tribe

Re: Master Lists in Danger And I thought that was the little monkey with the feather making you smile...

Re: Native American Supers: Post Your's Here I've got a PC who has recently found out that his mother was part of the Cahuilla Nation and is slowly exploring this connection. He's a part of The Salton Sea Sultans campaign, which was created as a Native American version of Neil Gaiman's American Gods. WHISPER Taj Saubel Character Sheet (Click Here) Background Taj Saubel thought he was a tough guy around the streets of his home in Brooklyn. While his mother worked in Manhattan he was left alone to grow up among the other kids who seemed to spill out onto the streets every morning, and by the time he was fifteen he was among the most influential and well-liked of his neighborhood. The girls hung off him and the guys listened when he spoke. But then his mom brought her work home with her. She was a psychiatrist who specialised in court testimony, particularly in organised crime cases. Taj didn't pay much attention to her work and she didn't have much time to watch her son, but when his mother somehow got on the wrong side of a hitman all chances for a happy family were shot to pieces. Taj woke up to the sound of gunfire. It was like a thunderous applause at a monstrous concert. Each bullet seemed to thud into his walls, the sound lodging in his heart. The gunfire was followed by shouts and screams and agony, but everything seemed to fade, to simply melt away... Taj hid under his bed. He pulled himself into a ball and prayed to God that he wouldn't be found. His bedroom fell silent. Too silent. He couldn't even hear his own breathing, or the door as it was kicked open. But Taj scrunched up his eyes and kept praying. When he opened them, he realised he had survived. He ran out of the apartment, not even waiting to see his mother. He had to see Carrie, the girl who had been closer to him over the past year than his mother, and he had to see Lily. It was all he knew. The hitman had waited. And the hitman followed the distressed teenager. Taj Saubel thought that he was in control of his world, that everyone woke up each day just to see what he was going to do. His mother had woken most mornings with a smile for him, and Carrie had been his girl for over a year. There had been others, but Carrie had been the one. When she got pregnant, Taj felt panicked, but she talked him around. She was older than him. She said she could handle it. Taj knew she would make everything okay. Carrie had that way about her. But all he brought Carrie was death. Seconds after he burst through her door, pushed passed her aunt and barged into her bedroom, gunfire was spraying around the apartment, seeking him out. The hitman cut down Carrie's aunt and then cornered Taj in the bedroom. Gunfire erupted. Taj shut his eyes. Again. Carrie screamed. Lily started to cry. And then silence. Taj opened his eyes and saw bullets spraying through the room. He had Lily in his arms and the air between him and the gunman was shimmering. Bullets were bouncing away. He looked to the left in the unearthly silence. Carrie was shot. Taj shook his head and shouted but no sound came out. He backed up to the wall, felt the window and jumped. Lily was against his chest, his arms protecting her, and as he fell it seemed like the world was just waking up. Noise returned. Horns. Birds. Arguments from next door. And then the sound of broken glass as he landed on a discarded window in the dumpster. Pain shot up his back, but he shook it off and rolled out of the dumpster, already running for his life from the Mob. He didn't stop running for two months. He read about his mother and Carrie in the newspapers, but he dared not go to the police. He remembered his mother telling him that the mafia-types owned anything in a uniform. Every time he saw a police man or a fire man, Taj saw corruption. Every time he saw a man in a dark coat he saw a gangster. He took buses and hitched rides, all the while keeping Lily safe. He told people she was his little sister and they were going home... home to a family. The bus line ended at Seattle and Taj realised he couldn't keep running. He knew they would take Lily away, take her to an institution and leave him at the bottom of a river. Everything seemed hopeless. Death seemed imminent, although it had taken nearly two months to catch up with him. But then the Outsiders found him. Instead of running away he realised he had been running towards them all that time. They were young and lost kids, just like him. They had no family except themselves, and they had no trust in the authorities to make sure things worked out. And they were a little more than your usual street kid, too. Like him, the Outsiders were ubers, and for the first time he truly realised how much he had changed from the confident young Hispanic kid from Brooklyn. They called him Whisper. ________________________________________________________ Six years later, Taj lifted his motorcycle helmet and sighed after a long ride down from Los Angeles. He looked around at the reservation, his eyes drawn to the Morongo Casino where a limousine had just pulled away. A woman walked towards him, her skirt billowing in the hot wind as she held her hair steady with one hand. She was smiling at him. "You must be Taj," she said, and he realised her smile reminded him of his mother. "I'm glad you could make it." They shook hands. Tamara Saubel was his mother's sister, her secret sister. Taj never knew his mother came from California, nor that she was Cahuilla as well as Hispanic. It seemed that his mother had run away from Riverside County after a fight with her father and she never looked back. New York City drew her in with its promise of a better, more anonymous, life. Taj looked at Mara and she let him, keeping quiet as he reconciled himself with a previously unknown part of his heritage. "Satisfied?" she asked after a while. He shrugged. Since turning eighteen he had left Seattle and worked his way down the coast, picking up work where he could and playing gigs where they let him. He and Lily had always had enough to eat and they usually had a roof over their heads, but life was still not turning out to be as lavish and romantic as promised. Taj sang and strummed his guitar, but he hadn't cracked the music scene, and he was finding it more and more difficult to ignore the part of him which tried to convince him that he never would. Mara had tracked him down somehow. It was all very mysterious or convenient - Taj couldn't work out which. She said something about seeing a poster with his name on it at UCLA, advertising a concert where he was the fourth act - only one song while the support band went and shot up heroin. It wasn't glamorous, but Mara had seen his name and her curiosity was piqued. "So here we are," Mara said, almost as if reading his thoughts. He looked around again. It was warm, the sun was high in the sky and everything looked so big and so wide open. The San Bernardino range framed the reservation and he couldn't help but think that he was lost in another world. The air actually had a different taste - almost like freedom or hope. Memories of his life in the tunnels beneath Seattle flashed through his mind, the darkness and uncertainty lurking just below the surface. This was almost the opposite world: no walls, no dark corners where dark things dwelt. He thought, too, of Lily. She needed to start school. She needed stability, an education. A real shot at life. "Are you sure we can stay, I mean for a while," he asked. "You're part of us, Taj. You're my nephew. You're Cahuilla, family. If you didn't stay we'd feel insulted." He tried to smile. "I don't want to impose or anything," he added. "I'll work." "And you'll work hard," Mara added as she slid her arm around his waist and turned him to the 4WD which was parked on the side of the driveway. "You and Lily will stay with me until we work out a better arrangement. And play your cards right, we might even get you up on stage singing to the tourists." "What sort of music?" "Have you heard of Keith Urban?" Personality When he first started running, Taj had been traumatised by death and the ensuing paranoia that people were trying to kill him and take Lily away. He had withdrawn into himself, changing from an outspoken and cocky young kid from New York, into a quiet and watchful young father. He is still cautious, but he has grown into a strong and capable young man, perhaps even a hero of sorts. When he is relaxed, usually in his own company, he returns to the Brooklyn kid he was before. And while his dreams are still as wild and unattainable as they were when he first arrived in Seattle, now that he is in his early twenties he finds that most times when he is asked to play music it is country and western, rather than the alternative scene which he so desperately wants to be a part of. He does it for the money of course, but hates it and finds it very uncomfortable up on stage wearing a cowboy hat. Since arriving in southern California he has come into contact with the Cahuilla reservation. The news that he has family here has shocked him and for the first time in six years he is living with a blood relative, an aunt who looks so much like his mother. Whether he will embrace his Cahuilla heritage remains to be seen, but he is thankful for Mara, especially as she helps to look after young Lily. Quote "Let's keep this quiet, okay?" Powers Whisper is able to manipulate the sound in his immediate area, whether intensifying it or dampening it. When his powers first manifested, he was able to completely turn the sound off thrusting him into absolute silence. Since that time he has also shown the ability to restrict the silence field to just himself which enables him to walk silently. He has also been able to generate almost solid constructs of sound such as barriers which have served to protect him from gunfire. Normally he uses his powers to keep his illicit activities quiet, enabling him to bypass security checks and cover the noise of breaking and entering. He also used to employ his powers occasionally to dampen Lily's cries, although every time he did that he felt intense guilt. He found it difficult raising a baby, especially in the hard world of the Outsiders. Taj has been incredibly fast at learning new ways of utilising his powers and since joining the Outsiders as a teenager, and came to realise that his powers really are a gift. He enjoys using them and marvels at his growing power - but at the same time he is also incredibly frightened by the idea of coming across other, more powerful ubers - or of losing control of his powers. Recently he has begun to have frequent blood noses when he uses his more aggressive powers, and at times he has also bled from his eyes and ears. This has worried him and he has contemplated giving up using his powers once and for all rather than risk permanent damage to himself. Of course, given his background, Taj hasn't seen a doctor about the problem. Appearance Taj is a young hispanic man in his early twenties with short black hair, usually shorn to a crewcut. He wears a leather jacket over a white singlet top, and sometimes an open-buttoned flannel shirt. He wears hardy trousers and red and white basketball shoes. His material possessions rarely add up to more than his motorbike, a faded and torn satchel, and his guitar.

