[Mutants & Masterminds] A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

[Davies]

Hayate

The eldest of the five 'Tenshi' operatives, Kishizuka Hayate was born seven months after Cerebron's attack, of which her father was a casualty. In the aftermath, her mother fled with Hayate's older brother, Junichi, to the Shadow School, where her own parents had been students until the discipline grew too difficult for them. While their mother became employed as a housekeeper for the School, her two children were both enrolled as students.

While Junichi has risen to become a respected instructor, his younger sister has actually progressed faster in the School's teachings than he has, possibly because she has never known any other life. In addition to being a superb martial artist with a focus on swift and powerful strikes, Hayate possesses a limited ability to control the movement of air. She normally uses this power to incapacitate opponents by inflicting high air pressure on them or drawing the breath out of their very lungs, but has sometimes demonstrated a limited ability to take flight. It was while doing so on one occasion that the team was given its name.

She doesn't find that funny. Truthfully, she doesn't find anything funny. Hayate has been carefully and sometimes brutally taught that she can never express her emotions lest an opponent use them against her, and she does so almost reflexively at this point. It's not that she doesn't have feelings, it's that, on experiencing them, she examines each emotion mindfully and then puts it in the appropriate psychic 'box' rather than giving them voice.

The one exception to this is her loyalty to her brother, whom she believes to be the best possible candidate to succeed Master Akio when he steps down again. (She does not allow herself to think about the possibility that the old man might die in office, nor the chaos that is likely to erupt if that happens.) Even that, however, is something she only expresses to her family. She keeps her teammates at a respectful distance, treating them all equally and without any undue intimacy. She does, however, want to present the appearance of fitting in, and so dyed her hair blonde.

In combat, Hayate frequently wields a large 'war fan' as a bludgeon, often unfolding it while she engages in her wind direction. This tactic has been known to trick opponents into thinking that the fan is required for her to do accomplish these things. It isn't, as all sorts of people have learned to their detriment.

Hayate -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR 2 | STA 4 | AGL 4 | DEX 4 | FGT 10 | INT 1 | AWE 3 | PRE 1

Powers:
Internal Breath: Sustained Immunity 2 (suffocation) - 2 points
Striking Strength: Strength-based Damage 2 - 2 points
Wind Shaping: Array (24 points)

• Air Pressure: Ranged Affliction 8 (Resisted and Overcome by Strength; Dazed & Hindered, Prone & Stunned, Incapacitated), Alternate Resistance, Concentration Duration, Extra Condition, Instant Recovery - 24 points
• Suffocation: Progressive Ranged Affliction 6 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Dying) - 1 point

Power Stunts:
Gale Force: Cone Area 2 Damage 8
Lifting Wind: Flight 4 (30 MPH); Burst Area Move Objects 6

Advantages:
Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical (unarmed), Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close, Concealment), Quick Draw, Seize Initiative, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics), Takedown, Teamwork.

Equipment:
War Fan (Strength-based Damage 2) and 3 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+11), Athletics 6 (+8), Close Combat Unarmed 2 (+12), Deception 6 (+7), Expertise: Streetwise 5 (+6), Intimidation 6 (+7), Perception 6 (+9), Ranged Combat: Wind Shaping 4 (+8), Sleight of Hand 6 (+10), Stealth 6 (+10).

Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +12 (Close Damage 4)
War Fan +10 (Close Damage 4)
Air Pressure +8 (Ranged Affliction 8, Resisted by Strength)
Suffocation +8 (Ranged Fortitude 6)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 10, Fortitude 6, Toughness 6/4, Will 6.

Totals:
Abilities 58 + Powers 29 + Advantages 16 + Skills 27 + Defenses 9 = 139 points

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Family (brother). Hides Her Emotions.

