, Demon Queen of Temptation, she would tell you that she was born in the very same instant that one of the animal ancestors of man developed a brain complicated enough to feel something like sexual desire. On the other hand, she might smile faintly and observe that a gentleman never asks and a lady never answers. Or possibly rip out the spine of whoever did the asking. She is capricious beyond the dreams of cats.

She is probably not ancient enough to predate humanity, but she was worshiped as a goddess in the most decadent days of the Atlantean era. Her following survived the Cataclysm and endured in Averoigne, now part of France, where she was a patron of witches and enchantresses, some of whom became rather notorious themselves. She has continued to provide support to amoral and self-interested magic-users -- usually but not always female -- into the current day.

Oddly, for a demon lord, she doesn't seem interested in conquering new worlds and adding to the territories she rules, only in holding on to what she already has -- though she will defend that with terrible ferocity. It would probably be a mistake to assume that this is due to any benevolence on her part, for she has no compunctions about diplomacy and trade with entities that do conquer and enslave worlds, and offering them the services of the demons of temptation that make their homes in her dimension. For example, she recently concluded a deal with Asmodeus, Lord of Hell, which involved the creation of a child of Hell and the Abyss.

However, there is one other respect in which she seems unusually 'good' -- in her decidedly undemonic love for her 'younger sister', the Demon Princess Aradia. It is possible that these two beings are both the offspring of an earlier Demon Queen of Temptation, allegedly known by the name Nocticula, but there is also reason to doubt that. Another rumor suggests that some entity divided the power of Bensozia into two separate beings, the Bensozia active today and Aradia. If this is the case, then her 'love' is nothing more than narcissism.

But on the other hand, it seems unlikely that she would allow a mere fragment of herself as much freedom as Aradia enjoys, particularly the freedom to make mistakes and suffer misfortunes. Most notably, this includes Aradia's recent imprisonment on Earth-Prime, where she has been compelled to attend a school in New Hampshire, as one of the students of Neil Prophet ...

Bensozia -- PL 15 (on Home Plane)/PL 13 (everywhere else)

Abilities: STR 9/7 | STA 9/7 | AGL 9/7 | DEX 11/9 | FGT 16/14 | INT 3 | AWE 7 | PRE 10/8
Powers: Claws (Strength-based Damage 3), Home Plane Advantage (Enhanced Agility 2; Enhanced Cumulative Affliction 2; Enhanced Dexterity 2; Enhanced Fighting 2; Enhanced Presence 2; Enhanced Stamina 2; Enhanced Strength 2; Immortality 10; Limited [only on Abyssal Home Plane]), Human Appearances (Morph 2), Otherworldly Nature (Immunity 18 [aging, disease, electricity damage, emotion effects, fire damage, poison]; Impervious Protection 5, Impervious Toughness 4; Senses 2 [darkvision]), Succubus Kiss (Array: Cumulative Affliction 12/10 [Resisted by Will; Dazed, Stunned, Controlled], AP: Cumulative Affliction 12/10 [Resisted by Fortitude; Fatigued, Exhausted, Dying]), Telepathy (Mental Communication 1; Comprehend Languages 4), Wings (Flight 5, Wings).
Advantages: Agile Feint, Attractive 2, Close Attack 2, Daze (Deception), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Fascinate (Deception), Fast Grab, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Initiative 2, Move-by Action, Redirect, Ritualist, Set-up, Takedown.
Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+21/+19), Athletics 8 (+17/+15), Deception 12 (+22/+20), Expertise: Magic 12 (+15), Insight 10 (+17), Perception 10 (+17), Persuasion 8 (+18/+16), Stealth 6 (+15/+13).
Offense: Initiative +17/+15, Unarmed +18/+16 (Close Damage 9/7), Claws +18/+16 (Close Damage 12/10), Kiss of Domination +18/+16 (Close Will 12/10), Kiss of Draining +18/+16 (Close Fortitude 12/10).
Defense: Dodge 16/14, Parry 16/14, Fortitude 14/12, Toughness 14/12, Will 12.
Totals: Abilities 124 + Powers 112 + Advantages 18 + Skills 39 + Defenses 17 = 310 points
Complications: Amusement--Motivation. Enemies (other Abyssal Lords). Family (Aradia). Responsibility (rule over plane).

Aradia has similar traits, but subtract 2 from every ability and Cumulative Affliction rank, reduce Morph to 1 rank, drop Responsibility and add Friends (classmates).

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Enemies: Firewing! Doctor Destroyer! Mechanon

Grond



The year was 1966, and Sydney Potter was one of VIPER's Nest Leaders in the San Francisco area. Orders came down from up above to use the resources given to him to investigate the strengths of several so-called heroes who'd recently emerged in the area, while still pursuing various other objectives. Not only was this mission a complete failure, but it also alerted the heroes to the existence of VIPER and caused them to band together as the first iteration of the Champions.

Meanwhile, Sydney was forced to abandon his entire operation and flee into the night ... where he was promptly recaptured and brought before the Grand Imperator for judgement. In light of the many successes Potter had shown before getting involved with these heroes, the Grand Imperator was inclined to be surprisingly lenient. Sydney was thus volunteered to take part in a series of medical experiments intended to test improved manaka root extracts. He entertained hopes that by doing this, he'd become a super soldier for VIPER ...

... which hopes were cheerfully crushed by the administrating doctor, who explained that if they succeeded in giving him super-strength, they'd promptly cut him up to figure what had facilitated the transformation and then use whatever they learned on VIPER soldiers who'd been less of a screw-up. Consequently, after he was administered an overdose of the wrong serum, Sydney made an attempt to escape with his life, and fell into VIPER headquarters' nuclear reactor containment pool. Managing to get out of that mess, he escaped from the facility during an electrical storm, and was promptly struck by lightning as he dove into an industrially polluted river.

