Godot
Context
A number of American listmembers have occasional need of Continental supers that the “official” characters in the MU and DCU such as Le Peregrine (sic) are somewhat campy. Thus, I took the liberty of creating a few French supers from an French point of view.
This series of characters is listed in the French Gendarmerie writeups.org category. Which is accessible for this link, or from the category breadcrumb right under this profile’s title. You *did* notice the category breadcrumbs, right ?
It is best to first read our profile for Marianne, which provides the necessary context.
The universe for the Gendarmerie characters is kept purposefully vague. There are hints of Wildstorm (post-human operatives being activated, superhuman (para)military units) and DC (Marianne’s Kryptonian-ish power suite), but it’s meant to be vague.
It could easily be Marvel-ified by replacing powers activation by Xavier-style training to teach mutants to properly use their superhuman abilities.
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Background
- Real Name: Inapplicable.
- Marital Status: Inapplicable.
- Known Relatives: Inapplicable.
- Group Affiliation: ESIGN.
- Base Of Operations: Mont-de-Marsan (near Paris).
- Height: 6’ Weight: 205 lbs.
- Eyes: Unrevealed Hair: Unrevealed
Powers and Abilities
Godot is a proficient, well-trained tactical operator with a GIGN/ESIGN background. He’s very experienced with tactics, anti-terrorist techniques, firearms, athletics, hand-to-hand combat, etc.
Another characteristic is that he doesn’t usually exist. Most of the time Godot is, at best, a flicker in your peripheral vision. As things get tense and as gendarmes get close to their staging area, Godot becomes increasingly easier to notice.
This is a progressive, unobtrusive phenomenon. A team will gradually come to realise there are 11 of them instead of 10 in the vehicle, and that this is the reason it seems more cramped this time around. Not only does this feel normal and unthreatening, but despite barely speaking Godot is found to be likeable and reliable by all of his colleagues.
Godot has twice received fatal wounds, but faded away as tension receded as he always does. He has always come back in full health, and the gendarmes have come to assume that he’s eternal.
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History
This entity, nicknamed “Godot” by the super-gendarmes, is the ESIGN member who wasn’t. He simply started appearing among the rest of the team one day, without any of the other operatives finding this unsettling.
From time to time, an additional tactical operator would fade in as a commando team reached an operations area. This non-person gradually and seamlessly becomes part of the unit as he becomes more real. Godot applies textbook ESIGN procedures, tactics, standard operation drills, etc. without any personal touch or idiosyncrasies.
What is Godot ?
Some think he’s the ghost of a deceased GIGN operative, with some speculation as to whom it could be. Some think he’s the gestalt spirit of all deceased GIGN and ESIGN operators. Others still a kind of spirit from some kind of spiritual plane that is resonating with some part of the ESIGN experience.
Another theory held by Sexy Boy is that he’s some sort of blank psionic construct, which has been subconsciously “coloured” and “tamed” by the team.
Early on, the notion that some faceless man was just materialising in the very heart of the most exacting law enforcement operations was giving fits to the security staff. What made it even worse was that the tactical operators found his presence normal and welcome. They all saw him as a valued team member and trusted colleague even though nobody had any idea about whom he was.
Let the right one in
Security eventually gave up. Godot only really existed when a tactical operation was going dynamic – at which point it was way too late to try fancy stuff. And they couldn’t catch somebody who did not exist.
Furthermore, Godot obviously had full, to-the-minute understanding of ESIGN operations. So on the counter-intelligence front it would have been bolting the barn door after the horses left.
The fact that France’s premier tactical team has an anomaly in its ranks, a virtual gendarme, an occasional being, is kept a tight secret. This isn’t very challenging, since he wears the exact same generic, faceless uniform as the rest of the team.
Description
Godot simply appears as fully-equipped ESIGN member – with current regulation equipment and uniform. The only oddity is that his black cowl doesn’t have any aperture – for either eyes or the mouth.
Personality
Godot is very quiet and disciplined. He’s a perfect team player and highly dependable. Godot applies textbook ESIGN tactics — he’s incredibly workmanlike in his punctilious application of The Book. He never hesitates to sacrifice himself for the good of the team. However, he doesn’t base his tactics around that and there seldom is a need to.
