Davies
Legend
They were acquainted, but any jobs that Deschaines got didn't come directly from Anselmo, nor did they operate in the same circles.
[Mutants & Masterminds] A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic
Davies
Legend
Agent Kinzhal
Raisa Shibalova's early life, and indeed much of her later life, was largely defined by her envy of her younger sister, Sofya. She was just rational enough to realize that she had probably imagined the way that her parents had seemed to prefer Sofya, and on some level she knew that she didn't want her father's 'preference', but she couldn't help resenting the younger girl, who still seemed to get all the breaks. Why, even when she set her father up to be tried and executed, Sofya was the lucky one who got to watch the bastard swing. How was that fair?
Regardless, Raisa went on into the KGB and ended up on what she was told was a very important and dangerous assignment. It turned out to be only one of those things, but she managed to get through it and extract herself after the whole thing went pear-shaped, profiting from the way that she was able to alert her superiors that the person who'd come up with the mission was a mole for a third party. Years later, while undercover in the Caribbean on a different assignment, she happened to have the opportunity to read a contemptible paperback account of that operation as seen through the eyes of the idiot British agent who'd been its target. She barely managed to finish reading it through the gales of laughter that she went through every time she even thought about the absurdity of a name that the writer had saddled her with.
Unfortunately, when she was recalled from that mission, despite her success, it was to be put in a situation where she was once again in competition with her sister, and, once again, ended up the loser. Raisa was absolutely certain that if she'd been the one picked for the injection, she would have done much better with the speed powers, preventing the assassination of the serum's creator and finally settling affairs with that obnoxious agent in the process. But no, such was not to be her fate, and instead she continued on her career of assassination and sabotage, often doing the wetwork that allowed mediocrities like her sister to shine.
Under the alias 'Agent Dagger' -- frequently teamed with morons who got saddled with 'Agent Cloak' -- Raisa was active throughout the many battlefields of the Cold War, and wreaked a great amount of havoc in the ostensible name of international communism. The truth was that she'd never had any loyalty to any political agenda, or even any nation. She was in it to gain as much influence for herself as possible, so that she could become as safe as possible. It was all about power, and anyone who pretended otherwise was kidding themselves.
In 1970, while tying up the loose ends of an operation against the Zaharoff organization -- against which she had a long-standing grudge -- Raisa stumbled on to the activities of a small cabal of mad scientists who were attempting to knock a hole in the walls of reality. Her initial instinct was to escape and contact backup, but she decided to keep spying and learn more. Unfortunately, this particular cabal had drawn the attention of Stardust, and as he was annihilating them in ways that even Raisa found disturbing, their portal went online, drawing her into it. One of the few survivors of the episode eventually reported all of this to the KGB. Of course, despite the fact that her death was considered a certainty, there was no memorial for her.
Recently, however, Remontnik has developed a rather different idea about where Agent Kinzhal might have ended up ...
Agent Kinzhal -- PL 6
Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 2 | AGL 1 | DEX 4 | FGT 6 | INT 3 | AWE 3 | PRE 2
Powers:
None.
Advantages:
Assessment, Attractive, Benefit (security clearance), Chokehold, Contacts, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 6, Improved Aim, Language 3 (English, French, German, others, [Russian is native]), Well-informed.
Equipment:
Heavy Pistol (Ranged Damage 4) and 22 points of equipment as needed.
Skills:
Athletics 5 (+6), Deception 8 (+10), Expertise: Civics 6 (+9), Expertise: Current Events 4 (+7), Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+7), Insight 8 (+11), Intimidation 6 (+8), Investigation 8 (+11), Perception 6 (+9), Ranged Combat: Guns 4 (+8), Vehicles 5 (+9).
Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 1)
Heavy Pistol +8 (Ranged Damage 4)
Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 6, Fortitude 3, Toughness 4/2, Will 7
Totals:
Abilities 44 + Advantages 18 + Skills 32 + Defenses 9 = 103 points
Complications:
Power--Motivation. One-sided Rivalry (her sister.) Secret (spy.)
Raisa Shibalova's early life, and indeed much of her later life, was largely defined by her envy of her younger sister, Sofya. She was just rational enough to realize that she had probably imagined the way that her parents had seemed to prefer Sofya, and on some level she knew that she didn't want her father's 'preference', but she couldn't help resenting the younger girl, who still seemed to get all the breaks. Why, even when she set her father up to be tried and executed, Sofya was the lucky one who got to watch the bastard swing. How was that fair?
Regardless, Raisa went on into the KGB and ended up on what she was told was a very important and dangerous assignment. It turned out to be only one of those things, but she managed to get through it and extract herself after the whole thing went pear-shaped, profiting from the way that she was able to alert her superiors that the person who'd come up with the mission was a mole for a third party. Years later, while undercover in the Caribbean on a different assignment, she happened to have the opportunity to read a contemptible paperback account of that operation as seen through the eyes of the idiot British agent who'd been its target. She barely managed to finish reading it through the gales of laughter that she went through every time she even thought about the absurdity of a name that the writer had saddled her with.
Unfortunately, when she was recalled from that mission, despite her success, it was to be put in a situation where she was once again in competition with her sister, and, once again, ended up the loser. Raisa was absolutely certain that if she'd been the one picked for the injection, she would have done much better with the speed powers, preventing the assassination of the serum's creator and finally settling affairs with that obnoxious agent in the process. But no, such was not to be her fate, and instead she continued on her career of assassination and sabotage, often doing the wetwork that allowed mediocrities like her sister to shine.
Under the alias 'Agent Dagger' -- frequently teamed with morons who got saddled with 'Agent Cloak' -- Raisa was active throughout the many battlefields of the Cold War, and wreaked a great amount of havoc in the ostensible name of international communism. The truth was that she'd never had any loyalty to any political agenda, or even any nation. She was in it to gain as much influence for herself as possible, so that she could become as safe as possible. It was all about power, and anyone who pretended otherwise was kidding themselves.
In 1970, while tying up the loose ends of an operation against the Zaharoff organization -- against which she had a long-standing grudge -- Raisa stumbled on to the activities of a small cabal of mad scientists who were attempting to knock a hole in the walls of reality. Her initial instinct was to escape and contact backup, but she decided to keep spying and learn more. Unfortunately, this particular cabal had drawn the attention of Stardust, and as he was annihilating them in ways that even Raisa found disturbing, their portal went online, drawing her into it. One of the few survivors of the episode eventually reported all of this to the KGB. Of course, despite the fact that her death was considered a certainty, there was no memorial for her.
Recently, however, Remontnik has developed a rather different idea about where Agent Kinzhal might have ended up ...
Agent Kinzhal -- PL 6
Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 2 | AGL 1 | DEX 4 | FGT 6 | INT 3 | AWE 3 | PRE 2
Powers:
None.
Advantages:
Assessment, Attractive, Benefit (security clearance), Chokehold, Contacts, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 6, Improved Aim, Language 3 (English, French, German, others, [Russian is native]), Well-informed.
Equipment:
Heavy Pistol (Ranged Damage 4) and 22 points of equipment as needed.
Skills:
Athletics 5 (+6), Deception 8 (+10), Expertise: Civics 6 (+9), Expertise: Current Events 4 (+7), Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+7), Insight 8 (+11), Intimidation 6 (+8), Investigation 8 (+11), Perception 6 (+9), Ranged Combat: Guns 4 (+8), Vehicles 5 (+9).
Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 1)
Heavy Pistol +8 (Ranged Damage 4)
Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 6, Fortitude 3, Toughness 4/2, Will 7
Totals:
Abilities 44 + Advantages 18 + Skills 32 + Defenses 9 = 103 points
Complications:
Power--Motivation. One-sided Rivalry (her sister.) Secret (spy.)
Davies
Legend
Waxman
As with many other noteworthy criminals of the first age of superheroics, there are many unresolved issues concerning Jürgen Wachsmann -- most notably whether or not that was his real name. Supposedly born as a subject of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the city then called Troppau (now Opava) in 1908, he first appears in the public record as an employee of the Panoptikum Hamburg in 1932, where he demonstrated a talent for creating incredibly detailed wax figures. In 1936, however, following a dispute with his employer, he quit that job and declared his intention to return home and create a wax museum that would eclipse the Panoptikum's fame.
He succeeded in creating a museum that briefly achieved some degree of fame in Opava, but for reasons that remain somewhat unclear, it shut down in 1938, shortly after the annexation of the Sudetenland by Nazi Germany. Wachsmann disappeared from the public record from that point until he re-emerged in 1946 as part of the population of Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia. His sole comment on the affair, at the time of his emigration to the United States in 1949, was that he had suffered a great deal following the annexation, and then suffered as much after its end.
If that is the case, then that suffering left horrific scars on his psyche that would not become apparent for a while. Wachsmann established another wax museum in Jersey City that was a modest success, though it also garnered some notoriety for its combination of extremely lifelike figures and the macabre displays in which they were placed. However, the museum was forced to shut down in 1953 after Wachsmann's business partner apparently embezzled from the company and then disappeared. (Subsequent events would lead to the suggestion that the other man had been framed and then murdered.)
Five years later, the Waxhouse reopened on a limited basis, with Wachsmann claiming to have secured new, more reliable investors. Within a week of this, however, Jersey City became the site of several audacious robberies, committed by individuals with the appearance of noteworthy heroic and villainous figures of the past. It was noted that all of these individuals had counterparts in the displays of the Waxhouse, but this was dismissed as a coincidence. After one police detective disappeared while investigating the Waxhouse, however, the supposed coincidence attracted the attention of the Cowl.
The Masked Manhunter soon discovered the horrific truth -- that Wachsmann had the ability to grant his wax statues life, somehow imbuing them with a fragment of his own consciousness, and that they had been the robbers. In and of itself, this would have been merely criminal. But the point of the robberies had not been monetary gain -- in fact, the stolen items were discovered in the Waxhouse's basement -- but rather to lure investigators to their point of origin so that they could be hunted and murdered by the now psychopathic Wachsmann.
