Avatar
Hudson City
Where Heroes Lose Their Innocence
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Played by:
Bodycast: Goes By: Status: Age: Occupation: Special Abilities:
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Bunty
Aaron Eckhart Edison Palmer Alive 33 Art dealer Sweet talking son of a preacher man
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Impressions
Romantic Relationships |
First Impression:
Quietly confident and approachable, someone you would want to get to know better. He's a habitual charmer, though not in a blatant kind of way; he just makes it his business to be likable and trustworthy. It'll be interesting to see how long that impression lasts. 
Reader Impression:
A smooth manipulator and role player who can't turn it off; a hustler who can't stop hustling. An unstable personality who needs to control things, especially how other people perceive him, to feel safe.
Physical Appearance:
Six feet tall and strapping, handsome in a square-jawed kind of way but not remarkably so. Blue eyes, dirty blond hair. Dresses for comfort but with a bit of style, like jeans with a nice shirt, adding to his all-American vibe.
Noticeable Stats:
PRE of 18 with a bunch of social skills to go along with it. He's very good at drawing people out.
Powers, Skills and Disads of Note:
Avatar is highly perceptive and very good at reading people and making inferences about their personalities, motivations, and even history.
He also has Vague Psychic Powers which are meant to provide color and plot devices. He gets random flashes off objects, or of people's thoughts. If anyone wants to feed me little tidbits, PM me. It would be a 2-for-1 on character development; you get to introduce info about your character in a novel way, and I get to show Avatar's powers.
No one had to tell Ed Palmer that life was a joke with a bad punch line. He'd known that longer than he could recall. He'd lost his real family in a dim calamity best forgotten. His tenure in the foster care system, though punctuated with brief episodes of violence and trauma, was largely a long dull wait for something, anything, to happen. The world was rigged against him, and he had to get someplace where he could change the rules.
When the Carnacki Caravan came to town, Ed knew he'd found his chance. Thanks to the Jim Rose Circus and the new burlesque movement, there was a market for retro entertainment like this sideshow. It was a world of illusion that Ed found fascinating. More importantly, he felt something pass between the mindreader and his assistant, some tickle in his brain that told him these people were special in the same way that Ed was special. Several days after the Caravan moved on, Ed left his small-town life forever to follow it and beg for a job.
“Carnacki” the mentalist wasn't fooled when Ed lied about his age. But he could see the young man had unusual gifts that might blossom amongst similar talents. Besides, the fat lady had just quit. Ed began a rigorous apprenticeship, doing all the physical labor and menial tasks that no one else wanted to do, while learning the tricks of the mentalist trade: public speaking, misdirection, sleight of hand, and the art of the cold reading. Only when Ed was a skilled huckster, able to bamboozle skeptics without using his psychic gifts, were he and his "guardian angel" allowed to stop on stage as Murkesh the Medium, materializing the spirits of the recently departed.
These were the happiest years of Ed's life. He was making good money. His act became the centerpiece of the show. And sometimes, when he shared a bottle with Big Egypt the bellydancer and Bruno the fire eater, he thought this must be what a family felt like. Still, it got boring to do the same act night after night. Ed wasn't too broken up when Carnacki retired and the performers went their separate ways. He didn't need them. All he needed was his moneymaker, his guardian angel.
Ed set himself up as a "consulting medium" in San Francisco. In some ways, this was even easier than his sideshow routine: the marks wanted to believe him, and they happily ignored his gaffes as he perfected his routine. It was a much more complicated game, but Ed knew that every game in life can be learned and rigged. In just a few months he was making big bucks doing psychic readings and seances for the idle rich. In just a few months more he had perfected his act, and headed to Miami to start over.
It was in Miami that Ed met his second mentor, Jack. Ed was never sure what real name was. Jack was a confidence man, a master at the fine art of separating people from their money by playing on their weaknesses. With his equally sharp and skilled girlfriend, Susan, he led a small long-con team that needed a clever, silver-tongued devil to rope in the marks. Ed was delighted to come on board. It was the most complex, daring and profitable game yet. And the most challenging, because Jack and Susan prized nerve and skill, not Ed's more peculiar talents.
Not surprisingly, Ed took to the long-con like a duck to water, usually working as the roper who set up the rich and unscrupulous to get stung by Jack's variation on the old wire game. The tale was that Jack had a line on Google search histories, and had created an algorithm that used this stolen data to predict fluctuations in the stock market. Jack had spend all his money creating this sweet setup, leaving him with no capital to invest to take advantage of it. So Jack was willing to bring the mark in on the deal in return for a commission on the profit. Of course the only profit made was by Jack and his gang, who took the money and ran.
