My Superhero Academy: Darkest Before Dawn

It is an age of villains.

From the day the Saint was first seen in newsreels back in '39 all those years ago, there have always been heroes.

For decades, they've protected the world from superpowered criminals, mad scientists, moon Nazis, alien invaders, and even the odd incursion from other dimensions. Regardless of their origins — whether they received their powers in some sort of accident, were born with their abilities, used tech to get by, or relied purely on their training and hard work — they have long vowed to protect the world and make it a better place.

And the Saint, an immutable paragon, stood above them all. He was a symbol of hope, a beacon of light in the dark. The truest and most noble hero.

But the Saint was, in the end, only a man. A mortal, and like all mortals, time took its toll.

His powers faded in old age, and the next generation of heroes could not produce a symbol of hope to match him.

So long as hope exists in this world, despair will always follow in its footsteps.

Hope had fallen, and despair overtook it, covering the world in darkness. Evil prospered, and now, across the Earth, villains outnumber heroes 4 to 1. In most major cities, this disparity is even worse. As crime rises, the downtrodden become desperate, and turn to crime themselves, creating a downward spiral that will end in tragedy.

And yet...

There are still heroes. In Super City, California, an academy was founded. Saint Academy, named for the old man that had once given everyone hope. A new generation of heroes has enrolled in this academy. And they will rise to the challenge. They will fight, because they must. Because they are the heroes that the world so desperately needs.

Because no matter how many times hope falls, like the sun, it will always rise again.

It's always darkest before the dawn.

Welcome to My Superhero Academy: Dark Before the Dawn. This is a spinoff of the main My Superhero Academy RP line. The original MSA has since progressed beyond school days to a more professional setting, but some of us players wanted to recapture the spirit of that original. To that end we made a spin-off called Foreign Exchange. The GM of that spin-off got tied up in IRL stuff and didn't have the time to run it, so now I'm taking over. Knowledge of MSA is not required to join this RP. It's its own thing, set in an AU unconnected to the main series.

Note that despite the title and backstory, that this isn't going to be a grimdark fest. Essentially, the mainline MSA RPs started hopeful but are currently finding themselves in a darker, harsher world. So this RP is intended to thematically reverse that, starting in darker times but gradually getting better.

That being the case, your character's backstory doesn't have to be dark and gritty; the world is in bad shape, but it's not a nightmarish dystopia or anything like that.

Powers in this world can come from various sources: aliens, advanced tech, mutation, being another species (e.g. beastfolk, demons, vampires, etc), or Batman-style intense training. The sky's the limit, so long as you can find a plausible explanation for your character's abilities.

Here's a link to the Discord server for this RP. Feel free to join even if you haven't posted a signup yet; it often helps to discuss your character concept beforehand.

• Real Name:
• Superhero Name: Optional. Your character may not have a hero name yet.
• Age: Should be between 15-17, ideally, though exceptions are possible dependent on circumstances. Exceptions will be handled case-by-case.
• Appearance:
  • Civilian: How you look in normal clothes.
  • Hero: What your superhero outfit looks like (assuming you have one)
• Personality:
• Powers: Try not to be overpowered. Remember you're still supposed to be in-training, here. Teleportation in particular will have to be discussed on a case-by-case basis.
• Gear:
• Backstory:
• Miscellaneous:

Ortrun Oelberg

Lucy "Inkwell" Livingston

Sue "Monkey Queen" Wukong

The Locksmith

Ryan "Atomix" Brady

Skye "Prometheus" Rothach

Iona "Flow" Bassano

Miguel "Flare" Diaz

Ozvald "High Score" Amprima

Kano "Night Light" Agano

Isobel "Sanguine" Van Hemel

Edited by kagescorpionakki on Jul 28th 2020 at 11:50:14 AM

• Real Name: Ortrun Oda Oelberg
• Superhero Name: [None Settled on Yet] Though she prefers to be the 'that nameless thing'.
• Age: 16
• Appearance
  • Civilian: Ortrun◊ a small and dusky woman who (tries to) exude presence through a tie and a waistcoat or especially a labcoat when things get busy. She is a scientist. She also ruins this presence by her tendency to hug herself and hunch over her desk. Ortrun keeps her hair out of the way in a side ponytail and keeps her hands under very bulky gloves. And the lady is missing a tooth from an experiment. Which one? Well a few of them have resulted in booms or things hitting her in the face. It doesn't mean that she stops to document her injuries. Oh, and Ortrun's eyes are bright red. Nothing to worry about.
  • Hero: Ortrun's superhero uniform has so far been whatever she happens to be wearing when trouble breaks out. As she rarely shows off on school grounds or at home, this is also when her mutations show up.
• Personality: Ortrun did come to a hero school and has a sort of bravery but is rarely the first in due to natural fear response and lack of training. She knows that she has extranormal abilities and has ideas of their theoretical extent but never tested them in combat before the school. She in fact came to the school to develop them and help in new ways. She's very studious and observant (of technical things), but that's also overshadowed by her near complete lack of guile and presence. Reserved as she is though, she will try to help whenever she notices something needing help. Personally, Ortrun is reserved and anxious not quiet. If one finds her in a comfortable place, they may see very different things from her.
• Powers: Appearing as a single being and (apparently) possessing one consciousness, every bit of Ortrun is autonomous and squirmy.^note This also means that altogether, Ortrun has alot of processing power. She has fine-tuned control of her body and is capable of parasitizing living things... or assimilating them. The things she picks up: giant teeth, acid, little teeth can appear at any time when Ortrun is not blending in as a Siberian husky, a bystander, your brother... ^{In Short}  The Thing-style body control, Detachment Combat, and Thing style infection and absorption. Not that Ortrun is adept at all these things at first.
• Weaknesses: All that said, Ortrun is still about as strong as well a small five ft woman that doesn't lift. And her shifting is not quick. Nor painless either.
• Gear: A tiger moth plane/portable shelter. ^note Affectionately known as "Bessy" and which is very "modernized" from the 1930s version. For one thing, she can call it to pick her up. And its environmentally friendly. Various laboratory and biochem tools. Portable printer. While not much, it represents a great deal of effort from her family. The plane is an heirloom.
• Backstory: Rather simple. Ortrun is not in the middle of any prophecies and her parents are alive and well and encouraging. She comes from a rather bohemian family and are archetypally artistic and rather low income. Ortrun herself was jointly enrolled with Jena University and has already turned in peer reviewed papers. None of this is combat experience. Ortrun has read about combat and has seen blood and guts but has never been under fire or anything that can fairly be called a 'fight'. She's never even swatted a fly. She certainly has never engaged in vigilantism. Besides coming from a family of bohemians, Ortrun only knows her powers as much as she does from Mundane Utility, like stretching to get things from the top shelf. And through luck or providence, Jena stayed quiet. Of course this means that her going into trouble at the school is all her fault.
• Miscellaneous: Will frequently be found collapsed at her workspace, either below or on top of a leaning pile of books and the occasional 2 liter drink. That's when Ortrun remembers to eat. Has a hobby—among others—of translating scientific publications into local languages and she knows alot of languages to that end ^note German, English (American), Latin, Russian, French (Metropolitan), Spanish (Chilean), Portuguese (Brazilian), Maghrebi Arabic, Shona .

