Please help with this character concept

[Richard Logue]

One of the things I like about creating my own meta-millieu is fleshing out the world's history where supers are concerned. It helps me feel achievient when I can rattle off some bit of historical nonsense to the players that usually doesn't affect the current story/scenario. Then, in a later session, I can "pop quiz" them with some extra hero dice as a reward.

 

Anyway, so I'm wracking my brain over a World War 2 American super-soldier program idea and I need some help developing it. The problem stems from not being able to decide on its end product. I don't want just another Captain America clone. But when you're dealing with "super-soldiers" how far can you really stray from the Kirbian?

 

First off, I've decided to name the program the Baltimore Project. I think it has a nice ring to it and matches other names like the Manhattan Project and the Philadelphia Project (I know its "Experiment," just not in my world). Of course, it was a secret endeavor. How can there be no conspiratorealities without secret government projects?

 

I'm thinking the program involved genetic manipulation, which probably would have been extremely hairy-scary in the 1940's. One idea I have, which is good because it incorporates a Silver Age hero I have who has no origin as yet, is that the program was a mixed failure. It produced monsters (of the insane brute kind, not of the 40-story tall quasi-reptillian kind). Its only success came from manipulating an unborn child, or perhaps a very young infant, who, ~25 years later, becomes the hero Pioneer.

 

Its workable as is, but I'd love to hear some feedback on it, and also hear your ideas of a WW2 super-soldier program that does NOT produce "Captain America," or "Nick Fury."

 

Thanks

[Richard Logue]

LoL.....

 

It might help if I actually asked, more specifically, what I'm looking for. I need the World War 2-era product of the Baltimore Project. I already have a good idea of Pioneer's stats and abilities, so I'm not looking for him, per se.

 

What did the Baltimore Project produce?

 

Thanks again.

[winterhawk]

Genetics was in its infancy in the Golden Age. Chromosomes were discovered and their chemical nature was known, but that's about it. I looked it up. Chemistry was the main catalyst for powers in the period. I don't know if your looking to be either historically accurate or fit genre standards. Back to topic...

 

In Marvel's Ultimate Universe, the Hulk is a result of Dr. Banner trying to replicate the supersoldier program and failing. Perhaps (dare I say it) Grond is the result of the Baltimore Project?

[Farkling]

As stated, the revised Hulk is a super soldier result.

 

Wolverine is part of a super soldier project, but I don't know that he counts. After all, they couldn't duplicate his healing ability to repeat the project...or could they? Could there be a chemical serum that supercharges the human healing system instead of killing the subject? How Nazi superscience.

"Yes Fuhrer, we can make more, we require 100 soldiers for each functioning agent, and 1 year"

 

The second Captain America was a psychotic that the serum eventually destroyed.

 

Hmm. Other supersoldier expermiments.

 

Captain Atom from DC was a RESULT of government experiments.

 

Ah. The psychiology of the system should be addressed. The military questing for a supersolder in WW2 lacked "vision", they could only percieve of creating a "better, stronger, faster" soldier that would take orders and could survive things that normal soldiers couldn't. They wanted foot soldiers with the abilities of a tank, and that's what they tried to create. Monsters would be a minor price to pay for an obedient, armored, indestructible soldier.

 

My character Lightning is a "result" of a rogue super soldier experiment. The serum reacted badly with his mutant physiology. his wife and his best friend were killed. He survived, but much changed.

[freakboy6117]

Defiantly go with the chemicals though radiation and electro acupuncture work too.

 

I’d try assembling a whole team each a prototype they worked buy not as completely as they wanted

 

The chameleon who has skin containing Colour changing pigment. Perfect as a scout expert with knives for that silent take down.

 

Long shot super vision and hearing total body control making him the world’s greatest marksman. Wear sunglasses and earplugs to avoid being over whelmed when off duty.

 

Sam "twitch" McCoy former race car driver turned army courier sent on medical leave after developing a dangerous addiction to amphetamines enrolled in super soldier program now his body works faster he runs like the wind but he can't stop moving.

