THUNDER WOMAN (Samantha West)
PL 11 (304)
STRENGTH 14
STAMINA 13
AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8
DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 4
AWARENESS 2
PRESENCE 3
Skills:
Deception 4 (+7)
Expertise (Archeology) 8 (+12)
Expertise (Mythology/Folklore) 10 (+14)
Expertise (History) 8 (+12)
Expertise (Theology) 6 (+10)
Expertise (International/Global Affairs) 6 (+10)
Insight 4 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Investigation 4 (+8)
Perception 2 (+4)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Combat: Weather/Electrical Control 2 (+4)
Advantages:
Attractive, Connected, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Inspire, Interpose, Languages 4 (Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Latin), Last Stand, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Teamwork, Withstand Damage
Powers:
“Divinely-Empowered Body”
Immunity 11 (Aging, Life Support) [11]
Impervious Toughness 13 [13]
Morph 1 (Single Form- Samantha West; Metamorph) [6]
Movement 1 (Dimensional: Olympus) [2]
Power-Lifting 3 (3,200 tons) [3]
Regeneration 2 [2]
“Weather Control and Electrical Powers”
Flight 9 (1000 mph) [18]
Immunity 10 (Weather Effects) [10]
Immunity 10 (Electricity, Limited- Half Effect) [5]
Senses 3 (Detect Weather- Ranged, Acute) [3]
Senses 4 (Precognition, Limited to Weather) [2]
"Electrostatic Aura" Damage 10 (Dynamic)(Extras: Reaction 3, Selective) (50) -- [67]
Dynamic AE: "Blinding Fog" Concealment 2 (Visuals) (Extras: Attack, Area- 240ft. Burst +4, Selective) (17)
Dynamic AE: “Electrical Disruption” Weaken Electronics/Electrical Devices 12 (Extras: Affects Objects Only, Broad, Ranged) (36)
Dynamic AE: "Icy Trap" Snare 12 (36)
Dynamic AE: “Lightning Strike” Blast 12 (Extras: Indirect 3) (27)
Dynamic AE: “Climate Control” Affliction 12 (Fatigued, Exhausted, Incapacitated; Resisted by Fortitude) (Extras: Ranged, Subtle) (25)
Dynamic AE: “Thunderblast” Affliction 11 (Vision/Hearing Impaired, Disabled, Unaware; Resisted by Dodge) (Extras: Cumulative, Perception Area) (33)
Dynamic AE: “Weather Control” Environment 8 (1/2 mile) (Cold, Impede Movement 2, Light, Visibility) (40)
Dynamic AE: “Wind Control” Move Object 10 (Extras: Area- 60 cft. Shapeable, Damaging, Ranged, Concentration) (50)
Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+14 Damage, DC 28)
Aura +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Afflictions +10 (+12 Ranged, DC Fort 22)
Lightning +10 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Initiative +4
Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +9 (DC 19), Toughness +13, Fortitude +13, Will +8
Complications:
Enemies (Thunder Slayer, Lycaon,
Nemo Oudeis,
Miranda Iryn,
Apotheos,
The Infernal Empress,
Dominus, Legion, the Children of Ares)- Thunder Woman has accrued a massive rogues gallery of villains, several of whom like the ones listed above pursue some sort of vendetta against her or seek to use her in some way.
Enemy (Councilman Kelly)- Thunder Woman’s most dogged non-villainous enemy, who continuously bad mouths the heroine and finds some way to turn whatever she does into a negative, and is seeking to implement ordinances banning heroic activities in Newport.
Enemy (Zoe Sarkin)- Samantha’s primary nemesis at Newport University, a gender studies professor who uses her ideology as an excuse to hate on Samantha for what are entirely personal reasons.
Nemesis (
Helregin)- One of Thunder Woman’s greatest enemies. He believes she holds the key to advancing his research, and ever since he turned one of her best friends into the villainous Ranke, their rivalry has taken a particularly personal and bitter turn.
