[/PTab={tab-background-color:#181613;tab-hover-background-color:#3C2B2C;tab-font-family:Quantico;tab-color:#DDDDDD;tab-text-align:left;tab-padding-left:0.5vw;}] [PTab=3. THE PROGRAM]
REAL NAME: Hercules Carharrt. ALIAS: Golden-arm; The Man From Outer Space; Thunderer; Heldenhammer.
SEX: M ♂
HEIGHT: ~6’1”. WEIGHT: ~175 lbs.
BASE OF OPERATIONS: OLYMPUS Station. RESOURCES: Decidedly Alien.
“I am the Hammer, I am the mail about His fist. I am the Spear in His hand. Though we are lost, I am the Shield on His arm. I am the flight of His arrows. I am the Hammer. I am the Sword. I am the Shield. I am a Soldier at the battle at the end of time.”, the mysterious oath.
In a freak accident at [Project: BELLEROPHON], the unsuspecting Doctor Carharrt became bound to an exosolar device introduced simply as 'The Wheel'. Very little is actually understood about it largely due to originating from outside the Solar System. Its construction and make appear to be so foreign in design that fore-most scientific minds cannot agree on how they would go about replicating it. As modern scanning apparatus fail to properly analyze the device, current census is that the Wheel was fashioned by a Type-III civilization.
In its passive state, the Wheel exists in the form of a floating gold and cobalt sphere that remains within 8 meters of Carharrt at all times. Attempts at seperating the two have thus far been unsucessful, resulting in the death of a two security officers. As implied above the Wheel performed a psychic hanshake with Carharrt during the bonding process, but other than reciting some sort of oath in broken English whatever sembleance of intelligence trapped within the Wheel appears to have gone inert.
However, when donned on by Carharrt, The Wheel endows Carharrt with vastly superhuman levels of strength and durability as well as the ability to withstand extreme exposure including the vacuum of space. The doctor also confirmed the presence of a host of diagnostic functions that he is unable to access in its entirety other than a 'gamified reality' suite.
The Wheel protects the wearer from all tested forms of trauma including various focused energy emissions.
SCIENCE HERO
noun :an inventive genius at the front of action. “...”
Hercules Carharrt is a man out of time. Born too late to explore the world and too early to explore the cosmos, or so he believed before his accident.
Herc, or 'Space Boy' as he came to be known in the Air Force, holds several engineering degrees, can speak 5 languages fluently and his patents are being used by corporate giants in Silicone Valley to develop reusable space rockets. That's a really convoluted way to say that he is one of the least qualified people at [Project: BELLEPHRON]. It is extremely hard to land a position in one of C*O*N*T*R*O*L's premiere science programs. His function within the program was effectively that of a glorified drone with the know-how to build things according to spec. A waste of time and potential.
In many ways the Wheel liberated Carrhart from that lot in life.
Now, he's free to experience that which he had only dreamt: space, in all it's beauty and danger. Indeed, Carharrt has been designated as the official 'planetary defender' and deals with exosolar threats to the integrity of the Solar System. Alien invasions, predatory cosmic entities, annihilation drones and runaway comets are daily encounters for the good doctor.
In short, holding up the heavens is the best job Herc could have wished for.
Commercial flights between continents maintain an altitude of roughly 45 000 feet, give or take. The PEQUOD AWACS is currently peaking at 90 thousand. It cannot maintain such height for long but the moment is all he needs. "3...2...1..."
Hercules can hardly hear the coordinator in his ear, his breathing is too panicked for that. His eyes are kept trained at the sheen of dark metal beneath. This maneuver was, and still is to a degree, purely conceptual. No matter how much enhanced he feels in the Wheel, it wouldn't help if he fell from this height. Maybe it would keep enough of him together so there's something to bury at least. It was healthy to experience apprehension and defer to his calculations.
He could feel the pull of gravity getting lighter, physically. Though the experience was hard to put into words. One knee rose as the moment approached, and he saw only darkness past the nose of the aircraft.
"Cast-off."
Space Boy closed his eyes and leapt away from the rop of the PEQUOD, simultaneously engaging the maneuvering engine that had little power on the surface. On the ground it allowed him brief bursts of momentum or the ability to cushion his fall. The Wheel appeared to be devoid of atmospheric flight.
Yet in high orbit, he proposed, would have enough thrust to break away from the Earth's gravity completely. As the aircraft began its descent, he could see the blue curvature beneath. He eventually came to a standstill, a bizzare experience; walking on the roof of the world.
One mistake would see him plummet to his death. How exhilirating.
After a moment of appreciation, Hercules oriented himself towards his destination and engaged his engines once more. Although he practiced maneuvering with NASA it couldn't compare to the real thing. The way that The Wheel moved with him was something that couldn't be approximated by conventional space-suits. To change direction, he simply needed to will it and the alien skin would perform the series of actions required to change it.
That's how seamlessly he managed to put himself on a trajectory that had him stop just outside the Empyrean's force-field perimeter. Well, he actually felt for it with his hand, detecting the minute reverberation as it brushed against the Wheel.
"Hmm.", Herc mused.
