SLAUGHTERHOUSE SEVEN
HISTORY
The Slaughterhouse Seven are a team of some of the most dangerous super villains to ever plague
Superior City. The team was formed around
Carnage, a former hero who turned on the city and assembled a
team of allies to cause chaos. The team was first known as the Slaughterhouse Five and consisted of
Carnage, the psionic Psychotrope, brutal thug
Headstrong, the bizarre Doublespeak,
and the alien refugee Astra. This group waged a war against
Superior City, cutting a path of destruction that was only stopped when the city's heroes combined forces
against them, joined by Astra who switched sides when she realized she had been deceived by Carnage and
Psychotrope. The incident convinced the heroes that working with each other would help them better protect
the city and so they decided to stay together, so was born the Centurions.
The four remaining villains were incarcerated, but escaped prison and set out to exact revenge on Superior City.
They recruited three new members; the poisonous Serpentina, alien warrior robot
Iron Dreadnought, and the insane Crazyface.
Now calling themselves the Slaughterhouse Seven they launched an all-out assault against the city and the Centurions.
The battle cause large amounts of damage and although the heroes eventually prevailed it was at a great price, the
battle having cost Astra her life.
The Seven were once again incarcerated, placed in the most secure holding areas in Mercy Island Prison. There they
remained until the detonation of the Dominator Gene Bomb during the alien Invasion.
The Gene Bomb affected Psychotrope's powers, altering them in a way such that the drugs and power dampening equipment that
kept him in check were no longer completely effective in suppressing his psychic abilities. Psychotrope was able to make
telepathic contact with Carnage and the pair began to plot.
Within a few months Psychotrope was able to extend his influence and take mental control of several key members of the
prison staff. Soon the Slaughterhouse Seven were free, but Carnage was not planning on yet another spree of destruction
because he had deeper plans. Carnage was angered that the Centurions had apparently all been killed in the time since the
Seven had been incarcerated. Since he was robbed of the opportunity to kill them himself, Carnage had a different plan –
he would make everyone forget the heroes had ever existed.
Despite his power even Psychotrope could not affect an entire metropolis, so Carnage designed technology that could
amplify the psychic commands to make people forget about the Centurions, and about the Slaughterhouse Seven as well. A
small group of loyal mind-controlled minions set out and began installing the technology in cellular broadcast towers
around the Superior City area. Once they were done the devices were activated, creating a field covering hundreds of
square miles that would cause everyone inside it to forget about the Centurions and about the Slaughterhouse Seven,
effectively erasing any knowledge about the early years of super heroes in the city during the Modern Heroic Age.
With all knowledge about himself and the rest of the Seven effectively erased, Carnage set about the next phase of his
plan. By now he had complete control of Mercy Island Prison and he began construction of a hidden base directly beneath
the prison itself. He also began building an army of super-villains, recruiting from the prison populace many who had now
also been forgotten by the world outside because they had been foes of the Centurions. Recruits were generally given the
option to join voluntarily or be brainwashed by Psychotrope; after an example was made of the first few who refused the
others tended to go voluntarily.
While Carnage was building his army a new generation of heroes took up residence in Superior City, starting with the
latest Renegade and the New
Enforcers of Justice and followed soon after by the New Adventurers.
This new wave of heroes forced Carnage to alter his plans slightly, but this only delayed things for a short time. Within a
year he was ready to strike, expanding his army by forcibly brainwashing members of the police and armed forces as well as
more common street criminals to serve as footsoldiers. When all was ready Carnage unleashed his revenge against Superior
City, seizing complete control over the city and cutting it off from outside aid. It took the combined power of all of the
heroes of Superior City, including the surprise return of some of the Centurions, to thwart the scheme and defeat Carnage
and the Seven once again (see Total Carnage for details of Carnage's plot
and the fight to stop it).
The Slaughterhouse Seven are once again imprisoned in Mercy Island Prison, which has been restored and upgraded with help
from S.T.A.R. Labs and the D.E.O. with
all trace of Carnage's influence scrubbed.
CARNAGE
PERSONAL DATA
- Alter Ego: Jordan Straite
- Known Aliases: Prodigal
HISTORY
After their success with Apex,
Sector 10 decided to use the data from his creation to try
and refine the process. A new candidate was selected, an ex-Special Forces soldier named Jordan Straite, and he was
subjected to the updated process, which was designed to enhance mental as well as physical attributes. The experiment
appeared to be a success and Straite, aka experimental subject codename Prodigal, was given super intelligence as well
as physical powers like those that Apex received.
