Cyberman 8
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| Newly upgraded and ready to protect Paragon City! | |
| Cyberman 8 | |
| Player: logand | |
| Origin: | Technology |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Scrapper |
| Security Level: | 50 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Peter Brady |
| Known Aliases: | None |
| Species: | Android |
| Age: | 74 [1] |
| Height: | 6'1" |
| Weight: | 300 lbs |
| Eye Color: | Black |
| Hair Color: | Black (In human guise) |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | United States Citizen |
| Occupation: | Professional Adventurer/Crimefighter |
| Place of Birth: | Paragon City |
| Base of Operations: | Steel Canyon |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | None |
| Known Powers | |
| Martial Arts, Super Reflexes, Superspeed, Superleaping | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Computer Interface, Police Procedures, Criminology, Knowledge of Robotics and Cybernetics | |
| Equipment | |
| Paragon Police Department (PPD) Police Band radio, Pocket D VIP Card, Base Teleporter Recall, Stephanie Peeble's Wedding Band, Warwolf Whistle, Short Duration Booster Pack, Zero-G Jump Unit, Nemesis War Staff | |
| Cyberman 8 can use nanotech, physical morphing and holographic technology to recreate a human seeming appearance. Most often this is used to recreate his original face and features. But it can also be used for undercover disguise as well. | |
With the soul of a murdered policeman imprinted in his positronic brain, Cyberman 8 was designed and built over 45 years ago. And yet still, even today, he is one of the most advanced androids in the world!
Contents |
Affiliations
- Supergroup: The Legendary (Rank: Epic)
Personality
Cyberman 8 comes across very much like a "normal Joe". He steadfastly got over most of the existential angst over his artificial body years ago and came to terms with it. At first, he suppressed much of his outward humanity, though inwardly he was distraught over his perceived "inhumanity" for many years. Later, after an adventure to a mystical realm that proved to him that he still had a human soul, he acknowledged his feelings and firmly decided that, although his body and brain were constructed, he himself was still, in any sense that mattered, still human.
Although still very serious when dealing with villains, he can also crack the occasional joke with a teammate and has an ironic, dry sense of humor. He is quietly fascinated with the way the world has changed since he last saw it. Personal computers are something completely new to him, but he takes some pleasure in the fact that he is uniquely suited to learn about them!
In fact, for an android with a positronic brain, he sometimes comes across as a very old-fashioned kind of guy. Almost chivalrous in the classic sense to women, at least by modern standards. He's occasionally shocked by some of the skimpier fashions some Heroines choose to wear. (Though he'd never actually express any disapproval. He just chalks it up as yet another in the long list of things he's had to get used to.)
Only one thing brings him into a melancholy state - the fact that most of the people he knew and worked with in his old life are now old or passed away. He used to depend on Professor Tani for support and technical advice, but he was an old man even back in the 1960s, and is long passed away now.
He is quickly gaining new friends in the Hero community of Paragon City however. There are so many more heroes now than there were in his old life. He feels much less alone these days most of the time.
Powers
Martial Arts
Super Reflexes
Being an android designed with speed in mind, Cyberman 8 has phenomenal reflexes. His nervous system is based on light and the flow of electrons rather than chemical impulses, therefore his time sense is highly sped up compared to a human. When he switches to combat mode, the world literally slows down in his perspective, and he can move out of the way of oncoming blows with startling ease. He can further "overdrive" his systems to move even faster, hit more often and be near untouchable. But he must pay a price for this ability. After a few minutes of this, safeties kick in and his power plant is ramped down to bare minimum in order to cool off, leaving him vulnerable for about 20 seconds.[3]
Superspeed
Due to his speed, When he is in combat mode, he can jackhammer his blows rapid fire and hit foes several times a second. He can even attack more than one foe in this manner with slight adjustments to his positioning, punch speed and aim. He has managed to take out up to three targets at a time this way on rare occasions.[5]
Superleaping
His leg actuators are powerful enough to send Cyberman 8 on ballistic arcs through the skies of Paragon City and are easily strong enough to cushion his landings as well.
Fitness
Adjustments to his power management (see below) have increased his power efficiency and ability to sustain himself in a fight.
Additional Powers
As an android, Cyberman 8 has an affinity for computers, and since his recovery and upgrades, has had datajack ports built into his hands for interfacing with various types of computer systems. While in "cyberspace" he can assume the guise of his android form or generate a virtual human body. (In some advanced virtual realms, it is the closest he can come to feeling utterly human again.)
