Powerhouse

Re: What's the Big Difference? Last one for tonight though I might have one for Nighthawk sometime... we'll see. Sapphire: "Kory! Kory wake up!" Muttering, Sapphire rolled over in bed and clutched the pillow over her head. "Oh man... in this reality I still live at home?" Opening one eye, she saw the familiar beige walls of her childhood room. "Oh brother... what a loser my counterpart is." Peeking her head in, an older and pleasantly plump Hispanic woman said, "Kory you have to get up. You have that big meeting with the Parents-Teachers Council. Very important!" Groaning, Sapphire pulled the pillow over her head. "I have that here too!" Last week in her home world, the singer had been force to endure a sit down with the PTC to end a boycott of her records. Like I'm the only singer who bares her midriff and shakes her hips, she thought crossly. Four hours of lectures and arguments had ended with an agreement for speak at about a dozen schools to promote "solid morale values among our young women." "Kory..." Tossing the pillow aside, Sapphire pulled herself into a sitting position. "Fine, fine... I'm coming. I swear that sometimes it seems that the PTC wouldn't even *exist* if it wasn't for me." With a puzzled look on her face, Kory's mother said, "well you could almost say that's true my dear. Now breakfast is almost ready so get dressed." "Yeah, yeah..." the heroine muttered as she stumbled out of bed and walked to her closet. She'd probably pick something business-like... but showing a lot of leg and jus a hint of cleavage. Worked last time, she thought with a grin. Tweed maybe.... "MOM!!!!!" In a rush, her mother was there. "What's wrong Kory?" Frowning, Sapphire asked, "umm... what's this?" A wave of her hand, sparkling a bit with energy as frustration tickled at her mind, indicated row upon rows of long, flowing white dresses that covered from head to toe and left everything to the imagination. The only ornamentation were silver crosses and frilly bows. "Umm... your clothes dears!" "No they're not! Where's leather! And lace! My tube tops and mini's!" On the verge of tears, she added, "I can't find my favorite belt! It took me 6 days on Rodeo Drive to find the *perfect* one!" "Dear, are you ok?" Placing a hand on Sapphire's forehead, her mother frowned. "Oh it's so hard to tell if you have a fever when you sparkle. Kory... you've *never* been to Rodeo Drive. Remember when you lead that rally against because it emphasized materialism and waste that could go to charity." Sapphire dropped flat onto her bottom. "Never .... been to Rodeo Drive." Glancing in confusion her eye fell onto the four pairs of sensible shoes in the closet. "Are those... it? I don't have my **** me pumps anymore?" "Kory! You've never said anything like that before! You must be feeling sick! You can't go like that to the meeting. And they were going to give you that award too." "Award?" "Yes! The PTC wanted to thank you for your support in pulling MTV from the air! It was a huge success. In fact, you pretty much did it single-handedly. Isn't it wonderful?" "I took MTV... off the air?" Burying her head in her hands, Sapphire managed to mutter, "what, is VH-1 next?" "Of course not! Especially since they became a solely Christian music channel with my precious Kory as its lead star! Why some even call it VH-Sapphire!" Hands on her cheeks, the woman struggled to control herself. "I'm sorry dear but I'm just so proud and today was going to be so big for you... even bigger than when you received the Virtue Award." Sapphire *was* starting to feel sick. "Virtue Award... I don't even wanna know..." "Well of course *I* don't have to tell you about it. Everyone remembers when you went on national television and pledged to wait until marriage! So many young women were inspired by you." Curling into a fetal position, Sapphire whined, "someone kill me now." Helping Sapphire up, her mother muttered comforting words as the heroine into bed. "Now now dear... I know they'll understand that you're too sick to show up." Tucking her daughter in, the elder woman smiled and added, "still I'm sure you'll be fine for next week's rally." Not wanting to know, Sapphire grimaced and asked anyway. "Rally?" Nodding enthusiastically, her mother said, "the one against the WWE to stop their violence and exploitation of women. Bulldozer will be giving the main speech." Clutching the sheets to her chest, Sapphire squeaked out, "Bulldozer Mom?" "Of course! Who else could deliver that speech but your fiancée?"

Re: What's the Big Difference? Witchfire's experience can be summed up in a few questions: 1. "Why are *all* of my clothes black, leather, spiky, and conceal just about nothing? 2. Why dose my cat appear to have a terrible case of mange? 3. Come to think of it, why is he also foaming at the mouth? 4. For that matter, why does one room of my mystic sanctum lead to a room full of whips, chains, and hooded men shackled to the wall? 5. Why do flowers wilt when I approach them? and.... SURELY there's a reason why Takofanes is prostrate before me, trembling, and muttering something about "great and terrible mistress..."

Re: What's the Big Difference? Kenetix, who takes being a role-model for African Americans so seriously. "I'm white!" *Pulls back his elastic waistband and looks down with a sigh. "Yeah, guess so." I hope that didn't push things TOO far.

