Originally Posted by
Nomads1
I've already posted this (I think), but how abouth this:
S.T.A.R.S. - The Superhuman Tactical Activities Response Squad. With the end of the Thunderbolt program, America needs its own super-heroes at its back and call. Brought together as a U.S. response team to bring in the Renegades.
U.S. Agent – John Walker is the highest-ranking officer of The Superhuman Tactical Activities Response Squad, and its field commander. A fiercely patriotic, headstrong right-winger, John is not very happy with most of the additions to his team, but, nonetheless, he is a professional, and he will whip them into shape. The Agent is super-strong in the superhuman class 10 range and he is pretty hard to damage also. His gear will be upgraded a little. His looks will no longer resemble so much Captain America’s nor Judge Dredd’s, especially the helmet, and his shield will now be a small adamantium disk magnetically attached to his back, that slides to his arm and generates a larger photonic shield, like the one he wore in Force Works. The photonic charge can be fired, and the disk can be thrown and magnetically controlled. He will still carry his energy truncheon. U.S. Agent is a former member of both, the Avengers and Force Works, and while an asset in battle, he is not much of a team leader. As such, S.T.A.R.S. work more as a unit of gifted individuals than as tight-knit team. However, John is a competent tactician and Hoskins complements his leadership with heart and common sense.
Battle Star – Lemar Hoskins was John Walker’s partner when he stood in for the original Captain America. Now, after many years, the two best friends are reunited again. Lemar is the U.S.Agent’s second-in-command in the field and his levelheadedness balances out Walker’s impetuosity. Battle Star becomes the soul of the team, serving as Walker’s voice of reason and conscience, and reaching out to all the team-members, getting to individually know them. Lemar is actually bigger and stronger than Walker, going as far as bench-pressing over 12 tons, but the Agent is a better trained fighter. Hoskins weapon of choice is a triangular adamantium shield that he carries with him since his Bucky days. Battle Star served a long time with Silver Sable’s Wild Pack.
Vantage _ Dallas Riordan is the true cop in the team. Her years of experience in the NYPD give her a unique perspective in this job. Perhaps a little bit over-zealous, Vantage is not very receptive to Volcana’s attempts to fit in with the group, mainly because of her past associations to the Molecule Man and Titania. A surprising reaction for someone who, some years ago, used to hang out with the Thunderbolts, the former Masters of Evil. Though originally intended to be the team's second in command, Walker prefers having his former partner fulfill that position leaving Vantage as the third in command, something she clearly resents. A skilled fighter, Vantage’s body is supercharged with ionic energy, which she can use to enhance her physical attributes, one at a time. She can be super-strong, super-agile, super-fast, fly, or practically invulnerable, when she can focus her energy in her sword, making it able to cut through almost anything. 20 T
Kommodo _ Melati Kusuma is a former graduate student of Dr. Curt Connors. She stole Connors' regenerative Lizard Formula, modified it to her own DNA and administered it to herself. Komodo possesses an accelerated healing factor derived from the same serum created by Dr. Curt Connors that turned him into the Lizard. The extent of her healing factor is unknown, but it is shown she is able to regenerate lost limbs in seconds. She also possesses razor-sharp claws on each of her fingers. Unlike Connors she maintains control of her human consciousness when she is in her lizard form, and has the ability to control transformations between human and lizard forms. This is a result of her being able to perfect the formula to her DNA. Komodo also appears to have superhuman strength, stamina, reflexes, and agility. Komodo has demonstrated genius in chemistry and genetics, and has become the team’s field CSI expert. (15 T)
Volcana – Marsha Rosenberg never wanted anything to do with the world of super-humans, and, ever since she ended her relationship with the infamous Molecule Man, she managed to stay as far away as she could. However, when Uncle Sam sets his sight on you, he has ways of making you do things his way. Joining S.T.A.R.S. reluctantly, Marsha must now fight to earn the acceptance of U.S. Agent who considers her, based on her past, guilty by association. Thankfully, Battle Star and some of the other members are willing to give S.T.A.R.S. newest recruits a fairer chance. Volcana can change her form into super-heated magma, in which she can fire thermal blasts; volcanic rock, in which she has super-strength in the superhuman class 50 range, and volcanic ash, in which she is extremely hard to damage, has limited shape-shifting abilities and can even glide to a certain degree.
