Superheroes in the Playground

[Asta Kask]

I see my name isn't on the list. And don't think about putting me in any henchmen league. I'm good enough for any evil league...of evil. I got a PhD in Epicness!

The list were only villains I thought up myself... I would never dare to presume I made up your Epicness! If you write yourself up I will be more than happy to welcome you into our Villainous League.

[The Succubus]

Definitely.

Also, I love the word "hermaphromorph" and, further, everything about this thread.

Hmm - I'm kinda stuck. What does the legendary Femhammer look like?

[Asta Kask]

Hmm - I'm kinda stuck. What does the legendary Femhammer look like?

Spoiler

Show

[img]www.radicalrags.com/images/t-shirts/smash_patriarchy_design.gif[/img]

It should look dangerous. This is not a cute hammer. This is not a pretty hammer. This is a hammer that smashes things.

[Dr.Epic]

The list were only villains I thought up myself... I would never dare to presume I made up your Epicness! If you write yourself up I will be more than happy to welcome you into our Villainous League.

Write myself up? How do I do that?

[The Succubus]

Here she comes to smash the patriarchy!



And a slightly smaller version:



Complete with Queerkitty sidekick!

[Asta Kask]

Write myself up? How do I do that?

Look at my entries and make crap up. Don't make yourself unbeatable, however. That's no fun.

Here she comes to smash the patriarchy!

*snip

And a slightly smaller version:

*snip*

Complete with Queerkitty sidekick!

Awesome!

[KenderWizard]

Here she comes to smash the patriarchy!



And a slightly smaller version:



Complete with Queerkitty sidekick!

EEEEEE!!! THAT'S SO AMAZING!! Look, Keveak!

Edit: This has spurred me to actually put my avatars in my sig so I can have all my (gluten-free) cakes and ... eat them too?

Also, this is only encouraging me to smash things! Look at the size of that hammer!!

[noparlpf]

Here she comes to smash the patriarchy!



And a slightly smaller version:



Complete with Queerkitty sidekick!

I like it. n.n

[Lix Lorn]

Also, this is only encouraging me to smash things! Look at the size of that hammer!!

This sounds DANGEROUS. xD

[noparlpf]

I hurt myself with a sledgehammer today. The head got caught in a root while I was breaking rocks out of a tree stump so we could move it, and the handle ripped out of my back hand painfully. Now there's this long welt and a few blood-blisters.

[DonutBoy12321]

I see my name isn't on the list. And don't think about putting me in any henchmen league. I'm good enough for any evil league...of evil. I got a PhD in Epicness!

Dr. Epic, you are the leader of the Giantitp Injustice League. Is that not enough?

[H Birchgrove]

Decided to create my own character anyway:

The Purple Avenger

Warning: Wall of text. Perhaps a bit angsty. Please comment. Friendly advice on possible improvements are always welcome.

Spoiler

Show

Hammer Birchgrove thought himself as a tolerant man... He didn't mind gay people... as long as they weren't too flamboyant, or behaved too girly, or "pushed" their sexuality in front of people... Nor did he mind transpersons. Though he ignorantly thought pre-op transpersons stayed pre-op only due to choice (as if that would be wrong), and he was disgusted by "t-chasers" for the wrong reasons. That mindset made him the perfect as Agent XY for the Counter-Espionage Division of the Secret Intelligence Network (SIN), as chief agent for "weeding out" those agents who could become victims of exthortion, and thus become potential traitors. SIN used to be an organisation which stood for justice, a defender of civil rights and opposing terror and subversion. But over the years, it had become corrupt, influenced by its very enemies. Agent XY would soon find out...

On an assignment on the Western Hemisphere, Agent XY was cruising over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco. On the left side of the bridge, he glimpsed a former agent of his, standing on the edge of the bridge. XY quickly hit the brake, run to his former compatriot and took his arm right before he would have jumped.

Startled, the ex-agent looked at XY, stating: "You... You! You are the cause of this! YOU!"

