P.E.R.C. Presents: The Great Makeover - The Vindicators

So, in theory, a person can submit 4 batches of four heroes?
Name: Woodsman

Why: I imagined that the heroes constantly pushing back the Hamidon and the Woodsman's misc helpings of Eden would help the zone be restored to it's former glory. With the Woodsman's connection to nature, I thought that maybe the Woodsman would heal with Eden. Obviously not alive again, but I thought he might've regained some power, and gained the ability to become physical for short mounts of time.

Name: Ms Liberty

Why: Tangent:This is the only member of this batch I really had trouble with. I picture this costume some time in the future, with Ms. Liberty moving away from the 'classic hero' vibe which is already sinking. As for more specific, I picture her donning this costume after her current costume was ripped to shreds in a battle with Recluse's Patrons.

Name: Luminary

Why: When I started making this costume, I pictured a very battle torn Luminary, but I couldn't make that work. After several failed attempts, I took it to the next step, where Positron would repair Luminary. I figured that since Luminary was created almost twenty years ago when Luminary was repaired the newer technology would change her appearance greatly. With this, I went for a more armored look. The belt, I figure, is a way for the robot to expel 'dead' or used energy, hence the green glow.

Name: Infernal

Why: Again, I thought of what his costume might be like in the future. I said to myself, 'Who said he ever stopped binding Demons to his armor?', and this is what happened.

EDIT: Adding more because I did not entirely get the 'points' system used.

Name: Mynx

Why: Mynx emphasizing the cat aspect of herself always seemed strange to me, a little childish. Of course, when she first became a hero, PW describes her as a 'Young girl', so that's okay. But now that she's grown older, I thought she might've reflected on her costume and gotten rid of that aspect.

Name:Aurora Borealis

Why: Out of all the Vindicators, Aurora seems the most vulnerable. Mynx's got super reflexes, and I'm sure Swan could wip up a spell of some kind. But Aurora? If she's up against an enemy that can resist her mind control, she's dead. So I thought it would make sense for her to get some light armor and not have holes in her clothes for the Praetorian War or the Battalion.

Name: Valkyrie

Why: So, the only hero in the Vindictors to rely on technology hasn't updated their armor in ten years? Maybe the war will give her some incentive.

Name: Swan

Why: For a magic user, she doesn't seem too magic-y. So, I attempted to fix that. A possible in-game explanation: She began expanding her magic knowledge greatly, and what she's learned has caused her personality quite a bit, so when she had to get a new outfit it was massively different from her previous one.
EDIT: @Bullet Barrage

Seldom: I really like those designs (especially Infernal) except for one detail. Those dark glasses on Swan make her look too much like Lady Gaga. Course that might work in your favor if the the judges are Gaga fans.

I also REALLY like Xenophage's Luminary. And Bullet Barrage's grimmer look for Libby.

Global: @Telepath
Entries: Ms Liberty, Aurora, Mynx, Swan, Valkyrie

Ms Liberty:



I've re-made Ms Liberty's costume with the traditional red, white, blue, gold. Retaining the essence of her original costume, which I feel is the gold ornate details. I've emphasised the Girdle of Hera, which I believe was passed down from her mother. I think the look demonstrates she is finally showing her independence as a heroine, and also as a grown woman.

Aurora:



Without her previous mentor Sister Psyche, Aurora has time to shine as a leading psychic. Again I've retained the white and pale blues from her original costume. I feel psychic characters work best in subtler costumes, so Aurora's is more blended and sleeker. I've also kept her signature Tiara.
Her hair is much more sophisticated, along with the psionic rings around her body. I've added a gentle aura to her gloves and boots, hinting at her ability to create psionic light.

Mynx:



Mynx's original costume I felt looked a little childish, and continuing the theme of 'maturing heroines' I've given Mynx an edgier look. The trouble is making her look feral enough, but without compromising on the fashion. The ears, tail, and hollow yellow eyes all hint towards her cat-like nature. The woman is packed with attitude and spunk, and I've tried to make her look more street than catwalk (no pun intended).

