Quackhell

30 Ghosts
 
Fang Lui is the sole survivor of the Hell's Canyon Massacre which saw thirty Chinese miners gunned down by a gang of outlaws. The gang escaped justice purely because of racism. This caused the vengeful spirits of the thirty slain miners to possess Lui and he proceeded to hunt down and brutally murder the outlaws. Now a wanted man he fell in with the Nine purely to survuve. When not dominated by the ghosts Lui is himself a peaceful man who does not wish to live a life of violence and crime, but the spirits overwhelm him and the Nine is able to channel thier collective hate towards the Champions. Lui has supernatural strength and is virtually indestructible when controlled by the ghosts, but he does have a weakness to gold which was the very substance that led to the deaths of the miners in the past.

Bloody Star
 
U.S. Marshall Dale Booth doggedly pursued outlaw Jesse Cutter into the desert wastes, but when he rode back into civilization he was changed. His first horrible act was to slaughter the entire population of the small town of Snake Hill. Tales were told that he now only travels at night, can draw his gun faster than any human, dodges bullets and drinks the blood of his victims after slitting their throat with a straight razor. He still wears his Marshall star now permanently stained with blood. The other members of the Nine give him a wide bearth but can't deny his deadly skills.
 
 

Bolt Crunchmaster
 
A robot designed by Black Harliquinn for a human sized superhero action figure that was never unleashed upon the public. Mechanon raided an old workshop of Harliquinn and took what tech it wanted including this unit. Finding it unworthy of use it was slated for disposal before being salvaged by MAX. It has very basic programming and combat routines and has no memory other than serving MAX and the cause. The robot's plastic looking body is a super hard polymer alloy that can take a lot of damage. It also has great strength, can fly with a built in jet pack unit, and sports energy blasters in it's gauntlets. It has a subroutine in it's programming that only allows it to speak in corny superhero catchphrases like "Like a Bolt from the blue I strike down evil" and "Don't worry citizen it is time to Crunch some crime!"

Protectors of the Skies!
 
Mankind is threatened by alien invaders. We also have great opportunity to make friends with peaceful explorers and seekers. Who are the heroes who guard Earth's space and orbit while providing aid and succour to our peaceful visitors?
 
Four members, each must be able to operate in orbital space.

I just want to play out that Dregslist scenario so much!
 
I like the tricky high-tech hero schtick so doing that is exactly the kind of thing I would have proposed. 

I can appreciate that.
 
So long as _no one_ tries to defend Galactus's hat.
 
 

Well some villains aren't the brightest bulbs in the box. 😆

Yeah, I can imagine Dregslist works out pretty well for heroes.
 
Instead of a normal person meeting up with their mugger in the parking lot of a Dennys, the supervillain could meet up with the hero.
 
 

I had the Adversary Academy that trained henchman at varying levels to assign to villains and Dregslist which was another way to make contact with underlings or low powered villains to employ.

Well done, everyone.
 
I know it sounds trite, but this is the third time I have had to say "it's a difficult choice."    
 
Ultimately, I think the nod goes to Quackhell; the microscopic angle just sort of won me on the novelty.
 
 
Thanks to all!
 
Quackhell, it's your go, Sir!
 

The superhero Budgerigar has had a long career going back decades, and is known for three things: his endless quips that frustrate his enemies, his incredibly bad luck, and his refusal to stop heroics despite his ill fortune. He used to be known for his extensive winning streak, even against multiple enemies. That came to an end after his battle against the mad scientist Dr Shrinkblot and his henchpersons; though Budgerigar won that battle it is known to be one of the last times he got the better of his foes.
 
The reason for that is The Mite Have Beens, the henchpersons of Dr Shrinkblot that were thought to be lost forever when hit by an experimental shrinking ray. Now too small to be seen, and too small to communicate with anyone, they live on the hero's costume and feathers and cause him as much trouble as they can. They blame the feathered crimefighter for their plight, and have pledged their lives to screwing him over as much as possible. What the rest of the world believes to be Budgerigar's chronic bad luck is actually the work of the MHB creating trouble for him any way they can. The team is four members, too tiny to live any other life than this.

