Nonsuperpowered superheroes/villains

[Jon_Dahl]

I've always been a fan on nonsuperpowered low-level superheroes and villains. Punisher and Batman were always my favourites, as were the villains that opposed them.

One problem that I always felt with these sort of characters was almost nonexistant effort to create a strong background to emphasize how tough these guys really are. Basically it was and it is enough that the character has some weapon and martial arts training or was in Vietnam War. Backgrounds are thin, weak or out-dated to really create a feel of comtemporary "peak humans".

So I was thinking that we could create some backgrounds that would guarantine a nonsuperpowered hero or villain that would have a little bit stronger background then just vague "master of martial arts" which is a repeated reason why someone is eligible to became a superhero, without anything else to back it up.

For my own superhero game I created several avengers and butt-kickers with (IMO) decent and realistic backgrounds to actually validate the fact that they are bada$$es. Here are some examples:

Character A was born in Northern Ireland to a family of Irish nationalists. His father was active in Irish Republican army and in 1997 character joined RIRA at the tender age of 16. To hone his military skills, couple of years later he went abroad and joined French Foreign Legion (combat company of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment), advancing to a rank of sergeant. Later on he served one year in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan (2007-2008). Now he has returned back to Ireland to continue the struggle.

Character B was born in South-Africa. At the age of 18 he joined the army and after serving one year he applied to South African Special Forces Brigade. He made it through with high honors. However, one year after he was convicted for a manslaughter after an unfortunate barfight. He served several years in Pretoria Central Prison until he was released.

Character C was born in São Paulo, Brazil. His life was very hard in the favelas, and every day was a constant battle. Later on he fulfilled his dream to become a police officer and after a successful career he joined ROTA (Rondas Ostensivas Tobias de Aguilar). Later on he moved to Rio de Janeiro and became a sergeant in BOPE (Batalhão de Operacões Policias Especiais). He showed extreme bravery beyond the call of duty during the 2010 Rio de Janeiro security crisis.

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Hopefully this would give some nice ideas for "modern" games, with superheroes or not.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Character D: Born near the docks, he worked hard every day he could work. Stocker, longshoreman, building remodeling (demolition team), laying rails, bouncer- anywhere he could put his great size and strength to use, he did, as long as the money was honest. And growing up where he did, it was simply common sense that you had to be able to defend yourself...

However, people like him always attract the attention of the lowlifes who think big & poor equalled dumb and desperate. He had no shortage of offers to make quick cash participating in illegal bareknuckle boxing matches, and he always turned them down flat.

But some people don't take no for an answer, and prey, no matter how large and powerful, can be taken by tactics and numbers. Such has been the way of the world since hunter and hunted were first defined. One day, he simply disappeared.

He had been kidnapped, shipped to some godforsaken equatorial 3rd world nation and made to fight for money (and his life). Although he had some meager skills, it was largely his size and strength that carried him through the earliest matches. But even he knew that wouldn't last. So he watched and watched, and as he did so, he learned. So he kept winning.

His salvation didn't come by his own hand or via the empty promises of those who kept him prisoner- no, he was eventually set free when revolution swept the nameless land, and he was freed by the revolutionaries. They didn't send him home, though, they just opened the doors.

He worked his way home the way he had worked AT home, doing honest labor for money or passage. But as he crossed the final bit of sea between his prison and his homeland, he vowed that he'd have his revenge on those who changed his world...and any who were of the same breed.