DH #13: The Millenium City 8

[Lord Liaden]

Thanks for sharing these insights, gang. It's intriguing to see these characters through the eyes of their teammates (or as close to that as a character's creator can get).

I'm struck by the high regard all of the other MC 8 have for Megaera - her power, intelligence and attitude. She seems to be gaining the aura that Superman wears as part of the Justice League: she may not lead the team, and not all of the Eight agree with her methods, but they all respect and admire her. She seems to be the one that the team would count on to see them through when things get desperate; like a sports team giving the ball to their best player in the last seconds of a game.

[Hermit]

Hey, let's not be hasty Lord Liaden. For all we know Commando Rubberbando's thoughts on her might be "I can't STAND the bi..." But not likely.

Good points though. I was judging Stalker's and Steadfast's reactions on her personality and psych lims (Reflecting how she behaves), her competency (Power level), and that DF of hers certainly would have its influence.
Good PRE and COM as well.

[Killer Shrike]

And....here it is: Commando Rubberbando(!)'s intraparty perspectives:

Lady Liberty: “A real spitfire, that one. Tuff. Thinks fast on her feet. Knows what she's about. But she's holding something back...Tactically, she understands the value of surprise, and concealing strength from an enemy. What she lacks in firepower she makes up for with tricks and tenacity. She would have made a good Green Beret back in Nam -- gender notwithstanding. She prefers to guide than to lead; this is ok though -- many a field commander has had an advisor that was smarter and better informed than themselves but without the willingness to make tough decisions in the clinch. With maturity she may grow out of this -- in the meantime I'm glad she's on our side. The team looks to her for the logistics and intelligence of our little operation, and her special tap on information ensures that we all look to her for strategic briefings. If we had Intel this good in the GB's, life would have been a lot easier! Hooah!”

Psiphon: “With parents in the upper income bracket instead of the lower, this kid could have been anything. He's livin proof of the lack of options for an inner city kid turning them to crime; sure he walked on the other side of the law for a spell, but he's just a product of his environment. When an opportunity to get out of the ghetto came along, he took it -- in his place, any of us might have done the same. What's remarkable about David is that when he realized what he was involved in he had the courage to get out of it even if it meant his own death. Ive seen courage like that among kids his age overseas, but its rare here in the States. What I ask myself is, would I have had the same courage in his place at his age? I don't know, but I doubt it. I didnt become a man until a squad of Charlies had my squad pinned down in the jungle in the dead of night, with 3 of my buddies bleeding out beside me. I found my courage -- the no bullshit if-I-do-this-Ill-probably-die-but-if-I-dont-I-will-die kind of courage -- because it was do or die. David though; well David had a choice, and thats real courage. He might be the bravest of all my new squadmates when you get down to it. I'd like to be a mentor to the boy like I used to be to some of the newbs fresh off the line back in the Army, or some of "indige" kids I worked with overseas, but I dont want to push it on him. I'll let him come to me -- that always works best. Tactically he requires careful positioning and planning to use to best advantage, but as part of a combined arms operation he's a powerful tool with which to demoralize an enemy teetering on the cusp of Defend and Withdraw.”

El Aguijón: “I just call him Bug most times -- he reminds me of a fellow soldier I served with in the GB's named Gonzalez-Contreras; we all called him Gonzo. He was a jokester too, and the first into any sitch -- fearless. He died in Kosovo, fell in the line. Went out with a grin. Bug's like that too. I dont think the others see it, but somethin's riding him to an early grave. I've had to snatch him back out of harms way too many times to think otherwise, and while he thanks me afterwards -- I dunno; somethin tells me he's ambivalent about not dying. I got my eye on him, and if there's anythin I can do about it he wont go down on my watch. Tactically, he's hard to use. He's got stealth but with Lady Lib we usually dont lack for recon options. He'd make a decent infiltrator, but he's so damn eager to get into trouble that I never feel safe sending him in alone. He mostly serves as a skirmisher and a wild card. He's got potential, but his emotions rule rather than his head. He would have washed out of the GB's or ended up dead most likely.”

Stalker: “A good man. Older than he lets on. MTV kids dont say gee whiz, keen, and peachy. I've seen his like before -- he wants revenge. Reminds me of a civilian militia member named Miric that I worked with in what used to be Yugoslavia. He used to be a violinist until his wife and kids were wiped out by mortars. The other militia called him 'The Shadow of Death'. He turned his violin strings into a makeshift garotte, and he used it often according to the locals. One of the other militia men told me that he had made a vow to never play the violin again until he had killed a dozen of the enemy for each of his fallen loved ones. I got the impression that his family had been large....I sense a little bit of that in Stalker. Tactically, he's the best of class. No happy horseshit, of all my new squadmates I'd want him with me when it all hits the fan. He thinks three moves ahead or more, and that equals competence in my book. I know that I can count on him when the situation turns sour. My only concern with him is that if he ever gets his revenge, his fighting spirit might evaporate -- and if that happened in the middle of a situation it would be bad for us.”


