Made-Man
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
A character originally made to play as the main villain of a superhero character in the AE, the Made-Man has been played on and off in the game as well. He has been brought back most recently as the best villain to lead an experimental group of villains working directly in Paragon City.
| |
| Made-Man | |
| Player: @Drimble Wedge | |
| Origin: | Natural |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Mastermind |
| Threat Level: | 22 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Franklin Gregorio |
| Known Aliases: | None |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | 35 |
| Height: | 6'2" |
| Weight: | 178 lb |
| Eye Color: | Brown |
| Hair Color: | Brown |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Italian-American |
| Occupation: | Gangster |
| Place of Birth: | Paragon City, RI |
| Base of Operations: | Confidential |
| Marital Status: | Divorced |
| Known Relatives: | Robert Gregorio (son), Lilian Gregorio (daughter) |
| Known Powers | |
| None | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Advanced knowledge in chemistry and explosives | |
| Equipment | |
| Auto-revolver pistols, chemical projectile shooters | |
| Enhanced durability due to exposure to Superadine | |
Contents |
History
Franklin Gregorio was born in Paragon City in the early 1970's. In his youth he became good friends with one Rinaldo Giovanni and the two often hung out with one another along the arcades of Spanky's Boardwalk on Talos Island. As he grew, and particularly after Rinaldo moved away, he became increasingly involved with criminal activities overseen by members of the Family. As a young man he soon became a proper thug, and held out hope of one day becoming a respected capo in the gang.
However, Franklin's plans never amounted to much, and he was soon in and out of jail more frequently, despite a marriage with two children. Desperate for a way to get ahead, he learned that his old friend Rinaldo had returned to Paragon City and become the superhero named Charlatan. With this in mind he hatched a plan to ingratiate himself with heads of the Family. With the promise of becoming a "Made-Man" should he succeed, Franklin assured the mafia that he could capture a group of superheroes and deliver them into the Family's grasp.
Franklin used his old relationship with Charlatan to feign remorse, pretending to give information about the Family's operations, while secretly luring the hero and his teammates into a trap. When this failed, Franklin authorized goons to kidnap his own children as bait to set up another ambush for the heroes, but again the gangsters were defeated. With his credibility wearing thin, Franklin finally promised to defeat the heroes himself, receiving a special dose of Superadine and launching his own attack. He was finally stopped and captured. In the aftermath of the events, aside from returning to prison, the Family abandoned him while his wife filed for a divorce, taking their children to enter the witness protection program.
While in jail Franklin plotted his revenge. Using all the crooked know-how and resources he had left at his disposal he gathered up other members of the Family left to rot in jail and enticed them to join him in his new gang, the Mob. Crafting a new identity for himself, he turned the title he always wanted into the perfect criminal alias, calling himself the Made-Man.
Finding the means to escape from prison, Franklin worked on building his new empire before being contacted by another villain called the Occultist who brought him in on a deal to make millions. This involved raiding an Oranbegan storehouse and fencing the stolen goods to an ancient Egyptian cult called the Hand of Ra. When the payment was received, consisting of real golden artifacts, he wisely laundered the money into various secret accounts before being confronted by a team of heroes once more. Though defeated, the Made-Man now had the bank roll to deal with such setbacks.
Back in the Zig, Franklin again met up with the Occultist, along with the villains known as Nine-Ball and Mountebank. The four discovered they had a common foe in Charlatan, so they banded together for revenge in a team-up called the Kill Charlatan Squad. In this way Made-Man finally achieved the victory he sought against his old childhood friend, and the hero was done away with by locking him inside a prison from which there was no escape.
Made-Man worked out of the Rogue Isles for a short time where he briefly joined up with the Arrivederci Syndicate, a crime family under the leadership of the villain Wild Time. However, he soon disappeared to lay low for several years before finally returning to Paragon City.
Physical Attributes
Made-Man is a normal human being without any super powers. At one time he was enhanced by exposure to a special strain of Superadine that offered him increased strength, damage resistance, and the ability to manipulate gravity, but the effects of this have long since worn off.
Strength Level
Franklin Gregorio possesses the normal strength of a man of his age, height, and build who engages in intensive regular exercise.
Paraphernalia
Made-Man is most recognizable in his canary yellow suit and matching hat worn in the style similar to members of the Family, along with gloves and a solid white mask. Hidden along his wrists and mouth are small mechanisms able to secrete or shoot his own specialized variations of Superadine. With these devices he can both produce power-boosting chemicals for his allies as well as project debilitating chemical sprays at his enemies. He also carries a pair of auto-revolver pistols.
Group Affiliations
Franklin Gregorio started his criminal career working for the Family. After losing his status and ending up in jail he recruited other rejected members of the Family to produce his own gang known as the Mob. During this time he also participated in villain team-up to form the Kill Charlatan Squad. Afterwards he briefly became a member of the Arrivederci Syndicate.
Today he is a founding member of a new villainous organization working directly out of Paragon City known as the Crime Cabal.
Trivia
- The adventure detailing Made-Man's introduction as Franklin Gregorio was found in AE arc #527343, "Family Ties."
- Made-Man appeared in full costume as part of his involvement in the story in AE arc #527366, "The Gods Must Be Deadly."
