TFF's own Watchmen

[Andrew Joshua Talon]

Name: James Hamilton
Alias: Peregrine
Age: 56
Alignment: Hero
Era: Dark Era-Reborn Era
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: English/Dutch
Nationality: American
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
Backstory: The only son of Johnathan and Eva Hamilton, wealthy philanthropists, James Hamilton had aspirations of becoming a doctor from an early age, a dream his parents nurtured. On August 18th, 1960, James and his parents were kidnapped by armed men with a $2 million ransom demanded from their company. While in captivity, the kidnappers threatened to murder James if his parents did not order their company to give in. Johnathan struggled with one of the kidnappers to protect his son, while his mother screamed. The other two men shot and killed both Johnathan and Eva, in front of James. Panicking, the kidnappers heard sirens. They attempted to negotiate with police who had staked out their hideout, using James as a bargaining chip, and the cops willingly traded one of their officers for James. The kidnappers, in their agitated state, killed their last hostage with the others being killed in the resulting shootout.

The event deeply effected James Hamilton, and with the reluctant permission of his family nurse, Ms. Worthington, he went on an independent trip around the world after finishing high school at the age of 15. Returning 4 years later after training in a variety of disciplines, including martial arts and escape artistry, he became CEO of his company (which, thanks to smart investing on the part of the shareholders had more than tripled in size), and using his own personal fortune, launched a one-man war against crime in the guide of a costumed crusader.

He didn't have a specific motif in mind when he started, and his costume was fairly generic-Black bullet-proof armored survival suit made with relatively new Nomex and Kevlar, face-mask and an experimental kevlar crash-helmet, various tools and weapons such as lockpicks, smoke bombs and shuriken contained in a utility vest, but his most distinctive trademarks were his cloak-like cape (layered with Nomex to protect himself and bystanders from fire) and primary weapon, a collapsible staff he wielded with expert proficiency. When he started however, swinging and diving down from rooftops at high speed, a few papers dubbed him "Peregrine", for the predatory bird. Liking the name, Hamilton adapted his costume to better resemble the peregrine falcon.

Operating in Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington D.C. during the 70s, Peregrine fought the corruption and chaos of the day, becoming infamous as a man who could not be killed. Even during the police crackdowns on vigilantism, Peregrine continued his work, bringing a large number of murderous anti-heroes, supervillains, and organized crime bosses to justice. He always followed two rules-No guns, and no kills. His distrust of the government to do it's job fueled his desire to be there for other victims, with whom he empathized. He participated in anti-riot situations so far as preventing violence and tending to injured, but refused to become a tool for the government, and as a result continued his vigilantism even after the passage of the Anti-Vigilante Bill of 1977. Peregrine continued to defy the government, even taking on a young protege in the form of Abigail Castillo, a young Colombian immigrant girl whose parents were beaten to death by thugs in front of her as his sidekick Ermine. But, on August 20th, 1984, the anniversary of his parents' murders, Peregrine failed to prevent Ermine from being kidnapped by the serial killer known as Petruska, a demented clown-themed villain. Ermine was beaten within an inch of her life and nearly raped before Peregrine was able to track her down and defeat Petruska. While his sidekick was safe, the incident shook Peregrine to his core, and despite protests from Abigail, he quietly retired, and made her retire with him.

Hamilton put his efforts into his company, selling a few of his outdated secret innovations in technology off to law enforcement and the military, making his company even wealthier and founding many charities. He supported local politicians, judges and attorneys whom he found to fit with his ideals, and became a respected man of the community, where before he was regarded as a strange social recluse. However, he continued to funnel a few secret innovations and advancements his company made into his Peregrine hardware, "just in case".

In reaction to the new masked men and women arising, he has become a bit more of a recluse, monitoring the situation and wondering if his 'retirement' will last much longer...

Personality: Highly dedicated and a strong believer in personal freedoms, Peregrine is a strong-willed, courageous man. While somewhat standoffish and a bit of a loner, he prefers action to words, and is immensely distrustful of any authority but his own. A bit of a control freak, he deeply cares about the people he is close to but is often unable to express it in any other way than taking control. He is right-wing politically and prefers his government small, leading to his disgusted removal from most politics in the year 2000.
Abilities: While in his mid-fifties, James Hamilton remains an extremely physically powerful and capable man, standing an imposing 6 foot 5 inches. Thanks to extensive training in Buddhist meditation and exercises, as well as extremely demanding physical fitness training, he is easily the match of an Olympic athlete. He has mastered at least ten martial arts and is a master of stealthy infiltration. His studies in forensics and medicine make him an extremely able investigator, and he is no slouch when it comes to engineering, computer science or chemistry. He is also an extremely shrewd businessman, which has allowed Hamilton Inc. to remain independent from large corporate buyouts.
Equipment: Collapsible staff; grappling gun; utility belt containing smoke bombs, pepper spray, shuriken, taser, flashbangs, bombs, forensic equipment, nightvision goggles, and other devices as needed; Raptor, eight-wheeled urban assault vehicle with the armor of a light tank, the speed of a race car and the cornering abilities of an SUV; various motorcycles; Home Base, a warehouse owned through a dummy corporation that serves as his headquarters.
Costume: Black Nomex/Kevlar lined combat survival suit with a lightly-feathered appearance, but no insignia. Plain black crash helmet shaped like the head of a falcon, that covers his head and extends over his eyes and nose, connected to his armor by a gray, thin Nomex fabric with a hidden neckbrace to prevent strangulation. Round, one-way tinted lenses prevent opponents from seeing where his eyes are looking and what he's thinking. Cape connected to shoulders with a slightly ragged, almost feathered look.

 

[Andrew Joshua Talon]

Name: Abigail Castillo-Hamilton
Alias: Ermine
Age: 39
Alignment: Hero
Era: Dark Era-Reborn Era
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Columbian
Nationality: American
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
Backstory: The daughter of illegal Columbian immigrants Sara and Jesu Castillo, Abigail was born in 1970, in the United States of America. This made her a US citizen and allowed her parents to stay on despite their illegal status. When she turned seven, a gang of mostly white neighborhood toughs found out about her parents' status. They broke into their small apartment and proceeded to beat and torture Abigail's parents to death, the little girl forced to listen and watch the whole thing hiding in a closet and never making a sound. Peregrine intervened, beating the hoods up and tying them up, but he was unable to save Abigail's parents despite his best efforts at first aid and CPR. Abigail slowly came out when she saw the strange man bow his head in frustration at not being able to save her parents, and he turned and looked at her. She stood there, petrified, but didn't resist when he gave her a hug and wrapped her in a blanket, staying with her until the paramedics and police arrived.

