Hermit

Dropzone
Daria Bowsman is a former military brat who was raised on patriotic high ideals as she was carted in her childhood and early teens base to base, place to place, all over the world. She actually considered joining the military herself, mostly to follow the family legacy, even going as far as learning how to shoot guns when most other girls were more concerned with make up and Boy Bands.  When her powers first surfaced, Daria was not alone. She teleported herself and several students by accident  to the roof of the school, an incident that resulted in one panicked peer going off the ledge and breaking a leg. Daria had been outed as a 'filthy mutie'. The rancor stunned her! While it would be folly to say her life was free of discrimination, she had bought hook like and sinker the lessons her parents had told her about how everyone on base , regardless of beliefs, skin color, or creed, was an American just like her. Apparently, this acceptance ended with mutantcy. She saw the disgust in her father's eyes, and the fear in her mothers. And her parents said she would be going away where they could.. fix her, and make sure she didn't hurt anyone else. With visions of experimental labs or isolated cells... Daria vanished, reappeared a mile away, and kept on going.
 
That was several years ago. During which Daria traveled the world under her own power, and did what she had to do to survive. Some of her actions would have put her in the supervillain category, or even super mercenary, but it all felt so empty. Her idealism had been shattered, but the shards of it, the need to believe in something to have worth, lingered and cut. Then, at age twenty one, she ran into Kinematic. He had heard of a teleporting woman who worked as a smuggler among other things. He explained to her she was not alone though she had been mislead. There was no unity possible between the super powered and the norms; the latter would always fear the former. It was Us Vs Them. But the mundanes had a lot of advantages, numbers, tech, and more. He could use her help.
 
Where once there was Patriotism, now came ideas of Mutant Supremacy. Whether you hate the mundanes or not wasn't the point, Mutants were at war, a war they didn't ask for, but they had to finish as the victors. The only other options were slavery or genocide. Daria took on the code name Dropzone, recognizing that her chief use for the team would be as transport for the loyal. She can, after all, teleport quite a few people well over a mile at a time, or just herself with greater rapidity and reaction time. She's also learned tricks, like teleporting a bullet so it comes from a different direction or bypasses a barrier. She's even reversed the attacks of others at her back at the attackers. The fact she speaks three languages besides her own (to varying degrees of fluency) and understands some other cultures better also comes in useful. But she has no illusions; it's her powers that make her worthwhile. Oddly, her teleportation always makes targets feel as if they're falling even when they aren't. Yet another reason she took the name "Dropzone"
 
 
 
 
 

Dropzone
Daria Bowsman is a former military brat who was raised on patriotic high ideals as she was carted in her childhood and early teens base to base, place to place, all over the world. She actually considered joining the military herself, mostly to follow the family legacy, even going as far as learning how to shoot guns when most other girls were more concerned with make up and Boy Bands.  When her powers first surfaced, Daria was not alone. She teleported herself and several students by accident  to the roof of the school, an incident that resulted in one panicked peer going off the ledge and breaking a leg. Daria had been outed as a 'filthy mutie'. The rancor stunned her! While it would be folly to say her life was free of discrimination, she had bought hook like and sinker the lessons her parents had told her about how everyone on base , regardless of beliefs, skin color, or creed, was an American just like her. Apparently, this acceptance ended with mutantcy. She saw the disgust in her father's eyes, and the fear in her mothers. And her parents said she would be going away where they could.. fix her, and make sure she didn't hurt anyone else. With visions of experimental labs or isolated cells... Daria vanished, reappeared a mile away, and kept on going.
 
That was several years ago. During which Daria traveled the world under her own power, and did what she had to do to survive. Some of her actions would have put her in the supervillain category, or even super mercenary, but it all felt so empty. Her idealism had been shattered, but the shards of it, the need to believe in something to have worth, lingered and cut. Then, at age twenty one, she ran into Kinematic. He had heard of a teleporting woman who worked as a smuggler among other things. He explained to her she was not alone though she had been mislead. There was no unity possible between the super powered and the norms; the latter would always fear the former. It was Us Vs Them. But the mundanes had a lot of advantages, numbers, tech, and more. He could use her help.
 
Where once there was Patriotism, now came ideas of Mutant Supremacy. Whether you hate the mundanes or not wasn't the point, Mutants were at war, a war they didn't ask for, but they had to finish as the victors. The only other options were slavery or genocide. Daria took on the code name Dropzone, recognizing that her chief use for the team would be as transport for the loyal. She can, after all, teleport quite a few people well over a mile at a time, or just herself with greater rapidity and reaction time. She's also learned tricks, like teleporting a bullet so it comes from a different direction or bypasses a barrier. She's even reversed the attacks of others at her back at the attackers. The fact she speaks three languages besides her own (to varying degrees of fluency) and understands some other cultures better also comes in useful. But she has no illusions; it's her powers that make her worthwhile. Oddly, her teleportation always makes targets feel as if they're falling even when they aren't. Yet another reason she took the name "Dropzone"
 
 
 
 
 

Let's see, for Keanu: Ghost Rider (he's expressed interest, and he's into motorcycles), The Shroud (stoic guy with martial arts and darkness powers), or maybe Guardian (James Hudson, cyborg version) from Alpha Flight.

