RKMBs Forums .::Important::. Writer's Block The Vanguard School for Continuity Impaired Aspiring Writers

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Prometheus said:... here's a quick cheat-sheet, about Vanguard Europe, based purely from MY perception (the other writers may have something else to say)....

Drake Marshall

-Field Leader

(Abilities) : Captain America/super-soldier
(Personality) : A newly-wed who is trying to divide his time between his wife, his wife's company for which he helps run, and, having been made field leader of this team. Easy-going, intelligent, and well-rounded, Drake is aware of his position, but it does not cloud his ability at being 'one-of-the-guys'. Has worked with Ozzy Baxter and Adem Different when they were part of the La Perdita team. Ozzy looks up to him, due to his past as an urban vigilante.

Edmund Gaunt

(Abilities) : The Shade (from DC's Starman)
(Personality) : The Shadow Chancellor. Pleasant, but, aloof. Very deadpan, dry wit/humor, if any. A strange figure, cloaked in shadows. Even the rest of the team isn't quite sure what to make of him at times. Has early ties to the founder of the team, Doctor William Paragon.

Icarus Sidewinder

(Abilities) : Hawkeye's marksmanship/ The Rocketeer
(Personality) : Hot-headed, impatient, and way too sure of himself. Not an asshole on purpose, but, his arrogance means he doesn't have to work hard to be one.

Lady Lykopis

(Abilities) : Hippolytia-Wonder Woman / Xena
(Personality) : Regal, imposing, and confident....and will dro your ass like a bad habit. Loves weapons, and rarely feels at ease without being armed in some fashion.

Adem Different

(Abilities) : Columbo-meets-Doctor Who
(Personality) : Think Jeff Goldblum or Tom Baker from Doctor Who....only stranger. An alien detective who is open to learning, and understanding humanity. Not nearly as naive' as he may lead others to believe. An absolute master-detective, who could make the best forensic specialists on the planet blush with shame. Has previous team-ties with Drake and Ozzy. Strong friendship with Ozzy (think 'The Odd Couple' times one-hundred).

Ozzy Baxter

(Abilities) : David Dunn from the movie Unbreakable. Absolutely impervious to any physical harm.
(Personality) : Easy-going, friendly, and without hint of arrogance or presumption. Gambling habit to the extreme, he is the definite underdog that feels much more at home being with the common man than any 'superheroes' or royalty. Basically, the every-man who can't be hurt. Has strong ties to Adem and Drake. Hero-worships Drake, due to past heroics. Strong friendship with Adem, do to their polar opposite natures.

Doctor William Paragon

(Abilities) : 1938-level Superman/ Doc Savage
(Personality) : A mix between Planetary's Elijah Snow and Justice League International's Maxwell Lord. Mover, shaker, business man extraordinaire. A heart of gold, and strong sense of purpose to help others. Strong friendship with Edmund Gaunt, based on unknown past circumstances. The only one that really understands Gaunt, if nothing else.

Penny Goodweather (Secretary/Assistant)

(Abiltities) : Some form of electronic/digital empathy, i.e. can read email with her mind, control computers, etc.
(Personality) : You'd have to ask Cowgirl Jack. I've taken stabs at her twice, now. Don't know if I've gotten her right either time.

Hope this helps, and doesn't come off as overwhelming. Check out Grimm's Vanguard Files Thread. The pics he chose may help bring the characters into a clearer view....

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Wednesday said:
Yes, get to it, people. The perpetually interested but chronically lazy want to know.

Seriously.

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Prometheus said:
Icarus Sidewinder. The most dangerous, as far as public recognition. At most, given his recent conference with the Green Party, he is Paragon's "Iron Man" : an eccentric, tech-ed-out bodyguard, operating under a pseudonym. His father is a well-known, well-respected Russian engineer. How many well-known, well-respected Russian engineers do you, or any common man, know? Okay now tell me the names of their children. See? Unknown.

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Since boyhood, Icarus Sidewinder has always dreamed of flying. His father, D. Percival Sidewinder, was the head of the Russian aeronautics division in the seventies and, later, was voted the head of the European Union's aerospace division. Using his father's influence, Icarus enlisted in the military, wanting to fly. He quickly became one of the top pilots in his class and became the youngest man to ever make the rank of Captain at age 20. However, he was court martialed a year later due to possession and use of cocaine and heroin. After six months in detox and rehab, he was enlisted as a top secret test pilot for the EU. Due to his sketchy history, all records of his past were erased and documents were released that he had died in rehab. Given a clean bill of health, Sidewinder began working with his father, piloting the crafts that no one ever knew about. The latest of these is the smallest, fastest, most energy efficient jet pack ever created, which Sidewinder has greatly enjoyed. When Doc Paragon (who has financial interest in the project) came to see a test of the pack, he immediately drafted Icarus Sidewinder as a member of Vanguard Europe...

