[hider=The Cowl][b]Character you have created:[/b] The Cowl [b]Alias:[/b] Unknown [b]Speech Color:[/b] This part still isn't working, but if it was, black. [b]Character Alignment:[/b] Villain [b]Identity:[/b] Secret [b]Character Personality:[/b] At a glance, The Cowl seems to be focused on one thing and one thing only; profit. His entire platform seems to be getting the richest he possibly can, and sharing said wealth amongst his massive network of thieves, crooks, and criminals. His sole drive seems to be how he can get the most out of any deal, from a robbery, to arson, to insurance fraud, to kidnapping and ransoms, everything he does seems to be guided by his overwhelming sense of greed. However, that is merely on the surface of how he built his criminal empire, but in person he could be described as a philosopher, his criminal cunning seemingly offset by his reasoning. Every act of greed and selfishness is counteracted by his humility, logic, and cynicism, balancing out his ruthless and cutthroat plans with a dry wit and a calm demeanor. All the wealth he seems to amass and the empire he creates is simply the means to an end of an even greater scheme, whatever that may be. Just be wary if you are to ever catch him on his bad side, his wrath is the stuff legends are made of. [b]Uniform/costume:[/b][img]http://s1.postimg.org/o5bswglf3/The_Cowl.jpg[/img][img]http://s18.postimg.org/v41khznft/Business_Cowl.jpg[/img] [b]Origin Info/Details:[/b] The Cowl is an eternal enigma, to the law, the press, and even to his own subordinates. He appeared a few years ago out of the blue in Lost Haven, where he took over a small unnamed gang by killing their leader in cold blood. Almost immediately he set to work on increasing the gang’s territory and reputation, having his thugs commit a string of daring and well-planned heists on nearby banks, and using the wealth gathered as olive branches to nearby gangs, showing other gangs in Lost Haven that working with him would be more lucrative than working against him. Many gangs immediately allied with the newly dubbed “Shroud Syndicate” but those who did not found themselves under fire from nearby police forces who were “anonymously tipped” about certain crimes, while others still were simply wiped out or bought out. Through careful strategy and planning, the man now known as “The Cowl” assimilated gang after gang, until his influence and power was amongst the biggest in the streets of Lost Haven. And yet, he did not flaunt his power to create total anarchy in the city, as most criminals would in his state, instead keeping his operations in a low-key state, with the amount of kickbacks he was getting from drug deals, shake downs, blackmail, and enforcement, doing any of the high-risk actions he did when he was just starting out would be tantamount to placing a target on his back. He kept this secretive spree of crime going, eluding the many police raids done on his compounds, carefully planning the structure little by little to keep his thugs swearing allegiance to him and the local law enforcement woefully unaware of his location or his activities. He created a set of rules for his men, a careful ruling for how wealth was shared and how law enforcement was handled, when to resort to violence and when murder was appropriate, he had no desire for his operations to be blown asunder by unnecessary slaughter, and took a great many steps to avoid such travesty. And when the operation was a well-oiled machine, working smoothly within the confines of Lost Haven, The Cowl simply left the island, moving to the Eastern part of the world, intending to increase the Shroud Syndicate’s influence to a global standpoint, making him one of the most influential and notorious criminals on the planet. Up until now he’s still been operating under the shadows in China, subtly carving out territory for the Syndicate in Hong Kong, but arrival of metahumans will surely change his plans... [b]Hero Type (Select one):[/b] Trickster(Other) [b]Power Level (Select one below):[/b] City Level(In terms of Physical Power) World Level(In terms of influence) [b]Powers:[/b] Gadgetry: The Cowl is never without a clever device or sneaky machine near him, keeping with him a plethora of lethal and underhanded gadgets up his sleeve. These devices are as listed but are not limited to: Tactical Nano-suit, grappling gun, smoke bombs, explosives, cloaking device, flashbangs, virtual decoy makers, arm-blades, shoe-knives, bolos, caltrops, web grenades, force field generators, and many other weapons. Master Strategist/Tactical Analyst: The Cowl is a master of tactical planning, and has already formed a powerful gang under his control by the name of the Shroud Syndicate. Information Guru: The Cowl is abnormally well-informed on current events and incidents around the world, giving him very profitable gains where others are unaware. Expert Hand-To-Hand Combatant: The Cowl is a master at the martial arts, having a lot of free time due to him being a powerful crime lord. He is capable of effortlessly fending himself from multiple attackers, as well as matching the moves of trained experts. He has displayed skill in arts such as Krav Maga, Aikido, Taekwondo, Ninjutsu, Karate, Muai Thai, Boxing, and Kickboxing. Firearms Expert: Of Course, the Cowl is not one to play fair, and will more often than not end conflicts with