Great Celestral Claw
 
Zan Quan Do is a triad middle manager, whose right hand was mangled during a raid from the Tiger Squad. Getting it replaced by an alien's disattached hand, they attached it to Zan's stump. Zan normal hides his alien hand, but when he feels he has no other choice he reveals it and channels it's great power to create portals and slice through most anything. 
 
He is quite awair that the word celestial is problematic (for years celestial was used interchangeably with oriental to describe people from his part of the world).
 
New Team: Kinematic's Group
The mutant mastermind has decided that Blindspot, Fossil, and Overdrive are not enough to build his pro-mutant-rule organization. So these six to twelve mutants have joined him. Not everyone recruited is totally enraptured with the ideas behind Kinematic, othoe the mutant rule part they can all get behind. Of course the IHA is against them.
 
Very few members are "full time", having their own criminal stuff, but are expected to drop everything when Kinematic asks for their support for their mutual protection. 
 
Any resemblance to members of the X-Men, the Brotherhood, and the Acolytes are coincidence, really.

I can actually see Keanu playing the Beyonder, the Secret Wars 2 version, have him go around clueless as canbe learning from various superheroes what it must be like to be human.
Now, the problem is, Secret Wars 2 is...well, not the BEST series, but I can still see Keanu playing it

I can actually see Keanu playing the Beyonder, the Secret Wars 2 version, have him go around clueless as canbe learning from various superheroes what it must be like to be human.
Now, the problem is, Secret Wars 2 is...well, not the BEST series, but I can still see Keanu playing it

I can actually see Keanu playing the Beyonder, the Secret Wars 2 version, have him go around clueless as canbe learning from various superheroes what it must be like to be human.
Now, the problem is, Secret Wars 2 is...well, not the BEST series, but I can still see Keanu playing it

Why do we need to eliminate either of them?  There is nothing wrong with having more options, both advantages have their place.  The whole point of the Hero System is that you can build any power you want.  Some attacks are better built as AP others may work better as PEN. 
 
 
As to the cost difference AP attacks are more useful on higher dice attacks, where PEN works well on low dice attacks. Putting AP on a low dice attack gives you less bang for the buck then PEN as the target with decent DEF can still often bounce the attack.  PEN on the other hand becomes less effective at higher dice.   

Pygmalion:
 
Ability: He has the power to change any living person into a block of granite suitable for sculpturing. He then can carve out a new human form out of said block and cause the person to become living flesh again. He can of course alter the persons physically shape to what ever he wants through this process. This includes everything from changing the sex and/or race of the person to altering their physical abilities and giving physical handicaps.
 
Drawbacks: Every so often a person changed by him actually gain elemental powers based on earth. Even those who don't tend to have a slightly higher PD then normal. Also it takes time for him to sculpt the new form.
 
Pygmalion can work as a solo artists that is known of in the criminal underground or a lackey for a more powerful villain. He is not a fighter and is more likely to try to escape then to fight. He actually needs his victim bound, unconscious or willing for him to do the change, so he needs helps if he is doing this to a person against their will.
 
If he works as a freelance agent, he only changes those who are looking for a new identity. If on the other hand he is a part of a group, he may change those who have captured by his boss as away to erase them.
 
Possible campaign ideas: Changing a hero to look like a villain. Replacing Public officials with dopplegangers and changing those officials into petty criminals.
 
PS. Sorry if this has been thought of before.....

Hello All,
Been really busy lately with life stuff, but figured I'd post these seeing I've had them done for awhile now. Here's Freedom Squad from "Champions Universe 4th, updated in my fashion to 6th.  Hope you enjoy!
 
American Eagle
Steve Hall
 
VAL    CHA   Cost    Roll     Notes
20        STR    10        13-      HTH Damage 4d6  END [2]
24        DEX    28        14-
28        CON   18        15-
13        INT      3          12-      PER Roll 12-
14        EGO   4          12-
20        PRE    10        13-      PRE Attack: 4d6
8          OCV   25
8          DCV   25
5          OMCV            6
5          DMCV            6
5          SPD    30        Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
8          PD      6          8/14 PD (0/6 rPD)
5          ED      3          5/11 ED (0/6 rED)
12        REC   8
56        END   8
13        BODY 3         
43        STUN 12
 
Movement     Cost    Meters            Notes
RUNNING     0          12m/24m        END [1]
SWIMMING   0          4m/8m            END [1]
LEAPING       0          4m       4m forward, 2m upward
FLIGHT                      98m/196m
 
 
 
 
Characteristics Total: 204
 
Cost    Powers
8          BATON:  +4d6 (20 Active Points); OAF (-1), Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2) - END=2
32        WINGS: Multipower, 64-point reserve,  (64 Active Points); OAF (-1) - END=
4f         1)  FLYING: Flight  (not in a vacuum) 34m, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (42 Active Points) - END=1
3f         2)  GLIDING: Flight 64m (64 Active Points); Gliding (-1) - END=0
2f         3)  DEFLECTION: Missile Deflection (20 Active Points) [Notes: vs. All ranged Attacks] - END=2
              - END=
12        Bulletproof Spandex: Resistant Protection (6 PD/6 ED) (18 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) - END=0
3          MASK: Sight Group Flash Defense (5 points) (5 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) - END=0
 
