Eddie Brock

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

I confess that even though I only wrote her for a short time, Miss Megaton is a character that's stayed near and dear to me, and I'd hate for these ideas -- the ones I still remember, anyway... -- to simply be lost to time. I'm gonna do some reading, both what I myself wrote and everything I've missed, before stepping back into those shoes, but yeah... it's good to find some folks still here!

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

Y'all don't mind if I pop back in here for old times' sake, right?

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

Well, that only took about a billion years to finish. I've still got to decide how many more invasion tie-ins I'm gonna write. After wrapping up the attack on Century City, I might freelance to join in a big, climactic battle (if one exists), or I might just timeskip ahead.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

Of all things that April Newton might've imagined doing with her day, "fending off an alien invasion" was certainly not one of them. She had hardly had time to process what was happening before it happened. In an instant, the skies above Century City were swarmed by honest-to-God spaceships, and they made no illusions about coming in peace. April hadn't been given even a moment to think, to breathe, to strategize. She watched in dazed horror as the invaders opened fire on downtown, bursts of white-green light lancing through skyscrapers and pummeling the street. The city was still reeling from the largest earthquake in living memory, and now these vultures were compounding the casualties. Horror swiftly turned to anger, which April channeled into her flight as she screamed towards the fray.

It was like the Sentinel drone attack multiplied by a factor of ten. On that day, the destruction had at least been centered around the City Hall area; by contrast, the aliens were attacking indiscriminately, spreading over the entire city like a plague of locusts. They were faster, too, able to act independently in ways that drones simply couldn't. In short, it was a challenge the likes of which Miss Megaton had never faced. If ever there were a time for her to find out just how much she'd grown as a hero, this was it. Not that she had been left much of a choice: if she failed, Century City would not survive the day.

No pressure.

Whatever these things were, they were fast. Incredibly fast. Even at her top speed, Miss Megaton was struggling to keep up with their exceptional maneuverability. As she weaved between buildings, she got a bead on one of the rogue starfighters. Its flat black hull seemed to swallow the sunlight, and from this distance, she realized that calling them "vultures" was not far off; the chassis had an altogether bird-like appearance. Wing-mounted laser turrets provided the spacecraft's firepower, but -- much to the alien pilot's misfortune -- the ship did not appear to possess any rear defenses.

It would have been all too easy to simply take the shot, blow the starfighter and its pilot to kingdom come. But Miss Megaton wasn't a killer, and whatever else they invaders might have been, they were clearly sentient. She would have to find a better way. "Let's try clipping your wings," she muttered to herself, taking aim. She fired a small burst, which connected with a previously invisible energy shield. The air around the starfighter's wing rippled in a bright yellow hue, dispersing her blast harmlessly. Now alerted to Miss Megaton's presence, the pilot yanked the spacecraft sharply down, curling away from her in an evasive maneuver. "Shit!" the hero blurted out as she dove after it.

Lesson learned, she thought as she accelerated to keep pace with the nimble ship, They're not as fragile as they look. She wouldn't make that mistake again. Her cape snapped around her ankles as she tried to match the starfighter turn for turn. Her powers gave her an above-average tolerance for g-forces, but even still, she felt her field of vision narrowing as she struggled to keep pace. Miss Megaton abruptly broke off the direct pursuit and spun wide around an approaching building. These invaders may have had the advantage in speed, but they were dealing with Miss M on her home turf. If she couldn't fly faster, she'd just have to fly smarter.

Sure enough, her shortcut brought her around on the spacecraft's flank. "Gotcha!" With a clear shot at the ship's wing, Miss Megaton adjusted the strength of her radiation blast to compensate for the energy shield. This time, her shot struck true. There was a flash of yellow light as the shield failed, followed by a small explosion. The loss of its wing sent the starfighter into an immediate tailspin. Miss Megaton watched as the damaged craft spiraled down to the street, smashing through the glass awning of a nearby bus stop as it crash-landed. Nodding to herself, the hero said, "That's one," and set to the task of finding another vulture to ground.

She certainly didn't have to look far. With how crowded Century City's airspace had become, Miss Megaton had her pick of the lot. She set her sights on a starfighter just above her current position; somehow, she doubted that the pilot would anticipate an attack from below. Squinting into the sunlight, she fired herself at the hostile spacecraft like a human torpedo. At her top speed, Miss Megaton could be a force to be reckoned with. This time, she didn't bother with any radiation blasts. She didn't want to chance a miss and alert the alien pilot. Instead, as she drew near, she threw out a fist and braced for impact. The energy shield proved no match for her as she punched straight through the starfighter's wing.

Peaking high in the sky, Miss Megaton took the opportunity to target multiple starfighters at once. As she twirled to a stop, she held out both hands and fired radiation beams in a wide arc around her body. Like highly-concentrated lasers, the beams cut through any ship unfortunate enough to find itself in their path. Miss Megaton saw a fireworks show of yellows, reds, and oranges as her attack severed wings and cut through engines. In one fell swoop, the cylinder below her was almost entirely cleared of hostiles. At the same time, however, her show of force had drawn the ire of the swarm, and suddenly there were more ships than she cared to count closing on her current position.