Something rose up out of the river. Just which of the many potentially mutating agents he'd been exposed to, or which combination of them, produced the four-armed, green-skinned, water breathing monstrosity known as Grond has never been clear, but he has been a menace throughout the Pacific Rim ever since, driven by either his own rage or the manipulation of more intelligent villains. And all the while, the mind of Sydney Potter screams within him, desperate for release.

Grond -- PL 13

Abilities: STR 18 | STA 19 | AGL 1 | DEX 0 | FGT 8 | INT -2 | AWE 0 | PRE -1
Powers: Amphibious (Immunity 3 [cold, drowning, pressure]; Swimming 5), Big (Growth 2, Permanent, Innate), Has Four Arms and Two Chests (Extra Limbs 2; Multiattack Damage 9 as an Alternate Power of Strength Damage), Strong (Leaping 12; Power-Lifting 1), Tough (Impervious Toughness 14), Unaging (Immunity 1 [aging])
Advantages: Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Hold, Power Attack.
Skills: Intimidation 14 (+15), Perception 2 (+2), Ranged Combat: Throwing 8 (+8).
Offense: Initiative +1, Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 18)
Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 7, Fortitude 20, Toughness 19, Will 4.
Totals: Abilities 80 + Powers 46 + Advantages 4 + Skills 12 + Defenses 10 = 150 points
Complications: Rage--Motivation. Paranoia.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Enemies: Firewing! Doctor Destroyer! Mechanon

Toxic



Not every legacy is a happy one.

When he was in his late teens, Billy Baldwin was exposed to a strange radiation and soon realized that he'd gained the power to alter his physical form in any way imaginable. He resolved to use this ability to protect the innocent, and became the superhero Morphogenesis and join the League in their Bronze Age incarnation. He was also a family man, marrying one Sophia Kellerman and having two children, Rachel (born 1970) and William Jr. (born 1976).

While times were tough for the young Baldwin family, they were happy and reasonably prosperous. It soon became apparent that Rahcel had inherited super-powers from her father, though hers were very different. Instead of being able to change her own body's substance, she was able to cause such molecular changes in objects that she touched. Her physiology was also every bit as robust as her father's, but that wouldn't become apparent for some time.

Tragically, Billy Baldwin was killed in 1983, fighting alongside the Atom Family against an invasion from Sub-Terra. Left destitute by this loss, Sophia Baldwin made an effort to re-connect with her father, expecting to be turned away again. Surprisingly, he agreed to let them live with him, but proved to be cold (and occasionally verbally cruel) to Rachel, and to a lesser extent towards her brother as well. Making matters worse, Rachel was home-schooled by a series of tutors, some of whom were physically abusive, and nearly all of whom called her a freak -- either to her face, or when they thought she couldn't hear.

Two years later, Rachel was manipulated by her mother into killing her grandfather with the heretofore unknown other side of her super-power -- a toxic touch attack. Tried as an adult due to the serious nature of the crime, Rachel was painted by the prosecution as being every bit as dangerous as the outlawed vigilantes called FORCE Ops. The prosecutors were unable to secure a first degree murder conviction, but did convince the jury to find her guilty of second-degree murder, and sentence her to twenty to life.

Dispatched to serve her sentence at Blackrock, Rachel wasn't exactly what the corrections officers would calle a model prisoner -- she basically moped around, passing up chances to improve herself, and never snitched. Still, she did win points when she passed up the chance to escape the prison during the Terminus Invasion. Even that, though, was apparently more due to her belief that this time the world was doomed, and she could see no point to escaping under those circumstances.

Finally, in 2006, she became eligible for parole. Most of the police officers and prosecutors who'd worked her case had become "unavailable" after the end of the Moore era, and her mother (who'd become the fifteenth wealthiest Freedonian after inheriting her father's fortune) didn't bother to show up for the hearing. With Warden Drummer's generally positive recommendation, the parole board granted Rachel early release, contingent on her doing community service with Freedom City's Project Freedom.

So Rachel (or Toxic, as the papers dubbed her) joined the Ex-Cons for what was expected to be a twenty year sentence. Her transmutation abilities proved an asset to the team's "regular" community projects, and she was surprised to find herself making friends with her teammates. During the events dubbed 'the Time of Vengeance', she played a crucial role in ending the rampage of the Death Angel, and was horrified to be the recipient of the latter's last words: "All I ever wanted was to be a hero like you."

Shaken by this, she was further startled over the next few months to discover evidence of her mother's misdeeds, resulting in her brother's imprisonment for a series of serial killings and her mother's flight from the country. Gradually, under the mentorship of Harriet Wainwright, and with the friendship of many of the members of Project Freedom, she came to realize that she wanted to be a hero ... and found herself confronted with the opportunities to do so, confronting Omega himself on two separate occasions.

After the last mission of Wainwright's Project Freedom, Toxic was offered a pardon but refused it. She believed that she had a responsibility to remain as part of Project Freedom to honor Wainwright's memory, at least until she could complete the terms of her probation. In the following years, she remained as one of the team's few constants, and often the team leader. She also maintained the romantic relationship she'd begun with fellow Project Freedom veteran Frederik 'Dr. Sane' Zane, even as he was active as the team's technical advisor.

Toxic, Zane and the rest of Project Freedom were highly involved in the secret wars in Freedom City between 2008 and 2013, and the end of the Grant administration was as much the result of their hard work as it was Daedelus and the Raven's investigation. Folowing the celebration of the election of Callie Summers, however, Toxic found herself pregnant with Zane's child, and gave birth to Billie in 2015. Anyone expecting motherhood to soften her a bit should probably kick themselves for idiocy ...

Not every legacy is a happy one ... but Toxic is bound and determined that her kid will get just that.