While the artist was no match for the Cowl, his opponent was startled to discover that the being he'd been fighting was itself a wax imitation of its creator, who had absconded at some point. Several times over the next few years, Wachsmann would repeat this 'game' of his, encountering numerous superheroes in locations across the country. In 1965, however, his misdeeds finally attracted the attention of the Super-Wizard, who casually annihilated the wax figures and then transformed the actual Wachsmann into a blob of still-living wax that promptly melted in the heat of the fire which consumed the last Waxhouse.
Waxman -- PL 9
Abilities:
STR -1 | STA 1 | AGL 1 | DEX 2 | FGT 3 | INT 3 | AWE 3 | PRE 2
Powers:
Wax Figurines: Summon 9, Broad Type, Check Required (Expertise: Art, DC 15), Heroic - 49 points
Advantages:
Chokehold, Daze (Deception), Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 4, Evasion, Grabbing Finesse, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Initiative, Language 2 (Czech, English, French, Russian, [German is native]), Taunt, Uncanny Dodge.
Equipment:
11 points of equipment as needed.
Waxhouse: Size Huge; Toughness 10; Features Deathtraps, Holding Cells, Power System, Secret, Workshop - 9 points
Skills:
Close Combat: Grab 6 (+9), Deception 10 (+12), Expertise: Art 11 (+14), Expertise: Crime 10 (+13), Perception 8 (+11), Sleight of Hand 8 (+10), Stealth 9 (+10).
Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage -1)
Grab +9 (Close Grab 2)
Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 7, Fortitude 4, Toughness 6, Will 8.
Totals:
Abilities 28 + Powers 49 + Advantages 16 + Skills 32 + Defenses 16 = 141
Complications:
Psychopathy--Motivation. Slow Process (creating a wax figure takes days, though one can be activated as a standard action.)
Some Typical Summons
D'Artagnan Figure -- PL 8
Abilities:
STR 3 | STA -- | AGL 4 | DEX 2 | FGT 7 | INT 1 | AWE 2 | PRE 2
Powers:
Swift: Enhanced Advantages 2 (Improved Initiative 2); Enhanced Defenses 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4) - 10 points
Wax Figure: Immunity 50 (Fortitude, mental effects); Protection 5 - 55 points
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Equipment, Evasion 2, Improved Critical (sword), Power Attack, Uncanny Dodge
Equipment:
Sword (Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical)
Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+11), Athletics 8 (+9), Close Combat: Sword 5 (+12), Deception 8 (+10), Insight 8 (+10), Perception 7 (+9), Stealth 5 (+9).
Offense:
Initiative +12
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 3)
Sword +12 (Close Damage 6, Crit 18-20)
Defense:
Dodge 9/5, Parry 11/7, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 5, Will 7
Totals:
Abilities 32 + Powers 65 + Advantages 8 + Skills 24 + Defenses 6 = 135 points
Complications:
Obedience--Motivation. Power Loss (Swift, after taking heat or fire damage.) Vulnerability (heat and fire.)
Waxman Figure - PL 9
Abilities:
STR 3 | STA -- | AGL 1 | DEX 2 | FGT 3 | INT 3 | AWE 3 | PRE 2
Powers:
Wax Figure: Immunity 50 (Fortitude, mental effects); Protection 5 - 55 points
Advantages:
Chokehold, Daze (Deception), Defensive Roll 2, Evasion, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Initiative, Language 1 (English, German), Taunt, Uncanny Dodge.
Skills:
Close Combat: Grab 6 (+9), Deception 10 (+12), Expertise: Art 11 (+14), Expertise: Crime 10 (+13), Perception 8 (+11), Sleight of Hand 8 (+10), Stealth 9 (+10).
Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage 3)
Grab +9 (Grab 3)
Defenses
Dodge 4, Parry 6, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 10/5, Will 3
Totals:
Abilities 32 + Powers 55 + Advantages 10 + Skills 32 + Defenses 6 = 135 points
Complications:
Obedience--Motivation. Vulnerability (heat and fire.)
As with many other noteworthy criminals of the first age of superheroics, there are many unresolved issues concerning Jürgen Wachsmann -- most notably whether or not that was his real name. Supposedly born as a subject of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the city then called Troppau (now Opava) in 1908, he first appears in the public record as an employee of the Panoptikum Hamburg in 1932, where he demonstrated a talent for creating incredibly detailed wax figures. In 1936, however, following a dispute with his employer, he quit that job and declared his intention to return home and create a wax museum that would eclipse the Panoptikum's fame.
He succeeded in creating a museum that briefly achieved some degree of fame in Opava, but for reasons that remain somewhat unclear, it shut down in 1938, shortly after the annexation of the Sudetenland by Nazi Germany. Wachsmann disappeared from the public record from that point until he re-emerged in 1946 as part of the population of Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia. His sole comment on the affair, at the time of his emigration to the United States in 1949, was that he had suffered a great deal following the annexation, and then suffered as much after its end.
If that is the case, then that suffering left horrific scars on his psyche that would not become apparent for a while. Wachsmann established another wax museum in Jersey City that was a modest success, though it also garnered some notoriety for its combination of extremely lifelike figures and the macabre displays in which they were placed. However, the museum was forced to shut down in 1953 after Wachsmann's business partner apparently embezzled from the company and then disappeared. (Subsequent events would lead to the suggestion that the other man had been framed and then murdered.)
Five years later, the Waxhouse reopened on a limited basis, with Wachsmann claiming to have secured new, more reliable investors. Within a week of this, however, Jersey City became the site of several audacious robberies, committed by individuals with the appearance of noteworthy heroic and villainous figures of the past. It was noted that all of these individuals had counterparts in the displays of the Waxhouse, but this was dismissed as a coincidence. After one police detective disappeared while investigating the Waxhouse, however, the supposed coincidence attracted the attention of the Cowl.
The Masked Manhunter soon discovered the horrific truth -- that Wachsmann had the ability to grant his wax statues life, somehow imbuing them with a fragment of his own consciousness, and that they had been the robbers. In and of itself, this would have been merely criminal. But the point of the robberies had not been monetary gain -- in fact, the stolen items were discovered in the Waxhouse's basement -- but rather to lure investigators to their point of origin so that they could be hunted and murdered by the now psychopathic Wachsmann.
While the artist was no match for the Cowl, his opponent was startled to discover that the being he'd been fighting was itself a wax imitation of its creator, who had absconded at some point. Several times over the next few years, Wachsmann would repeat this 'game' of his, encountering numerous superheroes in locations across the country. In 1965, however, his misdeeds finally attracted the attention of the Super-Wizard, who casually annihilated the wax figures and then transformed the actual Wachsmann into a blob of still-living wax that promptly melted in the heat of the fire which consumed the last Waxhouse.
Waxman -- PL 9
Abilities:
STR -1 | STA 1 | AGL 1 | DEX 2 | FGT 3 | INT 3 | AWE 3 | PRE 2
Powers:
Wax Figurines: Summon 9, Broad Type, Check Required (Expertise: Art, DC 15), Heroic - 49 points
Advantages:
Chokehold, Daze (Deception), Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 4, Evasion, Grabbing Finesse, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Initiative, Language 2 (Czech, English, French, Russian, [German is native]), Taunt, Uncanny Dodge.
Equipment:
11 points of equipment as needed.
Waxhouse: Size Huge; Toughness 10; Features Deathtraps, Holding Cells, Power System, Secret, Workshop - 9 points
Skills:
Close Combat: Grab 6 (+9), Deception 10 (+12), Expertise: Art 11 (+14), Expertise: Crime 10 (+13), Perception 8 (+11), Sleight of Hand 8 (+10), Stealth 9 (+10).
Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage -1)
Grab +9 (Close Grab 2)
Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 7, Fortitude 4, Toughness 6, Will 8.
Totals:
Abilities 28 + Powers 49 + Advantages 16 + Skills 32 + Defenses 16 = 141
Complications:
Psychopathy--Motivation. Slow Process (creating a wax figure takes days, though one can be activated as a standard action.)
Some Typical Summons
D'Artagnan Figure -- PL 8
Abilities:
STR 3 | STA -- | AGL 4 | DEX 2 | FGT 7 | INT 1 | AWE 2 | PRE 2
Powers:
Swift: Enhanced Advantages 2 (Improved Initiative 2); Enhanced Defenses 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4) - 10 points
Wax Figure: Immunity 50 (Fortitude, mental effects); Protection 5 - 55 points
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Equipment, Evasion 2, Improved Critical (sword), Power Attack, Uncanny Dodge
Equipment:
Sword (Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical)
Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+11), Athletics 8 (+9), Close Combat: Sword 5 (+12), Deception 8 (+10), Insight 8 (+10), Perception 7 (+9), Stealth 5 (+9).
Offense:
Initiative +12
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 3)
Sword +12 (Close Damage 6, Crit 18-20)
Defense:
Dodge 9/5, Parry 11/7, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 5, Will 7
Totals:
Abilities 32 + Powers 65 + Advantages 8 + Skills 24 + Defenses 6 = 135 points
Complications:
Obedience--Motivation. Power Loss (Swift, after taking heat or fire damage.) Vulnerability (heat and fire.)
Waxman Figure - PL 9
Abilities:
STR 3 | STA -- | AGL 1 | DEX 2 | FGT 3 | INT 3 | AWE 3 | PRE 2
Powers:
Wax Figure: Immunity 50 (Fortitude, mental effects); Protection 5 - 55 points
Advantages:
Chokehold, Daze (Deception), Defensive Roll 2, Evasion, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Initiative, Language 1 (English, German), Taunt, Uncanny Dodge.
