PamelaIsley

As I create more 6E characters, I've been looking a lot more closely at villain stats in the 6E books, specifically the three volume set (Master Villlains, Teams, and Solo Villains).  I also have the 5E books, so the issue I'm going to discuss isn't just related to 6E.  When you look at the solo villain book, most villains in it are built to take on a team of superheroes.  Most of their writeups even talk about this fact.  There are a few that aren't built using 400 or more points, but those are really the exceptions. 
 
First off, from a gaming standpoint, I can understand why they are doing this.  Hero seems designed for a group to play and Champions deliberately makes superheroes so powerful that henchmen aren't a plausible threat (there is even an entire section on how to make sure agent fights go fast and aren't boring).  So that means the big bad guy for an adventure needs to take on multiple heroes at once.
 
But from a universe building standpoint, I'm not sure this makes much sense. 
 
Champions Universe says there are roughly three supervillains for every two superheroes.  So there are more villains in the world than heroes.  So we have a conceptual problem almost immediately.  If the villains are not only more numerous than the heroes, but also more powerful, then the world seems in trouble (you can always make the case that their divided, selfish nature keeps everyone safe -- evil eats evil and all that -- but that's a pretty unsatisfying answer).
 
Does the idea that individual villains are more powerful than individual heroes fit with other comic universes?  It certainly doesn't with the Batman and Superman settings.  With very few exceptions, Batman as an individual is significantly more capable than almost all of his Rogues Gallery, especially if you look at the era around TAS and the 1990s and 2000s (the time period I'm most familiar with).  Superman, of course, goes without saying.  The X-Men face a lot of villains that are threats to their entire team, but I'm not sure the average X-Men villain is more capable than the main team members.  Same goes for Spider-Man.  Is he weaker than each member of his Rogue's Gallery?  I will concede that I know very little about other Marvel rogues galleries.
 
I'm a lot more familiar with Batman and the JLA than with any other comic setting.  So a lot of my biases come from that universe.  It seems to me that the tenor of most adventures is that heroes have to figure out what the villain is doing, unwind the villain's plot, and then confront them.  Is the last part supposed to be the most challenging?  If a villain is more powerful than a hero or a team of heroes straight up, then I'm not really understanding why a lot of them go to such trouble to have elaborate plots. 
 
Anyway, my own thoughts are a little rambling.  I'm mostly interested in people's opinions.  Should the average supervillain be more powerful than the average superhero?  Is raw combat power the best way to balance a supervillain against a superteam?  Does the Champions Universe go a little too far in making so many 400+ point villains?
 
My own opinion is that villains should be roughly equal to heroes (if not a little weaker), that most adventures are more fun when they are more about the villain's plot than the villain's stats, and that henchmen / agents / normal people should be more lethal than presented in CU.
 
Thanks all!

I have added an index in the first post and some HDC files.

That's a great writeup.  You make a good case and you have some well-thought out examples for each decade.
 
I have a few issues with it.  I'll nitpick first and then give a broader impression.
 
4. The 1980s is what I originally envisioned as the beginning of the "Modern Era" for the BCU, but then I realized that 1980 was a very long time ago at this point.  I always have in my head that things are taking place around the year 2000 or 2010, but that just dates me in terms of when I was most active with these games.  I am now very fond of non-specific dates.  So I came up with Vanguard appearing 12 years before the Battle of Detroit and the Battle of Detroit taking place eight years before "today."  This actually makes the modern era in my setting over 20 years old.  Which nowadays seems like forever.
 
5. The villains are too old if you do this.  If Gravitar starts being active in 1990 at about age 22, then she would be 50 "today."  That's just one example.  Without tying myself down, I like the idea of just saying "basically" all villains in the published works started about the time of the Champions (or maybe a few years before).  Pretty much all the villains that were active before the Battle of Detroit are gone.  That can be a setting mystery (although I like your explanation too).  This lets me use whatever setting villains I want, without worrying about them being unrealistically old.
 
7. This is exactly what I had in mind.
 
I don't want superheroes to be quite as much of a part of the popular culture and everyday life in the BCU as in the main CU.  Some things in the CU are just a little too much for me (I've mentioned most all of them one point, but I don't like superheroes being cops in capes or testifying in court or being parts of paramilitary groups, etc.).  If Superheroes have been super active for 90 years then they seem too commonplace.  I like my "most everything super happened in the last 20 years" approach.
 
That doesn't meant that there weren't costumed avengers and such in WWII or a few superhumans or super technology users in the intervening decades (maybe a Fantastic Four-like group or the agents you describe).  It just means they aren't really part of the popular culture yet.
 