Some time later, when she was being questioned at the police station, James Hamilton entered, claiming that, as he owned the property the Castillos had been renting, he would like to formally adopt Abigail. Abigail, a little shocked that anyone would care that much about her to adopt her, put up no protest and agreed.

Living with Hamilton and Ms. Worthington was a big adjustment to the girl who had grown up in almost total poverty, but under their tutelage she excelled in school and became interested in athletic achievement. Meanwhile, Hamilton observed a pattern of hate crimes directed against minorities in the same area Abigail had grown up in, and while mentioning this to Ms. Worthington Abigail overheard. Being told it was not her fault that her parents were killed (as she had suffered extensive survivor's guilt) but the fault of whoever was behind these crimes, Abigail set out into her old neighborhood to try and find some answers. She wandered near an apartment complex where a local businessman was having these gangs attack minorities for the purposes of establishing more support for local civil rights movements. Upon being discovered, the businessman, Lonny Karr, tried to persuade Abigail that he was actually doing a good thing, but she would have none of it-He had had her parents killed and she wouldn't forgive him no matter his intentions. He decided to have his gang make it look like a random kidnapping had gone bad, but they were interrupted.

By Peregrine driving Raptor through the wall. In the resulting confusion, Peregrine had to let Karr get away in order to rescue Abigail, a decision the little girl was initially very angry about. After returning home, Peregrine revealed his identity to Abigail, and she begged to fight alongside him. Though initially reluctant, he agreed, musing that it was this or have her resent him for the rest of her life. He trained her as hard, and even harder than he had been, and when he deemed her ready after a year, he gifted her with a black costume like his, and a white wig with a special, ultra-thin kevlar lining that would protect her head just as well as his thicker helmet did his. She adopted the name "Ermine", as she had kept a pet weasel she was very fond of in her family apartment and because by donning the white wig she was changing her "fur", just like an ermine. She was also very quick and flexible where Peregrine was strong and unyielding.

For six years they fought crime together in Central Maryland, in defiance of the Anti-Vigilante Bill, until one of Peregrine 's foes, Petrushka, kidnapped her. After beating her horribly with a bat, he was about to rape her when Peregrine crashed in, severely injuring the clown-like villain. However, due to the trauma Abigail suffered, Peregrine made her hang up her costume, as did he. With the cover of her having suffered horrible injuries from a rock-climbing accident, Abigail slowly recovered, eventually deciding to go to medical school to become a doctor. She did her internship and residency at John Hopkins University Hospital, before moving to the Harbor Hospital, remaining Chief Resident to this day.

Abigail, however, in defiance of her guardian's wishes, has occasionally donned a modified version of her costume to deal with a few scattered, isolated crimes or to investigate certain patients. She remains single despite a few romances.

Personality: Despite the trauma suffered early in life, Abigail grew up to be kind, witty, and sassy, especially to her father figure James. To her patients she is kind, understanding but firm when needed, and to interns or criminals she is sarcastic, sadistic and all smiles. She has picked up her mentor's distaste for hypocrisy and authority, and thus cheerfully flaunts the hospital's rules when the patient's health is at stake.
Abilities: Trained by Peregrine in the same techniques and regimens, Ermine is even more agile and flexible than her mentor, even at the age of 39. She has stayed physically fit and active, and with her martial arts and medical training is an expert at hand to hand combat. She is a world-class doctor with an emphasis on internal medicine. She is also really, really hot.
Equipment: Collapsible staff; grappling gun; utility belt containing smoke bombs, pepper spray, shuriken, taser, flashbangs, bombs, forensic equipment, nightvision goggles, and other devices as needed; Talon, a four-wheeler ATV based on the same design as the Raptor, only far smaller and faster; Access to Home Base, a warehouse owned through a dummy corporation that serves as Peregrine's headquarters.
Costume: Black Nomex/Kevlar lined combat survival suit. Long white-haired wig with ultra-thin, ultra-strong kevlar plating. Domino mask with round, one-way tinted lenses that prevent opponents from seeing where her eyes are looking and what she's thinking. Suit also has gray collar with hidden neckbrace to prevent strangulation.

 

[Andrew Joshua Talon]

The new requirements weren't that intimidating, were they guys?

Okay, here's Freeman's bio:

Name: Daniel Bishop
Alias: Freeman
Age: 26 (At time of disappearance)
Alignment: Hero
Era: Golden Era
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: African
Nationality: American
Hometown: Hackney, Kansas
Backstory: The son of farmers on the outskirts of Hackney, Daniel Bishop was, despite his race, looked on favorably by every member of the community. Standing nearly 7 feet tall and with incredible strength, Daniel was a kind, generous and hard-working young man who helped anyone who asked of it, helping pull ploughs as hard as bulls and seemingly able to run all over Cowley County without ever getting tired. When war was declared in 1941, Daniel immediately volunteered for the US Army, traveling to local Winfield to enlist. After he arrived for basic training as part of the 92nd Infantry Division, the camp doctor asked to see him for more blood tests. After those were done, Daniel was told to perform additional physical tests, measuring his stamina, strength and speed. He tolerated this for a time, before demanding to know what was going on.

The doctor summoned a major to talk to Daniel, who calmly explained that, from what they were getting, Daniel might have the proper attributes for a series of special assignments needed to be done. The major asked Bishop if he wished to participate in these assignments, and Daniel agreed.

A few months of intensive training followed, which included more tests and more exams. Bishop was taught boxing, shooting, demolitions and other skills by various volunteer troops and personnel, all as part of a secret project. Bishop only became aware of the extent of the program when Lt. General John Mackenzie, then a liason to the OSS, came to see him.