Skills:
Close Combat: Grab 6 (+9), Deception 10 (+12), Expertise: Art 11 (+14), Expertise: Crime 10 (+13), Perception 8 (+11), Sleight of Hand 8 (+10), Stealth 9 (+10).
Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage 3)
Grab +9 (Grab 3)
Defenses
Dodge 4, Parry 6, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 10/5, Will 3
Totals:
Abilities 32 + Powers 55 + Advantages 10 + Skills 32 + Defenses 6 = 135 points
Complications:
Obedience--Motivation. Vulnerability (heat and fire.)
Davies
Legend
El Imán
Born in 1951, Miguel "Mike" Gonzalez was just seven years old when he and his father fled their native Spain for the United States, settling in New Mexico. Professor Ernesto Gonzalez -- who insisted on being called that, despite no longer being associated with any post-secondary institution by the time Mike was growing up -- initially told his son that his mother had been murdered by the Falangists, prompting their flight. He never explained why that had happened, but Mike eventually began to suspect that it had something to do with his father's research into magnetism. He kept that to himself, however.
By and large, Mike adapted fairly well to his new life in the new world, becoming an athletic and clever young man, and fairly popular with the young ladies. He managed to hide the stress of hiding his true identity, of posing as someone of Mexican rather than Spanish origin and never speaking about his true history, but it rankled nonetheless, and he limited himself to fairly superficial relationships to avoid risking his secret. Sometimes, he would actually find himself resenting his father, despite how horrifying that was.
It was during one such period of resentment in 1968 that the Gonzalez's life was completely upended, when masked men broke into his father's laboratory, attacked the old man and tried to rob the place. Arriving home in the aftermath, Mike managed to get help for his father, who spoke of the Falangists coming after him for 'the helmet' before passing out. (It would later become apparent that he was confusing events in the past with those of the present; the men who'd attacked him had been simple gangsters based out of Roswell.)
Searching the wrecked house, Mike discovered a hidden safe with a combination based on his birthdate, and opened it to discover the Magno-Helm that his father had invented more than a decade before and spent all this time perfecting. Reading the laboratory notes that explained what it could do, Mike finally felt that he understood his father, and swore to use this device to find those who'd hurt him and stop them from hurting anyone else. He combined it with a jumpsuit that he also discovered to take on the costumed identity of New Mexico's new hero, the Magnet -- "el Imán".
Only something went wrong. As he hunted the men who'd attacked the laboratory, el Imán found his former impulses towards responsible behavior fading and utter exaltation in the exercise of his newfound power taking their place. He still wanted to find the criminals who'd attacked the lab, but no longer cared who he had to hurt or what he had to break in the name of doing so. The petty response of the police to his rampage only amused him, and he responded accordingly. El Imán's violent outbreak was finally stopped by the Futurian, who happened to be in the area and realized the nature of his opponent, tricking him into a maneuver that caused the helmet to fall off.
Once that happened, Mike immediately collapsed in shame and guilt. At his trial, testimony from both the Futurian and Professor Gonzalez (by that point recovered) helped to establish that the young man had not been in his right mind during the episode, and he was given a sentence of community service. The Futurian urged the Professor to dismantle the Magno-Helm, but the other scientist refused, sure that he could correct its psyche-bending effects given a bit of work.
Three more times in the next three years, Mike would encounter situations that he believed would require superpowered assistance. Each time, he would put on the Magno-Helm, hoping that this time his father had corrected the defect. Each time, he would quickly descend into power madness. Each time, he would fortunately be stopped before he could do any more damage, most frequently by the Futurian, but on one occasion by Captain Mystic. (That episode saw him 'join forces' with Dr. Ranivorous, who double-crossed him and studied the psi-electronic circuitry of the helmet with great interest.) He finally seemed to have learned his lesson during the Battle of Vietnam, when he considered putting on the Helm but apparently decided that he would only make an already bad situation worse.
By 1974, his father was finally certain that he'd resolved the problems of the Magno-Helm, and this seemed to be borne out by el Imán's calm demeanor when he presented himself to the Institute, along with several other young heroes, as prospective new members. The Institute's rejection of them broke his façade, however, and he quickly demonstrated that he was still every bit as dangerous and unstable as he'd ever been. In the confusion, he managed to escape and return to New Mexico, taking his father hostage. In his own way, his son's alternate personality still cared about the Professor, but only in as much as no one else was able to keep his helmet in working order.
Over the next three years, el Imán went on a criminal rampage across the United States, culminating in his involvement in the events in Denver in 1977, which saw the Magno-Helm finally pushed beyond its limits. It exploded, killing Mike and the radioactive hero Alphatron who'd been fighting him, expelling radioactive, mutagenic substances across a good portion of the city. In the aftermath, Professor Gonzalez died as well, ostensibly of a broken heart but really from combination of his irradiation and lingering effects of the toxic chemicals he'd been exposed to while working on 'improving' the Magno-Helm. Ironically, the portable electromagnetic pulse generator devised in the 1980s is based on what remained of his laboratory notes.
El Imán -- PL 9
Abilities:
STR 2 | STA 2 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 5 | INT 2 | AWE 4 | PRE 4
Powers:
Magno Helm: Removable (-13 points)
Beginner's Luck, Language (English, [Spanish is native]), Ranged Attack 4
Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+7), Expertise: Science 4 (+6), Intimidation 4 (+8), Perception 4 (+8).
Offense:
Initiative +3
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 2)
Magnetic Beam +7 (Ranged Damage 10)
Magnetic Wave -- (Burst Area Damage 9)
Defense:
Dodge 9/5, Parry 9/5, Fortitude 4, Toughness 9/2, Will 5
Totals:
Abilities 50 + Powers 56 + Advantages 6 + Skills 9 + Defenses 5 = 126 points
Complications:
Power--Motivation (as el Imán.) Responsibility--Motivation (as Mike.) Family (father.)
Born in 1951, Miguel "Mike" Gonzalez was just seven years old when he and his father fled their native Spain for the United States, settling in New Mexico. Professor Ernesto Gonzalez -- who insisted on being called that, despite no longer being associated with any post-secondary institution by the time Mike was growing up -- initially told his son that his mother had been murdered by the Falangists, prompting their flight. He never explained why that had happened, but Mike eventually began to suspect that it had something to do with his father's research into magnetism. He kept that to himself, however.
By and large, Mike adapted fairly well to his new life in the new world, becoming an athletic and clever young man, and fairly popular with the young ladies. He managed to hide the stress of hiding his true identity, of posing as someone of Mexican rather than Spanish origin and never speaking about his true history, but it rankled nonetheless, and he limited himself to fairly superficial relationships to avoid risking his secret. Sometimes, he would actually find himself resenting his father, despite how horrifying that was.
It was during one such period of resentment in 1968 that the Gonzalez's life was completely upended, when masked men broke into his father's laboratory, attacked the old man and tried to rob the place. Arriving home in the aftermath, Mike managed to get help for his father, who spoke of the Falangists coming after him for 'the helmet' before passing out. (It would later become apparent that he was confusing events in the past with those of the present; the men who'd attacked him had been simple gangsters based out of Roswell.)
Searching the wrecked house, Mike discovered a hidden safe with a combination based on his birthdate, and opened it to discover the Magno-Helm that his father had invented more than a decade before and spent all this time perfecting. Reading the laboratory notes that explained what it could do, Mike finally felt that he understood his father, and swore to use this device to find those who'd hurt him and stop them from hurting anyone else. He combined it with a jumpsuit that he also discovered to take on the costumed identity of New Mexico's new hero, the Magnet -- "el Imán".
Only something went wrong. As he hunted the men who'd attacked the laboratory, el Imán found his former impulses towards responsible behavior fading and utter exaltation in the exercise of his newfound power taking their place. He still wanted to find the criminals who'd attacked the lab, but no longer cared who he had to hurt or what he had to break in the name of doing so. The petty response of the police to his rampage only amused him, and he responded accordingly. El Imán's violent outbreak was finally stopped by the Futurian, who happened to be in the area and realized the nature of his opponent, tricking him into a maneuver that caused the helmet to fall off.
Once that happened, Mike immediately collapsed in shame and guilt. At his trial, testimony from both the Futurian and Professor Gonzalez (by that point recovered) helped to establish that the young man had not been in his right mind during the episode, and he was given a sentence of community service. The Futurian urged the Professor to dismantle the Magno-Helm, but the other scientist refused, sure that he could correct its psyche-bending effects given a bit of work.
Three more times in the next three years, Mike would encounter situations that he believed would require superpowered assistance. Each time, he would put on the Magno-Helm, hoping that this time his father had corrected the defect. Each time, he would quickly descend into power madness. Each time, he would fortunately be stopped before he could do any more damage, most frequently by the Futurian, but on one occasion by Captain Mystic. (That episode saw him 'join forces' with Dr. Ranivorous, who double-crossed him and studied the psi-electronic circuitry of the helmet with great interest.) He finally seemed to have learned his lesson during the Battle of Vietnam, when he considered putting on the Helm but apparently decided that he would only make an already bad situation worse.
By 1974, his father was finally certain that he'd resolved the problems of the Magno-Helm, and this seemed to be borne out by el Imán's calm demeanor when he presented himself to the Institute, along with several other young heroes, as prospective new members. The Institute's rejection of them broke his façade, however, and he quickly demonstrated that he was still every bit as dangerous and unstable as he'd ever been. In the confusion, he managed to escape and return to New Mexico, taking his father hostage. In his own way, his son's alternate personality still cared about the Professor, but only in as much as no one else was able to keep his helmet in working order.
Over the next three years, el Imán went on a criminal rampage across the United States, culminating in his involvement in the events in Denver in 1977, which saw the Magno-Helm finally pushed beyond its limits. It exploded, killing Mike and the radioactive hero Alphatron who'd been fighting him, expelling radioactive, mutagenic substances across a good portion of the city. In the aftermath, Professor Gonzalez died as well, ostensibly of a broken heart but really from combination of his irradiation and lingering effects of the toxic chemicals he'd been exposed to while working on 'improving' the Magno-Helm. Ironically, the portable electromagnetic pulse generator devised in the 1980s is based on what remained of his laboratory notes.
