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Eurostar said:
Euro (it's my character, I am fond of it, can I exclude him?)



Which incarnation?

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Dirk Bell (the human character among the superhumans, with very human goals -find a woman to gave birth to a child to continue a legacy... cool!- forced to be the best to keep up with his meta gifted colleagues, and with a mysterious past in space so far from what his character is -or seems-about. The coolest one, for me)
Phil Smith (I have a special fondness for telepatic characters, having written one for a couple of years in TOMB. I picture Smith in my all time Vanguard, more for what I expect from him than what he has done. I loved him madly in his first apparitions- when he was hiding under the table and when he saw Sinatra under the sea- but I am again liking him a lot these days, after the Dark World adventure.



No doubt! Dirk and Phil, together or single, have become definite cornerstones of Vanguard. Dirk is so astutely defined, while Phil is utterly frothing with further potential. Two classics.

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Drake Marshall (I don't see him as a Captain America - he was a vigilante, a man of roof and nights, afraid of publicity and shy of reporters - more of a Spiderman, I'd say, and I dislike Pro's interpretation of him as a well known hero, that clash with all that has been written about the HR Universe before (but Ozzie's admiration for him was a great touch, in itself). His stepping from lone warrior to Vanguard (E) leader is perfect, and perfectly done. I see in him the true Vanguard leader).



I respect your dislike of the interpretation. My first attempt at Drake was H&L. It sucked. It was great, if it had been a completely different character. But, for Drake, it sucked. However, at the time, I didn't know.

As for the "well-known" aspect, I was actually going off of what NotWedge had been doing already. With him doing commercials, and being a 'heroic' face for his wife's company, I would imagine he would be "well-known" by today. The stories of yesterday, that Ozzy worships so well, are simply tabloid exaggerations of those 'urban-myth' days....as Drake has been pointing out to Ozzy since the beginning. The 'Captain America'-aspect, though, is simply a baseline description of his abilities, not neccessarily his persona or image.

But, hey, we all have our own perspectives.

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Ozzie Baxter (What a great character! One power, great background, though attitude. I love him. So different from Prometheus, and yet equally "round", real. As usual, great stuff from Pro's mind).



Much appreciated. I have to say, though, I don't believe I've actually found Ozzy's true voice yet. But, he's getting there...

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Nobody (Mxy did it again. Another masterpiece creation. Whatever hero he wants to write, now he can. And it is the revamp of a stuffed doll from the old Universe. Why I am not able to come up with things like that?)
Lady Likopys (Wonder Woman done right. Can I add more? CJ is quickly becoming one of the best... no, she is one of the best writer/creators around here. Kudos for all her work. Lady "Bitch" is fantastic).
Edmund Gaunt (I love him. A sort of cross between Prometheus X from the early MBL stories, and a friendlier Shade. The door for vanguard to step into disturbing dimensions...)



Abso-fucking-lutely!! I love these characters. Writing Lykopis is wonderful, as I get to exercise that "Hippolytia" writing muscle. I'm slowly getting there with Gaunt. However, your comparison of The X is interesting, and one I had not originally thought of. As far as Nobody, well, I voted for him in the Kampies for a reason. Quite simply, a genius creation that I hate Mxy for creating first. Untold billions of avenues of potential, direction, interpretation, and all-in-all creative synergy. Bravo to Mxy, for the umpteenth time.

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As for my favorite character of each writer, well, this is off the top of my head....

  • Raptor : Give me the natural-winged, mace-wielding warrior-philosopher-Ed, or give me no Ed at all. I think Raptor is a hardcore character, that deserves to kick as much ass as I can write. I hope fatherhood doesn't kill that aspect of his character. Simplicity is the key. And, at his simplest, Raptor is a wall that simply will not crumble.

  • Grissom Montag : Oh, without a fucking doubt. I can't tell you the nights I've spent listening to music, while mentally crafting Montag fight-scenes. Using actor Jason Statham (Snatch, The Transporter) as my baseline image, I've had everything from martini bar ninja battles, to a step-by-step scene of the ultimate thief breaking into and back out of the Pentagon. I simply adore Grissom as a character. And, while I dislike the idea of him getting bogged down with only one lover (sorry CJ), Chewy never fails to amaze me with this guy.

