Basic Information
Superhero Name
The Harlequin
Civilian Name
Robert Cadogan
Origin City/Planet
Earth | Ancient Siluria
Hometown
New York City
Age
Estimated 2000+
Date of Birth
Unknown
Appearance & Personality
Sex
Male
Race
Human
Height | Weight
6’1” | 236lbs
Costumed Appearance
Civilian Appearance
Icon
Costumed Personality
While The Harlequin is capable of forcing laughter, there is little in the way of jokes when it comes down to business. Ruthlessly efficient and almost artistic in nature, The Harlequin almost appears to dance around his enemies. He doesn’t toy with them but rather looks for the perfect opening to end a fight. He does his utmost to avoid collateral damage and will protect the innocent from harm even when in the middle of a fight. The face of the mask changes at will, almost as a taunt against whoever he is fighting.
Civillian Personality
As an owner of a small bookstore Robert looks like just another run of the mill individual. He keeps himself to himself most of the time and is a far cry from the very flamboyant and artistic Harlequin. Where his alter ego is graceful Robert is clumsy, where the Harlequin leaves people in amazement, Robert leaves them wanting to get away. He does have a personality but is often reluctant to let it show to avoid getting close to anyone. He has seen so many people he has cared about die, it's easier to avoid getting attached to anyone.
Civilian Occupation
Bookstore Owner
Abilities
Skills
♦ Acrobatics: His skill in acrobatics covers more than just being able to do a few flips. He can quickly manoeuvre across terrain, he has extremely good balance and he has total awareness and control of his body.
♦ Dancing: His superb control over his body means that he is an exceptional dancer. No matter the style, he can pull it off.
♦ Hand to Hand Combat: During his lifetime he has mastered the art of hand to hand combat. Learning martial arts from all over the world he is extremely dangerous, even when moving as a civilian.
Powers
The Laughing God: The true age of Robert has been lost even to himself, but his longevity is down to the gaze and will of The Laughing God. An event from his early life entered Robert into the primordial deities servitude and in it he has remained since. Below are the powers that The Laughing God bestows onto Robert:
♦ Attire of The Harlequin: The mask and robes of the Harlequin are a manifestation of The Laughing Gods own appearance. They can be summoned around Robert at any time and he doesn’t need to get dressed as they simply form around him. His other powers apply whether or not the attire is summoned.
♦ The Deception: Robert exists a moment in time before before all other beings. The split second gives him what is effectively a sense for incoming danger allowing for reaction times far superior to any mortal being. Where the deception comes in is the trickery he can inflict upon those who gaze upon him. For someone shooting at him, he can dodge the incoming bullet but he can make them think he has been reduced to a bullet riddled corpse. The illusion aspect can only work on those who are not attuned to magic and are not supernatural in nature.
♦ The Quickening: Robert’s speed far surpasses that of any standard human and many metahumans. This allows him to travel long distances quickely, but also to exert extreme power. While his real strength is no more than a standard human, the power he can generate from the speed of his movements is most certainly super human in nature. He has no hope of lifting a bus but could punch his way through it with ease. Unrestrained, the power of his strikes rivals the strongest of heroes. His maximum speed has been measured to be around that of the speed of sound.
♦ The Laughter: This is the ability to make any being whether human or supernatural, laugh uncontrollably. The ability is neither magic or supernatural in origin but is something that happens through sheer force of will. This could be a simple giggle to the extreme of making someone laugh until they die. The deaths result in grotesque corpses with permanent grins of laughter etched into their cold, dead faces. Only those with the strongest willpower and immunity to mind manipulation are able to resist. Mostly this means that faceless goons and members of the public are susceptible. Most super villains have an ego that makes it very difficult get past. Further to this he is able to throw his laugh to confuse and disorientate others.
♦ The Sight: The Laughing God is the master of trickery and in it's millenia old age, is able to see through even the most complex of illusions. This power has been bestowed upon Robert and means that he is immune to any and all attacks on his mind or illusions. Robert is still susceptible to people lying however.
♦ The Story: The story is something The Laughing God has talked about since he first spoke to Robert. This story that he has set Robert on has gifted the man immortality. Not to be confused with invicibility, Robert is capable of living indefinitely as long as he isn't killed. He doesn't need to eat or sleep but is capable of doing so if he wishes. The Laughing God says that only when the story is complete can Robert finally rest.