gunfire. He is trained in multiple firearms and ballistic weapons. “Foresight”: Whether this is a gadget, pure human conditioning, or an actual superpower is to be debated, as no one has been able to pinpoint how The Cowl can predict a person’s movements the way he does. The Cowl seems to be able to think three steps ahead, being able to react to attacks at a much quicker pace than any human can, to the point of being able to avoid a small amount of gunfire. It is rumored that due to his incredible focus, he can “see” what a person is about to do by reading their muscle movements, but most still seem to think the ability is “inhuman”. Peak Human Condition: While primarily relying on his mind, The Cowl is no slouch when it comes to the body. He is as strong and fast as an olympic athlete, combined with the acrobatic skill of an olympic gymnast. Indomidible Will: The Cowl's mental fortitude is extremely focused, making it hard(but not impossible) for him to be influenced by telepathy or mind control. [b]Attributes (Select one at each category):[/b] Strength Level:Peak Human Speed/Reaction Timing Level:[Peak Human, but his Reaction time is remarkably faster. Endurance at MAXIMUM Effort:Peak Human Agility: 15X Human level. Intelligence: Super-Genius Fighting Skill: Mastered Resources: Extreme [b]Weaknesses:[/b] For all his tricks, gadgets, and charisma, The Cowl is still just a human being. Get a sword or bullet into him and he will die like anyone else. [b]Supporting Characters:[/b] The Shroud Syndicate - One of the largest and most influential criminal gangs in Lost Haven, and has considerable reach across the globe. They were originally a small time gang that went by another name a few years back, but when The Cowl entered the scene, the Syndicate grew almost overnight to a massive threat. Specter - The Cowl's metahuman right hand man and confidant. Powers have yet to be displayed. He tends to oversee all of the Shroud's operations within Lost Haven. The Talons - A biker gang within Little Sicily, follows the Shroud. The Dread Men - Another Street Gang, located in Chinatown, under the Shroud's tutelage The Brothers in Blood - A cult-like street gang in some reigons of Little Paris. They run drugs for the Shroud Syndicate to Lost Haven's rich and famous. Do you know how to post pictures on RPG boards?: Sample Post: A quick splash of water, and the man was awake, gasping and writhing in the tiny cell provided for him, an old war fort on the coast, judging by the sound of the waves, but where on the Earth that was, the man had no idea. As his eyes came into focus from his groggy slumber from starvation and isolation, he noticed three men standing in his cell. Immediately recognizing the leader by his trademark mask and hood, the man began to shout and struggle, only to find his hands and legs bound to the wall. “Oh good, you’re awake.” The hooded man said, moving closer to the imprisoned man. “I was hoping my men hadn’t killed you…” “What...what do you want?” The imprisoned man said, wincing from the bruises that he now felt from the beating he received earlier. “Well...information for one thing.” The hooded man said, pulling a dagger from his belt as he moved closer, he dragged the dagger along the imprisoned man’s skin, moving aside his bloodied shirt at the collar to reveal a tattoo on the chest, a lotus blossom with a grey coloring. “I can tell that you’re part of the Steel Lotus, for one, so you don’t have to tell me who sent you.” He then moved away from the man and towards a small set of burning coals. “However, last I checked, we were on good terms with the Lotus, I even sent the Empress a list of names with a list of undercover cops in her ranks...why would she betray my trust by having you infiltrate my thugs?” The man tightened his jaw, avoiding eye contact with the hooded man as he placed the dagger inside the hot coals, the blade beginning to turn orange and glowing as the heat kissed the steel. “Ah, silence...the Lotus was always good at keeping their members from speaking...I admire that.” He said, moving back to the man with the heated dagger in hand. “However, that’s not what I need right now, right now I want to know if the Empress has interest in my territory…” He aimed the knife right at the Lotus tattoo, much to the panic of the imprisoned Lotus member. “So I ask once more before I peel that tattoo off of your skin and mail it to your boss, what is she planning?” The man again held his tongue, remaining silent to the faceless mask of The Cowl. Of course, the Cowl sighed, raising the dagger a bit. “Oh, I was so wishing to do this the easy way…” “Sir! We’ve got some news!” A thug shouted from the hall, rushing into the cell, much to the chagrin of The Cowl. “Chang….can’t you see I’m a little busy?” The Cowl responded, his tone a gentle annoyance as he held the dagger poised to jam into the rat’s flesh. “It...it’s from home, sir. Back in Lost Haven...” The thug named Change managed to stammer out. “It’s new you really, [i]really[/i] need to hear for yourself, if it came from me it would just sound crazy…” A brief silence, then enough sigh erupted from the Cowl’s lungs. “This better be good, Chang. I’m not really in the mood for anything less than fantastical.” He handed the heated dagger to another one of the men in the cell before leaving. “Believe me….you have no idea…”[/hider]