Maco

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 is part of “Wink World”, a campaign setting created by writeups.org contributor Mike.

Background

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Powers and Abilities

Maco is an USMC major with shark-like characteristics.

He is stronger and tougher than he was before the change, but not superhumanly so. His health is extraordinary and he heals as fast as a shark. In the water there is not a more deadly fighting man or sea creature than Arthur.

On the land his healing, strength and Marine Corps experience make him a force to be reckoned with. After the change Arthur no longer sleeps.

Even before the change Arthur Curry was one of the most skilled animal trainers in the world. Afterward he could teach animals to be guards, scouts or guides better than most had ever attempted with marine life. He has worked out ways to communicate with dolphins and killer whales that border on the complexity of human speech.

History

In the days after the Hatani war a lot of technical diffusion happened very quickly. Some of it was for used for the betterment of mankind, too often for personal gain.

In a rare instance of serendipity a university of Hawaii project to cure cancer managed to use captured Hatani knowledge to create a shark RNA virus to overwrite cancer causing markers in DNA. The problem of random shark characteristics appearing had barely begun to be addressed when Hawaii was attacked by the Thanagarians.

A desperate group of survivors infected themselves with the RNA virus. Over several weeks they moved from hiding in the mountains to slipping away in the ocean. Some survived, some were killed. Major Arthur Curry, the director of aquatic research for the Navy, was the most powerful.

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Survivors

In the months that followed these survivors, dubbing themselves the New World Men, made a home in the shallows of the Sea of Japan. Some lived, some died, and some changed horribly. Arthur, a marine expert and experienced survival instructor was instrumental to their making it at all. But Arthur’s son and namesake did not survive.

While most of the New World Men had become true water breathers, Curry was amphibious. The stripping on his skin and the speed and grace he gained in the water earned him the nickname Maco. This was a name he proudly bore.

(Presumably after the mako shark  — Ed.).

A lot of fear and ugly media attention surrounded the NWM at first. Maco came forward and explained who they were, Humans and Americans. The tide turned for them when it became known that they had a cure for cancer. They never became fully accepted but now had something to offer.

Maco quickly became both spokesman and champion of this new people. His tough-as-nails image and cool-looking shark striping and teeth gained him notability. Although the NWM were a representative democracy he was often referred to as their king by the media.

Justice League

In the weeks and months that followed Arthur, pursuing his unnamed ‘business’ came to the sprawl in time to assist the Justice League in repelling an army of Hatani Scouts (Polymorphs who had been hiding in the north Atlantic) from taking Long Island as their home.

Maco, like Superman enjoyed the company of other super humans and the positive exposure that the New World Men gained by his membership. Even after the UN made peace with the Thanagarians, Maco never forgave them. Still a marine he would always remember.

Description

Maco, unlike many of the New World Men came out looking cool. He has black eyes and brown and black stripes across his thickened back. He has rows of teeth like a shark but in a normal human mouth.

Since he won’t scar no matter what he does Maco will wade into a battle and head butt an opponent for the psychological impact.

Personality

Maco is a strong figure with years of experience in leadership and oceans (pun intended) of self confidence in his fields of expertise. He is easygoing, a hard drinker and great laugher until his ardor is raised.

Maco can switch into “Marine Mode” (pun again intended) where he becomes a deadly serious leader of fighting men. Major Curry is the only true soldier among the JL and tends to take command in a chaotic circumstance.

DC Universe History

Major Curry would get along well with the angry Aquaman of the hook hand era. Like all of the wink-world JLA Maco is much less powerful than his DCU counterpart.

In the DCU Maco could be a dangerous rabble rouser amongst the Atlanteans. Like all of his JLA he would make a good secret force behind some subtle manipulation.

By Mike Winkler.

Source of Character: An alternate take on the JLA.