Post your ACCEPTED character sheet here using the template provided below.
Please do not post anything else here, all questions and comments should go to the OOC tab.
Name:
Self explanatory.
Alias:
Also self explanatory.
Origin:
Include your character’s backstory. Tell me what their life was like before, during, and after they became heroes. This can be as long as you want it to be, with a minimum of six thick paragraphs. Make sure it doesn’t contradict the IC Timeline or any existing character sheets.
Attributes:
Your character’s powers, skills and equipment all go here.
Stomping Grounds:
Where your character lives and operates. Give as much (or as little) detail as you want. Things such as districts, businesses and points of interest all go here.
People of Note:
Who’s in your character’s life? Here you should list notable NPCs, be them friends, allies or enemies.
Character Goals:
What do you want to achieve with this character? On what sort of journey do you want to take them? List what story arcs you have in mind for the character. Explain your goal, convince me that you’ll be an active player. I want people with the motive to really make this RP thrive through great storytelling.
Sample Post:
Write a reasonably sized scene ideally taken from your character’s history. Give me a good idea of what your writing style is like. If your sheet is accepted, this sample will be considered canon. Make sure to include some dialogue.
Oliver Queen was born to wealthy philanthropists Robert and Moira Queen on December 9, 1988 in Star City, California. Achieving a multi-billionaire status through their company, Queen Industries, Mr. and Mrs. Queen were able to provide a life of luxury for their son with immense ease. An estimate of no less than $2,000,000 was spent on him during his sixth year, a sum that would only increase as the years went by. Evidently, money was not an issue, but responsible parenting was, and the Queen scion was quick to run into trouble with best friend Thomas Merlyn, son of Merlyn Global Group CEO Malcolm Merlyn. From what our records show, Queen and Merlyn attended St. Walker’s Academy, a prestigious private school said to accommodate only the best and brightest youths of Star City, something which the duo most certainly weren’t. If not for their parents’ bribes, they would have been expelled long before they reached their highschool years.
In 1998 Oliver was given a sobering gift in the form of his sister, Thea Dearden Queen. Aged ten, the now brother showed a distinct improvement in his grades and behaviour, making a visible effort to provide a good role model for his sister. However, as he transitioned into highschool, he seemed to begin a downward spiral, failing nearly every subject and expressing an increasingly rebellious attitude. It was during this time that his father was continually absent from home in ever longer intervals; doing what, we don’t know. Despite our best efforts, Robert Queen’s activities remain a mystery.
Upon reaching his teenage years, Oliver dropped out of a total of six highschools, Thomas following in his footsteps. It was at the sixth school that Queen met his highschool sweetheart: Dinah Laurel Lance. They began a relationship soon after meeting, Oliver attracted by her looks, Laurel by his bad-boy attitude. It would later prove to be an incredibly unhealthy romance.
The remainder of his time as a student saw Queen attend and host a numerous amount of parties, his best friend and girlfriend at his side. With each one he would grow more and more reckless, getting drunker, partying harder and starting more fights in a single night than ever thought possible. Police records show that they were called in for the majority of these raves, three in which they arrested Queen for urinating on an officer. During this time he also began to be unfaithful to Lance, almost ending the relationship when he was caught with another woman.
One day before New Year’s Eve, 2007, Queen’s father returned from what we estimate to be a two month-long absence. At the New Year's party the Queens were hosting, Robert asked for a private word with his son. It was then that he asked Oliver to accompany him on his yacht, the Queen’s Gambit, as they sailed to Beijing. From the information [REDACTED] has provided us, the elder Queen had told his son that there was something he wanted to show him. We have yet to find out what this is.
The Island (2008-2011):
The Queen’s Gambit left American shores on January 2, 2008, Robert and Oliver Queen onboard, along with another passenger, Laurel Lance; it seems that after their most recent falling out, they felt that spending the voyage together might help remedy their relationship. From what [REDACTED] has managed to get out of Queen, his father was adamant against bringing Lance along. However, his son would not take no for an answer. Minutes before the Gambit left Star City Harbour, Queen snuck his girlfriend aboard.
We have little information regarding how the Queen’s Gambit sunk. What we do know is this: as the yacht neared the North China Sea, it went under, torn in half by the ocean’s waves. While the most likely cause of its sinking is a storm, the evidence we’ve gathered from what remains we’ve salvaged suggest sabotage. But we are certain of one thing. Queen and his father managed to reach a lifeboat as their vessel was claimed by the sea, believing Lance to have shared the same fate. From [REDACTED]’s understanding, Queen still believes Lance is dead.
The lifeboat drifted for several days, a distraught Queen mourning over his girlfriend’s apparent death. After a week afloat, the boat approached a coastline, belonging to the island that would very soon become Queen’s purgatory: Lian Yu. Reaching the beach, an angered and suddenly re-energised Queen rounded on his father, blaming him for the loss of Lance’s life. As Robert began defending himself, telling Queen that it was in fact his fault, an arrow ran through the former’s heart. Shocked, Queen saw a hooded figure darting into the trees, bow in hand, some three hundred yards away from the beach. Overwhelmed by shock and grief, Queen chased after his father’s killer into the jungle. As he entered the shade of the trees, an arrow embedded itself in his left shoulder. Slowly fading from consciousness, he could hear what he thought was a scuffle. He fainted shortly thereafter.
Of this part, Queen told much to [REDACTED]. He awoke in a makeshift wooden house, located high in the jungle canopies. His shoulder was bandaged, the arrow removed, and over him stood his saviours: Natas, a once dangerous international assassin, now dead (more later), and his apprentice, a Japanese woman by the name of Shado (also deceased). When Queen was healed and sufficiently fed, Natas explained their situation to him. They were stranded on the island of Lian Yu, and as far as they knew, there was no way off. Once Queen calmed himself, Natas got straight to business; the boy needed training. Over the ensuing months, the assassin and his pupil trained Queen in the arts of survival. Martial arts, tracking, and the bow were among the skills he learned, but not without difficulty. Having spent all of his life sheltered by his parents’ money, his first months on the island were a rude awakening. Life was no longer a game.
Despite the initial difficulties, Queen proved to be a natural with the bow. Once he was strong enough to pull back the string, nearly every arrow met its mark. Just like Shado, his tutor, Queen was a natural.
His first year on Lian Yu was a relatively easy affair when compared with the two that followed. Aside from an occasional run-in with the native cannibal tribes, Queen, Natas and Shado found little opposition in their little section of the island’s jungle. That is, of course, until they were discovered by the scientist Anthony Ivo at the dawn of Queen’s second year. Queen and Shado were out hunting when mercenaries attacked. They fought hard, killing a few, before the men gained an upper hand, capturing Queen and injuring Shado. They took Queen to a cove located at the centre of the island, within which a freighter was anchored-- the AMAZO, named after Ivo’s pet project, but exactly what that was, Queen hasn’t said.
Queen was made cellmates with Slade Wilson, prior to his Deathstroke days, in a cell within the AMAZO’s cargo hold. They became quick friends, training and exchanging stories in the confines of their cell, hatching an escape plan, one which they acted upon after a month in captivity. In the chaos, amid the gunfire and cries of dying men, Wilson was apprehended as Queen dived off the side of the freighter and swam ashore. Unwilling to leave his new friend behind, Queen found Natas and Shado and urged them to help him free Wilson.
They returned to the AMAZO one week later, taking out its engines and killing every crew member but one: Anthony Ivo. This wasn’t Queen’s first time in the man’s presence; during his imprisonment, Ivo would often torture Queen in his quarters, all while talking of the Mira Kuru, a serum developed in World War Two by the Japanese military that would, in theory, enhance a person’s attributes tenfold. It was Ivo’s belief that this serum was the key to his completion of the AMAZO Project, what we can only assume was a super soldier program of some sort.
Queen questioned Ivo, demanding to know where Wilson was being kept. His answer was given in the form of a punch that sent him flying into the cargo hold’s wall, delivered by none other than Wilson, recently injected with Mira Kuru. It had somehow twisted his mind, convincing him that Queen had abandoned him not for a week, but for a whole year.
As Natas, Shado and Queen busied themselves with evading the serum-enhanced Wilson, Ivo managed to escape the AMAZO in a speedboat, vanishing from the island, and as far as one can tell, the world. His whereabouts remain unknown.
Wilson pursued Queen and his colleagues for much of the remaining year. He was strong in his hunt, never resting, never giving up, his Mira Kuru-fueled hate driving him beyond human limits. This proved too much for the trio. After months of running and fighting, Natas, exhausted and injured, turned on Queen, his anger palpable. Queen was, after all, the reason why Wilson was chasing after them. Unable to restrain him, Shado watched as Natas attacked Queen, intent on killing the cause of their predicament.
Their struggle was long. Queen had learnt much in the past year and a half, the need to survive pushing him to match, if not surpass Natas and Shado in their abilities. But he had also developed a connection to his teacher, and so he held back for much of the fight, unwilling to let the assassin die by his own hands. However, instinct won out, and Queen saw himself driving an arrow through Natas’ neck as the older man pinned him against the ground. Neither he nor Shado had time to process what had just happened, as the time they had spent fighting had allowed Wilson to catch up to them, and he was ever adamant in his pursuit of blood.
The chase lasted for another week. Queen and Shado experienced many close shaves with Wilson, but had remained unscathed, for the most part. He caught up to them on the edge of a cliff. Knowing that there was no way to beat him in hand-to-hand, Queen tried a different tactic: he taunted Wilson with every bit of information he had learned during his month in the AMAZO. Wilson’s wife, his children, his career in the Australian Secret Intelligence Service; all were included in Queen’s insults, spurring Wilson into a rage that sent him charging at the younger man-- and off the cliff’s edge.
Believing him to be dead, Queen and Shado returned to their encampment in the jungle, where there bloomed a romance between them. For the next six months they lived as comfortably as they could, trying their hardest to start their lives anew. But it seems Lian Yu had other plans. At the turn of the new year, what happiness Queen and Shado shared was torn away from them.
Chien Na Wei, aka China White, was a prominent figurehead of the Chinese Triad who had arrived on the island in the hopes of establishing a hub for her heroin business. Queen had happened upon her encampment while out on a hunt, choosing to investigate it. This was the biggest mistake he’d made during his time on the island.
He was discovered while staking out the camp, taken prisoner after being apprehended. White's men interrogated him, asking him who he was, if he had anyone with him, and where they were. When it became apparent that he would not talk, White made the decision of enslaving Queen, making him her personal bodyguard. With what information she did manage to gather, she uncovered his identity, tracking down his two remaining family members: his mother and sister, Moira and Thea. It was with this information that she blackmailed him, threatening to kill his family if he were to go out of line, and if not her, then one of her men. It was with this information that she got him to kill Shado.
Shado had grown restless awaiting the return of Queen. When two nights passed, she decided to go looking for him; this was when she saw him tortured, when she started forming a rescue plan.
She waited weeks for an opportunity, for any signs of a guard let down. Four weeks after Queen's disappearance, she struck. Much of China's men died that day. Her recently planted opium poppy plantation was burned to the ground. All of her hard work was undone by one woman desperate to see her loved one once more. And Shado died for it.
Enraged, White went after the woman, ordering Queen to come with her. He watched as Shado fought White, overpowering the criminal after a short struggle. It is essential to note here that the power White held over Queen was colossal; he was so afraid that his family might be harmed that he would do anything she asked him to. So when White commanded him to kill Shado, he felt he had no choice. It was either Shado or his family. He attacked Shado, taking advantage of her confusion, apologising as he beat the life out of her. As she lay on the ground on the brink of death, he enveloped her in one last hug, breaking her neck. It was then that Queen snapped, all his previous fear gone.
He rounded on White, viciously killing her, before making his way back to the Triad’s encampment, killing every single person present. With no-one left to execute, Queen found Shado’s body and gave her a burial. He left the remaining bodies to rot in the open air.
Queen spent the next few months as the sole inhabitant of Lian Yu, mourning over all that he’d lost over the past three years. He felt that he needed to atone for his sins, to make things right in whatever way he could. When he saw the fishing boat approach the island, he knew that this was his chance. Lighting a bonfire with a fire arrow, he caught the fishermen’s attention, who anchored just off the beach. It was them who took him to Beijing, where a Queen Industries jet awaited him at the airport. Thus ended his purgatory.
The Return, The Rise, The Arrow (2011–Present):
Queen arrived home to the loving embrace of his mother and sister, and the firm handshake of his recently acquired stepfather, Walter Steele. His family were quick to reintroduce him to the billionaire lifestyle, desperate to see that he was the same Oliver they remembered. However, Queen seemed eager to dissappoint, as an air of maturity they had never seen before surrounded him, guarding a wall behind which hid all that he endured on Lian Yu. Not even Thomas Merlyn, his best friend, could bring forth the playboy of yore.
For such an intelligent woman, it’s a surprise that Mrs. Queen-Steele took so long to realise that the island had changed her son. When she finally did, she decided to take advantage of his newfound responsibility, placing him in a leadership position in Queen Industries’ subsidiary, Q-Core. It was with this company that Queen began setting up what would become the headquarters of his nightly crusade, setting up a lair beneath the Q-Core offices. However, he didn't yet have an incentive to begin, and so he waited, spending what free time he had left reconnecting with his best friend and family.
He was taken one month after his return. His kidnappers took him to an abandoned warehouse, where they had him questioned about his time on the island. Queen has said that they mentioned a group called the Outsiders, linked to a man named Lacroix. Whoever they were, this is all we know about them. They did not give Queen any more information, and if they were going to, they didn't get a chance. Queen took them out, leaving them unconscious, their hands tied behind their backs. The Star City Police arrived soon after, taking the abductors into custody and Queen into questioning. It was there that word of the Green Arrow began to spread.
Having convinced the SCPD that a green-hooded man had rescued him, Queen was released, news of his abduction having already spread throughout the city. The moment he arrived back at the Queen Mansion, his mother introduced to him his new bodyguard; the man that would later become his most trusted ally: John Diggle. Diggle shadowed Queen everywhere he went. Parties, board meetings, days out with Merlyn; wherever Queen went, he went. And it sure did annoy his client.
Giving Diggle the slip became a specialty of Queen’s. At every opportunity he would sneak away from his main office at Q-Core, entering his lair to work on one of the many aspects of his slowly assembled vigilante life.
John Diggle, Felicity Smoak, and who else but Brick? Plus Deadshot, just for fun. And Nudocerdo. Corrupt bastard.
Then come Deathstroke and Merlyn, those silly buggers. Then the rush to help the Justice League in the fight against Darkseid.
The Injustice League. Cupid.
Roy Harper, and that rascal Deathstroke again, attacking the Justice League. What a badass.
Lex Luthor and his campaign for presidency. Oliver’s subsequent campaign against him. Reverend William Miggs.
Nananananananana Batman! Helping GA defeat Richard Dragon, one badass takedown at a time.
Attributes:
Peak Human Conditioning | During his three years on Lian Yu, Queen honed his body to physical perfection. His strength, speed, agility and stamina is quite possibly surpassed by only Bruce Wayne.
Master Archer | Coached by Shado, Queen has become a master archer, possibly the best in the world. No arrow he shoots ever misses its mark. [REDACTED] claims his best shot was into the barrel of a gun while flipping off the edge of a building.
Expert Marksman | Along with archery, Queen has become extremely proficient with firearms, though not to the same extent.
Expert Martial Artist | Queen is a proclaimed master of several martial arts, including Judo, Karate, Kickboxing, Taekwondo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He has shown the ability to take on and beat multiple opponents with relative ease, and has bested Natas, an assassin previously thought to be one of the world's greatest fighters.
Stealth | He displays extensive knowledge of stealth tactics, able to slip in and out of heavily guarded areas undetected.
Tri-Lingual | Along with English, Queen speaks both Chinese and Japanese, learned from Natas and Shado, respectively.
Acrobatics | Queen has displayed experience in acrobatics on more than one occasion.
Swordsmanship | In order to stand a chance against Deathstroke, Queen trained in the use of swords, and has become quite proficient with them. However, they are not his weapon of choice.
Stomping Grounds:
Star City
People of Note: Family, Friends and Allies
Thea Dearden Queen | Queen's younger sister, aged eighteen. At the age of fifteen, she turned to drugs and alcohol as a way to cope with the loss of father and brother. When Queen returned to Star City months later, she was already addicted. She continues to struggle with this today. She is in a relationship with Queen's partner, Roy Harper, and knows of their identities. Her and her brother are very close.
John Diggle | Aged thirty-nine, Diggle is Queen's right-hand man, bodyguard and an ex-soldier. Having previously served three tours in Afghanistan, he now acts as Queen and Harper's backup in the field. He has come to be a very close friend to Queen.
Felicity Meghan Smoak | [REDACTED]
Roy William Harper, Jr. ; Red Arrow | A nineteen year-old boy, Queen found Harper in the slums of the Glades, taking him in as his ward when he helped him save hostages from Reverend William Miggs. Now moonlighting as Red Arrow, Harper has entered a relationship with Queen's younger sister.
Connor Hawke | Queen's illegitimate son.
Walter Steele | Moira Queen's second husband, CFO of Queen Industries. Following Moira's death, Steele became aware of his stepson's identity.
Quentin Lawrence "Larry" Lance | Father to Laurel Lance, Detective Lance was at first embittered by Queen's return to Star City. He similarly opposed the Green Arrow's battle against criminals, and spent much of 2011 trying to arrest him. As the years went by, his negative view on Queen and his alias has dimmed to the point that he is willing to help them both. He has become a very valuable ally to Green Arrow.
Enemies
Brian Nudocerdo | Nudocerdo is the chief of the Star City Police Department. Neck-deep in corruption, he has tried to get rid of Green Arrow more than once over the years.
Daniel Brickwell ; Brick | Currently residing in Iron Heights Penitentiary, Brick was a crimelord with incredibly thick skin operating in the Glades. Having taken over the neighbourhood, he had pushed the SCPD out of the Glades, effectively making it his territory. This caught the attention of Queen, who proceeded to make life a living hell for Brick. Annoyed and rather desperate, Brick managed to uncover Queen’s identity before kidnapping his sister. This proved to be a near fatal mistake: after rescuing Thea, Queen paid a visit to Brick, humiliating him in front of his men with a brutal beating; one which broke nearly every.
The Dark Archer ; Malcolm Merlyn | The ex-CEO of Merlyn Global Group and father of Thomas Merlyn, Malcolm has been leading a double life ever since the murder of his wife, Rebecca. One year after the return of Queen, Merlyn teamed up with Slade Wilson, believing the metaphorically resurrected Queen to be a threat to his plans. Betrayed by Wilson and bested by Queen, Merlyn has vanished from Star City. However, one of our agents has reported seeing a man matching his description on the island of Corto Maltese; whether or not this was Merlyn is unknown.
Werner Zytle ; Count Vertigo | Head of the Závrat’ drug cartel, based in the Eastern European country of Vlatava, Zytle leads a colossal international drug trafficking business spanning continents. Seeing how Star City is one of his most successful operations, it’s safe to assume that Queen will eventually aim his bow in his direction.
Carrie Cutter ; Cupid |
Simon Lacroix | Not much is known about this man, other than the possibility of his connection to the organisation known as the Outsiders, as mentioned by Queen's kidnappers during the first month of his return.
Richard Dragon |
Onomatopoeia | An assassin who targets non-powered heroes. We believe his next stop to be Star City.
Reverend William Miggs | Miggs is the leader of the militant cult known as the Southern Order of Change. A sadistic and quite possibly insane man, he uses religion as an outlet for violent acts, commiting murder, rape and other terrorist acts in the name of God. While Queen has stopped him on many an occasion, Miggs has always managed to evade capture.
Slade Wilson ; Deathstroke |
Character Goals:
In short, I want to tell stories that are rich in character development, emotion, humour and plot with who has to be one of my most favourite DC characters of all time: Green Arrow. In particular, I want to take the badassery he commonly displays in Arrow and mix it with the generally upbeat personality he's shown in the comics. I also want to:
Have him meet and eventually train Connor Hawke.
Take down the Závrat’ drug cartel, a vicious and highly dangerous underworld power led by none other than Werner Zytle.
Encounter with Komodo, building on and modifying Jeff Lemire's Outsiders arc.
Lead into the first main arc, using a solo arc that has a deep emotional effect on Arrow.
Sample Post:
The corridor was dark, its only source of light a yellow bulb hanging by a wiry tangle of cords, creating more shadows than it was light. The Green Arrow’s feet thudded on the floor as he ran, echoing through the shadowy hall, bow in hand with an arrow notched. He clenched his jaw in fervent rage, allowing a low growl to escape his lips when he saw an armed man step out from the darkness, rifle primed and aimed at his chest. Three arrows flew from his bow, the first piercing the man’s trigger hand, the last two his thighs. Oliver was in no mood for a brawl. He had other things to worry about.
SAVE HER!
Another man ran at the archer, beckoned by his fallen comrade’s cries, taking a wild swing at Oliver’s face. Arrow easily ducked under the haymaker, countering with a powerful right hook to the body that broke the man’s ribs, following with a jab to the man’s nose. It burst, blood exploding out, the man too blinded by the pain to see Oliver’s knee collide with his chin.
Two thin lines of red shimmered in the darkness, their paths blocked by Oliver’s body. He ducked just as the shots rang out, deafening in the confines of the hall, feeling the hot trail of air as the bullets whizzed above his head. Rolling into a crouching position, he loosed two arrows, one for each gunman, satisfied when he heard their yelps of pain as they thudded on the ground.
SAVE HER!
Four more came, and he deprived them of the time needed to draw their firearms, meeting them halfway. They attacked in unison, punching and kicking, each of them trying to land a blow. Arrow twisted away from a punch, grabbing his attacker’s arm and turning into it, hearing the crack echo as he kicked into another man’s chest, pushing him away. He felt the air change behind him and ducked just in time to dodge the third man’s punch, whipping at his face with the bow’s upper limb, following up with a hook kick that sent the man sprawling. The two remaining men stood side by side, trying to anticipate Oliver’s next move. The arrows penetrated their thighs and they fell, consumed by shock. He ripped the projectiles out, his lips in a grotesque snarl as the men screamed. The bloodlust was back; no longer was it stranded on the island where he left it.
Notching an arrow on his bowstring, Oliver reached the end of the hallway, kicking open the door that so foolishly stood in his way, breaking it off its hinges. His eyes widened when he saw what awaited him. Daniel Brickwell, the criminal ruler of the Glades, held Thea Queen by her neck, his gigantic hand wrapping around it almost entirely. Oliver’s sister was crying, black lines of mascara running down her cheeks, her barely suppressed whimpers breaking his heart. He had never been so angry in his life.
”Let. Her. Go.” A deep growl, masked by his voice modulator, his fury obvious.
Brick chuckled in amusement, obviously relishing the power he held over the situation. “I don’t think so. Someone so important to you, I’d hate to give her back before a bargain is struck.”
Oliver hesitated before answering. If he got on Brick’s bad side, Thea could very well die tonight. ”What do you want?” he asked, his voice tight with emotion.
“That,” began Brick, “is a very good question. Because you see, Arrow, I don’t want anyone to die tonight. I would love to see Ms. Queen returned home safely. I would love to see you walk out of here in one piece. But it all depends on you– and your compliance.”
He paused for effect, letting his words sink in.
“What I want, Arrow, is simple. I want you to stay out of the Glades.”
”No.” It came out quick, faster than Oliver could think. But he meant it. Deep down, he knew it would have been the answer, no matter how long he thought on it.
Brick let out a sigh of frustration. “You know, I really wish you didn’t say that, man.” He proceeded to crush Thea’s throat–
– and the arrow was loosed, plunging into his eye, causing him to let go of the girl, screaming in pain. Thea dropped down to her knees and began to crawl towards the doorway, towards her savior, who met her halfway, gently pulling her up by the arm and nudging her into the hallway. Oliver then drew an explosive tip arrow– small payload, he didn’t want to bring the whole building down –and fired at Brick, knowing that his near invulnerable form would take the punishment. The explosion was deafening. Its heat seared Oliver’s back as he tackled his sister to the ground, chunks of wood and debris bombarding him as he protected her from the brunt of the shockwave.
With the ringing in his ears not yet gone, Green Arrow got up, lifting Thea into his arms and carrying her away, out of the hallway and into the night. He had no doubt that Brick would be back, but that was something to worry about for another day. All he knew for sure was that his sister was back. That she was safe.
He delivered her to the SCPD, where he would later pick her up as Oliver Queen. Just as he was about to leave, she spoke.
“What did he mean?”
Oliver stopped in his tracks, his back to her. He lowered his head, allowing his hood to conceal as much of his face as possible. When Thea realised that he wasn’t going to answer, she continued.
“What did he mean when he said I was important to you?”
He swore under his breath. She was catching on. ”Thea… Some secrets are better off being kept. The less you know about me, the better.”
She stared at him, her eyes searching for an answer. “You’re him, aren’t you?” He lifted his head, looking at her over his shoulder. “My brother. Ollie.”
At this he turned, facing her completely. A smile of resignation formed on his lips as he turned off his voice modulator. ”The one and only.”
And then he left her, mounting his motorcycle, knowing that things would never be the same.
Bruce Wayne was born in the squalor and desperation of Gotham City's Park Row, otherwise known as 'Crime Alley'. The son of back-alley doctor Thomas Wayne and his wife and assistant Martha, Bruce grew up watching his parents tend to the wounded and downtrodden of Gotham who either couldn't afford medical care or couldn't risk going to a hospital because of the police or the mob, though in Gotham the two were often the same thing. Despite his harsh surroundings, young Bruce Wayne had a kind and compassionate heart reinforced by his parents teachings and example. Together they were one of many small lights of hope in an often very dark and unforgiving city, and Bruce Wayne lived in a small island of peace if not prosperity.
But this relative peace couldn't last forever and eventually the reality of the Wayne family's situation caught up with them. One winter day when Bruce was eight, a wounded witness to a brutal killing orchestrated by Carmine Falcone's mafia family and covered up by the police began knocking on doors in Crime Alley, begging for help. Any ordinary Gotham citizen would have ignored the man or turned him away but Thomas and Martha let him in and began treating his wounds. The man's survival was a threat to the city's corrupt power structure, so it wasn't long before the Falcone family noticed that the number of bodies at the sight of their latest hit didn't quite add up the way it should. Their response came just a few nights later, when hitman Joe Chill arrived on the doorstep of the Wayne Family's little apartment. Young Bruce was hidden under the bed while Thomas Wayne tried to negotiate with the man who had come to kill his patient, but when it became clear that the Waynes both knew too much and weren't willing to keep quiet while a man was killed, Joe Chill turned on them as well. Bruce fled from the scene in terror and wound up taking shelter in an abandoned wreck of a building with only roosting bats for company. From then on that night was forever burned into his mind and he belonged to the streets of Gotham.
Slowly, Bruce learned to survive as just another of Gotham's homeless kids, turning to begging, picking pockets and burglary to survive day-to-day, dodging police, mob toughs and bigger thieves as he did. At night he would return to the bat roost and dream of vengeance on every last person responsible for his parents' deaths, though exactly how to achieve these goals was a mystery to him. It was only after a year of living like this that an improbable twist of fate gave him a chance to make his dreams a reality after all. Specifically, fate came in the form of an obviously wealthy man dressed in a fancy suit and tie who was willing to walk through the roughest and filthiest streets of Gotham alone and completely without fear. Bruce figured that whoever this chump was, he was obviously the biggest kind of sucker, so naturally he attempted to lift his wallet. It was only then that Bruce learned what it meant to slip his hand into the pocket of Ra's Al Ghul. He found himself seized in an iron grip while a surprisingly amused voice demanded an explanation of him. He had none except that he was only doing what he had to do to live. Unusually, this seemed to do the trick as instead of being brought to the authorities or killed immediately as he expected he was brought to a penthouse overlooking the city and rented by Ra's, who gave him food and asked for his full story. When he was finished, Ra's seemed to contemplate for a moment then miraculously, he offered nine-year-old Bruce Wayne the one thing he wanted most: a chance at revenge. Thus began Bruce Wayne's life as a member of the League of Assassins.
Bruce was put to the test by League instructors for a full year, and though he was made to endure challenges mental, physical and spiritual that should have broken any child, his drive for vengeance prompted him to not just survive but absolutely thrive throughout his initial training. He was taught the basics of stealth and combat, forced through survival training in some of the harshest terrain on earth ranging from windswept deserts to ravenous jungles all while being hardened against more pain and suffering than Gotham's streets had ever given him. After the end of that year, Bruce Wayne was now a full-fledged member of the League of Assassins and remembering his days in the abandoned bat roost he chose to be reborn under the name Al Xu'ffasch, the Bat. Furthermore, both Bruce's instructors and Ra's al Ghul were so pleased with his determination and progress that he had the honor of being partially tutored by Ra's himself. He soon found that both the hardships and the training he had endured as a candidate for initiation were as nothing compared to the exacting standards of Ra's himself.
Under Ra's and other tutors brought in to instruct him, Bruce learned not only the arts of combat, quiet killing and deception vital to an assassin, but also scientific and academic subjects including economics, numerous languages, physics, chemistry, biology, mechanical and electrical engineering and more. These lessons he absorbed even more rapidly than the first year's worth, showing a hidden genius and a penchant for sacrifice and hard-work that surprised even his League instructors. With each passing year Ra's tutored Bruce Wayne personally more and more often, until it became apparent to both Bruce and the League as a whole that the former street urchin was being considered as a potential heir to The Demon's Head and his organization. This prompted a number of assassination attempts which Ra's made no effort to stop, though he certainly seemed to approve when Bruce survived the first few attacks on his life. In fact the more subtle poisonings, sleeping suffocations and outright physical assaults Al Xu'ffasch overcame, the closer Ra's Al Ghul seemed to take him under his tutelage. By the time he was nineteen, Al Xu'ffasch was considered all but unkillable and only foolhardy students needing lessons in humiliation and those whose ambitions outweighed their common sense still made attempts on his life. More importantly, he was unquestioningly Ra's Al Ghul's favored student and heir apparent and had even begun courting Ra's daughter Talia with impunity. However, even after nearly ten years of life among the League of Assassins and all that Ra's had given him there was still doubt in the heart of the man who had once been Bruce Wayne. Despite his burning need for revenge, he sometimes wondered if the life of an assassin was what his parents would have wanted for him.
The answer to that question came on the anniversary of his joining with the League. Ra's brought him into a hidden side-room with a prisoner at its center and without any further preamble, demanded Bruce kill the helpless man. When Bruce inquired as to what the prisoner's crimes were, he was bluntly told there were none, that the man was as innocent as could be. It was entirely a test to see if he could bare to stain his hands with the blood of innocents if that was what it took to create a better world. Despite having killed before in self-defense during his training and attempts on his life Bruce found the idea of killing an innocent revolting. In that moment all he could think about was that without realizing it, he was becoming no better than the man who killed his parents. He refused, insisting that there must be a better way, one that didn't involve needlessly taking lives, hopefully one that involved killing no one at all. He resolved then and there that he would prove to Ra's that they could change the world for the better without taking life, that even his revenge would come without killing. Naturally, Ra's found the idea ridiculous, but after much convincing consented to allow his favored heir to go out into the world and 'try and prove his ludicrous theory', confident that eventually he would come crawling back humbled at his failure to meaningfully influence the world. Thus Al Xu'ffasch left the League of Assassins behind with no small amount of League funds for his experiment. For five more years he travelled the world and further trained himself, learning even more of martial arts than the league had taught him as well as many more scientific subjects including criminology, forensics and other investigative techniques. Moreover, he used the lessons he had learned from Ra's and the resources granted him by the League of Assassins to establish Wayne Enterprises, which quickly became a multibillion dollar company with assets in nearly every imaginable business sector.
At the age of twenty-four Bruce Wayne returned to Gotham not as an unknown orphan but as the city's prodigal son, a child of reclusive but generous billionaire philanthropists and heir to a fortune and company that would make King Midas green with envy and all of the history and paperwork to back up his claims. In addition to his philanthropic work and the jobs and innovations Wayne Enterprises provided to the people with Gotham as its' headquarters, Bruce decided to take his crusade to the streets personally while enacting his long delayed revenge. Taking inspiration from his name amongst the League of Assassins and his experiences as a child, Bruce adopted the persona of The Batman and used his physical prowess, assassin techniques and the scientific gadgetry his immense intellect and wealth gave him access to in order to strike fear into Gotham's criminal element. No one was safe from The Batman's war on crime from the pettiest thugs to the most powerful mafia dons and politicians. Though Bruce upheld his promise never to kill, he cemented his status as a shadowy figure of Gotham's underworld with pain, violence and terror for all those who hurt the innocent. Bruce's war on injustice became more complicated along the way, as mishaps and Batman's unusual presence in the city contributed to a strange new wave of 'super-villainy' of which The Joker was only the first and he even took on a young ward from tragic circumstances not unlike his own. Furthermore in his quest to improve and protect the world as a whole Bruce has come up against allies and enemies of immense superhuman power, and the world as a whole has become a lot more complicated. Nevertheless after nearly six years of work as both Bruce Wayne and Batman, the one-time heir to the League of Assassins is finally beginning to feel like he has found a way to make a difference and that his parents' deaths and legacy will be more than repaid.
Attributes:
Abilities
Peak Human Conditioning-Though he is by no means superhuman, Batman has achieved and maintains a level of physical fitness and ability that can only be described as the peak of unassisted human potential. His strength, reflexes, stamina, agility and durability and senses are all trained to the peak of baseline human possibility.
Genius Intellect-Batman has a naturally extremely keen mind and a gift for perfect memorization and rapid analysis. He is a true polymath and an expert on an extremely wide array of subjects with both equivalents of and actual doctorates in many areas of study ranging from medical science to economics to aeronautic engineering and more. He also has a wide array of interests including the study of mythology, exobiology and advanced robotics, artificial intelligence and cybernetics to name a few. Even outside of academic realms he has an exhaustively tactical mind and prefers to have already out-thought any opponent in any encounter provided he has the means and opportunities to do so.
Unbreakable Will-According to Bruce himself the sheer force and power of his will is his only true 'superpower' and is his most important asset in life beyond the training, intelligence and gadgets. It was this force of will that got him through the trauma of his parents' deaths, the hardships of the streets of Gotham and the torment of training by the League of Assassins. More importantly it allowed him to reject Ra's Al Ghul's teachings and attempt to find his own path that stayed true to the ideals his parents raised him to believe in.
Skills
Brilliant Detective-A combination of his vast resources, razor sharp intellect and numerous skills make Batman an excellent investigator to the point that several different sources have dubbed him "The World's Greatest Detective". He is highly skilled at numerous branches of forensics as well as criminal psychology, interrogation and intimidation techniques and numerous other disciplines that aid him in his criminal investigations.
Master of Stealth-After a childhood as a petty thief in Gotham City and a life raised among and trained by some of the world's foremost assassins, Batman is a master of stealth, infiltration and misdirection. Stealth, theatrics and surprise are key elements of his one man war on crime and injustice.
Master Martial Artist-In addition to receiving over a decade's worth of training from the League of Assassins and being personally tutored in fighting arts by some of the best the League had to offer including Ra's Al Ghul himself, Batman has traveled the world on his own and learned a variety of fighting arts beyond those practiced by the League. He has mastered over 127 styles of martial arts both armed and unarmed, as well as the more obscure aspects of pressure points offered by various martial arts, combining them into his own versatile fighting style.
Master of Disguise-Both as part of his lifetime of training from the League of Assassins and as part of his own studies, Batman has become a master of disguise, both maintaining several of his own alternate identities in Gotham and beyond and occasionally doing on the spot identities and impersonations
Skilled Linguist-Through intensive studies across the world Bruce Wayne has mastered an incredibly wide variety of languages including numerous dialects of Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Russian, Spanish, Hindi, Thai, French, German, Greek, Latin and more.
Marksmanship-Though Bruce's history and training with the League means he detests guns on principle he's a highly skilled marksman both in terms of archery and more importantly thrown weapons, especially his batarangs. He has trained in the use of such weapons since he was first inducted into the League of Shadows and has only grown more accurate in subsequent years.
Acrobatics: Due to his early past as a thief and his training with the League and beyond Batman is a highly skilled acrobat and parkour practitioner, often using his skills to quickly navigate the rooftops of Gotham as he pursues criminals or otherwise move about an area in ways his enemies have trouble keeping track of.
Master Escape Artist-Batman is an extremely skilled Escape Artist and Escapologist, and years of being put into life-threatening and confining situations by super-villains and Mafia toughs who thought he'd look nice in cement shoes have only improved his skills. Straitjackets, handcuffs and the average nemesis death-trap are child's play to him by now.
Survival and Tracking-Through his early training with the League of Assassins and his personal studies since then Bruce Wayne has become an expert in tracking and survival techniques in a wide variety of terrains ranging from urban, to desert to jungle and arctic environments.
Highly Capable Businessman-Bruce Wayne has studied Business Management, Financial Analysis and both Macro and Micro economics since he was a child with the League of Assassins, and was able to turn Wayne Enterprises into a global economic power on par with if not surpassing LexCorp.