Earth is under alien invasion, but it is not from outer space it is from inner space. The microscopic Parvulus have been laying the ground work for world domination undetected by all except for fringe scientist Shinya Takahashi. His knowledge made him a target and he found himself under attack as the Parvulus sent an assault team into his body. Luckily he had injected nanobot defenders into his system. The battle that waged within him however took his toll. Takahashi instructed his assistant Rajit Khan to use the experimental armor that would allow him to shrink down to the level of the invaders. He managed to eradicate the threat, but Takahashi fell into a coma as a result of the battle. Since then Rajit has taken the fight to the Parvulus and even found allies amongat the Parvulus in the form of a small group of rebels fighting against the rule of the warrior caste. He also works with the covert government agency known as the Black Station who have taken custody of Takashi's body and his technology. Rajit, now known as the Nanonaut, is the Earth's best hope.

Diamond Dog
 
Lester Buchanan was infused with canine DNA and then bombarded with some strange rays filtered through a diamond prism. The result was that he has the ability to transform into a large powerful hound with diamond hard skin, claws and fangs. When he is not in his transformed state he is the most meek member of the team merely going along with their plans and feeding on diamonds to ease his pain.  He is desperate to find a cure for his condition. In his Diamond Dog state he is savage and barely under control and used for frontline assault by the team.

First, _phenomenal_ image!  I have to know who did this art; I absolutely _love_ it!
 
Now, to the game!
 
Tico Valiente was a thug.  Abrupt-- even blunt, but that was the extent of Tico.  He had no dreams and no ambitions and decided that the easiest way to get what he wanted was theft, dealing, and occasionally hiring himself out as a goon.  When he turned 16, he formally quit the high school he hadn't been attending and went to work in the factory with his father and older brother.  The job wasn't anything that interested him, but it filled the hours in between his nights on the street hustling, and meant he could still live under his parents' roof.  One thing he _could_ say about the job, though: the hard labor put a considerable amount of muscle on him.  Although he wasn't an exceptionally large man, at six-foot two, he towered over his parents and siblings.
 
It wasn't too long after quitting highschool that Tico began running with the gang.  He wasn't sure how it happened, but so long as he was still free to take whatever he wanted, when he wanted it, he was fine having to fight a bunch of other guys simply because they were on the wrong street.  It wasn't like Tico had actual dreams or anything.  He just went along with whatever the gang decided they were doing.  In fact, none of it really seemed to bother Tico at all-- not until the gang turned on him.
 
"Punishment," they had called it.  It seemed Tico had been holding out.  What Tico was taking, what Tico was making in sales, whatever Tico stole-- he wasn't giving the gang "their share."  It was only when he was called to the home of the leader-- Javier-- that Tico began to understand.  
 
Javier didn't live in the neighborhood.  Javier lived nearby, in an affluent subdivision.  Javier had money.  Something clicked in Tico: that money came from the gang.  Every dollar that a gang member "earned" was split fifty-fifty with "the gang," through the care of Javier.  Tico knew how much money he made, and he figured that some of the others-- the more clever, long-range planners and those guys with runners of their own-- they were probably making a lot more.  But no one was making the kind of money Tico saw brazenly displayed in this house and in the garage.  For the first time in his life, Tico had a dream....
 
 
The beating was brutal-- it was an "example," and likely was meant to be fatal.  It would have been, if it hadn't been for the freak.  The freak was the last thing Tico remembered clearly.  He had been struck hard over the head from behind and had awakened tied to a wooden chair and gagged.  The room was large and well-lit.  There was a wall of mirrors along one wall with a rail running the length of it, set at about hip height.  He had multiple views of three large and incongruously well-dressed men surrounding him just before the beating started.  As the pain exceeded his ability to remain conscious, the men relented.  One of them reached into his suit coat and retrieved a silenced automatic pistol.  Tico's head rolled back, and he noticed the ceiling, too-- at least the half of the ceiling along the mirrored wall-- was covered in mirrors.  He saw the man with the gun reach out and grab a handful of Tico's hair.  Just before he jerked Tico's face up to the muzzle of the gun, Tico saw the freak.  
 
