Yup that's right.
As I work on the Silver Age for the Zenith Universe, I have my Superman (Guardsman) and I have my Wonder Woman (Lady America) but I am missing a Batman. The guy who uses brains and skill instead of powers. The guy who everyone wonders if he is a hero or a villain. The guy, who when the American Government says "Unmask or go to jail." in the 50's doesn't say anything, he just ignores them and keeps going.
Now the hard part of this is that I don't want him to be a dead-to-rights rip-off of the Bat. Certainly Guardsman doesn't strike anyone as Superman on first blush. He isn't an alien, he started in 1944 and was powered by a magical helmet. Lady America (nicknamed the American Amazon for those who might miss it ;) ) isn't directly Wonder Woman either. She has no powers, uses Martial Arts and is a wrapped in the flag patriot. Essentially she is Wonder Woman masquerading as Captain America.
So how to have a Batman who isn't really a Batman at first glance.
I am wracking my brain on this one and coming up empty, so I turn to you all for input, ideas and guidance.
One caveat, please don't offer me characters from your own campaigns or creations unless you are also giving me permission to use them in publishing ventures (for which proper credit will be given to you if the character is used) as well as to twist, fold, spindle and/or mutilate as I see fit to make them work in the Zenith Universe.
Just had to get that out of the way.
Showing posts with label Guardsman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guardsman. Show all posts
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Just What Is The Silver Age?
"A silver age is a name often given to a particular period within a history, typically as a lesser and later successor to a golden age, the metal silver generally being valuable, but less so than gold."
Nope that sounds bad. Making it not as good as the Golden Age. Hmmmmm.
"The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the period from 1956 to circa 1970, and was succeeded by the Bronze and Modern Ages."
Well that just tells me when it was... le sigh. I need a better definition of what the Silver Age was... what it means.
Wikipedia you have failed me!
"The Silver Age of comic books began with the “second generation” of superheroes from 1959 to 1963 or so. Silver Age comics tended to feature more powerful heroes than their Golden Age predecessors (with the exception of a few godlike Golden Age characters). Silver Age comics also had a decidedly science fiction bent to them, with more aliens, fantastic technology, and scientific origins, especially involving atomic energy and related mutations. Many classic comic book characters first appeared in the Silver Age, or settled into their now-familiar forms and mythologies during this time."
That's from Mutants & Masterminds by-the-way.
Hmmm... it doesn't really help though does it?
Okay science and aliens are up. Got it. The classic characters either start or settle into themselves in this era. I am guessing that means what we know as the Flash, Wonder-Woman, Batman and Superman from DC or the entirety of Marvel Comics.
It would be fair to say that DC's Silver Age was much sillier than Marvel comics, though some also say that Marvel Comics are part of the "Atomic Age", though I am not going into that in this campaign.
So for me, the idea of the Silver Age becomes defining it for myself with an eye to what it was in the real world of comics. Those comics range from the 50s to about 1970. Interestingly enough that is an age that starts, in American history, as a sort of idealized innocence and ends with that innocence ripped away and reality really hitting home. The Korean War vs the Vietnam War. Eisenhower's America vs the Civil Rights movement. Elvis Presley vs the Beatles. Okay I better stop I can do this all day.
So given that my Silver Age needs to start with an idealized and somewhat naive view and end with a more realistic view, that gives way to the Bronze Age.
So at the end of the Golden Age we have the postwar heroes falling victim to the "Red Menace" fears and Dr. Dynamite getting shot. The other heroes have all but retired or vanished. Some have stuck it out, like Guardsman, who is very much into the whole 1950s America. White picket fence, nuclear family, etc... Racisim exists but no one talks about it in polite company and while there may be greasers, most middle-class white kids are essentially what Archie comics gave us. Oh and no one talks about the poor people.
In my timeline I have the SS Titan getting hi-jacked in 1958. A but late for the Silver Age to kick off, certainly later than the 1953 or 56 proposed in the above quotes. I had certainly decided that before I had created the idea of Guardsman as well. Still it is easy to say that with Guardsman running around doing various "American Things" in the early to mid 50s and Captain Comet showing up in 1958 the Silver Age get's kicked off with a flood of new heroes.