 

Bruiser. Lumber jack of Scottish decent built like a giant red wood the process toughed his skin and enhanced his muscles but enhanced his already dangerous rages. Carries and big axe and a belt fed machine gun

 

Edward "brains" Johnson think captain America without the physical prowess has just a normal guy but with an amazing tactical and scientific brain

[Mayday]

Well, although science is the usual way, around WWII Hitler's e,phasis on the Occult might have sparked the US to try an occult super soldier program. Using magic rituals to try to develop... something. Plenty can go wrong as they perfect it, and pity the first test subjects...

 

If you want you can bring fictional scientists in as 'fact' in your world. For instance Dr. Moreau as the head of genetic research? The grandson of (or a very old) Dr Jekyll on staff, possessing Dr Frankenstein's notes?

 

And, how about them Aliens eh? An alien craft is shot downn over California, mistaken for a japanese attack and salvaged, the tech and science going to Baltimore.

[Richard Logue]

Freak, did you come up with those character ideas on the fly, or are they from your own campaign or some such?

 

Mayday has an interesting idea. Involving the occult in some way in the Baltimore Project. That needs some more thought, but could definately work. I'm not sure I'd want it a prevailing component in the experiments, but perhaps in there some how.

 

Winterhawk brings up a good point about genetics being in the realm of speculation in the GA, not yet in science. Chemistry and radiation are better suited as a vehicle.

 

Farklings examples and discussion all boils down to "brick." And its accurate. The Project would have come up with a brick rather than an energy projector or anything else. Although energy projection might be a minor power for the brick.

 

A few Grond and Hulk type monsters might be the order of the day. And then a mystical "doctor" or scientist joins the team and brings some stability to the formula which eventually results in Pioneer decades later.

 

Some questions, though.

 

I'm not an expert on Golden Age comics, but I'm not sure Hulk/Grond monsters would be appropriate for the period. I think that's more of a Silver Age "tragedy." Can we come up with something else? Perhaps a tainted success of some sort...

 

But, given the "Grond" result, what would the Golden Age American military/government have done with the poor creatures who represent the monstrous failures?

[freakboy6117]

Oh yeah all off the cuff seemed like a good group not to high powered with disadvantages so good to role-play.

 

Admittedly it would be kind of a cool campaign team them with an occultist/archeologist and send them out to thwart nazi artifact hunters (I love that theme).

Mean while back at the project you have the left over people horribly deformed by the process driven insane or whose capabilities are too unstable. What if one of them got loose.

 

Energy projectors would be PsI based.

 

Like say

Firebomb

Jed Stewart another subject in the process that created brains Johnson. Unfortunately he had a latent psionic talent that the serum awakened.

 

In stress situations Jed produces a huge explosion of heat igniting flammable materials he I seemingly completely resistant to the effects of fire instinctively controlling heat to keep his body cool and his lungs free of smoke.

 

The scientist on the project hoped to help him to control and use the fiery power for the war effort but his incarceration in an asbestos lined cell made jab and feeling of betrayal that the government had turned him into a dangerous freak.

 

Jed decided he’d had enough and during a testing session he let rip with the full power of one of his incendiary blast killing a technician and escaping in the ensuing confusion. He’s left a trail of destruction across the country as he tries to avoid the MP's sent to bring him back.

[Farkling]

Going by Golden Age style examples restricts my knowledge base firecely.

 

Let's see...

 

The Human Bomb is a sample tragic Golden Age character who could be a moderate succcess of the program. HE aura or skin converts to concussive force upon exposure to air, so he wears a thick asbestos suit. he is not immune to his own power, but will resurrect some time following the explosion.

 

Hourman's "miraclo" pills were slowly driving him mad, though he was unaware of it.

 

The Avenger had the skin of his face "die" in a chemicla expklosion.

 

I'd say they kept the freaks locked away until they were desperate enough to call upon them. After the war, they were dumped on the piece of rock that the Japanese call "Monster Isle"

 

Wild Cards touches on this too. Croyd Crenson mutates monthly, occasionally into monstrous form, yet always has metahuman STR, DEX, SPD. Golden Boy is mostly invulnerable, doesn't age, has outdated morals, and pretty much no friends. Envoy got away from ther gov and went FAR underground. Black Eagle left the country, permanenetly. Blythe van Rensaeller went mad. Heroes died out with HUAC and the Red Scare. Nobody went public again for years.