 

[Davies]

Shizuka

Kanroji Shizuka is a third generation member of the Shadow School. Her grandparents were founding members, though they never achieved much distinction within the School's ranks, and brought their four year-old daughter, Sumire, with them when they joined. In her early teens, Sumire was close friends with a young American student, and was heartbroken when he was forced out. When the School began doing mercenary work, Sumire took advantage of the opportunity to leave the School and travel to America on a mission, tracking down her old boyfriend and having a brief, passionate relationship with him that resulted in Shizuka's birth.

In order to provide a stable home for her daughter, Sumire retired after that singular mission and became sworn sisters with another kunoichi of the School, maintaining their home and looking after their three children -- plus another child of a neighboring household whose mother had some ... difficulties. Shizuka grew up regarding Manami as practically another sister, often competing with her in their training in the School's techniques, especially after they both began to demonstrate powers. While she could never match Manami's power, Manami could never match Shizuka's speed, either.

That sisterly rivalry has continued right up until the present, though Shizuka is frequently distressed by how seriously Manami takes it -- and, frankly, how seriously Manami takes everything. She gets that her best friend has been given a raw deal by the fates, and when Manami finally takes her well-deserved revenge on the bastard who blighted both her own and her mother's life, Shizuka hopes to be able to watch because she's sure the carnage will be absolutely beautiful. But that's no reason that they can't have some fun along the way, is it? (She's therefore not very fond of Kagome, who brings out Manami's worst tendencies, in Shizuka's opinion.)

Shizuka is able to move at literally inhuman speeds, easily keeping pace with most ground vehicles and performing many tasks in the blink of an eye. Her offensive abilities are comparatively weak, and she's the member of the team who most frequently employs throwing stars and kunai in her attacks, often launching vast numbers of them in the space of a second. Of course, that means she can easily run out of these weapons, and tends to beat a fast retreat to resupply when she does. (Whenever possible, she will set up multiple weapon caches in a mission's area of operations.)

Shizuka has never met her biological father, but knows from her mother's stories that he was working for Argus when last they met. If pressed, she might admit that she's a bit curious about what's become of him in the years since she was born, and wouldn't mind learning the truth. If, as seems fairly likely, the Tenshi's missions eventually take them to America, she might get the chance.

Shizuka -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 2 | AGL 4 | DEX 4 | FGT 8 | INT 1 | AWE 2 | PRE 2

Powers:
Speed Maneuvers: Array (9 points)

• Flurry of Blows: Selective Burst Area Damage 3 - 9 points
• Flurry of Throws: Ranged Multiattack Damage 3 - 1 point

Super-Speed: Enhanced Advantages 5 (Close Attack 2, Improved Initiative 2), Quirk (Close Attack is only enhanced against opponents with a lower Initiative total); Enhanced Defenses 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4); Quickness 6; Speed 7 (250 MPH) - 20 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Close Attack 2, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment, Evasion, Extraordinary Effort, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Instant Up, Inspire, Interpose, Leadership, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Redirect, Set-up, Skill Mastery (Sleight of Hand), Takedown.

Equipment:
Shuriken (Ranged Multiattack Damage 1), kunai (Strength-based Damage 1, Improved Critical), and 1 point of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+10), Athletics 6 (+7), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+10), Deception 6 (+8), Perception 6 (+8), Ranged Combat: Thrown 7 (+11), Sleight of Hand 6 (+10), Stealth 5 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +12
Unarmed +12/+10 (Close Damage 1)
Kunai +10/+8 (Close Damage 2, Crit 19-20)
Flurry of Blows -- (Burst Area Damage 3)
Shuriken +11 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 1)
Flurry of Blows +11 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 3)

Defense:
Dodge 12/8, Parry 12/8, Fortitude 5, Toughness 4/2, Will 5

Totals:
Abilities 48 + Powers 30 + Advantages 19 + Skills 22 + Defenses 10 = 129 points

Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Friend/Rivalry (Manami.) Surprisingly, Hyper.

 

[Voltron64]

Shizuka has never met her biological father, but knows from her mother's stories that he was working for Argus when last they met. If pressed, she might admit that she's a bit curious about what's become of him in the years since she was born, and wouldn't mind learning the truth. If, as seems fairly likely, the Tenshi's missions eventually take them to America, she might get the chance.