Though that makes me unhappy as well, for it means I lose out on the wonder and excitement of the whole early and mid 50s idealism and innocence. Interesting the onyl superheroes of note in those days in our world were Superman and I think Batman. Wonder Woman may have been in that time as well, I can't remember. Oh and there may have been a commie battling Captain America as well. Hmmm.
So I either adjust my timeline and move the beginning of the Silver Age back, or have Captain Comet show up earlier in the timeline, which is the same as moving the beginning back.
Now I am just thinking out loud.
I suspect I will need to do more research on this and so I will end this post by asking any and all of you to feel free to comment or share your thoughts on this topic.
Cheers.
Nope that sounds bad. Making it not as good as the Golden Age. Hmmmmm.
"The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the period from 1956 to circa 1970, and was succeeded by the Bronze and Modern Ages."
Well that just tells me when it was... le sigh. I need a better definition of what the Silver Age was... what it means.
Wikipedia you have failed me!
"The Silver Age of comic books began with the “second generation” of superheroes from 1959 to 1963 or so. Silver Age comics tended to feature more powerful heroes than their Golden Age predecessors (with the exception of a few godlike Golden Age characters). Silver Age comics also had a decidedly science fiction bent to them, with more aliens, fantastic technology, and scientific origins, especially involving atomic energy and related mutations. Many classic comic book characters first appeared in the Silver Age, or settled into their now-familiar forms and mythologies during this time."
That's from Mutants & Masterminds by-the-way.
Hmmm... it doesn't really help though does it?
Okay science and aliens are up. Got it. The classic characters either start or settle into themselves in this era. I am guessing that means what we know as the Flash, Wonder-Woman, Batman and Superman from DC or the entirety of Marvel Comics.
It would be fair to say that DC's Silver Age was much sillier than Marvel comics, though some also say that Marvel Comics are part of the "Atomic Age", though I am not going into that in this campaign.
So for me, the idea of the Silver Age becomes defining it for myself with an eye to what it was in the real world of comics. Those comics range from the 50s to about 1970. Interestingly enough that is an age that starts, in American history, as a sort of idealized innocence and ends with that innocence ripped away and reality really hitting home. The Korean War vs the Vietnam War. Eisenhower's America vs the Civil Rights movement. Elvis Presley vs the Beatles. Okay I better stop I can do this all day.
So given that my Silver Age needs to start with an idealized and somewhat naive view and end with a more realistic view, that gives way to the Bronze Age.
So at the end of the Golden Age we have the postwar heroes falling victim to the "Red Menace" fears and Dr. Dynamite getting shot. The other heroes have all but retired or vanished. Some have stuck it out, like Guardsman, who is very much into the whole 1950s America. White picket fence, nuclear family, etc... Racisim exists but no one talks about it in polite company and while there may be greasers, most middle-class white kids are essentially what Archie comics gave us. Oh and no one talks about the poor people.
In my timeline I have the SS Titan getting hi-jacked in 1958. A but late for the Silver Age to kick off, certainly later than the 1953 or 56 proposed in the above quotes. I had certainly decided that before I had created the idea of Guardsman as well. Still it is easy to say that with Guardsman running around doing various "American Things" in the early to mid 50s and Captain Comet showing up in 1958 the Silver Age get's kicked off with a flood of new heroes.
Though that makes me unhappy as well, for it means I lose out on the wonder and excitement of the whole early and mid 50s idealism and innocence. Interesting the onyl superheroes of note in those days in our world were Superman and I think Batman. Wonder Woman may have been in that time as well, I can't remember. Oh and there may have been a commie battling Captain America as well. Hmmm.
So I either adjust my timeline and move the beginning of the Silver Age back, or have Captain Comet show up earlier in the timeline, which is the same as moving the beginning back.
Now I am just thinking out loud.
I suspect I will need to do more research on this and so I will end this post by asking any and all of you to feel free to comment or share your thoughts on this topic.
Cheers.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Gyro, Gyro, Gyro!
