Dr_MechanoEU

Paragon City Post, page seven

Villain makes good!

Doctor Edward Johnson formerly known as the villainous Doctor Mechano was today given a Prestigous award by Statesman himself. The Doctor has been under constant and close scrutiny while trying to redeem himself here in Paragon, a misdemeour at the Galaxy Girl statue and the following community service did put some bad light on his recent attempts.

However, today saw a new light on the hopes of Doctor Johnson becoming a fully reformed member of society. Given the 'Hero of the City' award, an award given to those heroes who shine above and beyond the call of duty, has given everyone hope for the future.

Doctor Johnson had this to say;

"I'd like to thank those I've had supporting me through my trials and tribulations, Ms Zorielle Rolando for taking me into her group, the Unity Vigil and all those who reside or help in Unity Tower...even those chidding comments of BODICIA were of some help," here the doctor pauses for a chuckle, "I'd also like to thank Saint Michael and of course my betters at the Catholic church."

Our reporter questions Doctor Johnson on how being given this award made him feel.

"Having been given this award shows that even villains can have a chance at reformation, that, like myself and fellow reformees Ryan Andrews and Ben Campbel, you truly can turn things around and do some good in the world, no matter what your powers are or even if you have no powers at all. Start small like I had to and then work your way up to the big things in life. I've learnt a lot on this journey that led to me getting this award and I still feel there will be plenty to come to learn in the days, months and years after recieving it..."

Well there we have it folks, a man who once tried to push highly addictive drugs onto our streets has made a complete turn around with his life, a shinning example to all those out there that with effort, anyone can truly become a hero.

((edit: In other words, The doc finally hit 50 as Sword of Redemption...and did it by beating down Tyrant))

((Well Ed is always willing to lend his mystical and physical might to investigating, that and he's still a mad scientist computer nerd at heart so any hacking that'd need doing, he'd be game for it))

it's very moving *sniffs* come back to us Brit!

I need someone to call a small lawn mower and get the joke!

Dr Edward Johnson when asked about the loss of Britanic (the media know of their former connection as Doctor Mechano once calling Brit his Nemesis).

"He was a nemesis, a friend and for a short time, a fellow compatriot. When he was my nemesis he infuriated me at every turn and foiled my biggest plans, for that I should probably thank him, without him I would still be on my path of evil. As a friend he always enjoyed a good joke, he was a fine leader of men...he will be missed..."

"But mark my words...he WILL return...when you least expect it the small lawn mower that is Brit will make a come back, it shall be a time when the world is in the most dire of need...do not worship him, merely have faith that all good heroes like to make a flashy entrance...especially Brit..."

we all know Brit is really like the Matrix of leadership, when it's our darkest hour, the light will save us all (the light in this case being a glowing british mutant).

The legend of Britanic, when all hope is lost, when the world seems at the edge of peril, when there seems no way to succeed, then shall he return, bought back from the grave by very hopes and fears of the world crying out for a true hero in our time of need.

alright so it's a little melodramatic but I like player made legends about those heroes that have passed on it's not true but hope is always the key here.

Sad to see you go, if it wasn't for you and Britanic Mechano would have never found a nemesis in his plotline. If it wasn't for Big Game he would never have found out how much the Doc loved to annoy him.

It's a sad day, I shall done my black armband to denote my mourning. Knowing one day, like any good superhero or sherlock holmes, you will return, when that day is, nobody knows but I know our paths shall cross again.

/e salute

Strangely enough had this idea a long while ago and left it as a free idea for anyone to take on, since I have little time to actively run an SG myself but this was AGES ago (talking a good four months plus here).

Basic idea was that a group known as 'The reformists' basically reformed villains with everyone having a character stylised (as best they can with the costume creator) after one of the signature villain groups.

The 'sponsor' wasn't a reclusive billionare but it was a government project in a similar vein to the 'Dirty dozen' where harden criminals, ex-cons and gangbangers are tasked with the dirtier jobs in Paragon in order to repay their debt to society.