Swan:



Keeping Swan's costume bird-like, but without actually adding any wings was quite tough! She is a psychic, but born into magic and so I've tried to reflect this more in her update. The mask conveys the 'Swan' image, keeping the colours of their beautiful black and orange beaks. The mask adds a sense of mystery and makes her look much more formidable as a heroine. The feather like cape also alludes to the image of the swan.

Valkyrie:



I was reading about Valkyrie's history, and there is very little lore that really ties down her costume (other than the spear). For this reason, I didn't take much inspiration from her original and have instead completely re-worked it. The shining silver is a nod to old norse armor, and the radiant green hints at the technology discovered in the nanites of her spear. The textured tights help to keep some sort of feminine form under all the armor.

Thanks for looking!

Telepath: I had never thought of the celestial aura to get the 'northern lights' feel. It's a brilliant touch, and looks great.

Hats off to you!

Seems good, Telepath, but why on Earth would a heroic character ever want to be called "Hera"? She was a monster! She threw her own son (Hephaestus) off of Mount Olympus! Her only son! Zeus's only son who wasn't a product of his...shenanigans! I love the costume work there, but the name was a terrible pick!

I'm not sure if I should post all 12 in one post. If you would like me to break it up in to 4 separate posts, let me know. And mine is a lot less fancy than the others. Anyway, global is @Tacitala.

OK, first up... Swan, Aurora. I don't care who stole who's look, but this ends now. You even have the same hair. I flipped a coin and Swan one, so I'll give her look first.

Swan:
As her name actually has something white in it, I kept her with a (mostly) white/gray look. However, in a play off of her name, I brought in some black (as in a swans eyes have touches of black around their eyes). I also left her shoulders bare (no shoulder pieces), as she technically would have her awesome swan cloak around her shoulders. Oh, and in honor of the screw job Sister Psyche got put through, I put pants on her.






Aurora:
Since the Northern Lights have purple in them, that's the color I went for. Plus, it looks good on her skin tone. I know Mother had some of the purple thing going, but Mother is a brazen hussy. Thus, Aurora has a classy purple.






Mynx:
Mynx, honey, I know that you're technically in a blue and white striped body suit but it looks all the world as if you're fighting crime naked. I kept her color scheme, but I put something that brought a collar (no, not that kind) up to her neck so she didn't look so... nude while at the same time keeping her cheerful blue and white look.






And finally, Ms. Liberty:
I thought at first "Yay! I can tone down her look!". Then I realized that she's lost the two most important people in her life as of recent. So go for it, dear. If there was a top, you must have missed it when you went over it.

Just a reminder... keep the comments positive or do not comment at all please. Just because you may or may not like a choice that someone made does not mean it's a bad choice or that the judges would not see the thought process behind it.

Contestants- if you make a choice and you like it, stick by it!

Aurora Borealis - Just thought the bracers and mask toughened her up a bit and the new sci-fi pieces went with her esthetic. Also like the earlier idea of incorporating a piece of Psy in the new uniform.


Infernal - Never a big fan of the medieval look. Newer armor and a bit more wickedness.

Ms. Liberty - A more mature look incorporating parts of her whole lineage.

Swan - Bit more mature look, but still sexy. Feather cape for her namesake and a bit of black (love the earlier posts addition of black).


Valkyrie - Good chance to spotlight the valkyrie pieces and renovate the armor.

Woodsman - If he's going to take a physical form, I think he would go for plants and not flesh. Hard wooden pieces for 'armor' and softer vegetable matter for the fleshy parts (kinda like swamp thing/man-thing).

Just thought I'd throw something in. Great contest!

What cape is Seldom using for their Aurora? Do want.

Global: @Doc Blast
Vindicators: (Aurora Borealis, Infernal, Luminary, Ms. Liberty, Mynx, Swan, Valkyrie, Woodsman)

Blanket Why: All of the following redesigns fall under a Gaslamp Fantasy redesign. What is Gaslamp Fantasy?

