Young Phalanx! *Spoilers*
We already have the Vindicators, who were supposed to be the next generation of premier heroes. But, they're not exactly young anymore. They're all ~30. They're kind of in that murky area like the Titans were before the reboot: they're definitely seasoned enough to join the Justice League(Phalanx in this case) but they're just not as important and their legacy/mentor characters are still there to crowd them out.
IMO, Ms. Liberty should be promoted to the Phalanx and the devs should play the Vindicators up more like the Outsiders; have them start skewing more towards Vigilante and distance them from the Phalanx. Maybe bring them into conflict with the Phalanx(aside from childish squabbles in the past) sometimes.
That would free up space for a new generation team to form/be created.
But honestly, I would rather the devs let players create their own 'Young Phalanx' style groups and characters to occupy that space. They have been, for years, so why invalidate them by creating a canonical group? It's bad enough when the devs introduce a new character and take a name players had been using (and occasionally the GM team generic's them after the fact). Just ask Frostfire.
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Blue, I love your work, but check your math.
The eighties were thirty-ish years ago. Manticore is either 50 or in his mid-to-late 40s.
Oddly enough, that's still fighting age. He's probably going to go out like Lord William Marshal (in a time when most people were lucky to live to 30, he lived to 72 [SEVENTY-FREAKING-TWO!] and was STILL participating in battles up until three months before he died.
And in true "I am a Great Man" fashion, he died after telling his family his life story.
Otherwise, I like your post. You make some very decent arguments.
Mercedes? Yeah, even in the Who Will Die arc, we see that Percy is a scholar, not a warrior. There IS a slight problem with her being a member of the Midnight Squad and their "separatist" behavior (they're not blue, red, gold or silver; I would classify their morality as green, knowledge hoarders).
-To avoid conflict, they might be better off bringing in War Witch. She has popular support and has been working regularly as a heroine, even after death.
Fusionette, Faultline and Penny Yin? Definitely. They would make a mighty fine supergroup. Heh, you could probably throw C'Kelkah into their crew, too.
I'd also like to see Seraphina, Mark IV, Agent 6 and Overdrive fill some of the roles, too. Why Mark IV? I like the look of the guy :P
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Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
If you're interested in this, I actually wrote a Mission Architect story about exactly this subject: Teen Phalanx Forever (#67335)
In this story, a young sidekick of your character joins the Teen Phalanx for adventures and fun.
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Blue, I love your work, but check your math.
The eighties were thirty-ish years ago. Manticore is either 50 or in his mid-to-late 40s. Oddly enough, that's still fighting age. He's probably going to go out like Lord William Marshal (in a time when most people were lucky to live to 30, he lived to 72 [SEVENTY-FREAKING-TWO!] and was STILL participating in battles up until three months before he died. And in true "I am a Great Man" fashion, he died after telling his family his life story. Otherwise, I like your post. You make some very decent arguments. Mercedes? Yeah, even in the Who Will Die arc, we see that Percy is a scholar, not a warrior. There IS a slight problem with her being a member of the Midnight Squad and their "separatist" behavior (they're not blue, red, gold or silver; I would classify their morality as green, knowledge hoarders). -To avoid conflict, they might be better off bringing in War Witch. She has popular support and has been working regularly as a heroine, even after death. Fusionette, Faultline and Penny Yin? Definitely. They would make a mighty fine supergroup. Heh, you could probably throw C'Kelkah into their crew, too. I'd also like to see Seraphina, Mark IV, Agent 6 and Overdrive fill some of the roles, too. Why Mark IV? I like the look of the guy :P |
![Big Grin](images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
Was it 83 that the current Phalanx started? That sticks in my mind for some reason. Assuming 83, Manticore would be closer to 50 than 40 ... so he may have a few more years in him.
![Big Grin](images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
I can see Mark IV too. He has the makings of an interesting story in there. (One I have a theory about.)
If not Mercedes, how about Katie Hannon? She "feels" young even though she may be a few hundred years old ...
![Big Grin](images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
And maybe Shadowstar's daughter finally takes on the role of Shadowstar herself ...
