Kineto Returns In...The RETURN of the RETURN of KINETO!

Let's finish up 2023 with the completion of my most popular series this year so that we can begin the new year fresh! Well...fresh-ish. Kind of fresh. 

Following the events of Kineto's encounter with the mysterious Faust, there was no sign of the Master of Motion for almost a year.

One morning the following Spring, the Monitor Room in UNITY New York's secret base (located in New York City's Central Park beneath Belvedere Castle - Shhh. Don't tell anyone.) alerted the team to a lifeform with a high Meta-Energy signature mere meters from one of the base's auxiliary entrances. Within seconds the sensors were able to identify the individual as Kineto.

UNITY immediately mobilized all the heroes they had on hand as well as more than two dozen heavily armed UNTIL Agents. Additional heroes and agents were placed on high alert. Leading the response team was Night Force (who had recently taken over field operations from Omni, the latter having been promoted to a more behind-the-scenes leadership position). As the Supers and UNTIL Agents popped out of hidden exits and quickly surrounded Kineto, recessed security systems aimed automated high-energy weapons at him. 

For his part, Kineto stood calm and still. He had a slightly irritated scowl on his face and he crossed his arms as if impatiently waiting for the fuss to subside. Finally, with all of UNITY and UNTIL's operatives in place, Night Force asked Kineto why he was there and what he wanted. 

Kineto went right into explaining that another Supervillain (sadly I forget which one but he was another upper tier threat) was concocting a plot to cause a disturbance to distract from stealing a thing. The villain intended on using that thing to destroy a place and hold an entire country hostage. Kineto gave as detailed a timeline for these events as he could based on the intel he had. When Night Force responded, "Why are you telling us this?", Kineto said simply...

"So you can stop him. You're Superheroes. Isn't that your job?"

With that he shot skyward at such an incredible velocity it was virtually impossible to determine the direction he took off in. Sensors on the ground and even UNTIL satellite surveillance completely lost track of Kineto within seconds. 

A few months later Kineto aided the heroes of UNITY, as well as those of two other Earths, in battling the machinations of three cosmic level threats: Dark Seed of Champions League Earth-Delta Ceti-1A, Dark Unicorn of Challengers Earth-Mu-1A, and Dark Seraph of Champions Earth-Alpha Delta-1A. This 'Dark Trinity Event' saw these beings try to merge their respective worlds into one, killing billions in the process and absorbing their life forces to gain more power. Kineto played a key role in helping thwart their plans and saving the lives of a great many, including several Superheroes and Supervillains from all three dimensions. 

The Dark Trinity

Left to Right: Dark Seed, Dark Seraph, Dark Unicorn.

This becomes something of a trend; Kineto's subsequent appearances do more good than harm, assisting the good guys in roles ranging from support to direct intervention. One incident of particular note was when Champions Earth-AD-1A was invaded by 'Big Brother', a team of four superpowered teenage individuals from a seemingly utopian Alternate Earth.

When it appeared the heroes of Earth-AD-1A were going to lose to the invading Alternate Earth superbeings calling themselves Big Brother, Kineto threatened to destroy the planet rather than let it fall under the invaders' rule. He claimed he could absorb the motion and kinetic energy of the world turning - yes, the rotation of the Earth - and re-apply it in such a way as to send the planet out of its orbit.

Big Brother

Left to Right:

The Harmonist, The Whimsy, The Revolutionary, The Anachronist

The 'leader' of Big Brother, The Revolutionary, could tell he wasn't bluffing (Kineto believed he could do this and would do it but they had no idea if Kineto actually had that much power). This made the four invaders reconsider their approach and objectives. They decided to return to their home dimension and let the people of Earth-AD-1A work toward a better tomorrow on their own. See the entry on Big Brother Earth-Alpha Delta-Z for more information

Kineto's actions over that year lead many to question whether his motives had changed. Was he still going full bore with his 'Manifesto' or had he returned to his Golden Age heroic ways. Night Force noted that Kineto's focus and objectives likely haven't altered at all. His actions are always directly related to his views, whether obvious to us or not. 

The next appearance of Kineto occurred a few months later in an incident that started small but escalated to epic fairly quickly. It all began when Tempus Fugit, a one time C-List Supervillain who'd worked his way up to B-List 'Mighty Mook', contacted Kineto with a proposition.

Fugit wanted to join Kineto's cause and said that if he was allowed into the organization he would share his latest invention, a 'device of great power and near-infinite potential". Normally Kineto would ignore this sort of person but the man's confidence and bravado intrigued him. While he took Tempus Fugit up on his offer to meet, Kineto also alerted UNITY New York to the situation so they might capture Fugit and any associates. Kineto's personal goal was to ascertain what this device of near-infinite potential was and could he use it to his advantage. However, he considered destroying it if he deemed its operation too dangerous. First he had to know what it was and if Tempus Fugit wasn't just selling snake oil. 