#87 DOCTOR AMALGAM II (Jordan) DOCTOR AMALGAM II Ghayda Olmert Character Sheet (Click Here) Background The fourth child of Dr Mazen Murad, Ghayda grew up unnoticed by her father. She craved his attention but found that he was content to live with his own reflection as company, often shunning his entire family to spend time at one of the royal family's palaces. Ghayda discovered he was Doctor Amalgam through coincidence while she was in Saudi Arabia at a humanitarian convention. She met Abdul Il-Nimri at the convention who was once a member of her father's group of mystic scholars, Al Tauaman, although he had long since moved on to more profitable endeavours. Il-Nimri had begun recruiting dissatisfied young Arabs to assist with Fatwa's impending attacks on Arabic states which had the support of the Five Pillars. Ghayda and some of the other young members of the convention were kidnapped by Il-Nimri, who planned to indoctrinate them via demonic magic. Il-Nimri had enjoyed success in previous brainwashing experiments but didn't factor on Ghayda's presence. The Al Tauaman group had installed a safety clause in their membership. No member could turn their powers upon another member without terrible consequences. Il-Nimri had no idea that the daughter of Doctor Amalgam was one of his potential dissidents, but as soon as his ritual had begun, Ghayda found herself channelling the magical energy back towards Il-Nimri. Images of the original Al Tauaman group appeared and Ghayda recognised her father. Il-Nimri also made the connection but was consumed by fire before he could escape. Ghayda returned to Amman and confronted her father who acquiesced to her demands that he train her in the magic of Doctor Amalgam. They have been working side by side for two years and Ghayda has shown a great affinity for magic, possibly due to Il-Nimri's attack which had been channelled through her body and mind. Ghayda has embraced her father's former identity - much more than he did himself - and the new Doctor Amalgam has made many public appearances in the past year, although her actions and abilities still label her as a rookie. Personality Passionate and headstrong, Ghayda has more potential than her father ever did. Whereas he was lazy and easily bored, she is intense and hungry for knowledge. She has made great progress in her mystical studies but she is always looking for further knowledge and power (something which she knows will get her into trouble sooner or later). Her overconfidence can also run out of control and she has found herself in seriously dangerous situations as a result of her boasting. Ghayda can see how impulsive she is and regrets her actions frequently; but at the same time she is so full of optimism and verve that she refuses to curtail any of her reckless behaviour in case she turns out like her father. Quote "I will seize what is in front of me every time. Waiting is for the last generation." Powers The second Doctor Amalgam is a student of magic, having shown great aptitude for calling forth and manipulating mystical energy. She is able to create a variety of effects, all of which are less powerful versions of her father's magic. She tends to rely on animating objects around her rather than using magic to directly attack opponents. She wears a helmet which grants her limited protection from mental attacks while also protecting her identity. Appearance Doctor Amalgam is impressive. She wears a turquoise mask with a rose-pink veil attached by a golden crescent moon. Her costume is reinforced with a light blue vest and long split skirt, which she wears over a pink blouse. Out of costume, Ghayda is a pretty girl with sun-streaked light brown hair, inquisitive brown eyes and a quick smile. She is vibrant and radiates expectation, traits which had branded her as unlady-like in the royal household. She works at a palace as a maid, but her passion is with humanitarian organisations. She isn't afraid to get her hands dirty and tends to wear trousers and blouses. Notes My sister and I use to play super hero role playing games when we were teenagers, although I think we played Marvel Super Heroes. One of her characters was from Jordan. Although I didn't roll up a second character I thought it'd be nice to give Cassie's old character a new lease of life. The second Dr Amalgam isn't a princess but I think she has some similar characteristics to my sister's old character.

#87 DOCTOR AMALGAM I (Jordan) DOCTOR AMALGAM (AL MALGHAM) Dr Mazen Murad Character Sheet (Click Here) Background Mazen Murad became bored with medicine during his university education and began to dabble in more arcane texts, going on to join the scholars of Al Tauaman who were instrumental in opposing extremist factions after the end of war in 1967. Al Tauaman became the guardians of the Jordanian king and have remained so to the present day. Murad took on the name Doctor Amalgam, bringing knowledge of both science and magic to Al Tauaman, and during the 1970s he was seen in public several times opposing supernatural threats alongside the other scholars. The 1980s and 1990s saw a rapid decline in the activities of Al Tauaman and by the turn of the century the Jordanian royal family issued a statement to the effect that the group no longer existed: its members having all but died out. In the same year, Five Pillars visited Amman and reassured the Jordanian people that they would remain protected from any threats. While Al Tauaman had ceased to function, Murad was still alive. The other members had, indeed, been killed or lost to the cause, but Murad had simply grown too old for such activities. He remained with the Jordanian royal family as mystic and medical advisor, although his role has been diminished since the pledge of Five Pillars. Recently, one of his daughters has taken over the mantle of Doctor Amalgam and begun a career as a costumed adventurer. He monitors her progress with great interest and sees himself as both her protector and her tutor (although he had very little to do with her upbringing and development prior to her interest in the Doctor Amalgam persona). Personality Murad probably was heroic and brave in his early years, but since the 1980s he has gradually slipped into a very comfortable and risk-free life. He eats and drinks too much, spends too much time on his back and abhors most forms of exercise. He has convinced himself that he has earned his retirement, but in reality he has given in to the pleasures and luxuries that his role as a royal retainer grant him. Since the arrival of the second Doctor Amalgam, however, there has been a spark in his eye. Although he would never consider a return to superheroics himself, he does see the potential for Ghayda. Quote "Daughter, there will be time later for such things, such concerns... for now let us simply sit here and enjoy the hospitality of our esteemed patrons." Powers Doctor Amalgam is a practitioner of magic, able to draw upon mystic energy and bind it to his will. The extent of his abilities has diminished since his halcyon days with Al Tauaman, but he is still quite gifted (although he is dreadfully out of practice in most areas due to his apathy when effort is called for). His most frequent magic involves animating objects such as chairs and carpets which he uses to fly through the air or ensnare opponents; as well as an ability to call upon a dark shadow-like energy. Theoretically if he applied himself more then he could draw upon a much greater variety of spells, but it simply is not in his character. Appearance Murad is a man in his sixties who has spent the better part of two decades living in luxury. Although he indulges himself quite often his body remains quite lean, although he lacks physical strength or resilience. He has hard brown eyes, a creased brow and a thick black beard. During his time with Al Tauaman he came into possession of a runic vambrace which once granted him enhanced magical powers, but the item has long since been drained of power. Murad will, however, sometimes wear the vambrace. It is golden with ruby-red inlaid runes.

