Victorian Justice League: Hunter of Mars
A player character in Victorian Justice League: A Tale of Two Cities.
Contents
The Martian Invasion was one of the most terrifying events in recent memory, a period in which it seemed that all of humanity's greatness would simply be a footnote to a long slavery under a collective of vast and cool intelligences, only to be brought down by a mysterious pathogen. What many did not realize was that it was terrifying for Mars as well; the only reason the Martian Imperium seemed confined to a few rare cities was being attacked by similarly-made, but far smaller and faster tripods and automata. As the war was disrupted by the plague, those tripods opened to reveal...Martians, in all their octopodial glory. Unlike the corpse-like, brutish, and cruel invaders, however, these Martians had skin a greenish, heathier color, fewer but thicker arms, and in place of gnarled teeth a far more natural-seeming beak. The White Martians, as it turned out, were just as cruel to their own people, having used their knowledge of genetics to forcefully engineer themselves into a far more physically hale and hardy species, at the cost of their immune systems; the White Emperor had never considered that the advanced medicine of his kind would ever fail. By the end, the first people the Imperium had conquered was their own - and the Greens had three out of every five of their own exterminated to satiate the mad reach at racial purity the Whites desired.
But Mars was not saved - by the end of the White's insane war, the Red Planet had been nearly turned toxic, its beautiful canals running black with industrial waste. It wasn't habitable for any Martian, Green or White after that, and the Greens both felt too guilty for the cruelties their cousins had inflicted on Earth, and afraid of the plague that decimated a similar biology, to remain on Earth. So, after signing of a formal non-aggression pact with Earth, they left - except for one. J'onn J'ozz, a member of the Green resistance who had been greatly blessed by his people's tendencies to develop metamorphic traits (the result of some unique compounds in Mars' soil plus the occasional manifestation of intermittent dimensional phenomenon meaning that Martians can shapeshift, and some are extremely good shifters), had been on Earth with the Imperium quite by accident, he having been caught in an experimental teleporter accident when he was attempting to sabotage a launcher gun. Able to flee to relatively safer wilds of Austria-Hungary, he developed the Germanic form of his true name and his alias as "the Man-Hunter" due to men confusing his powers for some green demon of the forest who came to punish sinners (in truth, he read the mind of a corrupt count, realized he would be a collaborator with the Imperium if he believed he could benefit at all, and simply was using normal guerilla tactics while assessing life on the planet - he had no idea how terrifying he was to the people he was trying to help). It was he who informed the people of Earth how to use portals to let in through much-needed Green reinforcements...but because he knows fully well he was sick from the same plague that rendered the Imperial forces impotent (he survived thanks to his metamorphic biology), fear of being an asymptomatic carrier means he cannot go with his people. Not until they have a vaccine, which may take decades.
He's made the most of it, becoming a hero and a detective in truth. It's not so different from partisan spy work - and it allows him to find surviving White Martians, still furious over their defeat.
Hindrances
Enemy (minor, Imperial Martians),
Loyal (minor),
Phobia (minor, Fire),
Enemy (Legion of Doom)
Traits
Outsider (minor): Humans distrust green Martians, largely because their white-hided cousins are notorious imperialists. It's not fair to the more peaceful greens, but they suffer a −1 penalty to Persuasion with all but others of their kind.
Bite: A Martian's beak’s bite causes Str+d4 damage and can also be used on a Bound or Entangled foe (see page 98).
Keen Senses: Martians have acute senses, giving them the Alertness Edge.
Armor +2: Martians have malleable, absorbtive skin that acts as leather armor.
Environmental Weakness: Though not truly cold-blooded or mollusks (they're actually egg-laying semi-aquatic mammals in Earth equivalent biology), Martians are not comfortable in cold environments. They suffer a –4 penalty to resist cold environmental effects.
Languages Known: German (d6), English (d6), Latin (d6), Russian (d6), Martian (native, d8)
Attributes
Agility d6
Smarts d8
Spirit d8
Strength d4
Vigor d6
Skills
Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d4, Fighting d4, Focus d8, German (d6), English (d6), Latin (d6), Russian (d6), Martian (native, d8), Notice d6+2, Performance d4, Persuasion d4, Piloting d4, Research d8, Science d6, Stealth d6, Survival d4
Derived Statistics
Pace: 6"
Parry:
Toughness:
Edges
Alertness, Investigator, Linguist, Super Powers
Super Powers (45 + 5 spp, limit 15)
Power 1
Power 2
Aquatic (1 - Amphibious): 1
Altered Form (2) + Fall Proof (1) + Grappler (1) + Viscious (2): 6
Copycat (4) + Partial Copy (2) + Overly Specific (-2): 4
Chameleon (3) + Inanimate (2): 5
Genius (2) + Fast Learner (1): 3
Illusion (4) + Distraction (1) + Area Effect (2) + Obscurement (2): 10
Intangibility (5) + Requires Activation (-1): 4
Mind Reading (3) + Memory Mastery (3) + Strong (2): 8
Push: 1
Telekinesis (3) + Fine Control (3) + Flight (2): 8
Gear
Item 1 (notes about use, weight, cost etc.)
Item 2
Remember to note the super power point cost of each power as it's important for powers like Copycat!
- Group/container/location/etc.
- Item in group/container/whatever
- Another item
Etc.
Experience
Rank: Seasoned
Novice Advances
Edge: Linguist
Raise Attribute: Spirit
Raise Skills: Science/Focus
Seasoned Advances
Edge: Investigator
