History Characters / CityOfHeroes

* FaceHeelTurn She starts as a villain but at higher levels she progresses to rogue and, presumably, full hero.

Characters:

''Robert Flores:''

''Tunnel Rat''

* GoodScarsEvilScars: although not as much "scars" as "completely mutilated face".

* PowersThroughPossession: After her death, her understudy willingly absorbed her psyche. The two are now inseparable.

Characterwise:

'''Chief Interrogator Washington'''

'''Mother Mayhem'''

''Chief Interrogator Washington''

* TheSocialDarwinist: It wasn't him that introduced the 'survival of the fittest' into Arachnos, but he definitely became the group's MostTriumphantExample.

* ShootTheDog: Comes up quite often; [[spoiler: killing [[TheMole Cleo]][[ReasonableAuthorityFigure patra]], arresting [[DeadlyDoctor Dr. Steffard]],]] really, the whole storyline is the tragedy of what must be done to [[UtpoiaJustifiesTheMeans "preserve the peace".]]

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: In spades; he listens to you, assists you when possible, and when you get ambushed by a trap set by [[spoiler: Cleopatra]], he [[MissedMomentofAwsome offscreenly]] lowered the number of enemies who'd be ambushing you, taking on a considerable number of Resistance soldiers in the process.

* CaptainErsatz / AlternateCompanyEquivalent / Expy: He's a bit of a cross between {{Superman}} and CaptainAmerica; one of the writers of the comics even described that they were trying to write him as a cross between two specific incarnations of the aforementioned characters.

** In the end though, YourMileageMayVery.

** Though WordOfGod does confirm him to actually be cursed, admittedly, it's a good guess given Scirocco was a [[YourTerroristsOurFreedomFighters a 'Freedom Fighter' mercenary]]. This would also mean Serafina is a JerkAssGenie.

* MinionShipping: has a (rather chivalrious) crush on Ghost Widow. He doesen't seem to care that she's A) Dead and B) Incapable of returning his feelings.

** In the end though, YourMilageMayVery.
* [[AnAdventurerIsYou PetMaster]] and MookMaker

Mad scientist working for Arachnos. [[DiztyGenius Is a dunce.]]

Mad scientist working for Arachnos.

* NiceJobBreakingitHero: Hey, great job on destroying that HUGE Rikti saucer looming over the neighborhood, but next time make sure it's not hovering over a bustling neighborhood before you make it crash!

A prominent member of the Freedom Phalanx, Sister Psyche is also known for being one of the world's most powerful psychics. For a time, she was incapacitated by wounds suffered during the Rikti War, and the young heroine Aurora Borealis offered her [[BodySurf the use of her body]] until her own could recover.

* AuthorityEqualsAssKicking: He IS the Lord of Arachnos. Though given Arachnos' laws, it might be more accurate to call it AssKickingEqualsAuthority

* Darwinist: It wasn't him that introduced the 'survival of the fittest' into Arachnos, but he definitely became the group's MostTriumphantExample.

* PowerArmor: Stolen.

* Cyborg: Her entire motivation for her criminal activities is to replace her entire body with metal.

* BadassNormal: The only member of the Phalanx who isn't granted any power of the gods, wasn't experimented on, doesn't have any superior tech, and isn't pretty much made of muscle. His teleportation powers are alternately explained by Prometheus granting him the power to him simply hacking into Paragon's medical network.

* MinionShipping: has a (rather chivalrious) crush on Ghost Widow. He doesen't seem to care that she's A) Dead and B) Incapable of returning his feelings.

* BigGuyTinyGirl: he and Silver Mantis are an item.

* FishPeople: although in his case a mutant.

* ADisgraceToBlackBeard: Mako is a former pirate.

* TheBrute

* FaceHeelTurn

* SpikesOfVillainy her main forms of attack.
* Cyborg Her entire motivation for her criminal activities is to replace her entire body with metal.

* IHateMyPastMe: It is at least implied that Aeon's nemesis Professor Echo is in fact the future version of himself...