The Empyrean installation had reportedly suffered damage in an attack sometime in the last few months and the activity of the S.O.S. in any coordinated capacity had been quietly receeding, that much was obvious. That could mean any number of things, but with the now canonized lack of communication between superheroes and the rest of the civilization, both C*O*N*T*R*O*L and the UN had all the reason to believe in the worst. "Time to begin."
"This is Hercules Carharrt with the United Nations, broadcasting on all frequencies to the crew of the Empyrean. This installation has been marked as a global security risk by the members of the Security Council. You are requested to power down for inspection. Should you fail to answer this radio handshake in T -1 minute, I will have to assume the S.O.S. has been compromised and board the vessel by force."
COLORCODE #FFFFFF - Basic Bitch White #FFD401 - Cyber Yellow #2274A5 - Star Command Blue #EF233C - Imperial Red #04070C - Rich Black FOGRA 39
[attr="style","border-radius:5px;text-align:justify;padding:2vw;font-family:Gochi Hand;font-size:1vw;line-height:1.2vw;letter-spacing:0.1vw;color:#00ff33;text-shadow: 2px 2px 2px rgba(255,0,254,0.7);background: rgb(26,181,255);background: linear-gradient(124deg, rgba(26,181,255,0.5130427170868348) 0%, rgba(0,115,195,0.4822303921568627) 33%, rgba(26,181,255,0.4990371148459384) 66%, rgba(0,115,195,0.4598214285714286) 100%);"]Faster than a speeding crackhead, thicker than a Snicker, able to leap over the backboard in a single bound! All that and more manifested in one nameless man endowed with the proportionate powers of a spider (results may vary).
The media call him the Spider Villain, the Webbed Menace and (much) worse after tagging up a good portion of The Cut in Duskbürg. And although his public image is poor there are those who (at least) vocally support the Spider's claim to one of the most problematic parts of the larger Millennium metropolitan area.
[attr="style","border-radius:5px;text-align:justify;padding:2vw;font-family:Gochi Hand;font-size:1vw;line-height:1.2vw;letter-spacing:0.1vw;color:#00ff33;text-shadow: 2px 2px 2px rgba(255,0,254,0.7);background: rgb(26,181,255);background: linear-gradient(124deg, rgba(26,181,255,0.5130427170868348) 0%, rgba(0,115,195,0.4822303921568627) 33%, rgba(26,181,255,0.4990371148459384) 66%, rgba(0,115,195,0.4598214285714286) 100%);"]The Spider is... unassuming. He doesn't have a budget for his activities and actually wears a piecemeal super-suit, most likely of his own make judging by the spray-painted web motif. He doesn't have a car or any extraordinary means of locomotion either other than his innate power to stick to walls and the metro transit system. Thus he tends to rely on his heightened speed to run down perps in the streets and his heightened strength to subdue them afterwards.
Most impressive is the Spider's physical ability to absorb damage because — having no martial training — most of his encounters with super-villains or gangs tend to be a war of attrition. Any beating the arachnid recieves has litte lasting impact however, being shored up with his tried and tested healing powers. Indeed, the Spider has fallen from many rooftops in the past and walked away (mostly) without any permanent damage. Additionally, it would appear that like some predatory spider species, such as the amazing Orb Weaver, even the Spider Menace is noctural. He isn't hindered by the permanent starry veil over Duskbürg in the slightest and cannot physically sleep for more than 4 hours a day! Not for a lack of trying!
The Spider seems to have an uncanny predatory awareness of his surroundings, much like his namesake would in his web. Once the Spider starts hunting, criminals better beware because he is like a bloodhound who knows your every move even without a direct line of sight. There was once a man who shot up a traphouse in Millennium Heights and ran all the way tothe docks blocks only for the Spider to suddenly appear and apprehend him.
REAL NAME: Dante Alonso "D.A." Galves. ALIAS: ACG Heatwave; Big Heat; Hotshot; Firelord; Ceasefire (formerly); New Age Prometheus.
SEX: M ♂
HEIGHT: ~6’1”. WEIGHT: ~175 lbs.
BASE OF OPERATIONS: McGregor Towers, MC. RESOURCES:Celebrity.
“They used to look at me through their fingers. Now I'm shining so hard they can't look away.”
Dante Alonso Galves is a second generation Cuban-American born in Miami. Both of his parents held menial work positions and each possessed a weak elemental power which when combined in their son and manifested as a rudimetary ability to absorb ambient heat and convert it into anabolic power.
D.A. Galves attended Miami Carol City Senior High, and played high school football for the Carol City Champions, one of the best teams in the academic Metahuman Football circuit at the time. He rushed for 1,040 yards with 24 touchdowns and had 360 receiving yards. On defense, he made 65 tackles and had eight interceptions.
In his junior year, Dante Galves would also found the 'Anybody Can Get It' movement - a vigilante collective composed of several underground metahumans Galves grew up with - such as ACG Painload and ACG Tartaruss. Though the group has slowly grown apart after an incident involving former ACG member Shredda that resulted in several casualties.