"How's it going up there?" came Jefferson's voice suddenly.

Miss Megaton grit her teeth. "Not the best time to talk!" As she shot forward, she felt the heat of laser blasts skimming the surface of her cape and narrowly avoiding her head and shoulders. She was pinned down by enemy fire on all sides, and she felt her pursuers closing the gap with each passing second. Spinning over onto her back, Miss Megaton looked down at her feet and returned fire with a volley of her own; the nimble starfighters easily swerved out of danger, but it spread them out enough to create a brief opening to make some maneuvers. She righted herself and banked hard, using a nearby building for cover.

The sudden change in direction had worked as well as Miss Megaton might've hoped; while some of the enemy fighters stayed tight on her tail, many had broken off pursuit and were now scattered. With a little more room to operate, the hero went back on offense. She spun herself around, catching the nearest pilot unawares as she squared up her shot. The spacecraft swerved, but it could not avoid having its wing blown off. Miss Megaton surged forward through the resulting explosion, using it as cover to get the drop on the alien's wingman. By the time the smoke had cleared, it was too late for the next starfighter to evade a scatter shot of radioactive bursts that perforated its engine and sent it tumbling to the earth.

There was little time to celebrate, however. Miss Megaton felt the wind knocked out of her lungs as a starfighter finally connected on one of their shots. Absorbing the laser blast in the back, Century City's lone defender was thrown through the air at incredible speed. She hardly had time to brace for impact as a high-rise rose up suddenly to meet her. Crashing through the plate glass windows, Miss Megaton was driven through no less than seven cubicles in what appeared to be a mundane office building. To add insult to injury, a computer monitor fell from the eighth cubicle's desk and cracked her on the shoulders. Wincing, she pushed the damaged electronic aside as she clamored to her feet.

With wide eyes, Miss Megaton looked up to see one of the enemy ships through the hole that she had just punched through the window. There was a flash of light as the laser cannons powered up, and it was all Miss M could do to project a radiation shield in time. The barrage hammered into the side of the building, sending glass shards and shredded paper everywhere. She felt the impact against her shield, each blast another jolt up her arms. Her feet began to slide, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold the protection long. She quickly changed tack, channeling her energy into the shield until it expanded out in a wave. The eruption of force was more than the spacecraft could handle, as it got swatted out of the sky. It also had the unfortunate effect of turning that floor into a giant crater, but at least the building had seemingly been evacuated in time.

With a moment to breathe, Miss M brought a finger to her ear and buzzed Jefferson, who was no doubt watching everything unfold from his homemade "command center." Through the gap that was once the side of a building, Miss Megaton could see the ongoing destruction enveloping downtown. "Jeff, I'm doing what I can here, but there's just one of me and so many of them," she said, deflated.

His response was sympathetic yet clear. "Well, I wouldn't count on the cavalry coming to help out," he explained. "Ships like this have also touched down in Pacific Point, Lost Haven... Anyone who's ever donned a cape is up to their neck in this."

She sighed. "There's gotta be a better way. In the time it'll take me to wipe out these drones..." She let her voice trail off. Something in the distance caught her eye. Focusing her vision to increase receptivity to light -- an ability that Jefferson had been training her on and had lovingly dubbed "telescopic vision" -- she was able to see with supernatural clarity a sleek helicopter swerving between buildings, currently being pursued by a trio of alien starfighters. Furrowing her brow, she told Jefferson, "Hold that thought," and took off on an intercept course.

The aliens were too focused on their quarry to see Miss Megaton coming. Dispatching two of them with quick radiation blasts, she swung around to get behind the third -- but not before it finally connected on a glancing shot that took out the helicopter's tail rotor. As the civilian craft began to spin out, Miss M wasted no time neutralizing the threat with a radiation beam through the vulture's wing. Once the starfighter was gone, she accelerated to catch up with the spiraling helicopter. Diving underneath it, Miss Megaton took hold of the craft's hull and guided it to the nearest unoccupied rooftop. She set the large machine down as its engines and main rotor wound to a stop.

At this distance, she was finally able to make out the Zenith Dynamics logo on the side of the helicopter. That made her frown. Her frown only intensified when the door to the helicopter swung open, and she saw the now-familiar face of Isaac Vance, Zenith's CEO. For his part, Vance didn't seem nearly as bothered by encountering her. As he removed his headset, Vance stepped out of the busted helicopter and smiled. "That's the second time you've saved my life in only a few short months," he remarked. "Once more, and I'll have to think about putting you on retainer."

She was in no mood to humor him. Vance may not have been working for Zenith Dynamics when her father and her best friend Daisy's father were killed in an "industrial accident," but he still represented the company she associated with all that pain. Zenith was hiding something about that day, and April wouldn't rest until she found out what it was. "In case you hadn't noticed, this isn't the best time to be flying. That little stunt could've gotten you and your pilot killed. Now, if you'll excuse me--"

"Wait!" She was halfway turned around when he reached out and touched her arm. Not forcefully, but enough to cause her head to snap back around. Her eyes flashed green for a moment, and Vance held up his hand in surrender. "I wasn't up there for a joyride," he explained, "I was trying to get your attention. And whaddaya know? It worked." He offered a nervous laugh that went unreciprocated.