#86 YABAI (Japan) YABAI Shunichi Kazayuki Character Sheet (Click Here) Background On a high school excursion to a science fair in Tokyo, fifteen year old Shunichi Kazayuki was bitten by a radioactive frilled-neck lizard which was on loan from Australia. The impulsive teenager had goaded the lizard and was bitten after extended harassment. He was taken to hospital but no damage was detected. After the initial attention died down Shunichi found himself alone in his grandmother's apartment. His parents had died when he was young and he was being raised by his mother's mother, although the old woman was very weak and confined to sitting for most of the day. The reckless Shunichi became a law unto himself as he entered adolescence and without a firm hand he had become a local street punk. The lizard bite set off a slow chain reaction within his body, replacing or upgrading his cells with irradiated ones which granted him superior physical abilities. He noticed these enhancements gradually and never attributed them to the lizard bite, but as he reached maturity he realised that he was far more stronger and faster than anyone around him. He decided to make the most of these abilities, which he assumed were uberhuman in origin, and approached the local street gangs which he had admired from afar. He was turned away and found himself labelled as a freak in his immediate neighbourhood in Nagoya. The city was fast becoming too small for his interests, so Shunichi moved to Tokyo, leaving his grandmother in the care of her neighbours: something which nearly broke the old woman's heart. In Tokyo he assumed the identity of Yabai, a street name originally used by the Yakuza which meant "heat is on". He had decided that his powers had originated at the science fair and styled his costume on a lizard, giving credit to the anonymous Australian lizard. As Yabai, he managed to create a stir in the streets, breaking up crime in equal measure to causing general chaos and mayhem. He seemed unsure about what his goals were, but gradually his attention turned to the relatively easy affair of stealing what he wanted. No one seemed willing or able to stand in his way. His natural abilities were a match for the police and the Yakuza, who he had hoped would take notice of him, seemed more concerned in ongoing conflicts and gave him a wide berth as well. Frustration about being left in the shadows drove him to break into Ichiban Media where he stole a prototype photon mask. He had planned to steal games but when he found the mask he realised that the way to make himself more noticed was to increase his efficiency and capabilities. The mask gave him offensive abilities while also giving him a more cutting-edge look. He continued to break into high-tech facilities in the search of advanced weaponry, but he never really settled on anything except micro-hook attachments for his gloves and feet. With the return of Senshudan One, Yabai has shown an interest in facing off against uberhumans and testing his abilities against theirs. Although he is not a villain who revels in mass destruction, he is no law-abiding citizen. He has broken many laws and has shown no remorse, apart from using some of his stolen money to relocate his grandmother to Tokyo. She seems to have forgiven him for his earlier betrayal, and thinks that he is working for a media organisation. Personality Yabai is a happy go lucky thief who is immersed in Tokyo's youth sub-cultures. He is widely known amongst the younger generations of Tokyo and his anti-hero status has inspired several underground manga comics. He has flirted with the idea of being a hero, but much prefers to live by his own set of standards, sometimes leaping to the assistance of Tokyo citizens in trouble, but mostly flying high amongst the silver towers of the city taking what he wants and living life to the fullest. Quote "I'm the original super-freak! Accept no gaijin imitation." Powers Yabai's body has mutated since being bitten by the radioactive lizard, triggering his uberhuman sixth sense ability while also enhancing his physical prowess which has made him much stronger and faster than any normal human. He has shown himself to be a superb hand to hand combatant, mostly because of his uncanny ability to predict opponent's movements but also because of his uberhuman strength which delivers quite a punch. In addition to his natural abilities, Yabai also utilises stolen high tech gadgets such as his photon mask which can project light in various forms; a functioning radio headset and miniature micro-hook attachments on his gloves and boots which enable him to climb walls effortlessly, seemingly defying gravity. Appearance Yabai's costume is well known across areas frequented by Tokyo's youth. He wears an orange bodysuit underneath a black armoured vest which is trimmed with golden reptilian scales. He wears gloves and boots which are also trimmed with scales, and which have retractable micro-hooks enabling him to climb most surfaces. His identity is obscured by his photon mask which has two very large raised lenses. His hair is exposed and is laced with hair product giving him an impressive spiky look. Because of the mutation he has a very well defined physique, something he hides in his civilian identity by wearing baggy clothing and trying to look inconspicuous. This is an act, of course, and something he feels he needs to follow in order to maintain his more exciting and flashy 'anti-hero' identity.

#85 LOVE (Jamaica) LOVE Lovena Saunders Character Sheet (Click Here) Background Lovena Saunders has spent most of her life associated with CLAW, beginning as a corporate spy during the 1980s under Steel Claw, and then as a personal trainer for agents working in the Caribbean. She ended up working in deployment and showed such talent for matching forces to assignments that when she applied to head up a CLAW franchise, those in power agreed to it almost immediately. Black Tower Security was established in Kingston, Jamaica but Lovena spent most of her time in North America and Europe, facilitating mercenary contracts and even becoming involved in some of the more sensitive assignments. Her connections with CLAW were exposed by the Sentinels during a widespread investigation into various Aeries in the United States, and her reputation was tarnished forcing her underground. Black Tower Security folded. A couple of years later, Lovena returned as the CEO of Intrepid Security, which had risen from the ashes of Black Tower Security (utilising most of their assets, personnel and facilities). Although her connections to CLAW had been publicly exposed the public seemed to have a very short memory. No charges were laid and Lovena was able to operate easily across most countries. Her mercenaries and security forces were in high demand in Afghanistan and Iraq, and she even entered into a short contract with the United States Army (although Sanction quickly intervened and the contract was revoked). Intrepid Security has been in conflict with the Zodiac Agency many times, some of which have flared into major public conflagrations. Lovena has developed a personal hatred for Zodiac, most likely because she holds them responsible for the revelations about Black Tower and CLAW. Intrepid Security has several offices across the world including Kingston, Jamaica; London, United Kingdom and Sydney, Australia. In recent years she allegedly teamed up with the vigilante-cum-terrorist Hate to steal the contents of a safe in a private suite of the Petronas Twin Towers of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The two leading mercenaries have been seen together frequently and rumours abound that they are about to join forces, bringing the resources and reputation of Intrepid Security together with the shadowy revolutionary soldiers of the Underground. Personality Lovena suffers no fools, and projects a fierce, elite aura which often unsettles those who have dealings with her. She is a professional and believes in preserving her reputation and contracts at all costs. She has developed a very solid reputation amongst the world's governments and industry and Intrepid Security always have one or two major deployments at any given time. Although she is no longer directly linked to CLAW, she is still very loyal to Iron Claw and would come to his aid at any time. She has entered into an unusual alliance with Hate of the Underground, forming the unlikely duo of Love and Hate. She is romantically linked with Hate, but not exclusively so. He is a distraction: a welcome distractions, but one she would willingly toss aside if Iron Claw gave her the word. Quote "My personal philosophy is to avoid philosophies and rely on instinct." Powers A highly trained and experienced agent of CLAW, Lovena has survived many years in the clandestine organisation and has emerged as one of their finest. She leads a professional security firm and has a very tactical mind. She has access to a wide variety of equipment, both conventional and high-tech. She is a dangerous woman in hand to hand combat, having trained in kung fu as well as honed her body and mind to the peaks of human ability. Appearance Lovena Saunders is tall and slender with tight muscles and a confident posture which borders on arrogance. She has dark curled black hair and alert brown eyes. The Intrepid Security uniform is a serviceable black body armour, but as the head of the company, Lovena also wears a white tunic over the top when she goes on missions. Notes It's been a busy month obviously, but here's the latest addition to the project. It does raise the question about who Hate is and what exactly are his band of revolutionary Undergound agents? Maybe the next country (Japan) will cast some light on that.