Most of my changes are designed to de-age many of the published setting heroes and villains to make them usable in a campaign that starts "today."

I would like to advocate for heroes being more "active" between the late 1930's and the present.
 
 1.)  many of the "Action Hero" stars of the 1960's and early 70's were WW2 vets, people like Telly Savalas, Lee Marvin,  Charles Durning, Kirk Douglas, and Paul Newman.  This means that someone "activated' in the WW2 Time frame as a 20 year old would be in their  40's through the 1960's. Assuming a 30 year productive  phase of their lives, this would mean they would be active through the mid 1970's, and retirement age would fall in the early 80's. (Like Commercial Airline Pilots trained as Bomber pilots in WW2, all retiring in the early 80's) Now, the Supers from back then seemed  "slower", and in most cases less powerful than later generations, but many might have been around long enough to be inspirations or mentors to the next or following generation, even if their rep only extended to within their own family, or small town. They would be probably 200 pts at best back then, though most were competent normals with one or two "powers". I think after WW2, most of the Nazi Smashers would  change careers, maybe raise families, But many of the civic minded would continue their public service as crime fighters, or government agents.

2.)  Speaking of Government Agents, Through the fifties and early 60's were the Cold War, and the rise of organized Crime. Perhaps what was seen as a diminishment of "super activity" was instead a shift into more investigative, and covert action. so while there was the usual "Rescuing Kitty from a tree" type news stories and some supers assisting during times of natural or man made disaster, most of the work was in collaboration with state, and federal agencies to thwart the communist or  Mafia threat. There may have actually been more activity than during The War, but a lot of it, was by people with Secret ID's working behind the scenes, and so the public didn't see a lot of it, other than perhaps a few splashy headlines and news reports about "Such and Such Crime Family"< being captured or involved in a battle at their compound with  a Masked Hero. Otherwise, the 50's into the mid 60's would have been a comfortable time, and the Space Race making things more optimistic, as public attention turned to space. This is the time where you see the last of the huge construction efforts were made, such as mega bases and underground installations, as in following decades, environmental impact studies and regulations would put a throttle on size, as well as resource costs.

3.) I would consider the Vietnam Protest years to cause a break in the spirit of Civic service, coupled with the Malaise era pessimism and perhaps a sharp rise in liability, and other such legal challenges would make superheroes a bit more scarce. Court efforts, I could see as forcibly retiring many of the Old guard, leaving a bit of a vacuum. The counter Culture's effect, with the rise of the anti-hero in entertainment, and that 70's "Soft on Crime" sentencing, might give a rise in super villains, as well or at least the "mentors" of the current crop. Point totals may rise a little into the 225 range, but there were probably not that many active participants then.
 
4.) The Reagan years. (My high school and college years) with the rise  of national Optimism, and the eventual demise of the Soviet Union, I would see would spark  a rise in Superheroes.  This also means that anyone that graduated high school, the same year I did, is  11 years away from social security, but their  30 year military retirement in 2012.  I would say here is where we see a lot of the classic Champions Heroes and Villains start. People that started at this time, if still active are the senior members, and/or leaders of organizations and teams. Power levels probably would have jumped, one from the optimism of the time, and two the rapid advance in technology then.
 
5.) The Nineties is probably where most of the current crop of top tier villains got their start.
 
6.) Post 9-11,  that was 18 years ago as of this writing, so  heroes in their 20's and 30's got their start, influenced by then, or developed superpowers in the Military, during the budgetary flush years.  One might start to see a few large megaprojects start after that (but contrast with how long it took to build the 9-11 memorial and the Freedom Tower, though, or even worse the two recent sky scrapers in San Francisco, on competently built, the other leaning precariously, giving an indication that building competence is not as common as it used to be.) So there will be bases build, but probably structures not too much bigger than a Fire Department Engine House. Power level might creep past 275pts, and up.
 
7.) Post Detroit Disaster  Lots of heroes fell. Lots of Villains were "put down" by the few survivors, and some Retirees. The Detroit Disaster, coming only 10 years after 9-11, I would see as sharpening the attitudes of the Post 9-11 attitudes, though I can also see that it being an impetus to withdraw US troops from some overseas areas, to station them as a "ready reserve" in case something else big like that happens. This would be where new heroes, some mentored by retirees, start to assume the mantle of Defenders of Truth Justice and The American Way. 
 