Mackenzie explained that Bishop had been chosen for special assignments of a covert nature in Europe, that would be publicized as part of a propaganda campaign to bolster Allied morale. Almost apologetically, he said that due to Bishop being a Negro, they couldn't actually use him as this "hero" to rally the troops. Hence, Mackenzie said, they had a plan.

Fitted with a specially-treated leather costume with special, at the time purely experimental lenses for enhanced eyesight, Bishop was deployed into Nazi occupied North Africa, Italy, France, and even into Stalingrad to support the Russians. He accomplished his missions successfully, and in June of 1943 he was shown in public, wearing a more patriotic version of his all-enclosing outfit. He learned to speak several languages and accents, allowing him to disguise his voice when interviewed on the radio. To the world, he was the Freeman, an Allied operative fighting for the freedom of the world against the Axis, and everyone imagined someone else behind the mask. It was said he wore the mask at all times to protect his identity, which was true. The irony being, of course, that it was more for the protection of the Allied civilian populations than for the Axis.

But Bishop persevered, sticking to the morals he was brought up with, reminded of how the people of his town, black and white, respected and honored him because of who he was, and not for the color of his skin. So, for the hope that someday everyone would be like the people in Hackney, Kansas, he fought the Axis, battling their own heroes, defeating their secret projects and even fighting alongside Allied troops.

Perhaps his most successful mission was the prevention of a Nazi dirty bomb being detonated in Belgium by Major Von Schrader, a mission where he also defeated the Third Reich's premiere assassin and national "hero", Captain Millennium. Freeman befriended numerous OSS operatives and Allied soldiers from all nations, all unaware of the color of the skin of the man underneath the costume.

Freeman's final mission was supposed to be routine reconnaissance of a Russian ship that was suspected of carrying captured Nazi scientists and at least one Nazi superweapon. Bishop found that the ship did indeed contain a Nazi superweapon-A prototype energy cannon that would give the Russians a critical advantage over the other Allied nations. When caught, he was fired upon, and he was forced to defend himself, ultimately resulting in the complete destruction of the weapon and the ship itself. Allied boats and planes searched for months, but could find no trace of Freeman. The day after Japan surrendered, it was President Harry Truman's sad duty to inform the nation that their greatest hero had vanished, possibly dead.

A funeral was held, Daniel's relatives being informed by General Mackenzie about the true nature of his work but being asked to keep quiet (in marked contrast to the Tuskegee Syphilis Trials). They were able to attend the funeral, one that rivaled FDR's own in sheer numbers of mourners from all the Allied nations. He received a Medal of Honor for his Belgium mission work and defeating Captain Millennium, as well as a dozen other decorations for gallantry and valor.

It was not until the 1960s that the US government, under pressure from the Civil Rights Movement, released the truth about Freeman's identity. A public outcry gave way to words from Martin Luther King Jr. on the great hero, which were later inscribed on Freeman's tomb in Arlington National Cemetery:

"Whether his skin was white or black underneath his costume does not matter, for Daniel Bishop, the Freeman, truly lived up to his name. In him, all men of all countries and creeds could see a man worthy of emulation, a man whose mask allowed anyone to see his works and think 'that is what I wish to be-The man under that mask.' So Daniel Bishop, while you may have hidden your face from bigotry and a nation's unwarranted shame, you lived up to that nation's very ideals as a true hero, and showed us all the path to march on."

Other civil rights leaders, notably Malcolm X before his trip to Mecca, could only scorn Freeman as a mockery of his name. To this day, he remains a symbol of the best ideals of America, and the difficult road towards fulfilling them.

Yet some claim that the Freeman still lives...

Personality: Affable, kind, courageous and determined, he was the Superman of his day and age in terms of his temperament and sense of honor. He killed only when he had to, and tried to avoid excess casualties where possible. Even in a war as brutal as this one, he was known on both sides for his mercy and justice. He did, however, have a temper that when provoked could get out of hand. He charged in a berserker rage through a concentration camp in Belgium on one mission, beating the officers furiously and ensuring that at least three of them would never walk again.
Abilities: Thanks to a genetic quirk, Daniel Bishop possessed a special kind of blood protein that acted like anti-freeze in his blood (preventing his body fluids from freezing at 0 degree C) and simultaneously seemed to lower the amount of lactic acid his muscles produced to almost negligible amounts. Combined, these two traits made Daniel Bishop have almost superhuman endurance, strength and running speed. Combined with his size, training in boxing, judo, firearms, demolitions and infiltration, and Daniel Bishop was a formidable operative and fighter, capable of surviving environments and injuries that would kill most other men.
Equipment: Pistol side-arm, brass knuckles, early re-breather, primitive night-vision lenses, combat knives, grenades carried on belt or in pack.
Costume:

Normal combat costume, composed of specially-treated leather plates attached to silk and woolen layers, which offered decent protection against small-arm fire and the environment. Primitive nightvision enhancing lenses. Costume came in four varieties: Dark gray for covert operations in Europe, tan camouflage for desert environments (with lighter inner layers), dull white and gray for operations on the Eastern front, and patriotic red, white and blue costume for public appearances that still could function in combat if needed. Belt not included.

 

[Shaderic]

Name:Benjamin Hunter
Alias:None (Interpol agent)
Age:23
Alignment: Neutral/Hero (Lawful Neutral fits him to a T)
Era: Reborn
Gender:Male
Ethnicity:Caucasian
Nationality:American
Hometown:Boston
Backstory:Special Agent Hunter, assigned to the STFU (Special Tactics, and Forces Unit ) of Interpol, investigates those who society has dubbed 'Villains'. Criminals that take on other identities are not uncommon, however when some of those require special handling, the STFU is called in. The STF unit specializes in hunting down the 'plots' before they come to fruition, and stopping them.

Special psychological training is given to most member so that they can handle negotiating or tricking the 'villain' into stopping their plots. Also, when needed, they deliver a needed kick to the face to stop a long winded speech with the popular phrase "STFU!".

Agent Hunter became an Interpol agent at 21, and was transfered to the STFU two months after starting.

Agent Hunter is accredited with the capture of seventeen 'villains' and three exceedingly violent vigilantes. He has recently been assigned to the 'Gentleman Thief' division, more specificaly, the third Magician field team.