Equipment Though Batman is constantly attempting to invent or acquire new tools for his war on crime, there are a few in his arsenal that he uses most frequently. They are:
The Batsuit: The Batsuit is an extremely lightweight but durable suit of personal body armor tailored to both defend and disguise Batman in his crusade against injustice while striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. It is made primarily of a cutting edge para-aramid weave designed to be bullet, electricity, heat and impact resistant while still allowing for a great deal of maneuverability. The cowl of the suit is not only designed to give Batman his distinct look but also to be further resistant to impacts and bullets while the enlongated earpieces allow for a commlink and wireless receiver to the Batcave. After encounters with superman trace amounts of lead were added to its' makeup to prevent invasive examinations va 'x-ray vision' and similar things which had the added benefit of increasing the striking power of headbutts. The lenses of the cowl are designed not only to protect the eyes and hide Batman from retina scanning recognition but also to feed into and work with an analytical software of the Batcomputer primarily used for crime scene investigations. The gloves are hardened at the knuckles to increase punching power without losing dexterity and scalloped to allow for catching blades and if necessary close-range slicing. The palms of the gloves are also linked to a small electrical system primarily used in conjunction with the memory-cloth cape but also capable of delivering debilitating shocks to foes. The wrists of the gloves are hollowed to allow for storage. The boots have been treated to lessen impacts from high falls, protect from foot injury and provide a better spring-action for acrobatics and chases as well as allow for greater power when kicking. Finally, the cape is made from a high-tech memory cloth allowing it to snap into a set of bat-shaped wings for limited gliding when a specific amount of electrical current is applied, though it is also designed to be somewhat flame and shock resistant.
Utility Belt-Perhaps Batman's most famous tool, his utility belt houses a number of compartments that typically contain collapsible batarangs of various types, smoke pellets, adhesive plastic explosives and remote detonators, multiple high tension cables and a grappling hook pistol plus the small motor for operating the same, carefully stored corrosives, minature adhesive tracking beacons, lockpicking tools and grenades with payloads designed to stun, freeze, immobilize or momentarily blind though its contents often changes depending on Batman's needs. The belt itself is bio-metrically locked and can emit tear gas or electric shocks if someone other than Bruce attempts to wear it or open its' compartments. The belt also links to the batcomputer wirelessly in conjunction with the suit and is capable of sending Batman's life signs to the Batcave or calling any one of Batman's vehicles to him in times of need.
Batarangs-Though Batman doesn't refer to them as such, the "Batarangs" are his most often used weapon. Though the typical Batarang is usually a collapsible shuriken or boomerang, they are known to have variations that include micro-explosives, instant-freezing agents similar to those used by Mr.Freeze, electrical shocks similar to a taser, remote guidance systems and even debilitating sonic emitters. Batman is capable of throwing all of them with extreme accuracy despite their differences in weight and size.
Bat-Wing, Batboat and Batmobile-All three are highly specialized vehicles Batman uses for transport when walking to a destination is unfeasible. The Batmobile is as much experimental high-performance car as tank, able to maneuver through the sometimes twisted streets of Gotham with disturbingly good handling as well as endure repeated shots from a rocket propelled grenade and continue functioning with minimal damage. The Bat-wing is part long distance stealth aircraft and part jet-fighter, a Vertical Takeoff and Landing vehicle capable of operating at both high and low altitudes. The Bat-boat operates much like a speed-boat on the surface but is also capable of becoming a submarine capable of at least reaching the bottom of Gotham Harbor for several hours at a time. All three are equipped with grappling hooks and non-lethal countermeasures of various kinds as well as state-of-the-art automatic piloting mechanisms linked up to Wayne Enterprises satellites.
Stomping Grounds:
Gotham City: One of the top three most corrupt cities in America and generally considered pretty high on any given 'worst places to live' lists worth their salt. Gotham has been improving bit by bit over the years since Batman's arrival and the expansion of Wayne Enterprises and some parts of it are actually livable for people who can't afford their own security forces. That said, it's still a wretched hive of scum and villainy in many ways, with those willing to stand up to a culture of corruption and the occasional rampaging theme-murderer being few and far between. Just a few of the individual locations in and around Gotham City include: Park Row-Also known as Crime Alley, this is both the former worst area in Gotham city and the site of Bruce's parents death. Since returning to the city his dual efforts as Bruce Wayne and Batman have improved it somewhat and now a memorial to the tragic deaths of 'philanthropists' Thomas and Martha Wayne now stands on the former site of Bruce's dilapidated childhood home. Despite his efforts quality of life is just this side of tolerable and crime is still frequent for the residents that remain.
The Narrows-A portion of Gotham that became even worse than Park Row over the years, the Narrows is still recovering from the Joker's terrible mass killings and terror nearly five years ago. Wayne Enterprises is dedicated to rebuilding the area, but the psychological scars left on The Narrows' residents are slower in repairing and many of them have since turned to crime in the wake of the Joker's devastation.
Wayne Manor-A stately mansion now said to belong to the Wayne Family for generations but run down in Bruce's absence, in actuality Bruce bought and refurbished the old estate that had lain empty for some time and used it and the caves underneath as his headquarters for his war on crime and retrofitted it with state of the art security systems and secret entrances as well as falsified storied family history in just about every room along tasteful if expensive furniture and decorations.
The Batcave-Batman's lair and primary headquarters in his war on crime, the Batcave was built from the existing underground caverns and tunnels underneath Wayne Manor. It has of course been significantly built up and houses not only a full armory of gadgets and fleets of vehicles for land, air and sea but also Bruce's all important Bat-Computer. In addition, it houses state-of-the-art training facilities and labs for gadget building, investigative sciences and chemical analysis. The Batcave also links up to various tunnels and secret entrances/exits throughout Gotham along with water and sky entrances. More recently the Batcave has also become a museum of sorts commemorating Batman's accomplishments and battles, storing trophies and technology of encounters with his various rogues and allies. Batman has also set up a number of smaller emergency Batcaves hidden throughout Gotham that contain spare suits, utility belts, gadgets and vehicles.
The Docks and Waterfront-Gotham's harbor and seaside area is home to innumerable shipping warehouses, fisheries, boats both recreational and commercial and a number of abandoned buildings as well. More than a few criminals have used them as a hideout and before Batman was a reality it was a key spot for much of the criminal activity of the city. Even now among the labyrinths of huge metallic shipping crates, piers and old buildings, people of ill intent hide from the Batman's sight.
Wayne Tower-The Headquarters of Wayne Enterprises, meeting place for its' board of directors and general nerve center for its' operations. Ever since Wayne Enterprises began its' operations to restore and improve the city, the Tower has become a symbol of hope and optimism for Gotham's future.
Wayne R&D-The building that houses the research and development branch for the Waynetech division of Bruce's financial empire, from which he borrows the technology for many of his gadgets and vehicles. Headed by Lucius Fox, here they work on everything from Aerospace technology to weaponry to telecommunications in several labs throughout the building. Headed by Lucius Fox, Waynetech R&D helps Batman in more ways than they could possibly suspect.
People of Note: Who’s in your character’s life? Here you should list notable NPCs, be them friends, allies or enemies.
Organizations
Gotham City Police Department-One of the most corrupt police departments in the country, the GCPD is still barely less than one-hundred percent corrupt, and even that much is mainly thanks to the combined efforts of Batman and Commissioner Gordon's Major Crimes Unit.
Wayne Enterprises- Bruce Wayne's multi-billion dollar multinational conglomerate that has its' fingers in every industry from shipping and real estate to aerospace technology and weapons manufacturing. While it was initially funded through seed money from Ra's Al-Ghul Bruce has taken care to transform it into a completely independent entity both to fund his war on crime and provide jobs and charitable services for Gotham City and beyond.
The League of Assassins-The military of sorts of Ra's Al Ghul's criminal empire otherwise known as the Demon's Fang, the LoA is comprised of assassins and fanatics from around the world, most of whom are completely devoted to Ra's Al Ghul and his 'vision' of a better world purged of corruption and decay.
Supporting Cast
Commissioner James "Jim" W. Gordon- Batman's closest ally within the GCPD and the so-called "Last Good Man in Gotham", Jim Gordon is both the police commissioner and the direct head of his hand-selected Major Crimes Unit which was created to be incorruptible and handle even the strangest crimes throughout Gotham. Commissioner Gordon has given Batman tacit approval to operate in Gotham and the two are the main bulwarks and crime in the city. While Gordon doesn't always agree with Batman's methods, he understands that they are fully necessary and they get results.
Ubu-Bruce's faithful adviser, butler and bodyguard who is the latest in a long line of servants and bodyguards sharing the name Ubu. He is in fact a top-level member of the League of Assassins assigned as an assistant to Bruce as he carries out his endeavors, his family having served Ra's Al Ghul for centuries. Despite this, he has grown increasingly loyal to Bruce Wayne personally, especially after seeing the good that his efforts have done for the people of Gotham City. Apart from his hidden skills as an excellent assassin, he is also an extremely well trained butler, servant and cook.
Lucius Fox-The head of Waynetech R&D and one of Bruce's primary financial advisers and scientists, Lucius Fox has become fully aware of Bruce's identity as Batman though not of his previous ties to the League of Assassins. Fox is a brilliant research scientist and businessman in his own right and often deals with company matters when Bruce is otherwise occupied and together with the R&D department devises or suggests new gadgetry or vehicles on the rare occasions when a problem is beyond Bruce's scope.
Villains The Joker
Harley Quinn
Ra's Al-Ghul: The head of the League of Assassins and Bruce Wayne's erstwhile benefactor and teacher from a very young age. Though he initially financed and supported Bruce's 'experiment' with Gotham City, he himself believes in much harsher and more radical methods when it comes to 'improving' society and protecting the Earth itself. Whether he's truly a noble figure who's simply willing to do what's necessary for the world and has redeeming or honorable qualities or is an outright megalomaniac and monster is a matter of opinion. What does matter is that he seems to have kept alive for centuries and has as much in the way of skills, knowledge and resources as Batman, if not more.
Selina Kyle/Catwoman-A thief and cat burglar who steals from criminals and Gotham's wealthy elite with equal regularity who's crossed paths with Batman with surprising regularity over the years. The two have a rocky relationship at the best of times given their opposing views on her life of crime, though she's definitely among the most agreeable of all of Batman's rogues and certainly the least prone to harming other people and there's a certain romantic tension between them to consider.
Black Mask-Though formerly one of the more traditional criminal masterminds of Gotham's underworld, Roman Sidonis became far more when a horrific explosion fused a mask he was using for intimidation to his face. Now he and his masked cronies are at the top of the food chain as far as organized, non-super crime in Gotham goes, with an army of lawyers to make sure he stays out of prison and the budget to afford top mercenaries and training for his henchmen.
Two Face: formerly District Attorney Harvey Dent and an ally of Batman's crusade against crime until a horrible facial disfigurement either drove him insane or revealed a deeper hidden madness within him. Now he's the criminal Two-Face, his identity split between the ruthless mob boss side of his personality and the moral former district attorney with which one he decides to act upon being decided by the flip of a coin.
Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy
Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow
Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin
Waylon Jones/Killer Croc
Edward Nygma/The Riddler
Matt Hagen/Clayface
Victor Fries/Mr.Freeze
Kirk Langstrom/Man-Bat
Bane
Character Goals: I want to do a new take on Batman as a character as well as his training, background and motivations while still remaining as true as possible to the spirit and nature of the character. More than that I want to create new and exciting Batman stories and put new twists on old ones as part of a collaborative effort to make the best, most vibrant and fun DC Universe possible and collaborate with the other players as much as I possibly can to contribute to rich group stories and above all have fun with everyone.
Sample Post:
"Well, are you man enough to face your better?!"
It had been only a day since the young man once called Bruce Wayne had dared to defy the command of the man who had been his master, patron and only family for over a decade. One day since he had found it within himself to say that everything he had ever been taught was wrong, one day since he had decided to change the trajectory of his entire life for the sake principles he was only beginning to truly understand.
How much things can change in just one day.
For now, Ra's Al Ghul confronted him at the exit to the cavernous compound that had been their home for some time, a blade in each hand and one of them proffered to his former protege and ward. The two had rarely sparred directly and never with live blades, but now as he came so close to leaving for his new life the assassin known as Al Xu'ffasch began to wonder if he wasn't about to receive a delayed execution for yesterday's defiance. Still, if he was going to hold true to his beliefs there was only one response. He took up the offered sword.
"If you insist."
"Then fight for your life!"
The battle was on almost faster than the young man could step into a proper stance, Ra's opening with a series of fast but strong slashes that drove him back with their ferocity as he managed to bat each one aside just enough to avoid being cut open.
"When I met you Al Xu'ffasch, you were living in the gutter barely alive! I had already gone to see if there was even one thing in your city worth saving when I found that it had forced your thieving hands into my pockets! What makes you think you can save such a place?"
Thinking quickly the young Assassin rolled aside as a last slash came down and came to his feet with more distance between himself and his enraged master. Knowing that defending and evading forever would get him nowhere he lunged back into the fight and when the thrust was knocked aside almost contemptuously he lashed out with a knee to Ra's midsection that seemed to take the ancient man by surprise and stun him.
"I came from Gotham, I know it. There are still good people that are willing to do the right thing if they aren't powerless and afraid. I saw my parents make the city a better place every day without ever taking life."
Ra's moment of weakness didn't last long enough for a blow to the head to knock him out, instead his student suddenly found his wrist gripped as he was suddenly flipped onto his back, and only a lifetime of training let him keep hold of his sword through stars of pain and scramble aside in time to deflect what should have been a deathblow. He came back to his feet once more with sword at the ready, although now with his back to the stairs. This time as Ra's closed the distance and began attacking Bruce let each defense and counter flow naturally, focusing on keeping himself uninjured while slowly moving up the stairs to the outside.
"That may have been so, but in the end they were too weak and they died for that weakness."
"We aren't nearly so weak, and with the skills and resources you've given me I can do more than they ever could."
"You think that will be enough, or that the enemies you make won't kill you for trying?"
"With your full resources it could be done. We could protect the world without needing to kill!"
"And what of my daughter, Talia? Will you leave her behind Al Xu'ffasch? Sacrifice her for your grand principles?"
If that was an attempt to distract the younger man it worked, because at the same time they reached the top of the stairs he stumbled Ra's whipped his foot out from under him. In an instant the point of Ra's' sword was at his protege's throat.
"I do not believe you could possibly succeed..."
With his eyes closed in preparation for death he heard rather than saw the Ra's sword clatter to the rocks at their feet.
"But I do not believe I can change your mind either. Time and failure will do what I cannot, however. Rest until tomorrow, then go with my blessing. Ubu shall meet you in the nearest city with access to all I believe you shall require to carry out this ludicrous experiment. I have full confidence that once your childish idealism is wasted, you will return to us humbled, to take your proper place."
The now ex-assassin formerly known as Al Xu'ffasch could only stare in disbelief as The Demon's Head walked back inside. Seeing as he wasn't dead, he could certainly wait for one more day.
Because after just one more day, Bruce Wayne would begin his return to Gotham City
"S'just the way of it, son. We all sell our souls sooner or later."
Name: John Constantine
Alias: Constantine
Origin: John Constantine was born into the shit that would follow him for the rest of his life - and appropriately enough, he arrived in Liverpool, 1989. His twin asphyxiated in the womb on John's umbilical cord, and his mother, Mary-Anne Constantine, died giving birth to him and his stillborn brother because an earlier forced abortion had weakened her womb, causing it to rupture and bleed out. Thomas Constantine, John's father, and the man who had forced the abortion upon his wife, was incapable of accepting the responsibility of Mary-Anne's death, and instead blamed his surviving son, John - and they grew up harboring a deep dislike of one another. Thomas had little involvement in John's upbringing, and much of his care was left to his older sister, Cheryl Constantine. After their father descended into alcoholism and was imprisoned for petty theft and voyeurism, Cheryl and John moved to Northampton to live with their Aunt and Uncle for a brief time, before returning after Thomas' release. It was their return to both Liverpool and their father that set John off onto his journey into the magical and occult.
John had discovered his ancestry in Northampton, his blood belonging to a long family line known as the Laughing Magicians, legendary mages known for their power over Synchronicity and their uncanny ability to bluff and trick even gods. This discovery led him to delve into the practices of his lineage, and he began to partake in magic. His first act was to seal away his childhood innocence and vulnerability in a small wooden toy-box he once used, ridding himself of the burdens of virtues he'd lost long ago. Later on, in his teenage years, John botched a curse that left his father withered and frail and doomed to die - and subsequently ran from home, his sister, and Liverpool, heading to London and making a permanent home in an apartment with his roommate, Francis 'Chas' Kramer, who would go on to be John's oldest, closest, and longest surviving friend.
~
| 2008: Zatanna Zatara, Mucous Membrane, and Astra |
John soon got involved in the occult circles of London's population. He practiced his magics and learned more about the occult world lying behind the mortal one, and began to travel to other cities and countries to expand his knowledge. In New York, 2008, he met a talented female magician called Zatanna Zatara, and the two began a relationship. Together, they grew enamored with Punk Rock after attending several gigs, and John was inspired to put together his own punk band, a three-man piece called Mucous Membrane. They released an album, and it was on their first tour that John got his first taste of magical heroism, and the disasters it would rain down upon his life.
On tour with his band in Newcastle, John stumbled across the aftermath of a horrific magical incident: an abused child - a little girl called Astra - had taken revenge on her adult tormentors by tapping into her raw innate magical abilities, conjuring a vicious monster to slaughter them in the middle of an orgy - and now the monster refused to leave the mortal plane. With a recklessness that would soon enough become his MO, John convinced Zatanna, Chas, his bandmates, and several other occultist friends to pour their power into summoning a demon of their own to combat the monster. Sadly, while their abilities were enough to bring forth the creature, they were not enough to bind it to their will. The demon, Nergal, killed the monster, and then tormented Constantine's friends and snatched Astra away to Hell. John suffered a nervous breakdown, severing ties with everyone he knew, and eventually being committed to Ravenscar Psychiatric Hospital, only ever keeping regular contact with Chas Kramer.
~
| 2010: Lung Cancer, the Triumvirate of Hell, and Blackmailing God |
Constantine was released from Ravenscar in 2010 with a clean sign-off on his mental health - despite persisting nightmares - and several 'goodbyes' from inmates and keepers alike. Constantine had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer - brought on by his continuing smoking habit of nearly 30-a-day - and he'd been let out to enjoy his last days in freedom. The world had changed during his time in the ward, and was now filling up with extraordinary men and women, on all sides of the moral compass, and while Constantine knew that perhaps he was one of them, he refused his call. Instead, he traveled to Ireland to seek out a friend he once had who he believed could help cure him with magic and rituals.
He found Brendan dead, having drunk himself to death with rampant alcoholism and a suspiciously infinite supply of the best wines known to the world. It was at Brendan's funeral that Constantine had his first encounter with the entity that would become his greatest nemesis - the First of the Fallen, one of the three Triumvirate Rulers of Hell. Brendan had sold his soul to this being in exchange for an endless cellar of the finest wines in the cosmos, and the First had arrived to collect. Not wanting his old friend's soul to be eternally tormented in Hell, Constantine proposed a final toast to the mortal - spiking the First's wine with Holy Water, and tricking him into drinking it, rendering him helpless and unable to collect Brendan's soul. Unable to collect before midnight, Brendan's contract was declared null, and his soul ascended to Heaven. Wounded by the insult of being fooled by a mortal, the First declared Consantine's soul his by the 'right of insult', and swore to collect him upon his death and render unto him torment twofold, enough to make up for the soul he lost.
Slowly dying from cancer, Constantine created a plan. In secret, he summoned both the Second and Third of the Fallen - the others of the Triumvirate - separately and struck up deals with both, pledging his soul now three times over. Soon, the First, Second, and Third discovered Constantine's scheme, and realized that should he die, the Triumvirate would erupt into a war over ownership that would tear apart Hell and of which the only true winner would be God and His angels. Too proud to form an alliance, they instead decided that their only option was to cure John of his cancer, and allow him to live. While doing this, however, they also took their power to create a counterpart to Constantine, a Demon formed of all his worst attributes and vices, but lacking none of his cunning or magical prowess. In doing this, they were assured that when Constantine's soul finally came to rest in Hell, it would be consumed by this Demon, whose power would be near unparalleled, and used for naught but evil and the destruction of Earth and Heaven. John knew this, and in cunning desperation, contacted God. His aspect appeared, and came to converse by campfire. John warned Him of the demonic power that would be released if his soul was to come into Hell, and that such a being would surely topple the Triumvirate and unleash countless Demons upon Earth and to assault Heaven, and shut the Gates of Hell so that the damned would have no rest, and be forced to rise again. Constantine blackmailed God into keeping his soul from Hell to prevent this. God knew that the events John described would come to pass, and agreed - but before His aspect disappeared from Earth, He warned John of great suffering that would soon visit itself upon his life.
~
| 2013: The Magic War, Rosacarnis, The Return of the First, and Cheryl |
John drifted for a time, travelling throughout and between England and the US, performing as a stage magician and learning more about magic and his abilities, and occasionally being drawn into occult business. He found himself in America for a time, investigating occult happenings and aiding with his magic where he could, but soon left again, and came back to Britain to reconcile with his sister Cheryl, whom he'd thought dead. It was at that time that a Magic War erupted in London, and Constantine found himself thrust into the middle of it, his sister dragged in with him. He allied with an entity known as the Shadow Dog against a demonic being known as The Beast; the ensuing battle and eventual victory left him vulnerable, and he was ensnared by the demon Rosacarnis, under commands from the First, who bound him to her will for day. She had John father three demonic children, who then went on to slaughter anyone who had ever known Constantine - from family and friends to enemies and those who had met him only briefly as an ally in the Magic War. Cheryl's husband, a pious man, was whipped into religious fanaticism and pushed to see his wife as a witch - and she was duly slain by his hand. In grief, Constantine dove into Hell to retrieve her soul and resurrect her, accompanied by the demon Nergal.
It was not long through their journey that they encountered the one who barred Constantine's entrance into Hell; the demon created from his negative aspects. John was forced to allow Nergal possession of him to defeat the Demon Constantine, tainting his soul irreparably. Eventually, John and Nergal arrived at the hall of Rosacarnis, wherein a feast was being held with Rosacarnis, the First, and Constantine's three children in attendance. John baited Rosacarnis into attempting to slay him in return for Cheryl's release, but as she attempted to do so, the First intervened and immediately killed her as well as two of the three demon children she had forced John to sire, declaring that Constantine was his to collect when he deemed.
Alone with Constantine, the First summoned up Cheryl's soul. He deemed her pure and innocent, a soul that truly did not belong in Hell - but offered her a deal. Telling her that her husband killed himself after murdering her, and was therefore twice-damned, the First offered to fairly divide his punishment between him and Cheryl if she remained to be tormented in Hell of her own free will. Constantine argued and pleaded in vain against it, screaming that her husband had murdered her and was not deserving of such mercy at one's own suffering - but ultimately, Cheryl still loved her husband too much, and agreed to the deal, deciding to stay in Hell, and preventing Constantine from bringing his only remaining family back to Earth. The First gloated, and sent John back home, and in mad grief he ran into the night and fled to America, turning his back on Britain and the torment he suffered there, only Chas Kramer following him.
~
Now, it is 2016, and Constantine is 27 years old, a resident of Chicago who likes to holiday in Gotham, earning a living as a Private Investigator of both mundane and paranormal matters, as well as being drawn into occult conflicts and slowly growing into his role as a hero of Earth - as much as he hides from it. While cynical, disillusioned, and foul-mouthed, and still going strong with his smoking habit, Constantine is a compassionate Humanist at heart, and struggles to keep the forces of both Heaven and Hell in check within himself and in the world around him, seeking to keep humanity free from either influence.
Attributes: While Constantine's magical prowess is most certainly not to be dismissed out-of-hand, he rarely relies on it, especially in the midst of combat. He faces his challenges instead armed with the cunning and quick-thinking that his family line is nearly legendary for, as well as his vast knowledge of the paranormal and occult, his skill at manipulating friend and foe alike, and his extensive list of contacts - which, combined, are often more useful than the spells, rituals, and curses at his command. John Constantine is considered by many to be the world's greatest con-man.
Constantine's sorcery is still a force to be reckoned with, however. With experience in Evocation (the calling of supernatural entities), Illusion (the distortion and misdirection of the senses), and Necromancy (the summoning of, and communication with, the dead), John Constantine's magic spans many fields. He also has a wide range of protective magics at his command, shielding him from both physical and supernatural attacks, and well as protecting his mind from offenses such as telepathy, possession, and mind control. John is also capable of using sigils and runes to block omnipresence for a time, rendering his actions completely secret for a period of time, similar to when he dealt with the Second and Third of the Fallen to trick the First. John's offensive magic is less practiced than his defenses, but still capable of mild electrokinesis, telekinesis, pyrokineses and immobilisation. John's magic has also permanently granted him a form of Third Sight, allowing him to see Demons, Angels, and Half-Breed for their true selves constantly, regardless of what disguises and illusions they have thrown up to hide themselves among mortals, as well as allowing him to utilise magic to dispell camoflauge.
Finally, beyond his wielding of the arcane arts, Constantine is also versed in the use of stage magic, including sleight of hand, pick-pocketing, and escapology. He is also in possession of many magical - or anti-magical - artifacts, some of which he uses regularly to battle the forces of Heaven and Hell.
EQUIPMENT:
A grungy, light-tan trenchcoat that John has owned for many years, and one that he rarely - if ever - ventures out in public without. It's dirty and stained and has all manner of smells beaten into it - chemical, magical, demonic, human - and it conceals an extraordinary amount of pockets and compartment, within which Constantine can store - or hide - as many tools as he may need for his current job. The only constants, in one particular pocket, are a pack of Silk Cut cigarettes, and a simple brass Zippo lighter.
Constantine's most important possessions - besides his trenchcoat and cigarettes - are the tools of his trade. That is to say, occult relics and artifacts that aid in his defense, offense, and whatever utility he can think of using them for. Most of these are mainly used offensively - obviously, Constantine's signature set of silver, engraved, blessed Knuckledusters, as well as small vials of liquids like holy water, elixers, and various essences and serums. John also ha several talismans and pendants with various religious and occult symbols and icons, most of which can be used as either weapons of banishment or wards of protection. He also carries small, pocket-sized editions of a few of the main religious texts, like the Bible and the Quran, as well as a pack of tarot cards, and other assorted magical knick-knacks that could save his life if used with quick-thinking in a desperate moment.
Stomping Grounds:
A small one-bedroom apartment with an open-plan kitchen, toilet and separate bath/shower-room, and a sizable living space, located on the upper southwest side of Chicago. While Constantine allowed Chas to aid him in furnishing and decorating, though there are several quirks about his apartment that one would only find if they looked for them; Constantine's table has only one chair, and it always faces north, as does his sofa. There is only one clock, and it is the one found on Constantine's wrist. On further inspection, one can also find carvings of symbols and quasi-letters lining all of the door-frames - symbols that form barriers stronger than the thickest steel against creatures not bound by walls. Constantine's room also bears the symbol of every religion upon its wall, and his bookshelves have volumes of strange names to behold. All in all, Constantine's apartment is, at first glance, a typical small bachelor's place furnished by a man - but a closer look gives a small hint into John's inner life.
A triangular corner room on the fifth floor of a shared building in downtown Chicago, Constantine's office is where he takes new clients, updates old ones, and hides from anyone else. It's nondescript, almost to a point - a desk, a filing cabinet, a lazy fan on the ceiling. A small plaque on the door reads 'J. Constantine, Private Detective' with a line below that says 'Occult business and other matters'. No one really mentions the first half of the lower line unless they're there about it. While there are no symbols on the walls or pendants in drawers, the inside of the doorframe is, once again, lined with carvings. The only ones getting in to Constantine's office are those with appointments.
A club in New York run by the ex-mob boss and immortal voodoo practitioner Papa Midnite. A dingy leisure lounge bathed in red light, it acts as a safe haven for any being who has a connection to the occult and supernatural, whether mortal or not, and the club is designated neutral grounds, all quarrels left at the door - the only rule, and enforced strictly by Papa Midnite himself.
The club is open to whoever can get in - the only requirement to entry is a single tarot card shown face-down by Papa Midnite's bouncer. If you can tell him which card he had chosen, you can enter the lounge.
A large mental health facility in the North of England, Ravenscar has existed in one form or another for hundred of years, and will exist for a hundred more. The 'treatment' used within is questionable and often outdated, and the staff are often negligent or outright cruel. It is not a place of dedicated healing, and most patients do not leave. John Constantine was one of the lucky few - but the fear that his chosen life will lead back to that shadowy building hangs over him eternally.
Gotham is a seedy city patrolled by a bloated and half-corrupt police force and inhabited by scared citizens and criminals, home to Arkham Asylum, Blackgate Prison, the Iceberg Lounge, and some of the worst people the world of mental illness has to offer, as well as your more standard fare of mob bosses and crime families. And it's Constantine's favourite holiday spot.
However, in the last few years, a newly appeared vigilante known only as The Batman has become the guardian of the city's soul, alongside James Gordon, an honest cop in a dishonest town, and his Major Crimes Unit, compiled of the only GCPD officers he trusts. The town is slowly cleaning up, though it resists it every step of the way.
The lowest point of the afterlife, a place of despair, suffering, and terror, where the souls of the damned reside and are subject to horrifying torture and punishment for untold millenniums. Hell's landscape is an unspeakably ugly tapestry; ranging from vast, impossibly dry deserts to mountain ranges with unseeable peaks to forests of trees so dense and black it is like night itself sprung from the ground, all with corpses and anguished souls strewn across the land - husks of corpses still reaching for impossible water, mangled bodies that have fallen in their insurmountable climbs, sufferers impaled on branches and woven into the very roots. Within this awful topography, powerful demons have carved themselves territory, raising impossible geometry from the ground to house themselves and their kin, creating entire communities dedicated to destruction and torment, ruins reflecting bygone eras of humanity and representing mankind's deepest, most awful repressed wants and vices.
Hell is almost mind-shattering in its profound horror. Luckily, Constantine's already come back from insane before.
People of Note:
John Constantine's closest and oldest friend. The two met after John ran from home and found himself in London with a dire need for a roof over his head; the cheap spare room in Chas' mother's house was easy and quick to grab. The two formed a firm relationship out of cigarettes and sarcasm, forming a deep respect for each other. Chas revealed to Constantine that his mother was a witch, who had killed his father after his younger brother was found hanged by his own hand. Her familiar tormented Chas endlessly, and Constantine stepped up to help, slaying the familiar, and through it, Chas' mother. With this debt setting the backdrop, the two left for their own place and their own paths.
The two are a tremendous pair. With Chas as the muscle and Constantine as the brain, they take turns in pulling each other's arses out of various fires. Chas has since become a cabbie by trade, and is often roped in as Constantine's 'wheels' on whatever case he's working - but rarely while letting Chas in on the 'know' about the occult aspects of Constantine's life. John refuses to put Chas in danger with knowledge, and whether or not his has worked, Chas remains steadfastly loyal and alive - the longest surviving of any of John's acquaintances.
An immortal, voodoo-wielding ex-mob boss, and (currently) an uneasy ally of Constantine's. Midnite was born in the 18th century along with his twin sister Luna, and taught voodoo magic by his mother, and later moved to New York, where he met a slave named Cuffee, who was planning to overthrow the rule of the white man and end black oppression. Cuffee requested Midnite make him a powder that would turn his followers invulnerable; however, Midnite's voodoo failed, and the following brutal slaughter of Cuffee's rebellion angered him greatly, causing him to gather his friends and curse Midnite to immortality for as long as white men ruled over black, as well as decapitating his sister and turning her skull into an instrument of voodoo.
Eventually, Midnite started his own club - The Midnite Lounge - and began to run a black market operation using it as a central hub, slowly building power before he came to hold a significant portion of New York's underworld in his hands. He met Constantine in 2012 when he attempted to sell him a rifle he claimed to be the Ace of Winchesters - a gun that fired bullets capable of outright annihilating demons. However, John realized it was counterfeit, and turned down the deal, instead stealing it later on, along with $50,000, and disappearing back to England.
Midnite desired revenge, and later got his chance, spotting Constantine back in New York a few months later and casting a voodoo spell to send him to Hell. In response, John fought his way out, freeing Luna's soul in the process. Luna, furious with Midnite for the role he played in her death, his abandonment of her despite his powerful voodoo, and his current immoral ways, compelled her brother to walk off the 83rd floor of the Empire State Building, well aware of his immortality and the fact that the fall wouldn't kill him, just spread him.
Despite having been burst by the impact, Midnite's body reformed through its immortality, and Midnite considered him and Constantine even, by way of besting one another, and John freeing Luna, despite her immediate actions. He respected the wishes of Luna and quit the criminal life, instead turning his club into a safe, neutral haven for magicians, half-breed, angels and demons alike. When the Magic War came around in 2013, he joined John as an ally at his request, and aided in the defeat of The Beast.
Midnite and John remain uneasy allies despite their past differences, and The Midnite Lounge remains open for business to whoever can get in.
John Constantine's elder sister. After John ran away, she was left with her dying father in an empty house in Liverpool. After his death, she inherited the house and found a job. She eventually met, fell in love with, and married a religious man named Tony, selling the house for a tidy sum while they moved in together in a new place in London. She was caught up in the Magic War of 2013 as a victim, her husband whipped into a violent religious frenzy by one of John's and Rosacarnis' demonic children, who thought her a witch and killed her - and them himself when he came to.
John plunged into Hell to retrieve her soul and resurrect her, but ultimately failed when the First offered her a deal to fairly split the punishment her husband's soul deserved and she accepted. Her soul is still in Hell, endlessly tortured alongside her husband, and John still grieves.
John Constantine's father. A nasty man native to Liverpool, he married Mary-Anne, John's mother, at a young age. He drank a lot and beat her, and forced her to get an abortion when he got her pregnant during a violent sexual escapade early on in their marriage, weakening her womb.
After his wife's death at John's birth, he refused to accept responsibility and instead blamed John, loathing the child and leaving much of his care to Cheryl as he drank himself into oblivion. Eventually, he was imprisoned briefly after stealing underwear from his female neighbour, and John and Cheryl moved to Northampton with their Aunt and Uncle. After his release, John and Cheryl returned, John armed with knowledge of his magical heritage. John grew tired of Thomas' abuse and attempted to curse him lightly, but failed the ritual and instead put doom upon him. Thomas grew frail and withered, causing John to flee Liverpool, and eventually Thomas died in his chair, beer in his hand, his soul damned to Hell.
John Constantine's mother. A pretty girl born in Liverpool, she married Thomas, John's father, at a young age. He was a foul man who drank and beat her, and after a violent sexual encounter caused her to become pregnant early in their marriage, Thomas forced her to have an abortion, which weakened her womb from the stress and trauma.
Eventually, Mary-Anne grew pregnant and John and his twin. John's twin asphyxiated in the womb on John's umbilical cord, and during the delivery of John and his stillborn brother, her weakened womb ruptured and she bled out, dying on the table, her soul ascending to Heaven.
The child at the center of John's first foray into occult heroism. Living in Newcastle, she was abused by a group of sadistic and depraved adults that included her mother and father. She discovered that she possessed natural talent for magic, particularly evocation and conjuring. She tapped into her innate powers and summoned a terrible monster of her imagining to slay her oppressors, which it dutifully performed in the middle of an orgy - but then refused to leave, and began to torment her and others.
John intervened after stumbling upon the initial massacre, and enlisted the help of his friends to summon a demon to slay the monster. They succeeded in the summoning, but were unable to bind it, and after it killed the monster, it tormented John's friends and slew Astra, taking her soul back to Hell with it.
While John has since taken revenge for her on the demon that seized her soul, he considers Astra's fate his greatest failure, and her retrieval is a constant objective.
The First of the Fallen was the first being God created after the universe was complete, and he was intended to be God's companion, and the embodiment of His conscience. However, the First soon came to believe that God was insane, and as a result, he was banished from Heaven and cast down to Hell, his name forgotten and replaced with the moniker he sports now. He was soon joined by the Second and Third of the Fallen, and the three quickly organised a ruling triumvirate to prevent a war that would tear Hell apart and destroy them all. The Triumvirate lasted until Lucifer, the most powerful being in the universe after God, was banished and fell to Hell; however, he soon abdicated, and the Triumvirate was established once more, holding a fragile truce.
The First's initial encounter with John Constantine, the mage who would soon become his greatest fixation, was in Ireland, 2010, at the funeral of Brendan O'Marrall, an old friend of John's. Brendan had been an alcoholic, and the First had tricked him into striking a deal - his soul for an endless supply of the finest wines. The First had supplied the wines - but they had been so exquisite that it was impossible to stop drinking them, and Brendan died that same night, bottles clutched to his chest. The First came to the funeral to collect, but John tricked him into drinking wine spiked with holy water, weakening him to the point where he was unable to collect Brendan's souls before midnight, rendering the deal void and allowing Brendan's soul to ascend to Heaven. Furious and wounded at being tricked by a mortal, the First swore that Constantine's soul was now his to collect by 'right of insult', and that he would drag it to Hell when John died.