Nemesis (
Hera)- The goddess is responsible for the events that ended up creating Thunder Woman, and has been the heroine’s most singularly persistent and active enemy. This almost continuous harassment has resulted in the creation of a number of Thunder Woman’s other villainous rogues, due in part to Hera’s inability to move directly against Thunder Woman because of potential reprisal from Zeus and Athena.
Power Loss- When Thunder Woman reverts to Samantha West, she loses all of her powers.
Relationship (Athena)- The goddess is a patron of Thunder Woman, and was a mentor to her in the early days of her heroic career.
Relationship (
David Jacobs)- One of the few people in her life to know her secret, David has unwittingly been caught up in the myriad shenanigans that surround Samantha and Thunder Woman. In spite of this and a couple nasty breakups, they still maintain a close romantic relationship.
Relationship (
Herakles)- A paragon of masculinity summoned to be Thunder Woman’s ally, he has a healthy respect for the heroine and what she has accomplished, which makes him attracted to her. As a paragon of masculinity, Samantha can’t help but be attracted to him in turn, in spite of the way it complicates her feelings and romantic life.
Relationship (Robert Werner and Gail Gordon)- Thunder Woman’s main allies in the Newport city government, the police commissioner and deputy mayor have done a lot to assist the heroine and stall councilman Kelly’s antics, though Thunder Woman has had to earn that trust. Commissioner Werner in particular still maintains a somewhat neutral attitude to Thunder Woman, so as not to become blinded to any of her faults or become accused of bias towards her.
Relationship (
Thunder Girl and
August Star II)- Thunder Woman has been a heroine long enough to acquire a couple of proteges. Being a mentor to these aspiring heroes has been as much of a learning experience as becoming a heroine herself!
Relationship (Zeus)- The source of all her powers, Thunder Woman maintains an...interesting long distance relationship with the king of the gods. With Hera increasingly becoming distant to him and the possibility becoming distinct that her days as the queen of the gods are nearing an end, Zeus is looking for a potential replacement. Samantha could very possibly become the new queen of the gods.
Responsibility (Protection)- Samantha’s entire reason for permanently accepting the Dodekatheon’s offer and becoming Thunder Woman is to protect everything around her. With it becoming clear that Hera would not relent in her vendetta against her, Samantha had to embrace the powers given to her in order to protect herself, her livelihood, and her family, friends, coworkers, students, and city.
Responsibility (Weather Control)- Thunder Woman is very sensitive about the way in which her weather control powers affect the environment, both in terms of local destruction and in terms of the long term effect her powers might have upon the global climate that she can’t even remotely predict.
Rivalry (Lunazon)- Thunder Woman has a friendly rivalry with the exiled extraterrestrial warrior woman, and they have come to respect each other for their individual skills.
Secret Identity (Samantha West)- As Samantha West, she loses all of her powers and combat advantages, and her abilities reduce down to Str 1, Sta 2, Agl 2, Dex 0, and Pre 1, with corresponding adjustments to skills and defenses.
Total: Abilities: 100 / Skills: 61--31 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 142 / Defenses: 12 (304)
OVERVIEW
Thunder Woman is Samantha West. She lives in the city of Newport, Connecticut, an old English port city that has become a major shipping and immigration hub, and is famously a melting pot of numerous cultures, particularly Mediterranean immigrants (her mother’s family being an example). She is a research associate at Newport University specializing in ancient history, and is an archeologist employed by NPU’s history department.
As Thunder Woman, she is becoming one of the most famous superheroes in the world. She has recently joined the Allegiance, one of the most prestigious teams of superheroes in the world, and even runs her own team of local heroes in Newport. She has fought a variety of supervillains around the world, and has even been pivotal in stopping invasions by alien conquerors and mad gods during her solo career. Thunder Woman is recognized as the premiere superhero of Newport, and despite some missteps she is widely popular.