As the two parties - Tempus Fugit and his henchmen and Kineto - met in the sub-basement of an abandoned downtown watchmaking shop, a third group consisting of several UNITY heroes monitored the proceedings from hidden positions. Fugit attempted short and awkward pleasantries before revealing his invention...a gosh-dang-completely-legit TIME MACHINE! This was no small hand-held item. Rather it was a four-person circular platform with standing crossbars and spinning rings going around it. Imagine a mix of a playground roundabout and the prison rings that held Zod, Ursa, and Non in Superman II.  

As Tempus began to activate it and explain its operation to Kineto, a whirling vortex of white light appeared on the far wall and out of it stepped a metallic being calling itself Avatar-7. Speaking in the third person, Avatar-7 made it clear his mission was to destroy the device and eliminate Fugit. 

Avatar-7

The UNITY team came out of the shadows and sprung into action to protect and secure Tempus Fugit. At the same time, Kineto moved to the Time Dial (or Time Revolver) to deactivate it and see how to remove it from the area. Before he could complete his objective additional vortexes of light appeared, these surrounded by halos of primary colors. Two new individuals, a female named Era and a male named Eon, declared their intent on destroying Avatar-7 (who they identified as an Android) and obtaining the Time Dial platform. 

Chaos erupts, with everyone present essentially battling everyone else. The fight spilled out to the ground floor above and then eventually into the street. At one point, Eon struck a member of UNITY sending him flying, only to have the hero suddenly disappear.* Kineto fought the newcomers and Avatar-7 but tried to avoid engaging with the UNITY members. Fugit was attempting to hide for the most part, occasionally tossing a gadget into the fray to hurt or hinder Era, Eon, Avatar-7, and UNITY. Finally, as Avatar-7 attacked the Dial itself, Kineto countered, causing the temporal displacement effects of the platform and the Android to activate simultaneously and releasing a blinding blast of Chronoton energy. 

The explosive release of uncontrolled temporal power sent everyone present ('present' - see what I did there?) into different places in space and time. Tempus Fugit and two UNITY members ended up in Medieval England. Two other heroes and Era appear in Ancient Rome. Eon and two more UNITY members wind up in the American 'Old West'. It took time (*rimshot*), teamwork, and a host of period specific allies and enemies to figure out what was going on and how it all connected with Doctor Epoch, aka Father Time!

Left to Right:

The Time Twins - Era and Eon, Doctor Epoch/Father Time, and Tempus Fugit

But this is a post about Kineto...so what became of him? Kineto was transported to the far future where he encountered the perfect utopian society of The Galactic Unity, defended by the Galactic Champions. Kineto was amazed by the peace that had been achieved in this distant era. Unfortunately, it would be revealed to him by members of the Galactic Champions that he, Kineto, had nothing to do with it. According to the information archived in their computers and the Museum of The Supernormal, Kineto was merely a footnote in history. His activites, cause, manifesto, and everything he had struggled to achieve were simply one of many curious stories on display in the 20th and 21st Century exhibitions. In fact, his actions as a young hero of World War II received much more representation. 

"My dream...my plans...Superhumans ruling and guiding normal Humanity to a better tomorrow. Surely that came to pass, yes? You have a utopia here." Kineto said.

The leader of the Galactic Champions, a Mandaarian**, replied, "Essentially. It isn't absolutely perfect. Nothing is or can be. It was achieved through finding harmony among all the peoples of Earth and beyond. Human, Superhuman, Aliens...we all worked together to get here and we got here on our own."

In the end, all involved were returned to their proper time and place. Tempus Fugit was arrested and the Time Dial confiscated by UNITY. Era and Eon trapped Dr. Epoch, their father, in a pocket of pre-time until they could find their mother (whose identify was unknown to them). Avatar-7 was very badly damaged and left drifting into a black hole (he would return eventually). As for Kineto, he appeared quiet and introspective. He thanked UNITY for there efforts and Fugit for giving him a glimpse into his possible future. Kineto then departed without any further incident and the heroes let him go. 

Finally...

Six months prior to now*** ('now' being the start of any campaign I run or have run in my version of my friend William Corpening's Age of Champions setting) the Earth was invaded by an alliance of alien species who were attacked by an unmanned, heavily armed space satellite/combat platform. That platform was constructed by Scaramangler Industries and posthumously activated by 'accident'. The alien species that were targeted had all been enemies of Humanity in the past and saw this as sufficient reason to eliminate the Earth once and for all. They dubbed their joint operation Invasion: Earth and the conflict has been dubbed the Invasion: Earth War. 

At one point in the fighting, two or three dozen starfighters were launched at Great Britain. Most of the British Superheroes were already battling the invaders on the ground but the Ultramarine, one of the world's most powerful supers, flew to intercept. As he reached the edge of the stratosphere he noticed a much larger starship just beyond the exosphere. It had clearly sent the starfighters and would provide support for them.

Just then he became aware of an object or individual approaching him from below at great speed. Readying himself, he saw that it was Kineto! When Kineto reached the Ultramarine he hovered some 50 ft away from the British Superman and the two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. They had never met face-to-face. Kineto nodded upward, as if indicating Ultramarine should take on the larger starship. Cocking his head to indicate confusion, Ultramarine was surprised when Kineto looked at the oncoming small attack craft, then to Ultramarine, and finally giving a reassuring nod. Somehow, even though they'd never met, Ultramarine understood and returned the nod before rocketing to escape velocity. 