John tricked the First again, selling his soul to the Second and Third of the Fallen, and they were forced to cure him of his cancer and prevent his death, lest they descend into war over ownership of his soul. The First's fury grew brighter, and he swore revenge, harboring an obsession with claiming victory over the mortal.
The First eventually managed to wound Constantine; after Rosacarnis' machinations after the Magic War of 2013 resulted in Cheryl Constantine's soul being taken into Hell, John fought through to the hall of Rosacarnis, where the First slew Rosacarnis, her two sons, and Nergal, and then made a deal with Cheryl's soul that resulted in her willingly choosing to stay in Hell. The First gloated, and sent John away, content in a victory over the Mortal - but the First's plots are far from over, and he is still happy to torment John Constantine whenever he can.
Creations of God, and the other two-thirds of the Triumvirate Rule of Hell. After God created the First, He realized that other beings were needed to keep him in check; thus, he created the Second and Third, demons of nearly equal power to the First, and cast them down to Hell with him. They quickly set up a triumvirate rule lest Hell be destroyed with them in civil war, and while Lucifer deposed this rule for a time, it has since be re-established.
After the First declared Constantine's soul his by 'right of insult', John sold his soul to the Second and Third separately. When they realized, they knew that if John died, they would erupt into a war over ownership, a war that only God would truly win. Instead, they cured him of his cancer and prevented his death.
A Demon created from magic and John Constantine's negative aspects by the Triumvirate Rulers of Hell. After John tricked the First, Second, and Third of the Fallen into healing him, they also used his energies to create a malevolent being from all of his worst attributes, which would stalk the wastelands of Hell and, should John enter, find and consume his soul to gain unimaginable power.
Eventually, when John dove into Hell to save his sister after the Magic War in 2013, the Demon Constantine found him, and attempted to kill him and consume his soul. Helpless alone, John was forced to allow the demon Nergal to possess him; while, together, they managed to defeat the Demon Constantine, John's soul was irrevocably tainted by the possession as a result.
A brief ally of John Constantine in the Magic War of 2013. A creature created by God to defend Mankind from The Beast, it stalked the dreams of men who would seek to free The Beast and use them to cross over into the physical realm, taking form as a ferocious and fearsome large black wolf.
When The Beast threatened to return to Earth in 2013, the Shadow Dog appeared and a Magic War erupted, into which John was dragged. The two allied with each other to defeat The Beast, leaving John drained of power and vulnerable after victory, the Shadow Dog disappearing from the mortal plane once its purpose was fulfilled. It is still alive, out there somewhere, always awaiting the return of The Beast, and sworn to protect Humanity.
A demon that escaped being named by Adam in the Garden of Eden, allowing it to take whatever form it desired. It then followed Adam and Eve out of Eden, actively desiring the destruction of Mankind by its hand, using its ability to take whatever form it chose, and the ability to possess willing hosts, to bring disasters upon Humanity across the globe - the Shadow Dog never far behind, keeping The Beast at bay and preventing its true return.
In 2013, The Beast tried new tactics and slowly grew in power, possessing followers en masse and preparing for a true return to the mortal plane. The Shadow Dog realized this, and a Magic War erupted, John Constantine being one of the many recruited. Eventually, The Beast was defeated, and shut away by the Shadow Dog.
The Beast, however, it not truly dead, as that which has no form cannot be utterly slain - and it plots still.
A powerful demoness, daughter of Nergal, and mother of the three demonic children Adam, Saul and Maria. She betrayed her father and usurped his throne, seizing his kingdom of Hell.
In the aftermath of the Magic War of 2013, Rosacarnis saw an opportunity in the weakened and vulnerable John Constantine, and bound him for a single day of his life - a day that she split into three bubbles of reality, having John sire a child with her in each, three demonic children that she named Adam, Saul, and Maria. They immediately slew everyone John ever knew, and took Cheryl Constantine's soul back to Hell with their mother.
John followed them, enlisting the help of Nergal, who wished to take back the throne his daughter had deposed him from. They found their way to the hall of Rosacarnis, where she gloated in her apparent victory over Constantine - before being startled by her father's reappearance, and then goaded by John into slaying him in exchange of his sister's release. Before she was able, she was slain by the First, along with Adam and Saul, who deemed Constantine's soul his own by 'right of insult', and to be collected only when he chose.
Three demonic children sired by Constantine and the demoness Rosacarnis in the aftermath of the 2013 Magic War that left John weakened and vulnerable. They emerged into the mortal plane and slew everyone John every knew, friend, family, and foe alike, and goaded Cheryl Constantine's husband into killing her, taking her soul to Hell, and forcing John to come after it.
After John found his way to the hall of Rosacarnis, he baited their mother into attacking her, and she was immediately killed by the First, as well as Adam and Saul. Maria was left alive, suffering an existential crisis and confused as to whether she truly desired to exist.
A powerful Demon that John Constantine constantly encounters. Nergal was the demon John summoned to aid Astra, and the two have been steady enemies ever since. John eventually caught up with Nergal, and took revenge for Astra, battling him and eventually using considerable magic to banish Nergal to the border of Heaven, where he was burnt by Heaven's light and cut up by an angel. Nergal, slain but not defeated, fell back to Hell.
Years later, in the aftermath of the Magic War in 2013, Nergal found himself bound to John's service as Constantine braved Hell to save Cheryl Constantine. While his power was enough to throw off the shackles John had bound him under, he agreed to help if John, in return, aided him to depose his daughter, the demoness Rosacarnis, and let him take back the kingdom of Hell that she had taken from him. During the journey, they encountered Demon Constantine, and John was forced to allow Nergal to possess him to attain victory over his dark aspect, tainting John's souls irrevocably.
They eventually found their way to the hall of Rosacarnis, but after she was slain by the First, Nergal attempted to take her throne for himself once more - and was also slain, cut up and banished, scattered across the wastelands of Hell.
Character Goals: My Constantine's immediate goal is the retrieval of Astra's soul from Hell, a fate he indirectly inflicted on the girl, and something he considers his greatest failure that still haunts him today. Beyond that, Constantine defends the world from the influences of both Heaven and Hell, and works to solve crimes and mysteries of both mundane and occult natures. Hopefully, he will come to be friends with the major heroes of the DC universe, and go on to recruit Deadman, Zatanna, Black Orchid, and Andrew Bennet to form the Justice League Dark. He will also deal with the First and his activity, and resolve supernatural phenomenon that have been haunting him since his birth.
Sample Post:
John Constantine took a long drag on his cigarette. He was stood on the sidewalk on a back-alley, nondescript street of New York City, a small sign hanging above a single wooden door embedded in marble architecture. The sign read 'Midnite's', and behind the door lay burgundy carpeting, stairs leading down into the Lounge, and dim, red-tinted lighting. John stubbed out his cig on the wall he was leaning against and blew the last of the smoke into the air. It clung to him and wreathed his neck as he pushed through the door into the Midnight Lounge.
Constantine stamped down the stairs, his hands thrust into the side pockets of his trenchcoat. A bouncer awaited him at the bottom, a velvet rope hanging across a doorway on his left and a neatly-stacked deck of black-backed cards on a small chrome stool-table on his right. John grunted as they locked eyes, acknowledging a recognition born of repetition. John's eyes ran over the bouncer's array of runic and symbolic tattoos, particularly the triangular designs on the tops of each of his wrists. He could keep John out through physical force alone, but he was more than capable of keeping the occult world's nastier beasties out too. John gulped mentally. He always did.
He reached the bottom and stood dutifully in front of the doorman, who looked Constantine and his dusty coat up and down, and then reached for the deck. In a movement too fast for John to see the mechanics of, he removed a random card from the deck and showed it to Constantine, black-side up. Constantine didn't skip a beat. "The Fool, ya witty bastard." There was a micro-second's worth of an amused smirk that flashed across the bouncer's tattooed face, and then the card was back in the deck, and the velvet rope had been pulled off from across the entryway, allowing Constantine to go in. He did so, and was immediately hit by loud music and the smell of smoke, liquor, and just the faint hint of copper. Or maybe blood. John didn't waste any time in what was essentially the lobby - instead, he headed past the bar and toward the back of the room to a small mahogany door, the dark wood almost camouflaged against the brown leather buttoned to the wall. John knocked thrice. A small porthole slid open, a pair of beady eyes behind. They scanned Constantine up and down, and then the porthole slid shut. John waited, heard several metal ka-thunks as the door was unlocked, and then stepped in as it swung open and then shut behind him.
He saw Papa Midnite immediately. The voodoo-baron was splayed out across a circular booth in the corner of the room, a single figure sat in front of him - hunched forward, hands on the table, hair slicked back with a mixture of grease, wax, and sweat. He'd almost look nervous - if John didn't see him for what he was. A Half-Breed, some unholy child that didn't live up to the annihalistic expectations of its father. Sections of his skin were rotted and a single gnarled, curled horn spiraled out from the left side of his forehead. Whatever glamour he had was irrelevant, stripped away by John's Third Eye. Constantine was a magician, and he'd seen enough of the world not to be fooled by parlor tricks anymore. He waited until the Half-Breed had finished whatever conversation he and Midnite were having, and then took his place as he left the table for a different table and a drink.
"Thought your sister persuaded you to leave the mob business." Constantine sat down, leaning back in the seat and pushing the tails of his coat out from under him. Midnite sat up, arms no longer stretched out against the leather of the booth-bench. He raised an eyebrow. "I must have regrown a conscience when she pulped me in front of the Empire State." He replied, and Constantine grunted in amusement. "But he wasn't a convict." Constantine grunted again, rolling his neck to watch the half-breed subtly over his shoulder out the corner of his eye. "Certainly looks like an escapee to me..." He muttered, and Midnite frowned. "You know the rules of my house, Constantine. Under my roof, you will abide by them." Constantine turned back, eyeing Midnite. "What are you here for, John." John sniffed. "Same thing. Stiff drink, some light conversation, and a warm place to light one u..." He trailed off as he opened his pack of fags and found them empty. "Aah, dammit."
"Light conversation, John? Any particular subject?" Papa Midnite asked as he beckoned with a finger for two glasses and some liquor to pour into them. John waited while the drinks were brought over, keeping an eye on the half-breed at the table across the room - he was half-certain he was doing the same - and then eagerly took his glass as Midnite finished pouring. He drank before speaking, and drank when he'd finished. "Hell. Souls. Little girls. Keepers and whereabouts." "Still? Constantine, no one knows anything about her. Nergal took her and put her in some dark, forgotten corner, and he's not talking." Midnite sighed, but Constantine didn't move, back to watching the half-breed. He had noticed the horn twitch as he'd looked up sharply at the Midnite naming Nergal. Constantine wanted to test the waters. "She's somewhere, Midnite." "She's gone, John. Astra is gone." Another twitch. John faked a relent, throwing his hands up and finishing his drink. "Fine. You win. She's gone." Papa Midnite tutted, half-smiling at John's obvious front. John got up. "I need a new pack of Silk Cut anyway." He said. The half-breed rose slowly as well. John suppressed a smug smirk. "I'll see you around, Midnite." "Not by my skulls, John. You're not in New York for long." Constantine waved him off and left - the half-breed following. With any luck, he thought he had the advantage. Constantine rubbed the sigils inked onto his forearms.
Originally a chimp from equatorial Africa, Detective Chimp was taken from his home by circus owner Fredrick Thorpe, who named him Bobo. Thrope taught Bobo sign language and a routine of rudimentary answers to pre-determined questions. Labeled "Bob the Detective Chimp," the act was a hit across the country. During a road trip through Florida, the circus convoy was involved in a freeway pileup that overturned cars and set animals free. Bobo was among those that fled into the woods in the confusion. After weeks in the wilderness, the chimp discovered a strange pool near the everglades. This pool was revealed to be the long sought after Fountain of Youth. Bobo drank from it and discovered its side effects immediately. His intelligence skyrocketed to genius human levels. With his new intellect, he found his way back to civilization and Thrope's circus. It was soon discovered that Bobo could, in fact, speak and no longer needed sign language.
Bobo's new abilities led to a boom in the act with people everywhere flocking to see the genius chimp. In San Francisco, Bobo found his calling. During a routine show, Bobo was able to deduce that an audience member had murdered his wife. The sensation of the story led to more headlines for Bobo and his eventual falling out with Thorpe. He left the circus and, after drifting through the country, became the world's first chimp private eye.
Attributes: DC has the physical characteristics of a normal chimpanzee. Intelligence wise, he is one of the world's greatest detectives with a genius-level intellect and mastery of over a dozen languages.
Stomping Grounds:
Opal City
A mid-sized metropolis in Pennsylvania, Opal City is a very blue collar town that Detective Chimp uses as his base of operations. As part of the Rust Belt, Opal is dealing with a lack of industrial jobs as more and more manufacturing goes abroad. High unemployment and suburban flight has led to urban decay throughout the city. On top of that, an apathetic police force has given way to more corruption and disconnect from the people they have sworn to protect.
Effie assists Bobo through his cases during the day while she attends law school at night
Jake Lonnegan - A short-con grifter operating in Opal City
Jake is a long-time pro in the Opal City area and acts as an informant and occasional helper for Bobo when the job calls for it.
Sgt. Florence Marlowe - Squad Seargant, Opal City PD
Sgt. Marlowe is a squad supervisor in OCPD's Major Crimes Squad and works/competes with Bobo on cases.
Character Goals:
I just want to do hoodrat stuff with my friends. I'd also like to be a talking chimp detective.
Sample Post:
Opal City, PA 5:21 AM
A grouping of three police cars made a semi-circle around the dead-end alley. Their lights flashed, bouncing off the brick walls of the alley and creating a strobing aura of red and blue lights in the predawn morning. Two cops drank lukewarm coffee out of paper cups while a third stood nearby a tarp covered body.
A pink sedan pulled up beside the cop cars and came to a stop, the brakes squealing. A young, dark-haired woman in a pants suit got out of the driver side. The two cops behind the crime scene tape perked up... until they saw the car's passenger get out.
"They sent you, huh?" one of the cops said with an arched eyebrow.
Walking towards the two police officers was a chimp dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, wearing a plaid coat and a deerstalker cap. A cigarette dangled from his lips. The chimp smiled at the cops and exhaled smoke into the air.
"Yes," said Bobo, the world's first and only chimp detective. "I guess your bosses don't trust your homicide boys.
"Who's the girl?" one of the cops asked, nodding towards the girl.
"This is my friend and associate, Ms. Peters."
"Friend? Since when do you have friends?" the other cop asked. "Oh, my god... is this your idea of a date?"
"What? No," stammered Effie Peters. "You think we're....no...I mean," she quickly looked down at Bobo and turned a shade of red. "Not that there's anything wrong with that."
Bobo shook his head and walked past the two cops. He flicked his cigarette across the alley before crossing into the crime scene. He easily walking under the yellow crime scene tape without needing to duck and reached into his jacket for a pair of white latex gloves. They snapped on with a pop and Bobo approached the body. The third cop gave him a nod and backed up while the chimp went to work. Effie stood by, notebook in hand, while Bobo pulled back the tarp to reveal the dead body.
The victim in question was a man, late middle-age and clothed in a white shirt and gray trousers. Bobo leaned forward and took the corpse's face into his hands. He leaned forward and looked closely at the body's red cheeks and nose. He took a small mental snapshot of the bruises around the neck, deep purple verging on black and all the way around the neck, before moving down to the shirt.
Pinned to the shirt was a white piece of paper with a single number typed on to it.
4
Bobo took note of the gut and looked at the belt and pants. The pants appeared to be in good shape, a spot of fresh mud on the right kneecap. He dabbed a finger in the mud and rubbed it between his latex-covered fingers. Rolling up the pants leg, he examined the veins of victim's legs before going up to the hands and the man's scarred knuckles.
Bobo stood and looked at Effie as the two cops strolled over to see what was going on.
"Are you ready to take notes, Effie?"
"Go for it."
"The victim is approximately fifty-five years old, the cut of his clothing indicates he's wearing a uniform from work. He has varicose veins, which means he did a lot of standing. He's more than likely currently employed as a security guard, but he's only been doing it a few years. No security guard has scarred knuckles like that. His age, coupled with the bloated and red face implies he's a heavy drinker. Only one job I can think of where one can be a functioning alcoholic and still be paid."
"Detective Chimp?" Effie asked with a smirk.
"Police. Our man was a former cop. The cause of death is strangulation. Someone at least 6'4 had to get behind with him with a cord to make those exact marks. The mud on his pants isn't consistent with what you find around here. The mud looks more like the mud you find out by the Three Rivers area. He probably worked for a business in that area."
"What about the note?" one of the cops asked.
"...Seriously? I have to explain that to you? My God, Jones....I would think OCPD would make sure all their officers had a functioning brain."
"On with it," one of them said curtly.
"Well...let me say this much...the sooner you find out who and this man worked with as a cop, the sooner you can find the next victims."
"The next victims?"
"Yes, the note is a warning. The countdown has started. Three more murders will follow if we don't hurry up. This is the first sign, the sign of the four."
Bertron was an alien scientist who operated on the planet Krypton many thousands of years ago. He sought to create the ultimate life form. His first experiments however failed, but Betron cultivated cells from the dead experiment and infused them into his next test subject. This subject also died, but Betron, undeterred, repeated the process over and over again. Ultimately, after forty years of work and multiple test subjects, his experiments were met with success.
The life form, Possessing genetic memory from it's predecessors Adapted to the environment it was set in, Prehistoric Krypton but not in the way Betron was expecting. The new life form, though possessing Predator traits seemed to attach itself to Pray, turning them into Predators and using them to kill anything he found to be a threat, being immune to any killing methods Betron had used before it turned it's sights onto Betron. It, instead of killing him attached itself to him and fled Krypton.
Upon the discovery of Superman the U.S Government decided that more funds should be put into space exploration, after all they didn't want something like this to surprise them again. So they, along with S.T.A.R. Labs started to develop plans for better space exploration using drones and machines much more advanced than the ones currently in use. And in early 2015 R&D pushed back because of the Apokolips invasion. The first space drone known as Hyperion. It explores the solar system, almost getting to Jupiter until connection was lost, after this they went back to the drawing board. Exactly two months later something is heading for earth, quickly they identify it as Hyperion. But somethings wrong with it it seems to be coming in for a crash landing The same night it crash landed in the rural Arizona deserts, along with an alien ship. The life form, who had long attached itself to something else arose from the ship and escaped, heading in the direction of Las Vegas.
Marcus Blaine was always a wild card and problem child,Usually just to relieve small town Boredom but one part of him actually enjoyed the chaos and carnage he could cause. His father, James who would Disappear for weeks at a time on his Motorcycle only stopped back in when he wanted sex,money and drugs, usually in that order,and his Mother Tammi an exotic 'entertainer' as she would call it, they all lived a small bungalow outside of town, she always did try and do the best for him, she even kicked the drugs for him, which his father was not happy about, so like father like son he joined a biker gang at the age of eight-teen and left Blue Diamond Nevada, getting into more Drunken Brawls,Shootouts and orgies you can count, and loving it,eventually getting married at the age of twenty-one to a lady named Lola Kris, who is currently pregnant with his first child.
When he was twenty-five he ran into his father while at a bar in Rural Arizona, it ended with Him on top of his father, beating him with the blunt end of a knife, once he had his fill Marcus let James go, "if you ever come home again I'll kill ya" his father shouted as he and his little group rode away. That was five years ago. Recently his group has been seen in the Las Vegas Area, having a good time. They were all at a Strip joint when Marcus needed to take a call from Lola, when he stepped outside talking to his wife on the phone when he heard a thumping sound, like something heavy was hitting the ground, going to investigate a sick looking alien thing was waiting for him.
Attributes: Unique Physiology: Doomsday was created and evolved through cloning an infant and having it killed over and over again by one of the most dangerous species of the universe and in one of the harshest habitats in existence, prehistoric Krypton. As such, he returns to life every time he dies and becomes near invulnerable to what killed him before. His entire body is built as a defensive structure which continues to arm itself the more it is damaged.
Accelerated Healing: He also has a highly accelerated healing factor that allows him to heal and regenerate from most damage almost instantly.
Power Replication: The monster can replicate and store the special abilities of any super-beings in his immediate proximity using "Absorption Cells".
Superhuman Strength: With his strength, Doomsday can easily overpower and kill humans and other aliens like Kryptonians, and can bend and break through reinforced steel, destroy impenetrable barriers, and can lift extremely heavy objects, and uproot trees and buildings/structures as well as decimate them with his might.
slight-Invulnerability: Doomsday is almost completely resistant to all forms of physical and mental types of harm, and as such, bullets bounce off him, rockets, lasers and bombs won't leave a mark on him but can do considerable damage to his human Host.
Space adaption: He can survive in space and can even operate while in the direct presence of space vacuums, vortexes and wormholes
Superhuman Stamina: Doomsday can take part in super-powered battles for months on end. He fought Superman through Metropolis for days of physical combat until even the Man of Steel was broken.
Superhuman Speed: Most surprising is his speed for his bulked size. In a matter of moments, Doomsday managed to render most of the Justice League incapable of fighting.
Super-Leaping: He was incapable of flight but due to his extremely dense muscles in his legs, he can leaps miles at a time. Superman took advantage of this in their first battle by attempting to keep him airborne. He also used it to his advantage when he deposited Doomsday in a lake to slow him down.
As Marcus Blain:
Being attached to Doomsday has changed him, basically he is as strong,durable and as unrelenting as a quarter of Doomsday, so a bullet may not penetrate his skin but can leave a hell of a bruise.
Weaknesses:
Need for sustenance: Doomsday is for lack of a better word a parasite, he must consume food that his host eats, though Doomsday does not need to eat much to keep himself healthy it can pose an obstacle when fighting someone like the Man Of Steel.
The host itself: Doomsday shows himself when the Host either calls him out or is dosed with a large enough adrenaline rush, but if the host is killed quickly enough, Doomsday won't have a chance to appear and must find a new host.
He is the blank slate!: This is a Doomsday that has not faced anyone of the Justice League!, anything that worked before can work now.
Stomping Grounds: Nevada/Arizona area mostly, but really anywhere he wants.
James Blaine - Father
Tammi Blaine - Mother
Tommy 'knives' Krooks - Best friend
Lola Blaine - Wife
Sonya Blaine - Future Daughter
Character Goals: Well apart from the Anarchy and Chaos he is unwillingly going to create this character would for the first of his story arcs learn to live with this monster inside of him, doing his best to turn it against people who deserve it. After that He will be going after Lex Corp and Cadmus, focusing on completely decimating them for all the bad things they have done.
The thing eyed Marcus like a wolf looking at sheep, sizing me up. It was at least six-feet tall, with muscles bigger than my head, it's grey skin was contrasted by it's red piercing eyes, it seemed to have white spikes growing out of it's shoulders,head and arms he couldn't tell how but it looked sick, like something was wrong with it. Marcus was about to step back when it stepped forward, a long purposeful step as it reached out for him glaringly, it quickly grabbed him and the thing began to unravel itself, the thing he saw was just an outer shell, what lied inside was a humanoid looking frog thing that was gasping for air,like it was drowning.The monster began to grow on Marcus, his skin turning grey in the pink neon light of the strip club. He screamed as the new layer of skin made him jump, dropping his phone. It roared, drawing attention to the scene taking place at least fifty feet into the air.
As it landed onto the Nevada waste it just ran, until it grew tired and blacked out.
Marcus woke up in a wasteland, Vultures circling overhead and the heat being unbearable he stood up, dusting himself off before realizing he had a splitting head ache. The seemingly endless wasteland looked allot worse than he remembered. the ground was tore up and from where he was standing he could see parts of a dead Coyote.
"what the hell happened last night?." He said aloud, as we started walking back through the path of destruction. After about an hour of this he could see a small town on the horizon, his pace quickened on the thought of calling Lola or Knives for a ride out of this mess and get a drink. As he got closer and closer to the town he could see smoke arising from some of the buildings, his pace slowed as he remembered the thing from last night and the running,jumping and destruction it caused. It was hazy, like waking up after having eight two many, but not as bad of a headache.
Actually, now that Marcus thought about it he felt great, like he was twenty again. Maybe even better than that. Marcus was about three minutes away from entering the town where the destruction ended, and he was quite nervous. Would they know it was him?. Did he do this?, and where did the monster go?. Marcus didn't know and he didn't want to find out, he just wanted to get home, sit down and apologize to Lola for not listening to her.
The damage was much worse up close than far away, houses were destroyed, the street was tore up, it reminded him of the time the JLA had that giant bout in Metropolis, just allot smaller. People were bloodied,dirty and crying, police and federal investigators were there aswell. They all gave him a strange look and came over to question him
"sir, do you know what happened here?" a federal officer asked, with a notepad and pen "it was a monster!" one woman yelled, the word 'monster' kinda had a punch to them "no, sorry just woke up from a night of drinking with the boys". Marcus answered half-lying. The officer gave him a weird look "in the wasteland of Nevada?" he asked again, Marcus just shrugged his shoulders "don't ask me how I got here, I have no idea". The officer grunted under his black suit and aviators "your free to go". Marcus nodded and was about to head through the crowd when he turned "do you have a phone I can borrow sir?, all the ones around here are kinda, out of service" Marcus needed Knives to come pick him up.
The officer gave him a phone to use, with it he called Knives, who picked up on first ring "Marcus, where did you go last night?, you kinda disappeared last night, you get lucky?". He asked excitedly.
"I need to be picked up, i'm in..." Marcus took a look at a broken sign that read welcome to Goldfield. "i'm in Goldfield". Knives didn't answer "hello?" Marcus said, hoping the call didn't drop "ya i'm still here, just how did you get to Goldfield so fast?" he asked "I dunno Knives, just get here i'll explain later" and with that he hung up.Today was going to be one of Those days Marcus thought as he looked around the destroyed village.
Superhuman Strength given to him but the sun's radiation. Superman is able to pick up and toss just about any on planet Earth. Limited invulnerability, small weapons fire and punches from regular humans do hardly any damage. Superman cannot take a round from a tank or stop a speeding train without getting hurt for example. Also if another superhuman with super strength hits him it will hurt. Solar healing factor. When on a planet with a yellow or other wise young star, Superman can heal extremely quickly. Superman can run extremely fast and jump impossibly high, he also has the ability to fly faster than a speeding bullet. Super breath, heat vision. X-ray Vision is completely operational for our young Superman. Let's just say he figured that one out as a teenager. He is also able to see EM frequencies and microscopic particles/organisms with the naked eye. He also has a heightened sense of smell and hearing. Fighting for Superman has been heightened. He has knowledge of ancient Krytptonian forms of martial arts and has even been trained by Batman in situations where Clark did not have his powers. Superman has two invincible Kryptonian Battlesuits and his cape which is itself invincible.
Weaknesses: Kryptonite weakens Superman by blocking his ability to use his powers. These chunks of his home planet trick his body into thinking he is on Krypton essentially making him feel human. Walking into a room of Kryptonite will not kill Superman but he will find it hard to function as he will feel like a human which compared to how he usually is means extremely weak. Getting stabbed or shot by a piece of Kryptonite will also block his healing factor making it extremely dangerous. This is the only way Superman could bleed out or die of wounds. The same effect can be achieved when Superman is on a planet with a red or similarly old star. Being on such planets will make him completely unable to use any of his powers and he will be just like a normal human. The amount of gravity on a planet affects his ability to jump and fly. Earth is normal gravity and he is able to fly normally. Put him on the moon or in space and his flying abilities are enhanced but put him on a world with high gravity and it will be hampered. In very very rare cases gravity will make him unable to fly. Of course a red star would make this true as well. Clark is also weak when it comes to magic as it effects him in the same way it effects most people. Superman's powers are biological not magical so he is susceptible to many forms of magic. In fact using magic against the Man of Steel is the second most effective way of fighting him behind using Kryptonite.
Stomping Grounds:Metropolis, also known as the city of tomorrow is one of the largest cities in the United States of America. The center of the city is occupied by the Island of New Troy, the largest borough in town. Many of the major corporations and businesses (including LexCorp) are headquartered in this part of the city.
One of the newest cities in America, Metropolis has become a sort of "new western frontier" despite its position on the eastern side of the country. Thousands of people flock to the city each year in hopes of finding a better life.
Crime in Metropolis is the lowest in the country due to its unique protector, Superman. Most small time criminals avoid the city out of fear of fighting the Man of Steel. However, on the other side of this debate, a large number of super-villains frequently attack the city simply to test themselves against the most powerful being on the planet.
People of Note: Lois Lane: Wife Jimmy Olsen: Long time friend and co-worker Jonathan and Martha Kent: Parents (Adoptive) Jor-El and Lara: Parents (Biological/deceased) Kara Zor-El: Cousin (unknown) Perry White: Boss Lex Luthor: Rival/Nemesis
Backstory/Orgins: The last son of Krypton, Kal-El was born to the foremost scientist on the planet of Krypton Jor-El and his wife Lara. As an infant, Kal's father discovered that in a few short months Krypton would be destroyed. Jor-El spent months trying to convince the Kryptonian government to evacuate the planet however they were distracted by the uprising of General Zod the foremost military leader of Krypton. Ignored by the government, Jor-El began constructing prototype spacecrafts capable of bringing his family to a new home. Time ran out however and as the planet destroyed itself killing billions, Jor made sure his son would escape by placing him in the only working stasis pod in working condition. Jor programmed the ships Braniac computer to target worlds with yellow suns and low gravity knowing that it would make his son a god among men. The planet was destroyed and the only surviving pieces of it became known as Kryptonite.
Years ago Kal's pod crashed in Smallville, Kansas where he was found and adopted by the Kent family. Renamed ClarkKent, he was raised as a farmer and taught good morals at a young age. The only thing remaining from his Kryptonian heritage was a red cape with a black El family crest on the back. As a young child he often used it as a blanket. It wasn't until the age of ten when Clark's parents told him of how they found him after he had shot lasers out of his eyes for the first time. They told him that they had no idea where he was from but they knew his real parents must have sent him to Earth for a reason. Clark's father then explained to him that his powers were only to be used for good. Growing up Clark was bullied at his local elementary school but never raised a hand at his attackers saying that his parents taught him to never "punch down." During this time, Clark began to discover his powers. At the age of 11, he saved a bus load full of kids from drowning by pulling it out of the water during a school field trip.
During his freshman year in high school, Clark fell in love with his childhood best friend, Lana Lang. Despite his nerdy personality and what some would consider a naive viewpoint of the world, the two began dating. They stayed together all throughout high school but eventually grew apart when they attended college states away from each other. To this day, Lana is the only other person besides Clark's parents that knows about his powers.
In college Clark was room mates with a rich young man named James Olsen. The two quickly became best friends though Clark kept his powers hidden. Jimmy majored in photography and Clark in journalism where he met Lois Lane. She became the third part of the trio and throughout college the three became extremely close. Eventually Clark began to have feelings for Lois but never acted upon them because of his plans to reveal himself to the world after college.
During college, Clark practiced his abilities. He honed his speed and agility as well as his super sight/hearing. He never quite mastered flying or heat vision during this time but has become adept enough to use these abilities to his advantage.
After the trio graduated, they moved to Metropolis together. Jimmy's parents bought them a large three bedroom apartment in the city where the three live together. Within a week, they all got jobs at the Daily Planet. The newspaper had recently been bought by billionaire Morgan Edge and was having a new building being constructed.
After settling into his job and new home for a month, he disguised himself and went to a local clothing shop. He had 100 t-shirts printed with the 'S' logo from his cape on the torso and begins his career.
Clark spent the next seven years protecting not only Metropolis but the entire planet. His long time rival, Lex Luthor being his primary enemy. He became one of the founders of the Justice League during Darkseid's invasion and eventually took a leading role in the organization.
Perhaps the most dangerous of Superman's enemies has been Brainiac. Clark has fought the creature on multiple occasions, the last of which took the entire Justice League to stop the invasion.
Character Goals: Basically I want to humanize Superman a bit more. He already has a sense of humor in my favorite adaptations of him and I want that to show. I also want him to discover his Solar Flair ability and to go through what he is going through in the actual comics now. (Loss of power and secret identity.) One thing I do really think would be cool is if we could do a Justice League event in where we all get involved in a war between Darkseid and Brainiac.
Sample
Mob Wars, part 1 The moon cast an dim light over warehouse B-52 but the thirty or so armed men that were carrying boxes in and out of the building were completely visible. Lois Lane hid behind a large wooden crate about thirty feet away, camera at the ready. Jimmy Olsen wasn't so confident, he had been begging Lois to leave in hushed whispers for about an hour now. The warehouse was at the very end of the Metropolis city harbor, far away from any prying eyes that might see its in and out activities. There were three white moving vans parked in front of the warehouse with their back doors open. The thugs seemed to be using each for a different load, the closest to Lois for drugs, the next for weapons (most of which were automatic), and the last for stacks of money. Maybe Mannheim had been tipped off that people were watching his operations and was clearing everything out. Too late. Lois thought with a smirk.
Her phone vibrated in her shirt pocket. She held her breath hoping that no one was able to hear it and slid down the crate, resting her back against it. Her heart had nearly stopped but Jimmy looked even more worried. After taking a few seconds to calm her breathing she pulled her phone out of her dark shirt.
"What is it Lois, I told you we need to get out of here." Jimmy was barely audible, even at an extremely close distance. Even his voice was shaking.
"It's a text from Clark, he can't make it." She put her phone back in her pocket with an annoyed look on her face. "What the hell could he possibly be doing that is more important?"
"Probably trying not to get killed Lois, which is a very good idea. We need to leave before they see us." Lois was about to retort but something literally flew past her. It was moving to fast for her to see it. Whatever it was, it ran head-on into the nearest van. The force of the collision caused an explosion. The thugs were even more stunned than Lois, most were frozen in there place. Once the smoke had cleared, she couldn't believe her eyes. Where the van used to be stood a man in a red t-shirt with a darker red and yellow 'S' on the front. He wore a red cape with a matching 'S' on the back, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of brown boots. Without thinking she raised her camera and took two pictures, she could swear he was posing for the second one.
"I didn't expect your van to explode, sorry about that." The man chuckled at his own joke. Everyone else around him was still to stunned to react. "Now, which one of you wants to get their ass kicked first?" After taking a second to process what the man was saying, the thugs opened fire. The man was shot multiple times but it didn't seem like he even noticed. He started moving, he sent thugs flying with a single punch.
Some of the criminals started pulling the automatic weapons out of the second van. The larger caliber bullets seemed to only slow down their attacker. He rushed to the second van, knocking three more thugs before he reached it. He squatted down and put his arms under it before he lifted it off the ground. Lois' eyes opened wide. This was impossible. The man threw the van into the warehouse door. The black metal of the warehouse caved in and the man rushed into it shoulder first to completely destroy the entire front side of the building. The inside of the structure was what seemed like some sort of drug lab. Packages were piled to the ceiling of everything from marijuana to heroin.
The remaining twelve bad guys piled themselves into the last van. They took off without even closing the back sending thousands of dollars flying into the wind. "Not so fast!" The man bolted out of the warehouse and jumped. The van sped past Lois and Jimmy who were still hiding behind their crate. She was taking pictures of the entire event. The man landed feet first on the hood of the van and flipped it forward. It landed on its top side looking like a smashed soda can. A few of the criminals inside began to crawl out, but they were far to wounded to make a run for it.
Lois stood up from her hiding spot and ran over to the mysterious man. "Hey, don't go near that guy. He's not freaking human!" Jimmy tried to protest but Lois had already closed the distance between her and the man. Jimmy positioned himself between the two but when the man turned to look at him, he stepped aside with his head down.
"Who... What are you?" Lois asked the man before taking a picture of his face by reflex. The guy had actually smiled for the picture!
"You know, I haven't thought of a name yet." The man grabbed one of the bad guys by the collar of his shirt and picked him up. "Alright, you are going to tell these two reporters everything you know about the guy who owns this warehouse. Understood?" The thug nodded his head in affirmative and the man put him down.
"Uh, well Mr. Mannheim runs this place." The criminal was shaken up but he managed to get that out.
"Wait, so we were right?"
Lois was still looking at the man when the thug started giving out information. Jimmy better have been writing it all down. "What's the 'S' stand for?"
"I don't know, it was just on the cape and I've always had the cape so..."
"Superman!" Both Jimmy and the strange man gave her a quizzical look. "That could be your name. It explains the 'S'."
"Works for me." Lois could hear the sirens of police cars now, the sound of explosions and gun fire were bound to draw some attention. The thug that Superman was interrogating had revealed that Bruno Mannheim had a dozen of similar warehouses throughout Metropolis but that this was the largest. As a low member of the crime family he had no knowledge of Mannheim's business operations.