I have this strong suspicion/idea that Shizuka's father was something of a kohai/pupil of George Hama.

 

[Davies]

No, Mitchell Ross was too young for that, born in 1976 and going to work for Argus in 1999. Mitch, as his friends call him, has a limited amount of his daughter's speed talents -- he has Speed 2 (8 MPH). (This is within the realm of human abilities, as a successful Athletics check to boost speed will let someone at this level run a 4 minute mile.)

While George was acquainted with Sarutobi in the years leading up to the formation of the Shadow School, he was never one of his students, much less a follower.

 

[Davies]

Manami

The tragedy began in 1996, when Yamaji Wakana joined the Shadow School, just a few weeks before Sakamoto Sasuke did the same. Like many people who sought to escape from their old lives within the School, Wakana never really spoke about what she had left behind, and it is now almost impossible to learn anything about it. In the seven years she was active as a student, she developed into a very competent if not distinguished practitioner of the school's teachings, frequently partnering with Sakamoto for training. Most who saw them together believed that they were good friends, with some speculating that they might be romantically involved.

It seems unlikely, however, that Sakamoto would have sexually assaulted someone with whom he was genuinely intimate, as he did Wakana during his rampage. In the months afterward, it became clear that the act had had consequences. Wakana didn't really acknowledge any conversation directed her way for about a year, especially not concerning her pregnancy or newborn child. (Just who named Manami is something of a mystery.) She did not acknowledge the child after she was born, and never has, even as Manami serves as her own primary caregiver during her long decline.

While several other women also took part, Manami was primarily cared for Kanroji Shizuka during her early youth. It was initially expected that the young girl's albinism would mean that she would be too sickly to participate in the School's training for young people, but she surprised everyone by demonstrating unexpected physical vigor. While suffering many injuries in training, Manami seemed to live by the idea that what did not kill her would make her stronger, and absolutely refused to die.

Quick-witted as well as physically tough, Manami possesses a deep understanding of the philosophical underpinnings of the Shadow School's teachings, as well as other, related forms of Buddhist and Confucian thought. She frames her superpowers as channeling her internal energy towards external goals, generally using it to augment her muscles to enable feats of strength, but also projecting it as physical force. She is sensitive to the vital energies of others, as well, employing that awareness while acting as her team's medic.

All of these talents are used towards the singular goal of revenge on the person who hurt her mother. She does not have a father, she has an enemy whom she has never met, who is fortunately the enemy of the entire School. Manami was recently startled to learn that Sakamoto has fathered another daughter who has been recruited to join the Tenshi, but has been pleased to work with her, though she often finds Kagome's attitude to be frustrating. Viewing the other girl as another of her enemy's victims, she's not especially happy with the way that Mizuki intends to use Kagome as bait for a trap, but accepts it as necessary.

If the scheme, or some other operation, succeeds in its goal, she will finally be able to take bloody satisfaction in ending Sakamoto. Then everything that has gone wrong will finally be set right, and her mother will look at her with gentleness and pride instead of looking through her, and Kagome will no longer be her sister, and the world will be a much better place. The love and beauty that she's named for will finally be real. Nothing can get in the way of that.

Manami -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR 6/2 | STA 5 | AGL 3 | DEX 2 | FGT 9 | INT 2 | AWE 2 | PRE 0

Powers:
Ki Powers: Array (8 points)

• Abundant Step: Leaping 5 (250 feet); Speed 3 (16 MPH) - 8 points
• Force of Will: Line Area Damage 8, Tiring - 1 point
• Strengthen Sinew: Enhanced Strength 4 - 1 point

Ki Sense: Senses 5 (danger sense, acute radius ranged detect life) - 5 points
Meditation: Sustained Immunity 4 (need for sleep, starvation & thirst, suffocation) - 4 points

Advantages:
All-out Attack, Assessment, Close Attack, Evasion, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Athletics), Startle, Takedown 2, Trance, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Break.