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Grimm said:

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Wednesday said:
Yes, get to it, people. The perpetually interested but chronically lazy want to know.

Seriously.

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Get to what?

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The question asked in the post above my own and to the purpose of this thread in general .

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Prometheus said:
My take:

-Vanguard Europe is like TOMB of the old universe. For those that have no idea what/who/when/where TOMB was/is/could have been, let me explain.

When the posters got together and created the superhero group called TOMB, they soon moved them to a ficitonal nation-state of Mandelovia. At first, and for many, many of the original stories, TOMB was a bit of an 'urban myth'/underground movement. The citizens of Mandelovia might have heard some stories here and there, and, even, might have read some speculative articles concerning strange happenings in the their city. But, overall, TOMB was a largely quiet, unknown, behind-the-scenes organization.

Then, as the stories progressed, and the years went on, a familiarity with TOMB was born for the common Mandelovian. They began to hear more and more, and maybe even now see pictures in newspapers snapped by eager photographers. Doesn't mean TOMB was public, yet. Just means they were finding it harder and harder to remain anonymous.

This evolution continued accordingly. It was not a conscious decision on the part of the writers to progress it that way. It just began to happen naturally with our writing. And, before you knew it, Mandelovia had come to understand that there was a metahuman defense force/adventure group known as TOMB operating out of Mandelovia. They began to understand that TOMB had saved their city many times, and would continue to do so. Public opionion rose and fell, accordingly.

Then, finally, in the end, when we started tying up that universe, and began to create this new one to start fresh, TOMB was known throughout the world as one of Earth's primary defense squadrons. But, in their city...in Mandelovia...they became public celebrities, welcomed and loved as the cities own heroes.

When I wrote Heroes & Legends, my final TOMB story, I wanted to show that Mandelovia loved TOMB. They were their personal heroes. They honored their fallen, and respected those that still remained to protect the city that the heroes had come to call 'home'.

So, this leads us into Vanguard Europe.

Vanguard Europe is known to exist. The world knows of Vanguard, International (the primary group that began in the Carribean island of La Perdita). They are internationally recognized in whatever fashion the current political climate allows.

Therefore, logically, if they hear of a Vanguard Europe, they know there must be a tie to that original group the world is watching so very closely now. However, Vanguard Europe, as far as Munich, Germany is concerned, is still at the beginning public-stages that TOMB was when they moved to Mandelovia.

They know they are there. They have seen them. They have read about certain witnessed battles in the newspapers (i.e. the current Brood epidemic that was so public). Yet, it's not like they are celebrities. They aren't doing interviews. They aren't a household name yet. They are just aware of their existence.

The fact that the world hates the La Perdita group so much helps and hurts the Munich team. The world is concentrating on La Perdita. They might know there is something going on in Munich. But, as of right now, the group in Munich has not received the international spotlight.

Nor should they.

The citizens, and political climate, of Munich accepts Vanguard Europe as a business. An eccentric, odd, perhaps even somewhat uncomfortably disturbing business involving strange, tall beings, with wild abilties, and the like. However, they are not to the point where they really care, or even try to pry. The European group remains on a somewhat covert status, just due to the many factors and nature of how the group works, and who is running the show.

Doctor William Paragon own the group. He owns the business, as well as many, many others around the globe. Is the general public aware of every single thing Donald Trump or Bill Gates have their hands in? Of course not. All they see is Microsoft and Trump Towers (and a crappy reality show). The general public simply does not care.

The group Paragon has assembled is built for behind-the-scenes, and 'does-not-exist' statuses. Let's look at the roster, and compare...

Edmund Gaunt. The Shadow Chancellor. A dark, shadow-draped being that operates on the night-level of everything within the purview of mankind. Do you think the general public even knows of his existence, much less his name? Of course not.

Lady Lykopis. Not in Strikeforce long enough to become an internationally recognized figure. Has been around for centuries. Do you think she hasn't figured out ways to remain anonymous over her eternal lifetime? No one knows her, except those few personal ties that are still alive (ex-lovers, the like).

