Steven Matrix
Context
Matrix was a 1993 American TV series. It only had one season and seems to have been largely forgotten.
But it had an interesting premise – perhaps a bit too early for its own good. The titular character is a hitman who died, but came back to accomplish missions as ordered by the bosses of the afterlife. The goal is to save souls.
Background
- Real Name: Steven Matrix.
- Marital Status: Single.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: None.
- Base Of Operations: Toronto.
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Powers and Abilities
Matrix has no super powers, just the skills of an elite hit man. He’s a superb shot and a better than average detective.
He also has a helper in the form of Billy Hicks. Hicks has a phenomenal ability to research any subject and come up with anything that anyone could conceivably find out about it. When Matrix gets in over his head, Hicks has a habit of suddenly appearing to provide him with a quick getaway in Billy’s car.
Someone who encounters him may justifiably suspect Matrix of being psychic. He has an uncanny way of knowing things about what people have done, are doing, or might do. However, this knowledge comes entirely from the City which is virtually omniscient concerning events on Earth, but doles out the information to Matrix sparingly.
Agent of the City In between
Matrix is at the beck and call of the inhabitants of the City. They will assign him to turn people aside from damnation. They can pluck their agent instantaneously from Earth for meetings, usually when you are passing through a door. They can return the agent after the conversation is over with no time having passed.
They know or can find out anything about the past, present and possible futures of any mortal on Earth. They will dole out this information to their Agent. However, they are sparing with this information. They tell the Agent the minimum he needs to get started, and only give him some further hints if it looks like he’s spinning his wheels.
It is possible that there IS no City In Between, that it is all a delusion that Matrix is experiencing as a result of his guilt and brain trauma. If that is the case then Matrix is a psychic. His DC Heroes Powers would be:
- Fabricate: 18 (Limited to Doodads).
- Mind Probe: 18.
- Precognition: 18.
All of his powers would be Elementally Linked and would have No Conscious Control. His visions take the form of visits to the City, and Fabricate covers the occasional object he removes from the city.
In either case, it basically boils down to the GM dropping some hints to get things started and keep things going. In either case, he registers on Magic Sense as being “Touched”.
History
Steven Matrix was a hitman until the day that someone came after him. She put a bullet in his brain. During his near-death experience, he found himself spiritually transported into the City In Between. This is a limbo for people who don’t quite qualify for Heaven or Hell.
In actuality, Matrix was amply qualified for Hell. Yet the inhabitants of the City had decided to intervene, offer him a second chance at life and redemption, and through him work their own ways out of purgatory. Having been shown the alternative, Matrix accepted.
Restored to life in the hospital, Matrix returned to the legitimate side of his life as a businessman. But he suffered regular interruptions as his new employers would suddenly grab him into their dimension, to give him assignments, each in their own eccentric way.
Missions of mercy (sort of)
His assignments have included:
- Keeping a woman from claiming her father killed her mother after a “suppressed memory” emerged that was actually implanted by someone out to get him.
- Keeping a mob thug from murdering a little girl who was a witness against his boss.
- Keeping a senior citizen from murdering the con-artist who stole his retirement fund.
- Persuading a husband not to go along with his mistress’s plan to murder his wife.
- Disentangling Billy Hicks from an old girlfriend who planned to frame him for murder.
- Persuading a famous diplomatic intermediary who has lost his nerve to overcome his fear and get back in the game.
Often Matrix falls into the mistake of assuming that his primary role is to save the victim, since there is usually a murder plot. However the City In Between cares more about saving people from damning themselves than it does about whether innocent victims die.
Description
Matrix is played by the actor, Nick Mancuso. As Matrix, Mancuso dresses expensively and tastefully with a fondness for long coats.
Personality
Matrix is a cold fish. He goes about the task of saving someone’s soul with the same detached, methodical, but somehow intense demeanor that he used to use for his contract killings.
His motives and methods are often incomprehensible. He’ll suddenly appear in your life, investigating you, knowing things about you that nobody could know, turn you aside from a foolish and self destructive course, then leave without revealing why, or even if, he cared.
Quotes
“Sometimes, you become what you hate.”
DC Universe History
Perhaps Matrix showed up to save the killer of the Flying Graysons from Dick, in order to keep Nightwing from becoming a supervillain.
Or he might have acted to keep a small-time snitch from revealing a chance-discovered secret identity to a hero’s arch enemy. He’s that kind of plot device.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Matrix
| Dex: 05 | Str: 02 | Bod: 04 | Motivation: Seeking Justice |
| Int: 06 | Wil: 05 | Min: 05 | Occupation: Health Club Owner |
| Inf: 03 | Aur: 06 | Spi: 03 | Resources {or Wealth}: 007 |
| Init: 16 |
Skills:
Charisma: 05, Detective*: 06, Martial Artist (Assault, Battery, Blocking): 05, Thief: 07, Vehicles (Land)*: 05, Weaponry (Firearms): 06
Advantages:
Area Knowledge (Toronto, New York, Montreal), Iron Nerves, Confidante (Billy Hicks), Connoisseur, Intensive Training, Luck, Misc: Agent of the City In Between.
Connections:
Organized Crime (Low), CIA (Low).
Drawbacks:
Dark Secret, Guilt, Mistrust.
Source of Character: The 1993 Matrix TV serial.