Siberian Tiger Posted December 19, 2003 Report Share Posted December 19, 2003 In the campaign world I'm developing, many superpowers are genetic and as such can be passed from one generation to another. Not every child of a superhuman has superpowers but those that do, often have similar powers to their parent. Where it becomes interesting is when two superhumans mate. Their offspring might have no powers, might mimic one parent or might inherit both parents powers. Hyperion was the big name superhero of the 1960s and 1970s. Possessing solar based powers, he travelled the world defending truth, liberty and other good American values. Unfortunately he was a philanderer of the highest degree and has spawned children across the globe, many of whom have inherited his powers. The following are "children of the sun" that I've thought out so far. Can you think of any intersting additions to the family? Sunflower - Born in 1971 from Hyperion's marriage to minor European superheroine Chloropyll Girl. Possesses both solar energy blasts, flight and plant control powers. Now aged 32, she has settled down and retired from crimefighting. Her brother, from her mother's second marriage, is the deadly vigilante Warflower Sunspot - Born in 1975 after a one night stand with the Irishteleporter Pooka (female in my campaign). He is an active hero assigned to the UN superhuman division but refuses to recognise his father. Can turn invisible, teleport and project great heat Sunblok - Born in 1978 to Hyperion's second wife, reporter Mary Rhodes. Had no apparent powers. Served with the police until an armed robbery left him fighting for his life. A blood transfusion from the hero Cave not only turned him into a rocklike being like his donor but activated his latent solar powers Horus - In 1979, Hyperion was assigned to Egypt to protect President Sadat. He had a brief fling with the daughter of legendary Egyptian hero Horus. Their offspring mutated into a man-bird hybrid which terrorised the Lower Nile region until his grandfather took him under his wing, literally, and trained him to be his successor. Died in 1999 defending Western tourists from Al-Quaeda backed terrorists. Suntrap - Born in 1979. product of an affair between Hyperion and the villainous Locke. Rejected by his father so followed his mother's route into crime. Now one of the world's leading bounty hunters and a master escapologist. Leads the superteam the Blood Urchins consisting of other criminal offspring of superheroes Sol-3 - Second son of Hyperion and Mary Rhodes. Born in 1980. Avid Sci-fi fan. Powers activated whilst working for NASA. Reluctant crimefighter SunScream - another result of a one-night stand, this time with Irish vigilante Banshee. Sunscream wields both solar energy powers and a terrifying sonic scream. Born in 1982 Mirage - Another birth in 1982, this time to French reporter Marie Furnival. Only inherited her father's mirage creating powers. Was taken under the wing of the independent superhuman the Illusionist at the age of 18 and has grown into an effective superhuman for hire. Hasn't broken the law yet but has been employed by some shady organisations to use her powers to create distractions or diversions. Solar Girl - the newest hero on the block. Based in Fort Lauderdale, this hispanic 14 year old teenager has only made 4 appearances but seems to have all of her father's powers. However there is danger on the horizon as another similar looking Solar Girl with similar powers has made 2 appearances in Michigan. The newcomer definately has plans on taking the Solar Girl name for herself and for her own purposes. Any other additions to this family... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost who Walks Posted December 19, 2003 Report Share Posted December 19, 2003 Very interesting concept! I picture them all on an episode of Oprah... About the only suggestions I can make, are based upon locations where Hyperion may have been in the 1960's-80's. Maybe someone else can flush these out: ~Anywhere in Southeast Asia? ~a child born from an affair with an actress, while filming "Hyperion: the Movie" ~There needs to be at least one in there who has no powers whatsoever...and is writing a tell-all book about his father ~When I first read the title of the thread, I thought it was about the Inca. The Champions Universe needs more metas in South America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Posted December 19, 2003 Report Share Posted December 19, 2003 Just wanted to pass along one comment about powers being inherited. If having super-powers allows someone to breed more often and more successfully than people without, then over time super-powers will become increasingly prevalent until they are "normal." If they are a hinderance to reproduction, then over time super-powers will disappear with only rare reoccurances (less than one per generation). The exception to that is if the phenomenon that creates super-powers is a recurring event. Just thought you should know that in case you ever thought about projecting your campaign background into the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Seeman Posted December 19, 2003 Report Share Posted December 19, 2003 I once had a villain named Solar Flare. He rode around on self-created arcs of solar prominences and could fire radiation from his eyes. He was originally a non-corporeal being that was accidentally hurled into solidification and when he appeared he was inside the sun. So his body took on that form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Posted December 20, 2003 Report Share Posted December 20, 2003 Siberian Tiger, cool name btw, may I have permission to use this concept in a game of my own? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pteryx Posted December 20, 2003 Report Share Posted December 20, 2003 If I were in this game, I'd seriously consider creating my own child of Hyperion as a PC. Sunsuit: Born in 1976 from a fling with the genius mystic Erudite. She has no powers at all and hates this fact, as she felt the drive to dive into the world she was born from and help mankind. Fortunately, she turned out to be just as bright as her mother and ended up building a solar-powered super-suit which lets her be on par with your typical "real" superhero. ...fills one other hole. -- Pteryx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oberon Posted December 20, 2003 Report Share Posted December 20, 2003 Originally posted by Supreme Just wanted to pass along one comment about powers being inherited. If having super-powers allows someone to breed more often and more successfully than people without, then over time super-powers will become increasingly prevalent until they are "normal." If they are a hinderance to reproduction, then over time super-powers will disappear with only rare reoccurances (less than one per generation). The exception to that is if the phenomenon that creates super-powers is a recurring event. Just thought you should know that in case you ever thought about projecting your campaign background into the future. There is another option. Make superpowers a recessive, which confers no benefit/hindrance to a carrier. Superpowers will be rare, but pop up now and then. If there is no selection pressure, then the locus won't change in frequency in the population. Of course, you can then start to talk about polygenic traits and epistatic interactions, but we won't oberon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristopher Posted December 20, 2003 Report Share Posted December 20, 2003 Even if genetic supers tend to breed more successfully, their tendancy to get themselves killed, and their general inability to have a functional social life, might make up for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snarf Posted December 20, 2003 Report Share Posted December 20, 2003 A couple more catchy sun-related names: Sunburn Sunstroke Eclipse Maybe these could be villians? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haerandir Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Originally posted by Kristopher Even if genetic supers tend to breed more successfully, their tendancy to get themselves killed, and their general inability to have a functional social life, might make up for it. A long lifespan and stable social life are not needed for reproductive success. There's a reason the human body is genetically programmed to start decaying after prime child-bearing age, you know. And romantic turmoil is not necessarily a barrier to reproduction so much as to good parenting. Ever read Powers? The issues focusing on Olympia (collected with some other stories in the TPB 'Little Deaths') contribute a theory on this subject. Two words: Superhero Groupies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristopher Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 In comic books, every time a character is about to get laid, there's an emergency, or the villain shows up, or the encounter is a trap! I'm surprised that comic book characters ever have kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haerandir Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 If Peter Parker can have a kid, then anyone can! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristopher Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Originally posted by Haerandir If Peter Parker can have a kid, then anyone can! Peter Parker has a kid? OK, you win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siberian Tiger Posted December 22, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 Thanks everybody for all contributions and suggestions. Sunburn and Sunstroke - good names for villains. I imagine Sunburn as having pyromancer powers as well as his daddy's solar powers. Somehow I see him as a "good ol' boy". Maybe his maternal heritage links him with the deadly seductress Heartburn whose gentle touch can give you a cardiac arrest or set you on fire! Sunsuit - an interesting idea especially if her father or one of her brothers took an over-protective stance due to her lack of "real powers". Twilight - no problems with you using this concept in any of your games. The idea of a "normal" writing an expose is another good one. A few further ideas from the Oprah / Jerry Springer shows. What happens if two of his offspring get it together but don't realise that they're related? Is the creation, a very powerful solar beast? What if Hyperion's philandering has left him infected with a rather nasty disease? Would the government cover it up? (has anyone heard the rumour that Glen Miller's disappearance was because he suffered a heart attack whilst with a lady of questionable reputation?). What happens when the baby of Lady America and Major Glory begins to emit solar radiation? Has Hyperion been up to his old tricks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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