Musings of a Old Man.

[Weldun]

Note: This is a verbatim repost of my livejournal entry (which I update so sporadically it's a wonder I get replies at all!).

 

Musings of a Old Man.

Recent developments have left the Specter feeling, "a little out of sorts." You see, deep down, despite not suffering the deprivations of age, he feels that the world is passing him by. Most of the costumed crime fighters bouncing around these days are stronger, faster and tougher than him, assuming that he's not pushing himself. Even with the smattering of illusion and divination magic that he learned in Tanashim isn’t being of much help, indeed, it's now gained him the promise that his days are numbered (Something about people having things in their past that they would rather have kept quiet). The technological upgrades that he has received from the resident super-genius aren't quite "cutting the mustard", so to speak.

 

The first is a forcefield belt that has a 5 minute power supply, that while it does end up effectively doubling the effective armour he has, he still can only take one hit on the chin without being knocked flat out by most opposition. Fortunately, this device does protect him from falls and other massive impact trauma, unlike his armoured costume.

 

The second is the hybrid energy/conventional revolver that he and The Gunny dreamed up together. Using polaron (blaster) technology, which whilst being “energy” imparts kinetic force, it uses an explosive capacitor in place of normal bullets which then sends a polaron blast down the barrel of his cryo-treated Taurus Model 44 revolver. It’s hybrid nature comes into play when one closely examines the modified frame. It has been adapted to load 12 bullets, which can be chambered ahead of the cylinder so that when the polaron blast is emitted, the bullet is propelled down the barrel instead. Curiously, despite the shorter effective barrel length, this arrangement results in higher muzzle velocity, due to a smoother acceleration of the round. Unfortunately, against most “hard” targets in the superhero world, this weapon often fails to so much as raise a bruise.

 

Fortunately, his mastery of Okinawan Karate is enabling him to hold his own, for the most part, but he feels as every day is becoming increasingly difficult to stand up to those that would use their abilities to harm innocents.

 

Then there are his team-mates.

 

Vitus. An angry, misanthropic, lost soul whose home universe no longer even exists. Most of his interaction with the Specter’s world has been either painful, confusing or simply demeaning. Unfortunately, the Specter sees so much potential in him, that whenever Vitus falls back upon his tried and true methodology of a fantasy adventurer, he feels such disappointment in him that he reacts in a confrontational manner.

Three. A woman who’s entire world has been ripped out from under her. She seems to blame Vitus for this, when the true culprit is her former master, the Kha of Tanashim. The Specter has grown very protective of her, seeing her as a sort of adopted daughter, though he would probably never admit it.

Orca. A kind and gentle human soul trapped in a monstrous mutant frame of a powerful humanoid whale. The son of a human geneticist with the soul of a monster who, when his only son expressed his mutant nature, viewed him more as another experiment than anything else. The Specter has tried to be a friend and mentor to this young superbeing and has encouraged him to seek alternate pursuits outside of superhero work, as the superhero world can be a soul-crushing place after too long in it.

Felicity. The product of genetic experiment to create a “lucky” strain of humanity, she has the sorcerous ability to tap magic naturally. Her heart is in the right place, in that she seeks to help her community, but she refuses to commit to the superhero lifestyle to any real degree. The only reason the Specter doesn’t press her on this issue is that at least she has a life outside of superhero work.

The Void. The Specter suspects that this individual was on the other side of the fence until recently, especially with the Void’s knowledge of criminal habits and practices, but this genial yet secretive being is a puzzle even to an 19th century immortal.

The Gunny. A millionaire philanthropist industrialist, this individual gives the Specter the most hope for the group. The Gunny not only fights crime as a costumed adventurer, but uses his corporate resources to revitalised impoverished communities, attacking crime at it’s source. Indeed, when the Specter nearly killed an East-European assassin that they had captured, it was the Gunny’s objection that stayed his hand.

The Stormlord. A being of great power that chooses time and again to stand apart from all others. When he does involve himself, he often attempts to control the situation so that it suits his purposes, and attempts to convince those around him that his purposes are their purposes. After repeatedly refusing to join the Skeleton Crew because their charter specified an emphasis on the impoverished sections of their own series, the Specter has come to view him an elitist individual, whose abilities should only be called on if absolutely needed. The Stormlord has made numerous subtle attempts to place members of the Skeleton Crew in his civilian employ, as it would “make things easier.” This has resulted in the Specter encouraging his team-mates to enter into employment under Steven Everet (a.k.a. The Gunny).

 

All in all, the Specter has begun to feel that he is less the leader of this team, (how does one lead a group of hyperactive bulls?), and more the sad, single uncle or even the father of many in these individuals. This situation is made worse by the recent rediscovery of his family, in which it turns out his immortality was in fact passed on to his youngest daughter, Patricia.

 

So yeah, just a little “out of sorts”.