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+8), Athletics 6 (+12/+8), Expertise: Philosophy 6 (+8), Expertise: Streetwise 5 (+7), Insight 8 (+10), Intimidation 8 (+8), Perception 9 (+11), Stealth 4 (+7), Treatment 7 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +7
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 6/2, Crit 19-20)
Force of Will -- (Line Area Damage 8)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 9, Fortitude 6, Toughness 7/2, Will 8

Totals:
Abilities 50 + Powers 19 + Advantages 19 + Skills 29 + Defenses 12 = 129 points

Complications:
Revenge--Motivation. Albinism. Rivalry/Friend (Shizuku.) Rivalry/Family/Something Else (Kagome.)

 

[Voltron64]

Yeah, I know nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes
I know it's everybody's sin
You got to lose to know how to win

(OK, now I have another dark theory for Bravo as well, he's Sakamato's third kid.)

 

[Davies]

That's unlikely, as I think you'll realize once you know Kagome's story.

 

[Davies]

Kagome

The youngest and most recently recruited member of the Tenshi operatives, Kobayashi Kagome is also the only one of them who wasn't raised inside the Shadow School, but rather in one of Tokyo's suburbs. This has frequently led to culture clashes between herself and her new teammates, as she's completely unfamiliar with the School's non-martial traditions and tends to forget about them when they inconvenience her. To be fair, a lot of the world that she takes for granted is somewhat alien to most of the others, and she has actually helped to guide them in dealing with it as much as she's caused problems in the few months since her recruitment.

Late in 2004, a man who was using the name Kobayashi Kotaro, supposedly employed as a salariman at one of Japan's larger corporations -- later revealed to have been a corporate assassin -- met and began a whirlwind romance with Yanagisawa Kikuyo, a college dropout turned novice hostess. He bought out her contract and married her, with their only child born within the next year. Almost before Kagome could walk, her father began training her in a variety of athletic and martial disciplines, instilling in her the importance of continuing this practice even when he was away on 'business'. Kagome doesn't remember her mother ever objecting to this, but as she herself never really minded the training, she might not have noticed if she did.

Early in 2011, when Kagome was just a few months past her fifth birthday, her father disappeared. As he'd had many absences in the past, she just assumed that this was yet another, unusually long one, and continued her training alone. She and her mother certainly hadn't been left without means, though they began to take in boarders to pay for their expenses. Eventually, her mother admitted to Kagome that she suspected that Kotaro had run off with a Chinese woman in whose company he'd supposedly been seen. More recently, Kagome has learned a different theory about what happened to her father.

By the time she was in middle school, Kagome reached the point where she started to wonder what the point of her training was. The skills that she'd mastered (in her own mind, at least) were meant to be used for something, after all, though she wasn't sure for what. One night, while engaged in free running practice, she chanced to see a group of older boys threatening an elderly man, and impulsively interrupted this. It was a thrilling experience to excercise her faculties, and so she kept on doing so, engaging in some small-scale vigilantism.

Only a few months into her hero's journey, however, she was tracked down by the Tenshi. Kagome hadn't been as careful as she imagined, and was caught on phonecam, leading to Mizuki recognizing her style. They had questions, Kagome -- nobody's fool -- answered them promptly and honestly, and so learned that "Kobayashi Kotaro" and "Sakamoto Sasuke" were, beyond any doubt, the same person. Which meant that she now had a weirdo stalker who was acting like they were sisters, even though Kagome didn't want to have anything to do with her beyond what was absolutely necessary.

While not thrilled to be given a 'work with us or get worked over' ultimatum, Kagome has accepted the situation and is actually a bit happy to have been given the chance to further develop her skills. She had begun to suspect that she'd reached the limits of what she could do alone, and now she can watch and learn from the others, as well as from the other old folks in their village hidden in the mist -- sorry, "School". The missions themselves are also entertaining if dangerous.