As Ultramarine shot past the starfighters, Kineto smiled (never a good sign). He snapped his fingers and all the fightercraft stopped dead in the air as if frozen in time. Their pilots...didn't. Didn't stop their forward motion that is. As the fighters fell from the sky and into the ocean below, Kineto looked up to see Ultramarine tearing through the Vilarian cruiser. He noted an interesting and remarkable similarity in Ultramarine's approach and powers to that of his own.

And that uniform...

Whew. Wow. Kineto's tale is finally complete. Until it continues that is...

Thanks for coming by in 2023. Hope you found something to enjoy. Looking forward to 2024 and all the new ideas it'll bring.

Happy New Year Everybody! 

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Barking Alien

*This was hilarious. The character known as Eon punched a PC Superhero and that hero disappeared. The player was told that his hero appeared to be gone, vanished, undetectable. He opted to use an Alt (alternate character) until a week of real time later when the original hero reappeared in the same place he vanished from and continued forward, finally hitting the ground. Eon quite literally punched him into next week. 

**The superhero Omni, mentioned throughout these entries and basically the founder and head of Project: UNITY is a Mandaarian. 

***This story arc was the last one I was in as a player. Following the Invasion: Earth War  events, we all started college and didn't get to regularly play together. The campaign setting did indeed continue on with different players but this is the final major incident I was part of. As such, I view it as the completion of the campaign's history and therefore Kineto's history before adding anything to it with any new campaign's canon.

A Tale of Two Kinetos

I had the recent pleasure of once again talking with my friend William Corpening, creator of Kineto and our classic Champions Superhero RPG Campaign, 'The Age of Champions'.

We discussed, among many other things, how his version of Kineto differs considerably from my own. The reason for my Kineto diverging from his and the original 'canon' is quite understandable; my ideas about Kineto are based on my recollections of his appearances in our campaign.

Will's understanding of the character on the other hand are based on, well, Will made him up. He knows the character better in a way I never could. I'm working on memories from 35 years ago. Will's knowledge of the character is intrinsic. Will is the source of the OG incarnation. 

The core of the two Kinetos are essentially the same:

• He is a former Superhero.
• He is now viewed as a Supervillain by most of Humanity, both Normal and Super.
• He is an extremely powerful Super who controls Inertia, Momentum, and Kinetic Energy.
• He believes Superhumans to be superior to Normal Humans.
• He believes himself to be the 'most superior' of all Superhumans.
• He believes the salvation of Earth and its people depends on Supers ruling Normals.
• The majority of Humans, Normal and Super, do not agree with Kineto's Manifesto.
• A small number of Supers do agree with him. A smaller number of Normals do too.

Much of Kineto's early 'history' and backstory - his origin and the death of his wife for example - remain the same between the two versions. Likewise, most of the in-game events I've described in previous Kineto posts happened in essentially the same way. 

So the question is...how do they differ?

According to Will, the main difference is in their role in the universe. Will created Kineto on November 17, 1981 while sitting on the bus. The character was primarily inspired by Magneto (duh) but was used more like [the 1970s and 80s Marvel Comics version of] Thanos - a god-like, very big, very bad, Big Bad Guy. 

Will explains that his Kineto isn't particularly subtle, layered, or deep. He's a villain plain and simple. He's also a megalomaniac, seeing himself as a God among Ants. Think about that for a moment; Kineto doesn't perceive himself as a god among men but among ants. Everyone and everything is beneath him and only he can save the world by taking control of it. 

Will's Kineto is a nigh-unstoppable powerhouse, his only weakness his own massive ego and self-imposed code of honor. 

***

Will describes my version as 'more nuanced' and I'll take that as compliment (though I feel his is more layered then he thinks it is, lol). My Kineto sees himself as a King among Peasants, with the peasants being normal Humans. Other Supers are somewhat like Knights or other low-level nobility. This alternate viewpoint is absolutely key to understanding the incarnation I use in my games. 

Peasants aren't ants. They, along with Knights and such, are the King's subjects. He rules them but also protects them. He acts in the best interest of his people even if it's difficult for the common folk to understand his activities and goals. In fact, if my Kineto believed another King would be better at ruling he would hand the throne of the kingdom to that person. Of course he would insist on being kept on as an 'advisor' because someone has to make sure the king is doing their job [properly].

Adam's version of Kineto is just as powerful as Will's but more emotionally flawed. He has the aforementioned code of honor but it's more complicated as a result of his upbringing and experiences. The Kineto of Champions Earth-AD-1A is his own worst enemy, forever trying to fix a world that appears broken to him because he's viewing it through the lens of his own imperfections and regrets. 

Just some thoughts and conversation with my favorite Superhero RPG Gamemaster. I'll continue with my series on Kineto soon, hopefully finishing up in one or two posts.

See you soon,

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Barking Alien

Kineto - His Life and Times

Onward to part four of my biography of the Supervillain Kineto, the biggest big bad of my friend William Corpening's 'Age of Champions' campaign from the 1980s and early 90s. As I have run a number of Champions RPG campaigns in my own variations of this world, I've used the character of Kineto a good number of times. He is honestly my all time favorite Superhero Comic Book style Supervillain. Here's why...

