Uberworld - Character and Art

[tribe]

As part of the new Uberworld universe we've had to come up with a whole host of international characters and teams. This thread will showcase fome of the characters, including character sheets and art.

 

The art was done using the templates available for free at Hero Games (right here in the Free Stuff section) and other outlines/tenplates - with modifications of course.

 

If you are interested, go and see the Uberworld Web Site at: http://www.thismutantlife.com/uberworld/

 

There are over one hundred NPC characters, organisations and world book information.

 

And stay tuned for openings in the upcoming campaigns.

[tribe]

Hit and Run - Argentinian Anti-Heroes

 

The first team in the showcase will be Hit and Run. One started as a petty criminal and the other as a neonate hero, but after the police gave them both a hard time in Buenos Aires, they teamed up and became the South American version of Robin Hood, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor.

 

 

HIT: Horacio Barrionueve

Click here for character sheet

 

Concept Brick

Nationality Argentinean

Place of Birth Buenos Aires, Argentina

Date of Birth November 11, 1979

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.96m

Weight 98kg

 

Background

Horacio Barrionueve was always big for his age, and grew up through school as the boy you didn't dare mess with. He wasn't a bully, but he also wasn't one to mess with. If the mood struck him, he may have defended those who were being picked on, but more often he simply watched impassively. He began to suspect that he may have an active ubergene, and although he was always underestimated by his teachers and peers, Horacio was a keen learner and studied hard outside of school.

 

Unfortunately, his family was poor and began to slide even further into poverty as Horacio neared his graduation. To help supplement his family's income, Horacio began to steal from the more affluent neighbourhoods. It wasn't long until he was confronted in the act of stealing, and Horacio made a fateful decision to strike out at the security guard. There was no contest. From that night, Horacio embarked upon a string of crimes, always taken from the rich areas, never the poor.

 

He was dubbed the Blue Bandit and managed to appear regularly on nightly news programmes across South America. He didn't feel the need to restrict his illicit activities to Argentina, especially as there were richer, more corrupt societies to the north.

 

Eventually Horacio met Miguel Laguardia, an idealistic uber who planned to apprehend the Blue Bandit. And Miguel did manage to do so, but after being mistreated by the police and mesmerised by the stories of the Blue Bandit, young Miguel turned the tables on the police and whisked Horacio away. The two struck up a firm friendship and after some months of training and planning, took on the monikers of Hit and Run: partners in crime.

 

 

Personality

Horacio doesn't scare easily, and considers the law enforcement agencies to be slightly less effective than parking meter attendants. He has no respect for authority, but does hold a small flame for his home city of Buenos Aires. He wants to make sure the people on his old neighbourhoods are looked after, while at the same time he couldn't care less about the welfare of the rich and famous. He has made a career out of stealing from the rich and doesn't feel any kind of remorse.

He was dashing and risqué as the Blue Bandit, but now with the more youthful and extroverted Miguel, Horacio has become the older more responsible 'brother'. He doesn't like to think of himself as growing older, but some times he will appreciate the new role he has chosen and the perspective he brings to the partnership. And he retains most of his swashbuckling attitudes, rarely keeping quiet as he goes about his pillaging.

 

 

Quote

“I've never met a wall safe I didn't like."

 

Powers

Hit has an archetypal strength uberene, granting him strength and durability far beyond the scope of normal humans. He has experimented with these sometimes limited powers so that he can cause a vibrational shockwave punch which he uses to catch superheroes off guard. Hit and Run usually employ guerrilla tactics and prefer not to engage super teams for any kind of prolonged period.

 

 

Appearance

Hit wears a patriotic suit of aqua and white, including mask and gloves to obscure his identity. Out of uniform he is a tall and impressive man, with a crew cut and pronounced cheek bones. He wears black a lot, out of costume, and prefers to blend in during social occasions.

 

 

RUN: Miguel Laguardia

Click here for character sheet

 

Concept Energy Blaster

Nationality Argentinean

Place of Birth Buenos Aires, Argentina

Date of Birth March 19, 1982

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.82m

Weight 78kg

 

Background

Miguel Laguardia looked at the phone in his hand and stared blankly at another rejection call from his agent. He had quit his job waiting tables, had cut ties with his grasping family, and had set out to conquer the world of television soaps. But even though he had a capable agent, who was also a hottie in Miguel's barely post-pubescent eyes. At twenty-one he had expected to take the world by storm, but all he had managed was a thirty second commercial in his underwear and a bit part in a Chilean documentary.

 

It wasn't fair.

 

Outside it began to snow. Inside the small apartment it was also snowing, but Miguel was too caught up in his recent knockback to notice. The landlady knocked on his door, barged in as she always did and quickly crossed herself before rushing away from the snow-covered room. Miguel snapped out of his reverie and looked around his white-capped room. A glass of water by his bedside was frozen. He stood up and walked to the window and stared wide-eyed at the street below which was now covered in a thin layer of snow.

 

It was early Spring. It shouldn't have been snowing.

 

Miguel made his way through the trials of a young actor, gradually gaining more recognition amongst the networks, but he wasn't so worried about television roles because he was living his life on the biggest screen of all - Real Life. He had decided to become a super hero, to defeat crime and defend the beautiful women of Buenos Aires.

 

All started well, with favourable reports in the media, but Miguel got tired of petty crimes. He longed for a challenge, and decided he needed to face off against a real, larger than life super villain. It was just his luck that Horacio Barrionueve had returned to the city from a successful crime spree in Mexico, and couldn't resist a lightning strike against one of Argentina's beleaguered banks. Miguel was only blocks away from the crime scene, and made his appearance even before the police had arrived.

 

He found Horacio, who was known as the Blue Bandit, sitting at the front of the bank sipping a coffee. There were three bags of loot at his feet, and it seemed that the Blue Bandit was a little arrogant. Miguel leapt into the fray and demanded that Horacio return the money. Horacio smiled at the younger man and offered him a seat. Miguel froze him to the seat instead. Without worrying too much, Horatio began to talk to Miguel of his adventures in Mexico.

 

When the police arrived they manhandled Miguel out of the way, treating him like some annoying bystander, and Miguel felt resentment rise in his body, even as the temperature dropped. Within seconds, the police officers were frozen in large chunks of ice and Miguel was carrying a laughing Horacio towards the sunset.

 

Years passed and Miguel's tandem careers of actor and anti-hero have soared, most notably in Argentina where he is considered an urban hero. He steals money, accepts mercenary assignments, but takes time to give back to the poor community. As Hit and Run, Miguel and Horacio have managed to earn the respect of their communities at the same time as the anger of the law enforcement agencies.

 

 

Personality

Miguel enjoys watching himself, whether it's on the evening news, an afternoon soap or in a passing mirror. He loves being the centre of attention, particularly in situations where he can indulge his obsession of checking out the opposite sex. He is an intrepid night clubber, in his secret and public identity, and often takes home multiple girls on any given night. He loves the publicity and the fact that the police can never catch him, but he is also careful to protect and build upon his positive reputation among the 'fans'.

 

Quote

“Ooh, it's getting cold in here.â€

 

Powers

Miguel is a cryokinetic, able to manipulate temperature and in particular water particles in the air. He is able to create ice, reduce the temperature in a 100m radius and also create a 'cool air field' which enables him to fly as well as providing him with a rigid field for protection against most attacks. His body is constantly regulated so he is never too hot or too cold, although in the past he has shown a vulnerability to opponents utilising fire and heat-based attacks.

 

 

Appearance

Miguel is an olive-skinned man with well defined muscles and an attractive presence which he utilises well in his acting career. His hair is dark and curly and his eyes are brown, although they flash with flecks of green and gold when he is excited. In costume, Run wears a patriotic costume of aqua and white, including gloves and a mask to protect his identity. Out of uniform, Miguel wears fashionable and expensive clothes, usually following the latest trends.

[tribe]

The Brothers Grimm

 

As my own campaign will be set in Melbourne it was important to have some local uber-thugs. Here are Grievous and Harm, cousins who work for the Melbourne mafia as well as branching out into their own lives of crime when needed.

 

 

GRIEVOUS: Gregorio Grimaldi

Click here for the Character Sheet

 

Concept Brick

Nationality Australian

Place of Birth Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Date of Birth June 29, 1972

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 2.0m

Weight 120kg

 

Background

The sound of shattered glass dripped through to the basement cell of the Elizabeth Police Station. The suburb north of Adelaide was infamous for crime and neglect, and the central police station resembled a bunker. Inside, waiting transport to the Adelaide Remand Centre, was Fabrizio Pucetti who had been unceremoniously apprehended by Adelaide's finest while enjoying his weekly visit to the Countess Parlour. Pucetti had been linked to a string of murders and drug charges. It wasn't looking good.

 

He looked out of his cell down towards the thick door which separated the holding cells from the upstairs police station and realised the sentry had vanished. The thick door seemed to vibrate. With eyebrows raised, Pucetti watched as the door flew backward down towards his cell, dropping hinges and bolts as it tumbled.

 

In the doorway stood a gigantic silhouette, and Pucetti's face broke into a knowing grin.

 

"Grimaldi," he said.

 

The large man walked without speaking, his bulk shifting from side to side as he moved. Pucetti's smile wavered as the silence struck him. Grimaldi was usually a talkative man, but his eyes seemed darker than normal. Pucetti placed his hands around the bars and looked closer.

 

"Gregorio? What's the matter, cousin? You've come to get me out of here I hope."

 

Gregorio Grimaldi stood at the bars, his eyes staring darkly into Pucetti's.

 

"It is over, Fabrizio," Gregorio said, wrapping his own thick fingers around Pucetti's and the bars. "You have made more mistakes than we can realistically accept, and the Don is not impressed. Personally I think this is overdue."

 

With a hard yank of his thick arms, Gregorio Grimaldi ripped out the bars, along with Pucetti's arms. The sudden movement caught Pucetti by surprise and he stared with utter horror as Grimaldi threw the bars and his arms away.

 

"You're dead now," Grimaldi said. And Pucetti fell down bleeding profusely.

 

Later, Gregorio Grimaldi met with the man's father and explained the situation. Senor Pucetti nodded his head with understanding and shame, and then paid the large enforcer $50,000. Grimaldi folded the money, taking half for himself and half for the Family. Grimaldi dropped the two photographs of Fabrizio on the older man's side table.

 

He smiled and left, and Senor Pucetti realised, with a dawning sense of dread, that Gregorio Grimaldi was rightly called Grievous: the cold blooded enforcer of the Grimaldi Family.

 

 

Personality

Gregorio is a proud Italian Australian, having grown up in the small goods business alongside the colourful world of organised crime. His father was a hitman and then an extortionist, so Gregorio was able to learn from him at a very young age. He believes that his family honour is the most important thing in his life, and that any attempts to discredit him or his family is enough to warrant a murderous vendetta.

As one half of the Brothers Grimm, Gregorio presents a very professional air, especially when dealing with Italians; although he is rude and obnoxious in the presence of mainstream Australians and those of Asian descent.

 

 

Quote

“An eye for an eye, blood for blood.”

 

Powers

Gregorio has uberhuman levels of strength and durability, as well as a variety of enhanced sensory attributes. His strength enables him to lift in excess of 50 tons, and his durability is to such a degree that he never worries about facing police officers and their puny weapons. In addition to his uberhuman abilities, Gregorio has trained in direct and deadly martial arts which complement his enforcer duties.

 

 

Appearance

Gregorio Grimaldi is very tall and broad, and weighs 120kg which is enough to plummet him in any body of water. He has an olive complexion, slightly curly dark hair and darker eyes. As Grievous, he wears a purple and silver-grey costume which accentuates his huge arms and is familiar to those in the Melbourne underworld.

 

 

HARM: Harmon Grimaldi

Click here for the character sheet.

 

Concept Brick

Nationality Australian

Place of Birth Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Date of Birth May 3, 1984

Hair Colour Blonde

Eye Colour Blue

Height 1.9m

Weight 120kg

 

Background

The final quarter siren wailed, and Harm Grimaldi took a crashing mark at the fifty metre line. The crowd rushed to their feet and Harm could hear the regular beat of stomping boots. The score was close. Adelaide were only three points behind the Brisbane Lions, and Harm had the ball. The man on his mark spat out a curse, as usual, but Harm ignored the sledge. He lined up the goal and kicked, confident in his ability as well as the time it would take to sail through the goal posts.

 

The kick was good and it seemed that half of Adelaide was suddenly on their feet cheering. Harm was swept into the clubrooms by his jubilant team and the hours passed in a sea of camera flashes, lightning fast interviews and the continual flood of stubbies which were pressed into his hands.

 

Harm Grimaldi had only played three senior games but he was the toast of the town.

 

In the quiet times he examined himself in the mirror and marvelled at the work his ubergene had wrought. No one knew he was an uber, except for his cousin, Gregorio, who shared a similar ubergene. Gregorio had come to Harm three years earlier and explained the situation as he saw it. Harm would gain incredible strength and fitness, but he'd also come into a position of responsibility. The Grimaldi family had certain requirements, certain standards that had to be held and protected. There were enemies everywhere, apparently, and as Gregorio slipped money into Harm's hands, the younger Grimaldi realised that he had been brought into the criminal underworld.

 

It wasn't a place he felt totally comfortable, but there was some kind of thrill there. It was only ever matched on the football field, and as he grew in power and strength, Harm realised that he didn't have to give up on one of his lives. He could be a footballer as well as an enforcer. He and Gregorio moved to Melbourne in 2003, shifting the focus of the Grimaldi family from South Australia to Victoria. Harm continued to have everything his own way, and scored a trade with the Carlton Football Club.

 

His fame has only increased and he has developed a loyal fan base as well as a swag of club awards.

 

 

Personality

Harm is overconfident. Since becoming virtually indestructible, he has very little to worry about, except for the time when his ubergene is discovered and his place in the AFL is jeopardised. He is more worried about being caught out with the AFL, than being caught by the authorities for illicit behaviour. Even though he is enjoying his two separate lives, Harm has not developed the interest in causing pain and death - without reason. Gregorio is the one who kills to send a message. Harm is more likely to exercise some wanton property destruction.

 

Quote

“Pick your man, Grievous. Don't let them scatter or it'll take us all night to clean it up.”

 

Powers

Harm has uberhuman levels of strength and durability, as well as the ability to literally grow stronger the more he is hit. His base level strength enables him to lift in excess of 20 tons although his potential is far greater than this, fuelled by his absorption of kinetic energy.

 

 

Appearance

Harm Grimaldi is a broad and handsome athlete with a wide smile and a somewhat booming voice. His height and weight are impressive and have caused some to suspect he may have an active ubergene, although Harm avoids all kinds of blood tests. He has an olive complexion, short blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. As Harm, he wears a purple and silver-grey costume which accentuates his huge arms and is familiar to those in the Melbourne underworld.

[tribe]

Southern Knights - A Team To Cover Australia, New Zealand and Brazil

 

The Southern Knights are an uberhuman hero team who protect the countries of Australia, New Zealand and Brazil. They were established and financed by Southern Cross International which is also based in the three countries. These heroes are drawn from the member countries and represent a variety of archetypes. Team leader is Outback.

 

 

OUTBACK: Napolean Conway

Click here for the Character Sheet.

 

Concept Energy Blaster / Mentalist

Nationality Australian

Place of Birth Portland, Victoria, Australia

Date of Birth May 23, 1974

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.92m

Weight 90kg

 

Background

Napolean Conway pushed his way through the thick jungle of Borneo until he revealed the remains of the light plane which had gone done in rough weather a week before. The six members of his search party followed him, but none would dare mention the atrocity they saw. The plane itself was relatively unharmed, but the three people who were on board had been beheaded and their belongings ransacked. The scene was straight from a nightmare, and only Conway seemed determined enough to board the crashed plane, while the others remained at the fringes of the clearing.

 

Inside the plane, Conway came face to face with Dumaguete, an uberhuman lizard-man who had begun a path of destruction down the South-East Asian archipelagos, killing indiscriminately with his newly discovered uber abilities. Conway licked his lips nervously, and stared Dumaguete in the eyes.

 

"You're under arrest," he said, but Dumaguete could tell that Conway was inexperienced and also out of his jurisdiction.

 

"And you're lunch," Dumaguete said and leapt towards Conway, almost instantly being deflected by a telekinetic field, and thrown into the cockpit of the crashed plane. Conway flinched at the attack, but then realised what he had to do. This wasn't just an archaeological expedition to some obscure corner of the world to look at some lost treasure. This was his new life, as a dedicated member of the Southern Knights, who were sworn to uphold the laws of several countries. He knew it didn't include Indonesia, but apparently both the Indonesian government and the Australia government had come to an arrangement.

 

Dumaguete burst back from the cockpit and clawed at Conway, but his telekinesis deflected the attacks again, sending the frustrated lizard man into the side of the cabin. Conway could feel Dumaguete's growing fury, as well as a creeping sense of fear. He reached out his mind and made a firm connection between his and the monster's mind. Dumaguete squirmed, but Conway held fast, moving through his mind to find the weak points and then quickly shutting the man down.

 

As Dumaguete slumped to the ground, the plane itself began to shudder. Outside there were shouts as the others in his rescue team began to run back through the forest. Conway looked down and saw the plane moving along the ground, following a shudder.

 

Professor Quake floated into the clearing, calling up the power of the earth to entomb the plane and Conway. The former scientist was mad, and his power was unmatched in the southern hemisphere, but Conway was young and idealistic. He leapt for the opening of the plane and cleared it just as the earth reached around, trapping him at waist level, but allowing him to at least see his attacker.

 

Professor Quake seemed amused, if anything, and continued to wrap the earth around the plane. Conway began to counter the force, using his telekinesis to undo the work of the geokinetic. Professor Quake gradually realised he was facing a man of potentially similar ability and power. His mind flashed with anger and he redoubled his force, only to be similarly countered by Conway. The battle of wills continued until Dumaguete was aroused and made his escape through a tunnel which had been secured by Professor Quake. He scampered to the top of the mound and attacked Conway from behind, using his fierce claws to rake through the weakened shields and draw blood.

 

Conway tried to fight both, but was beaten back. Still half-entombed he succumbed to Professor Quake's powers and was summarily buried alive.

 

He knew he wasn't dead, but it felt like it. For the next six hours he waited for reinforcements, thinking that at any time Quake could return and finish the job. When help did arrive, Conway was relieved but still didn't know why Quake had wanted the plane brought down. It had been a Southern Cross International flight, and Conway had learned that Quake's team of terrorists had been targeting Southern Cross for months.

 

When he and the others returned to Melbourne, Conway was accepted as the newest member of the team. From a graduate student in the research department of Southern Cross, Conway had manifested his uberabilities, developed them through the Southern Cross facilities, and finally managed to get on to the action team. He had spent his whole working life with Southern Cross, and when he was promoted to team leader of the Southern Knights in his third year with the team, he accepted the position with a mixture of gratitude and fate.

 

Outback is one of the most powerful ubers to be connected with Southern Cross International, and although he has only been active for four years and is considered a late bloomer, Outback has the potential to become one of the world's premier ubers.

 

 

Personality

Conway has always been curious, which is why he was drawn to archaeology in high school and then university. He has a keen interest in his Koorie culture as well as the various cultures around the world. For a time, he considered working for SAGE and was a close friend of James Running Bear, but his interest in Australian culture made him determined to remain in his own country rather than go international. He was hired by Southern Cross International after graduating university and in their care he was accidentally exposed to an experimental radiation treatment during an attack by Deep Six. His ubergene was activated and he helped to stop the facility from being inundated with sea water. From that encounter, Conway has developed a kind of love-hate relationship with Deep Six's leader, Treasure, whom he has had several dealings with - and Treasure has always escaped him, and quite often escaped with sizeable quantities of loot.

Conway is a stubborn man, though, and will rarely, if ever, admit defeat. He is a strong leader and works himself harder than anyone else, resulting in some strained relationships outside of his work. He maintains a residence with his sister, Frances, who is a social worker, but has little contact with the rest of his family.

 

 

Quote

“Hold it right there... yes, right there.”

 

Powers

Outback is a formidable telepath/telekinetic, able to manipulate the minds and physical forces around him. He combines these abilities with an honourable nature, so he does not usually use his powers to dominate the minds of others, or intrude upon their thoughts.

 

 

Appearance

Conway is an Aboriginal man in his early thirties, and wears a patriotic uniform consisting of the colours of the Aboriginal Flag as Outback. Out of uniform, Conway prefers to wear formal clothing, as befits his role as the leader of the Southern Knights, and is seen in a variety of suits, or less often, shirts and trousers. When he is off duty and out of uniform, he allows himself to be more comfortable, but as he is a workaholic, these times are very rare.

 

 

ESPERANCA: Elena Barros

Click Here For Character Sheet

 

Concept Brick

Nationality Brazilian

Place of Birth Curitiba, Brazil

Date of Birth December 7, 1979

Hair Colour Blonde

Eye Colour Green

Height 1.88m

Weight 80kg

 

Background

Elena Barros was born Eduardo Barros, but after surviving an abusive adolescence at the hands of her step-father, she escaped and fled to Rio de Janeiro. She changed her name, fulfilling a dream of becoming the real 'her', and managed to find work in a variety of places while she studied to gain entrance into university. She moved to Sao Paulo and was accepted into a forensics course, enjoying the excitement of piecing together stories from evidence. It was during her time in Sao Paulo that she became aware of her uber abilities, most notably that of being almost indestructible. She was unsure of what to dow with her new gifts, as she had never felt comfortable in the spotlight, and so she kept her powers to herself.

 

In 1993 she returned to Rio, and was embroiled in the fateful battle between the Southern Knights and a crazed God which ended with the almost total destruction of the city and the turning of Professor Quake, who was unable to cope with the death of his team mates. Elena proved herself that day, standing against the god's minions and assisting in the recovery of bodies and the injured. In the days that followed, news of her actions reached the media and she found herself being labelled the next Brazilian super heroine. It was flattering to be considered a woman at last, although the truth would soon come out in subsequent reports. But Elena was not ready to become a super hero. She returned to her university course and only appeared in times of great need.

 

The Southern Knights contacted her in 2000, needing her help against a resurgence of the Mad God. She agreed and used her strength and intellect to help solve the problem, but while working alongside the superheroes she found herself drawn to Nostrum. He treated her well, laughed at her displays of bravado, and returned the kiss she stole from him on the edge of a fiery precipice. She had never felt more in love, and so she followed him back to Melbourne and agreed to join the team full-time.

 

While working with the Southern Knights, Elena was able to explore her abilities and push herself to develop more within herself. Her strength increased and she began to understand her limitations. Her relationship with Nostrum continued, although she always felt like she was living in a fairy tale that couldn't have a happy ending. She always looked for the problems, the way it was all going to end.

 

Nostrum felt it too, and they decided to stop seeing each other. Elena saw it as a catalyst for her to discover her new self. She was no longer the shy and enclosed girl from Curitiba. She was one of the most powerful beings on the planet: beautiful, strong and able to leap tall buildings... As Esperança embraced her public self, she felt more relaxed in the role of protector.