Toxic -- PL 12

Abilities: STR 1 | STA 4 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 6 | INT 1 | AWE 3 | PRE 3
Powers: Weird Aura (Array: Continuous Transform 15 [any non-living material into anything else, 12 tons], Precise, Quirk [injured and fatigued by transforming "exotic materials"], AP: Damage 15, Resisted by Fortitude, Reaction [physical contact], Secondary Effect, AP: Cumulative Progressive Affliction 10 (Resisted by Fortitude, Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated), Reaction [physical contact], Secondary Effect ), Weird Constitution (Enhanced Fortitude 10, Impervious; Immunity 2 (critical hits); Protection 6; Impervious Toughness 10, Limited to Physical), Weird Senses (Senses 3 [acute touch, analytical touch, detect life (mental)]), Mental Link (Sense 1 [communication link with Frederik Zane]).
Advantages: Connected, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Inspire, Ultimate Effort (Fortitude)
Skills: Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+9), Deception 4 (+7), Expertise: Superheroes 8 (+9), Insight 6 (+9), Intimidation 5 (+8), Perception 4 (+7), Persuasion 8 (+11)
Offense: Initiative +3, Unarmed +9 (Close Damage 1), Lethal Setting +9 (Damage 15, Resisted by Fortitude), Not-As-Lethal-Setting +9 (Cumulative Progressive Fortitude 10).
Defenses: Dodge 14, Parry 6, Fortitude 14, Toughness 10, Will 10
Totals: Abilities 48+Advantages 5+Skills 19+Powers 120+Defenses 18=210
Complications: Doing Good--Motivation. Enemy (Toxic's worst enemy, her mother, remains at large and commands considerable resources), Relationship (Toxic is firmly in love with Frederik Zane, and has friendships with Donnie Benis, Charlie Graham and Zalman.
She also looks out for any former members of Project Freedom. Except for Robin Greyfaulks, because BEEP her, man, BEEP her. And then there's her kid.) Temper (Toxic has a bitter, cynical and sarcastic streak a mile long. She doesn't readily trust authority figures, and is particularly skeptical about the wealthy until she gets a chance to know them.), Unreliable Power (Toxic's "not-as-lethal" aura has been known to 'flare' into its fully lethal levels without warning).

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Toxic!

Andrea Atom



Andrea Atom's story up until the Terminus Invasion is told in Freedom City. She and Mentac did in fact survive their encounter with Omega, but they were trapped in the Terminus when Centurion defeated him. Andrea was badly injured when Omega’s armor exploded inside the Terminus breach, while shock waves and energies rippling through the Transition Zone between universes changed Mentac. He became a being of pure mental energy with formidable powers, which he used not only to save himself and Andrea but also to help seal the Terminus breach.

Mentac sealed his wife in a protective and regenerative cocoon before his psionic energy dwindled due to exhaustion. His psionic self merged with some of the displaced matter of the Zone, dragging him away from the asteroid where Andrea’s healing
cocoon rested. Mentac stored psionic energy in the crystalline structure of his prison, sometimes psychically linking with his wife but often sending out psychic flares through the Transition Zone in hope of rescue.

In 2005, one of those flares was intercepted by the Atom Family, and they were able to rescue Andrea from her cocoon and free Mentac's psionic form. However, they were unable to restore Mentac to a humanoid form, and so he departed to explore the Omniverse after bidding his family a final farewell. Andrea was understandably heartbroken by this, but elected to focus on reconnecting with her children and catch up on all that she'd missed in the previous decade.

Within a year, she was accompanying the Atoms on their adventures. This was occurring somewhat contrary to her father's wishes, as he did not wish to risk losing her again, but Andrea was equally determined to ensure that her children didn't face danger without her supervision ... and did not fully trust the artificial emulation of her father's consciousness. She was unconvinced that this was truly her father.

This state of affairs lasted until the so-called Time of Vengeance. The Goodman Building and the Atom Family came under attack by one of the G'Tach, and though members of Project Freedom came to their assistance and prevented any permanent harm to the young heroes, there was substantial damage done to the computers storing the Dr. Atom's mind. Despite her reservations, Andrea made a valiant attempt to repair the damage.

In the process, she came to realize exactly how sophisticated the machinery involved was, and her opinion about Dr. Atom's nature gradually shifted. Ultimately, the best that she was able to accomplish, even with some assistance, was to restore her father's consciousness long enough for him to set his affairs in order before shutting down for good. Once again, Andrea was left to mourn.

In the years that have followed, Andrea has watched her children grow up and been blessed with grandchildren. She has also begun a quiet relationship with Jack that she attempted to keep secret from the rest of her family, but which has been accepted by all of them when they revealed that they were aware of it from the very start. Approaching her sixtieth birthday, Andrea continues to enjoy the Atoms' adventures of exploration and discovery, and tolerate the occasional fight.

Andrea Atom -- PL 12

Abilities: STR 0 | STA 2 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 8 | INT 10 | AWE 6 | PRE 4
Powers: Blaster (Ranged Damage 5, Removable), Comm Center (Senses 5 [Communication Link with the Atom Family and Jack Wolf]).
Advantages: Accurate Attack, Connected, Improvised Tools, Inspire, Languages 3, Precise Shot 2, Ranged Attack 5, Second Chance (mind control), Well-Informed.
Skills: Deception 4 (+8), Expertise: History 6 (+16), Expertise: Life Sciences 12 (+22), Expertise: Physical Sciences 12 (+22), Insight 6 (+10), Investigation 7 (+17), Perception 4 (+10), Persuasion 8 (+12), Ranged Combat: Blaster 3 (+6), Stealth 4 (+7), Technology 12 (+22), Treatment 8 (+18), Vehicles 4 (+7).
Offense: Initiative +3, Unarmed +8 (Close, Damage 0), Blaster +11 (Ranged, Damage 5).
Defense: Dodge 14, Parry 10, Fortitude 5, Toughness 2, Will 15
Totals: Abilities 72 + Powers 13 + Advantages 16 + Skills 45 + Defense 25 = 171 points
Complications: Aging. Motivation--Responsibility: To her family and the world.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Toxic!