Edited by CenturyEye on May 16th 2020 at 12:11:44 PM

• Real Name: Lucy Melanie Livingston
• Superhero Name: Inkwell
• Age: 16
• Appearance:
  • Civilian: 5'2"◊. Thin frame and surprisingly light; rendered underweight as a side effect of her powers. Moves slowly and hesitantly, keeping herself hidden within her clothes if she can help it. Most often wears baggy attire such as thick hoodies and loose jeans so as to hide her form, but occasionally wears a simple T-shirt if she's feeling confident. Her clothing is almost always an oily black in colouration; this is due to the fact that she stores her ink within the fabric for quick access and use in an emergency. Has a tendency to blush furiously when receiving any kind of positive attention, but has a notably effective death glare. A jagged, partially healed scar is hidden beneath her collar—as if something small has penetrated the side of her neck.
  • Hero: A dark purple kevlar bodysuit in two parts; designed to be protective over manoeuvrable and thickly padded with knifeproof and bulletproof armour (to Lucy's immense relief). A pair of simple black work gloves (along with metal toe-capped boots), a black metal utility belt lined with ink cartridges, and a long cloak with a hood complete the ensemble—the latter making her seem like a dark wraith whenever she has it wrapped around her form. A classic peace symbol is also emblazoned in black on the chestpiece, though it's hard to see against the purple of the rest of the suit.
• Personality: A quiet, melancholy and shy girl with dangerously low self-esteem and confidence. Lucy has difficulties expressing her own opinion due to her conviction that she is somehow offensive to others by default, and as such neglects to address her own matters in favour of focusing almost exclusively on the issues of other people. Lucy has a deep empathy for those around her and seems to enjoy caring for those in need—even if she downplays her actions in an attempt to draw all the attention away from herself. Despite her inherent hesitance in things she can be remarkably determined and assertive when she needs to be—most usually regarding matters where people close to her are in danger or otherwise subject to some sort of crisis or confrontation. Even though she describes herself as ‘trying to be a good person’, Lucy denies her own flaws and her more selfish, stubborn side—having a deep-seated hatred for the imperfect person she is at her core and attempting to cover it all up by only displaying her more kindhearted traits. The extent of this split between her ideal self and her inner self can be witnessed when she's pushed to the brink of rage by perceived injustices, to which she seemingly becomes suddenly blunt, opinionated, and sometimes even cruel in her behaviour. Though she has good intentions, Lucy finds herself held back by her own imperfections and is in a constant struggle with herself to keep her instinctive tendencies in check. Lucy has many faults holding her back, but she ultimately wants to become someone forgiving and patient towards others—an empathetic counselor, even if her true self is far from it.
• Powers:
  • Melanokinesis: The ability to psychokinetically manipulate ink. Lucy is capable of manipulating her ink in a variety of ways, mostly as precise and versatile constructs such as amorphous tendrils or defensive barriers that can harden into a tough-yet-temporary shield. Lucy is capable of making it act as a liquid, a semisolid, or a full solid depending on her level of concentration—and she is even able to shift her ink's pigmentation into a variety of colours if she is so inclined. Though Lucy is technically capable of manipulating any kind of ink, she must have prior contact with a sample of the substance first—she is most prevalent in using her own, organically produced ink, with a specific brand of printer ink coming in at a close second. Differing inks may also take time for her to adjust to, as she has noted her own organic ink to have a specific subconscious ‘feel’ to it that cannot be replicated by artificial ink (which is also a mite more sluggish in movement and reaction by comparison). Lucy's ink seems to be directly tied to her thoughts and emotional state, and as such tends to unconsciously react according to her will whenever she's under stress.
  • Melanogenesis: The ability to biologically produce ink. Lucy's body metabolizes fats and excess fluids into organic ink through a process not quite known yet—but one which may contribute to her small and frail appearance—and then pushes it out through the pores in her skin. This ability is voluntary and can be used gradually or suddenly, allowing her to access a quick supply of ink for her to control at the cost of draining away at her physical energy and body mass the more she uses it. Due to the threat of her suddenly collapsing from dehydration or malnourishment when using this power extensively, Lucy has made a habit of simply generating small amounts of ink over a long period of time and storing it into the fabric of her clothing or elsewhere for later use without risk of her hurting herself.
  • Tactile Telepathy: A relatively minor sub-power that allows Lucy to gain brief glimpses of another person's psyche or emotions through physical contact. This ability can also extend through her ink, as her consciousness is already distributed throughout whenever she's controlling it—simply by extending her psychic field a smidgen she is able to ‘brush against’ the psychic presence of others.^*  It is to be noted that the ink has to be directly tied back to her for this to work—if she's controlling the ink remotely (i.e. psychokinetically and physically separated from herself) then the link won't be made manifest. Lucy hasn't practiced much at all with this power, and as such it is limited to a fleeting telepathic (mostly empathic) link between her and the person she is in contact with. This ability is usually activated voluntarily, however much like her ink it can end up reacting when she's feeling stressed or uncomfortable. With sufficient training, Lucy may be able to develop this ability to the point of being able to create full mental links with the people she touches.
• Gear:
  • School Bag: Lucy's school bag contains sketching equipment, spare ink cartridges and pens for when she needs them, as well as a few laminated works and favourites books of hers she has decided to keep on her person. Due to the sheer amount of ink she keeps stored in her bag, Lucy is actually capable of calling it to her via indirect psychokinesis—dragging the objects within and the bag along with it. Lucy also keeps her suit in her bag when she's not wearing it, even though the sheer weight of the thing adds to her problems more than anything else.
• Backstory: Lucy was born to Lucius and Jane Livingston as one of the latest generation in a long line of famously (or infamously) unstable superpowered individuals. Like others of direct Livingston lineage, Lucy possessed latent psychic powers that gestated at puberty—which manifested themselves specifically into the pen she had been writing with for an exam at the time. After getting over the initial shock caused by her manifesting superpowers, Lucy—embittered by the rampant crime and suffering in the world that she couldn't affect before— began to pursue a tentative career of heroism with the assistance of her younger brother David, who generously helped her construct her very own costume with a mixture of scavenged materials and specially ordered parts. Initially impatient and eager to help others, Lucy practiced vigilantism during her early career, but stopped after a confrontation between her and David, who had manifested powers of his own and had become obsessed with his own ideology of using them. After a brief battle, the pair agreed to withhold the use of their powers for vigilantism until they could be trained professionally with them—an opportunity Lucy soon took after her mother decided to send both her and David to Saint Academy in order to better use their powers. Eager to attend in order to apply her abilities constructively, Lucy is desperate to prove herself as heroic material, even if she constantly finds herself being held back by her own self.
• Miscellaneous:
  • Suffers from Raynaud syndrome, which causes arteries in her hands and feet to spasm randomly and discolour her skin under stress or cold temperatures. Because of this, she has gained a habit of keeping her hands firmly in her pockets unless absolutely necessary—partially out of shame of her condition and partially to keep them warm.
  • Lucy originally hails from Newport, RI—but her family extends back on her father's side to Japan, and even further back to Iran. Now that she's in California, it hasn't helped her identity crisis any.
  • Lucy is a gifted artist and illustrator in her spare time, and often paints detailed portraits of people who have made an impression on her. As well as this, she has a decent musical sense and has previously practiced piano—a skill which has unfortunately been neglected in practice due to the fact that her family can no longer afford to pay for lessons.