It took the cops five minutes to reach the scene. By that time Superman had rounded up all of the unconscious mobsters and taken pictures of the inside of the with Lois' camera. The police didn't see him as a hero however. They pulled up their cars forming a tight circle and ordered Lois and Jimmy to get behind the barricade. As the two reporters moved towards the police, Superman jumped so high that Lois could no longer see him. He was gone as quick as he had appeared.
*Four hours later*
ClarkKent rushed into his apartment through his bedroom window. After the warehouse he had stopped at two different Mannheim 'businesses', one of which was an Italian restaurant who's owner had to pay protection fees to the mob. Clark had saved his daughter so the owner promised to testify against Mannheim. All things considered, Clark's first night on the job was a successful one.
Now though it had been hours since he left Lois and Jimmy with the police. He had to get out of his costume, hide it, and take a shower all before they got home. He found a black shirt and some blue pajama pants from the pile of clothes next to his bed. In a matter of seconds he was out of his costume. He hid it in the same place he always did, a bag which was placed in a secret compartment in his closet.
By the time Lois and Jimmy got home, Clark was in the living room. He had turned HBOgo on the apartment's 42' TV and attempted to look act as natural as possible. He slouched down in the brown leather couch and pretended like he had fallen asleep. The door opened and he could tell that his two friends were still excited just by listening to their heartbeats.
"Wake up Clark, where the hell were you tonight?" Lois was pissed, he didn't blame her. Jimmy however one of the biggest smiles Clark had ever seen him with.
"I was at Noland's, you know that Italian restaurant in New Troy. The place was trashed when I got there, apparently some guy in a cape beat the shit out some Mannheim thugs." Clark tried to keep his face neutral. He had no intention of letting them know why he was there.
"Really? That sounds a lot like..."
"Did you at least get a statement?" Lois cut Jimmy off and he took the hint.
"Better, Mr. Noland has promised to testify against Bruno Mannheim. Apparently this capeguy was pretty tough." Clark was trying not to smile. Lois and Jimmy looked at each other in disbelief.
"Well Clark, you'll never believe what happened to us tonight."
"Superman!" Jimmy made a gesture with his hands as he said it.
"You hear the surface-dwellers have their own version of The Golden One?" "Yeah? What'd they call him?" "Superman, I think." "Hmm. . . What's his powers?" "He flies, and can see through walls." "Lame."
Overheard conversation between two Atlanteans
Name:
Arthur Curry, Orin Ap Thomas
Alias:
Aquaman, The Golden One
Origin:
Born of Two Worlds; 1953-1955
A man born of two worlds, accepted by neither, shunned by all while he struggles to find his place in this life. An outsider, a waylander, a freak, a man who's only home is the one he makes for himself, through his own blood and sweat and tears. That is Arthur Curry of the surface world, also known as Orin Ap Thomas of Atlantis. Jokingly referenced as 'Aquaman' by the American media, given the ironic title of 'The Golden One' by the ocean-dwellers.
Sixty-three years ago Atlanna Ep Orvax, princess of the underwater kingdom of Poseidonis, fled her home upon discovering her father meant to marry her to a prince from the rival kingdom Lemuria. She was a fiery one, Atlanna, and refused to countenance a world where she was forced into a marriage that didn't suit her, no more than a pawn in someone else's games. With no destination in mind she fled, wandering the seas while staying well clear of any of the Seven kingdoms of Atlantis, of anyone who would force her back to her old life. It was during this roaming that she, by sheer happen-stance, met lighthouse keeper Thomas Curry.
Tom Curry. Over six foot tall. Broad shouldered, golden haired, muscled like a maidens delight, Tom Curry. It's really no wonder that Atlanna, even with generations of bred-in distrust of humans, fell for Mr Curry, hook, line and sinker. She engineered a meeting with Tom, and the two fell almost immediately into a relationship. While it began as a purely physical pairing feelings did grow between the two, feelings that became even stronger when, to their surprise, Atlanna fell pregnant.
Until that point Atlanna had kept her Atlantean heritage a secret from her paramour, but she realized the time was upon her to reveal the truth. Tom was skeptical at first, but quickly came round after the princess remained underwater for over half an hour as way of evidence. After some serious soul searching the lighthouse keeper decided that this new information, while a shock, didn't actually change the way he felt about Atlanna. Their son was born, and they called him Arthur.
The family lived in peace for almost two years, but that all changed when a cadre of Poseidonis soldiers, led by Atlanna's father the King Orvax, came knocking at the Lighthouse door. The king demanded that she return at once, a demand that the princess promptly refused. However she was then informed that because she had failed to do her duty to her home full scale war threatened to erupt between Poseidonis and Lemuria. Under such dire circumstances she relented, agreeing to return to her home, a decision that hurt Thomas deeply. Arthur she left with his father, Orvax telling her that Atlantean's would never accept a bastard human child as one of their own, even a royal one.
Accepted by Neither; 1955-1970
And so Arthur grew up motherless. It wasn't long, though, before he realized that wasn't the only thing that marked him out as different from all the other children growing up in the small town of Mercy Reef though. For one he was stronger than any of the other boys his age. Stronger than adult men too. So strong that it soon became necessary for Arthur to be banned from playing with his peers, in case he ever inadvertently hurt them. Instead it was Arthur who was hurt, hurt and confused by his forced segregation. He asked his father why he was so different, and all Thomas could tell him was that his mother was an Atlantean. When pressed for what that meant Tom could do nothing but admit to his ignorance. Atlanna was gone, after all, and in all their time together she had rarely discussed her people or their home with the father of her child. In a last desperate bid to get his son the answers he craved, Thomas turned to Dr Stephen Shin.
Shin was a marine biologist, once reckoned one of the leading minds on all things related to the sea. However his reputation had been tarnished after he published a paper detailing his belief in a realm of underwater men and women who ruled the oceans, a people he called 'Atlanteans'. Unfortunately the doctors claims was unaccompanied by anything even resembling hard evidence, and so he quickly became the laughing stock of the scientific community. Shin, upon hearing of Arthur's unique condition, jumped at the chance to ingratiate himself with the Currys. Here was something resembling the proof he so desperately needed to repair his standing among his peers. Under Shin's tutelage Arthur developed and refined his fledgling powers. They tested his limits and probed at his weaknesses, and bit by bit discovered more and more of the secrets to Atlantean biology.
It wasn't enough for Shin and Arthur though. For them nothing short of seeing the lost cities themselves would be enough. However neither knew where those cities could be found, and had no way of finding out. It seemed their dreams of discovering Atlantis were merely that, dreams. That was all before they met Robert Phaydon though. Phaydon was a maritime treasure hunter who claimed to have laid eyes on an underwater city, and was willing to take Arthur there in exchange for payment. Perhaps Arthur should have been more suspicious of Phaydon's true motives, or the seeming fortuitous timing of his offer, but at the time the young man was just overjoyed to be so close to finding out who he really was.
I'd Like to be Under the Sea; 1970-1971
Phaydon was true to his word, transporting Arthur, his father, and doctor Shin upon his submarine to the city of Poseidonis. The Atlantean's are a distrustful people, especially of surface-dwellers, and were poised to attack before Arthur revealed himself as one of them. While confused, the Atlantean's brought the strange young man to their Queen; None other than Arthur's mother, Atlanna.
Atlanna was overjoyed to be reunited with her son and her first love,Thomas. She announced to her people that the 'Prodigal son had been returned to them', declaring he was now apart of the royal family of Poseidonis. She then introduced him to his younger half brother, Orm, son of the then deceased Marius. Orm received Arthur with cool grace, and while Arthur thought this meant his brother didn't like him, Atlanna assured him that the cause was merely that Orm was a 'deep thinking man', and would need time to order his feelings on this new development. Celebrations were arranged in honor of Arthur's arrival.
Not everyone in Poseidonis shared Atlanna's feelings though. A group of irate nobles stormed the celebration, claiming that they cared not if the outsider was the Queen's son, they wanted him and his companions out of the city. Tempers flared and it wasn't long before things got violent, though the Royal Guard quickly restored order. However it wasn't until afterwards that they all realized the true extent of the damage went beyond split lips and hurt feelings. In the confusion Robert Phaydon had stolen the Zodiac Stone of Capricornus, a mystical gem of incredible power that powered the force-field domes that housed the great buildings of the city. It took little more than an hour to discover the theft, but even in that short time the barriers had weakened considerably, wavering under the strain of holding back millions of tonnes of water. Atlanna led her greatest Mages, among them her chief adviser Vulko and son Orm, in supplementing the barriers with their own mystical might. However the mages power could not hold indefinitely. It was at best a stop gap solution, a holding pattern while the Drift, an elite Atlantean commando unit, tracked down Phaydon and retrieved Capricornus. When Arthur asked how he could help he was told that he had already done enough. It seemed that the nobility was right, that he was considered little more than an outsider.
Despondent, he went to the rooms set aside for his father, hoping for some sort of guidance. When he got there, though, he discovered the worst. Phaydon hadn't only stolen the Stone, he had also kidnapped Thomas, hoping to use Atlanna's and Arthur's feelings for the older Curry as leverage to make good his escape. When Arthur took this information to his mother she told him there was nothing she could do about that now. Arthur, furious, accused her of abandoning his father for a second time. However Atlanna calmly explained that as the ruler of Poseidonis she couldn't risk the fate of her city for the life of one man, regardless of how much he meant to her. It was the kind of cold arithmetic a Queen had to deal with daily, she told him, and she hoped he would understand her choice one day.
Arthur refused to accept this though, exiting the city to confront Phaydon himself. In his haste to save his father he hardly noticed when he easily outstripped the Drift on his way to the thief's vessel, arriving upon the submarine long before the commandos did, despite their head start. Boarding the vessel, he began a room by room search for his father, hoping to find Thomas without alerting Phaydon to his presence. He should have known better though. That's not how these kind of stories work out. Phaydon was waiting for Arthur, his father held close at hand, 'for safe keeping'. Arthur begged for his father's release, but the thief refused to let him go until they were on dry land. At an impasse, Arthur attacked, but Phaydon had studied all of Dr Shin's research notes on the young Atlantean, and had prepared for this encounter. He subdued Arthur, but not easily. It was then the Drift attacked, though they too fell for Phaydon's traps and preparations. However the Drift did manage to critically damage the sub, though they gave their lives to do it.
It seemed nobody was getting out of the mess alive, until Phaydon revealed he had an escape pod. As a parting shot he wounded Thomas, knowing Arthur would never chase him down while his father lay injured in a sinking submarine, and left with the Zodiac Stone. Arthur felt himself wishing that someone, anyone, could stop Phaydon, but knew there was no one left. He found himself facing a similar decision to the one his mother faced earlier. To save his father he would be damning the entire city of Poseidonis. In then end Thomas made the choice for him, instructing his son to chase the thief and retrieve the Capricornus. Arthur left his father as the submarine slowly filled with icy cold seawater.
As Arthur came upon Phaydon's escape craft he realized he wasn't the only one after the thief. A pod of blue whales were ramming the craft, while a frenzy of sharks barred it's path from going any further. As he approached the marine life retreated slightly, and looked almost like they were waiting on Arthur's orders. It was with some surprise that he realized that was exactly what they were doing, though he had no time to dwell on this new development. Instead he had an idea to save his father. He directed the whales to divert the escape crafts course, pushing it back towards the sinking submarine. If they could just get back in time they could load his father onto the escape craft and bring him back to Poseidonis. Surely a city possessed of such advanced magics would be able to help him?
The point was a moot one though, as even with Arthur urging the whales on they arrived all to late to help Thomas, the submarine long since having filled up with water that choked the life from a man that had lived his whole life around the water. Enraged, Arthur destroyed Phaydon's craft, before leaving the man himself to the mercy of the sharks. The surviving Curry took the Zodiac stone and returned to Poseidonis.
For his return to the city he was escorted by all manner of sea creatures. Sharks, whales, dolphins, fish, octopuses, squid. The sea around Poseidonis was thick with them. Even in a place as thick with mystery and magic as Atlantis, this scene was marked in it's uniqueness. All save Arthur seemed to be mystified by the phenomenon, even the great Mages who struggled to keep the barriers up, or the Queen who stood speechless as her son silently handed her the Zodiac Stone before back into the sea, swimming into the distance and taking his mismatched horde with him.
Lost to the Deep. Lost to the Dark; 1971-1976
Atlanna declared Arthur a hero, and declared a public holiday in his honor. However there were many citizens that pointed out, quite rightly, that the calamity only arose because of his poor choice in companions. Despite the grumbling the celebrations went on, sans the presence of the guest of honor. No amount of coaxing would see him return to the city, the half-breed instead insisting he needed time on his own to think. He traveled into the deep, dark places of the world, were other Atlantean's with more sense feared to tread.
His adventure's from this time are mostly unknown, the man himself rarely speaking about them. Rumors abound though. Some stories have him facing Sleeping God's from dread realms, others feature forbidden dalliances with princesses from the lost realms, sunk so deep that no Atlantean living has ever seen them before. He did reappear for a while, being seen swimming alongside raiding parties of Tritonis Mermen, though he disappeared once more before agents of Atlanna could reach him.
He didn't truly return to the civilized waters until late in 1976. It wasn't Atlantean's he made reappearance to though, instead revealing himself to the United States Navy Ship AFB-14. The ship had unexpectedly made the first human discovery of the Megamouth shark when the creature became entangled in the ships anchor line. The sailors were wondering what to do about the find, pondering if their would be a reward for discovering a species when Arthur appeared. He requested that the stunned crew release the shark, stating he would consider it a personal favor if the sailors complied. When asked what he would do if they didn't he replied it was better for everyone involved if they didn't find out. The sailors, figuring discretion was the better part of valor, wisely released the Megamouth. In gratitude Arthur gave each sailor on board a single golden dubloon, taken from a sunken treasure chest he claimed.
Atlantean's had long observed human vessels, especially military ones. It was through this observation they picked up Arthur's tracks once more, witnessing him dealing with AFB-14. Agents were once more sent out to retrieve the wayward half-breed. Leading them was Orm Ap Marius. Orm met with his brother, and showing none of the reservation he had at their last meeting, argued passionately for his brother's return to Poseidonis. After several hours of convincing Arthur agreed to accompany him back to the city.
Rise of The Golden One; 1976-2012
If Arthur had thought his return to the city would be accompanied by raucous celebration and fanfare then he was sorely mistaken. The people were still divided on the half-breed, and the incident with David Phaydon and the Zodiac Stone was fresh in peoples minds. On top of that there was growing discord between the Seven Kingdoms of Atlantis, and war threatened to break out at any moment. Atlanna's popularity was lower than ever before, as a ruler who can't be trusted to protect her people really doesn't deserve the right to rule. So Arthur was quietly welcomed back, given the Atlantean name Orin Ap Thomas. His detractors gave him another name though, 'The Golden One', in relation to his blonde hair, long considered an ill omen amongst Atlanteans. Paying no mind to the insult, Orin quickly set to learning the skills required of him as a Prince.
First was his time at the Royal Institute of Advanced Learning and Piercing Insight. The Scholar Vulko was chosen to be his tutor, and under him Orin underwent a four year accelerated course designed to teach him all he would need to know about the history and culture of his new home, as well as statecraft, oratory, economics and diplomacy. Orin, always an intelligent man, proved to be an avid student, and he passed Vulko's class with flying colours. It was then that the Scholar marked the Prince as a man of great destiny, and vowed for his services to always be at Orin's disposal.
Next came a course designed to awaken and nurture Orin's magical talent. Members of the royal family had long been strong in the mystical arts, and Orin was supposed to be no different. However, despite an aptitude for the theoretical side of magic, Orin proved to be an entirely useless practitioner of the craft. While not unheard of for royalty, it was uncommon, and proved to be just one more of his supposed failings for his detractors to use against him. His teacher in the magic arts, Zath Ap Fradon, already prejudiced against his mixed-blood student, took this as the last straw. He declared Orin unteachable. The Prince took this set back hard, but with the support of his brother Orm managed to move past it and on to his next challenge; martial training.
It was evident that Orin's adventures during his years in the Deep hadn't all been peaceful, as he bore the scars from battle. He already carried himself like a fighter. Now the Atlantean's set out to sculpt him into a warrior. Training under the likes of Lord Commander Murk of the Men o'War, Koryak Shiver-Spoken, Daki Greyscale and the Drift, it soon became apparent that whatever Orin lacked in mage-craft he more than made up for in the art of war. This talent was discovered just in time as full scale war broke out between the Kingdoms of Lemuria and Xebel. As an ally of Lemuria, Poseidonis was dragged into the conflict, and with their armies went Prince Orin.
For the next nine years there was full scale war between the Seven Kingdoms, and during that time Orin acquitted himself brilliantly. He quickly proved that he was more than willing to share the hardships of his troops, always placing himself in the most dangerous spots, never asking his men to do that which he wasn't willing to do himself. His old nickname, The Golden One, resurfaced, but this time time it was used as a mark of respect from his soldiers. Some say it was actually a ploy that originated with Orm, the Crown-Prince using idle gossip to plant the name in the minds of the soldiers, to rob title of the sting that the nobles had once infused it with. If that's true then it worked brilliantly.
In 1992 Atlanna named Orin the Champion of Poseidonis, a position of great respect. Much of the nobility was incensed at this, as they were jealous of the half-breed's meteoric rise. However by that point Orin had the support of Atlanna, Orm, the common people and the soldiers. There was little the nobility could do to prevent it. While he would never be King, it did show how much store his mother and brother set by him.
Dawn of Justice; 2012 to present
Even the isolationist Atlantean's know that you can't hide in the hold while the ship burns. So, when Darkseid invaded earth they knew they had to do something. Instead of sending all their armies and leave their cities defenseless the leaders of the Seven Kingdom's decided to send just one individual to represent them. One Champion. There was only one man suited for the job. Arthur was sent. Along with the other heroes of earth he fought back against the alien despot's armies, and send the God of Evil back to whence he came.
That was the day the Justice League was formed.
Since then Arthur has been working his fingers to the bone, trying to maintain peace between the Seven Kingdoms, but upon the surface world as well. Despite his tireless efforts he still struggles to gain the respect and admiration afforded to other heroes like Batman and Superman, but just because a task is thankless has never stopped him from attempting it in the past.
Attributes:
Atlantean Physiology
Arthur's Atlantean physiology grants him a great many powers that are far beyond that of the human norm. For reasons unknown Arthur is capable of much greater physical feats than any other Atlantean, though it's reasonable to assume that his being from the line of Atlan, greatest of the ancient Mage-Lords, probably has something to do with it.
Underwater Adaption
Like all Atlanteans he is able to normally function and move underwater, unfazed by the extremes of pressure, temperatures or lack of light.
Superhuman Strength
Arthur is stronger far stronger than any normal human. In the past he has lifted over one hundred tonnes, and while it was a strain he is confident that he could lift more if it was called for. His leg muscles are so powerful tha while on land he is capable of jumping extremely high into the air.
Superhuman Durability
Aquaman's enhanced physiology enables him to withstand heavy impacts that would kill any normal human and gives him the ability to function normally on the ocean floor. On land he's survived direct hits from RPGs.
Regenerative Healing Factor
Arthur also heals much faster than humans and normal Atlanteans. This factor has also slowed down his aging process. He is a man in his late sixties, who appears to be in his early thirties, while he moves like a man in his early twenties.
Superhuman Stamina
Arthur's stamina is especially impressive, even by meta-human standards. He can swim non-stop for extended periods, fight at peak for hours at a time and even go weeks without food, though his need for water is just the same as any regular human, perhaps even more so. Poisons and toxins have a stunted effect on him.
Superhuman Speed and Reactions
They call him Aquaman for a reason, as he is quite possibly the fastest being alive underwater. Dr Stephen Shin has recorded him breaking Mach 5, and that was when Arthur was still a teenager. On land, Aquaman has displayed his superhuman speed, been capable of dodging bullets.
Enhanced Senses
Arthur also has the ability to see, hear and smell much greater than human capacity. His ability to see through murky waters gives him remarkable vision at night while on the surface and is capable of seeing far deep as 36,000 ft below the ocean floor with a clear sight. He also possesses super human hearing, able to hear the heartbeat of a living being through five miles of water. Further more he has a primative sonar sense and the ability to feel water in near proximity.
Mystical Being
Atlantean's shouldn't exist. They are not the product of evolution. They are in fact the result of a great spell cast by the Mage-Lords of ancient Atlantis, their last desperate bid to save their people from 'The Drench', the mysterious catastrophe that seen their cities sink to the bottom of the ocean millenia ago. Those magical energies still infuse Atlantean's to this day. In theory anything harmed by magic should be harmed by physical contact with Aquaman.
Expert Combatant
He's been trained by the best of the best in Atlantean hand to hand combat methods. On top of all that training he's had plenty real world experience too, serving as Poseidonis' martial Champion for almost twenty years during a time of uncommon strife for the Seven Kingdoms.
Expert Tactician
Study and practice has developed Arthur into an excellant tactician.
Marine Telepathy
Arthur has many powers, but this is the one most often remarked upon. Unique even amongst Atlantean's, there has never been a recorded instance of an individual possessing this talent before in history. While often dismissed as just 'talking to fish', that is an extremely heavy handed description. It's more like an ability to use low-level telepathy to communicate indirectly to marine life, while also having some degree of empathy towards the creatures 'moods' and 'wants'.
Stomping Grounds:
Arthur's never been a man to really recognize borders, perhaps because he's never felt like he's belonged anywhere before. He considers wherever his boots stand at the moment to be his 'stomping grounds'. For posterity's sake though, let's say the ocean, but he ain't adverse to stepping on dry land neither. . . regardless of what some of the more slurrious tabloids say about him.
People of Note:
Queen Atlanna Ep Orvax
Mother to Arthur and Orm, current queen of Poseidonis.
Crown-Prince Orm Ap Marius
Brother to Arthur, son to Atlanna, Crown-Prince of Poseidonis.
Vulko of Poseidonis
Mentor to Arthur, advisor to Atlanna, political rival of Orm. Nicknamed 'The Scholar'.
Princess Mera Ep Nereus
Princess of Xebel, betrothed of Orm.
David Phaydon
Sworn enemy of Arthur Curry. Called 'Black Manta'
Thomas Curry
Father of Arthur Curry and one time lover of Atlanna. Deceased
Dr Stephen Shin
Marine biologist, former mentor to Arthur Curry.
Character Goals:
To my mind there's two kinds of Aquaman that writers try to push. One who's an utter joke, no better than a fish whisperer who regularly gets trounced if the villain is wielding anything more powerful than a hair dryer, and the other an Über-badass who's trying way to hard to compensate for the other interpretations wussiness. I'm gonna try and strike a happy medium between the two, having a tough lad who's also not afraid to crack a joke or two while punching folk in the teeth. On top of that there's a few other aspects of his character I'd like to highlight. Namely; being a man from two worlds, inhabiting a mostly alien domain, having far more weighty responsibilities than most other heroes, and his being a warrior among costumed heroes. Finally I'm going to chart his story from being a lowly half-human bastard, to becoming the very King of the Seven Seas.
Sample Post:
Shoals of Trench flesh rippers, eager to sink sharp little teeth into unprotected Atlantean flesh. Hordes of Tritonis' screamers, mad as hell and baying for blood. Organised Lemurian Cohorts, a slow and unstoppable juggernaut of martial might that promised doom to their enemies. Parademons from fiery hell-worlds, self-declared God's, monomaniacal would be conquerors, alien invaders, petty crooks, highly trained mercenaries, undead sorcerers, corrupt business officials, and on one noteworthy occasion an extremely irate ex-girlfriend. Arthur Curry had faced them all, and conquered on every occasion. It was a source of no small measure of pride to him in fact, that his name was quite possibly the most feared in all the Seven Kingdoms of Atlantis, that when Atlantean warriors sat in their circles at night to eat their supper they all told stories of 'The Golden One's' achievements, or that when the people of earth ranked their greatest heroes his name regularly featured among them (Or at least the title 'Aquaman' did, but Arthur chose to ignore that.)
He would have quite happily given up all that hard one, grudging respect from both the bottom and surface-dwellers at that very moment though, if only to escape his current unenviable task; escorting Mera of Xebel, his newest - and quite possibly to date greatest – rival, towards her destiny.
Becoming his brothers bride.
When Arthur had first been handed this job he had thought to himself lucky. A mission that didn't involve him risking life and limb fighting some soulless monster of the deeps? Fantastic! Just carting some spoiled rich girl from one cushy palace to a slightly different cushy palace? Easy, just load her into the back of the reef-raider, hit the cruise control, then put his feet up and relax. It was gonna be the first thing resembling a holiday he'd had in almost four years! He shoulda realized at the time it was too good to be true, that there was a reason no body wanted this gig. After all, why else would Poesdonis send it's resident dogsbody to fetch the princess of Xebel, if not because every slopey-shouldered noble with a lick of influence, surely better suited for such a delicate diplomatic task than a bruiser like him, knew better than to take the damn job on!
Ever since he had collected her from her father Nereus in Xebel - and tense meeting in itself, considering that Arthur had disfigured him years ago in a duel - she had been nothing but hassle. Whatever pain Nereus might have felt since losing to Arthur's hands was nothing compared to the constant headache caused by Mera's constant complaints, criticism's and cutting barbs. It seemed she couldn't even look at Arthur without spitting venom. At first he had thought it was just her pre-wedding nerves, perhaps a frightened girls way of dealing with the fact that in a few short weeks she would be marrying a man she had never before met, purely to strengthen the links between two kingdoms that liked nothing better than to declare war on each other. Now though, now he wasn't so sure.
Now he just reckoned it was because she was a bitch.
The sliding doors behind him opened with a whoosh, the fragile peace Arthur had in the cockpit in danger of disappearing. Luckily it wasn't Mera come to berate him for some new infraction, instead it was Vulko. The old Scholar had joined Arthur in his task on the pretence that he desired a break from hectic life in the capital, though the blonde Atlantean suspected that the truth was that Vulko's divisive personality had angered the wrong noble, and he was merely making himself scarce while the heat died down. Never one to rest on his laurels, the old advisor had set right to the task of arguing the odds with the Princess of Xebel whenever the opportunity presented itself. No subject was too big or too small for that pair, and it seemed that Orm Ap Marius' inherent dislike for the Scholar was a trait his bride-to-be passionately shared. Not that Arthur minded. If she was screaming at Vulko then she wasn't screaming at him.
Vulko looked flustered, heavy black brows arched in a furious frown, mouth clenched in a grim line. The doors had barely whispered shut behind him before he was getting down to bitching.
“That fool of a woman, she is infuriating in the extreme!” He said, throwing himself into the seat next to Arthur.
“You don't say?” Replied the Prince, his sarcasm a touch too mild because the Scholar didn't notice it. That or he chose to ignore it and forge on anyway.
“I do say! I do indeed! She vexes me at every opportunity. If I say up, she immediately set's her self to not just saying down, but left, right, sideways and backwards too. Anything, as long as it runs contrary to whatever I have said!” Vulko had leapt back up from his seat, his face going from a deep crimson to a deeper violet, Arthur half wondering if the older man was mid-heart attack.
“What'ya wanting me to say Vulko? She does the same thing to me, or she did leastways, till I realized the trick was to ignore her. I reckon she only does it for the rise she gets outta us. No rise, no fun. No fun, and what's the point?”
“So your advice, as roundabout and littered with grammatical errors as ever, is to take the high road?”
“Pretty much.”
Vulko seemed to think about it for a moment, before scoffing loudly.
“Hardly a suitable option for one such as myself! I mean, really, I have tutored some of the greatest statesmen and orators our fine city has ever borne witness too! For one such as I to cede an argument to one such as her, well it's preposterous! Incredulous even! It would be like a warrior of your calibre submitting to a child armed with a stuffed toy! I shan't, nay, I can't do it!”
Arthur chuckled softly. The old bullshit merchant always did have a knack for making him laugh, even if it was rarely intentional.
"You're a glutton for punishment Vulko, and that's all there is to it."
A light on the control panel began to flash before Vulko could answer, a sharp beeping echoing throughout the craft. Arthur sat up, eye's darting across the ship readouts, his good humor evaporating faster than a glass of water left in the desert sun. Seeing exactly what he had prayed he wouldn't, Arthur moaned a curse and hit the emergency stop. The Reef Raider cut power immediately, lights dimming before dying completely while the quick-engine stop kicked in, the vessel going dead in the water. Arthur hit a few more buttons before switching his attention to the bay windows in front of him, eyes searching the inky darkness of the water.
"Orin. . . " Vulko edged, but the Prince shushed him with a glare. The two sat in tense silence, Arthur's gaze alternating between the control panels until the doors behind them opened with the same whispered whoosh that they had opened with earlier. Only this time it sounded a hell of a lot louder, like anyone swimming ten miles away could hear those doors echoing open. And if they didn't hear the doors open, then they'd sure hear the one who opened them.
"What is the meaning of this? I demand to know why we have stopped!" Princess Mera breezed in, all haughty arrogance and spoilt ignorance. Arthur spun on her, fixing her with the same intense glare he had unleashed on Vulko.
"Quiet!" He hissed, before returning his attention to the window. Mera, unused to being spoken to in such a fashion, or dismissed so lightly, was momentarily stunned into silence. Her face fell slack with shock and she took a faltering backstep, as if struck. Her amazement didn't last long, mores the pity, before her natural sense of outrage took hold. She surged forward, fury building up as she prepared to give the Champion of Poseidonis a tongue lashing so severe that Atlantean's would speak of it in hushed tones for generations to come.
"Now see here. . . "
"Mera! Shut your mouth, or so help me God I'll shut it for you!" Spit flew from Arthur's mouth as he snarled at the Xebel princess. None present were left in any doubt whether the blonde meant to back up his threat or not. Mera fell silent, frown so deep it looked like she was trying to crack her face in half, but at least she was silent. The Prince once more returned his attention to the seas, and this time he wasn't interrupted.
Shapes began to emerge from the dark water in front of them, indistinct blurs in the distance slowly coalascending into almost man shaped figures. Lot's of figures.
"Damn. . . " Arthur muttered under his breath, getting slowly up from his seat.
"What are those. . . things?" Said Mera, voice full of awe as she approached the window for a closer look.
"The Trench." Whispered Vulko, the old Scholar's cheeks a pale white, his pupils wide and darting. The Trench, terrors of the sea, nothing but teeth, and claws, and all consuming hunger. They came from the deep, dark places of the world, plaguing the Seven Kingdoms, hordes of the creatures descending like a storm upon unprepared settlements and travelers, leaving nothing but bones in their wake. There was no talking to the Trench, no bargaining or diplomacy. You either killed them or died, because once they got your scent they never gave up the hunt.
"Do you think they've seen us?" said Mera, face up against the window. Suddenly there was a crash like thunder, the princess throwing herself back from the window with a high-pitched shriek. Against the window was pressed a bulbous, sick-blue skinned head, pitch black eyes staring intently into the cock pit as it worked it's overly toothy maw against the glass, trying futily to bite it's way in. Arthur, standing in front of a weapons cabinet, glanced over his shoulder at the beast.
Name: Kar'a of House El, daughter of Zor-El and Alza. Much of her given name does not translate into terran languages. On Sol-III, Kar'a has a few aliases, chief among them the US native Kara Connors.
Alias: When she dons the ceremonial vestments of House El Kara becomes Supergirl, guardian of Sol-III.
Origin:
Kar'a of House El was born to an esteemed line, but one long past it's golden hours. Where House El had once been noteworthy for it's Science and Administration Caste members, too many generations had past without anything of note from House El. Some said this was starting to change with brothers Jor-El and Zor-El; both were well known in their fields, though both struggled to overcome the dwindled fortunes of House El. Political connections had been lost to both brothers, making their climb to renewed respectability all the more impressive.
And ensured their story, and the story of every Kryptonian, would end in tragedy.
If House El had retained it's prominence, maybe Kryptonian decision makers would have listened to Jor-El. Had Zorel been convinced by his brother sooner of the coming end of times, something could have been. Something, anything. But nothing was done, for no one listened. When the universe gave signs of ruin no Kryptonian could dispute, it was already far too late. Krypton was in it's last twilight.
Many young Kryptonians refused to accept it. Surely their futures were not gone already. Something could be done, anything? Some tried. Ero of House Rol, the most renowned mind of the Science Caste, became convinced of a universal doorway that could be constructed, and used to at least get some young Kryptonians off the surface. Individual craft, he argued, would never get enough Kryptonians off the surface to make a difference. Most would likely die in the long, A.I. directed, trip to whatever destination while the Kryptonian lay dormant in stasis.
Where the renowned dismissed the idea, Jor-El and Zor-El became obsessed with it. All they needed, the brothers argued, was to get Kal and Kar'a off the planet. Kal was so young, and the trip so inherently dangerous, that Jor-El's wife nearly talked him out of sending the infant. But Kar'a promised she could look after him, and protect her infant cousin. The mission was finalized, construction and training for Kar'a began. It was then that Kar'a said saw many of her friends for the last time, saying farewells before retreating to Jor-El's secluded citadel.
Kar'a still keeps a picture sent to her by a group of her friends, all of them together for the final end, mere hours before the dying began.
The best laid plans...as predicted, something went wrong with the plan of House El. Kar'a craft went off course, slipping through an unrecorded wormhole. The A.I. of her craft, Sanctuary, corrected the course, but the damage was done. Going off course would cost Kar'a twenty seven years, unknown to a frozen in stasis Kar'a. She would spend an unknown amount of time at the bottom of one of Sol-III's oceans, until a figure with alabaster skin and starlight for eyes came to her in dreams, and gently pushed her back to realm of the conscious.
It was Kar'a first contact with any Terran, and the figure's protective nature, to say nothing of what he did for her, would do much to open Kara's mind and heart to Terrans. After awaking just in time to save Sanctuary from major damage, Kar'a would spend days repairing Sanctuary to full functionality and working order. Immediately after, Kar'a moved onto the second thing on her 'To Do' list: expose herself to the yellow sun. The resulting chaos in her physiology would result in Kar'a becoming quickly ill, but even quicker was she feeling better. Better than ever. And soon after that, better than she ever could have imagined.
Sanctuary set up a training regiment for Kar'a, and soon there were endless days of VR training in Sanctuary, and live training over the depths of the Atlantic. Soon Sanctuary would locate Kal, but twenty seven years was too long for Kar'a to retain any hope that Kal might know her, or be compelled to listen to her as another Kryptonian might. Sanctuary suggested Kar'a seek him out, but she would not: not until she knew more about him, until she knew he wasn't completely "humanized."
Instead, the plan became her own covert assimilation into the population of Sol-III. Months of training and research on Sol-III followed, all of it in the utter isolation of Sanctuary and the Atlantic ocean. Eventually a plain was laid; Kar'a would adopt the alias of Kara Connors, Sanctuary would break into human computer networks and establish the details of the identity. Since money was needed, Sanctuary took it from the computerized bank accounts of several human corporations that Kar'a had discovered during research to be more harmful to the planet and eco-systems of Sol-III than good.
The alias and funding in hand, Sanctuary edited the records of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston to make Kara Connors a first year student; one face among so very many. The school's strong record in Science and Technology appealed to the Kryptonian Science Caster. The idea was to provide Kara with an introduction into not just Terran technology and science, but an introduction into the society and culture of 'hew-mans' as well. During her stay at MIT, the Astrology department reported several break-ins. Nothing was ever taken, but their instruments and computers were always left pointing to the same sector of deep space. Despite searching for curiosity's sake, the MIT astrologists could never find anything in the sector of space. Only debris and light from an explosion of incredible magnitude.
Once Kara Connors left MIT, the break-ins stopped. While her assimilation to Sol-III and it's customs weren't complete, she'd been given an opportunity to get closer to someone she had highlighted during her research: Lex Luthor. His Presidential campaign had come through Boston, and there Kara had dazzled a pollster working for the Luthor campaign with her ability to compute even complex statistics in her head. Moreover, Kara offered several algorithims for more efficient, improved, polling. Quickly, the pollster gained permission to hire Kara, and take her to Lex Luthor For America's national headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Though Sanctuary warns her about going too far with her "bizarre" fascination of Lex Luthor, even the A.I. can't deny the benefit in keeping an eye on the 'hew-man' that they've noticed Kal keeping an eye on. Luthor may be her only connection to Kal thus far, and so far she remains unwilling to let the connection go. Sanctuary suggests she is still trying to protect a grown, and largely "humanized" Kal. Kara dismisses it, attributing it to scientific-like curiosity, and little more.
During her stay in Boston, Kara remained an undercover student. For much of her stay in Washington D.C., the same has been true. At least, until three 'hew-mans' assaulted the Smithsonian with a suicide bomb, followed by gunmen. The bomb went off, right into Kara's chest, covered by the ceremonial vestments of House El, and the sheild of House El. One of the gunmen, in their broken English, pointed his weapon at her and screamed, "Death to Superman!"