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: In spades; he listens to you, assists you when possible, and when you get ambushed by a trap set by [[Spoiler: Cleopatra]], he [[MissedMomentofAwsome offscreenly]] lowered the number of enemies who'd be ambushing you, taking on a considerable number of Resistance soldiers in the process.
* ShootTheDog: Killing [[Spoiler: Cleopatra]], because she was a mole.

'''[[FlyingBrick Statesman]]'''

* CaptainErsatz / AlternateCompanyEquivalent / Expy: He's a bit of a cross between SuperMan and CaptainAmerica; one of the writers of the comics even described that they were trying to write him as a cross between two specific incarnations of the aforementioned characters.

Justin Sinclair is a prominent and very powerful billionaire whose parents were brutally murdered by a villain named Protean. When his nanny told him the story, he took up the bow of his father and vowed to bring villains to justice. He is a member of the Freedom Phalanx, though he tends to butt heads with Statesman.

* BadassNormal: Oh yeah.

'''SilverMantis'''

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: while undeniably mad, Aeon has (allegedly) produced at least some beneficial inventions.
* MadScientist
* TimeTravel

* [[IDidWhatIHadToDo Responsibility Loyalists]]: Loyalists who actually care about the people under Cole's regime, seeing it as a duty to do so, seeing that upholding the law is more important than gaining personal power, often directly taking on threats to the peace. To them, typically, power and prestige is just them earning their place by taking on the duties neccesary to maintain their Utopia, and greater responsibility.

Power hounds who are fully willing to abuse the law to gain personal power, spending more time working to get ahead of each other than fighting threats such as [[LaResistance The Resistance]]. Many also play in media manipulation, seeking to gain ahead of each other. Not afraid to play dirty to gain power either.

* [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeVilified Resistance Wardens]]: The Resistance Warde's are members of the Resistance who are much less about direct shooting (but certainly don't shy away from it), and more about raising awareness of the truth behind Praetoria, seeking to bring a victory through less violent means when possible. They are careful about their targets, aiming to keep civilians out of the crossfire, and many truly seek a better world for the future. Many of their missions are less about winning the war with superpowers, rather aiming to subvert the machinery of Cole's empire so that people can make their own choices.

* [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized Resistance Crusaders]]: The Crusaders make up a considerable bulk of the Resistance, especially when it comes to military operations. They are, unlike the Wardens, extremely varied in their origins. You see regular rebels, you see ex-gangsters, you name it, nine times out of ten they have one in their ranks. They [[MoralEventHorizon cross the line]] frequently, and some don't even care about the Resistance's goals, just seek to cause mayhem. Typically reined in, with difficulty, by the Wardens, when they go too far, but not always.

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys YourMileageMayVery on how much of a 'bad boy' her husband is, also DependingOnTheWriter

* TheLancer Not quite as obvious as her husband, but Sister Psyche does some questionable things with her powers, and she's not afraid to [[FridgeHorror go into your brain and mess with it or even psychically possess people]]. Also not nearly as obvious since [[WhatTheHellHero she's not called on it]].
* Stripperiffic and despite her Praetorian counterpart's attempts to outdo her in this factor in her appearance update, Sister Psyche is still the one who [[BeyondtheImpossible wears dental floss and lace in New England weather, outdoors]]

* TheLancer Possibly to Statesman

* OverratedandUnderleveled: For everything everyone trumps him up to be, most players tend to tear him apart with very little trouble, his dual pistols might as well be a pair of Nerf Mavericks.

'''BlackScorpion'''

'''CaptainMako'''

* FishPeople although in his case a mutant.
* CompleteMonster Scirocco and Ghost Widow are somewhat sympatethic, and Black Scorpion is mainly just dumb. Mako, however relishes tearing people apart.

* LightningBruiser Mako hits hard, and is hard to hit.
* ADisgraceToBlackBeard Mako is a former pirate.

* GoodScarsEvilScars although not as much "scars" as "completely mutilated face".

* VillainWithGoodPublicity while undeniably mad, Aeon has (allegedly) produced at least some beneficial inventions.

* IsThisThingStillOn? During the Statesman Task Force...
* IHateMyPastMe It is at least implied that Aeon's nemesis Professor Echo is in fact the future version of himself...