I feel that the past is important. This is where you get a father's or grandfathers special Ring, or  a trunk with an old costume and weapons. This is also where attitudes, of the NPCs and the public in general would be  formed. Because of the constant presence of Superheroes, the Public will be accustomed, if not comfortable with them in their daily life, but even at their height, a random member of the public would encounter a Superhero about as often as they would a member of the county sheriff, or state police., maybe less.  but because ot the media attention, stories within the family, or just a bit of reading, that not only is the public accustomed to the presence of supers, that those that have been given powers, have a set of cultural tropes, and steps to take,  to step into the boots of their predecessors. But like mid range pop stars from decades past, their exploits fade into the background, the place where only the truly legendary still have cultural currency. From the 60's Everyone remembers the Beatles, but who remembers Tommy Roe?  This also presents a source for some deep explorations and mysteries. I would say that looking back it would be periods of "Can do optimism", that spawned a resurgence of Heroes , and in the ebb tides, you might find more villains than normal, but on the whole, people only remember those that were either legendary, or had a direct impact on their lives.
 
Thoughts?

That's a great writeup.  You make a good case and you have some well-thought out examples for each decade.
 
I have a few issues with it.  I'll nitpick first and then give a broader impression.
 
4. The 1980s is what I originally envisioned as the beginning of the "Modern Era" for the BCU, but then I realized that 1980 was a very long time ago at this point.  I always have in my head that things are taking place around the year 2000 or 2010, but that just dates me in terms of when I was most active with these games.  I am now very fond of non-specific dates.  So I came up with Vanguard appearing 12 years before the Battle of Detroit and the Battle of Detroit taking place eight years before "today."  This actually makes the modern era in my setting over 20 years old.  Which nowadays seems like forever.
 
5. The villains are too old if you do this.  If Gravitar starts being active in 1990 at about age 22, then she would be 50 "today."  That's just one example.  Without tying myself down, I like the idea of just saying "basically" all villains in the published works started about the time of the Champions (or maybe a few years before).  Pretty much all the villains that were active before the Battle of Detroit are gone.  That can be a setting mystery (although I like your explanation too).  This lets me use whatever setting villains I want, without worrying about them being unrealistically old.
 
7. This is exactly what I had in mind.
 
I don't want superheroes to be quite as much of a part of the popular culture and everyday life in the BCU as in the main CU.  Some things in the CU are just a little too much for me (I've mentioned most all of them one point, but I don't like superheroes being cops in capes or testifying in court or being parts of paramilitary groups, etc.).  If Superheroes have been super active for 90 years then they seem too commonplace.  I like my "most everything super happened in the last 20 years" approach.
 
That doesn't meant that there weren't costumed avengers and such in WWII or a few superhumans or super technology users in the intervening decades (maybe a Fantastic Four-like group or the agents you describe).  It just means they aren't really part of the popular culture yet.
 
Most of my changes are designed to de-age many of the published setting heroes and villains to make them usable in a campaign that starts "today."

So stealing from Killer Shrike, here are my proposed setting parameters.  I tried to keep it simple (I originally went through all the active members of Sentinel, Capital Patrol, and Justice Squadron, but how often will that actually come up?), but it's still longer than Killer Shrike's.  I couldn't decide on whether the campaign would be centered on 300 point or 400 point 6E heroes, so I just wrote it up as though either could be used.  This is very much a draft.
 
