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jhansard — Comrade Hero R by Jeff Chapman
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Published: 2011-07-09 01:57:08 +0000 UTC; Views: 4640; Favourites: 15; Downloads: 0
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Description
Comrade Hero Russian by Jeff ChapmanRussian Federation styled Photomanipulation of a 'Live Action' Comrade Hero. For promotional and reference purposes only.
More of Jeff's fantastic work can be found here: [link]
Comrade Hero is one of the primary protagonists of 'Comrade Hero'.
Comrade Hero aka Aleksandr Alexandrovich Biryukov was born with latent metahuman potential but this did not manifest until he was in his mid-thirties.
Aside from being slightly healthier and fitter than most men his age, there was no indication that Aleksandr was anything other than a normal human.
It took massive exposure to lethal cosmic rays and radiation, exposure to the extreme environment of space, re-entry into Earth's atmosphere from Low Earth Orbit, and crash landing in Antarctica, to activate Aleksandr's metahuman potential.
As Comrade Hero, Aleksandr's powers and abilities are derived from his unique metahuman physiology and the unknown cosmic energies surging within him.
Comrade Hero is based on inspiration and concepts from the original television series 'The Six Million Dollar Man', 'Captain Scarlet', and the film 'RoboCop'; the comic book characters 'Judge Dredd' (2000AD), 'Captain Marvel' (Fawcett Comics) and 'Ms. Marvel' (Marvel Comics); and the computer games 'Freedom Force' and 'City of Heroes'.
Would you like to know more? You can download Comrade Hero PDF Files from Google Docs at: [link] - no registration or login required.
Comrade Hero is ©2011 James Hansard.
Updated July, 2011
Comrade Hero: Characters
Comrade Hero: Characters 1
Comrade Hero
Four Five Two
Operations
Anderson
Comrade Hero: Project Scripts
Comrade Hero: Part I
Comrade Hero: Part II
Comrade Hero: Part III
Comrade Hero: Part IV
Comrade Hero: Project Material
Expression of Interest
Comrade Hero: Reference Guide
Comrade Hero: Project Overview
Comrade Hero: Five Page Sample
Character Design Sheets: Yamandú Daniel Orce
Character Model Sheets: Erwin Ropa
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Comments: 36
Наконец то нам кто то придумал супер-героя сделать, будем как Америка
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Герой Российской Федерации!
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Very well done!
If I might ask though, why in the world did he need to go through such absurdly amounts of punishment to activate his powers?
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Well....
Comrade Hero had no idea he had any powers at all and he suffered an accident in space which saw him exposed to cosmic radiation/rays and plummet to Earth, surviving re-entry into the atmosphere and crashing into frozen wilderness of Antarctica. He was just in the wrong place at the right time...
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...Ouch lol. Not the most friendliest of ways to uncover your powers
Where exactly can I read up about his powers?
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There you go. Needs a little tweaking and updating: [link]
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Ah heh, you play/played Marvel Super Heroes RPG? I've actually played a bit of that myself!
He really seems like quite a mighty being. What enemies will he fight that gives him some sort of challenge? (have a link to any of them?)
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This should give you quite a bit of insight and information. Promotional snippets I posted when drumming up support for Comrade Hero's entry in the Stan Lee Foundation's Create a Superhero creative invite on Talenthouse earlier this year (I made the top 100 voted).
Spotlight on Comrade Hero I: [link]
Spotlight on Comrade Hero II: [link]
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Ah sweet, thanks!
Um... If I might ask, why Russian for Comrade Hero? I'm just wondering as I think it's really unique.
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I'm based in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The majority of comic books and graphic novels that are imported into this country came from North America, England and in recent years Asia.
I wanted to create a character that wasn't from the US or UK, and who is essentially an 'immigrant' to the shores of Aotearoa/New Zealand (as everyone in this country is).
