The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Red Ronin! Netsuko Nishimura! Rinako Saeki! Fujiko Yoshihara! Masaru Kido!)

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EternalPhoenix
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Master Power Level List

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Master Power Level List (as of Roth Investigations)

Setting Notes: PL 6s are jobber tier, PL 7s are below average, PL 8s are average, PL 9s are above average, PL 10s are really good, PL 12s get confused with deities by civvies, and PL 14-16s have the power similar to actual deities or literally are one inhabiting a human body.

PL 6
Steeltoe
Wingz
Malocchio
Pern
Phobia
Octagirl
Ferrous
Karone
Rambo
Sabre
Frostee
Illusia
Tenshi
Tressa
Flutter
Willa Hawke
Rumiko Nihara
Lucia Sakaguchi
Ting Heskett
Lucien Rousseau
Charlie Teriong
Raven
Jing Zhang
Hana Choi
Clive Wesker

PL 7
Kazuma Nihara
Herman Heskett
Sione Sigrah
Raul "Bonus" Torres
Jedda "Fast Lane" Briggs (on foot)

PL 8
Redpin
Sailor Scout
Brutus
Pathfinder
Android
Ricardo Alvarez
Elinah Monroe
Eiko Takanouchi
Sofia Harmon
Laki Sigrah
Neith
Elena Laskaris
Phylia
Lana Shimizu
Kazeka Kurogane
Lana’s Heroic Spirits
Paradigm
Cecilia Bridges
Rose "Zulu" Ross
Patricia "Shadow" Garza
Simon Vyntra (defensive)
Sergio "Techonic" Marquez (defensive)
Casey "Casino" Duff (defensive)
Victor "Shotsy" Leroy
Jack “Android” Martin
Shigeru “Dice” Miyamoto
Mahmoud "Combo" Isra
Cecile “Prophet” Fournier
Yeoman (Joshua Birch)
Hospitaller (Abigail "Abby" Priest)
Gumshoe (Simon Cooper)
Robin McKinnon

PL 9
James Scott
Palila Nui
Octavia Fiammetta
Claire Gainsborough
Atsuko Matsuda
Khulan
Emma Adams
Yukinari Yuhara
Nayan
Zuberi Wafula
Nagesh Malik
Reina Wong
Holter (Aerin Grosvenor)
Miss Mimic (Francesca Zanetti)
Ovader (Linnea Sjoberg)
Strazk (Jedrick Jagoda)
Princess Audrielle Eliska
Photophobia (Junie Cho)
Nimbus (Riley Chong)
Dream Girl (Sabrina Nowak)
Gobstopper (Bridget Kucerova)
Sprite (Asuka Takahashi)
Razzle (Alyssa Robinson)
Sorellanza (Oriana Bianchi)
Digital Shadow (Marcus Pierce)
Dusk Widow (Ishani Dhawan)
Eclipse (Adam Holloway)
Wisecracker (Donna Quinn)
Tana, of the Waves
Nika, the Heartfire
Calamity Jane (Judith & Amalia Richter)
Thespian (Claudia Baker)
Walter Mackey
Jedda "Fast Lane" Briggs (in plane)
Valentina Alvarez
Miriam Mizrahi
Ichika Ishikawa
Kaede Kobayashi
Marian Soaring Eagle
Magna
Dust
Scarlett
Lady Alchemist (Morgan Knight)
Lady Knight (Emily Knight)
The Alchemist Knight (Sophie Knight)
Umbrella Queen (Siobhanna)
Nisse (Alwyn Kendrick)
Tattoo (Josephine "Finn" Kent)
Bulletman (Jason "Jay" Martin)
Felin-garou (Rosalie Lavoie)
Valiant (Steve Clark)
Moonshadow (Donovan Tarkik)
Chasseur (Jules Bouchard)
Gajasura (Arjun Vijaya)
Sister Angeline (Raphelle Fortin)
Red Sleeves (Daiyu Hong)
Starlet (Verity Campbell)
Zhang Wei
Wu Yuying
Marisol Almeida

PL 10
Clon
Priestess
Cavatina
Stoker
Electric Lady
Opera
Miss Fist
Harmony Perez
Tessa Mcleod
Immortia
Kaikoa
Nathaniel Truman
Emiko Fujiwara
Skye Walker
Oliana Kamealoha
Raymi Humala Sumire
Madeline Blackwood
Almira Quincy
Fiona McTavish
Yumiko Amano
Hinako Fujimori
Eri Akatsuki
Toryu Hirayama
Spartan
Pyrewing
Prodigy
Lakis Hasapis
Aidan Killian
Shanyuan Baoli
Santiago Valdes
Katrea
Jacob Cross
Aeon (Courtney Halloran)
Rudolphus "Rudy" Evander
Simon Vyntra (offensive)
Sergio "Techonic" Marquez (offensive)
Casey "Casino" Duff (offensive)
Arielle Cadieux
Candy
Z
Orca
Starguy
Human Rocket IV
Countess
Mirage
Paragon (Syed Nawaz)
Undine (true name unknown)
Fornax (Maxwell "Max" Drake)
Scion (Seth Roth) (Normally)

PL 11
Tigress
Hummingbird
Penny Nihara
Rebecca Heskett
Tobias
Willie Teriong
Talia Mortelini
Zack Mortelini
Daisuke Uehara
Layla Khan
Rina, the Iceheart
Kino, of the Stars
Terrifica
Samaritan
Gunsmith I (Connor Morris)
Roxy Jett (Celia Cruz)
Geojang (Shin Min-ah)
Templar (Daniel Page)
Blindspot (Cindy Liu)
Armory (Sergeant Leon Wilson)
Shandra Hawkins
Ashfang (Heidi Roberts)
Herald (Alejo Escarra)
Estrid Silubra of Asgard

PL 12
Radical Dreamer
Stormy
Morphin
Carla Perkins
Edwin Christian
Sonya Harmon
Yasmine Sakaguchi
Portia Rousseau
Raheed The Dragon King
The Pacific Stranger
Coyote
Lucy Hasegawa
Samorn
Dallas Austin
Vincent Mortelini
Shazza Ferreira
Zuki, the Thunderer
Tatsuya Gushiken
Bellona Accardo
Reyna Oleastro
Raquel Fernandes
Jade Knight (Ma’re Iryen)
Serine
Valine
Primrose (Étienne Miura)
Tsurugi (Miyuki Harada)
Hayate Ishikawa
Medic
Spike
Sage
Sir Randall Knight
Fletcher (Morris Archer)
Shadowspirit
Alsea
Zima (Marina Morozov)
Prairie Sprinter (Grace Harper)
Dormin (Phil Cantor)
Christine Gale
Nyoan Ayano
Ryan Masterson/Xaphan
Chiaki Ayano
Priest (Lloyd Adams)

PL 13
Magi
Adept
Kiske, of the Thousand
Lestari
Caviezel
The Shining Guardian (Henry Kim)
Stargirl II (Jacqueline “Jackie” Thompkins)
Scion (Seth Roth) (Power Boosted)

PL 14
Myrcelle
Yori Newgate
Ruslan Turgenev
Queenie
Nega I (Hal Scott)
Starman II (Jesse Thompkins)
Tetsukaze (Takeo Takeda)
Keaira, Princess of Avalon

PL 15
Blackrose
Astra
Flare
Cory
Windstorm
Barry Holden
Baroness Valia
Drone Prime (The Prince)
Tidal
Tex Austin
Megagirl (Megan Price)
Arriba (Jose Vega)
Esme
Big Ben (Benjamin Prestwich)

16
Starman I
Starwoman I (Judy Thompkins)

16/X
Methion
Nick Phoenix
Asteroth

PL X Discussion

Believe it or not, PL Xs are tiered, too. There’s a scale in play that I’m stealing from 3E’s Cosmic Adventures. How this works is that for every X the existing Abilities Score Bonuses, Attack Effect Ranks, Base Attack Bonus, and Base Defense Bonus get jacked up by 20. Effectively, X1 Tier is 20 PLs above an equivalent normal character. Meaning a big team of elite PL 15 characters could conceivably beat the Bystander version of an X1 Tier. You know, theoretically. If one existed. Which one doesn’t, as they’re all as skilled as normal characters. The minor problem with these fellas is that they warp reality by existing in it. So when they’re visiting the mortals they step it down out of PL X. Unless, of course, they’re evil enough to not give a shit about mortals, in which case they get a detailed lesson from Nick Phoenix or Asteroth, who can step it up to their level and perhaps beyond depending on the being. Methion has been known to do this as well. So lets get into the actual scale.

X1 Tiers are junior level deities in their actual godly flesh, such as Thanatos, Bellona, or Petah. Lesser Demon Lords are also here (normally, the one the Seawings Adventure Guild defeated was not at full power), along with the vast majority of angels, the Fae Queens, and similar beings. If mortals ever thought a being was a god of a specific thing only, with no other roles in the pantheon, they’re likely here at best. If a mortal manages to exceed normal PL 16, they shoot up to here more or less automatically. Note that this is the single most difficult task a mortal can undertake, and almost always requires shedding part or all of that mortality due to the time it takes and the sheer danger involved in trying. But if one does succeed, congratulations. You’re PL 8 again, albeit on X1 Tier. Ready to start gathering power all over again, with a massively increased difficulty level?

X2 Tiers are the next level up. Senior deities well known in their pantheons like Thor, Athena, and Osiris. Greater Demon Lords are also here, along with all top class angels.

X3 Tier is higher still, with only the mightiest of deities and rules of their pantheons dwelling here. Beings like Zeus, Odin, and Ra. Supreme Demon Lords are also here, along with Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and Uriel. This is where Asteroth and Methion peak. It is also where Nick Phoenix stops.