Seraphim



Exactly when and where he was created remain mysteries, even though his teammates have a fairly good idea of 'who'. 'How' he went from one of the Labyrinth's laboratories to the con artist turned revivalist preacher who took over the abandoned facilities of the Church of Jesus Christ, Paranormal in Freedom City's West End is no less of an enigma. For the first two years of his life, he believed that he was an angel of the Lord, sent to Earth to offer succor and healing to the innocent. He thought nothing of the fact that he was kept in a cell beneath the church, since he needed no comforts to do his work. If he had a regret, it was that he was unable to fly freely.

But in 2011, members of Project Freedom came, accompanied by agents of AEGIS, to investigate the new church and its angel. The scarred woman who led them awoke the Seraphim to the fact that the healing he provided was only a temporary cure, and that his keeper grew rich on the donations of his followers rather than using their money for charitable works. Not only was he not helping anyone, people had died because they relied on his healing rather than seeking medical care. He felt horrified ... and terribly, terribly angry.

He attempted to demolish the foul tabernacle of greed to which he had been party, and was stopped with some difficulty. Tried for vandalism and reckless endangerment, the mitigating circumstances of his case resulted in him receiving eight years probation under the care of Project Freedom. Fortunately, he was genuinely penitent for his descent into wrath, and has proved to be a capable teammate since then. His extremely formal method of speech, absorbed from his readings of the Bible, has kept him somewhat isolated from his teammates, though he did have a brief romantic relationship with one of the members of Team B when it formed in 2012.

While a devout believer in the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he often surprises people by how gentle and patient he can be. "God loves all, even those who oppose Him." What can get him angry are those who cloak their venality in piety, such as his maker, but mindful of his failings, he strives to keep his temper in check.

Seraphim -- PL 10

Abilities: STR 7 | STA 8 | AGL 6 | DEX 4 | FGT 8 | INT 1 | AWE 4 | PRE 3
Powers: Adapted to High Altitudes (Immunity 4 [cold, suffocation, vacuum]), Aura of Vitality (Selective Burst Area Energizing Restorative Healing 10, Limited to Others, Temporary), Far-Seeing (Senses 2 [extended low-light vision]), Wings (Flight 5, Wings).
Advantages: Agile Feint, Attractive, Evasion, Favored Environment (aerial), Improved Defense, Languages 2 (Aramaic, [English], Greek, Hebrew, Latin), Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Perception), Tracking.
Skills: Acrobatics 6 (+12), Athletics 6 (+13), Close Combat: Unarmed 5 (+13), Expertise: Theology 6 (+7), Insight 4 (+8), Perception 9 (+13), Persuasion 6 (+9).
Offense: Initiative +6, Unarmed +13 (Close Damage 7).
Defense: Dodge 12, Parry 12, Fortitude 13, Toughness 8, Will 4.
Totals: Abilities 82 + Powers 51 + Advantages 10 + Skills 21 + Defenses 15 = 179 points.
Complications: Atonement--Motivation. Formal Speech. Gullible. Wears Minimal Clothing.

Author's Note: Seraphim was basically inspired by the Ghibli-animated music video On Your Mark, and created for the second Project Freedom game.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Toxic!

The Luna Moth



Samantha Cline was born with the smarts and drive to go as far in life as she wanted, or at least as far as a woman could go back in the 1960s. She also had the good looks to match, and eventually learned she could get farther faster relying on sex appeal. Where she wanted to get was disgustingly wealthy. The only real question for her was how.

Her college transcripts helped land her a job as an aide at ASTRO Labs, but the miniskirt and heels she wore to the interview probably helped more. In any case, she quickly became the favorite of every male scientist in the building, and they eagerly showed off their latest technological breakthroughs trying to impress her. The endless parade of mouth-breathing nerds did little for her bank account, until one late night Prof. Elias P. Stickney took her into his confidence.

Stickney explained in detail how he had finally mastered the secrets of human pheromones, biochemicals capable of altering the emotional state of others. He planned on using his discovery to get rich quick as a costumed supervillain known as the Fume, and he wanted Samantha to be his partner in crime. But Samantha was nobody’s sidekick. If there really were big bucks in super-villainy, they’d be hers and hers alone. After Stickney's heart failure, she went from lab to lab, taking whatever plans and equipment seemed most useful to a costumed crook. As Luna Moth, she was soon ready to take flight.

Luna Moth started out as the most uncomplicated of super-villains. She wanted cash, jewels, and furs (in her size, of course), and used sex appeal and purloined gadgets to take them from whoever had them. As time went on, the devilish thrill of manipulating the emotions of others (especially men) meant as much to her as filthy lucre. Fate soon put her in the sights of a man who wouldn’t play the sap for her: Duncan Summers, the Raven. While she might temporarily enthrall him, in the end he was always able to outsmart her and overcome her pheromone weapons. No prison held her for very long, but she never forgot who kept putting her behind bars.

As the years wore on, her inability to make the Raven want her increasingly grated on her sanity, and she began to fixate on breaking his resistance. It proved to be an obsession without end for her, as it became apparent by the mid-1970s the Raven was gone for good. Denied her chance to make him her slave, Luna Moth’s mind shattered, and by 1982 she was a resident of Freedom City’s Providence Asylum.

And there she remained until 2008, seemingly unaware of the passage of time or what it had done to her good looks. But sinister forces were at work in the dark corners of the Asylum. On Halloween, the wardens discovered Samantha Cline embedded in a cocoon in her cell, but before they could take any other steps, they were distracted by the transformations of other prisoners. It was the beginning of a disaster that would tear down the walls of Providence Asylum, and partway through it, the Luna Moth emerged from her cocoon, more beautiful and with the powers once granted her by science now innate within her. After a brief attempt to murder Project Freedom member Fredrik Zane (whom she'd briefly met earlier) she soared away from the asylum.