Galves would spend most of his senior year secretly working with one of Miami's premier superheroes, Prometheus, under the alias Ceasefire. The fire-slinging veteran is suspected to be the cause behind Galves' sudden power-up as she herself is the 4th known sucessor to the name. Neither party has confirmed nor denied the veracity of these claims.
With the 2021 draft approaching many teams have reached out to Galves and his family for an early bid. Galves would respond only to the offer of Millennium City Argonauts and move to City of Power for the summer MFL camp.
[attr="style","grid-area:A2;"]
FAHRENHEIT EFFECT
noun :heritage transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor. “that guy must think he's hot shit”
RANGE: Tactile / 30-120 m. COMPONENT(S): Psycho-Somatic, Environmental. DURATION: Instantaneous.
Dante is host to a phenomenon known as the Fahrenheit Effect, having contracted it from the famous flame hero Prometheus.
Indeed, Galves has a handprint shaped burnscar over his heart that signifies transmission of a metavirus that altered — and in many ways enhanced — his preexisting powerset. The Effect is apparently a sort of proverbial torch handed down between genetically compatible metahumans that compiles and compounds their pre-existing powers, thus becoming stronger with each generation but also never expressing the same way twice.
Essentially, the Fahrenheit Effect grants the wielder nigh all-encompassing dominion over fire and heat in its many forms. Prometheus IV, the previous holder, is so formidable that many locals refer to her as 'The-Sun-That-Walks'.
Despite calling himself Heatwave most people that hang around Dante say that the air is always cool. This is because Galves' internal combustion mechanism, not defying the basic rules of thermodynamics, is fed by nearby heat which paradoxically brings ambient temperature down.
Dante doesn't exhibit many techniques related to direct pyrokinesis. Most of his repertoire revolves around thermokinesis and the projection of 'offshoot particulate matter' (such as smoke, cinders, etc.) as the go-to offensive option.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Volcanic Absorption: Heatwave's essential framework is the ability to absorb heat, fire and even certain gasses (such as carbon dioxide) for a variety of purposes. Generally speaking, this ability endows Dante with superhuman physical traits through intracelluar metabolization as well as render him imprevious to external fire and heat. This process accelerates Galves' natural healing to an immense degree. He is also extremely sensitive to minute changes in temperature thanks to an altered sensory apparatus.
Heat Sense - Dante is capable of viewing his environment similarily to IR goggles and visualize thermal signatures in his proximity. He has learned to discern biological changes such as signs of disease. Most importantly, it allows him to see individuals through obstacles. This form of 'seeing' is effective roughly up to 15 feet. Alternatively, Heatwave can project a subtle 'heat pulse' (roughly 0,3°C difference) that allows him to scout a much larger area with less detail.
Flammable Physicality - Over the years Dante's body has learned to instinctively absorb ambient heat to induce low-tier superhuman physical traits namely strength, durability, agility, reflexes and speed. This is an ingrained reflex that corresponds with Galves' breathing. He has mastered this to such a degree where he can force his body's temperature to increase exponentially to enhance these traits further although there is a structural limit to how much his body can handle before it begins overheating. What he considers his operational baseline allows him to go toe-to-toe with more physically gifted metahumans.
Thermoelectric Locomotion - Because Heatwave is unable to achieve meaningful long-term propulsion, Dante has developed a means of travel that circumvents this issue. By modulating temperature differences between two surfaces he is capable of generating enough of a charge to either cling to or propel himself along by hovering inches above said surfaces. By then adding momentary maneuvering bursts, Heatwave is capable of crossing multiple city blocks in the span of minutes with finesse. In a hurry, he can also simply melt footholds in buildings.
Thermokinesis - By far Dante's most favored application of the Fahrenheit Effect as well as his most versatile power. It allows him to alter temperature in his vicinity by either projecting or retracting heat in a controlled and predetermined pattern. This power is at its most powerful the closer his target is to him as heat has to travel through a medium first.
Ionokinetic Field - He has the ability to bring up what would constitute a force-field of plasma around him that can melt incoming projectiles or stave off other attacks.
TECHNIQUES
Smoke Shot - A basic bolt of smoke and embers. It is roughly equivalent to being shot by a rubber pellet from a gun while the smoke can be debilitating. These projectiles are shaped and launched out of his mechanized gauntlet.
Sulfur Grenade - A condensed ball of smoke which explodes after a short delay. Enemies affected by the explosion will be covered in clouds of pulmatory gasses, opening an opportunity to execute or subdue them. Even if a foe is protected by a gas mask, the obfuscating smoke still gives Heatwave the advantage due to his Heat Sense.
Stupifires - A tidal wave of intense heat aimed outwards in a cone that aims induce acute heatstroke in any individual caught in it.
Agni Kai - A martial application of his thermokinesis that turns Dante's striking surfaces red hot, reaching upwards of 3000 degrees Celsius. This means that he can effectively use his hands to effortlesly chop through most man-made materials.
Cold Summer - A Hail Mary move that rapidly draws all temperature from the environment into Dante, immediately pushing him to the brink of overheating.
The Fifth Sun - What is described as an 'ultimate technique' of the Fahrenheit Effect wielders. It is unknown if Dante can actually execute it.
