Hey hey, I was wondering if there was somewhere that I can find some info on Zephyr? I saw a random mention of a hero named Zephyr, I'd be curious to learn some info.
The only Zephyr I'm aware of for the current edition is a villain, a mutant with considerable power over the four traditional elements, especially air. She's fully written up in Champions Villains Vol. 3.
What is the origin of the crockadile people in Vibora Bay?
In the PnP material I think there is Al the misunderstood monster, but in the online version they are just swimming with these things, and you don't see a single one on Monster Island, where you would suspect they originated.
Also, on Monster Island, all those huts have buffalo sculls on them, but there are no buffalo on Monster Island...are they extinct because their skulls were so decorative??
You've got me with both of those, friend. They're details originating with Cryptic Studios and aren't based on anything in the PnP game, nor have they yet been incorporated in the latest books. I could hazard guesses, but they'd be as well-founded as your own. For all I know the Cryptic devs put those bits in just because they thought they'd be cool.
The only mention of American Eagle in published Fifth/Sixth Edtion books so far is in Champions Universe. He's not the same character as in the Freedom Squad, which is not part of current official continuity. This American Eagle was a member of the Defenders of Justice, America's first superhero team, and served during WW II until he "disappeared in action in 1943." (CU 6E p. 12) He was also implicitly a true superhuman, unlike the Squad's Eagle.
If Darren Watts can eventually publish Golden Age Champions, I wouldn't be surprised if that will have much more about American Eagle.
Thanks for the quick response. This was the same snippet I read, but thought it was the CU 5E I was thumbing though, my mistake. I would buy Golden Age Champions, as I would like to make up a few different legacy heroes, and be able to use Champions Lore for their back stories. I still plan to use American Eagle as part of my heroes origin, but until I see more published info, I guess I'll just have to "wing it".
Thanks for the quick response. This was the same snippet I read, but thought it was the CU 5E I was thumbing though, my mistake. I would buy Golden Age Champions, as I would like to make up a few different legacy heroes, and be able to use Champions Lore for their back stories. I still plan to use American Eagle as part of my heroes origin, but until I see more published info, I guess I'll just have to "wing it".
Note that except for additional post-Cryptic information in CU 6E, and incorporating the few significant changes Cryptic made to the PnP timeline, the contents of that book and CU 5E are almost identical.
I'm sorry if this has already been answered, but I can't find the information anywhere.
What happened to Nightwind in CO ? Isn't he supposed to still be a part of the champions in the pnp ?
I'm sorry if this has already been answered, but I can't find the information anywhere.
What happened to Nightwind in CO ? Isn't he supposed to still be a part of the champions in the pnp ?
He's never been mentioned in CO, to my knowledge. In 5th edition, he joined the team, however the current edition lists him as only an auxiliary member, along with Dr. Silverback, Ultratech, Blockhead, and Crusader.
He's never been mentioned in CO, to my knowledge. In 5th edition, he joined the team, however the current edition lists him as only an auxiliary member, along with Dr. Silverback, Ultratech, Blockhead, and Crusader.
It's possible we could see the auxiliary team members in the Alerts. However, how it is basically written in CO, at least to me, The Champions are the 5 people we see now.
I recently found a bunch of HERO books in a garage sale.I have also purchased the 6th edition of Champions Universe.
Most of all, I'd like to see these questions answered if anyone would care to help:
1.Regarding Terror.Inc, I've seen info on Scorpia and Feur/Feurmarcher on Conquerours,Killers and Crooks, where can additional info be found?
2.Whats is the nature/origin of The Dragon?I have heard about him but haven't found any info yet on him.Is any info on him in Arcane Adversaries?
3.Are there other well-known Qliphotic entities/gods in lore besides the Kings of Edom/or The Bleak ones?
I recently found a bunch of HERO books in a garage sale.I have also purchased the 6th edition of Champions Universe.
Most of all, I'd like to see these questions answered if anyone would care to help:
1.Regarding Terror.Inc, I've seen info on Scorpia and Feur/Feurmarcher on Conquerours,Killers and Crooks, where can additional info be found?
What you have there is pretty much all that's appeared in print to date for current continuity, essentially reproduced in Champions Villains Vol II for Sixth Edition. Terror Inc., including Professor Muerte and Giganto, were fully written up for the Fourth Edition of Champions in the villain book Classic Enemies, but all the details there may not match the official history for the Fifth and Sixth Edition CU.
2.Whats is the nature/origin of The Dragon?I have heard about him but haven't found any info yet on him.Is any info on him in Arcane Adversaries?
The Dragon is fully described in the book The Mystic World, which details the occult subculture, cosmology, and major mystic power-players of the Champions Universe. For a brief summation of what the Dragon is, see Posts # 1 and 3 on this thread.
3.Are there other well-known Qliphotic entities/gods in lore besides the Kings of Edom/or The Bleak ones?
Note that Arcane Adversaries names and describes several of the best-known Kings of Edom (three of whom Cryptic Studios has since defined as the Bleak Ones), as well as several of the lesser Edomite monsters which serve the Kings. The Kings who are part of Luther Black's scheme for DEMON are apparently different ones.