 

 

Personality

Elena is outgoing and flirtatious, the opposite of her personality growing up. She knows it is a phase she is going through, exploring her exhibitionist side, but she is enjoying it. She had been withdrawn for too much of her life, and now she planned to enjoy it all. She is a traditional hero, believing that the defence of innocents and society is more important than the preservation of her own life. She will gladly put herself in harm's way. She may appear to be flippant and overconfident, but she is also intelligent and worldly-wise.

 

Quote

“Let's see those muscles in action, beefcake.”

 

Powers

Esperança possesses uberhuman strength, durability and regenerative powers. She is able to lift in excess of 100 tons thanks to the training she has received at Southern Cross International, and has the potential to increase this further. She is also able to fly at supersonic speeds, an ability she uses to travel the world independently.

 

 

Appearance

Elena is a tall and powerfully-built transvestite. She has a shock of blonde hair, dark eyebrows and piercing eyes. She remains in peak condition through her ubergene and a regular training schedule, and enjoys showing off her body (while also enjoying the bodies of others). As Esperança she wears a luminescent green top with dozens of white stars, white pants, arm braces and thick-soled black boots.

 

 

NOSTRUM: Cadbury Jones

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Metamorph (Healer)

Nationality New Zealander

Place of Birth Christchurch, New Zealand

Date of Birth July 11, 1980

Hair Colour Blonde

Eye Colour Green

Height 1.8m

Weight 78kg

 

Background

Dr Darius Esteridge slid his four iron back into the bag and frowned down the green where his white ball bounced twice upon landing and came to a rest just off the main fairway. He had scored a three under in the previous game, but news from the hospital had taken away any remaining interest he had had in the game. The sun was out and there was no threat of rain. It should have been a good day for the doctor. Hagley Park was a sprawling, 200 hectares of lush green gardens, sprinkled with sports grounds, the botanic gardens and two golf courses. To the eastern side, the direction Esteride was looking, stood the Cantebury Museum: home to one of the world's most extensive and exquisite ornithological collections. Esteridge had planned on wandering through the exhibits on his way home that night. Instead, it looked as if he would return to the hospital.

 

"The Thompson woman is no longer dead, you say?" he asked the red-faced young man who stood on the green.

 

"No sir."

 

"Hmm, troubling, especially considering the husband has recently committed suicide."

 

"Yes sir."

 

"Shotgun, I believe," he added, mostly to himself. "Something about the will, I think..."

 

"Yes sir."

 

"How long was she dead for?" the doctor asked, brightening somewhat, although he had been the one to sign the death certificate.

 

"Three days, sir."

 

Esteridge rubbed his chin, considered pulling out another club, but gave up and turned back to the club house.

 

"Well, I suppose I should talk to young Doctor Jones about all this resurrection business before the media gets a hold of it. The hospital has a reputation to uphold, after all, and it will simply not do if our deceased clientele suddenly become... not deceased. No, no, that will simply not do at all."

 

The younger man shook his head in silent agreement.

 

Jones had been sent to the staff room again. He had strict instructions to stay behind the doors and not see any more patients, at least, not until Dr Esteridge had come in from his day off. He sat on an armchair, leaning his chin on his pulled-up knees. He had been staring through his glasses at the poster of the southern Alps for nearly an hour, and no one had come in. The other interns had shunned him, the more seasoned doctors seemed to be frightened of coming too close, and the nurses looked right through him.

 

He had been working at the central Christchurch Hospital for seven weeks as part of his internship. He had pulled all-nighters, had listened to ancient doctor's drone on about the sins of modern medicine, and he had still managed to smile at every patient he saw, and unlike the other interns, he actually bothered to use their first names when he talked with them, and took care in actively listening to what they said. His peers called him 'soft' and his mentors thought he was perhaps a little soft in the head, but Jones couldn't approach medicine in any other way. He wanted to make lives better, not make money. He wanted to cure disease, rather than study it. He wanted to stave off death...

 

And that was what had happened.

 

He had staved off death... several times. And this time he had actually managed to turn it back, to undo the damage of a major embolism.

 

The door swung open and let in the controlled chaos of the emergency rooms. Jones looked up and saw the grave expression on Dr Darius Esteridge's face. He had obviously seen Mrs Thompson. There was a moment when Jones looked at Esteridge when he thought that perhaps everything was going to be okay, that this unusual gift for curing the ill would be seen as a positive, maybe even an asset for the Hospital. It was, of course, a false dream.

 

Even as he watched, Dr Esteridge's face reddened, and the sweat seemed to materialise at his temples.

 

"Jones..." he started. "Jones..."

 

"There's no evidence of the embolism on any of the scans," Jones said. "Her circulatory system is better than it has been in twenty years. Her daughter said she hadn't seen her mother look so alive since 1986, for Christ's sake. You can't say this is a bad thing."

 

Esteridge shook his head, and Jones could almost the bones of his neck grind against each other.

 

"The woman was deceased," he said. "She is scheduled for burial tomorrow morning."

 

"They'll refund the money," Jones said.

 

"9.30am."

 

"I'll talk to them," Jones continued.

 

"You are a menace," Esteridge spat. "Five patients in five weeks, Jones. You cure ovarian cancer in your first week here, without even touching the patient. You walk into the operating room after an horrific automobile accident, and when you walk out again, the two children who were both in severe cardiac arrest, suddenly sit up and call for their mothers. An amputee suddenly grows a new arm. And now this Thompson woman. This dead woman. This perfectly acceptable corpse is now walking around out there asking for her husband who has, I might want to remind you Dr Jones, shot himself in the face with a shotgun within the last twenty-four hours because he can no longer live without his wife."

 

"I might be able to help..."

 

"No," Esteridge said, cutting off any protest. "You can collect your belongings and sign out, and not come back. Go back to your university, go back to your laboratories and tutorials. There is no place for you in a modern hospital. We do not offer the miracles that you seem capable of."

 

Miracles.

 

The word seemed to spear through Jones' heart. There was a lot of regret and shame tied up with his Catholic upbringing, and talk of miracles brought it suddenly all too close for comfort. Dr Esteridge was passing off his healing ability as a freak event, something passed on through God. Esteridge wasn't a religious man, and made no secret of it, so Jones took the comment as an acidic insult.

 

"You're turning me away because I can cure disease?"

 

Esteridge bit back his words.

 

"Just go, Jones."

 

And the door closed .

 

Jones fumbled with his keys outside his house, although it was more a sign of stress than clumsiness. Durham Street was quiet, the streetlights sparkling up along the prestigious street and illuminating the restored buildings on both sides of the road. His own house was a square-fronted brick terrace which dated back to the 1890s, and which had found its way down his decrepit family tree from his grandmother's sister. It was ironic, really, that Jones had this incredible ability to cure the most horrific of afflictions, and yet his own family had mostly dropped off the Tree of Life many years before. His parents had died when he was a teenager, and his grandparents shortly after. He had an Aunt Stephanie, but he hadn't spoken with her since she had moved north to Wellington. He had an Uncle too, formerly attached to Aunt Stephanie, but not much had been heard of him since he was discovered wearing his wife's underwear.

 

So Jones led a somewhat solitary life, which wasn't unusual for a medical student. Most of his friends said he was cursed, and while they laughed it off with another can of iced beer, Jones started to wonder if he'd be the last of his line.

 

He turned the key and stepped into his home, immediately warming to the familiar smell and comfort of the old building. It was nearly 3am, but the house was there to welcome him.

 

"I'm home," he called and dropped his knapsack against the passage wall, kicked the front door closed, and walked towards the kitchen, already thinking of some potent coffee and a Tim Tam biscuit. When he got to the kitchen he noticed that someone had already got to the fridge and was busy fossicking around for the chocolate biscuits.

 

The man was dark, a Maori, and as he turned to look back at Jones, it was clear that although this man possessed great strength, his body was no longer as spry as it once was. There seemed to be pain in his movements. There also seemed to be a sparkle in his dark eyes, something which stopped Jones from running back down the passage and into the street.

 

"What are you doing here?" he asked. His voice seemed strong, although his heart was beating fast.

 

The man smiled and looked at his hand which carried the brown packet of biscuits.

 

Jones smiled too.

 

"You broke into my house to get a Tim Tam? Would you like a short black with that?"

 

"You have misunderstood me," the man said. "On several accounts. Firstly, you assume that I have broken into your home. That is an inaccurate description. Secondly, you assume that I came here for a biscuit and coffee. That is also inaccurate, although you were taking your time, so I thought I would indulge in a little earthly sin while I waited. And finally, you assume that I am a dithering fool, which is far from accurate, although many adversaries have thought so, much to their eventual chagrin."

 

The man took a small bite of the biscuit.

 

"And the coffee?" Jones asked. "I take it that's a 'no', right?"

 

"You are hiding your anxiety in sarcasm and avoidance. Ask me questions which will lead to illumination, not entertainment."

 

Jones looked at the man closer. He was terribly familiar, although he had difficulty placing the timeless face. It was 3am, after all.

 

"Who are you?" he asked.

 

"I am the Mark," the man said.

 

Jones made the connection. He had grown up on the adventures of this man and the other Knights. Superheroes and supervillains: clashing in the skies above Auckland; their exploits splashed across the daily papers and the evening news.

 

"You have heard of me. Most people have. I am here to activate you, to bring you out of your mundane world where you clearly do not belong. From this mundane world, I will escort you through veils of reality and unreality, through power and powerlessness, and bring you to your destiny. You have a gift. Indeed, it is a gift balanced with a curse, but with close attention to my teachings and dedication to our cause you will slip from the shackles of your half-life and emerge into a new, enlightened and powerful world."

 

Jones blinked. He looked to the coffee machine on the bench, and then back to the Mark.

 

"How did you get in?" he asked. "I mean, if you didn't break in?"

 

The Mark smiled.

 

"Your parents invited me here. In fact, your family has been quite helpful in tracking you down."

 

Jones felt the stainless steel bench behind him, and his fingers gripped the edge. From behind the Mark, almost like condensation in a bathroom, his parents materialised in the middle of the kitchen. Their wispy bodies seemed only partially corporeal, but their faces retained hints of colour and glimpses of personality that he had achingly missed since before graduating from high school. They never spoke, but Jones could sense pride in their ghostly expressions. Pride and love.

 

"Will you come with me?" the Mark asked. "It is time, and there is a great need. Will you come and learn of your destiny?"

 

He nodded. He turned his eyes from his parents to his new teacher.

 

"Yes, I will come."

 

 

Personality

Jones is an easy-going man, who is often caught in a very serious and stoic society. He believes in the sanctity of human life and has the ability to protect that life, and in some cases even go in and reverse death. This ability has caused some conflict with his Catholic upbringing. Under the tutelage of the Mark and Southern Cross International, Jones has discovered that his ability to heal had a hidden cost: that before he could access his healing ability, he had first to take the lives of others. Jones had inadvertently contributed to the deaths of his parents through the generation of hostile cancers, and of his grandparents through general organ failure. Although the Mark has removed that component of his genetic gift, Jones still wonders how many lives he had ended without even knowing in his early teens.

 

As a member of the Southern Knights, Jones is a light-hearted and chivalrous man who enjoys the public life as Nostrum, but who also guards his personal life, even from his team-mates. Jones is worried that he won't be accepted by his team-mates if they discovered he was gay, and he certainly doesn't think the public would be ready to accept it. He spends his occasional 'down-time' in Christchurch where he still lives in Durham Street and has a small, close circle of friends.

 

Quote

"Don't worry, it's only an arterial haemorrhage. Should be right in no time."

 

Powers

Jones was born with an active ubergene. When he first reached puberty his body began to produce a form of malignant radiation which attacked the immune systems of those close to him. During this time he developed several allergies, severe asthma and regular nose bleeds. His parents encouraged him to swim to help with his asthma, and by the time he reached fifteen he had overcome all of his physical disabilities. His ubergene had undergone a metamorphosis, becoming restorative instead of destructive. Everyone around him became healthier, more up beat and satisfied. Unfortunately his parents had already succumbed to cancer, so Jones was to celebrate his new gift alone.

 

His body radiates a constant wave of positive, restorative radiation which heals on a cellular level. He is able to cure diseases, transforming diseased or cancerous cells into healthy ones. He is able to reverse the effects of heart attacks and staunch the flow of blood in haemorrhaging cases.

 

Appearance

Jones has an olive complexion, which darkens easily in even the briefest of summer days. His mother was Italian, and he inherited her Roman features His hair is a dark blonde and usually unkempt, and he keeps himself in good shape through training and the occasional triathlon.

 

As Nostrum, he wears a white jersey with a prominent red cross, over a green t-shirt and dark green denim jeans. When he feels the need to protect his identity, Nostrum wears a small black domino mask.

 

 

SOUTHERN CROSS: Emanuel Santos

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Powered Armour

Nationality Brazilian

Place of Birth Santiago, Brazil

Date of Birth August 4, 1983

Hair Colour Dark Brown

Eye Colour Dark Brown

Height 1.83m

Weight 77kg

 

Background

Southern Cross International (SCI) designed a powered armour suit employing an electromagnetic field generator, an accomplishment which enabled them to create a public image for their research. Southern Cross began his career primarily as a spokesman and field agent for Southern Cross International, but with the establishment of the Southern Knights, he found a home amongst the other ubers.

 

Emanuel Santos was a helicopter pilot in the Brazilian army, when he was approached by SCI to become the third Southern Cross. The first Southern Cross was killed in the destruction of Rio de Janeiro, and the second had been forced to retire after a drug scandal. Santos accepted the assignment and resigned from the army and moved to Melbourne.

 

Although the newest member of the Southern Knights, Southern Cross exudes confidence and a belief that he is leadership material. The other team members accept him as an egotistical jock, although they would never consider him anything more than a 'blow in'.

 

 

Personality

Santos is supremely confident and impressed with his charm and good looks. He considers himself on the fast-track to further greatness and enjoys his time in the lime light. Underneath, he sometimes wonders whether he could handle the life of the superhero, especially given his reliance on the power suit. Basically he is still a military man, comfortable in the chain of command, and in control of a powerful weapon.

 

Quote

“Get behind me, and watch out for ricochets. This could get messy.”

 

Powers

The Southern Cross Power Suit utilises an electromagnetic field generator, enabling the wearer to fly and project a powerful force field. It also augments the wearer's strength and speed, provides a wide array of communication and sensor devices, and self contained breathing systems. SCI has added a gauntlet-mounted laser.

 

 

Appearance

The Southern Cross Power Suit is a blue suit with the southern cross emblazoned on the chest and boots. He wears a yellow helmet, wrist bands and belt. The helmet allows his lower face to be exposed, but when needed, a clear screen extends to provide complete sealed systems.

 

 

WITCH HAZEL: Ebony McMahon

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Mystic

Nationality Australian

Place of Birth Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Date of Birth March 5, 1977

Hair Colour Dark Brown

Eye Colour Hazel

Height 1.73m

Weight 52kg

 

Background

Ebony found herself enslaved in Singapore, a part of Evol Khan's harem. She had responded to the promise of exotic work in public relations and had left Australia with dreams of working her way into the jet-setting crowd. Instead, she had her passport seized, and was kept in one of Khan's palaces where she worked as a servant. Khan noticed her after several weeks and seduced her, giving Ebony a glimpse at happinness; but that glimpse only lasted three months before she was relegated back into the household staff. The three months was enough, however, for Ebony to become pregnant and it was the knowledge that her unborn child would be brought up in Khan's world that drove her to find a way to escape.

 

One of the other women in the palace seemed to offer Ebony a chance of escape. She was a mystic, a middle aged woman who had been bron into a family rich in the traditions of magic, although she had turned away from the legacy in search of bigger dreams, much like Ebony had. The woman agreed to help Ebony, even though she knew that escape would be pointless.

 

The two women did manage to escape, due more to Ebony's persistence than the other woman's magical ability, but once free they managed to escape Singapore. Ebony returned to Melbourne where the woman brought her into the care of Hecate before disappearing. Ebony was safe in Hecate's sanctum, and Khan was unable to locate her although he did try. Ebony and Hecate became close friends, and at Ebony's gentle insistance, Hecate initiated her into the world of magic. Ebony proved to be a natural student and learned quickly. When her son was born, Ebony had become Hecate's apprentice and they both lived above the Hecate Club.

 

This situation continued for years until Ebony and Hecate had a disagreement. Hecate promoted a neutral position on everything, while Ebony believed that their power shoud be used to make the world a better place. Ebony was furious at Hecate's willingness to overlook evil in the city, and in her anger Ebony was unable to see the subtle manoeuvrings of Hecate. While professing neutrality, Hecate had always been a force for good in the world. Ebony was too idealistic to see it.

 

And so Ebony left, taking her son Sean, with her. Hecate had foreseen the departure and allowed Ebony to travel the path she had chosen. Taking on the name of Witch Hazel, Ebony began a career in superheroics, which had the unwanted effect of bringing her to the attention of Evol Khan. He dispatched a retrieval team to Melbourne and Witch Hazel was almost killed, saved only by her nascent magical abilities.

 

After Khan realised she had grown more powerful, his interest in Ebony changed from wanting to eradicate her, to wanting her back in his 'collection'. Ebony also realised things had changed, and knew she needed support. She approached the Southern Knights and was accepted as a member, thus bringing her safety in numbers while also allowing her to continue her work opposing evil.

 

 

Personality

Ebony is idealistic and opinionated. She has always been outgoing, but through her recent experiences she has curbed her tongue so that she only speaks out when absolutely necessary. She is fiercely protective of her son, and her friends, and believes that people should stand up for what they believe. Her belief in what is right and wrong has become the backbone for the Southern Knights and although she is not the leader, and would never want the role, she is seen as the moral compass.

 

Quote

“If we put on the tights, we need to be serious about opposing evil.”

 

Powers

Witch Hazel is a magician, able to channel magical energies for a variety of effects, most notably for causing darkness, creating phantasmal hands, opening portals across space and dimension, controlling others and communicating telepathically. In addition to her sorcery, Witch Hazel also employs two mystical artefacts which have fallen into her possession: The Ring of Persephone, which enables her to alternately fly through the summoning of winds, or change her appearance; and the Band of the Goddess, which grants her magical sight and protection, focussed willpower and the ability to see across great distances.

 

 

Appearance

Witch Hazel has long unruly hair which has never been tamed not matter how hard she tried in the past. Her costume consists of black trousers and shirt, and an open, free-flowing purple jacket which has starbursts along the black hem. She always wears the Band of the Goddess, which is a thick-plated necklace, and the Ring of Persephone, which is a simple silver ring. When she is not on duty, Ebony wears New Age style clothing: long flowing dresses and shirts, lots of jewellery although she never wears makeup.

[tribe]

Gauntlet - The Enemies of Southern Knights

 

Gauntlet was established by Professor Quake, who went a little mad in Rio and reduced the city to rubble in a battle between the Southern Knights and a mad Aztec God. He left the Knights and became suspicious of the Southern Cross International who he believed were manipulating young ubers. Professor Quake is Uberworld's version of Magneto - a man with vision and tremendous power. He has his band of followers but they are all a little damaged too. The members come from Brazil, Philippines, Australia and Hawai'i.

 

 

PROFESSOR QUAKE: Dr Thomas Durant

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Energy Blaster

Nationality Australian

Place of Birth Sydney, New South Wales

Date of Birth July 30, 1960

Hair Colour Auburn

Eye Colour Blue

Height 1.75m

Weight 78kg

 

Background

Tom Durant was a part of the original team of experts who developed the Southern Cross International organisation in 1984. He helped design Sanctuary One and headed several key research projects in the early years, although his interests lay with engineering and geophysics rather than the more popular emerging field of ubergenics. However, when his metagene activated during a seismic disaster in Antarctica, Durant found himself the centre of interest back on Sanctuary One.

 

His work in geophysics and seismology was restricted by his superiors in favour of Durant taking up the role of Professor Quake and joining the Southern Knights team. Durant was fascinated with his new powers but there was also a part of him that was reluctant to turn away from his research.

 

Professor Quake served as part of the Knights for three years, including a six month term as team leader. In 1989, he retired to relocate his young family to New Zealand where he returned to his seismological research. The following four years were the best in his life, but when he was recalled to the Southern Knights to help mount a rescue operation Durant never realised he would never return.

 

The Southern Knights had been captured by a South American God who had inspired, or enslaved, thousands of Brazilians to build him a new City of Gold. Professor Quake and eight other alumni travelled to Rio de Janeiro in a covert move against the New God. They were discovered and Quake found himself in battle against the brainwashed Knights. The rescue team were horribly outnumbered.

 

That day, December 7, 1993, Rio de Janeiro was destroyed by a sustained earthquake measuring 7.2 on the richter scale. Sixteen thousand people died and many more were injured.

 

Professor Quake never recovered from that day, and because he never faced the media who considered him solely responsible for the deaths, he was branded a criminal. In his own eyes, Quake considered himself damned but refused to let the hypocritical leal system use him as a scapegoat for the tragedy. He disappeared from public life and never returned to his family.

 

After years of exile, Professor Quake returned in Australia to oppose the opening of a new Southern Cross installation in Brisbane. He clashed with the new Southern Knights and defeated them, vowing to liberate the 'young mutants' who had supposedly been enslaved by Southern Cross. Quake had been receiving inside information on his former employers and tracked down individuals who had been identified as mutants by Southern Cross but who had not yet been contacted by them. He recruited Omen and Embrace from Brazil, Pele from Hawaii and Dumaguete from the Philippines.

 

Together they became Gauntlet, a powerful force able to crush any obstacle.

 

Personality

Durant has undergone a cataclysmic change. He was once a leading scientist and then a much-loved superhero. But after he was exposed to the death and destruction of Rio de Janeiro, Durant turned away from being magnanimous and optimistic, into being a man bent on the destruction of Southern Cross. He believes that the organisation was responsible for the deaths of his team mates and the resulting thousands who died at his own hands. He believes they are hiding a dark secret agenda.

 

Quote

"You would do well to tremble before me."

 

Powers

Professor Quake is one of the most powerful mutants in the world in sheer destructive force. He is able to call forth massive earthquakes, bend and render the earth at will and cause extreme amounts of damage over large distances. He is also able to reduce the severity of earthquakes, and has in the past averted many disasters.

 

A leading scientist, Quake has also designed a 'Quake Belt' which emits a powerful forcefield offering him protection, the ability to fly and to project bolts of force.

 

Appearance

In costume, Professor Quake he wears an armoured costume which is predominantly black and white, but has a blue chest plate, red shoulder guards, and a black star on his chest surrounded by a yellow circle. His 'Quake Belt' is golden with red and blue raised sections which contain his energy battery and field projectors.

 

Out of uniform, Durant looks like a average looking man in his forties. He has reddish-brown hair and wears a goatee.

