tribe

#144 UMURIRO (Rwanda) UMURIRO Patricia Mekelle Character Sheet (Click Here) Created by Rodrigo Vergueiro Background The legends said that the old Kings of Rwanda had been blessed by fire, being Sons of Nkuba, the Heavenly God of Fire. Fire played a central role in traditional Rwanda, both in ritual and in ordinary life. The fire in the hearth of the houses had to be tended and never be allowed to die, and if it did, then it was to be rekindled as soon as possible, for a fireless home was a lifeless house. On April 6, 1994, Rwanda started burning in a way that the Gods and the ancients Kings could had never predicted. Brother turned against brother, neighbour against neighbour, friend against friend. The Hutu-led military and Interahamwe militia groups started killing all the Tutsis and Hutu moderates that they could find. The Hutu had always been the majority in the country and still resented the fact that their former colonial masters had given all the political power to the Tutsi minority. When the current president (a Hutu) was killed, the military decided it was time to cleanse Rwanda of all the Tutsis. Patricia Mekelle was 14 at the time, the daughter of a Tutsi nurse and a Hutu teacher. She was roused from bed by her mother, saying that they had to leave town. Her father had phoned from school saying that he would pick them up with his old car. He warned them not to leave the house because there were militia roadblocks and military patrols springing up everywhere. Unfortunately, he never arrived. He was shot in a roadblock because a Hutu neighbor had denounced him – after all, he was married to a Tutsi woman. The same neighbor organized a search party in their street, rounding up all the Tutsis. The males of all ages and the old women were to be executed on the spot, but the younger women would be spared for “further entertainment”. Patricia’s mother heard and saw the first shots and the mob on the street, searching the houses. She knew that her husband couldn’t reach home through all those people and decided to act. She took Patricia to the back of the house and helped her climb the wall to the other side, a deserted backstreet. She told her to seek refuge on the town’s church and that she would join her there when her father arrived. Patricia followed those orders, using the backstreets to reach the church. But she found the building burning, surrounded by military vehicles and soldiers shooting everyone who tried to leave the church. Scared, she slowly made her way back, trying to reach home and warn her parents that their meeting point wasn’t safe. A trip that had taken 15 minutes took almost 2 hours, but she never reached her goal. Even from a distance she could see the flames engulfing her house and the ones around. She stood there, with her back to a ruined house, watching the fire, not knowing what to do, oblivious to the old jeep coming up the street. It was then that a firm hand grabbed her, pulling her into a door of the house. She landed roughly on the floor, trying to search for the one responsible for that. She found herself surrounded by 4 tall people. They were all dressed in colorful clothes and their black skin was shinning with an inner light. They appeared to be very old, but their voices were filled with power: “Child, we are the Ibimanuka, Those who came down from Heaven. Lord Nkuba sent us, His Children, to help. The people are returning to their animal ways. The time has come to once again cleanse this land and start afresh.” Joining their hands, the started chanting in unison, announcing to the heavens that the new champion had been found. And it was also in unison that they said: “Rise, Umuriro. You shall be the avatar of this new age. You will bring the cleansing fire that shapes the future.” With these words, Patricia found herself back on the street, with a strange fire burning inside and her mind filled with a new mission. The air around her started shimmering and waves of fire flowed from her pores, burning her clothes in a flash. The jeep was parked a few meters from her, filled with startled militia members, who couldn’t stop leering at her naked shimmering body. With a gesture of her wand, she blew up the vehicle, killing everyone inside. After that, Patricia walked home, snuffing the fire that burned her house and finding the remains of her mother, tied to a bed. Her hatred grew stronger, and so did her fire. Walking slowly through the town, she killed everyone with a weapon. Her cleansing fire didn’t know ethnic groups, killing both Hutus and Tutsis. Taking the road to Kigali, she destroyed every vehicle she encountered, every person armed and every trace of modern civilization that she didn’t deemed useful. U.N. and French forces tried to stop her, but she got rid of them easily. Reaching the capital she announced that the country was now a Kingdom again and she would protect it until a new King could be “forged from the people” by the Ibimanuka. She warned that further ethnic bloodshed and foreign intervention of any kind would only cause her wrath. The Rwandese accepted her rule out of fear but the neighbouring countries didn’t, and in 1995 both Burundi and Uganda tried to invade Rwanda and were soundly defeated by Umuriro. Since then, the Kingdom of Rwanda has been left alone by everyone. The few visitors and the refugees that leave the kingdom, tell the same stories: a country turned into a kingdom from the old African tales; where the people live peacefully amidst the ruins of cities without electricity or running water. The public order is maintained by an unarmed militia, called the “Sons of Nkuba”, who reports directly to Umuriro. Every year, the capital, Kigali, holds a week of traditional sports games, where all the youths of the kingdom are compelled to participate. The winners are then taken to Umuriro’s residence, were they are further tested by the Ibimanuka, who still search for a new King. They usually don’t survive the tests… Personality Patricia Mekelle doesn’t exist anymore, only Umuriro. Her body and her knowledge are now used by something very old and unearthly. Her mission is what drives her – stop the bloodshed in her country at any cost and rebuild the Kingdom. A small voice in her head sometimes wonders if she’s doing the right thing, but then she remembers what happened to her mother and to all the other innocents and the fire in her rekindles again. Quote “My fire will cleanse the land.” Powers Umuriro is some sort of fire elemental. She can create and manipulate fire at will from her body and from other sources. She’s always surrounded by flames and heat, a very effective protection field. She can also blast fire from her hands and fly. Although her fire is very hot, it doesn’t burn the ground where she walks nor the people and things around her unless she wants it. The only ones who can touch her body at any time without burning are the four Ibimanuka. Appearance Umuriro appears as a shapely woman of indeterminate age, surrounded by very vivid flames. The only skin that can be seen looks like a cracked lava flow and her eyes are just bottomless pits of flaming light.