Kagome's talent is that she can effortlessly reproduce just about any martial arts technique she's ever seen demonstrated, and combine them in novel ways. Her default mode, which she calls 'Panther Claw Style', is based on her father's demonstrations, but has been augmented by her experiences since his departure. She cannot yet replicate the unique superpowers of her teammates, or those of any other martial artist, but can and does produce flawless imitations of their stylistic training.

As a member of the Tenshi, Kagome focuses on stealth and infiltration, and is in the process of learning disguise techniques from an elder of the School. Of all her teammates, she gets along best with Mizuki, reacting poorly to Hayate's sullen apathy, Shizuka's hyperactivity and paranoia, and Manami's ... everything. She can easily spend hours at a time gabbing with the team's leader about the latest pop sensations, and has no idea that she's viewed entirely as a means to capture her father for the satisfaction of Mizuki's own ambitions.

Or if she does, she's managed to keep it a secret. Which might mean she really is the ultimate ninja.

Kagome -- PL 8

Abilities
STR 0 | STA 2 | AGL 4 | DEX 2 | FGT 9 | INT 0 | AWE 2 | PRE 1

Powers:
Natural Talent: Variable 4 (martial arts abilities), Free Action - 36 points

Typical Variable Sets:
Default Setting (Panther Claw): Strength-based Damage 2; Enhanced Advantages 12 (All-out Attack, Close Attack 2, Defensive Attack, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5); Enhanced Fighting 3 - 20 points
Ox-Body Stance: Immunity 20 (bludgeoning effects), Limited to Half Effect; Impervious Protection 5 - 20 points
Storm Warning Dash: Enhanced Advantages 6 (Defensive Attack, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Ultimate Effort [Acrobatics]); Enhanced Agility 3; Movement 3 (sure-footed 2, trackless); Speed 3 (16 MPH) - 20 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Attractive, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Improvised Weapon, Skill Mastery (Stealth), Uncanny Dodge.

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8), Athletics 6 (+6), Deception 6 (+7), Expertise: Popular Culture 10 (+10), Insight 4 (+6), Perception 7 (+9), Persuasion 4 (+5), Sleight of Hand 4 (+6), Stealth 5 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +12
Unarmed +14/+9 (Close Damage 2/0)

Defense:
Dodge 9, Parry 12/9, Fortitude 3, Toughness 4/2, Will 6

Total:
Abilities 40 + Powers 36 + Advantages 7 + Skills 25 + Defenses 10 = 118 points

Complications:
Personal Growth--Motivation. Forgetful. Weirdo Who Imagines a Relationship Where None Exists (Manami.)

 

[Davies]

Aten and the Ankh

Aten

The Ankh

The sudden rush of developing superpowers, unexpectedly, can be an extraordinarily traumatic experience. It is rare, but there have been cases where the emergence of such abilities provoked a dissociative disorder in their subject, as demonstrated by the cases of Fortuna Imperatrix and other examples. Of course, it's impossible to state how much pre-existing trauma might contribute to such disorders, as these individuals are rarely willing to submit themselves to an interview and often have the wherewithal to avoid them completely.

Guillaume Berenger, one of France's first well-known superheroes under the nomme de guerre of Aten, is now recognized to have been an early example of this phenomenon, though the nature of his dissociation was not known until after his death and the exposure of his secret identity. Born in 1922, he served in the Free French Forces and was wounded during the liberation of Paris. After the war, settling in Nice, he made a small but comfortable fortune in textile production, taking advantage of what he learned from trips to the United States on trade missions.

After his passing, some of his few intimates -- for he had been a fairly secretive person even before his awakening -- recalled that he had, in the late Fifties, occasionally expressed a mild fascination with the American phenomenon of the superhero, despite openly agreeing with those of his fellows who expressed doubt that the phenomenon would last very long. By 1964, however, it was clear that such speculations were not the case, with various superpowers popping up all over the world ... but not, as far as anyone could tell, in France.