There are other mighty Qliphothic entities in the lore besides the Kings, who may or may not be related to them, including: the "Presences Beyond" which Shadow Destroyer propitiates, and which also transformed the ancient Atlantean wizard Dalsith into Sharna-Gorak the Destroyer; the gods of the Elder Worm, briefly mentioned in Champions Beyond; and the Ravens of Dispersion (mentioned in Arcane Advesaries), who were actually part of the primordial coalition of great powers which defeated and imprisoned the Kings of Edom.
Hmm... Maybe I missed out a bit of lore, but I always thought that the Presences Beyond were just another name for the Kings of Edom, maybe originating in a different culture. Kinda like Allah/Yahwe.
Hmm... Maybe I missed out a bit of lore, but I always thought that the Presences Beyond were just another name for the Kings of Edom, maybe originating in a different culture. Kinda like Allah/Yahwe.
Well, Shadow Destroyer's background text on Champions Villains. Vol. 1: Master Villains p. 155 (reproduced from Book Of The Destroyer) describes the Presences Beyond as "Qliphothic entities of great power (possibly the same as the Kings of Edom, possibly different, possibly both at once...)"
There's also this lower on the same page: "The Presences Beyond, which supposedly give Shadow Destroyer his power, are Qliphothic beings who have had contact with humanity before (it was they who transformed Dalsith the Orphan into Sharna-Gorak the Destroyer, bringing about the end of the Atlantean Age). Whether they truly want worship and sacrifices from Shadow Destroyer, and are willing to offer him power in exchange for aiding them with their plans for Earth, is unknown. As Qliphothic entities they cannot be properly comprehended by human minds, and their motivations, if any, are not necessarily identifiable by humans. They may have no plans for Earth. They may not even know Shadow Destroyer exists, or that he worships them. Or... they might."
Well, Shadow Destroyer's background text on Champions Villains. Vol. 1: Master Villains p. 155 (reproduced from Book Of The Destroyer) describes the Presences Beyond as "Qliphothic entities of great power (possibly the same as the Kings of Edom, possibly different, possibly both at once...)"
There's also this lower on the same page: "The Presences Beyond, which supposedly give Shadow Destroyer his power, are Qliphothic beings who have had contact with humanity before (it was they who transformed Dalsith the Orphan into Sharna-Gorak the Destroyer, bringing about the end of the Atlantean Age). Whether they truly want worship and sacrifices from Shadow Destroyer, and are willing to offer him power in exchange for aiding them with their plans for Earth, is unknown. As Qliphothic entities they cannot be properly comprehended by human minds, and their motivations, if any, are not necessarily identifiable by humans. They may have no plans for Earth. They may not even know Shadow Destroyer exists, or that he worships them. Or... they might."
That's me bein' all clever and mysterious and such.
What Champions Online hasn't really conveyed IMHO is that the entities and universes (many more than just one) of the Qliphoth are alien. These entities are not demons. They don't think or feel like any creatures of our universe, and can't be communicated with or even understood beyond the most basic level. They're not even made of matter as we understand it. The Qliphothic dimensions they dwell in do not resemble any human conception of Hell, and are completely antithetical to matter and energy from our universe. Any human contact with the energies of the Qliphoth almost invariably induces physical and/or mental corruption -- the result may be superhuman, but no longer wholly human.
But perhaps that would be too difficult design-wise, or too far from the expectations of most MMORPG players, to be practical.
Well, a mission arc or two in which it's made clear that Qliptoth isn't Hell shouldn't be too difficult.
I'd be all for a battle of an Archdevil and his demon minions against Tappan Arkwright and some DEMON goons. That would explain DEMONs role better too. (But I'd also be all for making ARGENT bada*s, so my opinion probably doesn't count. )
That being said... any news about Profit and Purity?
(But I'd also be all for making ARGENT bada*s, so my opinion probably doesn't count. )
That being said... any news about Profit and Purity?
FWIW I share your opinion. By the PnP lore ARGENT is active in major shady dealings around the world, and involved in developing some truly scary technologies. They're long overdue for detailing IMO.
Unfortunately I can't offer any positive news about Profit And Purity, the proposed source book for both ARGENT and the IHA. Now that Steve Long is a freelance writer he's said he has no plans to pursue writing that book, although Hero Games could choose to hire him to do it. Jason Walters, the last Hero Games staffer, hasn't yet revealed what Hero's publishing plans are after Book Of The Empress is released. Since they likely involve more Kickstarter projects, Jason will probably wait to make any announcement at least until Steve's Mythic HERO Kickstarter is over, to avoid diluting the pledge pool.
Oh, well that's unfortunate. As they are represented in the game right now, ARGENT looks more like a wimpy version of VIPER without the snake fetish.
*Spoiler* BTW, I just realized that in a few days (29 of February 2012) would be the big culmination of Luther Black's master plan to become a King of Edom. Wouldn't a mini-event be suitable? *Spoiler*
Oh, well that's unfortunate. As they are represented in the game right now, ARGENT looks more like a wimpy version of VIPER without the snake fetish.
I know. That makes them a more MMO-suitable opponent, I suppose, but it really isn't the emphasis of the organization as implied on the PnP side. They're far more subtle and insidious, but MMOs still don't do "subtle" very well. (For that matter, a lot of the subtlety of PnP VIPER is glossed over as well. The Supreme Serpent is definitely not a grandstanding Serpentor knockoff, for example.) :rolleyes:
*Spoiler* BTW, I just realized that in a few days (29 of February 2012) would be the big culmination of Luther Black's master plan to become a King of Edom. Wouldn't a mini-event be suitable? *Spoiler*
It seems to me that last year's Demonflame adventure kind of pre-empted that plotline.