A vulture buzzed overhead. Vance flinched, anticipating an attack, while Miss Megaton held strong. Still, to be safe, she watched it pass before returning her attention to the man in front of her. "What do you want, Vance?" she asked, seeing no reason to mince words.

"To help," he replied somewhat wearily. As he began reaching for something inside his jacket -- a movement that made Miss Megaton's body tense -- he continued, "You're never gonna stop 'em all, not like this. Your only chance -- our only chance -- is to cut off the head of the snake." As he said that, he nodded in the direction of the monolithic mothership that had been ominously hovering above the city. Finally, he produced a large metal disc and held it out for Miss Megaton to see. "This device will disrupt their communication frequencies; they won't able to coordinate their attack. With any luck, they'll be forced to pull back."

She raised an eyebrow. It sounded too good be true, which often meant it was. Still, she was in no position to turn down an offer of assistance. "What do I have to do?"

"Plug and play," Vance replied as he dropped the device into her hand. "But to get them all, you'll have to attach it to a computer on the mothership." Miss Megaton grimaced. Vance could try to make it sound simple, but she knew a frontal assault on that ship was going to be no easy task. Seeing her expression, he offered, "You've got this."

His vote of confidence carried little weight in Miss Megaton's eyes, but a part of her appreciated it all the same. Tucking the device under her arm, she set her jaw and took off in the direction of the monolith.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

@Hound55 You're killing it, though! It is a little weird to see one of my creations outlive and outgrow me, but it's also kind of cool. I won't pretend that it doesn't make some part of me want to try writing her again, but at the same time: I like sitting back and seeing what y'all can do with her.

That next Miss Megaton post is finally coming together. I got stuck on what to do with this action set piece besides "hero blows up ship, repeat," but I think I've got something. We'll see how it turns out.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

Phew, that took longer than intended. My original opener just didn't work tonally for the crossover, so I eventually had to stash it for later and start from scratch. Glad to be back, though!

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

April Newton stood patiently in line at Dos Hermanos. Here, one could safely count on finding the best damn street tacos anywhere in Century City. Best of all, the mega-popular food truck always parked at a pavilion just a few blocks down the street from the Chronicle, where April worked. It had become something of a weekly tradition for her to go pick up lunch there; even though it meant contending with the usual crowd, the food was every bit worth the wait. Besides, on a beautiful day like today -- as so many Century City days were -- April relished the opportunity to get out of the stuffy office and stand under the bright California sun for a bit.

The line was moving particularly slowly today, and before long, the smartly-dressed young reporter had run out of things to check on her phone. Returning the device to the pocket of her heather grey pantsuit, April looked up with disappointment to find that the line had made very little progress. Sighing, she brought a hand to the back of her neck and began massaging the ache that had formed sometime around her third hour of hunching over a computer screen. As she rolled her head from side to side to loosen the stiff muscle, her eyes found one of the Chronicle's newspaper boxes on the corner.

Despite it having now become a common occurrence, April still hadn't gotten used to seeing her face plastered on the front page. Of course, it wasn't her face, per se; it was the face of the hero that Century City had come to call their own. "MISS MEGATON SUBDUES SHOOTER," the headline read above an action shot of April's alter ego in full glow. And though the photo credit was hidden beneath the fold, April would've bet the entirety of her meager savings that it belonged to one Peyton Campbell. She does have a habit of capturing me in a flattering light, April thought appreciatively. Even so, she forced herself to look away.

It really was amazing how quickly Miss Megaton had become part of the fabric of everyday life in Century City. In the wake of the Sentinel drone attack, her coming-out party, the city had embraced the hero with open arms. The Mayor even put out an invitation for Miss Megaton to accept a key to the city, but April hadn't felt comfortable attending; she was already paranoid enough that Mickey Holtz -- or any of the dozens of trained reporters she worked with -- would recognize her from Peyton's photos, much less a televised public appearance. Fortunately, they hadn't, and after a while, she got over her fear enough to once again patrol the city as Miss M.

The line at Dos Hermanos finally inched forward a bit, but April had been too lost in thought to notice. Suddenly, she was jolted back to the present by a small collision from behind. Snapping out of her stupor, April turned to identify the source of the disturbance. Her eyes found a little girl, no older than eight, with a mop of curly red hair. Around her shoulders, the girl had knotted a well-loved crimson blanket; April smiled at the sight of it. The girl met her gaze, blushed, and scurried back behind her mother's legs. The auburn-haired woman made a slightly embarrassed expression and said, "I'm sorry about her."

April shook her head. "It's no problem," she answered assuringly. Turning her attention back to the little girl, she offered, "I like your cape!"

That brought the girl a little bit out of her shell. She shuffled out from behind her mother, made tentative eye contact, and then grinned as she turned to look away once more. The girl's mother placed a hand on her shoulder and explained, "She's insisted on wearing it ever since... well, you know."

April nodded. "Well, it looks very good on you," she said by way of compliment. "You know, I have one just like it, but I think I like yours better!" That earned another smile. The girl's mother chuckled, too, neither of them the wiser regarding the honesty of April's last admission. Being seen as a role model was definitely strange, but April had to admit that it brought her a certain sense of pride. Now in high spirits, she turned back around and stepped forward in line, being only three customers removed from that delicious taco goodness.