The ex-agent fainted. XY took him to his car, and drove to a hospital. A slight headache hit him, starting to grow in pain. Then his facial skin started to feel like it was burning. He kept looking to the back of the car, where the ex-agent laid down.

"How many else has tried to kill themselves?", he thought. "How many... succeeded?"

"You look awfully pale", said the nurse, as XY took the ex-agent to the medical team.

"Must have been more shocking then I realised, to see him almost fall down", XY replied.

Then XY started to feel his skin, feeling how it was... moving... in ways it shouldn't, as he touched it. He drove away to the local safe house, and tried to rest. He had recurring nightmares of agents he had sacked due to safety protocol. Waking up, he immediately drove off to the local office and logged into SIN's digital databases and computer network. He discovered that while most agents indeed belonged to sexual minorities, they had all been loyal to the original ideals of SIN. He also noted that the harder rules were implemented when SIN's top leadership had been partially replaced, and that the sacked agents were replaced by agents who he had no knowledge of. Which he should, since he was responsible for clearing them.

"Have I been... so... wrong?", muttered XY to himself. "Have I been a tool... and for whom?" One of the nightstaff saw him.

"Good heaven, XY!", he shouted. "What has happened with your face?"

XY ran off to a mirror, and watched in horror his now completely gray face. He noted how the skin acted like putty, how it could be re-shaped.

The face was the physical part of himself he liked the most. Or used to. SIN's own medical team and hired specialists couldn't help him, or even find a reason for his ailment.

Disstraught, he left to drift around the city, avoiding people.

"I have become... a monster!", he said to himself. "This must be punishment for what I've done to all of them! I have been so foolish... I cannot see myself in a mirror, because I can't live with what I've done... My only hope... Is to become a better person... To help those who I've wronged... and then fight for acceptance of them. To punish those who continues to harm them. Only then can I combat the evil within me. I need to make preparations... As awful my new face is, it can be useful. I will have to start using makeup, as much as I detest it. I will become a Master of Disguise. I'll manage to sneak in everywhere, as any person I would want to be, as any person I need to be."

XY travelled around the globe, getting new skills, mastering the arts of warfare and hand-to-hand combat as well as diplomacy. Achieving such mental prowess he could use telepathy to read other people's thoughts and feelings and hypnotise them, thuse force them to do stuff for him, or even turn himself invisible for them. He took himself a new identity...

... the one of The Purple Avenger, wearing a purple trenchcoat, purple cape, purple fedora, and purple scarf. He avoided taking the lives of criminals as much as possible, always trying to guide them to be reformed when able, but when not, he didn't hesitate to let their hate destroy themselves, or when needed to save himself or others, slay them with his twin machine pistols or his throwing knives. He stole from criminal empires and extremist organisations to fund his crusade on terror and intolerance. He created several philantropic institutions. One to help those suffering due to their bodies, those with sexual dysphoria, the transgender, the intersex, etc, with the best doctors, counsellors and if needed surgeons from around the world. Another was formed to help those haters who were willing to stop their hate and bigotry, with the best psychiatrists, psychologists, hypnostists and in extreme cases brain surgeons (for brain tumours etc) to cure xeno-, homo-, bi-, and transphobia. He also funded suicide hotlines, rape crisis centers for both women and men, and pro bono lawyers helping victims of hate crime and discrimination.

In order to make it clear when it was he who caused the downfall of a criminal or a subversionist, he left the victim with a single lilac.

Recruiting and training his own team of agents, he took the fight against SIN's new leaders and wrestled control from the corruptors, and became it's new Director. While now able to command SIN to fight for human rights, XY was still troubled by not knowing who tried to take control over SIN, and whether he would be able to fight the darkness within his soul. But whenever needed, he would again become The Purple Avenger, helping the helpless and the powerless while punishing their oppressors and tormentors.

Inspiration taken from hero pulps such as The Shadow, Doc Savage, The Avenger, The Whisperer, The Spider and Secret Agent X, and comic book heroes such as Secret Agent X-9, The Crimson Avenger and Nick Fury.