Edited by Enirboreh on May 12th 2020 at 9:36:38 AM

Both accepted.

• Real Name: Milos Mecar
• Superhero Name: Chaos
• Age: 15
• Appearance:Image
  • Civilian: About the same, but without the glowing eyes, about two feet shorter, and pale as an albino
  • Hero: In the Appearance
• Personality: More then a bit self obsessed due to his upbringing but it is something he constantly fights against. More often then not will see the glass half empty and leaking from cracks on the side but refuses to stop pouring more water into it anyway. On one hand an awful human being, on the other wants to learn to protect others.
• Powers:Sin Eater- Allows Milo to absorb negative energy from the world around him and make it a part of himself. In areas where fear, pain, and suffering are prominent he can draw in power more quickly. The more power he draws into him the weaker his body becomes, after fifty percent he is forces to use his powers to move his body as it can no longer act on its own strength.

Psychic Powers- By drawing off the stored power from Sin Eater Milo can perform a number of incredible acts, telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and various other showings of psychic force. The larger the feat the more strength it will drain from him, and should he ever hit zero after making use of his power the backlash could easily result in injury for him.

• Gear: None
• Backstory: Milo was born the third son to a rich family and never wanted for much of anything in life, and while growing up had access to a life that few people even dream of. However there was always a discontent that followed him regardless of any attempts to right himself. The first time he developed his power was after walking into a meeting his father was having with a group of people from his company, and after tasting the sickly sweet air of their corruption he became helplessly morose. His decision to enter the Academy is one born for a need of purpose in his life, hoping to regain a spark of interest in the world around him through protecting it.
• Miscellaneous:While he likes to keep a face of dignified composure Milo is the type who loses himself to his emotions far to easily, making him dangerously volatile.