Re: What's the Big Difference? For the Champions, starting with Defender: Defender: Emerging from the secret door that leads from his bedroom to outside, the still armored wonder of the Champions is surprised to see his father standing there. "Dad! What are you doing here?" With a puzzled look, the elder Harmon replies, "why waiting for you of course. We go through this *every* time you come back from one of your little adventures." With a bored expression, he waves Defender on. "So what happened this time?" Floored, Defender lifts his old man in a great big hug and swings him around! "This is so great! Here you know who I am! I can finally relax, knowing that you're so proud of me!" "Yes, well son I didn't say I was *proud* of you though of course I approve of what you do. Just a little difference but you've always known that." Sputtering, Defender replies, "but Dad I've stopped Doctor Destroyer! And the Crowns of Krim. Just last week I saved the *world* with the rest of the Champions!" Patting his hands before him in a calming motion, the elder Harmon states, "yes, yes... all good. Just not good enough. Now in *my* day as the *original* Defender-" "Original Defender?" "Yes original as in first, number one, numero uno and all that. *I* didn't just save the world. I saved the universe... three times! And defeated the dreaded Tekos from Alpha Centauri. Now he could have grabbed Doctor Destroyer in one hand used him as a toothpick! And Dark Seraph... he's ok for a beginner but *I* pruned Tyrannon! PRUNED him son! Down to the trunk!" A loud clank echoes through the room as Defender falls onto his armored keister. "You did... all that?" "Yep! So son, you're just not there yet. Can't say I'm proud of you... nor sir! You're still bush-leagues, the amateurs, eating at the little kid's table. Maybe one day..." Head resting in an armored gauntlet, Defender struggles not to cry. "Of course son... if you'd settle down I *might* be proud of you. I mean... they're not *my* choices but I guess I want you to be happy. Of course in *my* day a hero didn't date his teammates." Confused, Defender mutters, "yeah... I guess I could do that-" A sudden knock startles Defender and the door to his room nearly snaps off the hinges. The floor groans in its effort to support Ironclad as he hurries into the room. "Defender, there you are! We've been looking for you!" On his feet, Defender looks around. "What's wrong? Is the city under attack? Is Viper demanding a ransom?" Light shining off his shaking head, the alien replied. "No, no. I was just... worried." Clasping Defender on the shoulder, Ironclad suddenly squeezes. "Hey, you been working out? That's not just armor" Leaning in close, he whispers, "I can tell." "Umm... thanks." Before Defender could speak further, wind rushed through the room as a blur coalesces into Kinetix. "Back off big man! You're too butch for him!" Hands in a warding motion before him, Defender backs off slowly towards the window. "Really guys... that's ok." Glass rapped behind him. Turning around suddenly, the armored champion stared past the glass to Nighthawk. "Ummm... hi Nighthawk." Peering closely, Defender stuttered, "are those... flowers." After a few tense moments, he also manages to squeak out, "shouldn't those handcuffs be *in* your utility belt?"

Re: New Sentinels stats Thank you very kindly for the post.

Re: The Case for Doctor Destroyer "Horus-Re: Superman analogue. STR ranges from 80-120 depending on multipower configuration ( brick tricks available ), usual megascale flight package, and the dreaded White Knight Defense. Basically, hit him with an average 10d6 RKA, and he takes 0 Body and 7 Stun. Hit him with a 20d6 RKA, and he takes 9 Body and 29 Stun. Oh, and he regenerates a bit too, and has 45 PRE and +5d6 Rep." White Knight defense? How does that work? And how DOES one damage Horus-Re with tricks like that? Actually, I've heard the Sentinels mentioned several times. Any write-ups on the net? Thanks.