♦ Attire of The Harlequin: The mask and robes of the Harlequin are a manifestation of The Laughing Gods own appearance. They can be summoned around Robert at any time and he doesn’t need to get dressed as they simply form around him. His other powers apply whether or not the attire is summoned.
♦ The Deception: Robert exists a moment in time before before all other beings. The split second gives him what is effectively a sense for incoming danger allowing for reaction times far superior to any mortal being. Where the deception comes in is the trickery he can inflict upon those who gaze upon him. For someone shooting at him, he can dodge the incoming bullet but he can make them think he has been reduced to a bullet riddled corpse. The illusion aspect can only work on those who are not attuned to magic and are not supernatural in nature.
♦ The Quickening: Robert’s speed far surpasses that of any standard human and many metahumans. This allows him to travel long distances quickely, but also to exert extreme power. While his real strength is no more than a standard human, the power he can generate from the speed of his movements is most certainly super human in nature. He has no hope of lifting a bus but could punch his way through it with ease. Unrestrained, the power of his strikes rivals the strongest of heroes. His maximum speed has been measured to be around that of the speed of sound.
♦ The Laughter: This is the ability to make any being whether human or supernatural, laugh uncontrollably. The ability is neither magic or supernatural in origin but is something that happens through sheer force of will. This could be a simple giggle to the extreme of making someone laugh until they die. The deaths result in grotesque corpses with permanent grins of laughter etched into their cold, dead faces. Only those with the strongest willpower and immunity to mind manipulation are able to resist. Mostly this means that faceless goons and members of the public are susceptible. Most super villains have an ego that makes it very difficult get past. Further to this he is able to throw his laugh to confuse and disorientate others.
♦ The Sight: The Laughing God is the master of trickery and in it's millenia old age, is able to see through even the most complex of illusions. This power has been bestowed upon Robert and means that he is immune to any and all attacks on his mind or illusions. Robert is still susceptible to people lying however.
♦ The Story: The story is something The Laughing God has talked about since he first spoke to Robert. This story that he has set Robert on has gifted the man immortality. Not to be confused with invicibility, Robert is capable of living indefinitely as long as he isn't killed. He doesn't need to eat or sleep but is capable of doing so if he wishes. The Laughing God says that only when the story is complete can Robert finally rest.
Weaknesses
♦ Human Body: For all intents and purposes Robert is human and his body suffers the same as any standard human body.
♦ Cold: Sub zero temperatures have a severe impact on Robert’s ability to move quickly. With every degree below zero his speed significantly reduces. By -20 degrees Celsius he is reduced to the speed of an old man.
♦ Restraints/Telekinesis: His true power comes from the speed at which he can move his body. If his movement can be restricted then it significantly impedes his power. Loose restraints such as handcuffs leave enough give that he can break the bonds. However things like rope, cable ties or solid handcuffs completely nullify his ability to generate the power needed. A strong user of telekinesis will be able to keep him still enough to nullify his power.
♦ Cold: Sub zero temperatures have a severe impact on Robert’s ability to move quickly. With every degree below zero his speed significantly reduces. By -20 degrees Celsius he is reduced to the speed of an old man.
♦ Restraints/Telekinesis: His true power comes from the speed at which he can move his body. If his movement can be restricted then it significantly impedes his power. Loose restraints such as handcuffs leave enough give that he can break the bonds. However things like rope, cable ties or solid handcuffs completely nullify his ability to generate the power needed. A strong user of telekinesis will be able to keep him still enough to nullify his power.
Items
♦ Mask of the Harlequin: A mask whose face changes without any control from Robert. Capable of the widest of grins or the angriest of scowls, the mask is a direct link to The Laughing God. Anyone who stares at the mask for too long will find themselves looking at a face of absolute horror or sheer joy. One is often followed by laughter, the other by an painful death.
♦ Robes of the Harlequin: The diamonds of the ensemble glow and shift colour, dazzling those who look at it. With each movement it appears as if reality itself is cracking around the robe, in truth it is the trickery of The Laughing God. Those immune to illusions see the robes as nothing more than a black long black coat with diamond patterned clothing beneath.
♦ Robes of the Harlequin: The diamonds of the ensemble glow and shift colour, dazzling those who look at it. With each movement it appears as if reality itself is cracking around the robe, in truth it is the trickery of The Laughing God. Those immune to illusions see the robes as nothing more than a black long black coat with diamond patterned clothing beneath.