Just then, April felt a buzzing in her pocket. Reaching in to retrieve her phone, she drew it out and checked the caller ID. "Jefferson Boone," her friend and lone confidant. If Miss Megaton was the brawn of their little crime-fighting operation, then Jefferson was definitely the brains. While it hadn't exactly been April's choice to let Jefferson in on the secret -- he had sought her out -- she couldn't imagine how she would've gotten this far without his help. It was a bit strange that he was calling her in the middle of the day like this, but April trusted that he had his reasons. Answering the call, she brought the phone to her ear and said, "Hey, Jeff, everything alright?"

His voice came through the end of the line muffled and distant. "April! There you are. I tried you at your off---. Somethi----------appening."

April frowned. "Say that again? I think we have a bad connection."

If he heard her, he gave no indication. Instead, he pressed on, though she now had to strain to hear him. "You need to-----------r suit. There's a--------h--ded for S-------cisco, and there's more f--ling every minute... April, did you------me? You need to--" And with that, the call finally dropped.

Puzzled, April lowered the phone and examined it. It seemed that she had lost all reception. Glancing around at the other patrons seated by the food truck, she noted that they, too, seemed to be experiencing similar interruptions. That was odd; odder still had been Jefferson's words, the few that made it through the other end of the line, anyway. What concerned April most, however, was the tone in his voice. She had never heard him sound like that, and Jeff was not someone who spooked easily. Figuring that the matter must be more important than food -- even the best Mexican food in the city -- April stepped out of line in hopes of finding a cell signal.

She heard what happened next before she felt it: a low rumble accompanied by the distant blaring of car alarms. As the sound drew nearer, the shaking followed. Like any Californian metropolis, Century City was no stranger to the occasional earthquake, but April sensed immediately that this one was different. She hardly had time to prepare herself for the shockwave when it finally hit; the pavement beneath her feet shifted, attempting to topple her, as the rumble became a roar. The terrified screams of unaware citygoers were swiftly drowned out by the rattling of the surrounding buildings.

April heard a crash and looked up to see that the windows of the glass office building above the pavilion had shattered. The shards began to rain down, threatening the safety of everyone below, and April realized that there was no time to be cautious; figuring that no one would be too concerned with looking her way in that moment, she lowered her glasses and focused her vision. A fan of bright green energy shot out from her eyes, forming a solid plane over all their heads. As the glass shards fell into the searing radiation, they were vaporized, turned into harmless dust. The pedestrians, who had been cowering and covering their heads, hadn't seen... all save for the little girl, who stared with her jaw slacked.

There was little time to address it. April pressed a finger to her lips, and the girl nodded uncertainly. Wasting no more time, April sprinted away from the pavilion, the tremors making it increasingly difficult to remain upright. When she finally reached an abandoned alleyway, she began stripping off her pantsuit. Wearing a costume underneath her clothes was pretty far from comfortable, but days like today proved why it was necessary. As her cape unfurled, April at last removed her glasses and took to the sky as Miss Megaton.

The first thing she did was put on the earpiece that connected her with Jeff. The receiver crackled for a moment, until finally she heard a distorted voice coming through weakly. After a moment, the reception stabilized enough that she could hear Jeff somewhat clearly. "April, thank God! I couldn't hear you at all on the phone," he explained. "With everything going on, I guess the cell networks are on the fritz."

She quickly decided she didn't like the way he said "everything." Frowning, she said, "Well, I'm here now. Downtown's in chaos! I've never seen an earthquake like this..."

"It's not just an earthquake," Jefferson responded, the signal weakening considerably. "That's what I was trying to tell you earlier. A meteorite just struck San Francisco. I'm watching the live feed now; it's... really bad." The news landed in April's stomach like a stone. "And not just there, either. There are reported impacts all over the globe. God, April... it's like the end of the world."

"Hey, keep it together for me, okay?" she replied, assuming an air of manufactured confidence. Jefferson was usually pretty collected, so if even he was shaken by what he had witnessed... There was no point in thinking about it. Miss Megaton had a job to do; she could worry about the apocalypse later. As she flew into the heart of downtown, she noted the sudden silence on the other end of the line. With concern in her voice, she said, "Jeff? Jeff, are you still there?"

At first, static was the only response. Then, Jefferson's voice returned distantly. "-- a lot of interference. Not sure how long our connection will hold."

"Just point me in a direction for now," she answered.

"Can do," his voice crackled. "Head north. Looks like there's trouble by the freeway. I'll work on creating a more stable connection back here."

"Okay," she said, "Be safe."

"You t--"

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't concerned for Jeff, but it helped that she knew where he lived. That part of town was much newer and thus built to higher specifications where earthquake safety was concerned. As much as she may worry about him, he didn't need her help nearly as much as the folks on the edge of town; there, the older buildings had only been retrofitted sparsely. Indeed, as she raced towards the freeway that passed through Century City, she saw firsthand the devastation that the initial shockwave had caused. Some buildings had partially collapsed, and the street was strewn with glass and rubble.