Re: The Case for Doctor Destroyer I'll try to stay on topic... really! "My concept would essentially be a cross between Black Panther and Doctor Doom. Essentially the Black Panther with elements of Doctor Doom's personality grafted onto them. Someone who grew up in one of the bloodier warzones. Lost some of his village to famine, lost some of them to war, and more recently there's AIDS on top of that. " I like this. Sounds similar to Magneto who went through the holocaust and saw the worst in humanity. Little wonder that this person would be militant himself. "And of course the first world countries are making the AIDS treatments expensive to recoup their costs when there are people dying in Africa." As noted, it is expensive to produce these medicines. Also the expense varies greatly depending upon which country it's purchased in since many nations have control over medical care and can unfairly dictate a price. I would hopes that the character would know this since he sounds to be so incredibly intelligent and I'd love to know his response to the problem such as perhaps stealing the patented formulas or kidnapping those who create the drug and so he can manufacture the drug. Then he turns around and gives it away. What a dilemna for the heroes! He's breaking the law and endangering future researcg but he's also helping millions who might have have recieved it. Nice, sticky situation. Of course it also posistions him as a power-broker or sorts so there may be some ulterior motives. "Essentially, instead of Black Panther inheriting something, he more or less has to start from the bottom conquering his way to the top. " Very Dr Doom-eqse (since he started from nothing as well). "Power-wise, he's a highly trained normal, possibly Black Panther level in perfection, but he also has a suit of powered armor built for him by his chief engineer and reinforced by enchantments from his chief magician." A bit over the place but workable. "His goals keep expanding as his horizons do. At first he wanted to bring peace and prosperity to his village, then the region around it, then to his country. He's now looking at the whole African continent and wanting to become Emperor of a unified Africa." I like this as well but in a different way. It shows his growing ambition. Perhaps he can struggle with it. He is smart enough to realize that he's not satisfied and wonders if he's growing greedy and following the path of other conquerors who have often left chaos and disarray in the longrun. What of his legacy? He can't live forever and who will be able to hold his empire together? Another plot seed? "He will bring it peace and prosperity. He wants to take the great deserts of the north and make them bloom as they once did thousands of years ago, among other things." *gag* Sorry... just not fond of the whole making the world better through dictatorship. More on that later. I'd read the above as saying that he wants to bring peace and prosperity rather than it's a forgone conclusion that it will happen. "Of course he's also looking at the problems of overpopulation and environmental damage happening on a global scale and realizing that he cannot just focus on Africa. He's going to have to bring the world under his dominion as well to create peace and prosperity for all of the world and to keep the human race from fouling its nest." See above about better living through dictatorship... also why not seek to create technologies that people will embrace that are non-polluting unless I suppose, and indeed it's likely, that he thinks no one will adopt them since it could disrupt the control of corporations. "He rules with an iron hand in part because there are so many factions that would want to tear his country apart with ancient tribal feuds, with agents from corporations and governemnts in the first world wanting to exploit his country's people for cheap labor and export their natural resources for a fraction of what they would be worth. He isn't paranoid, he's got a long list of enemies who have profited from Africa's prior chaos or wish to wrest his creation from him." Actually he is paranoid. Africa has suffered at the hands of the west but it's also created many of its own problems and invited the first world into its land. Slaves most often came from warring tribes, not Europeans going on hunts. If he doesn't acknowledge this in some way, or at least avoids going on rants, he's going to come off as a zealot rather than an eloquent and highly intelligent, if ruthless, man who wants to make life better for people rather than just serve his zealotry. Also, tribal hatreds run DEEP and he had better have a very heavy iron hand to keep it in rein. "He's not a great an admirer of democracy and free enterprise capitalism, the way he watches the Americans hog the world's resources, exploit cheap labor in third world nations and dump their poisons all over the place. His childhood was in a place of freedom (read: anarchy) and he has a dim view of that and a very strong view of law and order and keeping people from doing evil things. He stepped on first world interests when he nationalized some foreign corporate holdings in his country." So he upholds law and order by stealing from others? Something to point out though I suppose he sees it as restoring what is rightly that of the people's. Of course they are relying on foreign creations to get at those resources. What is very interesting is how he can survive given how many toes he is stepping on. You would think, especialy if he takes over another country, that international sanctions could be created. Indeed other African nations would lead the charge in this since they could be his next target. "He's already established a kingdom where there is peace and prosperity and justice for the people. There is no poverty, there is no war, and he's done an amazing job in dealing with the various diseases. Or rather he's got a good number of paranormals and magical and scientific geniuses who share his vision of a prosperous Africa, and a few who don't but are more or less forced to help create it (he figures that supervillains might as well do something useful with their gifts, whether they like it or not)." BIG problem. It's all too perfect. Unless you want to hit your players on the head that tyranny is a good thing which is a terrible thing to preach. Indeed, the nature of superheroes is to defend freedom while ironically being the ultimate agents of chaos by standing outside society and its laws to enforce them! Kinda like what your example is doing... through a mirror most darkly. "He keeps an eye on the rest of the world and if there is technology that could benefit his nation or a powerful relic that could benefit his country (or endanger it), he is likely to send his forces to aquire it. He sees no reason to deal fairly with nations that have never dealt with his lands fairly." Yeah, yeah... to him I say cry me a river. So basically he chooses to repeat the sins of the past and perpatuate them. Ironically, he's falling into the same thought process as that which keeps tribal factions and violence alive... another irony perhaps? "Because of the way he kicked out American corporations and his subsequent record of looting valuable technology and magic, he's aquired a reputation as a villain. To his own people, he's a hero, leading them to greatness and glory." He is a villain which much of what he's going.. including stealing billions of dollars from those he thinks have done his people wrong in the past and also adding to the cycle of revenge rather than seeking a new path. I'm sorry to be raining on your parade a little since I think this is a great concepty but it needs serious refinement to make him this noble villain who could even be a hero and someone that the other supers might side with or at least consider in the right. Good luck!