Re: Your characters, favorite by Archetype Brick: Paladin, aka Casper Jay Paladin was actually a character I inherited from my brother after he left the game. He was the embodiment of the Peers of Charlemagne, but I then turned him into a flagsuit Brick, boosting his existing powers by giving him a Captain Britain-style suit which enhanced his strength and gave him flight. He didn't get much game-time but has become a valuable NPC for my Dawnstars game. Energy Projector: Thunderstrike, aka Jebediah Davenport Part of the 4Men who were a group of heroes hired to pretend to be the original 4Men after the originals were killed in action. A great team with some really memorable moments. Energy Projector II: Whisper, aka Taj Saubel Originally created as a sixteen year old runaway father with his one year old daughter strapped to his back in a baby-backpack, Whisper joined a team of teenage Morlock-types. He had sonic-powers but didn't consider himself a superhero. He 'grew up' and moved to a different game where he is now in his early twenties and is something of a failed musician trying to 'find himself'. He still has powers but hasn't done any adventuring for a while, until he joins up with the new team in Salton Sea. His daughter is older and more independent but still very much the centre of his life. Gadgeteer: Can't think of any characters of this type that I've played. Martial Artist: Jungle Boy, aka Balthasar Numen A young, enthusiastic teenager who was part of a superhuman family and grew up in the public eye. JB worked for a Disney-inspired theme park, Hero City. Mentalist: Perepis, aka Yelizaveta Vojislavitcha Galkin A Russian telepath whose powers manifested in a bureaucratic or administrative manner. She is called perepis which roughly means census in Russian and whenever she made eye contact with people she automatically garnered some kind of census-related detail about their life. Metamorph: Tribe, aka Carlos Teramond Duplicator who heavily borrowed from Jamie Madrox in personality and style! Mystic: Countess, aka Erzebet Bathory The infamous countess who had a penchant for bathing in the blood of maidens, this character was played in a modern Pulp-style game. Although she didn't have mystic powers she did have a cursed ring which gave her immortality (with strings attached) and the knack for getting involved in mystical-type adventures. Patriot/Avatar: Solace, aka Anastasius 'Andy' Solace A bit of a stretch here, but Solace was a healer with the side-effect of drawing life energy from those around him. Solace was one of the small number of characters I actually created and played in a face to face game. The mystery behind him was that there were five people he had 'killed' in the past, life drained away before he realised how to stop it. They were named after characters from TS Eliot's poem, Gerontion - Mister Silvero, Fraulein Von Klump, Hakagawa and Gerontion... there was one other. Anyway, these people came into the scenes of the game as cameos and no one (apart from me and the GM) knew who they were. A good but short game. Makes me want to update him and put him in Uberworld! Powered Armor: I haven't played one of these. Actually I have played two characters who don a powered suit, but the suit isn't their primary power source. Paladin became Union Jack when he began wearing a strength-enhancing flagsuit. And Jungle Boy 'grew up' and became Sidewinder which included wearing a stealth-suit. Probably a bit of a stretch, but it's all I've got! Speedster: White Rabbit, aka Eloise Rathbone A teleporter hero who had retired to have kids. Her husband was also a hero but he was killed in the line of duty, leaving her a single mother of three. She returned to the super hero life and had to juggle adventures with parenthood - something which relied a lot on her powers of teleportation. Weapon Master: Hmm, nope. I haven't had any sword fighters or anything like that that I remember.

Re: Disney Princesses

Re: Disney Princesses You might want to add these two as well: Pocahontas: Fighting skills (did she use a bow?) and climbing. Anastasia: She did a good disguise so maybe she could be the covert operative one. And Snow White should be "the most beautiful one of all" (highest COM or PRE). Great project by the way. My five year old daughter is very excited to see pictures!

#84 ASTRO (Italy) ASTRO Federico Maglietta Character Sheet (Click Here) Background Florence has long been a living museum for the artworks of the Italian Renaissance, from Michelangelo's David to the treasures of the Uffizi Gallery. When young Federico Maglietta was assigned to the city he thought he was going to be inundated with tourist drama and the endless bureaucratic nonsense of warring museums and historians. Instead he found himself immediately thrust into a tense hostage drama in the Piazza della Signoria when a squad of the Red Brigade made a grab for a crowd of Canadian tourists which happened to include the wife of the Canadian Ambassador to Italy. The tense stand-off was eventually negotiated with the help of the Italian superhero Solar Centurion. Maglietta was inspired by the young hero but soon found himself assigned to clean-up duty around the Piazza while the main attraction and celebration moved on. Duty his solitary duty he came across a section of the piazza which had been torn up, presumably by the Red Brigade. No one else had noticed the damage and Maglietta investigated. What seemed like a small crater revealed itself to be an access point to an underground passage which slipped under the Arno and deeper into the city. Maglietta had grown bored with his duty and followed the passage which had been seemingly undisturbed for centuries. Whilst underground he was secretly assessed by an alien probe which had lain dormant since the passage's construction sometime in the 1600s. When he arrived at a certain point the alien probe revealed itself and informed the young Polizia officer that he was now the host of the Astrum Force. Bands of gold formed on his wrists from thin streams of liquid gold which shot out from both sides of the passage, and within seconds Maglietta could feel a strange energy course through his body. He pulled at the wristbands but they would not come off, and a voice inside his mind informed him of his new power. The Astrum Force was the collected psyches of a long lost race of space-faring beings which had been without a host for centuries even before coming to Earth. Possibly because of the long dormancy or perhaps because of Maglietta's unique brainwaves, the collected psyches were unable to fully regain sentience. Presumably the Astrum Force intended to use Maglietta's body as a host, but because the psyches were so degraded Maglietta has access to their immense powers without having to submit himself to their will. He left the hidden passage and sealed off its entrance point using the newly charged bands. No one has since entered the site, although Maglietta has returned on several occasions to ensure that the entrance is still sealed. He returned to his life as a member of the Polizia and quickly rose through the ranks with his new found confidence and his tenacity for hard work. While he succeeded quicker than he should have expected, he also gained the ire of his fellow officers. One such officer is his partner, Monica Cucinotta, who secretly hates him and wants to get a new partner. Maglietta, on the other hands, secretly adores her and goes to great lengths to gain her approval. To make matters more complicated, Monica Cucinotta has fallen in love with Astro: Maglietta's hero identity, although Maglietta doesn't realise her feelings for Astro do not extend to him as Federico Maglietta. Astro spends most of his superhero time patrolling Florence and regularly assists the emergency services in and around the city. He has had little to do with other superheroes although he does plan to approach the Dawnstars or Solar Centurion one day - he just doesn't feel that he is ready for that level of intensity. Even though his first impression of Florence was close to the mark, in that there is little uberhuman crime, he does find plenty of crises to avert and damsels to rescue. Personality Maglietta is a career-oriented police officer who is striving to climb the professional ladder as quickly as he can, mostly to impress his parents back home in Bari, and to win the heart of Monica Cucinotta, whose father was a Commissario. He has nearly limitless confidence and his possession of the Astrum Force has given him the self-assurance to go after anything he wants - although he still finds it difficult to approach Monica directly. As Astro, he is the dashing and daring super hero who always has time for the public and never puts a wrong foot forward. He has exchanged a handful of kisses with the object of his affection, Monica, but only as Astro. The media have caught one such embrace and Monica is widely known as being the girlfriend of Florence's only hero, something which tends to get her into trouble more often than not (and as long as it brings her into contact with her hero, Monica is not complaining). Quote "Put that statue down, carefully. This is not a super-market. And we do not allow withdrawals from the Uffizi Gallery." Powers Astro has been joined with the enigmatic Astrum Force which was once a repository for the psyches of a long-dead alien race. Upon joining with Maglietta, the psyches seem to have dissipated leaving Maglietta with unfettered access to the vast powers of the Astrum Force. The bands are always attached to his wrists but they are made of a very amorphous material and can appear as thick golden bands in his Astro identity or thin bracelets in his civilian one. The bands can only be removed by depressing two diamond shapes. This has only happened once in his superhero career although the man who stole them was unable to use the bands and Astro soon had them returned to his wrists. Some of the uses of the energy include projecting energy blasts, bands of energy which can bind opponents, intense blinding light, the ability to fly (even faster than the speed of light when out of the Earth's atmosphere) and a protective force field which provides protection from injury and harsh conditions. The wrist bands also grant the wearer enhanced strength (even if the wearer is not Maglietta) and reinforces his will power. Appearance Federico Maglietta is a handsome man in his mid-twenties who appears very well put together, if not entirely at ease with himself. He always wears immaculate suits or his Polizia uniform, but often looks uncomfortable or perhaps a little young. This unease is the result of trying too hard to conform with what he believes is a successful man - probably because his father always wore suits to every occasion. His hair is cut every two weeks and he spends a lot of time on his appearance, something else which annoys his partner, Monica Cucinotta. As Astro he appears as a strong, reliable superhero, outfitted in black pants and boots with a golden star belt buckle and prominent gold wrist bands. He appears bare-chested to best show off his enhanced physique, but conceals his identity with a black mask.

