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Lord Liaden

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Everything posted by Lord Liaden

  1. Stark's arc reactor tech is the hardest one to accept not being disseminated. Enough power to drive an Abrams tank in a device the size of a softball, that requires no shielding or coolant? Stark said in Avengers that his company was at the forefront of clean energy development. Those things should have been adapted to power plants, manufacturing centers, and large vehicles around the world. Stark Industries would be swimming in money. Of course the other side of that equation is that the fossil-fuel industry, and the jobs and countries depending on it, would take a serious hit, even if there wasn't an arc reactor in every automobile. I could see a lot of political pressure being applied to throw roadblocks on the reactors' implementation for that reason, even if it's publicly rationalized as concern over safety, national security, and so on.
  2. And I guess childless couples aren't a big enough demographic for them to be afraid of losing it. For people desperate to feel special, there's no more effective pitch than telling them, "You're doing what God wants."
  3. The extreme Right has deliberately created targets for their followers to hate. Cruelty toward those targets follows logically. The repeated examples of people voting against their own best interest by hurting someone else, suggests that it's part of that approach's emotional appeal.
  4. Each of the heroes has to inflict 10 BODY damage to themselves, with their own attacks. That's reflected in their doppelgangers. They can choose to bypass their own Defenses. If you go this route you'll want to give them a clue.
  5. You don't want to know what happened to the last guy who came after me with a stick.
  6. I've never had much desire to accumulate stuff, and prefer to keep my life uncomplicated. Even my RPG collection is pretty selective. So whoever has to clean up after I'm gone won't have a great deal to deal with.
  7. Well, the point of everything I related about the Champions Universe is that you actually can have it both ways, if you start with certain logically-justifiable premises. That world is different from our own, but not too different to be recognizable. Superhumans did change the world, they just didn't change fundamental human nature. And the point of playing superheroes is still to be the guy that beat up the villains, bullies, and criminals. But a lot of people find that kind of world easier to swallow if it doesn't ignore the implications that would have to follow from supers' very existence. The proof that some nations on real Earth have solved some contemporary economic and environmental problems, with tech that exists right now, does not appear to carry much weight with entirely too many people. Like I said above, the presence of these beings and phenomena doesn't change fundamental human nature, which too often includes complacency, greed, and fear.
  8. Honestly, I had that concern myself. More dialogue can and should be had, and I'd love to read it. I'd hate to think someone wouldn't present their own ideas just because I transcribed all this stuff. But I also didn't want to avoid highlighting how much the Champions setting explores the implications of super-technology and super powers on society, particularly economics, as your topic requested. It covers the subject more thoroughly and logically than I've seen anywhere else, and offers much for supers GMs to consider. This is another example of material I had collated for the benefit of the Champions Online community, and having it all handy I couldn't justify to myself not sharing it. Believe it or not, I actually left some less relevant things out.