The Loyalists are those who are loyal to Emporer Cole, the ruler of Praetoria. They see themselves as the next hope for humanity, and work to help humanity recover from it's war with the [[AnimalWrongsGroup Devouring Earth]] after the Hamidon Wars. They are lead by a group of Praetors; supers who have distinguished themselves above and beyond even the elite of the mainline. Founded after the UN gave Cole full power post-Hamidon Wars, the Loyalists seek to create a perfect Utopia, but often at a [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans cost]]
* [[IDidWhatIHadToDo Responsibility Loyalists]]: Loyalists who actually care about the people under Cole's regime, seeing it as a duty to do so, seeing that upholding the law is more important than gaining personal power, often directly taking on threats to the peace. To them, typically, power and prestiege is just them earning their place by taking on the duties neccesary to maintain their Utopia; and greater responsibility.
In General, these Tropes are found:

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Quite a few; Chief Interogator Washingon, the first contact, is very reasonable and is honestly dedicated to his job. Provost Manchard also shows signs of it; [[spoiler: When it is discovered Emporer Cole intends to lead an army to wipe out Primal Earth's superheroes, he is aghast and seeks to find a way to end the bloodshed before it happens.]] Doesn't mean he won't threaten you with kill-on-sight treason when you [[spoiler: as an undercover agent, help the [[MoralEventHorizon Crusaders]] steal a bomb, intending to plant it in a crowded area.]] It's standard territory for them.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure In spades; he listens to you, assists you when possible, and when you get ambushed by a trap set by [[Spoiler: Cleopatra]], he [[MissedMomentofAwsome offscreenly]] lowered the number of enemies who'd be ambushing you, taking on a considerable number of Resistance soldiers in the process.
* ShootTheDog Killing [[Spoiler: Cleopatra]], because she was a mole.

An organized force seeking to stop Cole's Empire from spreading further and to free all from Tyrant (Cole's) grasp, the Resistance functions as the scapegoats of much of Praetoria's woes after the Hamidon Wars as far as the Loyalists are concerned. The Resistance is varied in it's origins; it has regular people trying to make the world better all the way to nigh-on terrorists in it's ranks. The Resistance has a slang to it; often coming out as gibberish without context. Many of Primal Earth's villians have their mirror counterparts in the Resistance. Like the Loyalists, the Resistance has two factions: The Wardens and the Crusaders.

* [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeVilified Resistance Wardens]]: The Resistance Warden's are members of the Resistance who are much less about direct shooting (but certainly don't shy away from it), and more about raising awareness of the truth behind Praetoria, seeking to bring a victory through less violent means when possible. They are careful about their targets, aiming to keep civilians out of the crossfire, and many truly seek a better world in the future. Many of their missions are less about winning the war with superpowers, rather aiming to subvert the machinery of Cole's empire so that people can make their own choices.

The first contact; an intrepid journalist, like his sister, he introduces you to the Warden storyline.
* HopelessSuitor He's in love with BV, [[Spoiler Belladona Ventrano... the [[MirrorUniverse Praetorian]] version of Ghost Widow.]]
* LampshadeHanging he hangs a lampshade on how you likely feel after an annoying mission, and even the whole Contact system in general where you're sent on dangerous missions... [[FridgeLogic sometimes by those who can fight well themselves]].

* ProperlyParanoid Has this as a dominant personality trait, she's actually right. And considering Praetoria has Seers at every corner probing for unruly thoughts and other Loyalists willing to play dirty, the paranoia she has is [[JustifiedTrope justified.]]

* [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized Resistance Crusaders]]: The Crusaders make up a considerable bulk of the Resistance, especially when it comes to military operations. They are, unlike the Wardens, extremely varied in their origins. You see regular rebels, you see ex-gangsters, you name it, nine times out of ten they have one in their ranks. They [[MoralEventHorizon cross the line]] frequently, and some don't even care about the Resistance's goals, just seek to cause mayhem. Typically reined in, with difficulty, by the Wardens, when they go to far, but not always.

Freedom Phalanx- In the game lore, they're the heavy hitters for the hero faction, here are a few of their roster and a few of the tropes that apply to them.