And given that the game has had at least 5 years of play time, maybe Penny Preston can FINALLY go through puberty and join the team as well ...
Hm. This team is skewing female heavy ... not that there's anything wrong with that.
![Big Grin](images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
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We already have the Vindicators, who were supposed to be the next generation of premier heroes. But, they're not exactly young anymore. They're all ~30. They're kind of in that murky area like the Titans were before the reboot: they're definitely seasoned enough to join the Justice League(Phalanx in this case) but they're just not as important and their legacy/mentor characters are still there to crowd them out.
IMO, Ms. Liberty should be promoted to the Phalanx and the devs should play the Vindicators up more like the Outsiders; have them start skewing more towards Vigilante and distance them from the Phalanx. Maybe bring them into conflict with the Phalanx(aside from childish squabbles in the past) sometimes. That would free up space for a new generation team to form/be created. But honestly, I would rather the devs let players create their own 'Young Phalanx' style groups and characters to occupy that space. They have been, for years, so why invalidate them by creating a canonical group? It's bad enough when the devs introduce a new character and take a name players had been using (and occasionally the GM team generic's them after the fact). Just ask Frostfire. . |
![Big Grin](images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
And I have my own version of a Phalanx Inspired character that I've been playing since the death of Statesman: Yet Another Hero.
![Big Grin](images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
Think of this as more a fun "Who Will Join" type exercise.
![Big Grin](images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
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Lord, if Fusionette and Faultline were part of a new Phalanx, players Heroes would DEFINITELY be called in more often to save the day
Seriously, though? Hmn....I dunno. They'd need some new characters, I think. Well rounded and with WAY more in-game backstory to them.
Hell, you could even have a new SSA; 'The Freedom Phalanx; Second Founding' where the PCs have to round up new members.
And Villains could either gather some analogues (bit lame I guess) or get dirt on the new members and start sending 'Just TRY it, kiddo' statements of intent?
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Was it 83 that the current Phalanx started? That sticks in my mind for some reason.
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But...in a recent vi-doc or interview, I forget which, Positron said they had been formed in "the late 80's".
I don't know anyone who'd call '86 anything other than 'mid 80's'.
So, that could mean they're sliding the timeline up a bit so they're not as old, or he could have just made a mistake.
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86' in the Freedom Phalanx novel, and they all had to be at least in their mid twenties at that point, except for Statesman and Sister Psyche, obviously.
But...in a recent vi-doc or interview, I forget which, Positron said they had been formed in "the late 80's". I don't know anyone who'd call '86 anything other than 'mid 80's'. So, that could mean they're sliding the timeline up a bit so they're not as old, or he could have just made a mistake. . |
Posi make a mistake?
The guy who okayed a bio written up describing Hamidon as an other dimensional god as opposed to a mad scientist? That Posi?
NEVER!
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I really like the idea of Katie Hannon in a supergroup.
In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo.
Was actually thinking of this the other day, that there seems to be a "new generation" of heroes appearing.
The trainer in Hollows LOOKS young enough to be part of the group imo. Liberty would certainly be the obvious choice as the new leader of the group too.
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The trainer in Hollows LOOKS young enough to be part of the group imo. Liberty would certainly be the obvious choice as the new leader of the group too.
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He's also already the leader of W.I.S.D.O.M.
Hope they get a bit more of a showing at some point, along with the members who've not been depicted in game yet.
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I have a hard time believing they're all 60-70. Time for a retcon or something.
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Mercedes? Yeah, even in the Who Will Die arc, we see that Percy is a scholar, not a warrior. There IS a slight problem with her being a member of the Midnight Squad and their "separatist" behavior (they're not blue, red, gold or silver; I would classify their morality as green, knowledge hoarders).