As the freeway drew near, Miss Megaton immediately saw the threat. An oil tanker had overturned and was spilling its contents across the roadway. Smoke billowed from the tanker's hood, suggesting that a fire had broken out inside the engine. Worse yet, the line of traffic that had been following the truck was now trapped, causing a massive backup of cars. If she could, Miss Megaton would simply pick up the tanker and fly it to a safe distance away, but she dare not disturb it for fear of triggering an explosion. No, she would have to do this the hard way, meaning that she needed to get everyone out of the potential blast zone. No small feat.

First, there was the small matter of rescuing the truck driver. Landing gently on the side of the overturned cabin, Miss Megaton grabbed hold of the passenger-side door and wrenched it off its hinges. She discarded the useless piece of scrap metal and ducked her head inside. The driver was bleeding from a blow to his head, and his hands fumbled uselessly at the seatbelt. "Move your hands," Miss Megaton instructed calmly. Once he did, she fired a concentrated beam from her fingertips that cut through the buckle. "Now, grab onto me and hang on." He did as she asked, taking her outstretched hand, and she flew him up and away from the truck. Eventually, she set him down at street level, checking that he was alright before returning to the elevated roadway.

Assessing the situation, Miss Megaton swiftly realized that transporting the civilians or their vehicles one by one was no option at all. The engine fire created a ticking clock, and she would never get everyone out in time. I need to move them en masse, she mused without the faintest idea how she'd accomplish that. "I can't move the tanker, so maybe I'll just move everything else," she wondered aloud. The idea which was formulating in her head was risky to say the least, but she didn't have time to workshop anything else. Darting down to the freeway, she landed at the edge of the oil spill.

The nearest car was only a few feet away, which wouldn't do for what she was planning. Making eye contact with the terrified driver inside the vehicle, Miss Megaton did her best to project confidence. "Hold on!" she shouted, loud enough to be heard. "Don't move for me, alright?" That earned barely a nod, but it would have to do. Placing her hands on the hood of the car, she began pushing it backwards. Before long, she felt it bump up against the next car in line, but she kept pushing. She pushed and pushed until the row of cars -- now scrunched up bumper-to-bumper -- had been moved a fair distance away from the overturned tanker.

She repeated the process for the other three lanes of traffic until finally there stood an empty gulf between the area of the spill and the motorists. A few cars coming from the opposing lanes also had to be moved before she could put her plan in action. Taking to the skies, Miss Megaton stretched out both hands and fired beams at the unoccupied stretches of roadway. Once two clean cuts had been made from end to end, she looped around underneath the elevated freeway and took hold of the girders supporting the structure. Two large, concrete columns supported the weight of the whole thing, but they were no match for Miss Megaton's radiation vision. As she burned through the columns, she felt the weight of the severed freeway section slump down on top of her.

Truth be told, Miss Megaton had never tried lifting anything this heavy before. The steel girders alone made it oppressively heavy, to say nothing of the roadway itself or the tanker resting at the very top. Plus, she had to be careful not to jostle the broken segment, lest she cause a chain reaction that ended with the oil catching fire. Still, straining mightily though she was, it seemed that Miss Megaton's strength would hold up. After a moment, she was able to begin gaining altitude as she carried the length of freeway up and away from the street. She broke west, towards the open water, whereupon she gave a great heave and hurtled the broken roadway as far as she could manage. Like a skilled skeet-shooter, she fired a blast that connected with the tumbling tanker in mid-air, creating a brilliant fireball that vaporized everything but the steel girders. The resulting shockwave carried across the water and sent her cape flapping a few moments later.

"April, are you there?" came Jefferson's voice suddenly, still quiet but finally stable.

Relieved, she responded, "Hey, Jeff. Good to hear your voice again. I dealt with the disaster on the freeway; going to circle back now and assist with the cleanup."

"About that..." As he spoke, Miss Megaton noticed a shadow spreading across the water. She turned back towards the city, shielding her eyes as she glanced up at the sun. A large object was passing in front of it, appearing like nothing more than a formless black shape. As her eyes adjusted, however, she began to make out the details clearly. Even so, what she was seeing defied all belief or reason. She blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't imagining things. "... you may have a bigger problem," Jeff concluded.

"No kidding," Miss Megaton gasped, curling her hands into fists. Just then, a door at the bottom of the spaceship slid open, and dozens of tiny black shapes came spilling out.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

Character you have created: April Newton

Alias: Miss Megaton

Speech Color: ADFF2F | Green Yellow

Character Alignment: Hero

Identity: Secret

Character Personality: Miss Megaton is a symbol of hope, positivity, and perseverance to the people she protects. She's quick with a smile, and she always looks for the best in others. Although her responsibilities demand a lot of her, she never loses sight of "the little guy," those individuals with whom she may only have a passing interaction but for whom Miss Megaton would sacrifice anything. She's fiercely protective, so when someone threatens innocent life, she can easily turn up the intensity.

As April Newton, she is no less tenacious. Careful never to step too far out of line -- lest she shatter the girl-next-door illusion and inadvertently reveal her identity -- she nevertheless stands up for what she believes in with an unwavering determination. Utilizing the power of the press, she gives voice to those in need of one, and she fights to enact change on a scale far grander than even Miss Megaton can achieve.