The Bluebird Champions Universe (BCU)
A Modified Champions Universe Setting
 
Main Differences from 6E Champions Universe
 
1. Magic is not the source of all superpowers.  Superpowers come from a variety of means, and supermagic is just one possible origin for superhumans.
2. Ignore all published dates in the 5E and 6E Champions Universe.  Unless a specific date is given in the BCU, all events simply occur in the past.
3. There have been no extradimensional or alien invasions of the Earth.  Very few people on Earth believe in the existence of extraterrestrials.  Superheroes and villains with alien origins exist, but the public either does not believe their origin stories or is unaware of them.
4. Other dimensions exist, but there are no known interdimensional empires or states.  Dimensions exist primarily as the domain of entities such as demons, Lovecraftian monsters, or unknown forms of energy.  There is very little extradimensional travel, even by these other entities, without elaborate summoning rituals.
5. UNTIL, PRIMUS, and similar organizations do not exist.  Governments monitor superhuman activity, but regular defense and law enforcement agencies are responsible for dealing with any threats.
6. Superheroes and supervillains cancel each other out in a geopolitical sense.  Governments and militaries are far more powerful than even the combined might of all superhumans, so superhumans are not a factor in global political maneuverings.  No government maintains a large superhero team to supplement its military forces.
7. Supertechnology has not really spread enough to have any effect on the world’s technological level.  Virtually all villainous henchmen use real world guns, not blasters.
8. Superhumans were largely inactive during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.  The modern era of superhumans began with the appearance of Vanguard about 12 years before the Battle of Detroit.  This coincided with the rise of Dr. Destroyer and Takofanes.
9. The Battle of Detroit happened eight years ago.  The battle seriously weakened the superhero community, causing most teams to slowly disband and many solo heroes to retire (if they weren’t killed in the fighting).  For unexplained reasons, many of the villains active during this time also faded away.
10. The new era of superheroes began with the founding of the Champions a “year or so” before the present year. Almost all villain origins should be considered to start within a few years of this event, unless there is a strong thematic reason to have them active in the earlier modern era.  (The purpose of this is to keep villain ages somewhat realistic.)
11. Although in decline, the Sentinels and Justice Squadron (called Justice in the BCU) are still active, although they are rapidly being eclipsed in prominence by the Champions.
12. The following master villains from 6E Volume 1 do not exist in the BCU: Istvatha V’han, Shadow Destroyer, Shadow Queen, Skarn, Tezcatlipoca, Tyrannon, and Doctor Yin Wu.
13. The following master villains were “finally” defeated around the time of the Battle of Detroit, and are not active: Dr. Destroyer and Takofanes.
14. The following villain teams from 6E Volume 2 do not exist in the BCU: Red Guard and Tiger Squad.
 
Typical Hero Rules
 
1. Typical "new" heroes are created either as low powered (300 point / 60 matching complications) or standard (400 point / 75 matching complications) characters.
2. No character may have more than one characteristic above 20 without a strong thematic reason (no randomly high dexterities or constitutions, as is common in published material).  If someone has a Dexterity above 20 or an intelligence above 20 for example, there needs to be a reason they are one of the world’s greatest athletes or one of the most brilliant humans to ever live.
3. In general, active points are capped at either 60 points (low-powered heroes) or 75 points (standard), with possible exceptions for an individual power.  DCs should be capped around 12. Villains and NPC heroes will be adjusted to compensate for this, as needed.
4. Non-speedsters should not have a SPD above 6.
5. Extradimensional origins should be avoided.

@Killer Shrike
 
I love these setting parameters:
 
1. Magic is not the seed of all superpowers.
2. The Champions went missing a year ago. No one seems to know where they went. This isn't necessarily a campaign plot point, I just wanted them out of the way so that the PC's can have the stage. Their base and other accoutrements are in the care of Dr. Silverback in the meantime.
3. The smart chips used in MC are not generally known about by anyone, even most cops.
4. Turakian Age, Valdorian Age, Terran Empire, Galactic Champions, and other published settings are not in the same timeline as CU5-KS1.
5. Campaign morality is a little darker than CU proper. Not Iron Age dark, but a little grittier. People do get killed, and Killing attacks are used from time to time. Killing people as a hero will result in legal action and/or issues with other non-lethal heroes.
 
I am going to try to do something similar for my proposed setting, keeping things as simple as I can.

I so totally ignore the magic is the root of everything angle that I didn't even think to mention it. 
 
I own the Terran Empire sourcebook (and haven't ever read it; I bought the Traveller stuff around the same time and just used the Third Imperium), but I ignore pretty much all the timeline stuff that isn't "modern age" CU. 

Thanks Sean!
 
This actually is closer to what I was looking for.  I will just build it as part of sight.

"Completely replacing the affected body parts with the body parts of another person" as the "cure" to a Transform seems more than a little bit like the player trying to abuse the system, to me at least. I can't say that I'm familiar with the writeups of a ton of 6e characters, but if a player submitted this power to me, I'd insist on replacing that "transplant" portion with something a wee bit more commonly found in the world. I've always taken the "can be cured by a transplant" as a given for the special effects of most Transforms which affect someone's body. I mean, if a villain's poison Transforms my body into being a paralyzed body, using Dr. Nobody's mind-switch gizmo to put my mind into someone else's body gets rid of the poison Transform on my character even if that Transform didn't specifically say it could be cured by a transplant.
 
 
I'm curious to know how you envision this Susceptibility working.
 
As far as her eyes are concerned, she would be in total darkness any time there was no light visible to her eyes. On the other hand, her powers can generate infrared light which her eyes cannot perceive. I could argue that at any time she's in an environment which is above absolute zero that her surrounding are emitting infrared light (mainly because her surroundings are literally doing that : ) ) so her body would be exposed to light even if her eyes could not perceive that particular wavelength.
 