I also wanted to avoid making the main character a Maori or Pacific Island themed superhero. The idea is to have a visitor to these shores whose experience of this country, the cultures, and the peoples who live here is from the perspective of the new immigrant arrival.
While we have a small Russian population in New Zealand, there are a few points I noted over the years that pushed me in the direction of making Comrade Hero Russian. The first was that Russia is one of New Zealand's major trading partners now (along with China and India), and more ironically at the start of the 20th Century, New Zealand earned the title of the Worker's Paradise.
Comrade Hero grew up during the twilight of the Soviet Union, and like others, he survived the chaotic and confusing transition as the nascent Russian Federation strengthened. He lived in two worlds, and is unwillingly thrown into a third world. A future world, quite different, geographically removed from his own.
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Ah right. That actually does sound like an interesting idea. If I might ask, do you have any sort of stories for him planned or comics? I might actually like to see more of him
And if I might ask, are you a fan of Marvel Superheroes RPG?
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Oh yes, I've been actively writing on this project storywise since I started my Certificate in Creative Writing back in 2006 and completed my Diploma in Creative Writing in 2010. Everything is pretty much a work in progress. The possibility of adaptation for the small screen (following my interactions with Buto Productions from March, 2011) has meant I've had to go back to script and rewrite so the material can work for both literature and broadcast.
And you could say that I'm a fan of the Marvel Superheroes Role Playing Game by TSR, Inc. A lot of the ideas about Comrade Hero were developed nearly two decades ago. A lot of character sheets, scribblings, notes and half-finished word documents that started seeing the light of day when I started playing City of Heroes in 2004 (another big influence), and started formally collating the material when I started my Certificate in Creative Writing.
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Ah, really? Sounds like you're prepared then.
I actually got interested into making superheroes in City of Heroes. Tabletop games like Marvel Superheroes RPG and Mutants and Masterminds came much later for me. Though that doesn't mean I still play them XD Did you hear about City of Heroes becoming free to play?
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Oh yes. Although given that I'm already a seven year veteran on City of Heroes I'll keep my subscription active and possible move to the VIP server.
I find that a lot of the old RPG manuals and sourcebooks are invaluable when it comes to generating characters and ideas. For me it was Marvel Superheroes Role Playing Game, Paranoia, Twilight 2000 and Merc 2000, Vampire the Masquerade, Middle Earth Role Playing and the Atomik Fuzion System. Then it was the PC Game Freedom Force and City of Heroes.
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Ah right lol. Do you still have time to play on City of Heroes?
Did you actually ever play those tabletop games? If so, how were they in your opinion? I actually have a lot of fun being creative with it
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I do get onto City of Heroes, it's the time zone difference that's a killer.
And back in college I did play some of those games. Paranoia and Marvel were quite easy and fun to play. Middle Earth Role Playing was a lot of dice crunching, and Vampire the Masquerade was entertaining enough, but I preferred writing fan fiction rather than playing.
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Ah heh, still use Comrade Hero on CoH? Have any other heroes for it?
Ah heh, I go on forum sites for tabletop games now, sadly there's just no place for me to play them in real life. So you've written fan fiction? How much have you done of Comrade Hero? As I'd really like to see it sometime, if you do not mind of course
Heck I wouldn't even mind playing with you on Marvel Superheroes sometime if possible
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Hah! Good grief. I have rolled a 10 side dice in years.... so no old fashioned pencil and paper RPG for me...
The fan fiction was mainly Vampire the Masquerade related material, and then after City of Heroes came out a few pieces for the CCCP (Coalition of Communist Crusaders for the Proleteriat) and Angel Falls more recently here on deviantART. I started a lot of material, but had a habit of never finishing (or taking a very long time).
I found that switching from prose to script ultimately proved to be more productive from my Comrade Hero project point of view. If you troll through my deviantART gallery you will find things I have written. Some good, some not so good, and some actually being rewritten or reworked.
