First steps into the Breathtaking universe

Breathtaking Comics
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This post is here to collect ideas, characters, situations, etc. for the setting.

The Big Pitch: an open superhero setting that can potentially plug into other supers material, while still standing on its own.

The setting is…

  • Self-contained. We won’t stomp on existing locations; we’ll make our own, and confine most of our action there.
  • Respectful. When we step outside our areas, we’ll treat the places and people we visit as their own thing, and not just backdrops or props for the action.
  • Diverse. Everyone and anyone can be a hero - or villain - or something else entirely. Straight white American males will not overwhelm our rosters, but they will be there along with everyone else.
  • Colorful. Supers, sorcerers, technologists, mutants, aliens, time travelers - we’re open to different power origins.
  • Consistent. Stuff will play by a set of rules, even if we don’t always advertise those rules. The goal here isn’t “explain everything”, but rather “keep plots honest”. Characters shouldn’t just pull out some bullshit new power to save the day, for example.
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The idea is to start with three cities that act as settings for adventure. These cities could represent distinct comic-book lines, and will come with their own characters, history, theme, tone, and so on.

Zeta City

Twenty years ago, an alien species code-named “the Zeta” invaded Earth. During the invasion, their mothership crash-landed on Earth. The first investigators sent to understand and catalog its technology needed support - places to live, food to eat, and so on. In a short amount of time, a city was forming.

Not all of Zeta City has been mapped, or is safe, even today. Science Pirates raid the mysterious off-limits “sector zero” for Zeta tech. Heroes and villains battle for supremacy in the sky. Citizens benefit from a high-tech lifestyle, as long as they accept the risk of living in a hollowed-out alien UFO.

Zeta City is for…

  • Traditional superhero-supervillain action
  • Exciting adventure in a technologically advanced metropolis
  • Stories about megacorporations, industrialists, and builders

Safe Harbor

Safe Harbor is an underwater city built by the Newmen - a group of human robots created by the scientist-fighter Leo Snow and his wife Aria Newman. Refugees, outcasts, and exiles can find a home here, as long as they’re willing to obey the city’s first rule: “we all work together”.

Leo’s first robot creation, Otto, oversees a team of rescue workers who deploy through a teleportation portal to help those in need. And a small team of secret agents, former spies, hackers, and oddities work to keep the city itself safe from those who covet its technology.

Safe Harbor is for…

  • Rescue operations and life-saving in the theme of Thunderbirds
  • International intrigue and black-ops by a team who owe their allegiance not to any one nation, but to all humanity
  • Stories about family, community, and connection

Magia Morgana

Decades ago, a city mysteriously appeared in the Mediterranean. The inhabitants claimed to be from ancient Atlantis. Their senior sorcerers had sent the city forward in time to avoid the destruction of their civilization, and this was the time where they emerged.

Bridges, harbors, and ferries now connect the city to the continent. Eager immigrants come to learn more about the magical tradition of the city. Not all wish to stay, for the city also attracts the supernatural - vampires, vengeful ghosts, ancient gods, and more. The city also hosts the only formal school of magic in the world, where Atlantean children mix with modern kids.

Magia Morgana is for…

  • Supernatural adventures, mixing ancient and modern elements
  • A school for magic, with kids dealing with strange phenomena
  • Stories about cultures learning from each other, and the contrasts of light and darkness
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Heroes and Villains (Zeta City)

Adventures and conflicts are mostly confined to the city itself.

Generation Zeta

An independent team of teenage heroes who stuck together after a dangerous experience, and a run-in with the city’s leadership.

Guardian Ghost aka Alejandro Murphy (he/him). A fourth-generation hero with shadow-powers, but the first of his legacy not to hear the mysterious “Voice” that led other Ghosts unerringly to crimes. He worries he can’t uphold the family business without it, but tries anyway.

Sabine aka Mia Duson (she/her). Blinded by the same accident that gave her power over sound and vibration, she uses her powers to move at ultra-speed. Proud, defiant, and talented at crime-fighting, she fights for the right to take risks beyond what the city’s adults deem acceptable.

Astralis aka Setsujoku Hisako (she/her). An alien princess of the Zeta civilization who’s come to Earth to retrieve her father’s stolen scepter - taken by a human hero when they counterattacked the Zeta in the wake of the invasion of Earth. She disguises herself as a human, hoping to find the scepter before she’s forced to lead the next invasion force herself.