There were three large men in the mirror, too. They were all well-dressed, and one of them had a gun.  They were standing around a wooden chair, and for a moment, Tico thought that there was a mirrored version of himself in that chair.  But no.  It wasn't Tico.  It was a freak.  He was naked, like Tico, but his skin wasn't honey-colored, and it didn't become a darker coffee color at the arms.  It was white-- almost luminous.  The limbs were muscular, like Tico's, but the muscles....  the freak was nothing but muscle.  There was no sign of fat or softness; the figure he saw could have been craft whole from a thousand lengths of steel cable painted luminously white.  Tico couldn't really describe what he saw-- it was hard to focus, and he was too busy savoring the relief that the beating had stopped, and had almost looked forward to the kiss of the gun that was now staring at him.  That face, though-- it was as if there was no skin on the face.  The skin here, too, was luminous, and like the body, there was absolutely no hint of anything that wasn't muscle or tendon.  The skin here was draw so tight as to look like nothing so much as it looked like a skull.  They eyes-- black and empty the skin sank into the sockets of the skull, and from deep under the brow, two piercing blue lights blazed a stern and determined gaze.  As Tico was snatched forward, the blue lights blazed red.
 
All three men stood still, as if they were mannequins modeling the high end suits they wore.  The two on either side whimpered like terrified puppies while the one grabbing his head screamed.  Fascinated, Tico watched as the arm that disappeared from view over his own head..... changed.  It began to crystalize, traces of frost crept toward the shoulder; ice formed on the creased fabric of the jacket.  The man screamed again.  Tico snatched his head back, hoping to see in the mirror what his attacker saw-- no doubt he, too, had seen the freak, but unlike Tico, he hadn't been looking forward to dying.
 
Tico stared in the mirror, fascinated.  He saw the freak staring back at him; he saw a hand and forearm falling behind the freak, and watched as it hit the floor behind the freak and shattered.  The smash and crack of the shattering ice startled him and he looked back to the man in front of him.  He was working his mouth soundlessly, like a goldfish contemplating its fate.  he cradled the stump of his arm-- now removed just above the elbow, the gun in his other hand completely forgotten. Why was there no blood?  Why was the flesh black?  Life returned to Tico, and he was again scared-- terrified even more than when he had awakened surrounded by his torturers.  The freak had done that, and Tico hadn't even seen him.  He had to get away!  He had to escape the freak!  He leapt to his feet, forgetting his fetters, and heard the chair splinter to pieces as he did so.  The other two men-- one on each side of him-- were blubbering like frightened toddlers.  Tico moved to push one away, and as he put his arms forward, he saw how lean, muscular, and luminously white they were.  He would worry about that later-- right now, he had to escape; he had to get away from the freak before he, too, fell victim to it.  As he pushed the man away, he heard him scream, and saw the ice and frost form across his chest where he had been touched.   He turned away, confident the freak was somehow there with him, he grabbed the other man, hoping to shove him aside, and watched in fascination and horror as he, too, began to freeze.  
 
Understanding began to creep into his mind.  He-- somehow-- no; it's not possible.  Carefully, he looked at the wall of mirrors and made small, cautious gestures.  No-- th-- it-- someh---- no; he would worry about it later; he had to get away from here.  He stared in fascination at his skeletal hands-- muscle was clearly there, but it was drawn so tight beneath the white skin......  Suddenly he caught a scent that drew him back to his situation.  The men-- the large men who would be his assassins....   had soiled themselves in terror.....
 