With those words the hero Spartacus summed up how he felt about Vixen's constant deferral to the hero who was also her lover at the time. Out of game it gave all of us a great laugh and later proved to me how a properly used GMPC can enhance a game, so long as you allow them not to be a Mary Sue and are willing to kill them once in a while.
I don't see GMPCs as a bad thing, though I have read enough horror stories to see how they can go bad. While this is an article for another time, I just wanted to say that if used as a falvouring/seasoning a GMPC can add to a game. If used as a starring role or constantly saving the heroes butts and telling them what to do, then it is a bad thing.
Like too much salt.
I have reposted the "My Thoughts" part of the original posting at the end of this one, but enough about that though.
So here he is, my first hero I ever created back in V&V in 1985 and one of the most iconic characters of the Zenith Universe;
GYRO Richard Wilkerson
35pts (Stats 16/Powers 21/Weakness -2)
Stats
Brawn: 2 Agility: 4 Mind: 2
Weakness
Damaging Weakness: Sonics
Skills
Athletics: Aerobatics
Pilot: Tricks/Evasion/Control
Investigation: Gut
Powers
• Boost: Mind 2 (For Energy Blast)
• Energy Blast: Special Attack 5 [Enhancement: Variable]
- Standard Blast: Mid Range, +1 Hit, +2 Dm
- Short Blast: Close Range +1 Hit +3 Dm
- Long Blast: Long Range, +1 Hit, +1 Dm
- Wide Angle: Close Range, Small Burst, +3 Dm
- Dodge This: +5 Hit
- Haymaker: +5 Dm
- Spin-Blast: Medium Burst, +3 Dm
• Flight 5 [Enhancements: Space]
• Immunity 4 [Suffocation, Vacuum, Temperatures, Radiation]/ Personal Force Field: Armour 3 [Enhancement: Linked]
• Super Speed 5 [Limitations: Only In Flight/Only Movement]
Advantages
Appeal
Disadvantages
Social Stigma: Mocked
Mental Malfunction
To prove himself
Background
Richard Wilkerson was born the son of Nathanial Wilkerson III, owner and head of Avitech, a large military contractor to the US. Raised around aviation it was only natural that Richard would become a pilot. Flying for the USAF, Richard was on a routine mission chasing a stray MiG back across the Bering Strait when something he could never have imagined happened.
A UFO came onto the radar and bathed both Richard’s F-15 Eagle and the Russian’s MiG in a strange golden glow. According to Air Force documents and statements, both jets dropped off radar over the Bering Strait. 2nd Lieutenant Richard Wilkerson was first listed as MIA and then 48 hours later as KIA.
Six months later, a fishing boat off the coast got the surprise of their lifetimes when they pulled a blonde, alive man in with their nets. His Air Force Dog Tags still on, they radioed to shore and were met there by a military detachment.
It is unknown what happened in the debriefing, but this much is k
now. Wilkerson was discharged after an Air Force Lawyer named Karen Winston brought his story to the media. The Air Force discharged her as well. Wilkerson moved in with her in Seattle for a time, where he began complaining of migraines. Then one night he began glowing with a tremendous golden energy and flew out of their penthouse, not stopping until he reached Japan.
Over a short period of time he came to learn that somehow he had developed tremendous powers. He went to his father immediately, explaining the situation. His father promised to help, but instead called the USAF and offered to hand over his son to them. EAGLE intercepted that call and stepped in.
Richard was given the choice of joining up with EAGLE or returning to the Air Force. He chose EAGLE and very soon found himself with a costume, a code name and a position on Team Justice. Now called Gyro he was suddenly a member of the premiere American super-hero team. To say he fit in would be a lie.
It didn’t take long for Gyro to get kicked out of Team Justice for undisclosed reasons, though rumours say it involved the villainess Trixie of Ravage V. EAGLE then convinced Guardsman to make him a member of the Guardians, which turned out to be the best thing for Gyro.
He respected Guardsman and looked to him as the father he wished he had. He learned to control his powers and his hot headedness under Guardsman’s careful tutelage and watchful eye. Eventually though this too would end for Gyro.