 

 

DUMAGUETE: Ando Dumaguete

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Brick

Nationality Filipino

Place of Birth Manila, Philippines

Date of Birth September 16, 1972

Hair Colour None

Eye Colour Golden Yellow

Height 1.84m

Weight 94kg

 

Background

Dumaguete was a research assistant at De La Salle University in Manila in the toxicology department. Even before he became a lizard-man, Dumaguete was creepy and was not liked at his workplace. His interests turned to the seedy side of the street, and the local police were watching him in relation to illegal prostitution rings. One night he was confronted by an irrate co-worker who accused Dumaguete of interfering with his daughter. Dumaguete laughed in the man's face, but didn't count on the pistol which discharged five times into his chest. The co-worker dropped the gun and ran.

 

An hour later, Dumaguete woke up alone in the laboratory. His blood had collected around his body but he was alive. He lifted his hand: it was covered in hard scales. The bullets should have killed him, but his metagene kicked in and redesigned his entire physique, transforming him into a lizard man.

 

Dumaguete was impressed.

 

He picked up the gun which was cold, but there was the unmistakable scent of the murderer on the handle. He licked his lips with a forked tongue and made his way out of the university. An hour later he was standing in the man's bedroom inspecting the patterns of blood he had made along the four walls. The man, his wife and three daughters were all dead and mutilated.

 

Dumaguete was drunk on his new power and embarked upon a six-month crime spree across South-East Asia. When he became bored with the endless mutilations, he met Professor Quake and saw the wider possibilities of aligning himself with such a powerful and influential man.

 

Personality

Dumaguete is lecherous and sadistic, immersing himself in pleasure and pain in equal measure. He has no moral qualms about killing or causing pain, although he has shown compassion in rare cases. He is a man motivated by the moment.

 

 

Quote

"Ruthless, you say? Bloodthirsty too? Oh, but I was hoping you'd describe me as dashing and debonair."

 

Powers

Dumaguete has superhuman strength, reaction times, regenerative abilities and durability. He is strong and nearly invulnerable and this makes him cocky and willing to take his time in combat. He has a powerful tail which is his primary weapon, although he enjoys the use of his claws and teeth when the need to get up close and personal appears.

 

Appearance

Dumaguete is a lizard man, covered in thick scales, with a flattened face, reptilian eyes and nostril slits. He has a large and powerful tail which is actually prehensile, and sharp teeth and claws. In costume he favours a wide-brimmed hat, leather jacket and a blue and orange bodysuit. He wears a bandana over his bald head and covers his alien eyes with a mask.

 

 

EMBRACE: Dr Anibal Araujo

Click Here For Character Sheet

 

Concept Brick / Metamorph (Stretching)

Nationality Brazilian

Place of Birth Sao Paulo, Brazil

Date of Birth October 10, 1970

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Dark Brown

Height 1.8m

Weight 72kg

 

Background

Aníbal Araujo had been brought up in the cosmopolitan sprawl of Sao Paulo, one of six children in a family that experienced its share of tragedy and sacrifice, but did so without complaint. They were a dutiful Catholic family, and it was only through the generosity of the Church that Aníbal was able to attend the Federal University of Goias to study medicine. She had shown a keen intellect, which would have been dulled without the attention and support of the local priest, Fra’Miguel. He encouraged her to join his tutoring group and the fifteen year old Aníbal was able to learn alongside young men from the local Catholic university. When she was accepted into Goias, Fra’Miguel sponsored her for a full scholarship.

 

Goias was 250km west of the capital, Brasilia, and nearly 900km from her home and family. After five years, Aníbal graduated and immediately began working for the Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health which was an imposing building associated with the University in Goias. She pursued new treatments for leprosy and wrote a key paper on ‘Molecular markers and immunological predictors of early leprosy progression’. During the presentation her paper, Aníbal caught the interest of a delegation of medical researchers attached to the Order of Malta, and was asked to join a delegation to a leprosy hospice in Nicaragua.

 

Two months later Aníbal was working as a volunteer near San Carlos, on the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The conditions were harsh and the hospice was still suffering the effects of a destructive hurricane. Every day she assisted with the delivery of MDT (multi-drug therapy) to combat the bacterium mycobacterium leprae, but as she worked she also witnessed the blatant theft of supplies and capital equipment. She was told by the other volunteers that such theft occurred everywhere. There was nothing that could be done.

 

Aníbal wasn’t convinced.

 

When a group of uniformed men arrived the next day and began to load up food supplies, medicines and communications equipment, Aníbal approached them and demanded they withdraw immediately. Their response was both surprising and chilling. The leader looked her up and down, cast a glance to her supervisor and then called his men to leave what they had gathered, and left.

 

Aníbal felt vindicated, but the looks on the other volunteers made her uncomfortable. It was as if she suddenly had the spectre of death over her. The patients stopped talking to her, except in the most basic manner; and her supervisor suggested she return to Brazil. That night Aníbal was unable to sleep as she thought about the retribution which must have been coming for her. She sat in her tent and clutched her crucifix, trying to think clearly and regain her confidence. God would not abandon her, as surely as she would never abandon the patients here.

 

When the uniformed men returned in three jeeps, one with a mounted machine gun, Aníbal felt her destiny calling. She moved to meet the men before they breached the sanctity of the hospice. If she was to die, she did not want others to share her fate.

 

The jeeps circled her, the gun swivelled on its pivot and lined her up.

 

“Tiene usted hecha las paces con su Dios?”

 

Before she could respond, Aníbal was joined by a bearded white man, who seemed to appear from thin air. He put a protective hand on her shoulder and stared at the man.

 

“Are you threatening nurses now, General?” he asked, in English.

 

Aníbal stared in disbelief as the earth seemed to shudder.

 

“Your drug running stops here, General. I will not accept any more incursions into Costa Rica or any of the humanitarian camps along the border.”

 

The ground continued to shudder, the jeep itself moving slightly from the vibrations.

 

“You will pack up your sick little operation, and throw yourselves on the mercy of these good people here. If you decide to make a run for the border, you’ll find that my reach is long and accurate.”

 

Aníbal expected gunfire. But the machine gun was now pointing to the ground, its operator running away from the area, zigzagging as the ground continued to groan. She cast a nervous glance around the awkward scene and counted eight uniformed men although they were struck by fear at the sight of this lone man. It was a surprise when the General lay down his weapons. And not a single shot had been fired.

 

Not only did Professor Quake take the General and his men into custody, literally entombing them to their waists in rock, he also remained at the hospice and assisted with the relief work. Aníbal had never met an uberman before and she was entranced. He introduced himself as Professor Quake and Aníbal found herself falling in love, possibly for the first time, although she deliberately avoided those kind of thoughts. The Order of Malta organised a debriefing for her and suggested she continue work with them at another location. She agreed and accompanied the Professor back to Costa Rica to contemplate her future.

 

Her days of contemplation grew into weeks and then months. Quake showed her the beauties of his adopted country, from the golden beaches to the mild plateaux and windswept mountains. He understood her passion, and she tried to understand his life, but it was difficult to fully understand a man who could command the very earth. Sometimes it scared her, and other times it left her breathless. Finally, she had to leave. Fra’Miguel was dying and not even the promise of love could stop Aníbal from returning to Brazil. When the Professor suggested he come along as well, Aníbal rejected him. She had never been so blunt or hurtful in her life, but the conflicting emotions she felt about love, religion, loyalty and her parents’ opinions drove her to cast off all ties.

 

Fra’Miguel lived for another six months before he died of cancer, but in that time Aníbal grew to embrace the Church in a new, more fulfilling way. She returned to the Bible and saw parallels between her life as a doctor and her life as a Catholic. It was during this time that she was contacted by the Order of Malta again, and agreed to return to her research. She moved to London and engaged research at King’s College before being co-opted into the Leprosy Unit of the WHO Communicable Disease Prevention, Control and Eradication department. She immersed herself in the research and moved around for several years concentrating her time in South and Central America, India and parts of South-east Asia. Her reputation grew and in 2003 she caught the attention of Southern Cross International with the release of a new, more effective version of MDT incorporating rifampicin, ofloxacin and a metagene enhanced strain of minocyline. The metagene supplement had been supplied posthumously by a young Venezuelan mutant with restorative powers. While the new drug cocktail was finite, it did provide new avenues for research and development: research and development that the Southern Cross organisation hoped to promote through the third-world countries of South and Latin America.

 

While being given a tour of a pharmaceutical company in Buenos Aires, Aníbal and several other scientists involved in the new MDT, were set upon by Professor Quake. He demanded that Aníbal defy Southern Cross: an organisation he was convinced had nothing but oppression in store for the people of South America. A savage abduction attempt ensued, although Aníbal and her associates were able to escape into the catacombs of the research facility. Security was torn apart and Aníbal soon found herself being hunted by her former lover. Her heart was racing and she knew that her time was running out, so when the Professor tore apart the walls of the room she was hiding in, Aníbal felt strangely at ease with the situation.

 

She was only saved by the bumbling intrusion of a security guard, who discharged his revolver and detonated three cylinders of radioactive gas. Aníbal was blown back through a containment tank and into the next room. Rather than kill her, however, the combination of chemicals, radiation and her latent metagene triggered a transformation in her body. Her body liquefied as she hit the wall, and then reformed itself into a strong and pliable form.

 

Professor Quake leapt through the hole in the wall and went to trap her in stone, but his attempts were unable to hold her: her body slipping out of his reach. Aníbal struck out wildly and found her body now possessed great strength as well as great flexibility. Her arms stretched out beyond what was humanly possible and her entire body seemed capable of anything. Seizing the moment, and taking advantage of the confusion she saw in her adversaries, Aníbal half-leapt and half-swung herself out of the four-storey building to land relatively safely in the compound below.

 

She looked back and saw the unmistakable look of sadness in the Professor's eyes. It reminded her of the expression she had seen on the night she had left him, back in Costa Rica, and she knew this was not finished.

 

Aníbal could not shake the idea that Professor Quake was right. She heard rumours of corruption and mistreatment of ubermen across Brazil, Peru and Argentina which had phantom links back to Southern Cross. She dug a little and discovered that her treatment had been used to produce medicine for the treatment of disease, but had also been grafted to be used in the training and development of uberhumans.

 

She was furious.

 

Aníbal returned to the university and confronted the Head of Department who confirmed what she had heard. Feeling deeply betrayed, and somewhat guilty about her treatment of Quake, Aníbal began to search for her former lover.

 

He was waiting for her and accepted her back into his life where she joined his team of Gauntlet in the hopes of uncovering the dirty little secrets of Southern Cross. Aníbal is unaware that Quake fabricated much of the information that led to her decision and he does not see his deceit as being anything but a way to get to the truth without having to waste time on thorough investigations.

 

Personality

Aníbal is a very grounded woman, and manages to keep perspective even in the most dire of circumstances. She does not get carried away in the moment, whether it be in social situations, heated debate or caught in the middle of a full-scale uberhuman battlefield. She is something of a killjoy, however, and has difficulty making connections with her team mates.

 

She is closest to Professor Quake but there has been no return to their romantic relationship although Aníbal is hopeful. She maintains her secret identity at the Federal University of Goias where she is a renowned expert on communicable diseases.

 

Quote

“There is no such thing as ‘acceptable losses’.”

 

Powers

Embrace’s body is composed of a super-strong and flexible matter, the result of her active metagene combining with a variety of chemicals and intense radiation. She is able to stretch her body up to 16m in one direction, and has developed an incredibly swift and seamless method of self-transport by swinging along with the use of her elongated limbs. She is also able to stretch herself through even the smallest of holes, such as keyholes, enabling her to infiltrate bases, escape holds and move quickly through obstacle courses.

 

Her body is practically invulnerable to conventional weaponry, and Embrace is able to extend her own body like a wall to provide a human barrier which she has used effectively to shield her team mates from high-powered gunfire.

 

Besides her uber abilities, Aníbal possesses great knowledge in the field of leprosy and communicable diseases.

 

Appearance

Aníbal Araujo is a tall, dark-skinned Brazilian woman with long black hair which is usually tied back in a ponytail as Anibal, or let loose as Embrace. As Embrace she wears a green bodysuit with lighter green gloves and long leggings which are cut in an 'E' design. She conceals her identity with the help of a domino mask.

 

Out of costume, Aníbal prefers to wear white shirts and black slacks.

 

 

OMEN: Ezequiel Djavan Piovani

Click Here For Character Sheet

 

Concept Martial Artist / Mentalist

Nationality Brazilian

Place of Birth Sao Paulo, Brazil

Date of Birth November 9, 1981

Hair Colour White

Eye Colour Pink

Height 1.94m

Weight 90kg

 

Background

Ezequiel Djavan Piovani was nearly killed at birth by his mother, but she relented and left him at the steps of a church in Sao Paulo. He grew up on the streets of that poor and sprawling city, falling in with the tough street kids who grew up altogether too quickly. He was hunted at night by gangs of police and militia who had decided to rid the city of 'filth', but after a series of bloody attacks, the legal system stamped down on the practice.

 

Not long after, Ezequiel developed an insight into other people's minds.

 

He could hear what they were saying and more importantly, he could understand and exploit their fears. Over the course of two weeks he had gone from an outsider even among the street kids, into the leader of the most feared gang on the streets of Sao Paulo. But it wasn't enough that he was now the most respected and feared teenager in the city; he demanded a better life.

 

Ezequiel reinvented himself by exploiting businessmen and officials, securing a position at the Universidad de Brasília where he settled down to study archaeology. He knew that there were mysteries in the world and he wanted to look into the past for answers to his own situation, and less importantly, the situation of his former street associates in Sao Paulo.

 

Ezekiel excelled with a combination of natural talent, hard work and the use of his telepathic powers. He joined excavation teams in Mexico, North America and Argentina. And then he was approached by Professor Quake. Everything Ezekiel had accomplished was now threatened, according to Quake, by Southern Cross International who had filed a report on his activities over the past five years. Ezekiel didn't believe Quake, but the following month he was arrested in Mexico City and interrogated by Mexican authorities over relics he had stolen. It was true that he had stolen them, but Ezekiel took this as proof that his manufactured life was about to be destroyed.

 

Quake arrived and liberated him, destroying a major section of Mexico City in the process. It didn't take Ezekiel long to realise that working with Quake opened up a whole lot more doors, not least of which involved access to Southern Cross International files.

 

Personality

Ezekiel grew up in an extreme situation but now views everything through that traumatic lens. He is self-serving and callous, and enjoys the power he now wields over others. He has combined this lust for power with a lust for knowledge, particularly knowledge relating to magic and 'lost' or forbidden knowledge.

 

Omen works with Gauntlet and follows Quake's orders, but he has no qualms about striking out on his own, especially when he can pursue arcane knowledge and power.

 

Quote

“You think you already know fear. Think again."

 

Powers

Omen is a phobia-path, able to access and exploit a person's fears. He has developed these powers in a variety of ways, and has also pushed himself physically. He is a powerful, brawling combatant; able to strike fear in his opponents with or without his telepathic powers.

 

Appearance

Omen is a large albino man with short cropped hair, pink eyes and a total lack of skin pigmentation. He wears shades when out of costume to protect his eyes, and has a blue and red tattoo on each shoulder. In costume, he wears a black armoured uniform with no sleeves, bordered with an intricate mosaic pattern. He also wears a visored helmet which protects his sight.

 

 

PELE: Pele Arakawa

Click Here For Character Sheet

 

Concept Martial Artist

Nationality American

Place of Birth Kailua, Hawaii

Date of Birth March 18, 1978

Hair Colour Dark Brown

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.78m

Weight 64kg

 

Background

Pele Arakawa blamed Southern Cross International for the deaths of her parents and her little sister who was a mutant. Her sister couldn't control her pyrokinetic powers and even though Southern Cross offered assistance, the little girl spontaneously combusted and set fire to the family house.

 

Pele embarked upon a mission of vengeance which wouldn't have gone very far except for the timely arrival and shepherding of Professor Quake. She agreed to join his own crusade against the organisation and has used the support of Gauntlet to launch her own little crusade against law enforcement in general which she believes is an extension of the worldwide governmental corruption.

 

Personality

Pele would hate to admit it, but she is enjoying her life as a renegade. She feels truly alive when she is dishing out vengeance to whoever happens to be in her sights, although she becomes quite listless when out of combat. Gauntlet is her only family now, but Pele doesn't consider herself being particularly close to any of them, mostly because she is a 'baseline' human, lacking the superpowers of the others.

 

 

Quote

"We can ask questions after they're dead."

 

Powers

Pele is a fiery woman with an unparalleled determination and thirst for vengeance. She uses a pistol and her boxing skills, but is equally expert at surveillance and stealth missions.

 

Pele also possesses a 'sixth sense' which she has come to rely on in her new life of high crime, especially when dealing with dangerous superheroes.

 

Appearance

Pele is an attractive Hawaiian woman. She wears her dark brown hair in tight braids and often wears surf attire and accessories. She has a tattoo on her left shoulder, but is otherwise unremarkable (especially when on assignment).

[tribe]

Paradise - One Nutty Papua New Guinean Villain

 

 

PARADISE: Kala Taranupi

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Energy Blaster

Nationality Papua New Guinean

Place of Birth Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Date of Birth August 3, 1972

Hair Colour Black (Pink Wig)

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.78m

Weight 70kg

 

Background

In September 1994 two volcanoes erupted almost simultaneously in the mountains of Papua New Guinea. Kala Taranupi was a member of an expedition in the area and only survived through the reactive manifestation of her sound and light powers. Her fellow university students were not so lucky, and when she returned to her university she was treated as a jinx and avoided. She came to resent the pettiness of fellow students and the faculty, and it was during this time that she began to slide down the slippery slope of moral decay.

 

Kala manipulated her way into a career, utilising her metahuman powers of persuasion to climb the ladder of success. In Australia, she began to branch out into the criminal underworld, offering her services for money and, more importantly, power. She clashed with the Southern Knights on several occasions and made a reputation for herself as cool, calculating and possessing a devilish charm and a knack for escaping even the most hardened of prisons.

 

After a clash with Outback, something came unhinged in Paradise's mind. She lost her moral compass and went completely bananas, unleashing her powers at whim with no regard to consequences or logic. She has become a powerful and unpredictable villain, plaguing both the United States and Australia .

 

 

Personality

Paradise is insane. She does not make sense, and acts on whims or a weird sense of strategy. She can become obsessed with people or objects, and makes her way through life in pursuit of these two interchanging goals. She has acted heroically at times, but is also capable of the most heinous crimes. Strangely, she does not want to kill Outback for driving her insane. She actually sees it as a blessing, and goes out of her way to thank him whenever she is terrorising Australia.

 

Quote

“Hey little birdie, you wanna live in a golden cage?”

 

Powers

Paradise is able to manipulate the sound and light in her immediate vicinity. She can harness the energies to create powerful blasts of light, sound and deadly lasers; intense flashes of both sound and light; as well as generate life-like illusions. Her voice can resonate at a level which induces a form of mind control, a power she uses to get what she wants.

 

 

Appearance

Kala is a tall, dark-skinned woman, who is stunningly beautiful. She always wears brightly coloured clothes and accessories, and commands any audience equally with her steely intellect and her beauty (or, alternatively, with her utter madness). In costume, she wears a bright pink wig which is outrageous, but serves to distract people from her secret identity.

[Manchine]

Re: Uberworld - Character and Art

 

I have to say WOW! Keep up the good work. Thats a lot of detail you put in there. I probable will take a few of those ideas for myself.

[Guzalot]

Re: Uberworld - Character and Art

 

Good stuff Repped!

[tribe]

Marauding Tide - Indonesian Terrorist Group

 

Okay, I know this team paints a bad picture of Indonesia but I think I've balanced that with another team: Bidadari Angels (who will make an appearance next). I kind of suggest some government corruption and organised terrorist activities. Obviously I'm not saying this truly is the case, but jjust a game mechanic. Indonesian-Australian relations are tenuous and I don't really want to make things worse.

 

That said, here is Marauding Tide, a group of ubers (and one non-uber psychotic archer) who terrorise the lands around Indonesia and have come into conflict with the Southern Knights. The leader is Jago Tembak, which roughly translated means Marksman.

 

This picture is one I drew for the Global Guardians Universe but wanted to use again in Uberworld.

 

JAGO TEMBAK: Setiawan Tuti Mahendra

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Martial Artist

Nationality Indonesian

Place of Birth Surabaya, Indonesia

Date of Birth September 1, 1975

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Dark Brown

Height 1.8m

Weight 73kg

 

Background

Jago Tembak was the name of the mastermind behind the atrocious bombing of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta which claimed twenty-seven lives. He was the leader of a jihad-inspired terrorist group known as the Marauding Tide, but his influence had been gathering, like the Tide, for several years before.

 

During the 1991 uprising in East Timor, sixteen year old Setiawan Tuti Mahendra witnessed an attack on a mosque. He didn't realise that the arsonists were actually government-backed militia, but instead believed them to be pro-Western supporters. He had been travelling with his father and had become something of a conscientious student of Islam. The attack had a profound impact on his developing mind. When he returned to Surabaya he was already well on his way to becoming a fanatic. He publicly ridiculed the West, especially Australia and the United States, and organised protest groups of fellow students who usually ended up chanted songs and burning flags. It wasn't until he went to Jakarta that Mahendra found a patron for his growing patriotism.

 

Secret departments within Suharto's government had already begun forming an uber team to carry out the plans of the Indonesian government. Mahendra had joined a jihad group at his university and through its government 'mole', the "black ops" organisation, known as Marauding Tide, discovered that Mahendra and his sister were both uberhumans. His fervent hate for the West, his passion for the ideals of Islam, and his uncanny ability to never miss a target, made Mahendra a perfect specimen for the government's uber team.

 

Mahendra dropped out of university and began military training, growing in confidence and egocentrism, as he came to fully realise and develop his uberhuman abilities. He was sent to Vietnam to train with ex-Viet Cong agents as well as French mercenaries. When he returned in 1998, he did so without telling his family. At that point he had no reason to care what happened to them. He now had a higher purpose. At the age of twenty-four, Mahendra, under the name of Jago Tembak, successfully led the attack on the Australian Embassy. It was November 1999.

 

Marauding Tide followed up its attack on the Embassy with lightning strikes across East Timor which brought them into contact with the Australian-New Zealand team of ubers, Southern Knights. Since that time, Jago Tembak has consolidated his reputation as one of the region's foremost terrorist threats, as well as branching out into mercenary work in the United States where he has earned the wrath of the FBI, for whom he holds the greatest of grudges.

 

 

Personality

Jago Tembak is a fanatic. He lives, breathes and exists solely for the destruction of Western society in the name of Islam. His hatred for the United States and Australia has grown through misunderstandings in his youth, to thorough indoctrination during his time in Vietnam and the Indonesia military. He shows kindness and compassion only for those who share his beliefs, and offers nothing but death for any who oppose him.

 

Quote

“I never give second chances.”

 

Powers

Jago Tembak has the uber ability of unnatural precision. Whether he uses a pistol or any thrown object, he seldom misses; and never more than once. He has gained training in savate and weapon handling and is an expert in demolitions.

 

 

Appearance

Jago Tembak wears an armoured black shirt with camouflaged combat pants and high boots. He is a strong man who exudes good health, and his face is pleasant and handsome. When he is angry, his features contort into a hideous mask of hatred. He carries two pistols in holsters, and a combat knife. He never travels without his weapons and makes no apologies for it.