X4 Tier contains beings of unimaginable power. Notably, the Deva (the Hindu pantheon) peak here through the use of their mightiest astra (poetent divine artifacts), though otherwise they’re in line with the other pantheons. The beings here represent concepts and generally aren’t conscious and sapient the way mortals understand those terms. They may be considered gods and demons, but they’re really not. This is the Tier on which the Phoenix itself resides, along with representations of Time, Death, and Dreams.

X5 Tier is theoretical. The only being who may reside here is God Almighty, but the sheer power available here (Ability Score Bonuses and Effect Ranks are at +100) dwarfs mortal comprehension entirely. So whether or not He is here as opposed to X3 or X4 is as theoretical as the existence of the Tier itself.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Wed Oct 18, 2023 2:37 am, edited 13 times in total.
The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse!)
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Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest: The Icons! Queenie!)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Commander Titan wrote: Sat Sep 03, 2022 2:56 am I like Queenie a lot! There's something honest about a hero who really just wishes she could get back to her passion, but sees this greater responsibility. As you've said before, the villains of the Phoenixverse are sure they're the heroes, while many of the heroes are worried they aren't up to snuff, which is why they stay on the side of good, because they know "good" is a struggle and not a status.

I appreciate how she's risen to the occasion!
Maybelle's one of the good eggs. A lovely woman, really. But also my Southern belle who'll give 'em hell. I can't say this in the actual bios for obvious reasons, but her entire decision making process is basically "what would Superman do?" She's her own person, to be sure. No carbon copy of Clark, but you get it.
Commander Titan wrote: Sat Sep 03, 2022 2:56 amAlso, interesting to note how many of the Icons' codenames seem to be... nicknames? Derived from their real names? Is that an intentional choice (both in and out of universe)?
The reasons are different for almost all of them, heh. Sometimes I thought it'd be cool. Sometimes the character just needed a real name, and back then in the early days I didn't have consistent internet access to hit the baby name websites via Google. And then there's Spike, who I wanted to put in a text game as part of a personal mod, but it already had someone named Spike in it, dammit. So he got a last name. :sweat_smile:
Commander Titan wrote: Sat Sep 03, 2022 2:56 amExcited to see more of the team fleshed out as time goes on!
I'm excited to share them, as evidenced by how I'm starting to post them before I'm even half done with the entries. :mrgreen: The Icons, all of them, date back to the days of my notes. The original Exiles team. the start of NPC Investigations, the beginning of the Seawings. Some of them, like Nick Phoenix and the Stars, are even older. Hell, Starman III led the Superhero Justice Association way back when, with Ghost and Adept. Putting stuff I've known for years down on paper is fun. And also sad. There's a quote. If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story. The first Starman and the rest of the Champions of Justice debuted in the 1960s. If you've read Baroness Valia's entry, you know most of them disappeared in the mid 80s. And you know the second Starman died in 2001. I wouldn't say they all came to sad ends, but it is decidedly bittersweet to finally finish their stories out. Because unless they've got powers that stop it, every hero ages. Every hero eventually dies. My story is currently stopped at the start of 2019.
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Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest: Strength Revolution Complete! On Break! Coming Soon: The Icons!)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Icons progress update 5 let's go (100% finished from prior removed)

Active List
Samaritan (Vonnie Murray) (100% finished)
The Human Rocket IV (Reginald "Reggie" Morton) (Build finished, Background & Personality finished, Powers & Tactics in progress)
Dust (Mariana Rodriguez) (100% finished)

Inactive Reserves (inactive for various reasons)
Tex Austin (Build finished, Write up in progress)
Caviezel (Ronald Caviezel) (Build finished, Background in progress)
Sage (Sagacious Winifred Burke) (Build finished, Notes ready)
Scarlett (real name unknown) (Build finished, Notes ready)
Crusader (Sir Randall Knight) (Build finished, Notes ready)
Nick Phoenix (Build finished)

Hall of Honor (assumed to be permanently inactive by US hero community; this may be incorrect in some cases)
The Shining Guardian (Henry Kim) (Build finished, Write up in progress)
Fletcher (Morris Archer) (100% finished)
Shadowspirit (real name unknown) (Build finished, Write up in progress)
Starman I (John Thompkins) & Starwoman I (Judy Thompkins) (100% finished)
Gunsmith I (Connor Morris) (Build finished, Background finished, Powers & Tactics in progress, Personality to do)
Megagirl (Megan Price) (Build finished, Background & Personality finished, Powers & Tactics to do)
Arriba (Jose Vega) (Build finished, Background in progess, rest to do)
Nega I (Hal Scott) (Build unfinished, skills and feat selection to finish)
Alsea (Build unfinished, feat selection to finish)
Countess (Build finished)
Starman II (Jesse Thompkins) (Build finished)
Stargirl II (Jacqueline “Jackie” Thompkins) (Build finished)

Yeah, you don't get an Icon today. Just started yesterday. Wait until Tuesday. But you know what you do get today? An update. Expanded the descriptions of what I was up to. Literally one of the Active List left to finish, and nibbling at the other categories. Seriously, the Hall of Honor has some long Backgrounds. Thanks in advance for reading, I guess? :sweat_smile:
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Re: The Icons

Post by Harnos »

EternalPhoenix wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 11:39 pm The Icons

Theme Songs
General: A, by Cartel
Active List: Never Alone, by Divide Music
Shining Guardian, Fletcher, & Shadowspirit: Legends Live Forever, by Fabvl featuring NerdOut
Starman I to Stargirl II: No Fear, by DizzyEight featuring FabvL and Zach B

Overview

. . It was 2001, honestly. One specific terrible day in September. You see, by 2001 the great spurt of heroes following the first Starman’s example (or the examples of those who followed his) had all but dried up. His debut in 1961 is considered to be the start of the Silver Age of superheroics in North America. His retirement in ’86 ended it, but that’s where that second category comes in. There were still more heroes to honor his legacy. This was the all too brief Bronze Age. Because the first Starman and Starwoman died in ’93, the latter flying the former away from Earth at a significant fraction of the speed of light. The fusion reaction that powers all Starfolks was failing catastrophically and god only knows what a miniature supernova might have done to the planet. And with the two of them went the last of the old guard. The ones who’d been there since the first days of the post WWII revival era. Hell, the second generation was thin on the ground. Criminals weren’t running around with snub nosed pistols and tommy guns anymore. The best had assault rifles, explosives, something resembling military training, and none of the honor of the old families and syndicates. This was the fortunately quite brief Iron Age, and even heroes did some hideous things to not get, well, brutally murdered. Because the ones who stood on principle…kinda did. There were exceptions, of course. The bulletproof could act with more impunity and there are always heroes who find ways to simply never be hit.

. . The specific turning point has never been identified. Vincent Mortelini was active certainly, but BLACK had not yet been formed so he was only one man. FBI’s Psi-Division certainly put in heroic amounts of effort in the period. As did the second Starman, widely known as the son of the first. Which turned out to be kind of the problem. Starman II, especially after his father’s death., worked himself to the bone to feel worthy of his pseudonym. So he was easily the most prominent superhero in North America (and top tier globally) when the monster Armageddon smashed his way up from where it had been buried (at the bottom of the goddamn Gulf of Mexico) after Starman I killed it (the only thing he ever killed with his powers) in an incredible effort that probably shortened his life. The monster went Star-hunting and simply crushed anyone who tried to stop it. Even a young Tex Austin and a scrambling Shining Guardian found themselves outclassed. Fletcher was retired and out of shape at the time. Caviezel was and is only a man. It is not known what Scarlett was up to that day. It found Starman II’s wife (Starqueen I), son (who had only recently become Starboy II), and not yet empowered daughter. Astonishingly, the two managed to hold him briefly, so the daughter could escape. Starman II wasn’t at home in Chicago. He was actually helping with a scientific project in Antarctica. He was still trying to prove himself, even that day. He probably felt he didn’t have any choice. There was nobody strong enough who was around enough. Reportedly it took until his wife and children were actually under attack to figure out where he was and contact the tiny facility. Starman II scorched the air on his way back. Literally. Friction’s weird at high speeds, especially if one won’t catch fire. He was recorded in Chicago airspace, likely crashing fist first into Armageddon and saving his family, at 845 AM. 60 seconds later the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

. . Starman II and Armageddon brawled across Chicago until he got the monster out of town. But the hero was losing. At 1028 AM, when the North Tower fell, he was clearly at the end of his tether. Just about any other hero ever would have fallen down and stayed there. But he had to have known his father wouldn’t have. So he refused to. According to eyewitnesses, it was the single most heroic thing they’d ever seen. He wasn’t strong enough. There was no one to help him. And somehow, he made both of those facts irrelevant. He killed the monster (the only thing he ever killed with his powers, either) and then immediately collapsed. He died in his wife’s arms, with his son looking on, less than five minutes later.

. . The great hero everyone, whether they wanted to admit it or not, depended on…was gone. America’s heroes had never felt more incompetent or useless. Morale was bad. The press was worse. And then the Shining Guardian and Fletcher stepped (officially) out of retirement to organize The Icons. It’s not and never was a superteam. The Feds were and are a little touchy about an interstate organization of technically illegal vigilantes. They’re not complaining about the help in crisis situations, but it would make them look hypocritical. So the Icons maintain the polite fiction that they are only a social club. They get together to talk shop and be friendly with each other, not fight crime. They weren’t there to help Starman II when he died. The disorganization of America’s heroes not only cost him his life, but a bunch of lives in New York City. Even a younger Tex outstripped any mundane crane’s lifting power, but he was laid up with broken bones. Tidal could have made a spectacular difference against Armageddon, but he worked out of Miami and didn’t have any movement powers he could use at the time. To use two examples. Never again. So they got organized. The Shining Guardian, Fletcher, Tidal, Caviezel, Shadowspirit, and Tex Austin.

