META-S.W.A.T.

HISTORY

The Metahuman Special Weapons and Tactics (Meta-S.W.A.T.) team is a special response unit of the Department of Extra-Normal Operations. The team was assembled by the enigmatic Director of the DEO's Superior City office in response to the bounty placed on the city by the criminal Silver Path organization that was drawing large numbers of superhuman criminals to the city. Most of the unit's members were drawn from individuals with metahuman powers that also possessed law enforcement or military experience.

When they were deployed in Superior City the members of Meta-S.W.A.T. initially came into conflict with the New Enforcers of Justice due to those heroes having been framed by an enemy, but they eventually joined forces to defeat the real threat of Death Spider and the Enforcers of Injustice. The unit continued to serve as a metahuman response arm of the DEO for the Pacific Northwest and would work alongside the Enforcers several more times, notably during the arch-villain Carnage's short-lived conquest of Superior City with an army of supervillains.

PRAXIS

PERSONAL DATA

• Alter Ego: Jason Praxis

HISTORY

Jason Praxis is a police detective, and one of the most powerful telepaths on the planet. Praxis was traumatized when he inadvertently absorbed the electrical powers of a metahuman serial killer he had been hunting, which led him to leave law enforcement for a time. He was recruited into the first iteration of the corporate sponsored super-hero team known as the Conglomerate but quit shortly after.

After his time with the Conglomerate ended Praxis began working with Federal law enforcement helping the FBI track metahuman powered serial killers again. He was later recruited by the D.E.O. and placed in charge of the Meta-S.W.A.T. team.

POWERS & WEAPONS

Praxis possesses powerful psionic abilities. He can affect the minds of others producing a range of effects including projecting mental illusions, cloaking his presence rendering himself effectively invisible, and subduing opponents by either mentally calming them or through the pain of bolts of psychic energy. He also possesses the ability to sense the presence of other metahumans within a limited range.

Jason also has highly refined telekinetic abilities that allow him to manipulate matter in a very precise manner. The electrical powers he absorbed have granted him the ability to manipulate electricity, including machines. Using these electrical powers is often traumatic for Praxis due to how he received them, so Jason is reluctant to use them. His most common usage of his electrical powers is usually an unconscious one; he subconsciously manipulates electronic recording devices in his vicinity so that they do not register his presence, extending his psychic invisibility to machines.

As a member of the Meta-S.W.A.T., Praxis usually carries a sidearm and wears body armor. He is also equipped with a communicator to keep him in touch with the rest of the team.

SARGE

PERSONAL DATA

• Alter Ego: William Calhoun

HISTORY

Sgt. William Calhoun was born in the borough of Queens in New York City. He joined the army at age 18 and served in several combat zones. He became aware of his metahuman abilities during a firefight when he was hit several times but was not harmed by the bullets. In the chaos of the battle the rest of his squad did not notice so Calhoun kept his powers hidden. He took to always wearing at least a flak vest at all times so he would always have an explanation for his miraculous survival during fierce battles.

After three tours of duty Calhoun was discharged and he promptly returned to New York and joined the NYPD. He continued his disguise of constantly wearing body armor, but eventually the D.E.O. learned of his metahuman powers and recruited Calhoun into the Meta-S.W.A.T. unit. Sarge has adopted the role of the harsh drill sergeant on the team, keeping some of the loose cannon members in line.

POWERS & WEAPONS

Sarge is highly resistant to damage; he can shrug off the effect of most conventional firearms, and can survive powerful explosions that would obliterate a normal human being. Sarge's enhanced physiology extends to his muscles, granting him superhuman strength and endurance including the ability to run and jump faster and farther than an Olympic athlete.

Despite his invulnerability Sarge continues his habit of wearing body armor. He is typically armed with an automatic pistol and also carries a reinforced truncheon that with his superhuman strength allows him to take down powerful metahuman opponents. Sarge is also equipped with a communicator to stay in contact with the other members of his unit.

SST

PERSONAL DATA

• Alter Ego: Henry "Hank" Lassiter

HISTORY

Henry "Hank" Lassiter served with the military in the Middle East, where he operated as a recon scout and commando. Secretly using his superspeed powers he would take on solo missions far behind enemy lines, usually assassination jobs against key terrorist targets. Lassiter developed a sadistic streak, but reveled in his reputation amongst his fellow soldiers. The admiration did not extend to senior command though, who began to get worried about Lassiter. When the current conflict began to wind down the military opted to send Hank back the United States.

