ALTER EGO SPOTLIGHT: DRYAD

Brandy Lois Flanders, nee Kirk

Married to the hero known as Figulus

Mother of one daughter, Sara

City of Operations: Pittsburgh, PA

LIVE GAME ANNOUNCEMENT

Our next live game at Chad and Ellen's house will take place on January 21. Mark your calendars.

ONLINE GAME ANNOUNCEMENT AND FINAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF LOSER STATUS...

At the suggestion of the Mantis, I have finally acknowledged that I AM a LOSER. As such, instead of doing anything "normal" on new years eve, I am scheduling a SATURDAY NIGHT FREE FOR ALL online for a DC HEROES/BLOOD OF HEROES game for the first five to post here or email me their intention to participate. Bryan, Roxanne, and Ellen have all indicated they will participate, which leaves two slots open on Skype (since Ellen will be with me here). Give up on going with mainstream society this year. Let your journey to geekdom be complete. PLAY BLOOD OF HEROES ONLINE ON NEW YEAR'S EVE!!!

DISCLAIMER: Due to short notice on this game, the plot may be a bit thin. Don't be surprised if this game consists of "danger room" battles or the cliche' of "a huge robot/lizard/alien/monster starts rampaging in the city!"

MISSING WOMAN TURNS UP WITH JOKER, ALTERCATION ENDS WITH 5 DEAD

From the Albany Herald:

Late yesterday afternoon police, FBI, and PTA agents were summoned to the home of Peter Watson, on reports that Watson's wife, missing and presumed kidnapped for almost three days, had reappeared and was attacking Mr. Watson on the front lawn. However, by the time law enforcement officials arrived on the scene, a full fledged super fracas was underway, which reportedly included the longtime supervillain known as the Joker, fresh from an escape from Arkham Asylum during a secret inmate transfer, Mrs Sanderson-Watson in her former incarnation as Charge, the Harlequin, and the erstwhile AlertForce super known only as the Mantis.

Reports of how the battle began or progressed, and even of who was fighting whom, are sketchy, as police did not arrive on the scene until Joker, Harlequin and Charge were making a retreat up ropes to a waiting chopper, which made an escape, but not before dropping incendiary grenades on approaching police and FBI vehicles, wounding 12 and killing 5, including Special Agent Samuel Davis, who had taken charge of the Sanderson-Watson kidnap investigation under the direction of the FBI in Washington.

There were several eyewitnesses to the entire battle, but their renditions of events conflict somewhat, in that some report that Charge and the Mantis were fighting the Joker and Harlequin, while others report that Charge was on the side of the Joker and Harlequin. One man who refused to identify himself even reported that the Mantis and Harlequin were teaming up against Joker and Charge. It remains unknown at this time who was piloting the chopper in which the Joker escaped, whether the woman who appeared as Charge was in fact the missing Sanderson-Watson, or why and how the Mantis (a self-proclaimed superhero) failed to rescue the numerous victims of the bomb blast. Some have speculated that the battle was for show, and that the Mantis was in league with the villains, while others prefer to believe he may have been incapacitated at the time due to overwhelming odds against him in the battle. At this point, facts are scarce.

GET OFF MY TURF, MAN. I DON'T WALK THAT WAY...

For AlertForce history minute number 378, I give you... The Protector.




Misunderstood. Resented. Yet undeniably powerful. The Protector used his mental and healing powers to hold AlertForce together during some of its toughest challenges. He was significantly older than the rest of the team at the time, and never got used to his role as leader to the group. Fanatically devoted to the cause of mutant rights, he was lured away from AlertForce by the chance to become the so-called "White Bishop" in the ultra secret mutant terrorist organization known as the Hellfire Club. He has run into AlertForce several times since his departure in the early 1990's, but his current whereabouts and activities are unknown.