Part I    The Rise and Fall of Kineto    

Part II   Portrait of a Supervillain - Kineto

Part III  A Really Good Bad Guy - Kineto

To continue...

Sometime in the late Fall or early Winter of 1986, Adamant and Kineto part ways after a particularly intense argument. After a bout of excessive drinking and drug use, Adamant went on a rampage through New York City, ending with a one-on-one battle with the alien superhero Starguard. This was followed by Omni knocking Adam out telepathically and moving him to a secure super-prison facility. Later, Omni and several other members of the UNTIY New York team manage to convince Adamant to enter rehab as a part of his rehabilitation. 

For an expanded version of this story, see this post. 

Roughly three months later, an emergency situation arises in New York City as an escalating series of electronic and mechanical malfunctions play havoc with the city's infrastructure. Traffic lights change rapidly and at random, subway trains nearly collide due to signal and track failures, and many neighborhoods lose power. Things continue to worsen as the police, fire department, and emergency services are pushed to their limit! Eventually, the Mayor calls in PRIMUS and UNTIL to assist. UNTIL sends Superheroes from UNITY New York to aid the Big Apple. With the help of our heroes the city is able to stay just ahead of the situation but only barely. 

Meanwhile, the Superheroes Nightforce and Christian Scaramangler investigate the cause of these cascading catastrophes. Through their detective skills and technological genius the two men are able to determine the culprit to be...Kineto! Using a combination of his powers and the hacking of various computer systems by his associates, Kineto was able to rest control of the city's most important operations. Livid with the reveal of this information, Omni called out Kineto using Broadcast Telepathy, insisting his actions were 'Dishonorable' and labeling him a coward. 

Omni certainly knew how to press Kineto's buttons by this time. Kineto flew with his entourage to appear before Omni and after a brief duel of taunts and sharp words the UNITY Heroes and Kineto's supervillains came to blows. Eventually, Omni simply asked Kineto, "Why did you do this? What was the point?"

What followed was a speech by Kineto now referred to as 'Kineto's Manifesto'. Paraphrasing it to the best of my memory, it went like this:

"My point and goals will be made clear.

The problems we nudged forward were not 'Super-problems'. No danger was paranormal in nature. Accidents happen, systems fail, and no machine works perfectly forever. All these mundane difficulties combined together threatened the safety of the people of the city but they were undeniably mundane. 

In the end however, no equally mundane force could stop them. No regular Human, valiant and brave though they may be, could do anything to prevent or remedy the issues. It wasn't until Superhumans got involved that the day was saved. That is what we do. That is who we are.

I advocate Super-Humanity be given dominion over normal Humanity. Superman must rule over Man for Mankind's own safety and continued well being."

A hero scoffed, "Right, 'Ruled by Superhumans'. Who? You?"

"No fool. By someone with the greater-than-normal ability to do so. Think...who do you want to balance the World Economy? Would you prefer someone good at Mathematics, Economics, and Accounting or someone good at Mathematics, Economics, and Accounting with Super-Intelligence? Who is best to fight Forest Fires? A Firefighter with many years of experience or someone who can Command Fire? Imagine someone who could talk to the flames, tell them to cease, and know their origins instantly. Isn't that a better choice?

How well has baseline Humanity handled the world so far?"

I will never forget this moment. Omni's Player literally, physically duplicated the above meme. The table went quiet. Many of the players looked at each other and shrugged, some nodding. 

Imagine that in a society, the majority group of people that make up that society represent the standard mental and physical capabilities of those in that society. Now imagine there is a smaller group of people who are objectively SUPER capable. Yeah, might be a good idea to have them in charge of certain aspects of said society. 

The message was captured on film and audio by numerous communication outlets and news services, broadcasting the Manifesto live to millions of viewers across the US, Canada, and beyond. Within hours it had spread to affiliates around the world. Within a day, there were very few on Earth who had not seen or heard Kineto's speech. 

After a moment of dramatic silence the battle continued, with tension and harsh words from both sides eventually leading to punches being thrown. In the end most of Kineto's allies were defeated and captured. Kineto himself escaped, leaving behind a world of frightened normals and questioning Supers. 

Kineto wouldn't appear again for quite a while, eventually returning to strike against the United Nations in an effort to convince them of the natural superiority of Superhumans and his point of view. Over the next few months he would make several attempts to boost his power, his resources, and get more and more Supers over to his way of thinking. For many Supervillains, this wasn't too much of a leap. For Superheroes it was a harder, though not always impossible sell. He amassed a number of 'neutral', low-power Supers who felt Kineto's Manifesto gave them potential purpose and direction. 

Sometime later while regrouping from one of his confrontations with UNITY, Kineto was approached by a mysterious man calling himself Faust. Faust claimed to be Kineto himself from a Parallel Earth, one where his abilities were mystic in nature and obtained through the detonation of an arcane artifact. There, in this more magically attuned alternate universe, Faust was essentially 'The Sorcerer Supreme'. He said he had achieved the dream of having a child, a son, and he could give that to Kineto for a price. While the details of their deal are unclear, Kineto agreed and Faust used Black Magic and Demonic Powers to 'birth' a son from a pit of Alchemic Mud, Blood, and Fire. 