Raaktor: “Sounds weird, but he reminds me of my Uncle Josey. Uncle Josey was really my granddaddy's Uncle -- he lived to be 102. He was born at the tail end of the Civil War, was already an old man by WW I, and died just a few years before the moon walk. He worked on the first Ford assembly line, did all kinds of stuff. He had a story for everything. If you could think of it, he had seen or heard tale of something like it. Wise old man. He used to tell us stories when I was a kid. Thinking back, half of it was tall tales and folk lore he retold with a Detroit factory workers perspective -- one story he'd tell us about a guy he had worked with on the Ford lines who worked the line 7 days straight for the overtime to buy a house for his wife and kids, only to drop dead at the end of it from exhaustion was a spin on John Henry, and so on. But still, it enriched our minds and taught us values. Raaktor's like that. Just listening to him talk is like sittin on the floor listening to Uncle Josey. If being a superhero doesnt work out for him he should consider becoming the next Mr. Rogers or something. Once you get past the fangs and claws he's really just a big softie with a heart of gold. Tactically he's a good complement to Stalker and Lady Lib both, but too lethal for the most part to employ casually. If we have to do something in the bush, I can rely on him to take the lead until I can knock the rust off my bushmaster skills. In truth, I hate seein him show up in tight spots, because if he were to fall in battle it would be a sad loss to the world. He represents an earlier time before we had all this racial tension hooplah and a society stratified into the haves and havennots. I think we could all learn a lot about ourselves and the inequities that still exist in our culture through the eyes of a "man from before time" so to speak. His very existance in some ways proves that it doesnt have to be the way it is now."


Steadfast: “Hmph. Cornfed bible thumpin white boy -- fun, fun, fun. Seriously though, good kid, but I cant tell if he's naive, not too bright, or what. They say there's no aetheists in foxholes, and I still believe that there's some kind of higher power watchin over us, but Ive seen too many people killed in the name of one religion or t'other to put much store into any particular belief set. But, at least he doesnt try to push his beliefs on to the rest of us, and he's dependible. I ride the kid a little -- I think he needs a firm hand to compensate for his strange lack of self-confidence; I dont think Ive ever met somebody as humble as him before, and Ive met a lot of people. Modesty is well and good, but too much isnt healthy. This guy could twist an Abrams into a pretzel, but he acts like a shy librarian at times. He seems to look up to me, but I dont know why -- we come from two very different worlds, and Ive had to do things in my life that I think would curdle his stomach if he knew of them. I dont want the boy to look up to or emulate me; I want him to become a man worth looking up to himself. Tactically, he provides very necessary bulk to the squad. He's like our heavy machine gunner; a fairly static but much needed firebase from which the rest of us can attack out from. Im always glad to see the big galoot show up when we're squarring off with heavy hitters -- having him as an asset changes the whole battle plan. The big downside is that its difficult to get any kind of synergy by using him with one or more of the others. So the trick is to use him as the lynchpin -- whereever he is, thats the center of operations -- keep most of the others centered on him, and let me or Meg deal with stragglers and keep opponents within the perimeter. One good thing about Stand-slow is that when some bad guy badly needs to get bounced off a wall but no walls are handy, his back will do.”


Megaera: “What can you say? She's a "brick-house". All around, the most well rounded and capable member of the team, from a superheroic perspective. When she shows up, our odds of success get better regardless of the sitch. But of all the squad, I get the least feel for her. Hard to read. Cant quite figure out what her deal is, or what motivates her to fight crime. She's spirited, but other than as an idealistic pursuit I just dont see where she's coming from, and that makes me cautious to employ her as fully as her abilities would allow. With Stalker, Lady Lib, Psiphon, the Bug, Raak, or even Stand-around I know that they'll push themselves to the bleeding edge to get the job done when it matters, but with Megaera.....I just dont know yet.”

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Hermit
Actually, I'm just relieved no one has made jokes about Steadfast's power..

"Just standing there is what I do best!"

BTW, thanks for the opinions guys.... I've already begun using the MC-8 as NPCs and it's working well.

Spoke too soon

[Glen Sprigg]

That about covers everyone, doesn't it?

Is anyone else getting an itch to start writing co-op stories about these characters? Or is it just me?

Glen

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Hermit
Hey, let's not be hasty Lord Liaden. For all we know Commando Rubberbando's thoughts on her might be "I can't STAND the bi..." But not likely.

More like -- "I cant get a handle on her" -- she's too otherworldly for CR to grok where she's coming from. CR reads people and thats where a lot of his decision making comes from -- by knowing how people tick he knows how to deal with them and how to employ them. With Megaera, he cant get a reading on what motivates her, and that makes him hesitant to trust her -- he doesnt know what she's capable of morally or ethically, how willing she is to go the distance, or what her breaking point is.

[Hermit]

Originally posted by Killer Shrike
Spoke too soon

Tsk, and Steadfast spoke so well of him.