So how "total" does the "total darkness" have to be?
 
And does using her powers to create various frequencies of light stop the Susceptibility from kicking in? Because if they do, I'd have a problem with this complication being at the uncommon level.
 
 
I like the idea of this but you don't need to buy the personal immunity considering how many points she's already dumped into Flash Defense. You could use that +1/4 to buy the END to zero or get some other advantage.
 
I've wanted to build a character who uses a power like this as a damage shield (or perhaps triggered by being hit or grappled in melee if the damage shield advantage isn't being used in whatever version I'm playing). It'd be a nasty surprise to anyone trying to go hand-to-hand with her and I don't believe that building the power in that manner wouldn't use up her phase when it triggers. I think of the name for the power built in this form as Flashback.
 
 
I'd like to mention that I really appreciate use of the "Only Works Against Light" disadvantage since I think that's criminally under-used in builds and is appropriate for the vast majority of SFX of Flash Defense.
 
I've got a mage whose Flash attack consists of conjured rotten fruit flung into the face of the target. Sorry but your Flash Defense goggles shouldn't work against a rotten watermelon being momentarily stuck on your head or a flock of bats being in your face, etc.
 
 
Having said all of that, I like Aetheria...and may be in love with Ultragirl.

Pish pash posh.  We worry too much about balance. 
 
1. Hero is not a balanced game, much as we would like it to be.  Two characters built on the same points are not equally effective: what determines how effective they are is the game they are run in.  If the game is very dungeon and combat oriented then the subtle diplomat is going to be useless, or nearly so.
 
2. In pretty much every other game, equipment is free or, at least, only costed by in-game currency and in-game availability.  This does not tip the game over because it is not just PCs who have access to all this loot.
 
3. The attempts to bring balance to the rules are about as successful as the attempts to bring balance to The Force, and we all know where that leads: Jar-Jar Binks.  As an example I was reading about killing attacks, while I prepare a rant, and saw this gem (1E242):  Increased STUN multiplier (+¼): This Power Advantage increases the STUN Multiplier of a Killing Attack. Characters can purchase it multiple times, with no limit to how many times they can buy it, but must have the GM’s permission to buy it more than once for any particular attack.  Sheesh.
 
4. What stops the pointy hatted Wizard buying a bow and using his magic to enhance his ability?  Nothing, but all the NPCs can do the same thing.  What stops the heavily built Barbarian buying a sword then using skill to enhance his ability?  Nothing either, but no one is getting upset about that, are they?  Another example from also 1E242:  Swordmaster’s Skill: HKA +1d6 (adds to any sword-based HKA), reduced endurance (0 END; +½) (22 active points); only with swords (-½), requires a DEX roll (-½). total cost: 11 points.  Whilst I do not think that is a very good example build, it does illustrate the point.  Badly, but it illustrates it.
 
5. RAW Hero makes you pay for bases.  I, well, I don't even know where to start.  I've never used that whole section.  You tell me the last time a band of adventurers took over an abandoned keep then failed to improve their fighting ability for 6 months to pay for it.  24th of Never, I believe.
 
6. We've had the discussion elsewhere about why swords should be Character Point free and spells are not.  Well, why shouldn't spells be CP free too?  Sure, you don't want every angry mage running round with an 200 point Apocalypse Spell just because they got invited to Neverland as a child and had to spend the hush money somehow, but in any sensibly constructed game-world there will be restrictions on supply, or you could hybrid it: everyday swords and spells are cash only; all the special stuff, you have to splash out for.  Just like in Neverland.
 
My advice to GMs is to fix it in the mix i.e. pitch the game so that it is challenging to these particular PCs and also not be afraid to tell a player 'I don't care if it is technically rules legal, no you can't, because I said so.'  If a player makes a sad face, well, you'll just have to find a way to live with yourself.  Hopefully, however, they will accept that it is wrong to ruin the game for everyone else just so they can go on a mad ego trip.  Obviously being on a mad ego trip is the GM's job.
 
Happy Goram Valentine's Day.

I can't make a math case for my opinion, but this exact issue came up frequently in my M&M gaming and it's just frustrating.  You shouldn't make characters pay for equipment that is easily available elsewhere.  Cell phones, flash lights, goggles, binoculars, coats for cold weather, regular automobiles, etc. should just be available whenever people want them.  It's just ludicrous to write up a Superman clone and then include an entry on his sheet for his iPhone or a simple communicator.  If you can buy it on Amazon or at a mall, players should have it.
 
