March

I’ve been really silent around here of late, and it’s mostly been because of the whole “rip a part of my face out, heal, and then put more into my face” surgery thing, but it’s Pride Month, and while I’m not sure I’ll have the power or energy levels (or spare time) to manage this every single day, I wanted to do something I’ve had brewing in my head ever since I first bumped into Mutants & Masterminds.

So, with no further ado, I give you what I hope will be a fun little ride of a Pride Month trip of superheroics (and maybe of use to any of you with an ongoing campaign where you might want to drop any or all of these characters or concepts).

(Also, check out the history of Queer Pride Flags.)

March

In San Francisco, on June 25th, in 1978, something incredible was unfurled: The original Pride flag, at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade. The power of that symbol would spark something that continued ever since, with the eight coloured stripes—each of which had their own unique symbolism—but for eight individuals at the parade, the symbol did more than unite them. It would take them time to realize exactly how, but eight people were changed that day, and when violence confronted the parade, a flare of light surrounded them, and eight new heroes were born.

Over the first few weeks following the parade, these masked heroes gained the moniker of “March” as a group, and their individual colours became their names—March Pink, March Red, March Orange, March Yellow, March Green, March Turquoise, March Indigo, and March Violet—though those names would shift over time. Their masked and secret identities were similarly guarded, though in time each would come forward. They fought together on that first day, and a bond was formed that would carry them forward through the next decade, fighting for recognition, visibility, protection, and their very lives, as visible queer superheroes. Often scorned and lambasted by the media and the public alike, there was no denying their power, however, nor the flag, their symbol—which March Turquoise would later note was the source of their power, as a kind of collective unconscious focusing the desires and needs of queer people.

March Pink (later, Pride)

Among the colours of the original pride flag, hot pink represented sex. After the flare of light, Andrew “Andy” Parker found himself in a costume matching the others in style, though his bore a bright pink shirt and mask, and it didn’t take him long to realize the changes to his body and the powers he wielded. Previously handsome, Parker was now beyond alluring (at least to those who felt attraction to men), and supernaturally so when he touched someone. He’d become incredibly strong and durable, and his body mended itself from injuries—in short, he found himself suddenly everything people said gay men couldn’t or shouldn’t be, and he was happy to prove them wrong.

Also, his moustache was fucking perfect.

Though at the beginning he was careful to present a unified front when in public, Parker often found himself at odds with some of the others among their group—specifically with how radical he was willing to be, rejecting notions of being “tolerated” when he knew that actually meant changing who they were, or dialling back what made others uncomfortable until those who hated them were willing to overlook their existence for as long as they made no ripples. Loud and proud—and often angry—Parker was both the first of the 1978 March group to take off his mask and be publicly identified as a gay man and the superhero known as March Pink, and to change his superhero moniker to something else. By 1980, he was known as “Pride,” and had made appearances in popular adult films, the proceeds of which he funnelled into the group’s activism, despite pushback from some of the other members. His fame—and infamy—made him the most targeted of the group, but between his powers and the rest of the team, Pride continued to be loud, proud, and an outspoken, unwavering voice against respectability politics, until 1988, and the death of March Red, when everything changed, and Parker most of all.

March Pink, 1978 (PL 8)
Identity: Andrew “Andy” Parker (At first secret, eventually public)
Cis Male, 28, 1.83m tall, 84 kg, dark blue eyes, dark brown hair
Group Affiliation: March, Base of Operations: San Francisco

Attributes: Str 8, Sta 8, Agi 1, Dex 1, Fgt 4, Int 0, Awe 1, Pre 4

Powers: Alluring Touch: Affliction 8 (Resisted and Overcome by Will; Entranced, Stunned), Limited Degree, Reaction: Skin-to-skin touch, Selective, Limited: Only affects those who find men attractive. (24 points); Leaping: Leaping 4 (4 points); Perfect Body: Enhanced Advantage (Attractive 2), Enhanced Strength 7, Enhanced Stamina 7, Enhanced Fighting 3, Enhanced Presence 3, Immunity 1 (Aging), Protection 4 (Impervious 8), Regeneration 2 (57 points); Quick Change: Feature 1 (Transform into costume as a free action) (1 point)

Advantages: Attractive 2, Daze (Deception), Improved Disarm, Fast Grab, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (6 points)

Skills: Athletics 4 (+5), Close Combat—Unarmed 4 (+8), Deception 4 (+8), Expertise (Politics) 5 (+5), Intimidation 2 (+6), Perception 4 (+5), Persuasion 2 (+6), Ranged Combat—Thrown Object 3 (+4), Stealth 4 (+5), Vehicles 4 (+5) (18 points)

Offense:
Initiative +1
Alluring Touch +8 (Affliction 8)
Thrown Object +4 (Ranged, Damage 8)
Unarmed +8 (Close, Damage 8, plus potential Affliction 8)

Defense: Dodge +4, Parry +4, Fortitude +10, Toughness +12, Will +6 (10 points)

Power Point Totals: Attributes 14 + Powers 62 + Advantages 6 + Skills 18 + Defenses 10 = 120.

Complications:
Motivation—Acceptance: March Pink is entirely motivated by the desire for queer people to be allowed to exist equally, legally, and openly, without giving an inch to what he considers “the puritanical panic” of society, or the trap of “respectability politics.” Prejudice: All the members of March are targeted as openly queer. March Pink is particularly loud and proud, and refuses to back down even the slightest when confronted with homophobia (or queer hate of any kind), which often leads to escalation. Hey There, Handsome: March Pink is easily distracted by handsome men, and doesn’t always make good decisions when presented with the opportunity to spend time with someone he finds attractive.