Trying to fill some very large shoes....

Swordbearers

In the last months of 1987, a vast, ageless international conspiracy of daemon-worshiping sorcerers known as the Coven succeeded in opening a portal between our universe and the dwelling place of their foul other-worldly masters. Daemons of all sorts came pouring through this portal, insane after centuries of confinement. They razed the immediate surroundings—Brooklyn, New York—and began to spread, changing the world to suit their needs. Heroes from across North America rushed to the scene, and a months-long battle of containment, compression and finally obliteration took place.

Five days before Christmas, 1987, members of various variant hero teams managed to break through into the Coven citadel, the center of the madness. There they closed the portal forever, ending the daemonic invasion and breaking the power of the Coven in a single moment. This was not without cost: the vanguard of this attack—Ground Zero, New England's premier variant team—was decimated. Split Second vanished; Rapidfire will be months in recovery; Black Dragon, Impulse and Orion the Omen-bringer were killed; Wildcard was trapped in the daemons' realm, a necessary sacrifice for closing the portal and saving the world.

While the immediate threat was resolved, new ones loomed. All of New England had relied on Ground Zero's power to deal with variant threats. With Ground Zero gone, many look to exploit the advantage. The US Government re-apportioned Ground Zero's funds to the states for the development and implementation of their own Variant defense teams. In Harborview, Connecticut (the headquarters for Ground Zero during their six years of operation) the funds were used to bring a variety of Ground Zero's allies into professional part-time status. A dozen alpha to beta variants answered the call. While they lack the power and experience of their predecessors, they are more numerous and more versatile.

Allhallow's Eve
A former member of the late 60's counter culture variant team the Aquarians. Retired from active adventuring for many years, Eve now runs a macrobiotic health food store and head shop in Harborview. Any loss of combat edge has been compensated for by study and training, and she now relies more on her magic than her powers as an animal metamorph.

Father Winter
A priest whose variant cold generation powers emerged in seminary, he worked for social justice for years without using his powers. Now that Ground Zero is gone, he works to minimize the violence in Harborview. Father Winter has a parish in Harborview, and is well acquainted with the city's political and social leaders. He also counsels emerging variants who are confused about their new abilities and obligations. He is close to FX (whom he is guiding in his powers) and Merlin, with whom he shares goals. He is familiar with both Privateer and Streetfighter. Of the two he is more acquainted with Streetfighter, but they are usually at odds over methods; John sees the young man's dedication as admirable but his strategy of violence as a tool for social order as unacceptable. Father Winter was never a great supporter of Ground Zero, but he was passing friends with Split Second. He is hoping that he can forge the Swordbearers into a new type of variant team, one that is proactive, stopping crime in the community before it can start.

Forte
Alice was a graduate student in classical music who was badly injured when the Skull Legion attacked Mansfield College in early 1986. Her lost parts were replaced with Renaissance Technologies prototypes that include a sonic defense system. She has been coming to grips with her new abilities, and in some ways enjoys them; her arms' increased speed and accuracy have greatly improved her piano playing. While she fears being sidelined as an artist if she advertises her bionics, Alice also knows that she has a responsibility to keep anyone else from being injured the same way she was; this team give her a place to start. She knows FX through the university, and toys with the idea of working with Privateer, since he seems glamorous and experienced. Forte is petrified of encountering Sphere, since it was his disintegration powers that destroyed her arms and skin.

FX (Created by Jason Dressel)
Francis' home town in Australia was wiped out in the 1983 Plovian invasion. Found and raised by the church, he is in America pursuing his education. Francis prefers to be called FX, and is a natural variant. His illusion powers emerged after he was found to have considerable artistic talent, and the church decided that he would have the best schooling in both areas at Harborview's prestigious Mansfield University for the Arts, under the eyes of one of the few Variant priests in Roman Catholicism, Father John Matthew Winter. Francis is a large, chubby young man, but he is fairly athletic. He is also loud, to cover his own shyness and fear, and protective of his painting. FX's illusion powers can be quite potent if used well, but right now he is eschewing subtlety and going for flashy effects and impossible scenes. These are impressive for a few minutes before the opposition twigs to what's going on. Amongst the Swordbearers, FX is closest to Father Winter, and has a casual relationship with Forte that he would love to deepen, but is too afraid to. He also has a joking relationship with monstrous Mollusk, as the older ex-con has taken a paternalistic interest in the insecure young man.