Personality: The man's a by the book cold fish. This is very useful, because it lets him react without WTF?!? at everything he hears come out of a villain's mouth. All about rules and regulations, he personaly wants to see every caped crusader and villain behind bars for breaking the law. The exceedingly violent captures are only because they're the ones who left enough evidence and have enough of a negative that he can get away with taking them in. His superiors have placed him in the Magician field team to get him to loosen up a bit, and think outside the box more. So far, it's made Benjamin want to tear out his hair at the lack of logic. Who goes through all that trouble to steal something, and gives it back!?!

Abilities: Excellent investigation skills and deductive reasoning. Has problems with understanding 'motive'. Otherwise, he has a mean right hook (generaly with a brass knuckle), and is a crack shot with a gun. Also, being an official interpol agent, he can bring to bear the full arm of the law against criminals.

Equipment: Revolver (with 'special' ammo), and brass knuckles. That's it.

Costume:He's not a vigilante. He wears a suit.

...
What? So he's not a cape. Big deal. Straight-Lawful is something interesting to do in this RP of Chaotic folk. 'Cause let's face it. Basicaly no one here is anything but chaotic. Except Freeman. Maybe.

 

[windfalcon]

Name: Joseph Soriano, Joe for short.
Alias: The Unlucky Coincidence
Age: mid to high 20's
Alignment: Hero/Neutral
Era: Dark-Reborn Era
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Pacific Islander
Nationality: American
Hometown: San Diego, CA

Backstory: (Honestly in the works, but I swear it'll be amusing as hell)

Personality: Sarcastic, kind hearted and witty. Despite his constant complaints about wanting a normal life, he's usually one of the first ones on their way when trouble is a brewing. To those who don;t know him, his constant complaints and lists of woes may make him seem to not be cut out for the heroing career, those who do get to know him take it for what it is, Joe merely blowin steam and keeping himself level headed for the job at hand.

Abilities: While not an ability per se, Joe has extraordinary amounts of luck on both sides of the spectrum, going from lucky in some matters to completely unlucky in another. He has a fair ability to think outside the box, impressive deduction skills and a few tricks up his sleeves for when he gets in trouble. Not if, WHEN. Aside from this, he is just a normal guy.

Equipment: Gas canisters of varying kinds, consisting of tear gas, propane, smoke bombs and even fire containment foam. A couple of 'just in case' grenades, flash bangs and flares, and special 'tazer fists'. Specially made gauntlets that, when clenched and used to strike something, emit a brief yet potent electric charge. Each gauntlet is good for three good hits each before they require recharging. A gas mask is carried about, but only worn when he needs it. Special goggles over his eyes help protect him from the bright flash bangs, as well as being prescription so he can see without having to worry about his glasses falling off his face when he dives for cover. Kevlar vest helps improve his chances of survival as well. When asked why he won;t carry a gun, he looks at the person asking as if they were stupid. "I can;t hit the broad side of a barn with a gun, and these fists don;t make for good trigger fingers. Plus... I'd rather keep casualties to a minimum as much as possible."

Costume: Black fedora, midnight blue trenchcoat, black slacks and a black kevlar vest, what appears to be white spandex underneath said vest to prevent chafing. Utility Belt and Bandoleer can be seen worn, where he keeps his various throwing weapons, a pair of gauntlets worn over his hands and a pair of sturdy, black ,steel toed boots over his feet. A gasmask that fits just over his mouth and nose can occasionally be seen hanging just inside of his trenchcoat.

 

[Andrew Joshua Talon]

Okay, we've got some good submissions so far. Let's run them down:

-Peregrine: I dropped him as he was far too much like me and Dorothy, and gave his name to the Batman-analog of the story.

-The Gentleman Magician: Good concept, good fun sounding character. I think he'd definitely work, Shaderic.

-Nightowl: No offense Prime, but a little too much for the setting. While I appreciate the parallels to the third Blue Beetle, our nanotech isn't quite that far along yet. We can talk about it more in AIM.

-The Critic: I'm thinking of just dropping this guy. I'd like to know what you all think.

-Afro-Man: LOL, he does sound like a fun hero general, but maybe a little too flamboyant for this setting. I'll have to think about it.

-The Oldies: Good as joke heroes, Windu, but probably won't work for the serious storyline.

-Grey: SotF, your character needs more backstory and more development. Right now he's just kind of flat. Also, again, the nanotech being fused with the person is a little too advanced for right now. However, if he became neurally bonded to an existing combat suit that repaired itself using nanotechnology over time, then that would work a whole lot better. His name also needs work too. Since there's already a Wizard of Oz-based vigilante, why not call him the Tin Man?

-Dorothy: I'm not entirely sure about her. I mean, I think the character concept is a little too light-hearted as is. Though if I make her an anti-hero, a name like "Alice" would fit better. Again, I'll have to give it some thought and I wouldn't mind some input from you guys on her.

-The Quiet One: Another very good entry by Shaderic, extremely mysterious and foreboding. He'd probably work best as an adversary for our heroes.

-The Piper: General, VERY good. Psycho Russian assassin woman, very nice indeed.

-Ben Hunter: As usual, very good Shaderic. A very by-the-book kind of guy who will be a strong foe of the heroes and the villains.

-Kaleidoscope: Not bad for a start, Spaz, but as Mythbusters has shown that hypnosis like that doesn't actually work... How about he's more of a drug based villain? Hallucinogens and the like?

-The Brute: Nicely done, Revan. A little too sparse on details, but still quite good.

-Freakshow: A villain who just does things for the lulz is always great, lcpoketoon, but the nanotech, again, is a little too advanced. Though if you just pulled back a little on his healing abilities (not being able to survive without a head, but able to survive a bullet wound in his head), then I think he'd work just fine.

-The Unlucky Coincidence: I like the idea of a hard-luck hero, Falcon, and you've detailed him beautifully. He really works.

So, how about as soon as I've hammered out the storyline for the first arch entirely, I'll post an official sign-up thread in the RPG forum? In the meantime, feel free to come up with ideas for characters or for the story itself, okay?

 

[parker]

I'm trying to decide between two characters; one who used to be a prison guard and is now a vigilante using cowboy imagery and stereotypes to set himself up as a folk-hero, and a teenager who got bored and decided to become a hero. He is not good at it.

