American Star

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.

Powers and Abilities

American Star III has no super powered abilities. But he is at the peak of his physical prowess and a highly skilled individual. He is an accomplished inventor, as well as being a deadly combatant able to kill while unarmed, easily. He has had lots of training in all manner of military procedures, practices and training.

His protégé, now known as Agent X, got some of the most intense training in the world from him. That is one reason he was able to reach such a dangerous position within the US Government hierarchy so easily. This displays Jake’s teaching abilities as well developed.

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Gear

For weaponry, he has a shield made of a tough steel alloy which he usually deploys when facing heavy firepower.

He also has two stun discs which he throws at opponents in trick shots, direct take downs and for running lines to far away places occasionally.

He has constructed a lightweight collapsible hang glider as well as the Whitestar suit, which is an exo-suit with a rocket pack on it. It looks the same as his regular suit, but white is blue and blue is white, it’s simple reversal.

While these are usually all the devices that Star uses, he is equally proficient with just about every kind of weapon. Thus, he can use most equally, even if he’s never picked up one exactly like it before. Furthermore, like the supposed ninja ability, he finds potential weapons in his environment if he needs them.

History

Jake Jackson was born in Atlanta, Georgia in the year 1960. He was raised there, and lived through the civil rights movement. He was perhaps saved from repeating the cycle of racial hatred by the example of mystery men of times past, especially Goldwing and the second American Star. What those heroes stood for, and the examples of their fellows inspired Jake.

Service

When he was 17 he joined the U.S. Army with the hopes of doing his best to protect his country. He was undeterred by the sentiment against Armed Forces so common in the wake of the Việt Nam Conflict. Jake was trained to a high level of expertise and ended up being transferred into Special Forces.

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He saw limited action in various countries around the world. As his superiors were finally recognizing his potential, his tour of duty was over. Leaving the army with a sense of satisfying service to his country, he sought employment in the private sector. He did well in business but was soon bored.

He was recruited into the CIA by a former army buddy, and saw a lot of action in one year doing black ops. Somewhere along the way, they dug deep into the wet works and his partner died. This forced Jake to quit. His belief in his country and the agencies that serve her was briefly shattered.

American Star II

The pivotal event in his life occurred when the second American Star was gunned down by a daring group of bank robbers. Jake rushed to her side, knocking the robbers out as he did so. She was impressed by his prowess and begged him to carry on her quest, as she felt she was dying. He did so, and became the third person to bear the identity of the American Star.

The second American Star lived, but was badly crippled. She was put into a quality rest home by Jake masquerading as her next of kin. From 1982 onward, he was the American Star, and he certainly made the guise his own over the next ten years.

In 1983 he helped found Team Supreme after aiding the others in a situation versus Dr. Technis’ son Blackguard. He served as a member of the team for four years. In 1984, he trained an orphan he helped off the streets as his partner, Stripes. Stripes accompanied him on Team Supreme missions for a year, then he left to start his adult life.

Grief

In Jake’s normal life as a major shareholder, he met and married Jane Daniels – a bank manager. For two years his marriage was fine, and his secret life was great.

Then, a white supremacy group, hoping to force Jake to publicly support their views took over the bank Jane worked at. In his rush to save her, making careless mistakes and not calling for backup, she died. The next day he quit Team Supreme.

He stopped being American Star then, more in terms of grief than in mourning. But by then Katherine Peters had arrived in his life.

Katherine was an investigative reporter and was intrigued by his disappearance. She did extensive research and tracked him down. She confronted him with his failure to continue to be the American Star. He opened up to her and as she got to know him, she fell in love. Still, in a malaise he didn’t notice. When she proved it to him, she rekindled something in him.

Return

In 1989, a year and a half later, he retook the mantle of the American Star. Over the course of the next five years, he found out about the existence of the Unity Commission, which is a nice name for a paranoid, fanatical white supremacy group attempting to take control of the country from behind the scenes.

Finally, after confiding in Katherine for years, he realized that he was as attracted to her as she was to him. In 1995 he married her, and they have been living happily since then.

Description

Jake Jackson is a tall Caucasian man with brown hair, and green eyes. In his civilian guise he dressed the part of a chief investor in a wealthy corporation. As American Star, he wears a predominately blue outfit, including a cowl that covers everything but the bottom half of his face. It bears a large white star on the chest.

Right above his elbows on each arm is a blue mini-pouch and belt, and alternating red and white bands down to his hands which are covered by white gloves. He wears a blue belt with pouches around his waist. Below the waist the bodysuit turns white gradually, he wears white reinforced boots.

Personality

Jake is an all-American hero. He is filled with patriotism that is mostly a holdover from the World War II era. He emulates the mold of some of the most patriotic American heroes ever known and he does it well.

He was brought up in a time of change in civil rights and sees nothing right about demeaning someone else for their race, religious preference, nationality or values. Unlike some Americans who espouse these beliefs, he holds to them rigorously, unswervingly opposing those who would even unwittingly trample on the rights of others.

In costume, he is truly a commanding presence and can get his way with police, government officials on all levels and the media and public. There is something very larger than life about him, and most everyone who has ever tried to impersonate him to those who have ever seen him in the flesh often fail.

Agent X is one of the few who has tried and not been laughed away, but as a good friend and former protégé he does know Jake better than most.

He is always concerned with the welfare of bystanders and other innocents first, and stopping crimes in action second. He respects most of the heroes running around, as long as they aren’t causing more harm than the villains they are stopping, but he works solo almost exclusively.

He left the Team Supreme long before it reached its current state, so he does not know them as well as any other former member might.

Secret identity

Outside of the suit, Jake is an unassuming dilettante. He can be very warm, and goes to social functions mostly to support or voice support for charity causes, and to enlighten people. He funds a series of scholarships through his company so that people can afford to get higher education if they want it.

In his civilian identity, he is often able to help in a less noticed way, which he enjoys just as much as when he is the American Star. His wife, Katherine knows all of his secrets and that is how he likes to leave it. In regards to her, nothing is too good, and he makes sure to give her as much space as she wants.

By Byron Molix.