Red Jacket
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| The Red Jacket | |
| Player: Jaaboo | |
| Origin: | Technology |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Scrapper |
| Security Level: | 41 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Alton Jackson, III |
| Known Aliases: | None |
| Species: | Homo sapiens |
| Age: | 27 |
| Height: | 6'0" |
| Weight: | 185 lbs. |
| Eye Color: | Brown |
| Hair Color: | Brown |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Co-Owner/CTO, Arltek International Holdings,
Owner/Founder Vesparen Technologies |
| Place of Birth: | Hyannis Port, MA |
| Base of Operations: | Paragon City, RI |
| Marital Status: | Unmarried, has an unstable relationship with Kitty Maddoc |
| Known Relatives: | Father, Alton Jackson II
Mother, Lucy Jackson, deceased |
| Known Powers | |
| None | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Technologically advanced, genius-level intelligence, athletic and trained in various forms of hand to hand fighting | |
| Equipment | |
| Four seperate versions of "Red Jacket" armored suit equipped with various weapons systems revolving around energy claws. Favors the "Mark Two" version of the armor which offers superior mobility and weaponry. | |
| Footnotes | |
| None | |
The Red Jacket is a Claws/Regen technology-based Scrapper named Alton Jackson III. The original Red Jacket was an assassin turned hero, a Trick Arrow/Archery Defender named Leroy Dodds who went by the villain name of the Redline Wasp as a hired killer. Hired to become a mercenary vigilante in Paragon City, Leroy died an ignoble death in a Steel Canyon alley, but his dream of redemption inspired a new hero to take up the mantle of the Red Jacket.
Character History
Mister Dodds, I have a new mission for you. Something, a bit more, complicated than what you're used to.
Leroy Dodds
Leroy Dodds was an alcoholic and a fiend, a failed marriage had produced a daughter he turned over to the state, a military career disgraced led to the only line of work he could find - contract killing. Named the "Redline Wasp" by the frightened members of the circles he targeted, Leroy rose to shady prominence on the mean streets of Atlanta, GA. Leroy's only contact for work was a businessman who only identified himself as "Duvant", a man of apparent means who provided Leroy with accouterments and targets on which to use said munitions.
Life suddenly changed when Duvant came to Leroy with a bold new assignment - he was to take up costumed hero work in Rhode Island, of all places. Duvant explained that as a business man, he needed PR projects like sponsored heroes to maintain a positive public image, and, Duvant explained, to cover the expenses of Leroy's various weapons and gadgets. Duvant continued to explain that as Leroy's contact he was in a position to considerably inconvenience the assassin by bringing both financial and police pressure to bear. He needed have bother to threaten, however. Leroy, although resentful of being used as a pawn, nonetheless enjoyed the idea that perhaps he could find some level of redemption in becoming a hero, and threw himself into the role, helping develop the concept of the Red Jacket. After a few years in Paragon, Leroy became acquainted with and eventually friends of a sort with Alton Jackson III, whose new company, Vesparen, offered to help Leroy with new technologies to use in his fight against crime. In Alton, he had found a true sponsor, and in fact, he became just that for Leroy as he entered AA.
Not long after his entrance into AA, Leroy Dodds was found dead in Steel Canyon, apparently murdered by members of the Outcast gang with connections to Atlanta. Alton was devastated by the loss. He talks very little of Leroy Dodds, still somewhat haunted at the thought of a good man who could never beat his demons.
Alton Jackson III
Born with a silver spoon in his mouth in the family's summer home in Hyannis Port, MA, the third Alton Jackson needed of nothing during his early life. The Jackson family was a proud, old family who had worked hard for everything they obtained, blessed with generations of intelligent young men and women, descendants of freed slaves who had come to Boston and Paragon City to give their all to their new country. Alton's family was an American success story in its purest form. His ancestors had fought under Robert Gould Shaw in the 54th, had made a start in steel and railroads, and by the turn of century, had established themselves as pioneers in technology and medicine. During the Depression, his great grandfather and grandfather helped finance work programs in New England, ran soup kitchens, gave back and never asked for anything in return.
Alton's life was easy and free of any worries - summers in the Cape or in Paragon, schooling abroad until age 16 when he entered MIT, graduating summa cum laude three years later. He entered the family business not long after, working his way up on his father's wishes to CTO of Arltek.
The Ritki invasion opened Alton's eyes to just how close the impending darkness was, but true to his family name, he stood up to the challenge, breaking away from the family business to create Vesparen Technologies, a cutting-edge R&D company dedicated to outfitting Paragon City's heroes with the technology they needed, first to help fight off the Ritki but he quickly expanded his focus to help any of Paragon's registered heroes with their scientific or technological needs.