Sector 10 rushed their newest hero out into public, and not a moment too soon it seemed as a mysterious new villain
calling himself Carnage was threatening Superior City. Carnage seemed to be as powerful as Apex and Prodigal, and seemed
equally adept at evading the heroes. Then Carnage appeared with a group of villains by his side, and the so-called
Slaughterhouse Five began a reign of terror across the city. Prodigal was nowhere to be found, and Carnage intimated
that he had already dealt with the city's newest hero just as he would soon deal with Apex. To face this threat Apex
joined forces with the other heroes of the city, and even then it was only the turning of Slaughterhouse Five member
Astra to the side of good that tipped the scales in favor of the heroes. Once the remaining members of the Slaughterhouse
Five were defeated the shocked heroes discovered that the maniacal Carnage was none other than Prodigal.
The jury is still out on whether Jordan Straite was a psychopath before Sector 10 experimented on him or if it was
the modified process that caused him to become one. In either case Sector 10 had inadvertently unleashed a maniac with
the power of a god onto the world. Carnage did not take his defeat well and swore vengeance against Superior City and
especially against Apex and his fellow heroes, now united as a team calling themselves the
Centurions. Carnage would escape along with his allies and, with some new
blood added, attacked the city and its heroes as the Slaughterhouse Seven.
Defeated and incarcerated again Carnage waited patiently for his next opportunity, only to have part of his vengeance
denied by the apparent demise of Apex and the other Centurions due to other circumstances. Carnage still burned with a
desire to make Superior City pay, however, and with the help of his Slaughterhouse Seven teammate Psychotrope he was able
to secretly take control of Mercy Island Prison. From a secret lair built beneath the prison Carnage used technology and
Psychotrope's power to make all of Superior City forget about the Centurions and their enemies, including himself. Working
unobstructed and in secret Carnage assembled a super-villain army and when he was ready he unleashed it on Superior City.
His forces swiftly took control of the entire city, but they were opposed by the city's newer heroes. Even then Carnage
proved almost too powerful for them, and he was finally defeated by the surprise return of his archenemy Apex, reborn as
the hero called Aegis.
Carnage is back in Mercy Island Prison, which has been freed from his control. His desire for vengeance burns brighter
than ever though, especially now that Apex has returned.
POWERS & WEAPONS
Like it did for his predecessor Apex, the Sector 10 process granted Carnage superhuman strength and resilience,
superhuman speed, and the power of flight. His senses were also enhanced, granting him telescopic vision and the ability
to see in wavelengths beyond those of normal humans; and improved hearing that could perceive sounds in frequencies
outside the usual range as well as pick up sounds over large distances. Carnage could also emit powerful laser-like beams
of energy from his eyes.
The process also increased Carnage's intelligence and willpower to superhuman levels. Combined with his superspeed this
let Carnage quickly learn a number of scientific and technical skills, which he added to his repertoire that already
included the military tactics and weapons training he had received in the Special Forces.
Also like Apex, Carnage does appear to be vulnerable to exposure to electromagnetic energy frequencies that match those
emitted by the exotic extraterrestrial meteor that was used in the experiments that gave the two their powers. The closest
Earth-based analog to these frequencies appears to the Uranium-234 isotope. Unlike Apex though, Carnage also appears to be
susceptible to psionic attacks, having a lower threshold of resistance to them despite his enhanced intellect and willpower.
This is believed to be a side effect of the refined process that gave him those enhanced mental abilities.
PSYCHOTROPE
PERSONAL DATA
HISTORY
Henson Jirida is one of the most powerful telepaths on the planet. When he was a child Hanson realized he had the ability
to get people to do what he wanted. As he grew older his mental powers expanded and he learned to read others' minds. Setting
himself up as a carnival psychic, Henson would use his mental powers to rob his customers while making them forget about the
robbery. If anyone annoyed or threatened him, Henson would plant suggestions to cause the person to do things that would
cause them harm or suffering. One day a wealthy industrialist visited the carnival with his children and when Henson read his
mind he learned that the man was embezzling from his company. Henson used this information to blackmail the man, and when he
was done he used his power to compel the man to confess. That was when Henson graduated from the small time to becoming a
full-time criminal.
Taking the name Psychotrope started using his powers to continue to commit robbery and blackmail, but now he was doing it
to millionaires and politicians instead of the rubes coming to carnival. He also discovered his powers were still expanding and
he soon graduated into a full supervillain. Coming to Superior City, Psychotrope found himself going up against the hero
Paragon. Despite Paragon's lack of powers he was able to consistently
outsmart and thwart Psychotrope's schemes. When Carnage was recruiting his Slaughterhouse Five team, Psychotrope was the first
person he contacted.
