A SG concept free for the taking

Hi, all!

I've seen folks offer up character names before, but I can't recall seeing anyone give up a supergroup concept.

With the arrival of dual pistols, and the coming of the villain-to-hero concepts of Going Rogue, I think the time has come to part with such a SG concept I've held for a while. I'd hate to euthanize it, and would like to find it a good home (or more. Any server can run with it.)

I'm the last of a small supergroup that ran in the very early days of CoH themed to the wild West brought to modern Paragon City (the story below will explain). I still have a couple of my characters, but have no consistency in schedule with which to run and repopulate the SG. I do believe, however, we had a great backstory which I'd love to see another group explore under their own group name. I think the backstory will suggest a few. Role Players especially might like this, and it might also work for Weird Wild West and Steampunk fans. Any server or all servers are free to take this and modify it as they see fit. Just let me know in this thread if you create anything enjoyable!

The (elaborate) backstory:

(Insert character name here) was once a bloodthirsty member of one of the great Western outlaw bands of the 1870s. The gang ran, unstoppable, until one day when a strange, old man unflinchingly faced them down in the center of the dusty road. It seemed like a sure kill, but something...happened. None are quite sure what, but confusion reigned. Some of the band think the old man was more than he seemed.

Suddenly, the nightmare began. An eerie existence enveloped them, trapping them between life and death, and revealing a monstrous phantasmic stampede of cattle roaring past them. Even more terrifying, the outlaws realized they had a sudden, powerful compulsion to give chase, unwillingly joining numerous doomed souls calling out in the night. As they rode into the blackness, hope dwindled. Justice was done.

As the years roled by, occasionally cattle drivers on the great plains would stare into the night sky and see a frightening visage of the Devil's herd, and hear the plantive wail of the phantom riders who gave chase. The terrified cowboys would swear to be good men.

In time, another man would stand in those plains and see the apparations. He was Matthew Bragg, and as the avatar of Coyote, he called to the riders. The deal was simple, in exchange for freedom, the riders would become lawmen. Who else could better understand evil than those who had walked its path? The minds of many of the riders were too far gone, but some jumped at the chance. As they were freed from their prison and stepped into the living world a few noticed Coyote looked, just for a moment, faintly, disturbingly familiar. The moment passed.

Those freed quickly realized a piece of their phantom existence remained. Coyote explained they each channeled powers capable of aiding them in their new venture. Some found their natural strength enhanced a hundred-fold. Some found their minds enhanced, capable of creating great mechanical wonders. And some found they could channel the terrifying inky blackness of their former prison using it to devastating effect. Coyote promised to train them all.

There remained one other part of their former existence. Each noticed the others' eyes glowed. Coyote explained this was a warning, a reminder of what fate they'd return to if he ever caught them on the wrong side of the law. In time, some would learn to control this effect, others hid it as best they could. It remains to be seen whether they uphold their end of the bargain

As Coyote turned to lead them from the plains, one of the riders called out asking what city so desperately needed a gang of outlaws as lawmen. Coyote looked back over his shoulder and grinned his famous smile. "Paragon City," he said.

hmm.... was the SG named Ghost Riders?
(Probably not. I bet that would get genericed because of the skull-faced hero with that name.)
I have like 40 covers of that song on my hard drive (Ghost Riders In The Sky).

I've been running "Western Union" over on Pinnacle since early I4 days.

We're all either old west themed, or are some kind of pun on a western theme name.

I like your backstory, but tbh there's a lot of cowboy sg's out there