BIG HEAT
noun :the personification of heat in its many forms. “its big acg when big heat's around”
{DETAILS +} Described as highly intelligent, driven to a fault, and relentless in pursuit of what he wants. Heatwave's irreverent and aggressive personality is well-known to the public, with his fans thinking of these traits as a selling point while older people remain apprehensive and distrustful of his overall violent attitude and continue to associate him with fiery disasters. Thus, despite his high ranking and many accolades, Dante continues to be looked down upon which conversely serves to fuel his desire to become the most popular superhero in the world.
Dante takes extreme pride in his competence, whether derived from his powers or not, and seeks to excell in everything he puts his mind to. As the No.1 MFL prospect Galves boasts respectable firepower and displays refined mastery of his powers. During his combine, D.A. Galves recorded a 4.2 40-yard dash, 43'' vertical jump, 123" broad jump and benched for 29 reps without the aid of his powers.
Outside of his MFL career Dante has acquired most available certification for emergency procedures such as CPR and active shooter drills among other chemical, medical and envirological accidents. He also practices mixed martial arts for both self-defense and conditioning reasons, coming from a Karate background and has collaborated with Kron Gracie in the past to study and improve his breathing technique.
- add details about his personality and general skills
Dante firmly grabbed the railing that encircled the seating area, stretched out his lats and then used his arms to launch himself into the arena.
Though he couldn't actually fly, his fall was cushioned by his own thrust, to the point where his fall turned into a short walk closer to the center of the battlefield. He was chewing on a transparent mouthguard that was half-way sticking out and wore only scarlet compression shorts with white accents since he didn't have a costume. In large black letters, the name Heatwave was spelled diagonally upwards across his left thigh. These shorts were made out of Smart Fabric, proprietary technology of his acquaintance Woodrugh, and promised 100% power permeability. Theoretically, one could be entirely vaporized and their clothes would be the only thing left behind.
He then transitioned into a series of side-hops, or Pendulum steps, to warm up during which he circled back around and eventually stopped where he landed initially. People in the stands were looking at him somewhat confused at this point. Dante Galves wasn't the usual contender but he also wasn't a hero. He was a superpowered superstar athlete. The organizers didn't ask him why he wanted to compete, mostly nodding to any demands he had. Neither did Galves reveal his motives for joining this potentially lethal tournament.
ACG - Anybody Can Get It. They would all bear witness. All the crimelords and science villans would see.
Galves' hands launched a fast flurry of jabs and hooks into the empty air and then performed several Muay Thai knees, ending when he exhaled two large streams of fire from his nostrils. Though he lowered his hands, Heatwave never stopped moving. Instead he continued to bounce in place full of anticipation. They would all see. A¢G. A¢G.
COLORCODE #FEFEE3 - Light Yellow #4E6473 - Dark Electric Blue #8A252D - Antique Red #4C2025 - Dark Sienna #04070C - Rich Black FOGRA 39
[attr="style","border-top:1.5px black solid;border-bottom:1.5px black solid;padding-top:1%;padding-bottom:1%;"]REAL NAME: Vincent Carnacki. ALIAS: The Spectre; The Occult Killer.
SEX: M ♂
HEIGHT: ~6’1”. WEIGHT: ~175 lbs.
BASE OF OPERATIONS: Unknown. RESOURCES: Limited Akritai Assets.
"Carnacki's life began from death. His mother, a meth addict, had during deliver and he was left for days in the belly of dessicated trap house, miraculously managing to hold onto his life until a police raid. Since then, Vincent bounced from foster home to orphanage and vice versa. For a brief time he was also released into the care of his biological father. However, this reunion ended with Vincent stabbing his father in the thigh with scissors and running away.
Several years later, now a legal adult with a legally changed surname, Vincent succumbed to the trauma of his upbrining and gave in to the same poisons that took his mother. Living a loveless life and barely able to hold a menial job Carnacki had decided to end his miserable existence and forcibly overdosed himself on morphine.
But Vincent always did have a strange relationship with death. Still, it would be an understatement to say he was surprised to open his eyes the next morning in a different part of the city. Standing in an alley he did not recognize, ankle deep in inhuman corpses and wearing a strange mask.
Only thoughts of a mellifluous voice hung in his recent memory, repeating strange words: Redrum. Kazutora. Athamé. Breaker. Yonder House. Broker. Revenge. Akritai. Revenge."
REAL NAME: Unknown. ALIAS: The Spectre; Sin-Eater; The Bondsman of Hades; Plutonian; The Pale Promise; Spirit of The Hunt; Nightmarcher; Foe-To-All; Cold Magistrate; The Gathering One.
SEX: M♂
HEIGHT: ~6’1”. WEIGHT: ~176 lbs.
BASE OF OPERATIONS: Undetermined. RESOURCES: Otherworldly.
Patronage of Hades Providence of Persephone Mastery of Hecate Perseverance of Sisyphus Might of The Erinyes Vision of Moros Sanction of Erebus Amnesty of Lethe
GHOSTWISE SHINOBI
noun :a stealth operative equipped to take on the modern world. “huh?!.. must have been my imagination”
The Comedian is a professional Electro-active criminal operating across the Panamerican territory. Most of his extra-legal activities in the last few months have coalesced around Millennium City where he moonlights as one of The Trust's contractors particularly in the areas of corporate sabotage, various kinds of armed robbery and rarely even bounty-hunting. As a Circuit, Halpert has several superhuman abilities at his disposal. Though the identity of his cluster-mates remains unknown, his pattern does match a Wax-Wane or Carousel cluster dynamic.