After punching his lights out, Kara sneered over the men. But a survivor and eye-witness took up the idea, explaining to the television news camera that was pointed at him, "It wasn't Superman, it was SuperGIRL." Currently, the Department of Homeland Security is coordinating with the NSA to discover the true nature of this "Supergirl."
In the meantime, Kara has gone back to laying low, and getting further into terran culture. She has a friend, who showed her icecream, and movies, and high heels, devious and evil a remnant of terra's sexist history as exists, as far as Kara's concerned.......though they do make her legs look rather good. At a campaign function, she was introduced to a Kyle Kayce, a military officer for the US, and a 'hew-man' that possessed the unusual ability to make Kara laugh, seemingly whenever he wanted to.
Despite her caution, and warnings from Sanctuary, Kara accepted Kayce's offer to go on a "date." They have gone on three, and while Kara finds herself enjoying the man's time when they can find mutual time together, there are no illusions on her end: she is using Kayce to acclimate herself to Sol-III, and for information on the US military. He doesn't realize it, but Sanctuary is hoping to use he and his secure work laptop as an entrance to the U' military-intelligence complex's "secure" internet.
While information on the US and it's intentions are nice, what Kara really came to D.C. for was Lex Luthor. After several promotions within the Luthor campaign, Kara Connors finds herself close enough to Luthor's senior staff that she has seen Luthor already a dozen times, and been introduced to him once. It's only a matter of time until Kara and Sanctuary have the opening they need to learn much, much more about Luthor and his intentions.
Attributes: Like all Kryptonians under a yellow sun, Kara possesses vast superhuman strength, speed, and stamina; invulnerability; flight; super breath; x-ray vision; telescopic and microscopic vision; freeze breath; heat vision; and super hearing. Unlike most other Kryptonians left, Kara was truly raised in the Kryptonian culture. Her training as a Kryptonian of the Science Caste remains her foundation; her work with, within, and upon Sanctuary and it's A.I. a clear testament to that.
Stomping Grounds: On a daily basis, Kara has found herself rooted in the Washington D.C. area, working in the national campaign office of Lex Luthor for President. In her off time, the world is literally her playground, though she maintains a small apartment a short bus ride from the campaign office in D.C.
People of Note:
Sanctuary - advanced A.I., as well as the modular vessel that brought Kara to Sol-III. Kara's partner/sidekick.
Kal - cousin. Aware of his existence, watching from a cautious distance for now. Afraid he's "turned" human.
Gemma Hamilton - next door neighbor, fellow college student turned campaign staff, closest thing to a normal friend Kara has to speak of.
Lex Luthor - smartest man in the world, by Kara's estimation. Not the wisest. Kara finds herself fascinated, but will only study him from afar...and within his organization.
LCDR Kyle Kayce - aviator in the US Navy assigned to the capital as a congressional attache. Kara Connors has gone on three dates with him in the past month; apparently this holds some social significance on Sol-III. What social significance, exactly, Kara couldn't say.
Dream of the Endless - he found her while she lay in stasis at the bottom of the Atlantic, and rescued her from never-ending sleep of a malfunctioning stasis pod. Sometimes Kara feels his presence when she sleeps.
Character Goals:
I want to write a good, quality, Supergirl. A girl who lost her entire world, then lost decades of her life, only to re-emerge on a strange world filled with stranger people. Survival is an ongoing crisis, a struggle to come up with new reasons to stay, a struggle for her soul between tragedy and tomorrow's hope. This Kara will be an alien first, and a superheroine second. Less irrational teen girl, and more overwhelmed young Kryptonian woman, just trying to find a solid place to hang onto in the great cosmic storm that is the ever-expanding and volatile universe.
I'd like her to get close enough to Lex to have some idea of what he really is, maybe even really tangle with him.
I'd like her to eventually meet Kal, even see Smallville.
More than anything, just want to get her involved in story arcs. I don't always play well in isolation.
Sample Post:
Do you know what infinite darkness is...?
"My name is Morpheus, and I know it well, Kar'a of Krypton. It eventually ends. You can wake up--I know the way. You need only follow."
Follow you to fire and ruin? There is nothing left for me in waking, Morpheus. Nothing left for me, any where.
"There is Earth, and soon water. Awake, Kar'a of Krypton. Before you drown."
The scream had frozen in her throat; from her very last conscious moment, watching her parent's great home shake violently and crumble as fire exploded from the sky all around. Krypton was dying, and unlike it's people, the planet had no intention of going quietly into the night. But while the scream had started in the dying gasps of Krypton, it ended in the cold darkness of another planet. A new planet.
Sanctuary's design had factored in all elemental and natural circumstances. Whereas Kal was an infant who could not protest, in Kar'a they had a Kryptonian who was only a year of study away from Final Trials in the Science Caste. She knew the perils, she knew exactly what could go wrong with an automated interstellar vessel. She had the greatest faith in her father and her uncle...but she had still gone over Sanctuary and it's design plans herself. She had still been at Jor-El and Zor-El's side as the vessels were constructed. She still raised every concern about her own safety that she had.
She could have landed on a water world, and Sanctuary should have been fine. She, inside Sanctuary, should have been safe and dry.
So when the darkness passed beyond her and light began to once more hit her eyes, Kar'a was expecting anything but what she actually got: emergency klaxons, and the sickening scent of circuitry burning. For now, the scream and the fire and ruin was shoved from her mind, survival instincts kicking in, her hands more clumsy and stiff from stasis than they ought to be from such a short trip. It made reaching and pulling her stasis chamber's emergency release closer to impossible than design dictated it should be.
Along the far reaches of her spine, she felt a cold rush of panic, all the way from her tailbone to her ears. How far has the design failed? That fear deepened as she finally achieved release from her stasis pod, and fell down to the floor of Sanctuary. The vessel was dark, only sparks illuminating an all too familiar interior to Kar'a. But Jor-El had insisted she spend hour upon hour training for just this very scenario. Her father thought it extreme, but Kar'a was Science Caste like Jor-El...she understood the need for contingency.
But they had never discussed a contingency for three meters of water in Sanctuary, with more bone chilling black water rushing in from...somewhere. "Sanctuary, talk to me." Kar'a half expected the A.I. to be extinguished, despite it's protective casings. Or to not understand her; even she had to admit so soon after stasis that her voice sounded more drunk than newly awakened.
"We are at the bottom of a medium sized ocean."
Kar'a spit the ocean water that had rushed into her mouth when she fell to the floor, drawing her body up uneasily on hands and knees, her hair and everything else soaked. "H2O ocean. Is this it? Did we make it to Sol-III?"
"Yes."
Small miracles. The only light came from her stasis pod, at the moment, glowing like a light bug in a night time Kryptonian forest. It meant the circuitry from the batteries to the computer cores had been damaged. "I thought we were designed for oceanic landings, Sanctuary?"
"We are...we were. A plasma storm along the way has hindered much of my functionality. I would assist you if I could, Miss Kar'a. I do apologize."
She almost chuckled, but for the salt taste still raw in her mouth and throat. "Just relax, Sanctuary. How's the exterior nano-repair?"
"It is the reason we are not completely flooded already."
Okay. Big miracles. It would take time, but the nanite skin of the craft would keep them from drowning--assuming she got main power restored. Normally a safe assumption. But when she could barely seem to use her fingers...? "What happened to me, Sanctuary? I shouldn't be this physically deteriorated, I feel like I landed on an ice world and got left in the elements."
"I am still computing possibilities."
Even as Kara yanked on the release mechanism for the required access panel, her blue eyes twitched upward. "Did water get in your core casings?"
"No."
A few quick yanks, and a small shock that left Kar'a yelping, and at least tertiary power was restored to the interior of the craft. The rest would take a nano multi-tool, a laser cutter, and a lot of spanners. The main tool box was behind a panel that could finally open with tertiary power up and running. But even as her fumbling fingers went about their tasks, Kar'a mind returned to an earlier suspicion.
That Jor-El and Zor-El would try to protect her, even when they were gone forever now, and there was no protecting her from that. "How honest are you right now, Sanctuary?"
"85%."
"Try 95%, and answer my question again."
"Done. Which question, Kar'a?"
"What happened to me?"
"We went off course. You were in stasis for longer than your father and uncle ever anticipated, and--"
"How long?"
"...twenty seven years."
The tears thawed her cheeks from the frozen sting of sea water, burning all the way down to her chin.
"We still have to stop the water and fix the power relay system, Kar'a."
In the frozen black water, Kar'a of House El, daughter of Jor-El and Alza, dropped once more, the shock and horror of it overcoming everything to leave her on the brink of sobbing. Instead, Kar'a finally finished that scream that started during the destruction of Krypton, her last memory of her lost home world.
Boy Tsigane de la Louisiane (Gypsy Boy of Louisiana)
Alec Holland was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was not planned. Alec’s mother and father were acts at a travelling carnival, they had zero notions of planting roots anywhere, they were gypsies and having a child was not what they wanted. However neither had it in them to abort the child, so on the morning of his birth, a child was placed on the edge of the bayou and left with only a name badge; Alec Holland. Found and raised by a swamp dwelling “witch”, Alec grew with very little contact with the outside world of the bayou other than from television or when his mother sent him out into the quarter to fetch her supplies. Over the years his face became known but not his name and in and around New Orleans, the blonde haired blue eyed rascal came to be known as “Boy Tsigane” or “Gypsy Boy”. Throughout his childhood, Alec began to have a fondness for plant life and nature. Being raised away from normal society was the catalyst for this love. Young Alec would spend hours upon hours in the swamp, unaware of how big a part it would play in his future.
Le lieu au-delà du Marais (The Place Beyond the Swamp)
(Alec Holland)
A second love of young man’s life was his moto bike. Enamoured with everything from the sound of the engine to the touch of the steel on the body, he love dit wholeheartedly. When his mother was dying of cancer, she often told stories to Alec of when she was a young girl about how one night during a massive thunder storm, she got caught out in it and became lost. Alone and frightened, she saw a light and followed to « a place beyond the swamp. A magical, wonderful place » she hoped that Alec would find his way there one day. Upon her death, seventeen year old Alec climbed onto his bike and took off. The Bayou wasn’t the place for him anymore. After touring the country on his bike, Alec finally decided to turn his love of nature into a career, becoming an enviormental expert, mountaineer and explorer. Alec travelled not only the USA but the world, taking his bike with him wherever he could (except when he climbed the likes of Everest aged just 19). He had become the Gypsy Boy once more.
Racines de plantation (Planting Roots)
(Alec and Abigail)
After several years of riding the roads, climbing mountains and traversing sees, Alec returned to Louisiana. Looking to relax after a few hectic years of extreme sports and normal adventures, he took a job as a gardener for the wealthy Arcane family. Alex thought it would be a relaxing gig. He only had to work a couple of hours every morning, then he could get on his bike and ride the roads at night. It was supposed to be relaxing but it was oh so far from it. Upon their first meeting, Alec did not trust his new boss Anton Arcane, he was for the lack of a better term « creepy little bastard » who had made a fortune out of science experiments. Two weeks after Alec started ,a second visitor arrived at the plantation, Abigail Arcane , Anton’s daughter. And thus of course, an ill fated romance began. One would not think that these two lovers were made for each other. Alec was a crude, rude and tattooed rider, Abby was a prim and proper princess. What drew the two together was their love of plant life, a love that evolved to one for each other. For them, it was like catching lightning in a bottle. The two eventually married and settled in a small cottage just outside the bayou where Alec had grown up. Not long after, Abby gave birth to a baby girl, Tefe.
La Mort de Alec Holland (The Death of Alec Holland)
(Alec, Abigail and Tefe, three hours before his death)
With the birth of Tefe; everything seemed to be perfect for the new Holland family. Sadly, Anton Arcane had finally had enough of this outsider ruining his family, his life’s work. Anton had spent the better part of his life trying to tap into something called The Black; an elemental force strongly ascociated with decay, rot and death. Believing he had finally found a way to tap into the Black, Anton began machinations that change the course of fate forever. Asking his son William to take Abby and Tefe out for the night, Anton approached the Holland home in the dead of the evening and knocked on the door. When Alec opened, the elder Arcane shot the young gardener point blank in the chest. He then quickly doused the two of them in a formula of his own making and set the house ablaze. Both men were engulfed in fire and Anton could feel himself being pulled into the Black. Alec with what little strength he still had in his dying body, smashed Anton in the face with a framed picture of his young family and fled the house. His body still alight from Anton’s ritual, Alec fell into the nearby swamp and his heart beat its final beat.
L 'avatar du Vert (The Avatar of the Green)
In the moment of his last breath, Alec awoke in an ethereal place, a green place. Was this The Place Beyond the Swamp his mother had told him about all those years ago? Entranced by the mystical elements that now surrounded him, Alec was told that he had been chosen by fate to become a champion of Earth, an avatar of the parliament of trees. Without really being given a choice, Alec was imbued with the magical properties of all of Earth’s plant life, becoming the living breathing embodiment of nature. Emerging from the bayou changed, Alec had become encased in thick vegetation, he could not vocalise his words and he had knowledge of strange magics and ancient ways.
Despite a new duty to the world, all Alec wanted was to see his wife and daughter, rushing to his home, Alec was shocked to discover that his modest little house was now an auto shop. Scaring away the mechanic with his terrifying appearance, the creature searched for answers, discovering the date; 2016. It had been twenty years?! How was that possible? He could only have been gone two hours! Despondent, Alec moped around the garage that was once his home and the swamps that had created him, stories starting around New Orleans and eventually crossing the country about the mythical Swamp Thing. In a moment of true peace, the Swamp thing reverted back to Alec Holland and came to a sudden realisation, his old life was gone and now he had a second chance, it was time to make the most of it. Finding his old bike at a garage sale, Alec took to the road and became the Gypsy Boy once more, his goal? Serve the Parliament of Trees where necessary but in reality, get back that which he had lost; his family.
Attributes: Unique Physiology: As the Avatar of the Green, the Swamp Thing's body is composed of plant-based stem cells that are capable of forming into any form of plant life imaginable.[7]
Elemental Control: As the Avatar of the Green, Swamp Thing has complete control over plant life.
Chlorokinesis
Self-Sustenance: The ability to nourish oneself, typically via an external energy source. In Swamp Thing's case, likely through a form of photosynthesis.
Superhuman Strength: The Swamp Thing's strength level is directly tied to his connection to the Earth. Occupying his most commonly used body, the Swamp Thing is capable of lifting volumes of mass many times greater than his own body weight. With additional power supplied to him by The Green, his ultimate strength level is nearly incalculable
Botany: Alec is an expert in botany and vegetation with an expansive knowledge of plant life, fauna and fungi.
Skilled Motorcyclist: A daredevil of the highest calibre, if he wasn’t so interested in nature there would no doubt that Alec would either have been a rider or a stuntman.
Hand to Hand Combat: Although never trained, Alec can definitely hold his own in a fight.
Survival Tactics: Before becoming the Swamp Thing, Alec was a well-known mountaineer, explorer and adventure who would often head out on his own to some of the most dangerous locations on the planet, so he is well versed in how to survive in the wild.
Bilingual: Alec is fluent in French.
Stomping Grounds: - New Orleans, Louisiana - The Arcane Plantation - The Bayou - The Open Road
People of Note:
Friends/Allies Abigail Holland: Alec’s great love. He has searched all over that internet thing to finds her but he cannot. He must find out where she is, even if they never speak, he must see her, one last time.
Tefe Holland: Alec’s daughter with Abigail, now 21, studying botany in college and dating some fool called Buddy Baker (according to something called Facebook, Alec isn’t exactly sure what that is). He would love to re-connect with her but finding a way to say “Hi, I’m your father. I know I look twenty seven and I’ve been dead for twenty years but you know, here I am” is a difficult task.
Chester Williams: A kid of out of time much like Alec, Chester is a wannabe hippy biker whom Alec met upon his return to the land of the living. Initially terrified of the Swamp Thing but eventually after discovering his human nature (and his ability to grow hallucinogenic herbs), Chester became his first confidant.
Buddy Baker: Some wannnabe rockstar dating Tefe; oh Alec really wanted to meet this butthead.
Alex Olsen: The first Swamp Thing in the 1930’s and a direct ancestor of Alec Holland, it seemed the poison of the bayou ran deep in that family. Now the avatar used by the parlimant of trees to communicate with Alec, he acts as his guide and mentor; fun fact, nobody else can see him.
John Constantine: A potential ally Alec has heard about through the grapevine.
Enemies Anton Arcane/The Rot: Abigail’s father and a right creepy bastard. The very definition of a mad scientist, Anton’s obsession with sorcery vs science was what created the Swamp Thing. Vanishing on the night of the Holland Cottage fire, no one has seen or heard from Anton since. Unbeknownst, he had gone through his own transformation and is ready to finally reveal himself.
Jason Woodrue/The Floronic Man: Once an ambitious young scientist, an ill fated apprenticeship with Anton Arcane led to a similar obsession with the elemental forces of the universe. Imbued with the power of The Green, The Floronic Man began a quest to build an army of followers to await his masters return.
Cyrus Gold/Solomon Grundy: The Avatar of the Grey and the flip side of Alec’s coin. Both hulking beasts sworn to do a duty. The two have clashed several times but Alec can never bring himself to end Solomon as he always come back inside that shell of a monster is an innocent, broken and lonely man.
Avery Sunderland: Head of the Sunderland Corporation and a research scientist; Sunderland had become obsessed with discovering the true nature of the Swamp Thing. With a private army and a limitless budget at his disposal, he will stop at nothing to get to the truth.
Character Goals: Swamp Thing I believe is a character that does not get the love he deserves in the rp community, hence why I de decided why he was right for this roleplay. My version of Alec is a man out of time, searching for the family he never really had a chance to get to know, while forcibly bound to become a terrifying creature by the powers that be. He's fighting for control of his life. I see him very much like Bill Bixby's David Banner in the old Hulk TV Show. Drifting from town to town, searching for something, something that can save him.
Sample Post: Pulling one hand from the warmth of a pocket, long standing detective Darryl Frye squats down to grab the dead girls chin, pushing the head slowly to the left side until the wounds that were once hidden becomes visible as two small, ovate holes in the right temple ooze red and white. “Ain’t she pretty?” A young officer, clad in a black leather jacket and converse shoes watched as the February sun set onto the still warm body and blood leaked into the pale grass. “Two puncture wounds to the head, no other signs of trauma or struggle. This definitely wasn’t some random act of violence, this, Harrper was an execution. You know, if Corrigan was still here, he’d have this solved in five minutes” It was painfully obvious to anyone watching that the younger detective, Harper, was sick of hearing about this Corrigan fellow. As the two officers chatted casually over the body, the piercing blue eyes of Alec Holland narrowed. He stood in the gathered crowd, listening and watching. He certainly wasn’t in the swamp anymore. He gazed at the body; a sparkle of gold, a trail of pollen. They couldn’t see it but he could.
Leaving the crowd, Alec subtly followed the pollen trail. It was unusual for such high traces be in the air at this time of year but here it was, like breadcrumbs. Holland would find the girls killer and when he did, he would be the judge, the jury and the executioner; this was the right given to him by the parliament of trees. They had chosen him. Not that it was what he wanted but you can’t fight fate. Alec had been in Gotham for just over three weeks. He doesn’t plan on staying much longer. He just needed to stay until he had enough cash to move on; being dead for twenty years doesn’t help a man’s financial situation.
A heartbeat. That’s all he needed. Alec had spent months honing his newfound talents. He had learned to read a heartbeat, even identify its owner from the rhythm of the beats. Walking the downtrodden neon streets of the Bowery, he could hear everyone. Those that were lost, those that did not want to be found, those preparing to, those that were and those that had committed terrible, unforgiving acts. The vapour trail lead Holland to a familiar place, one he had come to know over his time in the dark city….Of course, it all made sense now.
When he had first arrived in Gotham, Alec had managed to very swiftly gain some employment at a store in the Bowery. At first it was just watering plants but the owner Raf; he didn’t seem much like the gardening type. Sure enough, he soon revealed why he had really hired Alec; to take care of some rivals. Since resurrecting from the dead, Holland’s view point of right and wrong had become very skewed. Now in his mind, if the Green deemed a man evil enough, the Swamp Thing would take care of it. Dispatching the Kush’s was not an issue. Now there was a new target on the Green’s list and Alec knew what he had to do, what the parliament was asking him to do, the question was, did he have the balls to do it?
Before leaving Gotham, Alec had one last bit of business to take care of at Raf’s flower shop. The place was all but empty except for one other man; an Middle eastern male sitting in the centre of the room. Alec took a seat opposite him and the two men sat in silence for at least a minute. “Is it done?” The man asked placing a roll of cash on the table. Alec’s electric eyes never moved from the flower man’s face. “I told you I’d do it didn’t I?” The gypsy responded in kind. “I always keep my word, Raf. The Kush brothers will not be bothering you again” The man now identified as Raf broke his stoney faced façade to breathe a great sigh if relief. “And me? You said you would not let me come to harm at his or his thugs hands” Alec placed his hand on top of Raf’s and gave him a subtle smile. “I did” Raf removed his hand, allowing the gypsy boy to pick up the money that had been beneath it. Alec stood up and placed the dollars in his pocket. “I gave you my word that you would come under no harm by their hand. I said nothing, about harm under my own” Raf began to feel a burning sensation in his hand, his throat tightening. “I normally don’t particularly care for what my employers do, but you Raf, spend your days turning young children into your personal sex slaves and then discarding them like they were trash. That is one thing, I cannot let lie” Every word Alec spoke was deliberate, calm and with class. “The poison that I just introduced into your system acts fast, so you’ll die quick. Your lungs will close, your blood will boil and eventually your brain will shut down. You have maybe a minute, probably less. Your heartbeat betrays you. The Parliament of trees has judged you and I have just executed you”
Alias: Oracle Formerly known as Batgirl to the Batclan
Origin: Barbara Gordon was born to James Gordon and Barbara Gordon. She was obviously named after her mother. For a while her parents tried for another child, but they were unsuccessful. When Barbara was a young girl her mother just left one day. She tried to talk to her dad to find out where her mother went, but he would just ignore her and drink.
Barbara's father got better as she aged. But drinking remained a problem for him from that point on. As her father progressed in the Police Force, the more he worried for her safety. He enrolled her in self defense classes at the young age of six. She excelled at it and genuinely enjoyed the sport. She continued her classes and even took other types of martial arts in High School and in College.
Barbara graduated college at the age of 22 with a degree in Forensic Sciences. She had wanted to be an Officer like her father. However he refused on the basis that he didn't want her exposed like him. He thought it was bad enough he had to fight the corruption in the force and the evil on the streets. So even though she really wanted to be an Officer she majored in Forensics. At least that way she could still be involved. It wasn't until Batman showed up the year before she graduated from Gotham University that she knew what she must do.
By day she would work with the GCPD and at night she would be Batgirl. She thought about Batwoman, but that felt weird. She spent her off time working on a costume and some gadgets modeled off bats, just like Batman. She had to thank her dad for letting her see the ones recovered at the scene. After she graduated college she was quickly able to secure work at GCPD as a Forensic Technician, thanks to her father and her prior volunteer work done at the department.
Within a few months Batgirl first hit the streets. Her first few "cases" were muggings, assaults, and a car jacking. What she really lacked was a mode of transportation. She didn't have the proper equipment like Batman to easily go from building top to building top. Which meant she was limited to crimes in progress or happy circumstances.
Since Barbara wasn't one to rely on luck or happy circumstances. She turned her smarts to crimes in progress. She didn't bother with crimes like petty theft or the like. She went after the long games. Her next few cases were small time drug running cases. There was even a case of human trafficking. Her first major case that put her on the map was busting a gun smuggling ring. She interrupted and arrested Penguin's man. Unfortunately she hadn't gotten enough on Cobblepot and he walked away with his lawyer. His buyer also slipped through his tracks, though she tracked down the would be crime lord a few months later.
After she had the route shut down she received a visit from the Batman. He wasn't happy with what she was doing, but grudgingly let her continue, only after he had trained her. For a few weeks she couldn't even don the costume without his permission. Though after he deemed her capable he did gift her with her own set of gadgets: Batarangs, rope lines, etc. Though it would take far longer for her to earn his trust and to for him to tell her his identity, though she was reasonably certain what it was within a week of meeting him in person. To this day she isn't sure when he learned hers. Whenever it was, he isn't talking.
It was also at that time when she learned her that Dick Grayson was also Nightwing. Which also helped her be certain she knew who Batman was. Before that point, despite Bruce and her father being friends, she hadn't had much to do with Grayson. After that the two went from awkward kind of friends to an awkward mutual attraction over the years.
Barbara, in 2014, came to help a quasi-hero group known as the Birds of Prey. She was contacted by a woman code named Black Canary. At first she was hesitant to help out. Two out of the four members were known criminals, Pamela and Selena. However Black Canary pitched a good case and she agreed on the condition that as soon as the Birds of Prey do more harm than good, she would no longer help them out. The longer she aided them the more they relied on her for leads when Black Canary had other things to take care of.
When Barbara was 25, two years after her first encounter with Batman, her life changed forever. One uneventful day she had been at her father's apartment, waiting for him to get off work. It was a typical ritual they followed whenever they could. However this time it wasn't her father who came through the door. It was the Joker. He put a bullet through her and her spine. He left her there, almost dead for her father to find. It wasn't until later she learned that the Joker had been after her father, and her presence there probably saved his life.
Even knowing that, Barbara had a bout of severe depression over being paralyzed. She ended up in the hospital for two months and in physical therapy for a while afterwards. Even after she got out of the hospital she took a leave of absence from the Force, not mental or physically able to go back.
Thanks to Bruce Wayne, a friend of her father's, she was able to afford to take leave and to not worry about not paying for her apartment. Or at least that was what the world saw. While she was recovering she asked him for a favor, and he came through. He helped her gather the equipment she needed to become Oracle.
While she recovered both mentally and physically, often with Dick by her side, she became Oracle for the Batclan first. Then she branched out for the Justice League. She has yet to reach back out to the Birds of Prey.
Attributes:
Martial artistry Barbara's training began when she was six. Her father had enrolled her in self defense classes fearing for her safety because of his job. Later she trained in judo and karate, earning black belts. She was a star athlete even before she took up the Batgirl mantle. After the Joker shot and paralyzed her from the waist down, Barbara continued to train in the martial arts as Oracle. Despite her handicap she has maintained a high level of physical fitness. Being in a wheelchair doesn't slow her down much anymore. She also has extensive skills with eskrima fighting sticks, small firearms, and batarangs. She customarily keeps a pair of eskrima sticks stored in the armrests of her wheelchair as a contingency.
Intelligence and technological skill Barbara has a genius-level intellect and possesses a photographic memory. She likes to think of herself as the most intelligent person from the Batclan. As with her physical skills, her technological skills were developed before she took up being a superhero. Her skills in this area include a vast knowledge of computers and electronics, expert skills as a hacker, advanced research skills, and graduate training in Forensic Sciences.
Gagets Like Batman does, Barbara originally used a wide variety of computer electronics and gadgets during her tenure as Batgirl. As Oracle she often tweaks the Bat Boy's toys to make sure they stay ahead of the newest villains.
Information broker As Oracle, Barbara places her considerable skills and knowledge at the disposal of many of the DC Universe's heroes. She is a skilled hacker, capable of retrieving and dispersing information from private satellites, military installations, government files, and the properties of Lex Luthor. However the Batclan usually ranks first on her priority list.
Stomping Grounds: Gotham City GCPD The Internet and other secure online databases.
People of Note: Batclan
Bruce Wayne/Batman
Dick Grayson/Nightwing
Jason Todd/ Robin
Alfred
Birds of Prey
Poison Ivy
Black Canary
Starling
Catwoman
Justice League
Whomever happens to on it. :)
GCP Forensics Friends
Tim Drake
Character Goals: The main goal is I would like for other players to come to her for support and information. That would make me feel like I did a good job at settling her in as a support character. Basically I'd just like her involved with everyone, even if it's only in a minor way.
I'd also like to explore Barbara both as Oracle and as Barbara. How is she doing mentally as well as physically. How does mainly interacting with people through a computer hinder her improvement. Also how does she juggle Grayson and her isolation?
Sample Post: Batgirl lowered her binoculars as Jim Gordon put the cuffs on Calendar Man. Barbara heaved a sigh and relaxed for the first time since she had placed the call. It was one thing to know what your father did at work. It was another to actually be the one who called the cops to lead them to the bad guy and sit back and watch. No wonder her dad had thrown a fit when she had mentioned being a cop. He didn't want to go through that everyday.
Barbara was glad he didn't know that it was her who was Batgirl. He was happier just thinking of her being a lab monkey. And this way she could do what she loved.
Babs lifted her binoculars again as a dark shape rose from one of the roofs. She tensed all over, ready for anything. A heartbeat later she relaxed again as the dark shadow vanished back into the night. A smile danced briefly on her lips. No matter how had Batman tried, he always showed he cared. It was just harder to spot. Still, even with his belief that everything would be fine, Batgirl didn't leave her spot on the roof until Calendar Man was bundled into a cop car and driven off.
The window to Barbara's apartment slid open easily. She gently popped off the screen and slipped in. Her computer glowed softly in a blue light. She walked over and wiggled the mouse. The screen flashed into life and exposed all the hard work she had done the past week. It had all started on Monday. There had been a robbery at Gotham University's Planetarium. Someone had stolen hundreds of dollars worth of lunar models.
Batgirl, had taken over the case, believing it was a one time occurrence. When another robbery occurred at the Museum. Several valuable pieces from the Roman wing, directly connected to Mars went missing. Batman ended up working on that one with the boy wonder since Babs was still trying to get leads on the first robbery. It wasn't until the third robbery on Wednesday that she put them together.
On a napkin at breakfast she had scribbled: Monday= Moon's Day Tuesday = Mars' Day Wednesday = Mercury's Day
Each of the robberies corresponded to a crime. When she headed off with the Robber on "Thor's Day". She had been confronted with a rather, eccentric man. He had dressed up like Thor, the one from the movies. He even had his own hammer that tossed out lighting like a Tesla rod. That revelation had been a surprise, but a well tossed batarag had the offending object dropped to the ground.
Calendar Man, as he had proclaimed himself had then run off. For a portly man he moved quickly. If he hadn't stopped to change costumes, she might have lost him. As it was she caught him half way changed from his Thor Costume into a costume with calendars on it. She had let him finish dressing before she tied him up and left him for the police. She also left a map to his hideout pinned to his calendar doffed chest.
Barbara shook her head as she powered down the computer. Sometimes even Gotham continued to surprise her. But at least tomorrow at work should be interesting when she got to go to his hide out and catalog his stolen goods.
"Screw the family business. I want to be one of those guys."
Name: Theodore "Ted" Stephen Kord
Alias: Blue Beetle
Origin: Theodore “Ted” Stephen Kord grew up to a wealthy family in Chicago, with his father the CEO of Kord Omniversal Research and Development. He was pressed quite hard through his childhood, with the prospect of him following his father’s footsteps initially being what strove Ted for greatness. Ted excelled at school, both academically and athletically. It would seem that once he put his mind to something, Ted wouldn’t be satisfied until he had mastered it, with an example of this being him taking on gymnastics at an early age. Another thing to note was that he also took an interest in computer science. He spent the majority of one of his summer breaks shut off in his room staring at his computer screen, having giving himself the challenge of hacking into the US Defence Network. It was an easy task but a stupid one. Within the hour Special Forces were upon their house, bursting in during the dead of night, their golden goggles shining like that of an insect’s eyes. After all the interrogations and threats, Ted just didn’t seem afraid of the world anymore.
The threats didn’t hinder the boy however and with his continuous high grades and academic achievements, Ted was soon offered a scholarship to MIT at the age of 15. Here he gained degrees in many fields including Physics, Theoretical mathematics and Robotics. By this point he had gone off the idea of joining his father’s business, believing it to be rather dull and boring. He attempted to get a doctorate in his fields, although that too wasn’t to his liking. Instead he just simply decided to travel the world, with him journeying through Europe and eventually most of Asia. This was when he found it. The Scarab. He had watched it fall down from the sky one night while volunteering in a small village in China. Amazed at the sight of the meteorite, Ted had gone to investigate, finding nothing but a small blue piece of metal at the crash site. Realizing instantly that the beetle shaped thing was alien in nature, he phoned his father at once, taking the next flight home at his request.
Returning to Kord Omniversal, Ted and his father Dan set to work on trying to discover what it actually was that he had discovered. After weeks of work, they seemingly came no closer, until finally the thing actually did something. The scarab device began to emit what appeared to be an infinite source of energy. This got the attention of one of the top scientists working at the company, Ted’s uncle Jarvis. Seeking to use the scarab in order to exploit its energy creation abilities, he was promptly fired by Dan. Angry at Dan due to his apparent ignorance, Jarvis murdered him, with him taking the scarab and fleeing.
Ted mourned for many weeks, completely unaware of what had been the cause of his father’s death. This was until he got wind of his brother Jarvis, who was apparently offering an unlimited supply of renewable energy to the largest bidder. Realizing what he had done, Ted vowed that he would get justice for Jarvis’s actions. After being inspired by a news report of some crazy masked superhero in Gotham City, Ted, who was quickly appointed CEO of the company, paid a visit to Kord Omniversal’s R&D department. Here he fashioned a makeshift costume using a Kevlar bodysuit, with him collecting numerous gadgets and weapons, as well as donning a pair of bright yellow goggled, with Ted being inspired by the government agents who had raided his house all those years ago.
It didn’t take long for Ted to track down his uncle. The man had purchased a luxury beach house down in Miami with what he had earned already, as well as hiring a hefty security force. Ted was ready for them though, using a strobe light gun to blind them before they could attack, with him then using his acrobatic and martial art skills he had learnt over the years to quickly take them down. After tricking Jarvis and secretly recording him confessing how he had murdered Dan, Ted apprehended the villain and took back what was stolen from him. However having the Scarab back didn’t fill the hole in his heart.
Deciding that he would become a man that his father would be proud of, Ted decided to stay in the superhero business, with him manufacturing a proper costume and turning the penthouse if the Kord Omniversal building into his secret base of operations. He donned the name “The Blue Beetle”, taking inspiration from the mysterious alien scarab that had changed his life.
Attributes:
Genius Level Intellect – Ted Kord has a genius level intellect with an IQ of 192. He has degrees in Physics, Theoretical mathematics and Robotics. Kord is also an excellent inventor, having manufactured a large amount of the equipment he now works with.
Acrobatics – Kord was an accomplished acrobat, having been training from a young age.
Espionage – While maybe not as great as the Dark Knight himself, Ted is fairly adept at keeping himself to shadows and remaining hidden.
Martial Arts – During his brief time travelling around the world, Ted has studied with several martial arts masters. While no expert he can out-fight just about your average group of thugs or criminals with his fighting skills alone.
Equipment:
The Blue Beetle costume is made up of a simple Nomex body suit, along with a utility belt and utility pouches on his gloves. The goggles, which are again inspired by the government agents who barged into his house years ago, contain sight-enhancing lenses.
The Blue Beetle’s primary weapon, the BB Gun is able to emit a blinding flash of light or a blast of compressed air capable of knocking down several grown men. The gun is only able to be operated by Ted, with it becoming inactive without contact with the circuitry within his costume's gloves.
Including suction pads, smoke pellets, grappling hooks, etc.
Made out of a metallic alloy of titanium and steel panels, The Bug is the Blue Beetle’s primary source of transportation, a mechanised craft which is able to navigate both the sky and underwater. It is powered used solar energy, with the ship also having a thick reinforced armour and automatic reflector shields for protection. Thanks to the antigravity units, the Bug is extremely quiet during flight and is also able to fly at a top speed of 800mph. The Bug also contains a small portable crime lab which includes a computer, communications centre, television, stereo and a closet with spare uniforms and several changes of civilian clothes.
Essentially a more combat themed version of the previous design, The Bug Mk-V is sleeker and unlike the previous design, actually has weapons. These weapons are in the form of thermal energy blasts, that can be fired from the ship’s robotic claw arms which can also be used to grasp, hold and even throw objects. Unlike the previous design, there is only one seat in the ship’s cockpit, with the Bug MK-IV lacking a crime lab, etc. The Bug MK-V can also fly at a speed of 1200mph.
Stomping Grounds:
The third most populous city in the United States, Chicago has over 2.7 million residents. Near a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed, the city is an international hub for finance, commerce, industry, technology, telecommunications, and transportation, with O'Hare International Airport being the busiest airport in the world. It is also the home to the headquarters of Kord Omniversal.
The Kord Omniversal building is one of the tallest highrises in Chicago, as well as being one of the City's central hubs of technology, communication and industry. While many of the floors are made up of laboratories, the penthouse is home to the company's CEO Ted Kord, with it acting as his base of operations. The basement holds the more dangerous products of Kord Omniversal’s R&D department.
