Inspirational. Bravo!
Some great information, thanks!
A lot of effort went into the OP's guide, I think a bit more praise is in order, come on guys!
/em shovels praise upon the writer of the guide.
Good job!
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
Thomas Jefferson
I personally like the Computer Transcript part. Very well done m8. 
Words - failing. Can't - express - awe - properly - or - speak - at - normal - rate. <swoon>
Wow, this is absolutely great! I like the compilation of different ways to present IDs. It's given me some ideas.
Ferrium - Inv/SS Tanker
Hyperforce - SS/Regen Brute
Member of V for Vengance (Exalted)
One thing that I always do on each of my characters is to fill the numpad with what I would call "character binds." These are binds that are shouted out in the middle of fights or in conversations, especially when fighting out of doors. These character binds can be combined with emotes, and can also be made to fire a power. They serve a number of purposes; I started them when creating tankers that use taunts. I use them now on every character.
I always set my character binds to display in local (/bind numpad# l text). This keeps them out of tells, team chat, broadcast; and makes them display as black and white word balloons like in the comics. With all the numpad spaces, you can create a fairly large repertoire of mottoes for your characters to say.
I devote the numpad4 space as the "prayer" space; this is what the character says when resting.
Some examples of mine:
Heraclea (inv/ss tanker):
"Surrender immediately, $target, or gentle persuasion will be applied."
"O Iunones, adeste in adiutorium nostrum, ut hostem supereamus!" (Prayer)
"Men are squishy where it counts and have no stamina, and you're no different, $target."
Daisy May (stone/axe tanker):
"You keep your hands offa my critters, $target!"
"Come on into my mud holler, $target!"
"Granny says that I shouldn't kiss a boy unless we're engaged or kinfolk, and you ain't neither, $target!"
Grandma Gnosis (illusion/empathy controller)
"Time to inflate Grandma's life sized rubber dolls!" (Used when summoning decoys)
"This is the only way Grandma can get a man." (Used when summoning Phantasm)
"Look at the spooky! Look at the spooky" (Spectral Terror)
"Grandma's going to make you a good boy, $target." (Deceive)
"Time for a dose of Grandma's spring tonic." (RA)
The Jade Emperor (sonic/rad defender)
"Because I wield the mandate of Heave, you will fall, $target."
"The secret of long life begins with stopping what you are doing now, $target."
"The Way that can be named is not the true Way, but it surely is not that, $target."
"Li Tieh Kuai collected earrings. I collect the ears of villains, $target."
Mrs. Weed (plant/thorn dominator):
"I have a green thumb and I know exactly where to stick it, $target."
"Put this in your pipe and smoke it, $target!"
"You are mulch, $target."
Amir Al-Muminin (ninja/poison mastermind)
"It is an honour to die for the True Faith, $target!"
"The paradise of ninety-nine virgin slaves is not for you, $target!"
"Good to see you wearing your veil, $target. God is most pleased."
Beata Beatrix (ss/inv brute):
"Pain makes me feel alive, $target!"
"You hit like a girl, $target."
"Give me something I can feel, $target!"
<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison
Nice binds! And a good addition to this guide. Thanks!
This was so nifty, I can't help but post my own Description. My character, Captain Drunken, could best be described as "semi-RP" in that, while I do RP as much as possible, the character is so ridiculous and off-the-wall it's hard to do. 
Anyway, without further ado:
Bio: Involved in a bizarre accident at a young age, Captain Drunken was doused in contaminated vodka, bombarded by alcoholic rays, gifted with a magic ring by the aliens of Jd, injected with the Super Corona Formula, empowered by the Wizard JAGER, bitten by a radioactive beer bottle and involved in a Jello Shot storm. All at the same time. When he found out that none of these accidents gave him any powers at all, he was so upset that he drank himself into a stupor and woke up as Captain Drunken, Gaian Defender.
Powers: Drunken stamina, blitzed strength, inebriated speed, immunity to most toxins, resistance to reality. While his powers are commonly accepted to be alcohol based, only an idiot would name themselves after the source of their powers... right?
Ha, I found it and I thought i'd bump it.
This is really the most awesome guide I've ever seen.
Great guide, stuttermonkey.
I tend to write my backstories in a "third person short story" perspective, because none of the other ways, in my opinion, will show as much about your Hero/Villain. But there is something unique about all of my characters. My villains are never evil for the sake of being evil, and on the rare occasions that I actually play CoH, my heroes are not good for the sake of being good.
See, my villains are almost always tormented by their powers, and otherwise easy to sympathize with. More often than not, they are not villains by choice. This creates more "3-D" characters, much more interesting than megalomaniacs or super-altruists.
Here's a few ideas, to get some minds going.
Psymortis (Mind Control/Psionic Assault Dominator):
Battlecry: I am pain incarnate!
Bio: As the mind evolves, the body must decay.
Cyrus Caine knows this better than anyone.
From a young age, Cyrus was able to bend people to his will, simply with his thoughts. He even had the ability to affect the physical world with his mental energy. Eventually, his body was thrown into entropy. He began to rot. He was betrayed by the people he once loved, left to live a life on the streets. At the age of 16, he claimed his first victim by severing their mental energy with his own. He noticed that the unbearable pain he felt was cured, even if only for a few minutes. This was worth the risk to him. His mental abilities grew stronger, but whenever they did, he learned, his body entered a greater state of decay. After saving enough money from his victims, he was able to save enough money to hide his identity, and he donned the name Psymortis. Eventually, he was subdued and arrested by the PCPD, and he entered 3 consecutive life sentences in the Zig for over 40 murders. He was broken out soon after by Arachnos, and he began his search for a cure for his condition. He would stop this, no matter the cost.
Chains of Torment (Dark Melee/Fire Aura Brute):
Battlecry: ... ((Note - He's a mute))
Bio: Alex Abel was once a paleontologist, working for a private company based in the rogue isles. He had read of an ancient temple buried deep beneath a small island in the archipelago, which contained an artifact that held a key to infinite power. So Alex began his search, and after about six months of digging, he finally uncovered the temple. In the center of it layed a black chain on a rune-covered pedestal. Cautiosly, he approached it, but as soon as he put his hands on it, it wrapped itself around his body. It instantly granted him immense strength and the ability to form matter from hell itself, but seconds later it engulfed him in hell's flames. It tormented him with images of the damned, and so he ripped out his eyes, but still the images plagued his mind. The screams of the damned filtered through his own mouth, and so he bolted it shut, but still the voices plagued his ears. Now blind, mute, and beyond insane, he walks through the rogue isles seeking to cause pain; he cares not to who.