This was not completely unlike Hermes, The Druid. The Druid developed an instant dislike and distrust of Faust and his plan. Hermes tried to warn is 'father' but as with most things he brought up to Kineto, The Druid's 'nervous ramblings' were ignored. 

'Doyle Kennison' / Inferno

The child, named Doyle (Irish surname meaning Stranger or Visitor with dark undertones), displayed the powers of Super-Strength, Flight, and near Invulnerability in addition to some unique magical abilities. Doyle's skin was incredibly hot, ranging from 100 to 500 degrees on average. He can deliver a massive blast of flame and heat with his punches and kicks, igniting objects and people upon contact. He took the name Inferno. 

Kineto took Inferno on a number of small missions where the latter was quick to take offense and come to blows but otherwise behaved himself. He aged rather quickly (a factor common to Kineto's clones and other created offspring). When he reached his late 20s to early 30s within a week or so he seemed to stop.

One mission had Kineto and Inferno travelling to Ireland to enlist the aid of another magic practitioner called Witchcraft. When Witchcraft seemed indecisive about whether or not to side with Kineto, Inferno attacked her, trying to force himself on her as well. Kineto fought him off but realized it wasn't easy to do; Inferno's abilities were resistant to Kineto's powers because of their arcane nature. Kineto apologized to Witchcraft, assuring her this would never happen again.

 

Witchcraft

Inferno proved to be increasingly short-tempered and incredibly aggressive. When Kineto called upon Faust to explain the reason for this and ask what could be done, Faust merely laughed. The whole thing was in fact a ruse - Faust was absolutely a powerful mage but he wasn't a Kineto variant and he wasn't from another Earth. He simply fooled Kineto into helping him gain access to an ancient grimoire and allowing him to create a powerful minion out of Kineto's own blood. Faust then commanded Inferno to attack Kineto, aiding his homunculus with spells from the grimoire. 

Just then Witchcraft showed up with several UNITY Superheroes in tow, revealing she'd been looking into the situation ever since her encounter with Inferno. She actually got the heroes to help by promising to help take down Kineto when in fact her plan - which worked perfectly - was to aid Kineto in escaping while UNITY fought Faust and Inferno. She eventually joins Kineto's movement, though sometimes her motivations are unclear. She seems to just like and appreciate Kineto's near-fatherly attitude towards her. 

As Kineto and Witchcraft departed, Faust cast a rote allowing him to do the same, briefly changing in appearance to reveal a costume and visage not unlike the devil as depicted in 15th and 16th century plays. This has lead many to believe he is in fact The Devil or at least a devil or demon of some sort. As he vanished Kineto heard voices: his wife Maggie drowning, the painful cries of the disintegrating Kate/Terminatrix, and venomous curses and accusations hurled at him by Adam. All his failures, torturing him at the edge of his perception. 

The faces of Faust

Faust is a Grade-A bastard. I'm just saying.

Following these events, Kineto and company laid low once more. He would not appear again until...

Stay tuned!

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Barking Alien

A Really Good Bad Guy - Kineto

By the end of the 1970s, the threat of general supervillain crime and violence was secondary to the danger of two supervillains fighting each other. The major metahuman villains had gone to war and Human society was caught in the crossfire. The Champions and other heroes made the decision to go on the offensive to remedy this situation, tracking down and defeating the big players before they could cause more harm. Sadly, Kineto and Sundown remained at large. 

These two men truly hated each other. Kineto viewed Sundown as a megalomaniac, a would-be world conqueror completely wasting his intellect on a meaningless quest for personal power. He could be benefiting Humanity with his knowledge and intelligence. To Sundown, Kineto was the world's biggest hypocrite. Kineto's high and mighty attitude and moral code hid his desire to control the planet and its people the way he controlled kinetic energy and inertia. 

In 1982, Sundown and Kineto decided to end their feud with a showdown. The Champions found out about the duel and planned to intercept and prevent it, as well as apprehend the two villains. Unfortunately, an argument broke out among the members of the team on how to proceed. Garrison quits the team. The rest of the group arrived on the scene too late; the battle had already begun and numerous civilians had been injured by incidental exchanges by the villain teams. 

The Allies of Kineto

Left to Right: Icewing, Firebird, Doctor Helix, Battlefront, Passion Storm, and Gigaton

Initially, Legionnaire and Tachyon focused on thwarting the henchmen and lieutenants of their antagonistic adversaries while Omni protected the citizens of New York. This and similar actions cemented Omni as a favorite, trusted superhero among the common people in spite of him being an alien. Meanwhile the Champions team leader, Tower, scaled a building just below Sundown using his size-changing powers to aid in his sneaky approach.  At some point, Sundown descended to the roof of said building and generated a force field of intense heat around himself. He then began to form a medicine ball sized Sun over his head which rapidly increased in circumference, becoming roughly 50 ft. in diameter in under a minute. 