Powers Total: 64
 
Cost    Martial Arts
20        Commando Training, usable barehanded, Private Adder
3          1)  Akido Throw:  1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +1 DCV, 6d6 +v/5, Target Falls
4          2)  Boxing Cross:  1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, 8d6 Strike
4          3)  Choke:  1/2 Phase, -2 OCV, +0 DCV, Grab One Limb; 3d6 NND
4          4)  Judo Disarm:  1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, +1 DCV, Disarm; 40 STR to Disarm
5          5)  Karate Kick:  1/2 Phase, -2 OCV, +1 DCV, 10d6 Strike
4          6)  Kung Fu Block:  1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort
1          7)  Weapon Element:  Clubs
             
8          +2 HTH Damage Class(es) with Martial Arts
 
Martial Arts Total: 53
 
Cost    Skills
24        +2 Overall
8          +4 with Baton
4          +2 with any use of Wings
             
3          Acrobatics 14-
3          Breakfall 14-
5          CK: Chicago 14-
3          Electronics 12-
3          Mechanics 12-
3          Paramedics 12-
5          Tactics 13-
 
Skills Total: 61
 
Cost    Perks
10        Vehicles & Bases
2          Fringe Benefit:  Local Police Powers
 
Perks Total: 12
 
Cost    Talents
6          Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED)
 
Talents Total: 6
 
Value Complications
5          Vulnerability:  1 1/2 x STUN from gas attacks (Uncommon)
15        Psychological Limitation:  Code vs Killing (Common; Strong)
15        Psychological Limitation:  Patriotic (Common; Strong)
10        Reputation:  Patriotic Hero, 11-
15        Hunted:  by VOICE 8- (Mo Pow; NCI; Limited Geographical Area; Harshly Punish)
15        Hunted:  by La Maistre Infrequently (As Pow; NCI; Harshly Punish)
0          Social Complication:  Secret ID: Steve Hall Infrequently, Minor, Not Limiting In Some Cultures
 
Complications Points: 75
 
Base Points: 400
Experience: 0
Experience Unspent: 0
Total Character Cost: 400
 
 
Background: In 1943, Steve Hall was just another kid with stars in his eyes. He supported his country's war effort wholeheartedly, cheered for the American troops, and idolized Chicago's own masked mystery man, the American Eagle. The Eagle got around using an armored glider cape, and Steve figured he could duplicate it. He climbed to the top of the orphanage where he lived and jumped off. Fortunately for Steve, the American Eagle just happened to be passing by on patrol, and saved the lad from certain death. Impressed with Steve's foolhardiness, and because it was what superheroes did back then, the Eagle took him home. After some quick training, and some fast legal work,
 Steve became the Eagle's sidekick Winger. Their relationship had its ups and downs, and Steve
abandoned his identity as Winger in the late 1950's. When his mentor was crippled testing his new invention, actual powered wings, Steve took up the mantle and became the new American Eagle with the perfected wings. he did quite well for the next couple of decades, briefly joining the hero group called the Minutemen. Returning to his home town of Chicago, he met up with the Black Phantom and formed the Freedom Squad.
After the death of Hardhat and Dimension Man, American Eagle stepped down from his long stint as the group's leader. He became more and more withdrawn, blaming
himself for his friends' deaths. After Black Holes' resignation from the team, he received word that his mentor, the original Eagle, had died of a stroke. Suddenly American Eagle felt very old, and agreed with the others to dissolve the team. Currently, Steve is in semi-retirement, concentrating on his historical illustration work, and wondering if he should turn the wings over to a younger man-in 1992 he turned 62, making him one of the oldest active superheroes left.
 
Quote: "E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one. It doesn't make the many less valid, or the one less important."
 
Personality: Steve is a firm believer in truth, justice and the American way, particularly the American way. On the other hand, he has never allowed himself to become a blind bigot or arrogant in his beliefs. He was heavily influenced by is mentor, who always insisted that you could tell heroes from
criminals by their methods. After the deaths of his fellow Squad members, he has lost much of his self-confidence, and since the death of the original Eagle, he has been cruelly reminded of his own mortality.
 
Powers/Tactics: American Eagle's primary powers come from his wings, which can be used for powered or non- powered flight, and to dodge missile fire by fluttering unpredictably. He also has a baton and armored costume, as well as years of training and experience in combat. While he's in better shape than most men half his age, his lungs are too quick to assimilate gasses.
The Eagle realized early on that knowing your opponent's capabilities and weaknesses is half the battle, so he keeps tabs on all the super-being information that he can get his hands on. He'll than really on his knowledge to arrange battles to his benefit. He likes to move in close to opponents
and give them no chance to get back on balance.
 
Appearance: Steve Hall is a trim man in his early sixties, just under six feet tall. He has powder-blue eyes and white hair in a crew-cut, and plenty of character lines on his face. American Eagle's costume is a blue bodysuit, half-face mask and gloves, with white belt, cuffs and chest emblem in the shape of stylized wings, and red sleeves and boots. his wings are white with light blue highlights and a span of about twelve feet. American Eagle's eyes are covered by one-way white lenses.
 