Such a hero was Leroy Dodds. Alton knew of Leroy's past and was eager to help a man find redemption through helping others. Alton found Leroy to be a good man who was beat down far too many times by life and helped to show his new friend that there was still good in the world worth fighting for. Vesparen bid on several projects for Duvant's pet project, and began development and construction on the mk. 1 Red Jacket armor. During the final phases of testing, however, Leroy Dodds was found murdered, and his dream, shared with Alton, with him. Disturbed and haunted by the death of his friend, Alton strapped on the "Mark One" armor and took to the streets as the Red Jacket, vowing to uphold the good work that Leroy Dodds had tried so hard to start.
Powers & Abilities
Powers
Alton has no specific super ability. He is in most respects a normal human being, "super" only due to his wealth and the advantages said wealth has conferred upon him. Alton is extremely intelligent, a genius especially in matters of machinery and technology. His company Vesparen Technologies was founded as a means to outfit and outreach to technology-based heroes of Paragon and many of their projects are his designs. Perhaps Alton's greatest power is a combination of his superior intellect, wealth and family history.
Red Jacket Armor
The Red Jacket armor began as a project on understanding the curious cybernetic technologies of the Freakshow. Fascinated by their regenerative abilities in combat, Alton set out to develop the armor in hopes of using the technology to make advances in medicine without the addictive mind numbing drugs or the grotesque "modifications" Freaks attach to their bodies. The armor not only boosts the regenerative abilities of its wearer but the semi-organic material can repair itself as well, offering a degree of resistance to physical damage. The armor is capable of flight in all forms and wears much like a second skin, making motion comfortable. The armor possesses various internal motors and stabilizers that can prevent the wearer from being toppled or trapped, and Alton has included defenses against various mental attacks that often are the bane of physical combatants.
The most visible and remarkable feature of the armor, however, are the two blades that protrude from the gauntlets. Alton has spent a long time designing and refining the primary weapons of the suit, making sure the Red Jacket's sting is felt throughout the city.
Red Jacket, mk. 1
The first version of the armor was a simplistic design that featured impervium claws and a low-running current that boosted the regeneration of the pilot and the armor. The armor's current also helped keep the pilot alert and feeling agile and full of energy, making sustained combat easy on the pilot and being able to win any battle of attrition with the low level thugs and villains in Paragon City. Over time the Mark One has gone through many stylistic and performance upgrades, including adding a more sinister hooded appearance and replacing the claws with modified Ritki technology. The Mark One is capable of short range projectiles as well as flight and augmenting the pilot's speed.
Red Jacket, mk. 2
Featuring a more armored look and without external accessories, the mk. 2 was the first suit of armor to provide instant, complete regeneration of the pilot and armor structure, as well as the debut of the Ritki energy claws. It was the first suit to depart from the red & white theme (which Alton though looked like Santa had hired a robot clone to deliver the news to naughty boys and girls) and embraced the darker red & black look. The Mark Two also debuted a system for mental defenses and the internal stabilizers that can keep the Red Jacket fighting endlessly. It is the iconic Red Jacket look that makes "RJ" look like a human tank and Alton's favorite suit for battle.
Red Jacket, mk. 3
The Mark Three armor first featured the flight system by using two metallic wings attached to the back. Since then, Alton has found a way to retrofit the first two versions with self-sustaining flight, but the Mark Three was the first airborne suit. It featured two modes of flight, and Alton found it quite preferable to have a low-speed, control based flight mode to booster defenses. However, the Mark Three's wings, while stylistic, took away from the armor's mobility in combat and the Mark Three remains Alton's least favorite version of the armor.
Red Jacket, mk. 4, aka "Crimson Vespa"
The Mark Four was a radical departure from previous Red Jacket designs, eschewing defenses for pure offense. Alton, long envious of longer range attacks, took the Ritki claws concept a step further and designed the mk. 4 armor to be a projectile-based attacker, using bolts of energy to strike down opponents. This version of the armor has been plagued with production problems stemming from the power requirements. Not willing to make the suit bulky and lose mobility, Alton has already had to remove all but the most basic regenerative properties of the suit and still has come up short on powering the suit. This problem, however, was solved by Kitty Maddoc, Alton's personal assistant and on-again-off-again romantic interest. Kitty's mutation enables her to act as an electrical conductor, and her mutation can power the Mark Four suit. Currently Kitty uses the suit to perform hero work under the moniker "Crimson Vespa".
Red Jacket, mk. 0
Actually the fifth version of the Red Jacket 'armor', the Mark Zero is another new radical departure from previous versions, melding the regenerative abilities into a thin 'second skin' that wears much like a very thin layer of spandex. Alton currently wears this Mark Zero version under his normal clothing. The Mark Zero however does not come with any weapon systems, making it purely a defensive (albeit, adaptable) accoutrement.
Personality
Alton is philanthropic and genuinely of kind heart. He often dreams big but manages to find a way to make his dreams reality. Generations of selfless do-gooders precede him and guide his decisions. While he can be very outgoing and charming, Alton plays things close to the vest. He excels at being a controlling force in his life and the lives of others, sometimes a bit too much his own comfort, one common reason for his reticence. Alton believes in knowing the most about any given situation and employs a good number of informants around the city as well as internally within Vesparen and Arltek. Mostly these informants give him clues on crimes that he stops as Red Jacket, but he is not above using information to further boost his company's business if needed. There is a tendency within him to understand that the ends do sometimes justify nefarious means but given the choice, Alton will often choose to do what is right over what is easy.
