Operative Kowalski
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| "'Destined Ones' my ass." | |
| Operative Kowalski | |
| Origin: | Natural |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Arachnos Soldier |
| Threat Level: | 50 |
| Identity | |
| Real Name: | Stanley (Stan) Kowalski |
| Known Aliases: | Stan Smith, Bill Miller, Tyler Mason, etc etc |
| Nationality: | United States |
| Occupation: | Wolf Spider Huntsman |
| Place of Birth: | Philadelphia, PA |
| Base of Operations: | Etoile Isles |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | ? (father, never met), Tina Kowalski (mother) |
| Physical Data | |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | 40 |
| Height / Weight : | 5' 10" / 200 lbs |
| Eye / Hair Color: | Brown / Light brown |
| Known Powers | |
| None | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Arachnos and U. S. Army training, experience in infiltration and safecracking, field medicine | |
| Equipment | |
| Wolf Spider armor, Arachnos assault rifle, grenades, cloaking device, jetpack, regenerator | |
| Commands a platoon of Wolf Spiders; Arachnobot Disruptors also available as reinforcements | |
| Updated: 8/30/2019 - Player: @Megajoule | |
"Don't care, got my orders."
Contents |
Affiliations
Kowalski is an Arachnos soldier, holding the rank of Wolf Spider Huntsman. As he possesses no psychic talent and has rejected cybernetic augmentation, he is not expected to rise any further in the organization. He does, however, get results and can be trusted to carry out his orders without qualms.
As a Huntsman, Kowalski may command up to a platoon of Wolf Spiders, but only for official Arachnos missions. He has also been assigned a pair of Disruptor-type Arachnobots as reinforcements and personal bodyguards.
Personality
Kowalski is crude, unprincipled, selfish, and a bully. An ambitious opportunist, he is always looking out for himself. Having made himself strong, he has little or no empathy for the weak.
Powers
Kowalski has no metahuman abilities.
Equipment
In addition to the gear usually carried by Huntsmen - Wolf Spider armor with cape, an Arachnos assault rifle, and an assortment of grenades (frag, web, and venom) - Kowalski has also acquired a cloaking device of the type usually issued to Bane Spiders. He uses this to gain tactical advantage and also to avoid official notice and surveillance when on "personal business"; while he's not the sort to back away from a fight, if he can get in and out with the goods without anyone knowing he was there, so much the better. For additional mobility, he makes use of a Lockhart AeroTech "Raptor" jetpack. He also carries a portable tissue regenerator and is qualified in its use.
Abilities
Kowalski has been through basic (Army) and advanced (Arachnos) training, and is also a career criminal who's done everything from shoplifting to bank robbery. He can perform basic field medicine. He is in good physical condition and has the strength and agility of a man who engages in regular exercise.
Weaknesses and Limitations
Kowalski is habitually dishonest, pays only lip service to authority, and is quick to resort to violence. He is also not especially smart, and did not complete high school. These qualities, which have gotten him in trouble before, actually work in his favor (or at least are not an impediment) in an organization as corrupt as Arachnos. He is mildly addicted to alcohol and tobacco.
Character History
Stan Kowalski's father walked out on him and his mother when he was just three years old; she soon moved to Chicago to live with her sister. Young Stanley was not much impressed by most of her later boyfriends, though some of them did teach him useful things. He spent as much time out of school as in it; his mother only got on his case when the social workers got on hers, otherwise letting him run wild. He was a juvenile offender at 10, tried as an adult at 15 when he and some friends beat up a store owner.
The judge who presided over Kowalski's third-strike case gave him a choice: jail time or the Army. He chose the latter, finishing Basic just in time to be sent to Kuwait for the first Gulf War. He was dishonorably discharged after only two years for theft and fighting in the barracks, among other offenses. Back in the States, he drifted back into old habits, putting his military training to good (or bad) use.
Kowalski's wanderings across the eastern U.S. eventually brought him to Paragon City, where he had the poor judgment to sign on with a two-bit supervillain for an attempted bank robbery. A few heroes quickly shut that down and he wound up in the Zig. He established himself among the general population there as a man not to be messed with. In 2006, he was one of many unpowered prisoners freed in an Arachnos breakout, along with their real objective, a handful of so-called "Destined Ones". Forced to choose between being sent to the aluminum mines of Sharkhead or joining Arachnos, he again took the second option, defeating three other men to claim his spot.
Surprisingly, Kowalski thrived in Recluse's service: not only had he learned to be more circumspect with his illicit activities, but Arachnos was willing to overlook some things, while encouraging and rewarding his brand of ambition and ruthless brutality. He was quickly promoted to Enforcer, then to full Tactical Operative, and finally to Huntsman.
Unlike many of the costumed freaks he interacts with, Kowalski doesn't seem to have any great destiny. For now, he's comfortable being a captain in Recluse's goon army, especially with a little action on the side to supplement what Arachnos pays him on the books.
Trivia
- Kowalski drinks beer or whiskey and smokes cigarettes. He doesn't use harder drugs, though he has sold them on occasion.
- He's had no contact with his mother for years; as far as he knows, she's still living with her "just as crazy" sister. He has no memory of his father nor any desire to meet him.