At the age of forty-two, Guillaume's mind exploded, with talents of telepathy and telekinesis both manifesting themselves. And he realized the truth of his identity in that moment -- he was the reincarnation of the Pharaoh Atenakhen, who had striven mightily to turn great Egypt away from the dead-end that was paganism to a truer understanding of the One God, and been rewarded with the same gifts he now possessed. In light of this, the only thing he could do -- the thing he must do -- was to use these gifts of God to aid humanity. And so he created the identity of Aten and began to fight crime in his home city and all along the Côte d'Azur.

The French were not really sure what to make of him, but, after a few years, during which he avoided causing much in the way of embarrassment, he came to be regarded as a somewhat beloved eccentric. Aten also gained a partner around in 1967, a young woman with similar psychic gifts, whom he identified as the reincarnation of one of Atenakhen's daughters. Isabelle Richard, better known as the Ankh, was privately dubious about this 'theory', but welcomed Aten's tutelage and the opportunity to have a more exciting life than she'd been having up until that point. Soon after they began working together, the pair also received the gift of a specially-designed airship, dubbed the Solar Barque. This expanded their area of operations and led to their first team-ups with members of the Institute.

However, in 1968, as the situation in France grew more and more tense, Aten made the decision that he and the Ankh would not take any side in the struggle. This did not sit well with the Ankh, who ignored this command and attempted to assist the protestors, only to come under attack as an example of American imperialism. She was rescued by la Belle, who had only recently made her debut, and retreated to the pair's headquarters. In the aftermath, the reputation of Aten and the Ankh began to suffer as that of la Belle et la Bête began to rise. Matters were not helped when the Aten refused to assist his supposed allies during the Battle of Vietnam. Increasingly, it seemed that these two didn't really do much that could be considered heroic at all.

Despite their increasingly negative public image, the team continued to conduct occasional operations against criminal groups in the south of France all through the decade that followed, right up until the start of the Pythonian Insurgency, which saw the Solar Barque shot down over Paris. While only the Aten's body was recovered, both were assumed to have been killed in the crash, and their identities were exposed in the immediate aftermath. The pair was given a fairly reverent public funeral.

In fact, the Ankh had actually survived, though this would not become known until much later. Driven to avenge the deaths of her mentor and the many other victims of the Insurgency, she abandoned her former identity and went underground, seeking to infiltrate the enemy's organization. She ultimately succeeded in doing this, and, under the name Gina Atkins, the wife of another infiltrator named Tommy, helped to run a small counter-insurgency within the Pythons' own headquarters of Delphi. The pair were ultimately caught and executed in 1993, a few weeks before the JSOT invaded and destroyed the Insurgency.

Aten - PL 10

Abilities:
STR 0 | STA 2 | AGL 1 | DEX 2 | FGT 6 | INT 2 | AWE 7 | PRE 5

Powers:
Basic Telepathy: Comprehend Languages 2; Mental Communication 3 - 21 points
Psychic Defenses: Enhanced Defenses 4 (Dodge 2, Parry 2), Quirk (not against foes immune to mental powers); Senses 1 (mental awareness) - 4 point
Psychic Gifts: Array (24 points)

• Levitation/Telekinetic Bolt: Flight 5 AND Ranged Damage 7, Dynamic - 2 points
• Mind Scan: Cumulative Mind Reading 8 - 1 point
• Mind Blast: Perception Range Damage 6, Resisted by Will - 1 point
• Mind Daze: Perception Range Cumulative Affliction 8 (Resisted & Overcome by Will; Dazed, Stunned), Limited Degree - 1 point
• Psychokinesis: Perception Ranged Move Object 8, Dynamic - 25 points

Shielded Mind: Impervious Will 12, Limited to Mental Effects - 6 points
Telekinetic Shield: Sustained Protection 10, Subtle - 11 points

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Benefit 3 (Millionaire), Equipment 12, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-all-Trades, Move-By Action, Sidekick 21, Ultimate Effort (Will Save), Uncanny Dodge.