El Imán -- PL 9
Abilities:
STR 2 | STA 2 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 5 | INT 2 | AWE 4 | PRE 4
Powers:
Magno Helm: Removable (-13 points)
- Magnetic Control:Array (20 points)
- Magnetic Beam: Ranged Damage 10 - 20 points
- Magnetic Manipulation: Perception Range Move Object 9, Limited to Ferrous Metals - 1 point
- Magnetic Pulse: Burst Area Nullify Electronics 9, Close Range, Simultaneous - 1 point
- Magnetic Wave: Burst Area Damage 9 - 1 point
- Magnetic Field: Enhanced Defenses 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4); Linked Flight 7 (250 MPH); Linked Sustained Impervious Protection 7 - 36 points
- Unbalanced Mind: Immunity 20 (mental effects), Limited to Half effect - 10 points
Beginner's Luck, Language (English, [Spanish is native]), Ranged Attack 4
Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+7), Expertise: Science 4 (+6), Intimidation 4 (+8), Perception 4 (+8).
Offense:
Initiative +3
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 2)
Magnetic Beam +7 (Ranged Damage 10)
Magnetic Wave -- (Burst Area Damage 9)
Defense:
Dodge 9/5, Parry 9/5, Fortitude 4, Toughness 9/2, Will 5
Totals:
Abilities 50 + Powers 56 + Advantages 6 + Skills 9 + Defenses 5 = 126 points
Complications:
Power--Motivation (as el Imán.) Responsibility--Motivation (as Mike.) Family (father.)
Davies
Legend
The Brute
Art by Adam Tupper
The greatest regret of Peter Sullivan's early life was that he was born just a bit too young to serve in World War II. He attempted to enlist early, when he was 17, but the recruiter happened to recognize the young man from a photo of his science fair victory the previous year, and turned him away. Sullivan finally managed to get in the day after his eighteenth birthday, but by the time he got through basic training the war was already over. He ended up sent to serve garrison duty in Germany, but the glory of battle was denied him by then. He finally got what he was looking for when he ended up in Korea, and it thrilled him, but it ended far too soon.
He also managed to get a college education during this time, earning honors in engineering and chemistry. In 1958, he was recruited to serve as a researcher for the Office of Scientific Investigation, assisting in the resolution of several major cases. During this time he was outspoken in his criticism of the superpowered vigilantes who were becoming active at this time, claiming that they violated not only the laws of man but those of nature, and should be neither relied upon nor tolerated. Many of the Office's personnel had similar views, if not perhaps such vocal ones.
The shuttering of the Office in 1961, and the subsequent establishment of the Institute, outraged Sullivan. The defense of the nation had been given into the hands of misfits and freaks, and this could not be allowed to stand. Inspired by a novel written by one of his favorite authors a few years earlier, he began to assemble designs for an armored suit that would allow any American soldier to equal or even surpass one of the costumed lunatics, who would thus become obsolete. He presented preliminary sketches and designs to the Joint Chiefs, who expressed considerable interest. (At least that was how he interpreted their response.)
By 1963, he had built a working prototype, and was preparing to demonstrate it for the Joint Chiefs. Unfortunately, they were a bit appalled at the expense of just one of these units, far exceeding the price tag of the most expensive vehicles in the Air Forces' arsenal and comparable to that of a naval destroyer. And Sullivan expected them to pay for dozens of them? Besides, whatever their personal opinions of the Institute, the group had been active for months without any serious episodes, so there was no real need to think about replacing them. So Sullivan was urged to come up with something less spectacularly expensive, or just abandon the whole project. He did not take this suggestion well.
A year later, after a further insult was delivered when the Canadians, of all nations, revealed that they had a unit of flying armored suits, Sullivan frantically contacted the Institute. He claimed that someone, probably a Communist agent, had stolen the prototype of his suit from his home in San Diego, and begged them to send someone to capture the thief. The Primal Pattern was dispatched to investigate, and found themselves ambushed by someone wearing the suit. After a furious battle that did considerable damage to the neighborhood, the suit's helmet was yanked free -- to reveal that the 'thief' was Sullivan himself. The shock of this startled the elementals enough that Sullivan was able to escape, his suit's jets outpacing both Aeolia and Phoenix.
The Brute, as the armored suit was quickly dubbed, would attack the Primal Pattern and other members of the Institute repeatedly, as well as clashing with the Golden Eagles. Much to their annoyance, none of them were ever able to expose its operator as Sullivan, who maintained a pose of being a law-abiding citizen whose life's work had been stolen, first by the Canadians and now by some rogue, and who was being slandered by the freaks and misfits of the Institute. He continued to insist that the suit had been taken by a Communist agent, even after it started to show up painted in the stars and stripes. Why, didn't whoever was piloting the thing even work with that Commu-Nazi Baron Khan, as part of the Agents of Destruction? It couldn't possibly be him, a loyal and patriotic American, who was running the thing.
In 1971, as the Battle of Vietnam got underway, the Brute surprised everyone by flying to Vietnam and volunteering his services to assembling defense forces. He still maintained that he wasn't Peter Sullivan, but would be more than happy to use his weapons to prevent the disaster that was unfolding. It seems likely that his intention was to finally demonstrate the supremacy of his technology over the powers of the Institute and others, and that he seriously underestimated the amount of power that Stardust could bring to bear. Stardust blasted him with some unknown ray that transformed Sullivan into an amorphous, ooze-like entity within his suit, unable to control it, and then casually tore the armor to pieces.
Horrifically, Sullivan survived this experience, as Stardust found himself somewhat distracted by other attackers, and lived long enough for most of his body to be taken to an aid station. There, he finally admitted to his identity, bemoaning the folly that had led him to this end. However, he died insisting that this had all been everyone else's fault for not accepting his designs. "We would never have been in Vietnam this long if everyone had just listened to me," were his last words.
The Brute -- PL 10
Abilities:
STR 7/3 | STA 6/2 | AGL 0 | DEX 3 | FGT 4 | INT 7 | AWE 1 | PRE 2
Powers:
Brute Armor: Removable (-14 points)
Improved Grab, Improved Smash, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4.
Skills:
Athletics 4 (+11/+7), Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+7), Deception 6 (+8), Expertise: Military 4 (+11), Expertise: Science 2 (+9), Intimidation 8 (+10), Perception 6 (+7), Technology 5 (+12).
Offense:
Initiative +0
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 7/3)
Bashing Mode +7 (Close Damage 12)
Lightning Mode +9 (Ranged Damage 9)
Defense:
Dodge 3/5, Parry 5/7, Fortitude 8/4, Toughness 15/2, Will 6
Totals:
Abilities 44 + Powers 56 + Advantages 10 + Skills 19 + Defenses 15 = 144 points
Complications:
Revenge--Motivation. Addiction (steroids.) Narrow-Minded. Paranoid. Power Loss (suit requires maintenance.) Secret Identity.
Art by Adam Tupper
The greatest regret of Peter Sullivan's early life was that he was born just a bit too young to serve in World War II. He attempted to enlist early, when he was 17, but the recruiter happened to recognize the young man from a photo of his science fair victory the previous year, and turned him away. Sullivan finally managed to get in the day after his eighteenth birthday, but by the time he got through basic training the war was already over. He ended up sent to serve garrison duty in Germany, but the glory of battle was denied him by then. He finally got what he was looking for when he ended up in Korea, and it thrilled him, but it ended far too soon.
He also managed to get a college education during this time, earning honors in engineering and chemistry. In 1958, he was recruited to serve as a researcher for the Office of Scientific Investigation, assisting in the resolution of several major cases. During this time he was outspoken in his criticism of the superpowered vigilantes who were becoming active at this time, claiming that they violated not only the laws of man but those of nature, and should be neither relied upon nor tolerated. Many of the Office's personnel had similar views, if not perhaps such vocal ones.
The shuttering of the Office in 1961, and the subsequent establishment of the Institute, outraged Sullivan. The defense of the nation had been given into the hands of misfits and freaks, and this could not be allowed to stand. Inspired by a novel written by one of his favorite authors a few years earlier, he began to assemble designs for an armored suit that would allow any American soldier to equal or even surpass one of the costumed lunatics, who would thus become obsolete. He presented preliminary sketches and designs to the Joint Chiefs, who expressed considerable interest. (At least that was how he interpreted their response.)
By 1963, he had built a working prototype, and was preparing to demonstrate it for the Joint Chiefs. Unfortunately, they were a bit appalled at the expense of just one of these units, far exceeding the price tag of the most expensive vehicles in the Air Forces' arsenal and comparable to that of a naval destroyer. And Sullivan expected them to pay for dozens of them? Besides, whatever their personal opinions of the Institute, the group had been active for months without any serious episodes, so there was no real need to think about replacing them. So Sullivan was urged to come up with something less spectacularly expensive, or just abandon the whole project. He did not take this suggestion well.
A year later, after a further insult was delivered when the Canadians, of all nations, revealed that they had a unit of flying armored suits, Sullivan frantically contacted the Institute. He claimed that someone, probably a Communist agent, had stolen the prototype of his suit from his home in San Diego, and begged them to send someone to capture the thief. The Primal Pattern was dispatched to investigate, and found themselves ambushed by someone wearing the suit. After a furious battle that did considerable damage to the neighborhood, the suit's helmet was yanked free -- to reveal that the 'thief' was Sullivan himself. The shock of this startled the elementals enough that Sullivan was able to escape, his suit's jets outpacing both Aeolia and Phoenix.