[Hermit]

Originally posted by Glen Sprigg
That about covers everyone, doesn't it?

Is anyone else getting an itch to start writing co-op stories about these characters? Or is it just me?

Glen

Heck, I often wish DoJ would do/allow more fiction, be it official stuff or fanfic (Though I understand gaming supplements don't need more than a sprinkling of it). Some of the writing at the "Super Hero Showdown" was quite good, and it would have been fun to see the characters with a few more pages.

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Hermit
Tsk, and Steadfast spoke so well of him.

Yeah; CR likes Steadfast, but you gotta admit, to a hardened military man Steadfast is going to come off like a wet behind the ears newb. Once he's hardened up a little bit and developed a little salty crust of his own -- proven himself to CR as it were -- he'll get a lot more respect.

[Crimson Arrow]

Originally posted by Killer Shrike
More like -- "I cant get a handle on her" -- she's too otherworldly for CR to grok where she's coming from. CR reads people and thats where a lot of his decision making comes from -- by knowing how people tick he knows how to deal with them and how to employ them. With Megaera, he cant get a reading on what motivates her, and that makes him hesitant to trust her -- he doesnt know what she's capable of morally or ethically, how willing she is to go the distance, or what her breaking point is.

I liked this tack. CR's views on all the others stem from his personal experiences, either specific people, or things he's has seen or done as a soldier. He's never, ever, met someone like Megaera. She doesn't fit into his worldview, or his experiences, so he is unsure of her.

It's a nice contrast with Stalker, another older person, who is perhaps more cynical. He is willing to form an opinion of Megaera based on what he observes and deduces, rather as a scientist might do. CR wants proof positive. What's interesting is that he might have to open a whole new class of experiences to understand her.

As to fan fiction, I quite like the idea, but I'm not sure how much interest there would be. Maybe it's because I have a vested interest, but I think the MC8's personalities and histories provide enough material for lots of stories, just about their own backgrounds, Hunteds, and beliefs, let alone dealing with, say, Dr. Destroyer threatening to melt the ice caps.

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Crimson Arrow
I liked this tack. CR's views on all the others stem from his personal experiences, either specific people, or things he's has seen or done as a soldier. He's never, ever, met someone like Megaera. She doesn't fit into his worldview, or his experiences, so he is unsure of her.

It's a nice contrast with Stalker, another older person, who is perhaps more cynical. He is willing to form an opinion of Megaera based on what he observes and deduces, rather as a scientist might do. CR wants proof positive. What's interesting is that he might have to open a whole new class of experiences to understand her.

Exactly. What is it with you CA? You always seem to pick up on my intent -- its almost scary at times.

[Crimson Arrow]

Originally posted by Killer Shrike
Exactly. What is it with you CA? You always seem to pick up on my intent -- its almost scary at times.

While I'd love to claim some spooky psychic ability, I thought you'd explained it all clearly. The first paragraph I wrote simply rehashed what you had previously said and the second one was just a logical inference from what you and Hermit had written and explained the difference of attitudes between the the "elder statesmen" of MC8 (as I saw it).

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Crimson Arrow
While I'd love to claim some spooky psychic ability, I thought you'd explained it all clearly. The first paragraph I wrote simply rehashed what you had previously said and the second one was just a logical inference from what you and Hermit had written and explained the difference of attitudes between the the "elder statesmen" of MC8 (as I saw it).

I always think I explain it clearly, but half the time seemingly nobody else does

[Hermit]

Originally posted by Killer Shrike
I always think I explain it clearly, but half the time seemingly nobody else does

Huh? wha? I don' unnerstan'

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Hermit
Huh? wha? I don' unnerstan'

Crimson Arrow can explain it to you

[Killer Shrike]

In the spirit of Champions Universe: News of the World, I updated Commando Rubberbando. I brought him up from 350 to 475 as that seemed reasonable based upon the Champions expansion to around the 525 point range -- close enough to be in the ballpark, but still leaving a 50 point gap on the table for the iconics.

Commando Rubberbando 2007

Enjoy...

[Hermit]

Pretty Cool, Shrike. Thanks.

I might do something similar for Stalker and Steadfast, but being lazy, I'll probably just tell what they'd probably want to add where for each, and let folks do it themselves from there instead of writing a full sheet up, and throw in a bit more history to cover what they've been up to since then.

[Crimson-Hawk]

I think the "CU:NotW" style updates are a good idea and I'm glad KS did one for Commando. Very well written, btw.

Speaking of well written, the character sheet itself looks very nice. Is the export template for that available on the Hero Designer website?

[Killer Shrike]

I think the "CU:NotW" style updates are a good idea and I'm glad KS did one for Commando. Very well written, btw.

Speaking of well written, the character sheet itself looks very nice. Is the export template for that available on the Hero Designer website?

No, I haven't been posting my export templates on the HERO Designer site. I suppose I probably should, but haven't gotten around to it.

Anyway, if you send me an email, Ill send them to you.