Kineto is the creation of my friend William Corpening or at the very least he created the version of Kineto that appeared in his decade+ long 'Age of Champions' campaign. If a 'Champions Canon' version exists I am not familiar with it.
I have run a number of Champions campaigns set in variants of Will's universe as I completely fell in love with it after playing in it as a player for about 3 1/2-4 years. Will's version of the setting is referred to as Champions Earth-Wilcox Charlie-1. My incarnations have included Champions Earth-Alpha Delta-1, Champions Earth-Alpha Delta-A, and presently Champions Earth-Alpha Delta-1A.
By popular demand (OK, Tim Knight. By Tim Knight demand), I've decided to write a profile on this character, who I have often described as one of the Greatest Supervillains of All Time and definitely my personal favorite. More so than Darth Vader, Doctor Doom, Voldemort, or Thanos, I fear and adore encountering Kineto.
This is his story....
This post specifically reflects the Alpha Delta-1A version of Kineto. Your universe's variant may differ.
Before He Was Infamous
Kineto was born Kipling 'Kip' Kennison in New York City in the Spring of 1925. His parents were a US Army Officer and a British ex-pat School Teacher. The Kennisons loved books and read to young Kip often, especially the works of Charles Dickens, obviously Rudyard Kipling, H.G. Wells, and tales of King Arthur and Robin Hood. Kip loved these stories and learned to read quite well at a young age.
It's established early on that Kineto has a very distinct sense of morality and honor. His upbringing makes it make some sense. His Dad was an officer in the US Army. His Mom told him about Chivalry, Honor, and Right over Might. Kineto often comes off as a cross between a romanticized Knight and Captain America.
In 1940, while visiting London, Kipling's parents and numerous others were killed in the bombing of the city by the German Luftwaffe. The Blitz left fifteen year old Kipling an orphan, forcing him to live on the streets for the next year. Using skills learned from his Army Officer father and the Boy Scouts, Kip found shelter, stole food and medical supplies, and planned to contact the British military for help. One day in 1941, after taking some fruit and vegetables from a cart, Kip found himself pursued by policemen. Kennison evaded them by hiding in the basement of what appeared to be an abandoned building.
The basement turned out to be the secret laboratory of renowned scientific recluse Jean-Louise Jeanis, also known as 'Doctor Genius'. Astounded by the young man's ability to infiltrate the hidden facility, Jeanis insisted Kip be allowed to stay when Allied Intelligence Agents came to arrest the boy. The often grouchy 'absent-minded professor' took on Kipling as an assistant and brought the lad with him when Jeanis was added as a supporting member of the Allied Powers' 'Project: Champions'.
Dr. Genius - Jean-Louise Jeanis
Enter The Golden Age
In response to the activities of the Axis Übermensch - most notably Dr. Albert Zerstoiten, aka Doctor Destroyer - the Allies assembled their own team of superpowered soldiers to counter the enemy's activities. The Allied Champions were revealed in to the public in 1942.
After a year of adventures alongside the Allied Champions, the clever and athletic young Kip become something of a mascot to the group. In addition to helping Dr. Genius with his inventions and science projects, Kennison did everything he could to assist the team. He got along well with everyone and was especially close with The Masked Patriot and Sir Albion. In an interview with The Masked Patriot during the war, the hero described Kipling as 'Everybody's Sidekick'.
Near the beginning of 1943, Dr. Genius invented a unique weapon in hopes of providing an alternative to atomic bombs - The Kinetic Energy Converter Cannon! The cannon was designed to absorb kinetic energy, slowing the inertia of everything in its range, and then focusing that energy into a precise beam of destructive power. Unfortunately, right before the first full fledged test, the device was sabotaged by Axis Agents. Moments after the weapon was activated and charged up with kinetic energy it exploded! The force of the blast was tremendous, sending tanks and artillery flying.
Kip had been making adjustments to the machine's targeting equipment and should have been killed instantly. Instead, he survived and discovered he'd gained superpowers of his own - Kipling had Super Speed! He donned a costume inspired by the outfit of a Knight's Squire and took the name Kineto, The Kinetic Kid!