Re: The Case for Doctor Destroyer To Mutant for Hire: does your Black Panther/Dr. Doom cross also walk on water and feed 5000 with five loaves and two fish? Sorry... you just got a little ranty. I understand wanting to know what's going on in this person's head but it seems kinda one sided. A lot of Africa's problems are its own doing and most supergroups I have been part of I think would love pounding this guy into the ground if only because he sounds so unbelievable and obnoxious. Tone him down a bit, make his country a little less perfect, and you could have a great character who the PC's might have problems deciding if he's the bad guy or not.

Re: The Case for Doctor Destroyer "Actually, I'm pretty sure Dr D only "punished" Mentalla after her brother left. In the canon version, Mentalla is one of the few ( maybe the only ) human beings Menton actually cares about genuinely." As noted by another poster, I was referring to 4th edition. Given that the big D has appeared in both "universes" I felt that both were balid for pointing out what a freaking sick SOB he is.

Re: The Case for Doctor Destroyer "However, in a less black-and-white campaign along Watchmen lines, you could put the players in the position of uncovering a scheme of Dr Destroyer's and being in a position to prevent it, only to discover that the good it will do may outweigh the evil means Destroyer is using to achieve it." There is a significance difference though. Paraphrasing Adrian: "When I planned to do it? Honestly, do you think I am some Republic Serial villain who would explain his plans if there was the slightest chance that you could stop me? I *DID* it 15 minutes ago." In Watchmen, it had already happened so the decision to stop it was moot. Rather it was... do we let all these deaths be for nothing by exposing Adrian but instead should we trying to find something redeeming from this holocaust?

Re: The Case for Doctor Destroyer "There have also been a fair number of people who have slapped the label "insane" on Doctor Destroyer. But there, you run into a problem sort of like with Adrian Viedt in "Watchmen": when you're talking about (arguably) the smartest person in the world, who among us is *QUALIFIED* to judge whether or not he's insane?" Any good shrink. Sure, the guy was brillant but that doesn't preclude someone from evil or insanity. Adrian played God and killed millions of people in a scheme that may not even work (witness the ambigious ending of Watchmen and remember another doctor's words). Heck men just as brillant as Adrian have argued morality for centuries and we still don't have a clear-cut answer it seems. " How do we know Doctor Destroyer *DOESN'T* have all the answers, and that we just are too narrow-minded or unimaginative to appreciate his insights? " I dunno... kinda hard to focus on his solutions when you're dodging his latest deathray. "What if all these years, all these costumed heroes have been doing is *PREVENTING* Zerstoiten from saving the world? He doesn't seem at all delusional, save for his conviction that he is the strongest and smartest person on Earth and therefore it is his right to rule humanity; but like the man says, "If you can do it, it ain't braggin'." " Because he's never been about trying to save the world. It's never been mentioned except for his little speech that was belied by his horrific actions. A truly great man leads by example and service... showing all of us a way so much better that we feel that we need to follow him or her. "and considered him as a more complicated character in a complicated world. Maybe in a parallel world/possible future timeline, where he succeeds in his plans? I know Doctor Destroyer is supposedly to be a rotten-to-the-core baddie, the one guy in the Champions Universe you can point to and say, "This guy is irrefutably EVIL," but when you consider Destroyer from Destroyer's point of view, things don't seem nearly as clear-cut (at least, in my never-to-be-humble opinion)..." Hitler thought he was a nice guy... just rebuilding Germany on the backs and blood of the unworthies. Nero thought he was pretty cool... what being a patron to the arts and all that. Destroyer tries to kill 90% of the world, levels a city in revenge and go into hiding, kills people who annoys him, and murders those to get what he wants. He has NO motivation beyond ruling (not saving) a world because he thinks it's his due. He's evil... case freaking closed.