Allies: Depending on who would want to be allied with such a person.

Enemies: Dr. Normative, Gay Basher and the other homo-/transphobic villains. The Injustice League. The conspiracy to subvert SIN.

Powers & abilities: Telepathy (invisibility, enchantments, detect intolerance etc), Master of Disguise due to putty face, improbable aiming skills (can shoot off guns from hands etc), various martial arts, diplomatic skills, espionage and counterintelligence, etc.

[KenderWizard]

I like him! Kenderwoman will certainly be allied with the Purple Avenger! Also, I think we're becoming the Purple .... well, not Avengers, since that's H's deal, but maybe the Purple Justice League, what with all the purple. I think there should be a Purple Pimpernel. The word purple has lost all meaning.

[Dr.Epic]

Dr. Epic, you are the leader of the Giantitp Injustice League. Is that not enough?

Not nearly enough. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it.

[Lady Serpentine]

Decided to create my own character anyway:

The Purple Avenger

Warning: Wall of text. Perhaps a bit angsty. Please comment. Friendly advice on possible improvements are always welcome.

Spoiler

Show

Hammer Birchgrove thought himself as a tolerant man... He didn't mind gay people... as long as they weren't too flamboyant, or behaved too girly, or "pushed" their sexuality in front of people... Nor did he mind transpersons. Though he ignorantly thought pre-op transpersons stayed pre-op only due to choice (as if that would be wrong), and he was disgusted by "t-chasers" for the wrong reasons. That mindset made him the perfect as Agent XY for the Counter-Espionage Division of the Secret Intelligence Network (SIN), as chief agent for "weeding out" those agents who could become victims of exthortion, and thus become potential traitors. SIN used to be an organisation which stood for justice, a defender of civil rights and opposing terror and subversion. But over the years, it had become corrupt, influenced by its very enemies. Agent XY would soon find out...

On an assignment on the Western Hemisphere, Agent XY was cruising over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco. On the left side of the bridge, he glimpsed a former agent of his, standing on the edge of the bridge. XY quickly hit the brake, run to his former compatriot and took his arm right before he would have jumped.

Startled, the ex-agent looked at XY, stating: "You... You! You are the cause of this! YOU!"

The ex-agent fainted. XY took him to his car, and drove to a hospital. A slight headache hit him, starting to grow in pain. Then his facial skin started to feel like it was burning. He kept looking to the back of the car, where the ex-agent laid down.

"How many else has tried to kill themselves?", he thought. "How many... succeeded?"

"You look awfully pale", said the nurse, as XY took the ex-agent to the medical team.

"Must have been more shocking then I realised, to see him almost fall down", XY replied.

Then XY started to feel his skin, feeling how it was... moving... in ways it shouldn't, as he touched it. He drove away to the local safe house, and tried to rest. He had recurring nightmares of agents he had sacked due to safety protocol. Waking up, he immediately drove off to the local office and logged into SIN's digital databases and computer network. He discovered that while most agents indeed belonged to sexual minorities, they had all been loyal to the original ideals of SIN. He also noted that the harder rules were implemented when SIN's top leadership had been partially replaced, and that the sacked agents were replaced by agents who he had no knowledge of. Which he should, since he was responsible for clearing them.

"Have I been... so... wrong?", muttered XY to himself. "Have I been a tool... and for whom?" One of the nightstaff saw him.

"Good heaven, XY!", he shouted. "What has happened with your face?"

XY ran off to a mirror, and watched in horror his now completely gray face. He noted how the skin acted like putty, how it could be re-shaped.

The face was the physical part of himself he liked the most. Or used to. SIN's own medical team and hired specialists couldn't help him, or even find a reason for his ailment.

Disstraught, he left to drift around the city, avoiding people.