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine Is that the 'bad guy' from Russian Dawn? Perepis always wanted to know what he looked like so she could kick his *** (not his donkey).

Re: 4th Edition Champions Seeker Hmm, might need to upload that character again. I'm really interested in seeing what you do with the Aussie.

Re: Around the World With A New Character Each Week

Re: #143 UXB (Russia) You're the guru, Noah! (Where's the translator you use?)

#144 MONGOOSE (Rwanda) MONGOOSE Real Name Unrevealed Character Sheet (Click Here) Background Not much is known about the man calling himself The Mongoose, apart from the fact that he is a talkative thug with a very high opinion of himself. He has appeared across southern Africa as well as Europe, particularly in France, where he has operated as hired muscle for various criminal organisations. The Mongoose does not appear to be an uberhuman, although he has a very powerful leaping ability. Africa Force has not bothered to search for more information on him, and the villainous group The Hunt has tried to shake off his attention several times. It appears that The Mongoose considers himself worthy of joining The Hunt and serving The Witch Doctor. Personality The Mongoose is a motor mouth, never stopping in his endless tirades against opponents during heated battles or even during routine guard duty. It is because of this inability to keep his mouth shut that The Mongoose's career has not blossomed over the years. Most employers stay away from him, leaving only the inexperienced or desperate to offer him assignments. Quote "HAHAHAHA! You should have seen their faces when I pulled out the Dzembabi Diamond - right under their noses the whole time, and they didn't even suspect me. Me? The Mighty Mongoose who has, time and time again, proven his worth and astounded his employers. It must truly be your honour to be here sparring with me this evening, and you do not need to feel unworthy just because you have yet to lay a hand on me. Not many do, I can assure you. But did I tell you about the time when The Hippo split his pants during a robbery in Johannesburg?" Powers The Mongoose is a thug. He is hired to hurt people or to protect something, usually illegal or shady in the extreme. He dresses as a super villain and uses two sets of retractable claws which can be quite deadly. He is a strong man and has the abilities of an Olympic gymnast coupled with the attention span and vocabulary of a thirteen year old suffering from double doses of ADHD. He is also an incredible leaper, able to cover distances of over 40m. The ability does not appear to be uberhuman in origin, although it is also not connected with his costume as he has used it to escape custody several times. Appearance No one really knows what The Mongoose looks like under his mask. He appears to be a man in his twenties and is usually unshaven with stubble on his chin. He wears an orange jumpsuit reinforced with kevlar and highlighted in black and a dark crimson. There are retractable claws in each of his gloves. His boots have the ends cut out so his bare toes are visible. Despite this there have been no links with finger or toe prints, despite the times he has been apprehended. Notes Not happy with the quote... I was going for something along the lines of Deadpool but got this gunk... help??!

Re: Around the World With A New Character Each Week And given that he operated within the Iron Age it's no wonder he ended up dead.