ORIGIN
Thunder Woman was born Samantha Elysia West, the daughter of building manager Philip West and second generation immigrant Diana Nikolopoulou. She is the middle child of five, with an older brother and sister, and younger brother and sister. When she was born, her father got to give her first name, while her mother chose her middle name.
From an early age, Diana narrated to Samantha oral tales of Greek mythology. As a result, Samantha grew up with a deep love of history, folk tales, and mythology; when she became too old for her mother’s bedtime stories, she ravenously devoured books and websites for myths and historical accounts.
Diana had married Philip West so as to be able to provide her children the kind of life she never knew as a child herself, including having a proper education. Samantha herself attended Newport University, where she majored in foreign studies and history, and then entered a graduate program. It was while in this program that she went on a field trip with a class to a dig site, and demonstrated herself quite capable in the necessary tasks. This was enough for her to become employed as an assistant to NPU’s history department chair, and she later graduated to research associate, where she teaches classes at NPU full time and participates in archeological digs and research projects sponsored by the University.
During one of these research projects, Samantha uncovered previously undiscovered documents pointing to new, unknown locations in Greece. This prompted the launch of a new expedition by NPU to locate these sites and uncover their secrets.
Traveling to Greece and uncovering the new sites, they discovered previously unknown temples and tombs. Translating reliefs and records at the locations, Samantha uncovered references to evidence that far from being mythological, the ancient Greek Gods and heroes had in fact actually existed, and with each new dig she discovered a series of clues that pointed to one, final location.
As the expedition progressed though, the group was constantly hounded by a mysterious group of thieves and robbers, to the point where they actually had to hire some security to protect the group, and Samantha fought to protect the valuable clues the team had accumulated.
The group discovered the final site, revealing a vast underground chamber resembling a temple. But instead of statues and reliefs, they discovered a strange pair of golden doors at the rear of the chamber. Investigating them, Samantha translated the writing, unaware that she was working through a very ancient puzzle. As she did this, the expedition came under attack from the mysterious robbers again, now clad in bizarre robes and sigils. This time, they were not here to rob, but instead intent on slaying the whole group. Frantically working the system of the gates, Samantha accidentally activated them, and they opened up. With no other choice, they fled into the gates, where they found themselves…
…in Greece. Or at least, it seemed that way. But as the group explored, they could find no existence of modern infrastructure, or of civilization. That they were in a totally different world was cemented when they came under attack by a pack of bow-wielding centaurs. They tried to flee, but were cornered by the hunters. But before they could be killed, the group was rescued by a massive figure in green and silver armor, who drove off the centaurs. Their rescuer revealed himself to be none other than Herakles himself.
After introducing the group and explaining the situation, Samantha was told by Herakles that they were in fact in the Olympian realms. To help them return, Herakles brings the group to Olympus, where they meet Zeus and the other members of the Dodekatheon, an extremely rare privilege for any mortal. There, Samantha and her fellow archeologists are told what has happened: thousands of years ago, the barriers between the Olympian dimensions and Earth was so thing they almost physically overlapped, with beings in both realms easily crossing between them. But for the past few millennia the dimensions have drifted apart, to the point where only a few places were left where one could cross from one to the other, even for a god. Samantha and crew had found one such gateway, which worked because the dimensions are once again beginning to cross into each other.
As Zeus and the gods worked with Samantha and her friends to help them return, she grew close to both Zeus and Herakles, much to the annoyance of Hera. But one night, as she explored Olympus, Samantha happened upon Hera, speaking in secret with a group of other gods and beings, about a plot to overthrow the Dodekatheon, replacing them with a new pantheon of gods, and Hera on top of them all.
Samantha raced to inform the other gods about this, but instead was taken by force to them. One of her fellow researchers had been discovered stealing ambrosia and golden apples, infuriating Zeus. Unable to argue against the presented evidence, Samantha and crew were cast out of Olympus, spared any worse punishment simply because Zeus liked Samantha.