They would be a little better if it weren't for the character limit. Often I don't even make bios for my characters until around level 30. Not because I can't think of anything, I just can't think of anything that would fit within the character limit and tell everything that I need to tell.
I hope this helped everyone a little bit more.
One more tip: Try and let your values and thoughts be shown (even if it's just a little bit) within your character's backstory. It might help you like your character a little more, and it will make for a more interesting story.
My bios tend to be narratives. I really like how you've used other forms (email, phone transcripts, school reports, etc.) in yours.
Great job!
Regarding binds, one thing that I've done for some of my characters is linking battlecries and emotes to attacks. For instance, when I'm playing Eldandil and I hit the "1" key, he activates his Char power. But if I hit "CTRL+1", he activates Char while intoning:
"O salamander, lizard of flame, come forth: I call thy name! Fly thee now true and straight...render mine enemy insensate! Set thee upon $target! Uruloke nalanta!"
I don't want to spam the local channel with text each time I activate a power, so binding with-text and without-text versions of powers separately allows me to only do the talky stuff when I feel like it. In this instance, the two binds I have created for Char are:
/bind 1 "powexec_tray 1 1"
and
/bind CTRL+1 "local <color red><bgcolor orange>O salamander, lizard of flame, come forth: I call thy name! Fly thee now true and straight...render mine enemy insensate! Set thee upon $target! Uruloke nalanta!$$powexecname Char"
Notice that the with-text version is set to local, not team chat. This way, the flavour stuff doesn't obscure important messages like, "Help me, I'm dying!"
Edit: I seem to have inadvertantly parroted some of Heraclea's words.
I take it that that character limit of 1119 characters for your backstory must also count each blank line as a character or something?
I just used that online character counter tool to limit myself to 1119 characters (and spaces). Went to the game, cut-and-pasted it in, and found my text was cut off by 100-200 characters!
I sure wish they'd assigned more room to this field.
1. Yes, each carriage return (the paragraphing effect you get from hitting the enter key) counts as 1 character as well.
2. We've been asking for more text space for our bios for ages now, but I suppose the devs feel that expanding current limits would only lead to overly verbose back stories.
[ QUOTE ]
1. Yes, each carriage return (the paragraphing effect you get from hitting the enter key) counts as 1 character as well.
2. We've been asking for more text space for our bios for ages now, but I suppose the devs feel that expanding current limits would only lead to overly verbose back stories.
[/ QUOTE ]
Frankly, I get over this by giving a teaser story, and then a link to the full one. It's definitely an imperfect solution, but it does work.
I, on the other hand, take the word limit as a challenge to my writing skills. But of course some stories really require a lot more explication than others and quality and coherence can suffer as a consequence of the tight word limit.
[ QUOTE ]
I sure wish they'd assigned more room to this field.
[/ QUOTE ]
Me, too! But, it's still fun to work with the limitations of the field length to economize your message. I approach the limited Character ID (and Battlecry) fields as challenges.
In Marketing, there's a concept called "the elevator pitch." Basically, this referes to lower-level employees pitching an idea to prospective CEOs or managers while riding the elevator together. Typically, you have only a couple of minutes to "sell" your idea. I try to think of the limited space of the Character ID like that, and really focus on writing something that people might enjoy reading.
Hello, I thought I'd jump in and give a few of my bios. In my bios, I try to give the characters a sense of reality, having real-world problems in addition to their superheroic (or villainous) trials.
* Roseheart, Lvl 50 Science Scrapper, Spines/SR
Bio: Rose MacLellan was a leading scientist at Crey Industries in the Bioengineering lab, charged with creating a supersoldier by combining human DNA with that of a plant. She was innocently caught in a sabotage attempt on Crey, and thus terminated.
At home, she eventually figured out the method of combining her DNA with that of a rosebush. Given the ability to sprout thorns from her body, she fought Crey at every turn and eventually arrested the Countess.
Roseheart found love along the way in a Freakshow convert named Krazeek, but was crushed when she found him dead. Her hopes restored, she has taken up contract to defend the Portal Corp grounds while fighting other large threats.
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Jesus Freak, Lvl 22 Technology Defender, Empathy/Electric
Bio: Christopher Sallis has had an interesting life. He started out the child of a rich father in the dot com business, but hated possessions based on his father spoiling him.
In high school, Chris learned of a group known as the Freakshow who felt the way he did about money. He joined, and was later made a Chief Stunner, named Krazeek, and given electrical implants as his fame grew.
Later, as he was selling some stolen goods in Brickstown, he was arrested by a hero named Roseheart. She gave him the option of either being locked in prison or working under her to become a hero.
Inspired by her faith, Krazeek trained under her and learned to use his voltage to heal as well as to harm. He started on his career, but it was cut short when he was held hostage by Crey while they took vengeance on her.
Escaping them, Krazeek married Roseheart and continues to fight crime. He renamed himself Jesus Freak and now only seeks to blend into society once again.
-------------------------------
Krazeek, Lvl 40 Technology Brute, SS/Electric
Bio: Krazeek was a Chief Juicer in the Freakshow, promised an upgrade to a tank by Dreck. However, Dreck sent him on a suicide mission to prove himself, and he was arrested and sent to the Zigursky prison.
This is what Krazeek claims, at least. In reality, he's the Praetorian version of the hero Jesus Freak.
Krazeek was a member of the Maimed (the Praetorian Freakshow), but fell in love with a lady who called herself Poisonthorn. She corrupted him to evil, and he became a notorious member of the Arian Conspiracy.
After attaining great power by conquering many Underground whom he once called brothers, he felt himself ready for more challenging targets. He traveled through a portal from the Gate Corporation to Paragon City.