Uniform/Costume:

Miss Megaton / April Newton

Fancast

Elizabeth Lail

Origin Info/Details:
Tragedy struck the life of April Newton early, as her father -- Dr. Henry Newton -- perished in a mysterious accident while working for Zenith Dynamics, a mega-conglomerate with a focus on cutting-edge technology. The circumstances surrounding Henry's death were never clearly disclosed, and even young April detected something suspicious afoot. Still, it would be many years before she had the chance to do anything about it, and so life went on.

After graduating with a degree in mixed media journalism, April moved to nearby Century City and procured an internship at the Chronicle, the city's oldest and most respected institution. Parlaying this internship into a full-time executive assistant position, April worked diligently and obediently until the day that a story involving Zenith Dynamics landed on her desk. A disgruntled former employee claimed to have evidence of Zenith's dirty dealings, but the editor, April's boss, declined to move forward with the lead.

April took matters into her own hands.

Infiltrating Zenith under the guise of being a full-fledged reporter, April tried to dig up information that might give her a lead on her father's untimely demise. However, she was promptly caught snooping around and escorted back to the ongoing demonstration of a new cold fusion reactor. There, amongst Zenith's scientists and other members of the press, April's life changed forever. A catastrophic failure inside the reactor caused it to explode, and April was caught squarely in the blast. Her body was bathed in experimental radiation and irrevocably transformed.

Though April tried to go back to business as usual, it was obvious that something had changed. She felt different. Stronger. And periodically, she seemed to produce bursts of radioactive energy. After one of Zenith's lab technicians tracked her down, he deduced what had happened. April had been transformed into a living nuclear reactor, with all the subsequent strengths and dangers. The technician helped April contain her powers, and together they formulated a plan.

April wouldn't just find justice for her father, as she had originally intended. Instead, she would use these newfound powers for the betterment of Century City at large as... Miss Megaton!

Hero Type: Energy - Radiation

Power Level: World Level

Powers: When April became Miss Megaton, she was imbued with the awesome and destructive power of the atom. She is capable of spontaneously generating radioactive emissions which vary in intensity from harmless, concussive bursts to concentrated blasts capable of melting through solid steel. Her ability to manipulate these energies ranges from pinpoint precision to devastating areas of effect. Whenever she encounters a sufficiently powerful source of radiation, she has a limited ability to absorb and redirect this energy.

Moreover, Miss Megaton's exposure affected not only her ability to produce radiation but also to detect it. She is sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, granting her the ability to see in the entire visible spectrum as well as x-ray, infrared, and radio waves.

In addition, the raw power coursing through her body grants her many other gifts. She's incredibly strong and far more durable than the average human. She possesses the power of flight, and she can move at exceptional speeds. Overall, she's healthier and more resilient, and she recovers from injury at an increased rate.

Attributes (Select one at each category):

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 125 lb
Strength Level: 100+ Tons
Speed/Reaction Timing Level: 200 MPH (flying)
Endurance at MAXIMUM Effort: 3 Hours
Agility: 5x Human Level
Intelligence: Average
Fighting Skill: Untrained
Resources: Average

Weaknesses: Though she's incredibly tough, she's not indestructible. She can bruise, and she can bleed, even if it does take a superhuman effort. In spite of her strength, she's more effective at a distance, and she can easily get overwhelmed in melee by an opponent of equivalent -- or greater -- might. Additionally, when she's pushed to her limit, it can exhaust the energy that drives her powers; until it can regenerate, she's entirely human again.

On a psychological level, Miss Megaton's unflagging optimism can be turned against her. She's quick to trust, and her belief in the essential goodness of others can override her good sense when dealing with those who have proven to be unworthy of that trust. Like any good hero, her commitment to protecting the innocent can be used against her.

Supporting Characters:
Daisy Miller: April's best friend since childhood. Their fathers were business partners, so they spent a lot of time around each other growing up. After both men were conscripted by Zenith Dynamics to work on a classified project and subsequently perished in an "industrial accident," April and Daisy grew even closer in their shared grief. They've been inseparable since.

Fancast

Nathalie Emmanuel

Jefferson Boone: Lab technician at Zenith Dynamics. He was the first person to be saved by Miss Megaton, back during the accident which gave her her powers. Jeff took it upon himself to track down April and volunteer his services as her personal "superhero assistant." He helped April learn to control her powers, and he designed her costume. For which he's very proud.

Fancast

Tye Sheridan

Michael (Mickey) Holtz: Chief editor at the Chronicle, April's boss. Mickey worked his way up from the newsroom, so he's put more blood, sweat, and tears into the paper than anyone else around... and he's extremely possessive of it as a result. Though he can be overbearing and close-minded at times, he holds himself and others to the highest standard of journalism. Consequently, he cuts April very little slack.

Fancast

Enrico Colantoni

Peyton Campbell: The Chronicle's crackshot photographer with a bit of a rebellious streak. She takes an instant liking to April and aspires to bring her out of her shell. Peyton has a nose for danger, which makes her extremely good at her job but often gets her into a lot of trouble. She faces it all with a smile, much to the consternation of Mickey.