. . It hasn’t exactly been the smoothest of rides. An alien invasion of Seattle headed by Tidal’s wife Lei Zi, Duchess of Lightning. That time Fletcher made (by accident) an evil AI bent on the destruction of all life. Congress trying to regulate and control superheroes to finally solve that hypocrisy problem, which anyone passingly familiar with the…highly independent nature…of most professional superheroes could have told them would never work. And indeed, it only caused a civil war in the Icons. And then, of course, there was the Infinity War, where they finally failed and half the universe died for it. In fairness, the only two heroes to ever successfully stop Kuros when he was the Conqueror were Nick Phoenix and Starman I, with the latter needing significant help and likely shortening his lifespan like his battle with Armageddon did. And finally, the Endgame, where they corrected their mistake at the low, low price of literally all of their founding members either dead or inactive for an unknown amount of time. If not permanently.

. . So, as 2019 dawns, it’s a brand new era for the Icons. The post Endgame recruitment drive has borne fruit in the form of four veteran heroes added to the ranks in the forms of legacy hero #1 Starguy, the spectacular Samaritan, legacy hero #2 The Human Rocket IV, and Tidal’s recommendation Dust. So it’s not all bad news. Tidal could always come back from whatever he’s doing in space. Tex will heal eventually. Hopefully. Caviezel may find it as difficult to retire as many heroes do. Sage’s schedule could calm down. (Creator’s Note: This one’s the most unlikely by a bunch, hahaha) Scarlett could reappear like she has before. And even if they never return, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Of all the founders, only Fletcher had successfully adapted to a wireless world. The rest were stuck somewhere in the past. Tidal lives like he’s in medieval China. The Shining Guardian never quite made it out of the 40s. Shadowspirit, the 50s to 60s. Caviezel, the 80s. At least Tex had made it to the 90s.in 2001, this wasn’t the hugest problem. A decade and a half later though, and they were all noticeably behind the times. So some new blood can’t hurt.

. . A final note. Being a superhero in the same way that the Icons are supeheroes (traditionally) is, in the Phoenixverse, an inherently political act. Or at least, being devoted to the safety and well being of everyone regardless of race, creed, gender, orientation, or whatever else is going to be seen that way by the general public. The general public consists, naturally, of members of the entire political spectrum. And so no matter what the Icons or Icon-aspiring heroes do, they’re going to piss someone off in the process. America’s political divisions in the second half of the second decade of the 21st Century aren’t getting any better. Political pundits sound off as much about heroes as they do about business in Washington. Naturally, they’re never talking about how good a job the heroes are doing and how we’re lucky to have them. More like questioning their competence and sanity. World’s getting darker. America’s no exception. Fortunately, there’s some Icons to light the way to a better tomorrow. Unfortunately, they have no way to know if that’s enough. There’s a sense of being out of step with the common person. It’s only natural. The common person runs away from gunfire and explosions. Even emergency services might hesitate before rushing in. Heroes, as a general rule, never do, and that’s enough for some people to think they’re insane before the whole “saving everyone regardless of who or what they are” issue even comes up. Ah, well. Best to focus on the things heroes can actually do something about. Like catching criminals, rescuing people from burning buildings, and getting kittens out of trees for little girls.

. . A final, final note. I believe superhero stories are fundamentally hopeful. Or they ought to be. It’s just that the world they’re in can and does fail to live up to that. And we as storytellers shouldn’t flinch from showing the reality of it. That there’s cruelty, brutality, and petty little wickedness in the world. The world is dark, but heroes bring the light. They bring hope with them wherever they go. They don’t and I’d argue shouldn’t be perfect, ideal people. They should struggle and hurt and sometimes fail. But the thing that all writers of superhero stories should never lose sight of is that they are ultimately the lightbringers. Where there are no heroes, evil, villainy, and wickedness thrive. The weak suffer and the helpless are exploited. But when just one shows up, all that changes. I hope the Icons show this theme well.

Active List
Queenie (Maybelle McQueen)
Terrifica (Samantha Carson)
Medic (Dr. Daniel Ivanoff)
Spike (Spike Douglas)
Candy (Candace Mikkelsen)
Z (real name unknown)
Marian Soaring Eagle
Magna (Gabrielle Williams)
Orca
Starguy (Gordon Wright)
Samaritan (Vonnie Murray)
The Human Rocket IV (Reginald "Reggie" Morton)
Dust (Mariana Rodriguez)

Inactive Reserves (inactive for various reasons)
Tidal (Lei Gong, Duke of Thunder) (in space)
Tex Austin (recovering from injury)
Caviezel (Ronald Caviezel) (attempting to retire)
Sage (Sagacious Winifred Burke) (way too busy)
Scarlett (real name unknown) (missing)
Crusader (Sir Randall Knight) (primarily based in the United Kingdom)
Nick Phoenix (???)

Hall of Honor (assumed to be permanently inactive by US hero community; this may be incorrect in some cases)
The Shining Guardian (Henry Kim)
Fletcher (Morris Archer)
Shadowspirit (real name unknown)
Starman I (John Thompkins) & Starwoman I (Judy Thompkins)
Gunsmith I (Connor Morris)
Megagirl (Megan Price)
Arriba (Jose Vega)
Nega I (Hal Scott)
Alsea
Countess
Starman II (Jesse Thompkins)
Stargirl II (Jacqueline “Jackie” Thompkins)

I liked that the death of an iconic hero caused them to reorganize. Also liked the ungrateful portrayal of politicians.
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Terrifica (Samantha Carson)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Terrifica (Samantha Carson)

Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 255/255

STR: +5 (14/20), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +15 (24/40), WIS: +9 (16/28), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +3/+9, Fort: +9, Ref: +12, Will: +12

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Computers 1 (+16), Craft (electronic) 1 (+16), Craft (mechanical) 1 (+16), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Disable Device 1 (+16), Investigate 1 (+16), Knowledge (earth sciences) 1 (+16), Knowledge (life sciences) 1 (+16), Knowledge (physical sciences) 1 (+16), Knowledge (streetwise) 1 (+16), Knowledge (technology) 1 (+16), Language 5 (+5), Medicine 1 (+10), Notice 6 (+15), Sense Motive 6 (+15), Stealth 12 (+15), Survival 1 (+10)

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (melee) 3, Attack Specialization (Unarmed Attack), Beginner's Luck, Defensive Roll, Dodge Focus 3, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 4, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Terrifi-Cannon (Blast 12)), Improved Critical 2 (Terrifi-Staff Shock (Stun 7)), Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Luck 2, Master Plan, Online Research, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Skill Mastery 3 (Acro, Bluff, Comp, Craf (elec & mech), Dis Dev, Inves, Med, Notice, SM, Stea, Surv), Speed of Thought, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Well-Informed

Powers:
Nano-Fiber Battlesuit (Device 8) (Hard to lose, Only you can use)
. . Fiber Armor (Protection 5) (+5 Toughness)
. . Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Omni-Directional Area; Subtle (subtle))
. . . . Datalink 6 (Alternate; sense type: radio; Omni-Directional Area; Subtle (subtle))
. . Life Support System (Immunity 9) (life support)
. . Optical Assist Lenses (Super-Senses 6) (analytical (type): Visual, extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft), infravision, ultravision)
. . Strength Enhancement (Enhanced Strength 6) (+6 STR)

Superhuman Brain (Container, Passive 7)
. . Enhanced Intelligence 16 (+16 INT)
. . Enhanced Trait 2 (Feats: Eidetic Memory, Speed of Thought)
. . Enhanced Wisdom 12 (+12 WIS)
. . Quickness 10 (Perform routine tasks at 2500x speed; One Type (Mental))

Terrifi-Staff (Device 6) (Easy to lose; Subtle (subtle))
. . Terrifi-Combat (Array 13) (default power: blast)
. . . . Freonic Ray (Snare 8) (Array; DC 18; Secondary Effect; Accurate 2 (+4))
. . . . Sonic Flash Burst (Dazzle 8) (Array; affects: 1 type + visual - visual & auditory, DC 18; Accurate 2 (+4))
. . . . Terrifi-Cannon (Blast 12) (Default; DC 27, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Terrifi-Cannon (Blast 12)))
. . . . Terrifi-Staff Shock (Stun 7) (Array; DC 17, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Terrifi-Staff Shock (Stun 7)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate (+2), Extended Reach (5 ft.))
. . . . Terrifi-Staff Smack (Strike 4) (Array; DC 24; Extended Reach (5 ft.), Mighty)

Utility Belt (Gadgets 2) (Action 2 (free))

Equipment: Terrifi-cycle, Terrifi-Labs

Attack Bonus: +10 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +13, Grapple: +18)

Attacks: Freonic Ray (Snare 8), +14 (DC Ref/Staged 18), Sonic Flash Burst (Dazzle 8), +14 (DC Fort/Ref 18), Terrifi-Cannon (Blast 12), +10 (DC 27), Terrifi-Staff Shock (Stun 7), +15 (DC Fort/Staged 17), Terrifi-Staff Smack (Strike 4), +13 (DC 24), Unarmed Attack, +15 (DC 20)

Defense: +12 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -4

Initiative: +15

Languages: Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Totals: Abilities 42 + Skills 18 (72 ranks) + Feats 33 + Powers 106 + Combat 38 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 255

*****************************************************************************************

Terrifi-cycle

Power Level: 11; Equipment Points Spent: 10

STR: +2 (15)

Toughness: +8

Features: Remote Control

Powers:
Speed 5 (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd)

Defense: +0

Totals: Abilities 1 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 1 + Powers 5 + Combat 0 + Saves 3 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 10

*****************************************************************************************

Terrifi-Labs

Power Level: 11; Equipment Points Spent: 10

Toughness: +10

Features: Communications, Computer, Fire Prevention System, Garage, Gym, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Power System, Security System 1, Workshop

Size: Diminutive

Totals: Abilities 0 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 11 + Powers 0 - Combat 2 + Saves 1 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 10

Age (as of Jan 2019): 38 (appears mid 20s)
Height: 5’ 4” (5’ 6” in Fiber Armor Battlesuit)
Weight: 115 lbs
Ethnicity: ½ Han Chinese, ½ English Caucasian
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Dark Brown
Base of Operations: Boston, Massachusetts

Theme Song: Chasing Inspiration by Yair Albeg of Demented Sound Mafia and i don’t wanna be alone, by DizzyEight featuring Mix Williams

Background: A man named Lucas Carson went to China to spread the Good News of Jesus. He fell in love and married a local, Meili Song. They had a daughter, Qiaolian, who they cared for very much. However, the local Chinese officials slowly got wind of Lucas’s actions, and began to pursue him. Soon, it was too dangerous to bring a small child along all the time. So Lucas and his lady love began to leave Qiaolian at a local Buddhist temple that did double duty as an orphanage of sorts. One day, not long after Qiaolian’s eight birthday, they left her there again…and never came back. Qiaolian missed them terribly, but she had friends, and the monks were nice. Plus a aged Kung Fu master had set up shop and was teaching some of the children, including Qiaolian. And then her powers kicked in, increasing her IQ exponentially. She had more than enough to do.