The trip cost Krazeek much of his power, and he was easily defeated by Roseheart and Jesus Freak, and sent to the Zigursky prison. Escaping with the help of Arachnos, Krazeek plans to get his revenge by regaining his powers and killing his earthly posers.
-------------------------------
Oblivion Probe, Lvl 22 Technology Mastermind, Bots/Dark
Bio: The Oblivion Probe was a robot created by Portal scientists to explore a plane of shadow. Equipped with various telemetry devices, the robot entered the portal on September 21st, 2001.
Just 5 weeks into the project, scientists lost contact with the probe, but had gathered enough information to consider the project a success. They deactivated the portal and returned to their research on other dimensions.
On April 19th, 2005, the portal went online despite the lack of a power source, and the probe emerged once again. The probe did irreperable damage in the carnage that followed, but a concentrated effort by Paragon's heroes shut it down and locked it in the Zigursky prison.
Due to the possessing spirit and the nanites, the Oblivion Probe awoke during a raid on the prison by Arachnos forces. It now does their dirty work in exchange for the life essence used to power the alien intelligence.
------------------
Any commentary is welcome on the above information. Roseheart does have a longer bio here if you want to check it out.
However, this thread is awesome, and some great advice that gave me insight on how to write up my characters' bios. Kudos, Stuttermonkey.
"May all your hits be crits." - Knights of the Dinner Table
Heroes: Roseheart (Spine/SR Scrap), Jesus Freak (SS/WP Brute), Animatic (Axe/WP Brute)
Villains: Krazeek (SS/Elec Brute), Oblivion Probe (Bots/Dark MM), Officer Loveless (Stone/Regen Brute), Thrashcore (Sonic/Devices Blaster)
Wow Rosehart -- fantastic bios. You've really put a lot of creativity into them.
Thanks for the Kudos!
Also, thanks to all the contributors to this thread, you've all definitely given me a lot of ideas!
Nice Guide, top marks for you!
Doom/Batman in 2012
The Resistance has boobs too, and better hair!
The Resistance has boobs too, and better hair!
Nice guide!
One thing I'd like to clarify myself (and that'd be good to state outright in the guide): There isn't any way to copy text *from* the CoX interface, is there?
On the text itself, one thing I'd advise is *not* to have a big one-paragraph block of turgid prose. Oh, you might have follow-up detail, but lead off with something relatively short and snappy. There's a neat little article on the "mission statements" that sometimes were on the title pages of comics:
http://blog.newsarama.com/2006/07/12...on-statements/
I'm especially fond of the "Stan Lee Presents" blurbs that were standard on the Marvel Comics of my youth (circa 1975-1985?) A few examples:
[ QUOTE ]
A brilliant scientist his best friend the woman he loves and her fiery-tempered kid brother! Together, they braved the unknown terrors of outer space, and were changed by cosmic rays into something more than merely human!
MR. FANTASTIC! THE THING! THE INVISIBLE GIRL! THE HUMAN TORCH! Now they are the FANTASTIC FOUR and the world will never be the same again! Stan Lee presents... The Fantastic Four!
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
When multi-billionaire industrialist Tony stark, inventor extradordinaire, dons his solar-charged, steel-mesh armor, he becomes a high-tech warrior - the world's greatest human fighting machine! Stan Lee presents... Ihe Invincible Iron Man!
[/ QUOTE ]
They sum up the general premise, while being snappy and fun to read. Lead off with something like that, then fill out the rest of the ID with more detail if necessary.
My own Ashley Porter blurb:
Transported from the year 1879 by a Yellowstone Woodland Gorilla shaman's curse, the Old West's only female United States Marshal continues to fight for justice in a strange new world... a world where 125 years of fictionalized exploits in everything from dime novels to movies to video games has made her a beloved iconic American hero!
Suedenim presents... The Legendary Ashley Porter!
Incidentally, I've noticed this style blurb starting to appear a lot in DC comics these days. In every issue of the new The Brave and the Bold series, and a lot of other places.
You forgot one very important and simple thing in your guide. You can bind ANY set of commands to ANY key - this INCLUDES F10. So you do not have to limit your battlecry to 32 characters, and you can even add an emote. Here is my example:
/bind f10 "say All you villains will suffer the pain and agony that is being bodyslammed by the Incourigable BULK!$$emote taunt"
If you type all that in and press enter, your character will say that phrase in whatever channel is the active channel and also perform the "taunt" emote.
Special note, the command "say" is the ONLY command that will let you say a phrase in the current channel, all the other commands like Local, Team, and Request are specific to those channels.
Really loved reading your character IDs. That's all I wanted to say.
Background / Backstory / Battle Cry / Flavor Text / Character ID Creation Guide
- Why should you care about character ID and Battle Cry?
- Saving Character ID to a text file.
- How to access Character ID.
- How Character ID is displayed.
- Space limitation of Character ID.
- How to create a Character ID.
- Space limitation of Battle Cry.
- How to create a Battle Cry.
- Examples of Character IDs and Battle Cries.
Update Nov 9, 2010: Added new Backstory for Samhain, and Backstory for Turnout
This guide will describe how to create Character ID and Battle Cry text for your hero or villain.
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Abbreviations and acronyms used in this guide:
CoH - City of Heroes
CoV - City of Villains
CTRL-C - Copy, or the keyboard combination of the control key and the "C" key
CTRL-V - Paste, or the keyboard combination of the control key and the "V" key
ID - Identification (your character's "license" or passport)
IM - Instant messaging (sometimes also used for text messaging via cell phones)
MMORPG - Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game
NPC - Non-player character, or the character you interact with in-game that isn't controlled by another (human) player
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1. Why should you care about Character ID and Battle Cry?
It is often said that the superhero (or supervillain) origin story is the only story worth telling. I think that this comes from a universal desire to explain ourselves to the world. Other people only ever interact with the public face we show the world--our history, our passions, and our tragedies are mostly hidden and inaccessible. Revealing information about ourselves is a source of empowerment in terms of social interaction and cohesiveness, but also a source of potential vulnerability when others exploit flaws in your "armor."
