Namedropping

[David Johnston]

We do not live in a comic book universe. Martial arts training won't let you defeat six thugs in hand to hand combat, radiation exposure won't turn you into a mean green fighting machine, and prototype technologies don't turn out to be invariably far more powerful than the mass production models. But what if we did? What real life people might have ended up "taking the cape"?

 

Charles Lindbergh

 

Justification: Had access to the most advanced aeronautical technology of his time, including all the new prototypes. While it seems absurd now, there were several golden age heros with nothing more special in their arsenal than a tricked out plane.

 

Motivation: The kidnapping of his child is exactly the kind of thing that has driven many comic book characters to go nuts and put on a costume. Later on being barred from joining the Air Force also caused various such characters to put on a costume and fight in the air on their own account.

(Amusingly Lindbergh actuall flew a few combat missions as a "civilian advisor" in the Pacific.)

 

John Wayne Gacy

 

Justification: Triple life, peculiar fascination with clowns and an M.O. that caused him to pretend he was doing a magic trick makes him a natural for a Batman style theme villain.

 

Motivation: Already a serial killer, all he needs are some rolemodels.

 

Peter Reich

 

Justification: Son of noted crackpot Wilhelm Reich of orgone infamy. There is no theory so crackpot that it can't produce one working model in the comic books and Wilhelm was using his "orgone accumulators" around his son all the time.

 

Motivation: That Kate Bush song, "Cloudbusting"? It's actually a depiction of Wilhelm's arrest by the FBI in 1956 through the eyes of his 13 year-old son as recounted in a later biography about his father. Wilhelm died in jail a year later. A comic version of Peter might very well feel impelled to either take revenge for what they did to his father (and him) or just to prove the validity of his father's work by demonstrating it in action in the form of superpowers.

 

Joseph Banks Rhine:

 

Justification: As the "pioneer" of parapsychology starting in 1930, his work would have had considerable national security implications if psi powers had actually been real and effective as they are in the comic books. Even if he had no powers himself he could have been the Xavier-like mentor to an entire team of psionically powered agents during World War II and the cold war.

 

Motivation: He was quite protective of his subjects and assistants in real life, and people with real psychic superpowers would be in a great deal of danger from those threatened by them, or seeking to use them.

[David Johnston]

Re: Namedropping

 

Richard McCaslin aka "The Phantom Patriot"

 

Justification: Armed himself with a sword, a crossbow, an automatic weapon, an explosive and a bullet-proof vest with his name written on it (as well as a skeleton mask) and actually went out to try to stop crime, specifically the rumoured "satanic child sacrifices" at Bohemian Grove a place for the rich and powerful to camp, light bonfires and generally act like 12 year olds.

 

Motivation: Since he actually went out in real life to try to be a superhero that's between him and his prison shrink. Of course if he'd actually found his child sacrifices he'd be doing lecture tours and signing movie deals right now.

 

Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov:

 

Justification: Tried to breed a new and superstrong race of humanity on behalf of Stalin by crossbreeding humans and lower primates using artificial insemination.

 

Motivation: Really he was just a garden variety mad scientist concerned only with putting his name down in history. But his hybrid could have willing served the Soviet Union, rebelled or defected.

 

Charles Manson

 

Justification: Vincent Bugliosi (the prosecuting DA) claimed that after he noticed Manson staring at him Bugliosi looked down to see that his watch had stopped. This was played up in the movie, leading to Manson getting a bit of a reputation for supernatural powers. Since Manson also invented his own self made animistic religion and became an evil cult leader and was willing to make fashion statements like carving a swastika into his forehead, I'm sure that if costumes came into vogue, Manson would be wearing one.

 

Motivation: No kidding, he wanted to rule the world. Well, North America at least. Like Ivanov he really did think like a comic book supervillain.

[David Johnston]

Re: Namedropping

 

John F. Kennedy Junior

 

Justification: Rich enough to buy super-technology and fits the Bruce Wayne/Tony Stark man about town stereotype with just enough interest in crime.

