My "all-time" Vanguard line-up, eh? Hurm...
Danny Hearn: I love this character! The possibilities are practically limitless and his leadership abilities have been exhibited time and again. And, as he's one member with possibly the longest tenure (next to Raptor), that makes him the best choice to act as leader of Vanguard, IMO.
Drake Marshall: Post-Drax Marshall with the vigilante moves and boy scout charm. His role with Vanguard International leads me to believe that, had he been able to
then, he would have made a perfect compliment to Danny as a 'lieutenant' or 'executive officer'. That's why I love stories like
The Siege, because they afford us the opportunity to ask 'what if...?'
Grissom Montag: Easily the best character I've ever created. He single-handedly brought me into the Vanguard Universe as a player in the main story threads after the idea of a 'modified Nightcrawler' came to me one night on the verge of sleep. Sprinkle in elements of James Bond and Indiana Jones... and I've got myself one of the most fun characters I've ever conceived.
Phil Smith: While very similar to Grissom in many ways, it's the
character of Phil Smith (the character, not the poster...
) that has always intrigued me. He's a telepath who is by and large ultimately uncertain of the nature of his own powers. And, like a metaphor for every person on the planet, he is desperately searching for his roots and origins... in the hopes of finding his place in the world.
Mick Harrison: I miss this guy. I really do. On the one hand, you have one of the most powerful entities in the universe and, on the other, you have a carefree happy-go-lucky guy who's imagining the whole thing. Friggin' A! Mxy is an absolutely brilliant write r to come up with this concept. Here's hoping both Mick
and Mxy are back before too much time passes...
Pete Glover: I always loved this character, despite never being able to write his crazy accent to TTT's liking. He was fun and offered a much different, almost lackadaisical perspective on whatever was being done. Personally, though, I feel he was taken out before I really got a chance to write him.
Mason Templar: I mean this as no great slight to any other posters, but I cannot in good conscience include my own personal favorite Vanguard line-up without including one of my favorite character concepts - Mason Templar. Almost as timeless as the winds and with the wit, knowledge, wisdom, and "chops" to prove it, Templar is an adventurer through and through... and so much fun to write!
Grimm: I kind of wish the ramifications of having the friggin' Avatar of Death on the team would have for a group like Vanguard. We never really saw much of that. Plus, Grimm brings a great deal of brute strength and stone cold force to the group, which I can really respect about him.
Brianna Finula: This is a great character, plain and simple. Her attachment to my own character aside, Brianna has stepped into her own as a team leader. She brings a heavy balance of both feminine sensitivity and aggressiveness to a team obvious overpowered with testosterone. Cheers, Ceej!
Raptor: Post-Ladnikia Raptor, preferably. For all the reasons Pro listed. At this point, he cares about the team too much to abandon it and has been through enough personal crises (from the Chicago Revolution to his possession by Ladnikia) to have a reason for staying. He's a lifer and, in one very real sense, the heart of Vanguard.
Ozzy Baxter: The tough-skinned fighter with a heart of gold. Ozzy has all the right moves and a uniquely-devised power that allows him to face literally anything. Created in a way only Prometheus can, he brings a hard-edged humanity to Vanguard, which is a nice contrast to the humor and sensitivity of character Pro has brought to him.
Adem Different: Like Pro, I really struggled between Dirk and Adem, but ultimately, I had to go with the alien. I'll miss Dirk, to be certain, but I love Adem's concept - i.e. he's just Different. There's
almost no wrong way to write him, and I love that about him. Plus, with his mad detective skills and scores of alien knowledge, he's quite simply a great character to have on any well-rounded team.
Sam Dawson: As much as I liked Priest, Dawson had more depth of character and complexity of nature. A shapeshifter who hides his scars behind his flexible skin, something we'd all do given half the chance. Dawson is a very human persona with a very superhuman ability, which I like.