. . Four years later, a white man came to the temple. He worked for Cassandra Carson, Lucas’s aunt. He was looking for Lucas, but instead found Qiaolian, who calmly explained who she was and why he should care. In exquisite and exacting detail. It wasn’t a full week before Qiaolian was headed to America (Boston, specifically), home of the fairly large Carson family. Cassandra was not impressed by the “dirty little chinagirl” and immediately changed her name to Samantha. Sam blurred through schools, far too intelligent for the material in middle and high school. She became one of Boston College’s youngest students in their entire history at 16. There, her rapid pace slowed, not due to the increased difficulties of the material, but due to studying virtually everything under the sun. A teenaged Terrifica had a short career as a local crime fighter, but at the time it didn’t interest her any more than anything else and she quickly dropped it.

. . It was during this time she met Stan Gresham, the man who would become her husband. She was 18, he was 23. Love happened. Eventually. Stan graduated and started his psychology practice, and Sam fast-tracked herself through MIT. They got married. Sam graduated MIT and took them up on their professorship offer. Sam felt…unfulfilled. A genius like her should be more than just…this. She was a deeply conflicted young woman. Every life path she could possibly take seemed either insufficient for her gifts or bothered her on moral or ethical grounds. She was capable of outthinking entire universities. If she went into a scientific field she would steal the futures of virtually everyone in it. She didn’t feel she had the right to do that. She could start curing cancers. Revolutionize inorganic chemistry. Develop innovative new physics applications. Reengineer any one of million types of equipment. She could be a billionaire by 30. At the low, low price of everyone who currently had or dreamed of a career in that particular field. Hell, she could go into politics. Fix the broken parts of the world. But that too, carries a price she was unwilling to make anyone else pay. She started getting angry. It wasn’t fair. What was the point of being gifted like this if she couldn’t goddamn use it? She was, in her estimation (which is quite incorrect), on the verge of ditching ethics and morality to just fix things, already. And then Starman II died.

. . Sam knew he was mortal, you know? She came to the United States in ’93, after the first Starman had died. She’d been five years old when he retired. So Starman II was the only one she’d ever known. She knew he was mortal. She knew he could die. This did not make the fact that he was dead seem any less impossible. He needed to be replaced. She had never once considered becoming a superhero as the answer to her lack of fulfillment. She’d tried it once as a teenager and didn’t really like it. However, she had been, well, quite frankly half assing it. No commitment. This was going to be different. The first goal was to purge organized crime from Boston. Thus Terrifica debuted properly in early 2002…and had to take maternity leave before the year was over. Don’t you just hate it when multiple life plans end up conflicting with each other? Lucas was born August 30, 2003. Named after Stan’s mentor, not Sam’s dad. Terrifica went back to work in October. Not a full year later she was out on maternity leave again. Meili, after Sam’s mother, was born on Feb 13, 2005. The plan was for two children and also Sam was annoyed, so she and Stan began using birth control. Terrifica returned to Boston full time at the start of April.

. . And was functionally a force of nature. She made and continues to make life very difficult for the Patriarca crime family, Irish Mob, Triads, and various street gangs. Due to her origins, she is one of the very few professional superheroes to make strong inroads into Boston’s Chinatown. Boston-New England, really, is a noticeably more crime free place in the Phoenixverse thanks to her 9 solo years between 2005 and 2014. What happened in 2014? Fletcher (accidently) made a murderous AI that tried to exterminate humanity with an asteroid. It took control of a foundry and minted a whole legion of robotic drones to go against the inevitable heroic response. If it had just been the Icons who responded, things may have gone quite poorly. Instead, Terrifica, Spike, and Candy showed up too. Three extra sets of hands (and Terrifica’s giant addition to the braintrust) made smacking down all the drones and saving the world from the asteroid easier. It was Terrifica, however, who blacked out local wifi and put a railgun shot through the last drone as it tried to escape with the AI inside. The three of them were recruited to the Icons in the aftermath. Terrifica did not participate in the Icons civil war, as she thought it was painfully stupid. She simply stopped being Terrifica for a while, until the governor of Massachusetts himself requested she get back on the job. Thus she wasn’t actually around to participate in the Eternity War. She was not among the Dusted, but her entire family was. It was shattering, to be honest, and a very ruthless Terrifica was the one who provided the method of reacquiring the Crystals of Power Kuros had used in the first place and then shattered to provide finality to the matter. Thus she was there during the Endgame and acquitted herself quite well in the final battle, acting as tactician and basically directing the course of the fight with Kuros’s forces. The long awaited return of the Starfamily brought a smile to her face.

. . Now, with Fletcher gone, she is the more or less undisputed brains of the Icons. Her son Lucas has started sidekicking for her as Excello. The gynoid double of herself she made to patrol the city when she was away or busy became self aware, taking the first name Xiaolian and heroic codename Exquisita. She has arguably the strongest Rogues’ Gallery in the group. The impossibly mysterious intuitive savant Maven, who somehow without any detectable powers can change bodies like most people change shirts. They are the most dangerous person in New England. The Mechanic, an old tech villain with dementia who is nevertheless the second most dangerous of Terrifica’s enemies, because of his Kill Terrifica, or KT, series of robots and large battlesuit. None of them work properly anymore and they have lots of weaknesses, but other heroes (who know nothing of them) are in for a stiff fight. Her former boss at MIT, who went mad trying to perfect cryogenic sleep to save his wife and became the supervillain Winterian. And the Gray Man, who uses his superhuman charisma to dominate Boston’s criminal underworld, talk his way out of the justice system and almost into Terrifica’s pants every time they meet and he gets to speak.

Powers & Tactics: Terrifica has a lot going on. A potent mutant power, two technological devices, and a utility belt full of goodies. On top of all that she’s a master martial artist, specializing in several Changquan styles (Changquan being the classic acrobatic and kick heavy style of Chinese martial arts) with additional training in Wing Chun (which focuses on hand strikes and defense instead).

. . Her mutant power, well…even if she had no powers, Terrifica would have been a once a century genius. With them, her intellectual might is such that if it were physical strength instead she’d be able to crack titanium with a punch and lift multiple tons. If it were ranged accuracy she’d outclass every special forces soldier on the planet without effort, and be among the best in the world. She is incredibly intelligent. An intellect more powerful than any computer on the planet. This is not all. Her awareness and perceptiveness is also significantly boosted. Her memory is functionally perfect. And her mind can move at up to 2500 times normal human speed. This is still slower than modern computers, which are at least 10 million times human speed in terms of performing basic operations. However, unlike computers, her brain (like all human brains) can perform a multitude of operations simultaneously (known as parallel processing), giving her specifically a massive advantage over even the beefiest supercomputers. And unlike all human brains, she can multithread (or think about multiple subjects at the same time) with ease.

. . The first device we will discuss is her Fiber Armor Battlesuit. Unlike most devices that bear the title of Battlesuit, hers is not made of metal, but cloth. Cloth armor is probably the oldest style of armor in the world, starting with leather and linen. Wood was also used in places, but that’s irrelevant to this. The point here is that the Fiber Armor part is basically upgraded Kevlar in functionality. Lightweight, flexible fabric that’s equally resistant protection against fists, blades, fire, electricity, and anything else the world can cook up. Mundane armor that reaches this level of protection always has a hard element, be it metal or ceramics. This is again, lightweight, flexible fabric only. A radio is integrated into the cowl, as are special lenses that extend her visual ranges. It also includes a full life support system and minor strength enhancement based on hydraulic exoskeletons.

. . The second device is her Terrifi-Staff. It’s a collapsible metal quarterstaff, with several additional features. The Freonic Ray is a heat displacement effect, trapping targets in ice. Sonic Flash Burst can temporarily blind and deafen the target. There’s a built in high powered stun gun, and she can of course just hit people with it. That last is stronger than expected due to some special metals in the outer shell. The most remarkable feature, however, is the Terrifi-Cannon. It is a magnetic railgun that hits as hard as cruise missiles and yet fits into an ordinary collapsible quarterstaff.

. . Her Utility Belt does not initially seem special. This is deceptive. Through the use of some minor spatial distortion technology, there is a hell of a lot in those small pouches. Terrifica is known as being prepared for literally anything, and her Utility Belt is why. She has spent a lot of time crafting multiple modular device systems to be prepared for virtually anything. There is nothing inside of it she can actually attack with (that is what the Terrifi-Staff and her hands are for), but everything else is on the table. Movement effects like flight or teleportation. Immunity to various types of effects. Tools of incredible quality that enhance crafting. Manuals of incredibly dense technical information. Literally just about anything.