Gradually, as the rush of her renewal wore off, the Luna Moth found herself once more as sane as she'd ever been. She 'adjusted' to the change in era by largely ignoring it -- there were luxuries that she wanted, and she knew exactly how to take them away from those who had them. The larger number of superheroes who might interfere with her attempts to follow her bliss simply required her to join forces with other criminals of comparable power ... since she'd be able to wrap them around her fingers quite easily.

She found herself one of the key members of the reformed Crime League, with her knowledge of magic (which is less extensive than she believes and much less extensive than she allows others to believe) granting her the role in Stratos' plans that might have belonged to the long-vanished Medea. She also acts as Tom Cypress' minder, through her guile and the occasional dose of pheromones. She has every intention of seizing total control over the Crime League and using them as her minions, but that can wait a while until she figures out exactly what she wants to do with all that power ...

... or possibly what the entity that gave her new life wants her to do with it.

Luna Moth -- PL 11

Abilities: STR 1 | STA 5 | AGL 5 | DEX 6 | FGT 6 | INT 8 | AWE 7 | PRE 9
Powers: Cocoon Spinning (Array: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 12 [Resisted by Dodge, Hindered & Vulnerable, Defenseless & Immobilized], Extra Condition, Limited Degree, AP: Ranged Progressive Affliction 9 [Resisted by Fortitude, Fatigued, Exhausted, Incapacitated], AP: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 12 [Resisted by Dodge, Impaired, Disabled, Unaware], Limited to Vision, AP: Continuous Create 11, Innate), Gossamer Wings (Flight 7, Wings), Implanted Mystical Knowledge (Enhanced Advantage 1 [Ritualist], Enhanced Skill 1 [Expertise: Magic 2]), Pheromones (Cloud Area Ranged Progressive Affliction 11 [Resisted by Fortitude, Overcome by Will, Dazed, Stunned, Controlled], Scent-Dependent, Variable Descriptor [emotions]), Tougher Than She Looks (Protection 2, Subtle), Wide-Angle Vision (Senses 1 [radius vision]).
Advantages: Artificer, Attractive 2, Favored Environment (aerial), Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Ranged Attack 4, Taunt.
Skills: Deception 11 (+20), Expertise: Life Sciences 6 (+14), Expertise: Magic 2 (+10), Insight 11 (+18), Investigation 8 (+16), Persuasion 11 (+20), Technology 5 (+13).
Offense: Initiative +9, Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 1), Snaring Coccoon +10 (Cumulative Affliction 12, Resisted by Dodge), Suffocating Coccoon +10 (Progressive Fortitude 9), Blinding Cocoon +10 (Cumulative Affliction 12, Resisted by Dodge), Pheromones -- (Progressive Will 11).
Defense: Dodge 15, Parry 11, Fortitude 9, Toughness 7, Will 13.
Totals: Abilities 94 + Powers 97 + Advantages 10 + Skills 26 + Defenses 25 = 252 points
Complications: Greed--Motivation. Sadism. Unknown Obligations.

Author's Notes: The Luna Moth was created by Professor McGlothlin.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Toxic!

Dharma



In 2007, Wong Dae-su was a fairly typical lower middle class kid from Lincoln, who'd basically stumbled into membership in a gang out of a need to belong to something. As gangs go, his was little more than a bunch of malicious mischief-makers who lacked the opportunity and initiative to get involved in serious crimes. Perhaps the only way that they distinguished themselves was in taking lessons in a school of kung fu run by the older brother of the gang's founder. By all accounts, Wong Dae-su was an uninspired student of this style.

And then something happened. He was engaged in typical teenaged pursuits when, in his own words, "a light turned on inside [his] head, and the futility of [his] actions became apparent." He had, without any particular effort on his part, achieved some manner of philosophical enlightenment, and many truths were now apparent to him. He abandoned his fellows in the gang but also ceased to attend classes at school, focusing all of his efforts on the study of the martial arts, for which he now displayed astonishing talent.

Unfortunately, he was not satisfied with the opportunities to reveal his wisdom that this lifestyle gave him. Having found truth, he wished to share it with others ... whether they had any interest in it or not. Thus it was that he kidnapped the school's football team as they were heading to a training camp, and proceeded to attempt to instruct them in the ways of enlightenment. Sonic interfered with this instruction, and the two young men were brought into a physical clash that ended with Sonic as the victor.

To his credit, once he was turned over to the police, 'Om' (as one of the kidnapped athletes dubbed him) made no attempt to escape. Submission to the proper authorities was an important part of his philosophy, after all. (And part of him relished the martyrdom he felt as a prisoner.) He remained in juvenile hall for two years, until his eighteenth birthday, when he went free and promptly sought to establish a school where he could teach the lessons he'd learned.

Unfortunately, despite his claims that anyone could learn to do the sorts of things that he did with a little time, his lack of business sense meant that the school was an almost immediate failure. He was seen as no different than any of the other martial arts instructors in town. He finally managed to attract a major client in 2009, only to learn that he was expected to "train" a group of corporate executives on a retreat -- who were more interested in drinking alcoholic beverages and viewed him as a sort of circus performer brought into amuse them.

Dae-su didn't take this very well, and reverted to old patterns of behavior. He kidnapped the executives from their homes once the retreat was over, and forced them to accompany him into the state park where they could be purged of their bad habits and approach life from a more mindful perspective. This time, Foreshadow tracked the group down and rescued the kidnap victims, defeating Dae-su in the process. Once again, Dae-su went calmly to jail. He accepted a plea bargain that got him sentenced to six years probation with Project Freedom, and took the code name 'Dharma' as a member.