The Brute, as the armored suit was quickly dubbed, would attack the Primal Pattern and other members of the Institute repeatedly, as well as clashing with the Golden Eagles. Much to their annoyance, none of them were ever able to expose its operator as Sullivan, who maintained a pose of being a law-abiding citizen whose life's work had been stolen, first by the Canadians and now by some rogue, and who was being slandered by the freaks and misfits of the Institute. He continued to insist that the suit had been taken by a Communist agent, even after it started to show up painted in the stars and stripes. Why, didn't whoever was piloting the thing even work with that Commu-Nazi Baron Khan, as part of the Agents of Destruction? It couldn't possibly be him, a loyal and patriotic American, who was running the thing.
In 1971, as the Battle of Vietnam got underway, the Brute surprised everyone by flying to Vietnam and volunteering his services to assembling defense forces. He still maintained that he wasn't Peter Sullivan, but would be more than happy to use his weapons to prevent the disaster that was unfolding. It seems likely that his intention was to finally demonstrate the supremacy of his technology over the powers of the Institute and others, and that he seriously underestimated the amount of power that Stardust could bring to bear. Stardust blasted him with some unknown ray that transformed Sullivan into an amorphous, ooze-like entity within his suit, unable to control it, and then casually tore the armor to pieces.
Horrifically, Sullivan survived this experience, as Stardust found himself somewhat distracted by other attackers, and lived long enough for most of his body to be taken to an aid station. There, he finally admitted to his identity, bemoaning the folly that had led him to this end. However, he died insisting that this had all been everyone else's fault for not accepting his designs. "We would never have been in Vietnam this long if everyone had just listened to me," were his last words.
The Brute -- PL 10
Abilities:
STR 7/3 | STA 6/2 | AGL 0 | DEX 3 | FGT 4 | INT 7 | AWE 1 | PRE 2
Powers:
Brute Armor: Removable (-14 points)
- Armored Shell: Impervious Protection 8 - 16 points
- Broadcaster: Area Radio Communication 2 - 12 points
- Large Size: Permanent Growth 4 (Strength +4, Stamina +4, Intimidation +2, Dodge -2, Parry -2, Stealth -4) - 12 points
- Sealed Systems: Immunity 10 (life support) - 10 points
- Sensors: Senses 8 (accurate extended radius radio, direction sense, distance sense, time sense) - 8 points
- Weapon Systems: Array (10 points)
- Bashing Mode: Enhanced Strength 5 - 10 points
- Flight Mode: Flight 9 (1000 MPH), Concentration - 1 point
- Lightning Mode: Ranged Damage 9, Accurate, Unreliable - 1 point
Improved Grab, Improved Smash, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4.
Skills:
Athletics 4 (+11/+7), Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+7), Deception 6 (+8), Expertise: Military 4 (+11), Expertise: Science 2 (+9), Intimidation 8 (+10), Perception 6 (+7), Technology 5 (+12).
Offense:
Initiative +0
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 7/3)
Bashing Mode +7 (Close Damage 12)
Lightning Mode +9 (Ranged Damage 9)
Defense:
Dodge 3/5, Parry 5/7, Fortitude 8/4, Toughness 15/2, Will 6
Totals:
Abilities 44 + Powers 56 + Advantages 10 + Skills 19 + Defenses 15 = 144 points
Complications:
Revenge--Motivation. Addiction (steroids.) Narrow-Minded. Paranoid. Power Loss (suit requires maintenance.) Secret Identity.
Davies
Legend
Alicino
No one is really sure where the archetype of the harlequin comes from. There is an argument that the earliest form of the word derives from the English 'herla cyning', one of the names assigned to the leader of the Wild Hunt. From this embodiment of the storm and madness, he became a devil figure in French legends, before ultimately becoming a trickster figure in comedic plays performed by Italian actors. Yet though tamed, and cast into the role of a servant, something of his old power remained in his possession of a wand, or wooden sword, with which he could change the scenery of the play. He was still something of a magician.
No one is really sure where the person who employed this archetype in the first age of superheroics came from, either. During one of their first cases together, Jeremiah Wander and Geoffrey Tempest encountered him acting as a servant to an eccentric millionaire whose delusions of omnipotence were being supported by Alicino's powers. However, Wander would admit that this was not the first time that he had crossed paths with Alicino, but he elected to reserve that tale for another time. It's not clear if that other time ever came during Wander and Tempest's partnership; certainly no account of this first clash was ever included in Tempest's books.
Wander did go into detail about his theory as to what Alicino was. He believed, or claimed to believe, that Alicino was a mystic who had used his powers to become something more than mortal, likely sometime in the early twentieth century, and had been engaged in whatever antics amused him ever since. Wander pointed to some accounts which associated a harlequin-like figure of mysterious powers with one Mr. Satterthwaite in the 1920s, though that individual seemed much more benevolent than Alicino, who preyed on the foolish and the gullible, granting their darkest wishes in ways that often caused the ruination of the wisher.
He and Wander clashed repeatedly through the 1960s, with Alicino's magic generally mightier, but Wander's courage and ingenuity usually prevailing. One such clash, beginning when Diavolus sought to steal Alicino's power, was the beginning of the alliance between Wander and Diane Fortune. Aside from this, however, Alicino showed no interest in associating with other villains, nor in clashing with heroes aside from Wander ... aside from a singular and most unusual episode.
On the afternoon of August 17, 1969, a bank robber, who had had the extreme misfortune of running down a member of the Stardust Crusaders during his escape, fled into a music and art fair that was being held near Bethel, New York, in the hope that he could hide himself among the large number of people who were there. He was correct that he could hide, incorrect that the large number of people there would dissuade Stardust from seeking him out, and horribly wrong if he believed that Stardust would not treat the people attending Woodstock, who were largely taking shelter from the thunderstorm that afternoon, as though they were aiding and abetting in his quarry's flight.
And then something very strange happened. Before Stardust could inflict any punishment on anyone, Alicino confronted him and, with remarkable politeness, asked him to leave, as this was a celebration of peace and music. Stardust responded by firing one of his rays at the harlequin figure ... and for the first time in anyone's knowledge, the ray did nothing. Alicino repeated his request, pointing out that the fugitive would eventually have to leave the festival once it ended later that day. Stardust said nothing in response to any of this, but he did withdraw. The festival eventually resumed, with Alicino enjoying a small amount of celebrity among the other attendees, though he departed before the sun set.
Alicino's last documented appearance was in 1971, during the Battle of Vietnam. Despite what might be expected, he had not been recruited to use his seeming invulnerability -- or perhaps indifference -- to Stardust's powers; while this was discussed, Wander indicated that he had no reliable means of contacting his enemy and did not believe that he would be willing to assist. Instead, he was glimpsed towards the end of the battle, approaching the tent where Wander was engaged in astral projection. In the aftermath, the tent was empty, with no signs of any struggle. It seems likely that Alicino had something to do with Wander's disappearance, but just as the tale of these two individuals begins in mystery, so does it apparently end.
Alicino -- PL 11
Abilities:
STR -1 | STA 0 | AGL 4 | DEX 3 | FGT 2 | INT 3 | AWE 8 | PRE 5
Powers:
"A Little Magic is a Most Dangerous Thing:" Immunity 1 (Abraxas' powers) - 1 point
Otherworldly Being: Comprehend Languages 4; Immunity 30 (life support, mental effects); Protection 14, Impervious 12 - 68 points
Second Sight: Senses 6 (darkvision, postcognition); Senses 4 (precognition), Unreliable - 8 points
Sorcery: Array (56 points)
Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Daze (Deception), Evasion 2, Fascinate (Deception), Improved Initiative, Instant Up, Jack-of-all-Trades, Move-by Action, Redirect, Ritualist, Taunt, Ultimate Effort (Deception).
Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+11), Deception 8 (+13), Expertise: Magic 8 (+13), Insight 6 (+14), Perception 5 (+13), Sleight of Hand 8 (+11), Stealth 8 (+12).
Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +2 (Close Damage -1)
A Beast You Are -- (Perception Range Will 11)
Mind Over Matter -- (Perception Range Transform 8)
Mind Over Matter -- (Perception Range Damage 11)
Illusion -- (Perception Range Damage 8)
Thunder & Lighnting -- (Ranged Multiattack Damage 8 and Ranged Fortitude 8)
Worship Me (Perception Range Will 11)
Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 6, Fortitude 4, Toughness 14, Will 14
Totals:
Abilities 48 + Powers 146 + Advantages 13 + Skills 25 + Defenses 18 = 250 points
Complications:
Trickery--Motivation. Capricious. Vulnerability (injured by any Nullify Magic effect against his effects.)
No one is really sure where the archetype of the harlequin comes from. There is an argument that the earliest form of the word derives from the English 'herla cyning', one of the names assigned to the leader of the Wild Hunt. From this embodiment of the storm and madness, he became a devil figure in French legends, before ultimately becoming a trickster figure in comedic plays performed by Italian actors. Yet though tamed, and cast into the role of a servant, something of his old power remained in his possession of a wand, or wooden sword, with which he could change the scenery of the play. He was still something of a magician.
No one is really sure where the person who employed this archetype in the first age of superheroics came from, either. During one of their first cases together, Jeremiah Wander and Geoffrey Tempest encountered him acting as a servant to an eccentric millionaire whose delusions of omnipotence were being supported by Alicino's powers. However, Wander would admit that this was not the first time that he had crossed paths with Alicino, but he elected to reserve that tale for another time. It's not clear if that other time ever came during Wander and Tempest's partnership; certainly no account of this first clash was ever included in Tempest's books.
Wander did go into detail about his theory as to what Alicino was. He believed, or claimed to believe, that Alicino was a mystic who had used his powers to become something more than mortal, likely sometime in the early twentieth century, and had been engaged in whatever antics amused him ever since. Wander pointed to some accounts which associated a harlequin-like figure of mysterious powers with one Mr. Satterthwaite in the 1920s, though that individual seemed much more benevolent than Alicino, who preyed on the foolish and the gullible, granting their darkest wishes in ways that often caused the ruination of the wisher.