 

[Andrew Joshua Talon]

I'm trying to decide between two characters; one who used to be a prison guard and is now a vigilante using cowboy imagery and stereotypes to set himself up as a folk-hero, and a teenager who got bored and decided to become a hero. He is not good at it.

Why not both? You can submit up to three...

 

[parker]

Oh...neat. I'll start working on them.

 

[Andrew Joshua Talon]

Oh...neat. I'll start working on them.

Cool.

So, does anyone have any thoughts on how to improve Dorothy?

 

[Shaderic]

I dunno.
She seems fairly well developed already. Maybe not all that original, but decent development. Maybe include a string of circumstantial evidence, implying that it was set up, but the police are forced to close down the investigation by gov't pressure because they want to say it's over.

Also, the Rakshala's eye incident from the last page is something I feel I should expand on. In it, the Quiet One targeted the Magician. The Magician survives, of course. But, that was the second Magician, and the injury forced him to quit. When the third pops up, he's going to be a target.

Footnote: Rakshala's eye is one of the targets that are not returned.

There. Foreshadowing, woooooh.

 

[Andrew Joshua Talon]

I dunno.
She seems fairly well developed already. Maybe not all that original, but decent development. Maybe include a string of circumstantial evidence, implying that it was set up, but the police are forced to close down the investigation by gov't pressure because they want to say it's over.

Also, the Rakshala's eye incident from the last page is something I feel I should expand on. In it, the Quiet One targeted the Magician. The Magician survives, of course. But, that was the second Magician, and the injury forced him to quit. When the third pops up, he's going to be a target.

Footnote: Rakshala's eye is one of the targets that are not returned.

There. Foreshadowing, woooooh.

Ooooohhhh... h43r: ^_^

But I meant more in the context of... You know. A girl dressing up as Dorothy Gale with her pet dog Toto fighting crime and all that. Maybe I should make her kind of like Alice from American Magee's Alice?

 

[Shaderic]

I see. You want a more developed... theme, as it were, beyond the whole Oz thing. The Quiet one is clever and fucking ballsy (He breaks into an apartment, kills the residents in the room with a silenced pistol, takes the shot with the sniper rifle packs up, and walks back out the front door).

Now then, first: MO. Modus operandi. How does Alices work? You said she does some tagging? Develop that a bit.

Is she willing to kill people? Does she kill? Does it bother her? Who does she kill?

What sort of crime does she deal with? Corruption, backalley, corporate, or robbery?

What does she do? Try this as an excercise: How does an average day go for Alice?
Write a story, or a schedule. Just try to get in touch with your character.

Here's an average day for Kurtis:
Saturday
10 Am
Wake up, get ready to face the day, eat breakfast
10:45
Look over prospective jobs
11:04
Send confirmation of which jobs are accepted, which are denied, and which require more info
12:37
Lunch(Left over pasta)
1:00
Plan next job
3:00
Work out
6:00
Practice tricks.
7:00
Eat dinner with the family
9:30
Go over plans, do some research on target
10:00
Work on riddle (What's a word for monkey that starts with an 'S'?)
11:30
Relax and surf the net
2 am
go to sleep
....
What? It's not like he has a job every night! Or even most of the time. A lot of effort goes into planning and preparing. Not to mention he has to stay in shape, try to make sure he knows everything that's going on, at near and around the target location, makes sure there's nothing going on that night (There have to be people watching, and they can't do that if they're all at the rock concert across town!), make sure you know the weather, that the security guards will not be carrying anything really dangerous, and there's more work where that came from!

 

[parker]

Name:John Marcharius
Alias:Ranger
Age:32
Ethnicity:White
Nationality:American
Hometown:Houston Texas
Height:6'2
Weight:180 lb
Hair:Short, dyed brown
Facial hair: Mutton chops, dyed brown.
Back Story:John Marcharius graduated high school as a Cadet/Staff Sergeant of AFJROTC, shortly after he became a prison guard at the Robertson Unit maximum security state prison. There the seeds of hate for gang members were planted and nourished. Gypsy, Warlock, MS13, Bandito, Avenue, Blood, he hates them all. After five years there he tried to join the Texas Rangers, he was rejected because of his anger at gang members, he tried to become a cop, he was rejected for the same reasons.

He stayed on as a guard for two more years before he was fired for brutality against a member of MS13 who had a dime bag of cocaine and a cellphone in his cell. Shortly after that he began using information he got from gang members and inmates to become a vigilante. He got in good with the people of Texas by modeling himself and his MO after stereo typical western folk-heroes.

Uniform:
He wears riot gear and a special gas mask that he bought from an illegal dealer (Who he promptly killed)
Over that gear he wears Cowboy clothes and gear.
The outer clothes are:
One Large light brown Cowboy hat
One red hand kerchief
One light blue long sleeved shirt
One pair light brown cavalry style riding gloves
One pair wrangler blue jeans
One pair light brown cowboy boots with spurs
One Light brown leather duster with multiple pockets on the inside. On the back and in the arms are pockets for ice packs to be placed in during the hot summers in Texas.
One silver star with the word "RANGER" on it that he keeps pinned to his duster.

All of this gives him the appearance of being heavily built; he is slightly more buff than most people, but not as buff as his uniform would lead people to believe.

Equipment:
He usually brings:
One pair of nickle plated Colt .44s revolvers
One extend able baton
One can of mace
One TASER
One flash light with four sets of batteries, one set is already in the flash light
One 18 oz collapsible canteen

He has been known to use a home made grenade launcher, he usually loads it with home made ammo ranging from less than lethal plastic ballistics, to lethal explosives. It is not unheard of for him to fire chlorine gas in mason jars or home made thermite from it.
For high ranking gang members and other people of similar standing he carries a length of rope that he uses to lynch them.

He occasionally will use either a pump action or homemade quad barreled shotgun and a homemade .577 Nitro Express rifle.

Style:He doesn't really have much in the way of a real style, he is mainly a boxer with bits of Jujitsu and Karate that he picked up from guards.

So, thoughts.