Added value
Creating your hero or villain has already taken some portion of your time and creativity. After you have attained a certain level and are happy with the way your character looks and performs, your character becomes more than just a computer avatar--to some extent it becomes alive. According to academic research, the life online avatars lead may someday be a precursor to artificial intelligence. This intent of this guide, however, is simply to enrich your playing experience as well as the experience of other players.
In the world of comic books, where the origin of superheroes and supervillains first gained widespread popularity, character origins are of great importance. Characters with a past make the reader identify (or vilify) the character on a personal basis. Comic books with great storylines and plausible characters historically sell more issues for the publisher (and thus, for the writers and artists), as well as provide greater entertainment for the reader. Creating a good "reason for being," or raison d'etre, for comic book characters is of paramount importance.
Storytelling
Comic books bridge the gap between novels (or short stories) and film. In that respect, comic books could be considered 2.5D, or 2 1/2 dimensional, where written text is 2D and movies are 3D (in respect to our interpretation and visual understanding of them). Story is of prime importance when written, whereas it may take a backseat when paired with the visual effects and presentation of a movie. Comic books, where CoH and CoV take their primary inspiration(s), are somewhere in the middle. If the story is weak, the book suffers; likewise, it will suffer if the visual component--the art--is not appealing.
For MMORPGs, players don't exactly have control over the story, but their characters are living within the game's world. Role-playing is fine, too, and there are numerous players who have created macros that allow their characters to speak and act appropriately, according to their characters' personalities and origins. While this guide is accessible to everyone, it is primarily designed for the average, non role-playing player, who simply wants to create an interesting ID and Battle Cry for her character. While it is not necessary or required to create either for your character, creating them adds to your playing experience and to the experience of other players.
Player Interaction
When you interact with another character within the game, to a large extent you are "playing out" a story that the writers of CoH and CoV have envisioned. This type of gaming is very much like sitting around a fire and following a narrator's storytelling, while in your mind imagining ways that you would react if you were the principle actor in the story being told. Storytelling involves getting the audience to feel as if they were there--right in the midst of the story. Good storytelling (as well as gameplay) is what drives the best MMORPGs.
Average gamers, or those that don't want to actually act "in character" all of the time, often feel at a loss when trying to come up with a backstory or origin for their character. Usually, they have played several characters, experimented with a range of costume designs, archetypes, and power sets, and decided to stick with a few characters they like. Sometimes, they do not become attached to a character until they have reached a higher level and have experimented with all of the choices for that character.
The character ID field is often intimidating because it isn't something most players easily identify with *why* they are playing that particular character. The character creation abilities of CoH and CoV are phenomenal, and the storylines are thus far fantastic. Linking your character to this world in a more interactive way by creating a rich and creative ID and Battle Cry can enhance your gaming experience.
Other players who access your character information can read the ID you have created for your character. For the majority of characters you might encounter, the ID area will be blank, or at the very least, contain minimal information. If you enhance your hero or villain ID with rich content, however, other players are provided with the opportunity to interact with your character (and your creativity) on a more personal basis. Besides obvious reading interest, there are other ways that a good ID can reward you.
In-game Rewards
Often, other players may give your character rewards for a backstory that appeals to them. Gifts of Influence or Infamy, enhancements, and inspirations may be given--sometimes gifts that are quite valuable for your character to use or sell. At the very least, a complimentary "Great backstory!" can be expected regularly. This is what I have experienced on numerous occasions, usually as often as every play session.
A well-designed costume goes a long way towards enticing someone to read your ID; however, costume creation will not be covered in this guide. It is suffice to say that a unified theme of costume paired with an interesting ID can go a long, long way.
Similarly, when you use your character's Battle Cry, you are also inviting players to read your ID. It pays to create a unified theme for your character's costume, ID, and Battle Cry (and any macro they might have that has them say something).
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2. Saving Character ID to a text file.
Okay, now you've read this far so you must be interested in creating an interesting ID for your character. Good. You will want to keep a text file of your IDs. If you are interested in keeping your IDs up to date, saving and editing them in a text file is an incredible time-saving suggestion. You can use Wordpad or some other text program (word processors can add extra characters). If you edit the ID in-game, you won't remember what you wrote unless you log on with that character and check the ID. Having the text file saved outside the game (and making changes to the wording *there* first before importing it to the character ID) means you can perfect what you want to say and "tweak" it occasionally if your play style changes or you discover new story elements you would like to incorporate into your character's ID.
Using this method, if you make a change to the (Wordpad) text file and want to update your (in-game) Character ID, you will first need to erase your (in-game) Character ID by positioning your cursor at the end of the ID text and pressing the BACKSPACE key until all the text is erased, which is fairly fast. You cannot use CTRL-A to select the in-game Character ID text while on the ID screen. However, once the text is erased, you *can* copy the text from your text file and paste it into the (now blank) ID screen (using CTRL-C and CTRL-V).
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3. How to access Character ID.
To access your hero's or villain's Character ID, click Menu > I.D. To see the way it appears to other players, click Menu > Personal Info.
To access other players' character IDs within the game, right-click on a (non-npc) character. From the menu, you should see the option "Info" Select this and you will see a window that displays that player's character's ID screen. From here you can see the specific powers, badges, and accomplishments this character has attained. To see any of the different options, click on the tabs or the arrows on the right to navigate.
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4. How Character ID is displayed.
When you write an ID for your character, you want to be sure that it displays the way you intended it to. If you added a break or a space between sentences, will your formatting be preserved when imported to the actual in-game character ID?
The good news is yes, to an extent. Specifically, if you added a hard return (by using the enter key), added spacing between sentences, or spacing before words, this type of formatting will be preserved. However, bolding, italics, or font types will not. In the Character ID window, ID text over 598 characters will include a scroll bar that can be dragged. In the Personal Info window, text over 190 characters will also include a scroll bar.
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5. Space limitation of Character ID.
The space limitation for your character ID is @1024 characters. The only other limitation is what you write here. According to the Policy on Claimed Copyright Infringement and Repeat Offenders of Copyrights and the City of Heroes Rules of Conduct, you may not use copyrighted or potentially offensive material in character creation, or you run the risk of having your character deleted.