Tinker 7 -"Chiefly, Andrew Halpert is a tinker whose speciality lies in the fabrication of explosive devices with a wide variety of effects. Not all of these 'bombs' are lethal or destructive, such as his iconic transmutation bombs which seem to produce non-discrete results (glass, diamond, dust, etc.) or the Glue Grenades that produce a derivate of containment foam. However, those that are lethal are often deceptive in appearance, carrying improportionately powerful payloads. Comedian's high Tinker rating allows him to use and maintain the technology he steals. Like many Tinkers, he gains increased versatility by studying the powers of other parautilitarians."
Thinker 5 -"The Comedian's secondary power is suspected to be a superhuman sense of timing; making Halpert a pericog of sorts. His timing ability has allowed him to organise crews very efficiently in the past, to the point where he could give the exact amount of time they need to accomplish their tasks and complete a given objective. Further it enhances his own fighting and positioning with which he can pull off seemingly impossible feats such as circumnavigating patrols and security systems instinctually. An added benefit allows him to inject theatricality into everything he does."
Striker/Mover 1 -"Halpert's tertiary ability relates to his enhanced potential for explosive movement. Field agents have described his movement pattern as erratic at times, seemingly capable of bursts of superhuman speed. These moments are fleeting yet potent and accompanied with a strange 'de-sync effect' where his body seems to almost lag behind the actual extertion of force."
Stranger ? -"Some aspect of his listed powers (or possibly a completely seperate power) is strong enough to make him unreadable to most other Thinker-types stumping our PSYINT department. This could also be caused by the use of technology."
3. TECHNOLOGY
Moebius Shawl - Stolen from Tempus' hideout in Milwaukee. We haven't been able to understand the technology behind it. Its characteristics are temperamental and prone to change. It is indestructible and has also previously assumed complex, rigid shapes. The item has also managed to perfectly camouflage The Comedian on multiple occasions and was used to contain the explosion of a malfunctioning device.
Drysuit - Complex purple and green tinker-tech body armor, doubles as a bomb-suit to insulate Comedian from the worst effects of his bombs. It is hermetically sealed and has an internal oxygen supply. Mask sports a synthesizer to disguise his voice. Googles are polarized and have a HUD that can toggle different effects. Houses tools and other equipment such as a wrist-mounted grappling hook and launcher for his deployables.
Deployables - Glue Grenade - Faster acting containment foam formula. - Concussion Grenade - Blast of force, non-lethal. - Disruptor Grenade - Powerful EMP grenade. - Transmutation Grenade - Capable of transmuting everying in a 5 meter radius into another type of material. - Grinning Grenade - Formula stolen from Night-Nurse. Induces laughing fits and paralyzes facial muscles for several hours. - Holographic Grenade - Produces camouflage cover, disrupts telemetry. - High-Yield Grenade - Bombs of various sizes. The smallest pebble can obliterate several apartments. - Warp Grenade - Spacial warping bombs that could permanently twist organic matter. Based on SOS teleportation tech. - Recycler - Possibly a derivate of the Warp Grenade that dismantles everything into component parts. - Ad-Hoc Grenades - Bombs with chaotic effects. Untested and locked away. - Alkahest - Poorly understood universal solvent that activates once exposed to oxygen.
Yeti Pistol - Stolen from Polaris. It's cryo-engine is capable of weaponizing moisture to generate ice and snow.
2. OVERVIEW
INTERVIEWER: State your name and occupation please.
DWYER: Dwyer, William T., I'm the analyst behind Comedian's arrest in early 2021. Which I assume is why I've been brought here to [REDACTED]?
INTERVIEWER: Correct. This recording will be archived as part of the contingency protocols for future reference. You may begin.
DWYER: Okay. I should probably preface this by stating that what we know about The Comedian is not a complete body of work by any means--
INTERVIEWER: How come?
DWYER: Well, you read the file, Halpert's a maniac. Rigged his own mask with an explosive that took us several months to disable. We haven't been able to run any statistically significant tests so we're still mostly working with hypotheses and observations. However, most of our assumptions have proved correct over time. His biggest strength is actually that beautiful insane genius of his.
INTERVIEWER: Beautiful?
DWYER: I'm sorry. It's just that I can't help but appreciate the madness. When you look at all the tech he's stolen... it's... it's... gorgeous. Like a Van Gogh or a Whiskey Sour. These costumed people they have their gimmicks, right? His is taking those gimmicks and making them his. Not just finessing ray guns, no, everything he's stolen he rebuilt in his own design language. It is really from studying his effects that we learned the most about how his powers work.
INTERVIEWER: Like Halpert's bombs?
DWYER: Oh yes, perfect example. Most of them actually emulate power effects we have previously documented.
INTERVIEWER: What?
