Canon Fodder/2009-07-02

I just pretty much want to know anything and everything there is about Blue Steel, such as how did he come by his powers, why is he not a registered super hero (instead of working for the police)? I would like to know how Blue Steel came to work with the police and whether such an option is open for other heroes who do not want to operate under the Citizens Crime Fighting Act but who would rather be true Police Officers.

Is Blue Steel both a registered superhero and a member of the PPD, and in what capacity?

For those not completely satisfied with last weeks answers…here are some more details.

Josh Young’s father was a stalwart member of the Paragon Police Department. Josh spent his youth on the streets of Kings Row, feeling safe and proud because his dad was a cop. Josh’s world turned upside down when his father was shot and killed in the line the week before Josh’s High School graduation. That day Josh put aside his plans for college and enrolled in the Police Academy. His father’s sterling reputation and untimely death assured Josh of a spot with no questions asked. He excelled in his courses and completed his studies in record time. He was a man possessed, studying and preparing every day practically round the clock. With what little spare time he had, he built a dream. Forging himself a shield with his father’s badge melted into it, Josh crafted the identity of Blue Steel.

Josh went to his Captain with the idea of patrolling the Row in his Blue Steel Identity. His notion was met with skepticism at first but after he went straight to the PPD Commissioner (who was a friend of his fathers) and told him that Blue Steel would be patrolling the streets of Paragon with or without sanction, a compromise was made. Josh registered himself as a super-powered individual but was made a special deputy in the PPD. This solution received some resistance but enough high ranking officers spoke on Josh’s behalf it was implemented despite any objections.

Blue Steel adopted Kings Row as his primary beat, after asking the Back Alley Brawler to set up shop in Galaxy City as a personal favor. He is known to let his still simmering anger over his father’s death boil over on occasion (such as his encounter with the Clockwork King) but so far no disciplinary action has been leveled against him.

Blue Steel has a special rank in the PPD and is also registered as a super-powered hero. Any hero in Paragon City is welcome to join the PPD. They must receive training like any other police officer but it does not excuse them from registration.

Does Arachnos exist in Praetorian Earth?

I’m going to use this question to rain check on all Praetorian questions for right now. I’m compiling them all into a big Canon Fodder update for posting closer to the release of the Going Rogue expansion.

Are we ever going to learn more about Red Widow?

Red Widow is one of those characters who people either love or hate. Although there aren’t immediate plans to explore her background, she is clearly the subject of a great deal of curiosity. Just like all the threads we’ve dangled over the years, I’d like to think she’ll be woven into the story more completely at some point in the future.

Did Positron use his power armor to fight crime before or after developing the ability to generate anti-matter?

A lab accident early in his career granted Dr. Raymond Keyes the ability to generate small, insignificant amounts of anti-matter material. So small that if it wasn’t for his scientific mind he probably would have lived the rest of his life without realizing he had the ability. Fortunately for us, Dr. Keyes traced a pattern of “weirdness” occurring around him to this innocuous ability. He and his colleague Dr. Rudolph Bein built the original Positron suit as a way to harness the anti-matter he naturally generated, and could then use that harnessed energy to project his anti-matter beams and power his rocket boots for flight.

During one of the last battles of the first Rikti War, Positron was severely injured, and lost any sort of control he had over his anti-matter generation ability. Since the suit was specifically designed to harness and store anti-matter, he locked himself inside of it for the safety of those around him. Events surrounding the return of Hero-1 to Primal Earth saw him “cured” of this condition, and he can now enjoy a life outside the armor.

Of all the zones in the Rogue Isles that Longbow could have established in a base in, what the hell possessed them to choose NERVA?! Grandville, I could see... Cap, I could see... but NERVA?!

Although Nerva might not have been their first choice geographically, it keeps them from going too far over political and legal lines. Nerva is not clearly part of Lord Recluse’s sovereign territory and so Ms. Liberty can justify the actions of her people there when called out on the carpet by government oversight committees and the like. She definitely thinks that Statesman is too passive when it comes to Arachnos but she generally leaves the black bag stuff to Wyvern.

In Scirocco's patron arc, he may as well have a giant neon sign saying "I have a crush on Ghost Widow." Does she know about it?

Although Ghost Widow knows that Scirocco is unfailingly polite to her she is not completely certain why. She suspects he has some sort of feelings for her but attributes it to some sort of misplaced chivalry. In the constant jockeying that goes on in Arachnos she is more than willing to exploit his naivety.

The truth is that the mantle of Scirocco, normally bestowed by the Monks of the Four Winds, weighs heavily upon Imad Malak. When he stole Serafina’s bottle and the scimitar wielded by the hero Scirocco, he insured himself a difficult path. Serafina cursed him to wield the power of a hero in the name of evil and be hunted for all his days. He fights against the curse and hopes to have it lifted someday. He believes that “rescuing” Ghost Widow from the clutches of Lord Recluse (for so he perceives the situation) might be his road to redemption.