  9. There are quite a few superhumans who are employed full-time by national governments or UNTIL, and are therefore paid a regular salary and other benefits. Others supers with a history of working with such groups, like the Champions, may receive some degree of financial and material support. It's not uncommon for well-known heroes or teams to receive grants or donations from national or more local governments, or from private individuals and corporations, as a reward for their continued service to the public. Of course any hero who belongs to a team with a solid financial base will likely be supported by that team. It's not unknown for superheroes to use their abilities and public profiles to obtain private sponsorship. The Binary Corporation employs a superhero "mascot," Binary Man, for public relations purposes. Cavalier of Millennium City regularly endorses various companies and products for pay. Outside of those avenues, full-time heroes either have to be independently financially secure, or else spend some time working at a more mundane job to make ends meet. That last is most common for heroes with a secret identity, but sometimes superhumans will openly use their powers to make jobs for themselves. For example, the founder of Trans-City Construction, Jeff Baker, gets much use out of his powers of matter transmutation to speed up construction projects, which is a selling point with clients. Champions Universe p. 60 mentions a speedster named Roberta Yelnofsky who founded "Yesterday Delivery" in New York City. Her corporate motto is, "When you need it there yesterday!" The majority of paranormals on Champions Earth either don't have the type or magnitude of powers to compete in the Superhuman World subculture, or just want to live normal lives. People with minor powers, such as enhanced reflexes, unusual durability, or precognitive flashes, may not even realize they have them. However, some of those people can still have a significant impact. For example, the relatively minor healing powers of the famous Dr. Jeremiah Mugembe have done more to alleviate AIDS in Africa than all the pharmaceutical companies in the world combined. Workers with Habitat for Humanity in the city of Atlanta have frequently been helped by an anonymous benefactor who can construct entire houses overnight. Bastion Alpha Security, a high-profile private security company (fully written up in Cops, Crews, And Cabals), includes one of the more intriguing paranormals in that category. Founded by Anderson Powell, the retired superhero Titan, the company's greatest selling point is its secret Bastion Process, which physically augments BAS field agents. The most powerful, and therefore expensive, agents count as low-level superhumans. The Bastion Process was developed by Powell's secret partner, Dr. Ivan Fortus. Unknown even to Powell, Dr. Fortus did not invent or discover the Process. Fortus is a mutant who can covertly extract DNA by touch from one person, and insert it into the cells of another, passing on some qualities of the donor. Dr. Fortus uses Powell's own DNA to give BAS agents some of the former Titan's power.
  10. According to Champions Beyond various groups, notably the United States government, have salvaged and studied examples of alien technology from the several invasions and known spaceship crashes, with mixed results. They've had the most success understanding and adapting the tech from the Sirians, i.e. the "War of the Worlds" aliens. The highly biological nature of Qularr technology, including the tendency of the bio-components to decay or become dormant over time, has made it difficult to analyze and mostly incompatible with human tech. Gadroon gravity-manipulating devices appear to utilize principles that humans, even super-scientists, have never imagined, so have eluded deciphering. While trying to comprehend the nonfunctional wreckage of the Malvan ships that Ironclad and Herculan arrived in, has been likened to Neanderthals trying to reverse-engineer a supercollider. OTOH the Warlord (Champions Villains Vol. 1: Master Villains) has had considerable success with technology salvaged from a downed "blueboy" (Hzeel) scout ship, even combining it with human technology to exceed the capabilities of the Hzeel themselves. Hzeel tech is also partly biological, but to a lesser degree, and is less advanced, than Qularr devices. (The Hzeel, Gadroon, and Qularr all have full chapters devoted to them in Champions Beyond.)
  11. There are several (apparently) legitimate tech companies in the official setting which are at the forefront of research and development, and would make good places for scientist PCs to work, make discoveries or breakthroughs, interact with NPCs of similar background, or maybe have an empowering lab accident. All of these are either headquartered in or have major branch offices at Millennium City, since it's a center for cutting-edge research. Aside from additional books which are cited in individual entries below, most of the information about these companies appears in the Millennium City source book. Advanced Concepts Industries (ACI): One of the world's largest and most diverse corporations, ACI has fingers in almost every endeavor where there's money to be made. High-tech and chemical manufacturing are high on its list of priorities. While most of its employees are normal people with normal motivations, ACI's founder, president, CEO and majority owner is Franklin Stone (Champions Villains Vol. 1: Master Villains), who has no scruples in bypassing law or ethics in the pursuit of wealth and power; so there are certainly covert nefarious activities that could be investigated or stumbled upon, including scientific projects. Angelstone Laboratories: Angelstone