Icarus Sidewinder. The most dangerous, as far as public recognition. At most, given his recent conference with the Green Party, he is Paragon's "Iron Man" : an eccentric, tech-ed-out bodyguard, operating under a pseudonym. His father is a well-known, well-respected Russian engineer. How many well-known, well-respected Russian engineers do you, or any common man, know? Okay now tell me the names of their children. See? Unknown.

Ozzy Baxter. Wanted by Interpol, the Yakuza, and, probably, the CIA. Why? Could be anything from gambling related thefts, to something more criminal. Ozzy keeps his past close to the vest, and I don't plan on ever going into depth about his life. He is what he is, at the moment. Thus, if he's so wanted in so many countries by such subversive organizations, then, of course he's always going to remain on the down-low.

Adem Different. An alien. From 'outer space'. The common man laughs, thinks he must be another metahuman, and goes and watches X-Files instead. That is, if they even knew he existed.

And, we come to Drake Marshall. Drake is the must well-known, next to William Paragon. However, Drake is well-known in Ohio. That's it. He does commercials for his wife's home/business security company, and has had articles published in tabloid rags during his vigilante years. Is he well known enough for the world to even accept his existence? No, of course not. Unless one of you can tell me of a well-known celebrity that operates solely out of Ohio, and Munich, Germany...

I think the overall misconception (by only a few writers) that Vanguard Europe is a public group is derived from a very mild error in thinking. It is simply this....

The world has bigger problems, and better things to do, than to be solely focused on a group of less-than-ten metahuman figures, rumored to be running around Munich, Germany.

And, that's it really.

Will Vanguard Europe become more public one day, as with TOMB? Perhaps. But, that is a progressive evolution that will happen without our conscious efforts. For right now, and for the writers, they remain quiet, underground urban-myths that are in and out of critical-spots with less than the passing of a few deep shadows...

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Grimm said:
You mean the question Pro already answered?

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Wednesday said:

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Grimm said:
You mean the question Pro already answered?

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Wait, you mean the answer Pro gave in the post immediately after the post I made asking my initial question?

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Kazibushtimakinori said:
So, is there a continuity list of all the stories somewhere? Ya know, in case an aspiring writer wanted to read and catch on the goings-on?

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Today, Vanguard International is just a name. A the end of 2001, some guys hunted by many special forces and multinational companies of the world for their metagene, banded together to help themselves, hiding in a travelling circus.
After nearly a year, they moved to the nation island of La Perdita, one of the few place in the world where metahumans are not persecuted legally, and there they put to fruition their uncanny powers, creating a company (some say of adventurers, some say of mercs) specialised into impossible tasks.
First calling themselves MBL (Metahumans Business League), and then Vanguard International, the company found it's main adversary into the likes of Jack Merlin, an ageless metahuman with deep ties to the world of politics and business, that took the occasion given by the apparition of the "evil" MBL (Metahumans Brotherood for Liberation), and their conquest of Manhattan, to give (with fake proofs) the blame to the Vanguardians and having the United Nation Organisation condemning them to not leave the island of La Perdita. Merlin's superteam of not-metahumans, the Strikeforce, is charged to enforce the ban. If the heroes should step out from the boundaries of the nation, the UN would authorise a conventional invasion of naval forces to la Perdita.
Moreover, the company has been destroyed by an attack of a secret militia group from within the island.

The Vanguardians, forced to live on the island by the UN ban, are adapting to life, with separate jobs and homes. The team for now survive just as secret club of friends that share the same passion for adventures, awaiting the right moment to clear their name to the world.

Vanguard Intl today is composed of:

Thunderbird - Edulcore (Euro) Cicciotto: the first metahuman known to the world, ex track champion, ex junkie, ex cook, his last three years have been a constant change and transformation.
Today his powers are just an incredible, superhuman aim, and a mental shield that makes him unable to be scanned by a mind reader or be controlled by any means, telepatically or not.
Ed has some strange memories from many heroes of the past, that allows him to rescue, throughout the world, ancient weapons of the past. So far, he has gathered: the garment and the arrows of Oddr, a coat that protetct him from any harm, but only when he is attacking, and arrows that never miss their marks; the bow of Odysseus; the Durendal sword; the mace of Lei Gong, that causes lighting and thunders, and the mechanical wings of Leonardo da Vinci.
Life: Euro is about to open a restaurant in the La Perditian city of Del Mar, where he lives with his three years old clone, Eddie (that he sees as his own son, and that has the original meta-power of Euro, the ability to alter the density of his own mass, becoming superharder or intangible), his woman, stage magician and seer Rose Biggle, and their new born daughter, Amara.
In a secret room of Euro's home there is the Vanguard museum, with all the memorabilia coming for past adventures.