 

 

BAYU: Dr Kade Mahendra

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Energy Blaster

Nationality Indonesian

Place of Birth Surabaya, Indonesia

Date of Birth June 13, 1977

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.68m

Weight 54kg

 

Background

Kade Mahendra was always a temperamental child, but it wasn't until she reached puberty that her family realised the unpredictable weather patterns which had developed in their region were actually caused by Kade's whims. When she was upset, the area around Surabaya was drenched in monsoonal rains, and when she was happy the sun would always shine.

 

Kade wasn't a particularly happy child, however, so the people of Surabaya were more accustomed to the torrents of rain. Her parents were both scholars, firmly entrenched in the ideology of the State and seemed to pay more attention to their son, Setiawan, who was two years older and never without opinions or words. Kade studied hard in the shadow of her brother and earned a position at the Trisakti University in Jakarta. Setiawan, meanwhile, had become a political activist, voicing his concerns over the West's continued dominance and egotism in relation to Asia. His vehemence was particularly directed against the United States and Australia, who he saw as the primary threats to Indonesia's successful political and economic future. Kade watched her brother become more idealistic, while she became obsessed with science. The siblings grew closer together during these years, and when Setiawan joined a jihad-inspired terrorist group, she followed.

 

After two years at Trisakti, Kade won a scholarship to Oxford University in England where she graduated with a Doctorate in Meteorological Science. She returned to Indonesia and earned a Master's in International Relations and a position at the University of Jakarta. She had lost contact with Setiawan and forged a career as a well-paid meteorologist.

 

When the Marauding Tide launched an attack on the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Kade recognised her brother in news reports but hadn't realised he had begun associating with ubers, especially ubers with such an extreme ideology. While the authorities couldn't find the Marauding Tide, and were reluctant to allow any international agencies assist with the search, Kade had no problem. It was almost as if the government was hiding the terrorists.

 

And that was exactly what had happened.

 

Setiawan explained that the current Indonesian government had authorised select individuals in the military to operate as a 'black ops'. Marauding Tide was set up to protect the Islamic faith in Indonesia as well as the nation's interests. They were deployed to East Timor and battled the Southern Knights over many months which resulted in widespread devastation to the struggling country.

 

Kade was invited to join and she agreed. Indonesia was her home, and her experiences overseas had taught her that Muslims were in danger of persecution. She also saw something within the small band of ubers known as the Marauding Tide. They all shared a genuine faith, and Kade believed that their actions would help to motivate and inspire the millions of Indonesians to rally behind their cause.

 

She knew it wouldn't eventuate overnight, but her brother's determination was infectious and she had been growing more and more comfortable with the wild energies at her command. She longed to throw away her studious life and embrace the primal energies of the weather.

 

 

Personality

Bayu has a forceful personality which is reflected in the weather around her. When she is inspired or angry, her powers are incredibly powerful, but when she loses faith or is sedated, her powers quickly vanish. She is an intelligent, but idealistic woman, so that all of her education has only managed to make her more judgemental. The world experiences she has enjoyed has hardened her rather than expanded her mind.

She is a devout Muslim and a scientist, but her religion colours her views more so than science.

 

 

Quote

“Hear the thunder and know your time of truth is near.”

 

Powers

Bayu is able to manipulate the weather in her immediate vicinity. Some of this power is unconscious and manifests itself in relation to her emotional state, but she is able to fully wield several elements including lightning, temperature changes and monsoonal winds.

 

 

Appearance

Bayu is a devout Muslim and wears a black hajib, black shirt and camouflage combat pants. Apart from her face, her entire body is covered, although her dark brown eyes manage to draw the attention of most - especially when she begins to exert her power over the world. Her eyes flicker with lightning and seem to cloud over when she uses her powers.

 

Out of her Bayu costume, she wears traditional clothing. When in the company of women, or her family, she has been known to remove the hajib and release her thick braids of dark hair; but Bayu prefers a professional appearance and frowns upon most forms of feminine fashion and custom.

 

 

GUNUNG: Pramana Ihza Haz

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Brick

Nationality Indonesian

Place of Birth Jakarta, Indonesia

Date of Birth April 26, 1980

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Dark Brown

Height 1.95m

Weight 110kg

 

Background

Pramana Ihza Haz was unremarkable until his second year in the military. Over a period of weeks he began to grow, and as he grew his patience seemed to fade in equal measure. He became volatile and hot-headed. His superiors attempted to beat the discipline back into him but he didn't seem to feel the punishment. One night he struck back and killed six men and sent another eighteen to hospital. Haz was an uber, able to become as thick and dense as a mountain.

 

The government and military conspired to get rid of him quietly, moving him to an installation in the jungles of Borneo. The government had already begun to assemble its Marauding Tide, and Haz was hastily trained to better understand his abilities and responsibilities. He had always been an adherent of Islam and with his newly explosive temper, Haz became a fiery proponent of Islam. Through several weeks of indoctrination, Haz (now known as Gunung) had become a zealot who saw himself as a personal warrior of Islam, and who would defend the reputation of his religion to the death - even at the slightest provocation.

 

When Gunung joined Marauding Tide he was an incredible strong and easily manipulated warrior. He has served in this capacity ever since, not seeming to question the conflict between what he does and the religion he claims to follow. The only thing that seems to have changed is his capacity for destruction which has increased exponentially.

 

 

Personality

Gunung is angry and violent, and backs this explosive temper with the power of a 'mountain-crusher'. He has travelled widely, but is not interested in the cultures of other countries. He only sees things as potential war trophies. He only sees people as opponents or potential converts.

He is most happy when he is able to unleash his fury, and has been known to literally smash into the solid rock of mountains.

 

 

Quote

“You will be crushed!”

 

Powers

Gunung has the ability to increase his density, making him incredibly heavy but strong enough to maintain movement as well as enhancing his already superhuman strength. At his heaviest, Gunung can weigh 6400kg. He is able to increase the density of others too, but still has difficulty in doing this to the same extent.

 

 

Appearance

Gunung is a very large man, both in height and bulk. He wears a black tank-top and combat pants. On his right arm he has a red and green bandana tied around his bicep. When he is not angry, Gunung actually looks like a nice enough man, with a clean-shaven face, wide eyes and wavy hair. When he is worked up, his face darkens and his eyes seem to glaze over. When he is like that, it is best to keep out of his way.

 

 

HANTU PEMBURU: Guntar Shihab

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Weaponmaster (Archer)

Nationality Malaysian

Place of Birth Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Date of Birth December 6, 1976

Hair Colour Black, dyed Red

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.78m

Weight 66kg

 

Background

Hantu Pemburu is the name of a Malayan demon hunter who is said to be quite deranged in his pursuit of a deer that has evaded him. He leaves slaughtered animals on jungle tracks in his endless pursuit of that one missing deer.

 

Guntar Shihab was a promising archer who represented his country at the 1994 Commonwealth Games, but he never made the finals. Something inside him snapped on that day, and he returned home with a much more macabre outlook. Over a period of six months he retreated into the jungles and began hunting tourists and villagers, often killing them and displaying their bodies on trees.

 

The Malaysian authorities eventually captured him and he was sentenced to a mental institution where his fascination with uberhuman archers began to manifest itself. He read all about them and other famous weapon-masters, but instead of looking at their accomplishments, Guntar focussed on their weaknesses, almost as if he were already on the hunt. He became especially fixated on the American archer known as Silver Bow. She had been one of the ubers to oppose the war in Vietnam during the 1960s and retired from the spotlight during the 1980s. Guntar knew she was still partially active in her home town of Phoenix and he began to plan his escape, but more importantly he began to plan his hunt.

 

Escape was easy, and Guntar slipped into the USA through Canada, heading towards Arizona. Silver Bow was over fifty years old, and Guntar was initially disappointed with her lack of physical prowess, but she fought well, evading him for five hours. Her death shocked the nation, but it wouldn't be the last. Guntar followed up his kill with two more Americans, Crossbow and the third Amethyst Archer.

 

And then he returned home to seek vengeance on those who had put him in the asylum.

 

The Indonesian government intercepted Guntar as he boarded a plane in Jakarta, and would have extradited him to Malaysia had not Matari intervened. Guntar was ruthless, and Matari realised he would be an asset in the black-ops group, Marauding Tide. Guntar was initially sceptical, but after battling and losing to Jago Tembak, he agreed to join. Unlike the others, Guntar is not a Muslim and has no particular fondness for religion or politics, but he does enjoy the Hunt.

 

 

Personality

Guntar is a callous exhibitionist. Nothing seems to disturb him, but rather than affect a loner disposition, Guntar is actually very active and vocal. He enjoys being the centre of attention and showing off his abilities. When it comes to a kill, though, he is ruthless. No amount of pleading will change his mind. He finds it a point of honour that he kills those who are supposed to die.

He has never spared anyone.

 

 

Quote

“You have a death wish, punk?”

 

Powers

Hantu Pemburu is a ruthless archer. He employs a variety of arrows, ranging from standard points to explosive charges and knockout gas cylinders. He is also handy at improvising weapons, and carries a hunting knife with him at all times. However, apart from his mastery in archery and hand to hand combat, Hantu Pemburu is a regular human with no uber gene.

 

 

Appearance

Guntar is an athletic man who spends a lot of his time in personal training. He has shoulder-length hair which he has dyed bright red, with long sideburns. In his 'costume' he wears a black armoured shirt, camouflage pants and black gloves. He carries his bow over his shoulder and has two quivers full of arrows.

 

 

 

MATARI: Santoso Budhisantoso

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Energy Blaster

Nationality Indonesian

Place of Birth Ambon, Indonesia

Date of Birth October 6, 1984

Hair Colour Dark Brown

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.78m

Weight 70kg

 

Background

Santoso's father was one of Suharto's chief advisors, and cousin to the great leader. Santoso grew up amongst the elite and influential families of Indonesia in the 1980s and 1990s, firmly entrenched in the dominant ideologies of his parents. His father became a diplomat to Australia but was unceremoniously marched out of the country less than a year later under a cloud of suspicion. Santoso's father openly mocked the Australians, and Santoso grew to hate them as well.

 

When Santoso began to manifest his ubergene ability to create intense heat in his hands, his father saw it as a way to secure more power for himself. He was already aware of the Marauding Tide project and manoeuvred his son into its preliminary training. Santoso, or Matari the Sun, accepted his new position and relished the power literally at his fingertips. He was an only child, the proverbial apple of his father's eye, and now he was also among one of the most gifted on the planet.

 

Matari was not just a puppet of his father, though. He had his own dreams which were even greater than those of his father. He saw the Marauding Tide as his way to begin to cement for himself a secret empire rivalling that of the great Indonesian politicians. He has begun to extort money from Indonesian companies and businesses across the country, but particularly in Ambon; and also enjoys the favour of select government officials. He has become the voice of Marauding Tide and manipulates both his team and the people behind it.

 

 

Personality

Matari has always been the centre of attention and has an unwavering high opinion of himself and his abilities. He is cool and calculating and never reveals more of himself than needed, even to those on his team. He does not subscribe to the idea of relationships being anything more than business. His relationship with his parents and family is distant but strong. As long as he does not require any sort of emotional support from them, he will be cherished. The same can be said from Matari's point of view. He enjoys his father's influence but does not care for his company.

 

Quote

“My knives burn with the intensity of the sun. Do you think your little tricks can compare with that raw power?”

 

Powers

Matari can generate intense heat in his hands which manifests itself as searing heat knives. The knives can be used to slice through strong materials, or even extended to fly through the air. Matari has shown a ruthlessness in his delivery of the heat knives and favours an attack which slashes across an opponent's eyes, causing excruciating pain as well as blinding them. The energy can be adjusted to perform a variety of effects from devastating heat to stunning or disrupting levels.

 

 

Appearance

Matari is an attractive, some would say suave, educated and sophisticated young man. He is young, clean shaven and athletic. Everything about him seems, at first, to be wholesome and attractive; but underneath his handsome demeanor is a selfish, shallow man consumed with ambition. He is obsessed with his appearance and standing in the community and takes pleasure in showing up other people, particularly superiors.

 

As Matari, he wears an armoured black shirt with short sleeves and camouflage pants. Out of uniform Santoso wears designer clothing and always appears well presented. No one has seen him sweat - ever.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Uberworld - Character and Art

 

Wow. that's very good. I like the art alot. Keep up the good work!

[tribe]

BIDADARI ANGELS - The Charlie's Angels of Indonesia

 

Here are three independent women in the traditional of Charlie's Angels. Bidadari is Bahasa Indnesian for angels, and each woman represents one of the three main religions of Indonesia. Muslim is the majority, but Hindu is popular, especially in Bali; and Christian.

 

 

KURUS: Kristina Damanik

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Martial Artist

Nationality Indonesian

Place of Birth Jakarta, Indonesia

Date of Birth April 28, 1976

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.77m

Weight 48kg

 

Background

Kristina Damanik walked out of the sub-basement elevator and into the dimly lit carpark. She moved three steps before the six masked men appeared, each brandishing a knife and dark intent in their eyes. They demanded her wallet and the keys to her sports car. She dropped her attaché case and took a defensive stance. The men laughed. And then they ran towards her, moving in three groups of two, trying to gain different approaches. Kristina seemed to slip out of view, her body compressing into a two-dimensional state. Without giving the men a chance to utter their surprise, she stretched through their attack, reformed behind them, and swept two of them to the ground.

 

She slammed the heel of her hand into the back of another man's head and he slumped to the ground, making way for two new attackers. Kristina reached an impossible length, grabbed a third man and yanked him into the path of the oncoming attackers. Blood was spilled, and the attackers seemed to have turned from the predators to the prey. Kristina dispatched the remaining men in seconds, casting them a passing glance as she walked to her car.

 

Waiting in the front passenger's seat was a woman wearing dark glasses. She smiled at Kristina and then handed her a card.

 

Rather than attack the woman who was obviously connected with the attackers, Kristina took the card and read it: Bidadari.

 

"Angels?"

 

"I am Matematika," she said. "And I am recruiting women like yourself, who will be able to bring justice to these streets, and perhaps beyond."

 

"That's not your real name."

 

The woman smiled.

 

"No. Perhaps in time we shall know each other's names, but for now it is best to remain somewhat secretive. The government is not the type to allow us our freedom until we can achieve a kind of acceptance from the people."

 

"You talk as if you have all this planned."

 

"It is my uber ability," she replied. "Just as you are able to switch forms from three to two dimensions, I am able to predict the often unpredictable. I see dark times ahead for Indonesia, and I intend to offer the people some light. And I plan to do this without fear or favour for the various peoples of our country. I will gather three women, each one gifted and able to offer hope to those who would search for it. You will offer the ideals of Christians, and I will represent the ideals of Islam. Our third member shall represent Hindu."

 

"And together we will be angels?"

 

"That is correct. Bidadari Angels."

 

 

Personality

Kristina works for a multinational company and presents a cool and businesslike demeanor in all her dealings, both as Kristina and as Kurus. She maintains both identities with equal fervour and avoids the press in case of an accidental discovery. She is smart and sassy, and enjoys kicking out with her karate just as much as she enjoys outmanoeuvring business opponents.

She is dedicated to the other girls of Bidadari, and has managed to become very close friends with them despite their differences. Never one to form close relationships, Kristina is finding it refreshing to be able to kick back with likeminded individuals.

 

 

Quote

“Eight against one? Should I close my eyes?”

 

Powers

Kurus means "Thin" in Bahasa, and Kristina is able to compress her body into a two-dimensional state. In this form she is able to stretch her body so she can squeeze through the smallest of cracks in walls, as well as wrap her body around objects or opponents. She uses this uberhuman ability to complement her intensive karate training, which makes her a formidable opponent. Like all Bidadari, Kurus is proficient in a number of stealth and subterfuge skills.

 

 

Appearance

Kristina has short bobbed black hair and a flawless complexion. She wears power suits at work, and a yellow bodysuit as Kurus, with a white stripe down the sides. As Kurus, she is able to become two-dimensional, appearing wafer thin, and able to stretch any part of her body up to 8m.

 

 

MATAHARI MERAH: Ni Nyoman Yohana

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Brick / Energy Blaster

Nationality Indonesian

Place of Birth Bali, Indonesia

Date of Birth October 9, 1982

Hair Colour Brown

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.75m

Weight 87kg

 

Background

When the bombs detonated inside the Sari Club in 2002, Bali was rocked by the wave of terrorism which threatened to engulf the world. Yohana found herself thrust into the disaster and tried as best she could to evacuate the injured. When she was approached by a large man in army fatigues she thought he might offer assistance, but it was Gunung of the Marauding Tide, and he was there to contribute to the suffering.

 

Yohana barely evaded his oversized fists and barrelled away from his assault. When she pulled herself off the ground she was surrounded by Bayu and Matari. Sirens blared in the distance.

 

"You might as well give up, girl," Bayu said with obvious disdain. "Your kind need to lay the road to our eventual salvation."

 

Yohana balled her fists.

 

"You'll have to do worse than throw words at me," she called back, and her body was suddenly surrounded with flames. Marauding Tide were obviously startled and she pressed her advantage, flying directly through Bayu, landing with all her strength against the other woman. They landed with a crunch and Yohana stood up ready to face the others.

 

Matari swung with his fire fists, but he missed, enabling Yohana to grab him under the arms and lift into the sky. He screamed out in surprise just as she dumped him into the ocean. The wind began to whip around her and she realised Bayu had returned, but instead of a battle, Marauding Tide vanished leaving Bali to burn slowly.

 

Yohana looked to the horizon but saw no sign of the terrorists, so she had no other course of action apart from returning to the disaster and helping as much as she could. The following day she was contacted by Bidadari, an organisation of women who wanted to represent the antithesis of Marauding Tide. Bidadari had approached Yohana before, but she wasn't interested. The second message arrived after the bombings and simply read: "Ready now?"

 

She knew it was time. Terrorism had been allowed to fester for too long. It was time for the Bidadari to reclaim the hearts of hopes of the Indonesian people.

 

 

Personality

Yohana is young and spirited, but can come across as impulsive and not entirely reliable. She is outgoing and optimistic about the world, and believes that the Bidadari are making a difference. She works part time as a waitress, but of the three Angels, she is the one who is more concerned with her heroic identity. If she could, Yohana would live as Matahari Merah full time.

 

Quote

“You really don't want to mess with us. We're on the side of the Angels.”

 

Powers

Matahari Merah means "red sun" in Bahasa, and she possesses the power of the sun, enabling her to create fire and heat for a variety of effects. She is also gifted with uberhuman strength and durability, as well as the ability to fly. Of the three Bidadari, Matahari Merah is the most powerful in terms of raw energy, and is often used as the spearhead of any direct attack.

 

 

Appearance

Yohana is young and friendly, always with a friendly welcoming smile and bright white teeth. As Matahari Merah, she wears a red bodysuit with an exposed shoulder held together on the strap with a star. She also wears white boots, belt and gloves, and wears a red visor to protect her identity. When she flies, Matahari Merah leaves behind a trail of fire which dissipates after a minute.

 

 

MATEMATIKA: Meutya Budiyanto

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Martial Artist

Nationality Indonesian

Place of Birth Jakarta, Indonesia

Date of Birth July 12, 1974

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.79m

Weight 64kg

 

Background

Deep within the heart of the Muhammadiyah University of Jakarta, Meutya Budiyanto, Professor of Mathematics, sat amidst a room of computers. The sequences and theorems that passed by her eyes were always a step behind her own internal calculations. She scanned dates and names, population density and demographic forecasts. All of the data led to a single conclusion.

 

Indonesia was destined for trouble.

 

The terrorist activities of Marauding Tide, the suspicious peace of Singapore and the spreading insidiousness of the various Japanese ninja clans threatened Indonesia, and no one seemed capable of standing in its way. The West was satisfied that the threats were too distant from their own shores, and the East was more concerned with its own situation to care about over-arching ones.

 

Budiyanto closed her eyes.

 

Her faith and her knowledge convinced her that she was able to stand up for what was right and just, but she knew she could never act alone. Her intellect was formidable but she needed more. She needed other women to share her dreams, to fully represent the people of Indonesia. If she acted alone she would be classed as a Muslim hero, and ostracise those of other faiths. She realised that she needed to form a team of heroes from different faiths, as religion was a single force able to bring people together, as well as tear them apart.

 

She began to search for suitable partners, quickly locating Matahari Merah in Bali. The Balinese Hindu was not interested in protecting the wider country, having found herself a stable life in her home city. Budiyanto didn't give up, but turned her attention to Kurus, a Christian businesswoman from Jakarta, who joined willingly and with such an openness that Budiyanto felt vindicated in her dream. She wasn't mad. Others felt the same way as she did.

 

After the Bali Bombings, Budiyanto approached Matahari Merah again and in the woman's grief and shock, Budiyanto found her third Angel.

 

 

Personality

Budiyanto possesses an incredibly complicated brain, and has been classed as a mathematical ubergenius. She is a teacher as well as a perpetual student, keen to learn more information and to compare and contrast it to her existing database. As the leader of Bidadari she is the most patriotic and idealistic of the three angels, caring for her fractured country and its population more so than the fructuous government. While not believing she is above the law, she certainly has little respect for it.

 

Quote

“I am constantly surprised at your level of ignorance.”

 

Powers

Matematika, which means mathematics in Bahasa, possesses an uber-enhanced brain and is able to perform incredible feats that are far beyond the normal human. She is one of the most intelligent women on the planet, and is an expert in a variety of sciences and knowledge, particularly in mathematics and the manipulation and programming of computers.

 

 

Appearance

Matematika wears a deep purple abaya and hajib which serves to identify her as a Muslim as well as help to conceal her identity. Matematika is determined to present a heroic figure of Islam to the world, especially in light of the terrorist activities of Marauding Tide and Fatwa. Her clothing is armoured, providing her with protection from conventional weaponry. Out of uniform, Budiyanto wears casual clothing depending on the circumstances. When she is teaching she often wears a suit with trousers.

[tribe]

Singapore Samurai - Hero Group

 

Still in the Asia-Pacific Region, our attention turns to Singapore which is a utpoia in the Uberworld. No crime, no litter. Powerful company headquarters, expensive tourist destination... too good to be true?

 

Yep.

 

Uberworld Singapore is ruled by a criminal mastermind called Evol Khan (not his real name, but no one knows his real name, you know?). And assisting him in ruling the utopian society is Atomic Girl and her Samurai. Her reasons are simple: Singapore is a sanctuary even if it's ruled by a criminal.

 

Oh, yeah, and there's an uberprimate (intelligent ape) on the team too.

 

 

ATOMIC GIRL: Mayumi Matsukara

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Energy Blaster

Nationality Japanese

Place of Birth Nagasaki, Japan

Date of Birth October 14, 1943

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.64m

Weight 50kg

 

Background

When Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki everything changed for young Mayumi Matsukara. Her parents were killed, her home destroyed. She only survived because of her ubergene which was activated in the seconds following the atomic explosion. Japan had already suffered an atomic explosion in Hiroshima, and the second one in Nagasaki was enough to force the country's leaders to surrender unconditionally. Japan and its people fell into deep depression, their feelings of defeat and dishonour were rampant.