Even as part of the Slaughterhouse Five, and the later Slaughterhouse Seven, Psychotrope continued his personal criminal
career. His powers changed again when the Dominator Gene Bomb detonated and he gained the ability to psychically project his
consciousness, becoming a disembodied presence that could pass through almost any barrier. This is how he was able to reach
beyond his cell and facilitate his and Carnage's escape from Mercy Island Prison. After this he became an integral part of
Carnage's latest plan to take revenge on Superior City and its heroes. After this scheme was thwarted Psychotrope was once
again imprisoned.
POWERS & WEAPONS
Psychotrope possesses a wide array of powerful psychic abilities. His earliest ability, and the one he has most refined, is
the ability to control the will of others. This can range from planting hypnotic-like suggestions to fully mentally dominating
a person and controlling them like a puppet. His powers later expanded to include telepathy, which he could use to communicate
mentally with others and to also read their emotions, thoughts, and memories. The last power of his to develop naturally was
telekinesis, which allows him to physically move objects with his mind. Psychotrope has refined this ability to allow himself
to generate a personal force field for his protection. With extreme concentration he can actually teleport items from one place
to another. So far this seems to be limited to inanimate objects of relatively small size.
After his exposure to the Gene Bomb detonation Psychotrope gained a number of abilities that involve psychic senses. He
gained clairvoyance, the ability to perceive far off locations as if he was present there, as well as the ability to see
through illusions. Psychotrope has also gained a sixth sense that warns him when he is in immediate or imminent danger. The
ultimate expression of his new psychic senses is the ability for Psychotrope to psychically project himself, sending his
consciousness out from his body as a disembodied form. This psychic astral projection is like a ghost that can float invisibly,
traveling far from the host body and allowing Psychotrope to be present somewhere remote while remaining virtually undetectable.
When he does this Psychotrope's mental powers operate as if was at the remote location where his projection is.
Psychotrope has also learned to turn his powerful psychic abilities inward, giving him the power of mind over matter with
his own body. By force of will alone Psychotrope can resist fire, purge his body of toxins, slow his natural processes to enter
something like a state of suspended animation, and even heal injuries.
Psychotrope also possesses a photographic memory and is able to recall anything he has witnessed in perfect detail. This
includes thoughts and memories he has read from others, a useful talent for his blackmail enterprises.
HEADSTRONG
PERSONAL DATA
HISTORY
Frank Newsome was a garden variety thug who aspired to be an exceptional thug. He saved up the money he was earning by breaking
legs for syndicates and inflicting other forms of violence for pay, found a mad scientist, and paid the man to give him super
powers. The combination of exotic chemicals and radiation treatments the scientist gave him paid off and Frank was transformed into
an 8-foot tall 500 pound brute with steel-hard skin.
Frank immediately began using his powers to commit even more violent crimes, taking the name Headstrong from his favorite tactic
of head-butting opponents. His favorite gimmicks were smash-and-grab jobs where he would literally smash through walls and vault
doors to break in to places and rob them. Headstrong would throw manhole covers, dumpsters, cars or anything else heavy he could
get his hands on to try and dissuade the police or anyone who tried to stop his crimes.
Headstrong's rampages inevitably attracted the attention of Superior City's super heroes, and the super strong Apex was one of
the few who could stand up to the brutish thug. Headstrong's destructive capability is what led Carnage to invite Frank into the
Slaughterhouse Five. Ever since, Headstrong has served as the team's loyal brick. Frank is far from the cleverest person around,
but he does take a perverse pleasure when he figures out a new way to use his strength in combat.
POWERS & WEAPONS
Headstrong is superhumanly strong, almost at the same level of the Man of Steel himself, Superman. He is also virtually
indestructible, able to shrug off massive amounts of damage with barely a scratch.
DOUBLESPEAK
PERSONAL DATA
HISTORY
Doublespeak is a mutant of some kind, born with two functional heads but a single brain located in his chest cavity. As an
infant he was initially thought to be conjoined twins, but when his actual nature became known his parents abandoned him. The
young child survived and was taken in by a traveling carnival where he was christened Doublespeak (he does not remember what
his birth name was, so Doublespeak is the only name he goes by).
Growing up as part of the carnival freak show gave Doublespeak a home, but as a teenager his sonic powers emerged and his
behavior became more erratic and violent. Eventually he became a danger to the carnival and the public, so Doublespeak was
driven out. He probably would not have lasted long if not for Carnage. When the villain was looking for members for his team
an earlier recruit, Psychotrope, led Carnage to Doublespeak. Psychotrope had operated as a psychic working with a rival carnival
and had heard of the two-headed freak. The story had intrigued Carnage and he was able to locate Doublespeak and invite him into
the team.
