Iowa Heroes

[Hermit]

Let's assume for a moment that some how, Iowa has enough heroes to form a super team.

What sort of heroes would/should it have?

"We are the Des Moines Defenders!"

[AnotherSkip]

Stretchy Guy!!!!

[yamamura]

The only problem with an Iowa superteam is that there would be nothing to do. Most super villians like Don Johnson and Ashton Kercher have already left the state and so would most other super villians. So the most any super team would ever have to do is attend events like the fair and guard the pig (forgot his name) for the Iowa vs Minnesota football game.

Now on the other hand just so we have a team and to keep the state population from dropping (by 5 to 10 depending on the team size), our governor would give tax breaks and grants to keep a team here. But is it really heroic to threaten to move to South Dakota if the team doesn't get more grants and tax cuts?

Anyway if I gained Super powers I would at least head to Chicago.

G

[yamamura]

Pork Queen: After being doused with genetically enchanced BBQ sauce Janet Jones now fights crime and attends sporting events as the Pork Queen.

The young lady who doused our Janet was upset for not winning the her county Pork Queen contest. So stealing her father BBQ sauce (he actually works for Viper's Coop division) she attacked.

Pork Queen
Abilities:
Can eat almost anything (true Omnivore)
Speak with Pigs
Fangs
High Pitch Squeal (can damage or summon pigs)

[csyphrett]

was based in Iowa, so maybe that type of do it yourself punisher/batman might be a fair sample. Someone who builds all of his equipment at his home.

[Eyendasky80]

You read Wild Dog?

[Hermit]

Mmm, that could work.

I actually have an idea for an INCREDIBLY powerful super being, nice guy.... who really isn't into this hero thing so just goes about his life. Maybe I'll have him live in Iowa.

[Ghost who Walks]

Well, having lived inIowa inthe 80's, most heroes would probably be Dukes of Hazzard style.

They would be poor, their Headquarters would be morgaged to the bank, and the villains would be corporate agribusiness.

Most of their time would be spent protecting America's corn from destruction by Doctor Destroyer. His name is "Doctor Destroyer" after all. He should try to destroy something, every once in a while.

[Monolith]

Popper
His main ability is to emit a weak microwave which he uses to pop the abundance of corn in the Iowa area. The power itself is a Change Enviroment 6"r with Multiple Effects including negative PER, negative Running, and a 5 STR TK.

In the winter, spring, and early summer months Popper carries microwave bags of frozen "Super-Pop Super-Corn," which he is also a paid spokesman for. Popper throws these bags and hits them with his microwave beam. With them he can cause a smaller Change Enviroment (2") as above or use it as a Flash Attack.

Popper is also quite popular with children and senior citizens, both of whom enjoy the popcorn Popper gives them free of charge.

[Outsider]

The Iowa team doesnt have to be low-energy, they just have to have reasons for staying in Iowa.

1) The character in question gains his power through the intercession of native spirits that are powerless should he travel too far from their holy sites.

2) The character in question gains his power through some sort of "scientific" process/infusion that requires an essentially immobile laboratory/machine that he has to return to regularly. He could leave Iowa, but he has to return every day or week. Easier just to stay nearby.

3) The character in question has access to power based on his proximity to some category of thing that is common in Iowa, but less common elsewhere. Perhaps his powers only work in cornfields.

4) Maybe the character just LIKES Iowa.

5) Perhaps the team is a highly mobile team that looks out for rural/smaller urban areas in a multi state zone, and is simply headquartered in Iowa, since it is centrally located in their area of responsibility?

[Blue]

Every week Superman finds something to do in Smallville. So I presume you could find something to do in the entire state of Iowa.

But reviewing a list of things like population, state bird, state motto, etc., I cannot find anything that inspires me.

If I were making characters for Iowa they would not be distinctly Iowan except for the fact that they live there.

Try...
HEARTLAND: This souds like some kind of Brick/Superman type to me.

HARVESTER: Probably a drainer type, harvesting characteristics and powers.

HAWKEYE: I know it's been used, but it *IS* the hawkeye state, ya know.

[BishopofB&W]

Originally posted by Outsider
The Iowa team doesnt have to be low-energy, they just have to have reasons for staying in Iowa.

SNIP
5) Perhaps the team is a highly mobile team that looks out for rural/smaller urban areas in a multi state zone, and is simply headquartered in Iowa, since it is centrally located in their area of responsibility?