Relationships
Katherine "Kitty" Maddoc
Being handsome, intelligent and rich, Alton has had a good number of girlfriends, but none have really struck him the way Kitty Maddoc has. Alton met Kitty during a raid on a Freakshow base, where he was struck both by her looks and her desperate situation. Lost, desperate and addicted to drugs, Kitty was a soul in need of saving. Alton whisked her away from a life destined to destroy her and took her in, helped nurse her back to health and, upon discovering the sharp mind that lie beneath the good looks, gave her a job as his personal lab assistant.
His relationship with Kitty has been strained at best with moments of pure love and adoration. Alton is keenly aware of Kitty's fascination with the man who saved her life and a little embarrassed by her attentions. He resisted her advances for some time, wanting her not to latch on to him as another addiction. This proved to be the correct course - while Kitty's interest in a relationship with Alton never waned, her quickly developing confidence in the lab gave her a sense of independence she truly needed. Kitty's uncanny ability to dissect complex issues became a valued asset in the lab, and it was only after she felt like her own person did Alton respond to her romantic overtures.
The theft of the Mark Four, however, drove a new wedge in their relationship. For one, Alton felt it immediately put them back in a "mentor/student" role, one that he has been uncomfortable with regarding Kitty. Not pressing charges against her on behalf of his company would mean publicly acknowledging her identity, something he is not willing to do until he feels she can handle the added pressure of being a public, registered hero. The Crimson Vespa is also a very impulsive and inexperienced hero, something at odds with how he prefers to operate as the Red Jacket. Alton has decided that he is to never be seen with Vespa in public as the Red Jacket, a choice that has greatly hurt Kitty. Alton Jackson II
Alton has a healthy relationship with his father, the owner and CEO of Arltek. The older Alton Jackson does not explicitly know of his son's identity as a super hero, but it would not surprise him if he knew. The elder Alton is a titan of industry and a successful business owner several times over. He is reserved and difficult to read but like many of his family members is a philanthropist and good soul. Since his wife's death, Alton II has become more reclusive and shut in, preferring to work through his agents. One of his few pleasures in life is his monthly lunch meeting with Nathaniel Carter, in which the two often participate in games of one-upmanship and reflect on the successes of their children. One of Alton III's reasons for not telling his father that he is the Red Jacket is to allow Dr. Carter to brag about the Texas Starlette during their lunches. Alison Marie Carter
One of the more prominent heroes Vesparen Technologies has assisted, Alton helped design the cybernetics that gave way to the Texas Starlette, the hero name of Alison Marie Carter, a woman from Austin horribly damaged during a Ritki attack. The Carters and Jacksons have had a friendly rivalry throughout the years (see above) but that did not stop the Jackson father and son from doing whatever they could to help save the life of Alison. Alison and Alton struck up a casual friendship while she was recovering but as the heroes Starlette and Red Jacket their friendship has matured into a true working partnership and battle of one-upmanship owing to their families' history. Needless to say Kitty and Alison are not fans of each other, though neither woman truly has reason to be jealous of the other as Alton's feelings stop and end at Kitty. Vesparen Technologies
The Red Jacket armor was developed by Alton, however, he has an impressive roster of intelligent and motivated engineers who work at Vesperan all involved in the project. Their specific knowledge of him piloting the armor differs on a personal level, though every employee of Vesparen suspects that Alton is the new Red Jacket. The employees of Vesperen are proud of their connection to a hero, whoever the pilot may be. The company's official position is eased by the fact that its mission statement has been to outfit heroes, so Red Jacket has become their 'unofficial official' super hero after the Duvant Group disavowed their involvement in Leroy Dodds' death. The Duvant Group
Its unclear exactly who comprises the powerful and secretive "Duvant Group", the original benefactors of the Red Jacket. While Alton has met with several of their members, the identity of the mysterious "Duvant" remains just that, a mystery. Many of Alton's employees have wondered if there even is a Duvant or if the name is simply a shadow agent that the various members of the group use to cloud their activities in secrecy. Since Leroy's death, there has been little reason to do business with Duvant but there is little doubt that the man still operates behind the shadows.
Notes
The Red Jacket is actually the second version of the character. The first Red Jacket was a TA/Archery Defender that I just could never get into and ended up deleting to make room for a new version. The character's name is a play on "yellow jacket" which is a breed of wasp. The wasp is a common thematic element in Alton's story line - his "sidekick", "Kitty" Maddoc, goes by the moniker Crimson Vespa, and the first Red Jacket used to be known as a villain named the Redline Wasp. Vesparen Technologies of course contains the Latin/Italian word for "wasp", "Vespa".
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