Doublespeak considers the Slaughterhouse Seven to be his family and is extremely loyal to both Carnage and Psychotrope for
rescuing him. He has also developed an unhealthy and unreciprocated crush on Serpentina.
POWERS & WEAPONS
Besides the fact that he has two fully functional heads, Doublespeak also has a range of sound-based powers. The mouths of
both heads can emit powerful sonic blasts with a variety of effects. The blasts can deliver a kinetic strike, delivering a
physical blow, or can be pitched to affect a target's nervous system delivering intense pain or causing paralysis. He can also
project sound over a distance, acting like a natural loudspeaker or throwing his voice like a ventriloquist. By pitching his
sonic emissions with precision Doublespeak can produce precise counter-soundwaves that can nullify sounds in his vicinity.
Doublespeak also has superhuman hearing, able to detect frequencies outside the normal human range of hearing. His hearing
is also more sensitive, able to pick up quieter sounds or those from far away with acuity. Thanks to his two heads he can also
triangulate the source of sounds with great accuracy.
For some reason Doublespeak's body also seems to highly resistant to most forms of energy, possibly a result of his affinity
to sonic vibrations allowing him some control over electromagnetic frequencies (the exception seems to be x-rays, gamma rays and
other high frequency radiation which affects Doublespeak normally). Lastly, the fact that Doublespeak's brain is actually located
in his chest means that he does not suffer concussions and similar effects from being struck in the head(s).
SERPENTINA
PERSONAL DATA
- Alter Ego: Calliope Borden
HISTORY
From her accent Serpentina comes from the Southern US, Alabama or Georgia apparently, but there are few details known to
authorities about her actual history, including how she acquired and became bonded with the talisman that gives her her powers.
Serpentina first appeared in Superior City when she attacked Olympiad
when the hero was at a charity event. Olympiad managed to beat her, but she escaped. Serpentina would attack Olympiad on several
other occasions but would evade capture each time.
Serpentina is a dangerous opponent, a seductive predator who stalks her prey and is relentless in combat. When Carnage
recruited her to the Slaughterhouse Seven she quickly became one of his most trusted lieutenants. She was finally captured with
the initial defeat of the Seven, but authorities could not find a way to separate her talisman from her. She remained loyal to
the Seven and was part of Carnage's scheme of revenge against Superior City, after which she was once again captured and
imprisoned.
While to all appearances dedicated to Carnage and the Slaughterhouse Seven, Serpentina actually has divided loyalties.
Calliope Borden is a member of the Totemica, a secret cult dedicated to hunting down mystical artifacts, a fact that she shares
with no one. It was the cult that gave her the talisman she wears, and she uses it in their service. Her mission in Superior
City was to discover the source of Olympiad's powers, which was why she was constantly attacking him. Secrecy is the first order
of the Totemica, so no effort was made to free Serpentina from prison when she was first captured and later the psychic effect
that erased anyone's memories of the Seven kept her off of the cult's radar for many years. If Carnage were to learn of
Serpentina's ties and loyalty to Totemica he would likely consider it a betrayal, so she still keeps the secret. What the cult
will do now that the memory effect is gone and they are once again aware of their wayward daughter remains to be seen.
POWERS & WEAPONS
Calliope is bonded with a mystical talisman dedicated to a long forgotten serpent goddess. As Serpentina, bonded to the
talisman, she is granted superhuman strength, resilience, agility, speed and reflexes. She also possesses a number of reptilian
powers including toughened, scale-like skin; razor sharp claws on her hands and feet; the ability to climb along walls and other
surfaces by adhering to them; the ability to leap large distances; and she can deliver poison through her claws or by spitting
venom at a target. Serpentina herself appears to be highly resistant to toxins and she can heal rapidly and even regrow lost
limbs. The talisman also gives Serpentina control over reptiles, which she can summon to her presence and command. Though it has
not been obvious to those who have only known her the short time she has been in the public eye, the talisman also makes
Serpentina immortal.
IRON DREADNOUGHT
PERSONAL DATA
HISTORY
The Dreadnought is a robotic alien war machine from another dimension. It is a scout from the same alien race that invaded
the homeworld of Astra from the Centurions and had followed her trail to Earth. Dreadnought comes from a race of machine
intelligences who spread by invading worlds and consuming them for resources. Dreadnought was dispatched to learn if Earth
would be a suitable candidate for invasion. Upon arriving in Superior City, the Iron Dreadnought was confronted and defeated
in combat by Apex and Whiz Kid. The defeat dissuaded Dreadnought's people from carrying out any invasion as it clearly
demonstrated that Earth had powerful defenders and an invasion would prove too costly to be worth the effort.