#83 ZYKLON-B (Israel) ZYKLON-B Abdiel Wohlgeruch Character Sheet (Click Here) Background Note: Zyklon-B is from an alternate Earth Dimension. During one of his many adventures, Dr Saul Numen and his family, the New Men, came across an alternate Earth where the world had been devastated after the Germans won the Second World War. During this excursion the New Men found their counterparts and managed to usurp the Nazi leadership, but not before the Nazi-version of Saul Numen set in sequence a Doomsday device which destroyed not only the planet but seemingly the entire alternate reality. Saul and his family escaped and the eminent doctor worried about the fate of the alternate world he was unable to help. He talked with an associate of his, Dr Gísladóttir, who was also the villain known as Arctic Fox. She used her knowledge of dimensions to search for any sign of the lost reality and in doing so inadvertently brought into our reality the sole survivor: a young Jewish doctor who had been experimented upon by the Nazi regime and had been transformed into a mutated uberhuman with the ability to exude noxious gasses. Zyklon-B was disoriented when he first arrived in our dimension (Uberworld Reality) and Dr Gísladóttir kept him isolated while Saul Numen and other scientists investigated him. They all agreed that he was a threat to society and were unable to stem the flow of gasses which seemed to be generated within his body. Saul located his counterpart in our reality but the counterpart had no uberhuman abilities. Although he was reluctant, Saul agreed to bring the two together as directed by Dr Gísladóttir. The trauma of seeing his counterpart and knowing that his reality was erased drove Zyklon-B insane. His counterpart was also driven to the brink and fought against Saul and Dr Gísladóttir, succeeding in disabling the containment room and freeing Zyklon-B. The enraged Zyklon-B nearly killed Saul but was shunted through a dimensional portal by Dr Gísladóttir. The two doctors parted company after that, and soon after Dr Gísladóttir inadvertently revealed that she was Arctic Fox. Zyklon-B disappeared, but he couldn't seem to escape Saul Numen. Every dimension he arrived in had a Saul Numen and Zyklon-B seemed destined to clash with him before being shunted to another reality. The constant shunting has driven Zyklon-B further insane while also bolstering his opinion that he is perhaps the most powerful being in creation - obviously the centre of the universe since all other realities seem to be orbiting him. He has become the only constant. Zyklon-B has found his way into numerous dimensions and alternate realities, and has appeared in the Uberworld Reality two times. The first time after his initial exile saw him battle the New Men in Israel alongside the heroes of Cabbala. The second time he arrived at the behest of a deranged priest in Berlin and spent several months in the employ of a cult before being sent back into the dimensional melting pot by the Brotherhood and Saul Numen. During Saul's own disappearance into the time stream, he and Zyklon-B met up in a far-flung alternate future where they were forced to team up for a time against an unknown alien race which had seemingly enslaved Earth. The two were unable to consolidate this truce after their successful revolution as Saul was wrenched through the timeline again. Zyklon-B has not been seen since. Personality Abdiel Wohlgeruch was once a timid Jewish doctor on an alternate Earth. He was captured by Saul Numen who was working for the Nazi regime and after a series of experiments and some genetic engineering, Wohlgeruch became Zyklon-B: a tortured man cursed to be a living manufacturer of poison gas. When his reality was destroyed he was the sole survivor, a fact that drove him insane. He has since become even more unstable believing that Saul Numen is an aberration which must be destroyed in all his incarnations, and that Zyklon-B is like some kind of universal lynch-pin, holding everything together. There is seemingly no way to convince him of any different interpretation of events and as long as those around him treat him as some kind of harbinger or messiah he is quite content to let people live. If anyone gets in his way or contradicts his beliefs, though, he will waste no time in destroying them. Quote "You cannot hide from me forever, Doctor Numen... and I do not care how fast you can recover from the dead. I will always be here... waiting for you and your family." Powers Zyklon-B has been engineered in an insidious and mostly unrevealed way. His body generates toxic gasses, similar to Zyklon-B and cyanide poisons, and he releases these constantly through his pores. He has shown an ability to manipulate this gas, and other gasses, to perform a variety of feats including flight, the generation of focused gas bolts and the ability to suffocate people simply by concentrating on restricting the flow of oxygen. He also possesses uberhuman strength and durability, the result of experimentation and the production of such dangerous toxins in his body. As a kind of temporal and dimensional anomaly, Zyklon-B has the ability to shunt himself between dimensions and times although he has absolutely no control over this ability apart from the uncanny ability to arrive in areas which are close to that dimension's counterpart of Saul Numen. This shunting ability is generally triggered when Zyklon-B encounters other time travellers or extra-dimensional beings, but can also be a result of stress or simply the conclusion of a act or mission. The exact nature of this ability is unknown although Arctic Fox has done some research into it. Appearance Zyklon-B is a product of insidious experiments. His body is toxic but has adapted to its new condition, altering his skin to a greenish colour and his hair to a deep blue-purple. The pores in his skin are constantly emitting toxic fumes and these can sometimes form into a mist around his body. He has always worn the same costume which is a dark purple bodysuit with white belt, and bands of white around his neck, wrists, thighs and lower legs. His hair is always unkempt and he looks like he needs a week of sleep. Notes Confusing write-up, I know. Basic premise is that Zyklon is a Jewish man transformed by Nazi science into a villain who was then somehow spared when his entire universe and reality was destroyed. He now bounces through time and alternate realities as he has no home. He blames Saul Numen for his current problems and is something of a recurring thorn in the side of the New Men.

Re: The Forte 20-Year Anniversary Game Forte sounds like a fantastic thing to be a part of. I don't think many gamers can say they have stuck with the same game for twenty years. You're an inspiration! Some of the artwork you and your players have commissioned over the years is fantastic. Makes me want to focus on my characters and make sure they last the distance. Thanks again, and keep us updated!

Re: What if: Japan won World War 2? Parts of Australia may have been 'annexed' and developed by the Japanese in a Champions-style resolution to WWII. They could have taken, say, north-western areas of Western Australia which aren't heavily populated or easily defended. After the war is resolved through a treaty or whatever, Japan insists on retaining its new colonies stretching all the way down to this area of Australia. It wouldn't really change much of Australia apart from having to share its 'island nation' with another country which could lead to future conflict. This is a fantasy premise, of course, and like most people have said Japan would have been very hard-pressed to win the war.

Re: Australia in the current CU Good stuff Assault. Let's get this project moving - you take the north and I'll take the south and we can meet up in Canberra... or something like that.

Re: Australia in the current CU I've started a blog to chart the progress of my Digital Hero adventure (still untitled). I figured the Blog function was there so why not use it to get me moving constructively on the project. Each week I'll post an update and hopefully I'll get some feedback along the way. As it is an adventure, it might spoil the fun if you read the blog, but seriously I aim to write this adventure as a city sourcebook wrapped up in an adventure, so the 'meat' of the thing will hopefully actually be in the supporting information. I'm basing the Australian source material in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. As you'll read in the blog, though, I have decided that the adventure needs to begin in the PCs' campaign city (probably in the USA). The biggest problem I had at the beginning was working out how to justify an adventure in Australia - how to get the (probably) American heroes into the Melbourne action. I had thought of a Reality TV Show which recruited Americans and others, but that was a bit too tricky. So I went with an invitation instead. The Victorian Premier is in the campaign city, gets into some trouble and is rescued by the PCs. Some more action ensues and as the Premier leaves he invites them to Melbourne 'anytime in the future'. That'll be the short introductory adventure and give the characters a reason to be in Melbourne. Oh and there's an emerging plot involving a CU villain. Please follow the blog if you can and offer comments. I actually planned out a sourcebook and it ran into many many many chapters, so I am sure to miss something out. Start small, I say.