  • Sam Dawson : The man who is everywhere and nowhere. Everything, and, nothing at all. I love the idea of a liquid-morph chameleon that can slide into any situation or battle unassuming, and, yet, unbeatable. I don't know enough about the EPS to even consider the Turner character Euro loves. I imagine he must be pretty cool. But, for me, Shift takes the trophy.

  • Kristofer Schanz : One-part Reed Richards, two parts Doc Savage, add sprinkles of sheer confidence, and serve with sizable portions of no-win scenarios. Chance was a man among men in Vanguard. Constant, determined, and without a doubt, TTT's finest creation in the Vanguard universe. And, unfortunately, with the most classic death scene in the Vanguard universe as well, nigh-impossible to bring back. Still, TTT took a note from Jerry Seinfeld, and pulled the curtain at the height of the character's run. Bravo indeed.

  • Phil Smith : I can't say enough good things about the character of Phil. I also can't say enough good things about the potential of the character. The dominant telepath of the Vanguard universe, Smith is set to become a key figure in the socio-political ramifications of the metahuman community. I see him as a public voice for all of the reclusive telepathic metahumans. The one, key figure that can show the world that a metahuman can become a functioning, integral part of human civilization. If metahumans as whole ever needed an ambassador, then, Mr. Smith must go to Washington. We may give Phil the writer alot of shit, but, we certainly can't do the same for his character.

  • Adem Different : It was a tough call considering Dirk Bell. I mean, Bell is an immortal statement on every gun-toting, leather-wearing cliche to ever see print. And, as a writer, Doc took the cliche and made it a shining example of an idea at its core. The baddest, the toughest, and the best....but, still, only human. And, given even that, I still have to go with Adem here. Different is exactly his name. And that is what I love about the character. There is no defined box to put him in. All it takes is understanding the nature of unpredictable genius, and an eye for backtracking logic. That's why I love Adem. Because he is the everyman of no one. He is a singular representation, that cannot be compared to anything before. I love originality.

  • Grimm : GRIMMMM!!!!! Shout it out. It's cool to do. It rolls off your tongue with any emotion you want to apply. And, that name says it all. My fondness for the character precedes my friendship with the writer. In as much, my friendship does not sway my opinion here. Grimm stands as the face(less) presence of a particular generation of Vanguard. Coming in during an era that was plateauing too fast, this dark, somber giant cut to the quick of what this team was all about, and stood as their prime defense against everything the world could throw their way. Another cliche turned on its ear into something unique. And, as the avatar of death, something to be feared.

  • Danny Hearn : Come on. Do I even have to explain it? Do I have to go into a diatribe on the absoluteness of leadership qualities and potential? Do I have to go on and on about the diversity of abilties, and adaptability of presence? Do I even have to discuss the fully-realized persona and characteristics of a fictional being who is as real as any of us sitting in front of our computer? No. No, I don't. And, that's really the point, isn't it?

  • Mick "Mxy" Harrison : Yes, I know I voted for Nobody in the Kampies. For many reasons. Not only can a character like Mxy take care of itself in terms of popularity and genius, but, the idea and potential of Nobody is something to be seized and appreciated. Still, when it comes down to it, Mick was one-in-forty-billion. Being, he was one-in-the-population-of-the-planet. Simply, the most powerful creature this universe has ever produced. And, the most human, as well. Everyone knows I love the idea of playing mortals with gods. Mxy, as a character, is simply another perspective on that idea, and none of us can say enough good things about the spirit of fun and imagination that the writer Mxy brought with him.

  • Brianna : Don't ask me to spell her last name from memory. But, then again, you don't have to, do you? Brianna. That name says it all. Thanks to the crafting of CJ's blossoming writing skills, that name has become synonomous with integrity, finnesse, and a focused personality that borders so close to realism, it's a bit creepy. It's like, you're almost afraid to have another character degrade the feminine respect and intelligence in any scene, for fear that the character herself will come see you one dark, stormy night. Perhaps this is the intent that CJ has for Lykopis. However, what tops Brianna over Lykopis is the subtlety in how the character achieves such a presence. It isn't a dominant aspect that you can immediately acknowledge. Not sweet, innocent, unassuming Bri.......armed with blades, crossbows, and a decisive eye towards aerial combat. In other words, there is a reason for the 'Hawk'-analogies.


Tayden, Dr. Huerta, and Jym all get honorable mentions here....