The Certificate and Diploma in Creative Writing that I completed was online and one of the lessons I took away from that was to own whatever you produced (no matter had well or poorly you thought of it), to make the works available for feedback, comment and criticism, and to keep pushing forward (even if the pace feels glacial).
The majority of my City of Heroes characters are on Protector and a couple on Pinnacle: Albtraum, Athena Panhellenios, Artorius Castus, Comrade Hero, Comrade Heroine, Galatea, Graviton Girl, Iron Chancellor, Isentropic Girl, Last Avatar, Marquesa, Neutron Girl, Rack, Supreme Arbiter, and War Bride.
I typically use only a few characters these days when I can get on: Comrade Hero, Graviton Girl, Galatea, and Athena Panhellenios.
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Ah right. A big fan of Vampire the Masquerade huh? I more so prefer the Werewolf editions instead XD
If I might ask, is it difficult to write for an incredibly powerful and versatile character like Comrade Hero? I myself have a character who's really powerful (like between the power levels of Hulk/Juggernaut and Thing/Colossus, so somewhere around Grey Hulk's level XD), but I've sometimes wondered about how to challenge him and keep things with him interesting.
And that's a lot of characters you have. If I might ask, have you ever been interested in the more visually monstrous kind of superheroes? (so like Hulk, Thing, Spawn, Hellboy, etc). if so or otherwise, why/why not?
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To tell you the truth, I haven't put Comrade Hero in many situations where its apparent he's a powerful character.
Part of the storyline is about loss and adjustment.
Comrade Hero led a pretty full life prior to becoming a superhero. He has a successful career and was soon to retire, was married and then widowed, and had limited fame as a Cosmonaut and Test Pilot.
Having lost all that, and being displaced from the world he knows, Comrade Hero not only has to contend with the face that the world he lived in, and the people he knew have passed on - but he has to come to terms with being a newly empowered superhero. A new superhero in a world where superheroes are expected to be young, attractive, and media savvy. Superheroes who are capable of negotiating endorsement contracts and press conferences, with the same practiced finesse and consummate skill as fighting the good fight and saving the day - for the right price of course.
Comrade Hero is nearly twice as old as most heroes and villains, doesn't match the public image of a superhero, and has zero experience in the 'hero game.' Comrade Hero's powers and their side-effects can prove as much a hindrance as a saving grace, and he's going to have to learn a whole new set of skills, abilities and tactics.
But no more spoilers... shhh!
Anyway on City of Heroes my character Rack is a reanimate in service to the Higher Lords of Chaos. He don't look pretty at all. Think of an undead Jason Bourne with all of his skills, talents and experience intact, and put that mind in the body of an undead creation that can also wield necromantic powers and unpredictable dark magic.
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Ah, interesting. I actually have a superhero myself with themes of loss and adjustment, although those are more so undermined compared to Comrade Hero's ones. My guy is more focused on the actual superhero aspect of it, helping others with their powers and fighting crime for the greater good. He's also old too though. My story is much more around the Bronze age of stories like Batman or Spiderman rather than the more Watchmen-ish feel I think you seem to be going for. (and I'll be honest, I hated Watchmen 
And when i said visually monstrous superheroes, I meant heroes, not villains. I don't recall Rack being a hero
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I didn't mind Watchmen but in terms of graphic novel and comic book inspirations some of the ones I have looked to include Kingdom Come (1996) by DC Comics, the more recent incarnation of the Thunderbolts by Marvel Comics and Judge Dredd by 2000AD. In the future of Comrade Hero most superheroes either work directly for the government, are employed as contractors in private security companies, or are freelance agents who command huge fees and commissions for their services. You get the idealists who fight the good fight because it needs to be done, but at the end of the day the bills need to be paid, a variety of expenses need to covered, and indemnity insurance is a must considering the potential amount of property damage and risk of injury faced by the general populace.
And of course Rack still thinks he is a hero... but you're right he does morally questionable things that some people might call villainous.