 

Mayumi's survival became a tale which spread across the islands, bringing a glimmer of hope to the devastated people. She had survived when so many hadn't, and as she grew it became apparent that she had also changed. The atomic energies had been absorbed by her body and she had begun to generate her own atomic energies. The remaining scientists welcomed the enigma, and soon it was discovered that her body was not immediately dangerous, that she was unconsciously controlling the radiation.

 

When she reached ten years old, Mayumi made a speech to the people of Tokyo, calling on them to look towards the future with optimism. It was 1953, and Japan had begun to change. Mayumi, as Atomic Girl, became the embodiment of that progressive change. She toured Japan, and then the United States where she was the centre of intense scientific and media attention.

 

Two years later she became more than a scientific curiosity. She had learned to harness her energies and with the assistance of the Kami Institute, she developed atomic flight and the ability to project intense radiation in bursts. Atomic Girl had already become a symbol of hope for Japan, but now she was also a protector of the country. Over the next handful of years she assisted the government in providing relief for disasters as well as assisting the security forces in turning back hostile entities such as giant lizards, rogue samurais and even a fleet of ghost ships in 1960.

 

The people began to rely on Atomic Girl, and the pressure began to show. By the mid 1960s Mayumi felt that she could not live up to the adoration and expectation of her people, so she fled. She left the security of the Kami Institute and moved with a new identity to the United States. She enrolled at Columbia University and began to feel like a normal young woman for the first time.

 

During her time in New York, Atomic Girl fought against prejudice and crime although the authorities considered her a vigilante. Her activities dwindled during the 1970s until she disappeared again, this time travelling to the United Kingdom. It was in London that Mayumi met the influential business magnate, Evol Khan, and began to listen to his visionary ideas about a perfect city-state. She was courted by his visions, and felt that the establishment of such a peaceful city-state was something that she could accomplish, and something which she was destined to assist with. By this stage, she had realised that she was not going to grow old and she began to think of ways in which she could help make the world a better place.

 

Khan managed to insinuate himself within the highest echelons of Singapore in the early 1980s and Atomic Girl was there by his side as he was elected President and set about his campaign to create a perfect society. Crime was reduced, industry thrived, and by the end of the decade Singapore was one of the most modern and technologically-advanced cities in the world. Atomic Girl became a symbol again, but without the pressures of her homeland she was able to embrace the responsibility and use to it help forge a place where all people would be welcome and protected.

 

To help her continue to keep Singapore crime-free, Atomic Girl recruited her Singapore Samurai. Her first recruits were the Red Sword, a Vietnamese uber; and Lioness, an animalistic woman from Zambia. The team changed membership over the years although Atomic Girl always remained at the helm.

 

At present, Atomic Girl is leading a much pared-down team consisting of Elastorang and the third Singapore Shield. She has come to a point in her life where she feels that crime is fully under control in Singapore and is now looking outward, trying to make the rest of the region as safe.

 

 

Personality

Mayumi is a strong woman, but she is also weary and at times she appears to feel the full weight of the world's expectations. She is over sixty years old but still looks to be in her late teens. People expect her to be effervescent, which she usually is, but her experiences and knowledge of history force her to look at the world with a more jaded perspective.

She is proud of her achievements in Singapore, something she was unable to do in her home country of Japan. She is aware of Khan's criminal activities and his interest in exotic, and illicit harems, but she realises that she has made a pact with a devil and accepts the cost of her peaceful society is the rotten core of Evol Khan.

 

Quote

“Optimism is the greatest power we possess.”

 

Powers

Atomic Girl generates her own nuclear energy, which enables her to draw upon an almost limitless power base and use that power for a variety of devastating effects. She learned early in her life how to use the energies to fly, and later to use the energies to destroy. Her body is highly resilient to all forms of damage and is capable of surviving in almost all environments, even outer space.

 

 

Appearance

Atomic Girl looks like a bright-eyed teenager, with shoulder length black hair, deep brown eyes and a winning smile. She has been in the public eye since she was two years old and a freak survivor of a national disaster. She is fully aware of the importance of appearances and has grown into a beautiful woman. Her costume reflects her optimism: a short free-flowing skirt and top with the Japanese flag and starburst logo.

 

 

ELASTORANG: Semeru

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Metamorph

Nationality Indonesian (Orangutan)

Place of Birth Borneo, Indonesia

Date of Birth April 12, 1990

Hair Colour Orange-Brown

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.42m

Weight 60kg

 

Background

Semeru was orphaned by poachers when he was very young, and was taken to a market where he was sold to a visiting tourist. He changed households several times over the next few years until he was liberated by the World Wildlife Federation. As they took him to a sanctuary, Semeru thanked them in English. They were startled, but Semeru reassured them that they were not hearing things.

 

Semeru was one of the rare sentient apes, a result of an active ubergene. He had picked up several languages since being taken into captivity, as well as other skills that would enable him to live well in human society. The WWF people were torn between sending Semeru back to the jungles or keeping him as a spokesman for the apes who were being persecuted. Semeru settled the debate when he suggested he return to the jungle and see if he could muster support from the other apes.

 

It was a noble sentiment, but destined to fail. Semeru had left the jungle when he was very young and he found that he just didn't belong there anymore. He met with some other groups of Orangutan but was never fully accepted, and so he returned to the WWF. He left Indonesia and moved to England for a while, working to change the mindsets of humans in civilised society.

 

But he became homesick and returned to Indonesia. It was during this time that he became aware of his uberability to stretch and manipulate his body. News of this development reached the Indonesian government before Semeru arrived, and his boat was waylaid by Gunung, of the Marauding Tide. Gunung was sent to kidnap Semeru and coerce him into joining the fledgling terrorist group. Semeru had had enough of being kidnapped and manipulated, so he resisted and escaped the dense strongman.

 

He fled Indonesia even as he had just arrived, and found himself in Singapore.

 

It was fate that brought him into contact with Atomic Girl, but it felt very natural when she invited him to join her security force, Singapore Samurai.

 

 

Personality

Semeru is intelligent but quiet, preferring to be a silent member of any group. His wide eyes watch everything, and he enjoys taking notes on the different humans he meets, perhaps so he can one day write a book on his experiences. He is caught between the two cultures of human and ape, and never really feels comfortable in either. He just doesn't seem to understand how they perceive the world, and ends up embarrassing himself.

 

Quote

“Go, go elasto-arms!”

 

Powers

Semeru's body is composed of a highly pliable and strong substance which he is able to manipulate in a variety of ways. He is able to stretch any part of his body up to 10m, and can spring himself into a bouncing ball which is capable of high speeds and destructive impact. His body absorbs a lot of the impacts it receives and provides Semeru with protection from most conventional weaponry, an important factor in his role as security officer for Singapore.

 

 

Appearance

Semeru looks like a stout Orangutan, and wears a skintight red costume with a spiral logo on each shoulder, and black pants. He really doesn't like the uniform, and prefers to go 'natural', but the people of Singapore seem to be more willing to accept him if he wears clothing.

 

 

SINGAPORE SHIELD: Mah Boon Kiang

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Martial Artist

Nationality Singaporean

Place of Birth Singapore

Date of Birth May 9, 1990

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.75m

Weight 56kg

 

Background

The first Singapore Shield defied the marauding bands of Japanese soldiers during World War II. He wasn't able to defend Singapore, but managed to hold the ground while many people, especially foreigners, evacuated in planes. He was captured by the Japanese, but managed to escape within a month and led a band of locals in a guerrilla war against the occupied city. The second Singapore Shield was active in the 1970s and briefly joined a United Nations sponsored team, Pacifica, but after it folded due to internal differences, Singapore Shield returned to his city and became its champion.

 

When Evol Khan took the presidency in 1986, Mah Boon Kiang's grandfather was the third Shield. Khan met with Kiang and threatened him, suggesting that if he continued to act as the city's champion he would find his family would begin to disappear. Kiang reluctantly retreated from public life. When Mah Boon was born, the Kiang family saw in him the opportunity for the tradition to be carried on. He grew up under the watchful eyes of his grandfather and learned Kung Fu firstly with his grandfather, and later with a Master in Vietnam.

 

Atomic Girl had become the living legend of Singapore, and had established a group of heroes to help her keep order in the city. When Mah Boon returned to Singapore in 2004 he attended a team try-out and was able to defeat all the contestants and gain a place with the Singapore Samurai.

 

He believes in the traditions of Singapore and considers Evol Khan as a travesty against this history. His grandfather has counselled him to be patient, but Mah Boon feels that he is capable of facing off against Khan and is just waiting for the right time.

 

 

Personality

Mah Boon is idealistic and infused with the pride of his family tradition. He is only a teenager, and although he has captured the adoration of Singaporeans, he is also seen as young and inexperienced. This is not entirely true, as he has developed quite a maturity through his martial arts training and is capable of facing off against even the most hardened of criminals, including the terrorist group Marauding Tide.

 

Quote

“I'd be happy to put you on the ground, old man.”

 

Powers

Singapore Shield has historically relied on a combination of martial arts training and the use of an almost indestructible shield. The original shield was lost in World War II, but a replacement was forged in the 1950s and has been handed down to each new generation. Mah Boon has proven adept at using the shield in a variety of ways including as a deflector against almost all attacks, and an extra weight in clobbering opponents.

 

 

Appearance

Mah Boon is a young and highly trained martial artist, having been trained since the day he could first walk. He is lithe but powerful, and wears loose-fitting black pants and tight gloves, preferring to appear bare-chested as the previous Shields had done. The Shield is red and white in the colours of Singapore, and is composed of an unusual blend of tough metals, although the exact makeup is unknown.

[tribe]

Evol Khan - Criminal Mastermind

 

And here is Evol Khan. The picture is taken from Blackwyrm Games' Algernon Files (I think) but recoloured and modified a bit. Link

 

 

EVOL KHAN

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Criminal Mastermind

Nationality Zimbabwean

Place of Birth Harare, Zimbabwe

Date of Birth September 19, 1942

Hair Colour Bald

Eye Colour Light Blue

Height 1.68m

Weight 59kg

 

Background

Khan was born during the Second World War, although his real name is unknown. It is suspected that his father was involved with the German Nazi Party and his mother was a rich land owner in Zimbabwe, but no details are available. What is known of Khan is that he grew up in Zimbabwe with foster parents, and violently pursued his education, usually at the expense of friendships or any kind of close personal relationship. When he moved from Harare to study at Cambridge, he did not leave any family or friends behind. In England he continued his solitary pursuit of education and power. He invested money he had saved, as well as money he had swindled from his richer class mates, and began to secretly amass a personal fortune.

 

In the mid- to late-1960s he worked for a powerful bank and used his position to establish a very successful and profitable insider trading scheme, which helped him secure an influential network of contacts across the globe. He fed the network sensitive information and they all prospered. In the 1970s, Khan took over the bank and became one of the top 100 richest men in Europe. He began to envision an empire, with him as the undisputed leader. It had been a dream of his since his obscure childhood but he had begun to realise that the current political climate in Europe and most of the West was not going to allow any kind of passive take over. His eyes drifted to the East. By chance, he met the exiled Mayumi Matsukara who was one of the planet's oldest and most powerful ubers.

 

He began to seduce her, hoping initially to secure her desire, but when he realised she was not, and never would be, interested, he turned his attention to sharing his dream. He could sense that she was lonely, adrift in the 20th Century. His dream of a peaceful city-state allowed her to feel that perhaps she did, indeed, have a purpose. Khan enjoyed manoeuvring Atomic Girl into his plans, even more than he would have enjoyed the pleasures of her flesh. Khan and Matsukara moved to Singapore shortly after, Khan shifted his business empire to the South East Asian city. The country welcomed him, and his wealth, but he realised taking over a country was going to be more difficult than he first imagined. He realised he had been racist in underestimating the Singaporean government, but he was a colonial at heart. It took him nearly ten years and millions of dollars before he was in a position to contest the Presidential elections, but by that time he had secured enough votes to guarantee a win. He was elected President on the promise of creating a crime free state.

 

Upon reaching office he began to reveal his plans in more detail. Atomic Girl returned to active status at his side and provided the famous face and impressive power to showcase his dream. He pulled in favours from the legal and illegal quarters of the world and made deadly sweeps of the city to "flush out the rats". Within a year the most serious of Singaporean crime had vanished. Atomic Girl had her work cut out for her, and she soon recruited more ubers to help her, dubbing them the Singapore Samurai. Khan was amused. The second Singapore Shield had continued to operate as an independent hero during this time, and Khan met with him secretly, threatening him with death or imprisonment if he continued to operate. The Shield knew he was serious and resigned from public life.

 

While Atomic Girl gathered momentum in her public displays of efficient security, Khan worked on the illicit side of politics and business. He cornered many black markets in South East Asia, systematically destroying the criminal empires of his rivals either through financial takeovers, the use of mercenaries and assassins, or through Atomic Girl and her idealistic Samurai.

 

Soon Khan was the undisputed Crime Lord of South East Asia. When he decided not to contest the next Presidential elections, Khan was considered to be even more powerful than any elected official could conceive of. He did, in fact, organise his replacement and holds almost total control over the Singaporean government.

 

 

Personality

Evol Khan is a very powerful man and he is acutely aware of the influence he has on the world around him, both in a public manner as well as the more subtle and deadly ways. He is manipulative and methodical, and has failed to make any lasting relationships beyond those of business partners or people he trades favours with. Since his fractured childhood, Khan has been looking for power and comfort and he has found it in Singapore. This sanctuary is what he promised - a place free from crime. But it also holds dark secrets, entirely controlled by Khan himself. He is a hedonist, and enjoys the darker desires of human nature. He has established 'pleasure palaces' across his properties in Singapore and beyond where all kinds of dark deeds occur. He is fiercely protective of what he has accumulated and although his desire for greater power has levelled out, he will always look on a new opportunity with an open mind.

 

Quote

“All you see is mine. Even your reflection belongs to me.”

 

Powers

Evol Khan is a master of money. He is rich and powerful, having control of Singaporean society and the crime networks of most of South East Asia. He is a strategist and a keen observer of human nature, but beyond these abilities he is purely a normal human.

 

 

Appearance

Khan is a man in his sixties, and has had to work hard throughout his life at the expense of positive relationships. He appears genial at times, while at other times he can look dark and brooding. He walks with a cane, but it is unclear whether he relies on it for support or for protection, as it contains a concealed blade.

 

Khan likes to dress as a patriarch: always in expensive materials, and never in a conventional cut. He enjoys being seen as sitting beyond the normal citizens of his city, and favours all things luxurious and a little decadent.

[tribe]

Riders of the Storm - Vietnam Vets With Asgardian Weapons

 

Here is a team of anti-heroes called Riders of the Storm, who originated in the Vietnam War and have been around ever since, although they are feeling their age now. These four guys are in their 50s and 60s but still causing trouble.

 

They share backgrounds so you might notice some repetition from each character.

 

 

 

VICTORY: Victor Edison

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Brick / Weapon Master

Nationality American

Place of Birth San Francisco, California, USA

Date of Birth February 18, 1946

Hair Colour Silver

Eye Colour Blue

Height 1.84m

Weight 76kg

 

Background

They were supposed to be dead. Heavy gunfire, scathing explosions and screams everywhere. It was 1975 and America had become entrenched in the Vietnam War. Four servicemen, Edison, Haberley, Cohen and Caldecott were among a small platoon decimated along a jungle pass, but instead of being killed, they found themselves lifted into the air by beautiful warrior maidens astride winged horses. It was like something out of a movie, or a fantastic acid trip.

 

The Valkyrior, or Valkyries, had been ordered to take the four men to Valhalla. Someone had made a mistake. The Asgardians thought that the four men were somehow descendants of Balder the Brave. Loki was implicated in the deception, but whatever the cause, Edison and his men realised they were in danger when they awoke in another world and heard the stories that they were legendary warriors.

 

Edison knew that when the truth came out they would be killed or sent back to the death which awaited them in the Vietnam jungles. He assessed the situation, judged that their hosts saw they as worthy and honourable, and completely harmless. He used that assumption and ordered his men to steal weapons and mounts and to escape while they were still able. The four military men succeeded in taking possession of mystical weapons left unguarded by their hosts. And they forcibly took winged steeds from the maidens.

 

Somehow they made it back to Vietnam, where they quickly realised they possessed power undreamt of. Cohen discovered the devastating power of his hammer, laying waste to the jungle and the hidden soldiers. They had become gods amongst men. The military didn't like the fact that Cohen and his men refused to follow orders, and for the next few months the four men lived by their own rules. They had become the Riders of the Storm: Victory, Stormbringer, Epos and Battleaxe.

 

By the end of 1975 they had realised that their destinies lay beyond what the United States Government wanted. They saw that the young men kept dying and the government kept sending more to replace them. They saw that the soldiers who did return were spurned by the public. It was not honourable.

 

And so the Riders returned to the United States and began to try and change the world.

 

They targeted government installations, destroying military production. They targeted the government and its politicians. They became the biggest threat to the United States, a threat which led to the establishment of Sanction.

 

Over the decades, the Riders have continued being free spirits and have fought for and against the laws of the land. They continue to possess immense power, but their wills are weakening. They are getting old.

 

And the Asgardians continue to watch and wait.

 

Retribution will come.

 

 

Personality

Victor Edison is the only member of the Riders who has made a life for himself outside of the team. He runs a successful arms dealing trade from the United States, as well as running a legitimate business alongside it. As Victory, he is a hardened, world-weary leader. He is gaunt and has become more so with age. He is a patriot but unashamedly against most of what the government has done. He believes the strong should survive and the weak perish. He is remorseless and expects the same level of determination and hardness in his men.

 

Quote

"We have bested Gods, and yet you still think you can beat us?"

 

Powers

Each of the Riders stole a mystical weapon of immense power. The wielder of the weapon is endowed with godlike strength and durability, but as a result of a Valkyrie curse the protection does not work against magic. The curse has also extended to making the four warriors especially vulnerable to all effects of magic, something which the men are well aware of from close encounters overt the years. If an opponent presents himself as being linked to magic, the Riders will relentlessly attack and destroy that individual. Victory stole a large, two handed sword as well as a silver gauntlet, which is able to project ice and cold. Victory assumes the gauntlet belongs to the Ice Giants of Asgard, but has never confirmed his suspicions.

 

 

Appearance

Victory is a gaunt man with a cold stare and deliberate intonation in his speech. A man of few words, he rarely speaks above a whisper, and yet everyone hears him. As a businessman, he favours steel grey suits and sunglasses which he maintains are prescription. His hair is silver and falls to his shoulders. He keeps it in a ponytail in his civilian guise and hidden under a Stars and Stripes bandana as Victory.

 

 

BATTLEAXE: Geoff Haberley

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Brick / Weapon Master

Nationality American

Place of Birth Toledo, Ohio, USA

Date of Birth September 8, 1946

Hair Colour Orange

Eye Colour Brown

Height 2.1m

Weight 104kg

 

Background

They were supposed to be dead. Heavy gunfire, scathing explosions and screams everywhere. It was 1975 and America had become entrenched in the Vietnam War. Four servicemen, Edison, Haberley, Cohen and Caldecott were among a small platoon decimated along a jungle pass, but instead of being killed, they found themselves lifted into the air by beautiful warrior maidens astride winged horses. It was like something out of a movie, or a fantastic acid trip.

 

The Valkyrior, or Valkyries, had been ordered to take the four men to Valhalla. Someone had made a mistake. The Asgardians thought that the four men were somehow descendants of Balder the Brave. Loki was implicated in the deception, but whatever the cause, Edison and his men realised they were in danger when they awoke in another world and heard the stories that they were legendary warriors.

 

Edison knew that when the truth came out they would be killed or sent back to the death which awaited them in the Vietnam jungles. He assessed the situation, judged that their hosts saw they as worthy and honourable, and completely harmless. He used that assumption and ordered his men to steal weapons and mounts and to escape while they were still able. The four military men succeeded in taking possession of mystical weapons left unguarded by their hosts. And they forcibly took winged steeds from the maidens.

 

Somehow they made it back to Vietnam, where they quickly realised they possessed power undreamt of. Cohen discovered the devastating power of his hammer, laying waste to the jungle and the hidden soldiers. They had become gods amongst men. The military didn't like the fact that Cohen and his men refused to follow orders, and for the next few months the four men lived by their own rules. They had become the Riders of the Storm: Victory, Stormbringer, Epos and Battleaxe.

 

By the end of 1975 they had realised that their destinies lay beyond what the United States Government wanted. They saw that the young men kept dying and the government kept sending more to replace them. They saw that the soldiers who did return were spurned by the public. It was not honourable.

 

And so the Riders returned to the United States and began to try and change the world.

 

They targeted government installations, destroying military production. They targeted the government and its politicians. They became the biggest threat to the United States, a threat which led to the establishment of Sanction.

 

Over the decades, the Riders have continued being free spirits and have fought for and against the laws of the land. They continue to possess immense power, but their wills are weakening. They are getting old.

 

And the Asgardians continue to watch and wait.

 

Retribution will come.

 

 

Personality

Haberley is a competitive man, although his pursuits have moved from the physical into gambling. When he is not laying waste to the countryside, he finds time to sneak into dark corners of society and enjoy a beer and the company of card players. In the years following his return from Vietnam, Haberley has made several contacts within the Mafia families of America and has worked as an enforcer on occasion.

 

Quote

"Lay your cards out and let's see who's gonna walk away from this with his head still attached to his shoulders."

 

Powers

Each of the Riders stole a mystical weapon of immense power. The wielder of the weapon is endowed with godlike strength and durability, but as a result of a Valkyrie curse the protection does not work against magic. The curse has also extended to making the four warriors especially vulnerable to all effects of magic, something which the men are well aware of from close encounters overt the years. If an opponent presents himself as being linked to magic, the Riders will relentlessly attack and destroy that individual. Haberley took a large battleaxe which also allows him to fly.

 

 

Appearance

Haberley has reached sixty years of age and although he retains his immense physical strength, the decades have worn on him. He is large, standing over two metres tall and weighing over one hundred kilograms. In his younger days the bulk was muscle, but over the years he has exchanged much of that for fat. He enjoys his lifestyle of rich foods and plenty of beer. Haberley does not enjoy a dual identity and wears his regular clothes in and out of his Battleaxe role. He still favours military attire and usually wears a thick green woollen jumper with pads on the arms and shoulders. He also wears gloves and hardy pants and boots.

 

 

EPOS: James Evan Caldecott

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Brick / Weapon Master

Nationality American

Place of Birth Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Date of Birth April 8, 1948

Hair Colour Bald (was Black)

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.9m

Weight 100kg

 

Background

They were supposed to be dead. Heavy gunfire, scathing explosions and screams everywhere. It was 1975 and America had become entrenched in the Vietnam War. Four servicemen, Edison, Haberley, Cohen and Caldecott were among a small platoon decimated along a jungle pass, but instead of being killed, they found themselves lifted into the air by beautiful warrior maidens astride winged horses. It was like something out of a movie, or a fantastic acid trip.