#143 UXB (Russia) UXB Sergei Yagudin Character Sheet (Click Here) Background When Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan in 1988 it signalled the end of the Cold War, but it also signalled the rise of the uberhuman super villain UXB who would go on to become one of the most devastating ubers of the 1990s. Before his transformation, Sergei Yagudin was like most of the other young soldiers in his platoon. He was trained in the basics of warfare, equipped with flawed weapons and sent to Afghanistan to fight the Americans through a proxy conflict. His goals were simple: to survive long enough to return home and hopefully work in his father's truck repair business. The Soviet super team 'Oktober' was active in Afghanistan and were hailed as heroes. Yagudin and his friends looked up to them with pride and a little envy. During the withdrawal Oktober vanished: the government was not interested in any protracted negative publicity so the team was called back to Moscow ahead of the troops. Yagudin felt a little betrayed, as did many of his friends and most of the military command. When the platoon was ambushed by Mujhadeheed forces there were pleas for Oktober to rescue the young, doomed soldiers. There was no help and the Russians were slaughtered except for three who holed up in a cave which was surrounded by the Mujhadeheed. For several days the soldiers were trapped and the Mujhadeheed enjoyed torturing them with obscene displays against the dead soldiers. One of the survivors shot himself in the cave, leaving Yagudin and one other in darkness. What happened next is not clear but most believe Yagudin went insane with the death threats becoming more and more graphic and the dwindling hope extinguished by the darkness. Apparently he was an uberhuman and as the pressure built up he literally exploded, shattering his own body and the mountain he was hiding in. A crater can still be seen at the site. There were no survivors and no eye-witnesses apart from Yagudin who admits that he has no clear recollection of what happened. He survived, though, and reformed his body although it was now more powerful than it had ever been. Feeling betrayed by Russia he remained in Afghanistan causing mayhem and nearly reversing the Soviet and West withdrawal. He grew bored with the wanton destruction and moved to the Middle East where he continued to cause trouble, but this time as a mercenary, reaping financial rewards for his explosive acts. The Americans called him UXB (Unexploded Bomb) and the name caught on. Yagudin hadn't considered a name for himself but when the media began taking an interest in his crimes and his past, he began to liken himself to his heroes, Oktober. In fact, he and Oktober met several times and most of those were on friendly terms. It was during the end of Oktober that UXB actually eclipsed them in fame. Oktober had been disbanded during the 1990s but UXB moved even more on to the world stage. During what is now known as The Iron Age, UXB clashed with American super teams on American soil and abroad, most famously when he blew up three Navy vessels off the coast of Washington State : USS Callaghan, the George C Marshall nuclear submarine and the Range Sentinel. He was also successful in defeating Sanction twice and was responsible for the deaths of Hawk Lord, X-Kavator and Darkstar II. While he was briefly incarcerated in America in 1992 UXB was never really contained until his death in 1995 at the hands of the villain group Maximum Force in what became known as The Acts of War. Other villains involved included the Havoc Masters, Deep Six and the (Alternate) New Men. Personality UXB was mad. The trauma of his transformation was never really reconciled and he went through his explosive career with utter abandon. He loved destruction and had no regard for anyone except himself, a factor in his eventual death at the hands of Maximum Force. He betrayed partners but was never blacklisted in the mercenary world because his powers were so devastating. By the end of his life he was a hollow man. There was nothing in his life and earning money from jobs was not making him any happier. Quote "Game Over!" Powers His powers were known throughout the world as he was the walking time bomb. UXB's body was able to detonate massive energy, easily able to topple buildings and more than enough to throw down even the hardiest of super heroes. The range of his explosions was generally a 60m radius and he had shown himself capable of multiple detonations in the space of a short time. Appearance After his transformation Sergei Yagudin grew a foot and put on over 60lbs of muscle. He was thick and red-faced, seemingly immovable and incredibly aggressive in his stance and gaze. He wore his reddish hair in a buzz cut and had a block head. For a costume he wore an assortment of iron link chains over a red and black armoured jumpsuit. He never concealed his face because he knew that he could wipe out any witnesses to his crimes: living or mechanical. Notes This character is based on one of my brother's characters from way back when we played Champions FtF. UXB back then was a good guy, but this new version fits the Iron Age villain type. Massive damage, no moral compass. The characters of Hawk Lord, X-Kavator and Darkstar II were just thrown in there but it would be good to write them up eventually. I figure they were Iron Age heroes. X-Kavator especially has that ring to him (or her).

SPECIAL EDITION: Vampiro (Portugal) Here's a character created by Rodrigo for his home country of Portugal. It's not an official part of the BLOG but here it is as we wait for the magnificent Russian entries. VAMPIRO Carlos Pontes Created by Rodrigo Vergueiro Character Sheet (Click Here) Background Young miner Carlos Pontes should have never accepted to work on that illegal mining operation… but the pay was good and he was in need of the extra money. Besides, everyone in the village of Quarta-Feira knew that the Americans from GreyTech were good employers and that the jobs for miners were scarce after the Portuguese Government closed the village’s uranium mine in 1998. Everything went fine until the first miners didn’t return to the surface for their leaves. GreyTech officials said that they were sick and being treated in a company hospital down bellow. Soon, droves of miners were getting sick and disappearing and they all had something in common - they all worked in old K1 Vein of the uranium mine. When the night shift boss chose Carlos to work there, the young man took that as some sort of death sentence and tried to flee from the mine, but was struck down by GreyTech security guards. When he recovered, he found himself in a jail cell, built deep underground. But that wasn’t his only surprise…the cell was only one in many, all of them filled with the miners that were supposedly receiving treatment on the surface. Everyone had suffered hideous mutations by being in constant contact with some sort of mineral that GreyTech had transported to the mine and was mixing with the uranium extracted from the K1 vein. But he was soon informed that his fellow prisoners had a plan! Someone had smuggled explosives from the mine into the prison and they would try a breakout. When the time came, everyone was ready, Carlos included, but it was all a setup…. The explosives were too powerful and when ignited collapsed the jail complex, killing almost everyone, as planned by the company. Everyone except for Carlos, who found himself hurled against some of the barrels filled with the mysterious mineral. The mineral mutated him…made him super-strong and nearly invulnerable. It took him three days but, level by level, he fought against the GreyTech guards, evacuating all the survivors from the project, before sealing the K1 Vein with explosives. But when he got to the surface, he discovered something…in broad daylight, all his powers were gone! He was the normal Carlos Pontes again. Only away from solar light would he turn into a “superman”. Fortunately for him, some TV stations had been tipped by the concerned families of the “sick” miners and there were many TV cameras in the spot when he emerged from the mine. If it wasn’t for that, GreyTech would certainly killed him right there. After telling the reporters what had happened in that mine, he returned home, grabbed his meagre belongings and left Quarta-Feira without even looking back. But his life in Lisboa wasn’t the new start that he wanted. The media kept the pressure on him and he was sure that the company still skulked in the shadows, waiting for the right time to strike. After some thought, he decided to use the situation to his favour. The media spotlight would be his salvation! In a press conference he announced that Portugal would have a new hero and pledged to help all those in need. Even though he started using the name Sombra (Shadow) the newspapers and TV (and the public in general) started calling him Vampiro (Vampire) after his limitation was revealed. Grudgingly he adopted that name and tried to contact several organizations and superteams, trying to find a way to counter his problems with solar light. Until finding a permanent solution, he fights the GreyTech Corporation and other wrongdoers in the quiet of the night. Personality Carlos Pontes is still the hard-working miner that left Quarta-Feira for Lisboa. Due to his upbringing in the mining village, where the miners and their families were the judges, jury and sometimes executioners, he’s got an old-fashioned sense of right and wrong. That means that his methods of handing out justice aren’t always appreciated by the Police and he’s getting quite a reputation as a bone-breaker in the criminal underworld. His life as a miner is also reflected in the way he plans his missions. While working the mines, every man knows what equipment to use; the nearest exit routes; what to do in case of an emergency, etc. Carlos plans everything methodically, in a way that, some say, borders the obsessive. But he always gets his targets… Quote “When the sun sets, you’ll see the true me!” Powers When the sun sets, Carlos starts to gets his powers. His skins blackens into an obsidian colour and gets almost invulnerable; his strength doubles and he gains the ability to shoot powerful solid beams of a black light from both hands. After some training, he now controls those beams, shooting them in two forms: one is a dart, powerful enough to pierce reinforced metal; the other one is an oval one that works like bean bag ammo. It can stun (and sometimes break some bones on) unarmored targets. Appearance During the day, he’s rather pale and frail looking. Due to the dust of the mines his lungs aren’t in good shape and he coughs a lot. He usually dresses in ill-fitting clothes to hide the fact that he’s packing a handgun and uses a bullet-proof vest. After all, he doesn’t have a secret identity and some bad guy can come gunning for him. He spends most of the day in safe-houses (many of them provided by relatives of the miners he saved), preparing for his missions and resting; or bustling from interview to interview. As the sun sets, he dresses in a tight fitting green uniform with long sleeves and legs. He also uses his old miner’s belt to store some useful items. As for head protection he doesn’t use any, except for a couple of heavy duty goggles. He’s trying to find a way to block sunlight, maybe with a full body suit, but he doesn’t have the money to research that by himself. So he’s always on the lookout for some superteam or research company that can help him with that.