As they tried to figure out what to do next, they came under attack by mysterious robed robbers again. Captured, the group is taken to Hera, who knew that Samantha had spied on her through a cult of worshippers. Hera explains that Samantha’s entire expedition was by her design, an elaborate scheme to learn how to open the barriers between the dimensions once more. With this knowledge, Hera intended to open Tartarus, having made a bargain with the Titans to assist her in overthrowing the Dodekatheon and support her new pantheon in exchange for their freedom. All she needed was the knowledge to open the dimensional gate to Tartarus; by opening the gate between Earth and Olympus, Samantha had helped give Hera to key to overcoming this final barrier. Hera also revealed that, once she achieved rulership of Olympus she would send the Titans to Earth, only to then defeat them once more, as way to ingratiate Earth to the new pantheon and return things to the way they should be: an Earth under the dominion of gods once again.
Opening up Tartarus, Hera leaves Samantha and her friends trapped in it, with matching punishments, and sets the Titans loose. As a new Titanomachy rages above, Samantha attempts to apply her knowledge of the gates to help set them free, managing to free the team from their punishments. But they remain trapped in Tartarus, pursued by mythological horrors in a huge maze. As it seems like they are about to die, Hades and Herakles appear, the latter having discovered their captivity. Freeing Samantha and gang from Tartarus, they return to continue the battle against the Titans.
But the battle does not go well. When she sees Zeus, alone and on the precipice of defeat by the Titans, Samantha races to Olympus, consuming a flask of ambrosia and taking armor and thunderbolts from Hephaestus’ forge, despite Hera’s best efforts to stop her. Now empowered like a god herself, Samantha fought the Titans, but this still wasn’t enough. However, her bravery in front of Zeus helps him to recover, and with Hades, Poseidon, and Herakles, they rally, and the five of them are able to defeat the Titans and reimprison them.
In the aftermath, Samantha attempts to reveal Hera’s plan. But the Queen of the Gods is able to deflect the blame onto one of her fellow conspirators, turning him into a scapegoat. But though the gods no longer believe Hera responsible for the second Titanomachy, suspicion remains, and her standing among them is diminished.
Meanwhile, Samantha’s actions and bravery earn her commendation. As a reward, the Dodekatheon allow her to retain her immortality and the use of the Thunderbolt, and Zeus even grants her the option to resume her mortal form, should she choose to. However, in exchange she must never reveal the actual existence of Olympus to the world, what happened, or how to reach it. But she is allowed to keep her memories, while the other expedition members are made to forget the whole thing. They are returned to Earth, and thanks to what they’ve found, return to NPU to much praise due to what has been found.
Samantha did not become Thunder Woman by choice, initially. But Hera forced her hand with her revenge schemes, sending increasingly powerful enemies to try and kill or ruin Samantha. But each time she was able to stop the monsters, earning more notoriety with each appearance. Thus, she was dubbed “Thunder Woman” by the press. With her life and friends constantly threatened by Hera, and a campaign by mayoral candidate Derek Duvall attempting to sanction superheroes like her, she begins to understand that maybe she should be more proactive about the power she has than simply using it to protect just herself.
So it is that Samantha embraces the divine power within her, and truly becomes Thunder Woman.
ALLIES
Samantha has a wide network of friends and family she can rely upon. There is of course her parents: Philip and Diana West, and her four siblings, though her relations with them are mixed. She also has fellow faculty members at the University she is friends with, and some friends from the graduate program she attended in her youth.
As Thunder Woman, Samantha has made a number of allies. Closest of these are the members of the Newport Defenders, a group of individuals she has worked with to defend Newport with. These include:
·
Herakles, the demigod and mythological hero himself.
·
Interceptor, cyborg supercop of the NPPD.
·
David Jacobs, her current boyfriend, empowered by Hermes.
·
Thunder Girl, a student similarly powered.
·
August Star, redemption seeking son of an infamous hero-turned-villain.
Other heroes she has worked with include:
· Zharova, one of Russia’s premiere heroes.
· Nightstalker, a Newport vigilante.
· Sandstorm, elemental Arab heroine.