Edited by Kingxana0 on May 17th 2020 at 10:26:35 AM

Accepted

• Real Name: Sue Wukong
• Superhero Name: Monkey Queen
• Age: 17
• Appearance: Monkey girl ready for action.◊
• Personality: Sue is wild, wily, fun-loving, rambunctious, curious, arrogant, and stubborn as all hell. She does whatever she wants whenever she wants, regardless of what anyone else tells her or expects of her. She is capable of following orders, but whoever's giving them has to earn or command her respect before that can happen. She does have a more insecure side. One that isn't sure if she's doing the right thing. But it never bothers her for too long, or if it does she tries not to show it. She's also rather temperamental, quick to anger and quick to judge. But she's also quick to make friends, and eager to make them. And she'll stick by her friends to the end. (Assuming they don't stab her in the back.) She also has her own sense of justice. An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. If someone's done wrong to her or people she cares about, she'll do wrong back. Or perhaps worse.
• Powers: Sue has all the natural abilities of a monkey, albeit enhanced to human proportions. She has great strength and speed as well as incredible agility and dexterity, and that along with her tail and hands-for-feet opens up a lot of options. She can also heal somewhat faster than humans, though not to the point where she can replace an entire chunk of flesh in seconds. Additionally, as part of her heritage running back generations, she can make clones of herself from hairs on her body, though only up to two at a time. Any more and the last clone she made is replaced.
• Gear: Sue possesses a long red staff that has been in her family for generations, though she barely used it until she ventured out into the world. Aside from being a useful weapon, she can also extend its' reach to the point where she can attack foes from a long distance. She can also use it to summon up a magic cloud that she can use to fly, though it often has a tendency to want to go west. Which is something she's never quite been able to figure out.
• Backstory: Sue was born and raised in a jungle home to a race of monkey people in China, and it was there that she learned most of her morals and principles as well as general lifestyle. This all changed after a smartphone fell out of a plane by accident and dropped right on her head. After reeling from the sheer impact of a small object hitting her at the speed of an unladen swallow, her curiosity got the better of her and she examined the phone. Not having spent a day in civilization or having any sort of handle on technology, it took her forever to get it working, but once she did, she couldn’t take her eyes off it. There was so much there that she didn’t understand. Books, tv shows, movies, pictures of cities the world over and more. Some in her position might have tossed the phone away, unable to deal with the sheer insanity of it all. But Sue was a different story. To the contrary, she was enraptured.
  • Truth be told, Sue had been longing for a change of pace for some time now. Up until now, her life was fairly uncomplicated and simple: Eating, fighting, fucking, and exploring. That was it. And she had been living in the jungle long enough that there wasn’t much she hadn’t already seen. Sure, there were plenty of trees and trails, and even some old temples devoted to the Gods. And she did enjoy those first four things immensely. But she wanted something more. And this was her chance to get it. She was particularly intrigued by one of the later videos. Something known as a ‘superhero’, battling fearsome enemies and protecting the world from evil. She’d had some experience with that. Mostly with protecting her friends from unruly apes and testy spirits from the temples who wanted to pick a bone with them. But this was on a whole other level. And the best part was, it looked fun as hell.
  • With that, Sue made up her mind. Not even taking the time to bid her farewells, she summoned up her Nimbus and soared off to the west to see what was out there, eventually landing up in England. Of course, the locals weren’t sure what to do with her, much less the authorities. All they knew was there was a built-ass monkey girl in nothing but her birthday suit jumping around and beating up anyone who so much as looked at her funny. In the jungle this would have been acceptable behavior, but she was in a different kind of jungle, and she couldn’t just do as she pleased. Still, what were they supposed to do? Judging by her appearance she was still a minor, and if what she said was true, she was from a different nation and culture altogether. So they weren’t sure they had so much as the authority to lock her up even if they wanted to. Ultimately they were left with two options. Either attempt to deport her (which would surely go over well with the Liberals and people’s rights activists), or try a different tact.
  • Ultimately they decided to let her stay, but on certain conditions. After bribing her with a small mountain of bananas, they set her up with a pair of handlers and told her that if she wanted to stay here, she had to do what they said. This was easier said than done, but she was willing to agree to it as long as it kept the police off her back and her handlers weren’t assholes. (And of course more bananas.)
  • After a couple months, her handlers got so fed up with her that they threatened to send her to a zoo if she didn't behave. By this point she had learned just enough about human culture and the written word to get by, so she ran away in the middle of the night and went off on her own. Despite her mistreatment, she still wanted to learn more about the world and experience all it had to offer. Plus she needed a place to stay. Eventually she saw an ad for Saint Academy on a billboard. With nowhere else to go, she headed over and enrolled the first chance she got. Besides, it looked like fun!
• Miscellaneous: Sue enjoys intense action flicks and wacky comedies. There are a number of other things that she has only recently learned about and is just starting to get used to, which is something she'll have to work on.
  • Sue is also an experienced and resilient fighter, hunter, and survivalist seeing as survival of the fittest is the rule of the land in her enclave, and one has to take care of one's self.

Edited by kkhohoho on May 12th 2020 at 4:31:51 AM

Accepted

• Real Name: Doesn't have one, to the best of her knowledge

• Superhero Name: The Locksmith

• Age: 15

• Appearance:
  • Civilian: A young girl who seems thin to the point of unhealthiness, with deep brown eyes and curly black hair that is often tangled. Her clothing tends to lean toward the utilitarian and practical.
  • Hero: A simple black bodysuit with key designs on the chest and arms.

• Personality: A remarkably candid girl who wears her heart on her sleeve, she seems almost incapable of disguising how she feels, which might be a side effect of her powers or might just be lack of practice dealing with people. Generally pretty chipper due to having been given a second chance at life, but bitter about the topic of her past. Lack of interaction with people has left her shameless and with little regard for social cues.

• Powers:
  • Master of Unlocking: She can unlock any lock with just a touch. This is a passive effect that she can't turn off, but at the same time, only takes effect if she knows of the lock's existence. With a little creative thinking, this power can be turned toward the abstract, unlocking people's hearts to uncover their true emotions, their minds to recover lost memories, or their lips to make them talk.

• Gear: A pair of custom made short swords in the shape of keys, usually worn in holsters at her hip. The school's equipment team jokingly refer to them as keyblades. She doesn't get the joke.

• Backstory: From as early as she can remember, she was on her own, fending for herself on the streets of one of Super City's neighboring towns, without even a name to call her own. It was a lonely life, relying on begging, stealing, and infrequent charity just to survive. The stereotypical "person that nobody would miss", which made her the perfect target for human experimentation.
  
  She doesn't know how long she was kept in the facility, but she knows that it was a team from Saint Academy that ended up freeing her, and upon finding she had nowhere to return to, taking her in. As of now she has refused any attempt to give her a name, because she "doesn't see the point."

Accepted.