 

[generalj7y]

Name: Jake Transon
Alias: Strongman
Age: In 2000, 90
Alignment: Hero
Era: Golden Era
Gender: Male.
Ethnicity: Greek
Nationality: U.S.A
Hometown: He lived on a farm in Kansas. Does not currently remember the name.
Backstory: When he was little boy, he heard the story of an ancient greek who managed to gain the strength to lift a full grown bull by lifting up a calf several times a day as it grew. He was inspired by this tale and started to do this himself . At the age of twenty-three, he gained the strength to do so.

However he had no idea on what to do with that power. When he heard of the Superheroesin other cities he decide to become one in Kansas City. So he moved there and became Strongman.

During the depression he tended to focus less on crimefighting and more on helping the people, and that did not involve wearing a mask. However once the greater effects of depression stopped, he started to fight crime much more often. He was a beloved figure throughout the thirties and twenties.

However, he was drafted in the War, and saw things he could never unsee. When he came back, he never donned the costume and cape again. In fact, he publically revealed his identity the day he came back.

He became a best-selling author about his experience as a hero. He is currently a grandpa and finds it much better than being a hero. But his eldest grandson has to disagree on that.

Personality: He at ninety is your typical grandfather-like persona. However, he is always on the edge, anyone can see it if they look hard enough. He hasgotten incredibly stubborn with age and is . He believes that every single superhero is a fool. He wishes his grandson wasn't a fool.relies only on himself.

Abilities: At his peak and a good amount below it, he could clap and smash someone's skull. He is incredibly strong. He would throw dumbells at his opponents.

Equipment: He wore ankle, chest and arm weights, a utility belt full of dumbells

Costume: He wore a wightlifter's outfit with a mask on.

 

[Andrew Joshua Talon]

Parker: Very interesting anti-hero. Kind of like Vigilante fused with Lock-up. Good work.

Shaderic: Well, I mean... Actually, maybe I should just include an Alice anti-hero and make Dorothy the hero version. The ultimate battle of children's fantasy literature!

I'll post up a short story for both of them later. In the meantime, I wouldn't mind a bio on Captain Millenium from someone. It doesn't count towards your character submission limit, BTW, so even if you're already submitted three characters, you can submit another.

Maybe he died and he's eventually brought back as a zombie. A hero of the Soviet Union for WWII would also not go amiss, if anyone's interested.

 

[parker]

Thanks AJT

 

[Andrew Joshua Talon]

By Dr. Tempo:

Name: Nicholas Nielsen
Alias: Dr. Tempo
Age:? 24
Alignment: Good
Era:? Modern Era
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: White
Nationality: United States
Hometown: Honolulu
Backstory: Born in Honolulu to a Navy soldier, his mother was murdered in front of him by his own father when the former confronted his father about an affair.? He lived in an orphanage, where n one understood this unique child. He was bullied constantly until he was 8; then, a man saved him, and took him under his wing. The boy learned how to fight and defend himself, was given a great education, and lived a comforted life...until, at 15, his adoptive father brought him on an assignment...and was asked to kill his own father, who had built up a major bill against a crime lord. Realizing he was being raised to be an assassin's heir, the young man shot his caretaker in the leg, and ran. Nicholas dedicated his life to keeping the constant tempo of life flowing, and named himself as Tempo. He soon gained a degree in Psychology, and added the Dr. to his name; by this time, he'd already proven himself as a detective, busting a few crime rings. This brought him to the attention of the famous Peregrine, who decided to watch this rising star. Dr.Tempo soon stopped a powerful drug gang from carrying out a major operation, managing to sneak his way into the gang, and when he had enough info to have them busted, took them down and turned them over to the cops. Tempo soon met his old mentor, Requiem, again; the two fought, but Tempo barely won. Tempo, not wanting to kill Requiem and thus become the man who had tried to turn him into a killer, spared Requiem.
Personality: Tempo is a bonafide geek, and looks the part. He also has a short temper; all this is due to him having Asperger's Syndrome. However, a keen mind lies behind this face, as does a strong sense of justice. Tempo hates killing, and works with the authorities to help capture criminals.
Abilities: Tempo is a master of a style of martial arts he calls "Ryu-Hoshi" in honor of the famous video game character. This style mixes up Judo,pro wrestling, and various other styles. Tempo prefers to counter his foes and outwit them. He's as strong as a normal guy, but he's very fast. His mind helps him as well. He's also got quite the silver tounge.
Equipment: Tempo carries whaterver tools he needs for a particular mission; after all, it's best not toload upon unecessary stuff
Costume: Tempo wears a green coat with a musical note on the back. He wears a Rosarach-stylemask,but without the inkblots,and green.


Name: Unknown
Alias: Requiem
Age: 55
Alignment: Evil
Era: Started career in Dark Era, but is still around
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: White
Nationality: Unknown
Hometown: Unknown
Backstory: The fourth man to have the title Requiem, he was picked by his predcessor to become his heir, and at 22, killed his teacher. He soon became infamous for killing in ironic ways; for example, a rich man was killed by being choked with his own money, and a sniper was found sniped himself. Requiem picked a young boy to be the fifth Requiem; however, the boy shot him, and ran for it. Requiem had to continue on, hoping that someday, his protege will kill him, and take on the name of Requiem
Personality:? Requiem is sadistic, and enjoys irony. He is a very clever mind, and loves to fight.
Abilities: Is a master killer, and knows many forms of martial arts.
Equipment: Like Tempo, he only takes what he needs.
Costume: He usually wears blood-red clothes, and wears a hood over his face.

