Post by captainamerica on May 4, 2012 5:07:04 GMT -4
The person behind the character:
Name/Nickname: Ray
Age: 17
Experience: Played in three different literate RP forums over the past four years
Contact information: E-mail, in my profile
Character Basics:
Real name: Steven ‘Steve’ Grant Rogers
Codename: Captain America
Date of birth: July 4th, 1922
Place of birth: Manhattan, New York
Age: Mid-30s (after being frozen for decades)
Known family: Joseph Rogers (father, deceased), Sarah Rogers (mother, deceased)
The reflection in the mirror:
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Blue
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 240 lbs
Legal Status: Adult
Occupation: Government operative, soldier, superhero
Affiliation: Avengers, Invaders (formerly), S.H.I.E.L.D., Secret Avengers
Abilities: Thanks to the Super-Soldier Serum, Steve Rogers was transformed from a scrawny kid into the apex of human potential, both physically and mentally. While Captain America possesses no superhuman powers, his body has been transformed by the Serum into a perfect specimen of a human being, giving him the maximum intelligence and strength that a human can possibly obtain. Mentally, Captain America is a tactical genius, and considered to be one of the world’s leading strategists with his superior mind and years of battlefield experience. As his brain processes faster than that of a regular human, Captain America also possesses many other cerebral aptitudes, including an eidetic memory and multilingualism. Physically, the Captain is also a seasoned martial artist, acrobat, and sharpshooter; and all of these talents are especially useful when he uses his signature shield. The trademark weapon in his arsenal, Captain America’s unique shield is made of an unknown alloy, and a near-indestructible tool that the Captain uses with uncanny expertise and skill. In addition to all of that, Captain America also occasionally arms himself with gadgets, and his years as both a superhero and soldier have given him other unrelated capabilities such as vehicle and weapon proficiencies.
What’s hidden behind the mask:
Personality:
Arguably the defining superhero of the United States of America, Captain America is the embodiment of the land of the free, and of the Dream as well. He is a true national patriot, remaining faithful to the country and its people, but is willing to fight for his ideals without compromise too. And while he is a soldier that has fought through countless bloody battles, Captain America is still a genuinely good man at heart, who cares for others and is willing to risk his life for the greater good. In many ways, Captain America is the archetypal superhero, and he represents the best that the United States has to offer. He knows when to be harsh and when to be friendly, knows what needs to be done in every battle, and is loyal to his friends until the end. There is no question that Captain America fights the good fight, and the Star-Spangled Avenger is a respected and revered figure not just in his nation, but around the entire world too.
And yet despite his status as a national icon, the Living Legend is still only human, and is subject to human flaws as well. His nostalgia for the past and his existence as a man out of time is something that he has never fully recovered from, for one. And even though Captain America is strong, all of the bloodshed that he sees as a superhero does take its toll on him, especially the friends he has lost and the lives that he has had to take. He also internalizes all of his problems, as he doesn’t want to burden others with his emotional conflicts, and this can sometimes make him inapproachable. And the Captain can also lose his control on rare occasions, especially when those close to him are threatened by his many enemies. In short, Captain America is at the peak of human potential, but is still ultimately only a man, subject to both the ups and downs of life. But through it all, Captain America still continues to persevere, because he knows that he is needed and that there are others who depend on him.
History:
Born Steven Grant Rogers to a poor Irish couple during the Great Depression, Captain America began life as a frail child who was prone to sickness. But his weak body concealed a big heart, and Rogers would grow up to be a brave and good man who believed in the nation of America. When the Second World War broke out, Rogers was already of age to enlist, and attempted to join the Army after watching newsreels of Axis atrocities in the war. But his application was rejected due to his sickly and skinny physique, and despite his pleas, the enlistment offices refused to allow Rogers to fight. While his friends and family went off to the sands of Africa, the towns of Europe, and the islands of Asia to combat the Axis threat, Rogers was left behind. But his pleas did not go unheard, and a man by the name of General Chester Phillips offered Rogers the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity instead. General Phillips headed a covert military experiment titled ‘Operation Rebirth’, which had been tasked with one goal: to create a super-soldier to turn the tide of the ongoing war. And all the operation was missing was a volunteer test subject.