He and Wander clashed repeatedly through the 1960s, with Alicino's magic generally mightier, but Wander's courage and ingenuity usually prevailing. One such clash, beginning when Diavolus sought to steal Alicino's power, was the beginning of the alliance between Wander and Diane Fortune. Aside from this, however, Alicino showed no interest in associating with other villains, nor in clashing with heroes aside from Wander ... aside from a singular and most unusual episode.
On the afternoon of August 17, 1969, a bank robber, who had had the extreme misfortune of running down a member of the Stardust Crusaders during his escape, fled into a music and art fair that was being held near Bethel, New York, in the hope that he could hide himself among the large number of people who were there. He was correct that he could hide, incorrect that the large number of people there would dissuade Stardust from seeking him out, and horribly wrong if he believed that Stardust would not treat the people attending Woodstock, who were largely taking shelter from the thunderstorm that afternoon, as though they were aiding and abetting in his quarry's flight.
And then something very strange happened. Before Stardust could inflict any punishment on anyone, Alicino confronted him and, with remarkable politeness, asked him to leave, as this was a celebration of peace and music. Stardust responded by firing one of his rays at the harlequin figure ... and for the first time in anyone's knowledge, the ray did nothing. Alicino repeated his request, pointing out that the fugitive would eventually have to leave the festival once it ended later that day. Stardust said nothing in response to any of this, but he did withdraw. The festival eventually resumed, with Alicino enjoying a small amount of celebrity among the other attendees, though he departed before the sun set.
Alicino's last documented appearance was in 1971, during the Battle of Vietnam. Despite what might be expected, he had not been recruited to use his seeming invulnerability -- or perhaps indifference -- to Stardust's powers; while this was discussed, Wander indicated that he had no reliable means of contacting his enemy and did not believe that he would be willing to assist. Instead, he was glimpsed towards the end of the battle, approaching the tent where Wander was engaged in astral projection. In the aftermath, the tent was empty, with no signs of any struggle. It seems likely that Alicino had something to do with Wander's disappearance, but just as the tale of these two individuals begins in mystery, so does it apparently end.
Alicino -- PL 11
Abilities:
STR -1 | STA 0 | AGL 4 | DEX 3 | FGT 2 | INT 3 | AWE 8 | PRE 5
Powers:
"A Little Magic is a Most Dangerous Thing:" Immunity 1 (Abraxas' powers) - 1 point
Otherworldly Being: Comprehend Languages 4; Immunity 30 (life support, mental effects); Protection 14, Impervious 12 - 68 points
Second Sight: Senses 6 (darkvision, postcognition); Senses 4 (precognition), Unreliable - 8 points
Sorcery: Array (56 points)
- "A Beast You Are So A Beast You Be": Perception Range Morph 3 Attack (cannot work on the truly innocent), Resisted by Will, Increased Resistance 8 - 1 point
- "Mind Over Matter": Perception Range Transform 8 (400 lbs) - 56 points
- "Mind Over Matter": Perception Range Damaging Move Object 11 - 1 point
- "The Senses Are Liars Too": Damaging Illusion 8 (all senses), Resisted by Will - 1 point
- "Thunder & Lightning, O Very Frightening": Linked Ranged Multiattack Damage 8; Linked Ranged Cumulative Affliction 8 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed & Hearing Impaired, Stunned & Hearing Disabled, Paralyzed & Hearing Unaware), Extra Condition - 1 point
- "Worship Me, Follow Me, Sacrifice Your Life": Perception Range Progressive Affliction 11 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled) - 1 point
Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Daze (Deception), Evasion 2, Fascinate (Deception), Improved Initiative, Instant Up, Jack-of-all-Trades, Move-by Action, Redirect, Ritualist, Taunt, Ultimate Effort (Deception).
Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+11), Deception 8 (+13), Expertise: Magic 8 (+13), Insight 6 (+14), Perception 5 (+13), Sleight of Hand 8 (+11), Stealth 8 (+12).
Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +2 (Close Damage -1)
A Beast You Are -- (Perception Range Will 11)
Mind Over Matter -- (Perception Range Transform 8)
Mind Over Matter -- (Perception Range Damage 11)
Illusion -- (Perception Range Damage 8)
Thunder & Lighnting -- (Ranged Multiattack Damage 8 and Ranged Fortitude 8)
Worship Me (Perception Range Will 11)
Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 6, Fortitude 4, Toughness 14, Will 14
Totals:
Abilities 48 + Powers 146 + Advantages 13 + Skills 25 + Defenses 18 = 250 points
Complications:
Trickery--Motivation. Capricious. Vulnerability (injured by any Nullify Magic effect against his effects.)
Davies
Legend
Gloriana
Once upon a time in Battle Creek, Michigan, there lived a man named Professor Henry Sylvester and his wife, Bess. The professor was attached to the biology department of Davenport University, but it had been quite some time since he'd published any original research of his own, rather acting as a supervisor for the work of other scientists. This was viewed as a generally good thing, for his colleagues were well aware that Sylvester was one of those dangerously brilliant types who, left to his own devices, would probably produce abominations in the eyes of God and Man. So he was kept too busy for such things ... or so they thought.
In fact, Professor Sylvester quietly maintained a private laboratory in his home where he could give free rein to his imagination, focusing his efforts on the only matter that could possibly concern any thinking human being -- the improvement of humanity. Events, such as the World War, had shown him that humanity could not be trusted to guide its own affairs, and that a superior form of humanity would be needed to rule over them for their own good. Evolution was failing to produce that superior form, so evolution would just have to be helped along, and the Professor believed that he'd found a way to do this.
In mid-1939, Bess Sylvester became pregnant. There is some question as to the paternity of the child, as the relationship between husband and wife was cool at best, but it's also the case that the Professor regarded that question as academic. He had been handed an opportunity, and so arranged for his wife to receive an injection of the chemical formula he'd developed, in the belief that it would be passed on to the son developing in her womb. On January 1 of the following year, his wife gave birth, and the doctor congratulated the Professor with three words that turned his life upside down -- "It's a girl."
For a while, the Professor dared to hope that he'd made some sort of mistake along the way, and that his only daughter, dubbed Gloria, would not manifest the superpowers he'd hoped to give the son he needed. Not until she was in her mid teens did the horrific truth, that she was stronger, tougher and faster than any grown man, become clear to him. Terrified that the world to come would be ruled by a hysterical overwoman instead of the rational overman he'd imagined, he withdrew her from public schooling as soon as possible, keeping her away from her potential victims. Meanwhile, the Professor grew incautious with his experiments, and in 1958 an accident in the laboratory caused an explosion that killed his wife and left him on the verge of death while his daughter was off playing in the woods. She returned just in time to hear his final words, in which he begged her to use her abilities "in the service of man --"
Well, that was never going to happen. For years now, Gloria's parents had both forced her to keep what she could do a secret, and she'd come to realize that they -- her father more than her mother, but both of them -- were afraid of her, making her feel alienated and unhappy. But they were gone now, and though she never would have wished this on them, she couldn't bring herself to mourn either. She was free now, free of any restraint or limit, and she could at last enjoy life as she pleased. She did not really want to hurt anyone in the name of her enjoyment, but if that was the only way she could have fun, that was what she'd do.
And so she went out into the world, doing exactly as she wished without any regard for the law, to which the forces of the law naturally objected. Almost nothing that the police could throw at her would do anything, until she started fighting superheroes. They overcame her might with cunning, but no prison could hold her for long. She clashed with almost all of them -- the Futurian, the Meteor, Madame Menagerie, Basilea, and others -- save for Stardust, who apparently considered her misdeeds too petty to be worthy of his retribution. Reportedly, this both annoyed and relieved her.
While a member of the first assembly of Agents of Destruction, she found herself disgusted by most of her so-called teammates, and first covertly arranged for the capture of one of the most personally offensive of them, and later refusing the offer to join the second group. In between those events, she had her first clash with the Grim Brigade, in which Janey Quantum tried the unusual tactic of talking to her to see if some common ground could be found. It didn't work immediately, and Gloriana was once more off to prison, with the warden now aware (thanks to Mechano) that adding large amounts of oxalates to her food would weaken her considerably. She eventually found a way to get free regardless, but remembered that Quantum had treated her like a person instead of a menace.
By and large, that didn't change anything -- Gloria still kept doing whatever she wanted to do, but sometimes she'd seek out Quantum to have actual conversations. They found that they had a lot in common -- being both daughters of fathers who'd wanted sons (or at least sons other than the one Billy Baldwin actually had) whose powers had separated them from mundane life. But Gloria didn't understand why that hadn't made Janey as bitter as she herself was, why she kept trying to help a society that regarded her as a sometimes useful freak. Janey simply pointed out that she didn't do what she did for public approval, but because it made her happy and was exciting -- like Gloria claimed her life did -- and also because it had brought her friends she could trust -- which Gloria's life hadn't.
Gloria was still turning this whole notion over in her mind when the Battle of Vietnam happened. She watched news reports about it through stunned eyes. It was a level of violence beyond anything that she'd ever imagined, and the absolute opposite of anything she could imagine as fun. Was this really what she wanted for the world, no matter how rotten it had treated her? No. It wasn't. So she couldn't be a supervillain anymore. She was going to have to go straight.
Of course, to do that, she was first going to have to pay for her crimes. She voluntarily surrendered to the police, took regular megadoses of oxalates, and stayed quietly in prison. She was scheduled to be released in 1989, but when she remained in jail after the Pythons broke everyone else out, she ended up having the rest of her sentence suspended due to extraordinary good behavior, and the hope that she'd assist the forces opposing the Pythons. She was more than willing to do this, and looked forward to working with Janey.