Guns and weapons are more on the line, I guess.  But my players used to make fun of me for trying (early on) to enforce the rule that if they picked up a gun from one of Joker's goons during a fight, they'd have to get rid of it by the end of the session.  Why?  What happened? Magic recall?
 
The rest of your points go more to games that involve superheroes more powerful than my preference.  I wouldn't jack up attacks just because guns are easier to use.  In fact, I'm constantly trying to keep guns and normal humans effective in my super games.  I hate the idea of Silver Age power levels and the idea that just because someone can shoot energy out of their fingers, they can fight at the same level as a jet, tank, or APC.
 
Anyway, my opinion didn't help you much.  I'm just backing up the idea that enforcing equipment rules on superheroes drives many players nuts.

I'm not sure the other players (or the GM) will appreciate an entire side adventure built around one person running around a gem. 
 
For the purpose that I envision, I think Transformation works best.
 
Using extradimensional movement does remind me of Nebula (a villain in the 6E Volume 3 book, as well as some 5E stuff) and her ability to transport people to a sort of hellish prison dimension for eternity.

Hero's version of Mind Control is hopelessly broken. If I were a supervillain, I wouldn't spend a single point on it (it's arguable how suitable long-term mind control is for a PC).  But that's another thread.
 
You are absolutely right, though, that at some point they should have rewritten things to make more sense.  If Desolidification can apply immunity to a certain type of damage for a certain cost, just invent a power called Immunity that costs the same thing so the label makes sense to people who aren't hero experts.  Same thing goes for Running/Flying I guess. 

To be honest, this is a problem with a lot of Hero.
 
P1: "I want to be immune to a certain type of attack."
 
GM: "Ok, buy Desolidification."
 
P2: "Well, I want to use Mind Control to make people into my slaves."
 
GM: "Ok, buy Transform."
 
 

I'm not sure the other players (or the GM) will appreciate an entire side adventure built around one person running around a gem. 
 
For the purpose that I envision, I think Transformation works best.
 
Using extradimensional movement does remind me of Nebula (a villain in the 6E Volume 3 book, as well as some 5E stuff) and her ability to transport people to a sort of hellish prison dimension for eternity.

In DnD, the body disappears and the person is trapped in the gem.
 
Functionally, in both Hero and DnD really, I think it basically means the person is transformed into a gem.

Although it's not explicitly stated anywhere, I'm guessing that the Champions were required to disclose their secret identities when they joined the team.  This means that Witchcraft, Nighthawk, Kinetik, and Defender all know who each other are (everyone, of course, knows who Sapphire and Ironclad are).  But I have some questions about Defender, and who else knows his identity.  This is caused by the complications of being a Powered Armor hero. 
 
The Champions housekeeper, Wendy Brooks, and their liaison are both mentioned in 5E and 6E writeups as reacting to Defender's handsome appearance (Wendy has a crush on him and Denise doesn't see what the big deal is).  Presumably, to find Defender handsome they must be seeing him outside his powered armor.  That makes sense because it is unlikely he would walk around HQ in his armor all the time.  But it also means that both of them must know his secret identity because James Harmon is a very widely known individual.
 
But the mystery goes a little deeper (primarily because Champions can't resist remarking on how attractive people find Defender).  Gravitar stops attacking Seattle in exchange for a date with Defender.  Is she just assuming he's good looking under his armor?  Or did she know what he looked like (meaning she, too, must know he's James Harmon).  If she was just guessing he was attractive, then I'm assuming she must have found out when they went out to dinner (and dancing!?).  He didn't wear his armor then, right?  Gravitar probably did wear her usual mask (which in superhero terms, absolutely hides her identity, something I have no issue with as it is a trope I like).
 
Maybe Defender wears an improvised superhero mask when he's outside his armor around support staff and others that he meets with?  That makes some sense.  I can't imagine he shows up at meetings with the mayor or government officials in his armor (or maybe he does; it isn't as bulky looking as Warlord's or Devastator's after all).  If he does do this, though, it's never really mentioned or even alluded to anywhere.
 
What do people think?

Some villain groups come together to share and grow their knowledge about something specific (the Devil's Advocates come to mind in the CU).