#142 DRAGONFIRE (Romania) DRAGONFIRE Georgeta Dragulescu Character Sheet (Click Here) Background Dragonfire is the result of a communist-era science experiment. Georgeta was one of twelve subjects chosen by the Romanian government, under close supervision of the Russians, during the early 1970s. Of the twelve only three were ever seen publicly. The first Dragonfire was male and opposed Uber Force during 1972. Despite widespread destruction, the first Dragonfire was ineffective against the super-heroes and consumed himself in flames rather than be captured. He died at the scene. The second Dragonfire was female and also opposed Uber Force. She managed to get close to Max Uber and assisted in his capture in 1973. Apart from that she was never seen again. The third Dragonfire was Georgeta Dragulescu, the only one to survive past her first appearance. She was a member of an Eastern bloc assassin corps which infiltrated the United Nations and killed several key ambassadors, including the American ambassador. After several other high profile raids Dragonfire moved to America, discarding her Romanian handlers in favour of a more freestyle operation as a mercenary. She was well suited to mercenary work and managed a steady and prosperous career during the 1980s. During the 1990s she reformed briefly and worked as a private investigator in New York City, and although the police never gave up pursuing her, she did some good. Sanction made it a priority to capture her but were unsuccessful for many years. In the end she seemed to get bored with altruistic work and returned to the more lucrative (and destructive) world of the mercenary. In the current day she works as a sole operator across the United States and Europe. Personality Georgeta has been around for a long time and has only ever been imprisoned for short periods of time. She is tough and stubborn. While she is active in the modern world, her roots in Eastern Europe have made her suspicious of 'modern science' and scientists in general. She sometimes goes out of her way to bring down scientific installations and will never work for scientists. In contrast she is very comfortable discussing magic and alternate worlds in a New Age style - although she has no real knowledge of such places or situations. Despite her long years of active service in the mercenary world Dragonfire still retains a certain awkward Eastern European accent and persona which borders of stereotype. She finds social situations tiresome and always makes time to cast aspersions on the West in general and super heroes in particular. Quote "Dis is your un-lucky day." Powers All three Dragonfires exhibited the same powers: hardened skin, enhanced strength and physical attributes as well as the signature power to breathe fire. Georgeta has learned to use her abilities to a greater extent than her predecessors, most likely because she has managed to live longer than the earlier ones. Georgeta is also a trained boxer and wrestler. She wears hardy bracelets which she uses to deflect bullets: a fearless ability she has used to great advantage in striking fear in her non-powered opponents. A weakness she has exhibited is poor eyesight during daylight, something she attempts to overcome through the use of shades. Appearance Dragonfire is a strong, powerfully built woman who certainly looks like she is a wrestler. Her shoulders are broad, her neck thick, and her back rippled with muscles. She wears her thick black hair in dreadlocks and her skin has a dark, leather-like look. Over the years she has sported a variety of costumes ranging from the government-sponsored spandex of the 1970s to the leather and spikes of the 1980s. Generally she now wears regular clothing as well as a fire-inspired vest made of kevlar.