Ted's penthouse takes up the entire top floor of the Kord Omniversal building, other than a thin strip just above the sign which is home to a small outside pool. Inside the penthouse is split in half. The left side, containing the elevator appears much nicer and more homely, sporting a vast array of expensive furniture, a small cocktail bar and a small doorway leading off to a bedroom. The other side of the penthouse act as Ted's base of operations as the Blue Beetle. There is a small crimelab, training area, a work station, and more importantly Ted's own super-computer. Each far corner of the lair is home to Blue Beetle's ships; The Bugs. The walls, floor, and ceiling of this section of the penthouse are white in colour, lit by bright blue neon lights.
People of Note:
Michael Carter is Ted's closest friend, with the two having an extremely close bond. The two cross paths for the first time when Booster seeks him out after his arrival in the present. There friendship is one of joy and laughter, with the two caring very much for each other.
Booster Gold's robotic companion from the future, Ted receives much amusement in watching both Booster and Skeets argue.
Ted's personal assistant, Tracy is fully aware of his identity as the Blue Beetle, often mocking him for it in a sarcastic manner. Despite everything though, she is one Ted's greatest friends (although she won't admit it) and often operates on the Beetle Computer while he is out on the field. Ted often laughs at Booster's obvious attempts at wooing her, despite her lack of interest.
Ted's pet dog. While actually named Mikey, he often calls him Blue Beagle, to Tracy's annoyance.
Ted's father, Dan was the CEO of Kord Omniversal before being murdered by his brother Jarvis.
Ted's mother, Maureen moved to live in New York after her husband's murder, retaining regular contact with her son.
Ted's uncle and the former lead scientist at Kord Omniversal. After the discovery, Jarvis went power crazy after the discovery that it seemed to be an energy source. Due to being fired by Dan for trying to exploit it, he murdered and stole the scarab. He was later apprehended by the Blue Beetle and arrested.
The current head scientist of the company, having taken over when Jarvis was fired, Jeremiah worked for the company with Thomas Kord and later with Ted. He is a dear friend of the Kord family
Leader of the group of manic thugs named The Madmen, Fleeter was a crook who took on a small job at Georgetown University to steal drugs He was involved in an accident that gave him the power to mentally control anyone he touched. He used this power to create an army of Madmen, having gone slightly insane himself to to the accident.
Run by Farley Fleeter, the Madmen are a group of mentally controlled thugs who don wigs, face paint, and multicolored costumes and started robbing banks. As well as thing, they regularly act as goons for hire. Over the past few years, they are becoming an increasingly pain in the ass for Ted.
Character Goals: I'm hoping to try and bring some more life to regularly forgotten character and remind people that Ted is actually smarter than the Dark Knight himself. As for story goals i plan for Ted to:
Struggle with juggling both running Kord Omniversal and acting as the Blue Beetle,
Maybe eventually join the Justice League, or merely attempt to.
Uncover Checkmate as he did in Countdown to Infinite Crisis although hopefully he'll make it out alive this time.
Sample Post: "Sir, what the hell is that?"
Tracy's voice broke the hum of machinery and the regular bursts of noice from the blow torch Ted had been using. Turning, he gave the smartly dressed woman a smile, before pulling his goggles from his eyes and hoping down from where he had been working.
“That, my dear Tracy is my latest creation!” Ted exclaimed loudly, ignoring the obvious sound of annoyance emitted by her at the ”my dear Tracy” comment. “The Bug MK-5. She’s sleeker and much faster in fact too, as she can…”
“Sir…”
“… go up to twelve hundred miles per hour!”
“Sir.”
“Oh and you should see the circuitry on this baby!”
“Ted.”
“I’ve made it all much simpler! We shouldn’t be having the issue we had before with the smell. Granted that was my fault but now…”
“Ted?!” Tracy had to shout for Ted to hear her over his constant rumbling. Truth be told, this was a regular occurrence and was obviously something that led to Tracy wishing to throttle her boss more and more on a daily basis. Oblivious to this house, Ted just stared at her, a look of pure confused across his face. Huffing in annoyance, Tracy continued.
“I didn’t mean that heap of junk! You think I actually care about most of the shit you make in here?” Ignoring the babbling that followed from the Kord Omniversal CEO, Tracy pointed to the corner of the room. “When the hell did you get a dog?”
Quickly recovering from his assistants hurtful words and making a mental note to send an angry worded letter to her in the future, Ted let his signature smile run across his face once more, laughing slightly as she pointed to the new member of his family. Truth be told he had gotten lonely after having been bed ridden for the past week. This had been after breaking his leg in the field while giving chase to a group named the Madmen across the rooftops of Chicago. It had been quite embarrassing. Tracy had laughed to his face. This had led him to adopting the Labrador that currently lay before them in his basket.
“His name’s Blue Beagle.” Ted stated happily, having finished explaining the story to her.
“He’s a Labrador.” She stated firmly. “Not a beagle.”
“I know but Blue Labrador just sounded stupid!”
“Like The Blue Beetle then?” She smirked.
Before Ted could reply with what was probably going to be an even wittier remark, the neon blue lights of the penthouse turned to a violent red, with the monitor of the Beetle Computer flashing into life. Ignoring the barks of the Blue Beagle, Ted burst forward, eyes reading the information as soon as it appeared on the monitor.
“Looks like there’s a fire down town.” He stated, noting down the address. Pressing a button on the console, a short whiz from the back of the room sounded as the roof hatch of the Bug slid open.
“You realize that the fire brigade could probably handle it?” Tracy asked, slumping down into the chair in front of monitor.
Born on the first day of spring on one of Gotham's rare sunny days, Richard John Grayson was handed into the hands of his loving parents who looked down on their son overwhelmed with pride. Upon first looking at her newborn baby boy, Mary called the boy her 'Little Robin', relating to his birth on the Spring Solstice. This term of endearment would imprint on the young Grayson for his entire life.
Like his father, Richard comes from a line of Romani descent. The Graysons were the ancestors of a roaming gypsy family who had been part of the circus for longer than any written record could tell. However unbeknownst to them, the Graysons were also the descendant of one of Gotham's most deadly legends, a man by the name of William Cobb. Cobb lived most of his life as a Talon, a highly feared enforcer for a group that has been all but long forgotten save for the haunting rhymes told to children who disobey their parents. As such the history of William Cobb fell into obscurity, lost in a history of circus performers and Romanies.
As his parents had, Richard or as he preferred to go by, Dick lived his whole life travelling from city to city in Haly's Circus. Trained by his parents, Mary and John Grayson, Dick was taught to be an acrobat and began performing at an early age, wowing crowds with his natural prowess on the trapeze. Together with his parents wo were both world renowned acrobats, Dick would begin his introduction to performing at a young age and essentially from birth was trained to be a performer in the circus. His mother's nickname for him only became further enforced as Dick learned to perform on the trapeze, as Mary would constantly comment how he reminded her of a Robin while flying through the air in his red leotard. Together they were collectively known as the 'Flying Graysons' and were recognized as being one of the biggest shows in the circus business. In fact the circus' owner Jack Haley often remarked that the Grayson's were the biggest asset to the circus' business. Known for performing without a net, the 'Flying Graysons' true trade mark was their signature quadruple somersault, a move that only the three Graysons were known to be capable of performing. Growing up in the circus, Dick made several friends with the children of the other performers such as Jimmy, Zane and his childhood crush Raya Vestri.
Travelling the world with the circus, Dick became very cultured and outgoing though his education did suffer as he was only taught what those around him knew. None the less, his quick mind grasped onto most concepts quickly and Dick was recognized among the other performers as being a very sharp kid. At the age of fifteen, Dick found himself in Gotham City as the circus rolled into town for its annual performance. Dick had only ever performed in Gotham a few times previously, but that said having heard of Gotham's reputation for crime he had always been understandably nervous about leaving the circus grounds to explore the city like he had in Paris, New York, and numerous other locations. However, staying at the circus gave the boy a unique opportunity as he was able to meet a young fan of his by the name of Timothy Drake. At the time, Timothy was only about nine years old, but none the less he remembered seeing Grayson's performances in previous years, wanting nothing more than to soar through the air like the older boy did. Having his picture taken with Tim and his parents, Dick wandered off through the circus to kill time before his family's show that evening.
Dick's world suddenly changed that fateful night. It was one of the biggest shows of the year as Haly's Circus had once again returned to Gotham City to help ring in the New Year. But Gotham wasn't the same place it was twelve years ago, not that it was some shiny metropolis then either, yet the city had managed to become worse. Stumbling across an argument between the circus' owner Mr. Haly and a well-known and feared crime lord by the name of "Boss" Tony Zucco. Dick hide in the shadows as he heard Zucco threaten Mr. Haly unless the circus's owner paid protection money. Being an honest and moral man, Haly refused not knowing the horrors he had released. That night Dick watched in horror as his parents' high wire snapped, sending his parents hurtling to their deaths, all while many of Gotham's elite watched on. A burden of guilt came over Dick as he stood there, the realization that he could have warned his parents washing over him, downing him in anguish as he collapsed into bitter sobs.
Shortly after the tragedy of his parent's death, Dick was placed in an uncaring juvenile services system, reportedly on the grounds that social services was full. While in the juvenile systems, Dick found himself dragged into numerous brawls where he was beaten up by a number of the inmates. He was eventually passed onto a Catholic orphanage where he stayed for a couple miserable months. Though life seemed to have taken a permanent turn for the worse for the young boy, seemingly out of nowhere, infamous billionaire Bruce Wayne rescued Dick by adopting him.
Dick insisted on only being adopted as his ward, because he did not want to replace his deceased father with the billionaire who he only knew from the tabloids. In fact, Dick originally believed that Bruce only adopted him for the good press and this was further supported by the amount of time that Dick found himself spending alone in the near empty mansion. Living with the billionaire at first felt like Dick had won the lottery, but after several weeks of growing loneliness, Dick's bitterness began to resurface. Growing frustrated by the lack of attention from his new guardian and the mystery still surrounding his parents' death, Dick snuck out of Wayne Manor one evening to solve the crime on his own - only to stumble upon Gotham's mysterious Batman, who was also investigating the murder. Feeling it would be cathartic for Dick to apprehend Zucco, the Batman allowed Dick to work with him, acknowledging their similar parallels in life. The pair succeed in tracking down Zucco. Despite this, Batman was unable to apprehend Zucco as the man died of a heart attack before his arrest.
While working with Batman, Dick began to get a familiar sense about the mysterious man. An expert in reading body language, a skill inherited from the circus and playing up to crowds it didn't take Dick long to deduce that Bruce Wayne and Batman were actually the same individual. Exploring the mansion for further clues, Dick eventually found himself stumbling upon the Batcave where Batman himself was awaiting his arrival. Bruce offered to train Dick, turn Dick into a crime fighter in his own right and pass along each and every skill he himself possessed. Wanting to honor his parents, Dick wholeheartedly agreed and was put through a rigorous training regime. Exercise after grueling exercise nearly brought Dick to his knees, but the young acrobat managed to excel through all combat and physical based training. Where Dick struggled however was the more academic departments although he eventually overcame these obstacles once he was able to put his own perspective on them.
Despite training with Bruce for a year, Dick had still not been allowed in the field since the night he first snuck out. However it seemed luck was not on the side of the Batman as he found himself caught in the trap set by one of his many rogues. Stubborn still, Bruce refused Alfred's suggestion to send Dick into the field, but fearing for Bruce's safety and having complete confidence in Dick, Alfred made the decision to disobey Bruce and presented Dick with a costume. Taking the name Robin in honor of his mother, Dick managed to rescue Batman.
With the rescue of Batman, Dick was finally deemed worthy to hit the streets. However Bruce had one final test for Dick to pass - "the Gauntlet". Dick had to elude the Dark Knight on the streets of Gotham for one night - from sundown to sunrise - without any outside help. Dick succeeded, simultaneously bringing Gotham gangster Joe Minette to justice. Dick took to the streets as Batman's full-fledged partner in crime-fighting: Robin, the Boy Wonder. From that point on the two would patrol Gotham together and the name Robin became just as well known as Batman. Just as the dynamic duo were becoming well known, rumors of a female Batman began to circulate Gotham however neither paid them much attention at the time despite the rumors becoming more persistent as time went on.
It would be a year later that the pair confronted the Batgirl. While Bruce reluctantly agreed to train her, Dick became immediately smitten with the redhead and much to Bruce's chargin would go out of his way to both flirt and attempt to impress the older girl. However Batgirl took no interest in the much younger Robin and repeatedly pushed him away. Failing with Batgirl eventually lead Dick to dating other girls. In particular at the age of 19, Dick found himself attracted to one of the daughters of Gotham's socialites. While Dick Grayson enticed her, Dick soon found out that the young Bette Kane was heavily infatuated with Gotham's Boy Wonder. Meeting her as Robin, Dick used his secret identity to score with Bette only for Batman to confront him. Yelling at Dick, words were exchanged between the two with Bruce accusing Dick of manipulating the girl, being irresponsible and compromising their identities while Dick reminded Bruce that he does the same thing with Catwoman on a regular basis. In addition to this confrontation, their idealisms began to differ as Dick looked towards moving forward while Bruce was still firmly tethered in the past.
The widening gyre between the two only became worse as Dick was shot and injured during a confrontation with the Scarecrow. Subjected to a near lethal dose of fear gas, Batman put Dick on 'Cave Arrest' out of fear of seeing him further injured. However left alone in the cave, Dick discovered that Bruce had been training Jason Todd in secret which he assumed was meant to replace him. Bruce tried to explain that they were at war and Jason was a soldier for their crusade, some much needed back but Dick refused to hear any of it. The conversation got heated as Dick began to run down Bruce's crusade calling him a 'Scared Boy hiding up a blanket' and saying that 'Bruce Wayne could do ten times more for Gotham than Batman ever could.' After a final sucker punch and a dramatic exit, Dick Grayson left the Batcave.
Without Bruce, Dick was out on his own but at the age of 19 he was more than capable for looking at himself. Alfred had been kind enough over the years to teach Dick the domestic side of life and revealed to the young man that Bruce had been given control of a trust fund that Dick's parents had created for him. This trust fund had been left in the hands of financial expert Lucius Fox who had grown it into a modest fortune for Dick. Thanking Alfred for everything, Dick embarked on a soul searching trip.
Spending nearly a year backpacking through Europe, Dick took it upon himself to return to his Romani roots and explore the world as they had, living as a nomad and travelling from town to town. The experience was wholly enriching and exactly what Dick had needed on his trip of self discovery. Returning to North America, Dick avoided Gotham and instead went to New York. It was here that Dick met and enjoyed a whirlwind romance with fashionista Cheyenne Fremont. Though their romance came to an end, the two parted on friendly terms and Dick continued his journey eventually coming into contact with a Tamaranian named Koriand'r. Kori, as she preferred to be called opened Dick's eyes to the further wonders of the world as he was able to live vicariously through her optimistic and naive point of view about Earth. The two became rather passionately involved and were almost married at a Vegas Chapel until the ceremony was disturbed by the interruption of a localized zombie apocalypse. However despite intending to continue their romance, Dick returned to Gotham when Alfred contacted him regarding Barbara.
In his quest to break the Batman, The Joker had crippled Barbara Gordon but it was Dick who was out for revenge. A burning fire inside his chest once again united Batman and the former Robin on the same path. There wasn't a waking hour that Dick didn't stop by the hospital sitting at Barbara's beside. It was during this time the two became quite close, Barbara beginning to see Dick as more than the annoying kid who had a crush on her. As Barbara regained her independence, Dick continued on his trip, reunited with Kori as the two traveled to Metropolis where he came across Superman who much to Dick's surprise recognized the former Boy Wonder.
Showing Dick and Kori the city, Kal and Dick eventually sat down for a meal where the two heroes had a heart to heart, sharing their frustrations about Bruce and ended the night with Superman sharing a story he heard about two Kandorian heroes not unlike Batman and Robin, Flamebird and Nightwing. The story stuck with Dick and he took up the mantle of Nightwing stopping crime on the road alongside Kori before breaking up their partnership and returning to Gotham upon hearing that Tony Zucco had managed to evade death. In the weeks that followed, Dick was able to track Zucco and his activities to Blüdhaven, a city possibly worse than Gotham. Finding himself in a familiar pit of criminal activity, Nightwing realized that Blüdhaven could use a protector. Setting up shop, Dick had finally found a purpose. He was out of the shadow of the Bat, he was his own hero. Using a web of allies, Dick has worked closely along side the Oracle as well as assisted in the raining of a new hero, Timothy Drake.
| ATTRIBUTES: |
MASTER ACROBAT:
Grayson is a prodigious natural athlete, possessing a peak human level of agility/acrobatic skills. He is generally regarded as the greatest human acrobat in the world. Batman himself is an incredible athlete in agility, but even he can admit that Grayson's skill surpasses his own. Grayson is the only person on Earth who can do the quadruple somersault (formerly one of three, the other two being his parents).
MASTER MARTIAL ARTIST:
He is a master of many martial arts disciplines with an emphasis on Aikido, Jeet Kune Do, Escrima, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Wing Chun, Hapkido, Jiu-jitsu, Shotokan Karate, Savate, Kendo, Ninjitsu, Boxing and Tang Soo Do . He has effectively combined the martial arts he has mastered into a unique style that suits his strengths. This makes him a challenging opponent for even the world's best martial artists.
MASTER OF DISGUISE:
Taught by the Batman in the art of disguise, like his mentor, Grayson had mastered the art of disguise by the time he was 21. Grayson has used many aliases to infiltrate the underworld or just to go undercover in public situations. However unlike Batman, Grayson doesn't keep a standing collection of identities and instead invents them on an as needed basis.
EXPERT DRIVER:
Grayson is proficient at driving many vehicles like cars, motor bikes, trucks and he is also skillful at driving jets, helicopters and auto boats and small ships.
EXPERT ESCAPOLOGIST:
Due to his training with Batman, he possess extreme skill in escapology. Grayson has shown such proficiency as escaping a straightjacket in 4.5 seconds and was able to use a Tibetan Mind Technique to escape virtual reality. Grayson has even been able to escape a maze faster than Wally West due to his training under Batman.
EXPERT MARKSMAN:
Grayson is skilled enough to use modified Shuriken (Wing-Dings) to hit thugs at a great distance with his eyes closed, despite even giving him a head-start and disarm others with his wingdings. He is also capable of using firearms, as he was trained by Batman to do in order to gain a better understanding to disarm those who use them.
SKILLED DETECTIVE:
Grayson is a world class detective, though not quite as proficient as Batman. In light of that, Grayson has been said to be third to Batman who is widely regarded as the 'World's Greatest Detective'. Grayson was able to solve a riddle by the Riddler before Batman himself even figured it out and this was before Grayson had become Robin. Furthermore, he has been known to solve mysteries and cases in a speed that even impresses his mentor. Barbara Gordon even commented that he was able to solve 4 cases in "America's Most Wanted" in a single morning and solved a homicidal case that went unsolved for 14 years.
SKILLED HACKER:
He is skilled enough to hack into the Batcomputer emergency override codes during a time when he and Bruce had a falling out following his evolution from Robin to Nightwing. During his travels with Kori, Grayson also hacked a Alien Terminal with the use of the Tameranian Language he had learned from former teammate and romantic interest Starfire.
SKILLED MULTI-LINGUALIST:
Having had the finest education as Bruce Wayne's ward, he speaks with fluency in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Farsi (Persian), Mandarin and Cantonese, and has some knowledge of Romany and the alien language of Tamaran.
SKILLED TRACKER:
Gryason has been trained in hunting techniques by Batman who learned by the way of the African Bushmen (the Ghost Tribes of the Ten-eyed Brotherhood, among others). As such Grayson's skills are quite considerable both in natural and urban environments.
PEAK HUMAN CONDITIONING:
Grayson possesses the peak athletic strength and endurance of a man who regularly engages in intensive physical exercise. As such Grayson possesses the normal human strength of a man that has intense physical workouts at the height and weight of 5"10 175 lb. While he relies more on speed and agility than strength, Grayson has shown incredible strength throughout the years. On a peak day, Grayson can press lift 350lbs, basically meaning he can lift twice his own weight above his head. Grayson's human conditioning also grants him something in the way of durability, though more specifically it's through the fact he's used to enduring pain and can ignore and work through it. This can give the impression to lesser minds that he's superhuman.
STEALTH:
Grayson is capable of breaching high security facilities without being detected. He can even sneak up on Batman himself on occasion. He is also skilled enough to even sneak away and keep hidden from Speedsters such as Jesse Quick or others with abilities that allow them to survey environments precisely and quickly.
WEAPON PROFICIENCY:
Due to his training with Batman, Grayson has been taught and displayed skills and proficiency in various weaponry ranging from shurikens (which the Batfamily uses in the forms of Wing-Dings and Batarangs), to eskrima sticks and staves to swords and even bows to various modern firearms.
CHARISMATIC:
Probably one of the most charistmatic people you will ever meet, despite living with Batman for five years, Dick still retains his bright and sunny disposition and as such is very easy to get along with. The former circus boy is very much still a charming performer and is a huge flirt, something that is generally returned from members of the opposite sex and even those who aren't. Grayson makes the clothes fall off faster than Tequila.
BEST BUTT IN THE DCU:
Dick Grayson has the finest ass in the entire world. It's a fact, deal with it.
| STOMPING GROUNDS: |
Blüdhaven
“When you die in Blüdhaven -- going to Hell is considered a promotion.”
Once nicknamed, "Asbestos Town, USA," Blüdhaven is a former whaling town, which was officially incorporated as a "Commonwealth" in 1912. The town had a generally poor socio-economic populace, owing in part to failed efforts to transform itself into a manufacturing and shipping center. This however rapidly gave way to highly industrial sectors which then fell into urban decay as businesses collapsed or moved out of the area during the Depression. It's infamous for its somewhat rank odor and high crime rate. Approximately 33 minutes' drive from Gotham City, Nightwing moved here initially to solve a string of murders related to a thoroughly corrupt police force, only to remain there to carve out his own reputation away from his family and loved ones. The city lived through a corrupt balance of underhand dealings and unlawful policies, which was helped kept in check by the local police force.
Avalon Hill Melville Section Waterloo Docks The Zee Moores Caernarvon Section Central Business District Fort Joseph District Fear Cay Avalon Heights The Narrows Island Point Mealtide Public locations Halyard Square Thrawn Park Melville Park Lanely Point Mealtide Park Byke Beach St. Bernadine's Church Stadium Baily Church Blüdhaven Natural History Museum Thrawn Terminal-Red Line Elevated B&O Rail Terminal Port Authority Railhead Port Authority Bus Terminal Central Station Rail Blüdhaven Law Enforcement Center St. Anthony's/Anthonio's Airport RABE Memorial Hospital Consolidated Buldhaven Electric and Steam Municipal Sewage Treatment Municipal Train Yards Municipal Landfill Blüdhaven Garbage Dump Streets and Highways Bloodhaven Drive and Park Red Line North Red Line South Green Line Blue Line Elevated Blue Line Tubes US Highway 61 US 61 Bypass/RT 91 "The Spine" Halyard St Stark Ave Little Drawbridge Island St Skunk Ave Red Line East Ext. Littleneck Narrows Bridge B&O Rail Blue Line North Blue Line South East Lamar Highway 6 Businesses City Dock-Commercial Midtown Exchange 28 Phraim Moore Housing Project St Eustace Church Band Shell Forsyth Building Hogan's Alley Mr Pickle Deli Brenda's Cafe McSweeny Properties Media Talking Johnny's All-Night Bull Session Sports Teams Blüdhaven Bloodhounds (baseball) Blüdhaven Brawlers (football) Other locales Marsh Swamplands Fireflaught Mount Skirl Rocks Spuyten Dyvil
| PEOPLE OF NOTE: |
ALLIES:
Bruce Wayne/Batman: Despite the riff between Bruce and Dick, the latter will always look up to the former in both gratitude and awe. Bruce Wayne took Dick in when he was 15 after watching his parents die before him. After Dick discovered Bruce's dual life, the Dark Knight trained Dick as his apprentice. The two still operate as allies and should anyone threaten the other, they have each other's backs.
Barbara 'Babs' Gordon/Oracle: Older and definitely smarter, Babs always seemed unobtainable to Dick. Perhaps that's why he fell for her almost immediately after meeting her. It might also have something to do with her red hair, a definite weak point for the Boy Wonder. Either way, Barbara Gordon has always been a friend to Dick Grayson even when they spent the first few years bickering back and forth. What started as a one sided crush eventually blossomed into a very close friendship especially after Joker's attack on Babs. Nowdays, Babs is one of Dick's closest allies and the two share a mutual attraction that neither one is exactly sure how to act on.
Jason Todd/Robin: He's a dick.
Timothy 'Tim' Drake/Red Robin: The newest addition to the extended Batfamily though notably the only one not to train under Bruce. Instead Tim works for the Oracle which often brings him in contact with Nightwing. Having assisted in Tim's training, Dick wishes that Tim had took his place instead of Jason.
Alfred Pennyworth: Somewhere between Barbara and Bruce lies Alfred's close relationship to Dick. While Alfred may have been a surrogate father to Bruce, he was a surrogate grandfather to Dick. The two have a very friendly relationship with Alfred having something of a soft spot for Dick and is more than willing to go out of his way to assist the 'young Master' if need be. Likewise Dick is just as protective of 'Alfie' as he is of Barbara. That doesn't however stop him from making fun of Alfred's cooking.
Raya Vestri: A childhood crush and acrobat like Dick, Raya Vestri was the first (but hardly the last) redhead that Dick Grayson ever loved. While they've met for coffee and drinks a few times over the year, it has yet to be fully revealed what kind of role she'll play in the young hero's life.
Cheyenne Freemont: A New York fashionista and metahuman who enjoyed a brief whirlwind romance with Dick Grayson. Dick has recently heard she relocated to Gotham to open a new line of clothing.
Koriand'r: An alien from the planet Tamaran who Dick ran into in his travels. They have an on and off again romantic relationship however Kori is very possessive over Dick and will help him without a second thought. The two were almost married in Vegas however the 'ceremony' was disturbed by a zombie apocalypse.
Joanna 'Joey' Greene: A software engineer who Dick saved from a mugger. The two eventually ended up becoming roommates after Joey ran into Grayson again while he was apartment hunting. While she's suspicious of his late night activities, Dick believes that Joey is unaware he is the Nightwing.
Michael 'Mike' Pearson: An aspiring photojournalist who met Dick when the latter moved in with Mike and his roommate Joey. Mike is untrusting of vigilantes believing they create more threats for the general populace than they solve and is hoping one day to write an exposé which will see the downfall of the Justice League.
Amy Rohrbach: A police detective with the Blüdhaven Force and one of the few honest officiers in the city. She has an uneasy alliance with Nightwing being wary of vigilantes.
ROGUES:
Tony 'Boss' Zucco: A Gotham crime lord, Zucco tried to extort money from Jack Haly who refused leading to Zucco killing the Graysons. After being tracked down by the Batman and Dick Grayson, Zucco was able to fake not only a heart attack but his own death. Later reappearing in Gotham, Zucco attracted the attention of Dick Grayson who pursued him into Blüdhaven/
William Cobb: Otherwise known as Talon, William Cobb is Dick's great-grandfather and an assassin for the Court of Owls. So far he remains unknown to his great-grandson, but Cobb has but one goal in mind and that is to recruit his last living descendant to Court of Owls. Now by order of the Court, he hunts his great grandson in order to kill the boy and subject him to programming at the Court's hand in order to turn Dick into a proper Talon.
The Court of Owls: A mysterious organization that once ruled all of Gotham and Blüdhaven. Thought to only exist in fairy tales and rhymes used to scare children into obedience. They have an army of assassins known as Talons at their disposal who are essentially immortal.
Blockbuster: Roland Desmond is a criminal mastermind who manipulated his brother into performing numerous criminal actions while under the influence of a strength-enhancing steroid. After his brother's death, he too took this steroid and found his intelligence much reduced - until signing his soul away to the demon Neron. Using his combination of brute strength and great intelligence he took over most of the criminal operations in the city of Blüdhaven.
Lady Vic: Lady Elaine Marsh-Morton is a genuine English Aristocrat, descended from a long line of British soldiers and mercenaries. She is an expert martial artist, proficient with many different kinds of firearms and melee weapons, and works as an assassin-for-hire. The money she earns from her secret career helps prevent foreclosure on her impoverished family estate. Lady Vic sets herself apart from most other supervillains not just by her considerable skill, but by her ruthlessness and determination. She has been shown to be more than willing to kill small children for her paycheck, and once actually jumped out of a plane without a parachute to chase an escaping hostage. She most often appears in Blüdhaven and is frequently employed by gang boss Blockbuster.
Brutale: Brutale was a top-level interrogator/torturer for the secret police in the Latin American country of Hasaragua, until a revolution forced him to flee. In his native Hasaragua, Guillermo Barrera served the secret police of his government as a savage interrogator, extracting confessions efficiency with blades and tools used for surgery. When the Marxist regime of Hasaragua fell, Barrera escaped the country to America, fleeing execution for the atrocities he committed.
Adopting the name Brutale, Barrera put his "Surgical Skills" to use as a hired assassin. He eventually began working for Blockbuster II in Blüdhaven while donning a costume that resembles a gargoyle.
Shrike: Boone harbors a long standing enmity for Dick Grayson dating back to their youth, when the two shared a friendship that was in many ways doomed from its inception. While Grayson served as the Batman's partner Robin, the boy who would became known as the predatory Shrike traveled alone throughout the Pacific Rim, gleaning an array of martial arts skills both from a variety of unsavory teachers, including several former operatives of insidious League of Assassins. In the back streets of Hong Kong, Shrike met the "Master" who would forge the already hardened youth into a disciplined killing machine, undertaking contract eliminations throughout Asia and the former Soviet bloc-and never once failing to make a kill.
Saiko: As a young boy, Raymond McCreary was a circus performer at Haly's Circus alongside Dick Grayson, Raya Vestri, and Zane. Raymond, Dick, and Raya were really good friends, but Raymond and Raya had a secret disapproval of Dick because of his stardom in the circus. For a long time, Dick was the star of the show and his friends merely assistants.
Upon the death of Dick's parents and his subsequent adoption by billionaire Bruce Wayne, the Court of Owls, having lost Dick as their candidate for a new Talon, had Mr. Haly fake Raymond's drowning in a car accident, taking him instead. Torturing him to his breaking point, he was then trained as an assassin for the Court, only to be rejected and left in the woods to die, birds attacking the skin around his eyes, giving him his distinctive scars.
Stallion: Randy Hanrahan kissed good-bye both a promising football career with the Dallas Cowboys and a much-desired Super Bowl ring when he suffered severe anterior-cruciate ligament injuries to both knees during pre-season scrimmage. "Stallion," as Hanrahan was nicknamed, subsequently moved north and tackled work as a bouncer in Penguin's Iceberg Lounge, where the notorious Penguin promoted him to "reposessor of defaulted loans." Stallion eventually became a free agent, plying his bone-crunching strength as a successful stone-cold killer, most recently in the employ of Blockbuster. Unfortunately, Stallion hasn't had much luck in completing his benefactor's contract in Nightwing, despite tag-teaming with both Lady Vic and the knife-wielding Brutale to bring down the young vigilante. Stallion has no formal martial arts training, but instead relies on his steroid-enhanced physique to muscle opponents into submission or death.
Marionette: Malina ‘Mali’ Lewis, a former Alice of Jervis Tech aka The Mad Hatter, Mali was left with a shattered mind which gave her symptoms similar to a split personality disorder. This leads to Mali often holding ‘Gollum-esque’ conversations with herself but also the unique side effect of making her something of a mimic. Most notably, Mali repeats phrases spoken to her but most extraordinarily Mali is able to mimic any skill she witnesses.
Amygdala: A man who endured terrible experiments on his amygdala making him unstable. When enraged or overly excited, Amygdala transforms from a meek human appearance into a hulking red beast complete with a child-like mind set meaning his fits are often comparable to tantrums.
The Prankster: Several years ago, a man named Harold Loomis became the electrical engineer as part of William and Wallace Cole's initiative to bring a train line through their old neighborhood. However, the deal went sour, and Harold Loomis was murdered by the Cole brothers on Halloween, left for his son Oswald to find dead on their front lawn after returning from trick-or-treating. William was eventually arrested for the crime but didn't rat out his brother, who went on to become mayor of Blüdhaven.
Little Oswald, swearing revenge on the men who killed his father, sent the mask he wore as part of his costume to William in prison, to remind the criminal that he and his brother's punishment wasn't over yet. In a twisted way to get justice for his father, Oswald, donning a mask and calling himself the Prankster, began his crusade against the corrupt officials of Blüdhaven that helped the Wallace Cole rise to power.
| CHARACTER GOALS: |
A Knight in Blüdhaven:
-Establish Nightwing
Team Nightwing:
-Gain Allies
Block Party:
-Take down Blockbuster
Night of the Owls:
-Tangle with the Court of Owls
Justice for All:
-Join Justice League
| SAMPLE POST: |
A stilted silence fell over the cave as Dick glared towards Bruce, an outstretched arm pointing towards the image of a younger boy on the screen.
"Who is he Bruce?" Dick yelled, anger practically seething from every ounce of his being. "Did I truly let you down so badly that you found a replacement? Were you just going to take me out in the Batmobile and dump me on the side of the road like some stray puppy who had finally grown into an ugly dog?"
The Dark and Stoic Knight remained completely unphased in the face of Dick's outburst as he carefully manufactured a inoculation against Crane's newest fear toxin.
"All I wanted was to feel some semblance of a normal life. Perhaps it was wrong of me to use Robin to get a date with Bette Kane, but how is that truly any different than you sleeping with Selina Kyle on half of the roof tops in Gotham!" Dick placed his hands on either side of his head in frustration. "They're your rules until you decide their note. Why is okay for you to have such a double standard. I'm not a fifteen year old boy who's happy to play dress up anymore Bruce. Between my studies, training and patrol, you're smothering me. All I'm looking for is some 'me' time. But no, instead you go and replace me!"
Dick began to pace back and forth as Alfred stood quietly to the side, his ever unflappable demeanor never changing nor reflecting his true emotions as the most loyal member of the Wayne estate played Switzerland.
"Or wait, is this because I was shot and gassed? Even criminals can be prepared Bruce, they knew we were coming. Like Alfred said, I'll make a full recovery. You worked alone for years, surely a weeks would have been fine while I healed. Instead you bring a petty criminal, he's a thief Bruce!"
"We are at war Dick. You're a soldier, Jason's a soldier." Bruce answered flatly as he poured the inoculation into a syringe before loading it into a small gun.
"I looked up to you as a father!" Dick roared. "You weren't my commander, you're weren't a general. You were my guardian, my protector and mentor." Suddenly Batman turned and injected the inoculation into Dick's arm. His face curling into an expression of sheer rage, Dick turned and let loose a sucker punch. From the corner, Alfred flinched as Bruce dropped the administration instrument, the syringe breaking open on the floor as Dick stood tall. His chest heavily heaving up and down.
"You're nothing but that same scared boy from the alley Bruce, hiding beneath your armor so you don't have to feel emotion. But what you fail to realize is that if you truly wanted to help Gotham, you would have hung up your cape years ago. Bruce Wayne can do ten times more for Gotham than what Batman can."
"Get out of my cave." Bruce growled as he finally turned to look at Dick. "And don't come back."
"I was already gone." Dick retorted from halfway up the stairs. Silence once again descended over the cave as the elevator departed leaving Alfred to hang his head as Bruce resumed his work.
Jack and Janet Drake found themselves in a problematic situation in the winter of 2001. Janet had just given birth to a healthy baby boy. He was perfect, but Mom and Dad were troubled with the opposite condition. As a wealthy globetrotting businessman associated with Thomas Wayne, and much later Bruce, Jack had far too much to do to constantly watch over his son, and his wife was in similar straits, but that was no problem money couldn't solve!
While Jack and Janet would randomly disappear into the Caribbean islands or be summoned to a business meet south of Olympus, Tim was left with nanny after nanny. By the time he'd learned to walk, he's done so in an empty room. Similar patterns followed for years. He learned to toss a ball with the help. But he strove to do so very well, the few times dad was home, Jack was impressed.
Classically many youths acted out or rebelled to attract their parents attention, but Tim was fine being away from his parents more or less. He'd grown used to it. He preferred to have their respect over their attention, so he concentrated his entire being into developing a reputation and farming positive reports of his achievements to be heard by his parents.
He aced nearly every test he took on a computerized home schooling program for years. While he was very capable and competent to do so, he'd actually cheated by using the internet to obtain answers to his tests and solutions to his problems. However, he legitimately conditioned himself to incredible physical fitness that never ceased to amaze his instructors and parents.
When he was nine years old, Tim was rewarded for his academic achievements by being treated to a night on the town which ended at Haly's Circus, a place he'd been several times before but this visit was special, or at least indubitably eventful. Incredibly, his parents had managed to arrange a picture taken with his themselves and Dick Grayson by Tim's side. Afterward, his family settled into their seats to catch the performance until they were shocked to watch The Flying Graysons fall from up high, their wire had snapped!