Long Answer: Generally, the term refers to fiction based in a Victorian-style setting, similar to steampunk, but with a broader emphasis. The stories are usually not so focused on machinery of the period (or, often, any machinery at all), take more liberties with the actual time period, and may contain elements of other genres.

Short Answer: Yeah kinda like Steampunk

Because City of Heroes exists in a setting with other dimensions there doesn't have to be an alternative time line just imagine the following are from a Gaslamp Fantasy Earth. Since I have the general why for the costume designs I will also be posting a short bio instead of the Why for each Vindicator, the bio will also help explain costume design choices hopefully.

Aurora Borealis:


Bio: Captain Calvin Scott’s expedition to Antarctica ended in disaster the night the crew reached its icy shores. Standing aboard the deck of the Mayhem the captain, his wife Aurora, and the crew witnessed strange lights in the sky. Gazing at the colorful lights the witnesses began to hear voices. The experience ended the voyage and was responsible for committing most of the crew, Aurora’s beloved as well, to various asylums. You see the voices did not stop when the crew had returned home they had only intensified. Separated from her husband Aurora began travailing again as a fortuneteller dressed in the colors of the lights that had changed her life forever.

Infernal:

Bio: K'Varr D'Shall is better known as Infernal a strongman in the Crimson Lotus, a stunning traveling circus. He claims his incredible strength comes from the many tattoos that adorn his body and even the back of his head. Before his stint in the circus Infernal was a nameless mental patient who alleged he came from an alternate earth where demons were bound into tattoos. He escaped however to search for his enchanted battle-axe that was lost when he was drawn through a dimensional rip into this world.

Luminary:

Bio: Luminary was built by Lord Keyes as the ultimate wedding present for his dear friend Lord Rafter. Luminary was modeled after Jeanette, the bride to be, and possessed the same amazing powers as the groom. However the Rafters have recently returned Luminary after she began developing a strong personality one similar to Lady Jeanette’s. Keyes has performed many tests on the automaton but has not determined the cause of this or why the android now refers to him as “father”.

Ms. Liberty:

Bio: Jessica Megan Duncan, who goes by her middle name Megan, is the granddaughter and daughter of heroes from the Revolution. Her extended family also includes her grand-uncle Stefan Richter, more commonly known as Lord Recluse. Wanting to step out of the shadow of her grandfather she has forged a path of heroism for herself. She believes that her Great Uncle, Lord Recluse, can be redeemed. This core belief in redemption is what led Ms. Liberty to create the Vindicators supergroup.

Mynx:

Bio: Katherine Stevens was a young girl in the wrong place at the wrong time. While attending Paragon University she was abducted by a cabal of mad scientists and injected with a volatile serum transforming Katherine, giving her some feline features and characteristics. After escaping she adopted the identity of Mynx, a cat burglar, to support herself while she lived on the streets of Paragon City for a time.

Swan:

Bio: Lena Elliot was touched by magic from the moment she was born on the Vernal Equinox. Her mother was a powerful mystic and her father a brilliant inventor. Shortly after her 21st birthday, Lena’s parents were attacked by one of several groups who wanted their abilities and inventions to themselves. During this battle Lena lashed out with her psychic abilities, stunning many of the villains. However in the end Lena’s parents were taken. Soon after using her newly discovered powers and the aid of a flying contraption her father built she began fighting crime in an attempt to find her parents. With her shocking white hair and now wings the papers dubbed her Swan.

Valkyrie:

Bio: It would seem people have begun to see the unbelievable, that Odin has sent a Valkyrie to watch over us. The truth however is that this woman who speaks and fights just like the warrior women from myth is actually Valerie Kellum once an up-and-coming archeologist exploring Scandinavia when she discovered what she first took for an ancient spear. A more careful examination led to the realization that the spear had a technological component. She traveled around Europe looking for ideas about its origin but when thieves tried to take the weapon from her it activated and transformed her into Valkyrie, an extraordinary warrior with a completely different personality.

