I think that was the impression I got! The feeling is of a modern-day equivalent world, but weirdly, SDN use 1980s era gear, but also, tablets. Sort of a weird retrofuturism going on but I like it, gives the world a feeling that it's 10 years in the future yet 40 years back :D generally it feels open ended, so I didn't want to give my two char too much in what they were up to on their end in the UK.
I think it’s less “retro-future” and more of a joke about how SDN is a corporate stereotype. They can invest the money on larger than life superheroes, advertising, and PR, but God-forbid they throw the office workers a bone and upgrade the tech. Haha.
I've got an idea for a duo pair of characters, one who gets her power from the sun and is bubbly and happy and cheery, and the other who gets her power from the moon, who is a moody depressed goth girl.
And for some reason nobody has ever seen them both at the same time.
And they definitely aren't the same person whose powers and personality completely flipflop the moment the sun comes up/goes down. Definitely.
If there aren't too many players already, I'm struck with the concept of a hero with sight-based powers, used to be a bit player of some TV/reality show (so not a real hero) and got jailed for quite literally seeing too much. So to keep from getting shanked in prison he's in the Phoenix Program on technicality.
@SaduI was gonna say - with the amount of people who seem to want to jump in - best to keep it limited to one character, but I could say this concept gets a pass. @FourtyTwo has been doing some help behind the scenes as well so two characters works there.
So like, I was thinking to do a character that is more or less a reincarnation of Sun Wukong. Dialed down though, so like, he wouldn’t have all the same transformations and magical abilities. He’d be around Spider-Man tier in terms of a physical capability analogy. I figured, given Malevola, there may be room for something like this. If not, lemme know. 🤘🏾
Appearance: With reddish-brown hair and eyes described as 'looking into the sunset itself', Marisol is anything but average. Standing just over six and a half feet tall, she towers above the more averagely sized people around her. She comes from a pretty wealthy family, so she is rarely seen wearing anything but the finest clothing. Sometimes too fine, like 'Why are you wearing that we're having tea at a downtown cafe not meeting the president' fine.
Role at SDN: Hero
Background: Marisol was born with an unknown disease that was the only known case of its kind. Her father, an incredibly wealthy man, spared no expense at trying to cure her. But in the end, it was simply no use. Marisol was bound to a wheelchair never to know a 'normal' life. The sickness threatened to end her life before she even turned 18, and through her life it left her skin pale and sapped the color from her hair leaving it white, practically turning her into a ghost. Fortunately, the universe had a different fate in mind for her.
One day Marisol was watching a meteor shower late at night, it was a big event and everybody was gathered at the lake to watch. There was however, a call to evacuate from the area as apparently a particularly large meteor was coming, and satellites had detected it wasn't going to simply burn up like the rest. It was coming right for the crowd that was gathered, and so heroes arrived to help everybody clear out. Ever the rebellious spirit however, Marisol was far further down by the water than anyone else, and being in a wheelchair made it particularly difficult to return. And somehow, someway, nobody was able to find her before the worst happened.
The meteor crashed into the lake, and nobody was harmed, but Marisol had gone missing completely. There was a week long manhunt for her, before she was found simply laying in the sand unconscious, in a place that had been looked over many times. OF course, she didn't simply reappear as before.
Now with color returned to her hair and skin, she awoke to find herself with incredible strength, and superhuman abilities far beyond anything she had ever known. She feeds off the power of the sun... though how a meteor crashing made this happen is a complete mystery.
Solaris
Appearance: Solaris, unlike a typical hero, wears armor like a knight straight out of fantasy. She wields a sword and shield and can channel her powers through both.
Powers: The power of the sun gives Solaris super-human strength, the ability to fly, and she can channel solar light in just about any way she can think of. While she is capable of burning things with this power, 'fire' isn't necessarily her power. Her light can be used in many ways, healing the injuries of her allies, lifting the morale of others, or indeed, blasting someone with enough of it to turn them to ash. Even she doesn't know the limits of her power, as she purposely holds herself back for fear of what her full power might do. 'Flying too close to the sun' and all that. She is known to fly across the city leaving a streak of sunlight behind her, which has become known as the 'Shooting Star' so that people know she is there, protecting them.