I like this. They would be within a couple of hours of flight of Colorado, Michigan, etc. They could get called in to help out with a major supervillain attack as so many did when Dr. D wasted Detroit. Also, the terrain means that an enemy would have to use stealth technology or tunnel underground to sneak up on their headquarters. Remember the underground facility in the cornfield in the the X-files movie? Make that a VIPER or ARGENT lab or base. The fact that Iowa appears so innocent on the surface just begs for villains to come to it.

[Ghost who Walks]

Ok, this idea is starting to interest me...resurrecting memories from childhood.

In 1998, an agricultural conglomerate decided to test out its new hybrid super corn in its farms outside of Des Moines. Regretfully, some of the corn found its way into the school lunch program, where several students were exposed. The resulting court settlement enowed the High School with enough money to build a basketball court, and hybrid super corn endowed its victims with super powers! Fighting against Corporate Greed, California Immigrants, and imported cars, the Defenders strike fear into the hearts of villainy.

Des Moines Defenders
John Deere: Proclaimed to be the strongest man in the state, John Deere real name is John Jackson. As team leader, he carefully guides the team in their search for a villain to fight.
He is also the spokesman for the John Deere corporation, acting as a spokesman for their tractors. With his family farm morgaged to the bank, John has a lot of work to make the farm profitable.

Pork Queen: Winner of the state "Miss Pig" competition, Pork Queen was transformed by the super corn into a 12 foot giantess. Maggie Madison's hobbies include pig raising, watching soap operas, and fixing her truck. She also has the psionic ability to control all pigs.

Popper: see above. :)

Dairyman: Burton Fields didn't ask for his powers, but as the older brother of Popper he feels compelled to help him in his quest to become a "super-hero". Leader of his local Bible study group, Burton is the moral conciousness of the team. His power is simialr to his brother, in that he has the ability to raise heat over a large area. At maximum power, he can bring water to a boil, which he uses to do work in his secret ID, at the local dairy. In combat, he carries a 30-06 hunting rifle.

Hawkeye: The Nerdiest Nerd at Des Moines High, Don Donner has the misfortune of having the super corn thrown into his eyes by the school bully. Now possessed with the abilities of telescopic vision and X-ray vision, he is much, much happier. He spends his spare time investigating the origin of his friends powers. He has a rivalry with Heartland.

Heartland: The high school Bully at Des Moines High, Trevor Tate always knew that he was destined for great things. With his new superpowers, and Hollywood agent, he just knows that he will break into the big leagues. As a hobby, Trevor calls superheroes on the phone and challenges them to fights. In public, he presents the image of the all american boy, in private he likes to smash up peoples mailboxes. He has a rivalry with Hawkeye, and the telekinetic ability to move the earth. He also gets stronger when touching the earth.

Roles for the Team:
1) As a counter to those "morally ambiguous" teams, the Defenders always puruse the morally correct course of action. This can be annoying.
2) Should a war break out, the Defenders will all volunteer
3) If the Heroes need reinforcement/help, the Defenders can arrive on their Team Bus(tm)
4) The Defenders claim that their presence has kept Iowa nearly supervillain free. They claim they can do the same in the campaign heroes city.
5) One of the PC's supervillains decides to conquer Iowa and establish his own kingdom. :) The PCs must rally the local heroes to their side.

Notes
1) Due to their past heroics in stopping a flood, the team is allowed to train in the High School Gym.
2) Their official meeting spot is Burke's diner, where they recieve food at a 20% discount, after helping Burke put out a grease fire.
3) Their team vehicle is a retired High School bus, driven by school bus driver Gladys. Heartland wants to enter it in the local demolition derby, Pork Queen is against it.
4) Pork Queen owns a truck, the others must borrow vehicles from their families. John Deere is trying to restore a 77' Gremlin, but is having little success.
5) Several hundred other students were exposed to the super corn, none have shown any symtoms of super powers...yet.
6) While the corporation was blamed for the power-causing super corn, tests upon their corn in the fields show that it does not cause super powers. Who decided to use Des Moines as their test ground...and why?
7) The team has only one supervillain so far, Lunch Lady Denise. Inbued with superhuman strength and the ability to fire laser beams from her eyes, Denise bears a grudge against all those who kept her in a minimum wage job in the school cafeteria. She periodicly escaped from county lockup to have her revenge agaisnt the country board of supervisors, the local Co-Op, the school, the Defenders, the Governor,
8) Unknown to the heroes, the State Governor is worried that the Defenders may attract a supervillain to attack the state capitol (Des Moines). He has assigned to plainclothes state troopers to follow them, armed with shotguns. They carry a cell phone, to call the governor if they see anyone suspicious.
9) None of the heroes were costumes, except Heartland, whose costume is a patriotic nightmare of red, white, and blue.