"I have become... a monster!", he said to himself. "This must be punishment for what I've done to all of them! I have been so foolish... I cannot see myself in a mirror, because I can't live with what I've done... My only hope... Is to become a better person... To help those who I've wronged... and then fight for acceptance of them. To punish those who continues to harm them. Only then can I combat the evil within me. I need to make preparations... As awful my new face is, it can be useful. I will have to start using makeup, as much as I detest it. I will become a Master of Disguise. I'll manage to sneak in everywhere, as any person I would want to be, as any person I need to be."

XY travelled around the globe, getting new skills, mastering the arts of warfare and hand-to-hand combat as well as diplomacy. Achieving such mental prowess he could use telepathy to read other people's thoughts and feelings and hypnotise them, thuse force them to do stuff for him, or even turn himself invisible for them. He took himself a new identity...

... the one of The Purple Avenger, wearing a purple trenchcoat, purple cape, purple fedora, and purple scarf. He avoided taking the lives of criminals as much as possible, always trying to guide them to be reformed when able, but when not, he didn't hesitate to let their hate destroy themselves, or when needed to save himself or others, slay them with his twin machine pistols or his throwing knives. He stole from criminal empires and extremist organisations to fund his crusade on terror and intolerance. He created several philantropic institutions. One to help those suffering due to their bodies, those with sexual dysphoria, the transgender, the intersex, etc, with the best doctors, counsellors and if needed surgeons from around the world. Another was formed to help those haters who were willing to stop their hate and bigotry, with the best psychiatrists, psychologists, hypnostists and in extreme cases brain surgeons (for brain tumours etc) to cure xeno-, homo-, bi-, and transphobia. He also funded suicide hotlines, rape crisis centers for both women and men, and pro bono lawyers helping victims of hate crime and discrimination.

In order to make it clear when it was he who caused the downfall of a criminal or a subversionist, he left the victim with a single lilac.

Recruiting and training his own team of agents, he took the fight against SIN's new leaders and wrestled control from the corruptors, and became it's new Director. While now able to command SIN to fight for human rights, XY was still troubled by not knowing who tried to take control over SIN, and whether he would be able to fight the darkness within his soul. But whenever needed, he would again become The Purple Avenger, helping the helpless and the powerless while punishing their oppressors and tormentors.

Inspiration taken from hero pulps such as The Shadow, Doc Savage, The Avenger, The Whisperer, The Spider and Secret Agent X, and comic book heroes such as Secret Agent X-9, The Crimson Avenger and Nick Fury.

Allies: Depending on who would want to be allied with such a person.

Enemies: Gay Basher and the other homo-/transphobic villains. The Injustice League. The conspiracy to subvert SIN.

Powers & abilities: Telepathy (invisibility, enchantments, detect intolerance etc), Master of Disguise due to putty face, improbable aiming skills (can shoot off guns from hands etc), various martial arts, diplomatic skills, espionage and counterintelligence, etc.

The Minddrake would ally with him, I think.

I like him! Kenderwoman will certainly be allied with the Purple Avenger! Also, I think we're becoming the Purple .... well, not Avengers, since that's H's deal, but maybe the Purple Justice League, what with all the purple. I think there should be a Purple Pimpernel. The word purple has lost all meaning.

If a purply-blue counts, then The Minddrake would join the Purple Justice League, as that's his scale color.

And there should definitely be a Purple Pimpernel.

[AgentofHellfire]

Did I already post here?

I keep thinking I did, but I can't find the post...

Anyways, I definitely want a hero-version of myself. Or a villainous version. But Elan's father already has my political views, so...

[The Succubus]

Across the planes she heard the cry of her children, calling for an end to intolerence and greater peace love for all....she descended from above to right the wrongs of this world:

Spoiler

Show

The Goddess Legabitp

Abilities -

Equilibrium: For those of her children that seek balance between their souls and the bodies they inhabit, Legabitp has the ability to bring about this balance. This is done via a long ritual that takes several hours. Those that undergo the ritual are sworn to secrecy about the process although they always tend to leave with a rather large smile on their new faces....