The idea was to have the head of the SG as a gruff police sergeant or police chief who basically kept an eye on the group while they were hanging around in base and on missions, the reformees were tagged electonically and tracked via GPS to make sure they didn't 'do a runner' and make a break for freedom.

The other thing was going to be ranks would reflect their former 'bad guy' status. So a new member would be at an Underling rank. Once they got more established they moved up to Minion. Those who were veteran status and survived a few missions got to be Lieutenant and finally the 'persons in charge' of each subsection within the group (so the person in charge of the trolls, person in charge of the Family) would be classified as Boss. The police sergeant/chief in charge would simply have the rank of Sarge/chief depending whatever it was.

Those where my ideas about a similar themed SG a while back and personally I hope yours takes off because I think I'd be interested in playing a character for it. The question is always which of the bad guy groups would I want to play, so much choice...

Interestingly enough there was a battle between Pistol and Edward way back when in the Thugz mansion topic.

While it looks like it's an RP battle, it's actually a fight that happened in the arena but then stylised out to become an RP fight, sure Edward got his toosh kicked but it makes for some good readin.

Also the combat between Zero and Edward, if you look I've used descriptions of powers Edward has ingame, a abyssal flurry of punches is obviously Shadow Punch while the fire coming down his arms and surrounding his fists is actually hasten and the fire + shadow combined is actually smite while hasten is in effect.

I've often used Arena's or even warburg in one case (the nuking of Battle Unit Omega). I have to say both the fight with Pistol (2 MM's facing off, Edward lost, a lot) and the fight with Omega (a stand up, knock down, 10 minute slugfest where Edward and Omega stood toe to toe and just punched the hell out of each other, Edward won twice to none) were very interesting because both of them were more RP than PvP for the simple fact nobody was jumping around like a loon while in super speed which is highly common in actual PvP.

reminds me, must take my alt Piratey Pete out for a spin for some RP sometime

Edward smiled, "no I think the other guy just wants to chat," he looked to the woman, "well you know my name..what's yours?"

It's late night once again, the familar (old) face of Dr Edward Johnson flickers onto the screen, the new advertising campaign had begun. The advert isn't exactly glamourous, merely Ed with his back to the camera tinkering around with something in the tool shed.

"Oh I didn't hear you come in, I'm just working on a new project anyway hey there toastaholics! I'm Doc Eddy, here to tell you about Necrotechs latest inhouse developement for all your toasting needs!"

The camera pans down to a toaster, vaguely recognisable as such, there's small anti-grav jets that keep it hovering bolted onto the side, they stylishly moulded with the main body. He healthy thrum can be heard, a white light pulsating inside the toaster.

"This is Necrotechs latest model in toasterific toasting needs...the new Hovery Quantum Toaster...not only can it now follow you while your engaged in flight, superspeeding down the streets or teleporting AND keep up...it also use the power of science to instantly toast your bread on any setting from lightly toasted to singed!"

Ed pops a piece of bread in there's an almighty fizzle and crack as a piece of well done toast pops out.

"Don't worry about this baby going wrong, it's been quality tested by the finest minds and testing gurus known to man, Mad scientists! If they can't blow it up or cause it to create a rip in the fabric of space and time, nobody can!"

"That's not all folks, every purchase of the Walkie or Hovery toaster, thirty percent of the money you spend goes to charities such as the Make-a-wish foundation, allowing for poorly children to have their dreams come true, such as meeting Statesman, Positron or even that fine upstanding british hero Britanic....well he has to have fans, he is british after all..."

The camera panned back up to Edward, "so this is your insane old grandpa of technology here saying invest in my Hovery Quantum Toaster today, make yourself, and the world, feel good...whether your Statesman or Lord Recluse, everybody loves the buttery warmth of fresh toast..."

Edward gently tucks the Hovery-toaster under his arm and pats it gently while the Skull and Cog logo comes up. A voice over (Still Edwards) comes up.

"Remeber to visit www.necrotech_toastydreams.com there's fun games for kids and a word from Terrance, the walkie-toaster who helped save Galaxy city from Rikti invasion. Remember Terrance could be anywhere, he's undercover right now, so that toaster you see sitting in the corner of your lair...might just be him..villains beware!"