Anything I miss?

[Hermit]

Oh, let em wear costumes. I mean, they are still super heroes, and heck one of them should be wearing a corporate logo on his own super threads.

[Ghost who Walks]

Ok, here are their costumes:
http://www.rmconnection.com/images/OK800.gif
Corporate logos are on the back.

Note: The costume is being modeled by "Invisible Dude", (Ike Irving) who was the 7th member of the team before he war arrested for indecent exposure in Nebraska. The Defenders are trying to find a way to get him out.

[Hermit]

Errr... thanks, I think.

What can I say, I just like some of the conventions of the genre, costumes being one of them.

[Ghost who Walks]

Not a problem, I just couldn't think of a costume at the time.

Most of my players used to wear costumes, but then they saw Seeker, and decide to stop. :)

[Hermit]

Originally posted by Ghost who Walks
Not a problem, I just couldn't think of a costume at the time.

Most of my players used to wear costumes, but then they saw Seeker, and decide to stop. :)

I always wondered if Seeker had trouble getting into resturants...

"I don't care if you HAVE saved the world... no shirt, no service!"

[Blue]

I'm sure that if he raised trouble that the bouncer... or the maitre'-d... or the waitress... could handle him easily.

[RavensPath]

This thread is hilarous. But I will defend Iowa a bit, (which I never thought I would do, but since I just moved back here after escaping for 11 years I will)

Yes Iowa is boring, but there are still things to do here. As someone pointed out it would be a great central location for a multi state team.

There are also some companies here that could interest some major villians.

Quaker Oats-take over the production plant, slip in a little mind control substance, take over the US, then the world.

Rockwell Collins- nice big aviation/information tech company, lots of potential there

Archer Danial Midland plants- one of the biggest producers of various ingrediants of most foods. again the mind control thing.

Geico- insurance fraud anyone?

University of Iowa - huge college with lots of potential (Iowa State too)- World famous writers workshop that draws huge authors

John Deere Plant- yes this fits the sterotype, but I'm sure something could be done.

And this is only within a 40 mile radius of Cedar Rapids and not nearly everything


Not everyone who lives in Iowa is a hick. Some of us live here to be close to our families.

If we are going to make sterotypical teams lets look at some other states as well.

Arkansas, Louisanna, Maine, Hawaii

Lets spread the fun around!:D

Though I do want to see more ideas for Iowa too!

[Hermit]

Originally posted by RavensPath

Not everyone who lives in Iowa is a hick. Some of us live here to be close to our families.

If we are going to make sterotypical teams lets look at some other states as well.


YIKES , that's certainly not what I intended when I started this thread (Well, maybe I was poking a bit of fun at how Comic books only seem to recognize the East and West coast)... and as I live in Tennessee, I know how irritating it can be. Sorry if I came across that way.

I HAVE played up Iowa in a gag like manner, upon occaison, as being the center of the Universe, full of Lost Jungle civilizations (With Dinosaurs), a nexus of mystic energy, and the secret gathering spot for evil organizations (Ever see that GI Joe comic book where a midwest town was pretty much populated by Cobra agents and their families?) . It's great fun.

[yamamura]

My fellow Iowan RavenPath is correct and with ISU experiments and investigation into Animal disease, it does have potential for some scenario. But thinking of it, a Great Plain Super team that handles several States, I would base it in Omaha (okay its Nebraska, but as a friend of mine that was from Lincoln said, its a whole different place from the rest of the State). That way the Team can respond quickly to other state (Iowa, South Dakota, Missouri, Kansas and of course Nebraska). Also with Offet Airbase (Sp?) nearby, military support or at the very a least a tarmac to park the teams jet.

G

[Ghost who Walks]

Originally posted by RavensPath
Quaker Oats-take over the production plant, slip in a little mind control substance, take over the US, then the world.
I'm picturing an immortal corporate President...The last surviving Quaker, dedicated to nonviolence and pacifism. His goal, to create an army of supermen to bring peace to the world! Or at least those parts with Christians in them.:)

If you want to make a serious Midwest team, I'd say Kansas City or St. Louis would be good. They are both transportation hubs.

The team I worte up above is an example of the horde of bush-league teams that populate my world. The ratio I tell my players is, for every hero at 350 points, there are 10 at 300. For every one at 300, there are 10 at 250. (And so on)

As an alternate for a serious team, how about a team of all speedsters? give them some kind of common origin, an extended family perhaps.

Of course giving each midwestern state its own low power team, all allied to each other, then have them all join up when Bulldozer shows up...that could be fun also.