American Eagle.hdc

As long as he appreciates the Gravity of the office

As long as he appreciates the Gravity of the office

Trump doesn’t have presidential immunity from lawsuits over January 6, appeals court rules

As long as he appreciates the Gravity of the office

The Upside:
 
Cops, Crews, And Cabals is a collection of eleven organizations for use with the Champions Universe, or any Superhero setting. Some of the groups can even be used in other genres with little change. All of the organizations introduced are designed to be either smaller adversaries for the Heroes to take on - the kind of evil organization they can actually shut down completely unlike world spanning ones. Or background groups to help the Characters and add more to the campaign as a whole.
 
Chapter One - Angelstone Laboratories. This company is a small technology development group and think tank. They focus on small Defense contracts as well as working to develop technologies to capture Supervillains or otherwise help the Superheroes and other groups (like UNTIL or PRIMUS) with reports and briefings of goings on in the Superhuman World. The company is a private group that serves best as a side line assistant to the Heroes, whenever they get the Latest Threat Report of Dr. Destroyer you can use this group as the origin of that element for example.
 
Chapter Two - Bastion Alpha Security. In a world of Supervillains you can never have enough security. This company provides low level enhanced guards and agents for protection. One the outside this groups appears to have a process to enhance human capability to help them better compete with Supervillains, indeed a group of these agents could take down your average Super. However, this organization has a sinister aspect to it that makes it more mercenary than helpful.
 
Chapter Three - Executive Control Solutions. Another private security company, this one is founded by former UNTIL Agents, and operates under the premise than normal people with advanced technology is all the protection you need. Unlike Bastion Alpha this group relies on technology instead of enhancement. A much less sinister security company, this group presents a friendly face to the Heroes.
 
Chapter Four - The Exoplanetary Society. This is a diverse group of people who are concerned about aliens on planet Earth. Some are curious, some are watching for alien threats, and some think all aliens are harmful. This group can be used in several interesting ways, aside from some background color for the game they can be sinister (part of a conspiracy), innocent and well meaning, or a large collection of crackpots. Of all the groups this one has the potential to interact with the Heroes on several levels at once.
 
Chapter Five - Grand Cienelago Island. This is a vacation resort for Superheroes, and like the identities of many Superheroes is a Secret. It's hard to work in scenarios with this place involving Supervillains, but can provide plenty of interaction with many Superheroes and Super Groups in your campaign, especially if you feature a good number of them. It can be used to roleplay some down time, forge connections and create friendly rivalries.
 
Chapter Six - Millennium City Police Department, Special Unit Omega. This is a special unit within a special unit (MARS - Metahuman Activity Response Squad). This team of eight people are who is called when no one else on the police force can take down the Supervillain. They are good as a team on the police force to work with the heroes, or compete with them in a friendly (or not so friendly) rivalry. Like ECS from Chapter Three they are normal humans with advanced technology.
 
Chapter Seven - Sickbay. Even Superheroes get hurt, and going to the hospital raises all kinds of issues from filing police reports, trying not to expose your secret identity, and being mobbed by fans while trying to staunch the bleeding. Sickbay is an under the table, no questions asked medical help group for Superheroes. They don't want to know your identity, won't ask questions, just patch you up and send you back onto the streets. A good group to introduce to a game where healing isn't readily available and you don't want to deal with the issues of an actual hospital.
 
Chapter Eight - Trans-City Construction. Not all Super powered people have powers suitable to crime fighting, or the disposition for it. Some have low level superpowers, and the construction industry is a good place for many of those abilities. Trans-City Construction is a company run by a Metahuman capable of changing matter from one kind to another, and employs many other superhumans with low level but still useful abilities, such as Strength or Telekinesis. This is another group you can slide into the background of the campaign, notably as the company that repairs all the buildings after a super-fight.
 
All of the above groups are, more or less, friendly groups. Or at least appear to be on the good side. Each one describes the history of the group, the organizations setup and operations, and provides some ideas on how to use them. For some that means both as friends and adversaries. Each one also comes with some suggestions on how to run a campaign as members of that group, which can be a nice change to a Supergame, even if only for a session or two.
 
Chapter Nine - GMs Vault. This starts the other part of the book, the sinister organizations. The GMs Vault itself provides information on secrets and other possible dark sides to organizations in the first eight chapters. It also provides plot seeds for each of the groups to get them more involved in the campaign.
 
Chapter Ten - ICON. This is a consortium of would be world-ruling villains. The group, like so many others of their kind, want to take over the world for their own gain. But this group isn't as big or world spanning, yet. If you want to introduce a large group, but one small enough a group of Heroes has hope of completely shutting down, this is a good group to go with. They're also a good group to use against lower-powered Superheroes.
 
Chapter Eleven - Motlee's Crew. This is a group of thieves, each with a single, but useful, superpower they use to commit burglaries. Like their more powerful counterparts GRAB, they're in it simply for the money and not a fight. This group of sneak thieves is good for a short mystery burglary, or another good group for low-level supers to face.
 
Chapter Twelve - Villainy Unlimited. Even Supervillains need a support structure. From legal council, medical help, setting up trust funds with their ill-gotten gains, or even costume design. This is not a group the Players face, in fact there are no villains here, possible criminals yes, but no one to fight. This is simply a group you can use to give some plausible reasons for your Villains to acquire things or get things done. You can expand the group if needed, or not. The Players can try and use them to trace back to a Supervillain as well if you need them too.
 
The Appendix provides character sheets for the Security Guards from Chapters Two and Three, and the guard robots for use in Chapter Five.
 