• Real Name: Ryan Brady
• Superhero Name: Atomix
• Age: 16
• Appearance: Ryan has a wide and powerfully muscled build even at his age, owing perhaps to playing Football before his life became...complicated. His build is best described as tall but stocky; fundamentally, the lineman. He has black hair slightly long at the back, blue eyes, and a smooth, boyish face only just starting to edge toward handsome. He wears his football letter jacket with "21 BRADY" on the back, a white short sleeved shirt, and dark blue jeans with a belt. He wears a specialized watch around one wrist that exists to tell him when he's "blasting a little too much".
  • Ryan's costume has a blue base coloration with a large nuclear hazard symbol imposed on the front, back and shoulders, along with a black combat vest and similarly decorated scarf for his head.
• Personality: Ryan is best described as troubled and more than a little put upon. He's anxious due to having to repeatedly uproot and leave home, the last time being the most drastic occasion. He's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder and prefers it if he's recognized, coming from a highly competitive sport like football, he's already quite aggressive and prone to flying off the handle and making assumptions. He tends to latch on to those who seem able to be trusted, due in part to the sheer number of betrayals he's dealt with. Ryan's rather fiery and despises people like racists and elitists, owing to his upbringing and the troubles that came with it. Ryan tries to be a flirt and get to know girls his age, due to his loneliness, but can come off as awkward and a little stunted. He's quick to shout and make ready to throw a punch when his friends are in danger.
• Powers: For someone with such a temperament perhaps it was ill-fated that he developed his uniquely explosive power; Ryan Brady contains explosive, nuclear power on a par with a Hydrogen Bomb or more, and he continuously generates and produces this energy. He can channel it to strengthen himself; letting him hit extremely hard, take a lot of hits, and even fly by shooting energy from his hands. He can unleash "explosion punches" and fire devastating rays of energy and explosive force. He has the required secondary power of being immune to radiation, and Energy Absorption - he can intake energy and force to immediately use or store for later use...however going too heavy on stored energy can result in a huge explosion. Ryan as a whole is an example of high power but poor control.
• Gear: The N-Gear: Given to him by Isaac Noble, it basically reads how much radiation he is emitting and warns him if he's going too heavy without specific aid.
• Backstory:
  • Ryan Brady just thought he was your regular, average High School Football Player. He had thought he could finally call himself "settled down". During his younger days his parents moved around a lot, and he never got to make lasting friends, though this oddly ended during his last year in middle school. He joined Football to make some friends. He was just going through his day to day life when a Superhero / Supervillain fight spilled over into his classroom. Aaron Pratt, the Superhero "Abrader", fighting against the Cyborg Supervillain "Vengeant". Ryan was pulled into the fight by Vengeant targeting him, saying a number of odd things.

  • Ryan fought back as best he could, and Aaron recognized the signs of what was due to take place. He pulled Ryan out of the school and defeated Vengeant far from it as the villain pursued. Abrader then siphoned energy Ryan never knew he had out of him, and explained that Ryan Brady was a human nuclear bomb. His mother and father? Actually his greedy uncle and his aunt-in-law, who had set up the whole encounter with Vengeant, which Aaron had disrupted when he saw the Wanted Vengeant heading on the way to the school - which Aaron had also been sent to for reasons related to an energy signature.

  • The true backstory Ryan never knew was that his actual mother, Claudia Brady, was related to an American Supervillain who went by Nuke. Ryan had been born with a rare and odd degenerative disease, and Nuke came in and did something that both resulted in Ryan being cured...but also in him developing his powers in his teenage years.

  • Seeing the potential in the young Ryan, his uncle Richard used blackmail, extortion, threats and government connections to steal Ryan away before assuming the identity of the boy's actual parents. They apparently did so with the aid of a benefactor smoothing things along.

  • Ryan, declaring all this as completely insane, ran away from Aaron and home...where he was attacked by his fake parents, who had suited up in mechanical gear much like Vengeant's cybernetics. His uncle declared that Ryan was always "just a meathead" and would be more "useful" to him as a pawn given off to interested buyers. Ryan, enraged, ended up blowing up right as his fake parents thought they had him subdued. This killed his fake parents, destroyed his home, and left a sobbing Ryan by himself for a good hour or two before Aaron returned and took him in.

  • Deciding that the fake parents were probably not the end of it, Aaron and Ryan decided to leave, and were contacted by Noble Tech's CEO, Isaac Noble, who said he could help with Ryan's powers and sponsor his membership in Saint Academy. Isaac was also starting up a business branch nearby, so it was basically win / win for the businessman.

• Miscellaneous:

There but for the grace of God go I, accepting this character.

• Real Name: Inusuke
• Superhero Name: N/A
• Age: 17
• Appearance: Nezuko Bootleg! 6'5" and a little buff, weighs about 200 lbs.
• Personality: Quite a nice fellow, if quiet because of the seal holding his youkai instincts back. Therefore, he uses sign language and muffled grunts of varying intensity to make up for his lack of speech. He generally does not approach new environments or people easily, and has a sensitive heart despite his menacing appearence and strength. He would fight to the death to defend his friends once he has them.
• Powers:
  • Hanyo Physiology: Due to being the product of an Inugami and a human's relations, Inusuke has all of his physical attributes enhanced significantly. However, it is his speed that is of the most notability, because it allows him to Flash Step around the battlefield as if distance means nothing. His second most notable attribute is his healing factor, which allows him to recover from being impaled in a matter of minutes. Other than that, his eyes have good vision, his sense of smell is enhanced, and he has supernaturally sharp fangs and claws. He can also use a sword fairly well, in the Iaido style. It pairs with his extreme agility frighteningly well.
• Gear:
  • Blue Moon Fang: An odachi that has a slight blue glow to it even in bright light. It is the heirloom of Inusuke's family and is capable of slicing through steel as if it were butter. It requires weekly treatment with a special whetstone and set of oils to stay effective.
  • Jade Seal: That thing in Inusuke's mouth. As Inugami have a strong desire to consume flesh, this seal was specially made to surpress that natural instinct. As long as Inusuke has this near or on him, he will not go berzerk. His father has one too, but it gets in the way when he wants to kiss his wife. The sorcerer who made the seals is to blame.
• Backstory: He was not supposed to exist, but then he did. His father did the unthinkable (for an inugami, at least) and fell in love with a human woman. He didn't even plan to trick and eat her! He fell in love with her, plain and simple, and they had a child together. They happily raised him, and taught him the basics of living like fixing one's house, cleaning one's house, repairing one's clothes, cooking tasty dishes, and dismembering one's enemies. However, one day, he lost control and nearly took a chunk out of his mother. That was when his father realized that he and his son were dangers to his wife, and comissioned two seals from a professional seal-maker. Unfortunately, the seal-maker had a wicked sense of humor, so the seals ended up looking like muzzles. Beggars couldn't be choosers, so he and his father decided to wear them. Then they received news of some sort of school for weirdos and freaks in the West, and Inusuke immediately wanted to go. So he packed his luggage, hugged his mother and father goodbye, and went off into the unknown.
• Miscellaneous:
  • He is weak to methods and rituals that would normally be used to contain youkai, and can be bound to serve by a strong enough magician who knows the proper spells.
  • He will really hate you if you mistake him for a werewolf and start using silver against him. Anybody would get hurt if they were shot with a silver bullet. Anybody, honestly!
  • He likes getting headpats (his mother does it) and if for whatever reason his seal gets lost, a bone will serve as an acceptable distraction until it can be found.
  • Don’t call him a dog, etc. unless you don’t value your life.