His senses are also highly acute. He can hear sounds at both lower and higher frequency ranges than humans. His sight is more acute as well, with both telescopic and microscopic functions. As well as the ability to see in the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.[6]
Shapeshifter
Cyberman 8 once depended on the regular "costume teleport" system in Paragon City to change armor sets or provide clothing for the humanized form that he could shift to. He has since expanded his ability to morph to a new level. While the core mechanical elements of his android frame remain largely the same, his outer "shell" has been altered and infused with nanites that can shift his form in a matter of seconds. All of his previous armor sets have been integrated into this system as well as his human guise. Clothing is also formed from this layer. His internal endo-skeleton and frame elements can also expand or contract. Mostly this is accomplished through standard mechanical systems. But more extreme changes can be assisted by the nanites. Once changed though, the system cannot affect another full shift for at least 30 seconds while the heat generated by the process is vented and distributed through his internal cooling system. He can change into several pre-set forms depending on need or whim. And has a library of additional presets that he can access from the Legendary computer systems. He cannot change his pre-sets in the field. But with some setup and research, he can morph into a likeness of any anthropomorphic form, up to and including mimicking a female guise! Needless to say, with these upgrades, Cyberman 8 can infiltrate and perform undercover work to an unprecedented degree. He uses this ability sparingly, as he is aware of the paranoia that shapeshifters cause in people and governments. [7]
The possibility exists for further additions to his systems. And he is working with various cybernetics experts (including Looney Toons ) to plan out future upgrades.
Abilities
Peter Brady was an accomplished police detective before his death, and retains those skills and instincts as Cyberman 8. While not a supergenius, his positronic brain now allows him to sift through mountains of information and intuit connections between pieces of data to come to a conclusion in a fraction of the time of a normal human.
Weaknesses and Limitations
Cyberman 8's systems require a lot of power to run. Although his micro-fusion[8] power plant can provide near endless reserves of energy, his capacitor banks were originally not set up to use it as efficiently as they could have been. Early in his new career, he had to stop frequently to allow his capacitors to recharge, especially after long fights. After modifying his power system management with help from Looney Toons and Lora'Lai, this flaw was almost completely mitigated. But he is still vulnerable to energy drains, particularly those based on electricity, which will ground out and drain his capacitor banks, rendering him nearly useless in a fight.[9]
Equipment
Cyberman 8 carries with him a Paragon Police Department (PPD) Police Band radio, Pocket D VIP Card, and a Base Teleporter Recall unit.
He also has borrowed Stephanie Peeble's Wedding Band for a limited time, to give him extra defenses should he need them. He also acquired a "Warwolf Whistle" which would call a warwolf to fight on his behalf. Both of these items are mystic in nature, and although he doesn't understand how they work, he doesn't question the results. He has used the ring very sparingly. The Warwolf whistle no longer works, its magic having been spent.
Amongst his other equipment and souvenirs are the following items -
-- A Short Duration Booster Pack to add distance to his leaps. [10]
-- A Zero-G Jump Unit available, though he uses that only sparingly, as it has limited fuel, and he no longer really requires it most of the time.
-- He also has a Raptor Pack for times when he has to reach places even his leaping ability can't get him to.
-- He also recently acquired a Nemesis War Staff from a fallen Fake Nemesis. This is the same War Staff that he had used on loan before that he turned in for further study. But it has now been screened and cleared of any hidden surprises and Cyberman 8 now has official approval from the city to use it long term. [11]
-- He also recently got permission to handle Longbow mecha while fighting in the possible uptime future nicknamed Recluse's Victory.
Character History
1963 -- Murdered by criminals, PPD Detective Peter Brady's body was retrieved be Professor Tani and taken to his laboratory. There, Tani performed an experiment that had failed 7 times in the past. This time, the experiment was successful! Brady was reborn as the superpowered android Cyberman 8, able to dash at incredible speeds and hit with the force of a sonic boom! Brady dedicated himself anew to fighting injustice in Paragon City. Successful for many years, Cyberman 8 mysteriously vanished in the early 70s.
2006 -- Excavators in Overbrook found the remains of Cyberman 8 in the partially collapsed ruins of an old supervillain lair. Taken to D.A.T.A., he was repaired and upgraded with new technology to renew his fight against crime!
He has observed self-deprecatingly, "I can dodge almost anything, but I didn't see that one coming!"
Pete makes a small living these days as a part-time Private Investigator and consultant to the PPD. His shape-shifting abilities and ability to mimic voices (that he plays down as C8) have allowed him to infiltrate several gangs and come away with amazing amounts of intel. Some in the underworld think that there's an entirely DIFFERENT superhero working with the PPD.
Since Superspeed is his main travel power - you'd think he wouldn't bother with cars. But in fact he loves them. He favors Ford cars and British sports cars. He drives a British Leyland Mini Cooper to get around town in his secret ID.