Edward bowed his head to Pious, "ah Saint Michael...then I shall take my leave..." He flared his wings with a gust of wind and took off, landing on a nearby building, keeping watch, even through the thick fog that always covered Astoria.

Edward chuckled, "indeed, sometimes I get surprised myself about who suddenly pops up with super powers..."

He stretched his wings, "so...why exactly are you here to talk with Saint Michael about...if it's business that's strictly between you and him, I understand and shall take my leave, I have no doubt he's probably already here keeping watch over us both, you never can tell with him..."

Edward smiled and bowed, "My name is Doctor Edward Johnson, most call me Doc or Ed, whichever you prefer."

He folded his wings about himself, "Forgive me for being so aggresive earlier, it's just that with the Terra Liberation Front making this cathedral a target I made an unjust assumption that you were here to attack it, I could not afford to take the risk"

He looked down to the people below, "all this noise and kerfuffle and they are none the wiser, as is probably best for them, if they knew the true threats around them every day, I think Paragon City would be a ghost town..."

He turned around slowly.

"If your here just to talk, then I can't have a beef with you can I, besides, Saint Michael isn't here right now...though I have no doubt he'll turn up soon enough, he has a habit of turning up when he is needed..." his whole demeanor had changed, seemingly less aggressive and far more open than before.

"However if you do make a move to attack him, I am not the one you should be worried about Saint Michael is far more powerful than myself and has been fighting for what I can assume has been a very long time..."

come back damn you!

trust me you will be missed by me both ooc and ic

*The Doc and Steve salute you*

He smiled, "well that depends, what do you need him for, if it's to kill him then I ain't gonna tell you..." he raised his fist, "strike me down and I shall become more powerful than you can ever imagine..." he chuckled, "sorry couldn't resist."

Edward grins, "hmm Oswald really should send better people after the Cathedral...Hatesman really need better lackies..."

He smirked, "thankfully you've caught me in a good mood, I'm offering you the choice, retreat, go tell Hatesman I'm onto him and his little group, that the instrument of God's wrath is upon him...or you can carry on the fight until one of us isn't conscious or simply dead...your choice buddy..."

He wanted to send Oswald a message, just like he had been sent a message by what the TLF had done to Jean-Luc. St. Michael was away in a missonary mission and he felt that the Cathedral always had to have a guardian.

I do believe I can step in on the religion front.

My character, along with Pious's is a Christian.

Though mine hides his zealotry beneath a fun loving and slightly mad exterior.

There is no ingame cannon for real world religions existing within it. However there are two types of Deities, those who are vocal and those that require faith in their existence.

Zeus and therefore his counterpart, Hades must exist, we know of them from the game lore and their incarnates. Statesman the incarnate of Zeus and Recluse the incarnate of Hades. Though considering in myth Hades and Zeus were opposites (one ruled the sky, the other the underworld) they weren't exactly hostile to one another and Hades was far from evil, he was a passive force, merely maintain the balance between the living and the dead.

By this conjunctoure in ingame lore we must therefore assume that the rest of the Greek pantheon exist, Athena, Ares and so on.

And to this end we must assume that the Greek heroes of old also existed, though these would have been the super heroes and super villains of their day.

So we know that classical greek mythology to be true within the game world, though merely assumption to be perfectly honest.

The other thing we know is that the Arthurian legends are true, since Excaliber is held by Ms. Liberty.

The distinct lack of catherdrals, churches, mosques, temples (beyond that of the temple of the leviathan in the Isles) says that they didn't one to offend any real world religions by having such holy places of worship situated in the game world since once you include one, you tend to have to include the rest, thus the already fairly small zones would be crowded for space due to the holy buildings taken up.

We can, however, know that christianity exists within the game world.

You may be asking yourself, "Well doc, how the hell can you know that?"

Simple...a cemetary...Moth Cemetary to be precise, a Cemetary is a place where people bury their dead, and judging from the apperance the cemetary is some centuries old, specially by the looks of the lay out. That and there are Mausoleums which fell out of use long ago.

