Major Tom 2009

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine And finally, here's the youngest member of Raptor Force -- Shrike: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43930[/ATTACH] Major Tom 2009

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine Peregrine, the "dirty tricks" specialist of the team, and (suspected) love interest of Golden Eagle: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43929[/ATTACH] Major Tom 2009

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine Goshawk, the team's strongman: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43928[/ATTACH] Major Tom 2009

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine Harrier, the hothead of the team and second-in-command: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43927[/ATTACH] Major Tom 2009

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine I had some ideas for some new pics late last night, so I whipped them up, sent them out to The Arc, and got them back today (thanks again). Here's the first of today's batch -- Golden Eagle, team leader of Raptor Force: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43926[/ATTACH] Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. Translation, please? Major Tom 2009

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine And finally, from Shadows of the City, here's the human ruler of the Nocturnals (the Hero Universe's version of the Nightbreed) -- The King: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43920[/ATTACH] Major Tom 2009

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine From Enemies: The International File, here's an updated look for ORACLE (Organic Resistance to Computerized Law Enforcement): [ATTACH=CONFIG]43919[/ATTACH] Major Tom 2009

Re: A DC Animated-style HeroMachine I just got my latest set of pics back from The Arc today, and here's the first of them -- from Enemies: Villainy Unbound, it's the team of Hitsusatsu and Kawaii: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43917[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]43918[/ATTACH] Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. Here it is at last -- the pic of Knockout and her (involuntarily) villainous self, Harlot: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43916[/ATTACH] Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. Without being struck by lightning immediately afterward, you mean? (Edges far enough to the side so as not to get caught in the blast zone []...) Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. Egad! Mister Wicked's an even more twisted puppy than I thought ()... Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. And here, of course, is his delightfully innocent -- and clueless -- sister, Milinda Wicked: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43905[/ATTACH] Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. Here he is, that paragon of perfidy, that maven of malevolence -- Mister Wicked: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43904[/ATTACH] Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. Opale, the reason you haven't seen the pic of Knockout/Harlot is that it hasn't been posted here yet, as I haven't yet sent it out for pre-posting cleanup. The reason that steriaca knows what it looks like is because I'd emailed the raw pic to him Wednsday evening. Once it's so it can be posted here, you'll see it. Oh, and the reason I refer to the pic as Knockout/Harlot is because I did a side-by-side image, with Knockout (whose costume I designed from both your description and using Ms. Victory's pic as a general -- very general -- guide) on one side, and Harlot (based as closely as possible on steriaca's description) on the other. Major Tom 2009