#82 BLARNEY (Ireland) BLARNEY Daniel O'Donnell Character Sheet (Click Here) Background The room was claustrophobically small. Dust floated lazily in the dim, grayed sunlight shone through the chain link over the windows, and the chipped and peeling paint – an off-green covering the top two-thirds of the walls, a more off gray the lower section – took on a tauntingly sickly pallor. The wooden table, had it been any larger, would have had the room for itself, and the bare wooden chairs creaked loudly and objectionably with each movement, threatening to buckle beneath the person sitting on them. Danny couldn't pace. He needed to pace. He hated closing his eyes. He hated blinking. There was never the warm, comforting blackness one enjoys when they close their eyes, no. It was nothing but red. Blood red carnage. Angus's forehead exploding. Cars and trucks plowing through the village. The pub burning. The Holloway girls mowed down. God! They were just kids! His house collapsing, so many bullets poured into it. Old man Masterson wrestling with a bastard in a black ski mask, getting skewered by his own pitchfork. The town hall in flames. His older sister Mary set her hand on his. He needed to sit down. He couldn't sit down. "Mary, ya shouldn't be here. They got no right…." Though she didn't have the actual physical strength, she did bear the strength of a sister and pulled him down into a chair. "Scotland Yard's got every right, Danny." "Ya dinna do anyt'ing though!" "I'm yer sister! I'm stayin' wit' ya!" "Damn it, Mary!" "Hush!" She clamped a hand over his mouth. "Just hush you! It wasn't yer fault!" His mouth dropped open, moving soundlessly, aimlessly. "It wasn't yer fault!" Hinges that hadn't seen oil since the building's first days betrayed the opening door. Three men in suits stepped in and the guard outside pulled the door shut and locked it. The defending barrister, Wright, set a briefcase down and stood off to a side, leaning back on a wall. How the hell anyone could claim to be a competent attorney by playing a fly on the wall was beyond Danny's comprehension. Another was Danny and Mary's cousin, Timothy Bonnar. He enjoyed the image of a detective for Scotland Yards and kept his rumpled slicker on and took a seat at the table, opposite Mary. The one that made Danny most nervous though, the man with the graying temples and gallows eyes, was Stonehouse, the prosecutor assigned to the case. "What do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Byrne?" Stonehouse asked. Every word that poured out of the man's mouth was pointed, like a finger jabbing into Danny's chest and he couldn't do a damn thing about it. "I fucked up." "You fucked up?" His volume increased. The accusations burned hot and deep. "Fifteen people are dead because you fucked up! Another seventeen are in the hospital because you fucked up!" "It wasn't supposed to happen!" "No, of course it wasn't supposed to happen, Mr. Byrne. You worked for the IRA, Mr. Byrne. You ran guns and explosives for them. You provided them with information." "He was working for us!" Bonnar interrupted. "He was giving us information!" "And in so doing, he not only painted a target on himself, he put one on everyone about him!" "Sweet Jesus. If I coulda stopped it, don't you think I would have?" "He got six people outta there alive!" Mary argued. "He could have gotten a lot more out if he tried. Why didn't you, Mr. Byrne? Why didn't you try and fight them?" "Everything was blowin' up around us!" "Bullets bounce off you!" "You could have thrown things at them – like cars and tractors!" "There were too many a' them!" "I did what I could! I'm just one man, goddamn it!" "They were all over the village! They were shooting everyone in sight! They were destroying everything around!" "What d'ya expect me to do?" "People were killed! Innocent people!" "I'm jus' one man." "Men and women and children were massacred!" "I hadda get Mary outta there!" "So you're passing the guilt of this massacre onto her?" Silence choked the room. Danny wished he were any place else right then – the bottom of the ocean, cast off on the moon, or even in the fires of Hell – any place but right there, right then. He turned to her, his head shaking. "No. It weren't her fault. I was the dumb bastard. I was the one what killed everyone." Mary shook her head and said quietly, "No. It wasn't yer fault. Ya were doin' what ya thought best. Ya were tryin' to get the IRA outta there." "An' all I did was bring 'em down on everyone." "And you painted the biggest target of all on your own sister!" Danny couldn't pull his eyes away from Mary's. Tears welled up in his eyes, and they stained her cheeks. "I'm sorry" was all he could choke out to her. Bonnar slammed his open hand on the table. "Mr. Stonehouse! Need I remind you that without Danny's information, we couldn't have arrested almost twenty IRA terrorists and seized a half a million pounds in weapons?" "What about that, Mr. Byrne?" The barrister's volume backed off but Danny felt that finger looking for a spot on his chest that hadn't gone numb yet. "Why'd you go from arms dealer to stoolie?" "Ya ever get tired a' wonderin' if someone's stuck a bomb in yer church? Ya ever break up a fight between kids and they weren't fightin' about girls or cars or who was cheatin' but because Protestant and Catholic got to be the dirtiest words on the block? Ya ever seen a good honest man get beat ta death 'cause he refused ta thrown in with yer lot?" "Mr. MacBride?" Mary's voice dripped with fear and horror. "He was just a schoolteacher." "An' he was tryin' ta teach tolerance and respect." "And you didn't try to stop that?" Stonehouse found another tender spot and dug his finger in deep. A knock at the door. Bonnar met the man standing in the doorway and hurriedly discussed a matter with him. "I was barely seventeen years old! I didn't know my head from my ass!" "Do you now?" Danny fists whitened, how tightly clenched they were, and his face deepened in redness. The inspector sat back at the table. "Danny, remember James Bingham?" "Yeah, he was that contact yer people set me up with." "He was just arrested for moving explosives. Turns out he was on the IRA payroll as well." Stonehouse turned squarely at Bonnar. "Now I have to wonder if Scotland Yards can tell its head from its ass." Wright set his hand on Stonehouse's shoulder and looked at Bonnar. "Let's talk in the hall." Silence again filled the tiny green and gray room, drowning Danny and Mary as they sat there, drenched in the dreary sunlight, and waited, not looking at each other but never letting go of the other's hand. Twenty minutes later, the three men returned, each resuming their previous positions as if they had never left. Stonehouse took the platform and started with Mary. "You obviously can't go back to Dungiven, Miss Byrne. And I think it would be in your best interests to forget ever returning to Ireland. Your name and your picture, as well as your brother's, will be most everywhere. We can declare Mary Byrne dead. We'd relocate you create a new identity for you." "What about Danny?" Her demand came out as much a plea. "Mr. Byrne. We can do the same thing for you and normally I really wouldn't hesitate to do make such an offer. But – given your background, given your days as a gunrunner, given how you stood by and watched Mr. MacBride get beaten to death, given how a number of the guns used in the Dungiven Massacre were weapons you provided the IRA – " If Mary could find the air, she would have gasped. Danny's face went white and his eyes glazed over. "You weren't aware of that?" There were no more tender spots for Stonehouse to poke and prod. Everything was dead inside Danny. "No, apparently you weren't. Given your criminal history, Mr. Byrne, we're not going to let you out of here with a brand new name and a brand new life. I'm not going to let you out of here with a brand new name and a brand new life. I'm going to give you two choices, Mr. Byrne. One, you can take your chances with a trial. You'd be looking at fifteen counts of murder three, seventeen counts of attempted murder three, assault with a deadly weapon – thirty-two counts, accomplice to the murder of one Mister MacBride, gunrunning, and terrorism, and all of that's just off the top of my head. As that stands, I can guarantee that you won't see the outside of a prison for the rest of your natural days. Two, you give us names. You testify. And you do eight and a half to twelve in Stronghold, parole reviews after five, after which Scotland Yard will set you up with the new name and new life. What'll it be, Mr. Byrne?" Danny looked from Bonnar to Wright – "Stronghold?" Mary asked Stonehouse. "What's that?" "It's a prison for super-powered felons and psychopaths. On a clear night with a powerful enough set of binoculars, you can watch it orbiting the Earth." – and from Wright to Mary, where his glazed eyes rested. "That's not fair!" Her voice was just shy of a scream, her eyes locked onto her brother's. "That's not right!" "What'll it be, Mr. Byrne?" Danny forced himself to look again at his barrister. Wright simply, grievously nodded. His cousin turned up a hand, offering only the simplest, most defeated shrug. The Irishman didn't look at Stonehouse, but nodded just once. "Stronghold." "It's not fair." Danny turned to his sister. "I gotta do something to make it right though." "It's not fair. Stronghold?" "Your brother could walk out of most any conventional maximum security prison, Miss Byrne. Stronghold's the only option he has." The three men stood, Bonnar guiding Mary out the door. "Danny! Remember what we talked about last night! You can still do it! When you get out, go be a hero!" Danny couldn't face her. He had given her his word that he'd do what he could, that he'd do his best to do good by the world, to atone for what he had done. And somehow, somewhere, she had driven it into him to apply to the Sentinels. It was fantasy, pure and simple and hysterical fantasy. But he had given his sister his word. "Go be a hero!" In the hall, Stonehouse let out a small chuckle. "Hero." Mary wheeled on the barrister and slapped him hard. He stared at her, a bug under his microscope, then walked off. Danny was released from Stronghold and fulfilled his promise to Mary and applied for Sentinels membership. He was rejected but was subsequently picked up by the European Union to be a part of their new superhero team, the Dawnstars. Blarney became one of its founding members. After the Dawnstars were disbanded, Danny returned to Ireland where he gradually found himself mostly unrecognised, especially in the south. He slipped into anonymity and lived the life he had wanted - free from trouble. When the Dawnstars came looking for him after several ex-members were killed he hid from them, not wanting to be brought back into the fold. Since then he has lived quietly in Dublin, but at the back of his mind there's always that feeling that one day the Dawnstars or someone else will land on his doorstep and demand he give up his quiet life and risk everything to play the super hero game again. Recently he purchased a pub in Dublin and recklessly called it Blarney's. Note: Blarney was originally created as a Player Character for the Global Guardians Venice game way, way back and has been updated for the Uberworld. I can't remember who played him, but I think it was Mark someone... if by the weirdest of chances anyone knows who did play him, please let me know. Mark Hayes was the original player of Blarney (thanks Noah). He is responsible for the impressive background writeup, but I've modified the character stats. If anyone knows of Mark Hayes, let him know what Blarney is up to. He was one of the very first Dawnstars, even before they were Dawnstars! Personality Danny fancies himself a ladies' man, and as such, has learned quite the gift of gab. While he's never too certain if he's actually impressed a woman so much or just worn her down, he doesn't fail too often. He enjoys a quiet private life, just hanging with his friends and tossing darts every now and again. But he also doesn't back down from a scrap, feeling some need to put a cockier person than himself in his place. With their parents gone, his devotion to his sister has increased greatly. Though they may have fought like cats and dogs as children, he finds saying no to her now near impossible. Quote "That's a mighty big gun yer carryin' there, boyo. A wee bitta envy yuh got, eh?" Powers His mother always teased him about kissing the Blarney Stone due to his gift for gab. His sister always said he did more than kiss it, given his great strength and resistance to harm. Neither had too much to say about his body's ability to heal what damage was inflicted on it. Appearance Danny is a small man, leaning on the skinny side. His face is long and angular, leaning on the pinched and mousy side. His mouth is long and animated, breaking out in a cocky smirk in a pub or a brawl or just walking down the street, brightening at the sight of a beautiful single woman, darkening with too much drink. Children often joked that if a buoy ever disappeared, they could always put Danny adrift, his curly hair is such a brilliant red. His face is also heavily freckled and tends to be scratchy due to shaving just once, maybe twice a week. He enjoys wearing blue jeans and flannel shirts or tan khaki with cardigan sweaters. On chillier days, he breaks out an old army jacket he bought at a pawn shop in Dublin. Danny's also rarely without cigarettes, puffing on them at every opportunity; it's just one of those things that makes him feel a bit more adult. Notes The written information above is mostly taken from the original Blarney character by Mark Hayes. I've added only a few lines bringing him up to current events in Uberworld, so the character write-up isn't mine. It's Mark's. And I miss the guy! As mentioned above, Blarney was one of the first Dawnstars, even before the team changed its name. Originally a part of the Global Guardians Embassy meta-campaign, the Venice Global Guardians was my first pbem Champions campaign and there are still a number of players still playing after ... five years? Not sure exactly, time flies. There have been a number of re-boots with Global Guardians and then the move across to Uberworld over a year ago. The Dawnstars have had a bit of bad luck as far as members go. Usually retired heroes get killed, maimed or turn bad; but Blarney (bless his soul!) has managed to retire gracefully and opened a pub in Dublin. Good on ya mate!