 

The Valkyrior, or Valkyries, had been ordered to take the four men to Valhalla. Someone had made a mistake. The Asgardians thought that the four men were somehow descendants of Balder the Brave. Loki was implicated in the deception, but whatever the cause, Edison and his men realised they were in danger when they awoke in another world and heard the stories that they were legendary warriors.

 

Edison knew that when the truth came out they would be killed or sent back to the death which awaited them in the Vietnam jungles. He assessed the situation, judged that their hosts saw they as worthy and honourable, and completely harmless. He used that assumption and ordered his men to steal weapons and mounts and to escape while they were still able. The four military men succeeded in taking possession of mystical weapons left unguarded by their hosts. And they forcibly took winged steeds from the maidens.

 

Somehow they made it back to Vietnam, where they quickly realised they possessed power undreamt of. Cohen discovered the devastating power of his hammer, laying waste to the jungle and the hidden soldiers. They had become gods amongst men. The military didn't like the fact that Cohen and his men refused to follow orders, and for the next few months the four men lived by their own rules. They had become the Riders of the Storm: Victory, Stormbringer, Epos and Battleaxe.

 

By the end of 1975 they had realised that their destinies lay beyond what the United States Government wanted. They saw that the young men kept dying and the government kept sending more to replace them. They saw that the soldiers who did return were spurned by the public. It was not honourable.

 

And so the Riders returned to the United States and began to try and change the world.

 

They targeted government installations, destroying military production. They targeted the government and its politicians. They became the biggest threat to the United States, a threat which led to the establishment of Sanction.

 

Over the decades, the Riders have continued being free spirits and have fought for and against the laws of the land. They continue to possess immense power, but their wills are weakening. They are getting old.

 

And the Asgardians continue to watch and wait.

 

Retribution will come.

 

 

Personality

Caldecott is the most sensitive of the Riders, being a musician and peace-loving hippy before being drafted. He still lives in the 1970s era and regrets most of what has happened since, both on a personal and a world level. He sees the world as deteriorating, and tries to make things right. Lately he has realised that the Riders are also a part of the problem and finds himself growing more and more distant from his team mates, sometimes even resulting in physical blows.

 

Quote

"Sometimes words can be stronger than the pointy end of a spear. Other times they're not."

 

Powers

Each of the Riders stole a mystical weapon of immense power. The wielder of the weapon is endowed with godlike strength and durability, but as a result of a Valkyrie curse the protection does not work against magic. The curse has also extended to making the four warriors especially vulnerable to all effects of magic, something which the men are well aware of from close encounters overt the years. If an opponent presents himself as being linked to magic, the Riders will relentlessly attack and destroy that individual. Epos has control of the Spear of Destiny which also allows him to channel his voice for a variety of effects such as taking control of opponents and immobilising them.

 

 

Appearance

James Evan Caldecott is in his late fifties but still retains some of his babyface good looks. He has a shaved head, caring eyes and dark skin. On his left arm he has a primitive dragon tattoo design which he gained after returning from Vietnam. His clothes tend to be based on 1970s fashion and he always wears a golden locket and chain, which contains a photograph of his girlfriend from the 1970s who disappeared during his time in Vietnam.

 

 

STORMBRINGER: Warner Cohen

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Brick / Energy Blaster

Nationality American

Place of Birth Chicago, Illinois, USA

Date of Birth March 21, 1947

Hair Colour Grey

Eye Colour Green

Height 1.83

Weight 90kg

 

Background

They were supposed to be dead. Heavy gunfire, scathing explosions and screams everywhere. It was 1975 and America had become entrenched in the Vietnam War. Four servicemen, Edison, Haberley, Cohen and Caldecott were among a small platoon decimated along a jungle pass, but instead of being killed, they found themselves lifted into the air by beautiful warrior maidens astride winged horses. It was like something out of a movie, or a fantastic acid trip.

 

The Valkyrior, or Valkyries, had been ordered to take the four men to Valhalla. Someone had made a mistake. The Asgardians thought that the four men were somehow descendants of Balder the Brave. Loki was implicated in the deception, but whatever the cause, Edison and his men realised they were in danger when they awoke in another world and heard the stories that they were legendary warriors.

 

Edison knew that when the truth came out they would be killed or sent back to the death which awaited them in the Vietnam jungles. He assessed the situation, judged that their hosts saw they as worthy and honourable, and completely harmless. He used that assumption and ordered his men to steal weapons and mounts and to escape while they were still able. The four military men succeeded in taking possession of mystical weapons left unguarded by their hosts. And they forcibly took winged steeds from the maidens.

 

Somehow they made it back to Vietnam, where they quickly realised they possessed power undreamt of. Cohen discovered the devastating power of his hammer, laying waste to the jungle and the hidden soldiers. They had become gods amongst men. The military didn't like the fact that Cohen and his men refused to follow orders, and for the next few months the four men lived by their own rules. They had become the Riders of the Storm: Victory, Stormbringer, Epos and Battleaxe.

 

By the end of 1975 they had realised that their destinies lay beyond what the United States Government wanted. They saw that the young men kept dying and the government kept sending more to replace them. They saw that the soldiers who did return were spurned by the public. It was not honourable.

 

And so the Riders returned to the United States and began to try and change the world.

 

They targeted government installations, destroying military production. They targeted the government and its politicians. They became the biggest threat to the United States, a threat which led to the establishment of Sanction.

 

Over the decades, the Riders have continued being free spirits and have fought for and against the laws of the land. They continue to possess immense power, but their wills are weakening. They are getting old.

 

And the Asgardians continue to watch and wait.

 

Retribution will come.

 

 

Personality

Warner Cohen has embraced the role of War God since his return from Asgard. He is wild and loves nothing better than to immerse himself in combat. His body has weakened over the years but his spirit is still fuelled by blood, sweat and tears. He has taken to exploring the world on his own, favouring the cold climates where he practices his skills against the wilderness. He enjoys the company of his team mates but is much more relaxed and 'himself' when alone.

 

Quote

"Twenty years have taught me a few things about uber rats like you. You all fall down eventually. Me, I never fall down."

 

Powers

Each of the Riders stole a mystical weapon of immense power. The wielder of the weapon is endowed with godlike strength and durability, but as a result of a Valkyrie curse the protection does not work against magic. The curse has also extended to making the four warriors especially vulnerable to all effects of magic, something which the men are well aware of from close encounters overt the years. If an opponent presents himself as being linked to magic, the Riders will relentlessly attack and destroy that individual. Cohen took possession of a hammer which also enables him to cast off lightning bolts.

 

 

Appearance

Stormbringer has been changed the most after coming in contact with the mystical weapons. He radiates a godlike aura which intimidates people around him. He wears thick, hardy clothing including a leather strapping around his torso, a heavy leather coat and torn military pants. He is prepared for most eventualities and wears anti-flare goggles and leather straps over his mouth. He is rarely out of his costume but when he does it is usually in tired, faded clothing. Cohen looks like an aging hippy with wild grey hair to his shoulders and a glint in his eye.

[tribe]

IRON MAIDEN - One Woman Army

 

Heading across the border of the US, into Canada, here is Iron Maiden. Once a brilliant scientist, now a brilliant but slightly manic scientist and driving force behind dozens or robotic soldiers. Not 100% sure of the game mechanics of this one, but basically she uses Duplication to create a robotic army and moves her mind from one robot to another. Gets messy if I think too hard on it!

 

 

 

IRON MAIDEN: Dr. Rosetta McLuhan

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Powered Armour

Nationality Canadian

Place of Birth Vancouver, Canada

Date of Birth October 9, 1962

Hair Colour Black and Silver

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.74m / 1.84m

Weight 56kg / 106kg

 

Background

Doctor Rosetta McLuhan felt the laughter cut through her tenuous emotional shields. She had always prepared herself for derision, but the laughter of dozens of her peers seemed to break her apart piece by piece. She stumbled back from the stage, clutching her clipboard to her chest, head down and eyes brimming with embarrassed tears.

 

The scientific community had laughed at her for the last time.

 

They wouldn't listen to her theories, mocked her schematics. Her sponsors had fled to more media-friendly and popular alternatives, leaving McLuhan with no funding and no tenure. There was no alternative but to make the prototype, to put everything she had and more into the act of creating the battlesuit which would vindicate the years of agonising research and development.

 

It took her nearly six months, but in the end she had it. She called it the Iron Maiden and allowed herself to fully test its systems, flying out into the world in search of situations which would test the firepower and resilience of her armour. McLuhan was obsessed with proving her theories were feasible, that her battlesuit was worth backing. She saw a semitrailer travelling down the highway, but instead of seeing it as a vehicle driven by a human being, she only saw an object which was heavy and moving fast. Target practice.

 

She destroyed the truck. Then she destroyed a light airplane, followed by a cargo ship in the harbour.

 

Within the armour she was ecstatic.

 

She returned to her laboratory and began to build more. She financed her continued production with bank heists, and after two years she had nearly built 50 suits. On a trip to garner more funds she was opposed by Sanction and solidly beaten by Major American. She lost consciousness and woke up in her laboratory, inside another of her battlesuits. The discovery sent her to the brink. She had physically transferred across space.

 

She sent her armoured suits into battle, able to control them from a central point, but just as easily to move her physical body between them.

 

Sanction didn't know what had hit them.

 

Iron Maiden scattered them like bowling pins and then fled back to Canada.

 

Since discovering that she was an uberhuman as well as a master builder of lethal battlesuits, McLuhan decided that she could establish a reputation outside of the scientific world. She began to formulate ways she could offer her services as a one-person army to the highest bidder.

 

Witch Doctor needed such an army as he planned to take over Azambia. McLuhan was hired, and the rest is history. McLuhan, as Iron Maiden, is known across the world as a powerful invasion force, offering her services to the highest bidder.

 

 

Personality

McLuhan is an obsessive woman who will never get used to the scorn from her peers. She is constantly frustrated and embarrassed by poor reviews of her work or derision from colleagues. The only way she can balance the public humiliation is through Iron Maiden. When she dons the armour she becomes a ruthless mercenary, capable of destroying governments and small countries. When she steps out of the armour she reverts to her meek and unassertive self.

 

Quote

"The contents of my contract are clear. This land no longer belongs to you."

 

Powers

McLuhan is an uber with the unusual ability to transfer her physical body across any of her battlesuits, which probably manifested itself during her obsessive months of working on the prototype. While she is able to transfer her physical body across any distance, she is also able to control each of her battlesuits from a central point. This gives her the power to control a veritable army of battlesuits, although each suit takes at least a week to manufacture.

 

The suits themselves are made of a Carborundium-matrix compound and powered by a combination of solar and nuclear fusion. She has developed powerful weapons and flight systems.

 

 

Appearance

In her civilian guise, McLuhan is an ordinary looking woman with a rather long thin nose and squinting eyes hidden behind large owl-like glasses. Her battlesuits, on the other hand, are menacing and faceless; dominated by black, dark red and greys.

[tribe]

The International House Of Crime - Villain Group

 

The International House Of Crime is a loose-knit group of thieves who work across the six major continents (no slight on Antarctica). They co-operate with each other, share information, but essentially operate alone.

 

This allows GMs to use the characters as solo villains, but with the option of pairing them up if required.

 

Each member has a different angle and origin. All of them are thieves but I hope you enjoy their diverse area of operations and concepts.

 

The leader is Queen Bee, so let's start with her...

 

 

 

QUEEN BEE: Li Meizhu

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Mentalist

Nationality Chinese

Place of Birth Zhaodong, China

Date of Birth January 31, 1971

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Dark Brown

Height 1.76m

Weight 60kg

 

Background

Li Meizhu found herself hunted by the Chinese Government when she was twenty-two. For years she had successfully operated her own burglary business, personally stealing archaeological artefacts from digs across China, and selling them on to contacts in Europe and North America. She extended into other areas as well, such as gold, jewellery and even hard cash. Her skills were unparalleled, mostly because she was actually an uber with the ability to mimic the abilities of other ubers, as well as a formidable telepath in her own right.

 

She didn't count on her cousin, though. Shang Lo Yet worked for the government as part of a sanctioned uberhuman team of enforcers. The Immortals were relentless in their pursuit of perceived threats to the State and when Lo Yet discovered Meizhu's ability to mimic uber abilities, which was much like his own, he effectively unleashed the hounds.

 

Meizhu fled to New York City where she slipped into anonymity and took on the role of a graphic designer, Maisy Lee. Her mild form of kleptomania couldn't be suppressed, however, and she returned to form when a travelling Ancient Egyptian exhibit arrived in New York. She slipped into the museum and stole priceless artefacts, escaping without setting off alarms. When she came to sell the loot, however, she found that she needed to expand her contacts, as those she knew wouldn't touch the artefacts because they had been stolen from the States.

 

Maisy developed a plan. She would gather together the world's finest thieves, uberhumans in particular, and form an elite club from which benefits and responsibilities would be established for members. Stolen property could be fenced through a range of sources, as each member would represent a different continent, and they would stand by and offer sanctuary for any member in peril.

 

She termed it The International House Of Crime, inspired by the idea of a fashion house but catering for criminals of exquisite taste.

 

As the House's reputation grew, membership shifted, and Maisy decided that a new member could only be admitted upon the death or dismissal of a previous member. The first such case was of Pennyroyal, a British thief who was dispatched by Shamrock, an irate ex-IRA operative. When Shamrock heard that the House existed, and that she had terminated one of its members, she accepted the invitation to join.

 

At present, Maisy is still head of the House, although she wonders whether a leadership challenge is on the cards.

 

 

Personality

Queen Bee is exotic and flighty, presenting herself as a fashion-obsessive celebrity, when in reality she is a calculating thief par excellence. She manages the International House Of Crime as a way of helping herself, but is proud of its membership and will go out of her way to protect its reputation, and, if necessary, its members.

She is fearless, except when it comes to the Gang Of Five, especially her cousin. Shang Lo Yet, known to those in high places as The Mask Of The Revolution, is a merciless hunter. Normally, Queen Bee rubs heroes up the wrong way, but doesn't usually cause deep seated hatred. The Gang Of Five is different. They want her neutralised, and that means dead. Potentially, she has the ability to threaten their secret agenda, and even though Maisy is unaware of this, it is enough to warrant her death.

 

 

Quote

“You really don’t think shaking that light pole and beating your chest is going to impress me, do you?”

 

Powers

The ultimate ‘ace in the hole’, Queen Bee is one of the most powerful telepaths on the planet. She has the ability to dominate other minds, communicate telepathically, and even create virtual realities in the minds of others. Her most striking ability, however, is to adapt her own ubergene to mimic the abilities of others. After making telepathic contact with an uber, Queen Bee is able to briefly manifest those powers as if they were her own.

 

 

Appearance

Queen Bee is a self-confessed fashion junky. Her horn-rimmed spectacles and mini skirts are famous amongst uberhuman circles. She is cheeky and defiant, and dresses accordingly, utilising her sex appeal and bravado to give herself any advantage. Her current costume involves a free-flowing yellow mini-skirt and halter top, with long black boots and a bumblebee clip in her hair. She also wears a temporary bumblebee tattoo on her right shoulder.

 

 

ARCTOS: Oscar Sundin

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Energy Blaster

Nationality Swedish

Place of Birth Stockholm, Sweden

Date of Birth October 30, 1982

Hair Colour Blonde

Eye Colour Blue

Height 1.81m

Weight 72kg

 

Background

The Salt Lake City Winter Olympics were scorched by a brazen kidnapping at the hands of Zodiac. Twenty-four competitors were taken hostage at the Games' Village and then transported to Canada where they were subjected to violent radiation therapy and chemical injections. Zodiac were attempting to test theories on ubergene activation, the plans of which they had taken from a previous assignment. Sanction managed to track the hostages in the hidden base, which was just beyond the border between Alaska and Canada, and launched a midnight attack, scattering the twelve members of Zodiac.

 

Of the twenty four competitors, only three survived the tests. One of them was Oscar Sundin, a member of the Swedish biathlon team. He had been injected with a blue serum, the contents of which were never identified, and although he felt intensely cold, Doctor Spin could find nothing else wrong with him. Sundin was released a week later and returned to Stockholm, although he was suffering vivid nightmares and cold sweats.

 

Sundin's ubergene had been activated by Zodiac's experiments, and he gradually came to realise his body had changed. His skin was always cold, and one night when he went to shake his uncle's hand Sundin realised just how much everything had changed. His hand clasped his uncle's and neither man could let go. Slowly, Sundin watched as his uncle froze to death at his hands. When the older man fell to the floor, Sundin wrenched his hand free and fled. He lived on the streets for months, not worrying about the cold - and, in fact, feeling more comfortable in the sub-zero temperatures because he knew no one could come looking for him. Gradually he began to explore his powers, firstly suing them to help him survive through petty crimes and changes to the harsh Winter environment.

 

But Sundin could see the potential in his new abilities. He looked up at the high towers, at the lights coming from exclusive dance parties and gatherings. He had had enough of the isolation and the cold. He decided that he would crash the party, become one of the select few who live the life of the movers and shakers. He employed his ice powers to undertake a string of burglaries, netting himself some sizeable diamonds in the process. He held the diamonds and marvelled at their intricate, but cold, beauty. From that moment on he developed a kind of obsession with diamonds, the choice of loot, the one thing he could never pass up.

 

And his wealth increased from the burglaries, and then quickly dissipated through hard partying. Sundin enjoyed his life, never caring for the mundane nine-to-five traps that his family had envisioned for him once he "grew up". He continued to steal and party, and came across Queen Bee one night as they both attempted to fleece a rich couple from Lisbon. After some exciting moments of sparring on a tenth-floor balcony, Sundin and Queen Bee came to an understanding. Sundin allowed Bee to take the cash and ancient artefacts and Sundin left with the wife's diamonds.

 

A month later Sundin received an invitation to join the International House Of Crime, and he accepted, impressed with the elite club's resources and hungry to use their networks to track down the biggest and most expensive diamonds.

 

 

Personality

Sundin is young and rather reckless, enjoying the ability to do what he pleases and take what he fancies. He is confident and always positions himself at the centre of the party, in the blinding spotlight where he can be seen and admired. Although his powers allow him to drop the temperature physically, Sundin is a very warm and affectionate man, and on more than one occasion he has expertly melted the hearts of rich widows and wide-eyed heiresses.

 

Quote

“You're shivering. Let me take care of that."

 

Powers

Arctos is able to create ice and lower the temperature around him. Even without concentrating, his body produces cold energy, and his skin is always cool to the touch. He has developed a wide range of abilities utilising these ubergene powers, including walls of ice, transforming people into ice statues, as well as more aggressive blasts of ice shards. He needs to keep his hands covered with insulated gloves to avoid killing those he touches, although he has forgotten on many occasions, much to the chagrin of those he comes in close contact with.

 

 

Appearance

Oscar Sundin is a former Olympian, with a skiers physique, white-blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. As Arctos he wears electric blue shades, an armoured black and silver costume with turquoise highlights and his his name etched down the outside leg. He always wears gloves, in and out of costume, and usually wears something diamond, whether it be ear studs, an expensive watch, ring or piercing.

 

 

EROS: Demetrios Pavilidis

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Weapon Master

Nationality Australian

Place of Birth Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Date of Birth December 30, 1978

Hair Colour Brown

Eye Colour Green

Height 1.9m

Weight 80kg

 

Background

The Pavilidis family arrived in Australia in 1950, as part of the great exodus from Europe following the Second World War. Migrant workers were needed in Australia and George Pavilidis and his three brothers signed up to work on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme: an ambitious undertaking to harness the energy of one of Australia's mightiest rivers. George had never been out of Greece prior to his migration, although he had fought on the borders against the Italians during the War.

 

Demetrious was born twenty eight years later, the grandson of George, and heir to the accumulated wealth and power of the Pavilidis family who had worked hard and invested wisely over the past two decades. Pavilidis Pharmaceuticals was an international company based in Melbourne, Victoria, and was renowned equally for its quality products as for its CEOs philanthropy. When Aleks Pavilidis and his wife, Katrina, were kidnapped by a disgruntled ex-employee, the police were unable to secure their release and, in the eyes of their son Demetrious, contributed to their deaths.

 

Demetrious was nineteen when he took control of his family's estate in 1998 and had to immediately stave off a hostile take over bid from a rival company. Although he managed to retain most of the company's assets, he had to sacrifice 25% of its holdings. The media predicted a quick demise for the company, but Demetrious managed to overcome the obstacles and pull it through the hard times. Throughout this time he was fully engaged with trying to keep the company afloat, but after things settled and the company began to return healthy profits, Demetrious turned his attention back to the details of his parents' death. The police were unable to locate the kidnapper and had shelved the case. Demetrious began his own investigation, hiring the services of Reddy, Willing and Abel.

 

It was soon discovered that the case was not as straight forward as first thought.

 

The kidnapper was not human.

 

Demetrious and the investigators tracked the kidnapper to The Hecate Club and, more specifically, to Hecate herself. Demetrious had known about the uberhumans, but had no idea about the world of magic and other dimensions, so when he met the sorceress-club owner, he was sceptical. Hecate saw something in Demetrious and agreed to help, which was unusual for her. She showed them the Portal which led to a person's heart's desire. With an amused smile she watched Demetrious walk through.

 

Beyond the Portal was a place he had never seen before, let alone imagined. Demetrious didn't realise it, but he had arrived in Olympus, the home of the Greek Pantheon of Gods. Hecate called to him, filling him with memories of his parents, of their deaths and of the man who was responsible. Suddenly Demetrious was aware of an ancient curse upon his family.

 

Generations earlier, Nemesis, the messenger of Justice and Retribution, had been offended by the Pavilidis family. She had dispatched the entire family except for one man in the 1700s so as to allow them to make amends. On an appointed date, she returned, and as the family had forgotten its curse and was not prepared, Nemesis took the Pavilidis family again.

 

She had overlooked Demetrious.

 

He confronted her in her home and was summarily rebuked and thrust back forcefully through the Portal into the Hecate Club. Hecate found him, close to death, and tended to his wounds. As he lay recovering, feeling like he had failed his family, Hecate told him stories of the Ancient Greeks, of the divine nature of Nemesis, and how he could never hope to avenge his parents. She told him that his father had paid the price for not listening to this forefathers.

 

Demetrious had no alternative but to agree, but Hecate also told him that Nemesis had turned her attention to the world again, and had plans to upset the balance of things. She hinted that he might be able to strike at the goddess through her agents, spoiling her plans before fruition. With her mischievous smile, Hecate presented Demetrious with a slender bow and a dream of justice of his own.

 

She called him Eros, and for a time, they shared their lives and loves until the time when Hecate turned away from him. He knew it was coming and they parted on good terms, the sexual tension between them still obvious. Demetrious, as Eros, launched his assault on the hidden plans of Nemesis. He pursued her through his business empire as well as his vigilante activities.

 

When he crossed paths with the master thief, Marjorie Door, Demetrious was brought before Queen Bee and the rest of the International House of Crime. Marjorie Door had been impressed with his thieving abilities, and Queen Bee agreed that his skills would be valuable, especially after the recent demise of their previous Australian representative. Demetrious was amused by the idea of an elite club of master thieves, and joined in order to consolidate his own fortunes as well as utilise the combined information services of the other members.