Texas Twister _ Drew Daniels was assigned to the team at the insistence of NSC liaison James Macalister, who was answering to a whim of a former president of having a Texan on the team. A bigot and an extremist right-winger, Daniels’ views bring a lot of disharmony to the team mechanics, especially with team members Battle-Star, who is a victim of his bigotry, Wild Child, for being a mutant, and Volcana and Sundown for their former criminal ties. As the name implies, the Texas Twister is able to generate localized tornados, which enable him to fly at amazing speeds and to generate destructive winds.
Wild Child _ A former member of the federal mutant strike team X-Factor, Kyle Gibney, who despite having lost his powers during M-day, saw them re-ignited due to the tempering he suffered at the hands of the Secret Empire, with Wyre’s DNA, is recruited to the team largely due to his tracking skills, making him perfect for hunting escaped convicts. Kyle is supposed to represent the mutant population on the team. Wild Child has enhanced strength, speed, agility, reflexes and senses. He also has claws that can cut through steel and an incredible healing factor. Kyle gets along very well with Komodo, and seems to have developed a crush on her.
Sundown – After his last encounter with Spider-Man, biologist Dr. David Patrick Lowell roamed around the U.S. for a while, working at temp jobs and, whenever the money allowed, updating his scientific skills in short courses. However, in need of a real heavy-hitter for its new team, the U.S. government set its sights on him, blackmailing him into joining. Sundown is extremely powerful. He can absorb, store and convert solar energy into a variety of effects, such as: flight at high speeds, powerful energy blasts and a light absorbing field. While not invulnerable, Sundown heals at a much faster rate than normal and he can generate a powerful force field that has withstood the combined attack of the Thing’s fists, Cyclops’ optic-blasts, Iron-Man’s repulsor rays and Thor’s hammer, among others. Lowell is also super-strong but to what extent is yet to be determined. He is strong enough to easily tear Spider-Man’s web, so it’d be a good guess that he is at least in the superhuman class 50 level, probably more. Sundown is able to increase his size too. He has gone toe to toe with Giant-Man in the early days of his career, so it’s safe to say that he can grow to at least 25 feet in height. A specialist on solar energy, alongside Komodo, Lowell brings much needed scientific skill to the field.
S.T.A.R.S. is a federal police force, and as such, their members will be required to carry guns, truncheons, ID badges and handcuffs, among other items. The team will have jurisdiction in capturing, extraditing and incarcerating super-human convicted criminals and fugitives. The team will also count with a large support team of non-meta-humans officers. Chief among them Allie Macgruder, Operations Coordinator; Farley Mowat, Chief of Technological Development; Val Cooper, Project Administrator, answering to the Commission of Super-Human Activities; and James Macalister, NSC Liaison. From The Initiative, the S.T.A.R.S program also brought along medical officer Physique and psychological counselor Terrance “Terry” Ward, a.k.a. Trauma.
For future membership -
Free Spirit _ Cathy Webster, one of Captain America’s former patriotic trainees, with enhanced agility and stamina.
Hardball _ A former member of the Initiative Training Program, as well as a double agent for Hydra, Roger Brokerridge is receiving his second chance with S.T.A.R.S. Hardball is capable of generating balls of energy though his hands. The youngest of the team, Roger gravitates toward Volcana and Sundown for being seen with the same suspicion as her by his teammates, although he gets less harder time from the Texas Twister. Roger also used to have a relationship with Kommodo.
Cybermancer _ accomplished engineer Suzi Endo, who used a piece of an other-dimensional Cybermancer armor to build her own Her armor allows her to fly, fire armor piercing diamond missiles and EM scramblers and transform her flight cape into an adamantium hard photon shield. The suit also has incredible sensor capabilities and enhances her strength and Suzi is constantly updating its offensive capabilities with other gadgets. Cybermancer will bring even more scientific expertise on the field. 30 T
Peace