DWYER: Yes, he doesn't just make bombs. The transmutation 'nade? It's mimics the effects of Aurum's powers. We suspect that his speciality is something far more over-reaching. Me, personally, I think it concerns mechanisms and catalysts. Think about it. Bomb-building is exactly that on a fundamental level. The M67 grenade uses the M213 pyrotechnic delay fuze. A catalyst. It weighs 400 g in total and has a safety clip to prevent the safety pin on the grenade from being pulled accidentally. The safety pin prevents the safety lever, or "spoon" on the grenade from moving and releasing the spring-loaded striker which initiates the grenade's fuse assembly. Mechanism. Powers work analogously to that.
INTERVIEWER: Are you really comparing powers to bombs?
DWYER: Well, heh, they do tend to blow up in our faces, don't they? Five-Fold Mission, etc.
INTERVIEWER: Funny. While we're on that topic. His alias, where do you think that came from?
DWYER: Well Halpert's a, uh, habitual line-stepper. Raiding private laboratories as well as workshops of other villains? That's usually a taboo in the underworld. I don't think it's something he chose for himself, since he tends to be more reserved and laconic. It fits him though since he sees everything as a joke. A complete anarchist. I mean, c'mon, his costume is bright green and purple for Pete's sake! Two people in the world would wear something like that: Him and Proton.
INTERVIEWER: Comedian's Oswald coefficient is low. What would you say is his limit?
DWYER: Uh, I don't really know. In theory he doesn't have a limit. When you look at his ad-hoc bombs, the stuff he makes in a crunch from what are esseentially household materials, it's actually pretty terrifying to imagine what he could do. The one redeeming thing is that he seems to just want to be left alone. As long as you're not between him and what he's after, there's nothing to fear. Usually. Erm... Look, I don't think he's just gonna make a doomsday device for the hell of it if that's what you're asking. And if he were to, it would take some seriously expensive resources and a lot of time.
INTERVIEWER: How would you comment his other powers?
DWYER: Oh, yes. His other powers. Well, we don't know how many he has actually. Three's the safe bet. Could also be four and five. That's the tricky thing with Circuit struckies. I can definitely confirm that he does have metahuman timing. Again bombs and time. The divine humor is not lost on me. [CLEARS TRHOAT] Anyhow, we had to move him into a bare, windowless cell because of that. That's really the key to these pericogs, you need to starve them of information. You see, he was charting out patrols and that's a big no-no. Time and space are conjoined so he, like The Alpha, probably concieves of time and consequently space differently than normal humans.
INTERVIEWER: So then he can time things perfectly? How come he was captured? More importantly: how come he hasn't attempted an escape yet? Surely there must have been several opportunities.
DWYER: I would love to say that its because The Block's security is impregnable, but to be frank? I don't know the answer to that question. He may just be biding his time.
Last Edit: Aug 28, 2021 17:02:36 GMT by Kid Cosmic
Deathshead's Think Tank Black Thought - Deathshead's most protected asset. Has fits of paranoia which inspire him to develop technology to protect him from his fears. Corvus - Locomotion specialist and international thief. Known to execute aerial heists thought impossible. Takes inspiration from nature. Professor Levy - Disgraced space-time theorist. Member of the Interdimensional Council of Levy. Codetalker - Former internet scammer. Creates automated networks and drones.
2. Accounting The Architect - Chief Financial Officer; Hyperthymesia & Superhuman Mathematics. Supposedly involved in the real estate market crash of '08. Oracle - Clairvoyant. Secretary - Seasoned telepath and empath.
2.1 Auditors Scourge - Deathshead's right-hand man. Empowered by misery. The Mongoose (retired) The Corinthian II Forget-Me-Not - Memory erasure. Cheshire Cat - Controlled invisibility. Omertà the Silencer Fat Man & The Little Boy
3. Logistics 3.1 Earners Glacier - Cryogenics and stasis expert. Sometimes collaborates with the Think Tank. The Coroner - Can commune with the dead, auxillary psychic skills. Doorman - Extremely proficient teleporter, Deathshead's personal 'chaffeur'. Army of One - Self-duplication. Wilhelm Octavius Weird III. - Necromancer, among other of his paranormal proficiencies. The Shrink - Superhuman faculty for interrogation and lie sensing.
3.2 Enforcers Bulldozer Caliber Snow White Koschei Krakatoa Sammael Vodník - Strange supernatural Slavic soul-manipulating water entity. Claims to be a duke of sorts.
3.3 Henchmen Safeguard John Blight Moose Riot Sauvignon Genocide Jones Mira Shithead Bob The 'Ooter Mascarpone X-Ray
4. Marketing Outrunner - Deathshead's messenger. Superhuman speed. Adonis & Venus - Married pair with identical powers. Both appear as the ideal partner to their opposite sex. Their powers do not work on each other. It is unknown what their true appearances are. Detenté
5. Associates The Practice - An association of medical experts who offer their services extra-legally in exchange for compensation.
Last Edit: Aug 22, 2021 21:46:44 GMT by Kid Cosmic
Timing is everything. Its that special ingredient that makes cream rise above crop. The Oomph! that enables over 2,400,000 people commute seamlessly across Tokyo on a daily basis. Most importantly, it is a comedian's ability to lay down punchlines like landmines. It is victory and greatness. Without good timing, you're nothing.