Eventually, Ed got to be too good. Jack and Susan had enjoyed making him their pet and teaching him how to play the game. But when he got to be their equal, he became a threat. Not to their operation - sometimes there really is honor among thieves - but to their personal relationship. Jack and Susan loved each other, but it was a wise and practical love that would not tolerate a smart and attractive third wheel. After an intoxicating three years the sexual tension was too much, and they gave him the brush.
Ed didn't know what to do with himself. He had a sizable nest egg, but it wouldn't last him the rest of his life. He didn't see any palatable way to go legit, since he had no education or experience he could put on a resume. And he wasn't sure he was good enough to put together his own con team. Where he would he even begin?
His next few years were aimless. He would travel for months, sometimes to pull short cons but mostly for pleasure. Several times he set up shop again as a medium, but that game seemed too simple now. He decided he should educate himself, but books on history and literature and economics couldn't hold his attention. He gravitated to true crime stories, and books about the occult and parapsychology. His nest egg was dwindling.
He was in an art gallery in Los Angeles, marveling over the prices charged for the ugliest paintings he'd ever seen, when he realized he'd forgotten something obvious. The straight world was crooked too! There was no barrier to him going legit. It was just a matter of learning how to work another crooked game in his favor. All he had to do was get close to the rich and powerful, find their weak spots, and start massaging them. Loosen up some money from someone who had too much, and put it into a real business. Real estate maybe, or a nightclub, or even an art gallery. Hell, if anyone could sell those shitty paintings it was him.
Ed chose Hudson City as his new base. It was a city he'd never worked, a fresh canvas. Amazingly, he caught a lucky break right away: he struck up a friendship, based on drinking and tall tales, with Umberto DiSantiago. Through Umberto, tales began to spread of this stranger on the fringes of Hudson City's glitterati, a trust fund brat from the East Coast with old money and weird stories about brushes with the supernatural. Edison was the flavor of the month, and he used all his charm and psychic gifts to leverage himself into the right circles permanently. The more jaded of the Hudson elite saw Edison as an upstart, a hanger-on, and quite possibly a scam artist. But others were mesmerized, especially those he did discreet favors for, using his psychic abilities to give brutally on-target advice and ferret out secrets.
Edison thought Umberto didn't buy into the psychic trip. Was it desperation or shrewdness that brought him to ask for Edison's help in the disappearance of his cousin? That flash of hidden depths was soon buried under effusive gratitude when Edison found the poor girl, even though it was too late. Umberto promised Edison the moon for his service. Newly cautious about the DiSantiagos, Edison merely asked for a small, no-interest loan to start an art gallery. In a neat bit of finessing, he brought George Melville in on the deal. The younger heir to Melville Shipping, George was a bookish type who was a disappointment to his nouveau riche father. Edison convinced Paul Melville that his son would thrive as co-owner of a gallery, and got the man to put up the other half of the necessary seed money.
Now Edison had a legitimate platform from which to push into Hudson City's upper echelon. He also found he had a steady trickle of people seeking him out with problems more unusual than what to hang in the living room. These were distractions but intriguing ones, much more interesting than establishing himself on the art scene. Edison figured he had the city wired. He only found out out much he had underestimated the DiSantiagos when they offered him a position on The Conquistadors. And not just as a consultant; not only did they know about his little telepathic gift, they knew about his guardian angel.
You have to step carefully when people hold higher cards than you, so Edison took the offer. Besides, being a superhero sounded like the craziest game he'd ever played. And he liked winning games.
"What does a chameleon see when it looks in a mirror?"
Edison thinks the world is full of stupid people, and stupid people deserve what they get. He only looks out for number one, and enjoys the game of manipulating people to achieve his own ends. He can be cruel but he's not malicious; he wouldn't target someone truly defenseless, if only because that's no challenge. If money or prestige aren't on the line he can be genuinely friendly and likable. Otherwise, he knows how to flatter, charm, and generally use his natural charisma to ingratiate himself. Most people fall for his charm offensive. Only a few think he tries too hard, and fewer still find him distant and cynical. He believes he knows all there is to know about human nature, and all he cares to know about the games of society, but the world of true magic fascinates him.
Edison looks like a blue-eyed all-American guy who's just started going to seed. He's tall, broad shouldered, and fairly fit; he goes to the gym 2 or 3 times a week. His dirty blond hair, which is starting to recede, is cut medium length and usually carefully styled to look unstyled. He is always nicely dressed, in clothes that are fashionable or slightly artsy without being ostentatious; typically a suit jacket with matching pants over a graphic T or colorful shirt. As Avatar, he wears a loose gray business suit, with matching gloves and mask, over a bodysuit of ballistic material. He sometimes completes the look with a randomly chosen wig and/or fake facial hair and/or "mystic" costume jewelry. (It's all about misdirection.)