Equipment:
6 points of equipment as needed.
Manor Headquarters: Size Huge; Toughness: 10; Features: Communications, Computer, Concealed, Garage, Gym, Hangar, Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Power System, Security System, Workshop - 18 points.
Solar Barque: Size Gargantuan; Strength 11; Speed 7 (air); Defense 4; Toughness 11; Powers: Passive Concealment 6 (visual, radio); Ranged Damage 8; Features: Autopilot, Communications - 56 points

Skills:
Expertise: Business 8 (+10), Expertise: History 7 (+9), Insight 5 (+12), Perception 6 (+13), Persuasion 7 (+12), Ranged Combat: Telekinesis 9 (+11).

Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 0)
Telekinetic Blast +11 (Ranged Damage 7)
Mind Blast -- (Perception Range Damage 6, Resisted by Will)
Mind Daze -- (Perception Range Will 8).

Defense:
Dodge 8/6, Parry 8/6, Fortitude 5, Toughness 12/2, Will 12.

Totals:
Abilities 50 + Powers 72 + Advantages 42 + Skills 21 + Defenses 13 = 198 points

Complications:
Faith--Motivation. Authoritarian. Secret Identity.

Note: These statistics represent Aten between 1964 and 1974; after this his physical abilities and FGT drop by 1 rank each, but his Psychic Ability Array increased to 27 points, increasing each of its effects (that of Ranged Damage for the second dynamic slot) by 1 rank each, and also increase his Telekinetic Shield's effect to 12 ranks.

The Ankh -- PL 7

Abilities:
STR 0 | STA 1 | AGL 2 | DEX 2 | FGT 6 | INT 1 | AWE 4 | PRE 2

Powers:
Basic Telepathy: Mental Communication 1; Comprehend Langauges 1 - 8 points
Psychic Defenses: Enhanced Advantages 4 (Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Uncanny Dodge); Enhanced Defenses 4 (Dodge 2, Parry 2), Quirk (Not against foes immune to mental powers) - 7 points
Shielded Mind: Impervious Will 6, Limited to Mental Effects - 3 points
Telepathic Training: Array (12 points)

• Mind Scan: Mind Reading 6 - 12 points
• Weak Mind Daze: Perception Range Affliction 6 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Stunned), Limited Degree - 1 point

Advantages:
Defensive Roll, Equipment, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Move-By Action, Uncanny Dodge.

Equipment:
Brass Knuckles (Strength-based Damage 1) and 4 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+8), Close Combat: Unarmed 5 (+11), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+7), Insight 4 (+8), Intimidation 8 (+10), Perception 4 (+8), Stealth 5 (+7), Vehicles 6 (+8).

Offense:
Intiative +6
Unarmed +11 (Close Damage 2/1)
Daze -- (Perception Range Will 6)

Defense:
Dodge 9/7, Parry 11/9, Fortitude 3, Toughness 3/1, Will 9.

Totals:
Abilities 36 + Powers 30 + Advantages 2 + Skills 22 + Defenses 15 = 105.

Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Rebellious and Impulsive. Secret Identity.

Note: These stats represent the Ankh for her entire superheroic career. As Gina, her Acrobatics and Close Combat skills should be reduced by 3 ranks each, but she gains Deception 6, Language 1 (English [French is native]), Will 11 and 4 additional ranks of Impervious Will; her motivation becomes Justice.

 

[Davies]

The Golden Eagles

The difficulty confronting the Dominion of Canada, at the start of the first age of superheroics, was primarily one of geography. There were a small number of superheroes located in the major cities of all of the country's ten provinces -- and one or two further north in the territories -- but they all shared the same intensely local focus. None of them, as far as could be discerned, had the sorts of powers that made long-distance travel a simple affair, and consequently had neither the ability nor the interest in assembling as a group in imitation of the Institute.

To be perfectly honest, the notion of relying on such a group of private volunteers was also a bit contrary to the interests of the Canadian government, which therefore began investigating other possibilities. As it happened, the government of the time also lacked the financial wherewithal to engage in much of the way of 'super-soldier' experimentation, which was probably just as well for all concerned. Therefore, when one Dr. Kenneth Gold contacted the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1962 with a proposal to start using what he referred to as piloted robotic vehicles, he quickly gained their attention and interest.