The Allied Champions (aka The Golden Age Champions)
From Left to Right:
Sir Albion (Britain), Winger I (USA), The Crimson Cowl I (USA), Kineto (USA), The Masked Patriot II (USA), American Eagle I (USA),
The Crusader (Britain), The Night Soldier (USA),White Wolf I (Canada), and The Lady in Black (USA).
A Teenage Superhero Goes to War!
Kineto was an overnight sensation with both troops and the folks back home. A wholesome American boy with good looks, a ton of personality, and a tragic backstory, Kineto was instantly popular. He was also effective, his Super Speed saving the day on numerous occasions just months into his Superhero career. Kineto still saw himself as a sidekick or mascot at this point but the press promoted him to full on star! Kip was a morale buster for the Allies and absolute pain in the keister to the Axis.
A few months after obtaining his powers, The Champions found themselves regularly teamed up with Major Victory, an independent American superhero fighting the Nazis as well. Kineto idolized Victory and the two developed a friendly mentor/student relationship. During one mission, the bold and headstrong duo interrupted an experiment by Doctor Destroyer that accidentally resulted in the creation of the villain Baron Nihil. Nihil would periodically emerge from hiding through the decades to come, harassing both Kineto and VIctory's descendants.
Major Victory
First in a long legacy of superheroes
Kineto was very headstrong, almost foolishly brave, and it served him well. He didn't learn to be cautious or careful as his bold actions usually paid off in the end. Yes he made mistakes and yes they were pointed out and corrected by the adult Champions. Looking at the big picture however, Kineto's approach won the day more than not.
Over time, Dr. Genius surmised Kineto had more going on than just Super Speed. Kineto's power was control over inertia, kinetic energy, and velocity itself. It could allow him to move fast, slow those around him, stop the forward momentum of bullets, or take away the speed of a moving motorcycle and apply it onto an Axis soldier, sending the man hurtling away. As he honed his abilities, the upper limits of what Kineto could potentially do became more and more difficult to determine.
Kineto met a young woman at a USO/Central Pool of Artists/CSE event in December of 1943 and the two fell for each other almost instantly. Margret 'Maggie' Miller was a volunteer hostess as well as a nurse. They danced, laughed, and talked for hours. Kineto's popularity made it difficult for the pair to avoid attracting attention but Kineto used his powers at times to give them peace from prying eyes. At the end of the event, he promised to see her again.
Margret Miller
Kineto saw in Margret the American Dream he had thought denied to him by the death of his parents. A wife, kids, a house with a white picket fence, etc. Maybe in the USA, maybe in England, it didn't matter to him so much. Thoughts of this woman and this goal carried him through the rest of the conflict.
By the onset of 1944, the Axis Forces that saw Kineto on the field of battle downright panicked. There was no way to counter the 'Golden Boy from America' (a common nickname given to Kineto by the enemy militaries). Kineto began to show signs of being a little too big for his britches at this point; his ego having been inflated by the fact that he seemed, quite literally, unstoppable.
Maggie and Kineto got together the night before the plan to launch the Enola Gay and Bockscar. Kineto knew the final preparations were being made and surmised the Allied Champions would receive a call to action as well. The two talked about future plans, Kineto confessed being in love with and she with him. A night of happiness and peace before the coming storm.
In 1945, despite the pleas of Dr. Genius to find an alternate solution, Allied command ordered the atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Axis Übermensch, under the leadership of Dr. Destroyer, attempted to prevent the Enola Gay's take off from Tinian Island but we're intercepted by the Allied Champions. The two groups fought the single largest superhuman battle in recorded history up to that point.
Kineto displayed several new applications of his powers for the first time in that fight. He could now fly, create walls of kinetic force and compressed air, and strike with a 'Kinetic Punch'. He could also accelerate a person's metabolism or the friction in the air around them in order to make them overheat and pass out. If used to the extreme, Kineto could make a target appear to 'spontaneously combust'. In fact, he used this very tactic against Dr. Destroyer, forcing the villain to flee the conflict.
Dr. Albert Zerstoiten / Doctor Destroyer
The more he expanded and improved upon the use of his power, the more brutal Kineto became when fighting, especially against Nazis.
Kineto single-handedly defeated four members of the Übermensch, injuring three of them very badly, including Destroyer. The Allied Champions beat the Axis supers and with the deployment of Little Boy and Fat Man, World War II moved toward a close. Germany surrendered in May of 1945 and Japan in September.