Androgynous Beauty: Although often referred to as a she, Legabitp is truly androgynous in nature, having no gender except that perceived by an outsider. Regardless of which, she is seen as being exceptionally beautiful and can cause foes to become extremely distracted during combat or even stunned.

Prismatic Flare: While loving all people equally, Legabitp has zero patience for those that willfully spread hatred or persecute her children. If highly provoked, she can release a Prismatic Flare from her wings, which has several potential effects, one of which will affect an opponent at random. These effects include being blinded for up to 24 hours, being confused for an hour, crushing despair, stunned briefly or fear. After releasing Prismatic Flare, Legabitp is greatly weakened and her wings lose their shimmer, returning to a plain white colour. She must spend time peacefully with her children in order to regenerate and for her wings recover their multi-coloured nature.

Diplomacy: Suffice to say Legabitp has a Charisma score best described as "Yes" - she can often help people to see things from a different perspective and receives a large bonus when negotiating with people. This effect does not extend to intimidation.

[Lord Raziere]

screw waiting, I'm making my self:

Raziere
(Hero? Wild Card?)

Spoiler

Show

Raziere is an individualist first, following his own philosophy and ways of doing things. He definitely seems benevolent, yet his actions aren't exactly what one would call a hero. He seems to do whatever interests him at the moment, rather than any discernible goal.

Abilities:

Philosopher: Is a deep thinker and needs no outside influences to re-right himself, being fully immune to any form of mental attack due to his Philosophizing.

Creator: Prefers to create, rather than destroy. However as according to his philosophy, all things he creates are imperfect, because everything in the world is. He can create new things mostly by imagining and thinking about them until they "work" within his mind, and so they appear and work in reality.

Imagination Unlimited: His mind is an endless fountain of ideas that never stops flowing. This also manifests as eternally thinking outside whatever box you show him.

Doubt All Things: Raziere eternally looks for the flaws in all things, because he knows all things are imperfect, even searching for the flaws within himself so that he may work to improve himself.

Improvement Mantra: If Raziere finds a flaw within himself, he will repeat a mantra to himself that will gradually improve himself and try to get rid of the flaw. However the Mantras in the end only change what flaws Raziere possesses and does not eliminate them entirely.

[H Birchgrove]

I like him! Kenderwoman will certainly be allied with the Purple Avenger! Also, I think we're becoming the Purple .... well, not Avengers, since that's H's deal, but maybe the Purple Justice League, what with all the purple. I think there should be a Purple Pimpernel. The word purple has lost all meaning.

The Purple Avenger is deeply honoured to be allied with The Smasher of Patriarchy, and bows to a great warrior. (Is actually a bit afraid of KenderWoman, especially of her mallet, even though Hammer Birchgrove has admired strong women as long as he could remember.)

I would like to know this Purple Pimpernel. He sounds like a gentleman. A man of respectable values. (Is worried that it's presumptious to assume that this hero is male.)

The Minddrake would ally with him, I think.

I hear that The Minddrake uses his knowledge in mentalics in a very interesting manner. If you'd like, I would be very interested in studying under you. *bows*

If a purply-blue counts, then The Minddrake would join the Purple Justice League, as that's his scale color.

Wise choice.

And there should definitely be a Purple Pimpernel.

Indeed.

Across the planes she heard the cry of her children, calling for an end to intolerence and greater peace love for all....she descended from above to right the wrongs of this world:

Spoiler

Show

The Goddess Legabitp

Abilities -

Equilibrium: For those of her children that seek balance between their souls and the bodies they inhabit, Legabitp has the ability to bring about this balance. This is done via a long ritual that takes several hours. Those that undergo the ritual are sworn to secrecy about the process although they always tend to leave with a rather large smile on their new faces....

Androgynous Beauty: Although often referred to as a she, Legabitp is truly androgynous in nature, having no gender except that perceived by an outsider. Regardless of which, she is seen as being exceptionally beautiful and can cause foes to become extremely distracted during combat or even stunned.