[zornwil]

Hmmm. Mad cow disease. As in mad raging MUTATED VICIOUS COWS!

The Combine. Either a guy in a vehicle or, to my mind, preferably a guy with a big shredding armor-plated weapon he holds in front of him and shreds to bits that which is in front of him. A villain, of course (just in case there was doubt).

There should be some farm-shaman NPC, an elderly "farmer" whose so in touch with the land and crops that he can "read" events by the way the wind passes over the wheat...but he's real down-to-earth, speaks in short phrases, simple words, says things like "Wellp, probl'y gonna be trouble down at the chapel tonight. Some kinda trouble. Yup."

IIRC, Iowa has witnessed cow mutilations and crop circles, though I could be wrong. Either way - why not? Good plot hooks and naturals in the area.

[Hermit]

Wasn't "The Man Eatting Cow" a Tick villain? :)

[RavensPath]

I have to say this is one of the funniest threads I have read.

Living here may be somewhat boring, but something like this just makes you laugh.

If I were to create an Iowa hero they would have the power to make a really good game store survive on the Eastern side of Iowa. That would be the holy grail of powers.

Matthew

[zornwil]

Originally posted by RavensPath
I have to say this is one of the funniest threads I have read.

Living here may be somewhat boring, but something like this just makes you laugh.

If I were to create an Iowa hero they would have the power to make a really good game store survive on the Eastern side of Iowa. That would be the holy grail of powers.

Matthew

Hmmm, a gaming store as a super-hero base!

"No one ever comes here!" :p

[Brandi]

Originally posted by zornwil
Hmmm. Mad cow disease. As in mad raging MUTATED VICIOUS COWS!


Something like this maybe? (From a friend's Heroes Unlimited campaign)

[Outsider]

"John Deere Plant- yes this fits the sterotype, but I'm sure something could be done."

If you can make heavy duty farm eqiupment, then you can make almost anything mechanical/vehicular. At least with a little super-villain/mastermind help.

Or, more mundane, but more insidious, it could be that, for the last 20 years, the evil cabal has been placing its agents into the ALL the major harvesting equipment manufacturer's plants, and has managed to get their -special- CPUs into nearly every piece of equipment still in use. One harvest season, ALL the stuff just stops working at the same time. THEN the cabal delivers its untimatum.... A huge payoff, dictatorial power, and such, or else they wont turn all the stuff back on and the country will starve (HAHAHAHAHA!!)

[Hermit]

Perhaps the Base AI could quote The Music Man constantly :)

[Robert Harrison]

Originally posted by Ghost who Walks


Roles for the Team:
1) As a counter to those "morally ambiguous" teams, the Defenders always puruse the morally correct course of action. This can be annoying.
2) Should a war break out, the Defenders will all volunteer
3) If the Heroes need reinforcement/help, the Defenders can arrive on their Team Bus(tm)
4) The Defenders claim that their presence has kept Iowa nearly supervillain free. They claim they can do the same in the campaign heroes city.
5) One of the PC's supervillains decides to conquer Iowa and establish his own kingdom. The PCs must rally the local heroes to their side.

Anything I miss? [/B]

Aren't home-grown meth labs still a problem in Iowa? Our Iowan heroes could be in constant struggle with the dread supervillain, The Methamphetamine Master!!!:)

[zornwil]

Originally posted by Robert Harrison
Aren't home-grown meth labs still a problem in Iowa? Our Iowan heroes could be in constant struggle with the dread supervillain, The Methamphetamine Master!!!:)

Farmer Meth!

(okay enough with the farmer stuff, I know, I know...) :)

On a more serious note, Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus status gives it a fantastic opportunity for various political shennanigans, ranging from light-hearted or apolitical ("somebody stole the ballots!") to gritty corruption.

[Ghost who Walks]

This is wierd...the longer this thread goes on, the more I am tempted to stick all my characters there for a week...

Meh labs and drugs are problems everywhere. They are the plot that keeps on coming.

One more issue (besides the farmer stereotype). If we accept the notion that all the heroes are in either New York or Los Angeles (where the media is, the heroes like to see their pictures in the paper) then why wouldn't the supervillains be based in Iowa?

Especially if they have some plan of world domination. Picture the typical James Bond plot, set in Iowa (the last movie put it in Iceland...Iowa is more likely than that).

If Professor X was really going to run a school for young mutants...he would want it far away from exerything. Keeps away the riff-raff.

Villain idea: In the winter, the gasoline has ethanol added to it. The ethanol comes from grain, in the midwest. What if a villain sabotages the ethanol, stranding millions of commuters nation-wide? Could be enought to ruin Christmas...