Edited by JumpingFruit on May 12th 2020 at 8:41:07 AM

• Real Name: Skye Rothach
• Superhero Name: Prometheus
• Age: 16
• Appearance:
  • Civilian: Fair skin, fluffy auburn hair, and blue eyes so pale they're almost colorless. Skye is short—standing at only 5'3—and has a rather chubby build. He usually wears a simple gray shirt, black pants, and brown boots.
  • Hero: Doesn't have one...yet.
• Personality: A rather quiet young man, Skye nevertheless manages to be odd. Due to his power, Skye acts like he's living a few days ahead of everyone else, and is lost in his own head most of the time. When he does talk, it's wistful and dreamy, and he has a tendency to interrupt conversations with apparent non-sequiturs. He does his best to be polite, though, and prepares for the scenarios he foresees as best he can—but years of relying on his future sight have made him really hate surprises.
• Powers: Precognition. It goes like this: Skye asks a question about the future. His power shows him a variety of possible futures, all related to whatever question he asked. However, he can only see a week ahead, he isn't shown what to do to get the future he wants, and using his power too long causes him immense pain.
• Gear: Since Skye's powers have almost no combat application, he carries a switchblade in his pocket for self-defense purposes. He's actually rather skilled with most weaponry, it's just that switchblades are easy to carry.
• Backstory: Skye's not quite sure where his powers came from—as far as he can remember, he's always had them. What he is quite sure about is that his parents died in a car accident when he was four, that he spent eight years bouncing around the country in different foster homes, and that his final foster parent trained him to be a villain-fighting vigilante at thirteen. (He was not aware that Skye had actual powers.) One fateful day, Skye saw himself applying to Saint Academy, and so did exactly that. Since he can see the future and all, he figures he shouldn't end up in too much trouble...
  • (Skye is fully aware of how boring he makes his origin story sound.)
• Miscellaneous:
  • He is of Scottish descent.
  • He really likes peanut butter.
  • This is just some fun trivia, but Skye is actually a character from an original story I'm writing. I changed a few things about him so he'd fit into the setting.

Edited by LilyTheLitten on May 13th 2020 at 9:24:21 AM

Accepted

A bit leery about precognition, but there's enough limitations there that he's acceptable. So, accepted. Remember to join the Discord.

Edited by kagescorpionakki on May 13th 2020 at 12:42:49 PM

• Real Name: Iona Bassano

• Superhero Name: Flow (although for some reason she felt tempted to put down Hecate)

• Age: 17

• Appearance:
  • Civilian: No jackets here, no siree.◊ Sometimes wears sunglasses when out in public.

  • Hero: Hasn't decided on anything yet.

• Personality: Iona is warm and personable, though her tongue is sharp and her patience occasionally thin, despite her tranquil demeanor. Earnest and overeager, she often acts without thinking when compelled towards action, with almost little regard for her well-being. The destruction of her hometown has left the girl driven to heroism even at a cost to herself. While not really book smart (she actually seems averse to them), she has an air of wisdom and experience beyond her age to her. Disciplined and with a tinge of sterness, there is very much a softer, tender side to her, and empathy tends to win out over her sense of right and wrong.

• Powers:
  • Heightened senses: Iona's other senses have made up for her lack of sight. She has better hearing, smell and sense of touch than your average human, but she's no Daredevil.

  • Martial Arts: Iona is proficient in several martial arts, though far from being even close to mastery in any of them. She's oriented herself more towards hold-based schools such as Judo, as well as staff and cane fighting.

  • Chi Manipulation: Iona can sense and use chi, the life energy inside all living things. She uses her own chi to enhance herself and her senses, becoming stronger, faster, durable, more perceptive and with better reflexes. She can heal herself and others faster than the average person, purge them of poisons both physical and metaphysical, as well as more overt, offensive uses of chi such as blasts of energy, hitting inside things without damaging the exterior, and messing around with things such as nerves and the chi of other living things.

• Gear:
  • Her custom white cane, far sturdier and with a hooked end that can be made perpendicular with the push of a button, a tiny blade embedded in the tip for punching into things to provide a handhold. Another button straightens the entire cane out and telescopes it out to staff length.

• Backstory: Born in the small Italian town of Adana, Iona grew up a relatively simple life for a blind girl. Sheltered to most of the horrors of the outside world, and the rapid rise of villain, she lived an ordinary childhood life. Of course, even in a small town a blind girl is an easy target for crime, so Iona dabbled in some self-defence classes to beat off any snatchers trying their luck. The world closed in on the small town eventually when was 15 though, and a violent attack on the town by supervillains rattled Iona and her family to the bones, with no heroes to save the day. The family fled towards Super City in America, and the lingering chaos of that day drive Iona to a desire to become a superhero, to ensure places like her hometown were never without someone to help. For the next 2 years Iona dedicated herself to martial arts, learning how to manipulate chi, alongside her normal school studies. At the age of 17, she signed up to attend Saint Academy.

Miscellaneous: Iona is completely blind, and knows how to read Braille. She also has dormant memories of another timeline.

Acceptance no jutsu.