Edison has erratic ESP. He sometimes knows what people are thinking, and he picks up residual psychic energy from objects (psychometry.) Both of these abilities are weak and unpredictable, but they dovetail nicely with his experience as a circus mentalist. He is adept at sizing people up quickly, and getting them to volunteer information by convincing them he knows more than he actually does. He has also demonstrated some minor telekinetic talent. His most impressive ability, though to date the least used, is his ability to project a sort of astral form, a doppleganger of psionic energy. This construct can interact with or ignore the physical world as Edison wills; it can fly and move through walls, as well as pick things up and deliver a jolt of raw psychic energy. Edison prefers to avoid violence, but if it comes to a fight he will unleash his avatar then slip away or hide. In his younger days he wasn't a stranger to bar room brawls, but he has no illusions about his ability to go toe to toe with tweakers, superhumans, and who knows what else.
Runs an up-and-coming contemporary art gallery with his business partner, George Melville. Likes to party with the rich and famous, especially Umberto DiSantiago. Sometimes does consulting work, on the QT, for Detective Marisol Cruz of the HCPD.
| Name: Umberto DiSantiago Sex: M Age: 30 Status: alive, single Descriptor: Weaselly spoiled rich boy. Compared to the rest of his family he's a bit crass and unsophisticated, but you can still spot the silver spoon from a mile away. Handsome, but often has dark circles under his eyes from all the partying. "Works" as a lawyer specializing in the entertainment field, and talks about becoming a music producer. |
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| Name: Detective Marisol Cruz Sex: F Age: late 30s Status: alive, engaged Descriptor: A short, fit-looking woman of Brazilian descent, with close-cropped dark hair. She's Edison's contact in the Homicide Department; she's used him on several cases and respects his abilities, although she doesn't much like him. But then, she's too focused on her job to take much of a personal interest in anyone. |
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Name: George Melville |
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| Name: Amanda Gallagher Sex: F Age: she's been 40 for at least 5 years Status: alive, divorced Descriptor: A tall, bony bottle blonde with penetrating eyes, she is a (very discreet) astrologer to the rich and famous. |
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| Name: The Broker Sex: M Age: unknown Status: alive Descriptor: A short, olive complected man with a palpable aura of confidence and power. Rumored to be over 200 years old, and a major player in the world of magic. |
Knowledge of Other Characters:
Once had a memorable encounter with Raphael DiSantiago. Met Nemesis and Ardent in the Devil Within storyline.
Nothing serious. He has dated some of Hudson City's more notable women, and can often be seen squiring someone to an event. These relationships never last, and some have speculated that Ed is a walker, a gigolo, or both.
Having spent most of his life wandering the country, Edison has decided to settle down and live something like a normal life in Hudson City - a life he is starting to find boring. The accumulation of money, prestige and security is going too slowly for his taste. But he needs all those things to pursue his true passion, the study of the occult. Edison is convinced that real magic exists, and that he can master it...given enough time and resources.
Shares a birthday with Thomas Alva Edison.
Section A - History
Question 1: When you were a child – what was your favorite toy?
Do video games count? I just about wore out this old Atari 5200 I got at a yard sale. Later it was Nintendo. I knew every secret in every Mario Brothers game.
Question 2: Who was your best friend when you were eight? Are you still in touch? If not, why not?
I was bouncing between group homes then. I guess my "best friend" was my imaginary friend Frankie - I used to pretend I had an older brother who looked out for me. Pretty obvious fantasy for a ward of the state.
Question 3: What was your best school memory?
Recess...gym class...the 3:00 bell...get the picture? I never liked school.
Question 4: What was the highest level of school you attended?
I dropped out of high school when I was, what, 16? A junior. Should have waited to graduate, but a year feels like forever when you're a teenager.
Question 5: Why did you leave home, how old were you?
Like I said, I was 16. I ran away to join the circus. Seriously. Okay, not literally. There was this carnival that came through San Bernardino, and they had this Jim Rose Circus-style sideshow with fire eaters and stuff like that. There was this mentalist who did a mind-reading act, and I immediately knew he was like me - he could see things other people couldn't see. I had this crazy romantic idea that ''this'' was where I truly belonged. And I stayed with the act for almost ten years, so maybe it wasn't that crazy.
Section B – Family Life
Question 1: Did you have brothers or sisters? Are you close to them? Do they live nearby? (provide names as necessary)
I went through a few foster care situations and group homes, so in a way I had dozens of brothers and sisters. There were a couple I tried to stay in touch with - this girl Rosalie and I were penpals for a bit, and Jim and I would hang out after school because we ended up in the same town - but I have no idea where any of them are today.