 
Tico awoke under a rail bridge, back in the inner city.  He was Tico-- not the freak.  Things were....  well, he didn't know what they were, but certainly this was an improvement.  He hung around long enough to roll a homeless man for his clothes and made for him.
 
over the next few weeks, he learned to summon and control his powers.  When he became the freak-- no; that wouldn't do.  There wasn't a separate freak; there was Tico, powered up, but still Tico.  When he powered up, he became much more powerful physically, but why, he could not say.  (Density Increase, two levels).  He was also able to generate fear in his opponents (Drain: Presence, 2d6, Area of Effect 12 meters radius, centered on Tico, requires eye contact to initiate).  Most intriguingly, at least to Tico, was his ability to freeze things.  It didn't matter what it was-- all he had to do was touch it and will it frozen, and it would almost-instantly begin to develop a delicate even coating of frost as it became colder and more brittle (Drain: BODY: 2d6, Cumulative, expanded maximum-- have fun with it) combined with HtH Killing Attack, 2d6, no STR bonus  (consider also Ranged KA, no range).
 
Tico had two things now: he had a dream, and he had _power_, power that he could exercise and work and hopefully improve.  He would content himself to the street gang first.  Then another, then another.  With enough soldiers on the street, he would form his own cartel.  When he got large enough, he would begin to take the other cartels, too.  Javier would have to go, and soon.  There should be no question as to who was in charge.  He had the start of a plan.  He needed something to reinforce his power-- he wasn't powerful enough-- at least, no yet-- to don a colorful costume and knock over banks, but he should certainly have a look, something that would work with his power, possibly enhance his reputation-- something memorable.  Taking spray paint to his black jeans and work boots, and then to a thin leather jacket that he had scored breaking into bus lockers (so what if it was a bit too small?  That would just enhance his look), he crafted his outfit.  Some gloves from an old Halloween costume would do for now, until he could find something a bit sturdier.
 
He decided against picking a super-villain sounding name: he wasn't on that same level of power yet, and it wouldn't do to attract powerful attention to himself, at least not before he was ready.  He toyed briefly with calling himself Mamito as a little joke, but was wise enough to realize that he didn't want anything possibly funny or derisive; nothing should be allowed to undercut the threat of his presence.  Eventually, he decided to simply keep his street name, even in light of his new dreams.  One day, Sugar would be the emperor of this city....
 
 
 

"Little Tommy" Chao
 
Tom Chao was brought up in a Triad, starting as a runner at age 6 and graduating through the organization, taking his actual oaths at 18. It was only shortly after that when things went awry. He was involved in the theft of a container load of confiscated Viper supertech on the docks. Things went wrong, and the cops were on the scene. A stray bullet slammed into a piece of supertech Tommy was hiding behind, and there was a big bang.
Tommy found himself permanently reduced to six inches in height. But his mass remained the same, and he was able to conduct feats of strength like carrying a car around. He was also very tough, his density making him basically immune to bullets or most hand-held weapons.
His problem is, he's comparatively slow. Even leaping doesn't get him very far. So he usually teams up with another brick to throw him at the enemy - he's been called the "human hand grenade".
He also blames the Triad for his condition, and has cut ties with them. They view his oaths as binding for life, and are actively trying to kill him.
Tommy primarily works as a mercenary, and was doing so for Meggido in Boston. 

Okay, I'm going to call it.
 
I am being completely honest when I tell you that it was difficult, simply because everyone had something that I really, _really_ liked.
 
In the end, I think Steriaca is the winner, if only because of the delightful absurdity and simultaneous threat of "The Yellow Orb."  I mean-- it was wonderful.  
 
Believe me, though-- everyone had something I wanted to reward.  The idea of a suit that grants the power of Growth hearkened back to a player in the 80s who had a power armor character-- with Growth, bought IIF: the armor grew.  It was just odd enough, you know?    And the name Crimson Colossus!  Absolutely _classic_ name for a super character.
 
Quackhell's entire group had a bit of background, and you guys know that stuff just sells a character to me.
 
Even Tribble-- well, I think it says something that I liked his team and their schticks.  I mean-- have you _ever_ seen me participate in _any_ of the "make a theme team" threads?  Of course not.  Do you know why?  I _hate_ theme teams; I hate almost everything about them.  But Tribble managed to create people who actually seemed like they wouldn't get along at all, and there was appeal in that, too-- shades of Season 1 Farscape, perhaps. 
 