Even though the invasion plans were cancelled the Dreadnought elected to stay on Earth. It felt humiliated by the defeat
at the hands of the two heroes and remained here to seek vengeance. When he was filling out the Slaughterhouse Seven, Carnage
thought the Iron Dreadnought would prove to be an excellent resource and was able to track the robot down. Dreadnought for
its part accepted the offer simply because it would offer the opportunity to avenge itself on Apex as well as the challenge
of facing off against other heroes.
Dreadnought was imprisoned in Mercy Island Prison along with the rest of the Seven after their defeat. Its presence proved
extremely beneficial to Carnage's plan, as Dreadnought could project itself into Cyberspace. Without Dreadnought being able to
act as a deterrent to the Enforcers of Justice's resident techno-magician Mystère, key elements of Carnage's scheme
would have been vulnerable to her powers. After Carnage's plot was thwarted Iron Dreadnought was once again incarcerated.
POWERS & WEAPONS
The Iron Dreadnought is a robotic warrior from a race of machine intelligences. Its body is made of an incredibly tough
alien metal and is equipped with a wide variety of offensive, defensive, and sensory capabilities. For weaponry the
Dreadnought has projectile and energy-based long range weapons as well as explosives. For close quarters combat it can release
sword-like blades from its arms that are strong and sharp enough to cut through steel. For mobility the Dreadnought can run at
over 200 miles per hour or fly at speeds in excess of Mach 5.
The Dreadnought's sensory systems include enhanced telescopic sight that includes thermal and night-vision capability; and
enhanced audio receivers that can pick up sounds from a greater distance and at a greater range of frequency than human hearing,
and can also pinpoint the source of sounds with great accuracy. Dreadnought also has sensors that act like a form of radar and
can broadcast and receive radio frequencies. Dreadnought is capable of speech, and can produce sound at very loud volumes and
can project its "voice" over long distances. Its computer-like mind is also capable of perfect recall.
As a robotic entity the Dreadnought does not eat or breath and is not affected by toxins, disease, and most psychic powers.
It is also able to project its consciousness into Cyberspace and exert some power there through its advanced programs.
These are the most common abilities that the Dreadnought has exhibited; it has also demonstrated other functions that look
like they have been tailored for specific situations. For example, to combat Mystère the Dreadnought was able to deploy
drone-like entities into Cyberspace. It is believed that Dreadnought can generate these unusual technological objects from its
body by reconfiguring some of its own systems.
CRAZYFACE
PERSONAL DATA
HISTORY
All the members of the Slaughterhouse Seven are nuts in some way, but Crazyface is the most insane by far. No one knows
where Crazyface came from or how he got his powers; he simply appeared one day wreaking havoc and cutting a swathe of
destruction up and down the west coast. He first appeared in Coast City where he tangled with Green Lantern, who was able to
stop Crazyface's rampage but not capture the villain. Next Crazyface began a string of destructive robberies in Star City
where he was confronted by Green Arrow and Speedy, with the archers barely escaping the confrontation with their lives.
When Crazyfaces's wandering brought him to Superior City he fell under the sway of Carnage. Somehow the villain was able
to hold Crazyface's attention and provide him with direction and focus. Normally Crazyface's actions are random, haphazard,
and incredibly violent; half the time he does not even bother completing the crimes he starts, he just gets distracted by
something and usually moves to attack and try and destroy it. Under Carnage's guidance however the lunatic Crazyface acts as
a productive member of the Slaughterhouse Seven. Of course, this requires that Carnage keep tabs on Crazyface every time the
Seven are out in the field; if Crazyface is out of Carnage's influence for too long he reverts to a psychotic frenzy.
Crazyface is believed to be human, or metahuman at least, but his facial features do not appear human at all. While the
rest of him appears as a well-built human male his face is a pair of all-white eyes beneath a bald head and pronounced brow,
with no nose and an overlarge mouth full of teeth.
POWERS & WEAPONS
Crazyface possesses superhuman strength, reflexes, and resilience. He is virtually indestructible and when he does suffer
an injury he can heal all but the most severe hurts almost instantly. Crazyface also has the ability to spin around at
superhuman speeds. When this is combined with his super strength and invulnerability it turns him into a living tornado of
destruction. The source of Crazyface's powers is a mystery. His one weakness seems to relate to his insanity; Crazyface is
more susceptible than average to psychic attacks, which are one of the few ways to stop his rampages. Crazyface also seems
to have an irrational fear of cats and of stage magicians, though the root source of these phobias is also unknown.