Re: The Case for Doctor Destroyer "As to fears of oppression under the hand of Destroyer....again, there's no sign of any of that happening within the organization he currently runs (that is, his personal army). You'll note that Destroyer's agents have the Psych. Lim. "Loyal to Destroyer", not "fearful of Dr. Destroyer" -- they believe wholeheartedly in Destroyer's plans." Not necessarily. You can have loyal minions due to generousity, conditioning, fear, or a combination thereof. We all know how he treats his minions too... just ask Mentalla who got mentally reamed by her older brother on Destroyer's say-so. I also beat dollars to donuts that anyone who fails the big D only does it once since they wind up dead afterward. "And they're not just a random collection of whackos, but an organized army twenty thousand strong " I don't have psych profiles but I question the sanity or morality of anyone who thinks it's a good idea to join up with an ex-Nazi who tries to subvert the entire world on a regular basis. "-- and it's intimated that thousands more would jump on the bandwagon once Zerstoiten got his foot in the geo-political door. " And millions joined the Nazi power when Hitler was in power. Everyone loves a winner guess. "It's also mentioned in the writeups that Destroyer's metahuman operatives have been richly rewarded for their services, so there's every reason to believe that Destroyer's generosity for jobs well done would trickle down to the rank-and-file as well. " I don't recall that at all. "And in his own words (as transcribed from an interview from the published adventure "Day of the Destroyer", his goal is to "elevate the world to (Destroyer's) level", not subjugate humanity." Right before he appears to kill the reporter. Turns out he ONLY tortured and brainwashed the guy into being a living deadman switch. "As far as whether Zerstoiten is actually "evil"....that's a little more open to debate. He's never once mentioned as being involved in any of the torture-masquerading-as-science conducted by Nazi scientists;" Naa.. he was too busy killing those scientist, and many tohers, for their secrets. " and unlike a lot of current, past, and would-be dictators, Doctor Destroyer doesn't advocate genocide or slavery, or engage in random acts of terror. " *cough* Attempted to kill 90% of the world's population in agony in Day of the Destroyer? "Yes, he has killed; but in each case the deaths have been calculated strikes to advance his ultimate goal of ruling the world. " As long as there's a goal, it's ok? "Naa man... I just shot the clerk and the two eyewitnesses for the 30 bucks in the register. It's all good." "You could certainly argue that what Zerstoiten has done in the name of expediency runs roughshod over other people's rights to life and happiness. But consider the stakes: Destroyer is playing for the fate of the entire world! He's gotta live here, too; and he sees a bunch of stupid, self-indulgent fools running things into the ground while he (Destroyer) alone has the power to fix things! " No, no, and HECK no! Destroyer does care about the world unless you believe in his silly spiel in DoD... the same one where he lied about killing people painlessly. If he wanted to fix things, he could try to do so peacefully. He doesn't. He tries to rule not to make the world a better place but because he thinks it's his due. "One could argue against his methods, but there have been plenty of times where bloodshed and destruction were necessary evils that had to be endured in order to arrive at a greater good (the world wars that brought about a lasting peace in Europe, the Cold War paranoia that led to the fall of the Soviet Union and the chance for a better life for those formerly oppressed peoples, and so on.) " Argueable to be honest. We need to wait centuries to see if peace remains in Europe though the conflict in the Balkans and Yugoslavia showed that wea can still and does break out. Also, the blood was shed in the cold war, mostly in third world countries, seemed to do little to really end the Cold War. Likely, it was more the will to fight Communism and bankrupting the Soviets, that did the deed.

Re: The Case for Doctor Destroyer Just to make life easier for myself... picking this apart bit by bit: "There's no question that Albert Zerstoiten is one of the most brilliant scientific minds in the world, and his innovations have already benefitted his personal army greatly. The "Neutronic Sphere Induction Field" generator mentioned in the "Sancutary" section of "Classic Organizations" represents a clean, self-sustaining power source that could solve a lot of the world's energy and pollution problems. His developments in Dimensional Engineering (demonstrated in the sample powers list for his VPP) could eliminate all existing forms of transportation, further reducing environmental damage due to things like vehicular pollution, oil spills like the Exxon Valdez, and so on. And if he's mastered nanotechnology (as mentioned in the specs for his new armor), then nano-assemblers that could build nearly anything (complex electronics, foodstuffs, advanced medicines) out of nothing more than garbage and sunshine could turn Earth into a veritable Garden of Eden." Personally, I think that you're exaggerating the bad doctor's science a bit, incredible though it is. Also, there is the comic book convention that super science doesn't impact greatly on the regular world. If you chose to ignore this, you also have to allow that some of these advances, or some lesser forms of it, should already be in circulation. In addition, there is the assumption that Dr. D wants to share. His tech and its distribution exist to serve him and him alone. If anything, he would jealously guard his secrets as much as possible and likely control all other research to either prevent his powerbase from being undermined or steal it for its own use.

Re: The Case for Doctor Destroyer I'll answer about Destroyer later but the person who wrote that article sounds like a complete idiot. "I read an article not long ago called "The Case for the Empire"; in it, the author asserts that in the Star Wars series of movies, Emperor Palpatine and the Imperials really weren't such bad guys. Sure it's a dictatorship, but a relatively benign one that doesn't have a lot of impact in the daily lives of the average citizen." Just ask about 5 billion people on Alderaan about the impact that the Empire had on their lives. Billions dead to test a weapon? Gimme a break. The DS was, pure and simple, a weapon to slay wantonly and hold systems in line with fear and terror. That's EVIL. Indeed, the death star shows how much of an impact the Imperials had on the lives of the Empire's citizens. Otherwise, why create a weapon to keep systems in line with terror? " And while people died and planets were destroyed, they weren't simply random acts of destruction," See above about killing billions to just test a weapon. Pretty random. "but a "fight for the survival of its regime against a violent group of rebels who are committed to its destruction". " The only thing the rebels destroyed that I'm aware of were legitimate military targets. "The rebels, on the other hand, demonstrate no governing stratgey or plans for a post-Imperial universe;" Hmm... two hour movie that deals with action and the characters... Lucas probably didn't have time to outline how the new Senate and Chancelor would work. Let's see... poli-sci 101 or lightsaber duel? Decisions, decisions... "and by destroying the one person uniting all the regional governors and organizing things (the Emperor), would "turn the galaxy into Somalia writ large: dominated by local warlords who are answerable to no one". He concludes by describing the rebels as "an unimpressive crew of anarchic royals who wreck the galaxy so that Princess Leia can have her tiara back". " As opposed to the Emperor starting a civil war to tear apart the Senate and Republic... you know the organizations uniting the people in a far more benevolent manner than the Empire did? Sorry... I just don't like evil, even fictional evil, being rationalized.