*Spoiler* BTW, I just realized that in a few days (29 of February 2012) would be the big culmination of Luther Black's master plan to become a King of Edom. Wouldn't a mini-event be suitable? *Spoiler*
We might get a future comic series or something, but I doubt it will happen.(on schedule at least) Besides does that still count in 6th edition lore?
We might get a future comic series or something, but I doubt it will happen.(on schedule at least) Besides does that still count in 6th edition lore?
The 6th Edition Champions Universe book, describing the setting's history and major plotlines, still had Luther Black's plan on schedule as of 2010. But that book predates the second Demonflame, so where that leaves DEMON, or whether that event will ever be integrated into PnP continuity in a future Hero Games publication, is anyone's guess. Especially considering the current iffy publication prospects.
It wouldn't be the first time Cryptic Studios has pre-empted a carefully laid-out future plotline from the PnP game. (*koff* Hzeel invasion *koff*)
On the other hand, who's saying that some minor inconvenience like missing a body would stop someone like Luther Black? Who knows, maybe now that *Spoiler* he lives on through Nocturne's magic *Spoiler* he has got another 200 years for his plan?
Question for Steve: a friend is looking for a retired supervillain who was active in the 1970s and 80s who lives in Millennium City and still not entirely on the up and up. (Lewis Frey is a little too old for the desired role, and is on the straight and narrow).
Well, I dont know if it's considered canon, but when the game started there were these 'Spandex in the City' articles. In one of them there was a retired supervillain mentioned: Radiotron, who owns a laundry for superhumans now: http://www.champions-online.com/node/90100
Question for Steve: a friend is looking for a retired supervillain who was active in the 1970s and 80s who lives in Millennium City and still not entirely on the up and up. (Lewis Frey is a little too old for the desired role, and is on the straight and narrow).
Well, I dont know if it's considered canon, but when the game started there were these 'Spandex in the City' articles. In one of them there was a retired supervillain mentioned: Radiotron, who owns a laundry for superhumans now: http://www.champions-online.com/node/90100
Radiotron and Spell Key sound like shrewd exploiters of a largely-unoccupied niche business.
For my part, the only candidate who comes to mind is from the background of GRAB, as related in CV Vol 2 p. 124:
"The secret leader of GRAB is the Fox of Crime, a fox-faced, teleporting, practical joke-playing superthief who was active in the Seventies and early Eighties, but retired after age diminished his powers to the point of near-uselessness. GRAB is his way of staying involved in the underworld and enjoying himself without risking exposure."
The members of GRAB first met their patron at an expensive hotel suite in New York City, which suggests he's based there and not in MC. On the other hand his wealth would allow him multiple residences if he desired.
Actually, I think there might be another intriguing possibility.
For current official CU continuity, as revealed in the supplement to the Stronghold sourcebook, The Stronghold Files, during the 1970s and '80s Neutron was one of the most powerful, brilliant, ambitious, and feared master villains in the world. In his prime he was roughly on par with Marvel Comics' Magneto in scientific skill and mutant abilities, although his plans for world domination followed no particular pro-mutant agenda.
Neutron was finally captured in 1989, along with his faithful super-flunkie, Arc, and both were sentenced to Stronghold. Advancing age, and decades of constant exposure to Stronghold's superpower dampeners, have sapped Neutron's electro-magnetic powers to the merest whisper of their former shout.
There's nothing that says Neutron escaped with the dozens of other (often unspecified) Stronghold inmates during the mass breakout of 2009. Nothing that says he didn't, either.
Actually, I think there might be another intriguing possibility.
For current official CU continuity, as revealed in the supplement to the Stronghold sourcebook, The Stronghold Files, during the 1970s and '80s Neutron was one of the most powerful, brilliant, ambitious, and feared master villains in the world. In his prime he was roughly on par with Marvel Comics' Magneto in scientific skill and mutant abilities, although his plans for world domination followed no particular pro-mutant agenda.
Neutron was finally captured in 1989, along with his faithful super-flunkie, Arc, and both were sentenced to Stronghold. Advancing age, and decades of constant exposure to Stronghold's superpower dampeners, have sapped Neutron's electro-magnetic powers to the merest whisper of their former shout.
There's nothing that says Neutron escaped with the dozens of other (often unspecified) Stronghold inmates during the mass breakout of 2009. Nothing that says he didn't, either.
Actually both Neutron and Arc are a part of the game in the mission "The Electric Company" both of them are near generators near Stronghold's entrance I believe.(Tried to upload the images of both of them in the wiki but kinda messed up on that)
While browsing around the Stronghold section of the wiki, I noticed some villains who look pretty interesting. Anything about them in the lore? I'd be interested about Red Jack McCall, Techtinker, Ames Gimllian, Mathias Tilleo and Darkmoon.
1 - What is state of Russia and her territories in Multifaria? It's the Soviet Union or maybe the old Russian Empire?
I want to have a multifarian counterpart as a nemesis for my toon but i need more informations for her possible background.
2 - What is Mechanon's stance on magic and supernatural creatures? Does it really differentiates demons, angels, and organics? Or it just hates them because the aren't mechanical?