initially made its name as an innovative defense contractor, and that remains one of its major focuses, although it's expanded its research over a broad range of applied and theoretical sciences: everything from physics and genetics, to criminology and economics. But it's become best known for its "Superhuman Studies Division" researching super powers and super technology, and activities and behavior of supervillains. It frequently gives presentations and reports to governments and law enforcement on these subjects, and sometimes assists superheroes directly. In this it competes with the Goodman Institute in America, and the Swiss-based l'Institut Thoth (both described in Champions Universe). Angelstone Laboratories is a for-profit company, but will sometimes offer reduced rates to clients in a good cause. Angelstone Laboratories is thoroughly described in Cops, Crews, And Cabals. Binary Corporation: This major Millennium City-based company is best known for computer hardware and software, but also researches medical technology, genetics, and is a leader in plasma-based weapon design. It sponsors its own superhero spokesperson, the duplicating Binary Man. BC suffered a major scandal in 2001 when one of its top executives, Monica Knowlton, was revealed to be a Morbane of DEMON, but has since recovered. Cambridge Biotechnology: Based in London, Cambridge focuses on medicine, pharmaceuticals, and genetics, with many profitable patents. It was the first company to research the biochemical functions of psionic powers, and has developed tests for detecting and cataloguing such powers, licensing their use by court systems around the world. But Cambridge may be best known for employing the simian super-scientist, Dr. Silverback, at its Millennium City facilities. (Dr. Silverback's write-up is in Champions Universe.) Dew Chemical: One of the largest chemical companies in the United States, Dew is also one of the few major corporations which has been based in Detroit/Millennium City since before Dr. Destroyer leveled it. Dew's programs include development of plastics, adhesives and sealants, herbicides and pesticides, and synthetic biochemical compounds. Drake-Victoria Inc. (DVI): One of the largest American defense contractors, Drake-Victoria designs military vehicles and weapons, particularly tanks, trucks, rockets and missiles. It continues to research ways to economically manufacture light, reliable powered armor for soldiers. It's also at the forefront of force-field generation technology. In recent years its facilities have been attacked by the supervillain team called the Ultimates (Champions Villains Vol. 2: Villain Teams). Unknown outside of the Ultimates, one of their members, Cyclone, used to work for DVI and has a grudge against them. Duchess Industries: A huge multinational corporation based in Bonn, Germany, Duchess Industries has holdings in many fields, including aerospace, nuclear energy, biotechnology, computers and robotics, chemistry and mining. DI is privately owned by the mysterious Duchess Henrietta von Drotte. Von Drotte is secretly one of the highest leaders of VIPER (where she's known simply as "the Duchess") and DI conducts several clandestine research projects for VIPER. VIPER's assistance with industrial espionage, sabotage, and assassination has helped Duchess Industries reach its current stature. (The Duchess and DI receive considerable attention in VIPER: Coils Of The Serpent.) Fordham Chemtech: Fordham dominates several niche markets, including manufacturing microchips and other silicoids, and medical films and other related materials. It has several subsidiaries competing in other fields, such as Regor in memory plastics. Genex Labs: A relatively small company founded at the start of recombinant DNA engineering, Genex patents include treatments for a range of diseases. However, its profile and profit were greatly raised when it invented the Cyberline treatment which PRIMUS uses to create its cadre of superhuman Avengers. Harmon Industries: Almost wholly owned by James Harmon III, HI is a general-purpose defense contractor, with specialties in rocketry and missiles, aerospace and satellites, and infantry weapons. The Harmon family is unaware of James IV's identity as Defender, and considers him a disappointment for not devoting more time and energy to the company. Ironwood Industrial Technologies (IIT): One of HI's chief competitors for American space-based defense contracts, Ironwood has its headquarters in MC and major manufacturing facilities in North Detroit. It co-designed UNTIL's GATEWAY space station and contributed to the Champions' V-Jet. Kendrick and Company: Professor Daryl Kendrick founded this company after his discovery of his superstrong "kendrium" steel alloy. He's received several government contracts to manufacture armor for tanks and other vehicles. UNTIL's nuclear submarine, the Aegir, has a hull made of kendrium. (The Aegir is written up in UNTIL: Defenders Of Freedom.) Kendrick is believed to have found a loophole in patent laws allowing him to patent his formula while keeping it secret; in fact he bribed some corrupt officials at the Patent Office. Pharos Industries: Perhaps the only corporation rivaling the size and diversity of ACI, Pharos has subsidiaries specializing in electronics (particularly supercomputers), biotechnology (notably medical cybernetics), and transportation infrastructure (it designed and built the Millennium City "smart roadway" system). Regent Energy: One of the world's largest oil companies, Regent is also a leader in development of alternative energy sources: solar power, geothermal energy, and synthetic gasoline replacements. Its Millennium City offices house some of the top researchers in that field.