Biography
Character History/Origin
Robert estimates his birth to be between 100 and 60 B.C. He was born into the Celtic Silure clan which were located in what is now modern day South Wales. He estimates this period based on the fact his earliest memory is of the Roman invasion. He remembers fragments of this time including what he calls his 'death'. While fighting one of Caesars legions he was struck down by a sword and left to die. As he crawled over the bodies of his fallen brothers and through the bloodsoaked ground beneath, he heard a voice. First it appeared to mock him, challenging him to make it to a nearby treeline. As he broke through the treeline the voice returned and the world around him turned into a world unlike anything he could ever imagine.
The voice introduced itself as The Laughing God, a deity whose existence surpassed even the dinosaurs. It made an offer to the mortally injured Celt, serve for the rest of time as it's avatar on Earth or die back in a muddy ditch. With little hesitation Robert accepted the offer, not truly understanding what he was promising. In a flash of light he was returned to the battlefield he had left but what awaited him was a blankness. His name was forgotten and his memory only reached back to receiving the grievous wound at the hands of the Romans. This left him wandering and lost.
Up until the present day Robert searched for meaning in his existence beyond his powers. He first tried to settle down with a family but he soon realised that his immortality meant he outlived even his own grandchildren. This had a profound impact on the man and he decided to do his best to avoid relationships with others unless he somehow met someone else like him. For centuries he was alone, only dealing with other people to stave off madness and to help solve their problems.
He travelled to every corner of the globe learning everything he could about his powers, martial arts of different cultures and generally expanding his knowledge of the world. During this time he experienced the greatest battles of mankind, each often started by another immortal. History never mentions the duels between him and the immortals who had seeked to reign over humanity and that is just how he likes it. Soon enough the modern world began to develop and the entire world was engulfed in war.
There was little Robert could do to prevent either world war and with both sides committing gross atrocities, he decided to step back from the front lines to help the innocents caught in the middle. He saved many lives across both world wars but it was only a drop in the ocean compared to those that gave their lives. By the end of the twentieth century he had returned to the lands of his birth and floated around from city to city doing various jobs and helping those in need.
When the two month war broke out he made his way across the Atlantic helping out wherever he could. It was the most demanding time of his life, finally facing opponents with power that could rival his own. After the war ended he moved to New York and settled there, concerned that those responsible for the atrocities could reappear once again. That is where he remains in the present day.
The voice introduced itself as The Laughing God, a deity whose existence surpassed even the dinosaurs. It made an offer to the mortally injured Celt, serve for the rest of time as it's avatar on Earth or die back in a muddy ditch. With little hesitation Robert accepted the offer, not truly understanding what he was promising. In a flash of light he was returned to the battlefield he had left but what awaited him was a blankness. His name was forgotten and his memory only reached back to receiving the grievous wound at the hands of the Romans. This left him wandering and lost.
Up until the present day Robert searched for meaning in his existence beyond his powers. He first tried to settle down with a family but he soon realised that his immortality meant he outlived even his own grandchildren. This had a profound impact on the man and he decided to do his best to avoid relationships with others unless he somehow met someone else like him. For centuries he was alone, only dealing with other people to stave off madness and to help solve their problems.
He travelled to every corner of the globe learning everything he could about his powers, martial arts of different cultures and generally expanding his knowledge of the world. During this time he experienced the greatest battles of mankind, each often started by another immortal. History never mentions the duels between him and the immortals who had seeked to reign over humanity and that is just how he likes it. Soon enough the modern world began to develop and the entire world was engulfed in war.
There was little Robert could do to prevent either world war and with both sides committing gross atrocities, he decided to step back from the front lines to help the innocents caught in the middle. He saved many lives across both world wars but it was only a drop in the ocean compared to those that gave their lives. By the end of the twentieth century he had returned to the lands of his birth and floated around from city to city doing various jobs and helping those in need.
When the two month war broke out he made his way across the Atlantic helping out wherever he could. It was the most demanding time of his life, finally facing opponents with power that could rival his own. After the war ended he moved to New York and settled there, concerned that those responsible for the atrocities could reappear once again. That is where he remains in the present day.
Optional Information
Relationships
TBC