#141 ROCKRETE (Qatar) ROCKRETE Fahim Abd-Al-Malik Created by Rodrigo Vergueiro Character Sheet (Click Here) Background Fahim Abd-Al-Malik was proud to be working on the coastal city of Lusail, the newest city in Qatar. He was only an engineer in a “sea” of hundreds, but was well respected by his peers and above all, he was loved by his workers. Unlike most Qataris, he treated his subordinates like real workers not like slaves who tolled endlessly to build the new architectural wonders of Qatar. It was that devotion from his workers that saved him when the foundations of the building he was supervising collapsed. Buried alive with four other men, under tons of sand and concrete, Fahim saw his life flee past his eyes. He knew he didn’t have much oxygen left and he couldn’t feel his legs anymore, but he also knew that he had to hold on a bit longer and rescue would come. He was right. His teams hadn’t waited for the rescue workers to get there and had started digging through the wreckage themselves. After half-an-hour they found the bodies of the other four men, but they couldn’t find his body, only his clothes. The puzzled workers continued digging around the area. He had to be under that! He couldn’t have vanished. It was then that a miracle happened. The sand and the concrete started congregating in a human form. Fahim Abd-Al-Malik had returned to them! He was not sure of what happened, and he couldn’t explain it to the authorities, but he didn’t have a human form anymore, just a fluid form, which changed from sand to concrete and rock. After a visit by the Iron Amir itself and some scientists, a theory was formed - the stress of the situation had triggered his ubergene and transformed him. Soon he was released from the hospital and become a minor public celebrity. He returned to his old workplace and found out that his powers could help a lot in the field of constructions and such. After his employers saw this, he was offered a big raise and was assigned to be the spokesperson for the construction company. They even invented a nickname for him – Rockrete, an English amalgamation of “rock” and “concrete” – in a bid to win more foreign contracts for the company. Unfortunately the name didn’t catch and he soon reverted to using his real name. Personality Fahim is an easy-going person but very professional when it comes to work. He doesn’t discriminate anyone because of their origins and likes to get his hands dirty, working alongside his teams of guest workers. As a Muslin, he can’t really explain what happened to him. He sometimes sees his powers as a curse sent by Allah and he doesn’t like the way some of his illiterate workers worship him, thinking that it borders on blasphemy. Quote “Here, let me help you.” Powers Fahim's physiology changed dramatically after the accident. He isn’t made of flesh and bone anymore but of sand, concrete and rocks. That makes him very tough but also a bit slower than a normal human. After some careful experimenting, he found out that he could reshape his body or any part of it into different forms (he usually turns both hands into stoning hammers) and he can disintegrate himself (although forming a new body is quite strenuous). He can also manipulate any kind of sand, rock or concrete, shaping it with his mind. Appearance Rockrete is a mix of sand, rock and concrete shaped into a human form. It’s got a pair of black eyes, a mouth but no nose or ears. During his hospital stay, the medics couldn’t explain it, but he also had a heartbeat and brain waves although there isn’t any sign of an actual heart or brain in that mass of different materials. When working or in public he usually dresses in comfortable work clothes but when home alone, he doesn’t bother.

Re: Synonyms for Superheroes Uberworld has 'ubers'. (Yeah, it's a quick reply... sorry.)

Re: Soon I Will Be Invincible A most excellent book. Cries out for a sequel... Rob, tell us you are working on the next book. Seriously, 'Devil's Cape' has been my favourite read this year.

Re: Lots of Volunteers... Uberworld is a shared universe (click here) created originally by a half dozen or so people and has now grown to maybe ... a couple of dozen. I'm not really sure how many there are of us running around. The idea is that anything can exist in Uberworld as long as it doesn't contradict information or ideas that have come before it. If it does, then the new idea may have to be modified or the old one might be modified. As for directions in creating characters for: Qatar: Check the Five Pillars superhero team and Fatwa villain team. Rwanda: Not much has been said about Rwanda, but maybe check out the countries around it. As for general guides to the universe, just play around the Character Directory. You can do searches based on a region (North America, Africa, Oceania etc) or orientation (villain, hero, neutral) or team etc etc. And of course if you are interested in playing in a game you should join up to the Uberworld mailing lists. I think there might be a space in the Russian Dawn game. Noah would be the one to ask but he is advertising for a new player on the front page. As for your other characters, yeah, go ahead and send them in to me.Cheers Ben