  12. From everything I've read and heard, I can quite confidently state that Champions Earth is for the most part the same as real Earth, only intensified. Social, political, and economic structures and interactions are essentially the same. Modern history and geopolitics are largely unchanged, i.e. the same major events occurred in both worlds, and the familiar players are in place. Even most of the current and historical influential people are shared by both. All this super-science has made Champions Earth a better place in a number of ways, as I highlighted earlier on this thread. Some of the things of pressing concern to us real folks are much less of an issue for them. Global warming is less critical. Environmental pollution and degradation are more controlled. Fewer people have to suffer due to disease or injury. The benefits of advanced technology are more accessible and affordable to people around the world. I should also point out that what most of society considers the scientific "fringe" is hella smaller on Champions Earth than it is in the real world. With all these radical scientific inventions, not to mention superhuman genetic mutations, multiple alien invasions, rampaging giant monsters, whole cities being shrunken and stolen, and other mind-boggling phenomena they've experienced for generations, humanity seems to have learned to take a lot of weirdness in stride. The majority appear to be inured to the impact of revelations that would spark profound upheaval in our world if they occurred here, like the incontestable existence of non-human intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, often more advanced than humans; or the return of self-professed mythological gods with miraculous powers. I get the impression most people have developed an attitude of, "Been there, done that, and I still have to pay taxes." Individuals on Champions Earth have often made their fortunes from particularly innovative discoveries or designs, but that's hardly without real-world precedent. Super-powering mutagens like cyberline, or superstrong metals such as kendrium, aren't fundamentally different from microchips or velcro. However, in keeping with the conventions of comics I spelled out in my first post, various factors restrict really widespread commercialization of developments that are very dangerous, or which would change the world's recognizable familiarity too much. But those factors don't eliminate the elevated potential this technology has for destabilizing world security, which gives many people in governments and law-enforcement sleepless nights. In fact that potential is one defining characteristic of the superhero genre. There are many examples in the comics and the Champions Universe of a common thug turning into a supervillain just by getting his hands on a piece of bleeding-edge tech. Actually inventing something radically advanced can significantly alter the balance of power. To use recent fictional examples, various Marvel superhero movies have raised the tremendous risk of unscrupulous parties getting their hands on the plans for arc reactors, or the formula for Pym particles, or vibranium and devices based on it. VIPER's relatively small paramilitary force can compete with much larger armies because it arms all its agents with advanced equipment; while the single greatest factor making Dr. Destroyer the magnitude of menace he is, is his capacity for extraordinary scientific breakthroughs almost on demand. It's not at all uncommon for those in possession of dangerous advanced technology to sell products based on it (although rarely the secrets behind it) to evil but otherwise mundane people who wouldn't otherwise have access to them: organized criminals, terrorists or subversives, petty dictators, or aspiring supervillains. While to date none of those developments have turned a relative nobody into an instant global threat, they can become much more of a local danger. I get the impression most of the ultratech sellers are wary of too much destabilizing activity making stopping them a top priority for the whole global community. As one example, VIPER: Coils Of The Serpent p. 132 notes that while VIPER is well able to build nuclear weapons, it eschews doing so for fear that if world governments found out, they would double down on efforts to destroy VIPER before VIPER is ready for world domination. Perhaps the most dangerous area of scientific research on Champs Earth is the long-standing and ongoing effort to discover a safe, reliable, economical method to create superhumans. Many parties have engaged in projects with that goal. The Soviet Union had its Directorate Black-12. The US military runs Department 17, only the latest in a long line of American "superhuman soldier" projects. Smaller "rogue states" like Awad and Chiquador actively pursue that line of research, as do supercriminal groups such as VIPER and ARGENT. Any party that succeeds would gain a game changing tactical advantage. Smaller players won't need the facilities and infrastructure for a modern mechanized military to threaten their neighbors, if they can field an army whose soldiers can fly, shoot lightning, and/or throw tanks. (Of course Teleios already has that capacity. He hasn't tried to exercise it to date because ruling the world isn't important to him. OTOH the world first learned of Teleios in 1993, when he sold an army of cloned soldiers to Eurostar so they could invade and try to conquer Poland.)