. . She also has a motorcycle she can use via remote control (the Terrifi-cycle) and a small apartment away from her civilian home that functions as her headquarters (Terrifi-Labs).

. . Tactically, the first thing to understand about Terrifica is that she’s a brain, not a fist. She manipulates the situation so that fighting becomes foolish and unnecessary first. She’s probably the only working superhero who regularly calls 911 to report crimes in progress. A woman has to prioritize, after all. A couple of gang members breaking into a closed store are not nearly as important as stopping a murderer from claiming another victim. Then again she may well be the only one who thinks about other crimes happening where she isn’t and can’t get to. And her Utility Belt throws a very unpredictable wrinkle into everything. Immunities. Super Senses. Concealment. Extras (like Area [Burst] or Autofire) for her Terrifi-Staff’s attacks. So. Speaking broadly, she prefers Freonic Ray and Terrifi-Staff Shock as less violent methods of putting enemies down. Sonic Flash Burst can be a good set up move. She does not use the Terrifi-Cannon on living targets unless she can’t harm them any other way. She has Acrobatic Bluff, enough Bluff to Feint effectively, and Taunt. Oh, so much Taunt. She has Power Attack to do more damage, too. Things to keep in mind: Master Plan. She never leaves home without one, and the average result gives her and her allies +3 on all skill checks and attack rolls for three rounds. Followed by a +2 and a 1 for one round each. Online Research and Well Informed mean she knows at least the basics of whatever she’s up against this time, allowing her to select the appropriate item from her Utility Belt. And to top it all off, she has Inventor. See, with Beginner’s Luck followed by a boost from her Utility Belt, her Inventions will have an average of 29 PP to work with. That is not a typo. 29 PP. Of course, that is only under desperate circumstances. It’s more likely she’ll just pull out the regular gear and leave Beginner’s Luck alone for an average of 20 PP. Taking 20 on the design phase thanks her to Mental Quickness and then breaking out the advanced tools to get a 26PP result is also possible.

Personality: The first thing to understand about Terrifica’s personality is that her parents dropped off the face of the earth when she was eight years old. She did not have her powers yet. She was just a powerless and ignorant child. Then she got a power. The best possible power for someone who felt that way. She started running away from those two feelings, and hasn’t stopped since. Yes, being superhumanly intelligent has bred a certain degree of arrogance, however the former still applies. Which is the first reason she can’t permit herself to ever be wrong. There’s any number of excuses that can salve her psyche, however. If she was ever truly wrong, then she was ignorant. If she’s ignorant, then she’s powerless too. And suddenly she’s a terrified eight year old again. Understandably, she doesn’t go there.

. . Second thing, from the age of twelve to eighteen she was raised by her great aunt Cassandra Carson. Blue blooded aristocratic hell witch. That woman believes she’s superior to everyone because of her pure bloodline and stellar (if only human) intellect, and she hated the fact that her son diluted the precious blood. Even if young Samantha Carson tried mightily to ignore the lessons of that cold loveless house, many of them stuck. They appealed to someone who was objectively superior (in one way) and felt unwanted, unloved, and alone. She has shed many of those mannerisms, but negative emotions can bring it all right back. Like fear. Or anger. She knows how to treat people properly, but one’s past is never that easily conquered. Of course, that isn’t all there is to it. See Fourth, below.

. . Third, one of the main lessons of that cold and loveless house is that intelligence is the most important quality in a human being. It was the only thing of hers Cassandra never insulted. Thusly, Terrifica considers her intelligence her only valuable asset. She is very proud of it specifically because she doesn’t believe anything else about her is particularly special. Her aunt Cassandra made very sure of that. Cassandra literally changed her name without her consent or indeed any input from her at all. She still, in some ways, sees herself as the “dirty little chinagirl” her aunt always referred to her as. Not worthless, necessarily, but certainly not someone of value. Fixing things, solving problems, making things right after they go wrong, figuring out an explanation for the inexplicable. All of these things give her that boost to her self esteem. Hence why she works so hard to prove herself, and is always thinking about everything from every conceivable angle. It’s also why someone calling her some variation of stupid causes such a negative reaction. It’s an attack on the core of her self-worth. Furthermore, it’s another reason why she must be right. Of course, she isn’t consciously aware of this inner self image.

. . Fourth, contradicting her efforts is the fact that she also considers her superhuman intellect extremely dangerous. Walking around with a dirty nuke level dangerous. There are all sorts of terrible ramifications and consequences of using her extreme intellect on the world. There are all sorts of wonderful ones, too, but those aren’t the ones she loses sleep over. She considers managing her intelligence so that it doesn’t hurt anyone, even indirectly, the single most important responsibility she has. She is terrified to a level she fundamentally can’t grasp about failing in that responsibility. To the point that, aside from the lessons of her aunt Cassandra, that is the main reason she’s so harsh as Terrifica. The harshness comes from her knowing that people who aren’t harsh like she is. The kind ones, mannerly. They make people fond of them, and prone to listening to them. Doing what they say. There aren’t words for how terrifying a prospect that is to her. She can’t possibly account for all the variables in how her positive influence might go wrong. Being harsh is just so much easier on interpersonal relations, not to mention it’s more natural to her (again, because of aunt Cassandra). Professor Samantha Carson is a much nicer person, but Professor Samantha Carson will never be in a position to effect change in the world. Intentionally so. If Terrifica gets something wrong, people will get hurt, and she will have failed in her responsibility. This is absolutely unacceptable, so she (once again) must be right at all times.

. . Fifth, to not fail or ever be wrong she has developed a very controlling personality, in addition to being harsh and caustic. Because she must be right and in order to do that she requires all the information she can get. And that comes from being the person in charge of a given situation. It’s not that she minds taking orders, it’s that she is deeply concerned about the fallibility of those giving the orders. A fallibility she will not permit herself to share. Even when things go wrong, and objectively it isn’t her fault in the slightest…she still considers it to be her fault. Her failure. She can, of course, be perfectly reasonable about this, but it doesn’t mean the feeling goes away. That she could have done better. Done more.

. . Sixth, she doesn’t really understand people all that well. Knowing psychology is one thing, practicing it in person is another. To be fair…she’s not like regular people. Her extreme intelligence and high mental speed are unique among superhumans. There is only a tiny amount of people on earth who know what it is like to even have one of those two abilities. Let alone both. So in a very real sense, she has no idea what it’s like to be a regular person. She doesn’t know what they think or what they feel. She can only theorize. And god, does it show. Of course, it always bothers her, because of all that above.

. . Finally, with all that said… Terrifica is also a woman with a deep well of compassion, a strong sense of ethics, and an endless supply of kindness. Once you get to know her, anyway. She doesn’t make it easy, as she will only show even the slightest emotional vulnerability to someone who has very much earned her trust and respect. Which is a task in and of itself, considering all her other issues. Her goal, her true goal, is not to dominate and control. Not to keep the people where they were and let her do all the thinking. NO. A thousand times NO. Her goal is to bring the common person up to her level. To apply enough education and training that the entire human race improves dramatically from its present state. Then, and only then, can she walk beside them as equals. This is her dream. One of the two things she wants most in the world. The other being to finally find out what happened to her father. It’s not out of love at this point, though she does still cling to his memory. It’s because being unable to solve his disappearance has become a failure. And as has been said, this cannot be allowed to stand.

. . To summarize, her reputation is that of an arrogant and smug bitch, constantly snarking and being snide. The truth is…a bit different, as laid out in detail above. She’s prickly in many ways, applies her own impossibly high standards for herself to other adults when she really shouldn’t, and comes off as incredibly arrogant if one doesn’t know how competent she actually is. It ain’t bragging if you can back it up, and holy shit does she ever. She’s deeply insecure, has an obsessive streak a mile wide, and is terrified of becoming a monster even by accident. And yet. She’d pass the “get the little girl’s kitty out of a tree” test effortlessly. In fact, she’d get something out of her Utility Belt to help the little girl do it herself, while gently encouraging her and empowering her. Her entire goal in the superhero business is to make the need for her to do it totally unnecessary. She’s a woman of contradictions, that Terrifica. Also quite cathartic to watch verbally tear idiots apart.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Mon Sep 12, 2022 10:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse!)
The Archetype Blendarama!
You, Dear Reader, may comment on any build at any time. I will be happy regardless.
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EternalPhoenix
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Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest: Strength Revolution Complete! On Break! Coming Soon: The Icons!)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Icons progress update 6 let's go (100% finished from prior removed)

Active List
The Human Rocket IV (Reginald "Reggie" Morton III) (100% finished)

Inactive Reserves (inactive for various reasons)
Tex Austin (100% finished)
Caviezel (Ronald Joseph Caviezel) (100% finished)
Sage (Sagacious Winifred Burke) (Build finished, Background in progress, rest to do)
Scarlett (real name unknown) (Build finished, Background in progress, rest to do)
Crusader (Sir Randall Knight) (Build finished, Notes ready)
Nick Phoenix (Build finished, have to find Notes, bleh)

Hall of Honor (assumed to be permanently inactive by US hero community; this may be incorrect in some cases)
The Shining Guardian (Henry Kim) (Build finished, Background & Personality finished, Powers & Tactics in progress)
Shadowspirit (real name unknown) (Build finished, Background in progress, rest to do)
Gunsmith I (Connor Morris) (Build finished, Background & Personality finished, Powers & Tactics in progress)
Megagirl (Megan Price) (Build finished, Background & Personality finished, Powers & Tactics in progress)
Arriba (Jose Vega) (Build finished, Background in progress, rest to do)
Nega I (Hal Scott) (Build finished, Notes ready)
Alsea (Build unfinished, feat selection left)
Countess (Build finished, Notes ready)
Starman II (Jesse Thompkins) (Build finished, Notes ready)
Stargirl II (Jacqueline “Jackie” Thompkins) (Build finished, Notes ready)