Dharma is, unfortunately, one of Project Freedom's failures. He has not undergone any rehabilitation as a member of the group -- while accepting that the authorities do have the right to imprison someone who has done what he did, he still believes that his actions were morally correct owing to his enlightened perspective. When he is released in a few months, he will attempt to restart his school, and is at a high risk to re-offend if he encounters a similar situation. Despite this, he is well-liked by his teammates, and has contributed to the success of several of their missions. Off-duty, he and Seraphim have frequent polite arguments about their respective philosophies, which both enjoy.

Dharma -- PL 10

Abiltiies: STR 3 | STA 3 | AGL 5 | DEX 5 | FGT 12 | INT 1 | AWE 6 | PRE 1
Powers: Many Benefits (Array: Enhanced Strength 3, Fades, AP: Enhanced Stamina 3, Fades, AP: Enhanced Agility 3, Fades, AP: Enhanced Awareness 3, Fades, AP: Enhanced Presence 3, Fades), Meditation (Immunity 6 [cold, heat, need for sleep, starvation and thirst, suffocation], Sustained), Serenity (Immunity 15 [emotion effects, interaction skills]).
Advantages: Agile Feint, Assessment, Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Evasion, Fast Grab, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Takedown, Trance, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind.
Skills: Acrobatics 8 (+13), Athletics 8 (+11), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+14), Expertise: Philosophy 6 (+7), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+7), Insight 8 (+14), Perception 8 (+14), Persuasion 6 (+7).
Offense: Initiative +12/+9, Unarmed +14 (Close Damage 6/3).
Defense: Dodge 14/11, Parry 14, Fortitude 11/8, Toughness 6/3, Will 12/9.
Totals: Abilities 72 + Powers 28 + Advantages 17 + Skills 26 + Defenses 16 = 159
Complications: Exemplar--Motivation. Lifestyle Strictures.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Toxic!

Grond



The year was 1966, and Sydney Potter was one of VIPER's Nest Leaders in the San Francisco area. Orders came down from up above to use the resources given to him to investigate the strengths of several so-called heroes who'd recently emerged in the area, while still pursuing various other objectives. Not only was this mission a complete failure, but it also alerted the heroes to the existence of VIPER and caused them to band together as the first iteration of the Champions.

Meanwhile, Sydney was forced to abandon his entire operation and flee into the night ... where he was promptly recaptured and brought before the Grand Imperator for judgement. In light of the many successes Potter had shown before getting involved with these heroes, the Grand Imperator was inclined to be surprisingly lenient. Sydney was thus volunteered to take part in a series of medical experiments intended to test improved manaka root extracts. He entertained hopes that by doing this, he'd become a super soldier for VIPER ...

... which hopes were cheerfully crushed by the administrating doctor, who explained that if they succeeded in giving him super-strength, they'd promptly cut him up to figure what had facilitated the transformation and then use whatever they learned on VIPER soldiers who'd been less of a screw-up. Consequently, after he was administered an overdose of the wrong serum, Sydney made an attempt to escape with his life, and fell into VIPER headquarters' nuclear reactor containment pool. Managing to get out of that mess, he escaped from the facility during an electrical storm, and was promptly struck by lightning as he dove into an industrially polluted river.

Something rose up out of the river. Just which of the many potentially mutating agents he'd been exposed to, or which combination of them, produced the four-armed, green-skinned, water breathing monstrosity known as Grond has never been clear, but for the rest of the twentieth century and the first years of the twenty-first, he was a menace throughout the Pacific Rim, driven by either his own rage or the manipulation of more intelligent villains. And all the while, the mind of Sydney Potter screamed within him, desperate for release.

However, quite recently it appears that Grond may have met his match, as the Australian Navy's HMAS Hammersley reported their observations of a confrontation between him and the Atlantean warbeast Dakuwanga (see Threat Report). While most of the battle between the two monsters took place beneath the surface, obscuring details, what was clear was that Dakuwanga was the only one of them to leave the area, with no sign of Grond to be seen. It is far too soon to conclude that this marks Grond's final demise, but as months pass without any further sightings, it seems more and more likely.

Grond -- PL 13

Abilities: STR 18 | STA 19 | AGL 1 | DEX 0 | FGT 8 | INT -2 | AWE 0 | PRE -1
Powers: Amphibious (Immunity 3 [cold, drowning, pressure]; Swimming 5), Big (Growth 2, Permanent, Innate), Has Four Arms and Two Chests (Extra Limbs 2; Multiattack Damage 9 as an Alternate Power of Strength Damage), Strong (Leaping 12; Power-Lifting 1), Tough (Impervious Toughness 14), Unaging (Immunity 1 [aging])
Advantages: Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Hold, Power Attack.
Skills: Intimidation 14 (+15), Perception 2 (+2), Ranged Combat: Throwing 8 (+8).
Offense: Initiative +1, Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 18)
Defense: Dodge 5, Parry 7, Fortitude 20, Toughness 19, Will 4.
Totals: Abilities 80 + Powers 46 + Advantages 4 + Skills 12 + Defenses 10 = 150 points
Complications: Rage--Motivation. Paranoia.

Author's Note: Re-reading Threat Report, I realized that Dakuwanga more or less filled the same niche that I'd assigned to Grond -- and was, ahem, somewhat inspired by the same, I think -- and so I decided to have them face off in a battle that only one of them swam away from.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Toxic!

Fyirwhrx



Romi Park was a typical Korean girl from the West End until she developed mutant powers when she was fourteen. Her parents ended up sending her to Claremont Academy in hopes that the school would teach her how to use her powers responsibly -- by which they meant, not at all unless it was to save her own life and maybe not then. Fortunately, she found herself in a more accepting environment at Claremont ... unfortunately, she also fell in with a pretty bad crowd there, the sort of kids who get dubbed 'most likely to become a supervillain' in the yearbook and consider that high praise.

She graduated in 2011 and promptly got roped into using her powers as a distraction while some so-called friends of hers pulled off a casino robbery. Unfortunately, they had the misfortune of trying to rob a casino that the Crime League was trying to acquire, and so got caught in the middle of a fight between the Freedom League and the Crime League. Romi, who hadn't signed up for this, basically froze when she realized what was happening and ended up captured by Johnny Rocket.