Woodsman:

Bio: The Woodsman was once a renowned druid who helped keep the world of mankind in balance with the forces of nature, fighting against those who would destroy or corrupt nature for their own ends. He came to a tragic end when he was captured by his enemies who used his link with the earth to destroy Woodvale and carve out their own territories. Though the Woodsman's physical body perished at the hands of his enemies, his spirit was freed. For a time he lived on as a spirit of nature until Lord Keyes offered him a solution. Keyes had invited a vessel capable of holding the Woodsman’s life force, a body made of machinery and metal fully able to move and interact with the world.

Global name: @Grey Scribe

Overall theme: Dark days, desperate decisions - the Vindicators step up and leave their 'sidekick' days behind them.

Vindicator: Justice (Ms. Liberty)

Shocked to her core by the deaths of her mother and grandfather as well as Malaise's betrayal, Megan Duncan walks away from Paragon City and the Vindicators. She sets out on a pilgrimage to the site of Statesman's fall. Camping there overnight a dream of her mother leads her to a hidden cave. Fighting her way past monsters of myth, she discovers the Shield of Athena. Looking at her reflection in the shield, Ms. Liberty realises that, with the Freedom Phalanx in disarray, Paragon City needs her more than ever, as do her friends. This decision finally reveals her as a champion worthy of Excalibur as well as the Shield. Her grief over the death of Miss Liberty is still raw so she decides to call herself 'Justice' in honour of Athena and her grandmother, who fought alongside Statesman as Maiden Justice. Justice returns to Paragon City to reform the Vindicators only to discover she is not the only one who has changed....

Vindicator: Partisan (Valkyrie)

While Positron struggles to hold the Freedom Phalanx together, and with Ms. Liberty absent, Valkyrie has been left to her own devices. The initial alterations to her personality made by the nanites within her body have developed into an almost symbiotic relationship. The nanites communicate with her, warning her of threats to her world even worse than the Rikti or the Praetorians. With the City already in chaos, Valkyrie communes with the spear and the final barriers between them break down. She allows the nanites to transform her completely into a new being able to wield the full power of the spear and unswervingly defend her world: ‘Partisan’.

Vindicator: Immolator (Infernal)

Infernal’s demonic familiars constantly whisper of dangers both seen and unseen. Concerned by the terrible events of recent years, Infernal delves deeper and deeper into the darkness seeking power with which to protect those around him. Ultimately he succeeds, binding more powerful demons to his service, and gaining protective flame wards with which to aid others but it costs him an eye and a hand. Despite this, he remains willing to sacrifice even more if his friends and adopted home require it. To reflect this determination he renames himself ‘Immolator’ – one who sacrifices in flame.

Vindicator: Grimalkin (Mynx)

Mynx is in trouble. She is experiencing wild mood swings and blackouts. In turns paralysed by fear or overwhelmed with rage she is getting desperate. With the Vindicators splintering and Synapse caught up in Darrin Wade’s machinations she has no one to turn to. Slipping back into old habits, she breaks into a Crey research lab and finds the records of the original experiments that transformed her, as well as plans and components for a spinal implant that was intended to stabilise her condition. However she escaped before it was complete and it was subsequently mothballed. Increasingly irrational, Mynx takes the parts to a Freakshow Meat Doctor who agrees to fit the device. Amazingly, the procedure is a complete success. Mynx’s heightened senses, animal instincts and human intelligence finally synchronise. She becomes the ultimate huntress, able to effortlessly conceal herself and single-mindedly focus on her target, before striking at their weak points in a blur then fading back in to the shadows as if by magic. So she takes the name ‘Grimalkin’ and goes back to her friends filled with a new sense of purpose.