The so-called Golden Eagle suits made their debut in 1964, piloted by some of the best pilots in the Air Force at the time, including many who had formerly been members of the Golden Hawks. Adjusting to the demands of a humanoid vehicle was difficult, even for these experienced personnel, and it was rare for a Golden Eagle to serve the maximum two years (a single year for married men) that the unit's rules permitted. However, their successful defeat of a number of Canada's more notorious supervillains, as well as defending the British Columbia coastline from a handful of kaiju attacks, earned the team a great deal of fame.

Sadly, the Golden Eagles were, like so much else, a casualty of the Battle of Vietnam. The Trudeau government was reluctantly convinced to send the unit to Southeast Asia in response to the situation developing there, with the understanding that they would only be used to assist in the evacuation. Of course, Stardust made no distinction between those who were directly opposing him and those who were only preventing him from accomplishing his goals, and he destroyed the robotic suits and their operators with terrifying ease. Only a single pilot survived the battle, and his suit was wrecked.

It was in the aftermath of this disaster that a mystery began to develop. When the Canadian Armed Forces' Air Defense Command, under which the unit was currently assigned, attempted to contact Dr. Kenneth Gold regarding the prospect of constructing replacements for the suits, they were unable to do so. He had apparently vanished, both from his home in Hamilton and from his offices at the University of Toronto, where he had not been seen in several weeks. Further investigation raised questions as to whether there had ever actually been a "Dr. Kenneth Gold", as much of the background which he had claimed a decade earlier was now seen to be utterly fraudulent. He was never found, and his fate was never discovered.

Half a century later, while examining the armored suit employed by Karen Nichols as Ladybug, itself based on partial schematics of the Golden Eagles' units, Exelion idly commented that he was quite impressed that his student had managed to correctly improvise solutions to some of the problems that had puzzled those who examined it. "But I suppose it's almost time for these to be invented," he added.

Golden Eagles - PL 8

Abilities:
STR 6/1 | STA 2 | AGL 3 | DEX 2 | FGT 3 | INT 1 | AWE 0 | PRE 0

Powers:
Piloted Robotic Vehicle: Removable (-16 points)

• Armored Shell: Impervious Protection 7 - 14 points
• Cannons: Ranged Damage 8 - 16 points
• Communicator: Radio Communication 2 - 8 points
• Cybernetic Controls: Enhanced Advantage 3 (Close Attack 2, Ranged Attack 2); Enhanced Defenses (Dodge 2) - 6 points
• Rocket Pack: Flight 9 (1000 MPH) - 18 points
• Sealed Systems: Immunity 7 (cold, disease, heat, poison, radiation, suffocation) - 7 points
• Sensors: Senses 3 (darkvision, radio) - 3 points
• Strength Boost: Enhanced Strength 5 - 10 points

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Close Attack 2, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Teamwork.

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+7), Athletics 2 (+8/+3), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+5), Expertise: Military 5 (+6), Perception 4 (+4), Ranged Combat: Guns 3 (+5), Technology 4 (+5), Vehicles 4 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +7
Unarmed +7/+5 (Close Damage 6/1)
Cannon +7 (Ranged Damage 8).

Defense:
Dodge 7/5, Parry 5, Fortitude 4, Toughness 9/2, Will 4.

Totals:
Abilities 24 + Powers 66 + Advantages 5 + Skills 14 + Defenses 10 = 119 points

Complications:
Patriotism--Motivation. Requires Maintenance. Vulnerability (electrical attacks.) Others as Needed.

Note: A relatively small number of Golden Eagles are bilingual (Language 1 [French] or Language 1 [English (French is native)]) as this was not yet an official policy of the Canadian government when the unit was founded; it became so in 1969. A few will also have Benefit (rank), Leadership and possibly higher mental abilities.