Question 2: What was the most important thing your mom (or dad or both) taught you when you were a kid?
Not to keep the paint cans and kerosene-soaked rags next to the water heater. Just a little dark humor there. My parents died when I was very young. I barely remember them. I don't know if this is the kind of thing you mean, but there was this caseworker from Catholic Charities who probably never knew what an effect she had on me. We didn't have any After School Special moments, it's just that she never talked down to me and I always appreciated that. She really treated me like a person, and I needed that. You could say she taught me to believe in myself.
Question 3: Are you married? How long? Do you have kids? (please provide names as necessary)
Never married, no kids. Never even came close (to marriage, anyway.)
Question 4: When was the last time you saw your mom and dad?
see above
Question 5: Did your parents divorce? If so, how old were you and why?
Jeez, see above.
Question 6: How happy was your childhood? ... On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the highest)
What is this, a movie review? One thumb up.
Section C - Personality
Question 1: What would you say your best character trait is?
Independence.
Question 2: What would your friends say your worst character trait is?
Laziness.
Question 3: Do you have a best friend? What is their name, how long have you been friends?
I guess George, my business partner, is my closest friend. I don't know if "best" sounds right, because we've only known each other for about a year and we haven't traded any deep dark secrets; but he's a good guy and we spend a lot of time together.
Question 4: What personal items are on your work desk?
Some Houdini memorabilia, a Kali figurine, a maneki neko, some Santeria candles, stuff like that. I'm not superstitious, I just find it all interesting.
Question 5: When was the last time you took a vacation, where did you go?
Since I moved to Hudson City I haven't taken a "real" vacation, just a few weekend getaways. But before that I spent about a year traveling the world.
Section D – Your Secret Life
Question 1: What is your job? Do you enjoy it? How long have you been in it?
I'm co-owner of an art gallery. To be honest I don't know much about art, but I'm learning. Admittedly a lot of times it's boring - you just sit in the gallery all day and try to look busy when people come in - but I enjoy it. Beats working for a living.
Question 2: What are the personal items on your work desk?
As above.
Question 3: If you are involved, does your significant other know about your Heroic identity?
Not much going on in that department at the moment. If I had an S.O. I would tell them I'm psychic - it's not easy to hide anyway, because I can't always control it - but I don't think I'd tell them about Avatar.
Question 4: When you go out for a night on the town, what do you wear? Where do you go?
People judge you by your appearance, so I always make sure I dress appropriately, especially if it's an art opening or high class party. On my own I'm not that fancy, I'm just as happy to catch a movie or concert, go to a dive bar, or just stay in and read.
Question 5: Do you have any weekly recreational activities?
Most weekends I go club hopping with Umberto DiSantiago and that crowd. Sometimes Berto and I play golf. Golf is a sad excuse for a sport, but it's a rich man's past time so it's a good way to meet the right kind of people.
Question 6: You care about being fashionable? ... On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the highest) -- 4
Section E – Your Heroic Life
Question 1: How did you get your powers? (short version)
Just born lucky, I guess. I've had them as long as I can remember.
Question 2: Who was the first criminal you captured? What was the crime?
Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not exactly Batman. I do work sometimes for the Hudson City PD, and I've given them information that has helped close some investigations. The first one was a kidnapping case, but that's a long story for another time.
Question 3: Have you ever saved someone’s life (in costume)? Give a brief description of the incident.
Not yet.
Question 4: Who gave you your heroic name? Why?
I picked it. It's hipper than Astral Projection Guy.
Question 5: What happened the first time your powers manifested, how old were you?
I can't remember a time when I couldn't sense things. My "avatar" came to protect me at night when I was around ten. I thought it was some kind of guardian angel. It was months before I realized it was a projection of my own mind.
Section F – Miscellaneous
Question 1: The last time you attended church was? What kind of church was it? (if any)
Organized religion is the biggest con job in the history of man. If god exists, he's nothing like the dude you hear about in church.
Question 2: Have you ever been summoned for Jury duty, were you selected, what was the case?
Never been summoned. Until recently I never stayed in one place long enough.
Question 3: Please tell me what you are passionate about and why? (arts, music, sports, food, movies, etc.)
All my life I've been interested in the occult, parapsychology, whatever you want to call it. Even when I was a kid I read about that stuff constantly. Since then I've watched fakirs, gone to seances, investigated hauntings, read grimoires, you name it. I'm not an easy guy to fool -I've been a magician and I've been a grifter - and I have seen some weird shit that I can't explain. I want to know more.