Tried as an accessory, Romi's lawyer managed to parlay her first offense status into four years probation with Project Freedom. She has ended up thoroughly scared straight by her experiences and intends to get a job doing lighting and sound for the movies after her probation ends in a few months.

Fyirwhrx -- PL 10

Abilities: STR 0 | STA 3 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 3 | INT 0 | AWE 2 | PRE 3
Powers: Fireworks Display (Array: Selective Environment 8 [bright light], Precise, AP: Environment 8 [extreme heat]), Rocket's Roar (Array: Perception Range Burst Area Affliction 10 [Impaired, Disabled, Unaware], Limited to Hearing, AP: Perception Range Damage 10), Sound Effects (Illusion 5 [auditory]).
Advantages: Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Roll, Great Endurance, Startle.
Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+7), Athletics 4 (+4), Expertise: Popular Culture 6 (+6), Intimidation 7 (+10), Perception 5 (+7), Sleight of Hand 4 (+7), Stealth 4 (+7).
Offense: Initiative +3, Unarmed +3 (Close Damage 0), Sonic Boom -- (Perception Range Damage 10).
Defense: Dodge 7, Parry 3, Fortitude 8, Toughness 5/3, Will 4.
Totals: Abilities 34 + Powers 54 + Advantages 4 + Skills 13 + Defense 11=116 points
Complications: Fame--Motivation. Easily Rattled.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Toxic!

"..."

Are you waiting for something in particular?

"Look, do we have to use that particular image? I don't dress like that anymore, and --"

Only picture we've got of you, Nick. Let's go!

"<deep sigh>"

Nero



Nick Rourke led a short and unhappy life before his pyrokinetic abilities activated in his late teens. In the service of crime lord August Roman, he used these powers for arson and extortion, but began to go mad with power, ultimately challenging the Centurion as 'Nero', the Roman emperor with whom Nick identified. The hero and the madman fought several times in the 1980s, before Nero was finally captured in 1987. He was found not competent to stand trial and committed to psychiatric care in a facility far away from Freedom City.

There, the passage of time and gradual advancements in psychiatric medicine and therapeutic practice helped him to conquer his demons. His powers seemed to fade as he gained mental stability, and when he was finally released in 2006, all that remained was his immunity to heat and fire. He learned to blow glass in the facility's vocational training, and returned to Freedom City to pursue his new calling there. His brief period of notoriety had long since been forgotten, and it was hoped that this would be the beginning of a new, better chapter in his life.

But not long after he returned to Freedom City, he began to have dreams of himself as Nero once more, using the flames to strike down people who annoyed him in his day to day life. The possibility that Nero could return and destroy Nick's life was almost as terrifying as the possibility that he might enjoy it if it happened. He kept himself in check through regular therapy sessions and the support of a few close friends, but the fear was always present.

And then, in 2010, the arsons began. They matched his former MO perfectly, and a fireproof golden laurel was found at one of the scenes. Suspecting that 'Nero' was becoming active while he slept, Nick went into hiding intending to dose himself with stimulants to remain awake. He was discovered before he could harm himself by members of the Freedom Knights ... who were also able to establish that one of the first arsons had taken place while he was awake and in the company of his friends, and so he couldn't have set it.

It turned out that the crimes were being committed by the Thieves' Guild member Firebug. The Freedom Knights captured him and brought him to justice, but the story was unfortunately not over yet. Called to testify in the case, Nick found himself losing his temper on the stand ... bringing Nero to the fore, briefly, and setting the courtroom on fire! Snapping out of it just as abruptly, Nick attempted to stop the fires he'd started, and was shocked to succeed. Something had changed, and now both sides of his personality had access to these powers.

This time, he was found competent to stand trial, and received two years in jail and another ten years of probation, to be spent as a member of Project Freedom. He endured the jail sentence with difficulty, but the thought that he would have to use his powers for any reason, even public service, unsettled him to a much greater degree. Nor was he made particularly welcome when he finally did report to Project Freedom, for he was placed in the care of Toxic, who nearly worships the Centurion's memory and was not best pleased to have one of his enemies on her team.

Over the next three years, Nick was able to establish somewhat rocky friendships with some of his teammates, re-creating the prophylactic circle of friendships he'd had in civilian life. However, it was only recently that he began to make real progress in dealing with his issues, when the team went on an accidental time journey to Rome during its great fire. There they managed to encounter the real Nero, and Nick was startled to learn that the latter had not harped as Rome burned, but organized a quite effective fire-fighting brigade, doing much to save the city in the process. The real Nero was a more complicated figure than the cackling madman he'd envisioned, a mixture of good and bad traits instead of pure evil.

And maybe the same was true of the Nero in his head.

Slowly, the two personas of Nick Rourke are beginning to integrate with each other. Just how long the process will take remains to be seen, and other factors could easily disrupt it. But it seems likely that he will remain one of Project Freedom's big guns for some time to come.

Nero -- PL 12

Abilities: STR 0 | STA 1 | AGL 1 | DEX 2 | FGT 2 | INT 3 | AWE 3 | PRE 2
Powers: Air Walking (Flight 1, Platform), Fire Control (Array: Ranged Damage 16, AP: Perception Range Concentration Damage 8, AP: Perception Range Burst Area Simultaneous Concentration Nullify 6, Precise, AP: Summon Controlled Fire Elemental 10), Fire Resistance (Immunity 11 [flame damage, heat]), Flame Aura (Reaction Damage 14, Linked Sustained Impervious Protection 14, Limited to weapons that burn or melt).
Advantages: Distract (Intimidate), Improved Defense, Ranged Attack 6, Seize Initiative.
Skills: Deception 6 (+8), Expertise: Glass-Blowing 8 (+11), Insight 6 (+9), Intimidation 6 (+8).
Offense: Initiative +1, Unarmed +2 (Close Damage 1), Flame Blast +8 (Ranged Damage 16), Firey Gaze -- (Perception Range Damage 8).
Defense: Dodge 9, Parry 5, Fortitude 7, Toughness 15/1, Will 9.
Totals: Abilities 28 + Powers 117 + Advantages 9 + Skills 13 + Defenses 23 = 190 points
Complications: Acceptance--Motivation. Fear Of and Fascination With Fire. Reputation.