1 - What is state of Russia and her territories in Multifaria? It's the Soviet Union or maybe the old Russian Empire?
I want to have a multifarian counterpart as a nemesis for my toon but i need more informations for her possible background.
In the PnP lore, I believe SD and Multifaria is/are only mentioned (more detailedly as SD also has a small text in CU) in books such as Book of The Destroyer and Champions Villains, neither of them provide great info on Multifaria. What is told is that Multifaria mixes elements from different time periods (and time doesn't flow the same way as in the Champions's Earth there by the way), it is mentioned that Shakespeare himself is alive but in this case a completely evil character who steals the work of other writers, the obvious twist of the dimension is the inverted moralities for the characters already introduced from that dimension. It is mentioned for example that "A section of Victorian buildings stands right next to glittering twenty-first century skyscrapers in New York, while dirigibles and da Vinci flying machines traverse the sky overhead and a space station rides the heavens as a twin to the Moon." so it's not a direct opposite of Earth.
2 - What is Mechanon's stance on magic and supernatural creatures? Does it really differentiates demons, angels, and organics? Or it just hates them because the aren't mechanical?
Mechanon is (of course) a very scientific villain, I doubt he has the same rage to demons and the like as he has to true organic lifeforms, then again I have yet to find any mention to an encounter between Mechanon and some truly powerful mystical entity or organization (I have not yet purchased Book of The Machine either, in case some mention is there) he will obliterate any organic being that uses magic (or not) but I'm not sure about truly otherworldly beings.
Question for Steve: a friend is looking for a retired supervillain who was active in the 1970s and 80s who lives in Millennium City and still not entirely on the up and up. (Lewis Frey is a little too old for the desired role, and is on the straight and narrow).
Any candidates in canon?
Offhand nothing springs to mind aside from the one Lord Liaden mentions (who, as he points out, could be based in NC). Doctor Macabre died in the Nineties, but you could tweak that to keep him alive if you'd like.
While browsing around the Stronghold section of the wiki, I noticed some villains who look pretty interesting. Anything about them in the lore? I'd be interested about Red Jack McCall, Techtinker, Ames Gimllian, Mathias Tilleo and Darkmoon.
Several of these get one-line descriptions in the Stronghold supplement. Red Jack McCall is a Scottish serial killer with shapechanging powers; Darkmoon is a DEMON Morbane with some darkness powers. The other names you listed don't ring any bells; I assume Cryptic created 'em.
1 - What is state of Russia and her territories in Multifaria? It's the Soviet Union or maybe the old Russian Empire?
I want to have a multifarian counterpart as a nemesis for my toon but i need more informations for her possible background.
Nothing published in any Champions supplement discusses what Russia (or really anywhere other than Detroit and one brief sentence about London) is like in the Multifarian. So feel free to fill in the blanks for yourself.
2 - What is Mechanon's stance on magic and supernatural creatures? Does it really differentiates demons, angels, and organics? Or it just hates them because the aren't mechanical?
I don't believe we've ever discussed its attitudes on magic and related subjects specifically. Some of its tactical analysis text in The Book Of The Machine mentions that it considers Witchcraft powerful because her magic gives her such tactical flexibility; that's about it.
If I had to write about it, I'd say that Mechanon acknowledges the existence of magic but probably regards arcane power as a form of science it does not yet understand. It would probably study magic to determine if only organics can use it (which Mechanon would probably conclude is an accurate theory), and might even try to steal Professor Paradigm's data on the subject if necessary.
In the PnP lore, I believe SD and Multifaria is/are only mentioned (more detailedly as SD also has a small text in CU) in books such as Book of The Destroyer and Champions Villains, neither of them provide great info on Multifaria. What is told is that Multifaria mixes elements from different time periods (and time doesn't flow the same way as in the Champions's Earth there by the way), it is mentioned that Shakespeare himself is alive but in this case a completely evil character who steals the work of other writers, the obvious twist of the dimension is the inverted moralities for the characters already introduced from that dimension. It is mentioned for example that "A section of Victorian buildings stands right next to glittering twenty-first century skyscrapers in New York, while dirigibles and da Vinci flying machines traverse the sky overhead and a space station rides the heavens as a twin to the Moon." so it's not a direct opposite of Earth.
It's also important to note that the differences between Champions Earth and Multifarian Earth don't necessarily lead to counterparts to CE characters being their moral and ethical opposites. Differences may be very subtle, or not at all. For example, some Multifarian villains are more benevolent, and heroes more harsh, than their CE counterparts, but still heroes and villains.
The Champions Universe does have an alternate Earh of moral inversion, though, known as Left-Handed Earth. In this world cruelty, treachery, and injustice are the values of the majority, while hope, charity, and justice are sinful. As the name implies, most people are left-handed; they speak the same languages, but backwards; the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. This is the place where total opposites of Champions Earth characters are most likely to come from.
Book Of The Empress, which should be available for purchase by the general public very shortly (I just received my Kickstarter backer's PDF copy a couple of days ago) goes into more detail about the Multifarian, as well as Left-Handed Earth and quite a few other alternate Earths and other dimensions in the Champions Universe. Specific to the political situation on the Multifarian, BOTE reveals that, like Shadow Destroyer, several known powerful supervillains rule large kingdoms they've conquered with their powers, including Gravitar, Holocaust, Borealis, Sunburst, Invictus, and Joseph Otanga. So the geopolitical map of the Earth could be quite different.