  13. Outside of major industrialized nations, supervillains, and organizations like VIPER and ARGENT, certain smaller (fictional) states on Champions Earth also possess very advanced technology; and in their own ways pose a significant threat to world security. Awad, a small nation on the Saudi peninsula, between Yemen and Oman on the Indian Ocean, is becoming an increasing world security problem. The sheiks of Awad, most of whom are closely related to its ironfisted ruler Sultan Thamar el-Hiri, are incredibly wealthy thanks to their country’s vast oil deposits, and care little for how their actions affect others if they can increase their own power and bank accounts. Harsh Muslim fundamentalists, they intensely dislike Western culture in general and the United States in particular, and have for years funded numerous terrorist organizations. Awad supported Iraq during the Gulf War and Iraq War. In recent decades Awad has invested extensively in technology, ranging from computers to bio-engineering. As a result, today it’s considered one of the centers of world technological development, though many high-tech firms deal with it reluctantly (if at all) due to its repressive political climate. Some Western officials fear that the Awadis use their high-tech expertise to equip terrorists with weapons and devices that would otherwise be well beyond the reach of most such groups. They also suspect strong ties between Awad and ARGENT and VIPER. Western suspicions about Awad’s connection to supercriminal groups are well-founded. For years Awad’s worked closely with both ARGENT and VIPER, providing a haven from extradition for some of their personnel in exchange for cash and technology, allowing them to build special labs and facilities there, and so forth. Recently relationships with VIPER have been strained since the Awadis suspect (correctly) that VIPER took advantage of the chaos during the Iraq War to steal some Awadi technological secrets. As a result, the alliance with ARGENT has become even stronger. Rumors about a past joint Iraqi-Awadi program to create superhumans are true. Using a secret lab built in Awad (to avoid U.N. observers in Iraq), Saddam Hussein and Sultan Thamar el-Hiri had hoped to custom-build enough superhuman soldiers to avenge Iraq’s defeat in the Gulf War, take over the Middle East, and establish a chokehold on much of the world’s oil supplies. Unfortunately for them (but fortunately for the world), the program’s only true success was Saddam Hussein's former superhumanly strong personal bodyguard, whom he referred to as Turs al-Sh’ab ("Shield Of The People," written up in Champions Villains Vol. 3). Many failures were dropped in the deep desert to die. The program has been suspended due to the overthrow of Hussein’s regime and the presence of American military personnel in the region, but it’s possible Awad may try to resurrect it with help from ARGENT. Dr. Bohuslav Strasky, who headed UNTIL's own largely-failed attempt to manufacture superhumans, the "Future Soldier Program," has secretly been offered millions by Awad to bring his expertise to that nation. The sultan has a few other hired superhumans on his payroll. Larisagrad, located deep in the Ural Mountains, was once a secret Soviet city, but is today an effectively independent city-state. During the Cold War era Larisagrad was where numerous top-secret Soviet research projects were conducted. Merely attempting to enter the city without proper authorization was a capital offense.The foremost of these research projects was Directorate Black-12, the Soviet superhuman soldier program. This project was about as successful as most of the similar American programs — which is to say that it produced a handful of superhumans in exchange for killing, crippling, or driving insane hundreds of “volunteer” test subjects. When the Soviet Union crumbled and funding for Larisagrad’s expensive research dried up, the scientists there were faced with a choice. They could become legitimate researchers, competing in the world of commercial scientific research... or they could offer their services to the highest bidder, regardless of purpose or morality. Unwilling to give up their high-class (by Russian standards, anyway) lifestyle, they opted for the latter path. A few scientists who couldn’t stomach the decision fled the city, often ending up with European or American research firms. (Larisagrad officials vehemently deny charges they work for criminal elements, and to date world law-enforcement does not have solid proof of it.) It didn’t take long for Larisagrad to develop a reputation for the quality of its work, not to mention the blind eye it turned to what was done with its technology. The scientists there often put their unique acumen and equipment to work creating technology for supervillains, providing medical care for injured superhumans