ALERTFORCE HISTORY, PART 37... BRAINWAVE

Given Name: John
Hero Name: Brainwave

History: When his parents were killed in a battle between AlertForce and a villain in the early 1980's, then AlertForce team Leader Dreadnought took the child in as a ward. He literally grew up in AlertForce HQ in Mid City, Pennsylvania, and was put through college by Dreadnought himself. He later manifested mental-based superpowers and became the superhero known as Brainwave. He worked with AlertForce numerous times during his adolescence and early adult life, and was part of an AlertForce junior team overseen by Thermo for a time. He left the team after witnessing the death of AlertForce member the Wall. He moved to the Pacific Northwest, and was part of a three-person super team for a time there. They ran afoul of certain roge elements of the Government, and were captured, after which one of his teammates was tortured and died in custody. AlertForce rescued him from government incarceration in 2002, and Brainwave disappeared during the battle. He has not been seen since.

SCHEDULE FOR END OF DECEMBER AND JANUARY

27-Dec April
28-Dec Greg
29-Dec Bryan
30-Dec
31-Dec
1-Jan Dickie
2-Jan Paul
3-Jan Rox
4-Jan April
5-Jan Greg
6-Jan
7-Jan
8-Jan Bryan
9-Jan Dickie
10-Jan Paul
11-Jan Rox
12-Jan April
13-Jan
14-Jan
15-Jan Greg
16-Jan Bryan
17-Jan Dickie
18-Jan Paul
19-Jan Rox
20-Jan
21-Jan
22-Jan April
23-Jan Greg
24-Jan Bryan
25-Jan Dickie
26-Jan Paul

A CHRISTMAS GREETING

Each of you gets a card via email this Christmas. It has with it the image below and the following message:

"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to AlertForce, their friends and colleagues in Detroit, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas and New York, PMS, The Watchers, and heroes everywhere. Next year you die!

With love,

Harley Quinn, Nomad, Casino and the rest of the D.O.A.




The message is also signed with a personal note from Deathtrap (shown above in the picture on the card): "Ho Ho Ho! Eat mind beam, Beeyotches!"

MISTER MYSTICO

He's terribly mysterious...

EXPLOSION IN DETROIT SUBWAY KILLS 13

From the Detroit Free Press:

Last evening at approsimately 11:44 p.m. an explosion rocked the streets of Detroit, creating a crater over 50 feet in diameter at the corner of Durella and Easy Streets, disrupting city power and water service over a widespread area, destroying an entire subway tunnel and line, and killing at least 13 people.

The victims, whose identities have not yet been released, are believed to have been homeless people living in the under-tunnels, says Police Chief Edward Perry. Police are investigating, along with PTA officers, and have yet to identify the cause of the explosion. There are apparently no natural gas lines in the area where the explosion took place, and initial reports indicate the blast pattern appears to point towards an explosive device or devices.

"There are all kinds of tunnels down there, some of which we don't even have plans for. They date back to before the subway lines were installed, and some interconnect at multiple levels. We are talking about underpassages that were dug in the 1850's in some cases."

PTA Director Champ Riley noted the similarity between this blast and one which took a number of lives in Chicago last summer, and indicated that investigators are examining the possibility of a connection.

"We are not discounting the possibility that supers were involved in this blast. We know there was super involvement in the Chicago blast, so we are looking closely at that angle."

City officials are asking citizens to avoid the intersection where the blast occurred for at least a month, and are devising plans to re-route traffic for the time being.

TEACHER, FORMER SUPERHERO, MISSING AND FEARED DEAD

From the Albany, New York Herald:

Popular teacher Ann Sanderson-Watson is missing and feared dead, police reported this afternoon. Her husband Peter Watson called police at approximately 6:45 yesterday evening, and reported that their home had been broken into. Police arrived shortly thereafter and noted signs of a struggle, including blasted markings on the floor and walls, one wall knocked completely down, and damage to furniture in the living room. There was no sign of Mrs. Sanderson-Watson, who had last been seen leaving Montgomery High School, where she teaches science classes.

Watson revealed to police that his wife had formerly been a super "hero" known as "Charge," and had operated for a short time in New Jersey and New York with the hero group known at the time as AlertForce. Watson revealed his wife's secret identity to police and reporters in order to assist in the investigation, considering the possibility that an old enemy may have been responsible for the attack.