Re: Redundant Internal Organs You might want to buy Ressurection with limited charges. Think of Midnighter who had a heart ripped out only to come back because he had redundant organs.

Re: Social Limitation: Legacy Personally, I like it a great deal being a huge fan of the JSA and Infinity Inc. At 5 points it won't disrupt the game but will provide some intresting RP, hooks, and adventure seeds. My only "restriction" would be that the player should come up with a history detailed enough to outline the exploits of the original hero and how he/she came to take up the legacy. Reminds me of a team I wrote up for my Silver Knights world (please let me hit the lottery so I can self-publish!): the Legion of Honor. Basically it's made up of second and third generations heroes with the originals stretching back to the Golden Age. My personal favorite is Inferna, the illegitamate daughter of the Human Coment, a Golden Age hero with some impressive longevity (to explain how he could have a 19 year old daughter). Both are on the team and she can't forgive him for abandoning her mother.

Re: Super Powers that are really "wanted" ... by everyone "even spider man in one of the marvel team ups(I think with the black knight) was hunted by a guy who wanted to use his webbing to make bullet proof vests." I read it... it was with Wonderman

Re: Weakest Supers in books you've read? "Are we simply talking about lack of powers? Then we got Batman but he takes out Martians and anything that gets in his way as easy as mowing the lawn. How about Robin? Well, Tim Drake has knocked Shiva on her butt and proven his worth as a leader. So what is the criteria for the weakest?" Just noting that this was in a practice session where Robin used a cute trick (whistle cut into his staff to distract her) to land a shot. She had landed HUNDREDS on him. One lucky shot doesn't make him anything. Edit: a little nasty there, sorry. I'm just a huge Lady Shiva fan and I hate how writers drag her out to be beat and make their own characters look good. To be fair, she's only be beatened twice in one-on-ones to my knowledge (vs Batgirl in an incredible fight, and vs Batman in Batman/Superman which was characters assassination). Anyway... yes Robin shouldn't be underestimated but he's still a pretty weak fighter compared to most other DC martial artists. He's still young of course.

For the most part, I really like the Champions 5th edition universe. That said, there are some that I can't stand and I'd REALLY love to see get killed off. Assuming that your PC's wanted to take a break from being the good guys and instead created some new characters with one purpose: kill any person in the champions universe they can. One request: no real life figures please but instead limit yourself to fictional Champions characters. My picks: BullDozer from CKC and pretty much the entire Unity team. The brainy one especially! Let's see... 40 int and the only thing I equip myself with is a pathetic little zap gun. It doesn't take a genius to see that he's going to get the crap smacked out of him.

Re: Presenting the Silver Knights "Lady Silver looks good. My only quibble is the three martial arts manuvers. They don't seem to fit the character, and seem unneccessary. I would drop them and add a couple of CSLs, maybe one all combat and one more with your mystical powers. John Spencer" Here I am asking for comments and I don't answer them. How rude. Sorry! To answer your question, I liked the martial arts to give her a little balance and diversity. In case she lost her magic powers, Lady Silver would have something else to fall back on... assuming that she wasn't able to talk her way out of it given her PRE skills. Also, especially in Marvel, some of the wizards like Strange seem to know martial arts so it seemed appropriate to give her a sense of the physical but also spiritual that comes from profiency in the more esoteric martial arts. That said, it's quite possible that her upbringing may not have focused too much on the physical but she could pick it up later under a tutor. Certainly, she could use the CSL with her magic. I'll give it some thought, thanks.