The groups presented here are not designed to be world-beaters or high-powered adversaries. They are decidedly low level and fairly simple to use and face. A few good uses come to mind, first is to show that the Heroes can permanently stop a group of people, medium sized groups like ICON don't have the ability to have large numbers of members captured and suffer no setbacks (like VIPER could).
 
Beyond that, you can port some of these organizations to other genres. Sickbay and the two Security Companies, and ICON could all fit right into a Cyberpunk Campaign with almost no changes at all. Angelstone Laboratories could be a technology think tank company for any modern setting campaign, and if you remove the low-level powers Motlee's Crew becomes another group of well organized thieves. A little bit of work can take almost any of these groups out of the Superhero setting and into any number of modern settings, or even futuristic ones, easily.
 
The Downside:
 
No one groups gets any great detail, eleven groups in a relatively short book means a lot of information is skipped over. Some of the NPCs introduced have Character Sheets, and some don't. A little more consistency in that regards would have been nice. ICON especially could have used a little more in fleshing out how it operated.
 
The Otherside:
 
For a collection of low-powered, background and support groups this does an excellent job. Too often campaigns focus on the big organizations and forget the smaller ones or the middles ground. This provides a whole selection of names, organizations and technologies you can introduce to a campaign to add depth and flavor. Even for non-Hero Gamers and those not playing Superheroic Campaigns there is something in this book you can use to add more to a game.

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You could smell crazy on him."

Crooked Mick (Actual name Archie Green) took his handle from a Folklore giant of a man from his native Australia's tall tales. His power isn't nearly so fanciful. He can grow to forty feet tall, gaining great strength and endurance, but a side effect of the shift in size is that his features become far less symetrical, causing him to lurch (Though with his long strides he still moves faster walking than some men sprinting) and making his face just ODD looking as well as less attractive. That said, he's a good looking fella when at his normal 1.78 Meters with an easy going smile. Some mistake him for a rough around the edges chest thumper but in truth, he's got a brilliant mind with a deep education in archetecture and civil engineering. More than once, that knowledge has allowed him to shore up a crumbling building long enough for people to get out. He also is a fair swimmer, having  dived into flood zones and acted as a human life boat.

Crooked Mick (Actual name Archie Green) took his handle from a Folklore giant of a man from his native Australia's tall tales. His power isn't nearly so fanciful. He can grow to forty feet tall, gaining great strength and endurance, but a side effect of the shift in size is that his features become far less symetrical, causing him to lurch (Though with his long strides he still moves faster walking than some men sprinting) and making his face just ODD looking as well as less attractive. That said, he's a good looking fella when at his normal 1.78 Meters with an easy going smile. Some mistake him for a rough around the edges chest thumper but in truth, he's got a brilliant mind with a deep education in archetecture and civil engineering. More than once, that knowledge has allowed him to shore up a crumbling building long enough for people to get out. He also is a fair swimmer, having  dived into flood zones and acted as a human life boat.

Okay. I should let this drop but my brain came back to it and I got a few ideas for a timeline. Obviously, I am no proper history student of Canadian history, so this is more conjecture, liberal skimming from various sources applied in a slap dash manner, and whimsy. All of this is subject to change and I am sure there will be much "Mmmmph that isn't how it would have happened" inserted by our Canadian allies on the board. And I'm good with that, but it's my hope some of these ideas will be considered worthwhile with a bit of tweaking.  Some I'm sure, will need flat out correction.
 
You may notice there is no mention of the War of 1812. Honestly? I could joke about Americans always forgetting that one, but I think the existing Canadian Champion source books cover it better than I could and I couldn't think of the best 'Northgate focus' on it.
As of this point, I've only gotten to the Golden Age
*******
 
Northgate timeline (History continued)
 
In 1741, the first Fort Bourbon was established, but due to “small pox” of unusual nature and virulence in the area, was later moved. Trade continued, of course, though Cree and French alike were careful to avoid the deserted fort for a decade and despite the promising river path now open for even greater exploration. Actual settlement in the area was discouraged for a time but eventually, the area would lure others who either were brave enough to risk rumors of curses and plague, or ignorant of them entirely.
 
 
In 1763, the British, victors of the Seven Years War over France led to the formal claiming over the area of Manitoba, and, a decade later, the famous North Brothers discovered that, contrary to outdated records, the area here was to put it in their findings “Uncursed, Unplagued and relatively unpopulated by civilised men”. True, there were Cree and Métis as neighbors, but they had avoided enough of the area to give a foothold for a settlement. Indeed, one of the North Brothers, overstepping his bounds, even brought some respectful tribute to the tribal elders. Some historians think that’s why things went a bit smoother for this settlement than they would for Winnipeg, at least at first.
 
While the brothers continued to explore and survey, somewhere a government official, in a hurry to get his paperwork done, simply labeled the proposed area for a settlement “North’s Gate” and this would, more or less, stick. It would be a long time before the name meant anything of importance to most though.
 