[[FlyingBrick Statesman:]]
* BadAss for all the jokes that are flung around about him on the player base, there's little denying Statesman is this since his existence alone tends to keep [[BigBad Lord Recluse]] from entering U.S. soil personally, and in-game can one-shot bosses one level higher than him with his MegatonPunch or flatten a whole mob with his Signature power [[GroundPound Hammer]] of [[ShockAndAwe Justice]], and all this while shrugging off damage that would floor other even other characters of his NPC rank.
* BigGood One of the oldest, canon characters in the lore and, presently, one of the most powerful...
* TheWorfEffect ..also prone to getting his ass handed to him a lot in Villain strike forces, high difficulty high level mayhem missions, VEAT are finale, and off screen in either of the task forces involving Reichsman, gets captured at the end of the Maria Jenkins Praetorian story arcs (twice in canon), one of the two new Task/strike forces coming with issue 19, and is dead in just about every possible future you go to. The guy just can't catch a break.
* TheCape At least after Issue 1 when his appearance was updated to have a cape.
* CaptainErsatz / AlternateCompanyEquivalent / Expy He's a bit of a cross between SuperMan and CaptainAmerica, one of the writers of the comics even described that they were trying to write him as a cross between two specific incarnations of the aforementioned characters.
* TheHero At least within his circle's FiveManBand, and also seen by this by most of the world.
* IdiotHero [[NiceJobBreakingitHero Hey, great job on destroying that HUGE Rikti saucer looming over the neighborhood, but next time MAKE SURE IT'S NOT OVER A NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE YOU MAKE IT CRASH!]]
* IronWoobie Along with everything listed in TheWorfEffect entry, one has to remember that there's only four living people who he can relate to (Two are enigmatic members of the Vanguard, one's old enough to be living on borrowed time, leaving only Sister Psyche), has watched his own wife die of old age while he continues to remain eternally young and is being forced to watch the same thing happen to his daughter and eventually his granddaughter (assuming he isn't killed off first), and has yet to find an alternate dimension where he hasn't crossed the MoralEventHorizon over and over. Despite all this, he still fights for the good guys, and he will not give up until nothing's left of him but his bones.

Sister Psyche:

Positron:

Synapse:

Citadel:

Manticore:
* TheArcher combined with [[TrickArrow trick arrows]]
* BadassNormal
* HeroesWantRedheads He married Sister Psyche in-canon lore (also, the [[AuthorAvatar developers who use the two characters]] [[CrowningMomentofHeartWarming married in real life]])

* WhatTheHellHero He's given one of these when he accidentally '[[NotQuiteDead killed]]' the man who murdered his parents.

Vindicators-

Maelstrom:
* [[DesignatedHero Designated Vigilante]] Generally, Vigilantes are down and dirty heroes who sometimes break the rules. But you never really get a chance to see Maelstrom even sacrifice a few for the sake of the many.
* OverratedandUnderleveled For everything everyone trumps him up to be, most players tend to tear him apart with very little trouble, his dual pistols might as well be a pair of Nerf Mavericks.

Arachnos-

Lord Recluse:
* AuthorityEqualsAssKicking He IS the Lord of Arachnos. Though given Arachnos' laws, it might be more accurate to call it AssKickingEqualsAuthority
* BigBad and EvilOverlord DUH!
* RivalTurnedEvil His back story with Statesman. With some elaboration; he always felt that Statesman saw himself as better than the two and was a control freak. Lord Recluse also did not appreciate Statesman marrying his sister.
* Darwinist It wasn't him that introduced the 'survival of the fittest' into Arachnos, but he definitely became the group's MostTriumphantExample.

* OurGhostsAreDifferent: GW is bound to "haunt" Arachnos, and cannot be permanently destroyed as long as the organization exists.

* MoralityPet (Wretch)
* TheBaroness (Arguably one of the few people, Lord Recluse included, actually devoted to Arachnos itself)

* FaceHeelTurn in his backstory
* MindControl in his patron arc, his attempt at a HeelFaceTurn involved trying to mind control every villain in existence...
* PelagianVillain of a sort.
* ThemeNaming All of the Monks of the Four Winds we know of have names after well, winds. Scirocco, Levantera, Borea and (Ice) Mistral.
* MinionShipping has a (rather chivalrious) crush on Ghost Widow. He doesen't seem to care that she's A) Dead and B) Incapable of returning his feelings.