Likes: - The Sun - Dramatic Entrances - Super Hero Landings
Dislikes: - The Moon (Mostly a joke, she'll mention it but actually doesn't care) - Lunara (Her Nemesis... who now works with her.) - Crime and Villainy (She's pretty 'generic hero' mindset a lot of the time.)
Quirks: - She glows when using her power. At extreme levels of power, her hair and eyes glow gold. - She also glows when she is nervous, anxious, or even embarassed. - She can accidentally burn things by staring too long. Literally 'staring a hole into something' like shining a light through a magnifying glass. - Despite some of her powers having burning-effects, she is not herself immune to being burned.
[Redacted]
-Due to a history as a super villain, her identity has been completely redacted from public record for her own safety. Currently all that is known is that after being defeated by her nemesis Solaris, she was forced into the Phoenix program for rehabilitation, rather than being permanently locked up. Speculation suggests this was because Solaris herself believed she could be redeemed, and because in all her time of being a super villain... she never actually committed any crimes that weren't directed at other villains and criminals. The thought process being 'we can turn this into something good'
Role at SDN: Phoenix Program
Lunara
Appearance: Lunara wears armor much like her nemesis Solaris, though much less. She wields a crescent scythe. She has pale silver hair, black eyeliner that isn't actually makeup, it's permanent, and her eyes match the silver of her hair. On her forehead glows a lunar symbol, the meaning of which is unkonwn.
Powers: The power of the moon gives Lunara super-human speed and the ability to disappear completely in dark spaces. She can also fly, though it's less flying and more like jumping really high and then gliding down, as she cannot simply fly from one location to the next directly. She is capable of deflecting many types of attacks as if they simply bounce off her completely. This is especially true for attacks from powers such as light, fire, or rays of any particular energy.
Likes: - The Moon - Darkness (In a totally non-edgy way) - Late Night Insomnia
Dislikes: - The Sun (Not a Joke, she fucking hates that thing) - Solaris (Her Nemesis... who she now works with, indirectly.) - Generic Hero Personalities (She can't stand do gooders who do good for good doing sake.)
Quirks: - She glows when using her power. Her hair and eyes gain a white-silver glow, and the symbol on her forehead glows the more power she uses. - The more she uses her power, the dimmer her symbol gets, which is pretty much a direct indicator of how much power she has left. - She was the leader of one of the most notorious night-gangs around, yet they never actually did anything actively villainous... they mostly just had open gang wars with other gangs. - She can on occasion be found humming or singing when she thinks nobody is around or listening.
@DClassified I’d say that could work so long as it’s within reason. You’re only in Claremont. Not downtown yet.
Fosho, when I said that, it was coming more from the impression that it’d be kinda like the game where heroes get stronger over time and unlock new abilities nd stuff like that. At work on it now though.
Finally home and able to start writing! Should be fixing the original post soon and making my character. Also, be on the lookout for a discord link coming soon!
"Can we skip the part where you complain about the damages and I direct you to SDN's complaint line?"
Age: 33
Appearance: Even among the staff at the Claremont office, Riley's skin looks pale. In addition to long hours at his workplace computer, Riley can often be found in Claremont's basement R&D lab working on some new device or gizmo. Constantly wearing a helmet in his previous job didn't really help him either. Stubble is usually present on Riley's face in some form or fashion; signs of a hasty shave job done hours before he has to come into the office. His brown eyes are sharp, analytical, and more than a few co-workers have felt as though he's "evaluating" them with his gaze.
Moving down, his SDN uniform is meticulously maintained, although this is usually due to a cleaning system he'd designed in his apartment. The sleeves are usually rolled up to the elbows in case Riley needs to get his hands dirty on a project. His body is fairly well-built and muscular. This is due to him carrying many of his tools and supplies on his person when he used to be a hero. When he was starting out, it wasn't unusual for Riley to carry fifty pounds or more of supplies into the field. Lastly, his body is marred by several different burn marks and electrical scars where his gadgets didn't "work right" during testing.