He's slowly restoring an old 1967 Mustang to mint condition and is thinking seriously about buying a 1961 Studebaker Avanti.
He's still doing the occasional catch-up on cultural goings on, since he was literally buried in a collapsed villain's lair for over 30 years.
There was that one time when he was embarrassed when he discovered Disco - initially thought he liked it - then discovered everyone else most emphatically DID NOT.
(Still likes the movie Xanadu with ELO and Olivia Newton John. But considers it a guilty pleasure and will NEVER watch it when anyone else would see him.)
Trivia
Wears the "Upgraded" or "Speed Demon" badge.
Can eat and drink in light amounts, though it does nothing for him. He simply enjoys it.
Footnotes
- ↑ This is Peter's total elapsed time since his original birth date as a human in 1934. He was originally converted to android form in 1963, then spent 11 years doing super hero work and working as a private detective in his secret ID. Then he got caught in the collapse of a supervillain lair in 1974, lying there in stasis until 2006. He has spent more time as an android (45 years) than he has as a human being by now. But only about 14 of those years are in his subjective memory.)
- ↑ Cyberman 8's game build includes 3 attacks that have an extremely high "stun" component, Thunder Kick, Eagle's Claw, and especially Cobra Strike. And I've added stun IOs to each of these powers. When chained together, I've seen him stun Elite Bosses and even an Arch Villain or two! Naturally, the recovery of those NPCs means that they only stay stunned momentarily, but sometimes that's enough to "de-toggle" an important power or two. The name Hertza Haeon is a reference to the much more lethal attack performed by Gally/Alita in Gunnm/Battle Angel Alita.
- ↑ "Overdriving" is my euphemism for hitting the Elude power.
- ↑ With the advent of the new "real numbers" system in COH/COV, I've been able to confirm that not only is Cyberman 8 hard capped against the top end of the speed scale at 92.5 MPH, but if the game allowed it, he'd be over twice as fast as THAT! Close to 200 MPH in game!
- ↑ Flurry, from the Superspeed pool, and the Veteran power Sands of Mu.
- ↑ The reference to his heightened senses is meant to reflect the in-game powers and adjustments via IO set pieces that the character has slotted. In short, his perception range has been "capped" and is at the maximum the game will allow. While Cyberman 8 is not primarily a "PVP Toon", this design choice was a direct result of getting interested in PVP and subsequently becoming frustrated with Stalkers. Cyberman 8 may not be the most hardcore of PVP toons or the best. But he has a role in PVP - particularly on a team. He was designed specifically as a stalker hunter. He'll stick close to a buffing character like a controller or defender, and when a stalker comes close, C8 WILL see through all stealth and be able to act. If I'm quick enough, C8 can interrupt an Assassin Strike. With his damage and ability to stun regularly, he is good at setting up that stalker for a group pounding. A nice bonus in PVE is that he can always see through Knives of Artemis stealth. And smoke bomb blind debuffs don't seem to affect him at all!
- ↑ The above is meant to give a Role-playing rationale for the ability to have 5 costume slots as well as saving costume designs in the character editor of the game. Obviously it wouldn't actually fool any actual players in-game (as his name is above his head!), and enemy groups in the game aren't fooled either. But I wanted a handle on the concept so that I could include it in any stories that I or any other member of the Legendary group might write. For the curious - the overall concept, though I've never actually watched the movie, is similar to the female advanced Terminator from Terminator 3. (internal frame and core elements that are mostly static, enclosed in an outer layer that can morph as needed) though the major difference is that on C8 it's not "liquid metal". In fact it doesn't act anything like a liquid at all. For example, when morphing from his standard, android mode to his human guise, his "helmet" starts splitting apart into smaller and smaller segments until it becomes his "hair" (with texture to match). A similar process separates layers of the outer shell to form clothing. Visually the way that Cyberman 8 morphs into other forms has more in common with the complex transformations of the two live-action Transformers movies. Why does he use armor sets or plating on some forms at all? Well there are some times when having a more simple construction is more advantageous than a complex one. Simpler components and linkages can sometimes take more punishment. Armor plates can deflect blows as well as distribute force. Being sub-divided into fewer discrete segments gives the overall structure more strength. (plus it just looks really cool. ^_^)
- ↑ In the old days, he ran on an atomic fission pile. The slight radiation leak in his containment shielding helped save his life by leading excavators to his damaged body in Faultline in 2006.
- ↑ Before he was able to get and slot Endurance, power management was a pain in the butt. I HATED Clockwork for that reason alone. The only reason Malta isn't more of a problem is that even though Sappers can drain him, they have a hard time HITTING him to do so!
- ↑ The GVSE special edition Jump pack
- ↑ The Nemesis Staff Veteran's Award