Due to the age of the cemetary it must therefore have been created surrounding a church or, as Pious has placed in the game world (but not the game itself), a Cathedral. Only large christian holy places tended to surround themselves with the graves of the dead, I haven't seen a mosque do this but then they may do so. However most of the statues are of angels or angelic beings, so we must assume that there are christians buried in this cemetary.

So while Christianity doesn't have a 'holy place' within the game we can say that judging by appearances christians do indeed exist with the game since the appearance of a winged angelic statue is normally only associated with christianity and christian burial.

So therefore we know Christanity exists within the game, however, as in the real world, gods needn't be of the vocal variety who speak with their followers, except on rare occasions through a prophet or some random person who would appear to others to be crazy in the modern age.

If we can see Christanity exists within the game world then the other major religions of our world must exist there also, they merely have no holy places making an appearance within the game, just as christanity has no churches, cathedrals or the like within the game.

Thanks for reading.

Peace out ya'll

Edward flew backwards into the Cathedral spire with a dull thuds, knocking him to his knees. He grinned and slowly got up onto his feet, "well it's nice to know Oswald sent someone with a little bit of skill after St. Michael and myself..."

He smirked, "let's see how you try this..." a fire flared around his upper arms and descended to cover his fists. He dashed forward as the fire and abyssal energy mingled, a swirling maelstrom of light and dark as he dodged to the right, bring his fist forward.

He grinned, "hmm a brash move.." he ducked and rolled forward, hopefully bringing himself out of reach, "so you do wish for a fight...well then heathen...as the saying goes, let's dance!"

He sprinted forward, flinging his fists in a blurring flurry of abyssal energy.

He chuckles, "hmm..you're not the man I was expecting either...you're not Oswald as I first assumed...shame, I would have like to see his face before I break it..." he grinned and stretched his wings.

Edward cracked his neck, "If you're here for St. Michael then you're going to have to deal with me too..."

Dark energy wrapped around his fists, "perhaps somewhere away from the Cathedral, though if you prefer to fight here then I don't mind.."

He looked at the Katana with a raised eyebrow, "hmm well atleast that makes the fight interesting," he grinned, "come heathen...give me your best shot"

There was a rush of wind as wings slowly folded themselves around a darkened form, "well it appears the information was right...you and your filth planning to attack a place of holy revenance...good thing I employ alternative methods to finding my information...some say hacking, no matter the target, is illegal...I say hacking your database is completely legal..." he smirked.

"Since I found out the information I've been keeping an eye on the church...looking for anything suspiscious...and a figure crouched on the roof...well that's pretty suspiscious..."

He stepped out of the imposing shadow of the cathedrals spire. In his demonic form, eyes blazing with the fires of righteousness..."so...Oswald, you think you can beat up my friends, kill innocent people and try to blow up a Cathedral and get away with it?"

He grinned, "perhaps I should ask another question...have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?"

hmm...

First off...hello all, been a while I know but hi!

A good villain knows how to play on what is expected of him and do a complete u-turn on those expectations, a ranting, raving mad scientist is considered more harmless than a drugs dealer primarily because one's goals will never get off the ground while the drug dealer is already there, inserted into the social fabric.

That's what I liked about pulling the sudden U-turn with Edward back when he was Dr Mechano. Every hero suspected him to be this harmless old man who was insane and ranting but suddenly he was shipping drugs to their city and his threat level just jumped tenfold in the eyes of most heroes.

I assume this was because he wasn't trying to take over the world but providing a new addictive 'high' and a supposed cure for aging rolled into one. This drugs market would appeal to both the disenfranchised youngsters always looking for the next big fix and also the middled aged or elderly who wanted to recapture their youth. It wasn't just a drug for the young, this drug would hit every single demographic young, middle aged and old, rich and poor, thus making it a major threat if it got a foothold in the city.

What was said earlier about 'being prepared to lose' is very apt, I had actually planned on losing during this plotline for the outset. I had always played Mechano as someone who was there to be on the recieving end of the heroes witt and thus being forced to lose against heroes was no big deal.