So I have spent half a day mulling it over, re-reading it from time to time, and at the end of the idea, The Yellow Orb wins.
 
Well done, _everyone_.  Pat yourselves on the back.  Pretend it's a stranger and secure your wallets.  
 
You're up, Steriaca!
 
 
 

The Eyes of God
 
Marcel Perroux is a Catholic priest. Since he can remember, he has been struck on occasion with visions of the future, some of which have come true, and others would have if he had not acted to prevent them. Marcel believes he has been blessed by God.
On the night before his raising to the position of Priest, Marcel had a long, detailed but vague vision. He saw a politician's rise on an anti-church platform, leading the people away from Christianity, and various cathedrals around Europe ablaze...culminating in the destruction of the Vatican.
He has dedicated himself to ensuring this vision does not come true. He has created a nom de guerre as "The Eyes of God" and formed a small, fanatical following, as well as joining Divine Right. But he stands by the laws of God, and while he will bend them occasionally in the right cause, he will not sanction murder or other mortal sins.
Recently, Marcel has begun to wonder if he correctly interpreted that vision. The blaze at Notre Dame was just as he saw it, but the politician is as yet unseen.
Marcel does not get along with Gypsy Rose Leigh due to the other's dislike of the French, but they have worked together in the past on actions they both see as of benefit.

The Quantum Quad
 
A group of heroes associated with super science adventurer Dr. Curie Quantum.
Left to right:
 
Quantron: An android whose synthetic body is capable of shape-shifting, super strength, energy manipulation and high speed flight. It was compromised by the nanobot collective the Cyber Swarm and ended up destroying itself to save it's teammates. Doc Quantum is rumored to have a back up prototype somewhere in storage.
 
Dusk Dragon: Susan Nakano is a skilled martial artist who was trained by her mother, the superhero Sun Dragon. Her skills are further augmented by her energy blades and a stealth suit provided by Doc Quantum. She is forever at odds with her half brother Tomohiro aka the Dawn Dragon who betrayed his family and killed her father in combat.
 
Monsieur Minuit: The Parisian playboy by day vigilante by night whose whirlwind romance with Doc Quantum resulted in a short-lived marriage. They divorced amicably and he continues to carry a torch for her ever since. Recently he was finally able to end the reign of terror of his nemesis Meurtre Mime with the aid of his teammates. 
 
Quanturbo: Tom "Top Flight" Ferguson was Doc Quantum's driver and test pilot. During a test of an experimental vehicle using a prototype hyperdrive an accident occurred. Ferguson's body ended up absorbing massive amounts of energy that supercharged him. He was now capable of running at super speeds. Doc Quantum designed a containment suit to help regulate the energy flow and protect him from the elements and rigors of high speed travel. One of his claims to fame is besting the alien prince Vash Vygier The Sularian Sprinter in a race that covered multiple planets and dimensions which saved the Earth from a full scale invasion by the Sularian Empire.

I'll pick up the gauntlet.  From left to right--
 
Crimson Colossus--The red suit Gerald Krugman wears draws upon cosmic energy to allow him to increase his height up to and including 500 feet tall, with strength proportionate to his size.  How Krugman came to possess the suit, and who originally created it has yet to be revealed.
 
Slenderman--The heroic version of that entity, he has come to track down and destroy the evil version that resides in our reality.  The heroic version is much more human than our evil version, but just as capable of appearing or disappearing wherever he wants to go.
 
Dynamic Man--Speedster with the strength of twenty men, Harold Harmon is one of the most experienced of heroes, having served the cause of justice for most of his life.  He has had four junior partners during the course of his long and storied career, one of whom went on to be the heroic Star Wing--and another, unfortunately, became the villainous Rage-Maker.
 
Solarman--Attempting to recreate the process that created the World War II super-soldier Höllenfeuer (Hellfire), DARPA scientist Andrew Cale managed to endow himself with powers beyond the original.  Capable of supersonic flight, generating blasts of tremendous heat, and making himself an immaterial being, Solarman uses his newfound powers to oppose and defeat the enemies of the United States and help those who need it most, wherever they may be.  