-To avoid conflict, they might be better off bringing in War Witch. She has popular support and has been working regularly as a heroine, even after death. Fusionette, Faultline and Penny Yin? Definitely. They would make a mighty fine supergroup. Heh, you could probably throw C'Kelkah into their crew, too. |
Faultline and Fusionette, though they seem some of the more "classic" superheroes left in the game post-Statesman, are already affiliated with the Vanguard. Vanguard, further, is another not-"Good vs. Evil" group, though there the conflict is "Earth vs. Other Dimensions." (I would argue that Vanguard tends to be portrayed somewhat inconsistently; often, the devs seem inclined to present it as more "heroic" than the Freedom Phalanx, but that's neither here nor there.) Given their heavy presence in the RWZ arcs, it seems unlikely that they'd be moved, despite the fact that they'd make a good fit.
I really, really, really like the idea of a Rikti on the Freedom Phalanx, though. The "token space alien" is a standby of the classic superhero group. A Kheldian could play this role, too, but I would prefer the more blatant, fish out of water alienness of the Rikti to the "I'm torn between my cosmic power and my fading humanity, plus no humans trust me any more" that seems built into the Kheldians as a group. That probably deserves its own character.
Oh, and I have long felt that Citadel should gain the ability to assume control of other machines, allowing him to switch into a body with a less unattractive color scheme. Sort of like Metronome, only cheerful and down-to-earth instead of angsty. We need more characters like that (another reason I like the Faultline crowd).
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I'm gonna agree that, if nothing else, the Phalanx needs a makeover. All the Praetorians got new spiffy models and they make the Phalanx look like dog poo in comparison. Posi could use some newer, more modern looking armor, Citadel could use an upgrade so he doesn't look like a tin can compared to Siege, maybe Synapse could spruce up his look a bit, and heck, I'm sure Numina could just give herself something a bit more floaty and wispy, perhaps with some of those sybyll-esque cloth bits to make her look more ghostly. This is especially notable when seeing them all next to Penelope in her sleek, modern outfit.
As far as new Phalanx members? I fully agree with Faultline and Fusionette being inducted to a "new" Phalanx. They've more than earned their chops. I'd also love to see a Rikti or even a brand new alien species represented. I think a redeemed Rikti who perhaps proves themselves to be a real hero in some upcoming content would be nifty. I can imagine people saying on the street 'Hey, did you hear about that building that collapsed last week? They say a Rikti saved all the people by holding up the rubble with his powers!'. It would add some flavor to the bunch. I'd also put in a vote for something like an Arachnos defector, a rogue Widow or something so the team could have a darker edge to them with a trained assassin. Would make for some fun conflict with Manticore too as he's a darker hero with vigilante leanings and wouldn't like an ex-spider AT ALL, and they probably wouldn't like him because he'd be up in their grill 24/7. If not an ex-spider then at least something like a villain archetype, probably a Dominator or Stalker for maximum "you haven't seen this in the Phalanx before"
By my count, the youngest of the current Phalanx (excluding Citadel), would be Manticore who has to be nearing SIXTY. (He was 19ish when the Freedom Phalanx novel took place and the "Who Will Die" story arc has established that as actually happening in the 1980s.)
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Synapse was born in 1966, Posi in 1962, Numi in 1940, Psyche in 1920 (she lost her body at some point? and regained it in 2005), States in 1896.
Special mention: Citadel was created in 2001, and BABs was born in 1960.
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If revamped, I'd prefer to see the *new* Phalanx remain as an old-school blue hero team, no rogues, no vigilantes, don't kill policy, etc. And yes, they should contrast with the Vindicators, who're much more open to questionable moralities (Malaise, Ms. Liberty, etc). That said, there's no reason the Phalanx has to remain the strongest group, in fact it would be interesting to see them lose relevance, being constantly sidelined by the much more powerful Vanguard, Vindicators, Shining Stars and Dawn Patrol, not to mention the player incarnates.
My favorites, apart from the Faultline Trio, would be Lillian Issan, Katie Douglas, Percy Winkley, Frostfire and Mercedes Sheldon.
Flower Knight and Coyote for the Phalanx.
I nominate Flamebeaux.
And possibly Serge, if only to update everyone's costumes.
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Justin Sinclair (Manticore) was born on 12/12/1968, which makes him 44.