 

I think the successes died, or split. how could they be stopped? If the govt thought of that, then likely the govt had to KILL them to prevent them from leaving, "in the issue of national security ma'am."

[Bunyip]

I can recall a mystic version of the super-soldier project being done in the 2000AD strip Zenith - there are a few people on these boards who should remember it. The German researchers were being manipulated (offstage, as it were) by a race called the Lloigor - essentially the 'Great Old Ones' of H.P. Lovecraft's works - to produce the likes of 'Masterman', humanoid vessels strong enough to contain their inhuman essences. It took maybe fifty years to work to its fullest, but when you're practically immortal you can afford to take a long view...

[Crimson Arrow]

I don't recall "Zenith" explaining how Masterman was created. He was certainly a host for an extra-dimensional being, though. I would guess that the "shell" was created through some kind of Nazi experimentation.

 

The British WWII hero in that strip was called Maximan. He was super strong (about a 40 STR, at a very rough guess) and faster and tougher than a normal man (but probably had minimal resistant defences).

 

He was trained as a soldier, so he'd have appropriate skills, including Commando Martial Arts. He'd probably have done about 10d6 damage in combat, without Pushing his STR.

 

He was created in a manner vaguely like Captain America, in that he was an adult who received treatment which gave him superpowers. It was some kind of gene-therapy, as I recall.

 

The next generation of superbeings were experimented on and given genetic treatments in the womb and were much more powerful. Unfortunately it also gave many of them psychological problems (which is probably what would happen in real life) and some of the babies weren't even remotely human...

[levi]

My group has an iconic Captain America-esque character named Anthem that has a different origin than Cap's.

 

In an alternate universe (think Nazi-World) It is the modern day and Nazis rule with High Tech, Super Sorcery and an iron fist. One of the Scientists, Gerald Reinhardt develops a super-soldier genetic code and realizes how much more misery and grief his invention will make in his world. A colleague of his has developed a "Time Machine", of course this machine allows travel between dimensions. Reinhardt takes his genetic serum prototype, destroys all other records and flees through the "Time Machine" to a before the second World War. He surrenders himself to the American authorities and tells them what the "future" holds and his proto-type super soldier who could turn the tide. The Americans allow Reinhardt to create the child using scientific knowledge from the future. Unfortunately Reinhardt dies from massive organ failure (a flaw from the "Time Machine") the day after the child is born.

The boy is flawless and in a few days time is sitting up on his own and recognizing familir faces. Retired Secretary of War Marvin Jackson and his wife (who never had children) adopt the child and name him John. John Jackson grows up in the wilds of Montana and is home schooled by professors from West Point. By age 12 John is flight rated on military aircraft and sparring with professional boxers. John is sent to England and France to learn tactics and strategy in the field of battle in the early days of WWII. By the time of the Pearl Habor bombing John has become the most capable small unit commander in modern military history.

He is unveiled to the public as part of their war strategy and given the codename Anthem. After WWII John continues to serve and fight at the pleasure of the Secretary of War/Defense until being discharged during Vietnam when he was photographed punching a child and it made the cover of Time. The fact that the child was an armed combatant never found its way to the public.

John resurfaced as an indepedent costumed hero in the early 80's retaining the name Anthem and evidently unwavered in his loyalty to a country that had dismissed him from service. He founds the Guardians in NYC and puts his mastery of small unit tactics to work in the super-human arena for the first time.

 

This Thread has a little more info on this character and what role he plays in my current campaign...

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=243614#post243614

[Kevin Scrivner]

Other super soldiers

 

Other Golden Age super soldiers...

 

The Shield (the original flagsuit hero) gained enhanced reflexes and toughness from a combination of chemicals and radiation and topped it off with a bullet-proof suit. He was strong enough to slap bad guys around but not so strong he could tear through walls or anything. He was assigned to the FBI rather than the military.