With the details having made all the gossip rags at the time, we will just sum it up by saying his romantic dalliance with Guardsman’s girlfriend at the time Sparrow Hawk, lead to both Gyro and her being removed from the Guardians. In a morbid turn of fortune, this occurred one week before the team was devastated by the Axis of Evil and Guardsman was killed.
Now without a team and cut loose by EAGLE, Gyro has taken up residence in New York City and hopes to prove that there is a hero inside him, the hero that Guardsman told him he could be. If only he could make everyone else see that.
Pictured
Current Cosutme as of 1984 (top right) and original costume (left)
My Thoughts
Gyro was my first character I ever made. I made him in V&V and man did he get into trouble. My buddy Graeme was running the campaign and Gyro was actually a member of Team Justice. Then they captured Trixie from Ravage V and she worked her feminine wiles on poor old Richard and sure as shit he let her go. He was promptly kicked off the team.
When I started the Guardians campaign back in '89, I had Gyro with the rest of the PCs trying out for an open slot on Team Justice. Yup, he was such a thick head that he was determined to get back on the team. Needless to say he didn't make it but he did band with the PCs to stop a fight between King and Mega-Man (no relation), two other tryout rejects.
When they announced to the media that they were forming a superhero team, the first question asked was "Gyro! Gyro! Sally Such-in-such for the Blather Press Daily. Will you be kicked off this team too?" I recall having Gyro lose his temper and declare the press conference was over.
The funny thing was, the players really liked Gyro and decided to make him the team leader. Nowin those days no one in our group knew the term GMPC and certainly I didn't favour Gyro. So much so that years later one of the original players confessed to me that he knew it was a serious night when I had Gyro get killed flying a nuclear bomb into orbit as the first act of the session.
That's right. I killed my pet NPC two sessions into the campaign.
Something most folks won't understand, especially those who have been on the bad end of a GMPC experience, is that I treat my NPCs far worse than my PCs. I beat them, kill them, rape them, torture them, humiliate them, etc... all so that the players understand how the world works. Then I can do it to them without worry of them thinking I am picking on them.
Some players get it, some don't. Those who get it though have been coming to my table on and off for 25 years. So I must be doing something right.
Will Gyro be in the new game? Hell yes. This is the 25th Anniversary game! You bet your ass my first ever superhero will be in it, without a doubt!
I don't see GMPCs as a bad thing, though I have read enough horror stories to see how they can go bad. While this is an article for another time, I just wanted to say that if used as a falvouring/seasoning a GMPC can add to a game. If used as a starring role or constantly saving the heroes butts and telling them what to do, then it is a bad thing.
Like too much salt.
I have reposted the "My Thoughts" part of the original posting at the end of this one, but enough about that though.
So here he is, my first hero I ever created back in V&V in 1985 and one of the most iconic characters of the Zenith Universe;
GYRO Richard Wilkerson
35pts (Stats 16/Powers 21/Weakness -2)
Stats
Brawn: 2 Agility: 4 Mind: 2
Weakness
Damaging Weakness: Sonics
Skills
Athletics: Aerobatics
Pilot: Tricks/Evasion/Control
Investigation: Gut
Powers
• Boost: Mind 2 (For Energy Blast)
• Energy Blast: Special Attack 5 [Enhancement: Variable]
- Standard Blast: Mid Range, +1 Hit, +2 Dm
- Short Blast: Close Range +1 Hit +3 Dm
- Long Blast: Long Range, +1 Hit, +1 Dm
- Wide Angle: Close Range, Small Burst, +3 Dm
- Dodge This: +5 Hit
- Haymaker: +5 Dm
- Spin-Blast: Medium Burst, +3 Dm
• Flight 5 [Enhancements: Space]
• Immunity 4 [Suffocation, Vacuum, Temperatures, Radiation]/ Personal Force Field: Armour 3 [Enhancement: Linked]
• Super Speed 5 [Limitations: Only In Flight/Only Movement]
Advantages
Appeal
Disadvantages
Social Stigma: Mocked
Mental Malfunction
To prove himself
Background
Richard Wilkerson was born the son of Nathanial Wilkerson III, owner and head of Avitech, a large military contractor to the US. Raised around aviation it was only natural that Richard would become a pilot. Flying for the USAF, Richard was on a routine mission chasing a stray MiG back across the Bering Strait when something he could never have imagined happened.