Question 4: What is in your wallet or purse? How many keys are on your key chain?
My wallet has the usual stuff. Let's see: about eighty bucks in cash, some ATM receipts, credit cards, driver's license, HMO card, a hotel room key I forgot to throw out, gym membership, and my business cards. I have cards for the gallery and cards that just say ''consultant.'' Should I count my keys? There's my car key, two keys for the condo, two for the gallery, the key to the lockbox in my closet, safe deposit box, the safe deposit box in L.A., the storage space in Jersey, and...huh...I don't remember what this one is for. Anyway, that's ten.
Question 5: Describe your ideal day?
Wake up at noon, jet off to Mexico for a great meal and to explore Incan ruins, then hot tubbing and dessert with Brangelina.
Question 6: You dislike having your powers?
Are you kidding? I feel bad for people who don't have powers. Besides, I've pretty much made a living off my powers for my entire adult life.
January - March 2009
What has your character been doing on the team? How are they proactively contributing, if at all?
Other than getting to know everyone (and doing whatever research on them he can do without attracting attention) Avatar has been investigating the supernatural side of Hudson City, particularly the Succubus Club. He may not be sharing everything he learns about the Club. He will have touched base with Ardent, and probably Henry Hudson, and identified any other potentially useful contacts.
What has your Character been doing outside of the team?
Trying to understand Trinity's book, and doing a little digging on the teammates. And usual real life stuff: running the gallery, doing the occasional case for the police, etc.
How is your character faring in boot camp? Any weaknesses or strengths that the others would pick up on?
Having a healthy sense of self-preservation, Avatar has been taking boot camp very seriously. He doesn't have a lot of fighting experience so it's probably been going slowly. His big tactic is to get out of the way and send his avatar into the fray. He's not a combat monster: he has low defenses and doesn't hit very hard other than the Ego Blast.
Has your character been living at the Cathedral? If not, where?
Ed has his own place in Bayside, but crashes at the Cathedral once or twice a week.
Has your character revealed his secret identity to anyone? If so, who?
He might have revealed it to Heatwave, to impress her that he trusts her.
Has your character developed a special relationship with another character? Do anything over and above for them? (example would be: Stone ordering Pizza and a beer for Heatwave when she's on monitor duty while suspended.)
It would be presumptuous for me to just decide he has a special relationship with another character, but here's how I imagine things could go. In general, Ed plays to the people around him. With Soldier Boy, Ed will be more relaxed and rowdy. Around Phaze he'd be flirtatious, taciturn with Stone, etc.
Ed the weasel will try to befriend Nemesis and Ophilia. He sort-of likes and admires Nemesis. He's more wary of Ophilia; he doesn't trust psychics.
JACE and Orion are dangerous, and Avatar would tend to (politely) avoid them. Once he's more at home he might try to get to know Orion better.
Ed will identify Heatwave as the person most likely to take him at face value, and cultivate that relationship.
Ed won't respect Celeste or Sebastien, but they're the kind of people he likes to be seen with. So I have no idea how that will go. He'll be trying to figure out how good a shrink Sebastien is, and how much he can be himself around the team therapist.
Stone and Ed could get along great...in theory. Ed is a beer guy trying to be a champagne guy, so he'll find Stone to be refreshing. Problem is, Stone sort of represents what Ed is trying not to be.
What is your character's general mood? Friendly, stand offish, helpful, etc. If it varies from team member to team member be specific.
Ed is good at being likable without being smarmy or trying too hard. He's trying to present himself as someone with arcane knowledge so he'll probably come off a little aloof or stuffy at first, but basically a good guy.
Are there any leads that you bring the team from your old life of crime fighting or that you discover during the 3 months down time?
Avatar will discover that Trinity is the daughter of an old Hudson City family, who until a few years ago was in a "rest home" in upstate New York. He will probably dig up more dirt on the Succubus Club, though again, he has a grudge against them and may not share everything with the team.
He's also spending some time trying to track down any information on his pendant. He strongly suspects it had something to do with his miraculous recovery after the Succubus fiasco, so he'll put some effort into researching it, while at the time being kind of leery about what he'll find.
In terms of story hooks, Edison Palmer is a consultant for the homicide department, and there are possibilities there for side stories.
Anything else worth mentioning? Relationships? Friends?
Ed's personal life probably suffers during the three month gap, as he will be splitting his time between The Conquistadors and his occult research.
(in chronological order)
Two Children and It
We'll Always Have St. Louis
All in a Night's Work
Exorcism for Fun and Profit
Mythbusting (out of continuity?)
Should New Acquaintance Be Forgot
The Broker
The Hanged Man