• Real Name: Miguel Diaz
• Superhero Name: Flare
• Age: 16
• Appearance:
  • Civilian: A red-eyed menace.◊ Normally wears a lot of black and red. Leather is fairly common.
  • Hero: Still undecided.
• Personality: Quiet, outwardly serious and not too friendly, Miguel doesn't give a good impression, but in the end, he is a passionate young man, even if he can't seem to properly show his emotions. While he can be extremely reckless, he genuinely wants to help, even if he is a hotheaded idiot at times, but can have moments of clarity and logic, and his actions can speak a lot louder than his words.
• Powers:
  • Pyrokinesis: His main power, he can create and control fire. He himself can take the heat without issue, and use it to his will. But as fire is such a wild substance, there is always danger involved. And his character makes precision tricks harder.
  • Heat physiology: Heat doesn't affect him, and cold takes a long time to affect him. His body heat is notably higher than that of a normal person.
  • Resistance to foreign substances: Mostly relative to his ability to handle most kinds of smoke, but everything has a limit.
  • Weakness: Beyond what you can imagine, he needs more oxygen than normal to function properly.
• Gear: Carries grappling hooks and tonfa.
• Backstory: Miguel was, early on, quite the problem. Fights, vandalism, more than a few chaotic pranks, and dangerous stunts. He really used to drive the adults in his life crazy and seemed to not care much about his own well being. Until the incredible happened. There was something dormant on his blood, its origin was unknown to him, but one day, it activated, and everything burned, with him doing the best he could to stop it. That was the first time he truly felt fear. Once things calmed down, he seemed to at least clean up his act and be a better man. To control his flames and to see if a stupid kid can really help people.
• Miscellaneous: Initially, he controlled his flames with the help of a guitar, and that's why he said his flames "danced". Now, when control is of essence, he whistles or sings to do so.
  • He has picked up cooking as a hobby and can be found making meals on tense moments.

When the sign up comes, it gets accepted in fire.

Accepted.

The main RP has begun.

As we've reached a comfortable amount of players, I'll be closing signups for the foreseeable future. There are two people from previous MSA RPs I've already effectively pre-approved, who can still post their signups whenever they find the time, but for now I will not be accepting any newer players.

You're free to still join the Discord as a spectator, and if a slot ever opens up I'll let you know.

• Real Name: Ozvald Amprima
• Superhero Name: High Score.
• Age: 17
• Appearance:You know, kind of like this. Only his hair is brown, his jump suit is typically brown or blue (depending on his moon and what he wants to wear), and his eyes are green).
  • Civilian: ...Yeah he still wears that stuff.
  • Hero: Nope! Still sporting that janitor's outfit proudly my guy.
• Personality: Ozvald is quiet and very calculative. He doesn't get surprised and he doesn't really tap into much shenanigans. Being lost in Final Cleanout has really put a damper on his personality and resorted it to being more "All work and no play" sort of mentality. He's very much a straight man and more often than not the voice of reason, or at least tries to be. That being said, filth, disregard for sanitation and flagrant disregard for his, or anyone else, honor, is often a sore spot for him. That being said, he's very proud of his "Level 100 Status" and flaunts it. Being stuck in a video game world for so long he's gotten used to some of his more..."normalized" life styles. Often referring to video game terms, sometimes having a text box appears (He's getting better at that) and doing constant cliches.
• Powers: Being stuck in Final Cleanout for so long has changed his genetic make up to that of a game character. As such, he's capable of "Leveling up" in certain areas but not where one would think. He's a Level 100 Janitor and while on paper that sounds laughably stupid, in his hands it's quite deadly. He's almost a master at hand to hand physical combat, being very skilled with using his broom like a weapon, and can swap between his other classes for quick power changes should the need arise (Window Clean: Level 78 for Long ranged, Paper Filer: Level 44 for Defensive stats, and Human Resources: Level 37 for "Crowd Control" effects.) Defeating foes can also level him up and increase his "stats", and by trying very hard, can actually create video game power ups in this world for himself and others to use but it takes a LOT out of him.
• Gear: His Invinci-Broom, his broom acquired from his time in Final Cleanout. Unbreakable, hard as steel and returns to his hands at his beck and call. In his other forms, he has the Window Sprayer, a glorified Super Soaker full of a special fluid capable of creating a burning sensation against living creatures, though not fatal, the File Shield, a massive, metal shield that he can use to block attacks and the HR Report, which he can use to stun an opponent for a very brief moment.
• Backstory: Ozvald was a promising young lad with a future ahead of him. Studious, determined and and spiritually fired, he had everything going right for him. However, being accepted into a closed Beta of a Video Game, Final Cleanout, had other plans for him. Through various shenanigans (as you do), a rogue computer Program gone Virus digitized Ozvald and pulled him into the world of Final Cleanout. Final Cleanout was not like other games. While you could become a warrior, a spell caster, a hero, you still also needed to PAY for things in this game world, so against his better judgement, alone, scared, confused and without his family, Ozvald became a Level 1 Janitor. From there he grew, growing more and more world savvy as he listened to the problems of the people and took pride in his simplicity of his job. He decided he wanted to make the world cleaner, not dirtier through the fighting. So, through unconventional means, he leveled himself up in ways he could only imagine, the thought of leaving this world becoming a pipe dream at best. So, when the opportunity arose to get his revenge on the Virus that did this to him, he gave chase in an attempt to clear the one final thing hindering his thoughts, and in that struggle, found himself in the world again. His old identity gone, his parents long since given up on trying to find him and with no place else to go in the world, he eventually found Super City, and specifically, Saint Academy. Taking his knowledge with him, he enrolled to help clean the world of the scum and help people in the best way he knew how: Cleaning up other peoples messes.
• Miscellaneous:

Approved by the Level 101 Approver.

