The Challengers

“No one chooses to be a hero. I do what I do because I’m the only one who can.”

The son of a social worker and a paramedic, helping those in need has always been in Adam’s blood. Also in Adam’s blood however, is the power of the God Particle “Kinein”.

Kinein is a relic of the universe housed in Adam’s heart that gives him control over kinetic energy. Growing up, Adam slowly discovered his latent ability to defy the very laws of physics, and utilized it to enhance his speed and durability, and even grant himself the power of flight. Once it dawned on him that he was a real-life superhero, he and his best friend Hector formed the vigilante duo The Challengers, vowing to fight crime and protect the citizens of San Francisco.

Adam was happy with this newfound lifestyle, but something ate away at him: How did this gift manifest in him? And more so, why him? Was it only him? If this kind of power exists on Earth, who’s to say it couldn’t end up in the wrong hands? Adam didn’t know how to find the answers, if there even were any.

As if the universe had heard him, Adam began to unearth evidence of other anomalous entities in the city. It turned out they had always existed if one knew where to look. Adam was ecstatic that he wasn’t alone after all, and he knew what he wanted to do.

Adam had to form a team- expand The Challengers from a vigilante duo to an ensemble force of heroes. All he had to do was track these others down, then convince them to expose their conditions to the world and risk their lives for people they don’t know. How hard could that be?

Name: Seong-Han “Adam” Lee-Webster

Aliases: None

Age: 15

Race: Human (Korean and English descent)

Gender: Male (he/him)

Sexuality: Asexual

Place of Birth: San Francisco, CA

Current Residence: San Francisco, CA

Relatives: Seong-Jin Lee (Father), Olivia Webster (Mother)

Occupation: None

Affiliations: The Challengers

Height: 5’5”

Build: Lean

Hair: Brown, medium-short length, spiky

Eyes: Blue-Gray

Distinguishing features: None

Conditions: Astigmatism

Speech/Voice: Controlled, matter-of-fact

Preferred Outfit: Blue T-Shirt with hummingbird design, faded jeans, canvas sneakers, denim jacket (optional)

Accessories: Long white scarf, glasses (when not fighting), sports tape wrapped around left arm and right leg

Traits: Righteous, Pensive, Calm, Determined, Pacifistic

Flaws: Grandiose, Quixotic, Angstful, Perfectionistic

Likes: High vantage points/views, sunsets, video games, tabletop/board games, books, alternative rock

Dislikes: Firearms, rain/storms, unnecessary violence, selfishness, apathy

Kinetic Energy Manipulation: Adam’s heart houses the God Particle “Kinein” which grants him the superhuman ability to alter, amplify, and nullify the kinetic energy in his body.

Flight: Adam can amplify his kinetic energy to propel himself in any direction, and nullify the kinetic energy that gravity would otherwise normally apply to him. This allows him to fly at potentially light speed, although G-forces, atmospheric drag, aerodynamic heating, and the inability to breathe severely hinder this.

Strengthened Combat Strikes: Adam can amplify the speed of his punches and kicks by amplifying the kinetic energy in his arms and legs. This does not affect his muscular strength.

Enhanced Durability: Adam can disperse kinetic energy directed at his body to shield himself from impacts and blunt force trauma. He can use this to protect his hands and feet during his amplified combat strikes.

Taekwondo: Adam is a 1st-dan black belt in Taekwondo, and regularly participates in junior competitions in the Bay Area.

Tactician: Adam is an accomplished tactician, constantly assessing threats and situations, and quickly devising battle strategies on the fly.

Leadership: Adam acts as de facto leader of the Challengers, and has shown exceptional ability to rally, inspire, and command his allies.

Bilingual: Adam is fluent in English and Korean, and has some knowledge of Japanese and Tagalog.

• Adam must be fully conscious and aware to use his powers.
• Adam’s powers are limited to his own body.
• Adam’s powers, mechanically speaking, are not a force or thrust, and must follow Newton’s Laws of Motion. Mass, inertia, and any opposing forces are not affected. Therefore forces exerted by Adam’s body are limited to momentum and collisions.
• Because of his inability to produce force, Adam is particularly susceptible to being pinned or restrained.
• Adam’s reaction time and mental processes are no faster than a normal unpowered human.

“It’s not all about the rush, but that is a pretty big part of it.”

As much a brilliant inventor as an impulsive daredevil, Hector is the embodiment of “high intelligence, low wisdom”. He’s always ready to push the envelope, even if the envelope is on fire. Especially if the envelope is on fire.

It was never apparent if Hector’s exceptional intellect was superhuman in nature, but his aptitude for engineering was clear as could be. Whenever he wasn’t out chasing thrills, Hector was tinkering in his workshop- building props, replicas, and DIY of all kinds. His parents being literal rocket scientists inspired him to dabble in machinery and robotics, upgrading his props with functional parts until they could no longer be called props. Before long he had an arsenal of gadgets and gizmos, everything from rocket-powered skateboards to wrist-mounted flamethrowers.

When his best friend Adam discovered his superpowers, Hector knew he couldn’t let him fly solo. Hector painstakingly brought together all the tech he had created in order to build his magnum opus: The Hydraulic Exosuit Apparatus and Transportation, the HEAT Mk I. With it, he and Adam formed the vigilante duo The Challengers, taking to the skies and dealing out justice to “mooks” as Hector liked to call them. Hector knew Adam had ambitions to take their little venture further, but Hector was just along for the ride. As long as he felt that rush, and as long as they were a team, that was good enough for him.

Name: Hector MacMillan

Aliases: None

Age: 14

Race: Human (Scottish and German descent)

Gender: Male (he/him)

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Place of birth: Berkeley, CA

Current Residence: San Francisco, CA

Relatives: Carolyn MacMillan (Grandmother), Kimberly MacMillan (Mother), Troy MacMillan (Father)

Occupation: None

Affiliations: The Challengers

Height: 5’0”

Build: Stocky

Hair: Red, short, messy

Eyes: Green

Distinguishing features: None

Conditions: High-Functioning Autism, ADHD

Speech/Voice: Youthful, loud, penetrating

Preferred Outfit: Orange T-Shirt w/ white trim/sleeves, Brown cargo shorts, white tennis shoes

Accessories: Gray one-strap backpack, "Monch" keychain, Challengers button, Autism Creature button

Traits: Hotheaded, Daring, Energetic, Loyal, Eccentric

Flaws: Cocky, Impulsive, Boisterous, Erratic

Likes: Thrillseeking, comic books, video games, DIY, maker culture, cosplay, engineering, industrial rock, electronica

Dislikes: Injustice, being alone, waiting, people who speak in “code” or metaphors, enclosed spaces, geese (it’s a long story)

Genius Intelligence: Hector possesses an extraordinary intellect that rivals most leading scientists in the world. Particularly he has shown to possess exceptional spatial ability, hypercalculia, and an eidetic memory. It is unknown whether or not this ability is superhuman in nature, or possibly a result of savant syndrome.

Engineering: Hector has prodigious knowledge of aeronautics, ballistics, and robotics, and regularly designs technological gadgets and equipment.

DIY: Hector is skilled in a variety of “maker” crafts such as electronics, woodworking, and metalworking.

HEAT Mk II: “Hydraulic Exoskeleton, Apparatus, and Transportation”, an exosuit of Hector’s own design, inspired by his parents’ advancements in aeronautical engineering and robotics.

Armor: While the suit is tailored more for utility than protection, its titanium alloy outer casing is strong enough to deflect small arms fire.

Power Source: The suit is powered by diesel fuel, which is stored in a 3 gallon tank on the back of the suit. The suit’s electrical components are powered by a rechargeable battery and diesel generator.

Hydraulics: The suit uses hydraulic cylinders to increase the user’s physical strength, allowing them to lift up to 2 tons. They also work as shock absorbers to cushion landings.

Jet Boots: The suit’s boots are equipped with highly experimental propulsion systems based on microturbine technology, allowing the user to fly at speeds up to Mach 0.8.

Left Arm: Can convert to a particle-beam cannon, capable of concussive and superheated blasts of accelerated ions. Its energy output can be adjusted to less lethal levels.

Right Arm: Contains a retractable mechanical grappling cable, an extendable blade, and miniature laser-guided explosive missiles. 

Goggles: Hector’s goggles contain a head-up display linked to his exosuit. It displays his suit’s current functions and status, fuel levels, flight guidance, targeting system, and activated infrared vision.

• Without his exosuit, Hector is limited to the physical capabilities of a normal unpowered human.
• Although his exosuit is designed for fuel efficiency, its flight time is still limited to about 30 minutes before needing to be refueled, while its electrical power can last up to 8 hours.

“There is no good or evil, there’s only what people want, and what people need.”

Surge will do what’s necessary to stay on his feet, whether it’s by committing petty crimes, or reducing enemies to ash. Guilt is not a luxury he can afford.

Orphaned from a young age, Surge was raised by both his older brother José, and by the streets of the Bay Area themselves. Braving the concrete jungle left Surge with a multitude of skills, from pickpocketing to parkour. That all ended when Surge suddenly found himself emerging from a blackout. His brother was nowhere to be found, and hot plasma now surged from his fingertips.

With nowhere to go and no one to turn to, Surge lives as a transient on his own, looking for answers to what occurred during his missing time, and to the whereabouts of his brother. While not too privy to heroics, Surge nonetheless joined The Challengers in hopes of it being a first step towards uncovering the truth.

Name: Sergio “Surge” Vasquez

Aliases: None

Age: 18

Race: Human (Mexican descent)

Gender: Male (he/him)

Sexuality: Pansexual

Place of birth: Fremont, CA

Current Residence: San Francisco, CA

Relatives: Jose Vasquez (Brother), Alejandro Vasquez (Father)

Occupation: None

Affiliations: The Challengers

Height: 5’10”

Build: Athletic

Hair: Black, blonde highlights, slicked back

Eyes: Brown

Distinguishing features: Sideburns, dyed hair, tribal tattoo on left arm and chest

Conditions: None

Speech/Voice: Low, smooth, monotone

Preferred Outfit: Gray T-Shirt, Leather Jacket, punk trousers, steel-toed boots, fingerless gloves

Accessories: Piercings on left eyebrow and right ear, wallet chain, father’s dog tags

Traits: Stoic, Hardened, Pragmatic, Stern, Protective

Flaws: Blunt, Callous, Apathetic, Stubborn

Likes: Classic rock, punk aesthetic, sleight of hand tricks (knife spinning, card magic, etc.), urban exploration

Dislikes: Deep water, talkative people, authority figures, superstition, wastefulness

Radiation: Surge’s body produces an isotope of carbon that constantly gives off radiation through nuclear decay. Surge’s body converts and stores this radiation as energy, which can be used to ionize gasses in the air.

Heat Generation: Surge can direct and condense the energy stored in his body, which can generate heat in excess of 2000°F. 

Plasma Generation: Surge can generate fully ionized plasma, which can reach up to 14,000°F and explode on impact.

Electricity Generation: Surge can absorb electrons from ionized particles, and use these to create an electrostatic discharge anywhere up to 1 million volts at full power.

Fire Generation: Surge can use radiation to form hydrogen gas through nuclear electrolysis of water vapor, and use this as a fuel to create flames, ignited by his heat generation.

Light Generation: By generating and condensing energy, Surge can produce light through incandescence. Surge can release light in flashes of up to 7 megacandela, enough to temporarily blind and disorient enemies.

Survival: Surge is knowledgeable in wilderness and urban survival skills, including first aid, navigation, the gathering and preparation of food and water, as well as general “street smarts”.

Parkour: Surge is skilled in traversing urban environments using acrobatic maneuvers, sometimes using his powers as a means of extra propulsion.

Pickpocketing: Surge is experienced in using misdirection and sleight of hand to steal items from people’s pockets, often using a light shock as a distraction.

Bilingual: Surge is fluent in English and Spanish.

Butterfly Knife: Usually resorted to when energy is depleted.

• Surge must recharge his powers after heavy or continuous use. This happens passively and cannot be consciously controlled or accelerated.
• Surge is able to keep himself afloat, but is generally a poor swimmer and prefers to stay away from deep water.

“People call me a monster, but in my experience, real monsters tend to look a lot more human.”

In recent times, a new urban legend has spread throughout the Bay Area: The Rooftop Lizard, a cryptid whose shining eyes could be spotted gazing from dark rooftops. In reality, behind the teeth and claws is just a shy kid wanting anything but to scare people.

Thorn had always been the quiet one, keeping to himself and doing his best to be unassuming. That became difficult however, when his skin began to turn scaly and horns sprouted from his head. Unbeknownst to him, Thorn’s absent father was a Draconian, a member of a secret society of bipedal dragon-like aliens living on Earth. Thorn’s Draconian DNA had been lying dormant, and he was now undergoing a metamorphosis into his true alien hybrid self. Humiliated at what he was becoming and terrified of what would happen should anyone find out, Thorn saw no choice but to run away from home, eventually finding himself living on his own on the rooftops of San Francisco.

Years later, having completed his transformation, Thorn had resigned to surviving on his own as a scavenger. Any attempt to approach people had just been met with screams, until he met The Challengers. He accepted their invitation to join them, just happy for some form of company. In doing so, he hopes to use his condition for good, and to show the world not just what he is, but who he is.

Name: Jeremy “Thorn” Thornton

Aliases: The Rooftop Lizard

Age: 16

Race: Draconian/Human Hybrid (Irish descent)

Gender: Male (he/him)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Place of birth: Dublin, CA

Current Residence: San Francisco, CA

Relatives: Mary Thornton (mother), Kol Ameldar (father)

Occupation: None

Affiliations: The Challengers

Height: 6’6”

Build: Lean, gangly

Hair: Dirty blonde, curtained

Eyes: Hazel

Distinguishing features: Smooth green snake-like scales, dragon shaped face and snout, pointed teeth and fangs, 12 inch long pointed tongue, large pointed ears, short horns, 3 spikes on either side of jaw, large eyes with slitted pupils, reflective irises, claws on hands and feet, three-toed feet, 5-foot long tail, dragon-like wings

Conditions: Social Anxiety, Stutter, Infertile due to genetic hybridization

Speech/Voice: Nasal, soft, a bit higher pitched than one would expect

Preferred Outfit: Green hoodie with white trim, blue polyester pants with flame design, black sandals

Accessories: Claw Necklace

Traits: Wary, Awkward, Compassionate, Sincere, Loyal

Flaws: Timid, Naive, Meek, Reliant

Likes: Ice Cream, singing, beaches / the ocean, plants and gardens, prog rock

Dislikes: Crowds, loud noises, arguments, dishonesty

Draconian Physiology: Thorn is a hybrid of Human and Draconian origin, possessing the strengths of both species, including physical attributes that far exceed human standards. He makes use of his claws, teeth, and tail during hand-to-hand combat.

Superhuman Strength: Thorn is capable of lifting at least 2 tons. 

Enhanced Durability: Thorn’s body is resistant to injury, particularly blunt force trauma. He can withstand impacts, falls, and explosions that would normally incapacitate or kill a human.

Enhanced Stamina: Thorn’s blood has a higher oxygen capacity than a human’s, and his muscles produce fewer fatigue toxins. This allows him to physically exert himself for extended periods of time without getting fatigued, as well as hold his breath for upwards of 15 minutes.

Adaptive Metabolism: Thorn’s metabolism offers resistance to toxins, drugs, and disease, and can allow him to go months without food.

Singing: Thorn has an exceptional tenor singing voice.

• Although resistant to poisons and drugs, Thorn is not immune to them, and is susceptible to sedation from very high doses.
• Thorn’s claws are not razor sharp, but have dull, rounded off tips. They are sharp and hard enough to rip through things with applied force, but not sharp enough to scratch or cut.
• As a result of his hybridization, Thorn’s wings are more vestigial than functional, and are too small to sustain flight. He can, however, use them for short bursts of thrust, and to soften falls.

“I’ve always lived by two words- Be beautiful.”

They say beauty is only skin-deep, and underneath is where the true facets lie. Jewel does her best to look for those facets in the world and bring them to the surface for all to see, and not always metaphorically.

Jewel’s mother passed when Jewel was young, leaving behind her, her sibling Trace, and her father Nikolai. Among her mother’s remnant belongings was a necklace adorned with a large quartz crystal, a memento that Jewel would never take off. Unbeknownst to Jewel, this crystal held a powerful secret that she would not become aware of until a pivotal moment some years later.

In a bizarre series of events, Jewel’s sibling Trace was subject to an experimental procedure that left their mind stuck in the body of an animal- a gray wolf. While seeking help from Helios Corp in San Francisco, Jewel learned of her father’s plans to hand Trace over to the corporation for them to be dissected and studied. It was then that Jewel’s crystal necklace revealed its true nature: it housed the God Particle “Krystallos”, a relic of the universe that grants the ability to form and control crystalline matter.

Using her newfound powers, Jewel fought her way through the facility, gravely maiming her father in the process, and escaped with Trace. On the run in an unfamiliar city, Jewel joined The Challengers along with Trace, vowing to use her new powers to keep her sibling safe and help any others in need along the way.

Name: Julia “Jewel” Volkov

Aliases: None

Age: 18

Race: Human (Slavic descent)

Gender: Female (she/her)

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Place of birth: South Lake Tahoe, CA

Current Residence: San Francisco, CA

Relatives: Tracy “Trace” Volkov (Sibling), Dr. Nikolai “Nick” Volkov (Father), Dr. Davorin "Dav" Volkov (Uncle)

Occupation: None

Affiliations: The Challengers

Height: 5’6”

Build: Curvy

Hair: Pale blonde, straight, bangs

Eyes: Turquoise

Distinguishing features: None

Conditions: None

Speech/Voice: Breathy, ethereal

Preferred Outfit: Light Blue T-shirt, white pants, black and white winter coat (usually tied around waist), tall gray furred boots

Accessories: 2 blue bracelets on left wrist, white gem-studded waist belt, silver earrings

Traits: Passionate, Creative, Graceful, Vigilant, Bold

Flaws: Neurotic, Dubious, Sheltered

Likes: Visual arts, cosmetology, animals, nature/landscapes, traveling, new wave

Dislikes: Disorganization, greed, monotony, being coddled

Jewel possesses no inherent powers of her own.

Skilled Artist: Jewel is skilled in drawing and painting, particularly impressionistic pieces done ein plein air.

Winter Sports: Jewel is an experienced ice skater, skier, and snowboarder, and often uses her skills in combination with her powers for transportation.

Krystallos: The quartz crystal in Jewel’s necklace houses the God Particle “Krystallos”, which empowers the user with the ability to create and manipulate crystalline minerals.

Crystallization: At the user’s will, Krystallos can release pulses of energy through a solution, manipulating and gathering atoms into nucleation points from which crystals can form. The forced supersaturation of atoms accelerates crystal growth, forming meters-long crystals in a matter of seconds. Jewel most commonly creates crystals in the form of quartz due to the abundance of silica in the Earth’s crust.

Mineral Manipulation: Krystallos can generate energy fields that repel matter through a form of diamagnetism. While these fields technically affect all matter, material with crystal lattice structure is affected strongly enough to levitate. The user of Krystallos is able to generate and alter these energy fields at will, thus manipulating crystalline minerals suspended in them.

Ice Manipulation: Water ice, being a crystalline mineral, is just as viable to crystallization and manipulation by Krystallos as rock crystal.

Other Minerals: Krystallos can theoretically manipulate any form of crystalline matter, including polycrystals such as metal, salt, sugar, sand, or even biominerals such as those found in bone.

• Without Krystallos, Jewel is limited to the physical capabilities of a normal unpowered human.
• Using Krystallos requires adequate control and concentration. Its usability can be hindered by mental fatigue or impairment.
• Purity is a major factor in a mineral’s manipulability by Krystallos. Because of this, it is usually more reliable for Jewel to manipulate crystals formed herself rather than existing ones from the environment.
• While Krystallos can manipulate minerals with a polycrystalline structure, they are generally much more difficult to manipulate than true crystals.