Police immediately summoned PTA agents to the scene, and a thorough investigation took place. City PTA Captain Muhammed Ichan gave a brief statement:

"We have combed the home and surrounding area for clues. We are confident that super activity took place during the attack and apparent abduction. We have not yet identified the culprits, and hold out hope that Mrs. Sanderson-Watson can be found unharmed and returned to her husband. We did not find blood or other signs of injury, which is a hopeful signal. Anyone who may have information or might have seen anything unusual in the area at the time, please contact the PTA at our hotline number."


AP Wire File Photo, 1993

Sanderson-Watson, shown here in a 1993 file photo in her "super" outfit as Charge, is 42 years old, has shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes, and has a slender build. Anyone with information is urged to come forward.

NEW PIC AND NPC FOR THE DAY

Keep your eyes open for this new NPC on the horizon...

ARKHAM INMATES TO BE TEMPORARILY RELOCATED

From the New York Times:

The nation's most notorious super criminals will soon be relocated to an undisclosed secure location temporarily, says Director Sheldon Williams of Arkham Asylum, the ultra-secure facility 70 miles north of New York which houses and seeks to rehabilitate supers deemed mentally or emotionally incompetent to stand trial for their crimes by the Courts.

Williams issued a press statement this morning outlining the moves:

"The facility's water, sewage, and electrical systems are antiquated, and as a result of several recent malfunctions we have determined that the facility is no longer safe for human occupancy without major renovations. Financing for such renovations has been secured, but it is not feasible to have workers and construction crews moving in and out of the facility, to effect repairs on the piping and wiring in security wings. As such, we have determined that the safest and most efficient way to conduct the renovation will be to relocate some or all of Arkham's patients to another facility temporarily. Security modifications are currently under way at that facility to ensure no lapse in either our patients' care or the public's safety. The transfers will take place at various times in the near future, which will not be disclosed due to security concerns. I assure you that at no time will the public be exposed to risk by these necessary operations."

Although patient lists are secret, it is believed that Arkham currently houses inmates who formerly were known as "The Joker," "The Prophet," Rogue Green Lantern "Guy Gardner" and "Killer Croc," among others. It remains to be seen just how safely these inmate transfers can take place, and where the temporary facility is. It is also a quesion mark as to how quickly the repairs can be made, and when the inmates will be returned to the safety of Arkham's walls.

MANTIS AGAIN

Another costume study on Mantis.

MYSTERIOUS BLONDE WOMAN FROM ROXY CLUB BATTLE...

None other than former JLA member and current member of "The Watchers," Black Canary!

PTA APPREHENDS MASTERMIND BEHIND POWER PLANT ATTACKS

Northwest Regional PTA Director Helen Cutter today announced that in cooperation with the FBI, the PTA launched an operation in a bunker near Denver, Colorado which netted the capture of the mastermind behind the recent "clone army" attacks on power plants in Montana and North Dakota. Cutter reported that PTA officers, on information and tactics provided by the FBI and other intelligence agencies, moved in with special equipment, for a raid on an abandoned missile silo in the mountains about 55 miles outside Denver. Cutter said the operation went off without a hitch, and that the information provided by intelligence was "flawless."

"We took the suspect by surprise, and he was incapacitated before he could react. Apparently, this suspect is a parahuman with the ability to clone himself when threatened or attacked. We devised a special neuralizer ray to immobilize him without causing physical harm, thereby circumventing his powers. My agents moved into place, deployed the ray, and walked in and apprehended the suspect with no violence or injury to either suspect or agents."

The suspect has been identified as one David Cypher, a mutant whose origins and motives are unknown. FBI sources report that Cypher is suffering from mental illness, and may not be in control of his powers or faculties. It is unclear at this time whether Cypher will be brought to trial on criminal charges, or placed under mental surveillance at a high security psychiatric facility, such as Arkham Asylum in New York.

THE BIG GUNS

ROGUE GREEN LANTERN ATTACKS LOCAL CLUB

From the New York Times:

Police and PTA operatives were summoned last evening to the local private dinner club called "Roxy" to respond to an apparent attack by a super powered man wielding a green lantern ring. No one was injured, but property damage was significant, and club owners were stunned at the surprise occurrence.