This escape? This is all great timing.
It isn't that hard to get out a cell once somebody bore an actual skylight into the Block. Structural integrity and all that. He moved quickly through the chaos before the guards got their bearing, quickly scrambling to use a dead guard's t-shirt to conceal his face and lifting his utility belt. His enhanced sensorium allowed him to navigate through the riot elegantly.
Above he saw a woman hover in the swirling sands, her harmonic voice carried far. Unnaturally. Halpert did not recognize her since part of his containment demanded him to be starved off information. She was probably called Opera or Soprano, or something goofy like that. But he liked colorful things, such as coruscant wings that scintillated in daylight. Colors are a statement! All those capes in black, clothed more dreary than some of his 'evil' contemporaries. When did that trend start? It made him physically shudder at the thought.
Alas, there were things to do. People to meet. No time for fashion talk. Somebody even chimed in with an offer for money. What else does a man need?
[attr="style","font-family:Caveat Brush;color:#218380;text-shadow:2px 8px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.2), 0px -5px 35px rgba(255,255,255,0.3);font-size:150%;font-weight:700;display:inline-block;"]"Millennium Man? Ho-ho. Ha ha!"
, a hoarse, cynical cackle.
The name rung all kinds of bells. Andrew wouldn't have guessed they would lock somebody like one of the Men of Millennium in here with the rest of them. Was he the fourth or fifth? Hm... Contrary to popular belief, Andrew wasn't a meshuga. He just got a peek backstage which rattled some of his gears. So he followed the money trail as dust picked up which was mostly mitigated by his prescient use of face cover.
He climbed up to the console platform the hard way-- Is that a monkey? He has a gun!
Comedian's hands shot up with apprehension.
[attr="style","font-family:Caveat Brush;color:#218380;text-shadow:2px 8px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.2), 0px -5px 35px rgba(255,255,255,0.3);font-size:150%;font-weight:700;display:inline-block;"]"Don't shoot me, simian! I can help you get out of here. But we need to move quickly for that storage depot before any more of these super-schmucks come crawling out the woodwork!"
Last Edit: Sept 3, 2021 16:25:50 GMT by The Comedian
The Comedian is a professional Electro-active criminal operating across the Panamerican territory. Most of his extra-legal activities in the last few months have coalesced around Millennium City where he moonlights as one of The Trust's contractors particularly in the areas of corporate sabotage, various kinds of armed robbery and rarely even bounty-hunting. As a Circuit, Halpert has several superhuman abilities at his disposal. Though the identity of his cluster-mates remains unknown, his pattern does match a Wax-Wane or Carousel cluster dynamic.
Tinker 7 -"Chiefly, Andrew Halpert is a tinker whose speciality lies in the fabrication of explosive devices with a wide variety of effects. Not all of these 'bombs' are lethal or destructive, such as his iconic transmutation bombs which seem to produce non-discrete results (glass, diamond, dust, etc.) or the Glue Grenades that produce a derivate of containment foam. However, those that are lethal are often deceptive in appearance, carrying improportionately powerful payloads. Comedian's high Tinker rating allows him to use and maintain the technology he steals. Like many Tinkers, he gains increased versatility by studying the powers of other parautilitarians."
Thinker 5 -"The Comedian's secondary power is suspected to be a superhuman sense of timing; making Halpert a pericog of sorts. His timing ability has allowed him to organise crews very efficiently in the past, to the point where he could give the exact amount of time they need to accomplish their tasks and complete a given objective. Further it enhances his own fighting and positioning with which he can pull off seemingly impossible feats such as circumnavigating patrols and security systems instinctually. An added benefit allows him to inject theatricality into everything he does."
Striker/Mover 1 -"Halpert's tertiary ability relates to his enhanced potential for explosive movement. Field agents have described his movement pattern as erratic at times, seemingly capable of bursts of superhuman speed. These moments are fleeting yet potent and accompanied with a strange 'de-sync effect' where his body seems to almost lag behind the actual extertion of force."
Stranger ? -"Some aspect of his listed powers (or possibly a completely seperate power) is strong enough to make him unreadable to most other Thinker-types stumping our PSYINT department. This could also be caused by the use of technology."
3. TECHNOLOGY
Moebius Shawl - Stolen from Tempus' hideout in Milwaukee. We haven't been able to understand the technology behind it. Its characteristics are temperamental and prone to change. It is indestructible and has also previously assumed complex, rigid shapes. The item has also managed to perfectly camouflage The Comedian on multiple occasions and was used to contain the explosion of a malfunctioning device.
Drysuit - Complex purple and green tinker-tech body armor, doubles as a bomb-suit to insulate Comedian from the worst effects of his bombs. It is hermetically sealed and has an internal oxygen supply. Mask sports a synthesizer to disguise his voice. Googles are polarized and have a HUD that can toggle different effects. Houses tools and other equipment such as a wrist-mounted grappling hook and launcher for his deployables.