Forgot to put a few a few into the new system. Three morewriteups checked off the list. Nibbling away at the rest. Note I finished Nega's build. So that's 17 total finished, with two posted and a third tomorrow. It's not going so badly, is it? :mrgreen:
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Re: Queenie (Maybelle McQueen)

Post by Davies »

EternalPhoenix wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 11:58 pm Queenie (Maybelle McQueen)
Much belated but this ... <chef's kiss> was never more appropriate than right now.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Medic (Dr. Daniel Ivanoff)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Medic (Dr. Daniel Ivanoff)

Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 255/255

STR: +4 (18), DEX: +4 (18), CON: +4 (18), INT: +5 (20), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +4/+12, Fort: +12, Ref: +12, Will: +12

Skills: Acrobatics 11 (+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Climb 1 (+5), Computers 5 (+10), Concentration 10 (+15), Craft (electronic) 5 (+10), Craft (mechanical) 5 (+10), Diplomacy 12 (+15), Disable Device 5 (+10), Gather Information 12 (+15), Investigate 5 (+10), Knowledge (behavioral science) 5 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 15 (+20), Knowledge (physical sciences) 5 (+10), Knowledge (streetwise) 10 (+15), Knowledge (tactics) 5 (+10), Knowledge (technology) 5 (+10), Language 4 (+4), Medicine 15 (+20), Notice 10 (+15), Search 5 (+10), Sense Motive 10 (+15), Sleight of Hand 1 (+5), Stealth 6 (+10), Swim 1 (+5)

Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Attack Specialization (Kinetic Club (Device 1)), Defensive Attack, Elusive Target, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Mass Muscle Spasm (Paralyze 12)), Improved Critical 2 (Neural Agony (Stun 12)), Improved Critical 2 (Olfactory Sensitivity Increase (Nauseate 12)), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improvised Tools, Interpose, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Skill Mastery (Diplomacy, Gather Info, KN (life sciences), Medicine), Takedown Attack, Ultimate Effort 2 (Medicine checks, Toughness checks), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Dimensional Alien Hybrid Physiology (Container, Passive 3)
. . Inhuman Resilience (Protection 8) (+8 Toughness)
. . Perfect Immune System (Immunity 3) (aging, disease, poison)
. . Seemingly Bottomless Stamina (Immunity 8) (enviromental conditions (all), sleep, suffocation (all); Limited - Half Effect)

Kinetic Club (Device 1) (Easy to lose)
. . Kinetic Club Strike (Strike 4) (DC 23; Mighty)

Life Control (Array 25) (default power: healing)
. . Life Force Infusion (Healing 12) (Default; DC 22; Restoration, Total; Persistent, Regrowth)
. . Mass Muscle Spasm (Paralyze 12) (Array; DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Mass Muscle Spasm (Paralyze 12)); Alternate Save (Fortitude), Autofire (interval 2, max +5), Secondary Effect)
. . Neural Agony (Stun 12) (Array; DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Neural Agony (Stun 12)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5), Secondary Effect)
. . Olfactory Sensitivity Increase (Nauseate 12) (Array; DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Olfactory Sensitivity Increase (Nauseate 12)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5), Secondary Effect)

Life Process Awareness (Super-Senses 2) (analytical: Life Process Awareness, awareness: Life Process (Visual))

Sky Walking (Flight 1) (Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd)

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +12, Grapple: +16)

Attacks: Kinetic Club Strike (Strike 4), +14 (DC 23), Mass Muscle Spasm (Paralyze 12), +12 (DC Fort/Staged 22), Neural Agony (Stun 12), +12 (DC Fort/Staged 22), Olfactory Sensitivity Increase (Nauseate 12), +12 (DC Fort/Staged 22), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 19)

Defense: +12 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -6

Initiative: +8

Languages: Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, Italian, Russian, Spanish

Totals: Abilities 50 + Skills 45 (180 ranks) + Feats 22 + Powers 75 + Combat 40 + Saves 23 + Drawbacks 0 = 255

Age (as of Jan 2019): 54 (chronological), mid 30s (biological)
Height: 6’ 3”
Weight: 225
Ethnicity: ½ African American, ½ Extradimensional (appears Caucasian)
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Dark Brown
Base of Operations: New York, New York

Background: Medic is a…controversial…figure. He was the first recruit to the Icons after the founding of the group. The main problem with him is that he’s a political firebrand in much the same way that Gunsmith was back in the 60s and 70s. He doesn’t run for office, or run any organizations. But he’s got opinions and by God, you’re going to hear them. The root of all this is twofold. He’s a New Yorker born and bred. He grew up poor and Black in the 1970s Bronx. He was educated at NYU in the 80s. Worked at over a dozen hospitals in the city since. He has seen the seemingly infinite variations on how people can be shitty to each other, and he’s had more than enough. The other is that he’s had the ideal physician mentality since he was a kid. He knows, bone deep, he was put on this planet to help people and make their lives better. As long as it can be managed without hurting anyone else. It should go without saying that not everyone is like that. So Dr. Daniel Ivanoff (physician, surgeon, superhero, community activist, the list goes on) is in the news a lot. He appears on talk shows, be they TV, radio, or podcast format. He doesn’t ever stop calling people out who could be doing more. He doesn’t ever stop advocating for progressive ideas like how the NYPD doesn’t have to be called in to solve literally every problem and also they should be a hell of lot more accountable to the people of the city they’re supposedly working for. Basically he’s a professional pain in the ass to anyone who puts pride, profits, or whatever else over people and their lives. This would make him a profound political liability, except again like Gunsmith, he’s one hell of a superhero. Additionally, he’s probably the best surgeon on the planet, and obviously coming from a place of sincere, committed altruism. So he’s merely controversial instead.

. . The name Ivanoff is actually somewhat important to Phoenixverse history. It is the given surname of a certain extradimensional alien woman who popped up just in time for World War II. Her English was shaky, so her first name is a corruption of what she said her name was, and her last name is a corruption of the thing she kept initially repeating. Sh-sha wanted off. Off of where was never clear, and after her confusion cleared up she refused to clarify. Still, she was a useful ally to Project Blue Liberty on the European front. She saved the lives of everyone who wasn’t Big Blue (Oliver Snow) on multiple occasions with her healing powers. Ollie was a bit too tough to need her help more than a few times. After the war, the Project was dissolved and she disappeared for twenty years. She only showed up again because it’s kind hard to give birth around people without being taken to the hospital. And a kid needs a home to grow up in. Reengage legal identity, whatever. Where she was for those two decades and exactly who the father was are things she refuses to disclose. She was a good mother for 18 years. And nothing else. They lived quietly but happily in a fifth floor walkup in the Bronx. Where the money for rent, bills and food came from is something else she refuses to disclose. When Daniel went off to college at NYU in ‘83, she said her goodbyes to him and walked out of that apartment and his life. She’d reappear to take him out to lunch out of nowhere, or just visit for a day or two, but basically she was gone for over twenty years and he didn’t know where she was. When she finally reappeared for good, it was working a group of supervillains in 2007. The opposition group to the Academy’s teams. The situation there has only grown more nuanced in the past decade plus, but still, Mom. Really? Even to her own son, Sasha Ivanoff is inscrutable and ever mysterious.

. . Daniel has already been a superhero for several years on that awful September day in 2001, but it is inarguably where he made his name. Medic went into the Towers again. And again. And again. He helped clear obstacles, caught jumpers, and healed critical injuries all day. New York’s other heroes at the time, having only human stamina, flagged. He did not, or at least didn’t show it. There is a legendary photograph of him being physically restrained by half a dozen cops and emergency workers from making one more run after the first tower collapsed. Funnily enough, this didn’t work and he had to smash his way out of a window to avoid being caught in the second tower’s collapse. He did it carrying two people. There were more than two in that room. It haunts him to this day. He didn’t find out Starman II had died and why until the following day. And he didn’t leave the area for several more days, as he was deeply involved in the search for survivors or at least remains for their families. There are a few hundred people who only survived that day because he was there, and could easily get to the top floors that emergency workers and the rest of New York’s heroes could not. This is why New York loves him, and he’s merely controversial across the nation.

. . There wasn’t any specific event that caused Medic to be recruited to the Icons. He was kind of famous, and good at heroing, so they nabbed him in 2002. He wasn’t at Lei Zi’s invasion in Seattle because he was performing major surgery and naturally missed everyone’s calls. He has, however, been present for everything else and as expected took the Shining Guardian’s side in the Icons civil war. And it was a sad day in New York when he was among the Dusted. He returned after the Dusting was undone, and participated in the final battle of the Endgame. Specifically by healing every injured hero he came across and whooping the asses of Kuros’s forces with his powers and trademark club when there weren’t any. He was enough of a pain in the ass that Kuros himself came to deal with him. Before they could do more than scuffle briefly, however, the Star-siblings showed up and started whooping Kuros’s ass.

. . His allies list is uh, not short. NYC’s hero business is booming. He can call on the folks at NPC Investigations, the spectacular Samaritan (himself a new Icon), and the martial artist and lawyer David Hero’s group (featuring the flying blaster JETTE, the powerhouse Kosma, other martial artist Tai Kwon, mystical shrinker Bee Girl, phasing Ghost Hornet, and acrobatic Night Wasp). His most persistent enemies include the dangerously destructive Entropa (an old enemy of his mother’s species) and Cueball (a Mob enforcer who’s gotten very tired of Medic patching up his victims) This may not seem like a lot for New York, but Medic has teamed up with Samaritan against his enemies in, from, or created by the infamous Agency many times, and he’s provided back up to David Hero in the past as well. Though with the formation of his group, the latter likely needs it less these days.