Mechano, as a villain, was insane. Now I don't mean the kind that sees butchering people as fun, I mean straight, downright, completely insane. More akin to that homeless person standing on the street yelling at traffic, you know, the kind everybody think is harmless but really doesn't want to take that risk in forcing to move along because the guy might just pull an uzi out of his worn overcoat and start firing because suddenly everybody is one of 'them'. He was and oddity since he was ranting and raving one minute, then fine the next.

He had thoughts above his station in life, often calling himself a super-villain (of key use in his phrase "super-villains have class and manners, super-thugs do not and I, my dear, am a super-villain")

A villain doesn't have to be a murdering thug or a psychopath, a villain can still call themselves a super-villain merely as a title they think that they have earned. To mechano not everyone was a super-villain unless they displayed the key qualities of:

1) Manners to women: you may be evil but that doesn't mean you should be abusive to the fairer sex, that's just shows you haven't got any taste or even a modicum of class.

2) Witty comebacks: There are times when you will face a heroes witt, if possible throw a witty oneliner back at them or use the simple technique of confusion to completely derail their train of thought and thus remove the smug look on their face (the line Mechano used "well you sir, are a small lawn mower" led to the confusion of many a hero).

3) Plans: All good villains have plans, these may be from making a note the night before and leaving 'I need to buy milk this morning' stuck on your fridge to 'I want to take over the world' all good villains need to plan atleast once a day in order to keep the mind sharp. These plans don't have to work but they good exercise for the mind.

4) Henchmen: No good super-villain has no henchmen, even if you don't, introduce a loyal friend as, for example, "this is Rob, he sets things on fire and he's one of my henchmen" thus making it seem like you've got a few stashed away. Though make sure to confer with your friend first otherwise the arguement that follows will surely undo all the work you've done to look respectable and villainous all at once.

Though these four key points are what I set out for Mechanos beliefs and thus not conversley my own in what makes a good villain.

To be honest playing a good villain is incredibly hard. Though for me Mechano was substantially easier than playing his hero version, sword of redemption, because Sword is a Christian, a belief system which I do not have in real life but also one which is at odds with the CoH universe.

Having faced the goddess of Mu (though in a weak state) while helping someone out for their patron arc (can't remember which one) Edward cannot catagorically say that there is no other gods, he's seen one, he's fought one! So he says rather than belief in his god is the only one, he says that to worship his God and no other is enough. He follows the teachings as best he can but a move from the isles to Paragon has left him with Crossing guard duty due to the change in the basic rules.

Though his crossing guard duty has now finished.

The reason I found Mechano easy to play was because I suffer from insomnia and thusfore am often sleep deprived in the extreme (72 hours awake does hell for your head), I know that mental state, how it scatters thoughts completely, how you often say what your thinking rather than keeping it inside your head, how even the simplist of questions can somehow seem to require a long and complicated answer. I've done it so often that I can simply slip into that state and that's how I played him. So in truth he wasn't evil, just pretty damn unhinged and sleep deprived (as those that use to be in EVIL will know, or more likely his housemate, Big game, he never seemed to sleep at all).

Playing him as a straight hero and a christian I find immerseably harder because those are two things I'm not, I can be quite insane when sleep deprived, my thoughts go meandering down unexpected paths, I say odd things to people at random intervals (like yelling Kittencake while at work, though thankfully no customers were in the shop and the girl I was working with just burst out laughing since she knows what I'm like when in that state).

So strangely, perhaps I'm odd, I find playing a hero harder than a villain.

an Advert has appeared in Magazines such as Variety.

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Wanted hero/heroine and actor/actress, aged between 20 and 45 required for new advertising campaign. Four days filming, all expenses paid, $2000 a day. Please send inquiries and a CV to: Dr Edward Johnson, CE0 of Necrotech inc. 48B the Gish, Kings row.

Heros/heroines that are semi-well know a plus but please don't let discourage your application, all will be considered on an even basis. This advertising campaign WILL make you a star and household name!
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