Re: Presenting the Silver Knights Name: Celestial Knight Identity: Ameiko Yi Occupation: Scientist and Adventurer Height: 5’2†Weight: 115 lbs Hair: Black Eyes: Brown Age: 25 Ethnicity: Japanese-Chinese American History: Darkness flitted before her eyes, slipped away, and then returned more forcefully as her ragged breathing tried with little success to fill her lungs. Each breath was painful, driving the cockpit's jagged steel deeper and deeper into her side. I don't want to die... Ameiko thought as the blackness pressed down on her. Wrenching back on the controls, she guided the plane away from a mountain before it could smash against its face. Metal shrieked in protest and the entire airframe shuddered as she fought for every inch of control. Gotta get it down. Gotta land, she thought over and over again. Her mind raced back through the years. Her parents, immigrants to American, had raised their daughter by stressing the virtues of study and hard work. They would be continually disappointed, as their rebellious daughter snuck away for a weekend in the California slopes with a new boyfriend or cut class to surf for days on end. Intelligent enough to maintain strong grades, Ameiko had never seen the need to play it safe when she could be riding the edge of danger with the wind in her hair and adrenaline flowing through her veins. Seeking the next thrill, she tried sky-diving, snowboarding, surfing, and fast motorcycles. Perhaps it was inevitable that through these activities she would determine the career she would want: test pilot. Entering two years early, college was a breeze despite double-majoring in aeronautics and physics. The Air Force was less so but it taught her to fly and after four years of active duty, she obtained a position at Flight Unlimited, a corporation that designed planes for the government. It would lead her to the Prometheus Project, a space plane that could achieve earth orbit without the expense and difficulties of a more conventional shuttle launch as well as achieving unheard of velocities. It could revolutionize space travel. It could be the next step towards settling the planets of the solar system. What it was doing was crushing the life out of Ameiko as she fought the plan towards the ocean, away from where it could hurt anyone. Pinned in the buckled compartment, ejection was impossible. Jaw set grimly, she glared at the water rushing to meet her. "Do your worst!" When next she woke, the young woman was in the hospital and heavily bandaged. The recovery team had found her and the plane in incredibly good shape considering what had happened... including the sabotage. An investigation was already underway. Ameiko's own recovery would not be complete. The incident, exacerbating an earlier trauma when an avalanche had buried her alive, afflicted her with claustrophobia. She would not be able to fly again. Relegated to the design team, she could only remember the thrills of the past while struggling to cope with her new condition. It would be much later, in a second launch of the plane that the culprit behind her condition emerged. A strange green man with even stranger powers attempted to secretly destroy the plane. At that point, wanting, needing to do something, a nimbus of light surrounded her. When it left, Ameiko was clad in strange armor. With her new powers, and with care to not be seen too closely by others, she drove Star Thief away. With her new abilities, new possibilities presented themselves and Ameiko had eagerly embraced them to become the first new public superhero in almost 15 years. A series of high profile rescues and busts have rapidly spread the name of Celestial Knight across the country and she is widely gaining popularity. Although she does not know it at present, Ameiko has been empowered by the power of the Order of the Eternal Light: an order of twelve that protect the galaxy. They are only aware of the disappearance of one of their own a strange drain on the Well of Eternity which fuels their powers. They are actively seeking her however... Personality: Few things mean as much to Ameiko as riding the edge of danger and feeling the rush of adrenaline. Though a kind-hearted person, it is more thrills than the public good that drives her at this point in time. Combined with a dangerous amount of confidence, she will dive headlong into situations that would be better suited with forethought. Being a superhero, with the attendant popularity, is also a way of avoiding issues in her life. Particularly, it lets her not think of the boring desk job she has been shackled to but instead re-capture the joy of flight as she could never done before. She does miss piloting terribly however but is too proud to seek help for her claustrophobia. Instead, she continues to try to "gut" it out herself so that she can one day return to the ranks of test piloting. Until then, she shows a preference for open spaces and being near windows. In general, Ameiko is very outgoing, confident, and aggressive. She loves to experiment and try new things whether it's food, places to visit, or seeking romantic companionship. She is also highly competitive and can't stand to be beaten. Powers: At present, Celestial Knight can wield the semi-mystical energies of the Well of Eternity to conjure energy blasts, force barriers, and simple shapes. Even personal weaponry can be formed, including maces and a sword capable of slicing most materials. As Ameiko's attunement grows (and she can be tutored by the Order if she is allowed to keep her powers), her skill at manipulating the energy will be enhanced as will her overall power level. Potentially, she could become one of Earth's most powerful super humans. When manifesting her powers, she is clad is lightweight but tough armor that is resistant to most injury. Coupled with a force field, only the strongest of attacks can pierce her defenses. When in armor, Star Knight can survive in most environments and fly at impressive speeds. Description: Ameiko is a petite Asian woman with a slender but athletic. Her most distinguishing feature is a mane of very long, silky black hair that reaches mid-back. In general, her stunning features are graced with a smile and she has a cute habit of twitching her nose when amused. Her armor is light gold with blue highlights. Form-fitting, it appears to be made of interlocking gold scales. She has only a half-helmet that covers the back of her head and eyes. Typically Celestials Knight leaves her hair in a ponytail when in custom. A faint, blue nimbus also surrounds her when using her powers. Notes on NPC's: F.I.S.T. (Fascism International through Strife and Terrorism): terrorist group bent on world domination. In addition to more public displays, they work covertly to perpetuate war among countries to weaken them and create opportunities. Resources include agents, powered armor (with distinctive forearm vibroblades), and a super-powered cadre called the Claw. Steel Dragon: Mysterious armored villain with a dragon motif. Main motivation appears to be Celestial Knight's death. Can fly, has super strength, and project powerful bursts of flame. Star Thief: strange alien with momentum control powers. Enraged at Celestial Knight for halting his efforts to prevent the Earth from reaching the stars. Matt Wagner: another test pilot at Flight Unlimited who taunts Ameiko over losing her nerve. Seeks to have her fired because she had originally supplanted him as the best pilot of the testing program.