Re: Some help with a foe for a wind manipulator please Um... have to spread some around first apparently.

Re: Some help with a foe for a wind manipulator please Ooh Zyklon-B is a great name (repped!) - and I'm gonna steal it for Uberworld.

Re: Casting "Champions Universe: The Motion Picture" James Marsden as Defender. I see similarities between Cyclops and Defender (both stoic, kind of ... er, plain leader types). Plus Marsden is a good actor and needs another crack at the superhero genre. He'd also play a good rich guy in a tuxedo for the secret ID parts.

Re: Some help with a foe for a wind manipulator please I like the idea of a 'smog' character, and he or she could actually be called Smog. Maybe a nasty industrial accident created the creature or transformed a worker (maybe a pollution recorder or analyst). You could call him Smog or Gloom. Or something.

Re: Around the World With A New Character Each Week Wow, the Thread just passed 10,000 hits. Thanks everyone! Of course I tallied up the countries today and I'm not even half way through yet.

#81 SNAKESKIN (Iraq) SNAKESKIN Real Name Unrevealed, but goes by the name Saheed Alsamari Character Sheet (Click Here) Background Snakeskin was active in the United States for several years prior to his move to Iraq, although his crimes were mostly of a small nature and only moderately successful. His decision to move internationally and secure himself a major piece of the illicit trade in war-torn Iraq, catapulted him into the big time. Of unknown nationality, Snakeskin has the ability to take on the form of anyone he touches. He moved into Iraq during the American invasion and set himself up as a crime lord based out of Kirkuk. The war continues despite Sanction being sent to Iraq on three separate month-long tours because other interests have also moved in to counter this rise in force, especially Fatwa. The Iraq conflict has become something of an embarrassment for the United States and the Coalition of the Willing (Britain and Australia), with no easy solution available. While there are several uberhuman operatives working with the Coalition forces, there seems to be just as many in the opposing camps. The American and Coalition troops maintain their professionalism regardless and have managed to secure Baghdad which has returned to a semi-stable environment, although the Iraqi government is still full of factionalism and cannot really operate effectively. Snakeskin has entered this chaotic environment to make as much money as he can. He initially arrived in the guise of an independent contractor but quickly assumed a variety of other roles and made his way to Kirkuk where he has replaced the local warlord, Saheed Alsamari. While his followers are a little suspicious about this 'new' Saheed Alsamari, his brutal effectiveness has won their support. Snakeskin controls a large territory in the country's north-east and oversees a large smuggling ring as well as extortion rackets and a thriving black market based in Kirkuk. Personality Snakeskin is an opportunist and although he has established himself quite comfortably in Iraq, he would not hesitate to move on if he thought there were better opportunities abroad or if he thought his operation was seriously threatened. He is primarily motivated by greed, but underneath this is his need to outmanoeuvre opponents and show his superior tactical mind. Iraq has become an excellent arena to act out both of these passions. Quote "There is a little bit of me underneath all of your skins." Powers A shapeahifter who can create a second 'skin' based on someone he has touched, Snakeskin is an excellent infiltrator, although his powers require time to be effective. A major limitation of the 'skins' is that while he can mimic a person's appearance, smell and touch he cannot alter his voice except through vocal tricks he has picked up (mimicry). In his natural state he has reptilian skin which provides some protection as well as making him difficult to hold. Appearance Snakeskin is a shapeshifter and can, with time, look like any person he has touched. When not wearing a 'skin' he is covered with very smooth green scales. His face is flat with nostril-slits, slightly raised scales for eyebrows and bright yellow eyes with no discernible pupils. He has small sharp teeth rather than fangs and these can deliver quite a painful bite. He generally wears clothes to complement his disguise so he could be wearing anything. Under all his 'skins' he wears simple black shorts. Notes The actual number of ubers in Iraq has been the subject of debate for several years. Under Hussein's regime they were used as a personal security force or exterminated, depending on their capabilities (and ethnicity). Snakeskin is not an Iraqi but he is known to be operating in Iraq.