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Ah right... If I may say I never thought Judge Dredd as a superhero story by ANY stretch of a mean. I do see how Thunderbolts works though.
If I might say, and this is only my opinion, but the idea of superheroes asking for a fee to help is a rather disgusting idea. It's not what superheroes are about, it's a horrific deconstruction of them that nearly destroyed comics like Watchmen did (though in Watchmen's defense, it was more the people not getting the point). The idea of them working for a government or some sort of company is fine (might depend on the company though), but when superheroes start treating their work like mercenaries, that's where fans of superheroes are alienated, because it's not like superheroes at all; rather more likely it's appealing to fans who DON'T like superheroes, or flat out hate them. I apologize if that's rather brutal-saying, but I wanted to express my opinion on it. And it's just my opinion, it's not like it's a fact that this idea will attract people who hate superheroes, it's just what I think.
I'm not sure that answers my question about Rack. Of the City of Heroes alignments with Going Rogue in, which one is he? He sounds like a Vigilante.
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Not Dredd as a superhero, but the setting and themes of Judge Dredd resonate.
Kingdom Come showed the stark contrast between the older DC heroes and the new generation of 'heroes' who acted like celebrities, and fought amongst themselves out of boredom because they had effectively 'eliminated' the villain problem. And I don't mind brutal opinions, and you shouldn't apologize for it.
I don't mind bronze age type idealized heroes, and in fact Comrade Hero was deliberately modeled that way rather than as a Punisher or RoboCop. It's just unfortunate for Comrade Hero that he winds up in a world dominated by super-humans who fall into two camps. Those who work for the state, and those who work for private industry.
These two groups see themselves as doing the same sort of jobs that law-enforcement and armed forces personnel do. And they get paid for taking the same (and often greater risks).
They're not all money grubbing pessimists, or bleeding heart altruists. Most of them believe they're doing the right thing. And then there is the third camp of freelancers who fit the definition of mercenaries, albeit ones who seek fame and glory.
The term 'Comrade Hero' is actually used in this world as a nasty slur - both individually and collectively - a term of derision used to refer to Eastern European and Russian Federation super-humans who are looked down upon as being second tier heroes.
And naw... Rack is definitely a villain. He's not in it for the money. He's just doing the job... no matter how nasty or unsavory that may be.
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I think you might be missing the point of Kingdom Come, it's was to be the end of the Dark Age of Superheroes (aka where quality was at it's lowest) while you seem to think that it codified it.
Still, I don't think it's a superhero story at all. It seems to put politics before actual superheroism, making it not much like a superhero story at all. Again, it's not going to be attracting fans of superheroes, it's attracting people or dislike or hate superheroes, and those are the worst of fans to converse with. I also see you'll be adding in fantastic racism to the series, which, IMO, leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Superhero racism has never really been a good plot hook, nor has really worked in the long run. Look at X-Men, the characters are unrecognizable for how derailed they've become!
And if Rack's a villain, then he doesn't work what what I was asking, visually monstrous superheroes, not supervillains.
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Personally this is what I took away from Kingdom Come a couple of things. Again my own interpretation:
That humans had every reason to fear super-humans who acted without restraint or accountability. The new generation had effectively soured the sense of awe and replaced it with fear as they battled one another without care for the populace.
That the response of returned the old generation, although well-intentioned in bringing the new generation of heroes to account for their actions, nonetheless fueled fear amongst humans that super-humans could take become the arbiter of law and dispense justice if they saw fit without consolation.
And the penultimate nuclear catastrophe did (in a manner of speaking) serve as that spark that ultimately led to super-humans realizing that they couldn't live apart and above humans, but had to live amongst them and work with them. It took the death of Captain Marvel (one of the ultimate 'innocent' type heroes in DC lore), and a single man standing up to an enraged Superman to help end that Dark Age.
And no I don't want to introduce fanatical racism - but an undercurrent that nothing - even the shiny Corporate State future of Comrade Hero is perfect.