 

 

Personality

Demetrious is determined to avenge his parents' death, but as the one responsible is a goddess, he realises that any direct attack will be useless. Instead, he relies on information he gains through the International House Of Crime and The Hecate Club to uncover Nemesis' plans and stop them before they achieve their goal.

As one of Melbourne's Most Eligible Bachelors, Demetrious is also a very social creature, able to move with confidence in any social situation. He wields a formidable business empire as well as a keen strategic mind.

 

Although their relationship is over, Demetrious is still in love with Hecate and maintains a very close friendship.

 

 

Quote

“You work for the Goddess of Retribution, but she's not here right now, and the only one handing out retribution tonight will be me.”

 

Powers

Eros is a highly determined and skilled human, who employs a powerful bow with a variety of arrows. He is an accomplished martial artist and business leader.

 

 

Appearance

Demetrious Pavilidis is a handsome Greek man who is in peak condition through regular training in martial arts and strategy simulations. He is one of the richest men in Melbourne, and arguably the Most Eligible Bachelor, and with that status Demetrious always wears expensive and tailored clothing. As Eros, he wears a simple black t-shirt concealing an armoured vest and carries a bow over his shoulder in a case next to his quiver of arrows.

 

 

 

MARJORIE DOOR: Real Name Unrevealed - Various Aliases

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Metamorph

Nationality American

Place of Birth (Probably) Orlando, Florida, USA

Date of Birth (Probably) 1987

Hair Colour Dark Red

Eye Colour Blue

Height 1.75m

Weight 59kg

 

Background

Not much is known about the woman calling herself Marjorie Door. She appears to be American and has shown intimate knowledge of the Orlando area which seems to confirm it, but she appears equally capable of being French, Russian or German. She has been known by many names, but recently she has come to focus these monikers on her criminal name: Marjorie Door. And so she often uses Marjorie Dior, Maggie Doyle, Marnie Dawson and so on.

 

She is a thief of the highest order, preferring to target rich tourists or holidaying industrialists.

 

Marjorie has worked with Queen Bee in the International House Of Crime since its inception, being instrumental in its design and outlook. She appears vacuous but hides a keen mind. She spends her time mostly in the United States, but often ventures to Europe in the Summer.

 

 

Personality

Marjorie Door is mischievous, and enjoys targeting ambitious men with too much money in their accounts. She often forgets details, but has a tenacious grip on her desire to filch jewels from her targets. Most people consider her a fool, but they don't see beyond her absent minded supermodel behaviour.

 

Quote

“Oh... I don't know... what do you think I want?”

 

Powers

Marjorie Door is a mysterious woman with an equally mysterious set of uberhuman abilities. She is able to float on air, enabling her to escape from even the highest of hotel rooms. She is able to read minds and the past, and her mind is virtually impenetrable. But her signature ability is to create doorways through solid objects and step through. She uses this ability to bypass security in banks, houses or even prison cells. She is also invisible to all forms of electronic surveillance.

 

 

Appearance

Marjorie has a mop of red curls, very pales skin and curious blue eyes. She wears a black bodysuit and a lace-like blouse and pants. She is beautiful, but appears constantly distracted, which detracts from her elegance.

 

 

 

SCARAB: Dr Asem Mahmoud

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Energy Blaster

Nationality Egyptian

Place of Birth Isma'iliya, Egypt

Date of Birth June 10, 1971

Hair Colour Black with a white streak

Eye Colour Dark Brown

Height 1.89m

Weight 90kg

 

Background

After working for five years protecting the national treasures of his home country, Dr Asem Mahmoud, realised that no one in the international community really cared about keeping Egyptian treasures in Egypt. Sure, there were those who cried for justice in their Western penthouses, but when exhibitions came into fashionable cities with the priceless treasures of Ancient Egypt, these same people rallied around and gawked just like the school brats. Mahmoud knew that he could never win, and so he decided to outsmart the thieves by stealing what they planned to misappropriate, and then selling it for his own personal profit.

 

He moved around Egypt and other northern countries in Africa, skipping across the Mediterranean to sell his stolen goods, and he soon raised the interest of The Sons Of Set who were establishing themselves as future powerbrokers of all of Africa. Dr Mahmoud had taken possession of a powerful artefact: a jewelled scarab. He planned to sell it to an Englishman by the name of Sterling, but was interrupted by a posse of Settites who surrounded and opened fire at his hotel in Valencia. It was fortunate that Mahmoud was examining the jewels when the gunfire erupted, as it reacted to the blood and bone which covered the bed, and took on a dark life of its own. The jewels separated and then began to move towards the dying body of Mahmoud. They crawled into his body, cutting through skin and muscle, imbuing him with vitality and power. The Settites burst into the hotel room and were confronted with the staggering form of Dr Mahmoud, although it was clear that something powerful was now inhabiting his body.

 

After wreaking havok in Valencia, Mahmoud returned to one of his apartments in London and planned his next move. The jewels were obviously very powerful, and when they had plunged into his body he knew that they were so powerful that his body would never be able to support them. If he used them too much they would destroy him.

 

And so he devised an armoured chest plate which could house the jewels. They settled in comfortably, and Mahmoud found that, although the powers were somewhat subdued, they were still impressive. He continued his work to profit from the spoils of his country, but at the same time he provided himself with increased firepower and confidence. He now dared to approach museums directly rather than via the shadows.

 

When Queen Bee attempted to steal a sarcophagus belonging to a cousin of some great king, Mahmoud was amused to pit his powers against another of equal power. As his powers were derived from magic, Queen Bee was unable to duplicate them, and eventually this flaw allowed Mahmoud to win. The defeated Queen Bee was magnanimous, and instead of offering bribes or money for her freedom, offered a place in the International House Of Crime. Mahmoud had no real need for more money, so accepted, and used his position and new contacts to expand his hunt for treasure from the ancient world.

 

 

Personality

Scarab was always overconfident and outspoken, but since finding the magical jewels has grown into something of a megalomaniac. He considers himself unbeatable, and matches this overconfidence with a growing thirst for more power. He is particularly interested in possessing items from ancient civilisations and has launched attacks on Atlantis and many South American countries. He believes that he will be able to accumulate more magical power, but has not had much luck. Treasure and Deep Six has emerged as something of a rival for Scarab, and she has outmanoeuvred him on many occasions.

 

Quote

“Sand is capable of wiping away even the most darkest of stains.”

 

Powers

Scarab possesses a set of mystical jewels which assemble themselves in a scarab pattern. The jewels are capable of great destruction, to step through the barriers of time, and provide almost invincible protection against magic. He is able to harness their power to fly, create intense light, and to take possession of people's minds.

 

 

Appearance

Scarab wears a hard black body armour which features the intricate pattern of magical jewels on its breastplate. He has a deep red cape and two spikes on his shoulders which serve to give him an impressive air. He has a goatee beard and a white streak at his chin and brow. As a result of a clash with Atlanteans, Scarab has a scar across his left eye. When not prancing around as Scarab, Dr Mahmoud wears elegant shirts and pants in deep dark colours, made from the finest materials. He is never under-dressed for any occasion.

 

 

 

SHAMROCK: Gwen Parker

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Martial Artist

Nationality British

Place of Birth Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Date of Birth September 20, 1978

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.82m

Weight 74kg

 

Background

Gwen Parker was drawn into the dark world of the IRA because of her husband, who had been a member long before the couple met. At first she found herself enjoying the sense of belonging, but as she became more involved in planning and undertaking missions, Gwen realised that the man she had fallen in love with, and the group of friends she had come to rely on, were not interested in her, but in what she could do for them. Her husband's first love was anarchy.

 

Gwen couldn't live like that and tried to leave. Her husband wouldn't let her go, and neither would the IRA, so she spent two intense weeks fleeing from both across Ireland. Inevitably, she was cornered, but when the gunman pulled the trigger, something horrible happened. The gun backfired, sending shrapnel and bullets into the man's chest. He fell down to the ground, and it was then that Gwen realised her killer was her husband.

 

More strange things began to happen. Other attempts on her life backfired, and she used the confusion to fight back, first with her hands and then with firearms. The IRA cell she had belonged to were soon wiped out and Gwen felt a reprieve. But news travelled quickly, and Gwen's name was soon being bandied around the secret organisation. It was time for her to leave.

 

She moved to America but found she missed her home. While overseas she became aware of IRA plots in New York and hunted down the four-member team who were planning on attacking the British Embassy. She dispatched them easily and realised that it was more than dumb luck. She was more than human now, she was an uber.

 

Calling herself Shamrock, Gwen returned to Ireland and decided to dismantle the IRA on her own. She used the training she had received from her traitorous husband and turned it against the terrorists. For months she waged a one-woman war across Northern Ireland, until she realised support for the IRA extended beyond her shores. Other groups were financing the IRA, including an organisation known as Stirling House. She decided to take her war to their doors, and along the way she stumbled, first, across an organised black market in Celtic art, and then across an elite club for thieves, The International House Of Crime. Gwen put a stop to the black market, dispatching the uber thief Pennyroyal, and thereby claiming a place within the Club.

 

Since joining the Club, Gwen has used her new contacts to track support for the IRA and deal with them accordingly.

 

 

Personality

Gwen is a being of vengeance now. She has had her life torn apart by a man she believed was her soul mate. Now she believes it is her mission to rid the world of organised crime and terror, in all its forms. The determination has managed to rob her of much of life's joy, and she has begun to grow weary of her life. The Club offers her another outlet for her abilities and she has begun to think about turning away from vengeance into a more serious and lucrative career of the professional thief.

 

Quote

“Live by the sword, die by the sword.”

 

Powers

Shamrock is insanely lucky. She can walk out of a bar brawl unscathed, can win the lottery three weeks in a row, and can find the only soft spot in a five-storey fall. She utilises this inherent luck along with her intensive training in martial arts and sword fighting, so that she becomes a dangerous foe who can manage to avoid all but the very best of blows.

 

 

Appearance

Gwen's father was an Irish plumber who married the daughter of a black preacher. She finds that people don't believe she is Irish because of her dark skin, but her voice betrays her origins. She wears an armoured costume which is garish enough to transform her into an uber hero, or anti-hero, as well as provide her with enough protection from any lucky shots that might find their mark. She is proud of her heritage and wants to rid the world of the stain of the IRA, so she boldly bares the symbol of the clove on her chest.

 

Out of costume, Gwen wears understated clothing of a vaguely military style: fatigues, skivvies and woollen jumpers.

 

 

 

VINCHUCA: Tuto Morales

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Martial Artist

Nationality Bolivian

Place of Birth La Paz, Bolivia

Date of Birth February 11, 1980

Hair Colour Black with Red Stripes

Eye Colour Red

Height 1.68m

Weight 58kg

 

Background

Tuto Morales was bitten by an assassin bug and infected with the Chagas disease which is normally fatal, but when his ubergene activated, it caused his body to undergo a life-saving transformation. While he was no longer in danger of dying, Tuto still carried the disease and was now a pale skinned creature of the night. As a budding computer programmer, Tuto's new sensitivity to sunlight forced him into a nocturnal life cycle, which suited his interests in computers and even helped him focus on the less than legal areas of the computer world.

 

He began to create a name for himself as a computer hacker, moving against corporations via the net and physically using his insect-like abilities to bypass security. His life shifted more and more into a virtual world where his only communication with other people was via chat rooms and other internet-based relations.

 

Tuto withdrew into the being known as Vinchuca.

 

He became more bestial when he ventured out of his apartment in La Paz, less prone to mercy and other human emotions. When he was home, things were better, but out in the night all sign of Tuta was gone.

 

His work as an information thief caught the interest of Queen Bee who recruited him into the International House Of Crime. Tuto was eager for the company, especially uberhuman company like himself, but he has only frequently met the other members face-to-face, preferring (as always) to conduct his relationships through the internet.

 

 

Personality

Tuto Morales is a study in two personalities. In his secure home environment he is a reclusive computer nerd, surrounded by multiple CPUs and electronic equipment. When he ventures outside, the animalistic urges take over and he becomes cold and mechanical in the pursuit of his goals. He will kill if necessary, but prefers to maim or incapacitate victims who get in his way.

 

Quote

“Cht-cht.. you shouldn't have seen me...”

 

Powers

Vinchuca possesses some very unusual abilities. He is able to perceive the world around him using his 'bug sense', can traverse walls with ease, see in the dark, and exude a neurotoxin poison through his claws. He is faster and stronger than any human, able to withstand harsh environments and heals much faster, including the regrowth of lost limbs.

 

 

Appearance

Vinchuca has very pale skin, dark hair with two red stripes sweeping backwards from his forehead, and red eyes. His fingers are clawed, and he has wings which unfold from a carapace on his back. The wings are translucent and reddish-pink. His costume is made of armoured material and is red with black shoulder pads, and black pants. Out of costume he wears t-shirts and torn jeans, but rarely ventures outside without his costume.

[tribe]

BLOODY MARY - America's Most Wanted Serial Killer

 

Bloody Mary is an ex-CIA operative trained by a secret ninja society to be one of the best killers in the world. When something snaps in her mind she becomes the best killer alrgiht, but she no longer accepts a handler.

 

She has killed a lot of CIA agents and alternates between indiscriminate mass killings and delicate surgical strikes.

 

Along the way she has met a kindred spirit in the British Mad Dog Morgan who is a similarly-minded killer with the uber ability to go berserk; as well as picking up a stray orphan uber who was the sole survivor of one of Mary's attacks. The orphan, Black Betty, is a powerful but unrefined telekinetic who hates any comparisons with Carrie, the film.

 

*Side Note: Bloody Mary was named after a kid I had to look after way back in 1995 when I was working the USA as a Summer Camp Counsellor. Thanks Mary!

 

 

 

BLOODY MARY: Mary Elizabeth Coulter

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Martial Artist

Nationality American

Place of Birth Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Date of Birth May 4, 1977

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Violet

Height 1.78m

Weight 62kg

 

Background

After moving through the US Military and then the enigmatic and manipulative Fuchi-No-Kuroi clan of Ninjas, Mary Elizabeth Coulter became a veritable killing machine. The problem was that somewhere she became damaged. On a mission to North Korea, something inside her mind went off-kilter, and she never returned to her covert government position with the CIA. Her superiors blamed the ninjas, believing that they had engineered some sort of mental command, but after six weeks of bloodshed in the East Asian region, Mary had convinced the ninjas that they were just as much to blame as her CIA handlers. She returned to America and exacted revenge on three squads of CIA operatives before feeling herself cleansed.

 

She disappeared into Los Angeles and tried to find a way to enjoy her freedom, but she always returned to killing.

 

While not specifically targeting law enforcement agents, Bloody Mary has managed to murder more police than any other person in American history. She is considered America's Most Wanted killer, although she has evaded capture for the past seven years. Several attempts at capturing her have come close, but she has been reinforced on these occasions by the equally murderous Mad Mod Morgan, a British murderer and Mary's casual lover.

 

 

Personality

Bloody Mary is a sociopath. She has enough money to lead a comfortable life, but her training in the military, ninja clans and the CIA have made her a killing machine, so although she may disappear for months at a time, she inevitably returns to wrought chaos and death. She lives for the moment and glories in death. The methods she uses vary and she can sometimes wander through cities and counties indiscriminately killing, while other times she has planned her kills choosing her quarry and showing great foresight. She changes her approaches on each occasion which has confused the authorities.

 

Quote

"A little death... goes such a long way."

 

Powers

Bloody Mary is first and foremost a highly trained killer. She employs blades and firearms, but is also extremely deadly with her bare hands. In addition to her training, Mary is also an uber, with the ability to create a thick, swirling black fog which only she can see through. Depending on her mood, Mary will utilise this ability to help her hunts, or else refuse to use it when she feels like killing on a level playing field.

 

 

Appearance

Bloody Mary wears leather pants, corset and jacket, with a variety of buckles and studs. Depending on her mood she will also include a holster with pistol on her belt, a sheath with blade. She always wears a choker around her neck and shades, the blackness set off only by deep blood-red highlights and her blue lipstick.

 

As a trained espionage agent, Bloody Mary is able to alter her appearance, so it is possible that she could appear in any variety of clothing.

 

 

 

MAD DOG MORGAN: Rory Morgan

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Martial Artist

Nationality British

Place of Birth Birmingham, United Kingdom

Date of Birth September 9, 1976

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.8m

Weight 80kg

 

Background

Mad Dog Morgan first hit the international headlines when he killed and mutilated a bus load of German tourists outside of Stonehenge in the 1990s. He followed that by indiscriminately killing tourists across England and Wales, before fleeing the heat of the police to America where he found his new taste for murder was easy to satisfy. He began to take an interest in ubers, managing to kill a string of them from New York to Los Angeles before coming up against Sanction, which was a sobering experience.

 

In custody, Morgan began to evaluate his life and realised that he was allowing his emotions to dictate his actions. Only by combining his wits with his berserker rage was he able to escape custody, although Sanction have since learned their lesson.

 

During his time since the clash with Sanction, Morgan has focused his attention not just on ubers, but also political figures. He successfully assassinated two governors and a senator before fleeing again, back to England. The pattern continued, with Morgan spending months on one continent before moving to the other. During one berserker rage in Boston, Morgan was rescued by Bloody Mary, and taken to a safe house where she beat him senseless and helped him recover. The two killers developed a relationship and have since worked together on several occasions, mostly on Bloody Mary's word. Morgan has continued to follow his own desires in America and England, and has not been caught again.

 

 

Personality

Morgan has a tendency to go berserk in stressful situations, most notably anything to do with conflict. His first response to these furies was to let them take him on whatever course they saw fit, and he quickly wound up killing innocents. He has since gained a semblance of control, but his personality is based on his temper and his disregard for self-control. He kills because he can, but is just as likely to spare someone because of the way they dressed or a word they spoke in utter fear. He and Bloody Mary enjoy each other's company, something Morgan has never experienced before.

 

Quote

“Cut me and I bleed. I bleed and you die.”

 

Powers

Mad Dog Morgan is an uber with a berserker fury which can increase his strength, resilience and ability to cause mental anguish to those who make contact with his mind. He is a seasoned killer and employs a pistol, but much prefers the personal touch.

 

 

Appearance

Mad Dog Morgan wears black leather. He has a heavy leather jacket which he leaves unzipped to reveal his rippled chest and abs, tight leather pants with a Union Jack buckle, and gloves. He has change his appearance in the past, but seems to always gravitate towards a punk style.

 

 

 

BLACK BETTY: Eloise Soileau

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Energy Blaster

Nationality American

Place of Birth New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Date of Birth November 19, 1990

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.54m

Weight 52kg

 

Background

The sole survivor of a massacre perpetrated by the mass murderer Bloody Mary, Elodie managed to protect herself by activating her ubergene ability. Rather than kill the girl, Mary found the resistance in the girl reminded her of her own youth. She levelled with Elodie and offered her a chance at life that she would not have had living in squalor as she had been. Elodie struck out at Mary but was beaten and rendered unconscious.

 

When she awoke, Mary had taken her to a safe house and nursed her back to health.

 

Elodie had never experienced tenderness like that before, having endured a string of abusive foster families and government care. Mary's offer seemed to offer her a new chance at something she had felt was lost to her. Elodie accepted, but on the condition that Mary never lie to her. Mary greed.

 

While Elodie is training to use her abilities, she has been kept safely hidden at a boarding school on the West Coast. Elodie is less than happy with the situation and escapes frequently to render her own brand of 'Bloody Mary' mayhem, but she always makes it back to the school before anyone has a clue as to her absence.

 

 

Personality

Elodie has had a hard life, and now she has power to level the playing field. She takes a delight in hurting those who she believes are arrogant and powerful, whether it be a school age bully or a corporate executive. She hates rules and disregards them outright, preferring to live her life the way she wants. This has caused some tension at the school but Mary has paid them enough to overlook the occasional rebellion (or mutilated corpse).

 

Quote

"Carrie was a wimp."

 

Powers

Black Betty is a powerful telekinetic, although she has not mastered the ability and frequently burns herself out. At her peak she is able to lift 50 tons, but is just as adept at manipulating smaller weights. She is able to fly, project deadly bolts of telekinetic force, erect almost impenetrable shields and level areas with her self-titled "telekinetic tantrums".

 

 

Appearance

When she ventures out as Black Betty, Elodie wears a grey armoured bodyglove with black gloves, boots and bands around her upper arms. She has a blood red exclamation mark on her chest and wears red shades to hide her identity. When she attends her exclusive school, Elodie is forced to wear the uniform, although she rebels by altering the dress code as best she can.

[Lethosos]

Re: Uberworld - Character and Art

 

Holy write-ups, Batman!

 

I like the detail you've put into it--although the Riders could use a little polish in their Powers section, and wasn't the second Shield approached by Khan, in the Shield write-up?

 

In any case... I can so see my half-dragon projectionist hating Dumaguete with a passion--not enough to go hunting, but enough to target him first if he ever runs in with Gauntlet.

 

And who did the Paradise art? That's a hot picture there, and defintly different than the others. I'd like to know how much he asks for a commision.

 

Hrmm... makes me want to see if another hero of mine can fit in--but you've got tons of martial artists already, so prolly not.

[tribe]

Re: Uberworld - Character and Art

 

Holy write-ups, Batman!

 

I like the detail you've put into it--although the Riders could use a little polish in their Powers section, and wasn't the second Shield approached by Khan, in the Shield write-up?

 

Yeah there are discrepencies. We've been writing it since about Julyish and the earlier ones are sometimes changed a bit by later ones. The official line is that the second Shield was told to go away by Khan and the third one is the newest incarnation and the one who is on the team.

 

The Riders were a spur of the moment idea, so, yeah, detail could be added there.

 

In any case... I can so see my half-dragon projectionist hating Dumaguete with a passion--not enough to go hunting' date=' but enough to target him first if he ever runs in with Gauntlet.[/quote']

 

Sounds like a cool nemesis. Dumaguete comes from a superhero story I did when I was 17 or so. He was nasty back then so he deserves a sound beat-up.

 

And who did the Paradise art? That's a hot picture there' date=' and defintly different than the others. I'd like to know how much he asks for a commision. [/quote']

 

The art's not original really. Noah (The Arc) and I were complaining about how hard it was to get good character art when we stumbled across the superhero templates here at the Hero Boards. So we used the outlines to do the drawings.

 

Then I kind of went freelance and looked around at other pictures like comic covers and so on. I traced the outlines to make new templates. Paradise comes from a Saturn Girl template/outline. I think Moy is the artist. I just embellished it.

 

Hrmm... makes me want to see if another hero of mine can fit in--but you've got tons of martial artists already' date=' so prolly not.[/quote']

 

The NPCs we've got are just background colour. The actual campaigns which will be accepting characters would be looking for all archetypes. It'd be up to the GM which adversaries you'd go up against so don't worry about over-populating the world with martial artists. They're sometimes the best to play anyway.