#140 ROAD RAGE (Puerto Rico) ROAD RAGE Ruben Boscana Character Sheet (Click Here) Background Six hours, twenty-four minutes and fifteen seconds... six hours, twenty-four minutes and sixteen seconds... six hours, twenty-four minutes and seventeen seconds... Ruben barely blinked as the red Chrysler rolled through the toll gates. The clink of the coins sounded distant and tinny. Somewhere in the back of his head a pressure began mounting. Six hours, twenty-five minutes... A pickup came to a temporary halt, its engine idling. The driver fumbled for change and banged his elbow on the horn. Behind the pickup, a woman slammed on her brakes as she saw the red tail lights. She had been expecting a smooth transition through the toll gate. Her children were screaming about a dropped Bratz doll. The tyres screeched and her car swerved, just scraping the pickup's bumper bar. Within seconds the burly man in the pickup had poured himself out of his vehicle like molten lead, fury rising through his thick body. He glared at the woman who was desperately winding down her window, the children screaming all the louder because of the slight bump. Six hours, twenty-five minutes and ten seconds... Ruben's chin slipped off his palm and he looked with a dazed interest as the man brought down a crowbar on the woman's family car. He blinked again, disinterested although he knew he should probably call the supervisor. Glass sprinkled on to the road. Obscenities flew through the afternoon air. Ruben wondered how hot it was outside his booth. The temperature gauge on the pickup spiked at the thought, and its engines revved even though there was no longer a driver in the seat. Exhaust blew backward, there was a change in gears. Behind the pickup, the man holding the crowbar turned around, his face contorted with anger. The pickup skidded backward, the tyres burning fast in an acrid cloud. It lurched backward, barely held in place by the brakes. And then the brakes were released, the pickup leapt backward and crushed the man between the bumper bar and the woman's bonnet. The woman's car revved forward, nearly cutting the man in half as it took control of itself, forcing the woman driver to cover her eyes and scream for help. It reversed and then spun around 180 degrees, facing the oncoming traffic. With another rev of the possessed engines the woman, her children and her battered family Ford sped towards a distant wave of five o'clock commuters. Ruben Boscana rubbed his chin and turned his swivel chair around to look at the clock. Six hours, twenty-seven minutes and fourteen seconds... It was proving to be a long afternoon shift. Personality Ruben Boscana is a recent immigrant from Puerto Rico and has found himself a low-paying job manning a toll booth on a highway within the Los Angeles area. He hates his job and its monotonous routine, but he has little choice. What he doesn't realise, though, is that his frustration has triggered his ubergene and his wildly creative and destructive personality has unleashed itself on vehicles in his area. He lives his fantasies through taking possession of cars and trucks and turning them on the world around them. He doesn't really accept that he is responsible for the death and destruction, though. During one extended rampage through downtown Los Angeles, his possessed cars were opposed by Hella Chill and he had a glimpse of what he was capable of. The thought of him being responsible for the attacks sent him momentarily catatonic, and Hella Chill was able to restore order although neither she nor the FBI know that Ruben is responsible. They have suspected an uberhuman is behind the attacks and have dubbed 'him' Road Rage. Quote "This is my life, hombre: one second after another second after another second... and all I get is the fumes and abuse. It is a wonder no body goes loco around here." Powers Road Rage is able to temporarily take possession of vehicles in his immediate area, be they cars, trucks, motorbikes or even aeroplanes. Once in his control they tend to cause as much mayhem as possible and exhibit suicidal rage. He has never actively used his powers at this time, but it is possible and the consequences would be disastrous. Most of the time it is his subconscious which activates the 'road rage', generally brought about by extreme boredom. Appearance Ruben Boscana is a Puerto Rican man in his early twenties. Everything about him is unremarkable even down to the clothes he wears. He is on the skinny side and his complexion is getting worse as he continues to live a lifestyle of poor diet and little exercise. The vehicles he possesses tend to become demonic in appearance.

Re: Around the World With A New Character Each Week Here's Piotr's hastily amended background. No more military. Piotr Chojecka's telepathic powers were triggered during a beating on the border between Poland and Germany. He and his mother were being smuggled into the West, after his father had been killed in a drug deal. Although his father was not a traitor, his employer seemed to think that the Chojecka's would make a good example for his other employees. Piotr had no idea about what was happening, and to this day he is still ignorant about his early years. He and his mother were betrayed by the criminal gang and left to the mercy of an over-zealous German 'citizen group' who had been tipped off. Piotr was nearly killed and sustained terrible head trauma. His powers whipped out at his attackers and managed to stun many of them, but not before he was knocked unconscious. While he remembers nothing, his psychic body fought on and saved his life. His mother was not so lucky, and when Piotr woke up in a small-town German hospital, he was not the same as he had been. He had sustained brain damage and doctors thought he would be institutionalised for the rest of his miserable life.

Re: Around the World With A New Character Each Week Added image for O Encoberto. Cheers Ben

Late Pictures Here are pictures for two characters from way back: Professor Pan and Pandora. Sure, they are chimpanzees, but I really should have drawn them earlier. In fact that's not 100% correct - I did sketch them but it took ages for me to organise myself to ink it, scan it and the photoshop it. But here they are:

Lots of Volunteers... Okay I've got a stable of writers now. Puerto Rico: I've done a low-level villain, Road Rage (who will be up on the site tonight I hope). Puerto Rico: gmurie has volunteered to do an anti-American revolutionary type of villain. ...next would be: Qatar: Are you interested in creating a middle-eastern character, Rodrigo? Romania: Noah has volunteered to do Romania. Russia: It's big enough for multiple characters, so whoever would like to create one for the Motherland, go ahead. Noah has created a lot of the backstory for Russia for his campaign: Russian Dawn. In a nutshell Russia had tight control over ubers after WWII, but there would be more scope in recent times for independent heroes/villains. Rwanda: wraps up the last of the R countries. Any takers? Let me know what you want to do and I'll schedule you in.

Re: Around the World With A New Character Each Week I've just done a Puerto Rican - Road Rage. He's definitely not a major threat to the USA - small time. Could you do a Puerto Rican with a larger power set? The one I 'rolled up' was 250 points. Maybe your anti-American could be a 350 point or higher.