Also, when choosing text from other sources as your inspiration, do not include (from the CoH Rules of Conduct) "...any copyrighted content that you do not own all rights to without the express written permission of the author or copyright holder." Works whose copyright has expired and thus entered into the public domain are permissible, however. For more information, see the Wikipedia article on copyright or the official Duration of Copyright site.
The only other issues with spacing are the Character ID screen ignoring spacing at the end of the text area and wrapping. If you add a space between text sections past a certain character position, the character ID will ignore the spacing. This might only be obvious after you close out of the Character ID window and then reopen it. Also, text lines beyond a certain length will "wrap" when viewed in the Personal Info window. Text wrapping begins at space #38 in the first line of your Personal Info window, and at space #50 within the rest of the lines of text.
You can see an example of a Personal Info window here.
You can copy your text into an online text counter to see how many character spaces it uses.
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6. How to create a Character ID.
Coming up with an ID for your character can be a fun and rewarding experience. You can gain a greater attachment to your character through a well crafted ID. Imagine that within this text area you are not simply supplying a background, or "origin" story for your character, but you are expanding the information already available to others. Most people only experience your character through your costume and power choices. Adding text that more fully explains your character to the world adds depth to your hero or villain.
The character ID doesn't have to be a "character finds strange object and gains superpowers" story. The fun is in using the visual limitations of text to create an interesting addition to your already well crafted character. A great resource for ideas is the Wikipedia article on superheroes.
Coming up with an ID for your character is as much fun as creating your character's costume--perhaps more so. Of the thousand or more choices you can make during costume and character creation, there is only one unique ID for your character--the one that you write. Of all the thousands of heroes and villains possible, only yours will have the unique ID that you create.
Coming up with an ID for your character doesn't have to be hard. It can be as simple as describing what your character does and why. You can add storytelling elements to the ID to make it more readable, but it isn't necessary. Any text will be a pleasant surprise, so don't worry overmuch about semantics, spelling, or grammar. While some may cringe at typos, any description is better than none.
Think about your character's archetype, origin (technology, magic, etc.), and power sets. Why does she have the ability to fire ice missiles from her hands? Was she exposed to a comet while conducting experiments on a space station? Or was she born with this ability? Does she use specially designed, experimental gloves, or does she use her grandfather's Talisman of Freya to achieve the same effect? Look at what your character does and figure out why she's able to do it. It is also helpful to think about your character's archetype, origin, and power set choices when designing her costume. If she uses technology to blast ice from her hands, you might want to give her gloves that look the part. Want to use text elements that look like advertising, recipes, voice mail, commercials, songs, overheard conversations, or technical instructions? Go for it!
If you have an idea for your character that involves researching appropriate historical or mythological accounts, the internet is, of course, a valuable resource. Typing "Greek myths," "military gear," or "nuclear science," into your favorite search engine [cough]Google[/cough] yields a quick ton of info that you can mine for character ID info. Using current events, popular topics, or common cultural references are also good sources to use. Saying that your character recently served on a mission to Afghanistan or Iraq lends immediate recognition from the reader and validation to your character's life.
Remember, if you have located a great site but are having trouble finding the information you want *within* the site, use Google's advanced search instructions to search the site for key words: "...to search only within one specific website...[enter] the search terms you're looking for, followed by the word "site" and a colon followed by the domain name. For example, here's how you'd find admission information on the Stanford University site: ' admission site:www.stanford.edu '" [without the 'quotes']
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7. Space limitation of Battle Cry.
The only space limitation for your Battle Cry is @32 characters. Again, the only other limitation is what you write here. Don't use copyrighted or potentially offensive material.
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8. How to create a Battle Cry.
Your character's Battle Cry is not as visible a component as her ID. It is only ever directly experienced when you pres the F10 key (or whatever you may have mapped it to). However, if you have created an interesting ID for your character, you should consider making her Battle Cry compelling as well. Use the same research or idea generating methods as stated for ID creation. When you have your character say her Battle Cry, remember that her animation is forceful, as if she is getting ready to charge into battle. However, sometimes even a lightly spoken or non-forceful Battle Cry works--especially when you have written the ID to illustrate uncertainty or, possibly, insanity. You can see the Battle Cries I have created for some possible examples.
Note: Also including a macro or two that has your character say something appropriate to her personality is also cool. For ease of editing and inserting into macros, keeping these in text files is also a huge time saver. For example, Tom Paine has the following: /macro Hang "local If we do not hang together, we shall surely hang separately"
A great resource is the Wikipedia article on Battle Cries.
Another interesting link describes three keys to good superhero slogans (Battle Cries):
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9. Examples of Character IDs and Battle Cries.
Here are some examples I've come up with for my characters.
News Articles: Use the Character ID section to inform the reader of a recent news article concerning your character.
Taliesin [Magic Controller, Illusion/Storm Summoning]
Battle Cry: A brave heart's MY weapon!
PARAGON CITY (Reuters) - The Search for former Mages Pages bookstore owner Oliver Dane has been called off after an exhaustive six months. Homeland Security has implemented surveillance in bookstores and libraries to root out "potential terrorist activities" as defined under the Patriot Act, that "could be linked to terrorist groups and other criminal organizations." Dane has been implicated in several instances of "containing, marketing, or otherwise trafficking in contraband books, documents, and paraphernalia" connected to several high-profile Circle of Thorns raids. Mages Pages employees maintain that before his disappearance Dane was researching the historical accuracy of the Welsh bard Taliesin--popularly known as Merlin, the magician in the stories of King Arthur and other Welsh legends. Dane's father, Josiah Dane, was the architect of Paragon City's famed sanitarium, Telemachus Hospital, damaged during the Rikti War. PCPD seeks any information on Dane's whereabouts.
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Thermokarst [Science Tanker, Ice Armor/Super Strength]
Battle Cry: Ice is the PROTECTOR of life!
