Character Sheet
Hardcase (writeup 2 - pre-NME rematch)
Category : Comic Books
Subcategory : Ultraverse
Type : Hero
Game System : DC Heroes (Blood of Heroes S.E.)
Hardcase (classic) v1
Source of Character: Ultraverse
Reasons: This covers the period between the death of the Squad and the second encounter with NM-E (Hardcase #1-15).
Game Stuff
Hardcase
"That house cost me two mil, you clown !"
"Don't worry. We're celebrities"
Hardcase
| Dex: 06 | Str: 14 | Bod: 13 | Motivation: Responsibility |
| Int: 05 | Wil: 05 | Min: 04 | Occupation: Actor and hero |
| Inf: 05 | Aur: 04 | Spi: 04 | Resources {or Wealth}: 010 |
| Init: 016 | HP: 055 |
Bonuses and Limitations: Power Reserve is activated by water. Drinking a lot is enough for one AP ; a long shower for 2 APs ; complete, prolonged immersion in water activates all 3 APs.
Skills: Artist (Actor): 03, Vehicles (Land): 04
Advantages: Life support (No need to breathe), Popularity
Connections: Hollywood cinema industry (Low), LAPD (Low), The Solution (Low)
Drawbacks: Dependent (Choice, 0 pts), Guilt (The death of the Squad - disappears when he falls in love with Choice), Limelight, Public ID, Unluck
Background
Real name: Tom Hawke
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: None
Group affiliation: Former member of the Squad, partner of Choice
Base Of Operations: Los Angeles
Height: 6'3" Weight: 240 lbs.
Eyes: Blue Hair: Blond
Powers and Abilities
Hardcase's body has been strengthened to an astounding degree. He can lift trucks, jump a mile, and his senses are superhuman. He also has started noticing that he heals faster when he drinks lots of mineral water, and is one accident away from realising that he does not have to breathe.
History:
After the Squad died, and it became obvious that Starburst would never wake up from her coma, Tom Hawke retired from being a ultra-hero. His spirit had been crushed by the defeat inflicted by NM-E, and he felt unable to fight another ultra. He came back to his original vocation as an actor.
Hardcase, no longer a hero, thus became Tom Hawke's character in successful, blockbuster movies narrating his fictional feats.
After a year, a nearby bank heist spurred Hardcase into action back again ; however his unwillingness to face the real world made him arrive too late, resulting in the death of several police officers.
Guilt-ridden again, Hardcase felt forced back into the role of the super-hero, though a reluctant and very self-centred one.
Description:
See illustration.
Personality
Tom Hawke is a movie superstar, and the public still thinks that he was the first ultra ever. He's tall, powerful, muscular, attractive and adulated by the crowds, both as an actor and as a hero. It would be truly remarkable if that didn't get to his head - and Tom Hawke is all too human. He has pretty much sold out, and his altruistic side his gone, crushed by fear of defeat and the guilt over the death of the Squad and Starburst.
It was guilt, again, that spurred him into action after the death of several policemen. However, he was reactive rather than proactive, no longer attempting to act to Uphold Good but rather reacting to personal threats and goals. He protected himself and what he held dear, and did not see much further than that.
Hardcase is spoiled, with a huge ego. He often acts smug and superior, like some movie stars do ; and unlike most heroes he worries about his property and status symbol (once fleeing from adversaries in order to save his expensive Porsche from being wrecked). He sees himself as somebody who should be above normal worries and problems, yet fate seems to take a perverse pleasure in hammering him with Unluck.
As time went on, Hardcase's decency and courage started to crawl from the wreckage left by the death of the Squad, and he slowly began to become a true hero again.
DC Universe History:
Hardcase is the seminal hero of the Ultraverse, and he's the one who created the concept of the public ultra-hero. The last stand of Hardcase and the Squad is what prevented NM-E from reaping a new generation of ultras, changing world history.
The core concept is that he's just a well-meaning man who ended up being super-popular and a Very Important Person - and the impact that this had on him.
If you are launching a brand new campaign, the Ultraverse is a good working base. The origin of superpowers is logical, the characters are interesting, and the universe has not been explored much (the Ultraverse line was created to support many years of continuity, but closed shop after only two years). Thus, you could use and customize the Ultraverse as you wish, perhaps keeping Hardcase as a key NPC figure.
