Help naming a heroic NPC: Redeemer?

[transmetahuman]

I've got an idea for an NPC whose ability is to jump into and possess bodies, suppressing their minds while he's in control. Not the most heroic ability, but there's a rationale: His original body died while he was possessing someone, and he can't survive without a body, so he has worked out an agreement where he takes on the bodies of convicted supervillains, using their powers to fight crime and atone for the crimes of the bodies' owners. He normally won't use his own power at all, but if things get really hairy, his teammates can restrain the body he's using before he attempts to possess the bigger baddy they're getting whupped by.

 

He's very sensitive to ethical criticism of his use of his ability (he has his own doubts about it), and he wants a code name that emphasizes the expiation/atonement aspect of his justification for using these people to continue to survive. At first I was going to call him Redeemer, but then I realized a lot of Christians might have issues with that. Thesaurus.com hasn't helped me come up with anything that doesn't sound even worse - like Penance (ugh. bad associations ), or Expiator (just goofy). Anyone have any good ideas along those lines?

[Kirby]

Re: Help naming a heroic NPC: Redeemer?

 

I've got an idea for an NPC whose ability is to jump into and possess bodies' date=' suppressing their minds while he's in control. Not the most heroic ability, but there's a rationale: His original body died while he was possessing someone, and he can't survive without a body, so [b']he has worked out an agreement[/b] [1] where he takes on the bodies of convicted supervillains, using their powers to fight crime and atone for the crimes of the bodies' owners. He normally won't use his own power at all [2], but if things get really hairy, his teammates can restrain the body he's using [3] before he attempts to possess the bigger baddy they're getting whupped by.

First, I have some questions that stand out that I would like clarified, then I'll get to the names. [1] Who did he make this agreement with? His teammates, the local government, and/or the villain he was possesing? [2] Isn't he constantly using his power if he's possessing a person at the time? [3] What's the plan on carrying this out? Does the fighting just "stop" and they restrain his physical form, then get up and say "let's continue"? It seems that if they're having a tough time with Villain X, there may not be enough people able to pull out of the fight to restrain him so he can posses Villain X. Additional questions: How is the NPC defeated? Is he KO'd if his body is KO'd? Can the NPC be trapped? Does the current villain body instantly become good by his actions, or is his mental state restored once the NPC hero leaves? If the criminal's outlook doesn't improve (and indeed, it may simply get worse after having this done), what repercussions will there be? How can somebody tell if the body is possessed by NPC hero as opposed to someone faking it?

 

For other names, possibly:

Rehabilitator

Repo Man

Possessor (or for a bit of corniness, Professor Possessor)

Specter (if British, Spectre)

Redemption

Purge

[transmetahuman]

Re: Help naming a heroic NPC: Redeemer?

 

I'm still working out some of this stuff, but I'll answer what I can. I'm happy the concept is interesting enough to generate so many questions.

[1] Who did he make this agreement with? His teammates' date=' the local government, and/or the villain he was possesing?[/quote']Originally, I was going to have the possessor guy (let's call him Joe for simplicity) just go ahead and do it, with his teammates' and the public's knowledge, but with the governments out of the loop - "presented with the fait accompli, they've just accepted it so far". Joe is meant to be a member of the world-class supers team, the JLA of the game world, who reside off Earth entirely. But that seemed implausible - the issue of trial, conviction, and the possible innocence of the host might be avoided if he only possessed criminals in the act (though there's always the possibility of mind control), but once I decided to make him extra scrupulous (he worries that his need for a body is clouding his judgment) that just won't wash. Plus I don't want this team to be that Authority-like.

 

I'm not sure if limiting him to volunteers is plausible either - he's risking the life of his bodies, after all. What incentive would make people volunteer? I'm thinking maybe the agreement is with certain nations whose prison systems wouldn't be able to handle the host, where it's a question of capital punishment or being sentenced to hosting Joe. There's no general power nullifying tech in this world. That begs the question of how his host body is supposed to be restrained if he jumps to another one, though; maybe I'll ditch that part.

[2] Isn't he constantly using his power if he's possessing a person at the time?

Heh' date=' okay, technically yes. Though it's not an active use; once he's in, he's in until he jumps to another body.

[3] What's the plan on carrying this out? Does the fighting just "stop" and they restrain his physical form, then get up and say "let's continue"? It seems that if they're having a tough time with Villain X, there may not be enough people able to pull out of the fight to restrain him so he can posses Villain X.

Yeah, I didn't really think it out too well. As a member of the JLA-equivalent, this would all happen off-screen anyway. And I'll probably ditch this aspect.

Additional questions: How is the NPC defeated? Is he KO'd if his body is KO'd? Can the NPC be trapped?

He is just as vulnerable to KO and death as the original "owner". I may even require a touch range' date=' since he won't be jumping in combat anymore. Originally he was going to need to concentrate for a phase or two, so he couldn't evade death in combat that easily.

Does the current villain body instantly become good by his actions, or is his mental state restored once the NPC hero leaves?

The host's mind isn't changed at all; time doesn't even pass for him subjectively.

If the criminal's outlook doesn't improve (and indeed' date=' it may simply get worse after having this done), what repercussions will there be?[/quote']It won't. The idea is that Joe needs a host body to survive, and his possession of one deprives the owner of a life for the duration. Why not use host bodies that the normal system can't handle, that would be deprived of a life anyway? The fact that it makes rehabilitation impossible is countered if he only uses prisoners sentenced to death - but the ambiguity is intended to fuel what is my most angsty NPC to date.

How can somebody tell if the body is possessed by NPC hero as opposed to someone faking it?

Teammates - code words and such' date=' changed every time. Everyone else - hmm. Good question. I guess I'd pictured him only leaving the team base with his teammates around to explain things, but it bears more thinking about.

For other names, possibly:

Rehabilitator

Repo Man

Possessor (or for a bit of corniness, Professor Possessor)

Specter (if British, Spectre)

Redemption

Purge

Haha, much as I love the movie, Repo Man is a bit too flip for this guy. He doesn't have any presence "out of body", so Specter/re doesn't seem to fit. Possessor and Purge don't get his point across, and sound kind of threatening. Redemption might work, but it's still a little too religious to my ears. Rehabilitator... too many syllables, too much like a job title. But Rehab might work - I like it better than anything I've come up with anyway. Thanks!

[Pariah]

Re: Help naming a heroic NPC: Redeemer?

 

Here are a couple I came up with:

 

Instead of Redeemer, how about Redemption? Same concept, but without the same iconographic implications.

 

Interloper (One who interferes in the affairs of others)

 

Purgatory (The opportunity to burn off one's sins; plus, for him, constantly switching from one body to another has got to be a little like Hell.)

 

Impetus (As in, 'He provided the impetus for this guy to turn his life around.')

 

...and for the record, I like Repo Man too.

[Doc Samson]

Re: Help naming a heroic NPC: Redeemer?

 

Cool idea. I once had a vaguely similar but unrelated concept.

 

Name Ideas

Limbo

Puppeteer

Reckon

Retributer

Restituter