 
 
 
 
1783, The American Revolution was, in many ways, not of import to most in Manitoba, at least, not at first but the areas around “North’s Gate” would be affected by it thanks to one man named Philoman Portendorfer. A prestigious and wily conman, Portendorfer could see the panic in the eyes of the loyalists as they found themselves in a land where the ‘traitors’ had won. Philoman had taken no sides, but approached many a loyalist pretending to be one himself. He spun elaborate tales of the vengeful nature of the revolutionaries and how Loyalist land was to be seized by them. Why he himself was driven from his home, and it was “only by a kindlier god than an old sinner such as myself was fortunate enough to have land up north”. The loyalists who took the bait and inquired would be spun an elaborate story of land near the most beautiful river you ever saw, perfect for fishing, trade, and why yes, farming too.
Sure that they were about to lose their lands in the newly minted “United States of America”, more than a few loyalists give their land in exchange for the promised “Loyalist Utopia” to the far north. It was, of course, a swindle. It is estimated that roughly a hundred and twelve men, their wives and children, went North only to find the forged papers they had were as false as Fool’s Gold. By the time they arrived, Philoman, who had stayed behind to ‘help other true sons of the crown’ had sold their old homes and made quite a tidy fortune.
This particular group of settlers, sometimes referred to by those hunters and trappers in the area as “Portendorfer’s Pinhead Pilgrimage” had a rough time of cold winters, hard men who did not care what paper you waved in their face, and indigenous people who weren’t thrilled to have yet more pale strangers tromping around lost. Some turned back, some, well, they died, but a stubborn chunk actually made a go of it and held on forming their own small settlement that would be eventually absorbed by the city to come.
It should be noted that in modern Northgate, there is more than one statue of Philoman Portendorfer and he is seen more with interest and even a bit of admiration than old rancor. Nothing like a century or two to help develop a sense of humor in a people.
Of course, many loyalists moved to Canada without aid of swindle. This influx of newcomers would alarm the remaining French speaking residents who felt increasingly pressed. The tribal lands had to deal with an influx of colonizers who did not know, nor respect already agreed upon boundaries and behaviors. These seeds of tension would sprout and bloom in what would later be known as the Red River Rebellion.
 
1869-1870 The Red River Rebellion was a Métis uprising that lead to the creation of the province thanks to the Manitoba Act of May 1870. Despite having many demands met, the Métis would in time find themselves disadvantaged to the point many would move to the Northwest. Indeed, with Northgate far more prosperous in this timeline than the area would be otherwise, the pressure of an English speaking White population was even more intense. Nevertheless, a substantial and stubborn Francophone minority would always be a part of the area.
 
 
 
1876, The area was finally and officially incorporated as a city. It was named Northgate, in honor of the Brothers that explored the area a century before, as well as how fitting it was for the city’s growing purpose as a true trading passage to the north. Of course, the fact it also required minimum paperwork was, as many point out, just a byproduct of Canadian Common Sense.
 
 
1894, Steamship transportation had come into its own and then some, offering new opportunities for transport through Canada’s waterways. At this time, Northgate had a very prosperous harbour, called Colville Landing. It was run and operated by the HBC (Hudson’s Bay Company) which had quite the influence in the young city. Alas, one of the largest steamships of the time, caught fire while in in port, and a great blaze consumed the docks and many of the buildings on it. This crippled the economy for a period of time and Winnipeg benefited from Northgate’s loss but the river and rail trade were simply too valuable not to reinvest in and repairs went forward with gusto. The rebuilt district was renamed New Colville Landing.
 
It should be noted that, much like the great Chicago Fire of 1871 (albeit on a much smaller scale), the Colville Landing fire of Northgate lead to stricter safety codes, and a historically well trained department of Firefighters that the modern city would take great pride in.
 
 
 
1914-1920 The Great War/WW1 led to an action that would shape the demographics of Northgate beyond conscription. In the ‘War Measures Act’, the Canadian Government classified immigrants with Austro-Hungarian citizenship/heritage as “aliens of enemy nationality”. Thousands of Ukrainians (Among others) were interned at camps and work sites. One of the larger camps was in the then outskirts of Northgate. It was only after a year after the treaty of Versailles that this policy ended. However, many Ukrainian-Canadians (To use a modern term) would choose to stay in the area either lacking resources to move back to their old locales, or the desire.
 
While one can dwell on the sins of governments in war, Northgate would, a century later, make a kind of restitution by opening it’s doors to Ukrainian refugees (mostly women and children) fleeing Russia’s invasion.
 
1930s- While the first discovery of Uranium in Canada was actually in 1930 in the Northwest territories, a few years later studies of the areas near Northgate later on stumbled onto a much nearer supply of Uranium, Radium and some other materials that, at the time, defied classification. Unbeknownst to most, the great meteor remnants of the area, long altered by pressure and time, were just now being reached again. There would be ramifications.
 
Unfortunately, at the time, the Great Depression hitting North America was no kinder on Canada than it was the U.S.A. so slightly radioactive rocks were hardly of major concern. People wanted jobs, fair wages, and more. Long rivals, the workers of Northgate and Winnipeg united in great demonstrations and protests. Times were lean and hard. The pulp heroes appearing in other cities of Canada were absent in Northgate, leaving a sense of despair as crooked men sought to make bank on the misery of the time.
 