Sundown threatened to release it towards New York City's Madison Square Garden as PRIMUS's reinforcements arrived to assist with crowd control and medical aid. Tachyon immediately disengaged from fighting two of Kineto's gang to try and talk Sundown out of the attack, all while preparing to absorb as much of the energy as he could. Kineto himself, hovering over Madison Square Garden, started to draw in kinetic energy and compress it into a shield to protect the edifice and the citizens therein. As things drew to a very tense head, Tower leaped at Sundown from behind, increasing to his maximum height of 100 feet and tried to grab the villain, his hand and arm sizzling from Sundown's heat field. That's when Sundown suddenly increased the heat in a blistering wave! Tower fell backward in pain and shock, tumbling off the building and crashing to the street below. 

Sundown launched his Sun Sphere - now almost 100 feet in diameter - and Tachyon teamed with Kineto to stop it. As the former absorbed massive amounts of solar radiation, taxing himself beyond his limit and reducing the sphere's size and power, Kineto altered the attack's trajectory. Along with his kinetic shield, he managed to deflect the mini-Sun into space. Then, before anyone could react, a short, sharp 'CRACk' - a clap of thunder the size of a firecracker - pierced the din of battle. Sundown toppled over, blood boiling out from what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head. Everyone and everything stopped and the entire scene held its breath. A sniper had somehow taken out Sundown with a clearly high-tech rifle and a bullet coated with atmospheric re-entry level heat shielding. A heartbeat later and crowds on site and watching their TVs nationwide cheered, mostly for Tachyon and Kineto. 

Kineto departed here along with Gigaton and Passion Storm. No attempt was made to follow as there would be time for that later. Tachyon's powers had overloaded, preventing him from ever activating them again less he release the stored energy accidently. Tower was dead. The Champions disbanded amid their own guilt over what had happened and public opinion that it was really Kineto and an unknown sharpshooter, probably working with PRIMUS, that saved the day. Legionnaire retired to continue his research into Parallel Worlds and Alternate Dimensions. Omni took a short break and then returned to crime fighting alone.

Kineto laid low for a bit after this, rebuilding his forces. Passion Storm left his group, though on good terms. Things had gotten too brutal for the aging activist. Icewing, Firebird, and Battlefront were now in prison. 

About two years later, the United Nations Tactical Intelligence League - UNTIL - calls upon Omni to help establish and run a world wide superhero response network for dealing with supervillains, natural disasters, and the like. In short order, UNITY is organized and implemented to great success.

The Kineto 'Family'

 Left to Right: Terminatrix, Adamant, Kineto, The Druid, and Inferno. 

An ally and confidant of Kineto at this time was one Professor Felix Henrich, also known as Prof. Helix. Unable to track down Dr. Genius (who went into seclusion in the 50's and had not been seen publicly since), Kineto recruited Helix to assist him with all his scientific and engineering projects. These projects included things such as secret bases, the super-science of superpowers, and the development of weapons and equipment for his henchmen. Kineto not only shared his goals with the Professor but various personal concerns and regrets as well. Kennison confessed that never having had children pained him greatly. 

During the Winter of 1984, Professor Henrich wanted to gain favor with his employer and used the medical technology he installed in Kineto's largest base to clone the King of Kinetic Energy. The result was 'Adam', a 'son' who was nearly identical to Kipling Kennison at a younger age. Initially, Kineto was ecstatic and took to the lad immediately.

Unfortunately, there were some issues: Adam aged rapidly, though Prof. Helix was able to stop his accelerated progression. Adam appeared to be about 20 in the end and following his treatment aged extremely slowly [like Kineto himself]. Adam's powers manifested quite differently from his 'father'. He was only able to manipulate the movement and energy of his own molecules. This manifests as the ability to transform himself into different materials. He normally touches an object, locks in on its molecular structure, and then changes himself into it: steel, wood, volcanic rock, aluminum, and a practically endless selection of others. Adam is unable to fly like Kineto.  Adam took on the super-moniker 'Adamant'. 

Over the next few years, Adamant served as a key part of Kineto's plans but there was a lot of trouble between the two of them behind the scenes. Adamant, who liked to work out and wasn't particularly interested in philosophy and the sciences, was viewed as 'dim' by his 'father'. Kineto talked down to his 'young son' and gave him very little to do beyond 'muscle work'. Finally, they disagreed about Kineto's endgame but more on that later. 

Professor Helix wanted to try again. This time he informed Kineto of his plan and suggested that instead of a traditional clone, this one should be a biological hybrid - a 'clone' meets in vitro fertilization - a test tube baby combing Kineto's DNA with that of a female counterpart. Kineto knew exactly who he'd like the donor to be and traveled to England. There he infiltrated a diplomatic function being attended by, among others, Maiden Fair. While in disguise as a foreign military leader, Kineto danced with Maiden Fair who seemed under the weather. She soon had to sit down and grew visibly pale. Kineto offered her his handkerchief which she coughed into, confiding that she had very recently been injured in battle and was still recuperating. The disguised Kineto requested an attendant assist Maiden Fair back to her room to rest and regain her strength. He then excused himself, noting blood on handkerchief. 

