Character Sheet
Acrata
Category : Comic Books
Subcategory : DC universe
Type : Hero
Game System : DC Heroes (Blood of Heroes S.E.)
Acrata v1
Source of Character: Superman v2 Annual 12 ("Planet DC" crossover in 2000)
Helper(s): Chris Cottingham
Reasons (1): This issue was, honestly, rather poor -- but it's one of the few places we can find Mexican characters in the DCU (and that goes double for heroes). Since those guys are rather obscure (I don't think they appeared beyond that issue), they provide an OK base for GMs who'd like to showcase characters from the area without having to invent everything from scratch. Some creative tinkering is presumably advisable, though.
Reasons (2): This writeup uses the DC Comics Encyclopedia (DK, 2004) as a secondary source.
Game Stuff
Acrata
"Idiots ! That is Ometeotl... god of the Near and Close !"
"I suspect that the rest of this puzzle can only be solved by Acrata. As Joseph Fouché often said, 'there is more truth to be found in the shadows than in the light'."
Acrata
| Dex: 05 | Str: 03 | Bod: 04 | Motivation: Seeking Justice |
| Int: 05 | Wil: 05 | Min: 05 | Occupation: Anthropology student |
| Inf: 04 | Aur: 04 | Spi: 05 | Resources {or Wealth}: 003 |
| Init: 016 | HP: 030 |
Advantages: Expertise (Mesoamerican myths, Mesoamerican history, historical and litterary quotes), Familiarity (History), Language (Spanish, various ancient Mesoamerican languages)
Connections: Professor Rojas (High), El Muerto (Low), Iman (Low)
Drawbacks: Secret ID
Equipment: MAYAN GLYPH [BODY 12, Invisibility: 03, Warp: 09, Limitation: Invisibility only in darkness, Warp only between areas of darkness]
Background
Real name: Andrea Rojas
Marital Status: Unrevealed
Known Relatives: Professor Bernard Rojas (father)
Group affiliation: None
Base Of Operations: Mexico City
Height: 5'6" Weight: 125 lbs
Eyes: Blue Hair: Brownish red
Powers and Abilities
Acrata is a solid athlete and martial artist - she might even have slightly higher scores in those talents - as well as a knowledgeable student of pre-Hispanic history. The Mayan symbol on the brow of her costume is apparently what allows her to disappear in the shadows - sometimes litterally, since she can shadowstep.
History:
The Rojas are previously from Cobán, Guatemala, but moved to Mexico when professor Rojas was awarded a position with the National Museum of Anthropology in the capital. Andrea thus chiefly grew up in Mexico, and eventually started working with him as a student.
However, beyond the great Mesoamerican civilisations, Andrea started developing a strong interest in the trials of the Mexico City people, and in particular the power of the narcos and organised crime. Somehow acquiring significant physical skills and a mystical artefact, she eventually created the identity of Acrata and became a shadowy street vigilante. Acrata eventually graduated to hounding certain drug cartels even outside of Mexico.
At one point she, El Muerto, Iman and Superman managed to defeat the supernatural menace summoned by the sorcerer Duran.
Description:
See illustrations.
Personality
Andrea seems fairly young and aloof, and strongly prefers to operate solo since she overestimates her own competence - allies don't cramp her style as much as she seems to believe. She behaves in a brusque manner toward authorities and heroes.
It seems she is steeped into one of the various Latin American traditions of anarchism (her name might derive from a Greek akratos, "denying [political] power"), which would go a long way toward explaining the black costume and her attitude toward leaders, the powers that be (legal or not), outsiders, administrative procedures, etc.
Her 'dark avenger of the night' attitude may also be patterned after some American heroes during the 90s.
Part of her style as Acrata is to use an arsenal of quotes from history, litterature and philosophy, both as calling cards she leaves behind once she's done and in her lines. She avoids name-dropping, though, preferring to allude to the author, and will often allow herself approximations (such as using Nietzsche quotes about the ubermensch to refer to Superman). In the comics that came across as systematic, formulaic and stilted, but it can certainly be downplayed to a point where it flows better.