Fancast

Kate Mara

Luke Gardner: Bartender at McCaffrey's, a downtown pub frequented by April & Daisy. April's had a crush on him for a while, but she's yet to work up the courage to ask him out... despite Daisy's constant pestering.

Fancast

Amadeus Serafini

Isaac Vance: The young CEO of Zenith Dynamics who inherited the company after his father's death following a protracted illness. Vance was an unrepentant playboy and socialite before reforming his ways and claiming his birthright. He is the driving force behind Zenith's push for publicity and integration with Century City life.

Fancast

Darren Criss

Sinclair Davis: A mysterious executive at Zenith Dynamics with ties to the deaths of Dr. Newton & Dr. Miller.

Fancast

Betty Gilpin

Do you know how to post pictures on RPG boards?: I sure hope so.

Post Catalogue:
Volume One
Issue #1
Issue #2
Issue #3
Issue #4
Issue #5
Issue #6
Issue #7
Issue #8
Issue #9
Issue #10

Volume Two
Issue #1
Issue #2

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 3- Shattered Dimensions

Hey, all! I'm back and will be returning as Miss Megaton in Season 3. Just gotta take some time to get caught up and decide how I want to merge my planned season opener with the big event...

In the meantime, I do have a casting change. Henceforth, the role of April Newton/Miss M will be played by Elizabeth Lail (You, Once Upon a Time).

Reference

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

"Mr. Black" was growing increasingly frustrated. From his hidden command center in the heart of Century City's Bayside district, he watched as his drones continued to deplete at an alarming rate. Worse yet, Vance had escaped the execution he so rightly deserved... All because of that damned Good Samaritan in the red cape. His loathing for her was beginning to rival that which he reserved for Vance alone. No matter how many drones he seemed to throw at her, she just kept coming. Eventually, something had to give -- and if the dwindling number of active drones was to be believed, it would be him.

An alarm screamed from the screen to his left. Mr. Black snapped his head around, eyes widening as he consulted the flashing red text. Proximity alert. "No, no, no, no," he repeated to himself, panicked. Turning his attention back to the main screen, he rapidly cycled through the few remaining drones' camera feeds. Their numbers had thinned enough that it didn't take long to consult them all. Hoping he had merely missed what he was looking for, he went back for a second pass. Still no luck. "Where are you?" he muttered under his breath, his tone a potent mixture of annoyance and concern.

"Here," came a voice behind him.

Mr. Black whirled to face the intruder. She stood -- no, floated -- just a few meters away, arms folded across the radioactive system emblazoned on her chest. He reached for the revolver which sat next to his keyboard, the one he had never dreamed he would have to use. With a shaky grip, he brought the gun to bear on the hero. At the same instant, her eyes glowed a bright green, and a beam of concentrated energy shot out, scalding his hand and sending the weapon to the floor with a clatter. Mr. Black clutched his fist, wincing.

Before he had time to react, she surged forward to close the gap between them. Grabbing him roughly by the collar of his shirt, she lifted him out of his chair and held him aloft. "Now," she began, voice steady yet firm, "you're going to shut it down."

-----

Space was always at a premium in Mickey Holtz's cramped office, but even more so on days like today when it was "all hands on deck" at the Chronicle. The beleaguered editor, though never renowned for being abundantly patient, did his best to remain calm though the revolving door of writers, editors, and photographers vying for his attention. Everyone implicitly understood that news days like this came around once in a decade -- maybe once in a lifetime -- and so they were all working hard to ensure that tomorrow's edition would be the best it could possibly be.

Amidst the chaos, a somewhat flush April stepped into Mickey's office, clutching an article. Looking up from a layout of photos of the destruction downtown, the editor-in-chief eyed her for a moment before turning his attention back to the copy editor standing by his side. "The first and the third one," he instructed, handing the photos back. "Thanks." There was a weariness to his voice which suggested he had been at this for hours already. Once the other editor left and they were alone, Mickey finally acknowledged her. "You've brought me something?"

"A profile of the saboteur," April explained, holding out the article to him.

Mickey raised an eyebrow. Taking the papers gingerly, almost as though he expected them to burst into flame at any moment, he donned a pair of reading glasses from his desk and began to skim the article. For a few excruciating moments, neither his expression nor the subtle "hmm"s he kept making gave any indication as to his overall impression of the piece. Upon reaching the second page, he removed his glasses and leaned against the back of his chair. Finally looking up at her, he asked, "How did you get this?"

April straightened, swallowing. "I followed your advice: I pursued the truth," she answered simply. "After the derailment, I started to believe that someone was targeting Zenith Dynamics. I couldn't rule out corporate sabotage, but the manner of the attacks made it believe it had to have come from the inside, from someone with intimate knowledge of Zenith's security protocols. So, I started looking into recent firings, looking for someone who might hold a grudge."

Mickey said nothing. He merely watched her give her pitch, his face a mask of emotion.