I like to imagine he thought twice about what he'd obtained but made the poor decision to go through with the scheme anyway. This does not go well. Unbeknownst to Kineto, Maiden Fair had been part of an international strike team who went after the villain known as Plague. Plague had afflicted Maiden Fair with a superhuman virus that caused rapid cellular degeneration. Only her superpowers - increased Strength, Speed, Vitality, and Healing based on 'how much the people of England love and believe in their country and her' - were keeping her alive. Thankfully, she was much beloved by the public in Britain and beyond. 

Kineto and Professor Helix combined the DNA of Kineto and Maiden Fair and created a daughter - Katherine - but before they could celebrate their success the young woman began to literally decompose. Some mysterious virus (See above) was destroying her cells at an alarming rate. Helix did everything he could to stop the process as Kineto simply broke down in silent tears, pain, and anger. A stasis field with life support capacity saved what remained but Kineto took one look and told the Professor, "Get rid of it. When I return, I want it to be as if this was never done. This was never here."

Unfortunately - or perhaps fortunately depending on your perspective - the Professor couldn't do that. He contacted a colleague at the Advanced Research Genetics and Engineering Network Team - ARGENT - to see if their Super-Science could save 'Kate'. At a top secret lab they did just that, integrating the remains into the most advanced cybernetic body ever developed - complete with a host of deadly weapons and defenses. When Kate woke up she understandably freaked out and murdered all the ARGENT scientists in the room. She escaped the facility and after laying low for a while she resurfaced as Terminatrix, an assassin for hire who would only take contracts against superpowered targets. Terminatrix refuses to kill normals, even super-normals*. She makes her first public appearance in late 1984 or early 1985. She despises her 'father' Kineto as she can clearly remember his last words to her deteriorating body. She is unaware of her 'mother's' identity. 

A third attempt to create a 'child' for Kineto was made a few years later by Lord Dweomer, a supervillain mage and alchemist who asked for Kineto's aid with a complex scheme of his own. Dweomer offered this as part of the payment to Kineto for the latter's help. Magic was always a concern for Kineto as it's something he doesn't completely understand and which his powers sometimes have trouble effecting. The end result was ''Hermes', also known as 'The Druid', whose powers are mystical in nature and deal with the control and alteration of living matter. Fanatically devoted to Kineto and his father's cause, Druid tries too hard, viewed as a 'brown noser' and 'suck up' by Adamant. Kineto has little respect for him either, seeing him as a 'yes man' of the worst sort. Additionally, Kineto mistrusts him because of the magical nature Druid's arcane abilities.

The Druid's power over living matter enables him to shape-change. 

He often takes this form to appear less physically imposing and dangerous.

There was a fourth but he came to be much later. We'll address him in the next and hopefully final chapter in the life and times of Kineto...

Coming Soon,

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Kineto - Portrait of a Supervillain

Welcome to part two of my biographical profile of Kineto, a Supervillain NPC created by my friend Willian Corpening for his epic, long running Champions RPG campaign, 'The Age of Champions'.

Kineto is, without a doubt, my favorite Superhero genre villain and it is my hope that this post, in conjunction with the one that came before it, will give you some inkling as to why.

Now more than 40+ years old, Kineto still appears in my Champions RPG campaigns to this day. In fact, the version I am covering is the one that appears in my current 'Champions: UNITY' game, set on the parallel world of Champions Earth-Alpha Delta-1A.

Following the tragic death of Kineto's wife and his violent reaction, Kipling Kennison disappeared for nearly two decades. Neither friend nor foe, nor authorities mundane or extraordinary could find him. Many tried. What is now known is that Kineto spent this time amassing resources, allies, building hidden bases, and making plans. 

The 1950s saw a steady decline in superhuman activity. Even more superheroes [and supervillains] passed away or retired and fewer new ones were appearing. Paranormal and super-physical events were likewise rarely occurring. By the end of the decade, the Champions were down to three full-time members who rarely teamed-up or needed to. The greatest hero group on Earth only largely existed in name only. 

By the early 1960s this situation had changed. A small number of new heroes and villains appeared around the world, with more heavily populated areas naturally seeing higher numbers of them. In the mid-60s a new team of Champions formed with a membership consisting of both recently appearing heroes and legacies, those caped crimefighters descended from heroes of the past. It wasn't until the 1970s however that the presence of the superhuman community blossomed and the time was right for Kineto to make his return. 

The 1970s iteration of the Champions (aka 'The Silver Age Champions') consisted of Garrison, The Legionnaire, a teenage Omni, Tachyon, and Tower. Their first major mission together had them face off against Doctor Destroyer - Yes! THE Doctor Destroyer - who resurfaced after years of hiding in the (fictional) South American country of Madoras*. The evil Doctor set out to steal an experimental variant of the Avenger Super-Soldier Formula, itself based on his own Destroyer Formula. As the Champions and Dr. Destroyer's forces engaged each other, Kineto appeared to complicate things. 