Synapse was born in 1966, Posi in 1962 |
That would make Synapse 20 in 1986. By that point, Synapse had been employed by Crey as an accountant and subsequently quit after the incident that gave him his powers some years before. There's nothing to suggest he's a genius in this universe, the novel presents him as more of a sports guy, so it's a stretch to think he would be able to finish accounting school and land a job before he was 19.
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In addition to some of the others mentioned, I would like to nominate a revived Clockwork King.
Simple enough for him to get his body back, we could even make it an SSA: Crey needs help stepping of their Reverent Hero project and decide the Clockwork King would be easy pickings, first they start by working with Malta and player villains to try to drive a wedge between him and Penelope Yin, heroes have to try to keep the two on more stable grounds, but the wedge still manages to become just enough of a divide that they both blow eachother off for awhile.
Crey swoops in, takes the clockwork king and lock him up and prep him for the Reverent Hero Project. Malta backstabs Crey to try to take the clone, villains take advantage of the confusion to have a technological shopping spree (loot dead malta sappers: get sap stick temp power!) while heroes are just trying to find out what happened to the King.
They find his dying 'body' next to his cloned one, Penny appears, distraught and guilty, but tells you she can transfer his consciousness into the clone, but as she's doing that, ambushes spawn, heroes trash the mooks, fight a boss, the Clockwork King is back, with a new body, and a much more stable mind.
As a gift and since villains would get a King's Standard buttload of temp powers from this, Clockwork King and Penny even things by rewarding heroes with a few temp powers.
Roll credits, we now have a new Phalanx member, and Penny and CK's relationship is now...
Freakier actually, because if my estimates were right, the clockwork king died when he was 14, sixteen at the most and Penny is about 22 now.
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In addition to some of the others mentioned, I would like to nominate a revived Clockwork King.
Simple enough for him to get his body back, we could even make it an SSA: Crey needs help stepping of their Reverent Hero project and decide the Clockwork King would be easy pickings, first they start by working with Malta and player villains to try to drive a wedge between him and Penelope Yin, heroes have to try to keep the two on more stable grounds, but the wedge still manages to become just enough of a divide that they both blow eachother off for awhile. Crey swoops in, takes the clockwork king and lock him up and prep him for the Reverent Hero Project. Malta backstabs Crey to try to take the clone, villains take advantage of the confusion to have a technological shopping spree (loot dead malta sappers: get sap stick temp power!) while heroes are just trying to find out what happened to the King. They find his dying 'body' next to his cloned one, Penny appears, distraught and guilty, but tells you she can transfer his consciousness into the clone, but as she's doing that, ambushes spawn, heroes trash the mooks, fight a boss, the Clockwork King is back, with a new body, and a much more stable mind. As a gift and since villains would get a King's Standard buttload of temp powers from this, Clockwork King and Penny even things by rewarding heroes with a few temp powers. Roll credits, we now have a new Phalanx member, and Penny and CK's relationship is now... Freakier actually, because if my estimates were right, the clockwork king died when he was 14, sixteen at the most and Penny is about 22 now. |
No spoilers, but wait and play the SSA after Who Will Die finishes.
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i make stuff...
I was going to post this in Who's This?! but decided it needed its own thread.
So, supposedly we are going to get a new addition to the Freedom Phalanx (other than the proposed Player Submission) soon. (See above thread.)
Now it occurs to me that the Phalanx is a little ... how shall we say? ... OLD for new members.
By my count, the youngest of the current Phalanx (excluding Citadel), would be Manticore who has to be nearing SIXTY. (He was 19ish when the Freedom Phalanx novel took place and the "Who Will Die" story arc has established that as actually happening in the 1980s.)
So given that Mystery Character will be hanging around with characters who are all old enough to be her GRANDPARENTS (if not Great Grandparents), it occurs to me that it might be time for a new version of the Phalanx.
So NPC wise, who would you nominate as members of the Young Phalanx?
Personally, I see Citadel as filling out the Red Tornado Adult Authority figure role.
I also see Fusionette, Faultline, and Penny Yin as part of the group.
Every super hero group should have a magic user.
I nominate Mercedes Sheldon for that role for Young Phalanx. (She comes across as being much more competent than Percy Winkley.)
So who do you think should be a part of the Young Phalanx?
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