Tim wanted terribly to console Dick, but his parents insisted that he really needed space. So they left, but his parents were later consulted as witnesses. A flood of footage concerning their previous performances was shown on the news in the next few days. Tim tried writing to Dick, but gave up after his parents insisted that it would be of no good. However, his heart went out to Dick, but he had no choice but to simply watch and learn about the boy.
Drake was inspired by Grayson's performances to the point that it met him in his dreams. He was unsure if it was merely the Baadder Meinhof phenomenon or he was legitimately seeking the champion acrobat out. Thus, he requested from his parents that he be granted gymnastic lessons, and he was. Whenever he wasn't schooling or eating, he'd be swinging on the trapeze or running a gauntlet built in a former automotive garage purchased miles away from the city.
Day by day he trained, steadily growing faster, stronger, and more intuitive as his skill was sharpened against a crag of passion in his soul. He had no one to train against, and eventually he wanted to drive the arrangements further than the insurance, and by extension paternal, authorities would allow. So he began to freerun in The Narrows of Gotham City, vaulting over alleyways and eventually mastering his art to the point he was given an opportunity to meet David Bell. At this point he began a 'career' as a Youtuber, showcasing both his physical skill and digital dexterity by editing videos like a pro, attracting over 100,000 subscribers.
While freerunning captured his passion, everyone's attention was on the true competitions. So when he was thirteen years old he entered a national gymnastic circuit, outshining all local competitors as though he were a quasar among lightning bugs. After three months, he won and was shown victorious on national news channels. But then he set his sights elsewhere.
In 2015 he purposely weaned off of Youtube, letting his celebrity status die down. The Batman had drafted a new assistant, a Robin. Tim was attentive enough to the scraps of received footage to know that this Robin was a far cry from the original assistant he'd fought alongside. That set a precedent that the boy would capitalize on.
Batman needs a Robin, he noted to himself. At this point, he cannot function properly without one. Robin is an anchor, a long arm and extension of the Bat himself. The more Robins there are, the more effective he will be. After all, when accurate details on his operations are already sporadic, who could validly claim that he doesn't send his Robin minions off to war.
Thus, he began. Unable to match the outfit of the previous Robin, he decided to go with a darker color palette, something more exciting and aggressive. Psychologically speaking, green is calm, yellow is pleasant, but red is aggressive and black is terrifying. He dyed a skydiver's wingsuit scarlet and built a costume around that before setting out. On top of the uniform itself, he added a cushion below a layer of specifically warped panels of form-fitting steel to wrap around himself.
He made use of a 3D printer to create batarangs for himself while engineering a telescoping staff that he could use in his own defense. After setting himself up sufficiently, he dove into action targeting The Condiment King, a dangerous criminal themed around condiments who was rarely accepted as a the legitimate threat to public safety he was. As expected, The Condiment King accepted him as Robin, but did not surrender.
Drake cut the lines to the King's weapons before tricking him into slipping in it, ironically covering himself in burns inflicted by ketchup mixed with lye. Months later he hunted down the daughter of Lucious Fox, following a trail to the sewers where he found another costumed criminal, The Sewer King, who sicced trained alligators on Tim, which were efficiently dispatched by throwing explosives inside their mouths, bypassing their armor by destroying their internal organs. He recovered the kidnapped girl, finding she was only slightly older than himself.
Tam Fox was a dedicated fan of Robin from then forward. Various other adventures have raised his profile to the point that people actually did notice the multiple Robins, especially the actual Batfamily. After capturing the airborne burglar Kite-Man, Tim was contacted via email by an anonymous messenger. The message had an encrypted attachment that, once unlocked and made intelligible, left a riddle originally written by none other than Edward Nygma. No additional hints were given, however Tim was able to retrace Batman's sightings to a confrontation with The Riddler, understanding that the scene of that meeting was where another clue would be found.
He located a flash drive before returning to his computer, unencrypting it, and finding an introduction to his messenger. This would turn out to be Oracle, who had a test of his mettle as a vigilante. To give him the opportunity to cooperate with the Batman and his allies, he would be required to capture non-confrontational criminal Arthur Brown, better known as The Cluemaster. Drake did so, finding Brown with his daughter, who was surprised to find out that her father a 'supervillain'. Drake detained Brown before an arrest was made, escaping to finally receive a Skype message instructing him to visit Bludhaven.
Drake was ambushed by Nightwing, who literally swept Tim off his feet and dropped him to the ground, although brief, it gave him critical insight to combat and stealth. It was explained that they, at that particular moment would have a one on one tutoring session.
At the onset of 2016, he was assigned a distinct code name to keep himself and Jason Todd straight. Because of his darker and simpler color scheme, he was named Red Robin for ease of communication, assuming he'd get that far. In his way of working with the Batclan is a test of his mettle, The Gauntlet! He has no choice but to evade the detection of Nightwing or any of the rest of the Batfamily until dawn.
ATTRIBUTES:
EQUIPMENT
Batarangs: Not knowing what the official version look like, Tim crafted his own batarangs that can be stored as throwing knives, but stretched out to resemble a boomerang that will take a wide path before returning to his vicinity.
Birdbombs: Homemade grenades that can be digitally set off with a variable blast radius.
Bird's Eye: Small webcameras that stream directly to Drake's cell phone. They have a powerful fast-drying adhesive that can secure in a period of three seonds. The lens is the only visible part of the front, and is about two centimeters wide.
Costume: A black cushioned and plated jumpsuit that is largely stab-resistant, fire-resistant, and thanks to a rubber layer, resistant to electric shock. It's cape is lightweight, but serves for theatrical effect and can be used to surprise the enemy as well as disarm them. His gloves have scallops and are useful for disarming him. The space between his arms have a netting provided by the wingsuit that allows him to glide.
Staff: A metal staff that can vary in length, reaching from one to six feet long with a constant width of one and a half inches.
SKILLS
Clever: The Ultimate Trump Card in comics is being clever. With which the young vigilante can escape dangerous situations, formulate and effectively execute high-risk strategies as well as super-effective deductive reasoning. When he sees a lead, Tim will follow, unraveling every last strand of the Christmas sweater that is a mystery until he is satisfied. His explorative and constantly active mind refuses to be limited by his mortal flesh, often revisiting previous events with his memory.
Freeware Mastery: Tim keeps tabs on the newest softwares available to the internet's underground and has a library of programs that can scour various declassified databases for information, create computer viruses, remove and adapt to counter viruses, locate files, nullify low levels of encryption, and
Gymnastics: He can easily flip, climb, and perform various gymnastic feats on the fly with ease thanks to years of practice on his private course. He's displayed championship use of pommel horses, gripping still rings and improvised handles, and holding his body above bars with a single arm. Though not really in a gymnastic category, he is also capable of trapeze use.
STOMPING GROUNDS:
Gotham City/Bludhaven. It is possible that he will generally do a decent amount of travel.
Years ago, outside the city limits of Gotham itself and into the country side, the Drake's had bought Tim an automotive repair shop to serve as his own clubhouse to do whatever he pleased in, promising never to go inside of it. This presently serves both as a private gym and shop for manufacturing his own tools. In one room, on an offline harddrive, Tim keeps a database of all people he's encountered as Robin as well as a diary.
PEOPLE OF NOTE:
ALLIES:
Barbara Gordon (Oracle): The first member of the Batfamily to reach out to Tim, Oracle put him through a puzzling quest to find out who she was as an introduction that would lead to further trials. She is his handler and has several operations in mind for Tim, among the first is a series of training session with Dick Grayson. Portrayed by Blue Demon.
Bernard Dowd: A teenage conspiracy theorist interested in Batman, Robin, and the American government. He is one of Tim's classmates at Harrison High School.
Bruce Wayne (Batman): A key vigilante figure and a business associate of Tim's father. Tim does not know him personally at all, but has largely been influenced by him nonetheless. As far as he knows, Tim has never met Bruce in person. Portrayed by Blacksam3091
Dick Grayson (Nightwing): The original Robin and inspiration that motivated Tim to train in the first place. He'd met Dick Graysoon as a child, idolizing and emulating his skills before appropriately ending up as one of his successors to the Robin name. Portrayed by Lord Wraith.
Harper Row (Bluebird): A classmate of Tim's attending Gotham High School. She has expertise in electrical understanding. She lives with her brother Cullen. She is eighteen, as is Cullen.
Jake Ketchum (Fang): The leader of a rock band, Jake is the frontman and guitar player for the band Scare Tactics, which was composed of students attending Gotham High School.
Jason Todd (Robin II): The present Robin, and minor influence in Tim's decision to begin his career in vigilantism. They have never met, but it would seem that they have developed a rivalry, or at least caused murmured controversy on the superior Robin. Possibly to be portrayed by Hillan.
Michael Lasky (Dodge): The teenage son of a STAR Labs engineer, Michael is a huge fan of superheroes, particulary Robin, but he doesn't know the difference between Red Robin and Robin.
Nathan Howe (The Veteran): A former marine corpsman who'd discovered a supply of a chemical later named Dionesium before fighting in every single conflict in American history. He is currently in Quraq.
Stephanie Brown (The Spoiler): Stephanie Brown is the daughter of the Cluemaster, a murderous, thieving, and showmanistic supervillain with a habit of purposefully leaving clues. She's met the third boy wonder and the encounter shook her to the core.
Tamara Fox: A teenaged girl Drake rescued from The Sewer King and daughter of Lucious Fox, one of Jack Drake's business associates. She is sixteen years old and supportive of Robin, specifically the Tim Drake.
ROGUES:
Anarky (Lonnie Machin): A thirteen year old revolutionary determined to undo all the restrictions and limitations imposed by legal authorities. He has a surprising tactical intuition, fast reflexes, willingness to harm others, particularly when they are morally corrupt. He'd rather live in an idealistic, principally grounded world rather than have any concrete rules at all. To this end, he dons a red robe and gold mask, using an anarchy symbol and a small group of dedicated followers to overturn local authority.
Harvest: The human leader of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. with the intention to prevent a horrible war-ravaged future. He is effectively the king of The Colony, and has The Ravagers as his private strike team.
King Snake: Edmund Dorrance is a martial arts master and head of The Ghost Dragons. He manages millions of dollars in heroin shipments and distribution. He has a huge amount of influence and has invested his money in legitimate business. He is a former member of the Royal Artillery, a part of the British military. Along the way, while he was a prisoner of war in Asia, he learned several martial arts. Since, he has actually established a partnership with Bludhaven's Blockbuster to distribute his product away from his home in Gotham City.
Lynx: Lynx is a trained martial artist assassin and female teenage enforcer for the Ghost Dragons. She is renowned for her effective use of swords, but also unarmed combat.
Silver Monkey: An assassin from Asia with the distinction of never having used a weapon to make a kill. He has no identity besides Silver Monkey, and has long avoided serving any purpose besides challenging his skill and building a reputation.
The Sewer King: The self-declared ruler of Gotham's sewers who has a tribe of workers composed of children, while he lives an ironic life of luxury.
ROGUE ORGANIZATIONS:
The Council of Spiders: A league of assassins unrelated to the titular League of Assassins. The Council is composed of expert assassins who hunt other assassins and skilled combatants for sport, making them the rare predator of the LOA.
The Department of Extranormal Operations: An extension of homeland security that targets and imprisons supernatural and inhuman targets. Commonly referred to as the DEO, they officially do not exist.
The Ghost Dragons: An asian gang from Hong Kong working for King Snake. They specialize in the trafficking and distribution of heroin, but offer themselves as muscle if approved by their leader. Though they began in Hong Kong, they have expanded with many branches and have mainly relocated to the Gotham-Bludhaven area.
N.O.W.H.E.R.E.: An organization dedicated to monitoring, controlling, and often terminating metahumans, homo-magi, and human-like aliens. They operate from The Colony, a camp in Antarctica that houses their facilities and holds countless brainwashed individuals under extreme censorship. They are constantly attempting to gather more members into their civilization, often by force.
CHARACTER GOALS:
The primary objective is to build ever-evolving relationships with all characters he meets. The secondary is to have him step up to bigger and bigger challenges. Obviously, the first thing on my agenda is to establish him within The Batfamily, playing off of Jason Todd and inspiring other self-starter teens to take up vigilantism theirselves. He will build up the idea that Batman's reach is very far and he has many hands to combat injustice. The way to do this I have in mind is by having Tim terrorize organizations both criminal and legitimate in nature.
PLANNED ARCS
Run The Gauntlet -In order to be recognized as a part of The Batfamily, or at least prove his worth to Oracle, Tim must evade capture by any member of the Batfamily from dusk until dawn. Featuring: Nightwing and Oracle.
Ghost of a Chance -The Ghost Dragons attempt to vastly improve their distribution methods by applied science. Inconveniently, this puts Lucious Fox and other scientists in harms way. Featuring: Michael Lasky, Tamara Fox, King Snake, and Lynx.
Dodgeball -Michael Lasky, calling himself Dodge, teams up with Robin, and is recommended for association with the rest of the family, but things quickly turn sour when Dodge goes too far out of his own league and is transformed when his teleporter overheats. He is forced to deal with the consequences of his actions.
Somewhere -Michael Lasky is kidnapped by N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and taken to Antarctica. Tim starts to go rescue him, but is convinced that he is in over his head once he is attacked by The Ravagers!
SAMPLE POST:
The Sewer King
"My name is Tim Drake. You may know me as an internet personality or a performer on par with The Flying Graysons. I witnessed the fall of an honest working family and I cannot turn away the opportunity to prevent it from happening again. I've thrown away the adoration of the internet to make a real difference, doing things no one will give me credit for. All I ask is that you do the same."
Hanging from the ceiling of the sewer tunnels were infrequent, oft failing dim lights. Fortunately, just for the occasion, Tim mounted several lights onto his outfit that could be toggled on or off.
It was some freakish cross between a subterranean swamp and an assembly hall. Grated metal held a field of malnourished teens and kids over a putrid green river. The platform stood roughly five feet beneath an island of stone that sat in front of them. Probably near a hundred kids were clamoring out loud, like a symphonic free-for-all. Fast asleep, Tamara Fox, a true fox in Tim's eyes, was unconsciously crowd-surfing to the concrete pad. Sloppily, she was rolled on top of it, at the feet of a man who looked like the nineteenth century version of a pimp, complete with a cane.
"Excellent boys and girls, a strong young woman. Take her to the classroom at once!"
Like grass creeping on top of a sidewalk, dozens of hands reached out and tugged at her limbs, slowly dragging her back off and into the ocean of youth. Her limp body fell and dropped downward at every joint. It seemed she was in for an upcoming life of hard labor and poverty, but Tim would have none of that.
"This is your only warning, creep. If you pull a stunt like that again, you're going to need an iron lung."
"Huh--Well who are you!" He babbled in surprise.
"You can call me Robin, you've probably heard of me."
"Aren't you supposed to be in a speedo?" he grinned fiendishly. The fashionably questionable Sewer King stood up, a brazen scepter in hand pressed against the ground. He wore a red trenchcoat and had a pair of sunglasses missing one lens. Despite his clearly being disturbed, Tim could hardly feel threatened. But the king raised his scepter and waved the bottom towards a tunnel before the children he commanded fled with haste. "If you want the girl, then take her, its as simple as that."
"No it isn't, but thank you for trying to look civil," Tim's voice rasped as he walked over to Tam, sliding his arms under her back.
The water below gained an uncertain quality, the waves seemed to cease completely and the sewer was absolutely still, as though it were holding its breath. Anticipating danger, Tim readied himself with his staff, laying Tamara back down so he'd be prepared for an assault. The still stream below exploded into the air as a rugged, green torpedo broke the surface and made a low gallop towards Tim.
Responsively, Tim charged it. Snapping its jaw centimeters below Tim's boot, it scuttled underneath him and narrowly missed. When it turned around though, the Boy Wonder planted his staff into its left eye before it retreated a few inches, growling with immeasurable depth. But it was unable to dissuade the boy wonder, who jabbed his staff into the mouth of the beast. Attempting to disarm Tim it opened wide to snap his staff, but not before Tim tossed a scarlet cylinder down its throat. It snapped closed, feeling surprise, but also breaking the metal weapon.
Tim whippped out his cell phone, unlocked the screen and fingered a round icon shaped like a button. The crocodile yelped but was helpless as its insides were scattered and scourged. It slumped onto the metal grate, immediately lifeless and still.
A moment of silence separated its slaying from any speech. I really hadn't expected that, the Sewer King though to himself.
"I gave you my word, take the girl and never return."
"I give you my word, if you take another man, woman, or child, I swear to god I will feed your hand to the crocs myself."
Tensely, the Sewer King gulped and sat anxiously as Robin carried Tamara off in his arms, down a chamber of poorly lit steel grates. I swear I'll have my revenge Robin, on you and that surface-dwelling bat-clan of yours too. Just wait and see.
Michael Jon Carter grew up in twenty-fifth century Gotham. He was born into a poor family made poorer when his father took what little they had and left his mother, his sister Michelle, and he destitute. Despite their financial hardships Carter made the most of what physicals gifts he had inherited from his father and became one of the most decorated high school quarterbacks in the country at the time. Universities across the country sought out his services and eventually after a long recruiting period fraught with accusations of underhand payments, Carter opted to commit to his hometown team Gotham University. Michael became the first true freshman quarterback to start for a Gotham University team and would lead them to a bowl game in his first year of starting. From the outside it seemed like Carter was well on his way to a great deal of college success followed by a financially fruitful professional career afterwards.
That was until the authorities started digging. As more and more accounts of misconduct throughout Michael’s recruiting period came out it became clear that he had in fact taken money in order to support his mother and Michelle. On top of this it became clear that he’d continued to take money once enrolling at Gotham University and that he was in fact academically ineligible. Gotham University was hit with harsh penalties, their wins from Carter’s freshman season were vacated, and until he regained his academic eligibility he was suspended from the field. Physically gifted though he might have been, Carter was by no means a great intellect and failed time after time to regain his eligibility and sensing that he’d outstayed his welcome in Gotham he left and dropped down a division to seek out a fresh start.
Carter eventually found a place at Metropolis State University and led them to great success against much lesser talent. With questions surrounding his character, the corruption that had mired his time at Gotham University, professional teams were reluctant to take a chance on him but eventually the Central City Cougars signed him as an undrafted free agent. He would spend years riding the bench for them, coming in during garbage time in blowouts or to take kneel downs, behind their legendarily durable, Canton-bound starting quarterback.
Only once in his career would a glimmer of the talent he once had rear its head: the Cougars had made the playoffs and were seeded against their fierce cross-town rivals Keystone City and were down big going into the fourth. Their starting quarterback was knocked out of the game by an illegal late hit and Carter was thrust into the game, down twenty-eight, without a hope in hell of bringing the game back. He hadn’t played meaningful football all season, had barely trained with the first team, and wasn’t well liked amongst his peers. But he did the unthinkable and led the Cougars on a furious comeback for the ages, winning the game on a last second broken play that would be seen on every television screen across the nation.
The next week Carter started for the Cougars and led them to the worst playoff defeat of all time as his hometown team Gotham blew them out. The next season his comeback against Central City would earn him a trade to the Metropolis City Metros where he would fail to live up to the large contract they gave him and bounce around the league as a backup once more until eventually he washed out of the league. Unsure of what and where to go next, Carter pursued an acting career and hoped his football background would earn him some regard in Hollywood. It did not. Carter struggled to be taken seriously, as he had done his entire life, and instead opted for stunt man work for years whilst he hoped for some big break to fall into his lap.
Once more Carter’s big break would prove to come at the hands of someone else’s misfortune. Whilst working as a stuntman on the pilot for a network television program called “Supernova” about a superhero in the mould of Superman that patrolled the skies of twenty-fifth century Metropolis, the lead actor sustained life-changing injuries. The accident heaped pressure on the producer to halt production of the pilot but Carter offered to sign a waiver and step into the actor’s shoes instead. He took to it more naturally even than he had taken to football and was cast as the titular character “Supernova” going forward. The first season was well received and the show was brought back for another season though this time the budget had swollen larger than before as audiences expected bigger stunts and more explosions.
Certain the show would continue to be a success Carter took to spending his newfound fortune as freely as if he were pouring water down a drain. He bought houses for his friends, for his sister Michelle and their mother, and even lent money to their father who had reappeared in Michael’s life once he had heard of his son’s success. The cars, women, and houses began to stack up and unwittingly Carter began to burn through what money he had acquired. Worst of all after the second season of “Supernova” received horrible ratings and the reviews stank it was cancelled and Carter was left holding the bill for nearly a dozen mortgages on properties, some of which he had never been to. Broke once more, having squandered another opportunity, Carter declared bankruptcy and took to bartending and working nights at the Space Museum at Metropolis between auditions to make ends meet.
And that is when Rip Hunter would appear in Michael’s life and offer him the chance to reinvent himself once more.
Attributes:
Rip Hunter gifts Booster several pieces of equipment that he has acquired throughout his travels through time that make up Booster’s menagerie of toys. Firstly a power suit upon which there are wrist blasters and that enables him superhuman strength. Secondly a Legion Flight Ring and a force field belt that Hunter personally stole from Brainiac 5 that allows Booster the power of flight and affords him a degree of protection from both physical and energy attacks. And last and certainly not least a pair of goggles that Booster can be used to read the electromagnetic spectrum, for telescopic and microscopic vision, and to protect oneself from sudden flashes of light, but Booster mainly wears them because he thinks they look cool.
Stomping Grounds:
Booster is a former Gotham native and has notably spent time in both Metropolis and Central City though all three cities have changed a great deal in four centuries. In the twenty-first century Booster works out of Chicago due in large part because his ancestor Daniel Carter lives there and Booster once heard that “blood was thicker than water” and wishes to test the extent to which that is true. Conveniently for Booster, Ted Kord also calls Chicago home and thus Booster splits his time between Daniel’s apartment, Ted’s penthouse, and Chicago’s skies.
People of Note:
Ted Kord is Booster’s closest friend and confidante. It’s Ted that Booster seeks out for help upon arriving in the twenty-first century and the two have an instant bond that is apparent to the both of them. Their friendship is built on a mutual trust and respect for one another but first and foremost a shared joy of life. Despite coming from very different backgrounds and having wildly different interests their friendship is built on the thing all friendships ought to be built around: having fun.
Skeets is Booster’s robotic companion from the twenty-fifth century tasked by Rip Hunter with advising and guiding Booster and ensuring he doesn’t damage the time stream. At first Booster is slightly antagonistic towards Skeets as he takes offense to the robot’s quick wit and propensity to make veiled jokes at his expense but over time the two become fast friends.
Rip Hunter is the man that provides Booster the opportunity to change his life. Out of nowhere Rip appears to Michael at his lowest, having wasted yet another opportunity at happiness, and offers him the chance to travel back to the twenty-first century and become the hero he was always meant to be. Rip is brusque with Booster at the best of times and it’s clear he doesn’t consider Carter an equal but underneath the surface he seems to believe in him. Even when Booster doesn’t believe in himself.
Daniel Carter is a distant ancestor of Michael Carter’s that Skeets suggests Booster should seek out. Carter lives in the Chicago metropolitan area with his girlfriend Rose Levin who often chides him for his lack of work effort. Once Booster makes the Carter/Levin household his home the tension between Daniel and Rose increases tenfold, something Booster seems completely oblivious to.
Rose is the girlfriend of Daniel Carter and works for the Chicago Tribune. She is ambitious, career-minded, and wants big things for herself and for her boyfriend. She dislikes Booster and dislikes the fact he has seemingly made their home his home too without sign of his leaving. Skeets and Rose enjoy an amicable relationship.
Ted's personal assistant who Booster tries in vain to ask out to dinner every time to two cross paths. As with Rose, Tracy is several times fonder of Skeets than she is of Booster and she makes no secret of it, much to Booster's chagrin, but she is clearly very fond of Booster and Ted. Though she is reluctant to admit it, she even finds them pretty funny on occasion.
Ted’s adopted Labrador puppy that Booster is particularly fond of and Skeets cannot abide. Much to booster’s amusement whenever Skeets is in Blue Beagle’s presence it chases after him endlessly and harries him.
Dirk Davis is a PR executive that Booster seeks out to help make “Booster Gold” a household name. It is unclear as to whether the money that Booster pays Dirk goes anywhere towards making this aim a reality or whether it sits in Dirk’s desk. He constantly has his hand out asking for more funds, pushing Booster to make bad investments, and to produce cheap quality Booster Gold actions figures.
An orphan that Booster takes an instant liking to for describing Booster Gold as her favourite superhero. She possesses a prodigious intellect despite rarely if ever having attended school and clearly has impeccable taste in superheroes, at least as far Booster is concerned.
Character Goals:
The initial point of tension for Booster upon arriving in the twenty-first century is that he’s been deceived. He believes he’s been sent back for one reason, which he believes to be his own personal gain, when in fact Rip Hunter has much greater plans for him. Naturally Booster isn’t going to be very happy about that and I want to explore his reaction to it and attempt to carve something of a niche out for him in the game. Booster and Ted are often a ray of sunshine in otherwise gloomy, gritty storylines and their shenanigans, and their friendship, can hopefully bring a real change of pace to proceedings.
Sample Post:
Today was the day that Michael Carter’s life was going to be changed forever. He sat in the seat of the Time Sphere, his hands wrapped tightly around the seat at its centre, and stared down at his feet. Beside him was his benefactor Rip Hunter who was running some last minute security checks on both Michael’s power suit and the Time Sphere. It wasn’t exactly in great condition and that fact hadn’t gone unnoticed even by Michael’s untrained eye. Rip had explained it only had enough juice to make one journey and that meant once he was in the twenty-first century there was no way of getting back. Understandably Michael was a little anxious about that.
“What if something goes wrong?”
Rip sighed.
“Nothing is going to go wrong.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I’ve done this a thousand times before, Michael.”
Rip’s voice was smoky and authoritative and the look he gave Carter was doubly so and yet Carter’s nerves were no closer to being assuaged. Maybe it was something to do with the copious number of science-fiction films that Carter had watched over the years but he couldn’t help but feel like something was going to go wrong. Something always went wrong when time travel was involved. Anyone that had ever seen a Back to the Future film knew that much.
“But what if I get stranded in the Jurassic Period and have to spend the rest of my life running away from dinosaurs? Or I materialise in the exact same place as a cinder block and I’m liquidated before I even get a chance to smell that sweet, sweet twenty-first century air? Or worse, what happens if I get stuck in the 1990’s and I have to pretend I like grunge music? What then, Rip? Have you thought about these things?”
An impatient Rip Hunter looked up from Booster’s power suit.
“Could you stop talking for once?”
The pair sat in silence for a time as Rip made the last few alterations that were needed before walking off into his Time Lab leaving only Carter and Skeets behind.
“Easy for him to say,” Booster muttered under his breath. “It’s not him that's going to be strapped into this damn thing.”
“There really isn’t any reason to worry, sir, Master Hunter is the foremost expert in chronospace transportation. You’re in safe hands.”
Booster shot the robot a churlish look.
“Why don’t you marry him if you like him so much?”
“Alas, sir, even in the twenty-fifth century robosexual marriage has yet to be legalised. Were it possible though I might give it some consideration.”
“Very funny.”
Before the robot had a chance to respond to Carter’s comment Rip Hunter came striding back into their portion of the Time Lab and hurriedly pressed a few buttons on the platform overlooking the Time Sphere. On a large screen in front of them appeared what appeared to be a heavily-armed militia of some sort making their way towards their Time Lab with menace.
“Skeets, we have company.”
“Locking down the Time Lab, sir.”
A confused look appeared upon the face of Michael Carter.
“Company? What? I don’t understand.”
“What we’re doing here isn’t exactly legal, Michael, there are some people that don’t take too kindly to time travel. You’re going to have to leave sooner than we planned.”
“How much sooner are we talking?”
“Like right now sooner.”
For the first time since Michael had met Rip he allowed himself a moment of seriousness as his thoughts drifted to what little family he had in the twenty-fifth century. His mother and his sister Michelle meant the world to him, it was for them that he had taken those bungs in high school, and for them he had taken crappy acting job after crappy acting job to make ends meet. They had grown up poor and he’d promised himself they wouldn’t have to live their entire lives like that. What would they do without him? How would they get by? Michael shook his head as he pictured their faces before him.
“But what about my sister? My mom? I haven’t even had a chance to say goodbye to either of them.”
The Time Lab began to shake from the as explosion after explosion from the militia outside began to rain down upon it. On the screen in front of them more militia began to appear with every passing second and it seemed like there was to be no stop in the hostilities.
“Sir, I’m not sure how long the Time Lab’s security can hold them.”
Rip stared Michael in the eye intently as he ran his fingers lightly over the buttons on the platform before him.
“It’s now or never, Michael, either I hit this button and you can become a hero, the hero you were always meant to be, or you can stay here and spend the rest of your life sweeping up after people at the Space Museum.”
“Thirty seconds, sir.”
Michael nodded.
“Do it.”
The explosions continued and a particularly violent one hit that shook the Time Lab so badly that Rip Hunter was nearly knocked from his feet. He clutched onto the platform and returned Michael’s nod as he began to adjust the figures on it. “April 8th, 2010” the figure read to begin with but once Rip was done the date stood at “April 25th, 2015” and he hit another button that seemed to lock the date in.
“Twenty seconds, sir, they’re almost in.”
The door to the Time Sphere began to hiss as Michael buckled himself into the seat and Skeets floated inside just as the door shut. The explosions were coming thicker and faster than before now and it seemed like the militia would overrun Rip’s lab in any second. As Carter stared at Hunter a pang of gratitude washed over him as he realised what exactly the man stood before him was doing for him.
“I know I've never thanked you for this but I really ought to,” Booster muttered. “I know I’m not the easiest person to be around sometimes, I know I’m hard work, but you’ve given me a second chance in life, maybe even a third chance, when nobody else would. So thank you, Rip, thank you for everything.”
The Time Sphere began to glow with a white energy and the Time Lab began to spin around Carter and Skeets as they sat unmoving within it.
“Five seconds.”
Less than a second after Skeets had spoken there was a flash of orange light and a loud bang that made it impossible for Skeets and Michael to see what was happening outside the Sphere. The white light of the Sphere overtook them and they were plunged headfirst into the time stream, unaware of Rip’s fate, hurtling head first towards whatever awaited them in the twenty-first century.
“Deactivate Simulation: Enemy at the Gates.”
At the Time Lab the explosions and the banging had had stopped. The militia that had come pouring into the Time Lab had proven to be little more than simulations of Rip Hunter’s own design. Even the damage his lab had taken during the faux-attack had been falsified. Hunter stood alone at the platform, his shame worn clearly on his face, as he eyed the date he had sent Booster to. When Hunter had sought him out he had promised Booster he would make him the greatest hero of all time, that he would be considered greater even than Superman, and that time itself would owe him a greater debt than anyone else. They hadn’t been lies. Allowing Booster to believe he’d be a founding member of the Justice League? Those had. He was going to arrive five years later than he thought. Faking the attack was the only was to ensure that he wouldn’t realise beforehand and call a halt to the entire thing. Rip sighed as he weighed up the morality of what he’d done, the lies he’d told, but within seconds shook his head determinedly.
The universe needed Booster Gold, even if it meant lying to him.
James Worthington Gordon was born in Chicago, the latest in a long line of family of cops. When he was sixteen his father was killed in the line of duty. The death of his father was further motivation for him to become a police officer. He joined Chicago PD soon as possible and made patrolman a year later. He married his high school sweetheart, Barbara Kean, and soon had a young daughter also named Barbara. When the girl was just an infant trouble came to the Gordon family. Jim's sergeant, a corrupt policeman with mob ties, targeted Jim for his refusal to take part in a protection racket in their sector. Jim went to Internal Affairs and reported the sergeant. Unfortunately, the case did not stand and Jim was labeled a rat. He was forced to leave Chicago for a job in Gotham City with the PD.
In Gotham Jim learned to keep his head down and his mouth shut. He moved from the beat to the office as a detective and later Detective Sergeant. To cope with his silence, he began to pick up the bottle and drink. The drinking and his general discontent destroyed his marriage with Barbara. One day she left both him and little Barbara. Jim laid off his drinking in order to raise Barbara, but he continued to languish in a deep depression as he saw the horrors of the job and the corruption that plagued the GCPD.
Enter the Batman.
The masked vigilante tapped Gordon, one of the few straight cops in the GCPD, as an unlikely ally. Reluctant at first, Jim began to slowly see the things Batman could accomplish and soon found himself working with him and Deputy District Attorney Harvey Dent to clean up the streets and government of Gotham. Results began to improve, as the three engineered a state investigation into the GCPD that led to the arrests and dismissal of many of the PD's top brass. The vacuum led to promotion for Jim, first to lieutenant then up to major. Harvey Dent swept into office as district attorney and the future looked good for the city and the small band of reformers.
Salvatore Maroni had other plans.
During a trial, the mob boss horrible disfigured Dent with a bottle of acid. The attack caused Dent's already fragile psyche to shatter. What emerged from the accident was Two-Face. With their once ally now an enemy, Jim and Batman found themselves at odds as they coped in different ways: Batman tore up the streets looking for revenge while Jim retreated into a bottle. With Batman's help he was able to get out of that funk and back into the job. After Dent's arrest, Gordon found himself on the fast track to police commissioner. After a brief time as a deputy, he was appointed commissioner of police.
Tragedy struck again when Barbara was attacked by the Joker. A bullet meant for Jim instead paralyzed Barbara below the waist. The closest Jim came to losing his sanity was when he faced the Joker and almost took his life. If not for the timely intervention of Batman, he would have found himself crossing that line and murdering in cold blood.
As police commissioner Jim continues to clean up the GCPD, work with the Batman against the colorful freaks and villains that plague the city, and make sure that the people of Gotham remain safe.
Attributes:
No powers. Jim is a skilled police detective, in relatively good shape for a man his age, and a decent shot with a pistol.
Stomping Grounds:
Gotham City Gotham Central - Downtown headquarters of the GCPD
People of Note:
Inspector Sarah Essen - Commander of the GCPD's Eastern District, Jim's on and off girlfriend. Lt. Harvey Bullock - A rough and tumble GCPD detective and commander of the Major Crimes Unit. Jim's right-hand man in the department. Crispus Allen - Detective in the Major Crimes Unit, a skilled investigator. Partners with Detective Montoya Renee Montoya - Detective in the Major Crimes Unit, a specialist in interrogation. Partners with Detective Allen Marcus Driver - Detective in the Major Crimes Unit, a strong arm man. Partners with Sgt. Fields Sgt. Charlie Fields - Detective in the Major Crimes Unit, second in command behind Bullock. Inspector Arnold Flass - Jim's former partner, now head of a special gangland taskforce reputed to be corrupt. Mayor Arnold Krohl - Mayor of Gotham City. Jim's boss and up for reelection this year. Councilman David Kane - Gotham City Councilman running for mayor.
Character Goals:
My ideas with Jim are to just pump out some good story-telling and interaction with the good Gotham folks where possible. I imagine this Gordon as a figure similar to Cormac McCarthy's Ed Tom Bell or Jame Ellroy's Ed Exley. He is good man who has been exposed to bad things for far too long and has found himself hardened by it. He still believes in justice and the system, but he is willing to bend it in the form of his partnership with Batman to see things done. As much as I love detective stories, I see this playing out more like a western. The lone man in the wilderness, battling his demons and the wicked outlaws in the name of justice.
Sample Post:
These are end times.
Not biblical, seventh seal breaking end of days times. This is something else. This is like standing on the ice of a frozen lake in late winter. The cracks are beginning to show and every movement creates more cracks. On the other side of that ice is a new age, something lurking beneath that dark water that we can see through the ice but cannot truly fathom until the ice breaks. They say that it will be an age of gods. Even now men and women walk the earth who can defy the laws of physics. Each passing day more and more of them come into the world and the ice get a little bit thinner. What looms behind the sheet is a new epoch of existence. The superheroes of today are a vanguard for a new tomorrow. This is the last age of the human race. What waits for us behind that ice is the new humanity.
I don't believe much will change whenever what's coming finally comes. It will still be loud and violent and cruel because that's humans, no matter the place or the time. Ever since the first monkey bashed the other's one head in for a few extra grubs we've skipped hand in hand with violence like a constant companion. That violence will be the legacy we leave the planet when we're gone. The one thing that will change is how the battles will be fought. When men and women can level buildings with a single blow and melt steel beams with their gaze, what hope does an ordinary cop have? In a world like this, what can one man hope to accomplish? I don't have an answer to those questions. I just do what I've been doing for twenty years: Roll up my sleeves, start another pot of coffee, and get to work.
The Bowery Gotham City
Jim's unmarked cruiser rode in the wake of three GCFD trucks. The trucks' sirens wailed. Their brights lights lit up the night. Jim kept both hands on the wheel and kept close to the fire trucks. The call: a four-alarm fire in the Bowery. Civilians and prosties gawked on the adjacent sidewalks at the convoy. Jim caught the eye of a wino on the sidewalk. The wino flipped him off. The wino tossed a bottle. It smashed near his rolling car. Jim swore he could smell the cut-rate booze. It made his mouth water.
