Seraph – the Missing Hero

Seraph – the iconic hero of Storm City

Look: An athletic build, but more swimmer than bodybuilder – her physique doesn’t quite ‘match up’ to her powers. She’s average height – many people when meeting her in person might be surprised by that, expecting someone larger and more physically imposing.  Her costume is showy but not revealing – mostly form-fitting and easy to move in with a few pieces of flare that look good on camera. Her colours are white and gold, very much playing into a ‘saviour’ motif a la angels, knights in armour, etc. Her symbol is two white feathers outlined in gold.

Known Powers: near-invulnerability, flight, super strength

Weaknesses: None known for sure. Seraph can be idealistic to the point of naivete sometimes, it seems. And there are rumours about her drawing power from others emotions.

Reputation: Seraph has an overall good reputation – she’s seen as an icon of Storm City, something that sets it apart from other metropolitan areas. There’s some tension with the police, and some anti-mutant sentiment, but overall – the population sees her as their hero.

Secret Identity (not known):  As Angela Rose, she runs the Rose Gallery, a small gallery representing emerging artists – including those from the powered community. This allows her to move amongst the patrons of the arts and gain inside gossip on the machinations and plans of the city of movers and shakers.  A little while ago she formed a significant relationship with one of the regular patrons and had been considering her position beneath the mask – and whether a ‘normal’ life was possible after all.

Allies and Tension: Overally a collaborative relationship with the cops. However, it’s known by those who are more closely acquainted with her that the relationship with Trinity Taylor, the Chief of Police is rather strained. It’s not that our hero is a loose cannon – actually she’s quite even-keel – but rather that the Chief is very hard: she is ex-military and known to be totally uncompromising, and her decision making errs on the severe side where our hero prefers a more compassionate approach. So they are allies, but it’s a strained, rather feisty relationship, even as it is symbiotic. They need each other for balance, so when one is gone…? Storm City’s Mayor, Bob Jones, is a strongly political animal with anti-mutant views – restrained by Seraph’s popularity – something he resents immensely.

Nemesis: The Saint – an organised crime boss with powers of superhuman strength, time freeze and invisibility. The Saint has clashed with Seraph a few times, but usually he prefers to avoid her and let his thugs and minor powers take the risks. He used his combination of powers over the past decade to become a prominent crime boss in Storm City, ‘cleaning up the streets’ by bringing smalltime crooks under his protection and control. Even the generations-old Outfit answers to The Saint now, it seems.

At start of Season One, Seraph has been missing around 2 weeks…

“I have nothing to prove to you.”

Seraph – 2019

Aster (The Beacon): played by Erin

Superhero nerd, tech genius. Took some blackmarket superdrug to gain superpowers. It didn’t go so well. Aster can open small portals to a pocket dimension, but cant guarantee to put anything she puts in there back.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to float while talking?”

Sundog – Issue 2

Izzy/Ghost (The Doomed): played by Mo

Izzy shares her “mind palace” with Bad Betty, a darker version of herself with no morality. She can project herself like a ghost, but when she does… Bad Betty has their body all to herself. (Issues 1-2)

Kate/Sundog (The Nova): played by Sam

Sundog charges up from sunlight, even when it’s reflected from the moon at night, and can channel it into destructive plasma blasts. But she does run out of power at inconvenient moments. She’s also a bicycle courier.

Benji/Sputnik (The Janus): played by Sti

Sputnik has powers to absorb, control and release kinetic energy. He struggles to balance his personal life with his aspirations to be a superhero. (Issues 1-3)

Glitch (The Delinquent): played by Usva

Eastern European immigrant, ex-gang member, with powers of illusion and the ability to make others feel the same emotions he is feeling. Sometimes where he doesnt want to (Issues 4+)

Scarlet/Red (The Beacon): played by Deborah

Archer with trick arrows. Stealthy. No superpowers. Shares an apartment with Maria (who is Jesus’s girlfriend). Now has a space ruby… no idea what that does.

