Board 8 > Scarlet Ranks 52 Characters from 52 Sessions of the DCRPG Campaign: Part III

(+) Yeah! (+)

If Brennus joined Kobra then he's never returning to Z'onn Z'orr.

Spirit would have to explain to Varra why he let her son die

I do wonder how that would have gone for Brennus

oh I absolutely knew from moment one Jason was not who he said he was. Mockingbird had dropped a hint that we had a mole in Checkmate and Jason debuted soon after and out of character I insisted he was going to fuck us up. In character though he was just a charming guy!

#46 - Lex Luthor
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/7/2/AAUHRBAAEclo.png
Businessman. Mogul. Inventor. Visionary. President of the United States.

Lex Luthor may be the most gifted man alive, but rather than use his supreme intellect and skills for the betterment of mankind, Luthors agenda often focuses on the continually search for power and influence, with little regard for those he must step on to climb the social ladder. Though often cloaked in the guise of philanthropy, Luthors ruthless business and political acumen led him from life as the victim of abuse at the hands of his drunken father to the chief of a major technology startup, LexCorp. With a rise coinciding with the debut of Superman, Luthor has often butted heads over ideological differences between the Man of Steel and himself. After spending a fortune helping to rebuild the city of Gotham, Luthor parlayed a massive mountain of goodwill into a presidential bid that earned him the White House. During his administration, however, the Imperiex War broke out, and Luthor was forced to align his fortunes for the first time with Darkseid - an act that may have contributed to the beginning of his downfall.

In the third year of his administration, Lex Luthors approval ratings had never been higher. Invasions thwarted. Economy on the rise. Taxpayer burden the lowest in ages. But Lex began to let adoration and power go to his head, and when Superman and Batman refused to come in and work under the auspices of the United States government, he took this as a personal affront. Immediately, he began to scheme and using a sudden discovery of a kryptonite meteor to fuel anti-alien hysteria, Luthor put out an edict declaring Superman an enemy of the state. Batman, who refused to comply with subpoenas, also was labeled a public enemy, and Lex Luthor used the full might of his executive branch to send heroes and villains after both men, in an attempt to arrest them. Lex had gone power-crazy.

Battling everyone from Captain Atom to Black Lightning, Grodd to Metallo, the Worlds Finest duo had to physically win back the trust of their friends, proving once and for all the villainy of Lex Luthor. But at the same time, Lex was preparing to launch the Suicide Squad - and nuclear weapons - at Superman and Batman. Turning to Amanda Waller and using her animosity for Batman against her, Lex persuaded his Secretary of Defense to hand over the keys to her kingdom, and when she objected, he used a carefully cultivated attraction on her part to rope her in. Ultimately, however, Lex was stopped, and with the assistance of the Toyman, the rapidly approaching Kryptonite meteor was destroyed, thanks to a giant kaiju robot and a sacrifice made by Captain Atom.

In the aftermath of Lexs attempt to bring down Earths greatest hero, the Justice League, JSA and Teen Titans threw in behind the Man of Steel and revealed Lexs carefully orchestrated plan. Public approval plummeted, and Lex Luthor was quickly impeached - not that it mattered, for he had disappeared in the night, using the threat of the meteor to escape. Soon afterward, his Vice President and Cabinet would be scrutinized and largely eliminated from their position, and the Speaker of the House, Jonathan Horne, would end up as President.

And for months, no one heard a whisper from Luthor. Not even the hint of a rumor. Until he came back, bringing down the country and the world in the process.

Now seen as Darkseids highest-ranking lieutenant, Luthor lives in the lap of luxury in the center of Darkseids capital - New York City.

Amanda Waller wants to put a bullet between Lex's eyes. The Secret Six exists to bring him down and everything he erected around himself. Tens of thousands have died because of his actions, and millions more are enslaved to Darkseid as a result of his machinations.

But just how long has this all been a part of his master plan?

#45 was a pretty strong high-value draft pick!