Merlin
A variant born with wings and phenomenal endurance, Michael is a jack of all trades: lawyer, accountant, naturalist, chef, activist and devout Baptist. Michael Summer was born in Colorado, and was well adjusted and well accepted for a variant with visible non-human characteristics. He is a tireless worker and has a broad range of hobbies. Michael is a Tax Attorney and partner in Dillman, Wolfe and Summer, but uses most of his considerable salary in donations to charitable organizations (the other drain on his cash is his large studio penthouse apartment). Michael has lived in Harborview for only a few months, being previously in New Orleans. He sometimes fought crime in the Big Easy, and experience made him a canny combatant; he uses his speed and durability to protect the innocent and disrupt his opponents, sometimes taking shots for his teammates. In addition to his wing strikes, he will make clothesline and ram attacks while moving around the battlefield with relative impunity. He has a working relationship with Shakra, and shares goals and ideals, if not all aspects of religion, with Father Winter. He also respects the work Streetfigher has done, but thinks he can get too violent. He admires Mollusk's reformation, and acts as his unofficial lawyer.

Mollusk
Moe Luzinski was one of the European immigrants to the US in the 30's. Working on the docks by day, he was a crook by night (see Depression-Era Villains). An accident while robbing a marine science station turned him into Mollusk. Moe is well adjusted to the accident that made his cell stricture mimic a lobsteršs back in 1936. With his powers he entered "The Game." He was primarily a bank robber, shrugging off bullets and tearing open bank vaults while chewing on a stogie and making passes at the girls behind the counter. Mollusk was trapped in a cave in the Harborview harbor after battling Colt in 1939. He wasn't able to free himself till 1987, and immediately threw himself into helping clean up "his home town." Despite his past, Moe has genuinely reformed, and his old school manners and styling bring back fond memories of a more pleasant era of super-heroics. Moe finds it ironic that he's now on the side of the good guys, and won't do anything to jeopardize that status. He is quite fond of the young FX, empathizing with the young immigrant variant's plight. He likes Privateer, since the boy is so trying to be an old school hero, and is friends with Merlin, who has given him legal advice

Nightgaunt
Becoming the living receptacle for a shadow daemon in the first Daemonwar, Ladegard got his degree in History from Lancaster University, where he was a member of the class of '87 super-team called the Penumbra. Like all members of the Penumbra (also called the Lancaster Doom Patrol) he is well versed in dealing with the truly unusual. Ladegard is currently doing graduate work in Medieval Literature and History at the small but prestigious Howth College outside Harborview.

Privateer
Peter Blood's father wanted him to be a doctor, but he had always wanted to be an engineer. When his variance emerged, he knew that he was being given his shot to be more than just a designer or technician—he could be a hero! Peter applied his considerable physical and mental abilities to perfecting his skills and weapons, and even got a second degree in Variant Studies. Now he feels that he's ready to enter The Game, and that he can handle anything. Peter is an incurable romantic who isn't really aware how dangerous this career can be. Fortunately, he might just be good enough that he never finds out. He has a few months as a vigilante under his belt, and thinks that the Swordbearers will be a great team for him to lead. Surely the others will see that too? Among his teammates, he has the best relationship with Forte (whom he's sure is in love with him). He is perpetually butting heads with Streetfighter over the latter's dour attitude and "experience." He has a good relationship with Mollusk, whom he plies for stories about the Good Old Days. He's on good terms with the others, who admire him for his honest desire to go out there and do good.

Shakra
Jessica Blitzer has been a private eye for nearly a decade, working all types of cases, from divorces to murders. Five years ago one of these jobs left her in possession of her magical jewel, which she's worn since. Jessica is a clever woman who knows how to play to her strengths. Since she got the jewel she'd kept it secret as a fallback and "edge," but with the recent state of affairs she's decided it's time to come out of the closet and admit to her "variance." Besides, being a publicly known variant might be good for business. Despite her reputation as a tough-as-nails investigator, she can be a sucker for a sob story, a trait that has become more pronounced of late. She was called into the Swordbearers by Michael Summer, whose law firm had worked with her in the past, and who had worked with on his first case n Harborview. She is unbearably attracted to him, but won't bring it up for fear of shattering her image. Jessica has a good tactical sense, and is seldom carried away; just because she's invulnerable now doesn't mean she should forget everything she learned before that. She can spot a bad plan a mile away, and isn't too proud to run or play possum if it will net her a long term advantage.

Streetfighter
Inspired by Ground Zero, Miguel took to the streets as Streetfighter seven years ago to bring justice to his neighborhood. During that time he's broken every part of himself except his indomitable will. Despite his low power level, he is a skilled, experienced opponent, a decent detective and infinitely knowledgeable about the city and its predators. He was nearly killed in the Harborview Daemon invasion in 84, and has a healthy respect for magic. He also knows when he's outclassed; Miguel knows he can take most any normal person, and even low end variants, but he's learned the hard way that high end variants have to be treated with the utmost caution. He is "for" the Swordbearer's as a concept, but he knows that a large group of amateurs won't replace Ground Zero. He's all for striking first to keep whatever edge they have. He knows Father Winter pretty well, but the two will never agree on methods. He has problems working with Privateer, because the "kid's" overconfidence could threaten the rest of the team.

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