According to police reports and interviews with several witnesses who saw some of the activities from a nearby high-rise apartment building, at approximately 7:10 p.m. last evening, a valet was approached by a man wearing a ring emanating green energy in the form of a car. After the two exchanged words, the valet (who apparently fled the scene after the altercation and has not been located) attempted to escape the situation and go into the club, but was accosted from behind by the man with the power ring. The man attempted to push the attacker away several times, but was relatively quickly subdued with discharges of characteristic green energy, including a wave that enveloped the valet for approximately 10 seconds. After incapacitating the valet, the attacker lost interest, and tossed him aside and moved into the club.

An unidentified blonde woman was also on the scene, and she ran into the club.

From this point, police reports become more vague, as the only witness to events inside the club, one Walter Slater (employed as a doorman) apparently hid to avoid attack and did not have a good view of events. Nevertheless, police report that after attacking the valet, the man with the power ring believed to be a so-called "Green Lantern" weapon, apparently quickly entered the club and blasted the hallway, foyer and bar areas, doing massive damage to the interior of the club. The damage was limited to those areas, and police and PTA members say the damage patterns are relatively consistent with the massive power output they believe the Green Lantern weapon/rings are capable of generating.

PTA and police officers searched the area and found no other witnesses on the scene, and the whereabouts of the valet and unidentified blonde woman are currently unknown. The owners of the Roxy club report that the club had been booked for a private party, and thankfully no other staff or patrons were present at the precise moment of the attack.

HEY ALERT FORCE!! HEARD ANY GOOD JOKES LATELY???

ALTER EGO SPOTLIGHT: MANTIS

James Star: International Intelligence Operative, Financier, Olympic Gold Medalist, Playboy, Club Owner, Business Manager, Man About Town.

Mantis: A step down in excitement.

In any event, here is attempt number two on a Mantis costume re-design.

WE CONTROL THE SKY

MANTIS COSTUME DESIGN

Putting "da MAN" back in Mantis

PIC OF THE DAY AGAIN, EVEN

I call this one "Bane: Tempting Fate." It is a subtle costume evolution.

PIC OF THE DAY

Jurgen in a Jacket in a Circle in a Spotlight. Note the slight glow of his hands as he prepares to shoot a 5ap energy blast at an evil doer.

UNKNOWN TERRORISTS BLOW UP BUS ON GRANT STREET, SUPERS BATTLE WHILE VICTIMS BURN

From the Pittsburgh Press:

Tragedy struck downtown Pittsburgh yesterday, when the PAT 510 bus headed for Lawrenceville exploded with 33 people on board, killing 7 and injuring 19. The bus erupted in flame while stopped at the stoplight at the corner of Grant and Fifth, blowing holes in the roof, shattering all the bus windows, and sending shrapnel into those on the streets nearby. It is currently unknown whether the bus was targeted by terrorists, supervillains, or other assailants to cause the blast.

Shortly after the explosion, however, a super known only as "Zephyr" appeared on the scene and apparently doused the flames with some sort of superpowers, entered the bus, and began dragging the few remaining live passengers to safety. As she did so, she was ruthlessly attacked by at least three other costumed supers, one man with ice powers not unlike those of Pittsburgh PMS member Snow Angel, one woman with water powers, and one man in a red costume who wielded glowing weapons -- a sword and a pistol. The battle was fast and furious, with bystanders reporting that the supers traded not only blows but also threats. When the dust cleared, one of those who attacked Zephyr lay dead on the street, Zephyr herself lay unconscious on top of the bus, and the other two attackers escaped. The motives and purpose of those who appeared and attacked Zephyr as she seemed to be trying to rescue bus passengers remains unknown.

Shortly thereafter, and still only moments after the blast, Snow Angel and Afterburner of PMS appeared and took the still form of Zephyr from the scene. PTA Director Gregory and Police Chief VanKirk held a press conference about an hour later, promising a full investigation into the attack.