 

[maquis]

Name: Keneric Noal
Alias: The Con (soemtimes Con The Fruiterer)
Age: 23
Alignment: varies between Hero and Anti-Hero
Era: Modern Era
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Mixed
Nationality: Australian
Hometown: Perth
Backstory: From an early age Keneric displayed keen abilities to read people and amalgamate information and ideas. Something of a genuis at school he chaffed in the mediocracy and eventually dropped out at 16, and started working/back packing around the world, taking a huge variety of odd jobs for a few weeks at a time, where ever he could find them.
He stumbled into vigilantism when as a photographer he managed to capture crooked cops, working with drug dealers, on film. Drawing on his many expiriences he spent the next few week subtly setting the two groups against each other, until the trust between them was broken, and both sides wiped each other out.
Quite accidently he started leaving his calling card (a piece of fruit [later with the word Con carved into it]) at the scene of the battle, when he was forces to flee for his life.
Personality: The Con is something of a carefree fellow (perhaps his brain suffers from an excess of useless information), resistant to plans, and on regular occasions his alarm clock, he is still none-the-less dedicated to forfilling his self apointed duty, just in his own way.
Style: He primarily works as a middle man, as he has never realy learnt to fight. Using his abilities at disguise and manipulation to gather information then either bring it to those who can act on it, or instill paranoia and M.A.D.ness upon his targets (He has no qualms about starting gang wars if he can not get reliable backup).
Costume & Equipment:The Con, is rarely if ever very organised ("No plan survives first contact, right? So why waste time with one?"), so his gear tends to be whatever he can improvise, affoard, find or steal as he needs it. The only real regular feature he wears is a pair of orange, mirrored aviator cut sunglasses.

 

[Spaz]

Okay AJT, I got an updated version of him done. Something needs to fill in for hypnotism though. I was also thinking of two other characters: howsa about an otaku and tripfag coming into the TFF group?

[EDIT: I fixed up my stuff. BTW, what about the above rest?]

---

{Inspired by Vlad Dracula and the Joker}

Name: Bob Smithy
Alias: Kuh Liedee Scope
Age: 45
Alignment: Anti-Villain
Era: Dark Era-Reborn Era
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Irish
Nationality: American
Hometown: Bethel, New York

Backstory: Bob was a teen back when Woodstock defined the rock generation in the 70's. He'd seen the hippie movement, and was a gigantic supporter of it. Then, his life crashed down in the 80's as electronic and pop reigned supreme. Bob still held onto his lifestyle of hippie life, developing a sort of anger against later generations. He knew he shouldnÆt have, as most hippies are happy and easy-going, but his justification for his anger was sent through with a repressed account at Woodstock.

As we all know, there was some crazy shit back in Woodstock, this including rape. HeÆd seen how badly hippies, and mobs, are. Among the protestation and the love, something stunk underneath the mask of hippie-dom.

At first, it was small attempts to bring it back; he reinvented himself, quit his day job to find a shop to sell 70Æs stuff, but he felt was not working. To renew himself even further, he sold his shop and went on a trip to meet new people who believed in the ideal of peace. Training with monks and many strangers were only for so long, for, they sensed something wrong within him. With his works, he head back to New York; where it all started. Pretty much 20 years had gone, and now, it is the 21st century, and almost all remnants of his previous lifestyle left.

His surprise lead to sadness, then anger, then revenge. He gathered his older items, and set to work. All his leftover money, he spent on regular things and working and practicing drugs and meditation. Psychedelics and all that jazz.

He committed his first crime, as peacefully as possible; robbing a bank, at night, while drugging and paralyzing guards.

Bob now works double lives: disguised as a neighborhood bum, but at night, he takes the Kuh Liedee Scope works to forge his controversial needs.

Personality: As his bum self, you'd imagine him as what you'd expect: carefree and crazy. As Kuh Liedee Scope, he's as trippy and nonsensical as he wants to be. Not a wise guy, always taking it easy to make sure he gets his share. His belief of peace with aggressive needs makes him argue with his own self.

Abilities: Jujutsu, knowledge of certain poisons and drugs

Equipment: Drugs, smoke bombs, beaten up acoustic guitar

Costume: Psychedelic shirt, hemp pants, burly dread locks, one large man bag from either side, JesusÖ sandals, star sunglasses, Peace chain around neck, and fingerless gloves

 

[Andrew Joshua Talon]

You can submit up to three characters each, so no worries.

As for Kuh Liedee Scope: An anti-hero is a guy who kills criminals and uses their tactics to protect innocents (mostly). Your guy sounds more like an anti-villain: A guy who commits crimes but does it in the least harmful way possible, and who sometimes has a noble goal involved.

And no, judo and jujitsu aren't the same thing. It's okay though. Just look up this kind of stuff on Wiki or even ask me if you have questions about anything, okay?

 

[cerroarrancar00]

Name: Nathaniel "Nathan" Reed

Alias: Panther

Age: 23

Alignment: Hero

Gender: Male

Era: The Reborn era

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Nationality: American

Back story: Nathaniel Reed was given up for adoption soon after he was born; he spent most of his early life bouncing from one bad home to another with month long stints in several orphanages finding comfort in reading about the masked heroes of the golden and dark era and whatever text books and scientific journals he could get his hands on. By the time he was ten he had a greater understanding science and math than most high school students. Finally he was adopted by John and Carroll Reed. John was a NYPD detective and Carroll was a scientist for Greystone industries, they gave Nathan a good home they were tough but fair making him focus on his studies which was no problem for him. Worrying about Nathan, who by the time he was fifteen was constantly being beaten at school by most of the football team, John talked to an old friend of his into teaching him how to defend him self.

For the next several years Nathan was trained in Muy Thai, Silat, Capoeira and learned several meditation exercises. Around this time Nathan picked up an interest in parcour, which he got the hang of fairly quickly thanks to his martial arts training, and urban exploration which always gave him new places to practice parcour, he even went as far as to make a few videos of him using parcour to explore old abandoned buildings.

After busting an arms deal involving the sale of top of the line military hard ware, John became obsessive over finding out who was responsible for getting the weapons in the fist place. Over the next two years JohnÆs investigation had ruined his career, forcing him to take early retirement, and eventually taking over his life though Nathan never once believed his father was crazy. One night john called home telling Carroll that he had made a major breakthrough and that he would tell her when he got home. That same night JohnÆs car had been driven off the road by another car killing him instantly. A small piece of paper was found on his body the words ôBlack Waterö scribbled on it. Upon his death John left Nathan a set of journals written entirely in code.