Book Of The Empress, which should be available for purchase by the general public very shortly (I just received my Kickstarter backer's PDF copy a couple of days ago) goes into more detail about the Multifarian, as well as Left-Handed Earth and quite a few other alternate Earths and other dimensions in the Champions Universe. Specific to the political situation on the Multifarian, BOTE reveals that, like Shadow Destroyer, several known powerful supervillains rule large kingdoms they've conquered with their powers, including Gravitar, Holocaust, Borealis, Sunburst, Invictus, and Joseph Otanga. So the geopolitical map of the Earth could be quite different.
And with that you just convinced me to buy the book.
Well, if this "hero" is an ethically gray mercenary working as a bounty hunter for MARS or UNTIL then her multifarian counterpart could be a mercenary working for a supervillain. It would be very likely that she came to Champions Earth as a one of the SD henchmen. After his demise this would leave her trapped on CE, unemployed and open to propositions from other supervillains. Maybe the real Dr.D would be a perfect candidate for her new boss?
While browsing around the Stronghold section of the wiki, I noticed some villains who look pretty interesting. Anything about them in the lore? I'd be interested about Red Jack McCall, Techtinker, Ames Gimllian, Mathias Tilleo and Darkmoon.
At least two of those are dev names in there, one is still here, the other I am not so sure of.
Well, if this "hero" is an ethically gray mercenary working as a bounty hunter for MARS or UNTIL then her multifarian counterpart could be a mercenary working for a supervillain. It would be very likely that she came to Champions Earth as a one of the SD henchmen. After his demise this would leave her trapped on CE, unemployed and open to propositions from other supervillains. Maybe the real Dr.D would be a perfect candidate for her new boss?
Well, there are pitfalls to employment by Dr. D. Destroyer has had many supervillains on his payroll, either recruited or created by him. He may hire competent mercenary supervillains for single jobs -- and pays very well -- but if he thinks you'll be useful to him long-term, you're his for life. If you accept an offer to let you serve Destroyer you'll receive plenty of money and other perks in exchange for your freedom. The alternative to acceptance is death, but if you're valuable enough he'll just subject you to sophisticated brainwashing to make you his loyal minion. He's liable to do so more subtly even if you agree to work for him, to assure your loyalty.
Even Menton, the world's mightiest psionic, didn't dare leave DD's organization until after Destroyer's apparent death.
I think that the Book of the Empress will give us something closer to the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. I remember reading somewhere that she is supposed to have a "battalion" of super-powered guardians to protect her person and enforce her will.
Just to update, since Book Of The Empress is now in PDF form and should be available for general purchase very soon... Istavatha V'han's superpowered Imperial Battalion is indeed very similar stylistically to the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, which in turn was of course inspired by the Legion of Superheroes. The Battalion numbers many thousands, drawn from a host of universes and races. BOTE provides full write-ups, stats, and illos for six sample Battalioneers, and includes names and brief backgrounds/ descriptions for over two hundred others. Most of the latter are based on specified characters from the Champions Villains trilogy, with changed names and appearances and sometimes modified powers, making it easy to adapt their PnP character sheets.
Steve Long has mentioned that major real-world events can usually be assumed to have happened on Champions Earth, although in many cases the actions of superheroes will have lessened their negative effects. For example, Hurricane Katrina caused less destruction and death on the Gulf Coast due to the intervention of superhuman rescuers, particularly those with weather-control powers.
I seem to recall Steve posting something about 9-11 specifically somewhere, but I couldn't find it and don't want to risk misquoting him; so I'll shut up and let him answer that if he chooses.
okay so what would heroes have done in the case of 9/11?
all i can see happening is some super trying to stop planes
This isn't canon, this is just common sense speculation. The majority of fatalitities from the 9/11 incident came not from the planes' impact but from the inability to evacuate the buildings afterward. Of the New York based heroes, the Justice Squadron's Flashover had the most obviously useful powers; she can fly, is effectively immune to fire damage, and can extinguish flames. If she were alerted and could reach the World Trade Center in time she could have saved hundreds of lives.
Diadem and the Drifter, both of whom have precognitive powers, might have been able to provide usable early warnings. Then again, maybe not.
Blink's teleportation powers would have been a huge boon in accessing and evacuating the upper floors, as would Black Rose's dimensional portals. Proteus could have been helpful clearing out the buildings with his versatile stretching powers. Independent hero Magneton's abilities have never been statted, but if sufficiently powerful he might have been able to magnetically reinforce the skyscrapers' steel support structure, and he probably helped a lot with post-collapse rescue efforts in removing debris.
There are a number of heroes around the world with megascaled transportation powers who might have provided substantial assistance if alerted quickly enough, but that would be pretty hit-or-miss.
I too am curious about 9/11 in regards to the HERO-Verse.
But! I have a question of my own! Nay, a request of a question that may befuddle the Answermen themselves!
There is a reference to a character by the name of Black Owl on champions universe page 10 and 20.
He seemed like a Golden Age/Pulpy homage to Batman by what little information in Champions Universe there was.
Searching the hero boards I managed to find this post on the HERO boards
I own Pulp Hero on PDF as of now (muahaha, my collection shall be full again, eat your heart out Penny Dreadful) but a quick ctrl+F revealed nothing of Black Owl.