who don't want their condition revealed to the outside world, and so forth. VIPER soon became a frequent customer, as did the Warlord, the Ultimates, the Crimelords, Utility, and various powered armor-wearing supervillains who needed occasional maintenance, upgrades, resupply, or spare parts for their equipment. Thanks to the influx of cash from these clients, most Larisagradians enjoy a standard of life far higher than that of other Russians. A “client” who wants to contract Larisagrad’s services contacts any member of the city’s governing council, the Komityet Upravlyeniya Issledovaniyami (“Research Steering Committee,” or KUI). The Committee looks into the request, determines what it can do for the client, and quotes a price. There’s no dickering — a client either accepts the price or walks away (though on occasion the Committee has agreed to be paid in trade or services rather than cash). After a client deposits the nonrefundable full amount into a secret account, the Committee puts Larisagrad’s scientists and factories to work on his behalf. The finished goods are delivered at a time and place specified in the original contract. Larisagrad would make a rich prize for many villains and Russian organized crime groups, not to mention the Russian government, so it has plenty of defenses to keep unwanted “visitors” away. Besides the assistance of grateful superhumans they have helped, the most prominent of these defenses is a corps of powered armor-wearing soldiers called the “Larisagrad Division” (or simply, “the Division”). The leader of the Division is Shturm, or “Onslaught,” a superhuman created by Directorate Black-12. Gifted with energy projection and teleportation powers in addition to the powerful suit of battle armor he wears, Shturm has earned the gratitude of the Larisagradians — as well as millions of dollars — keeping their pleasant little home in the Urals safe and secure. (Most of the information in this post is transcribed or summarized from Champions Universe, with additional details from Champions Universe: News Of The World and UNTIL: Defenders Of Freedom.)
  14. Powerful nations, such as the United States or Great Britain, have huge sums of money, well-stocked research facilities, and corps of brilliant scientists at their command — and if they work on something long enough, they may achieve results that would elude lesser strivers. Although most militaries still use standard-tech weapons (explosive-propellant-based bullets and rifles, tanks and howitzers firing explosive shells, manned fighter jets, and so on), the larger and more advanced armies and navies have incorporated some super-technology-derived weapons and systems into their arsenals. Some Champions Universe governments have fielded units of soldiers equipped with low-strength powered armor (or at least high-tech defensive gear), made use of advanced spacecraft, and equipped special military and paramilitary forces with blasters and similar super weapons. But even then, they often prefer to keep their super-technology to themselves as much as possible, due to the strategic and tactical advantages it provides. For example, the United States has small squads of light powered armor-wearing soldiers, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with smart targeting capability able to fly at Mach 10, and many other such weapons. None of them provide the US with an overwhelming advantage in combat, but taken together they definitely extend and expand America’s already potent military capabilities. In some cases, super-technology developments even trickle down to smaller militaries. The US Department of Defense has expressed concern about countries like North Korea or Awad building and using relatively cheap magnetic “railgun” weapons to shoot down American satellites and planes. Sometimes it seems that for every advance one nation makes, another finds a way to counter it using different super-technology... though the sources from which some lesser nations obtain their super-technology remain a subject of speculation. Even mercenaries and mercenary companies get into the act sometimes. A few, seeking competitive advantage both on the battlefield and in the marketplace, have invested in (or otherwise obtained) powered armor suits, energy rifles, advanced robotic vehicles, and other super-tech weapons. Supervillains like Lazer, Mechassassin, and the Steel Commando all got their start as mercenaries (at least in part), and still participate in that part of the global underworld if the money’s right. Private super-criminal organizations such as VIPER and ARGENT have also developed weaponry and equipment beyond the conventional, aided by their willingness to disregard ethical research standards. (The link in my signature will take you to considerable information revealed about ARGENT, including its business model.) More to come.