The Thirst beckoned. The Thirst was his siren and bright lights. It tried lured him away from sanity and towards the rocks of binge drinking. Six months without a drink. Six months spent fighting something he was afraid to discover was true. White knuckle sobriety was his way. He didn't truck with AA. Nothing there but sob stories and thinly-disguised Christian tracts. The second of the twelve steps: You must admit there is a power greater than ourselves, and this power could restore us to sanity. He rejected that notion outright. Over twenty years as a cop proved that if a greater power actually did exist, there was no way in hell it could ever restore anybody's sanity. He would not utter falsehoods even for the sake of his own sobriety. He would not be beholden to a sponsor or a higher power.
The trucks pulled up to a four-story flop house. Three other fire trucks were on the scene watching as an inferno consumed the building. It roared and blew heat outward. Ten minutes since the call and it was already fully involved. The firefighters kept adjacent buildings wet in case the fire tried to spread. Containment was their mandate now. Anyone in the burning building could not be saved. Jim shook his head and watched from the car. The sixth building to go up in the past month. Every single fire burned hot and fast, taking out the building in less than a half hour. The previous five were ruled arson. This one would be too.
A knock on his window. A fat, gray-haired man in a firefighter suit stared at him. Jim rolled down the window and caught the smells of smoke and burning. Heat pulsated from the fire and radiated against his face. The fire burned too hot to be natural.
"Commissioner Gordon," he said with a nod.
"Commander. Someone is burning this city to the ground, one rowhouse at a time."
"So it would seem, sir. This one was stronger than the last one. It's those chemicals I found at the last fire, it has to be."
Intuition melded with experience. Thoughts and ideas clicked and unclicked. A hunch coalesced into a theory. Hypothesis formed from hysteria. Experimentation. Theory in practice.
"It's a stronger dose," said Jim. "Whoever is doing this, Commander, is experimenting. These rowhouses are where they're testing these chemicals."
"For what purpose?"
A scream went out from the burning building. A few seconds later he could smell the unmistakable scent of a human body burning alive. Burning hair and fat had its own personal fragrance. He put his hands on the wheel to steady them. The Thirst screamed at him, it begged for him, it needed him... and right now he needed it.
"I don't know," he said slowly. "But we're going to find out."
Bruce Wayne was the first born son of Dr. Thomas and Martha Wayne, wealthy philanthropists in the high society of Gotham City. Their family was eventually completed by the addition of another son, Bruce's younger brother Thomas Jr. The brothers were brought up in the stately Wayne Manor, enjoying happy and privileged lives until one fateful night, when Bruce was eight and Thomas Jr was six, their parents are shot and killed by small time crook, Joe Chill.
Responsibility for Bruce and Thomas Jr was willed to an old friend to the family, Alfred Pennyworth, son of Thomas' Sr deceased butler Jarvis Pennyworth. Alfred had led an interesting life , having served in Her Majesty's Royal Marines, been a counter intelligence agent with MI5, and performed with the the Royal Shakespeare Company, but nothing in his past could have prepared him for what was in store. Suddenly and without expectation becoming the guardian to two boys is difficult enough, but when those boys have gone through a tragedy that could unman full grown adults? A nigh on impossible task, or at least that's what it first felt like to Alfred.
Initially he struggled to make any connection with the young Waynes, as they spent all their time locked in their room, speaking to no one but each other, always in whispers. After several weeks Alfred was at the end of his tether, contemplating contacting someone in social services who would be better suited to help the boys, when they finally opened up to him. They approached him, telling how they believed their parents were killed due to a conspiracy, rather than a random act of violence. They wished to meet Chill, and find out who hired him. Pennyworth tried desperately to dissuade them, knowing that their belief in a conspiracy was the defensive mechanics of a child's mind, protecting them from the grim and senseless truth. However he was soon to discover the Wayne boys were possessed of fierce wills, and he realized that if he didn't acquiesce to their request then they'd find some way around him.
It proved surprisingly easy to smuggle two young boys into prison to have a clandestine meeting with an accused murderer. Gotham was that corrupt, and the Waynes were that rich. While scornful of the criminal, the boys went on to offer Chill and obscene amount of money to reveal who he had been working for the night he killed Thomas and Martha. The answer was, of course, no one. When he realized that this wasn't the answer the boys were looking for and that he was in danger of missing out on his payday, Chill changed his tune, blaming just about everyone in Gotham for the deed. The damage was done however, the boys illusion was shattered. They left the prison. Chill, unsurprisingly, never did get the money.
An Oath by Candlelight; 1989
The boys retreated from society once more, Alfred cursing himself for stupidly following their plan. He felt he had lost them for good this time. In actuality the boys were planning their future. In the secrecy of night the Wayne's swore an oath by candlelit. An oath to avenge their parent's deaths, to enforce some measure of sense upon what had happened. Criminals had taken from them, and they were determined that criminals would pay.
Preparation for a War; 1990 - 2008
Enlisting the help of Pennyworth, they begin to train body and mind in readiness for the day that they initiate their war on crime. At first Alfred merely thought the training was a good way to help the boys work off their emotions after the loss of their parents, but their conviction was unwavering and eventually their guardian was forced to admit that this was no passing fancy. He worried for them, but could not dissuade them from their path. Realizing once again that they would go through with their plans with his blessings or without he resolved to support them as fully as he was able, even hiring experts in several different disciplines of science and combat to teach them.
The time eventually came when the boys could learn nothing more from Alfred or the teachers willing to travel to Wayne Manor. Instead Bruce and Thomas Jr, eighteen and sixteen respectively at the time, realised that if they were to continue their training then they would need to travel to the teachers themselves. The official line was that the two were taking some time to tour Europe and Asia while Alfred looked after their interests in Gotham. They rarely contacted Alfred, other than to give him a progress review every six months or so.
While they were away the city continued to fall into ruin, with established mob families like the Bertinellis and the Falcones strengthening their hold on the city while hungry up and comers like the Maronis, Sionis and the Dimitrovs eager to carve themselves a piece of Gotham. Things seemed to come to a ill balanced head when Carmine Falcone united the families in an uneasy truce under his banner, promising each group would get their fare share of Gotham if they followed him and helped make him mayor.
It was to this volatile atmosphere that Bruce returns to Gotham, alone. Despite Alfred's pressing Bruce refuses to explain his brothers absence, instead fixing all his attentions upon the Roman, and breaking his vice like grip on Gotham
Whispers of a Legend; 2008 – 2010
Bruce sets to trying to prove Roman's criminal affiliations, a task the corrupt police force of Gotham, led by Commisioner Loeb, never got around to doing. However despite all his training his first night on the town nearly ended in disaster. While investigating a ship he suspected of smuggling guns earmarked for helping Falcone's schemes he was nearly caught and killed by the Roman's men. Returning to the manor, dejected and injured, Bruce was ready to give up the crusade that had seen him lose his brother, and seemed certain to prove his end. That night he dreamed of Tommy, which made him realize that merely being a man made him vulnerable in the eyes of his enemies. To truly defeat them he had to become something more. Drawing on a childhood incident he chose his knew identity.
The Batman.
With new vigor he struck at Falcone again, striking terror into his forces. Under this new pressure cracks began to form in the gangster alliance that had so painstakingly formed, and it wasn't long until they turned upon each other like the rabid dogs they were. In the months that followed Batman picked them apart, dismantling their operations piecemeal.
As effective as he was taking the criminals down, there was still something missing. No matter how many times he took down the crooks, they always ended up back on the streets. Loeb's corrupt police force seen to that. Batman began to realize he needed an ally in his war, someone more firmly on the side of the law. Someone who could make sense of a system long since broken.
He picked James Gordon.
Gordon was a Detective Sergeant with the GCPD, and one of the few honest officers on the force. A little weathered and whiskey soaked maybe, but the best of the bunch in Batman's opinion. Their initial relationship was strained, Gordon being reluctant to work with a vigilante, but eventually the two men hit a stride that seen them make major inroads in their mission to rid Gotham of crime, though they were still hindered by being forced to work around the corrupt elements of the GCPD.
Eventually the pull in a third man to aid their crusade, Deputy District Attorney Harvey Dent. With Dent's help they began a state investigation of the GCPD. It wasn't long before the dismissals began, and with it a major reshuffle of the forces command structure. Gordon was promoted to major and Dent became the new district attorney.
The Dark Knight; 2010 – 2011
While the new year started on a high, it wasn't long before things soured for the Batman. Salvatore Maroni, a mob boss on trial, decided to get revenge Gotham's new guardians. Batman seemed untouchable, and Gordon's role as a police major kept him out of reach, meaning Harvey would have to be punished for the three. During his trial Maroni flung a bottle of acid into Dent's face. The trauma fractured Harvey's mind, causing the emergence of a split personality, called Two-Face. Batman and Gordon scrabbled to deal with the fallout, while trying to come to terms with the loss of one of their greatest ally and friend. Two-Face was arrested, and Gordon made Commissioner for his contributions.
While Batman would have rathered to return to dealing with 'regular' crime after his first encounter with a 'super-villain' he was never given the chance, as Two-Face opened the flood gates of Gotham's craziness. It wasn't long until Batman was matching wits and abilities with similar mad men, such as the Mad Monk, Victor Zsasz and the Penguin. While it proved to be a trying time, Batman's resolve and training seen him triumph again and again, though a little more worn and battle scarred after each encounter.
It was during this time that Haley's circus returned to Gotham. It was to be the show of the century, with everyone who was anyone in the city due to make an appearance. Even the enigmatic Bruce Wayne, well known to be something of a recluse, was rumoured to be attending. The festivities turned tragic however when the Flying Graysons, famed high flying acrobat troop, fell to their deaths, leaving their youngest member, Richard 'Dick' Grayson, an orphan.
Bruce, ever sensitive to the plight of children, was struck by Dick's predicament. This feeling became all the more powerful when he discovered that the Grayson's tragedy wasn't a mere accident, but the deadly design of 'Boss' Tony Zucco. Realizing that Dick's situation mirrored his own, Bruce took him in as his ward, while Batman tracked down Zucco. While originally only meaning to take Dick out of an uncaring juvenile services system, the boy quickly showed himself to be possessed of a remarkable resolve, conducting his own hunt for his parent's killer. Batman allowed Dick to join him, believing that getting his own vengeance would give the boy a sense of closure, and together they put an end to the Boss' operations, though Zucco apparently suffered a fatal heart attack before he could be apprehended.
While on patrol Batman began to get an idea of Dick's potential, and he began to wonder about offering the boy a place in his crusade. Maybe he felt the boy could be a valuable asset on his war on crime, or he felt that after his close encounters with the maniacs of the city it was time to start readying a successor. In his more introspective moments he feels it might be because Dick, with his cocksure and confident demeanor, reminded him of Tommy as a young man. Whatever the reason, he began to leave small clues to his dual identity. Dick didn't disappoint, and quickly 'discovered' Batman's secret. Bruce offered to take the boy as and train him in the skills he had developed himself. Dick quickly accepted, and so began a partnership which would soon become as legendary as any that came before it.
The Dynamic Duo; 2011 – 2012
Dick took to his training with gusto, especially the physical ones, though Batman was hesitant to allow him out into the field once more, not until he had been sufficiently prepared. One couldn't grow complacent in Gotham after all, as once you feel like your growing used to it the city has a habit of throwing something new and unexpected at you. Something like the Joker.
[POTENTIAL PLAYER INTEREST IN THE JOKER. WILL LEAVE BLANK UNTIL I HAVE MORE DETAILS]
In the wake of his confrontation with the Joker, Batman became a widely accepted savior of Gotham, in the most part shedding his urban myth status, though there are still some today who refuse to acknowledge his existence.
Dick, tiring of never been allowed out on patrol, began to chafe under his mentor's rules. Despite his claims to the contrary, Batman insisted the young man was still unprepared for what lay in wait for him. However things came to a head when one night the Dark Knight fell into one of The Riddler's traps. While Batman maintained he would have broken free eventually, Alfred equipped Dick with his own suit and sent him to the Caped Crusaders rescue. Grudgingly accepting that his protege was ready for whatever the streets could throw at him, Bruce informed Dick that there was one last test. 'The Gauntlet' - Dick had to elude the Dark Knight on the streets of Gotham for one night - from sundown to sunrise - without any outside help. Dick passed, simultaneously bringing Gotham gangster Joe Minette to justice. And like that, Robin, The Boy Wonder, was born. The criminals of Gotham had a new name to fear.
Later in the year Batman had a run in with a street orphan named Jason Todd. Todd was in the process of trying to steal the tyres from the Batmobile, an act that seen him receive a swift and none to gentle reprimand from the Bat. The following week seen Jason receive a surprise scholarship to a prestigious boarding school in England, funded by Wayne Charities.
A New Family; 2012 to Present
Reports of a female vigilante, seemingly inspired by Batman, began to circulate. While difficult to corroborate, Batman did begin to build a case. While this wasn't the first impersonator to emerge, the rumors seemed a little more concrete than usual.
He didn't get to dig into the mystery as far as he would like before the next crisis loomed over the horizon, though this one was larger and more far-reaching than any the Batman had faced before. Darkseid, a God-Tyrant from another realm had opened gateways to earth, his armies spewing with the goal of conquering. Batman joined forces with several other heroes to push back the invasion, succeeding in thwarting Darkseid's plans. That day the Justice League was formed, a team designed to always stand firm in earth's defense. Though a principal member of the original line up, Batman declined full time membership, instead insisting he was a 'reservist' who would be on hand when the situation called for his aid, but for the League not to expect him 'to bail them out' every time they got in trouble. Gotham was still his priority.
In his absence Robin had protected the city on his on, exerting some long deserved independence. Things returned to the old status quo with Batman's return, though things did change when they discovered the rumors of a 'Batgirl' were more than just rumors. Discovering that this new vigilante was in fact Barbara Gordon, daughter of his long time ally Commisoner Gordon, Batman started tracking her down, meaning to get her to swear of her crazy quest. However after watching her dismantle one of Penguin's gun smuggling rings he realized that, like Dick before her, she had a lot of potential. In the end he gave her an ultimatum. Either work with him and learn, or cease her activities at once. Barbara chose to learn.
For a while Batman, Robin and Batgirl made major progress in their crusade. Seeing the effect of having more feet on the ground (while under his tight and uncompromising command) Bruce begins to wonder how much a difference one more soldier could make. It was a war after all, and to fight a war you needed soldiers. Remembering Jason Todd and the spirit he showed, Batman begins to train the boy, though in secret from Dick an Barbara.
While they'd found their stride as Batman and Robin, Bruce and Dick were beginning to fall afoul of one another. While Bruce had been willing to turn a blind eye to Dick's infatuation with Barbara (mostly because Barbara was completely uninterested) it was a different matter entirely when he discovered the young man had used the Robin identity to seduce a young socialite. Bruce was furious, feeling his ward had endangered their identities, shown a complete lack of respect for the seriousness of their situation, and unfairly and cruelly tricked the girl. Dick retorted that Batman constantly did similar with Catwoman, an not entirely unfounded claim. They fell into a sullen stalemate, with Bruce considering sending Dick overseas for training and time to cool off. Alfred convinced him against it, but it was obvious that things couldn't go on the way they were.
The inevitable came to pass when, after being injured by Scarecrow, Robin was put on 'Cave Arrest', Bruce worried about the boy being hurt further. While on his own Dick discovered the existence of Jason Todd, a boy he assumed Bruce was training to replace him. He confronted his mentor, and while Bruce tried to explain that they were at war and Jason was a soldier for their crusade, things quickly became heated. Dick attacked Bruce's mission and left. Bruce, hurt by this seeming betrayal, accelerates Jason's training with the intention of bringing him in to become the new Robin, ironically making Dick's fears a reality.
For a while Batman worked mostly alone, happy to let Batgirl out on her own. Things changed for the worse when Barbara was paralyzed by the Joker in an attack meant for Jim Gordon. Bruce worked tirelessly in pursuit of the Clown Prince of Crime, racing against time to find the maniac before the Commissioner did. Dick returned to Gotham, the old Dynamic Duo reunited for a while in their common cause, working through some of their many issues in the process. The Joker was brought in, and Jim pulled back in from the edge of madness.
Though the incident reminded Batman of just how vulnerable his allies were, he still went ahead and gave Jason the Robin mantle, while watching with silent pride as Dick – now going by Nightwing – and Barbara – calling herself Oracle – begin to train a new soldier, Tim Drake.
Now he stands ready to face the next challenge Gotham throws at him.
Attributes:
Indomitable Will
The closest thing Bruce has to an actual superpower. His strenght of will and indomitable determination truly sets him apart from the average man. He can keep functioning while suffering tremendous amounts of pain, push himself past his own incredible limits and even work through conditions like mind control and telepathy.
Peak Human Physical Conditioning
Years of intense physical training, regimented diet, vigilantism, and good genetics has allowed Batman to achieve near superhuman levels of strength, endurance, speed, agility and reflexes. His mental faculties are in a likewise excellant condition.
Expert Combatant
Trained in over two dozen martial arts, and with some basic understanding of the forms and sets that make up many more, Bruce is easily one of the most skilled combatants of modern times. He employs a very grounded, pragmatic style which economises movement and momentum to maximise the damage he inflicts on foes for limited stamina expenditure. Even after his training ended and his mission began, he has still found the time to increase his skills. After all, there is no substitue for experience, and he has gained a great deal of that on the harsh streets of Gotham. His knowledge of pressure points, and the nerve strikes needed to incapacitate them, is supreme.
Genius Intellect
Bruce's childhood was one of intense study. When he wasn't training his body he was training his mind. Has spent nearly two decades studying at the feet of some of the days greatest minds. Nigh unparalleled skills in deductive reasoning. Has in-depth knowledge in criminology, psychology, biology, medicine, anatomy, computer and natural sciences, economics, botany, chemistry and forensics. Some working knowledge of the law, but ironically it isn't comprehensive. Bruce could be called an omniglot, as he is fluent in over eight languages, while being proficent in several more.
Stealth Skills
Bruce is a master of stealth. He is able to move silently and mask himself so well that even an individual with super senses would have trouble tracking him. He has entered and exited high security facilities without anyone ever realizing he was there. (ARGUS are still none the wiser.)
Wealth
Wayne is a multi billionaire, more than able to fund his campaign against crime. The term 'Richer than God' is usually changed to 'Richer than Bruce Wayne' while in Gotham.
Expert Tactician
Part of what makes Batman so dangerous, what allows him to keep up with the likes of the Justice League while just being a normal man, is that he always has a plan. Whoever he's fighting, wherever he's fighting, whenever he's fighting, you can bet he's planned for it. Not only this, but he's flexible too. All that forward thinking is apt to make a man too rigid, but not Batman. He can incorporate new information into his plans and adjust them as necesary on the fly.
Theatrics and Deception
A bizarre skillset for a vigilante you might think, but not so. Theatricality and deception, powerful agents against the uninitiated, are major weapons in Batman's arsenal. Bruce is a master of disguise, maintaining several aliases across the city, the most notable amongst them being 'Matches Malone'. He uses intimidation to great effect, striking fear into the hearts of criminals and do-gooders alike.
Master in Escapology
Knowing that his mission would inevitably lead him into tight situations, Bruce prepared himself to be ready for when that day came. He has trained extensively in escapology. He claims to be able to escape from a regulation strait jacket in 2.73 seconds.
Information Gathering
Batman always finds out what he wants to know. You can hide your information from him behind vault doors, firewalls, or locked lips, but eventually the Dark Knight will get what he wants. He is a master of interrogation techniques, his efficiency matched only by his imagination. In his quieter moments he is secretly disturbed by the satisfaction he takes in apply these techniques, but see's them as a necessary evil in his war on crime.
Markmanship
Batman's history has lead him to despise guns. Not those who wield them, but guns themselves. However, though he would never use one himself he does have an intimate understanding of the weapons. How to assemble them, what size of rounds they take, the weight of a loaded gun versus the weight of an unloaded gun. He knows his enemy, as it were. He is a consumate marksman when armed with throwing weapons, specifically his batarangs.
Driving
Bruce is proficient at driving many vehicles like cars, motor bikes, trucks and he is also skillful at driving jets, helicopters and auto boats and small ships
Tracking
Bruce is equally adept at tracking through either urban or wild enviroments.
Gadgetry and Gear
Batman is notable for his use of gadgetry. Due to his wealth, money is no obstacle to the development of various gadgets and paraphernalia he uses in fighting crime. In fact the only obstacle is Wayne's own imagination and the time he can spend developing these tools (Though he has negated both this obstacles by recruiting Lucius Fox and Harold Allnut, Bruce still prefers to develop the vast majority of his own gear).
Batsuit
The suit itself is made of several interweaving layers of nomex, kevlar and micro-ballistic mesh, making for a light-weight, flexible, but extremely durable body armour. It gives excellent protection against blunt force, piercing, slashing and explosive damage. The suit provides an insulation against electrical shock good for up to 26,000V, while the nomex supplies a degree of fireproofing. Upon the chest, where his armour is thickest, Batman wears his insignia, the Bat logo. The suit is light sensitive, darkening when there is more light in the area. His suit houses various hidden compartments for his gadgetry such as smoke pellets, fire extinguishing pellets, batarangs, and small bombs.
Cowl
A black, full face cowl with two pointed ears, part of a larger piece that fits over the neck and part of the shoulders. The entire piece meant to invoke a bat. Located inside the eye slits are lenses containing a miniature head-up display featuring facial recognition, GPS tracking, electromagnetic spectrum vision, spectrum analysis, detect radio waves, computer uplink, and being capable of giving detailed analysis of scenes and fights. A compact gas mask can also be fitted on the lower part of the mask to prevent inhalation of dangerous gases. The cowl is armoured, while also being resistant to acids and corrosives. Inside are small grids which unleash an electric shock that will incapacitate an enemy should someone attempt to remove it. He also wear's small ear dampner's to protect him from sonic attacks. A compact gas mask can also be fitted on the lower part of the mask to prevent inhalation of dangerous gases.
Cape
An experimental military fabric nicknamed memory cloth, which gains a rigid, stable shape when an electric current passes through it. It allows Batman to glide over large distances. The top of the cape is fitted with a neck brace, which resists shock. It is flame-resistant (to temperatures which have not been conclusively gauged) and can be used to help conceal Batman in the shadows, to protect him from debris as a result from explosions, and even, sometimes, as a weapon in combat. Bruce has experimented with heavier, bullet resistant fabrics but has ultimately found them to heavy and cumbersome
Gloves and Gauntlets
The gloves feature reinforced knuckles, while the fingertips contain a needle which can give chemical analysis and even sports lockpicks. The gauntlets are custom-made bracers that wrap around Batman's armored wrist; three sharp blades adorn the sides. These are retractable, so as to prevent accidental bloodshed in combat. They can also be used in a defensive manner, as Batman blocks enemy attacks with a cross arm stance, often using the blades to break knives, and, in extreme situations, swords.
Utility Belt
Batman keeps most of his personal field equipment in this signature piece of apparel. A belt with pouches to store his gear, the sizes of the pouches depend on the equipment stored within them, though he tries to keep it as streamlined as possible. Over the years it has contained items such as plastic explosives, nerve toxins, batarangs, smoke bombs, a fingerprint kit, a cutting tool, a grappling hook gun, torches, and a "re-breather" breathing device. He even keeps a kryptonite ring in it, contained in a lead pocket, in case of any rampaging kryptonians. The belt also its own automatic security systems.
Batarangs
Throwing bladed weapons, shaped like a bat.
Grapple Gun
The grapple gun shoots out a claw shaped projectile on a retractable high-tensile cord, which grabs onto a surface. Then this cord pulls Batman to his target. Used for traversing areas quickly or gaining tactical advantages over his foes. Can also be used to yank objects towards Batman.
Explosive Gel
A foam-like substance which can be remotely detonated for an explosion. It is contained in a spray device which also acts as a detonator.
Explosive Pellets
These small explosives are often used to even the odds against stronger foes, distract mobs or knock down walls and barricades.
Flashbang Pellets
Emit bright light and loud sound to completely blind and deafen enemies. The effect wears off in a few minutes, however. Batman is unaffected by these due to his mask's lenses and sound dampening systems.
Smoke Pellets
Large amounts of smoke can be deployed by throwing or breaking open these small hardened-gelatin spheroid capsules. Often used to quickly provide cover for Batman's stealthy exits and entries. Due to the lenses in his cowl, he can see perfectly through the smoke.
Gas Pellets
Gas pellets are used for incapacitating opponents. Lachrymatory, anesthesia, nerve, and regurgitant agents are deployed by breaking open the capsules. A nose-piece gas filter is necessary to ensure he doesn't fall to his own weapons.
Thermite Grenades
An incendiary used to burn through obstacles. The fires produced by these grenades are fuelled by thermite, and thus are impossible to extinguish and burn at over three times the temperature of molten magma.
Re-breather
This cylindrical device allows Batman to breathe underwater or in low oxygen environments. It is very small and compact so it fits easily into the gauntlet compartments. The standard rebreather gives 2.5 hours of oxygen
Laser
A strong miniaturized laser used as a cutting tool.
First Aid Kit
Contains all the essentials for Batman to patch himself up on the field.
Flexible Restraints
Used to restrain foes.
Forensics Kit
Everything a detective could require to search a crime scene for clues.
The Batmobile
Batman's main mode of transport around the streets of Gotham. While he merely refers to it as 'the Car', it has been christened the Batmobile by the media.
Stomping Grounds:
Gotham City
People of Note:
The Bat-familly
Richard 'Dick' Grayson
Ward of Bruce Wayne. Formerly Robin, currently Nightwing. Has recently had a falling out with Bruce.
Alfred Pennyworth
Bruce Wayne's butler, oldest friend, and surrogate father. Confidante of the Batman.
Barbara Gordon
Daughter of James Gordon. Formerly Batgirl, currently Oracle.
Jason Todd
Current Robin
Allies of the Bat
Commisioner James 'Jim' Gordon
Commisioner of the Gotham City Police Department. Batman's staunchest ally.
Lucius Fox
President of Wayne Enterprises. Technological genius. Confidante of the Batman
Harold Allnut
Wayne Enterprises Chief Executive Engineer. Mechanical and engineering genius. Handles much of Batman's R&D for new gadgets.
Dr Leslie Thompkins
Medical Doctor operating a clinic in the Narrows. Chief medic to the Bat-Familly. Confidante of the Batman.
Timothy 'Tim' Drake
Gotham youth. Genius intellect.
Rogues Gallery
The Joker
No known alias. Clown Prince of Crime. Batman's antithesis
Niccolai Tepes
'The Mad Monk', Cult leader, uses illusion and misdirection to make it appear he has 'mystical powers'. One of the first 'Crazies' Batman ever faced.
Dr. Jonathan Crane
'The Scarecrow', self titled 'Master of Fear'. Former psychiatric doctor and master chemist.
Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot
'The Penguin', casino owner and arms dealer. Notably, is one of the few members of Batman's 'Rogues gallery' who isn't certified insane.
Selina Kyle
'Catwoman', cat burglar. Occasional enemy, occasional ally, occasional lover of the Batman.
Character Goals:
Honestly, I just want to write some fun stories. Have a little bit of character development, a little bit of character interaction, that sorta thing. I've got some ideas for solo Bat storylines involving some of his lesser known, older Rogues, as well as some larger 'Blockbuster' ideas that could pull in our Bat-family characters.
Sample Post:
First Night on the Job
Alfred was right. I'm not ready. I'm not looking forward to the 'I told you so's' he no doubt has in store for me. . . That's if I get out of this mess alive.
Bruce Wayne, billionaire playboy, had just made an inauspicious start to his vigilante career. He had attempted to sneak on-board a transatlantic freighter by the name of The King Penguin that had docked in the Gotham harbor, after tracing the vessels ownership through several subsidiary companies and eventually coming to the Falcone crime family. Bruce's suspicions were that the Falcone's were using the ship to smuggle guns into Gotham, guns that Carmine 'The Roman' Falcone, head of the family, had promised to deliver to the Maroni's if they fell in with him and his, that's if the street chatter that Alfred had picked up on was accurate. Bruce's fears were confirmed when, after some dedicated searching, he had discovered four containers not on the shipping manifesto.
Each container was filled wall to wall with assault rifles, shotguns, high powered handguns, ammunition, grenades and all manner of deadly weaponry. He had even spotted a katanna of all things! It was sorry indictment of how brazen the criminals were getting in Gotham that they felt they could use swords now, and there would still be no one to stop them. His intention had then been to evacuate the freighter and send an anonymous tip off to the Gotham City Police Department about the guns, but on his way out he had taken a wrong turn on the C deck, and ended up walking into the ships messhall, disturbing a poker game being played by a dozen crew members, each one under the Falcone's employ.
'Surprisingly' the gangster-come-sailors hadn't taken the appearance of a strange, masked man dressed head to toe in tactical black body armour well, and after a few moments of confusion had opened fire. Bruce had been equally surprised, believing he had memorized the lay out of the boats innards perfectly, and had only narrowly avoided being perforated, slamming the porthole door on the mess-hall and fleeing down one of the side corridors.
After that the freighter had become the scene of a frantic game of cat-and-mouse, Bruce trying to evade the Falcone men and quit the ship, the gangsters doing everything in their power to locate him and stop him from fleeing. The twisting hallways, claustrophobic atmosphere and darkened passageways all lended themselves to Bruce's favour. So far he had engaged three patrolmen, each time managing to subdue them before they had time to alert their comrades, but the last had been a close call, the Falcone managing to tag Bruce with a knife before falling, leaving him a long, painful cut just above his left hip. So much for the nigh on 'impenetrable' Wayne-tech armour. Probably explains why these things never went into mass production.
He heard the sound of alarmed shouting from behind him, meaning the Falcone's had found their fallen comrade. They weren't far behind him by the sounds of things. He had to get off the ship. Increasing his pace he made it to the stairway to the upper level, all that time pouring over The King Penguins design's finally making itself useful. Now all he had to do was make it to the exit porthole and disembark and he was as good as gone. Dropping into a slight crouch he edged forwards, careful not to become too over-eager at this stage and make another blunder.
He turned a corner, coming onto a long corridor. On the left was several doors, store cabinets for the most part, and on the right was only one door, this one leading to the captains deck and viewing platform. At the end of the corridor was his objective, the exit. Clenching his teeth, he pushed forwards. He could feel his nerves building in anticipation, building up inside him and threatening to overwhelm him. This close to the end, he knew something had to go wrong. They always had before.
This time was no different than any other.
Bruce was less than five feet from the exit when the burly form of a gangster stepped in from outside, his mass taking up the whole portal. The man must have been about six' four", with ox-like shoulders and fists the size of hams. The Falcone came to a surprised stop when he spotted the intruder in front of him.
"HE'S HERE, I FOUND HIM!" The thug began screaming, going for the pistol holstered at his side. Luckily for Bruce he was the faster, his hand flicking out and sending a throwing knife at the big ox. The vigilante's aim was a touch off, missing the wrist he had been aiming for and instead sinking into the man's upper thigh. Dammit Bruce, calm down. You're better than this! It still had the desired effect though, the pain making the Falcone thumble his weapon. Bruce wasted no time in closing with his enemy, leaping in close and delivering a brutal knee strike into his opponents groin, followed by an upper palm strike to the chin. The blow dizzied and disorientated the thug, making it all the easier to grab him by the side of the head and smash his skull against the metal walls of the ship, though Bruce was careful to be not TOO rough.
No killing, he'd already made that promise to himself, and it was much to late to go back on it now. What had happened with Tommy had seen to that.
The sounds of alarmed thugs was closer now, and he could hear the thumping of feet as they stormed up the stairs behind him. No time to waste. Bruce burst into a dead sprint, only three quick steps and he would be out. Unfortunately his luck turned sour. Again.
A Falcone once more appeared in the exit, but this time Bruce was far too close to for either man to properly react, the velocity from his sprint to great to slow himself down now. Instead the vigilante hunched his shoulders and barrelled on, meaning to barge straight through.
He hit the thug a moment later with a bone shuddering impact. Bruce's momentum seen the two men plough straight on, the thug totally unprepared to weather the impromptu tackle. The air rushed to escape the thugs lungs with an *ooof*, and the two lurched backwards. They tumbled out through the exit, across the short walkway that lined the edge of the boats tower and straight into the safety rail. With both men consumed with their furious struggle neither had the presence of mind to try and grab the rail, and instead went spilling over.
The King Penguin wasn't a massive freighter, the walkway being no more than twenty feet of the top deck. It still felt to Bruce that he was falling for what felt like an eternity though, with nothing but the cold embrace of complete emptiness to comfort him and a man who meant to kill him for company. The thug screamed as they fell, but Bruce refused too. No fear Bruce. Show no fear
The two combatants fall was broken by some loose crating that had been dumped underneath the walkway, ironically enough in a no loading zone. The timber crates were reduced to little more than match sticks and splinters under the impact. Bruce's fall was broken by landing on the Falcone, an entirely unplanned event that showed that maybe, just maybe, his luck wasn't as bad as he thought it was. It still hurt though, hurt so bad that there was nothing more he wanted to do than just lay there until the pain went away. The sound of more approaching sailors put paid to that idea though, and with a bone-tired weariness he pushed himself to his feet.
The Falcone who had taken the plunge with him coughed gingerly as Bruce picked himself up, before moaning piteously. Good. Still alive. Though maybe he'll rethink his career choices now. The vigilante went too take a step away, but he was overtaken by a burning agony as soon as he tried to put weight down on his right leg.
"Dammit!" He snarled. It felt like his ankle might be twisted, but he didn't have time to check, not with all the Falcone's practically breathing down his neck. Sore as it might be he would have to press on. All that mattered was getting off the ship. He took several deep, calming breaths, allowing his mind to dip into a meditative state. Not too deep, as he needed his wits about him, but just enough to allow him to control the pain. It was a variation of the first level ofThe Illusion of Elsewhere, a state taught to him by Master Shihan Matsuda, a legendary martial artist who lived among the peaks of the Himalayas.
Bruce tested his ankle now, the searing pain of a moment before becoming little more than a dull ache. A useful trick, though apt to exacerbate the initial injury if overused. Unfortunately the current situation warranted the risks, the sounds of pursuit closing in. Bruce took off at a run, as fast as he could manage, directly for the port-side.
"THERE'S THE FUCKER!"
Spotted already. Tremendous Bruce barely managed to glimpse the sharp eyed gangster who had revealed him, perched atop the walkway he had so recently fell from, before the sounds of gunfire exploded across the quiet night air. The vigilante crunched low and powered forward, giving his antagonists as small a target as possible. Bullets screamed past him, some ricocheting from the metal walkways around him, others rebounding from the container-walls at his left. He spotted a tight corridor between two of the containers and went to dive in between them, meaning to cut off his assailant's line of sight.
The vigilante nearly cried out as he felt a tremendous force strike him in the back. The power nearly made him stumble from his feet, but he caught himself at the last moment, bracing himself against the tight walls of the containers. I've been shot! He realized, the thought filling his dumbfounded mind for a heartbeat, before he savagely pushed it aside. Remember your training. If your body doesn't fall after been shot then it doesn't NEED to fall. Keep moving! He increased his breakneck pace, ignoring the cries of protest from his tired muscles and battered body, instead pushing at the levels of his endurance. He'd trained his whole life for this. No way he was going to fall at the first hurdle.
He knew his pursuers would be quick to follow him down the corridor, so as he ran he grabbed a smoke pellet from the pouches on his belt and smashed it at his feet. He had already tested all his gadgets and tools rigorously before hitting the streets, so he knew without looking back that a thick cloud of cloying black smoke would quickly waft from the pellet.
He took a few more running steps before taking an angled leap at the left wall, bending his left leg like a suspension spring to absorb the momentum and use it to then power himself back off, corkscrewing he body midair to turn and cat grab the top edge of the right hand container. He quickly pulled himself up and over, the whole maneuver taking him less than three seconds. From there he rolled onto his back and lay still and quiet, taking deep, steady breathes. He trusted in the darkness of the night to keep him concealed from any Falcone's watching from elevated positions.
It wasn't long until he heard the sounds of his pursuers charging down the corridor he had just evacuated.
"Where'd all this smoke come from!" One man growled.
"Guy must have smoke grenades, probably SWAT or something." Responded another.
"Couldn't be, Loeb's too tight with the boss to sanction something like that. Some nut with a death wish more like." Came a third voice, sounding more distant now as the group where rushing away in the wrong direction. Despite themselves the trio had given Bruce much to think over, and confirmed his belief that commissioner Loeb was dirty. He gave it a few more minutes before he moved on, keeping low to the container roof, slithering quietly towards the edge. A quick glance told him that the thugs had the port side closed off the him, which meant that he'd now have to take the starboard side, and swim to safety. At least he'd had the foresight to bring the re-breather.
He managed to evade detection and evacuate the ship, slipping over the side and into the water with only a small splash. If anyone heard it then they didn't think to check.
He'd triumphed against the odds and survived his first night. Maybe there was hope for this budding vigilante after all.