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine

#139 O ENCOBERTO (Portugal) O ENCOBERTO Ricardo Almeida Created by Rodrigo (predatorpt) Character Sheet (click here) Background Ricardo Almeida was going through a mid-life crisis. His work was boring; his wife was probably cheating on him and the historical book he was trying to write had already been rejected by 3 publishers. In the spur of the moment, he had taken leave from work, withdrawn all of his life savings from the bank and booked a flight to Sao Miguel Island, one of the Azores Islands. His wife had been totally against the unplanned vacation even after he explained that he needed the time to finish his book. He then tried to reason with her, saying that it would be like a second honeymoon for them. In the end, she had agreed to come with him, but had just spent the first week; always complaining about the weather before returning to the mainland: Ricardo was certain that she would be using that time alone to be with her lover and that seemed to crush him even more. He found himself near the shore of the Lagoa Azul (Blue Lagoon), one of the two lagoons that constitute the Seven Cities Lagoon. The final draft for his book – The Hidden Story of King Sebastian – was in his backpack and the wind was behind him, as if trying to push him forward into a new future. This was the time for making a choice. To continue with his old life or start a new one… He decided to take a different path. It was time for his life to end. He dropped the backpack and wrote a little goodbye letter for his wife. He was sure that after he was gone, she would really miss him. And he still loved her, so he explained how she could publish his soon to be posthumous book and get rich by doing that. After that, he stepped into the water, took a deep breath and plunged into the depths. He was never a strong swimmer, but it wasn’t very difficult to swim in those calm blue waters. His plan was to stay underwater until he couldn’t hold his breath anymore and then just open his mouth. But something caught his attention. Something was pulsating some meters under him. A pale golden light that looked like some sort of beacon, calling to him. Pushing himself to the limits, he dived even further until the tips of his fingers touched the light. An electrical current charged through his body and he opened his mouth in pain, letting the water rush in. He never felt the liquid metal pooling around his fingers and covering his body. He was drowning but at the same it was like he was being immersed in a suffocating oven. Then the metal sang… The story it sang was story of loss. The metal was a living being, the last of its kind. A living machine created by the Atlanteans. It had waited and waited for them to return but to no avail. It had lost track of time and had had been covered by layers upon layers of sediment, powering down to conserve energy. But a minor earthquake had set it free, just in time to feel something dive. It could feel the being dying and it knew the only way to help him. It would graft itself into his host body and together they would return to the surface. Even in his dying moments, Ricardo felt the excruciating pain as the machine joined him at a cellular level. His jumbled neural pathways were mapped in mere nanoseconds and in a burst of speed, a man covered in golden metal flew out of the lake and into the shore. They were confused, so It split the personalities again. It knew what it was: an Orichalcum based, sentient work suit. But the other part – the being that looked like an Atlantean but wasn’t – was a mess. His neural fingerprint was jumbled. It scanned deeper and found that the being had lots of information about someone called “Sebastiao” (Sebastian). That was one of the last coherent thoughts in the Human’s mind. It made a decision. It was sure that Sebastian was the true identity of the Human, so it reconfigured their outer shell to resemble a suit of armour like the one It could see in it’s host mind. That seemed to appease the Human, who directed them to a lone backpack left on the shore. There It found the story of the Human. He was the King of Portugal, lost in a battle in another country. He would return to help Portugal in its darkest hour. Satisfied with that answer, It merged both personalities again, correcting the neural pathways of the Human with the new information and relegating itself to the maintenance and support role. They took their first steps and the Human half of their personality announced that They would now be known as “O Encoberto” (The Hidden One). And that Portugal awaited them! With that in mind, They flew to the mainland. Of course the Portuguese Government wasn’t very pleased with the arrival of someone who claimed to be the King of Portugal. After all, Portugal was a Republic since 1910, and D.Sebastiao had vanished in the 16th Century... But “O Encoberto” would bide his time and wait for the people to acclaim him. He was their saviour and he proved that several times, attacking the symbols of the Portuguese Republic. Who needed a President if they had a King? Who needed a Parliament if they had his wise rules and laws? Who needed money if those coins and notes didn’t even have the symbols of Portugal? It’s just a matter of time until the people bow down once again to Sebastian, the King of Portugal! Personality Ricardo Almeida was never the most sane of people to start with. He was obsessed with writing his book and that cost him his marriage. When he tried to commit suicide, we was near a mental and nervous breakdown. That fact, plus the fact that he was drowning when the Atlantean work suit mapped his neural pathways – and only found his obsession about the king -, explains why the suit overlaid what remained of his brain with what it perceived to be his true identity and personality – that of the D.Sebastiao. That’s why “O Encoberto” can’t be reasoned with. No one can convince him that he isn’t the real king. All remains of his past life as Ricardo Almeida have been deleted and replaced with his vision of D.Sebastiao – based on his research and his book, both that weren’t very good to begin with. Quote “Why do you people keep rejecting me? I’m your King!” Powers All the powers of “O Encoberto” come from the Atlantean creation. The suit isn’t really a battlesuit. It was conceived as a semi-autonomous machine, which could latch itself to an Atlantean user for deep underwater work. In its original form, It looks like a pool of golden metal. When touched by the user, It covers all of the wearer’s body like a tight bodysuit. Due to a malfunction, It went beyond that and meshed with Ricardo on a cellular level. Its Orichalcum metal construction makes it impervious to crush depths up to 10,924 meters (35,838 ft), so in the surface world it’s a very tough suit. It can reconfigure both hands gauntlets to shoot sonic or plasma beams (although in their original form, both were used to do some underwater mining and repairs, “O Encoberto” found out they could be used for offensive duties). Due to its anti-gravity thrusters, the suit can also fly. Appearance Ricardo never steps out of the suit. He can’t do that right now, because they are joined on a cellular level. But the suit can reconfigure its exterior to look like a person, albeit a metal one. On several occasions, the suit was severely damaged and witnesses caught glimpses of the wearer before the Orichalcum repaired itself. They say that the wearer was some sort of pale, shrivelled human being; a mix of Robocop and a drowning victim. When “O Encoberto” first appeared, the suit looked like a gold imitation (a bad one) of a 16th century armour. After some time it evolved and now looks like a streamlined knight suit of armour, with the legs and arms in deep red and the chest and head in blue and white (reflecting the Portuguese flag of the time of D.Sebastiao). The head piece has two slits in the place where the eyes should be, and they both pulse with a red/golden light. It has also a gold crown, but very streamlined. Notes I'm still working on the picture. I'll post it as soon as it is done... and many thanks to Rodrigo for coming up with this nice meglomaniac villain.