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. The descriptions would definitely come in handy for when I get around to doing a pic of Harlot/Knockout. ( :winkgrin:) Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. Mister Wicked's "business associates" -- those who patronize his business on a regular basis -- tend to be a mixed bag. Whenever there's an auction to be held at the secret auction house, you can find the following individuals there: representatives from ARGENT (who are there primarily to buy some suitable "test subjects" for their latest unsavory experiments), DEMON Morbanes (who don't identify themselves as such for obvious reasons, but who are there in the hope of being able to purchase some virgins for use in their vile, unspeakable rituals), and a few South American narcotraficantes (who are looking for new "toys" to replace the ones that eventually wound up broken -- and disposed of) as well. Sometimes, there are even intermediaries from several Middle Eastern potentates (who are looking for some fresh faces for their harems) in the audience as well. But of all those who visit Mister Wicked's secret auctions on a regular basis, perhaps the most colorful is a man who's every bit as eccentric as Mister Wicked himself, but in a different way -- a man who calls himself Captain "Dirty" Tom Rackham: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43883[/ATTACH] Where Mister Wicked and company (with the exception of Doctor Graves) dress in 19th-Century fashion, Captain Rackham always appears in a variation of the uniform shown above: a shirt with a red panel and yellow trim, emblazoned with a flaming skull-and-crossbones symbol on the front, a pair of dark, baggy pants with pockets on the thighs, a military-style sleeveless vest the same color as the pants, and a pair of side-buckling boots in dark gray. He also wears a crimson-red beret with the same symbol that's on the shirt, and is rarely -- if ever -- seen without a lit cigar (whose scent many of the cigar-smoking buyers at these auctions have tried to identify, but to no avail) in his mouth; he also seems to have a permament 5'o'clock shadow on his lower face, even when he's clean-shaven. Rackham also carries on his person what appear to be various high-tech items, the most identi- fiable of which is a communications headset, which he wears on the left side of his head. The rest of the items are a pair of futuristic-looking bracers worn on his wrists, and what looks like a collar with some kind of speaker attached to the front of it. The pair of guns which are slung from the back of his belt have a futuristic look to them; everyone who has ever seen them assume that they're conventional pistols with exotic handgrips and frames. The entire ensemble gives Captain Rackham the appearance of a rogue or space pirate from out of a space-opera sci-fi movie. What they don't realize is that's exactly what Captain Rackham is -- an honest-to-goodness space pirate and slaver. Captain Rackham is a native of the 31st Century -- the time period in which the Galactic Federation and the future version of the Champions exist, just a few years after the abortive invasion launched by Istvatha V'han following the Kolvel Event (described in the Galactic Champions sourcebook). During the confusion caused by the initial battles of the invasion, Captain Rackham and his crew raided a top-secret Federation research outpost; the need for reinforcements on the front lines had necessitated the withdrawal of the security forces that would have otherwise been there to oppose the raid. They were there to see what advanced technology they could steal to sell to the highest bidder, but what they found instead changed their plans in a large way: an experimental timeship -- a starship with a special type of drive that, theoretically, would enable the ship to travel from one time period to another. Until Rackham's attack on the facility, the timedrive had remained non-functional; once the Kolvel Event took place, however, the mysterious energy that made metahuman powers and super-tech- nology possible returned to the universe, enabling the timedrive to function at last. Captain Rackham and his crew wasted no time; they thoroughly ransacked the facility, stealing everything of value -- including the technical manuals and other data on the timeship -- as well as kidnapping several of the more attractive female researchers to sell as slaves, before completely destroying the facility to cover the theft. Once they'd returned to their secret hideout, Rackham and the more scientifically- adept members of his crew sat down with the tech manuals to learn how to use their new ship. Several months later, Rackham and his crew made the first of several journeys to the early 21st Cen- tury where they soon learned of Mister Wicked's operation, and purchased several of his captives to bring forward in time, where they were sold in the slave markets of the 31st Century. Because Rackham's crimes are committed in the past -- and he's been careful to leave no trace of his activities there -- there's nothing to indicate to the law-enforcement agencies of the 31st Century (or the future version of the Champions) that there are innocent people in need of rescue. Captain Rackham has the following equipment on his person whenever he's visiting Earth of the 21st Century: Universal Translator: this device, which is worn around the neck, can instantly translate any spoken language that it hears into the wearer's own language; the device can also translate the wearer's spoken words into the same language that it originally heard, even if the speaker doesn't possess the vocal organs necessary to reproduce the sounds. ChronoCom/V.I. Computer: this device, worn on the left wrist, is a combination chronometer, commun- icator (with sufficient range to reach Lunar orbit), and Virtual Intelligence computer. The difference be- tween Virtual Intelligence and true Artificial Intelligence is that, while A.I. computers are truly sentient and aware of their own selves, V.I. computers can only simulate the appearance of sentience. The headset that Captain Rackham wears is linked to the ChronoCom, and allows for (more or less) private communications between Rackham and his cloaked timeship. Personal Force Field Projector: this device, worn on the right wrist, can project a protective force field around the wearer. The field, which conforms to the shape of the wearer's body (and extends out from the body to a distance of two inches), has sufficient energy in its powerpack for 20 minutes of continu- ous operation before needing to be recharged (or a new powerpack inserted in the place of the old one). Blaster Pistols: these energy-projection weapons have two settings -- Stun and Kill. On the Stun setting, the pistols have enough power for 40 shots each, while on the Kill setting they only have 20 each. Capt- ain Rackham typically carries 12 powerpacks for these weapons; one already loaded in each pistol, with 5 spare powerpacks for each weapon. Blacklight Grenade: this weapon, when used, creates a field of swirling, bluish-black energy that is half the size of a standard basketball court; while the field is active, anyone caught in its effect radius is temporarily rendered blind and disoriented. Once its energy charge is exhausted, however, those affect- ed by it soon regain their eyesight. All of these devices were products of the same facility that created the timeship; Rackham wisely decided not to sell them on the black market, as they were far too useful to him in his current endeavors. Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. Whenever Mister Wicked is present at his secret lair/auction house, he is always accompanied by three rather tall women, who not only dress the same way, they also have the exact same hairstyle -- what was known as the "Gibson Girl" style back in the 19th Century. The only dis- cernable difference between the three is that each has a different hair color, which is how they are known to others -- as Miss Black, Miss Blonde, and Miss Brown: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43882[/ATTACH] However, the name by which they are collectively known as is Wicked's Wenches. As mentioned, the Wenches not only dress the same, but they all wear nearly-blank white face masks, which are buckled on so that they don't come off in a fight. The only features on these masks are mirrored lenses where the eyes should be (these are anti- flash lenses), bright, red lips, and a "hairline" which matches the color of their hair. Like many of Mister Wicked's key employees, they also wear nose filter plugs to keep from being accidentally exposed to any knockout gas. Their role in the organization is as that of personal bodyguards to Mister Wicked; like him, they are trained savateurs (practicioners of the French art of savate). However, they have also incorporated elements from other martial arts -- notably, kung fu, muay thai, and tae kwon do -- into their repetoire, making them dangerous and versatile fighters indeed. They also carry concealed garrotes and stilettos, for those occasions where it would be much easier to dispatch an opponent quickly than to trade kicks and punches back and forth. What only a small handful of people know is that the Wenches aren't women at all; they're actually male cross-dressing martial artists. Special corsets and prosthetics enable them to successfully masquerade as women; they can even pitch their voices in such a way that they sound feminine -- deep, but still feminine. All of them can speak French, but usually speak English with a French accent whenever they speak to Mister Wicked or to others (it is unknown at this point in time if they are actually French, or if they simply speak it as part of their disguise). Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. One of Mister Wicked's newer employees is his butler, an Italian-American who answers to the name of Scarlotti: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43881[/ATTACH] Although he isn't as tall as Mister Wicked's three strongmen -- or as tall as Ferris, for that matter -- he is every bit as strong as them. What sets him apart from most strong- men, however, is that he values brains and stealth just as much as he does strength; he also brings a knowledge of pharmacology and toxicology to his job, which has only made him an even more valuable member of Mister Wicked's organization. He has al- ready made a valuable contribution to the organization, in the form of more efficient and less harmful knockout drugs which are now in use with the organization. He has also become a valuable member of the kidnap team, and often delivers the para- lytic drug to their intended victim; the instrument used for this job is an injector pen similar to what some diabetics use to take their doses of insulin. The way that this is accomplished is that Scarlotti will walk toward the victim and, as he passes her without looking at her, swings the injector in a short backhand motion, jabbing her in the back- side; a compressed-air charge injects the drug into her at that point. Because of the thinness and small size of the needle, if the victim feels anything at all, she would think that all that it was was an insect bite -- until the paralytic takes effect, and she drops to the ground, instantly paralyzed and helpless, but alive. Scarlotti's natural talent for unobtrusiveness -- that is, being able to move around with- out being noticed -- has contributed a great deal to his success in this regard; in his role as the Wicked family butler, he has ample opportunities to practice this skill on a regular basis. Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. Not all of those who work for Mister Wicked are full-time members of the organization; in fact, there are more than a few who work on a per-commission basis (meaning that they are paid only for those jobs that they actually do for Mister Wicked, and only then at the time that they're done). Of all those who do such work for Mister Wicked, perhaps the most disturbing is the costumed villainess known only as Madame Oblivia: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43880[/ATTACH] Madame Oblivia is what could best be termed as a techno-mercenary, in that she uses an unusual technology -- a costume which enables her to not only evade detection by electronic security systems, but also to be invisible to recording systems of any type (she is still visible to the unassisted human eye, but as far as still, one-picture-at-a- time cameras and closed-circuit TV cameras are concerned, she's effectively invisible). She also has the power to somehow mentally access computer systems, enabling her to either extract selected data from their memory banks, or to erase it either in part or in toto. This power also works on organic computers -- i.e., human brains, which makes this talent an exceedingly valuable one indeed to Mister Wicked. Whenever he has a large "consignment" of captive women that he's ready to sell, he has Madame Oblivia come in and erase their memories of who they are. This process -- which is a psychologically traumatic one for the victims -- leaves them without any memory of who they were; this lack of an identity, in turn, leaves them vulnerable to the sort of "conditioning" that those who work in the slave trade use to break the wills of their victims. Madame Oblivia is compensated very handsomely for her work on such occasions; given that the average "consignment" can be between ten and twenty young women, she can earn as much as $200,000 for a single night's work. It is unknown if some sudden shock or other stimulus would have the effect of restoring the erased memories, as none who have been subjected to Madame Oblivia's power have ever been seen again. Normally, Madame Oblivia wears a skintight version of the anti-detection suit when she's on a job for another client; in deference to Mister Wicked's somewhat antiquated sens- ibilities, she wears a version of the outfit that has more of a Victorian-era style to it -- and which gives her a sinister, almost occult appearance (the glowing red eyes which are visi- ble under the hood of her cloak tend to reinforce that impression). No one who has ever had dealings with Madame Oblivia has ever seen what she looks like beneath her costume (either one), but all who have met her -- including Mister Wicked -- are in agreement on one thing: that there's something about her that they find disturbing on a visceral level. Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. In the short time that he's been involved with the white slave trade, Mister Wicked has gained a reputation in the underworld of being a provider of quality "product". To ensure that that reputation remains intact, he has hired a specialist -- a former physician at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the city -- to look after the health of his captives. This specialist -- who no longer goes by his real name -- is known only as Doctor Graves: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43879[/ATTACH] Doctor Graves is the only member of Mister Wicked's organization who doesn't wear the 19th-Century style garb that the other members do; when asked why, he replied that "Victorian-age doctors didn't have to worry about Level Four pathogens and viruses, that's why!" There's also the fact that he utterly despises how the period garb makes him look; fortun- ately, Mister Wicked recognized Doctor Graves' discomfort, and decided not to make an issue of it. As long as the "good" doctor provides the service that he was hired for, Mister Wicked can afford to overlook his "lack of fashion sense". Before coming to work for Mister Wicked, Doctor Graves had been one of the most respected physicians at the city's most prestigious hospital, until one of the other doctors and a nurse -- both women -- brought accusations of misconduct against him. According to the accusers, the doctor was guilty of taking improper liberties with his female patients; the subsequent investi- gation proved the validity of the charge, and the doctor was fired from his job immediately thereafter, with the very real possibility of criminal charges and prosecution facing him. His license to practice medicine was also revoked, forever barring him from the medical profess- ion. Things were looking bleak indeed for the former physician. Enter Mister Wicked. Having followed the case in the news media, he figured that someone with the doctor's qualifications and skill would be a tremendous asset indeed to the organiz- ation, and decided to hire him. Arranging a secret meeting with the disgraced ex-physician, Mister Wicked told him that, as a member of his organization, he would not only be able to continue practicing medicine, but would make far more money as well. He also pointed out that he would have a far better chance for revenge as part of the organization, than as a private citizen. The ex-doctor thought on what Mister Wicked had just said. The chance to be able to continue as a doctor and to become even wealthier in the process was one thing, but the chance for revenge upon his accusers -- that was an entirely different thing altogether, and one that he wasn't about to pass up. He decided to accept Mister Wicked's offer, and the two men shook hands to seal the deal. Several weeks later -- during which the ex-doctor vanished without a trace -- the doctor and the nurse who'd brought the accusation against him both went on vacations; both had left notes saying that they'd be back in a couple of months. At least, that's what their families and friends were supposed to think. In reality, both women had been kidnapped by Mister Wicked's men, and evidence which indicated that they'd both left on vacations was left at their homes. Both women are currently occupying separate cells at Mister Wicked's secret lair, and Doctor Graves is on hand to ensure that they remain healthy for the duration of their stay -- which, if the Doctor has his way, will be a very long time indeed... Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. There are times when Mister Wicked isn't able to run his business due to an "occupational hazard" associated with the kind of business that he runs: an investigator (or group of in- vestigators) that's looking into his activities for some reason, and who could stumble onto the truth if he were to be followed to his secret lair and auction house. Fortunately, Mister Wicked has a subordinate who is more than capable of running things in his absence -- a gentleman who is referred to only as the Overseer: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43878[/ATTACH] Like the majority of Mister Wicked's employees, the Overseer wears 19th-Century garb; in his case, he wears an outfit reminiscient of those worn by Southern plantation owners before and during the Civil War. As his title suggests, the Overseer supervises all aspects of the secret dungeon and auction house in Mister Wicked's absence, from ensuring that the captives are securely imprisoned and unable to attract attention to themselves, to running the secret auctions which are held in the facility from time to time. He also has the authority to have anyone killed -- either a captive, an ordinary prisoner, or even one of the employees other than himself or any of the organization's senior employees -- who poses a danger to the continued security of the facility. Like his employer, the Overseer wears a black domino mask with anti-flash protection, and a pair of nose filter plugs to protect himself from accidental exposure to the knock- out gases that the organization uses in the course of its workings. He also carries a spec- ial cane as well; this one is designed with a built-in knockout gas projector. In addition, he carries a device that looks like a TV remote control; only instead of switching channels on a TV, it allows the Overseer to individually trigger any of several electroshock collars that the feistier of Mister Wicked's captives are fitted with during their stay. These collars can deliver an electrical shock which is 10,000 volts stronger than a standard police-issue TASER gun's charge -- more than enough, in the opinion of Wicked and company, to "calm down" the feistiest captive. While this rumor has yet to be confirmed, it is believed that the Overseer was a "Kentucky Colonel" at some point in time before becoming part of Mister Wicked's organization. Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. One of Mister Wicked's newest and, so far, most trusted employees is also the only exception to his "no female employees" rule -- a woman who is known only as Miss Helga: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43877[/ATTACH] Before she entered Mister Wicked's employ, she was a petty criminal who was on the run from the law for several thefts which she'd performed. In the course of her flight, she happened across an ad in the "Help Wanted" section of the local news- paper; Mister Wicked had posted an ad to the effect that he was looking for some domestic employees to handle certain jobs around the mansion. What he hadn't included in the ad was the line that "No Women Need Apply"; he was therefore shocked when the future Miss Helga showed up at his mansion's doorstep. Although he was going to send her on her way at first, he changed his mind upon realizing that the young woman who'd answered his ad was a fellow criminal, and decided to interview her for the job. After asking her the standard questions, Mister Wicked asked one that wasn't on any list: would she have a problem with working for someone who was involved with an ongoing criminal enterprise? The future Miss Helga's response was "No; why should I?" Mister Wicked hired her on the spot; since then, he's had no reason to regret hiring a female employee for the first time in his life. Indeed, in many respects, Miss Helga is the best employee that he could have hired, given the jobs that she does. Not only does she keep the mansion clean and in order, she also watches out for Milinda as well. Whether it's to accompany her on a shopping trip, or to act as a chaperone when a male guest has come to pay a visit, Miss Helga is never far from Milinda's side. But there's a darker side to this part of her job, for she also has the responsibility to make sure that Milinda doesn't stumble across anything that would reveal the truth about her brother's activities. When she isn't working at the mansion, Miss Helga can be found at Mister Wicked's secret lair, keeping an eye on any captives that are being held there; she has been taught by Doctor Graves (another of Mister Wicked's newer employees) how to re- cognize the warning signs of the side-effects associated with some of the knockout drugs used by the organization (such as hyperpyrexia, for example). Major Tom 2009

