Champions Now Ep. 5: Villain Team Up!

As the days pass at Waterford College, Jackie begins to develop the idea of her heroic identity, "Ultraviolet" and how she might use it to further her own agenda.  But before that can get too far, Professor Richter introduces a guest to the Guided Studies class: a supervillain named the White Flame.  The White Flame is part of Raven, an elitist group of European nobility committed to reestablishing monarchies throughout the continent "since it appears democratic rule as failed."  Richter explains that while most of the students already are affiliated with supervillain organizations, part of the what the Guided Studies program does is help young supervillains build networks with other factions.  As such, the students will be proving themselves to the While Flame by stealing the most impressive object they can find within 24 hours.

The White Flame, art by Phil Cho

Jackie is surprised when she is approached after class by her old classmate/rival Bronze Behemoth, who suggests that they team up and do something truly reckless: steal from the White Flame himself!

Their plan is simple: follow the White Flame to wherever he is staying in the area.  Bronze Behemoth will engage the flame in some fanboy/networking conversation while Dark Matter tries to get into his room to steal something of worth.  The next day, they give it back.

It's a good plan, until an UNTIL strike team surreptitiously approaching the hotel where the White Flame is staying.  Bronze Behemoth hustles the White Flame out of the hotel bar, then holds off the UNTIL agents until he can get away.  Dark Matter, on the other hand, is confronted in the White Flame's hotel room by Starburst, an UNTIL-linked superhero.

Bronze Behemoth is able to handle the UNTIL agents, but Dark Matter finds herself in a desperate flight across the city, finally shaking Starburst and making her escape.

The next day, the students present their "homework."  Dark Elf has managed to steal some precious gems from a local jeweler.  The Face used his emotion control abilities to easily steal some priceless artwork.  Bedlam turns over a bizarre collection of toenail clippings she stole from someone she found on the internet.  Bronze Behemoth and Dark Matter give the White Flame back his briefcase, but the White Flame's admiration is largely given to Behemoth for rescuing him from capture.

The big surprise comes from Ronin, however.  He turns over the electro-shock gun of Captain Hollywood, whom Ronin says was defeated by him in single combat.  The superhero, Ronin smugly states, has been beaten soundly and left to die in a car destined for the crusher in a junkyard.  Jackie is left pondering if she should intervene on behalf of the luckless superhero.

GM's notes:

First, I was interviewed by Ron Edwards, the creator of Champions Now, about the Dark Matter campaign I'm doing with my daughter.  You can see the interview here.

Second, this session has a special "guest star."  My son was visiting from college and sat in on the session, playing the character Bronze Behemoth.  My children have gamed together a lot over the  years, and my daughter misses having him around, so this was a real treat.  My son played the normally oafish Bronze Behemoth with a little more savvy than is typical for the character, making him a more complex and sinister figure as a result.  Behemoth is one of the few characters that transferred from my daughter's "canon" of previous Dark Matter stories, mostly to serve as a familiar and annoying foil.

Finally, since I may be getting more than the typical trickle of traffic here, I should given credit to the artist Phil Cho, whose deviantart page can be found here.  I found him looking for pictures I could use for my various superhero games and really liked his colorful, clean, youthful style.  I've shamelessly printed off pictures to show my daughter of various NPC's, even cribbed the interesting name now and then, strictly for personal use.   He does a lot of commission work, and I finally decided to ask him to do a commission of Dark Matter for me as a gift for my daughter.  Once it is done, I'll post it here.