Deployables - Glue Grenade - Faster acting containment foam formula. - Concussion Grenade - Blast of force, non-lethal. - Disruptor Grenade - Powerful EMP grenade. - Transmutation Grenade - Capable of transmuting everying in a 5 meter radius into another type of material. - Grinning Grenade - Formula stolen from Night-Nurse. Induces laughing fits and paralyzes facial muscles for several hours. - Holographic Grenade - Produces camouflage cover, disrupts telemetry. - High-Yield Grenade - Bombs of various sizes. The smallest pebble can obliterate several apartments. - Warp Grenade - Spacial warping bombs that could permanently twist organic matter. Based on SOS teleportation tech. - Recycler - Possibly a derivate of the Warp Grenade that dismantles everything into component parts. - Ad-Hoc Grenades - Bombs with chaotic effects. Untested and locked away. - Alkahest - Poorly understood universal solvent that activates once exposed to oxygen.
Yeti Pistol - Stolen from Polaris. It's cryo-engine is capable of weaponizing moisture to generate ice and snow.
2. OVERVIEW
INTERVIEWER: State your name and occupation please.
DWYER: Dwyer, William T., I'm the analyst behind Comedian's arrest in early 2021. Which I assume is why I've been brought here to [REDACTED]?
INTERVIEWER: Correct. This recording will be archived as part of the contingency protocols for future reference. You may begin.
DWYER: Okay. I should probably preface this by stating that what we know about The Comedian is not a complete body of work by any means--
INTERVIEWER: How come?
DWYER: Well, you read the file, Halpert's a maniac. Rigged his own mask with an explosive that took us several months to disable. We haven't been able to run any statistically significant tests so we're still mostly working with hypotheses and observations. However, most of our assumptions have proved correct over time. His biggest strength is actually that beautiful insane genius of his.
INTERVIEWER: Beautiful?
DWYER: I'm sorry. It's just that I can't help but appreciate the madness. When you look at all the tech he's stolen... it's... it's... gorgeous. Like a Van Gogh or a Whiskey Sour. These costumed people they have their gimmicks, right? His is taking those gimmicks and making them his. Not just finessing ray guns, no, everything he's stolen he rebuilt in his own design language. It is really from studying his effects that we learned the most about how his powers work.
INTERVIEWER: Like Halpert's bombs?
DWYER: Oh yes, perfect example. Most of them actually emulate power effects we have previously documented.
INTERVIEWER: What?
DWYER: Yes, he doesn't just make bombs. The transmutation 'nade? It's mimics the effects of Aurum's powers. We suspect that his speciality is something far more over-reaching. Me, personally, I think it concerns mechanisms and catalysts. Think about it. Bomb-building is exactly that on a fundamental level. The M67 grenade uses the M213 pyrotechnic delay fuze. A catalyst. It weighs 400 g in total and has a safety clip to prevent the safety pin on the grenade from being pulled accidentally. The safety pin prevents the safety lever, or "spoon" on the grenade from moving and releasing the spring-loaded striker which initiates the grenade's fuse assembly. Mechanism. Powers work analogously to that.
INTERVIEWER: Are you really comparing powers to bombs?
DWYER: Well, heh, they do tend to blow up in our faces, don't they? Five-Fold Mission, etc.
INTERVIEWER: Funny. While we're on that topic. His alias, where do you think that came from?
DWYER: Well Halpert's a, uh, habitual line-stepper. Raiding private laboratories as well as workshops of other villains? That's usually a taboo in the underworld. I don't think it's something he chose for himself, since he tends to be more reserved and laconic. It fits him though since he sees everything as a joke. A complete anarchist. I mean, c'mon, his costume is bright green and purple for Pete's sake! Two people in the world would wear something like that: Him and Proton.
INTERVIEWER: Comedian's Oswald coefficient is low. What would you say is his limit?
DWYER: Uh, I don't really know. In theory he doesn't have a limit. When you look at his ad-hoc bombs, the stuff he makes in a crunch from what are esseentially household materials, it's actually pretty terrifying to imagine what he could do. The one redeeming thing is that he seems to just want to be left alone. As long as you're not between him and what he's after, there's nothing to fear. Usually. Erm... Look, I don't think he's just gonna make a doomsday device for the hell of it if that's what you're asking. And if he were to, it would take some seriously expensive resources and a lot of time.
INTERVIEWER: How would you comment his other powers?
DWYER: Oh, yes. His other powers. Well, we don't know how many he has actually. Three's the safe bet. Could also be four and five. That's the tricky thing with Circuit struckies. I can definitely confirm that he does have metahuman timing. Again bombs and time. The divine humor is not lost on me. [CLEARS TRHOAT] Anyhow, we had to move him into a bare, windowless cell because of that. That's really the key to these pericogs, you need to starve them of information. You see, he was charting out patrols and that's a big no-no. Time and space are conjoined so he, like The Alpha, probably concieves of time and consequently space differently than normal humans.
INTERVIEWER: So then he can time things perfectly? How come he was captured? More importantly: how come he hasn't attempted an escape yet? Surely there must have been several opportunities.
DWYER: I would love to say that its because The Block's security is impregnable, but to be frank? I don't know the answer to that question. He may just be biding his time.