World War II – The second world war was a different kind of misery for all. Economically, it proved to be a shot in the arm for Northgate, as it applied itself to providing resources to the Allies overseas. But, it would also lead to the loss of several sons of the city. Even before conscription, it must be said that Northgate sent more than its fair share of young men for its size, earning Northgate the honorific “City of the Bold”, sadly with the honorific, came the sound of cathedral bells tolling in mourning. Yet there was pride when news of how more than one Northgate native helped free Holland.
Of special note, though often neglected in history, was the contributions of the Cherry Top Angels. The Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps ended up with several volunteers from the ladies as well, women who signed on as Nurses to tend to the many wounded overseas, and at home. A military hospice for long term recovery was actually set up inside Northgate, a precursor of a medical industry that would swell in time, but those that would be known as the Cherry Top Angels were never too far from the front line, working in tents overflowing with wounded. Of course, that was not their official name, but they had been given berets of that hue and the name stuck. Perhaps the most famous of these nurses was Lt. Linda Diana Yardlie, who stopped a medical outpost in the pacific from being overrun by shoving a gurney down hill on an imperial Japanese squad coming up to capture or kill HER wounded charges. The gurney in question, being loaded with unpinned grenades, proved to be quite the game changer. She got a promotion, two medals, and five offers of marriage when news of her courage came home to Northgate. Of course her real contribution was the many lives she and her fellow nurses saved by care and healing, but the story does stick out.
 
A note on Golden Age Superheroes- During World War II, the Fifth column was quite infused with superpowered Axis members hoping to wreck havoc on this or that city in North America. Northgate was no exception. A Nazi saboteur dubbed Baron Von Verwüstung briefly became a major threat to Northgate’s factories and training centers. He was foiled by Northgate’s first superheroine Shadfly. Somehow possessing the powers of flight, super-strength, and shrinking, Shadfly routinely held any and all 5th Column foes from completing their plans, while also coming down hard on war profiteers and plan old criminals. Most assumed she took the alternative name of the short lived Mayfly to add extra insult to the Axis goons she protected to the city from, but in the end, it was revealed she’d chosen all too accurately. Born Victoria Garson, the daughter of a famous chemist and no slouch herself, She had developed a formula using local radium admixtures to grant herself superpowers, knowing that it would shorten her life span to a handful of years.
 
In May 1945, Shadfly pulled a sinking ship off the river to safety, and then finally died before the very people she had saved, the formula at last demanding its due. She took the secret of the formula with her to her grave, but there are rampant conspiracies that her body was dug up by this or that shadowy organization for study.
 

There's also Mighty Man and Yukk.

I consider the Herculoids including Zandor to be a super team. Yes, the "animal" members of the team generally did what the humans told them, and Zandor was clearly their tactical leader. Nonetheless, each Herculoid was obviously intelligent, resourceful, and fully capable of acting on their own initiative, independently or as a cooperative team member. Their humans' interactions with them came across much more as equals and friends, than as pet and master.

The Herculoids was far and away my favorite of the H-B superhero cartoon series. AFAIK it's a unique concept -- I've never seen anything else like it. I would have loved to see an official origin story for them, because their background is quite mysterious. The animals are unique creatures, while Zandor's family appear to be the only humans on planet Amzot.
 
I've been thinking about pets in the official Champions Universe. We've already had mention of Witchcraft's cat familiar, Sunshine. Robert Caliburn of Vibora Bay keeps a miniature dragon he calls Nicotine, comparable to Shadowcat's pet Lockheed. The Mexican superhero Macahuitl is accompanied by Timin, a "spirit eagle" gifted to him by the Aztec god of the dead. During the Hero Universe's pulp era, the mysterious fighter of crime mundane and supernatural, the Raven, protected Hudson City with the aid of, among others, his raven ally Cagliostro. While it's not exactly a "pet" in the traditional fauna sense, the robot Gokin is the companion and protector of the Japanese inventor hero, Gadget Boy.

Re: The Power Brigade Interview Form
 
Thank you for your interest in the Power Brigade Super Hero team, please fill out this form to the best of your ability. Should you require special equipment (Heat proof pencils, etc) in order to complete this form, it will be provided. The Power Brigade does not share this information with any other civilian source, but maybe required to share it with certain govt ones (at risk of losing our tax exempt status). Please be as honest as you can.
 
Super Hero Name: The Bowman
 
(Optional)Secret Idenity/Alternate Name:
 
(Optional)Ethnic Group/Species:
 
Place of Birth: Bay City
Date of Birth: 7/31/75
 
 
 
Question 1. How did you hear about the Power Brigade team?
Hero Boards
 
Question 2. What do you feel you can offer (Both in Super heroic powers/gifts and your knowledges) to the Power Brigade team?
 
I am a keen shot with a bow, I have both Magical arrows and tech arrows. The Magical ones are your standard sharp items projected from a bow, I just never run out of them, the others make me an ideal "Agent-Buster". On top of that I have investigative, infiltration, and law enforcement experience.
 

Question 3. Why do you wish to join our team, and what do you hope for if you join?

 
It sounds silly but I am looking for companinship, my civilian friends don't know about, nor would they understand the work we do.
 

Question 4. Have you ever been on a super hero team before? If so, which one(s) and why are you no longer a member?
 
I currently work with the BCPD Extrodinary Crimes unit, both Tac and DoE
 

Question 5. Are you a supervillain, govt agent, law enforcement official, media person, or anyone else who is attempting to infilitrate the Power Brigade?