The Silver Age Champions

Left to Right: Omni, Tachyon, Garrison, Tower, and The Legionnaire

Kineto announced himself and his own team of minions in heroic fashion, declaring he was there to finally put an end to Destroyer's villainy. A longtime adversary of Dr. Destroyer, the heroes initially saw Kineto as helping, a powerful ally in this fight. Once Destroyer's henchmen were defeated and the Avenger Formula variation secured, the Doctor himself escaped. Instead of giving chase, Kineto went to seize the formula. This brought him into conflict with the Champions - arguing at first and then partaking in a physical battle. The experimental serum was vaporized during the conflict. With his prize eliminated, Kineto and his team departed. 

This would establish the MO of many encounters with Kineto, painting him as the anti-hero or even as a 'Heroic Supervillain'. He would show up to fight another bad guy, acting like his old superhero self, and seemingly helping the PCs. Then you would find out he did it because the villain was doing something counter to Kineto's own plans or so that Kineto could take the MacGuffin for himself. In the case of former Golden Age villains whom he had a history with, such as Doctor Destroyer or Baron Nihil, Kineto would honestly want to defeat them because they were evil - any additional benefits of doing so were just icing on the cake.

After a number of similar confrontations, Kineto enacted his first truly villainous action. At an international summit on the subject of 'Superpowers and The Superpowers: How Governments Deal with Supers', Kineto showed up unannounced with an entourage of other supers and demanded to speak. Because of his previous activities, positive and negative, there was a delay in deciding how to react to his presence. Ostensibly, Kineto was there to talk on behalf of the 'Superhuman Community' and wanted to make sure he and his fellow metahumans were heard. This didn't quite hold when his associates didn't let anyone leave the event while Kineto was talking. The scenario began to resemble a hostage situation and a number of UNTIL Agents and other security personnel sprung into action to ensure the safety of everyone present; a number of heroes were also present providing additional protection. As the situation escalated, several members of the Champions, the New Knights of the Round Table, and a handful of others were called in. Kineto was peacefully talked out of any hostilities by Omni and Britain's Maiden Fair.

Maiden Fair (Silver Age Costume)

Kineto was quite smitten with Maiden Fair, whom he'd met in England some years earlier. She was unaware of this as he had been in disguise at the time. In addition to resembling his deceased wife Margret Miller, Maiden Fair was definitely Kennison's type - British, blonde, beautiful, smart, and selfless. Over the years, Kineto's crush would develop further but his past tragic loss made him reluctant to act on it more directly. 

It should be noted that here we first start to see several of Kineto's conflicting quirks and traits. He has an agenda, one which he was slow to reveal but which he assured everyone was for 'the greater good' - allow Supers a greater say in the laws and regulations governing their activities. Eventually this will be expanded upon.

Furthermore, Kineto still sees himself as the hero ultimately but realizes sometimes even good guys need to bend or break the rules, use excessive force, etc. At the same time, he has his principles. He won't directly fight a woman unless he has to and then only defensively. He wants to appear honorable and reasonable in the eyes of the public so he won't fight if provided sufficient reason or incentive not to. He always keeps his word and won't go back on promises he makes. On numerous occasions this has been used against him by Omni and others.  

Kineto gets into a violent confrontation with the supervillain Sundown that threatens to cause a near nuclear explosion at a energy research facility in Pennsylvania. This is their third encounter and the two men despised each other. Gigaton, a former US Marine whose powers come from a similar experiment to the one that created Sundown, shows up and sides with Kineto. The Champions arrive and team-up with The Masked Patriot II and Flint in order to break-up the fight. Some of the villains are apprehended but Kineto, Sundown, Gigaton, and a few others on each side manage to retreat and escape. 

The Arch-Enemies of Kineto

Doctor Destroyer, Mechanon, Sundown, and Holocaust

Kineto and his villainous opponents began to divvy-up the super-criminal community, picking team members like children in a schoolyard game. Kineto's 'gang' largely consisted of people who didn't see themselves as villains and who were down with his general message: Superbeings are super - as in superior - to normal beings and as such, shouldn't be subject to normal Human judgement and control. Only supers are worthy of judging supers and only superhuman leadership will ensure a safe and prosperous future for the Earth and its people.

This didn't mean all supers were inherently good in Kineto's eyes. Rather, it meant good supers could achieve a greater good than mundane good people could. Likewise, supervillainy had the capacity to cause greater harm than any mundane evil. It was up to the Superheroes, the 'Good Guys' of which Kineto was surely one, to take charge of solving this situation. The Champions? In Kineto's view they were good natured supers who meant well but they still took orders from normal people and would therefore never come to understand what really needed to be done. 

Part III is coming soon...

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*Madoras, the fictional country in South America where many former Nazi's hid, ruled by Doctor Destroyer, and eventually taken over by Professor Muerte and Terror Incorporated is named for the a similar fictional location in the 1968 film 'They Saved Hitler's Brain'. 

The Rise and Fall of Kineto

In my previous posts about our current Champions Superhero RPG campaign 'Champions: UNITY', I've often mentioned the Superhero-turned-Supervillain-turned-It's-Complicated-OK character Kineto.  

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 Maggie 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,

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