  15. Like the mainstream comics companies' universes, Champions Earth features its share of scientific super-geniuses who have invented near-miraculous technologies, and more advanced alien societies who have left samples of their tech behind on Earth. Many comics fans have difficulty accepting that in those universes these inventions and discoveries seem to have had little or no impact on the average person. Technology in the wider world seems stuck on the same level as the real Earth. Many rationalizations have been offered for why that should be, and the Champions setting shares them to a degree: heroes guard the best tech as too dangerous to release; governments classify inventions with military or security applications or risks; many devices aren't cost-effective to mass produce; most people can't grasp the principles discovered by true geniuses or older civilizations; some inventions are irreproduceable accidents, or actually channeling the "inventor's" innate powers. However, some of the PnP source books -- notably Champions Universe, Champions Beyond, and Millennium City -- illustrate that new technologies have filtered out to the general public to some extent, and have made qualitative differences in people's lives. Let me run down some of the more significant, obvious, or pervasive differences. Advances in medicine and genetics have eliminated, or diminished the impact of, many diseases. Scientists have adapted cybernetic technology first developed for powered armor and similar super-technology to devices that allow people with spinal injuries to walk again, and people with neurological disorders to function without significant impairment. Communications has advanced significantly. Throughout the United States, Europe, and many other developed or wealthy countries, virtually everyone has access to computers, smartphones, and similar devices that are easily carried, lightweight, fast, high-memory, extremely user friendly, and have extraordinarily long battery lives. Even in Third World countries, ownership of cellular phones and computers may exceed 50% of the population, thanks to advanced manufacturing processes and materials. Holography has improved to the point where Millennium City features animated three-dimensional advertising billboards. High-tech fibers and materials discovered by superhumans, and scientists working with their data, beginning in the Sixties have led to stronger and more comfortable bulletproof vests, lightweight armored panels for military vehicles, more crash-proof civilian cars, and many similar advances. Internal combustion vehicles and manufacturing are much cleaner and more environmentally friendly than the machines of old, and major strides have been made in the field of alternative energy. Significant efforts have been made to clean up and repair damage to the environment, and to prevent further damage going forward. Travel, whether by air, water, or land, is quicker and safer than ever before. Flights from the East Coast of the United States to the West Coast can be comfortably completed in just two hours in some cases. The "Smart Roadway" system in Millennium City interacts with Vehicle Control Chips in all cars within city limits, allowing traffic authorities to automatically track them, and if necessary shut a car down remotely. When driving on the Millennium City Highway surrounding the city, the VCC lets a central computer take direct control of the cars, practically eliminating accidents. While humanity is not yet colonizing other worlds in the solar system, near-space exploration is advancing rapidly. Since 1996 UNTIL has had a fully-functioning space station, GATEWAY, orbiting Earth, with up to 200 inhabitants. The United States launched its own orbital facility, the United States Space Station, in 2006. UNTIL also has the distinction of being the first entity to establish a permanently-manned base on the Moon, Moonbase Serenity, in 2000. It now has over 40 personnel. In late 2004 the United States completed work on the Venus Scientific Outpost, an orbital station designed to study the hothouse planet in detail. It has a crew of eight, six unmanned sensor drones, and three one-man vehicles capable of descending to the middle ranges of the atmosphere. The United States established Ares I, also known simply as the Mars Research Base (or “Marsbase”) in 2008. Marsbase currently houses a dozen scientists, though plans call for expanding it to almost four times that size over the next twenty years. (More to follow.)