I'm adding a little more spice to my main Grey Hawk for both the PnP and CO, and Black Owl sounds like a good character to use as IC "inspiration" for GH's masked shenanigans--Dark Angel and Night-Hawk not withstanding, of course -- but I can't find a bloody thing on Black Owl !
What you found in Champions Universe, and that post from the Hero Games forums you linked to, is all that's been written about Black Owl from the Champions Universe AFAIK. Like Steve Long says in his HG forum post, Black Owl is (former HG president) Darren Watts's creation, so he'd be the one to know those details. You could try sending a Private Message to Darren via the HG forum requesting more background -- I don't think he's registered here, but he still frequents the Hero Games forums.
As an aside, a major portion of the current official CU was derived from Steve's and Darren's personal PnP campaigns, which they wove together with elements from earlier incarnations of the setting, and items they created specifically for publication, to produce the coherent background and history we have today. For that matter, a great many of the villains, organizations, etc. which have been detailed in Champions books over the years originated with the campaigns of those books' authors.
I heard from Darren. He says that Black Owl will appear in Golden Age: he described him aa a darker themed vigilante "swinging around the streets of Philadelphia on a rope" and mentioned that "one of several secret identities he maintains is of a mobster, keeping him apprised of what's going on in the underworld!"
Comments
The only Zephyr I'm aware of for the current edition is a villain, a mutant with considerable power over the four traditional elements, especially air. She's fully written up in Champions Villains Vol. 3.
You've got me with both of those, friend. They're details originating with Cryptic Studios and aren't based on anything in the PnP game, nor have they yet been incorporated in the latest books. I could hazard guesses, but they'd be as well-founded as your own. For all I know the Cryptic devs put those bits in just because they thought they'd be cool.
Thanks for the quick response. This was the same snippet I read, but thought it was the CU 5E I was thumbing though, my mistake. I would buy Golden Age Champions, as I would like to make up a few different legacy heroes, and be able to use Champions Lore for their back stories. I still plan to use American Eagle as part of my heroes origin, but until I see more published info, I guess I'll just have to "wing it".
Note that except for additional post-Cryptic information in CU 6E, and incorporating the few significant changes Cryptic made to the PnP timeline, the contents of that book and CU 5E are almost identical.
What happened to Nightwind in CO ? Isn't he supposed to still be a part of the champions in the pnp ?
He's never been mentioned in CO, to my knowledge. In 5th edition, he joined the team, however the current edition lists him as only an auxiliary member, along with Dr. Silverback, Ultratech, Blockhead, and Crusader.
It's possible we could see the auxiliary team members in the Alerts. However, how it is basically written in CO, at least to me, The Champions are the 5 people we see now.
Most of all, I'd like to see these questions answered if anyone would care to help:
1.Regarding Terror.Inc, I've seen info on Scorpia and Feur/Feurmarcher on Conquerours,Killers and Crooks, where can additional info be found?
2.Whats is the nature/origin of The Dragon?I have heard about him but haven't found any info yet on him.Is any info on him in Arcane Adversaries?
3.Are there other well-known Qliphotic entities/gods in lore besides the Kings of Edom/or The Bleak ones?
What you have there is pretty much all that's appeared in print to date for current continuity, essentially reproduced in Champions Villains Vol II for Sixth Edition. Terror Inc., including Professor Muerte and Giganto, were fully written up for the Fourth Edition of Champions in the villain book Classic Enemies, but all the details there may not match the official history for the Fifth and Sixth Edition CU.
The Dragon is fully described in the book The Mystic World, which details the occult subculture, cosmology, and major mystic power-players of the Champions Universe. For a brief summation of what the Dragon is, see Posts # 1 and 3 on this thread.
Note that Arcane Adversaries names and describes several of the best-known Kings of Edom (three of whom Cryptic Studios has since defined as the Bleak Ones), as well as several of the lesser Edomite monsters which serve the Kings. The Kings who are part of Luther Black's scheme for DEMON are apparently different ones.
There are other mighty Qliphothic entities in the lore besides the Kings, who may or may not be related to them, including: the "Presences Beyond" which Shadow Destroyer propitiates, and which also transformed the ancient Atlantean wizard Dalsith into Sharna-Gorak the Destroyer; the gods of the Elder Worm, briefly mentioned in Champions Beyond; and the Ravens of Dispersion (mentioned in Arcane Advesaries), who were actually part of the primordial coalition of great powers which defeated and imprisoned the Kings of Edom.
Well, Shadow Destroyer's background text on Champions Villains. Vol. 1: Master Villains p. 155 (reproduced from Book Of The Destroyer) describes the Presences Beyond as "Qliphothic entities of great power (possibly the same as the Kings of Edom, possibly different, possibly both at once...)"
There's also this lower on the same page: "The Presences Beyond, which supposedly give Shadow Destroyer his power, are Qliphothic beings who have had contact with humanity before (it was they who transformed Dalsith the Orphan into Sharna-Gorak the Destroyer, bringing about the end of the Atlantean Age). Whether they truly want worship and sacrifices from Shadow Destroyer, and are willing to offer him power in exchange for aiding them with their plans for Earth, is unknown. As Qliphothic entities they cannot be properly comprehended by human minds, and their motivations, if any, are not necessarily identifiable by humans. They may have no plans for Earth. They may not even know Shadow Destroyer exists, or that he worships them. Or... they might."
