Happyjack

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.

This specific character was part of the Wild Hunt, a community-created super-team circa the year 2000.

Advertisement

Powers and Abilities

Jack’s primary power is his ability to generate “good feelings” towards himself. This effect is limited to making people amiable and friendly towards him. It is not a form of control. At present, Jack is unaware of this ability and would not believe most people even if they tried to tell him. He just believes himself to be a really charming guy.

Jack’s other abilities include being able to heal damage even to the point of coming back from death’s door. This ability Jack is obviously aware of and the one he tends to use the most.

Aside from his powers, Jack is a well-trained fighter with a slightly lesser talent for gadgets and writing.

History

Jack Swanson led a dull life in a small-town for most of his life. Because of his mundane upbringing he left for New York on his 21^st birthday and never looked back. In search of fame and fortune, Jack would wander the streets at night seeking inspiration for the great novels he knew he would someday write.

It was during one of these nights that he spied a truck dumping barrels into the East River. Naturally curious, and still quite naïve, he attempted to get a closer look but was captured by some of the workers. Not wanting Jack to report their illegal dumping to the police, they sealed him in a barrel partially filled with some of the toxic waste and dumped into the water.

After some struggling, Jack managed to escape and surface far enough to avoid his assailants attention. He struggled home and collapsed into sleep.

Jack awoke a month later. Deciding that he had stumbled upon a potential story, he returned to the spot where he had been attacked before. Again he was captured though this time they decided to make sure he was dead and shot him in the head and then dumped his body into the river.

Advertisement

Are you happy to see me?

Jack awoke and swam out of the water. He realized that something had happened to him and went back to try his luck again. Again, he was captured and this time they shot him in the head and slit his throat before dropping him into the river. Jack awoke and emerged again at which point his assailants just gave themselves up.

Jack left before the police arrived at the scene and scurried back to his apartment. Amazed at the turn of events he had just been a part of, he decided to use his power to gain as much fame as possible, as well as and created the costumed identity of HappyJack.

He began his adventuring career and also began writing novels loosely-based upon some of his adventures.

Description

Jack Swanson looks like one of the characters he wrotes about in his novels. He stands just a touch over six feet in height and is muscular without looking bulky. He wears his dirty blonde hair short and with a part on the right.

His deep blue eyes contrast well with his lightly tanned and perfectly smooth skin. His smile is that whiter-than-white smile which seems to sparkle when the light hits it just right.

His casual attire varies from simple slacks and a short-sleeved button down shirt to a three-piece suit when he’s conducting business.

When out doing the superhero thing, Jack wears a black bodysuit with yellow gloves, boots, and belt. He also wears a full mask with a yellow smiley-face design.

Personality

Jack lives as if his life were a novel. As Jack Swanson, he is a dashing, devil-may-care type laughing his way through his adventures. Though he is not aware that the reason most people react favorably to him is because of his power, he is not slow to take advantage of his good fortune and can usually charm his way into, or out of, any situation.

Despite this, Jack is still a nice guy and does not abuse his “natural charm” too heavily.

The simplest way to understand Jack’s personality is to treat him as a big kid living in a James Bond movie. While his life is not always that dramatic or glamorous, he sees it as such. This applies to even mundane events like going to the laundromat to wash his clothes.

In addition, Jack’s Unluck advantage also tends to attract “oddness” into his otherwise mundane life. Exciting things DO tend to happen to him at the laundromat.

Other traits

As HappyJack, Jack’s dramatic style only escalates. Trusting in his ability to heal most wounds, HappyJack tends to take more risks than any person should. He prefers the “swashbuckler” style of entrances, usually through a window or by smashing through a door or skylight, and dislikes skulking around.

When fighting a group he leaps into the middle and begins blindly throwing punches and kicks. Even against obviously superior opponents, he never flees, preferring to go down fighting.

HappyJack’s personality is that of someone with a deathwish but who believes themselves to be immortal. To HappyJack, his costumed adventures should be as dramatic as those he used to read in comic books or watches at the movies. In a fight he will also throw out catch-phrases and one-liners with extreme frequency.

By Alex Hunter for the Wild Hunt project.

Source of Character: Homemade.