We're going to find Lex and it will just change the campaign

I am pretty sure we have had it confirmed that he is walking around in the Big Green K Kryptonite Armor

Lex is one of the biggest mysteries. He changed on a dime. Was he always that way, or did he break?

As for this...Jenny Sparks?

I hope its Ari, cause getting none of my low picks but WW makes me nervous.

Gonna guess Spectre though. THE Spectre.

I have things to say about Lex, but guessing Darkseid or June here

Lex actually was plus value for draft! Glad I snagged him.

Lex is a looming spectre over this campaign. His role in the Society is so big - he's the boss. He's had a hand in so many things, with so many people.

The thing is, Lex is xenophobic. Very xenophobic. It's on his character sheet. So when he thinks aliens are a detriment to the rise and power of Earth's race to grow and look after themselves... Why ally with Darkseid?

We've got pretty good information that the Calculator used his foreknowledge to warn some people of A-Day, but why would Lex to through with it? Or was Lex just used? Is his thirst for vengeance enough to have him hand the planet over? Did he get in over his head and realize that Darkseid was going to win, so he had to be in some place of power to eventually fight back? Is he crazy? Is he good? Will he kiss Waller again?

I dont think there are more questions about any villain than there are about Lex... Maybe Eclipso and the Spectre, maybe BIG HANDS, but man, Lex has such a big footprint for a guy whose only appearance in 112 weeks was in a memory of Bloodwynd, working alongside what has to be Superboy Prime.

ScareChan posted...

We're going to find Lex and it will just change the campaign

I am pretty sure we have had it confirmed that he is walking around in the Big Green K Kryptonite Armor

That sounds right lol

I have a theory that Brennus has spoken to Lex in the campaign multiple times already.

TotallyNotMI posted...

I have a theory that Brennus has spoken to Lex in the campaign multiple times already.

Lex uses the Secret Six to dismantle the Society bit by bit by putting them directly against him? And he designed things so that the Secret Six was the strongest team he could get, knowing they'd be best prepped to help take them all down?

HanOfTheNekos posted...

Lex uses the Secret Six to dismantle the Society bit by bit by putting them directly against him? And he designed things so that the Secret Six was the strongest team he could get, knowing they'd be best prepped to help take them all down?

Basically. If they fail, Lex is still in a position of power. If they succeed, he's the hero. Win either way.

Plus Mockingbird has taunted Brennus that he knows where Vertigo is. And we just learned this week from Dark Wolf that Lex gave Vertigo the offer that made him leave the High Society

Yeah, but it was "Make him an offer he can't refuse" which implies it was a threat that involved something drastic.

Either converting Varra to a Fury or something to do with Brennus, methinks

#45 - Enchantress
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/2/9/AAOJ0pAADbnJ.jpg
Looney Juney.

The Enchantress is one part hero, one part villain, and all parts determined to look out for her own self interests in any situation. Considered by some to be a magic vampire, Enchantress will do anything in her power to gain more, greater power than she already possesses. After she was marked (quite fairly) by the Spectre for her sinful nature, Enchantress was forced to find lodgings in Oblivion, where she prepares to take down the most powerful being in the universe. Enchantress has attended to a brief affair with Saoirse, co-opting a piece of her soul for her own, and using it to animate her scarf, Stichentyme. Yes, you heard that right. Enchantress is a mistress of unholy arts, and Stitchentyme is the progeny of her dark practices. Once simply a scarf with a high thread count, Stitchentyme was imbued with a piece of Saoirses soul after one particularly arduous evening. Now, the resultant young familiar has become Enchantress constant companion, committing mischievous acts for her masters approval.

Not a lot of NPCs can carry as many connections as Enchantress does. You have Constantine and his hatred of Loony Juney, a name that I am inordinately proud of. The two of them disagree on 90% of the decisions made by the Shadowpact, and yet they still haven't quite come to blows yet, and they both know that where they are aligned, that is where they have to firmly work together. Still, that hasn't stopped June from demonstrating a hint of jealousy towards John's connection to Encantadora. Then you have June and Rory, which is either the most unlikely love story of all time, or an accident waiting to happen.