 

Motivation: Having his father and uncle violently killed at an early age is a traditional motive. He also demonstrated a certain lack of concern for safety as is traditional for members of his family, and he actually served as a assistant district attorney in New York for four years.

[keithcurtis]

Re: Namedropping

 

Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov:

 

Justification: Tried to breed a new and superstrong race of humanity on behalf of Stalin by crossbreeding humans and lower primates using artificial insemination.

 

Motivation: Really he was just a garden variety mad scientist concerned only with putting his name down in history. But his hybrid could have willing served the Soviet Union, rebelled or defected.

Wow. Learn something new every day.

 

Keith "Just learned about Chumans and Humanzees" Curtis

[transmetahuman]

Re: Namedropping

 

Awesome thread! But I'm afraid I can't think of anyone except the kinds of guys who are already in most supers histories, like Rasputin and Tesla.

[David Johnston]

Re: Namedropping

 

Awesome thread! But I'm afraid I can't think of anyone except the kinds of guys who are already in most supers histories' date=' like Rasputin and Tesla.[/quote']

 

Don't let that stop you. Guys like that are perfectly welcome.

 

(Incidentally in the Wild Cards universe, real life people who are or were aces include John Wayne Gacy, Jim Morrison, Mick Jagger, and possibly the Ayatollah Khomenei."

[keithcurtis]

Re: Namedropping

 

And Winston Churchill and Buddy Holly.

 

Keith "Shaman of Rock and Roll" Curtis

[wrestlinggeek]

Re: Namedropping

 

Bruce Lee:

How obvious is this one? Possibly the greatest martial artist in living memory. How many comic book MAs are based (at least in part) on him anyway?

 

Motivation: See any of his movies. Those who cannot protect themselves need a champion.

 

Elvis:

Superhuman charisma would make him a natural team leader. Plus any of the female villains would be too busy throwing their underwear at him to fight . Add in some martial arts (the real Elvis did study karate) and maybe a vocal-based sonic blast.

 

Motivation: The real Elvis had an interest in law enforcement and was even made an honorary agent of the FBI. Add in how famous well-known supers are, and you've got all the motivation you need.

[Lumbering Ox]

Re: Namedropping

 

Ron Jeremy. If he can't beat them with his stick, or his schtick, he could just take off his shirt and use is fat hairy body to scare them off.

 

He is also a major attention whore, even for minor celebs.

 

The members of KISS, same reason [attention] plus marketing possiblities.

They even have their own costumes.

[Lethosos]

Re: Namedropping

 

Check J's "You Gotta Have Character" for the Bandit. Now that's a hardcore survivalist, and a good basis for a character.

[Nucleon]

Re: Namedropping

 

Michael Jackson; An over-sensible artist's soul longs for eternal youth and develops techo-necromantic techniques to graft other bodies, younger bodies, onto his own, thus gaining artificial life. No codename yet.

 

Now, Nucleon feels somewhat ill...

[David Johnston]

Re: Namedropping

 

Countess Erzebet/Elizabeth Bathory:

 

Justification: As an accused vampire and witch there's plenty of inspiration for possible super powers. A couple of the "gothicpunk" RPGs have had her be a real vampire as have several novels.

 

Motivation: Sexual sadism and the desire for immortal beauty.

 

Anna Darvulia:

 

Justification: Reputed to be a witch as well, in fact the Countess's mentor.

 

Motivation: The desire to profit by serving the dark desires of evil patrons.

[hooligan x]

Re: Namedropping

 

Hemmingway. Seriously, dude. Runs with bulls, fights in bars? Takes x2 body from shotguns.

 

Lon Chaney, super spy. Ethan Hunt ain't got nothing on the man of 1000 faces.

 

Howard Hughes. Tony Stark prototype goes nuts and needs to decontaminate the germ-filled Earth. Evil mastermind or man trying to save the world from microscopic invasion?

 

Jayne Mansfield: Hotter then Marilyn, genius IQ. Named her kids Micklos, Zoltan and Mariska? She obviously faked her own death so the superserum's anti-aging factor wouldn't raise questions and blow her cover.