That's when she found out about Jane Baldwin's death. She managed to get permission to attend the funeral, and fumblingly tried to express her sorrow to Franklin Zane -- who angrily told her where to go and how to get there, disgusted that this felon was daring to pretend she'd ever been some sort of friend to his late wife. He unloaded every bit of his anger at how much his wife had wasted her life playing superhero at her, never realizing that his daughter was listening to every word that he said. Gloria just took it, and offered her apologies, and then walked away.
She never reported for her assignment with the taskforce that was being assembled to deal with the Pythons. There was an attempt at a manhunt, but the resources for it were minimal under the circumstances. There has not been a reliable sighting of Gloria Sylvester since 1982. If she's still alive, she would be eighty-one years old, now, but as she had not visibly aged between 1959 and 1982, it's not possible to say whether she'd look her age.
Gloriana -- PL 9
Abilities:
STR 11 | STA 11 | AGL 2 | DEX 0 | FGT 7 | INT 1 | AWE 1 | PRE 3
Powers:
Brick Tricks: Array (11 points), Based on Strength Damage
Strong Legs: Leaping 4 (120 feet); Speed 3 (16 MPH) - 7 points
Tremendous Endurance: Immunity 8 (aging, cold, disease, heat, poison, pressure, radiation, starvation & thirst, vacuum); Sustained Immunity 2 (suffocation) - 10 points
Tremendous Strength: Enhanced Strength 3, Limited to lifting - 3 points
Advantages:
Attractive 2, Fearless, Power Attack, Set-Up, Taunt
Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+9), Deception 8 (+11), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+7), Investigation 6 (+7), Perception 6 (+7), Persuasion 5 (+8), Ranged Combat: Throwing 6 (+6), Stealth 8 (+10).
Offense:
Initiative +2
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 11)
Thrown Object +6 (Ranged Damage variable)
Defense:
Dodge 7, Parry 7, Fortitude 11, Toughness 11, Will 6
Totals:
Abilities 72 + Powers 28 + Advantages 5 + Skills 23 + Defenses 10 = 138 points
Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Huge Eater. Power Loss (consumption of oxalate, also causes Weaken Strength and Stamina 8.) Soft-hearted.
Once upon a time in Battle Creek, Michigan, there lived a man named Professor Henry Sylvester and his wife, Bess. The professor was attached to the biology department of Davenport University, but it had been quite some time since he'd published any original research of his own, rather acting as a supervisor for the work of other scientists. This was viewed as a generally good thing, for his colleagues were well aware that Sylvester was one of those dangerously brilliant types who, left to his own devices, would probably produce abominations in the eyes of God and Man. So he was kept too busy for such things ... or so they thought.
In fact, Professor Sylvester quietly maintained a private laboratory in his home where he could give free rein to his imagination, focusing his efforts on the only matter that could possibly concern any thinking human being -- the improvement of humanity. Events, such as the World War, had shown him that humanity could not be trusted to guide its own affairs, and that a superior form of humanity would be needed to rule over them for their own good. Evolution was failing to produce that superior form, so evolution would just have to be helped along, and the Professor believed that he'd found a way to do this.
In mid-1939, Bess Sylvester became pregnant. There is some question as to the paternity of the child, as the relationship between husband and wife was cool at best, but it's also the case that the Professor regarded that question as academic. He had been handed an opportunity, and so arranged for his wife to receive an injection of the chemical formula he'd developed, in the belief that it would be passed on to the son developing in her womb. On January 1 of the following year, his wife gave birth, and the doctor congratulated the Professor with three words that turned his life upside down -- "It's a girl."
For a while, the Professor dared to hope that he'd made some sort of mistake along the way, and that his only daughter, dubbed Gloria, would not manifest the superpowers he'd hoped to give the son he needed. Not until she was in her mid teens did the horrific truth, that she was stronger, tougher and faster than any grown man, become clear to him. Terrified that the world to come would be ruled by a hysterical overwoman instead of the rational overman he'd imagined, he withdrew her from public schooling as soon as possible, keeping her away from her potential victims. Meanwhile, the Professor grew incautious with his experiments, and in 1958 an accident in the laboratory caused an explosion that killed his wife and left him on the verge of death while his daughter was off playing in the woods. She returned just in time to hear his final words, in which he begged her to use her abilities "in the service of man --"
Well, that was never going to happen. For years now, Gloria's parents had both forced her to keep what she could do a secret, and she'd come to realize that they -- her father more than her mother, but both of them -- were afraid of her, making her feel alienated and unhappy. But they were gone now, and though she never would have wished this on them, she couldn't bring herself to mourn either. She was free now, free of any restraint or limit, and she could at last enjoy life as she pleased. She did not really want to hurt anyone in the name of her enjoyment, but if that was the only way she could have fun, that was what she'd do.
And so she went out into the world, doing exactly as she wished without any regard for the law, to which the forces of the law naturally objected. Almost nothing that the police could throw at her would do anything, until she started fighting superheroes. They overcame her might with cunning, but no prison could hold her for long. She clashed with almost all of them -- the Futurian, the Meteor, Madame Menagerie, Basilea, and others -- save for Stardust, who apparently considered her misdeeds too petty to be worthy of his retribution. Reportedly, this both annoyed and relieved her.
While a member of the first assembly of Agents of Destruction, she found herself disgusted by most of her so-called teammates, and first covertly arranged for the capture of one of the most personally offensive of them, and later refusing the offer to join the second group. In between those events, she had her first clash with the Grim Brigade, in which Janey Quantum tried the unusual tactic of talking to her to see if some common ground could be found. It didn't work immediately, and Gloriana was once more off to prison, with the warden now aware (thanks to Mechano) that adding large amounts of oxalates to her food would weaken her considerably. She eventually found a way to get free regardless, but remembered that Quantum had treated her like a person instead of a menace.
By and large, that didn't change anything -- Gloria still kept doing whatever she wanted to do, but sometimes she'd seek out Quantum to have actual conversations. They found that they had a lot in common -- being both daughters of fathers who'd wanted sons (or at least sons other than the one Billy Baldwin actually had) whose powers had separated them from mundane life. But Gloria didn't understand why that hadn't made Janey as bitter as she herself was, why she kept trying to help a society that regarded her as a sometimes useful freak. Janey simply pointed out that she didn't do what she did for public approval, but because it made her happy and was exciting -- like Gloria claimed her life did -- and also because it had brought her friends she could trust -- which Gloria's life hadn't.
Gloria was still turning this whole notion over in her mind when the Battle of Vietnam happened. She watched news reports about it through stunned eyes. It was a level of violence beyond anything that she'd ever imagined, and the absolute opposite of anything she could imagine as fun. Was this really what she wanted for the world, no matter how rotten it had treated her? No. It wasn't. So she couldn't be a supervillain anymore. She was going to have to go straight.
Of course, to do that, she was first going to have to pay for her crimes. She voluntarily surrendered to the police, took regular megadoses of oxalates, and stayed quietly in prison. She was scheduled to be released in 1989, but when she remained in jail after the Pythons broke everyone else out, she ended up having the rest of her sentence suspended due to extraordinary good behavior, and the hope that she'd assist the forces opposing the Pythons. She was more than willing to do this, and looked forward to working with Janey.
That's when she found out about Jane Baldwin's death. She managed to get permission to attend the funeral, and fumblingly tried to express her sorrow to Franklin Zane -- who angrily told her where to go and how to get there, disgusted that this felon was daring to pretend she'd ever been some sort of friend to his late wife. He unloaded every bit of his anger at how much his wife had wasted her life playing superhero at her, never realizing that his daughter was listening to every word that he said. Gloria just took it, and offered her apologies, and then walked away.
She never reported for her assignment with the taskforce that was being assembled to deal with the Pythons. There was an attempt at a manhunt, but the resources for it were minimal under the circumstances. There has not been a reliable sighting of Gloria Sylvester since 1982. If she's still alive, she would be eighty-one years old, now, but as she had not visibly aged between 1959 and 1982, it's not possible to say whether she'd look her age.
Gloriana -- PL 9
Abilities:
STR 11 | STA 11 | AGL 2 | DEX 0 | FGT 7 | INT 1 | AWE 1 | PRE 3
Powers:
Brick Tricks: Array (11 points), Based on Strength Damage
- Sucker Punch: Affliction 11 (Dazed & Vulnerable, Stunned & Defenseless), Extra Condition, Limited Degree - 1 point
- Sunday Punch: Burst Area Damage 8, Activation (Move action), Limited (15 foot burst) - 1 point
Strong Legs: Leaping 4 (120 feet); Speed 3 (16 MPH) - 7 points
Tremendous Endurance: Immunity 8 (aging, cold, disease, heat, poison, pressure, radiation, starvation & thirst, vacuum); Sustained Immunity 2 (suffocation) - 10 points
Tremendous Strength: Enhanced Strength 3, Limited to lifting - 3 points
Advantages:
Attractive 2, Fearless, Power Attack, Set-Up, Taunt
Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+9), Deception 8 (+11), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+7), Investigation 6 (+7), Perception 6 (+7), Persuasion 5 (+8), Ranged Combat: Throwing 6 (+6), Stealth 8 (+10).
Offense:
Initiative +2
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 11)
Thrown Object +6 (Ranged Damage variable)
Defense:
Dodge 7, Parry 7, Fortitude 11, Toughness 11, Will 6
Totals:
Abilities 72 + Powers 28 + Advantages 5 + Skills 23 + Defenses 10 = 138 points
Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Huge Eater. Power Loss (consumption of oxalate, also causes Weaken Strength and Stamina 8.) Soft-hearted.
Davies
Legend
And now, out to space once more, to meet some of Captain Mystic's current students.