A UFO came onto the radar and bathed both Richard’s F-15 Eagle and the Russian’s MiG in a strange golden glow. According to Air Force documents and statements, both jets dropped off radar over the Bering Strait. 2nd Lieutenant Richard Wilkerson was first listed as MIA and then 48 hours later as KIA.
Six months later, a fishing boat off the coast got the surprise of their lifetimes when they pulled a blonde, alive man in with their nets. His Air Force Dog Tags still on, they radioed to shore and were met there by a military detachment.
It is unknown what happened in the debriefing, but this much is k
now. Wilkerson was discharged after an Air Force Lawyer named Karen Winston brought his story to the media. The Air Force discharged her as well. Wilkerson moved in with her in Seattle for a time, where he began complaining of migraines. Then one night he began glowing with a tremendous golden energy and flew out of their penthouse, not stopping until he reached Japan.Over a short period of time he came to learn that somehow he had developed tremendous powers. He went to his father immediately, explaining the situation. His father promised to help, but instead called the USAF and offered to hand over his son to them. EAGLE intercepted that call and stepped in.
Richard was given the choice of joining up with EAGLE or returning to the Air Force. He chose EAGLE and very soon found himself with a costume, a code name and a position on Team Justice. Now called Gyro he was suddenly a member of the premiere American super-hero team. To say he fit in would be a lie.
It didn’t take long for Gyro to get kicked out of Team Justice for undisclosed reasons, though rumours say it involved the villainess Trixie of Ravage V. EAGLE then convinced Guardsman to make him a member of the Guardians, which turned out to be the best thing for Gyro.
He respected Guardsman and looked to him as the father he wished he had. He learned to control his powers and his hot headedness under Guardsman’s careful tutelage and watchful eye. Eventually though this too would end for Gyro.
With the details having made all the gossip rags at the time, we will just sum it up by saying his romantic dalliance with Guardsman’s girlfriend at the time Sparrow Hawk, lead to both Gyro and her being removed from the Guardians. In a morbid turn of fortune, this occurred one week before the team was devastated by the Axis of Evil and Guardsman was killed.
Now without a team and cut loose by EAGLE, Gyro has taken up residence in New York City and hopes to prove that there is a hero inside him, the hero that Guardsman told him he could be. If only he could make everyone else see that.
Pictured
Current Cosutme as of 1984 (top right) and original costume (left)
My Thoughts
Gyro was my first character I ever made. I made him in V&V and man did he get into trouble. My buddy Graeme was running the campaign and Gyro was actually a member of Team Justice. Then they captured Trixie from Ravage V and she worked her feminine wiles on poor old Richard and sure as shit he let her go. He was promptly kicked off the team.
When I started the Guardians campaign back in '89, I had Gyro with the rest of the PCs trying out for an open slot on Team Justice. Yup, he was such a thick head that he was determined to get back on the team. Needless to say he didn't make it but he did band with the PCs to stop a fight between King and Mega-Man (no relation), two other tryout rejects.
When they announced to the media that they were forming a superhero team, the first question asked was "Gyro! Gyro! Sally Such-in-such for the Blather Press Daily. Will you be kicked off this team too?" I recall having Gyro lose his temper and declare the press conference was over.
The funny thing was, the players really liked Gyro and decided to make him the team leader. Nowin those days no one in our group knew the term GMPC and certainly I didn't favour Gyro. So much so that years later one of the original players confessed to me that he knew it was a serious night when I had Gyro get killed flying a nuclear bomb into orbit as the first act of the session.
That's right. I killed my pet NPC two sessions into the campaign.
Something most folks won't understand, especially those who have been on the bad end of a GMPC experience, is that I treat my NPCs far worse than my PCs. I beat them, kill them, rape them, torture them, humiliate them, etc... all so that the players understand how the world works. Then I can do it to them without worry of them thinking I am picking on them.
Some players get it, some don't. Those who get it though have been coming to my table on and off for 25 years. So I must be doing something right.