"That's how I found this man, Carl Stromby," April continued. "Former programmer. He was dismissed from the company in October for undisclosed reasons. I started asking around..." She paused, interrupting herself, "I know, I know. You told me to stay away from Zenith. But you also told me to be tireless in my pursuit, so that's what I did." Clearing her throat, she went on, "Anyway, it turns out that Carl was caught spying on a coworker. He had written a script which gave him access to her emails, even the texts on her work phone... She declined to press charges, but Carl was thrown out all the same. And since Zenith held all the patents to his projects, he was left with nothing."

It was true, all of it. The only embellishment April had made was to suggest that she had been investigating Stromby before his arrest. But, she supposed she could be forgiven for fudging the timeline a bit if it kept her and Jefferson's involvement in Stromby's capture out of the headlines. She had offered to acknowledge Jeff in her article, but they both agreed against it; after all, the odds were good that they'd need a man on the inside of Zenith again, if this "superhero" arrangement was to become a recurring thing.

What Mickey said next almost flattened April. "I'm impressed." She felt a surge of pride which was only slightly dampened when he added, "The writing itself could use work, of course, but that's still damn good reporting, Newton." He bellowed, "Gerri!" and another assistant came rushing into the office. He passed the article to her, saying, "Get one of the editors to look this over, punch it up a bit. I want to run it below the main story."

April could scarcely believe what she had heard. "Wait, you're actually going to print my article?"

He looked around. "You see anyone else handing me a profile on the suspect? We're here to report news, kid, and this is news." Gerri dutifully took the article and scurried off, while Mickey warned, "Before you get too excited, you're splitting the byline. Your writing's not front page ready on its own."

The revelation did little to sour her mood. Beaming with excitement, April replied, "Thank you, Mickey! This means the world to me." Without being able to stop herself, she threw her arms around the editor, squeezing perhaps a bit too tight for her newfound strength.

"Alright, okay," Mickey said somewhat uncomfortably. Though he didn't fully return the hug, he did give her a supportive pat on the back. After a moment, they separated, and Mickey seemed a lot more relaxed. "For the record, I never doubted that you had what it takes," he offered.

April furrowed her brow. "Then, why didn't you let me cover the Zenith story in the first place?"

He sighed. "Because when I hire someone, I do my research," he explained. Softening, he said, "April, I know about your father. I lost my dad when I was young, too; I know the effect that has on a person. So, yeah, I worried that you might be too close to Zenith to see things clearly. I didn't want to risk that you'd let a personal bias color your journalistic instincts."

April nodded. "I understand." Hearing that his decision hadn't been an indictment of her abilities was a bit of a relief. And truthfully, she couldn't deny that she had gone into Zenith hoping to dig up some dirt.

"Good. Now," he continued, stopping to check his watch, "it seems to me that it's almost time for the content meeting. If you're serious about this, then I guess you'd better sit in on this one."

She beamed.

-----

Mickey stood at the head of the conference table, arms folded and fiddling with a remote. Once the assembled editorial & writing staff had finished filing into the room, he cleared his throat loudly and said, "Alright, I think we all know what we're dealing with here." Clicking the remote, he turned to face the projector on the wall behind him. A picture of Century City's new superhero appeared, hovering in mid-air as she artfully fended off one of Stromby's killer drones. The composition of the piece was impeccable.

April blushed at the sight of the photograph, praying that no one would recognize her in Jeff's getup. Suddenly, being surrounded by some of Century City's brightest, most observant minds didn't feel like such a smart place to be. Fortunately, it seemed she was just as invisible now as she had been when she slinked into the conference room. To be safe, she shrank back further against the far wall.

Peyton, who had taken the picture, smiled proudly.

"Century City has never had a dedicated superhero before, so I shouldn't need to tell you that this is a big deal," Mickey announced. "I can tell you from experience that a story like this comes around once in a decade, maybe even once in a career. And what we have here--" He shook the remote at them for emphasis. "--is a chance to control the story. We were the first to report on the derailment, and we'll be the first on this. We get to stake our claim, so... what do we call her?"

April stiffened. Somehow, she liked the idea of her superhero name being decided in committee even less than just letting Jeff pick it.

"Radioactive Girl?" a junior reporter offered.

April cringed. Fortunately, Mickey was equally repulsed by the suggestion. He waved it off. "No."

"Atomica!" came an enthusiastic cry from the other side of the room.

Mickey frowned. "Better. Still don't like it," he admitted.

April could bite her tongue no longer. Stepping forward, she asked in a somewhat shaky voice, "Shouldn't we consider that maybe this person would like to have some input on her own name?"

The editor's expression told her everything she needed to know. "Well, gee, April, I hadn't thought about that," he replied, voice dripping with sarcasm, "And I trust you know how to get a hold of her before the publishing deadline, right? If she has an opinion on our decision, she's free to come down here and voice it in person... if she agrees to an exclusive, of course." He turned his attention back to the room at large. "What else ya got?"

The suggestions flowed freely now.

"Fission!"
"Radiatrix?"
"Nuclear Lass!"
"The Atomic Woman!"
"Ion?"

April could take no more. Eventually, one of these awful suggestions was going to stick. She might as well try hers. Sighing, she thought, Jeff's never gonna let me live this down. Clearing her throat, she waited until she had every eye in the room. "What about... ?"