  16. I hear you, Herm. All I can tell you is that IME, it's better to feel like more of an ass and less of a .
  17. I fear this conversation isn't exaggerated by much. 😟
  18. Hermit, is this a repetition of something they screwed up before, against your advice? If it is, they're just going to keep on using you to help save them, unless you draw the line. I don't know your specific situation, so it probably isn't my place to give advice. But you warned them, again. They ignored you, again. They screwed up, again. It's not your responsibility to always clean up the mess they made that you told them how to avoid. I know standing your ground is tough to do when it involves family, but they'll never change their pattern unless they face the consequences. If that makes them angry with you, well, maybe you're better off parting ways.
  19. There is no substitute for a good index in a game book. When you have a big collection of them, it can be hard to find which book holds a particular detail you vaguely recall. I really appreciate the near-omniscient indexes that DOJ put in all their Hero books from 5E on.
  20. In fact, per Champions Villains Volume Two p. 124, The Fox of Crime is the secret patron of the super-thief team, GRAB, in current official continuity. Per his history in that book, the Fox was active during the Seventies and Eighties, but age diminished his teleportation and physical abilities, forcing him to retire. GRAB lets him stay "in the game" without risk to himself. The members of GRAB still don't know who their mysterious backer is, but their crimes are smoother and more profitable than ever, so they don't complain.
  21. I've noticed that whenever there's any kind of world upheaval that temporarily reduces the flow of oil, gasoline prices immediately go up. It takes weeks to months for oil to get from wells to refineries and then get turned into gas, because there's a lot of stock already ahead of it. The diminished supply is an excuse for oil companies to jack up their price right away. But if the supply is restored, it takes a long time for prices to come back down.
  22. If we're sticking with published official villains, I can think of a few more males. Off the top of my head: Firedrake was a mutant with fire powers who was kidnapped by the IHA for study, but escaped. Since he saw famous politicians in the camp where he was held, he figured the authorities wouldn't protect him, so he joined VIPER. He was made an experimental subject for Dr. Timothy Blank, and Blank's Coil-Gene treatment let him shape-shift into a virtual dragon. Blank took Firedrake with him when he became King Cobra and left VIPER, but Firedrake wasn't enslaved to King Cobra's will like the other Coil-Gene mutates, and only pretends to be loyal to the King until he can figure out some alternative. Geos is another mutant, this one with earth-control powers, kidnapped and brainwashed by VIPER into serving them. A blow to the head during a mission weakened the brainwashing and restored his original decent personality, but much of his memory is lost. Geos knows both law enforcement and VIPER are after him, so he stays on the run, committing robberies only to survive. Grotesk is a victim of the sadistic "biokinetic" villain called Fleshtone, who warped his body into a hideous mockery of humanity. A side-effect of the transformation imbued the poor man with superhuman strength and durability. Grotesk was so traumatized by his experience that he believes he's become something inhuman, that no right-thinking person would want to be around. He commits crimes and works for other villains to accumulate the means to live a half-decent life. Firedrake was written up for 5E in Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth and Evil Unleashed, while the other two are in Champions Villains Volume Three: Solo Villains. I can probably find others, but I'm a bit too tired to look tonight. 🥱
  23. Can't agree with you there. I do have to acknowledge that Spider-Man has one of the best, if not the best rogues gallery in comics. Large, very diverse, and all with distinctive super powers and/or gimmicks.
  24. You're right AFAICT. I have little familiarity with genetics, and probably mix up the terms. However, if I read this part correctly, if two parents whose hair is blonde or red, both have an allele (is that the right word?) for black hair, then it is possible for them to have a child with black hair.
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