Naho Krauder
Yuriko Tyler's efforts to gradually shift public opinion within the Technate to be less hostile towards people with innate, non-technological abilities have not gone unnoticed. While she has met with some support, there are also a number of cool, considerate thinkers within the Technate's establishment who oppose these activities on what they consider to be principled grounds. The majority of these people would never be so blatant in their hostility as to try and directly interfere with someone who has repeatedly saved the Technate, but one group within the Bureau of Law Enforcement have taken steps to ensure that they are constantly apprised of her actions, by inserting a double agent into her retinue.
Fifteen years* ago, Naho Krauder was a med school student who was paying her way through college by moonlighting as a fashion model. Tragedy struck when she became the victim of a psychically-powered serial killer, suffering devastating and permanent injuries, most notably to her eyes, while barely escaping with her life. Naho underwent extensive medical treatment for her injuries, becoming cybernetically enhanced in the process. Following her delayed graduation, she went to work for the Bureau as a medical examiner. In light of her history, her current patrons felt secure that she would share their reasonable concerns about the activities of the empowered, and could be trusted as an informer.
The thing about history that a lot of people fail to understand is that it's often not 'what happened' but 'what was written down'. When Naho was injured, Captain Mystic was on an extended leave of absence from the Bureau following her encounter with the Amothat, and so Yuriko's involvement with Naho's case was entirely unofficial and never referenced in any reports on the episode. Not only did the Captain provide critical assistance in capturing Naho's assailant, she had several extended conversations with Naho that helped the student to deal with the grief and anger she felt over her injuries.
Therefore, when a certain group of poltroons wanted Naho to betray and spy upon a person that she both respected and admired, she calmly agreed with everything that they said and proposed, then waited for the right opportunity to wreck their plans. When she had a moment to speak privately with Yuriko (who maintained the fiction that they'd never met) Naho proposed that she act as a triple agent, passing only the information approved of by the Captain. Yuriko wasn't happy about this idea, as it's much more twisty and deceitful than she likes, but agreed that it was probably safer for Naho than openly breaking with a group that could pose a serious threat to her.
Naho has received the use of an artifact dubbed the Amicus Medicae, which takes the form of a belt that can produce an intangible 'drone' able to heal injuries, supplement people's resistance to injury and disease, and act as a remote sensor. When pressed, she can also use it as a means of causing injuries to living targets, though she dislikes doing so and prefers to rely on her hand-to-hand training and Bureau-issued blaster for most combat situations. An expert physician and crime scene analyst, she also has excellent interpersonal skills and frequently takes the role of her team's 'face' while dealing with other agents.
Naho is not particularly close to any of her fellow agents, in part to preserve her cover and in part because she prefers to keep most people at a comfortable distance. She finds it hard to trust people; as her interactions with Yuriko demonstrate, however, when she does trust someone, she will go to extraordinary lengths to help them. The Captain sometimes worries that Naho idolizes her rather than just admiring her, as well as being concerned about her friend's tendency towards very black-and-white thinking ...
Naho Krauder -- PL 9
Abilities:
STR 4 | STA 5 | AGL 4 | DEX 5 | FGT 8 | INT 5 | AWE 6/4 | PRE 3
Powers:
Cybernetics: Enhanced Advantages 2 (Improved Initiative 2); Enhanced Awareness 2; Enhanced Defenses 4 (Dodge 2, Parry 2); Senses 8 (analytical extended vision, infravision, ultravision, vision penetrates concealment [Cannot penetrate force fields]) - 16 points
Amicus Medicae: Array (24 points); Removable (-5 points)
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Attractive, Benefit (Bureau agent), Connections, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 4, Improvised Tools, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged, Cover), Ranged Attack 3, Set Up, Skill Mastery (Treatment).
Equipment:
Blaster pistol (Ranged Damage 5), medical kit, and 9 points of equipment as needed.
Skills:
Deception 5 (+8), Expertise: Galactic 4 (+9), Expertise: Science 4 (+9), Insight 5 (+11/+9), Investigation 6 (+11), Perception 6 (+12/+10), Persuasion 8 (+11), Ranged Combat: Medical Drone 2 (+7), Stealth 6 (+10), Treatment 8 (+13).
Offense:
Initiative +12/+4
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 5)
Blaster Pistol +8 (Ranged Damage 5)
Medical Drone +10 (Ranged Damage 8, Resisted by Fortitude)
Defense:
Dodge 10/8, Parry 10/8, Fortitude 7, Toughness 6, Will 7/5.
Totals:
Abilities 76 + Powers 48 + Advantages 19 + Skills 27 + Defenses 7 = 177 points
Complications:
Justice--Motivation. Cybernetics (anyone using Treatment on her must make Technology checks at the same DC.) Electronic (becomes Hindered and Vision Impaired, Immobile and Vision Disabled, Paralyzed and Vision Unaware if subjected to Nullify Electronics.) Secret (triple agent.)
Naho Krauder
Yuriko Tyler's efforts to gradually shift public opinion within the Technate to be less hostile towards people with innate, non-technological abilities have not gone unnoticed. While she has met with some support, there are also a number of cool, considerate thinkers within the Technate's establishment who oppose these activities on what they consider to be principled grounds. The majority of these people would never be so blatant in their hostility as to try and directly interfere with someone who has repeatedly saved the Technate, but one group within the Bureau of Law Enforcement have taken steps to ensure that they are constantly apprised of her actions, by inserting a double agent into her retinue.
Fifteen years* ago, Naho Krauder was a med school student who was paying her way through college by moonlighting as a fashion model. Tragedy struck when she became the victim of a psychically-powered serial killer, suffering devastating and permanent injuries, most notably to her eyes, while barely escaping with her life. Naho underwent extensive medical treatment for her injuries, becoming cybernetically enhanced in the process. Following her delayed graduation, she went to work for the Bureau as a medical examiner. In light of her history, her current patrons felt secure that she would share their reasonable concerns about the activities of the empowered, and could be trusted as an informer.
The thing about history that a lot of people fail to understand is that it's often not 'what happened' but 'what was written down'. When Naho was injured, Captain Mystic was on an extended leave of absence from the Bureau following her encounter with the Amothat, and so Yuriko's involvement with Naho's case was entirely unofficial and never referenced in any reports on the episode. Not only did the Captain provide critical assistance in capturing Naho's assailant, she had several extended conversations with Naho that helped the student to deal with the grief and anger she felt over her injuries.
Therefore, when a certain group of poltroons wanted Naho to betray and spy upon a person that she both respected and admired, she calmly agreed with everything that they said and proposed, then waited for the right opportunity to wreck their plans. When she had a moment to speak privately with Yuriko (who maintained the fiction that they'd never met) Naho proposed that she act as a triple agent, passing only the information approved of by the Captain. Yuriko wasn't happy about this idea, as it's much more twisty and deceitful than she likes, but agreed that it was probably safer for Naho than openly breaking with a group that could pose a serious threat to her.
Naho has received the use of an artifact dubbed the Amicus Medicae, which takes the form of a belt that can produce an intangible 'drone' able to heal injuries, supplement people's resistance to injury and disease, and act as a remote sensor. When pressed, she can also use it as a means of causing injuries to living targets, though she dislikes doing so and prefers to rely on her hand-to-hand training and Bureau-issued blaster for most combat situations. An expert physician and crime scene analyst, she also has excellent interpersonal skills and frequently takes the role of her team's 'face' while dealing with other agents.
Naho is not particularly close to any of her fellow agents, in part to preserve her cover and in part because she prefers to keep most people at a comfortable distance. She finds it hard to trust people; as her interactions with Yuriko demonstrate, however, when she does trust someone, she will go to extraordinary lengths to help them. The Captain sometimes worries that Naho idolizes her rather than just admiring her, as well as being concerned about her friend's tendency towards very black-and-white thinking ...
Naho Krauder -- PL 9
Abilities:
STR 4 | STA 5 | AGL 4 | DEX 5 | FGT 8 | INT 5 | AWE 6/4 | PRE 3
Powers:
Cybernetics: Enhanced Advantages 2 (Improved Initiative 2); Enhanced Awareness 2; Enhanced Defenses 4 (Dodge 2, Parry 2); Senses 8 (analytical extended vision, infravision, ultravision, vision penetrates concealment [Cannot penetrate force fields]) - 16 points
Amicus Medicae: Array (24 points); Removable (-5 points)
- Algesis: Ranged Damage 8, Resisted by Fortitude - 24 points
- Augendis: Enhanced Stamina 4, Affects Others or Self, Ranged - 1 point
- Autopsy: Remote Sensing 4 (all senses), Simultaneous, Noticeable - 1 point
- Iatrosis: Ranged Healing 8 - 1 point
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Attractive, Benefit (Bureau agent), Connections, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 4, Improvised Tools, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged, Cover), Ranged Attack 3, Set Up, Skill Mastery (Treatment).
Equipment:
Blaster pistol (Ranged Damage 5), medical kit, and 9 points of equipment as needed.
Skills:
Deception 5 (+8), Expertise: Galactic 4 (+9), Expertise: Science 4 (+9), Insight 5 (+11/+9), Investigation 6 (+11), Perception 6 (+12/+10), Persuasion 8 (+11), Ranged Combat: Medical Drone 2 (+7), Stealth 6 (+10), Treatment 8 (+13).
Offense:
Initiative +12/+4
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 5)
Blaster Pistol +8 (Ranged Damage 5)
Medical Drone +10 (Ranged Damage 8, Resisted by Fortitude)
Defense:
Dodge 10/8, Parry 10/8, Fortitude 7, Toughness 6, Will 7/5.
Totals:
Abilities 76 + Powers 48 + Advantages 19 + Skills 27 + Defenses 7 = 177 points
Complications:
Justice--Motivation. Cybernetics (anyone using Treatment on her must make Technology checks at the same DC.) Electronic (becomes Hindered and Vision Impaired, Immobile and Vision Disabled, Paralyzed and Vision Unaware if subjected to Nullify Electronics.) Secret (triple agent.)
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