Role at SDN: Chief Dispatcher/Ex-Hero
Background: Have you ever had a dream that never quite panned out? That's Riley. From a young age, he knew he wanted to be a hero and help people in need. When his Technopathic abilities first began to emerge, this only further solidified his resolve. He'd spend entire weekends in his family's garage taking apart household appliances and transforming them into "gadgets" he'd eventually wield when he became a hero.
What could go wrong? Well... a lot of things actually.
What Riley hadn't counted on was the fact that people really don't like technopaths. The fact that most pop culture vilified technology didn't endear him to most adults, and that would eventually trickle down to his classmates.
Yes. Riley was the "Weird Kid".
The poor guy would eventually lose friends as their parents pulled them away or his early gadgets malfunctioned, leading to public embarrassment. Despite the setbacks, Riley kept pushing on towards his goal. He planned to officially register as a hero after high school and work to change the public's opinion about technopaths!
The final nail in the coffin came during his first year as a hero: The Brave Brigade Incident. When Shroud killed the pilot of Mecha Man Astral, the public decided once and for all that anyone with powers like Shroud's weren't to be trusted. For the next several years, Riley would struggle to find work, and he would even get accosted by civilians while in the middle of a job! (One time, he was mistaken for Shroud while on a job, and heroes had to be called to save HIM)
After several years, Riley decided it was time to change course. Thanks to a connection from a friend, he managed to land a desk job at the Superhero Dispatch Network. Originally, he applied for an R&D position, but suspicion about his powers kept him from the role. He settled for work as a dispatcher. After a year at the dumpster fire that was SDN Burbank, he transferred to the Claremont branch.
Since joining Claremont five years ago, Riley has made a name for himself as a dispatcher. He's built a solid circle of friends and co-workers. The guys down in R&D even let him come down to work on projects from time to time. He's convinced himself that dispatching his where he belongs, but deep down he wonders if he might get a chance to be the hero again...
(Arbitrary Code Execution)
Appearance: In his past life as A.C.E., Riley had constructed a specialized armor that could channel his techopathic abilities. The gauntlets on his arms could sync with and interface with any machine in his vicinity. The armor was made of a special alloy he developed after getting hit one too many times by his inventions backfiring. His boots came with small thrusters to allow for limited flight or a speed boost. Lastly, the helmet had a direct interface that allowed him to manage the "nanobots" that he built near the end of his hero career.
Powers: Riley is a technopath. This grants him the ability to control and manipulate machines with only his mind. He can simply control machines, take them apart, repair them, or break them down to components and make something entirely new! When he was just starting out, Riley would carry a backpack filled with scrap material so he could build tools on the fly. He quickly learned this was a bad idea and began learning how to utilize his surroundings for maximum benefit. As his skills grew, Riley developed more permanent tools to aid him in his hero work. His crowning achievement were the nanobots. A small armada of microscopic robots that he could openly command to build structures for transport, defense, or even to form new weapons!
Likes: - Black Coffee (Stronger the better) - Working in the lab - Drafting Blueprints - Heroes who follow orders - Brainbook
Dislikes: - Shroud. FUCK SHROUD. - Being judged - Disobeying orders - Low-budget tech - SDN Burbank (Screw Mr. Mephisto)
Quirks: - Riley has several "Not SDN approved" modifications installed on his workplace computer to improve performance. Most of them are his design, but one or two he's procured through villain contacts.
- Riley currently holds the Claremont office record for "fastest hack time" on a call at 10.6 seconds. He's held this record for nearly three years an no one's come close to beating it.
- Because his time as A.C.E. was a series of controversies, it always gives Riley a thrill when he overhears a co-worker mention him positively. A.C.E. never quite made it to the big leagues, but at least he HAD a reputation in the Southlands.
- Riley has a small crush on the DTLA hero Brainbook. It's a goal of his to meet her one day and compare notes on building schematics.
- One of Riley's biggest secrets is that he's got a massive playlist of folk music on file at home. He likes to tune it out while doing paperwork, payroll, or when building new gadgets.
- If no one's looking, Riley will use his powers to install and play Galaga on his work computer during slow workdays.
Hello, everyone! Meet your Chief Dispatcher A.C- I mean Riley! Riley Ryder!