Rogers readily accepted, prepared to take any risk for the sake of his country, and was brought to a top secret lab where he was introduced to Dr. Abraham Erskine. Erskine had developed the Super-Soldier Serum, a chemical concoction that could enhance any person into the peak potential of humanity’s body, and with a test subject, Operation Rebirth could finally complete. After weeks of tests, the Serum was inserted into Rogers, and the experiment was hailed a resounding success. Steve Rogers now had a perfect human body and mind, thanks to the Serum, and he had become the first, and only, Super-Soldier in history. After months of intensive training programs to hone his talents in everything from martial arts to infantry tactics, Steve Rogers was granted a new identity as Captain America and sent to fight. Dressed in a uniform that was inspired by the red, white, and blue of the United States’ flag, a legend was born as Rogers finally got his chance, and the rest is American history. Captain America became a symbol of freedom for people everywhere, a war hero, and an efficient superhuman operative for the Allies altogether. Throughout the years of the war, Captain America would combat against many Axis threats such as the Red Skull and Baron Zemo, make superhuman allies like Namor and the Human Torch, and served as a hero of hope for both Americans and the world.
Within a few years of his wartime career, Captain America had become a national icon of the United States, fighting against Axis forces all across the globe, but all that changed on his final and fateful mission. All good things must come to an end, and even though the Axis dream was a lost cause by then, Captain America’s supposed death still came as a shock to people worldwide. In the closing days of the Second World War, Captain America and his then-sidekick, Bucky, were attempting to stop a drone plane when it exploded, throwing both costumed operatives into the icy waters of the English Channel below. No body was ever recovered from this incident, and it was then assumed that Captain America and his sidekick were dead; having left behind a legacy of selfless heroism and bravery. But while the Second World War raged on, no one could’ve guessed that Steve Rogers had actually survived the explosion. The Super-Soldier Serum pumping in his heart had prevented his bodily fluids from crystallizing, and Captain America had entered a frozen state of suspended animation. For decades, Captain America’s death seemed a foregone conclusion, and nobody could’ve guessed that he was still very much alive and in the ocean. While history continued, Captain America remained frozen in the Arctic, perfectly preserved until the late 20th century when he was found.
His still-breathing body was only founded years later by the then-fledgling team of superheroes, the Avengers, decades after the drone incident. Captain America was still holding his shield when they thawed him out, and when he awoke he was now in the modern world. A new chapter of Captain America’s life had begun, and even though there was no longer a war, humanity was still as threatened as before. Though the time-discrepancy took years to adjust to, and everyone he knew was either old or dead, Rogers continued to fight for a new America and resumed his heroic duties. Captain America eventually joined the Avengers as the team’s first recruit, and his life as a superhero had begun. Thanks to his tactical acumen and battlefield experience, Captain America would eventually become the leader of the Avengers and most of its subsequent incarnations, and the United States had its national hero once again. While his soldiering days were over, Captain America found new purpose as a superhero, and over the years would come to build an illustrious career of fighting crime and saving the world. Captain America’s return was welcome in the new Earth of mad scientists and giant monsters, and the Star-Spangled Avenger remains one of the premiere heroes of the United States of America. And though there were new villains and challenges in the 21st century world, Captain America continued to persevere, and as always, fights the good fight until this day.
Role-Playing Sample:
Captain America heard the enemy before he could even see it. He knew the familiar cacophony of sprockets pressing on treads, and could recognize the crunching of leaves underneath the heavy weight of a Wehrmacht tank. Panzer, Captain America told himself, and he dropped prone onto the forest floor just as the German vehicle came into view.
The overhanging canopy of the Belgian forest, coupled with the dark evening skies, offered Captain America some cover, and he crept behind several copses as the tank rolled past. Shielding himself from behind the vegetation, Captain America watched the single panzer as it made its way through the forest’s bushy terrain with characteristic clamor. The German tank was a clunky mechanical monster of noise and fury, and from his concealed position the Captain studied the enemy’s progress and lumbering form. At about three meters height, the tank was a veritable monster, and the barrel of its four-cm gun did little to argue that definition. Clouds of smoke were being spewed from the tank’s exhaust, and the damp ground of the forest was flecked aside violently as the panzer struggled through the swampy landscape. But Captain America was not worried about any of that, and in fact the presence of the tank even did not concern him one bit. War machines like that might have been the nightmares of conventional soldiers, but to the Super-Soldier, they were genuinely little more than small fry. The Captain had fought fire-spewing robots and molecule-disintegrating cannons in his time as an Allied operative, and tanks just didn’t scare him anymore. But right now, he was in another covert mission as an operative, and what worried him was that the panzer could compromise his attempt to infiltrate a Nazi base, several klicks out.