Sprout aka Midge Leafstone (they/them). A member of a species of inch-high humanoids, Sprout has the mutant ability to grow to a whopping 5’2" in height. They also have mental command over animals such as birds and dogs. They must guard their peoples’ home from detection, but also feel the call of heroism.

Pelagos aka Ricky Cleveland (he/him). Cured of an otherwise-fatal disease by underground Zeta technology, and granted the power of hydrokinesis in the process. Ricky has become independently wealthy by dredging up underwater treasures, but wants to be serve the law to somehow atone for the circumstances of his life and power.

Diesel Jenny aka Jenny Arkwright (she/her). A mutant with physical regeneration and nascent bioelectrical powers. Jenny can’t transition due both to her father (who wants her to wait) and her powers (which reverse any surgery she undergoes). She wants to master her powers to control her own body, and find a way to both honor her parents and be herself.

Night team (TODO NAME)

An independent team of adult heroes, who do their best to work with the city’s authorities.

Captain Kelvin (he/him). A parish priest assigned to Zeta City. By day, he tends to the mental, moral, and spiritual needs of his community. Otherwise he takes the identity of a confident, heroic figure, using his ice-controlling powers to keep the city safe.

The Fractal (she/her). A woman who can physically duplicate herself and retain the memories of her dupes. She has used this power to become a polymath, as well as infiltrate and monitor the criminal underworld. She feels she must keep the nature of her powers a closely guarded secret, and so comes off as reserved.

Breakthrough aka A.J. Massoud (he/him). A war veteran who has become physically dependent on alien nanotech found within the city, which he must recharge daily. The tech grants him considerable physical capabilities and lets him mentally interface with machines.

Never-Miss (she/her). A speedster who uses her powers to make ultra-precise shots with guns, and carries a sword for similar effect. She detests “all that running around”, preferring to stay where she is. Knowing how destructive she could be, she struggles to find safer alternative uses for her powers - “grace, not chaos”.

Speakeasy (she/her). A member of the “Beta”, the second alien species to visit Earth. She activates psychic powers by telling stories about what is to happen and why - the more she is convinced of her own story, the stronger the effect. She finds the use of her peoples’ sacred story tradition this way to be weird and stigmatizing, but chooses to do it for the sake of humanity.

Starhawk aka Finn Lund (he/him). The guardian for an unhatched creature called a starhawk. Possession of the egg grants him cosmic powers, but comes with an obligation to use them.

Villains

The Seven Wonders of the Villain World. Led by the telepathic psychiatrist Gnosis, these master villains have come to Zeta City to take control.

The Architects of Evil. A team of mostly ineffectual villains who nevertheless can cause trouble for individual heroes.

Rival teenage teams led by people like Hyperskin.

Individual villains like Redline.

Individual nemeses of the teams, such as the Fractal’s enemy Stitches.

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Heroes and Villains (Safe Harbor)

Most villains won’t actually be in the city for obvious reasons

Safeguard Squad

A world-wide rescue organization operating out of Safe Harbor. It’s run by Leo Snow (now Newman) and his robot creations.

Link aka Leo Newman (he/him). An inventor and fighter. He uses a suit of powered armor and combines with his robot creations. He struggles to master his intense feelings and aggressive nature.

Pneuma aka Aria Newman (she/her). Leo’s second robot creation, collaborator, and later wife. She is the chief architect and mayor of Safe Harbor. She is a powerful robot who fights with physical force, but struggles to balance her responsibilities to her husband, her city, and the rescue.

Fez aka Fez Newman (they/them). Leo’s and Aria’s 10-year-old child, mentally split at a young age by Binarya the Cybergod. They inhabit dual bodies that can connect with each other or enclose each other as their identity shifts.

Otto aka Otto Newman (he/him). Leo’s first robot creation and big brother. He’s the tough, cool leader of the rescue operation in the field. He feels uncomfortable leading the operations, but knows only he can do it.

Ai aka Ai Newman (she/her). A youthful, flirty rescue robot created by Otto. Sister to Yu. She doesn’t always take everything as seriously as she should.

Yu aka Yu Newman (she/her). A thoughtful, cautious rescue robot created by Otto. Sister to Yu. She’s often too hesitant to take bold action when needed.