#138 RUNECASTER (Poland) RUNECASTER Michal Rysiukiewicz Character Sheet (Click Here) Background Michal Rysiukiewicz was raised by gypsies in the 1970s after his family seemingly abandoned him. He has never re-connected with his family, although there has been some speculation that he is related (distantly) to the Witch King of Estonia. Whether this is true or a part of the Witch King's plan to corrupt Rysiukiewicz remains to be seen. What is known is that the young boy who would grow up to become the Runecaster began his life travelling around Poland and East Germany. During this time he was exposed to the supernatural world including werewolves, sorcerers and the Witch King, himself. When he was a teenager, Rysiukiewicz was taken back to Warsaw and lived with a gypsy family there in an attempt to get him away from the supernatural world he had been dipping in and out of for most of his life. The plan failed and Rysiukiewicz soon found himself in a firestorm caused by the Witch King, the result of which was the death of his host family and his estrangement from the gypsies. He later learned that the Witch King had sold his foster sisters into slavery. For several months Rysiukiewicz wandered alone across Poland, shunned by all. When he resurfaced two years later he was calling himself the Runecaster and had joined the East Guard - East Germany's uberhuman team. He remained a member of the team up until it merged with Uber Force after the reunification of Germany. At this time Runecaster left the team and 'retired' to Warsaw where he opened a book shop and worked as a 'mystic consultant'. In recent times he has worked alongside Longshot and Brain Drain in bringing down corruption in Poland. His motives are not entirely clear but must have something to do with the supernatural world. Some speculate that he is attempting to make amends for the loss of his sisters in Warsaw, and it is true that he has embarked upon several quests to find them or to piece together their disappearance. He has also been seen battling the Witch King's daughter, Porguneitsi, who he has apparently promised to marry. Their battles have made international news, particularly an impressive melee during Latvia's Eurovision Song Contest in 2003. Personality Runecaster has made his mark on the supernatural world as being enigmatic and closely tied with the Witch King of Estonia. He is honourable, almost to a fault, and will never break his word. This has caused him some problems since Porguneitsi claims he has promised to marry her. While he cannot remember doing so he is in an awkward position. Rysiukiewicz has spent much of his life battling evil and working in peculiar situations, but his personality remains rather light-hearted and elusive. He laughs often and is enchanted by beauty and art. While he doesn't go out of his way to work with other ubers he does not shun them either, and has become well known as a consultant in the areas of mysticism. Quote "By the lights of the northern star, we shall see what evil goes on in this place!" Powers Runecaster is a sorcerer who relies on the knowledge and application of runes. He must 'trace' runes in air or on objects which result in a bright energy residue, releasing the magic. He has his favourite runes such as the Rune of Power, Rune of Mystery and Rune of Fire; but his powers are seemingly limitless and he has brought out new runes on many occasions. In addition to his runic magic, Runecaster also possesses magical artefacts including a cape which allows him to teleport, a ring which projects eldritch energy in a concussive blast, and an amulet of protection. During frequent absences from Eastguard, Runecaster trained extensively in karate. He is still a formidable opponent and carries a karate sword, its steel having tasted the blood of countless demons. Appearance Runecaster is known for his thick black moustache and sideburns. He wears a blue domino mask, a black stage magician's cloak and a velvet vest over a blue bodysuit. Around his waist is a golden sash and he sometimes wears his sword in a scabbard attached to the sash. He is a man in his forties who remains physically fit and mischievously animated. In his secret identity, Rysiukiewicz appears older than in his costumed persona, and decidedly less animated. Whether this is an act or a sign of his advancing age, Rysiukiewicz won't say, although he is much more content with his life as a costumed sorcerer than the retiring shopkeeper.

Re: Around the World With A New Character Each Week Yeah I wrote this while having my own brain-drain. I think I'll write some more details rather than leave it sloppy like that. The 'incident' would have happened before Poland became an EU member... but I'll check. It would have been circa 1998...

Re: Around the World With A New Character Each Week