* PowerArmor Stolen.
* TheBrute (even his archetype)
* DumbMuscle At least when compared to the other Patrons.
* BigGuyTinyGirl him and Silver Mantis are an item.
* ScaryScorpions

All that remains of Ghost Widows former comrade Paulo Marino, now mutated into a hideous monster.

Other arachnos personnel:

!!Loyalists: The Loyalists are those who are loyal to Emporer Cole, the ruler of Praetoria. They see themselves as the next hope for humanity, and work to help humanity recover from it's war with the [[AnimalWrongsGroup Devouring Earth]] after the Hamidon Wars. They are lead by a group of Praetors; supers who have distinguished themselves above and beyond even the elite of the mainline. Founded after the UN gave Cole full power post-Hamidon Wars, the Loyalists seek to create a perfect Utopia, but often at a [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans cost]]
!!![[IDidWhatIHadToDo Responsibility Loyalists]]: Loyalist who actually care about the people under Cole's regime, seeing it as a duty to do so, seeing that upholding the law is more important than gaining personal power, often directly taking on threats to the peace. To them, typically, power and prestiege is just them earning their place by taking on the duties neccesary to maintain their Utopia; and greater responsibility.

''Cheif Interrogator Washington''

!!![[GloryHound Power Loyalists]]: Power hounds who are fully willing to abuse the law to gain personal power, spending more time working to get ahead of each other than fighting threats such as [[LaResistance The Resistance]]. Many also play in media manipulation, seeking to gain ahead of each other. Not afraid to play dirty to gain power either.

!![[LaResistance The Resistance]]: An organized force seeking to stop Cole's Empire from spreading further and to free all from Tyrant (Cole's) grasp, the Resistance functions as the scapegoats of much of Praetoria's woes after the Hamidon Wars as far as the Loyalists are concerned. The Resistance is varied in it's origins; it has regular people trying to make the world better all the way to nigh-on terrorists in it's ranks. The Resistance has a slang to it; often coming out as gibberish without context. Many of Primal Earth's villians have their mirror counterparts in the Resistance. Like the Loyalists, the Resistance has two factions: The Wardens and the Crusaders.

!!![[TheRevolutionWillNotBeVilified Resistance Wardens]]: The Resistance Warden's are members of the Resistance who are much less about direct shooting (but certainly don't shy away from it), and more about raising awareness of the truth behind Praetoria, seeking to bring a victory through less violent means when possible. They are careful about their targets, aiming to keep civilians out of the crossfire, and many truly seek a better world in the future. Many of their missions are less about winning the war with superpowers, rather aiming to subvert the machinery of Cole's empire so that people can make their own choices.

!!![[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized Resistance Crusaders]]: The Crusaders make up a considerable bulk of the Resistance, especially when it comes to military operations. They are, unlike the Wardens, extremely varied in their origins. You see regular rebels, you see ex-gangsters, you name it, nine times out of ten they have one in their ranks. They [[MoralEventHorizon cross the line]] frequently, and some don't even care about the Resistance's goals, just seek to cause mayhem. Typically reined in, with difficulty, by the Wardens, when they go to far, but not always.

Statesman:
* BigGood One of the oldest, canon characters in the lore and, presently, one of the most powerful, and...
* TheWorfEffect ..also prone to getting his ass handed to him a lot in Villain strike forces, high difficulty high level mayhem missions, VEAT are finale, and off screen in either of the task forces involving Reichsman, gets captured at the end of the Maria Jenkins Praetorian story arcs, and one of the two new Task/strike forces coming with issue 19. The guy just can't catch a break.
* TheCape

* ShootTheDog: Comes up quite often; [[spoiler: killing [[TheMole Cleo]][[ReasonableAuthorityFigure patra]], arresting [[DeadlyDoctor Dr. Steffard]],]] really, the whole storyline is the tradegy of what must be done to "preserve the peace".