Flame Elemental -- PL 12

Abilities: STR 18 | STA -- | AGL 0 | DEX 0 | FGT 6 | INT -- | AWE 0 | PRE --
Powers: Air Walking (Flight 1, Platform), Colossal (Permanent Growth 16, Innate; Impervious Protection 10), Flaming Aura (Reaction Damage 8), Unliving (Immunity 50 [Fortitude, mental effects]).
Advantages: None.
Skills: None.
Offense: Intiative +0, Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 18)
Defense: Dodge -4, Parry 2, Fortitude -- Toughness 18, Will 0
Totals: Abilities 16 + Powers 136 + Advantages 0 + Skills 0 + Defenses 8 = 150


Author's Note: Nero was created by Steve Kenson.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Toxic!

The Beacon (II)



Jamie Jordan was born in Freedom City in 1988, and lived a relatively normal life until the Terminus Invasion, at which point matters became much more complicated. Exposed, along with an entire kindergarten class, to Terminus energies, Jamie was the one of several children to manifest a ... peculiarity. Put simply, Jamie switches sexes at irregular, unpredictable intervals. According to one theory, his or her body exchanges its molecules with those of a counterpart on a parallel Earth where he or she was always of the other sex, while retaining his or her own consciousness. This theory remains untested.

(Hereafter, this article uses the indeterminate pronouns they, them and their.)

Despite this peculiarity, and some mild psychological trauma early on when an overzealous researcher tried extreme measures to figure out exactly how they accomplished then transformation, Jamie is relatively well-adjusted. Their puberty might have been much worse than it was, had their parents not received the opportunity for them to study at the Claremont Academy, as part of a settlement arranged between the city and victims of the Terminus Invasion. Surrounded by others who had peculiarities just as extreme as their own, Jamie grew up feeling accepted rather than isolated.

They had only recently graduated from Claremont when they were called into the Albright Institute, which had supervised a lot of the investigation into their sex-swapping. Half-afraid that there were going to be more tests, they nonetheless went in, and were escorted to a private meeting with Langston Albright himself. He said that he had only one question for Jamie: "How would you like to be a superhero?"

Albright then explained most of what he knew about the Beacon's power -- its origins, and how it had been divided to empower both the White Rose and the White Thorn, and how both sides of the power had ended up in him. The power, he now believed, was in some sense alive ... and like all things that are alive, it grew and it changed. When it was divided between the two Germans, it had adapted to that change, and its subsequent re-combination in his own body had been an anomaly ... one that it didn't want to repeat. It wanted to be in two bodies once more.

So for some time, Albright had been looking for a pair of candidates to inherit the power from him, but looking at siblings hadn't gotten him any closer to the right successor either. But Jamie was effectively two people -- and Albright now believed that the only reason that he hadn't realized that they were the right candidate was that their two bodies were never in the same place at the same time.

Jamie agreed to try the experiment, half-believing that it just wouldn't take. Their expectations were incorrect. Equipped with a morphic molecule costume that changed as they did, Jamie became the new Beacon. Langston Albright lived only a few weeks after the transference, just long enough to see his new protege's first major fight, against Nacht-Krieger. The Beacon was seriously injured in the battle, but managed to inflict equivalent damage on the creature of the Shattenwelt.

Soon enough, the new Beacon found themselves teamed up with the new Scarab. The two young heroes became frequent allies as well as close friends, eventually forming an unofficial team with Seven after she began her formal apprenticeship with the Master Mage. In their male form, Jamie developed an attraction to Seven that was eventually reciprocated. Serena was able to teach Jamie enough magic to grant them a limited ability to control their changes.

This triumvirate was tested by the Scarab's brief retirement in 2011, but shattered completely in 2013 when Seven became the unwilling Queen of the Netherworld. The Beacon is convinced that the author of this misfortune is Taarvon the Undying, and has begun a series of journeys through the Cosmic Coil to find weapons and allies capable of overcoming the lord of the Shadow World. Consequently, they have not been seen on Earth-Prime in quite some time.

The Beacon II -- PL 11

Abilities: STR 1 | STA 2 | AGL 5 | DEX 8 | FGT 8 | INT 1 | AWE 2 | PRE 2
Powers: Glowing Aura (Sustained Impervious Protection 10), Light Flight (Flight 8 (500 MPH)), The Living Light (Array: Ranged Damage 10, AP: Ranged Burst Area Affliction 10 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Fortitude; Impaired, Disabled, Unaware), Limited to Vision, AP: Moveable Create 6, AP: Burst Area Nullify Emotion Effects 10, AP: Ranged Healing 10, Limited to Others), Shifting (Morph 1).
Advantages: Assessment, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Ranged Attack 4, Ultimate Aim.
Skills: Expertise: Magic 6 (+7), Insight 10 (+12), Intimidation 10 (+12), Perception 10 (+12), Persuasion 6 (+8).
Offense: Initiative +9, Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 1), Light Blast +12 (Ranged Damage 10), Light Burst -- (Ranged Burst Area Affliction 10, Resisted by Dodge).
Defense: Dodge 10, Parry 8, Fortitude 9, Toughnesss 12/2, Will 13.
Totals: Abilities 58 + Powers 65 + Advantages 9 + Skills 21 + Defenses 23 = 176
Complications: Revenge--Motivation. Uncontrolled Shifting. Cold and Logical OR Excitable and Eager.