And more recently, we've begun to explore the fact that the Enchantress personality can be - at times - entirely opposed to the blond June Moone beneath it all. For a long time, I think Han was discomforted by the notion that June herself was an involuntary passenger in the entire affair, that maybe Enchantress decisions, even the sexual ones, weren't June's choices at all. Yet now it's been revealed that the dangerous, often evil-bidden Enchantress may well be a protector in her role - but not a protector of June. A protector FROM June. She's a power-hungry, uncontrollable being that could very well devour an unsuspecting victim, and she seems almost unaware of her purpose.

Of course, all of this came from a June that had unzipped her body and lay flaccid, partially uncovering June Moone, which itself is a very horrifying image. Skin suits talking out of half-attached mouths, and all. But that's Enchantress, I suppose. A collection of secrets wrapped up tightly within a diabolical dress.

She also is an enemy of Christmas.

#44 would rank even higher if I ran this list again today.

Iolande

scarletspeed7 posted...

She also is an enemy of Christmas.

Spirit stole a grandfather clock from her room with the help of Deadshot, Paul McCartney, and a member of the ghost patrol. That was a fun session.

An enemy of THE Christmas, thank you.

I do find it a little curious that Saoirse, someone who always wanted a kid, ended up having one of sorts... But through more of a process of grafting, and also the kid is a a scarf (and a total brat).

Saoirse has been around the horn with June a lot and it's hard to really nail that relationship down since it's developed so much... There was a point I expected Saoirse to break ties with Ragman as a trainer (since she'd trust him more with someone like Bunny or Traci) and do the 'self-sacrificial' thing of making June her teacher, but that hasn't happened.

Still, it's interesting... I don't know if June is capable of affection, but I think she is approaching what it is with Saoirse - she hasn't really held back from showing her nature, but I think she may also be coming to realize that Saoirse diving in isn't necessarily based out of naivety, and may be less about self-destruction than it was before.

All that to say that I'm always excited to see where this pair of witches develops to.

Iolande is a good guess for this particular hint but I think this is still too low for her anyway? She did have all of Korugar before this.

Snapper has had some real good stuff lately.

Catman and Freddy I think as well - could be in a prime position to drop here.

HanOfTheNekos posted...

Will he kiss Waller again?

we can only hope

Iolande is a good guess

thinking could be Morro or Traci

...but actually I think we're looking at Kid Eternity

Im hoping THIS one is Ari, given recent events.

Enchantress is always in control of her conversations and that makes her so neat.

#44 - Gal Gardner
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/3/1/AAJ38fAAEFHb.jpg
She's my gal! She also already had a write-up, so I'm going to copy-paste that from the very recent previous list.

Functionally, Gal is an original character. Her art is largely irrelevant to the comic in which it appears, and there isn't actually a Vuldarian genderswap Guy Gardner lumbering around the universe somewhere. That's probably a crying shame; Gal has been my favorite comedic relief as of late, but all of her loudmouthed insults and leering pick-up lines really do a disservice to the character. What lies beneath, somewhere deep within Gal, is a person capable of great compassion and change. Though her resting gear is obnoxious, obstreperous, a true incorrigible cad, and despite the fact that she spends most of her time either staring at her exposed breasts (which she can't get enough of) or turning her arms into alien techno-organic weapons in red, Gal also has a softer side. For me, this was never better exemplified then when Guy Gardner (who treats her like a younger sister) was bowled over by news that his dearly beloved deceased boo, Ice, was actually still alive and while. This flummoxed Guy something fierce - and immediately, Gal was on her knees, holding up Guy's head, wrapping him in a cradling hug. She empathized immensely, and for a long, silent second, there was something deeply moving to me about that sort of clone-turned-counsel moment.