[gojira]

Re: Namedropping

 

Jack London -- probably a better pulp hero than superhero, but with his varied early life he could justify a large number of skills and interests. He would make a very interesting "skilled normal" for a super team. I see his role as being theif, face, and infiltrator in addition to jack-of-all-trades.

 

Vlad Ţepeş III and his father Vlad II Dracul -- the original vampires, what more needs to be said?

[Susano]

Re: Namedropping

 

(Incidentally in the Wild Cards universe' date=' real life people who are or were aces include John Wayne Gacy, Jim Morrison, Mick Jagger, and possibly the Ayatollah Khomenei."[/quote']

 

Jim Morrison was "The Lizard King" (under a different name). Where did the others get listed?

[David Johnston]

Re: Namedropping

 

Jim Morrison was "The Lizard King" (under a different name). Where did the others get listed?

Sorry. Mick Jagger was ID'd in Temps, not Wild Cards (he apparently got busted for public lycanthropy). I can't remember where I picked up the Khomenei reference. Possibly it was the GURPS source book. John Wayne Gacy was just a passing reference to him having the power to turn people into pillars of salt. He didn't actually appear in a story himself.

[Yamato]

Re: Namedropping

 

I believe that Khomeni was mention in Wild Cards IV as being an ace, but I could be wrong.

Gojiro - I believe that you mean Vlad Tepes III who was a member of the Order of the Dragon, thus giving him the name of "Dracul" & his son, Vlad Tepes IV aka Vlad Dracula (son of the Dragon) who was also known as Vlad the Impaler & was the source & inspiration for Bram Stoker's "Dracula" Interestingly enough, he was also a contemporary & relation to Elizabeth Bathory.

[radioKAOS]

Re: Namedropping

 

Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour PC (Can.), OC, KCSG, (born 25 August 1944, in Montreal, Quebec), is a British biographer, financier and newspaper magnate. He is married to Barbara Amiel, a well-known conservative columnist.

 

Black was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, but renounced his citizenship in 2001 in order to become a life peer in the British House of Lords.

 

He subsequently described his former Canadian citizenship as "an impediment to my progress in another more amenable jurisdiction."

 

With the growth of his business and legal difficulties, since 2003 he is believed to have spent much of his time at his Bridle Path mansion in Toronto, Ontario.

 

It was reported in the National Post on 18 November 2005, that Black had recently applied for permanent residency status in Canada. If convicted of the serious crimes of which he is accused in the United States, Black might be unable to permanently return to his native Canada, since Canada rarely allows entry to non-citizen felons.

 

Justification: AS if you need any more justification than a name like that... look here... There is much controversy concerning his businesses and business practices. He was one of the greatest meda moguls of our times, in 1990 his companies ran over 400 newspaper titles in North America.

 

Motivation: Greed. Couple that with basically being forced to renounce your citizenship and being enemies with the Prime Minister at the time Jean Chretien and you've got a great villian for Canada.

[Guest Celt]

Re: Namedropping

 

Harry Houdini and A. Conan Doyle both spent some time investigating spiritualists who were scamming people, each for their own reasons. They were friends and it would make an interesting odd couple pairing with them hopping around the world fighting real and fradulent spiritualists, Houdini using his physical prowress and stagecraft, Doyle his spirit medium abilities and keen deduction skills (and he could get quite physical himself as well).

[Susano]

Re: Namedropping

 

Richard McCaslin aka "The Phantom Patriot"

 

Justification: Armed himself with a sword, a crossbow, an automatic weapon, an explosive and a bullet-proof vest with his name written on it (as well as a skeleton mask) and actually went out to try to stop crime, specifically the rumoured "satanic child sacrifices" at Bohemian Grove a place for the rich and powerful to camp, light bonfires and generally act like 12 year olds.

 

Motivation: Since he actually went out in real life to try to be a superhero that's between him and his prison shrink. Of course if he'd actually found his child sacrifices he'd be doing lecture tours and signing movie deals right now.