Guys, I really, _really_ miss this thread. 
 
So maybe we can get _something_ rolling, as an alternative to listen to the phlegmy voices of smoking relatives and well-wishers this season?
 
 
Let's try a really easy one, maybe?
 
I say easy because there's a lot to choose from, and it's really genric, to boot!  Go nuts!  Pick one; pick them all!  Go serious; go funny-- just get to it!
 

 
 

Debaculous Fiasco
 
He is a member of the Chaos Clowder also known as the Grim Glaring, a group of cats who possess superior intelligence and can wield bad luck magic that can cause all manner of calamity. They are countered by the Power Paws a collection of good luck cats who try to prevent the disasters and schemes initiated by the Clowder. His human familiar, Lucian Somerset, carries out mundane tasks and provides Fiasco with tasty yum yums and chin tickles.
 

Vita
 
Olivia Combs was celebrating her 96th birthday at home alone when she heard a faint knock on her door. When she opened it no one was there, but a small white box was on the welcome mat. She brought it into her sitting room and opened it to reveal a golden necklace with a letter V pendant covered in odd markings. She felt an irrestible compulsion to put on the necklace and when she did she was instantly transformed into a younger woman wearing a costume. Her mind was suddenly full of vague broken memories but the name Vita kept coming up again and again. She felt vibrant and powerful and as she rose form her chair she ended up leaping up and through her roof and landing hundreds of feet away. She soon discovered she had vast strength and could resist a great deal of damage to her body. She also seemed to have a vitality force that she could generate that could heal herself and others through touch. She has begun acting as a superhero while attempting to piece together mystery of the origin of the necklace and what exactly the nature of her transformation is.

Spike
 
Dmitriy Yevgenovitch Susov was a dissident and revolutionary in the USSR. He got further than most, managing to actually inflict some damage before the KGB caught up with him, and they didn't bother with a show trial, but just sent him as an expendable test subject to their super-soldier experimentation facility in central Siberia.
To everyone's surprise, Susov came out of the cooking chamber not only alive but with the power to fire spikes of energy from his hands. The KGB was alarmed, and put measures in place to kill him as soon as the scientists were done examining the situation. However, a Team Amerika head heard of the events, and realised that Susov's powers were practically identical to those of Pentagon member Spur.
Susov trained with his powers, and a small bomb was placed in the skin behind his neck. Unfortunately for Susov, shortly before he was to debut, Spur was killed in Silversmith's breakdown. The KGB immediately detonated the bomb.
 
New team: The Masters of Silence.
 
These four time-travellers have one ultimate goal: The extinction of the human race. They know of other time-travellers with other goals, and seek to kill them first, but that is only to prevent their interference. They each have their own reasons for this, and don't always see eye to eye on method, but they are all ruthless and dedicated.

Vamoose! 😀

Sasha Petrovich had trained in gymnastics from an early age and was highly touted as her first Olympics approached. Unfortunately she suffered a major injury during training. Emotionally devastated by this she was an easy target for recruitment into The Conservatory, a training center for the KGB. The Headmistress molded her into a spy and deadly martial artist. She operated for several years before being chosen for Team Amerika. Initially acting as an imposter for Stars her handlers quickly realized she didn't match her American counterpart. As Sasha returned to her sleeper identity, she became enamored by the American lifestyle. However she would be called upon yet again by Team Amerika this time to double Virginia. She carried out a couple of assignments, but this inadvertently caught the attention of the criminal element who were seeking to eliminate Virginia. She barely survived an encounter with Filipina assassin Arnis who mistook her for Virginia and was attempting to score points with the underworld. She used this opportunity to fake her own death and go into hiding. Team Amerika just chalked this up as yet another failure in this disastrous operation. Sasha would eventually be discovered, not by the KGB, but by a modern iteration of the Culper Ring. She became an operative for them under the codename Odessa.