 
I am a Police Officer, but am not requesting to join for infiltration
 

Question 6. How often will you be availible to fight crime and save the world? What schedule would be best for you?

 
When I am needed, I will be there
 

Question 7: Do you have some disability, ailment, or other situation (Occasional Demonic possession, intense allergy to space rocks, etc) that our scientists, doctors, and mystics should take into account?

 
My brother was crippled in a drive by, he is knowledgable on many tech issues, and will most likely be around the headquarters alot.
 
Question 8. To what degree do you comply with the law? Are you registered?

 
About 80%
 
Question 9. Will you be able to provide your own transporation to and from the Power Brigade HQ?

 
I can easily get to anywhere in the city
 
Question 10. What are your feelings on death and property damage?

 
Prefer to avoid it when I can, but sometimes it is needed
 
Question 11. Are you willing to wear our team Logo?

No
 
Question 12. How may we contact you should we be interested in having you join? (Phone, mystic mirror, large signal, etc)

 
Cell Phone
 
Please include any additional notes about yourself you feel are relevant below:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thank you for your interest in the Power Brigade. All aplications will be reviewed, if no response in 4-6 weeks, it is likely the team is currently filled.

Re: Create a Hero Theme Team!
 
"But Mom," Meg groaned in her best put upon teenage voice, "I don't want to go to the family reunion. It's so Boooring!! All we do is stand around with a bunch of people we never hear from."
 
"Megan Ophelia Harding," Mom came back in that voice that sounded like I was stepping on her last nerve or something. "You will mind your manners and be on your best behavior and the reunion. Now get your brother Karl together. It's a three hour drive to the lake, don'tcha know, and Daddy wants to get a jump on the traffic."
 
I only had one chance of escape left as I frantically looked around the kitchen. Karl, of course just sat in his high chair and burbled at me. Cute kid, but I wasn't having any of it. Flora and I were supposed to go to the mall today. Okay, sure, we go to the mall almost every day, but I really ddin't care. This was my free time we're talking about.
 
"Daddy?" I called out in desperation.
 
"Mind your Mother," a reply came from the living followed by the front door slamming shut.
 
With sullen eyes I turned to look at Mom and had to groan inside. She had that look on her face. Yeah, you know the one. Sighing my best sigh I picked on the drooling machine and headed for the Explorer.
 
You know a three hour drive can be almost like forever. Karl sat in his car seat making bubbles with his drool while Daddy drove like a man possessed. As for me, thank God I had my Ipod and my tunes. Sixteen towns, countless cows that Karl got so excited about seeing, and only one potty break, thank you Daddy so much, we were at the lake. A huge banner proclaimed "Harding Family Reunion."
 
I slammed the door to the Explorer and stalking towards the lake furious that they made me come. I saw Grandpa H. sitting by himself in his chair, but I ignored him. Senioritlity, don'tcha know. I picked up a few rocked and skipped them across the still waters.
 
"Hey you're pretty good at that," a male voice came from behind me. I casually looked over my shoulder to see a boy about my age with a wide grin on his face.
 
"Thanks," I said, "I was thinking about trying out for it in the Olympics."
 
We both had a laugh over my joke.
 
"I'm Myles Harding," he said offering a hand, which I shook.
 
"I guess we're cousins." I said lamely.
 
Again came the laugh.
 
"Want to get something to eat?" Myles asked. "Seeing how much food our mothers brought it would be a shame if we didn't eat some of it."
 
I eyed Myles before shouting, "I'll race you!"
 
I sprinted towards the picnic tables with Myles hot on my feet. However, we didn't get far. There was this streak of light over the park followed by an explosion on the lake. Myles and I were thrown to the ground. I thought I heard a dog barking or wimping nearby. And then we were soaked to skin as a tsunami of lake water rolled over us like a drunk in a mosh pit. I gagged on the foul tasting water.
 
My clothes were ruined. I got to my feet suprised I wasn't hurt in anyway.
 
"Myles!" I shouted seeing that he was still on the ground, looking out of it. In a blink I was next to him checking for a pulse. Oh no, Myles wasn't breathing. Immediately I bent over giving him mouth-to-mouth. It wasn't until later that I thought how weird it was. However, it only took one breathe to revive him.
 
I leapted into the air in joy at saving him. The people in the plane looked almost as surprised as I was as I flew by their windows. Without thinking I waved at them and a few of them waved back. Scared out of my mind, but excited all the same I flew back to park.
 
I felt so powerful. On impulse I want to the lake and picked up a boulder and skipped it across the water.
 
"Myles" I said turning to look for my cousin. "Did you see that? Did you?"
 
However, Myles wasn't there anymore. I later learned that he had ran over three states away before coming to a stop.
 
My life has changed since that day at the lake. Several members of the Harding family have gained superpowers from getting drenched. My friends are so jealous. I even got a super hero costume that makes me look, oh so mature, and the coolest code name ever. People call me Omega, can you believe it. Maybe going to that lame family reunion wasn't so bad after all.

Didn't they recover that version of Bat-Cow from an illegal slaughterhouse or something?  Pretty sure the dietary conversion came from firsthand experience with an abattoir and the pet was a side effect.
 
Nowhere near as dangerous as the Tick's Man-Eating Cow, of course.  And the Chick Fil A super-cows from the promotional comics are nobody's pets.