Re: Mister Wicked, 6ed Version. The fourth of Mister Wicked's original employees is his coachman and driver, a gentleman by the name of Ferris: [ATTACH=CONFIG]43876[/ATTACH] As the family coachman and driver, Ferris can handle any vehicle with consummate skill, whether it's the family horse-drawn carriage (or coach -- they have one of each) or the family limousine. He's also a skilled mechanic, and is capable of performing any repair job that the limo might need. Over the years, he has also become an expert at manufact- uring replacement parts for the carriage and the coach, and can unerringly select the best wood or metal for the job at hand; a skill which he has also learned how to apply to Mister Wicked's business. Many of the restraining devices which are used in the business were designed and built by Ferris; to date, no one who has ever been secured by one of these devices has ever freed herself from them. Ferris' true job within the organization, however, is to serve as the driver for whatever vehicle is being used for a particular kidnapping -- whether it's a nondescript delivery van, a hearse, or an ambulance. Like Alvarez, Bruno, and Mace, Ferris disguises himself on these missions, so that he can never be identified by witnesses. He does have one particular skill which has helped to make the organization's kidnappings much easier: a photographic memory. Many of the kidnappings which Mister Wicked and company have performed over the last few years have succeeded only because of Ferris' recall of details -- whet- her or not a victim lives alone, or if she has neighbors who could foul up the attempt -- which could mean the difference between success or failure. Major Tom 2009