Powers & Tactics: Most of Medic’s powers come from the fact that his mother is an extradimensional alien from a place called the Sternal Core. Information on it is basically nonexistent. Sasha says this doesn’t matter, as there’s no one left there anyway. She refuses to disclose any further information. His Kinetic Club was a gift from Sasha as well. She’s equally tight lipped about where she got it from. It hits significantly harder and is more durable than a mundane club, but does not appear to do anything else.

. . As a alien/human hybrid, he’s a lot more resistant to damage, immune to disease, poison, and kind of aging (just a second), and highly resistant to most environmental conditions with a weakened need for both sustenance, sleep, and air, The immunity to aging does not function in the normal, expected way. Basically every time he uses his powers he knocks a bit off his biological age. So if he stopped using his powers all together he’d age normally and die of it at some point. Individually, the age decreases aren’t much. He’s only wiping away a week to a month at a time. But considering how often he uses his powers, especially his healing touch, well…he is effectively ageless and slowly getting younger. Because it’s such a slow process, he’s not entirely aware of it.

. . As for those powers, he generates and controls life force energy. His most common use of this by far (to the degree that it was thought for a long time it was the only application) is a healing touch. Now this isn’t as useful as you might think for a surgeon. It can’t cure cancer, autoimmune diseases, or genetic disorders. It can’t unclog a person’s arteries or remove foreign bodies like bullets or metal shards. And while he can heal neurological damage, this does not mean therapy isn’t necessary to regain what was lost. He can’t resurrect the dead, either. He can heal any type of physical damage to the body, regenerate lost limbs and organs (keyword lost, if patient never had one he can’t give them one), save people from even the most terrible diseases and lethal poisons, and stabilize the dying. All with one touch. A touch that he can easily use on himself if necessary. The other three powers he uses most often are almost the opposite. He can cause temporary paralysis by causing every muscle in the target’s body to spasm simultaneous. He can flip the switch on a target’s neurology, causing extreme pain that can easily result in unconsciousness. And he can crank up the sensitivity of a target’s sense of smell so that all odors are overpowering, causing them to become ill and even vomit.

. . There are a couple of other powers. He can see the life force energy inside of a person, basically allowing diagnose their aliments as if he was looking at the combined results of the world’s finest MRI and X-Ray machines. Only better. And, for reasons that are still unknown, he can slowly fly. His mother can’t do that, and she has no idea where it came from. So maybe it’s a mutant hand me down from his father?

. . Tactically, normally Medic doesn’t use his offensive powers on people. They’re kind of hideous things to do to someone, so he’d rather just smash their faces in with his Kinetic Club. That, he can fix pretty quick. But if an enemy does manage to really piss him off, they will learn to regret it very quickly, as he’ll go powers free on their asses. He’s got enough Bluff to Feint if he needs to, but primarly he’s a straightforward butt kicker. That is, assuming they don’t want to talk it out. Because he doesn’t actually want to hurt people, you know? He has Accurate, All Out, and Power Attack. Also Move by Action, Interpose, and surprisingly Ultimate Toughness. As for Power Stunts, well…he can, technically, do damage with his powers. It just seems like the exact opposite of what he should be doing. Still, Cellular Disruption (Strike 12, Alt Save Fort) is there if for some extraordinarily dark and desperate reason he should need it. And even worse, he thinks he could turn someone’s body into a mass of nothing but overgrown cancers. This would be a Continuous Transform effect, but sweet Jesus why?

Personality: Daniel Ivanoff knew why he was put on this planet before he entered kindergarden. To help people. To make their lives better. So he’s a very kind and compassionate man, with plenty of humility. You see, he doesn’t put on his Medic onesie to bash criminal skulls in. People resort to crime for reasons, dammit. It’s a symptom of a greater disease. And he is a doctor, after all. If the city, state, and/or nation could just fix a few systemic problems and/or injustices, he’d have to hit less people in the face. And that would make him happy beyond words. He’s a neighborhood guy, sort of. NYC may be a big city, but the criminal community isn’t a tenth of a percent of the population. Over a 24 year heroic career he’s met a whole lot of them several times. He doesn’t want to put people in prison; he wants to rehabilitate them if at all possible. And it’s possible more often than regular people think. So if you’d just take a look at this study these very fine folks over at the university have done regarding-

. . You can see why some people can’t stand him. He’s one of the most altruistic people on Earth, and that’s really good. But he never. Turns it. Off. All day, every day. If he’s not in surgery or on rounds he’s on the street doing hero stuff or helping organize soup kitchens, bake sales, charity softball games, protests against the latest killer cop, or any one of a dozen other things. If he’s not doing that it’s another interview to get his take on things and of course he’s going to call out the mayor, the city council and maybe even the governor and legislature. Even the President and Congress do not always escape unscathed, especially in the last few years. People genuinely wonder when he sleeps or takes time for himself. He’s a cheerful man, full of ideas, respectful of boundaries, and eager to help. He is exceedingly generous with both his money and his time. He truly is among the best of us. He’s just also so goddamn exhausting to be around for very long, because he never stops encouraging/cajoling/demanding everyone else do their best for others, too.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Mon Sep 12, 2022 10:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Queenie (Maybelle McQueen)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Davies wrote: Sat Sep 10, 2022 7:49 pm
EternalPhoenix wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 11:58 pm Queenie (Maybelle McQueen)
Much belated but this ... <chef's kiss> was never more appropriate than right now.
Did I predict the Queen of England dying when I named her a decade and a half ago? No, of course not. That'd be silly. It's just a name. Though I appreciate that you appreciate it.

Other thing. Terrifica? Every time I read about another Hyperbrain in A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic, guess who I was thinking about? :mrgreen:
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Re: Queenie (Maybelle McQueen)

Post by Commander Titan »

I appreciate Terrifica as a power armor wearer who uses a vehicle, instead of just always flying around. And I like the backstory, including that she actually has a family to defend. No "pure science over emotion" for her, it seems?
EternalPhoenix wrote: Sat Sep 10, 2022 9:23 pm Other thing. Terrifica? Every time I read about another Hyperbrain in A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic, guess who I was thinking about? :mrgreen:
Yeah, since it seems Terrifica's intellect is explicitly a superpower, that's a good fit. Would that mean "power nullification" tech could bring her brainpower down a bit, if she was hit with it?
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Re: Queenie (Maybelle McQueen)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Commander Titan wrote: Sat Sep 10, 2022 10:59 pm I appreciate Terrifica as a power armor wearer who uses a vehicle, instead of just always flying around. And I like the backstory, including that she actually has a family to defend. No "pure science over emotion" for her, it seems?
You're thinking of her in the wrong way. She's not Discount Iron Man. She's Batman. Specifically, from the late 90s to early 00s JLA run that Morrison started. So she's not really Batman. She's the mythical Batgod, with a couple of reasons (powers and personality) that make it make more sense than an unpowered human being being able to do it. You are right though, she's a fierce defender of her family. Very much in touch with her emotions. Kind of the trouble with her, actually.
Commander Titan wrote: Sat Sep 10, 2022 10:59 pmYeah, since it seems Terrifica's intellect is explicitly a superpower, that's a good fit. Would that mean "power nullification" tech could bring her brainpower down a bit, if she was hit with it?
Well, yes. She'd lose the whole Superhuman Brain container. But that assumes 1) that she hasn't prepared for that and 2) that her having powers is known. She's still at the peak of human intellectual capability without her powers. She is significantly handicapped without them, though. Hence that second bit. Like Queenie, she doesn't go bragging about her powers and how they work because that's a really stupid thing to do. Makes one easily disabled, countered, and taken off the board.
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Re: Medic (Dr. Daniel Ivanoff)

Post by Commander Titan »

EternalPhoenix wrote: Sat Sep 10, 2022 9:14 pm Medic (Dr. Daniel Ivanoff)
As a New Yorker, he has my stamp of approval! Nice to see a hero who, even with a truly useful power for helping people, doesn't stop there. I've always liked doctor superheroes who remember the doctor bit - like Dr. Mid-Nite.
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Spike (Spike Douglas)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Spike (Spike Douglas)

Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 210/210

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +2 (14), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +5 (20)

Tough: +2/+14, Fort: +8, Ref: +10, Will: +12

Skills: Acrobatics 8 (+10), Bluff 5 (+10), Gather Information 10 (+15), Intimidate 15 (+20), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 2 (+5), Knowledge (civics) 2 (+5), Knowledge (current events) 7 (+10), Knowledge (streetwise) 12 (+15), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 2 (+5), Language 4 (+4), Notice 10 (+15), Search 2 (+5), Sense Motive 10 (+15), Stealth 8 (+10), Survival 5 (+10)

Feats: Attack Focus (melee) 4, Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Startle, Eidetic Memory, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Spike Barrage (Strike 12)), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Gather Info, Intimidate, KN (streetwise), Sleight of Hand), Startle, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Skin Spikes (Force Field 12) (+12 Toughness; Duration (continuous), Impervious)

Spike Extension (Elongation 6) (Elongation: 250 ft., range incr 60 ft., +6 Escape & Grapple; Projection; Limited 2 (No Escape or Grapple, Cannot apply strength, no fine motor skills))

Spiked Attacks (Array 12) (default power: strike)
. . Spike Barrage (Strike 12) (Default; DC 27, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Spike Barrage (Strike 12)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [10 ranks only])
. . Spike Burst (Strike 12) (Array; DC 27; Burst Area (60 ft. radius - General))
. . Spike Cone (Strike 12) (Array; DC 27; Cone Area (120 ft. cone - General))
. . Spike Line (Strike 12) (Array; DC 27; Line Area (5x300 ft. line - General))