• Real Name: Kano Agano
• Superhero Name: Night Light
• Age: 17
• Appearance: Kano is a relatively tall lanky young man with long unkept black hair and very pale skin. He has pale grey pupils and usually sports large dark bags under his eyes. His pupils dissipate when using his power and begin to glow a bright white.
  • Civilian: Kano is almost always in pajamas, with his favorite being his royal purple pajama pants and lavender shirt.
  • Hero: For his hero costume, he wears a royal purple costume with two black sashes over his shoulders forming the shape of an X, with a glowing yellow lighting bolt insignia at the center on his chest. Yellow electric currents can be clearly seen in the sashes, originating from the insignia. At night his insignia, the currents in his sashes, and the glow of his eyes all shine significantly brighter.
• Personality: Kano is very quiet and very shy. This, combined with his tendency to keep his emotions to himself as well as his narcolepsy make him seem very stoic, but he is actually very friendly, and greatly dislikes seeing other people upset. He also has some very defined beliefs about superheroes in general. He believes that hero work is not a job for just anyone, and that those who do decide to be heroes should do so for others, rather than themselves. He also believes that the only people that can possibly restore hope to society are the heroes themselves, which is a big reason why he decided to become a hero himself. These beliefs however, directly conflict with those of his cousin, Abigail Aldridge, who is also enrolled in the Saint Academy. The two clash so much, that the sight of each other can instantly start a brawl. As such, measures have been made to ensure the two don’t encounter each other.
• Powers: Kano has control of a completely unseeable, and very tangible force, that allows him to influence the world around him. He can use it to pick up things, push things, throw things, crush things, slice things, rend things, fly, and even create a simple force field. His ability is powerful enough to crush, break, or slice concrete and steel with relative ease, however his power does come with a draw back. His power takes an obscene amount of energy to use, and that combined with his narcolepsy means that he has a hard time doing hero work for overly long periods of time, and when he isn’t working, he’s usually sleeping. This kickback can cause him to fall asleep in the middle of doing hero work, or even leave him comatose if he attempts to use his power on low energy. The source of this power is unknown, and even though it has been in his family for a couple generations, it’s origin has not been traced. For whatever reason, his power seems to become a bit more powerful during the night and the kickback affects him a bit less.
• Gear: The sashes and insignia on his costume actually serves a very distinct, and important purpose. His suit is designed to keep track of his heartbeat and, whenever he shows signs of tiring or simply falling asleep, send a small electric shock to his heart. Although this is a bit painful, it has the trade off of keeping him awake and energized, and even improving his tolerance to pain.
• Backstory: Kano is the latest in a relatively long line of minor super heroes. His fathers side of the family all had a power very similar to his, albeit much less powerful and taxing, and both his father and grandfather were heroes, though his grandfather perished before he was born. Due to the nature of his ability, he actually went through most of his childhood as a relatively normal human, with no intention of following his family legacy. This changed however, when his father was killed in action, not by a villain, but by a careless hero thinking him a villain. This led the death of his father, Cymbal, and over a dozen other citizens he was in the midst of saving. Kano, distraught, made the realization that the one thing that the world needed more than anything were true heroes, people who help others not for their own sake, but for the sake of others, a breed of heroes going extinct in present day, and the kind of hero his father was. Kano, at this point in his mid-teens, resolved to make up for the tragic loss of a great hero, and become the kind of hero his father was, spending the next 3 years training with his powers until he eventually got to where he is now, a new student enrolled in The Saint Academy
• Miscellaneous: Kano’s family, though both were raised American, are both Japanese. Until recently, he and his mother, Annabelle Agano, have been living in Japan, but they have just moved back to Super City, his family’s home town. Kano’s power is not psychic based, though it’s origins are still unknown

Edited by Randomperson1212 on May 21st 2020 at 2:00:21 AM

Kavo Approvo

• Real Name: Isobel Van Hemel
• Superhero Name: Sanguine
• Age: 17 physically (mentally, she's closer to 19-20)
• Appearance: Isobel, while not having the physique of a full-blown bodybuilder, has noticeably muscled arms and legs, but a pale skin tone. She has red hair and brown eyes, though with a trace of red in them that can fluctuate in intensity.
  • Civilian: Her common civilian outfit is a track and field sweatshirt, biker shorts, fishnet leggings and brown boots.
  • Hero: When suited up, Isobel wears a medieval tunic, with the crest of her family proudly on display.
• Personality: Isobel is rough around the edges and quick to pick a fight with an enemy, but is fiercely protective of her teammates and a die-hard friend if you get on her good side. While she is boisterous in a friendly manner most of the time, she can be easy to anger, especially if you diss her family or mock her 'condition'. On the topic of said 'condition' (being a vampire), Isobel tries to play it off as something she's cool with and has accepted, but it can and does still bother her to be reminded of it, and she can get broody. Despite her struggles with her newfound powers, Isobel is still the same heroine she once was, and still strives to do the right thing and fight the good fight.
• Powers:
  • Superhuman Strength: Isobel was already strong as a human, so becoming a vampire only upped the ante for what she can do. If she tries hard enough she can lift and throw someone twice her size (roughly 250 to 300 pounds) and punch through a brick wall, and while she'd like to be able to get stronger, the more important lesson is how not to demolish something or someone.
  • Superhuman Durability: Going hand in hand with the above, Isobel can take what she dishes out, able to get smacked around and come back for more. If something does hit her hard enough to cause serious injury, she'll need to either sleep it off, or drink some blood if she needs to keep fighting.
• Weaknesses:
  • Isobel, as much as she doesn't like it, needs blood to survive. She can get away with a normal diet in the short term, but eventually she will need her fix. If given the choice she'll take either animal blood or blood from a blood bank or the like, but if push comes to shove, she will take it from a live human.
  • While just being outside won't bother her too much, a direct concentration of sunlight or heat is a cause for concern for Isobel. Holy or blessed weaponry / ground also causes her problems, ranging from having only her human capabilities to being wracked with pain and needing medical attention.
• Gear:
  • Brass Knuckles: A favored weapon in her days as a human, Isobel still enjoys these and employs them in knocking people around.
  • Mace: A medieval club, also something she employed extensively in her career, and that has not changed now.
• Backstory:
  • As a part of the demon hunting Van Hemel clan in Europe, Isobel was as devoted to fighting evil creatures as the rest of her family, but her hot-headed nature often got her into trouble, and one day it turned tragic when she got herself bitten by a vampire. Despite being able to slay the undead fiend, the curse stayed, and all too soon, Isobel was now one of the very creatures she used to fight. Understandably, opinions on how to proceed were divided. The more hardline members of the family called for her execution, while the others argued that killing one of their own would compromise everything the clan stood for. In the end, thanks to a tie in voting, a compromise was made. Isobel was to be sent away to control her newfound powers, and to be out of reach of any family members seeking to 'correct the council's mistake in judgment'. After living with an acquaintance of the Van Hemels for a few years, it was decided that Isobel should attend schooling now that she had a grounding in good judgment, and wasn't at risk of attacking humans.
• Miscellaneous:
  • Isobel, thanks to growing up overseas and only being in the Americas for a few years, speaks with an accent and still doesn't get some turns of phrase. She also has some, shall we say, differing views on what is and is not acceptable training and recreation.

Edited by Bored_Man on May 27th 2020 at 3:32:01 AM