Based on the helpful comments from others, this is the outline I've come up with:
 
The Bluebird Champions Universe (BCU)
A Modified Champions Universe Setting
 
Main Differences from 6E Champions Universe
 
1. Magic is not the source of all superpowers.  Superpowers come from a variety of means, and supermagic is just one possible origin for superhumans.
2. Ignore all published dates in the 5E and 6E Champions Universe.  Unless a specific date is given in the BCU, all events simply occur in the past.
3. There have been no extradimensional or alien invasions of the Earth.  Very few people on Earth believe in the existence of extraterrestrials.  Superheroes and villains with alien origins exist, but the public either does not believe their origin stories or is unaware of them.
4. Other dimensions exist, but there are no known interdimensional empires or states.  Dimensions exist primarily as the domain of entities such as demons, Lovecraftian monsters, or unknown forms of energy.  There is very little extradimensional travel, even by these other entities, without elaborate summoning rituals.
5. UNTIL, PRIMUS, and similar organizations do not exist.  Governments monitor superhuman activity, but regular defense and law enforcement agencies are responsible for dealing with any threats.
6. Superheroes and supervillains cancel each other out in a geopolitical sense.  Governments and militaries are far more powerful than even the combined might of all superhumans, so superhumans are not a factor in global political maneuverings.  No government maintains a large superhero team to supplement its military forces.
7. Supertechnology has not really spread enough to have any effect on the world’s technological level.  Virtually all villainous henchmen use real world guns, not blasters.
8. Superhumans were largely inactive during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.  The modern era of superhumans began with the appearance of Vanguard about 12 years before the Battle of Detroit.  This coincided with the rise of Dr. Destroyer and Takofanes.
9. The Battle of Detroit happened eight years ago.  The battle seriously weakened the superhero community, causing most teams to slowly disband and many solo heroes to retire (if they weren’t killed in the fighting).  For unexplained reasons, many of the villains active during this time also faded away.
10. The new era of superheroes began with the founding of the Champions a “year or so” before the present year. Almost all villain origins should be considered to start within a few years of this event, unless there is a strong thematic reason to have them active in the earlier modern era.  (The purpose of this is to keep villain ages somewhat realistic.)
11. Although in decline, the Sentinels and Justice Squadron (called Justice in the BCU) are still active, although they are rapidly being eclipsed in prominence by the Champions.
12. The following master villains from 6E Volume 1 do not exist in the BCU: Istvatha V’han, Shadow Destroyer, Shadow Queen, Skarn, Tezcatlipoca, Tyrannon, and Doctor Yin Wu.
13. The following master villains were “finally” defeated around the time of the Battle of Detroit, and are not active: Dr. Destroyer and Takofanes.
14. The following villain teams from 6E Volume 2 do not exist in the BCU: Red Guard and Tiger Squad.
 
Typical Hero Rules
 
1. Typical "new" heroes are created either as low powered (300 point / 60 matching complications) or standard (400 point / 75 matching complications) characters.
2. No character may have more than one characteristic above 20 without a strong thematic reason (no randomly high dexterities or constitutions, as is common in published material).  If someone has a Dexterity above 20 or an intelligence above 20 for example, there needs to be a reason they are one of the world’s greatest athletes or one of the most brilliant humans to ever live.
3. In general, active points are capped at either 60 points (low-powered heroes) or 75 points (standard), with possible exceptions for an individual power.  DCs should be capped around 12. Villains and NPC heroes will be adjusted to compensate for this, as needed.
4. Non-speedsters should not have a SPD above 6.
5. Extradimensional origins should be avoided.
 
---Original Post Below --
I love the Champions Universe.  I came to it after starting Champions Online and found that it was a superior version of Freedom City (from M&M) with more compelling characters and a lot more thought given to how superheroes and villains would interact with the real world (although, as I discuss below, that thought isn't always in the direction that I agree with).  Traditionally, the DC Universe has been my go-to for superhero adventuring, but I've become a bit detached from it over the last five to ten years. 
 
I'm probably not going to do much PnP gaming in the near future, but as a thought exercise I wanted to continue a project I started when I first bought all my Hero/Champions products in 2009-2010.  I'd like to modify the Champions Universe.  Specifically, I'd like to de-Silver Age it and simplify it so that it resembles the real world a little bit more.  I wanted to get people's thoughts on what aspects would need to be excised or cleaned up to make it more "realistic" (obviously a relative term in the superhero world).
 
There are actual rule mechanic issues that would need to be addressed to make the campaign less Silver Age (most obviously the imposition of some kind of logical characteristic maxima rules on the published characters; the number of random 20+ characteristics on characters that don't have any backstory to justify it is just staggering), but I'm not really interested in that so much as adjusting the history and flavor text of the world.
 