Godot operates as a close-range operator, usually on assault or close perimeter security. He’s never on a long-range detail such as sniper or outer perimeter security.
Godot always seems to know the proper radio frequencies, call signs, hand signals, code words, etc. for the current operation. It is generally hypothesised he follows every single briefing session (and possibly debriefing session) with nobody realising it.
People who attended briefing missions in a state of unusual emotional agitation for personal reasons do report that they occasionally saw one more gendarme in the room. But that didn’t seem important to them at the time.
Godot has occasionally manifested around la Dixième, a superhuman friend of Marianne and occasional ESIGN ally, for unclear reasons. She dislikes him but refuses to explain why.
Quotes
“Reçu” (“Acknowledged.”)
“Prêt.” (“Ready”)
The Tenth : Last night I saw upon the stair / A little man who wasn’t there / He wasn’t there again today / Oh, how I wish he’d go away…
Sexy Boy : “Cool stuff. That’s our man Godot alright. Beckett again ?”
The Tenth : “William Hughes Mearns .”
DC Universe History
Godot appears in most of the crowd scenes during Crisis on Infinite Earths. And nobody ever noticed.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Godot, the man who wasn’t there
| Dex: 05 | Str: 03 | Bod: 05 | Motivation: Mysterious |
| Int: 05 | Wil: 05 | Min: 05 | Occupation: ESIGN operative |
| Inf: 08 | Aur: 08 | Spi: 06 | Resources {or Wealth}: 000 |
| Init: 022 | HP: 040 |
Powers:
Broadcast empath: 05, Dispersal: 02, Invisibility: 08, Invulnerability: 11, Mind blank: 15, Obscure: 15, Regeneration: 03
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Power Loss : Dispersal and Invisibility are less efficient against people experiencing strong emotions such as tension, fear, excitement, etc. Lower the APs depending on the strength of the emotion. The APs bottom out at zero against people experiencing the extreme tension of a life-or-death situation.
- Broadcast Empath is Always On and only broadcasts the “I’m a fellow member of your tightly-knit team and my presence here is perfectly normal” feeling.
Skills:
Acrobatics (Climbing): 05, Martial artist*: 05, Medicine (First aid): 03, Military science: 05, Thief (Stealth, security systems): 06, Vehicles (Land): 05, Weaponry (Infantry weapons): 06
Advantages:
Scholar (ESIGN/GIGN tactics and procedures), Iron nerves, Lightning Reflexes.
Connections:
None.
Drawbacks:
None demonstrated.
Equipment:
- MOTOROLA MX-330 TACTICAL RADIO [BODY 04, Radio coms: 06 – a small, black mike-and-earring piece of equipment].
- TACTICAL VEST AND VISORED HELMET [BODY 04, Flame immunity: 02, Invulnerability: 05, Shade: 01, Skin Armor: 02, Limitations: Invulnerability and Skin armor are only effective vs attacks by slashing and piercing weapons (-2FC each), Invulnerability cannot be used to counter *continuing* loss of Current BODY due to Killing Damage (-1FC), Partial Coverage (Can bypass Powers with a +3CS OV Trick Shot); Real Armour] plus optional GAS MASK [BODY 03, Sealed systems (respiratory): 05].
- Manhurin MR73 .357 magnum revolver [BODY 04, Projectile weapons: 05, Ammo: 06, R#02, Recommended STR: 03, Drawback: Long reload time].
- Sig-Sauer P226 9mm pistol (backup) [BODY 04, Projectile weapon: 04, Ammo: 15, R#02].
- FN-P90 Personal Defense Weapon [BODY: 04, Projectile weapons: 06, Sharpness (projectile weapons): 01, Ammo: 12, R#02, Advantage: Autofire, Limitation: Can only use SLAP ammunition (already factored in)].
- Flash-bang grenades (x5) [BODY 03, EV 02 (Area of effect 1 AP), Flash: 07 (Area of effect 2 APs), Sensory block (earring): 09, Note : all Powers are Combined, Grenade drawback, R#03].
- Tear gas grenade (x1) [BODY 03, Fog: 03, Chemical attack: 04, Grenade drawback, Bonus : Chemical attack and Fog are Combined (Chemical attack is active thorough the Fog), R#03].
Source of Character: Homemade.
Helper(s): Peter Piispanen, Roy Cowan, Frank Murdock, Darci.