Will Gyro be in the new game? Hell yes. This is the 25th Anniversary game! You bet your ass my first ever superhero will be in it, without a doubt!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
New Pictures!
So I realized I was doing something wrong with the way I did my character pictures. So I redid them all and in the process redesigned a little bit :)Here we go;
First up is my Lady America. I spent a lot of time working on this look and in the end it became a mix of two different Lady America costumes. The first one ever and the City of Heroes look I used that won me oh so many costume contests in Atlas Park.
The hair is still wrong, as it it supposed to look like the singer from Roxette's hair but I just could get that right at all.
It should look like this;
But the problem is that I have little to no artistic talent freehand and drawing said hair would have been beyond my talents.Still I am happy with how she turned out. Even if her boobs are too big. ;)
Up next is the rework of Gyro. Again I added something to the picture, which was the new chest symbol. I like it a lot more than the one that came built into the Fabrica program, so off to Photoshop I went. In the end I think he looks more streamlined and faster, which is sort of what I was aiming for.Like Lady A, Gyro is a character that is near and dear to my heart. When I couldn't get his name in City of Heroes I wound calling him Ex Astris, which was fun... but it wasn't right. I can still hear Farrel in my head saying in his Spartacus voice "Gyro! Gyro! Gyro!" in a very Brady Bunch moment.
Sigh those were good time.
Continuing the trend of remake and redesign, I came to my buddy
Guardsman. I just couldn't get it right. No matter how I tried to do it, it wasn't coming out the way I wanted.Then I tried this and everything was okay;
It is amazing what a half-cape and some colour introspection can do for a character. I am beyond happy with how Guardsman turned out. Now he looks like the bad-ass super hero I saw him as originally.
Well that's it for now.
More to come, as there are already designs on the plate that haven't been seen yet. Some of which still need to be stated out as well.
Cheers and enjoy!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Guardsman BASH!
GUARDSMAN
Nathan Prince
36pts (Stats 20pts/Powers 20pts/Weakness -4)
Stats
Brawn: 4
Agility: 4
Mind: 2
Weakness
Devastating Weakness: Argonite (Negating/x3 Damage) (-4pts)
Skills
Acrobatics: Throwing/Running/Climbing/Jumping
Military: Command/Tactics
Powers
Ability Boost: Brawn (Uppercut Punch!) 3
Armour 3
Attack Weak Point
Eye Beams: Special Attack: 5 (2 Range/+3DM)
Fleet of Foot
Flight 5
Martial Arts: Tough Style
Advantages
Leadership
Never Surrender
Security Clearance
Disadvantages
Arch-Enemy
Public ID
Rogue’s Gallery
Mental Malfunction
Square jawed hero.
Background
Guardsman started out as a hero in the Golden Age. A bit late to the show, he only appeared on the scene in 1944, but his arrival was a giant impact on the day.
He claimed to have been given his powers from a magical helmet he had found, but more than once he had the helmet knocked off his head and never seemed to depower.
Never a member of the wartime super teams, he did work with plenty of them throughout the Golden Age and seemed to attract the attention of German super die Übermensch in a big way. The two had epic battles, the last being over Berlin as the Allies closed in.
Returning home he agreed to President Truman's request that he form up a national team for the protection of America. He called that team the Golden Guardsmen, after himself of course.
According to all other heroes who knew him, the one thing greater than his power was his ego. Still his impressive nature and awesome powers served him well and he became the gold standard for superheroes for the next three decades.
In 1983, while still leading the Golden Guardsmen, Guardsman was killed in battle by die Übermensch and his team of anti-American villains, the Axis of Evil. It was a tremendous loss for a nation and the world.
His funeral was broadcast around the world and was attended by many leaders of the free world and a who's who of the heroes of the world. Even Soviet hero Red Guard issued a statement praising the heroics of Guardsman, and of course condemning his capitalist politics.
To say the world is lost without their premiere hero is an understatement. The Golden Guardsmen, all lost save one in the attack, are no more and Team Justice does what it can to hold the line, but Guardsman's absence has left a large void to fill.
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