The first inklings of Kineto's developing outlook has its roots in this period immediately following the atomic bombings of Japan. Kineto, like Dr. Genius, felt it was unnecessary but his reasoning for why differed. Kineto thought that Supers could have been used more strategically to target key Axis military targets, greatly reducing or eliminating civilian casualties. Regular people seemed to underestimate and underappreciate what Super people could achieve.
Post-War
In the years following World War II several members of the Allied Champions retired or otherwise disappeared from public view. Canada's White Wolf returned to Canada and stayed active for some time. Britain's Crusader literally vanished into thin air. The remaining members and a few new ones were given a headquarters in downtown New York City, later moved to 'The Cloisters' in Upper Manhattan. The name of the team was officially changed to simply, The Champions.
Dr. Genius went to work for the US and UN providing scientific and technical knowledge, as well as assistance with the world's slowly but steadily increasing Superhuman presence.
The McCarthy Era, aka The second Red Scare, reduced the presence of Superheroes in the US, with fear and concern over their activities being fanned by right-wing elements of the government. There were a few heroes who continued to be trusted by both the public and government alike, including American Eagle, the Masked Patriot, and Kineto. Kineto was the most vocal against McCarthyism but did so with his usual charm and easy, authoritative demeanor.
As a result of Kineto's televised speeches on the subject (and other factors inspired by Kineto), the extent and length of McCarthyism was greatly reduced on Champions Earth-Alpha Delta-1A. Secretly, Kineto increasingly believes Humanity is ill equipped to avoid another World War or even lead itself to a progressive future. Superhumans really should be taking a bigger role in helping normal Humans to achieve a greater society.
Kipling Kennison and Margret Miller married at some point in the early 1950s. A year later, following the Champions' successful battle against the would-be world conqueror Holocaust, Kineto took a leave from the team to go on his honeymoon. The newlywed Kennisons take a cruise on a passenger liner traveling from New York to London.
A Dark Turn
As their ship neared British waters, the vessel struck a submerged mine left over from WW II. The resulting explosion breached the hull causing an immediate emergency situation. After telling his wife to get to as safe a position as possible, Kineto consulted with the ship's Captain, Chief Engineer, and the man whose company owned the vessel. The three men informed Kineto of the best way to save the most people. Kineto disagreed with their assessment. He insisted that his powers, which had increased even further and with which he was highly skilled, could be used to lift the entire liner out of the water or at least dramatically slow its sinking, allowing help to arrive in time. The others, particularly the ship's Captain, were firm that this wouldn't work, causing the hull too much stress.
Reluctantly, Kineto agreed to follow their plan and as he feared, it resulted in numerous passengers falling into the freezing waters of the Atlantic. Among those lost was Margret Kennison, Kineto's wife.
Kineto's reaction to the situation was intense. After saving as many people as he could and searching for his beloved, Kineto confronted the three men. He started by chastising them for telling him how to use his powers.
"How could you possibly know what I can and can't do? You are Human. Only Human. You are bound by the laws of physics and traditional engineering. I can bend those laws. I can break them and put them back together the way I want them to be. Why? Why do Superhumans listen to mundane Humans? Why do we let you tell us what to do and how to save people? You can't even save yourselves! That's why we do what we do! If Humans continue to run the world this way, more of you will die. Perhaps all of you! Only Supers can save this planet."
Kineto then used his most deadly attack for the first time: Almost without thinking, he made the atom's of the Captain's right hand fly away from each other in random directions at hundreds of miles an hour. He absorbed the velocity and inertia of the boats, the sea, the air around them to essentially vaporize the commanding officer's hand. He then left the scene, flying high into the night sky and using yet another new ability, 'Geosynchronous Teleportion' (locking himself in place relative to the rotation of the Earth. The Earth turns below him so he seems to disappear, moving West at 460 meters per second or roughly 1000 miles per hour).
Kineto would not be seen again for some time and when he did reappear...things would never be the same again...
More to come,
AD
Barking Alien
Wow! Thank you for sharing this. What great - and natural - character development, leading to the inevitable turn to the dark side.
ReplyDeleteLove me a good backstory.
ReplyDelete