Lanterns are just some of the most OP characters out there, even compared to somebody like Superman. Plenty of construct makers in the DCU to reimagine though: the Ray (hard light), Bunker (psionic bricks), Argent (silver energy), Hatchet (pink/red energy), Syren and the new Aqualad (water constructs), Terra and Geo-Force (rock constructs), etc.
- Ω
Yeah, originally the thing, Catwoman had stolen in the current storyline of my posts, was going to be a yellow Lantern ring. But then I found out about that rule. And now it's going to be something even better 😁
Status: Solo (perhaps joining the Titans or JLU in the future)
Age: 23
City: His mission takes him around the world, though his primary base is in Coast City.
Day Job: Indie Comic Artist
Powers: First and foremost, Cliff is a conduit of the Red, like his father and his sister, though his connection isn't as strong. Still, he can use the basic powers that come with being connected to the Red:
Animal Mimicry Cliff is able to temporarily borrow the abilities of any animal within a fifteen mile radius. This includes borrowing the abilities of an elephant to make himself stronger, the abilities of a sparrow to fly, or the abilities of a cockroach to make himself nigh-unkillable.
Animal Empathy Cliff is able to communicate with animals using minor telepathy, and is able to soothe them if they are angry or send them into a rage to attack any enemies nearby. This is less mind control and more trying to nudge them into doing what he wants them to do, and it can backfire.
Weaknesses: All Good Things Must Come To An End Cliff can't keep using his powers forever. He can use them for about 30 minutes, then he has to cut back. Any longer and he begins to feel drained, once he's passed the three hour threshold he's dead.
Only Human... Mostly When not using his powers, Cliff is still as human as can be. He's deathly allergic to being shot, stabbed, cut, vaporized, and crushed.
Skills: Scrappiest of Scrappers Following the disappearance of his father, Cliff fell into a rebellious phase and started picking fights. This has led to him being a talented street fighter, utilizing a pragmatic mindset to do whatever it takes to end a fight fast.
Appearance: Cliff is an average man by all means, standing at 5'11 and weighing in at 168 pounds. His hair is neatly cut (having outgrown his mullet phase in recent years) and naturally auburn red (though dyed blond so he looks more like his father), and his face is cleanly shaven (some of the time). His eyes are green and usually looking around very quickly. His attire most often consists of a t-shirt, jeans, and sport shoes, with his father's leather jacket completing the ensemble.
BRIEF Bio:
Summary: Cliff and his family's life got turned upside down by the Rot. After Animal Man defeated the Rot with the help of Swamp Thing, Cliff was almost killed by a boy working with the Rot, surviving but falling into a coma. When he awoke, he found his father was gone. Originally sad, Cliff eventually became angry and fell into a rebellious phase, before finally accepting it was a part of his life that his father was gone.
However, Cliff went looking through his father's things as an adult, and discovered an artifact of the Red. He was taken to the Red, finding his way to the Parliament of Limbs. They berated him, and hinted that they had his father captive inside the Red. They then sent him back to Earth, where Cliff decided to become the new Animal Man after discovering he had his father's abilities.
Cliff's life has never really been a normal one.
His father had been moonlighting as a hero since before Cliff was born, and when Cliff was 14 his sister started showing that she had powers just like their father's. Then, a bunch of zombie-animal-monster-things started hunting their family, forcing them to travel around the country. Finally, the zombie-animal-monster-things were defeated by his father.
Yeah, not exactly normal.
However, some stuck-up brat that worked with the monsters decided he'd try and kill Cliff's dad after all was said and done, and Cliff stepped in to take the blow. Luck was on his side amazingly, and he managed to hold out long enough for his family to get him to a hospital. Luck wasn't on his side when he fell into an eight month long coma.
When he woke up his father was missing. At first, Cliff was sad, crying for his father almost every night. Sadness morphed into anger, picking fights at school and falling into the wrong crowd. Finally anger morphed into indifference, and it was just a fact of life that his father was gone and probably never coming back. But his entire life, even after he got his driver's license, after he graduated high school, after he graduated from college, a part of him wanted to find his father.