That's me bein' all clever and mysterious and such.
That's also giving carte blanche to each individual GM out there to do what they think works best for their campaign.
But perhaps that would be too difficult design-wise, or too far from the expectations of most MMORPG players, to be practical.
I'd be all for a battle of an Archdevil and his demon minions against Tappan Arkwright and some DEMON goons. That would explain DEMONs role better too. (But I'd also be all for making ARGENT bada*s, so my opinion probably doesn't count.
That being said... any news about Profit and Purity?
FWIW I share your opinion. By the PnP lore ARGENT is active in major shady dealings around the world, and involved in developing some truly scary technologies. They're long overdue for detailing IMO.
Unfortunately I can't offer any positive news about Profit And Purity, the proposed source book for both ARGENT and the IHA. Now that Steve Long is a freelance writer he's said he has no plans to pursue writing that book, although Hero Games could choose to hire him to do it. Jason Walters, the last Hero Games staffer, hasn't yet revealed what Hero's publishing plans are after Book Of The Empress is released. Since they likely involve more Kickstarter projects, Jason will probably wait to make any announcement at least until Steve's Mythic HERO Kickstarter is over, to avoid diluting the pledge pool.
*Spoiler* BTW, I just realized that in a few days (29 of February 2012) would be the big culmination of Luther Black's master plan to become a King of Edom. Wouldn't a mini-event be suitable? *Spoiler*
I know. That makes them a more MMO-suitable opponent, I suppose, but it really isn't the emphasis of the organization as implied on the PnP side. They're far more subtle and insidious, but MMOs still don't do "subtle" very well. (For that matter, a lot of the subtlety of PnP VIPER is glossed over as well. The Supreme Serpent is definitely not a grandstanding Serpentor knockoff, for example.) :rolleyes:
We might get a future comic series or something, but I doubt it will happen.(on schedule at least) Besides does that still count in 6th edition lore?
The 6th Edition Champions Universe book, describing the setting's history and major plotlines, still had Luther Black's plan on schedule as of 2010. But that book predates the second Demonflame, so where that leaves DEMON, or whether that event will ever be integrated into PnP continuity in a future Hero Games publication, is anyone's guess. Especially considering the current iffy publication prospects.
It wouldn't be the first time Cryptic Studios has pre-empted a carefully laid-out future plotline from the PnP game. (*koff* Hzeel invasion *koff*)
Any candidates in canon?
Radiotron and Spell Key sound like shrewd exploiters of a largely-unoccupied niche business.
For my part, the only candidate who comes to mind is from the background of GRAB, as related in CV Vol 2 p. 124:
The members of GRAB first met their patron at an expensive hotel suite in New York City, which suggests he's based there and not in MC. On the other hand his wealth would allow him multiple residences if he desired.
Hope that helps.
For current official CU continuity, as revealed in the supplement to the Stronghold sourcebook, The Stronghold Files, during the 1970s and '80s Neutron was one of the most powerful, brilliant, ambitious, and feared master villains in the world. In his prime he was roughly on par with Marvel Comics' Magneto in scientific skill and mutant abilities, although his plans for world domination followed no particular pro-mutant agenda.
Neutron was finally captured in 1989, along with his faithful super-flunkie, Arc, and both were sentenced to Stronghold. Advancing age, and decades of constant exposure to Stronghold's superpower dampeners, have sapped Neutron's electro-magnetic powers to the merest whisper of their former shout.
There's nothing that says Neutron escaped with the dozens of other (often unspecified) Stronghold inmates during the mass breakout of 2009. Nothing that says he didn't, either.
While browsing around the Stronghold section of the wiki, I noticed some villains who look pretty interesting. Anything about them in the lore? I'd be interested about Red Jack McCall, Techtinker, Ames Gimllian, Mathias Tilleo and Darkmoon.
I want to have a multifarian counterpart as a nemesis for my toon but i need more informations for her possible background.
2 - What is Mechanon's stance on magic and supernatural creatures? Does it really differentiates demons, angels, and organics? Or it just hates them because the aren't mechanical?
Mechanon is (of course) a very scientific villain, I doubt he has the same rage to demons and the like as he has to true organic lifeforms, then again I have yet to find any mention to an encounter between Mechanon and some truly powerful mystical entity or organization (I have not yet purchased Book of The Machine either, in case some mention is there) he will obliterate any organic being that uses magic (or not) but I'm not sure about truly otherworldly beings.
Offhand nothing springs to mind aside from the one Lord Liaden mentions (who, as he points out, could be based in NC). Doctor Macabre died in the Nineties, but you could tweak that to keep him alive if you'd like.
Several of these get one-line descriptions in the Stronghold supplement. Red Jack McCall is a Scottish serial killer with shapechanging powers; Darkmoon is a DEMON Morbane with some darkness powers. The other names you listed don't ring any bells; I assume Cryptic created 'em.
Nothing published in any Champions supplement discusses what Russia (or really anywhere other than Detroit and one brief sentence about London) is like in the Multifarian. So feel free to fill in the blanks for yourself.
I don't believe we've ever discussed its attitudes on magic and related subjects specifically. Some of its tactical analysis text in The Book Of The Machine mentions that it considers Witchcraft powerful because her magic gives her such tactical flexibility; that's about it.