“It’s a sanctuary, not a lair! I’m not a supervillain, so its not a lair!”

Void – Issue 3

Sienna/Joule (The Nova): played by Mairi

Joule can absorb electricity from power systems, and then release it as blasts and barriers. Her hair turns blue when she uses her powers. She’s got much more power than she has control, which led to accidentally hurting her ex-girlfriend, Sarah. They’re still friends.

Jesus/Nightfox (The Janus): played by Derek

NIghtfox has super-sensitive senses, and is very strong and agile. Sometimes his senses overwhelm him. Jesus kept his identity secret from everyone, even the team, until late in Season 1. His girlfriend Maria sharing an apartment with Scarlett makes it hard to keep his lives separate.

Deep/Rakshasa (The Protege): played by David

Deep was once the hero Cherub, sidekick to Seraph. He struck out on his own, in Union City, taking the new name Rakshasa. He has the ability to cause fear, along with exceptional fighting skills. After helping the team form, he was recalled to Union City by the DPP. (Issues 1-2)

Jay/Void (The Doomed): played by Rhona

Jay’s mother was the legendary supervillain Whisper. She inherited powers that let her create psychic constructs, move objects, and manipulate memories from her mother. Her sister Alice has inherited a few powers too.  Void joined the team when she helped Joule stand off against The Saint in issue 3. (Issues 3-6)

The Saint

Mysterious supervillain who is reputedly behind both the Rogues, and the organised crime Outfit. Powers to freeze time and become invisible means he may be more personally active that anyone knows.

“I am somewhat missing the challenge since Seraph departed”

The Saint – U#3

The Rogues

Bon Chance, the rediculously lucky supervillain, leads the Rogues: Cupid, who throws incredibly destructive pink energy hearts; and Red Blade who is bonded to a sword that can cut through almost anything. At the end of Season 1, the Rogues are all in prison after being captured by the Ma*lrats.

The Outfit

Storm City’s long standing organised crime family, led by Joseph Manchetti. Generally hostile to mutants – they only employ “real people”, but a faction led by John Zuko has been recruiting mutants. Joseph Manchetti is rumoured to be under the control of The Saint, but he’s hardly giving interviews on the topic. They also run an amazing Italian restaurant.

Archimedes Industries

Research company linked to leakage of super-drug into Storm City’s water supply (leading to more mutations than normal), to kidnapping of young mutants off the street, and to operating illegal human research inside the county prison. Operated a team of cloned agents that turned out to be a boosted manifiestation of a mutants power. Dr Crook was main scientist behind the operations – Dr Bidelia (Lily) was creator of Subject SW-5 (Blue). Closed down operations in Storm City after their activities become public knowledge in Season 1.

Whisper and Alice

Whisper was Seraph’s main antagonist until around three years ago, when she disappeared. She was a supervillain with technological and mind control skills. Jay (Void) and Alice are Whisper’s two daughters, have inherited some of her powers, and have access to her technology.

At the end of Season One, Alice put on Whisper’s supersuit to help rescue mutants from the police/Archimedes raid.

Blue

SW-05 escaped from the Archimedes facility at the County Jail by smashing through the walls and running away. She bears a remarkable resemblance to a young Seraph, but remains confused and easily influenced. Named “Blue” by the  mutants she met, after the blue overall she was wearing – she came to be a decisive help to both super teams. (Issues 3+)

The full details of Alphas remain military secrets in most countries – only the heroic efforts of the writers of Jane’s Fighting Supers, and Bristow’s Book of Powers, have let us find out some of the stories.

Alphas are peacemakers, detente, the ultimate destructive powers. They’re managed by the military of their nations.  There are two “lines” of Alphas:

“Western alphas” arise out of the Manhattan Project. They have to keep taking the mutagen to keep their powers, so it’s possible for them to retire – although their knowledge of state secrets is a liability when they do.

“Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means”

Ronald Reagan – 2010