OSLO, NORWQY (Reuters) - American scientist Caleb Pungowiyi, a native of Alaska and of Inuit heritage, disappeared on or after July 16, 2004 during the World Conference on Climate Change in Oslo. Lead scientist in charge of coordinating recent Arctic ice research within the Paleoenvironmental Arctic Science (PARCS) unit of the American Geophysical Union, Pungowiyi was scheduled to present evidence proving what he and fellow researcher Robert Correll termed "extreme climate shifts... [within the] next 10 years." The scientists' research was centered in Yanrakynnot, Russia, only miles from the Bering Strait, where their team monitored ice and permafrost extent. Earlier this summer, Pungowiyi was flown to a hospital in Anchorage after he was injured by a prototype ground-penetrating radar and laser assembly that precisely measures the rate of permafrost retreat. Correll says that Pungowiyi "amazingly" suffered no lasting injuries. Authorities are requesting any information on Pungowiyi's whereabouts.
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Story Elements Use plot lines from CoH and CoV to craft your Character ID.
Kid Justice [Magic Defender, Force Field/Dark Blast]
Battle Cry: Wanna see how MAD I can get?
Jake Saunders was an average Paragon City Community College student when a mysterious stranger gave him a pair of armored gloves in Atlas Park. Not realizing their potential, he used them to help his dad move some debris from a neighboring lot. Jake watched, amazed, as dark energy shot out from the gloves and blasted a huge hole in the pavement. Since his dad works for Portal Corp, Jake went with him to perform a battery of tests on the gloves. Portal Corp could not determine what they were made of, but the gloves' dimensional signature matched that of artifacts from the Rikti. Unfortunately, the tests somehow "triggered" the gloves and now they cannot be removed from Jakes hands. Portal Corps has helped him construct additional Malta Group-inspired powered armor that augments his gloves' dark magic. While they search for a way to remove the gloves, Jake is not convinced that will ever happen. He chose his superhero name in honor of the hero who died during the Rikti War.
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Tom Paine [Mutation Defender, Empathy/Psychic Blast]
Battle Cry: Liberty shall NOT yield!
Tomasz Pankowicz' parents left Poland when Europe began restricting its airspace to superheroes as a result of the disastrous Asian opium-field burning carried out by Back Street Brawler and other Paragon City heroes in the 1970's. Young Tomasz has exhibited powerful psychic powers since birth, and his parents, knowing first-hand the difficulty of living under government restrictions, are confident that moving to Paragon City was the best choice for their son, who was born an American citizen. Once in Paragon City's school system, as bad as forced government schooling is, Tomasz devoured all he could of American history, and has decided to defend -- and restore -- Liberty at all costs. Tomasz is a member of the Libertarian Party and struggles to understand how America has lost so many of its freedoms since its Independence. He takes his superhero name from one of America's great, but often maligned, First Heroes -- Thomas Paine.
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Mata Hari [Natural Scrapper, Martial Arts/Super Reflexes]
Battle Cry: I SPY ... a future DEAD guy!
"The Family will take care of you," Godfather Marco says, twisting a breadstick until it breaks. Madeline watches through teary eyes as he swirls a piece of the bread in tomato sauce. She does not believe him or his expensive suit... "Yeah, that's what the Tsoo said." The two men sitting across the table from her glance at each other. Why do so many "Family" transactions take place in restaurants? Why is she here? Desperate in need of retribution, turning to the people she never thought she'd ask for ANYTHING -- that's why. Marco and Jack Raven tell her something she's never heard the "Family" say: She can be her own woman. She can do what she feels necessary to enact revenge. They will help her. She is not alone, not anymore. Helping her escape the Tsoo boyfriend who beat her and ... No more taking ANYONE's crap. Jack says, "You need a new name, though, somethin' tough." Madeline smiles and say's, "I'm in." She downs the last half of her wine and wipes her face on her arm.
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Recorded Transcripts / Emails: You can use transcripts from conversation, official reports, IM, emails, etc.
Hyperactive [Technology Brute, Super Strength/Energy Aura]
Battle Cry: BO--RING! Can I smash now?
Subject: Skyler Jablonski, 7th grade
Mrs. Jablonski -- after our discussion last Monday, and the recent (unidentified) school vandalism we have been experiencing of late, I feel we should move quickly and set up an appointment with Dr. Stanley Abrams. He has had great success treating ADHD, especially in teens. I am certain that Skyler's hyperactivity issues can be addressed, as well as your son's continued feelings of outrage and psychosocial adversity.
Sincerely, Sandy Peterson
School Nurse, Paragon City Junior High School
"Go Eagles!" Support PCJHS -- Our Future, Our Paragon
P.S. I must inform you that there is a nasty rumor (being spread, I'm sure, by some of the students who have not succeeded in Dr. Abrams' treatment program) that the good doctor is actually a criminal "master-mind" recruiting children in order to turn them into "super villains." However, this is absurd -- I have witnessed several of his sessions, and I assure you, I don't recall a thing.
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Jannissaria [Technology Corrupter, Dual Pistols / Kinetics]
Battle Cry: You cannot fight the desert
From: Marshall Brass [brass@aeonindustries.com]
To: Arbiter ibn Aziz [ibnaziz@arachnos.org]
Subject: [Redacted]
If you will recall, Prince [redacted] of [redacted] was one of the targets of Operation Gilgamesh. Official reports state he was killed by one of his rivals; unofficial reports suggest he is a guest of Arachnos -- being, shall we say, interviewed.
There are two problems: first, the Gilgamesh hoard was mostly recovered intact and is now being analyzed in Dr. Aeon's labs (which means he is extracting every scrap of power for himself); and second, one of the Gilgamesh items is missing -- the Eye of Enkidu. We believe Janissaria has it.
Not much is known about this artifact, but legend holds that it can steal the souls of its enemies. As you can guess, Aeon has pushed this case into my lap for immediate action. Which means it is #258 on my ToDo list.
Marshall Brass
Tags: SabotageAeon; Gilgamesh
[This e-mail guaranteed to be free from Longbow dataloggers, ArachneWeb build 12.45.4672]
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Apparatchik [Natural Defender, Trick Arrow / Archery]
Battle Cry: "Muka" means pain. Want some?
**LONGBOW ARGUS DECRYPTION SEGMENT 89M-1425**
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Subject: [Reply: Has Jana Lubov defected?]
Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2007 15:00:29 +0300 (EEST)
From: Aleksi Farakov <aleksi.farakov@gov.ru>
To: Pyotr Motka <webmaster@russio.com>
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Pyotr,
We must act rapidly. Destroy all files related to Lubov. She no longer is part of Spetsnaz. She must be officially disappeared if possible. I authorize you to act with extreme prejudice, as Americans say (how appropriate).