If I had to write about it, I'd say that Mechanon acknowledges the existence of magic but probably regards arcane power as a form of science it does not yet understand. It would probably study magic to determine if only organics can use it (which Mechanon would probably conclude is an accurate theory), and might even try to steal Professor Paradigm's data on the subject if necessary.
It's also important to note that the differences between Champions Earth and Multifarian Earth don't necessarily lead to counterparts to CE characters being their moral and ethical opposites. Differences may be very subtle, or not at all. For example, some Multifarian villains are more benevolent, and heroes more harsh, than their CE counterparts, but still heroes and villains.
The Champions Universe does have an alternate Earh of moral inversion, though, known as Left-Handed Earth. In this world cruelty, treachery, and injustice are the values of the majority, while hope, charity, and justice are sinful. As the name implies, most people are left-handed; they speak the same languages, but backwards; the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. This is the place where total opposites of Champions Earth characters are most likely to come from.
Book Of The Empress, which should be available for purchase by the general public very shortly (I just received my Kickstarter backer's PDF copy a couple of days ago) goes into more detail about the Multifarian, as well as Left-Handed Earth and quite a few other alternate Earths and other dimensions in the Champions Universe. Specific to the political situation on the Multifarian, BOTE reveals that, like Shadow Destroyer, several known powerful supervillains rule large kingdoms they've conquered with their powers, including Gravitar, Holocaust, Borealis, Sunburst, Invictus, and Joseph Otanga. So the geopolitical map of the Earth could be quite different.
And with that you just convinced me to buy the book.
At least two of those are dev names in there, one is still here, the other I am not so sure of.
Well, there are pitfalls to employment by Dr. D. Destroyer has had many supervillains on his payroll, either recruited or created by him. He may hire competent mercenary supervillains for single jobs -- and pays very well -- but if he thinks you'll be useful to him long-term, you're his for life. If you accept an offer to let you serve Destroyer you'll receive plenty of money and other perks in exchange for your freedom. The alternative to acceptance is death, but if you're valuable enough he'll just subject you to sophisticated brainwashing to make you his loyal minion. He's liable to do so more subtly even if you agree to work for him, to assure your loyalty.
Even Menton, the world's mightiest psionic, didn't dare leave DD's organization until after Destroyer's apparent death.
Just to update, since Book Of The Empress is now in PDF form and should be available for general purchase very soon... Istavatha V'han's superpowered Imperial Battalion is indeed very similar stylistically to the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, which in turn was of course inspired by the Legion of Superheroes. The Battalion numbers many thousands, drawn from a host of universes and races. BOTE provides full write-ups, stats, and illos for six sample Battalioneers, and includes names and brief backgrounds/ descriptions for over two hundred others. Most of the latter are based on specified characters from the Champions Villains trilogy, with changed names and appearances and sometimes modified powers, making it easy to adapt their PnP character sheets.
Nope. 9/11 happened in the Champs Universe as it happened here.
all i can see happening is some super trying to stop planes
This isn't canon, this is just common sense speculation. The majority of fatalitities from the 9/11 incident came not from the planes' impact but from the inability to evacuate the buildings afterward. Of the New York based heroes, the Justice Squadron's Flashover had the most obviously useful powers; she can fly, is effectively immune to fire damage, and can extinguish flames. If she were alerted and could reach the World Trade Center in time she could have saved hundreds of lives.
Diadem and the Drifter, both of whom have precognitive powers, might have been able to provide usable early warnings. Then again, maybe not.
Blink's teleportation powers would have been a huge boon in accessing and evacuating the upper floors, as would Black Rose's dimensional portals. Proteus could have been helpful clearing out the buildings with his versatile stretching powers. Independent hero Magneton's abilities have never been statted, but if sufficiently powerful he might have been able to magnetically reinforce the skyscrapers' steel support structure, and he probably helped a lot with post-collapse rescue efforts in removing debris.
There are a number of heroes around the world with megascaled transportation powers who might have provided substantial assistance if alerted quickly enough, but that would be pretty hit-or-miss.
But! I have a question of my own! Nay, a request of a question that may befuddle the Answermen themselves!
There is a reference to a character by the name of Black Owl on champions universe page 10 and 20.
He seemed like a Golden Age/Pulpy homage to Batman by what little information in Champions Universe there was.
Searching the hero boards I managed to find this post on the HERO boards
I own Pulp Hero on PDF as of now (muahaha, my collection shall be full again, eat your heart out Penny Dreadful) but a quick ctrl+F revealed nothing of Black Owl.
I'm adding a little more spice to my main Grey Hawk for both the PnP and CO, and Black Owl sounds like a good character to use as IC "inspiration" for GH's masked shenanigans--Dark Angel and Night-Hawk not withstanding, of course
Is he a skilled combatant able to take on several hooded men at once?
Is he so frightening that children he rescues cry at his visage?
Does he threaten martians with books of matches?!
I must know!
As an aside, a major portion of the current official CU was derived from Steve's and Darren's personal PnP campaigns, which they wove together with elements from earlier incarnations of the setting, and items they created specifically for publication, to produce the coherent background and history we have today. For that matter, a great many of the villains, organizations, etc. which have been detailed in Champions books over the years originated with the campaigns of those books' authors.
Hope that helps.
Thank you, LL and Thundrax, I'll see about sending Mr.D a private message on the HERO boards