Captain America knew that they hadn’t noticed him, otherwise the panzer would have stopped seconds ago, but his primary concern was with the tank’s commander. The commander was sticking out of the tank’s turret hatch, half a body observing the distance ahead with binoculars, and the Captain studied the German soldier with concentration. If the man had simply been buttoned up inside the tank, Captain America could have stealthily bypassed the panzer and resumed his mission without hassle. But as the man was scouting the terrain ahead for his tank driver instead, Captain America’s task suddenly became a little more complicated. Fast as he was, the Captain wasn’t superhuman, and would be easily sighted by the commander. A dark blue suit and shield don’t exactly make one inconspicuous, even on a darkened evening, and Captain America quickly weighed out the options. Time was running out, and watching the panzer getting bogged down in the forest every few minutes or so told the Captain that he couldn’t wait for it to roll past. But the mission’s completion wasn’t worth getting caught either, and if he eluded the tank, the commander could just make a quick call back to the base and alert them of his presence. A more permanent solution had to executed, and in the few seconds that the tank had inched forward, Captain America was quickly formulating the most efficient way to take it out. An ordinary officer would have taken a while to single-handedly disable a panzer, but Captain America’s tactical mind came to a conclusion within a moment’s grasp.
Without a second to lose, Captain America sprung out from behind the bushes like a predator ambushing his prey. The tank’s commander had barely a second to react before the Captain was on him, a hulking mass of muscle that flicked a well-aimed kick across the German’s face. There was a sick sound of snapping as the commander flew out of the hatch, into the air, and landed several feet off in a pile of leaves. Yelling had begun to emerge from inside the tank now, and just as planned, the Captain stood over the open hatch and reached for a grenade in his utility belt quickly. With practiced precision, Captain America dropped the grenade into the panzer’s inner cockpit, and slammed his foot down on the turret hatch, sealing it shut. Before the other members of the panzer’s crew could react, Captain America had already leapt off the tank as the panzer exploded from the inside out. Fire and charred metal was spewed in every direction as a loud boom permeated the forest, and Captain America made an acrobatic flip before landing on both feet. Turning around, the Captain watched the burning carcass of the tank that he had taken out in less than a minute. The entire panzer was on fire now, with black smoke churning out of it, and Captain America knew that the men inside were being cooked alive with unbearable temperatures. A pang of regret hit the super-soldier, but Captain America quickly shook it off. This was war, and worrying about the means wasn’t going to help him with the job.
Suddenly, bullets began zipping past the Captain, and the soldier reflexively turned to see their source. Several meters off, the tank commander that Captain America had kicked off was still alive, and firing at him top. The commander was seated on the ground; his back leaned up against a tree’s trunk, and was wildly firing his Walther sidearm at the super-soldier. Captain America’s kick had broken several of the man’s bones and rendered half his face into a bloody mess, but the commander continued shooting at the Captain with a wild fire in his eyes. Before the German could do anything else, Captain America reached for the circular shield strapped to his back, and lashed it out. Throwing it like an ancient Greek discus, Captain America’s shield traveled forward in a perfect arc before knocking the man’s gun right out of his hand. In a blink of an eye later, the shield was back inside the Captain’s hand, and the super-soldier put it back over his shoulder. Now the disarmed tank commander was howling in pain as he gripped his broken gun hand, and Captain America approached the man with ease. The Walther was now on the forest earth, shattered into multiple pieces, and as the commander recognized the legend encroaching him, his face turned into abject horror. His lips mouthed a single word in German:
“Sie.” You. The word was tinged with terrified recognition.
Captain America knelt down in front of the man. The tank commander was shaking uncontrollably, his face contorted into a permanent facade of fear. The stench of urine from the man’s pants was evident now, and as Captain America dropped down to the commander’s eye level, he felt that same guilty sensation again. He had wanted to become a soldier for so long. To be a symbol of hope for freedom everywhere and to save lives rather than take lives. But war had a way of making things dirty; and good men and women were going to be lost for the ultimate victory. There was no way of working around that, but even though Captain America knew all of that, it didn’t make the job any easier. The Super-Soldier looked straight at the tank commander, and for a moment the eyes of the two warring soldiers locked with one another. There was a sense of familiarity as the tank commander stared back at him, as both of them were men who were fighting for their country and for what they believed in. Captain America didn’t know if this tank commander was a good man, or whether or not he had committed any atrocities in the course of the war, but he knew that he had enough blood on his hands. The soldier’s creed stated that you had to kill the enemy on sight – unless he surrendered – but Captain America had enough blood on his hands. And even though he knew this decision would weigh on him later, Captain America decided on that moment that he would not kill the man.
“Leb.” Captain America whispered in reply; just before landing a right cross on the commander’s face, knocking him out. The German soldier fell unconscious immediately.
Captain America then tended to the man’s wounds with his aid kit before continuing his mission. He was already three minutes behind schedule. While the panzer continued to burn, an orange flame and a column of smoke that trailed from the forest, Captain America headed for the Nazi base that was to be his target. He knew he would have to kill more men there.
Codeword: Armageddon