The Association of Heroes

The people of the Center City district in Neo-Tokyo enjoy watching an event not unlike sports. Sponsored heroes both work together and compete with each other for points and popularity. The more people you save and good deeds you do, the more the people love you. The more the people love you, the more they buy your merchandise and the happier your sponsors are – Leading to a better payout.

The Members of The Association of Heroes
The members not called "the back up heroes" are often referred to as "first stringers." They are the main event. The Association of Heroes consist of (in more or less the general order of rankings) Negative Boy, Jet Stream, Karma, Bakeneko, Black Octopus, White Octopus, Mountain, Alpha Phoenix, Black Hat, Feedback, Ignia, Bladed Thesis, and Doppel, although the latter is now deceased.

Negative Boy
Number one in the rankings. Negative Boy is all business, and his eyes are on efficiency and Getting. Shit. Done. It’s no wonder he’s been absolutely untoppled from the top spot in the rankings for years. His powers include gravity manipulation, and charging things with “negative” energy, allowing him to repel matter including projectiles such as bullets. He can often be seen leaping across the city with this power, propelling the ground from his feet.

Jet Stream
An all-American hero that holds himself in high esteem. He’s sponsored by the Air Force and comes to Japan with a promise to himself that he’ll be number one. His powers include the control of wind and lightning, the power to fly, but also the power to be kind of a pompous asshole.

Karma
A young girl of just barely 17. She comes from rural China and has a difficult time understanding the modern advances of technology and culture. Coming to Tokyo was a blur for her, but with the help of her friends in the Association that she holds dear, she’s gaining a hold. She keeps up with her teammates with an expert handle of martial arts and the ability to manipulate the Chi of herself and others.

Bakeneko
Bakeneko is by far the hero least comfortable in the spotlight of the Association. She comes from the streets of Tokyo after being a small-time vigilante, getting troubled mutants out of lives of crime. She was convinced to join the Association with the lure that with more money and a platform to speak on, she could reach further and help more people. Her powers include transforming into a black housecat and a huge black panther, not to mention her impressive agility and ability to nightstalk. Lately she’s been appearing all over tabloids on Black Hat’s arm. It seems she’s rather enjoying the shift from hero to rock star as she begins her musical career.

Black Octopus and White Octopus
Black Octo and White Octo (frequently called "The Octo-Twins") are a formidable duo that operate mostly on shock value. They can each sprout 4 tentacles from their backs that have been cut off, burned, blown off, and any form of dismemberment one could imagine. The tentacles always grow back. The twins have the reputation of being completely unmatched in hand-to-hand combat, quickly learning their opponents’ fighting styles and overpowering them. Their sponsor is a company called Hungry Mountain, a pornographic website, and they’re frequently doing “modeling” shoots for their sponsors, playing off of the “forbidden love” theme of being siblings. While not incredibly popular they do have a rather… niche cult following. Those who know them personally know that they are not actually siblings, and instead use their powers to appear as such.

Mountain
Mountain is the only Association member with no superhuman powers to speak of. With one glance, however, one would immediately recognized she is nothing to take lightly. She’s nearly 7 feet tall and powerfully built; her incredible levels of speed, strength, and endurance have come solely from training her body to physical perfection, allowing her to keep up with superhumans. Unsurprisingly, she prides herself on this achievement. Mountain is rather shy and rejected her first 5 costumes presented by her sponsors for being too revealing, and despite her intimidating appearance, enjoys the life of a typical young woman who spends close to 8 hours a day in the gym.

Alpha Phoenix
Phoenix tells others that he isn’t a mutant, and his abilities come from the high-tech suit that he wears. He’s often seen without his helmet, but nobody’s ever caught him not wearing the suit - Not at formal events, not in the gym, not even in the locker rooms. His suit grants him incredible physical strength and speed and perhaps most importantly, the ability to fire energy blasts from his hands and a cannon on his chest. He’s a humble sort of guy that often blames his constant state in the suit on his faulty memory and always “forgetting a change of clothes.” He and Mountain are happily married.

Black Hat
Black Hat’s powers have been described by him as being “good with machines”. Drones have caught him touching machines and assuming complete control over them, even going as far as completely falling apart at his fingertips. His powers make him an unparalleled hacker behind a keyboard; no cyber-security stands a chance at keeping him from what he wants. He is also almost always the smartest person in the room; after getting a few drinks in him, he explains that IQ tests can't actually measure his with a number. Hat isn’t the most popular as a hero as his powers aren’t the most fun to watch, but he’s fine with it since his career as a rock star is soaring with 4 albums currently out and doing very well.

Feedback
Feedback, one of the oldest members of the Association, would rather be in his lab than out fighting crime. He’s a scientist with a knack for inventing, and being sponsored by one of the biggest tech companies in the world is the best way for him to get just enough payout to keep his work funded. Due to his lack of focus on being a hero, he hovers on one of the lowest spots in the ranks… And doesn’t seem to mind. He’s kind of grumpy about being constantly pulled away from his work by his fellow Association members to forcefully feel the power of friendship. His ability to transform into whatever matter he touches, as well as absorb and channel it, comes from a ring he’s created.

Ignia
True to the stereotype of any mutant that can take on the form of fire, Ignia is outspoken and quick to anger. With her incredible firepower comes a fair bit of recklessness, and although she can easily beat most villains head-to-head, her numbers often take a hit due to the incredible amount of collateral damage she causes doing so - putting her on the lower end of the rankings. She has complete control over fire, including becoming fire itself, and also has the ability to fly with remarkable speed.

Bladed Thesis
A man with a set of powers that is… Truly a mixed bag. He possesses the ability to project fireworks from his palms, has claws that can be unsheathed between his knuckles, fly using a set of birdlike wings, and has the ability to walk on water, smoke, clouds, and nearly anything else without disturbing it. He’s held the spot of dead last in the rankings for years, not being a particularly great hero, and is in danger of being dropped due to sponsors slowly letting go of him, one by one. Nobody could say Thesis doesn’t try his heart out though, and although his eyes aren’t always on the rankings, he does truly want to be a hero to the best of his ability.

Doppel
Murdered with no answers as to why or by who, Doppel was an aging hero that acted as the father of the association. Before his death, Doppel had seen better days. His primary ability to mimic other nearby powers helped the team greatly, and it seemed that the range and duration has dwindled in his age. He was quick to guide the other heroes nonetheless, taking charge and using his veteran status to inspire the team. Bakeneko seemed to be the only Association member concerned with Doppel’s mysterious death and was often tucked away in her apartment most nights, trying to fit the puzzle pieces together with the help of her vigilante contacts.

The Members of the Association of Backup Heroes
The Backup Heroes, or more commonly called "second stringers," were a group of supers with lesser powers than their first stringer cousins. While they were also featured on television, they had far less screen time and less followings. Second stringers were often promised to be first stringers once their name carried weight and they proved themselves. They consist of Black Heart, Chucks, Vin-Chi, Speed, and Heavy.