Instruct your Likvidators to take down Lubov at all opportunities. You will aprove 95.000.000,00 rubles for reward. And as much vodkoi and cigarettes as they want.
The fact she uses "Apparatchik" as her traitor name is ironic. She no longer is loyal follower of Spetsnaz "apparatus," but she persists in using this as signature.
We must destroy Lubov completely. Recover all experimental equipment, especially HUN bow and Karnov boots.
Praporshchik Aleksi Farakov
**END SEGMENT***
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Nemain [Magic Controller, Illusion/Kinetics]
Battle Cry: I see ravens everywhere . . .
TRANSCRIPT SUBJECT: FEMALE, DISORIENTED, MID TO LATE TWENTIES
Speak into this thing? I am Nemain... one of the morrigan... three celtic goddesses of battle, strife, and... fertility [SUBJECT RUBS HEAD]. I helped defeat the firbolg[?] at the first battle of... ah, where was this? Now I remember... wait, there's blood and [SUBJECT APPEARS CONFUSED] where did the valkyrie come from? My sisters! I was at the ford washing the clothes of the men about to die. I love dagda[?] I was at Newgrange [LOCATION?] [SUBJECT LAUGHS, BECOMES UNCONTROLLABLE] - Taken from Paragon City Mental Health Archives, Case #1879YR-221-X-SUPER - Subject JANE DOE 2003-10-31 - Supervising: Dr. J. Halworth, PhD; assigned to Telemachus Sanitarium
***UPDATE: 6/21/01 - Subject has escaped - Consider extremely dangerous -DO NOT ENGAGE - Contact PCPD if found ***
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Samhain [Magic Corrupter, Fire Blast/Dark Miasma]
Battle Cry: I trick. You treat...or you die!
To HRH The Duke of Gloucester
Society of Antiquaries of London
Re: Bog Man of Ulsta, Yell, Shetland Islands, 16 November 1867.
After concluding the Inverness faeries case, I traveled to Ulsta where one of the local vicars had dug up a bog man. He had wrapped the body in a hessian tarpaulin, along with several deposits of bog iron and votives that had been buried alongside it. The body was partially dessicated, discoloured, tatooed, and had suffered the "triple death" of other bog men: strangled, a massive injury to the head, and his throat cut from ear to ear.
Before I could prepare it for transport to Burlington House, overnight the body was stolen. The thieves had destroyed the votives and bog iron in ritualistic fashion (see illustrations). Unfortunately, we have no leads.
Next week I travel to the Isle of Man to investigate a report of barrow wights. I anticipate this letter will precede my return.
I am, Sir, your most humble and obedient servant,
Cecil Fenton, FSA
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Turnout [Technology Controller, Electric Control/Thermal Radiation]
Battle Cry: Viva la Résistance!
"Upsilon Beta 9-6 (Praetoria), Timestamp #3724.567 - #3727.329, Mender Ramiel reporting.
"In pursuit of more information on the 'coming storm,' I stumbled across the Praetorian doppleganger of Turnout (an Ouroboros operative who died during the first Rikti Invasion of Primal Earth).
"I approached, seeking only further confirmation. Amazingly, and without prompting, she said the correct Mender's Cant pass phrase [redacted] when she saw me.
"Mender Silos has requested we bring her to Primal Earth as he believes this is how she originally ends up in this timeline. I wondered if this would create a paradox, but I remembered that our version never knew why she called herself Turnout. Now I know: the Praetorian Resistance commonly holes up in the 'turnouts' of the subways, where trains could switch onto alternate tracks.
"Somewhat prophetic during this crisis, don't you think?"
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Nachtlich [Technology Scrapper, Dark Melee/Shield Defense]
Battle Cry: Afraid of the dark? You should be
***LONGBOW ARGUS DECRYPTION SEGMENT 37M-1054***
Source: Paragon Telcom route 17.84.3 TNI box tap
Phone Conversation: Lukas Brandtaufe with Konrad Brandtaufe
Timestamp: set desired_minutes to 2008.12.19 09:05:07 AM
Konrad: I'm expecting you to be there
Lukas: Papa ...
Konrad: This is the most important thing in your life
Konrad: Are you listening to me?
Lukas: Yes, Papa
Konrad: I have worked very hard to get them to accept you
Lukas: I know, Papa
Konrad: Luk, I don't think you are taking this seriously enough
Konrad: They will give you abilities that I can only dream of
Konrad: I know you don't understand this now, but someday you will
Konrad: Are you listening to me?
Lukas: Yes, Papa
Konrad: I am doing this for you
Konrad: Du bist mein Sohn
Lukas: I ... will meet them ... and do what they say
Lukas: I know I have ... a purpose
Konrad: There is nothing more important in your life than this
Lukas: Danke, Papa. Ich ... liebe Dich
Lukas: Papa?
***END SEGMENT***
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Stream of Consciousness: You can reveal your character's thought process.
Beltaine [Magic Mastermind, Necromancy/Poison]
Battle Cry: My hunger is your release!
Mide, my father, lit the first Beltaine fire and it spread throughout Ireland, incurring the wrath of the other druids ... in retaliation my father cut out and burnt all their tongues ... they could then not prophesy or sing their spells against him ...
I was born next Beltaine eve ... the voiceless druids devised a way to revenge themselves ... they found a pure white mare which always birthed stillborn and kept it for seven years and seven days, administering secret, poisoned herbs ... when next the mare birthed, they cut up the diseased, stillborn foal and drew powerful enchantments in the flesh ... Gwri Wallt Euryn, the chief druid, posed as a meat-seller and visited my family's house when my father was away ... he sold my mother the foal-meat and she fed it to me, unknowingly ... she was the first to fall to my newfound hunger ... I ran to the neighbors, famished ... I asked them to forgive me, before I ate them ...
It was many years later that, somehow, I awoke here ... I no longer seek forgiveness ...
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Hlathguth [Magic Scrapper, Broadsword/Regeneration]
Battle Cry: I've seen the MANY-ANGLED ones!