Prismatic Flare: While loving all people equally, Legabitp has zero patience for those that willfully spread hatred or persecute her children. If highly provoked, she can release a Prismatic Flare from her wings, which has several potential effects, one of which will affect an opponent at random. These effects include being blinded for up to 24 hours, being confused for an hour, crushing despair, stunned briefly or fear. After releasing Prismatic Flare, Legabitp is greatly weakened and her wings lose their shimmer, returning to a plain white colour. She must spend time peacefully with her children in order to regenerate and for her wings recover their multi-coloured nature.

Diplomacy: Suffice to say Legabitp has a Charisma score best described as "Yes" - she can often help people to see things from a different perspective and receives a large bonus when negotiating with people. This effect does not extend to intimidation.

Suggested dialogue (edits are welcomed, The Succubus!):

The Purple Avenger: "Goddess, forgive me for the evil deeds I have committed to your people, your children. If I had been one of your children, if I had known me to be worthy, to be pure of heart and mind and soul, I would ask to be your Paladin. But I know I am not. If you can't forgive me, then strike me down right now!"

The Goddess Legabitp: "My dear Hammer... or Agent XY... or Purple Avenger... You are one of my children!"

The Purple Avenger: "But... That's... impossible... I am not... But... I am! I AM! How could I have been so blind?! All things I did, all those I betrayed... were of my own... Goddess, how can you possibly forgive me now!?"

The Goddess Legabitp: "My dear child... You are not the first of my children to be blinded by self-hatred... or ignorance of ones true feelings. It makes me very sad. But you, like many others of my children, have seen the error of your previous ways. I am not sure if I am going to have... "Paladins", was it? But I will help you and you will help me."

The Purple Avenger: *sobs* "Thanks, Goddess... thank you..." *dries up tears* "Sorry for being shallow... But you look very beautiful. I couldn't help thinking, and feeling, that as soon as I saw you."

The Goddess Legabitp: *smiles*

[Lady Serpentine]

I hear that The Minddrake uses his knowledge in mentalics in a very interesting manner. If you'd like, I would be very interested in studying under you. *bows*

*returns bow, mantling my wings when I do, as that's proper draconic etiquette*

It would be an honor to teach one so capable in the other fields of such abilities. Though, I'm afraid that it would mean you'd have to enter the fae lands, and that can be dangerous for full-blooded humans. Of course, given your... unique facial features... perhaps you're not one. It's certainly not impossible that one of your parents was replaced by a doppelganger before you were conceived...

[The Succubus]

<snip>

Wheeee! Love it!

[H Birchgrove]

I'm tempted to either let The Purple Avenger have a "Purple-Mobile" similar to the Batmobile and Green Hornet's & Kato's Black Beauty, or let some of his agents supply the means of transportations. For example, one agent could be a helicopter pilot (nods to T.C. from Magnum, P.I.), one could be a cab driver (nods to Moe "Shrevvy" from The Shadow), etc.

Each solution presents a problem: the Purple-Mobile, while as gloriously campy as it is lethal, might evolve as something akin to an invincible tank, and/or get too "gadget-ry". (It/he/she/hir may even start to talk... )

Having the agents (more) active in the stories (rather than being in the background) would mean I need to give them personalities, which is a good thing though. Making (some of) the agents LGBTA, (would-be) victims of hate crime and/or reformed bigots would make sense for the setting of Superheroes in the Playground.

To the poodle's core: I would like make one of the agents a ("butch") lesbian cab driver, snarky but with a golden heart. Soap-opera drama would ensue as The Purple Avenger would find her attractive but respect that she isn't into him, while she would either feel sorry for him, admire him since he saved her, or want to be close friends with him (or a combination of all three). The issue is how to make her not being a stereotype. (She doesn't absolutely have to be lesbian, but for some reasons - anecdotes, a minor character in Watchmen - that was what I first thought of.)

Another issue is whether The Purple Avenger should have a girlfriend or a boyfriend (or both), and whether they would be cis- or transgender, and how that would work out.