Problem Children

An independent team of secret agents who perform spy and black-ops missions on behalf of Safe Harbor and the world. All of them took shelter in the city for one reason or another.

Agent R aka Nono Rodriguez (she/her). A genius chemist and fanfic author who’s living a life she only once dreamed of, thanks to her “flow patch” invention that puts her in a state of accelerated learning and self-confidence.

Firebrand aka Emma Agney (she/her). A pyrokinetic villain in a relationship with Nono, who covers the supervillainy angle of the secret agent life.

Comrade X aka Alex Shelby (they/them). A genius hacker with a playful streak.

Unicorn (Xiezhi), real name unknown (she/her). The daughter of a powerful figure in organized crime. She serves as the face of the team and provides a gateway to the underworld.

D5, real name unknown (he/him). A Russian Antibody on the run from the Winter Cradle. Equipped with a variety of skills through RNA transcoding, and has significant real-world experience.

Rex Draco (he/him). A genetic cross-breed using human and kaiju DNA. He escaped the lab where he and his fellows were being raised.

Villains

The Minion Maker (he/him). Leo’s biological father and a creator of robot henchmen used by other criminals.

Binarya the Cyber-god (they/them) and Net Worth aka Annette Worthington (she/her). A digital deity brought to life by a South American experiment in AI, Binarya has had a contentious relationship with Leo’s robots ever since their first encounter.

The Winter Cradle, including Doctor Sidorov (he/him). The Antibody program creates tailor-made clones meant to compromise powerful people. Sidorov and his TALOS robots work for the General, the leader of the Winter Cradle.

The Fourth Mother (she/her). A neo-Nazi from Argentina, with a mastery of retro-tech devices like UFOs.

Titalion and others. Kaiju - giant monsters - who pose a threat to health and safety.

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Heroes and Villains (Magia Morgana)

Atlantis Academy (TODO name)

A group of students attending the school for magic at the heart of the city.

TODO - Light bearer. A boy from Egypt who wants to learn magic, but thinks he’s no good at it.

TODO - Wind bearer. A girl from Cambodia who got accepted in the Academy despite thinking she was too poor to afford to go.

TODO - Water bearer. A boy from Spain who’s confident he’s going to be the best magician in the modern world.

TODO - Fire bearer. A girl from Atlantis.

TODO - Lightning bearer. A boy from Atlantis.

TODO - Darkness bearer. A demonic being imprinted with a human’s memories, created to tempt that human into evil. However, the development of the demon was halted early - and now this “evil conscience” must come to grips with their own existence and nature.

Dusk’s Defenders

A group of supernatural or adjacent individuals who keep the city safe from magical menaces.

Armiger aka William Eddison (he/him). A swordsman and member of the Grail Knights, who wield fragments of the legendary blade Excalibur. He isn’t respected by members of his organization for his non-standard approach to fighting, but he’s learned tricks they haven’t…

Red Hugh (he/him). A young vampire with an unhealthy weakness for his siren-like sire, the mysterious Woman in White. Nevertheless he is powerful and determined to help others.

Cold Iron (she/her). An archaeologist and anthropologist who wields the magitech of the Fair Folk, centered around a mystical suit of armor. She faces constant temptation by the ageless faeries, and is subject to glamours and other deceptions.

Future Phantom (he/him). A time-lost ghost from the future, who doesn’t remember the circumstances of his death or his exact identity. More than anything, he wants to uncover his name and if possible avert his own death.

Windward (she/her) is an ancient bound demon or spirit, who can shift her appearance along a continuum from woman to bird. When she manifests wings, she can make them angelic, batlike, or lizardlike at will. She seems to have some connection to ancient Atlantis, and may have functioned like a “sin eater” for them. She fights furiously, using a combination of physical force and wind powers, but is bound to obey orders from humans and wishes to gain her freedom.

Alyssa Lamont (she/her). She is said to be the reincarnation of a powerful Atlantean sorceress. Two of her former self’s children emerged from the bubble. Now old, they tutor young Alyssa in the sacred sorcery of Atlantis. As a modern girl, she feels uncertain of her place and responsibilities as the bearer of this old soul.

Villains

Velasco, a fallen member of the Grail Knights order.

TODO Assorted supernatural entities.