Not long after the funeral Nathan left for college having had enrolled in NYU with a full scholarship. Over the next year Nathan buried himself in his studies still practicing martial arts and meditating he still did parcour and a little urban exploration. One night while looking through his stuff he stumbled upon the encrypted journals and after several night of little sleep he finally cracked the code revealing the entirety of his fatherÆs obsessive investigation. The contents of the journals laid out a complex web connecting several high class business owners, politicians, even police officials to this ôBlack Waterö group. Though the journals read like a wild conspiracy theory he could not help but feel that there was a glimmer of truth in his fatherÆs journals. Not long after he decoded the journals he was on his way home for Christmas break until he was ran off the road by a black SUV similar to the one described by witnesses of his fatherÆs accident. He spent the next few months in the hospital thankfully with no major injuries. After he was released from the hospital he threw him self into his training with renewed vigor determined to every thing in his power to avenge his father and get revenge for what they tried to do to him. Upon his return to NYU he managed to get an internship with Greystone industries at an R&D lab, eventually getting very close to his fellow interns Nora Bella and Sebastian Dane, from there he managed to get a hold of a Nomex Kevlar Survival suit, a grapple gun, and most of his gadgets, a Kevlar crash helmet outfitted with a similar system to the F-35 HMDS but with far greater protection but retaining its light weight.

After his first night out he was found out by Nora and Sebastian who offered to assist him in his crusade upon hearing his story which Nathan initially refused but after a thorough chewing out from Nora he reluctantly let them help him, with Nora acting as his ôOracleö and Sebastian as his ôQö. Originally he had no motif to his costume but after the press began calling him The Panther because of his black costume and the shape of his helmet, deciding he liked the name he added metal claws to his gloves and redesigning his helmet to greater resemble a panther. He even managed to get a prototype armored motorcycle out of the lab and into an abandoned warehouse not far from campus he, Nora, and Sebastian had renevated and turned into their home base. At first he had only wanted to bring down Black Water but after his nightly jaunts through the city he has began taking down mugger, rapists, thieves and any other criminal dumb enough to get in his way, he will get Black Water eventually and has the skills to stop these things from happening so why ignore it.

Personality: A loner by nature he doesnÆt like being around people and finds it hard to interact with others, though through with Nora and Sebastian he has become more of a team player. He doesnÆt distrust the government per say but the people running it.

Abilities: Super intellect, martial arts skills (Muy Thai, Silat, capoeira), Parcour, Meditation (Greater awareness and reflexes).

Equipment: Nomex Kevlar suit, Kevlar crash helmet designed after F-35 HMDS for night vision and a wide field of view with a built in comm. link, a neck brace to prevent strangulation, smoke bombs, mini explosives, grapple gun, torch, encrypted handheld computer, field medical kit, Forensics kit, claws on hands and feet, steel knuckles in gloves, steel knee and elbow pads, Shuriken, re-breather, Armored motorcycle (Bat pod) for when doesnÆt have time to jump from rooftop to rooftop.

Costume: Black Nomex/Kevlar Survival suit, a specialized Kevlar crash helmet modified to be similar to a F-35 HMDS while retaining as much protection as possible but keeping most of the features of the F-35 HMDS and retaining a cat motif, steel knuckles/claws built into the gloves, utility belt filled with a wide variety of gadget for every occasion.

So what do you think?:huh.:



See helmet

See here too

 

[Andrew Joshua Talon]

Well cerroarrancar00, he's... A little too Batman-ish. C'mon guys, we don't need fifty Dark Knights running around. It screws with team dynamics.

On the other hand, he could serve as an interesting rival to Peregrine. I'll definitely consider him.

More villains and some neutrals would be very much appreciated too guys.

 

[Temjin-On]

Eh, I could probably have done better but eh, I'm tired.


Name: James Adam Alderman
Alias: Pope Justice the First
Nicknames: The Bionic Priest, Pontifex Asskickamus.
Age: 29
Alignment: Neutral
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: English
Nationality: American
Hometown: Middletown, OH
Backstory: Born in a hospital in Dayton, OH to Amelia Alderman, and her husband Lt. Col Jonathan Alderman, USAF, James was mostly set out for military life from an early age, even though he had little or no interest. His real interest was in literature and the arts, and he was more apt to scribble on a notepad and chat up the girls than do any kind of physical exercise while he attended school. Always enjoying all things religion, James became a mostly devout member of the Catholic Church and eventually went to school to be a man of the cloth. His father wanted him to join the Service and keep up his family tradition of military service. James resisted and swore he never would, but, never the less, he enlisted in the United States Air Force as a Chaplain, after graduating from Ohio University and becoming a Priest in his local diocese for a couple of years. He didn't regret it, for there was no shortage of work for a Chaplain in a time of war. While on leave in Korea, James came across a couple of Airmen assaulting a street food vendor, and he ran to intervene. In his rush to stop the altercation, James failed to notice the Tanker truck that was coming from the gas station across the street, and was promptly flattened under it.

James would have died there had the Air Force not tried to rebuild his body, replacing his entirely crushed left arm and leg with new experimental bionic parts and injecting a slew of nano machines into his body to maintain his health. The only draw back was the nano machines ended up afflicting his nervous system, which caused him to lose touch with reality. The clear cut sense of right and wrong became amplified and he soon deduced that he was God's Instrument for Justice. His deep connection to his religion was feed upon by the nano machines who soon began talking to James, telling them they were God. His faith became skewed and he became in his Mind's Eye Pope Justice the First, Holy Crusader. He would attack anyone whom ôGodö told him was to be punished and he took his job seriously.

Able to keep a sane face in public, James moved from Middletown to his birthplace in Dayton, OH, opening a small church on the edge of the Mad River, from where he operated nationally as he saw fit.

Personality: Normally calm, quiet and reserved, when under the influence of his nano machines and operating as Pope Justice, James becomes overly loud, boisterous, and hot blooded.

Abilities: Enhanced strength coupled with his own bastardized style of Taekwondo, which he refers to as The Way of the Holy Righteous Fist and Foot.

Equipment: Specially modified 1977 Chevrolet El Camino painted solid white with gold trim, featuring a propane powered flamethrower, hood mounted machine gun (which pops up out of a large cross on the hood.) and an inexplicable roof scoop. Also variously armed with a Rapier he hides inside of a walking stick and various bits of riot control weapons he pilfered from local SWAT teams.

Costume: Full Papal vestments and a pair of Aviator sunglasses.

 

[Andrew Joshua Talon]

:rofl: Definitely an interesting role Temjin. I especially like his nicknames.