· Mazdak, Iranian mystic and guru.
· White Ghost, Slavic supersoldier.
· Kelkamet, rogue alien powerhouse.
· Megaton, gravimetric strongman and activist.
· Lunazon, alien amazonian warrior in exile.
· Captain Meteor, elder statesman of the superheroic community.
· Adam Asklepiades, enigmatic artificial man.
Besides these individuals, Thunder Woman can count on her allies in the Allegiance and anyone else affiliated with them. Similarly, she is also an associate of the all-female superteam SHE, the Super-Heroines of Earth.
And lastly, she is friends and allies with most of the Dodekatheon, the Twelve Olympians. In particular she has the favor of Zeus, Athena, and Hermes, and has adversarial but at the same time friendly relationships with Ares and Hades. With Zeus especially she is close, though there is no commitment on that front.
ENEMIES
As a superheroine, Thunder Woman naturally has a vast array of enemies. Even as Samantha West she has certain individuals she has upset at NPU, and as an archeologist has faced adversity from terrorists, international criminals, and xenophobic locals.
While she has dozens of villains, Thunder Woman’s primary archenemies are:
· Hera, Queen of the Twelve Olympians.
· Helregin, self-proclaimed “God of Science.”
· The Infernal Empress, demonic ruler of universes.
· Dominus, alien racial supremacist seeking to restore his race.
· Miranda Iyrn, ruthless corporate matriarch.
· Nemo Oudeis, mercenary and trafficker possessed by a primal force.
· Apotheos, immortal aristocrat bent on ascension to godhood.
Other notable enemies include:
· Ranke, her former best friend transformed by Helregin.
· Thunder Slayer, jealous woman turned doppelganger.
· The Harbinger, enigmatic alien menace.
· The Children of Ares, progeny of the God of War.
· Tiamat, primordial mother of monsters.
· Derek Duvall, corrupt corporate mastermind and would be politician.
· Andrei Mikhailov, godfather of Newport crime.
As a member of the Allegiance, naturally Thunder Woman can count their enemies as her own, such as the supervillain team Overthrow and other major supervillains and threats. She is also not in good standing with the Federal Guard, the Russian government’s official team of superheroes, despite being friends with their most famous member, Zharova.
POWERS
Thunder Woman possesses vast superhuman powers. While transformed she has a godly body immune to conventional poison, disease, and the normal requirements of the human body. She is extremely durable against harm, able to withstand rocket and tank fire, bullets, temperature extremes, high-speed impacts, and falls from great heights.
Thunder Woman is superhumanly strong. She can throw locomotives, lift 747's, and if she exerts herself she can drag or push large yachts or destroyers. Her most impressive feat of strength was when she was able to keep a Russian Typhoon-class submarine from sinking long enough to allow its crew to be evacuated. Naturally, her vast strength translates into devastating hits, and she can crush just about almost any non-exotic substance with her grasp.
Thunder Woman is imbued with the power of Zeus' thunderbolt. Besides allowing her access to Mt. Olympus whenever she needs to, she can project millions of volts of electrical energy, allowing her to project blasts of it, shock opponents that touch her or she touches, and short out machinery around her. She is not invulnerable to electricity, though in order to harm her she must be hit with far greater energy than her body can properly store.
The thunderbolt also grants her the ability to control the weather. She can form tornadoes, summon lightning, rain, snow, and hail, manipulate heat energy, and create enormously powerful winds in excess of hurricane strength. However, she rarely employs these powers on a large scale, as they can be very disruptive to the environment and weather patterns around the world, and can cause massive amounts of property damage without proper control.
Lastly, Samantha can use her powers to propel herself through the air, allowing her to reach speeds of up to Mach 2.
Thunder Woman, however, is not invulnerable or all-powerful. Her ability to resist damage has its upper limits, and she can still be harmed by diseases and poisons of exotic origin, and magical curses or transformations. Her electrical energies can be drained, leaving her weakened, and there are plenty of beings that can deal out enough damage to hurt even her.