Re: Presenting the Silver Knights Celestial Knight Player: Val Char Cost 15/25 STR 5 18/23 DEX 24 18/25 CON 16 11 BODY 2 18 INT 8 13 EGO 6 20 PRE 10 20 COM 5 5/7 PD 2 5/6 ED 1 5 SPD 12 7/10 REC 0 36/56 END 0 28/37 STUN 0 6" RUN02" SWIM03"/5" LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 91 Cost Power END 60 Cosmic Powers: Multipower, 75-point reserve, (75 Active Points); all slots Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 6u 1) Energy Blast 15d6 (75 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 7 6u 2) Entangle 7 1/2d6, 7 DEF (75 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 7 6u 3) Entangle 3 1/2d6, 3 DEF, Area Of Effect (4" Radius; +1) (70 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 7 6u 4) Telekinesis (50 STR) (75 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 7 6u 5) Force Wall (15 PD/15 ED) (75 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 7 4u 6) Hand-To-Hand Attack +10d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (75 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2), Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 6u 7) Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 2d6 (2d6+1 / 2 1/2d6 w/STR), Armor Piercing (+1/2), Penetrating (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (75 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 24 Flight: Multipower, 30-point reserve, (30 Active Points); all slots Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 2u 1) Flight 15" (30 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 3 2u 2) Flight 10", MegaScale (1" = 10 km; +1/2) (30 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 3 29 Armor (12 PD/12 ED) (36 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 8 Force Field (5 PD/5 ED) (10 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 1 13 Life Support (Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing) (19 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4), Linked (Force Field; -1/4) 7 Instant Change: Cosmetic Transform 2d6 (into and out of Superhero costume) (10 Active Points); Limited Target (Clothes) Limited (-1/2) 1 8 +10 STR (10 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 1 11 +7 CON (14 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 12 +5 DEX (15 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 4 +1 SPD (Reflects purchased dex) (5 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) 2 +6 END (3 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4) Powers Cost: 222 Cost Skill 3 Combat Driving 13- (14-) 5 Combat Piloting 14- (15-) 2 Navigation (Air) 13- 3 Scientist 2 1) SS: Aeronautics 13- (3 Active Points) 2 2) SS: Mathematics 13- (3 Active Points) 2 3) SS: Physics 13- (3 Active Points) 4 TF: Combat Aircraft, Parachuting, Basic, Small Planes, Snowboarding, Spaceplanes, Surfing 8 +1 with All Combat 3 +1 with Cosmic Powers Skills Cost: 34 Cost Perk 3 Reputation: Popular Superhero (United States) 14-, +1/+1d6 Perks Cost: 3 Total Character Cost: 350 Val Disadvantages 20 Hunted: F.I.S.T. 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 10 Hunted: Steel Dragon 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 10 Hunted: Star Thief 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 20 Psychological Limitation: Overconfident (Very Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Thrillseeker (Common, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Competitive, hates to lose (Common, Moderate) 5 Psychological Limitation: Claustrophobia (Uncommon, Strong, Points removed due to point limit) 15 Social Limitation: Secret Identity Frequently (11-), Major 15 Dependent NPC: Current Boyfriend 8- (Normal; Unaware of character's adventuring career/Secret ID) 10 Accidental Change to Heroic Form: Takes Body Damage 11- (Uncommon) 5 Rivalry: Professional, Matt Wagner, Rival is As Powerful, Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival, Rival Aware of Rivalry 15 Mystery Disadvantage Disadvantage Points: 150 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0

Re: Defining a teleport spell I could put in the ability to scale down to a km for the second power. That would help. It's not intended to be a combat teleport but instead almost a plot device to help move the characters around to where they need to go. If Lady Silver got tossed out of a plane, she's need someone to help her out. That's at least until she gets that flying cape like Dr. Strange has.

Re: More questions.. about bases this time Great suggestions from both of you. I thought that the hardened might keep out XD travel but now that you mentioned it, the new advantage sounds appropriate. Again, thank you very much.

Re: Presenting the Silver Knights I'm hoping to have someone else placed up tonight. I forgot to mention that comments and suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks!