Heroes

Signature Heroes

Paragon City is known for its heroes. It is, in fact, known as the City of Heroes. There have been many heroes in Paragon City's history, and there will be many more in its future, but these are some of it's most powerful and important.

Statesman

Secret Identity: Marcus Cole
Origin: Natural
Archetype: Tanker (?)
Primary Powers: Super Strength, Invulnerability (?)

Background: Marcus Cole, also known as the Statesman, has been fighting crime for over 70 years. After unlocking his "inner will" during travels in the Far East in the early part of the 20th Century, Cole returned to his hometown of Paragon City to begin fighting evil as the world's first costumed super hero.

In subsequent years he has lived through and experienced many things; he's survived a nuclear explosion, fought in numerous wars, defeated a transdimensional Nazi version of himself (the Reichsman), founded and lead the Freedom Phalanx, been a member of the Vanguard Elite, and countless other things.

He was an important part of the war effort against the invading Rikti during the Rikti War. His recklessness caused some major destruction to Paragon City, but he quickly realized his mistake and changed tactics to lessen the destruction. In the end, he was one of the few heroes to survive the devastating Rikti invasion.

Read an interview with the Statesman!

Ms. Liberty

Zone: Atlas Park (trainer)
Secret Identity: Jessica Duncan
Origin: Natural
Archetype: Scrapper
Primary Powers: Martial Arts, Invulnerability

Background: Jessica is the granddaughter of the original Miss Liberty from the Golden Age. She has taken up the mantle to fight for freedom, in this specific case to free Paragon City from its infestation of villains. She has heightened strength and endurance as well as the power of the Liberty Belt, which was passed on to her by her grandmother.

Early in her career Ms. Liberty worked extensively with Statesman, but recently seems to be spending more time working on making certain that new heroes in Paragon City have the information they need, as well as working on the Freedom Corps. It is clear that she is determined to do her energetic best to make the Freedom Corps the premiere hero assistance group in Paragon City someday.

Valkyrie

Zone: Steel Canyon (trainer)
Secret Identity: Valerie Kellum
Origin: Technology
Archetype: Scrapper
Primary Powers: Spear, Regeneration

Background: Valerie Kellum was an up-and-coming archeologist exploring Scandinavia when she discovered what she first took for an ancient spear. A more careful examination led to the realization that the spear had a technological component. She traveled around Europe looking for ideas about its origin and ended up in a local Crey facility. When a Crey security team tried to take the weapon from her it activated and injected Valerie with advanced nanites that transformed her into Valkyrie, an extraordinary warrior with a completely different personality. She broke free and traveled to Paragon City where Positron is helping her come to terms with her new identity.

Minx

Zone: Skyway City (trainer)
Secret Identity: Katherine Stevens
Origin: Science
Archetype: Scrapper
Primary Powers: Claws, Super Reflexes

Background: Katherine Stevens was a young girl in the wrong place at the wrong time. While attending Paragon City University, she volunteered for a Crey research project. When the Crey research scientists realized that she had no family and few friends, they decided to try some of their more dangerous procedures on her. A volatile serum transformed Katherine and gave her some feline features and characteristics. Crey considered the result a failure because Katherine could not be controlled. She managed to break free of her captors, scarring the face of one of Crey's top scientists horribly with her claws.

Adopting the Minx identity, Katherine lived on the streets or Paragon City for a time. She got involved in petty crimes to keep herself alive. Synapse discovered her there and helped her develop control of her heightened reflexes and her animalistic nature. She is still undisciplined and prone to overconfidence, but is fiercely loyal to Synapse and grateful for the second chance he has given her.

Malaise

Zone: Independence Port (trainer)
Secret Identity: Jean-Pierre Lourdin
Origin: Mutant
Archetype: Controller
Primary Powers: Illusion Control, Kinetics

Background: Jean-Pierre Lourdin was not always a hero. He began his career as a villain in Europe, using the twisted images in his mind to commit robberies. With INTERPOL hot on his trail he landed in Paragon City, where his broken thoughts were detected by Sister Psyche. She confronted him and after an intense battle was able to subdue him.

She spent months healing the damage to his mind and has taught him more productive uses of his abilities. Sister Psyche vouched for him with the authorities and he has been allowed to help with the current crisis in Paragon City. Many are keeping a watchful eye on Malaise, however, for signs of his madness returning.

Luminary

Zone: Talos Island (trainer)
Secret Identity: None
Origin: Technology
Archetype: Defender
Primary Powers: Radiation Emission, Radiation Blast

Background: The original Luminary is Kit Rafter. He retired from the Freedom Phalanx in 1995 to become the spokesperson for Hero Corps. At his wedding, Positron presented Kit and his new wife Jeanette with the ultimate wedding present: a new android modeled after Jeanette with powers similar to Kit's. This next-generation heroine was the new Luminary, carrying on Kit's fine tradition under the watchful eye of Bastion. Her systems were all more advanced than Bastion's, making her the state of the art in android technology.

The new Luminary has recently shown signs of developing a strong personality. It has caused Positron some concern that it seems similar to Jeanette's. He has performed many tests on her but has not determined the cause.

Swan

Zone: Brickstown (trainer)
Secret Identity: Lena Elliot
Origin: Magic
Archetype: Defender
Primary Powers: Force Field, Psychic Blast

Background: Lena Elliot was touched by magic from the moment she was born on the Vernal Equinox. Her life seemed almost charmed; she grew up happy, did well in school and loved her parents very much. Everything she tried she seemed to succeed at. There was a reason for her good fortune. Both her parents were powerful mystics, and performed a ceremony to bless Lena's birth.

Shortly after her 21st birthday the Elliot's luck ran out. They got caught in the middle of a battle between the Circle of Thorns and the 5th Column. The groups were seeking a pair of rings that had been in the Elliot family for generations. Lena's powers manifested and she instinctively threw a protective shield up around herself and her parents. Manticore had been following the 5th Column group and came to the Elliot's aid. The battle was going poorly when Lena lashed out with her psychic abilities, stunning many of the villains. Manticore mopped up the rest, but not before the 5th Column managed to escape with Lena's parents.

Manticore offered Lena the chance to fight at his side and she jumped at the opportunity. As Swan, she aids him in his relentless war against the 5th Column, in the hopes that one day she will find her parents alive.

Infernal

Zone: Founder's Falls (trainer)
Secret Identity: K'Varr D'Shall
Origin: Magic
Archetype: Tanker
Primary Powers: Fiery Aura, Battle Axe

Background: K'Varr D'Shall was the most skilled demon binder in the Order of the Crimson Lotus, on an alternate Earth. His order bound demons into their weapons and armor, in order to keep Infernal Earth from being overrun by them. They were maintaining and uneasy peace until K'Varr's best friend T'Keron grew jealous of his comrade's power and skill. T'Keron attempted to bind Valmaz, Lord of Demons, but lost control of the ceremony. K'Varr arrived to help his friend, but it was too late. K'Varr, T'Keron, and Valmaz were all drawn through a dimensional rip caused by the binding ceremony onto primal Earth, our Earth. T'Keron and the Demon Lord were bound together by the potent mystic forces.

The ways of our world are strange to K'Varr but Numina is assisting him in becoming acclimated and beginning his search for the unholy fusion of T'Keron and Valmaz.

Back Alley Brawler

Zone: Galaxy City (trainer)
Secret Identity: Michael White
Origin: Natural
Archetype: Tanker
Primary Powers: Invulnerability, Super Strength

Background: Michael was the son of a gang enforcer. He joined the Paragon City police force to try and make a difference. When he realized that was not getting the job done he adopted the name and costume of a hero, the Back Alley Brawler. Michael used training techniques from all over the world to toughen his resistance and increase his strength. All through the late 70's and the 80's, he fought in the streets and alleys, of the city. The Brawler briefly went into retirement after that, but came back out to help with the Rikti war. Now he coordinates the efforts of heroes in King's Row.

Blue Steel

Zone: Kings Row (trainer)
Secret Identity: Unknown
Origin: Unknown
Archetype: Unknown
Primary Powers: Unknown

Background: Unknown

Positron

Zone: Steel Canyon (task force)
Secret Identity: Dr. Raymond Keyes
Origin: Science
Archetype: Blaster
Primary Powers: Energy Blast, Energy Manipulation

Background: Dr. Raymond Keyes developed a high-tech battle suit that allowed him to channel bolts of anti-matter into fierce attacks. He used his powers to help defeat the Rikti, but at a terrible cost-due to injuries he sustained at that time, he lost full control of his powers. Now, to protect others from himself, he remains imprisoned within his battle suit.

He is constantly searching for a cure for his condition, but that does not stop him from contributing to the defense of Paragon City and contributing many other technological breakthroughs for the good of all.

Synapse

Zone: Skyway City (task force)
Secret Identity: Steven Berry
Origin: Science
Archetype: Blaster
Primary Powers: Electrical Blast, Electricity Manipulation, Superspeed

Background: Steven Berry was just an average man, until Crey Industries got hold of him. The Crey scientists were testing a number of radical procedures for inducing super powers. Steven was blasted with high doses of electricity for days. It amplified the electrical energy in his body, giving him the ability to harness it into super speed and electrical blasts. Synapse escaped Crey's clutches by shorting out the lab where he was kept prisoner. To this day, Crey executives deny any knowledge of the project in which Synapse was an unwilling participant.

Bastion

Zone: Talos Island (task force)
Secret Identity: None
Origin: Technological
Archetype: Tanker
Primary Powers: Invulnerability, Energy Melee

Background: Bastion was the very first android hero. In the initial Rikti onslaught, he took heavy damage, and was almost completely destroyed. With Positron's help, scientists at DATA created a second version of Bastion using the old model's original memory core and the remnants of a power suit, once worn by the hero Horatio. Bastion does not fully understand human ways, but he is a valiant defender of Paragon City.

Manticore

Zone: Brickstown (task force)
Secret Identity: Justin Sinclair
Origin: Natural
Archetype: Blaster
Primary Powers: Bow, Gadgets

Background: Justin Sinclair was raised in a huge mansion in the outskirts of Paragon City by his English nanny, Virginia Bowman. The sole beneficiary of a huge trust fund, Manticore received training in all manner of mental and physical pursuits, but excelled in archery. When he turned 18, Miss Bowman revealed to him his true heritage. Manticore's father had once been a costumed vigilante in England, until he and his wife died at the hands of a German villain called Doppelganger. Deeply affected by the story, Manticore took up his father's mantle and vowed to bring the 5th Column down.

Numina

Zone: Founder's Falls (task force)
Secret Identity: Tammy Arcanus
Origin: Magic
Archetype: Controller
Primary Powers: Mental Control, Empathy

Background: Numina was born Tammy Arcanus, daughter of Tommy Arcanus of the Midnight Squad. Tommy delved so deeply into the metaphysical that his very being was affected, and Tammy was born with magical powers. Early in her super-powered career, Tammy joined the Midnight Squad. In the 1960s, she and her team were sent into a series of caverns surrounding the Earth's molten core. It was there that the Red Threat, a Soviet villain, intended to destroy the world.

To save the Earth, Tammy possessed the body of the Red Threat. She minimized the damage, but her body was destroyed. Her consciousness survived, trapped within the Red Threat until he was killed in prison during the Rikti Invasion. Tammy's astral form was at last free. She renamed herself Numina and threw herself into the war against the Rikti. In the war's aftermath, Numina uses her abilities to nurture the next generation of heroes.

Sister Psyche

Zone: Independence Port (task force)
Secret Identity: Shalice Tilman
Origin: Mutant
Archetype: Controller
Primary Powers: Mind Control, Empathy

Background: Shalice Tilman was born with powerful mental powers. She used her psychic abilities to help defeat the Rikti. Her efforts during the Rikti War temporarily burned out her powers, and she fell into a coma. Since then she has shared the form of a young heroine, who is the current Sister Psyche. Only time will tell if Shalice will be able to return to her body.