[Lethosos]

Re: Uberworld - Character and Art

 

Eheheheh. Well, let's see... I think that, with the introduction of your Elastorang, another uberanimal would do nicely to promote diversity--I have a wicked idea for a metamorph that I'll look into writing up for you, if you like. Just have to go through the source material first.

 

Moy? As in Phillip Moy? He still doodles for Eyrie Productions; you should see his Emerald Lensman he did--I once saved the B/W version to play with, but I think his color is much better. I think he's progressed even further, in both style and method.

 

But the old ways still work. Mmm, pink-haired-insane-tanned-goddess is always a winner.

[tribe]

Re: Uberworld - Character and Art

 

Jeff Moy I think. He did some Legion of Super Heroes stuff and I think he's still current artist in the comic world. The pink hair was my nod to the Bird of Paradise which she named herself after.

 

So you're planning a lizard man, right?

[Lethosos]

Re: Uberworld - Character and Art

 

Not... quite.

 

You'll like the concept; it takes the concept of the ubergene even further than you might suspect.

[tribe]

The Immortals - Chinese Heroes Based On Chinese Astrology (Part 1 of 3)

 

There are twelve heroes in the Immortals, which is the 'public relations-friendly' team of ubers in China. They do the heroic work and make sure kittens are rescued from trees. There are two other teams, but they operate behind the scenes and make sure the others like the Immortals work along Party lines.

 

I've split The Immortals into three sections just so it's easier to send. There'll be four heroes per post.

 

 

DOG: Jiang Bai

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Martial Artist

Nationality Chinese

Place of Birth Shenzhen, China

Date of Birth August 7, 1980

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.82m

Weight 83kg

 

Background

Jiang Bai's shadow control powers became evident early in his life. The Crimson Spider Lin Kuei found out about this, slew his parents, and adopted him into their clan. His powers worked well with his assassin training allowing Shadowspinner to be one of the most feared assassins in the world.

 

On a mission to assassinate a wealthy industrialist, Shadowspinner found himself in the middle of a golf course on a cloudy day. With no other source of shadow, he attempted to form a shadow assassin out of his own shadow.

 

But being so closely connected with the shadow, Bai found himself splitting in twain. He wrestled to merge the duplicates of himself back together, but to no avail. One of the pair was more sinister than the original Bai, the other less so. In an effort to preserve its integrity the 'better' Bai opened up a door to the shadow dimension and fled. The 'more evil' Bai found that it had lost the power to enter the shadow dimension and, thus, could not pursue his twin.

 

This Bai wavered between doing things for himself and doing things to help others. When the Immortals were re-formed, he joined as Dog mostly so that he can grab more of the spotlight. The other Bai remained a part of the Crimson Spider.

 

 

Personality

Bai has become Dog for one reason: to show the world just how good he is at what he does. Once one of the most feared assassins in the world, he has developed a conscience - a small one to be sure, but a conscience nonetheless. He is no longer a cold-blooded killer, but he still has problems caring for anyone but himself. He will take opportunities to make sure that the camera and spotlight are on him.

 

 

Quote

"You want to see something cool, watch me."

 

Powers

Dog is an expert at An Ch'i and Lin Kuei. He is a bit more cerebral than Bai Shadowspinner having even taken the time to learn the science of his dimension control powers.

 

Appearance

Dog wears the standard Immortals red uniform, over which he wears a heavy black coat.

 

 

DRAGON: Zhongli

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Brick

Nationality Chinese

Place of Birth Near Urumqi, China

Date of Birth November 2, 1985

Hair Colour None

Eye Colour Yellow

Height 5.4m

Weight 320kg

 

Background

Some say that Zhongli hatched from an egg high in the mountains near Urumqi, although the exact circumstances of his birth and wrapped in village myth. When he was brought to Urumqi, Zhongli was, indeed, a little dragon, and was taken into the care of the local government official. Rather than hand the young dragon over to his superior, however, the official raised Zhongli as his son.

 

As Zhongli grew older, and exponentially larger, it became more and more difficult to hide his presence, and one day the Immortals arrived and took him away. The official and his wife were never seen again. Zhongli was taken to a government facility near Beijing and trained to become a member of the Chinese super group. The Immortals were undergoing changes in structure and outlook, so when Zhongli was discovered he became an integral part of the new-look Immortals.

 

When the new team was unveiled, Dragon became an instant celebrity. The Dragon was considered the bringer of luck, and Zhongli embraced that role. Internally he was lost, missing his family and home, and considering himself a monster; but outwardly he was powerful and represented all the ideals that his new family expected of him.

 

 

Personality

Zhongli is a simple man, although since coming to Beijing, he has become more aware of his monstrous appearance. In Urumqi he was accepted by his family and close circle of friends, but in the wider world he knows he is unique - and that uniqueness makes him withdraw into himself. He misses his home in the mountains and feels completely out of place on the world stage.

 

Quote

“There is nothing more fulfilling that dive bombing through the ravines of Urumqi chasing birds or just the wind...”

 

Powers

Zhongli was born with an active ubergene which manifested itself as a dragon-like body. It is uncertain whether he transformed into a dragon before or after birth, but certainly no one knows his true parents or origin beyond that of being found on a mountainside. As a dragon, Zhongli possesses strength, speed and durability enabling him to duke it out with any number of uberhumans; as well as traditional dragon-like powers of flight and the ability to literally sniff out his enemies.

 

 

Appearance

Zhongli is a green dragon with long horns on his head, a thick and powerful tail and sharp teeth and claws. He is nearly five and a half metres tall and has a distinctive face full of spines and horns, dominated by intense yellow eyes. He does not wear clothes and never has, although he has a golden tattoo of the dragon on his shoulder to identify him as one of China's greatest heroes.

 

 

 

HORSE: Narantuya Gurragchaa

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Concept Brick

Nationality Mongolian

Place of Birth Ulan Bator, Mongolia

Date of Birth May 20, 1993

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Grey

Height 1.7m

Weight 95kg

 

Background

Narantuya began changing into a horse-girl in her tenth year, a year after she had realised she could communicate and control the animals around her. She was afraid of her transformation, and her family were also frightened. They called the doctor, and he, in turn, called an associate in China. Within a month, Narantuya was flown to Beijing where she underwent intrusive investigations without her parents' knowledge. She was isolated from everyone until she met Zhang Li, a veterinarian who had taken an interest in the girl. The two became inseparable, and Narantuya gradually began to improve in her health and disposition. Under Li's care, the Mongolian girl came to understand that her parents had abandoned her, that she was now obligated to work for the Chinese government and that if she worked hard and did what she was told, she would grow up to be a beautiful princess.

 

Of course, Narantuya grew to suspect the motives of the Chinese. She grew out of the dream of becoming beautiful just because she was doing what she was told. She learned to control her new body and to actually enjoy it. There was a freedom in being able to gallop at high speeds, and she was given regular holidays in the mountains and plains. When she was invited, or required, to join the Immortals, Narantuya saw it as just another step in her progression to adulthood. She was twelve when she joined the Immortals, but she had grown more mature and intelligent than her guardians realised. She maintained a kind of internal journal with the animal world around her: she would converse with them and tell them what she was living through. She even dared to tell them her dreams of freedom, of returning to Mongolia where she would live freely among the horse people.

 

The celebrity status she received from being a part of the Immortals surprised her, and shook her from her depression. She was welcomed by the public, and they saw her horse body as something wonderful, something to inspire the other young people. Narantuya began to question her desire to return to Mongolia. Perhaps she could find happiness here?

 

 

Personality

Narantuya is simultaneously naive and cynical. In many ways, she is older than her thirteen years, but the onset of celebrity status has reignited childish desires and expectations in her which she thought were long gone. She is a follower, afraid of getting into trouble from her team leader or the Government officials. She wants to be left alone, but at the same she wants to be accepted and loved by everyone.

 

Quote

“I don't eat grass, no. But thanks for asking. Ever had a hoof sandwich?”

 

Powers

Horse is a centaur-like being, having the top half of her body human and the lower half horse. She is able to run at impressive speeds and possesses great strength, mostly in her legs. In addition to her horse-like abilities she is also able to communicate with animals.

 

 

Appearance

Narantuya appears to be a teenager from her head to her waist, and a dark brown horse below that. She wears her dark hair in twin braids down her back, and wears a loose-fitting red t-shirt with the horse symbol. When she is not on duty, Narantuya wears oversized t-shirts, or on occasions when she is alone and in the wilderness she rides without the burden of clothes.

 

 

 

LAMB: Zha Lee

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Energy Blaster

Nationality Chinese

Place of Birth Beijing, China

Date of Birth November 29, 1982

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.72m

Weight 51kg

 

Background

Zha Lee was involved with top level Chinese officials even before she left high school, thanks in part to her parents' position as a principal and a party official. She recognised most movers and shakers in the party and when she graduated from high school with no inclination for attending university, she landed a comfortable position in the Foreign Ministry, before being moved to the Chinese Embassy in Manilla. It was during her time in the Philippines that she met Santoso Budhisantoso, an equally egotistical young intern. Budhisantoso pursued Lee for weeks, ignoring her rebuffs, and eventually took more drastic measures. He cornered her in an office elevator and demanded she accept his moves.

 

His hands exploded into blades of fire, and Lee was frightened for the very first time in her life.

 

Her reaction scared her even more. The elevator was suddenly infused with light and Budhisantoso was screaming. The doors opened and she fled, leaving the Indonesian man behind. When she arrived back at her apartment, she was still glowing, and her partner reported her obvious ubergene to his superiors in Beijing.

 

It was at this time that the Immortals were being reinvented and Lee was recalled, quickly trained and assessed as a prime example for membership: she was beautiful, knew who was who in the Party, and had a public relations-friendly power.

 

But they rushed her into the team, and when she first stepped out into the public arena as Lamb, she faltered. Her powers shut down and she felt panicked. This power shutdown has occurred several times since and seems to be mostly stress-related. Because of the inconsistent nature of her powers, she feels more comfortable utilising her subterfuge skills.

 

 

Personality

Lee is beautiful and well mannered, the result of the perfect upbringing, except that she failed to go on to university which was a great disappointment for her father. She lacked the desire to push herself, and is satisfied with her current position. She is quite capable of looking after herself, but enjoys the pandering of others, especially men who seem to be attracted to her like a moth to a flame.

When her life is on the line, however, she refuses any help but her own. She will cast off any helpers or bodyguards and rely on her instincts and powers.

 

 

Quote

“It's me you should be looking for, but I'm not one to run and hide.”

 

Powers

Lee is able to generate intense light by drawing in the solar power of the sun. Her powers are inconsistent, sometimes becoming jammed during battles, and completely shutting off in darkness. She has shown an ability to produce heat and light, absorb energy and use it to fly and produce light shields.

 

 

Appearance

Zha Lee seems to be too precious for the life she has chosen for herself. Her features are fine and her hair is always immaculately set. She wears a designer split dress as a uniform, much to the chagrin of the team's costumer, but the image works. Lamb is one of the most popular of the Immortals, especially with men and the young girls who idolise her.

[tribe]

Re: Uberworld - Character and Art

 

Not... quite.

 

You'll like the concept; it takes the concept of the ubergene even further than you might suspect.

 

Hey we love expanding ideas.

 

[tribe]

The Immortals - Chinese Heroes Based On Chinese Astrology (Part 2 of 3)

 

The second installlment includes Monkey (mystic martial arts expert), Ox (big, patriotic brick/battering ram), Pig (nice scientist involved in a lab accident which turned her into a monster) and Rabbit (cocky young female speedster with tickets on herself).

 

 

 

MONKEY: Xu Shu-sai

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Martial Artist / Mystic

Nationality Chinese

Place of Birth Shanghai, China

Date of Birth October 9, 1964

Hair Colour Bald

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.68m

Weight 65kg

 

Background

Xu was born just prior to the Cultural Revolution in China and his father, and then his mother, were imprisoned for involvement in counter-revolutionary movements. Xu was sent to an uncle where he grew up as a virtual house servant. Neither his mother or father ever left the prisons, reports of their deaths ranged from accidental causes to disease to suicide. Xu had become accustomed to his new existence and never questioned what he had been told. When he was fourteen, however, he was abducted by a man calling himself Chuang Tang, and taken to a reclusive monastery near the Tibetan border, where he was introduced to the mystical paths of Hua Ren.

 

Astrologers had indicated that Xu would play an important part in the liberation of the Chinese people, but his training was disrupted by the Red Army which discovered the monastery's secret purpose and destroyed it. Xu escaped with a handful of others and travelled to Tibet where he came to learn the teachings of Buddhism.

 

But the teachings of Hua Ren would not leave him, and Xu began to attract all kinds of unusual creatures and situations, so much so that his peers began to avoid him and called him the cursed one. Nonetheless, Xu continued to learn the ways of Buddha, and found some semblance of peace. It was 1990, and Xu was now a young man. He decided to return to China, and although he had only mastered a hint of the mystical powers of Hua Ren he felt that enlightenment could be found by further study of magic. He travelled throughout the western regions of China searching for teachers, but none could offer him any advanced insights. He had already surpassed them without formal training. And so, Xu turned to the spirit world. He made pledges to ancient spirits of dubious intentions and managed to gain further knowledge.

 

The spirits had managed to twist his mind in a way, turning his nights into living terrors. During the day, Xu was calm and philosophical; but when he slept, he battled the darker side of his humanity and the assembled dark spirits. Rather than go mad, however, Xu saw this as a kind of balance which would bring purity and peace. He would be in control of his mind and life during the light, and would have to battle to maintain that control during the dark.

 

When the Immortals were being reorganised, Xu happened to have made a public appearance in Shanghai, beating back a wave of dark rodent-like demons. He normally battled against evil in his secret ways, but the media had taken an interest, and through them, the government. Xu was hunted down and offered a position on the new team. At first he had thought to decline, but then he realised his life was a constant process of change, and that such a change as working with a government sponsored team might lead to further enlightenment.

 

 

Personality

Xu is a devout follower of Buddhism and finds positives in everything, even the most hideous of demons. He is mature and wise, having had a plethora of traumatic and wonderful experiences to draw upon. He projects an aura of calm which has been quite useful on the Immortals team, and has taken to watching over the younger team members. Xu is not a devoted follower of the regime, but is also not interested in overthrowing it like the astrologers foretold. He is content to live his life, fight his battles, and bring about a better understanding of life's mysteries.

 

Quote

“You have mistaken evil for confusion.”

 

Powers

Xu is a powerful mystic, having trained with Master Hua Ren before his death, as well as the unnamed spirits of chaos. He is able to manipulate, or weave, the magic into a variety of effects. in addition to his knowledge of Chinese sorcery, Xu also possesses a magical reed rope which is able to ensnare even the most aggressive and violent of opponents. He is also, incidentally, a master of Kung Fu.

 

 

Appearance

Xu is an athletic man in his early forties, but is stronger and more resilient than many men half his age. He has shaved his head since he was twenty-two and keeps his body free from harmful substances or other violations. As Monkey, he wears form-fitting black trousers with the Monkey symbol, but is otherwise naked. Out of uniform he wears robes of varying colour. He can appear older or younger, depending on his current disposition.

 

 

 

OX: Shang Jian-Guo

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Brick

Nationality Chinese

Place of Birth Jinxing, China

Date of Birth October 9, 1976

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Brown

Height 1.94m

Weight 98kg

 

Background

Jian-Guo was always going to succeed in life. His favourite uncle convinced him to follow him into a career in aviation, and Jian-Guo proved himself a superb pilot, even gaining the attention of the military. Before he could be accepted into the airforce, however, Jian-Guo was involved in a horrendous crash when a military helicopter he was co-piloting was struck by a severe thunderstorm. The helicopter was carrying explosives and exploded when it was forced to crash land after its rotors were disabled in the storm. The helicopter erupted into flames, forcing the crew out of the front windscreen. Jian-Guo managed to shield his pilot and saved his life. It was discovered that Jian-Guo was an uber, so instead of joining the airforce, he was diverted into the uber programme.

 

While undergoing training and research into his uberphysiology, Jian-Guo met and fell in love with one of the experts in ubergenetics, Tai Jing-wei. He was the ideal subject, willing to serve his country without question, and undertake any kind of experiment of assignment.

 

When the Immortals were reorganised, Ox was assigned, and while he was initially tagged to take on a leadership role, he was overlooked in favour of the new Rat. Ox wasn't overly concerned, although there is a kind of rivalry between the two men, and celebrated his new assignment by proposing to Jing-wei.

 

 

Personality

Shang Jian-Guo is a competent man, able to handle himself equally well in a cockpit as well as on the front lines of a natural disaster. He has taken to his role as a Defender of China more easily than any other member of the Immortals, and upholds the ideals of his country and the public image of his name. He is devoted to his wife, but such devotion is pale in comparison to his devotion for his country.

 

Quote

“Gawkers to the side, Ox is coming through!”

 

Powers

Ox possesses uberhuman strength and durability, which is reinforced even further when he is running. He is capable of extreme running speeds, and while doing so is virtually unstoppable and impervious to the most excessive of physical damage.

 

 

Appearance

Jian-Guo has always been powerfully built, and since he has reached adulthood his physical bulk has been shaped by his ubergene. He has very broad shoulders and powerful leg muscles. As Ox, he wears the Immortals costume, including head gear and shades which protect his identity, and most importantly his wife. Out of uniform, Jian-Guo has very short cropped hair and a pleasant smile which reflects his general confidence.

 

 

 

PIG: Shao Jun

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Brick

Nationality Chinese

Place of Birth Fuzhou, China

Date of Birth April 30, 1974

Hair Colour None

Eye Colour White

Height 2.08m

Weight 125kg

 

Background

Shao Jun was a government research scientist in the area of ubergenetics when she discovered she had a ubergene which hadn't been activated. There were three other assistants with such a potential ubergene and together they worked out methods of activation. It took twelve months before they succeeded, but the laboratory and research was destroyed in the subsequent explosion. Jun and the others were caught in a horrible laboratory explosion brought about by one of their activated ubergenes. One of the researchers transformed into an explosive compound, detonated, and destroyed all of their work. The other researchers were killed before their uberabilities were discovered, and Jun was transformed into a monster.

 

Overall, Jun considered the experiments a failure. She lost her friends and humanity. In the place of a beautiful young woman, was now a huge, scaly monster. The research department fired Jun and she resigned into obscurity, locking herself away from the public and wishing she would die. For months she waited for death but something inside of her kept her going. She read romance novels even more than she used to. She hid her face, and tried to pretend everything was alright.

 

In the end, the government came to her and drew her back into research. She worked with the original Immortals, although not directly, and when they were dissolved and a newer, more media-friendly team were organised, she was given the dubious honour of becoming Pig. She didn't see any other option, and accepted. She joined the team, as well as pursuing her research, and appears to have come to terms with her new body.

 

 

Personality

Jun is outwardly cocky and jovial, but is obviously hiding great pain. She misses her hair, her skin and her body, but is gradually accepting her new ones, although she knows she will never feel fully comfortable as Pig. She pushes her own concerns to the side when someone she loves is in peril, and has proven herself to be a great friend to her team mates.

 

Quote

“Did you just call me fat? This isn't fat, mister. This is pure, undiluted force; and it's about to make messy fingers with your face.”

 

Powers

Pig possesses uberhuman strength and durability, as well as the ability to survive many forms of disease, poison and dangerous chemicals. It is predicted that she will live well into her second century, and does not appear to need to breathe at all. In addition to her physical abilities, Pig is also able to manipulate magnetic fields in ways which allow her to fly, manipulate ferrous materials and sense objects and people well beyond the normal human senses.

 

 

Appearance

Since her transformation, Jun appears to be a large, pink scaled creature, standing a little over two metres and weighing in excess of 120kg. She has a ridged head with white pupil-less eyes and sharp razor-like teeth. Her hands, fingers and toes are large and thick and her skin is very resilient giving her a monstrous appearance. In her role as Pig, she wears a red tunic with the Pig motif and a thick black belt. Out of uniform she usually wears robes, but has found it difficult to find clothes which fit her unwieldy body. She wishes she was beautiful and spends a long time on beauty products, but can never escape her monstrous form.

 

 

RABBIT: Kwan Szu-Lihwa

Click Here For The Character Sheet

 

Concept Speedster

Nationality Chinese

Place of Birth Shanghai, China

Date of Birth March 29, 1980

Hair Colour Black

Eye Colour Dark Brown

Height 1.77m

Weight 65kg

 

Background

Kwan Szu-Lihwa lifted her cellular phone to her ear and listened to the clip of the dial tone. Her eyes never left the journalist and camera woman from the BBC, but she had, as yet, remained unseen. The phone connected and she gave the signal. Fifteen minutes later the British journalists were on their way back to London, and their camera and footage remained in custody. Szu-Lihwa had worked for the government as a journalist, as well as a pair of eyes to watch the foreign reporters. She was able to make connections easily, although no one would consider her friendly. She was businesslike and the foreign journalists seemed to admire and respect that. At any rate, they let their guard down in her presence. It was almost as if they considered her a peer.

 

Szu-Lihwa didn't actually have peers, though. She was a cut above the rest and she knew it.

 

She had been brought up in a predominantly maternal environment with her mother and grandmother dominating the household. Her grandmother had been a famous dancer, but was now relegated to memory. As a child, Szu-Lihwa had practiced for hours each day just to become an adequate dancer. She was never considered good enough by her grandmother, but the cutting remarks only served to make her more and more determined to excel. She practically flew through high school and then university, pushing herself in all areas. She caught the attention of the government during her first year of university and a 'friend' suggested she begin martial arts training. It reminded her of the dancing and she excelled again. It was at this time that she became aware of her ubergene. Her 'friend' was actually a government agent who had picked Szu-Lihwa as a potential uber, and had prepared her for government service.

 

She graduated university, aware of her ubergene, but unaware of the government's interest in her, and began work in Beijing. It wasn't long before she began to associate with foreign journalists and then begin to feed information back to her employer. The arrangement became more official after a clandestine meeting with a top level Party official, and Szu-Lihwa considered herself a burgeoning spy. The idea thrilled her. She began to pursue her martial arts and uber abilities in the hope that she would become more valuable to the government.

 

Her work paid off and when the Immortals were recruiting for a new team, Szu-Lihwa was accepted as the new Rabbit.

 

 

Personality

Szu-Lihwa is arrogant and intrusive. She believes that everyone has a secret, and that she is entitled to seek it out. She isn't much of a team player, although she has seemed to work well enough amongst the Immortals. Just how long that will last is anyone's guess.

 

Quote

“Predictable.”

 

Powers

Rabbit is an uberhuman with very strong leg muscles. She is able to run at extremely fast speeds, leap great distances, swim faster than humanly possible, and kick with such speed and precision as to be able to kill a person with a single blow.

 

 

Appearance

Szu-Lihwa would be an attractive woman, except for her tendency to frown or sneer a lot. Admittedly, she is attractive, but mostly in still photographs. The live version seems to exude a toughness that can be off-putting. In uniform, she wears a mask to conceal her identity, a regular Immortals costume with shoulder tassels and a white sash across her chest. Out of uniform, Szu-Lihwa wears pristine suits with either skirts or trousers. She is an impeccable power dresser.