Edit:
The cab driver

Spoiler

Show

I've decided that the driver will be a heterosexual transman on HRT but who has not yet done SRS etc, who often is mistaken as lesbian by ignorant customers. The Purple Avenger does "still" (in this version) feel attraction to him, but as "before" he respects his orientation. The most physical they get are supportive hugs and crying over each others shoulders, and even that gets awkward at times.

Skills: good at finding places and tracking other road vehicles. Does strenght-training, running and kick-boxing regularly and has licenses for an automatic pistol and a Magnum revolver. (Never, ever, quote Freud near him!) On his free time, he watches rally, Formula 1 and NASCAR and hopes to become a competetive driver at some not too distant future.

The car: Modified with bullet proof windows, self-sealing fuel tanks, titanium-tungsten armour, ABC-protection, double turbos and water-injection, brakes fit for racing, and communication radio with functions for encryption and voice modulation. Modification paid by The Purple Avenger, but the car is still owned by its driver.

Edit: The lesbian car driver was in fact the above character's former girlfriend, who ended their relationship after he decided to start transition. When she heard that he (her former lover and friend) nearly had become victim of a gay basher, had it not been for a mysterious vigilante, she decided to become a licensed private investigator and bail enforcement agent. Before becoming a cab driver she had served in the United States Marine Corps, having to endure Don't ask, don't tell. (The character is partially inspired by this genre, partially by Max Allan Collins' and Terry Beatty's Ms. Tree detective comic and novels, and .)

The helicopter pilot

Spoiler

Show

He and The Purple Avenger/Agent XY have an uneasy relationship. He was one of the SIN agents fired on Agent XY's recommendations, and later got recruited by him again to fight the corrupt leadership of SIN. While sour in the beginning, their relationship has become friendlier and warmer as time has passed, as they've been fighting mutual enemies and watched each other backs. When the topic is brought up, he admits to have sex with men without showing shame over it, but disagrees on being a homosexual, for reasons not explained by him. This was, surprisingly even for him, not the reason he didn't pass Agent XY's prejudiced scrutiny, but because he is a drag queen some times during his spare time. (He is also a relatively accomplished singer-/songwriter, and often doing acts affectionally parodying Josephine Baker.) He's Afro-American (I may try to only imply this in Robert A. Heinlein fashion if I write actual stories) and was before his time in SIN a Tuskegee University graduate (Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering) and commissioned of its US Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps. For certain reasons, he got interested in civil rights and decided to became a FBI Special Agent after graduation. He left his former employeer due to getting promised more resources and a larger salary by SIN. Getting suspended and then fired from SIN, left him tired of intelligence work and took a helicopter pilot license and started flying goods and tourists, until meeting XY again.

Skills: Competed in American football and boxing in high school and college and trained Kenpo karate while studying at university. While becoming a commercial pilot, he started with powerlifting and natural bodybuilding but replaced it with regular strenght training and martial arts when he became a crimebuster again. He can handle and fire various civilian and military fire arms, and has experience and/or knowledge in forensics, criminology, law, surveillance, foreign languages, computers etc. (He was also a gospel singer as a kid, which he remembers fondly, if nothing else because its experience helps him as a singer today.)

The chopper: Safety features similar to the cab, but with ceramic armour instead. Similar com-radio. Electronic counter measures against radar and IR and low noise levels for rotors and engines. Can be armed to deal with air-to-air, air-to-ground, anti-tank, and anti-shipping and anti-submarine targets/fights. Still looks like a civilian helicopter from the outside. Modifications paid by The Purple Avenger and later by SIN. I know, I'm being silly here.