So what Silver Age flavor elements jump out from the setting?
 
The first problematical element is the prevalence of vast, intergalatic empires that make regular contact with Earth, but which, for some reason, haven't really changed how humans interact with themselves or other nations.  This has always bugged me.  So, using the 6E Champions Universe books as a guide, I would probably remove them all.  I would essentially eliminate everything in the "Beyond Earth" section starting on page 104.  This doesn't mean there can't be some aliens in the universe, but they aren't going to be obvious and their existence would be more in line with X-Files than with Star Trek (no alien ambassadors, no massive invasions, and disbelief at any superheroes that claim an extraterrestrial origin). 
 
I would probably remove all references to extradimensional conquerors.  Similarly to alien empires, regular contact with beings like this would probably fundamentally alter society in ways that would make the world unrecognizable.  So I would cut basically everything from Realms Beyond (p. 107).  This would include dimensional supervillains like Skarn and Isvatha V'han (both of which never sat right with me anyway).  Again, this doesn't mean there aren't demons or other sinister threats lurking in other dimensions (like the Kings of Edom).  It just means that there isn't any regular, widely-known contact with them.  Dimensional portals aren't opening up every few years for vast armies to flow through to conquer the Earth.  That's just a bit too "out there" for me.
 
Those are significant changes, but probably not the most critical. A big Silver Age element of the Champions Universe is the long-time existence of superheroes and their almost commonplace existence in the world.  I wonder if that should be scaled back.  For example, I had considered reworking the universe's timeline to shorten the period that superheroes have been active.  Maybe there were a few costumed avengers or even low-powered heroes during World War II, but they faded from existence after that.  There were very few to none in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s (this spares us the Watchmen issue of why didn't superheroes win the Vietnam War or dramatically alter the Cold War).  Superhumans became more common in the 1980s, when Dr. Destroyer also appeared.  This period of superhuman activity culminated in the Battle of Detroit, where many were killed, leading to another lull.  This opened up the opportunity for teams like the Champions to spring up, and suddenly became some of the most prominent heroes in the world.
 
The reason I would do something like this is that it helps with the idea that many supervillains and some heroes in the Champions Universe are unrealistically old if they were operating continuously throughout the  period that the Champions Universe has existed.  Comics sometimes face this problem (like if Batman has been operating in Gotham for 20 years, then he, the Joker, Catwoman, etc. are really getting up there in years).  Dr. Destroyer is admitted to be 93 years old in 6E Villains book one.  At some point, you have to wonder how villains created during this period of Champions growth are still alive (just from old age concerns, much less constant combat with heroes and governments).  If you take the period of 1950-1980 basically out of the universe, you almost allow a reset on many of the character ages, allowing them to still be in operation in 2000, 2010, or 2020 (or whatever year you want to use as a baseline).  At some point, even 2000 or 2010 become long enough ago that you might need to take the 1980s or even 90s out, and set the Battle of Detroit in 2002 or something similar so you could use Destroyer, the Champions, etc. realistically.
 
This section became a little bit of a rant, but this is a thorny issue that's always bothered me.
 
Other Silver Age elements that might be scaled back could be the existence of things like Atlantis, Lemuria, and the Empyreans.
 
I would probably also eliminate UNTIL because the UN simply hasn't developed in this direction in the real world.  I might get rid of superhero-specific departments in the United States as well, given how hard it was post-2001 for the government to reshape its national security agencies (although, arguably, that proved it was at least possible). 
 
I would move VIPER's debut date to be more recent and maybe change it to be less HYDRA and more COBRA, particularly in terms of its supertechnology.  (On supertechnology in general, I would dramatically scale back the existence and use of sci-fi type weaponry that is a Champions staple.  There's no real point to having everyone use Star Wars-type blasters and it can affect many players and GMs' level of immersion.)
 
This is way more than I intended to write to start.  What other things do people think could be safely trimmed or changed to take some of the Silver Age elements out of the universe? 
 
I also want to make it clear that I'm proposing changes that suit my preferences and opinions and am not trying to tell anyone that this would be a "better" version of the CU  (I think it would be but not everyone is going to agree).  I am very well aware that some people really love the Silver Age and like those elements to be preserved in even modern era settings.

Oh, it so does.
 
http://www.mms.com/

Champions Online is why I initially bought a bunch of Champions and Hero books when the game released in 2009.  I don't have any interest in the Hero System rules any more, but I am very interested in all the information I can find on the Champions Universe (although, honestly, not with Golden or Silver Age type stuff).
 
So it does work sometimes.