Originally rescued from the Auctioneer's menagerie-ship, Gal was one of three Gardner-clone products the party discovered within, but she's the only one that's lingered with any real effect. To the party, Gal is an aberration not just because she's a clone of one of their closest allies on Oa, but also because she's a clone of Guy from a time in his life he's largely moved past. Guy is far less fiery than those days, still rough around the edges but having matured greatly. Gal will seek out Rosetta, hoping to giggle like a schoolgirl with her about hot women with tight asses and tighter costumes. She doesn't know how to keep her hands to herself. And when she witnesses Data 7 sharing an intimate moment with Lantern Morro, she couldn't stop laughing about how it was gay... until she realized she was gay, also. Which sent her into a fit of laughter again. She's certainly not homophobic; she's just the most immature person imaginable. Apparently she goes to the dining hall on Oa just to watch a cute blonde eat her dinner.

I love extremely imperfect characters with the capacity to change, and that's Gal in a nutshell. Her future may not be the Guy Gardner who topped our last 52 list, but she has the potential to reach that point. We know one path this younger, more feminine Guy Gardner could take, but whether she does, that's another story entirely. But it's a story I can't wait to explore. Gal Gardner is maybe my favorite Oan non-Lantern right now, after all.

#43 was drafted in the Top 25!

Gal is great insight into how far Guy has come as a person since the Warrior days...and also sometimes how he hasn't changed at all.

Ooh has there been more Morro events recently? That's exciting.

scarletspeed7 posted...

Then you have June and Rory, which is either the most unlikely love story of all time, or an accident waiting to happen.

Which Rory is this?

Ragman

Maniac64 posted...

Ooh has there been more Morro events recently? That's exciting.

Which Rory is this?

Ragman

Maniac64 posted...

Which Rory is this?

This Rory would be Ragman, owner of a cloak of souls...and probably something Enchantress would very much like.

Oh, and my guess for this one is...Bobo Bennetti?

Gal feels like she is already in her perfect role, but that we can also make her into anything. She is likely going to have interactions with the whole party so we will see where she goes

Gal was not my expectation! But that's fine - I think she's a lot of fun and stands out, but there's some more development that I think she'll have soon that will do more for her.

Guessing Freddy, Eve, or Deadshot for this. I'll go with Eve.

#43 - Harley Quinn
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/7/7/AAOJ0pAADbkx.png
Aww, gee.

Harley Quinns history is notoriously well-known - a psychiatrist drawn to insanity by her love for the Joker, Harley was ultimately left a jilted ex when the Joker no longer saw the value in her, and after No Mans Land, she bounced from villain to villain, crashing on couches and looking for acceptance. Harley even spent some time captaining a roller derby team in New York City before she ultimately was sent back to Arkham. After the Arkham breakout, it was discovered that Harley had zero susceptibility to the Equation, and she was captured by Hugo Strange, dragged to Belle Reve for research purposes. It was here that Harley found herself released by agents of Checkmate, and she was whisked away to Zonn Zorr, where she now rooms with BrenBren and has chartered a new, unlicensed psychiatry practice.

Harley was one of my least favorite characters in the first campaign, one I felt I couldn't do any justice to at all, and yet Harley has surprised me constantly in this current iteration. I wholeheartedly am always excited for whatever is in store with Harley. Obviously, the biggest conceit for her character is that she has such clarity when diagnosing others and yet falls prey to never heeding her own advice, always. She's a battered house wife, a kicked puppy, a person with almost but not quite enough self-awareness to be a better version of themselves. But the crucial step she has yet to take has proven her own undoing, and thus she is more tragic than comic. Of particular note, I love Harley and Brennus together. They may very well be my favorite NPC/PC pairing in this campaign thus far, just an absolutely magical combination that I think betters the both of them for it.

Since her introduction in this campaign, Harley has not only proven to be an insightful psychologist and therapist for everyone but herself in at least some respect, but she's also offered her own mechanic, wherein she can either boost your willpower - or decrease it, based on attending a therapy session with her. It's all a coin flip.

Here's an example of a failed Harley roll:
You leave with the toaster in hand, sans your cape, replaced with what appears to be a leopard fur, but crafted out of paper mache, with its jaw crowning your forehead, no shirt, and bananas sticking out of every pocket of your pants. You don't recall every mentioning the toaster to Harley, but you feel confident she had to have noticed it while you... uh... you were... something involving badminton and Harley reciting Henry Hadsworth Longfellow, but replacing Hiawatha with mid-70s porn stars. Still, you feel confident... right?

There's still more to our girl Harl:
-She has tried on at least one occasion to murder Jaime for calling her "Harley Quinn crazy".
-She spent a full therapy session lamenting how unfair it was to be labeled insane for wanting to murder people. Lush, who was attending that session, agreed.
-She attempted to kill Brennus with a Rube Goldberg contraption rigged to Brennus sitting in his computer chair. This ultimately ended with Brennus apologizing, believing it was his fault SHE tried to kill HIM.
-After Data 7 returned her missing rooster to her, Harley spends much of her time either petting Mike or trying to corral him out from under her bed.
-It turns out that Lady Gaga is a super-fan of Harley Quinn in the DCU (though in this universe and the year 2008, that name doesn't exist; she goes by her given name). Harley was recently played a song written about her entitled "Paparazzi". She loves it.
-Harley has demanded Brennus kill her ex-boyfriend, Mistah J. He's strongly considering it.
-Sometimes in therapy, Saoirse is left petting Harley like a dog.
-Also, with a wish that she could have anything in the world, granted by a powerful wizard, she chose a painting of Brennus as a hyena.

What else can I say? I love the sweet little thing.

#42 went undrafted, the fifth-highest placing character of that distinction!

Whoa, I thought Harley would rank higher than Freddy

scarletspeed7 posted...

-She attempted to kill Brennus with a Rube Goldberg contraption rigged to Brennus sitting in his computer chair. This ultimately ended with Brennus apologizing, believing it was his fault SHE tried to kill HIM.

This is probably my favorite Harley/Brennus moment.

Or when they were covering each others ears in the hallway because they didn't want the other one to listen to Thinker but then they were unable to hear each other and just kept yelling at each other louder and louder.

Harley landed low given my expectations!

Her voice is done really well - she's appropriately kooky, sympathy-inducing (I didn't want to say pitiful but), crazy and scary, but also just sweet and lovable.

I think she lands really close to her earlier animated iterations, but from the times when she was a character who earned great sympathy.

It'd be nice to see more of her/the squad in action, so hopefully we'll get that soon. Harley is capable of playing the anti-hero... But we have to get her there a bit, I think, lol

Guessing Oracle

Lush has a weird kinship with Harley I think. I feel they mesh very well.

Roz'etta never talks to Harley, which is funny considering Roz'etta's main weapon is Harley's hammer, but I think she enhances my preferred therapist, Simon LaGrieve, with the extent he's willing to go to help her, faking being a victim of her machinations and letting her feel like she's in control.

Harley has never really hurt LaGrieve so he could just be right.

Also as for this...I'll go with Blue Devil.

looks like we need part 4

Yeah, that sounds good. We'll wrap up this topic and I'll post the next ranking in the following one.

Wooow but you could've fit another ranking in here

I know there is one character left to rank I'm not thinking of, so I'm extremely curious to see who that ends up being.

They could even be next!

I am protesting having to finish this topic before we get to the next one

...wait

I am protesting Scare's protest.

scarletspeed7 posted...

This ultimately ended with Brennus apologizing, believing it was his fault SHE tried to kill HIM.

I mean it kind of was...

It's always Brennus's fault. He's a troublemaker just like his mother.

Where's Cullen?

Why's Cullen?