Spiked Jump (Leaping 6) (Jumping distance: x100)

Spikes (Super-Movement 2) (slow fall, wall-crawling 1 (half speed))

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +12, Grapple: +14)

Attacks: Spike Barrage (Strike 12), +12 (DC 27), Spike Burst (Strike 12) (DC 27), Spike Cone (Strike 12) (DC 27), Spike Line (Strike 12) (DC 27), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 17)

Defense: +10 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -13

Initiative: +6

Languages: Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, Korean, Russian, Spanish

Totals: Abilities 38 + Skills 26 (102 ranks) + Feats 13 + Powers 76 + Combat 36 + Saves 21 + Drawbacks 0 = 210

Age (as of Jan 2019): 37
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 180
Ethnicity: African American
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark Brown
Base of Operations: Los Angeles, California

Theme Song: No One to Blame, by FabvL

Background: Spike Douglas ought to be a supervillain. He’s got the powers, the bad attitude, and the worse reputation. But he’s not, and why is pretty simple. It will, however, take some background first. A long time ago. Pre slave trade. Pre written records. There was a man in Africa who pissed off a god and had his entire bloodline cursed. In time, the name and pantheon of said god were completely forgotten. The curse, however, remains. That forgotten god is a vindictive son of a bitch, who does not care that the original offender is long dead, and any memory of him is long gone. He does not care that the world has changed, that the slave trade tore said bloodline out of Africa and deposited it in North America. His pride is injured, and he will see every descendant of the offender suffer until the end of the human race. It gives him great pleasure.

. . So, like every male member of the bloodline (females are always miscarried, because the god is a dick) Spike was not quite born. The curse activated and tore him out of his mother, causing her immediate death. And wherever his father was, he also died on the spot as the curse betrayed him. The curse, by the way, kills anyone who loves Spike the next time they touch him, or on the spot if they already are once they shift into loving him. It does not differentiate between types of love. Romantic, platonic, familial, or any other kind. They get the spikes and die. You can imagine what this would do to a child, especially when they don’t know why it’s happening. The god appeared to Spike in his teen years, exposing the whole situation to the homeless runaway. The god expected either the usual despair and self-isolation or murderous rage and supervillainy. Spike took a surprising third option. Outraged defiance. Well, that’s one reason to become a superhero.

. . 20 years down the road, and the god is pissed. Yeah, Spike has no friends or loved ones. Yeah, he’s got an enemies list a mile long. Yeah, he’s kind of miserable. But he’s also Los Angeles’s acknowledged main protector. The big dog in Hell A. Nobody likes him, but the sheer number of times he’s thrown himself between Angelenos and certain doom cannot be denied. This is how he became an Icon in the first place. He rolled up on the genocidal AI that Fletcher had (accidently) made, cussed it out, and started punching holes in drones with his spikes. This respite for the Icons was sorely needed so they could regroup and eventually destroy the AI. They kept him on afterward. Every super group needs an attack dog, so to speak. Surprising no one, he told both the Shining Guardian and Fletcher to fuck off, staying out of the Icons civil war. He did, however, show up somehow for the Eternity War, and actually held off Kuros for several minutes before being flattened when The Savior became annoyed. He was not among the Dusted specifically because the god and his curse did not allow it. So he was around but not especially useful until the final battle of the Endgame, where Terrifica’s tactical direction gave him a wide berth. Kuros’s forces got to see what being on the other side of the horror movie was like, and they did not like it one bit. This, naturally, has enhanced his fearsome reputation.

. . The god has not stopped yammering at him angrily. Well, fuck him. Fuck the Sheriff’s Department and big chunks of the LAPD too. And fuck the rich Hollywood suits, too. You see, Spike is still homeless. Intentionally so. Los Angeles has a fairly large homeless population, and mostly nobody cares when one disappears. The same can be said about LA’s sex workers. Or any other occupation the desperately poor fall into. Because Spike isn’t just LA’s protector; he’s the champion of the poor and downtrodden. The lost and forsaken. He’s fought supervillains (such as liquid metal man Mercury, earthquake specialist Tectonica, and the fire and cold controlling duo of Fahrenheit & Celsius), mini kaiju rising out of the sea, and a dozen flavors of vampires and demons. He doesn’t actually have any regular heroic allies. However, Starguy (now an Icon) has backed him up before, as have local heroes Sargette (former US Army), Telebolt (electric teleporter), and Valley Girl (invulnerably skinned). Two police officers in Angel Rodriguez (with her superhumanly strong and durable wings) and Celeste Martinez (with her advanced cybernetic arm) have also lent assistance, on occasion. He purposefully avoids and thus has no relationship of any kind with Exile House LA and the Second Gen.

Powers & Tactics: Spike is the victim of a divine curse. An infinite number of indestructible cylindrical spikes of all possible widths linger in parallel dimension, the portal to which is just under his skin. He uses this in several ways. His primary method of defense is merging them with his skin to create a bumpy skinned appearance. It sounds comical, but he’s ignored rocket fire. The spikes themselves are, as previously stated, indestructible. They’re not a perfect barrier, however. They do transmit the force of attacks made against them, just greatly reduced. So Spike can be damaged with his skin spikes out. It just takes heavy force to do it. Blunt spikes, when extruded rapidly through the feet, make him capable of “leaping” great distances though basic physics. It’s uh, a lot easier to overcome 180 lbs of inertia and defy gravity to launch him into the air than to move the earth from its orbit. A helluva lot of tiny spikes on his hands and feet make clinging to walls and ceilings a breeze. He doesn’t have to worry about falls, either, as long as he can grab a handhold somewhere. He can maintain extended blunt spikes for as long as he wants, effectively extending his reach approximately 250 feet.

. . But of course, arguably the main event is how he attacks enemies. It’s basically horror movie villain stuff. He can spike anything with a big radius, wide cone, or long line. And there’s also his trademark Spike Barrage, in which he wildly oscillates the spikes in and out as he punches, doing potentially horrific damage.

. . Tactically, Spike is 100% pure ass kicker. It’s not that he can’t do rescues. It’s that he’s best at kicking the everloving shit out of Acceptable Targets. He’s a pure damage guy, without any exotic alternatives. Basically, he hears about a problem, he go finds it, and either he intimidates it away or it gets the fuck spiked out of it. This is his reputation, and he uses it well. He does attempt to avoid collateral and property damage with his area attacks. The basic plan is Improved Startle+Spike Barrage=fight over or close enough. And generally this works, actually. Anybody he’d do lethal damage to is also the type to be intimidated by him and his reputation and either run like hell or cut the shit. It’s not like he’s unwilling to cut effect ranks to avoid doing lethal damage, it’s just that he rarely has to. He also has Improved Demoralize and Power Attack, for when those prove to be needed. He never power stunts.

Personality: Spike is an angry, abrasive asshole. He’s honestly a very intimidating man. With that said, it’s not the maximum volume shouting kind of angry. It’s the slow burning rage of a man who knows he was destined to be fucked over the instant the sperm penetrated the egg and the new cell started duplicating. It ain’t just the curse, either. He’s a homeless black man in Los Angeles. City authority (including law enforcement) has a…mixed…reputation when it comes to not mistreating the economically disadvantaged and ethnic minorities. And that’s when they just don’t…abandon them to the nonexistent mercies of the criminal and supernatural underworlds. He’s seen some deeply fucked up shit. He’s been at the center of some deeply fucked up shit. So hell yes, he’s angry. He can’t get close to anyone or they will die, and Hell A chews up and spits out the vulnerable on a daily basis. He’s got a lot to be angry about.

. . With that said, rage and spite alone do not a hero make. Like, maybe for a year. Perhaps two. But almost twenty? Nah. There’s a fundamentally decent human being under there. Nobody who’s thrown themselves between defenseless people and horrible danger as often and as many times as Spike has can be anything less. He’s never gone completely off on anyone who hadn’t earned it through assholery or stupidity. He’s not normally abrasive to nuns, priests, and other ministers. He often wears a battered faux gold cross that belonged to his mother, and is occasionally seen just sitting in churches praying. There is a very lonely and miserable man underneath all that rage and aggression. Not that he’ll ever show that to anyone, of course. Because the most first and most important thing he has to protect people from is himself. Dammit.
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Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest: The Icons! Queenie! Terrifica! Medic! Spike!)

Post by Commander Titan »

I like Spike a lot. Like Edwin Christian, I think you nailed the tragedy of the character's powers (hell, tragedy may be too light a word, given the literal curse). But that he's turned it around to heroism is great. I always like when prophecy / curses / etc. have their conditions reimagined or re-used in different ways. And the visuals are strong - I can see all the spikes and jagged lines in the hypothetical artwork of an Icons comic or a Spike solo series.
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Re: Medic (Dr. Daniel Ivanoff)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Commander Titan wrote: Mon Sep 12, 2022 9:17 pm
EternalPhoenix wrote: Sat Sep 10, 2022 9:14 pm Medic (Dr. Daniel Ivanoff)
As a New Yorker, he has my stamp of approval! Nice to see a hero who, even with a truly useful power for helping people, doesn't stop there. I've always liked doctor superheroes who remember the doctor bit - like Dr. Mid-Nite.
Commander Titan wrote: Wed Sep 14, 2022 11:39 pm I like Spike a lot. Like Edwin Christian, I think you nailed the tragedy of the character's powers (hell, tragedy may be too light a word, given the literal curse). But that he's turned it around to heroism is great. I always like when prophecy / curses / etc. have their conditions reimagined or re-used in different ways. And the visuals are strong - I can see all the spikes and jagged lines in the hypothetical artwork of an Icons comic or a Spike solo series.
Thanks. That's all I've got. :sweat_smile:
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