One night, a year ago, he searched through his father's things to find a clue as to what happened to him. He stumbled across a strange wooden totem, covered in a red pattern. As he examined it, the red pattern lit up, and he found himself sucked into a place beyond anything he could imagine...
The Red
He managed to make his way through the land of flesh and bone to find the Parliament of Limbs. His discussion with them was largely one-sided, them criticizing him for coming there and thinking he could become their Avatar (whatever that means). But it was one thing that the giant goat-man thing said that caught his attention.
"That Butter Baker Blondie Man isn't on your Earth anymore, kid."
It wasn't long after that he was sent back to Earth, still holding that totem in his hands. When he returned to Earth, he felt something, a greater connection to things. He could feel the birds flying around outside, the animals at the zoo, everything in the city of San Diego. Cliff focused on the birds... And found that he could fly.
He had his father's abilities.
But even with this amazing revelation unveiled, the thing the goat said kept coming back to his mind... It sounded awfully like those things had his father somewhere in the Red. He would be damned if he would let them keep him there. The totem he had probably wouldn't let him return to the Red, so he'd have to set out to find more.
While continuing to dig through his father's things, he found his father's old Animal Man suit and his jacket, and an idea hit him: why not emulate his father? So, he decided to throw on the old spandex and fight crime, going by his father's alias. Along the way, he became an advocate for animal rights, doing more questionable things than his father would in that fight (famously, or infamously, he broke into a nearby farm and freed all the animals being prepped for slaughter).
To the public, he's just an impulsive, hotshot rookie attempting to emulate a C-list hero. However, this is just a front (well, mostly) so he can mask his true purpose: to search the world for artifacts of the Red and find his father. He hasn't been doing so well in that department, but he has a feeling he's onto something.
Story Arcs: The Search For Animal Man - An ongoing arc, mostly with Cliff out of costume so he doesn't draw any attention to himself. After meeting with the Parliament of Limbs, Cliff has set out across the world to find more artifacts of the Red, his plan being to use their combined power to open a portal into the land of flesh. Of course, that's far easier said than done. (Solo/Team-Up)
But Some Are More Equal Than Others - Humans are animals too. So why are humans keeping other animals in cages? In which Animal Man decides to spend a night freeing animals from pounds and kennels throughout Coast City, so that those animals can be just as equal as humans. (Solo)
The Line Blurs - Don't worry so much about this one. It'll be my little secret. (Solo)
More to be added as time goes on...
Supporting Characters: The Search For Animal Man - Any heroes Cliff bumbles his way into working with. Expect him to call up his mother and sister (Ellen and Maxine Baker) as well, when he isn't busy fighting/running for his life.
But Some Are More Equal Than Others - N/A
The Line Blurs - You'll see.
More to be added as time goes on...
Additional Notes: This character was made with the mindset that the events of the New 52 Animal Man series happened, just with Cliff living through it. As a minor alteration to canon, he was also born after Buddy became Animal Man, giving him an untapped connection to the Red that was activated by his venturing into the Red. Cliff is vegetarian, part of his advocacy for animal rights. Cliff has taken many measures to look more like his father, dressing in the exact same outfit as him (just with an added leather jacket thrown over it) and even dying his hair blond. The Hunt For Animal Man arc will be more along the lines of Indiana Jones, with Cliff traveling the world, searching ancient ruins, teaming up with different characters, and getting entangled in dangerous plots.
@NinaDivine You could have a character that makes constructs, but when I mentioned 'no Lanterns' that's what I meant. Alan doesn't even have a ring because he internalized his power. Lanterns are just some of the most OP characters out there, even compared to somebody like Superman. - Ω
OK, OK. I thought you just didn't want the Corps and others involved in the RP. I was going to modify the Power Ring origin to create another Green Lantern.
I mean Rose fills the Red Hood spot pretty well. Since the original Team was Jason, Roy and Koro. We have Rose and Thea, just need a 'Kori'. Based on gender dynamics it should be a male haha.
Kryptonian? Martian? Daxamite? Tamaraean? So many options.
Hey people, sorry I haven't been so active recently :/ been very busy with preparing for school, requirements and all. Hope I didn't miss too much :) I'll be posting my part two soon, sorry for the delay and everything