 

More on the man:

 

http://www.prisonplanet.com/bohemian_grove_intruder_says_he_feared_human_sacrifices.html

[Rkane_1]

Re: Namedropping

 

From Wikipedia:

Francis Marion (circa 1732 - February 26 or February 27, 1795) was a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army and later Brigadier General in the South Carolina Militia during the American Revolutionary War. He became known as the "Swamp Fox" for his ability to use decoy and ambush tactics to disrupt enemy communications, capture supplies, and free prisoners.

Marion's family was of Huguenot ancestry. They settled at Winyah, near Georgetown, South Carolina where Marion was born. He spoke fluently in French as well as English. In 1759 he moved to Pond Bluff plantation near Eutaw Springs, in St. John's Parish, Berkeley County, South Carolina. In 1761 he served as a lieutenant under William Moultrie in a campaign against the Cherokees.

Marion is considered one of the fathers of modern guerilla warfare, and is credited in the lineage of the United States Army Rangers.

 

For those of you who saw it, the movie Patriot was loosely based on the Swamp Fox's exploits.

 

For more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_Fox

 

And his archnemisis...

 

Sir Banastre Tarleton, 1st Baronet (August 21, 1754–January 25, 1833) was a British soldier and politician. His alleged ruthlessness earned him the nickname "Bloody Ban" and "Butcher".

 

For more information,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banastre_Tarleton

 

Information here is very reminiscent of The Black Mask info in the Champions Universe book.

[Haven Walkur]

Re: Namedropping

 

In the Wild Cards novels, it's Gary Gilmore who is the rogue Ace convicted of and executed for turning people into pillars of salt, not John Wayne Gacy. In the Wild Cards reality, Gilmore is even mentioned as the subject of Norman Mailer's book The Executioner's Song...just as Gilmore was in the "real world".

[Mike W]

Re: Namedropping

 

From Wikipedia:

Francis Marion (circa 1732 - February 26 or February 27, 1795) was a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army and later Brigadier General in the South Carolina Militia during the American Revolutionary War. He became known as the "Swamp Fox" for his ability to use decoy and ambush tactics to disrupt enemy communications, capture supplies, and free prisoners.

Marion's family was of Huguenot ancestry. They settled at Winyah, near Georgetown, South Carolina where Marion was born. He spoke fluently in French as well as English. In 1759 he moved to Pond Bluff plantation near Eutaw Springs, in St. John's Parish, Berkeley County, South Carolina. In 1761 he served as a lieutenant under William Moultrie in a campaign against the Cherokees.

Marion is considered one of the fathers of modern guerilla warfare, and is credited in the lineage of the United States Army Rangers.

 

For those of you who saw it, the movie Patriot was loosely based on the Swamp Fox's exploits.

 

For more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_Fox

 

And his archnemisis...

 

Sir Banastre Tarleton, 1st Baronet (August 21, 1754–January 25, 1833) was a British soldier and politician. His alleged ruthlessness earned him the nickname "Bloody Ban" and "Butcher".

 

For more information,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banastre_Tarleton

 

Information here is very reminiscent of The Black Mask info in the Champions Universe book.

 

VERY LOOSELY based on Marion's exploits.

 

I'd nominate Jasper Maskellyne, the WWII "wartime magician" who was a master at deception. He once set up an entire fake city to fool the German aerial scouts and bombers.

[alexraccoon]

Re: Namedropping

 

Chuck Norris dark champions mean vigilante type

James Stewart the actor who became the highest ranking airforce officer in hollywood a hero on and off the screen.

Samuel Clemence

Louis L'amour That guy's supposed to have done everything

[GoldenAge]

Re: Namedropping

 

Larry Ellison

 

Owns Oracle - Nice name huh, but do you know where it came from?

 

During the 1970s, Ellison worked for the Ampex Corporation. One of his projects was a database for the CIA, which he named "Oracle".

 

Ellison is reported to be one of the richest people in America by Forbes.

 

Use your imagination and take it from there. Good or Evil, this guy could fuel multiple scenarios!