Aikido

Context

This character is an original creation. We often call these “homemades” or “homebrewed” – think home cooking or craft beer.

Many of these characters were created to take part in tabletop role-playing game sessions. Others were invented as a creative writing exercise, often as part of a community event.

Background

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Powers and Abilities

Aikido is one of the most agile and skilled martial artists in the world. Although she began her career studying aikido (hence her name !), she has over the course of our campaigns studied several other arts. She then blended them into a unique personal style that she is planning to teach when she retires.

Her mind and body are tuned to perfection. She has shown a few quasi-mystical abilities, most notably her ability to keep fighting under great physical damage (in DC Heroes RPG terms, MoM), the ability to block or side step projectiles (Deflection), and the ability to counterstrike (Reflection).

The last ability I have attempted to recreate what in Champions was basically a martial throw damage shield. (120 Active points I think it was). She later refined that to a strike or throw but the result is the same, if she was successful the opponent would be damaged, she would not. Nor would she give up her attack for that round.

This may be impossible to do so judge for yourself.

History

Sharon Brookings was an active young woman. She was in school studying forensic sciences and getting her aikido green belt.

She was coming home from a party one night when she was grabbed from behind and forced into an alley. The assailant tried to rape her. But a nearby undercover police officer heard the struggle and came to her rescue.

The experience traumatized her. She dropped out of school and began spending all her time training in aikido and other martial arts. She swore that she would never be a victim again. She suffered from panic attacks and flashbacks. Her aikido instructor saw the gradual but drastic change in his pupil. He eventually helped her seek counseling.

It was during this time that she was again assaulted. This time however she instinctively and quite effectively disabled her attacker. The feeling she got from that instance made her decide to become a superhero. She trained harder than ever. She made rounds as the crime fighter, Aikido.

Soon after her first public appearance, where she helped save a child from a burning building (by kicking the building down -just kidding), she joined the fledgling Pacific Coast Guardians.

She has since traveled the world (particularly Asia) and met and studied with many of the best martial artists in the world. She has few rivals and their names are generally spoken in hushed whispers.

Description

Sharron is a stunningly attractive woman with long, straight, flame red hair. Her costume started out as a white Karate gi with a red belt. Eventually I added a skin tight red under suit that provided a little protection. The undersuit was a full body stocking, going from her neck down.

She wore a white gi with a flaming red dragon on the back, a red belt with golden flames at the ends, and red ’ninja‘ shoes.

Outside of her costume she wears a simple white gi, puts her hair up and wears the ever effective glasses to cover her identity. Outside of work she wears trendy stuff. For a few years after her attempted rape, she wore very conservative, dumpy clothing. While not dressing like a dancer on MTV these days, she has loosened up a bit and will dress more daringly.

DC Universe History

As is. However, since I added these guys to the DCU, she has met most of the heavy hitters in the DC Martial Arts circles. She has a fierce rivalry with Lady Shiva (DUH!) and has a good friendship with Bronze Tiger. She also has encountered Robin (Tim Drake) a few times.

Admittedly her stats are very high for “merely” being a trained normal so if some out there feel she needs to be adjusted that’s all fine and good.

However, I have always seen her as pure martial artist, almost a one trick pony. She would never defeat someone like Batman outside of a tournament, his skills and abilities are not as narrowly defined as hers. However, in said tournament, I think she’d come out on top.

By Chad Riley (original character by Bill Carone).