The helicopter pilot's love interest:

Spoiler

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It is later revealed that one of his love interests is an Afro-American, bi-sexual transwoman, who he later marries and who joins Team Purple. Her interests include gymnastics, aerobics, dancing and fitness and figure competition; they met in contests for it and body-building. She is also very able in Muay Thai, Filipino martial arts and Capoeira. As a young transgirl, she wanted to join the Girl Scouts but couldn't; instead she joined the Boy Scouts while hiding her gender and later her sexual orientation. However, she was able to become an accomplished gymnast in public school and got permitted to be a cheerleader in high school and college. She got degrees in Law and Gender Studies. Aside from competing professionally she works as a fitness model.

The love interests of Hammer Birchgrove/The Purple Avenger:

Spoiler

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She is a Canadian First Nation Two-Spirit and pre-op transwoman on HRT. While feeling as a woman while still being young, she asked her tribe to be trained like and accepted as a warrior, which she got. She can handle firearms, her Bowie knife and bow-and-arrow both for self-defence and for hunting. Her sports include the team games Canadian football (during her years in college), ice hockey and Lacrosse, and the martial arts Okichitaw and Defendo. Gets annoyed when being called an "ethnic side-kick". ("I'm not his side-kick. I'm his partner.")

He is a homosexual cisman and a pacifist, who believes in the inherent good in all individuals. Rarely in the field, it's agreed that his main function in the team is as a communication expert and computer hacker. Despite this, he regularly trains jie-jutsu, aikido, qi-gong, tai-chi, yoga, aerobics and pilates, and has been convinced by his (somewhat overprotective?) boyfriend to carry pepper spray and a taser whenever in the field or simply outside. His interests include ham radio, programming, computer hacking and retrocomputing. Pro-tip to yaoi fans: He does like to be the top and the dom in bed.

I'd love to get suggestions for names for the agents and love interests!Feel also free to correct factual mistakes regarding real life institutions.

*returns bow, mantling my wings when I do, as that's proper draconic etiquette*

It would be an honor to teach one so capable in the other fields of such abilities. Though, I'm afraid that it would mean you'd have to enter the fae lands, and that can be dangerous for full-blooded humans. Of course, given your... unique facial features... perhaps you're not one. It's certainly not impossible that one of your parents was replaced by a doppelganger before you were conceived...

I strongly doubt that... Maybe one of my ancestors was of a magical race, centuries or millieniums back, and the shock that instigated my facial features had actually triggered some dormant genes. Until now, my only logical hypothesis for my face issues is that they're psychosomatic.

I am willing to take the risk to enter the fae lands, as long as you are my guide.

Wheeee! Love it!

Thanks, this makes me very happy!

[H Birchgrove]

The man known as The Purple Pimpernel wasn't an ordinary man. He had always been, and wanted to be, a true gentleman, chivalrous to both men and women. He detested violence in general, and hated war in general, but realised that a gentleman needs to be able to defend himself, his loved ones, and those who can't defend themselves, against those who mean to harm others. Therefore, he learned boxing, Bartitsu, various budō sports, different styles of fencing, and pistol shooting, aside from training and competing in various team and individual sports on amateur-level. (Since a gentleman never do sports for prize money, only for leisure.) Noting how he could cool down heated arguments and stop fights, using his calm voice and reason, he decided to become a diplomat, using his skills to end wars and to save refugees from war, famine and tyranny. (In the army, he served as a nurse, not being able to take an innocent human's life.)

Already as a child, he was aware that he didn't always felt like a man. At times he enjoyed to try his sister's skirts, dresses and blouses. At other times, he much rather wanted to dress in typical male cloths. He also noted that he fell in love with both men and women. As an adult, he got to know he was genderfluid and pan-sexual. As a cross-dresser, he learned how to hide his body's male features to be able to pass as a woman. As a teen, he got interested in amateur theatre, learning how to make masks, make up, changing the tone of his voice etc.

This proved much helpful, because there are times when he, as a diplomat of a neutral nation, was utterly powerless, due to Realpolitik or apathy of his government. He decided to combine his skills as a Master of Disguise to become The Purple Pimpernel, to fight the warlords, the drug runners, the weapons smugglers, and the slave traders, to trick the dictators and the secret polices around the world, and save the lives he otherwise couldn't save.