#80 FLASHPOINT (Iran) FLASHPOINT Mohammad ad-Din Character Sheet (Click Here) Background Flashpoint was involved with the Iraq-Iran war during the 1980s and has managed to remain close to the changing governments over the years, shifting his allegiances but always having Iran's interests at heart. He is currently an advisor to the Defence Minister and regularly trains with the military, although he has refused to fully enter the political world. He is an advocate of anti-Israeli sentiment in the Middle East and, although he rarely speaks in public on the issue, he has been known to work closely with other Arab nations in the areas of training and anti-uber security. On a personal level, Mohammad is now in his forties and has shown very little interest in his own private life. There have been no stories of love interests or even family connections. As he grows older this has begun to weigh on him, and although he considers it too late to reconnect with his family (he only has one brother still alive) he has thought of the possibility of marriage. The super heroine, Veil, has aroused his interest and he has shown her considerable courtesy during their meetings. Personality Long considered an extension of the Iranian government, Flashpoint is a genuinely concerned man who believes that Iran is at the forefront of Arab solidarity against what he considers the aberrant greed of the West. He dislikes America and actively hates Israel, but he does so in the context that he believes their influences may endanger the life he lives in Iran, and the lives of those he has sworn to protect. He is a staunch Muslim but has no time for extremists such as Fatwa who he has fought with at times. He generally works alone, but has teamed up with Five Pillars when the threat is severe enough. Interestingly, there has been little attention on other Iranian ubers; and this is something which troubles Flashpoint at times. Even though he has been close to governments over the past twenty years, he still has no idea whether the government has been hiding other cases of the ubergene. Mostly he convinces himself that the government would never hide such valuable assets, but there is a part of him which suspects foul play. Quote "Iran is a free country, the slave of no Western bully, and I am here to ensure that freedom." Powers Flashpoint is a powerful uberhuman who wields the energies of lightning and has been able to hone his skills through over ten years of government service. He is able to generate electricity in a variety of forms including ball lightning, forked lightning, and a stunning field of electrical current which is capable of rendering multiple opponents inert. He is also able to produce a taser-like energy which does no permanent damage but is able to knock out strong opponents, most notably Saladin of Fatwa. Flashpoint is able to transform himself into living electricity for short periods which enables him to seemingly teleport over short distances of up to 100m. In addition to these flashy powers, he is also able to absorb large quantities of raw energy as well as generate a fierce electrical field which can protect him from harm. Appearance Flashpoint is a modest man who wears a simple black uniform to take attention away from the actual man and focus it on the larger than life actions. He works for the greater good of Iran and follows the directions of the government. His uniform is vaguely militaristic in appearance with thick-soled boots, black bodysuit with a half mask, hood and half-length cape. His hair is dark and cut very short, with silver streaks along the temples He wears a beard and moustache which is also beginning to show signs of silver. He is rarely seen in public out of uniform, although he has a public identity. There are no images of Flashpoint in Iran, although some fans beyond the borders have photographs and posters with his likeness and these have become valuable items.

#79 PRINCESS KOMODO (Indonesia) PRINCESS KOMODO Ellen Komodo Character Sheet (Click Here) Background When the Japanese invaded Indonesia (the Dutch Indies) they uncovered a series of laboratories on a seemingly deserted island in the Java Sea. Hidden within its depths was Doctor Komodo who immediately unleashed a horde of komodo dragons onto the Japanese, decimating them in a matter of minutes. During the closing stages of World War II, Komodo was responsible for deaths on both sides of the battle - and the stories of his experiments on survivors were truly terrifying. His hidden lair was discovered by Americans in 1948 and he was chased away into hiding where he stayed relatively quiet for twenty years. In the early 1970s he was discovered again by Americans during the Vietnam War. His experiments on komodo dragons had produced a variety of radioactive beasts which he unleashed upon the South Vietnamese. He continued to experiment over the years, but slowly slipped into prolonged periods of complete insanity and seemed to drop off the supervillain scene. In 2006 Princess Komodo first appeared and claimed to be Dr Komodo's daughter, although some have suggested grand daughter might be more realistic. She tried to establish herself within Indonesia's criminal underworld as a mercenary, but no one would dare employ her. She went on to showcase her abilities by robbing a series of banks across Sumatra, but was opposed by the Bidadari Angels. She escaped and attempted to use the experience to bolster her reputation as a mercenary par excellance. Again she was rejected. Then Doctor Komodo came out of his obscure retirement and threatened Jakarta with a plague of radioactive komodo dragons. He blackmailed several key underworld figures to hire his daughter for several 'low risk' ventures, and Komodo Princess has managed to maintain her employment ever since. The underworld figures treat her as they would a particularly slow child, although she hasn't managed to realise that they are patronising her. Ellen's mother is something of a mystery, and there are rumours that Doctor Komodo bypassed a biological mother and 'grew' Ellen from a test tube. The good (crazy) doctor himself has suggested that this rumour has some truth in it. Again, Ellen has no idea about her origins and just assumes she was the daughter of some super model who fell in love with the crazy scientist. Personality Despite her training with supposedly 'authentic' ninja experts, Ellen is certainly not as deadly as she believes herself to be. She is a capable swordswoman and combatant, but is far out of her league when it comes to uberhumans, and she very often finds herself trounced by heroes, particularly the Bidadari Angels. Princess Komodo always attributes her losses to bad luck and will never admit that she is not up to the uberhuman standard - her father is, after all, one of the most nefarious of mad scientists on the planet. She has a pedigree to uphold and she will succeed, no matter who she needs to step over to do so. Quote "I have been trained to kill, but my mind is but an unfettered breeze." (or other such inane, nonsensical comments!) Powers A spoiled princess often has the power of persuasion when it comes to getting what she wants from her often distracted father, and Ellen certainly embodies the spoiled princess. She has had training in martial arts, which she assumes was ninjitsu; and is actually quite adept at wielding a custom-made sword and grappling hook. To be fair, she really is a fierce combatant, but she too often steps out of her league and inevitably needs her father to bail her out of prison. Appearance Ellen is a very tall woman, standing at 6'2". She is rather plain to look at despite her expensive wardrobe and stylists. As the Princess Komodo she wears a pink blossom kimono with a darker pink sash belt, over a modified grey ninja suit. She keeps her very long legs bare and often wears sandals. She carries her traditional family sword in a simple scabbard. Sometimes she wears flowers in her hair which she feels connects her to nature and allows her to draw from the spirits of the wilderness, as well as making her look more interesting Notes Her 'father', Doctor Komodo will be written up later. He has made an appearance in Uberworld already but only as a shady character. He has a pack of mutated komodo dragons which can offer a player character something to worry about when they're holidaying in Indonesia...

#78 KRYSTAL (India) KRYSTAL Real Name Unrevealed Character Sheet (Click Here) Background Krystal's fragile body has been smashed into thousands of pieces over her short career with the Assembly, but she always finds a way to return to her humanoid form. She is eminently unlucky and accident-prone, which has led her to become somewhat overly cautious in public. She rarely goes on missions without being directly ordered to do so, and even then she is hesitant and quick to run (something which has made her very unpopular with the more military-minded of the team). Her cowardice is well documented but her powers are useful which is why she is still on the team. Krystal has also become one of the standard pilots of the team and can be found flying the Assembly aircraft, something which keeps her out of direct combat. Not much is known about her history before joining the Assembly, although she is knowledgeable in geophysics and geology. Personality Krystal lives in fear most of the time, especially whenever she associates with The Assembly. She is timid and shrinks away from the powerful personalities of Ganesh, Fusion and Taitaya (among others). She really hates being with the team, but knows the alternatives are even worse. She helps where she can, but always hopes she will be overlooked whether it be at headquarters, in the science lab or on a battle field. Most of the other team members treat her as overly precious and don't appreciate her cowardice in the field and hysterics in general day to day activities. Krystal doesn't know what she can do in her situation, but would be looking for a way out of it - whether that means running away as a fugitive or working to bring the Assembly down from the inside. Of course, both of those options are impossible in the current climate. Krystal would have to be wooed considerably before she would consider making a stand of any kind. Quote "Oh no... oh no... I can't believe this is happening... again!" Powers Krystal's body is made of a semi-translucent crystal and, while being fragile to concussive force, provides her with a variety of abilities. She is mostly protected from energy attacks, especially light, and she has some ability to transform such attacks and turn them back on her opponents. She is also able to project parts of her body as crystal darts, or extend her body by generating new crystals. This extension ability is only new to Krystal but she has discovered that the added flexibility it gives her allows her to be safer in combat - and that's something she is willing to invest time in researching further. In the future she hopes to be able to manipulate her body further, such as reduce its size (so she can hide). Her body is quite adaptable and even when shattered she has the ability to return to her original crystal form. She rarely eats, has no need to breathe anymore, and is safe in areas of high radiation and heat. She has been into space a couple of times, but hates it even though her body is capable of surviving in that environment. Appearance No longer made of flesh and bone, Krystal's body is nearly see-through. It is hard to the touch, but very fragile, and Krystal often chips off parts of her body in day to day activities. Because her body needs to be exposed in order for her powers to work properly, she wears a slim costume which allows a lot of her skin surface to be exposed. The costume resembles a blue bikini with yellow stars, something she finds further embarrassing. People often find her to be unsettling to be around which has helped to make her one of the least popular of the celebrity Assembly team. Notes Krystal is an homage of Prism from the Marauders. But hopefully with a little bit of personality rather than just the guy who gets shattered in battles.