Sandcrawler - Grissom Montag: Thief and security system expert and industrialist. Extremely rich, he can teleport inorganic objects, is an expert in the use of many kind of weapons. Lives in an a penthouse atop one of the few tall buildings of Puerta Mibela, the capital city of La Perdita.
He is romantically involved with Brianna Fionghuala (see below).

Banshee - Brianna Fionghuala : The result of an experiment of genetic engineering, she is part metahuman and part bird. She grew in a secret prison in Eire, until she found a way out and fled across the Atlantic on her own.
She has big, white wings on her back and a powerful, deafening, shattering cry. She lives in a lighthouse, working as a photographer for geographical magazines (although is yet to be seen how being forced not to leave the island could have an impact over that) and is romantically involved with Grissom (see above). She has three main weapons, a spiked mace, a short sword and a crossbow.

The Unidentified - Phil Smith: a man with a secret past and without memories, he appeared in la Perdita after a bloody mission in the New York underworld. Although being probably the most powerful mentalist on Earth, with telekinesis and telepathy, until very recently he seemed to prefer to rely over conventional weapons than his own powers. He is about to built a villa on Dowson Island, a small piece of land just off, but still within the boundaries of, la Perdita. He will move in alongside his woman, Leslie Kline, a bounty hunter with empathy powers.

Rama Avatar: little is known of this man, that joined vanguard one year ago under the name and features of Mason Templar, rich advisor for historical museums, and fabled swordsman, armed with Caliburn, the Calibian sword of Julius Caesars (Ensis caliburnus), later known as Excalibur and used by King Arthur. Nearly killed by the meta-animal Jia, half spider/half woman, after a few months mason returned, changed in aspect and manners, but still mastering Caliburn. The explanation given is that once in a while, he goes trough a rebirth that reshape his features; hence, he is thousands of years old.
Rama lives in a villa in the jungle outside Puerta Mibela, with a butler and some young servants. He rides a peculiar elephant sized pigeon -hawk, Erasmus, of unknown origin. He is involved in the education of the young Axel Magus, a thirteen years old inheritor of vast, magic powers, adopted by the scientist Henry Quantos, formerly advisor and employe of Vanguard International.

Brute Force - Ben Phillips: extremely strong, and able to "going berserk", growing in size and strength when enraged, when not fighting seems a goofy and lovingly person. Having joined Vanguard shortly before the demise of the company, has since found a job at the bar called "Jack's place", a known meeting spot for the lowly metahumans of the island, loved by most of the Vanguardians.

In the current story, two other people are in the process of joining Vanguard: one is a tattered jeans wearing, long haired and bearded guy with purple eyes. Nothing is know about him, just he was around in the XIX century, making him either an immortal or a time traveller. The second is Robo Squirrel, a mechanical rodent whose secret purpose is to control the Vanguardians in their movements, reporting to the Strikeforce any violation of the UN ban.

Lastly, it must be mentioned the ex-leader of Vanguard, Danny Hearn, a twenty-one year old guy that three years ago arrived by chance with a time machine from the year 2083, running away from a mad scientist. From reluctant, scared boy, he matured to the point of becoming the leader of the group, until a "second brain" implanted by the mad scientist in a complex scheme for world domination, took control of him, attacking the Vanguardians to collect meta DNA from them to be brought in the future. Danny overcame the control, but then left Vanguard and (unknown to his former comrades) is currently living in Melbourne, Australia. The UN watches him closely.

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Wednesday said:

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Kazibushtimakinori said:
So, is there a continuity list of all the stories somewhere? Ya know, in case an aspiring writer wanted to read and catch on the goings-on?

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I think that is pretty much THE question.

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Eurostar said:
1) the Vanguard (also known as HR -Hero Revolution) Universe is set in "real time" so that, even if a story told in three months happens, in-story- in one day, after one year of our life a year is passed also for the Vanguardians.

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Danny said:
Jack Tangent is my favourite name that I've ever come up with.

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