[Hannah, are you all right?] ...I see symbols sliding through thick air and my head pounds with darkness... [Call for backup immediately, we've got an investigator down here!] ...things tear through my mind... I remember seeing one of the... [BP 90 over 40, pulse is ...my god! What the hell happened here?] ...the Deep Ones called -- sang to me ...I saw one of the MANY-ANGLED Ones... [Reports from Insbruck are that a Delta-Level Agent has fallen] ... "The maidens yearned/ for the murky wood"... [Hannah, you are HERE, in the Present! Please! Snap out of this, you don't know how much I miss you! ...I...I love you] ..."The fair young maids/ their fate to follow"
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Letters, instructions, manuals, etc.: Anything that contains text is fair game for your character's ID.
Hitokiri [Technology Stalker, Dual Blades, Willpower]
Battle Cry: Do I *look* like I play Pokemon?
(A brittle, yellowing piece of paper flutters to the ground. You gingerly pick it up and read it.)
"Grandmother's Munini-imo recipe: To be served with plenty of sayo porridge." Apparently, "munini-imo" are savory, potato-flour pancakes. The directions describe how potatoes are first fermented underground, milled, dried, soaked in water to remove any bitter taste, and then baked as a thick "pancake" on a griddle.
(You notice a handwritten note attached to the recipe.)
Great, great grandfather Kirino Toshiaki was one of the last samurai. Fell in love with Makaso, a forbidden Ainu. Grandmother claimed this was Makaso's recipe. On the back are directions to a painting in the Edo-Tokyo Museum. Painting supposedly has hidden instructions on his "Ko-jigen-ryu" sword style. I am certain this is a ghost hunt. I think Toshiaki would have approved of my skepticism -- the last meal he ate was a poisoned munini-imo cake.
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Homunculus [Technology Stalker, Energy Melee/Energy Aura]
Battle Cry: I see their lies everywhere!
[Torn and soiled memo located inside pouch on tactical belt]
...... on Crey HOMUNCULUS Infiltration Armor has been discontinued due to anomalous psychological Level I issues. Prolonged wear induces extreme paranoia. E/K field theory did not predict interference with wearer's biological systems. Direct cerebro-spinal interfaces allow migration of nano architecture into subjects' dermal layers, which caused extreme distress in 87% of subjects. Recommend archiving remaining armor. I accept full responsibility for the failure of this project. -- Dr. Robert Allens, R & D, Advanced Military Applications ----------- [The words "must kill him" are scribbled beside the researcher's name]
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Short Story Elements: You can craft your character's ID as if it were a mini short story.
Arkose [Mutation Controller, Earth/Radiation]
Battle Cry: I am gonna ROCK your world!
Tenoch Almovodar is dying.
Six months ago Tenoch was a geophysicist working with the National Gamma-Ray Spectrometry Program (NATGAM) when the research airplane he was in crashed near the San Andreas fault. As he crawled out of the wreckage, a nearby fissure in the fault opened and a creature emerged - attracted by the gamma-ray equipment the plane was carrying. The Cthulhu-esque creature was over fifty feet tall and floated, or swam, in a green mist. When it saw Tenoch, it... "sang" to him, altering his cellular structure. Portal Corp scientists became very interested in his burgeoning abilities, as Tenoch can now manipulate several geologic processes. However, they discovered that his basic DNA structure is mutating - and decaying - from the gamma radiation surging through his body. Portal Corp fitted him with LifeArmor (TM) - an advanced technology that will attempt to make a mind/body map of him in an effort to prolong his life.
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Lochthorne [Mutation Dominator, Plant Control/Thorny Assault]
Battle Cry: The bayou's gon getcha, mon ami!
Rothschild Lochthorne III is a descendant of a powerful New Orleans' Houngan Asogwe (thrice removed on his mother's side). Raised on the secluded Lochthorne family plantation near the Atchafalaya swamp in Louisiana, his family has for generations diligently controlled all aspects of their legacy: the ability to control swamp plants -- and, in some cases, the swamp itself. Several notorious members of the prolific Lochthorne clan have succumbed to unfocused rage, delusions of grandeur , or crippling insanity -- and have spectacularly culled themselves from the Lochthorne herd.
In an effort to break the "Lochthorne Curse," Roth's mother, a formidable mage, raised her son with love, wisdom, and patience.
Except that he broke bad.
So very bad.
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Saint Germain [Mutation Defender, Radiation Emission/Radiation Blast]
Battle Cry: What is life but Alchemy?
"A man who knows everything and who never dies," said Voltaire of the Compte de Saint-Germain. Throughout his mysterious life, Saint Germain has been a man with many enemies. He is fond of pretty women, jewels, and strange alchemy -- but not necessarily in that order. Through mysterious and deadly acquaintances he procured a substance that would increase his vitality -- or so the secretive chemist Count Charles of Hesse Cassel assured him. Little did he know that every twenty years that he would lapse into a radiation-induced coma for an equal period of time -- in the process renewing him with the vigor of youth. The alchemist's elixir, it turned out, was created from a highly radioactive meteorite. The 1700's were never so exciting to Saint Germain as the period of innovation that ushered in the 20th century. Now, having awaken yet again, he struggles with the strangeness of a new era and is determined to find a purpose for his seemingly immortal existence within this strange, new world.
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Struwwelpeter [Science Blaster, Electrical Blast/Electricity Manipulation]
Battle Cry: Wanna waste some electricity?
Peter Brandmeier was a goth kid living in the definitely non-goth town of Gakona, Alaska. Depressed, he tried to commit suicide at a nearby government facility. He entered the restricted area of the HAARP project--the High frequency Active Auroral Research Program--and chained himself to one of the antennas. As he waited for something, anything to happen, he fell asleep and dreamt of Nikola Tesla. He suddenly awoke just in time to see the huge array of antennas come to life drawing down an enormous field of energy and emitting it back into the atmosphere. Peter felt the incredible surge through his body--renewing and empowering him. Now he feels the SURGE throughout Paragon City, his new home, as villains and superheroes connect in cyberspace...to communicate...and destroy. He takes his superhero name from a German children's story about and unkempt boy translated as "Shock-headed Peter." He tries to live up to his name.