Vindicator: Goldstar (Luminary)

Serving with the Vindicators and interacting with her friends has opened up new vistas for the android known as Luminary. Her personality is increasingly independent and she now understands more nuances of human behaviour. After the Praetorian invasion she begins to notice that her appearance unsettles the general public, reminding them of the remorseless Warworks and the deadly ‘Victoria’ assassin robots. Unwilling to burden an overstretched Positron with her concerns and with several of her colleagues missing, Luminary takes the opportunity to upgrade her appearance. Using an algorithm incorporating images of popular celebrities and cutting edge fashions she unveils her new look to the rapturous acclaim of a City weary of death and destruction. She gains the nickname ‘Goldstar’ in the Paragon Times and claims it as her own.

Vindicator: Mosswraith (Woodsman)

The ghostly hero known as Woodsman finds himself drifting further and further from his former life and his friends. His link to the natural world is changing as reality itself is fractured by inter-dimensional portals and the barriers between life and death are torn down by ancient gods. His spiritual form and powers are being drawn towards the darker aspects of the natural cycle: decomposition and decay. Almost by accident he finds himself in Praetoria where the threatening presence of the Hamidon fills him with terror. Blindly he flees, stumbling into the Night Ward where the rapacious violence of the Shadowhunter almost overwhelms him, leaving him exposed to the Drudges who see him simply as another wandering spirit to be captured and processed. Faced with final annihilation, Woodsman ultimately realises that even this altered existence is worth something. Accepting his fate by choosing the new name ‘Mosswraith’, he fights free and returns to his friends in Paragon City.

Vindicator: Silver Phoenix (Swan)

Swan is distraught. Manticore, overwhelmed by rage and grief is refusing to see her, and with Ms. Liberty leaving the City, the Vindicators seem to be falling apart around her. She focuses on her ongoing search for her parents, experimenting with an incantation that enables her to astral travel. Ranging far and wide, she finds no trace of them, but a faint hint of their presences leads her to one of the mystic rings that they had hidden from the Circle of Thorns and the 5th Column before they were kidnapped. When her astral form comes into contact with the ring, eldritch energies course through her, unlocking her true mystical heritage. Her astral form soars back to her physical body which has been reborn. Wings of white flame unfurl as the ‘Silver Phoenix’ opens eyes full of arcane knowledge and calm confidence.

Vindicator: Beacon (Aurora Borealis)

Aurora feels like she is losing herself. After willingly sharing her body with Sister Psyche for so long, Paragon City is like a foreign country now that she can explore it on her own. With the trauma of multiple invasions and the horrors within Dark Astoria, the world seems darker than ever. Even her friends seem to be strangers as the Vindicators teeter on the edge of breaking up. Worst of all is the guilt she feels at the role a demented fragment of her personality played in the death of Sister Psyche. As she walks through Atlas Park part of her longs to turn her back on all of the madness and despair overwhelming her psychic senses and simply flee Paragon City with Calvin. Then she feels a hand on her shoulder and turns to see a tall blonde woman looking at her with concern. It takes her several seconds to recognise Ms. Liberty in an unfamiliar uniform. Other figures gather around her as she asks, “Ms. Liberty, Megan, what are you doing here?”

Megan smiles and gestures towards the others, “You can call me Justice, now. I’m putting the Vindicators back together, Aurora. Paragon City needs us more than ever, and we need you. You have always been a beacon of hope for the City and the heart of the team. Will you join us?”

Aurora looks around her, tentatively reaching out with her psychic abilities. First she senses Justice’s strength and new-found wisdom, then Partisan’s obdurate determination. She basks in the warmth of Immolator’s concern, and Grimalkin’s calm regard. Goldstar’s excitement sparkles around her, as she feels the cool serenity of Mosswraith’s presence. Finally she dips into the shining aura surrounding the Silver Phoenix and as her psychic link binds them all together, she feels the last shred of darkness staining her soul disappear.

‘Beacon’ lifts trembling fingers to her lips which bear a smile for the first time in weeks. Even before she speaks, the blazing radiance surrounding her announces her acceptance to the entire City.