After his discharge Lassiter was at a loss of what to do. Through Checkmate the D.E.O. learned of Hank's abilities and recruited him for their Meta-S.W.A.T. program. Equipped with a costume and a codename, SST, Hank was assigned to the team. Hank is enjoying his time in the spotlight as part of a public super-team, and also takes pleasure in being able to cut loose with his powers dealing punishment to super-powered opponents. Sarge is keeping a close eye on Lassiter, reigning in the speedster's more psychotic and sadistic tendencies.

POWERS & WEAPONS

SST possesses superhuman speed and reflexes. At top speed he moves at several times the speed of sound. Lassiter is also a trained commando with extensive skills in unarmed combat and in interrogation techniques. Like the rest of the team he usually wears body armor and carries a sidearm (though he rarely uses it), and is equipped with a communicator built into his costume.

SYPHON

PERSONAL DATA

• Alter Ego: Barbara Llewelyn

HISTORY

Barbara Llewelyn's history is largely unknown; even her name might be an alias. One rumor suggests that Barbara first came to the attention of the authorities when the first manifestation of her metahuman abilities resulted in one or more accidental deaths. Whether that is true or not, Barbara currently has full control over her potentially lethal powers. Her initial training at least seems to have been through the Department of Metahuman Resources, the precursor organization to the Department of Extra-normal Operations. Whatever the case, she was one of the earliest recruits to the Meta-S.W.A.T. program and was assigned the codename Syphon.

Barbara is a very attractive woman, and knows how to use her looks when the situation warrants it. She has a good sense of humor and uses to put others at ease, especially when they learn what her powers are. She frequently makes light of her own abilities to offset the usual reaction of fear at what she is capable of doing.

POWERS & WEAPONS

Syphon is an energy vampire; she in fact needs to absorb energy to live. Typically she sustains herself by draining electricity from power sources in her vicinity; or on a sunny day she can usually get a good meal by sitting out in the sunlight for a decent amount of time. What frightens people about Barbara is that she can also sustain herself by draining the life force from a living being. Superhumans are an especially fulfilling meal for her; and when she uses her abilities on a metahuman she drains away her target's powers as well. If she drains too much of a target's life force it can be lethal, something Syphon is careful to avoid. If she has drained a large enough amount of energy Syphon has the ability to channel excess power to augment her own strength and endurance to superhuman levels for a short time.

Barbara is a highly trained federal agent with skills in martial arts and marksmanship. She typically goes into the field wearing an armored jacket and her preferred sidearm is a .44 calibre automatic pistol. She is also equipped with a communicator.

WANDERER

PERSONAL DATA

• Alter Ego: Star Wanderer

HISTORY

Star Wanderer (his legal name, he had it changed from his birth name of Steven Malloy) is one of the last people you would expect to see as part of a metahuman police force. Star was born and raised in a commune in California that had been established in the late 1960s. He is coy about when and how he developed his metahuman powers, but was known to authorities from an early age for taking part in several non-violent protest events across the United States. Star volunteered for the D.E.O.'s Meta-S.W.A.T. program to, in his own words, help change the system from within. He is very much against violence and prefers to talk through problems; Wanderer is the self-appointed negotiator of the team.

POWERS & WEAPONS

Wanderer has the ability to fly and to become intangible. When in his "phantom" state he can pass through any object and is immune to just about any form of attack short of one that can affect his intangible molecules directly. He has had training in armed and unarmed combat as part of his law enforcement training but eschews violence in all but the most exceptional circumstances. Like most of his team he wears body armor in the field (Star has painted a peace symbol on the back of his combat vest) but does not typically carry any weapons. He is also equipped with one of the team's communicators.

ARC

PERSONAL DATA

• Alter Ego: Jeremy White

HISTORY

Jeremy White was a police officer who gained metahuman powers when confronting a group of criminals who were trying to hijack and experimental electrical generator. During the confrontation the generator was damaged and Jeremy was struck with a massive electrical discharge. Instead of being killed Jeremy was granted electrical powers. Uncertain of what to do with his new abilities Jeremy accepted an offer from the D.E.O. to join the Meta-S.W.A.T. program under the codename Arc.

POWERS & WEAPONS

Arc has the ability to generate and control electricity. He can use this power to throw powerful blasts of electricity, and can also use it as a limited form of teleportation by effectively transforming himself into a living lightning bolt and "arcing" across long distances up to a couple of miles almost instantaneously. Arc can also use his powers to control nearby devices as long as they are powered by electricity. This makes him an especially effective opponent to criminals equipped with high-tech gadgets as Arc can make his enemy's weapons turn against them, or can shut them down completely.

In the field Arc wears tactical body armor like the rest of his team, but as part of his uniform also wears a helmet equipped with telescopic, thermal and Night Vision capability. The helmet also has recording ability and Arc's team communicator is built into it.