I see the difference between superheroes in the context of Comrade Hero as similar to the situation with the PMC's and PSC's today. I'm generalizing here, but the best Security Contractors are considered to have served in the Special Forces of America, the United Kingdom, and Western European countries and the Security Contractors who get paid rather less well and have a less sterling reputation tend to be those who come from Eastern Europe and Russia. That sort of professional rivalry goes on.
My aim is to create a bilingual Maori and English science fiction and superhero themed series aimed at a broad audience. I hate using the term Edutainment - but it is a mixture of entertainment and language exposure. Because of this I have to be very careful of content: gratuitous violence, explicit language and sexual content, and adult themes are moderated. So I won't be going down the rated M for Mature X-Factor or Punisher MAX route at all. Death may be unavoidable, and bad things may happen; but I don't aim to create a world where killing is the norm and nothing good every happens.
Heh... Rack doesn't consider himself a villain. He considers himself an agent, an operative who has a job to do. It just so happens that what he does often matches his physical appearance - which is monstrous.
And thanks for all the feedback and comments. I tend to take notes of everything and compile the information for analysis and evaluation. For instance I've been having to consider something that I completely overlooked. Examining Comrade Hero (the character) with a critical eye from a non Anglo-American perspective. Getting feedback from Russian nationals and those who lived in former Soviet Republics has led to some interesting and informative considerations I need to examine. And no, I can't share... Shhh... Spoilers.
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Ah, right then. With how you put it that way, I think I can see what you're going for now. I'm still a little skeptical on the matter, but I have a better understanding of what you have in mind now, and am more comfortable with it. Will there at least be plenty of superheroics happening in the story? That's part of the reason I love superheroes
And I see how Rack rather twists the idea that I asked to fit the idea of what I'm asking; but I think what I was more hoping to see is someone who's monstrous physical look does NOT match their personality, one who actually is still heroic, helpful moral despite how they look, not someone who thinks they're a hero while doing rather immoral things.
And thanks for taking the time to discuss with me. This has been one of the more enjoyable and interesting conversations I've had on DA. Do you think we can chat again sometime? I'd very much so enjoy if we could.
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Oh yeah, I want superheroes who do super stuff as well. From the seemingly mundane and sublime, to the jaw-dropping power stunt.
I think the closest you get to a monstrous character whose physical look does not match their personality (outside of the comic books) is the character of Darkman from the films. Hideously burned and deformed, Darkman relies on a bio-synthetic flesh masks, clever disguises and a talent for impersonation to outwit his enemies. And of course Darkman has the ability to take a beating (he can't physically feel pain), and he has 'rage' outbursts that seriously amps up his physical abilities, notably his strength and speed.
And by all means, drop me a note or email. Feedback and commentary is most welcome.
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Ah yeah, then I'd probably be interested in yuor series, time really is needed to make the difference to come to welcome things.
I haven't really watched Darkman unfortunately, but I've been hoping too. I actually have my own heroic monstrous character perhaps we can chat about sometime. I can imagine it not being the case, but have you ever roleplayed your characters with others?
I'll be sending you a note now if that won't be a problem.
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If you want to see a youngish Liam Neeson hamming it up in a Sam Raimi film, then get Darkman if you can find it.
Not much roleplaying these days. Not my thing. Typing quickly is a pain (literally) thanks to injuring my hands back in 2008 and being deaf in one ear limits voice chat a lot.
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Heh, it was directed by Sam Raimi? I probably will check it out then
Ah right, I never really do voice chat btw. So both of your hands are injured? That must be painful
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Yeah, crush injury using my brothers log splitter. Thankfully I didn't lose any fingers or thumbs - but left with chronic pain. Makes doing a lot of things rather uncomfortable.
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Oh man... I'm sorry to hear about that
Well I hope you can come on Trillion sometime so we can chat. I'd love to talk about your characters and my own and superheroes in general among other stuff
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Not that all Russian's dress that sharply mind you.
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