So, more plot talk... This first part is based on the assumption Dragoon can hide his symbiote like Spider-man could, so it technically isn't off.
Alejandro and Dragoon could simply bump into each other on a busy street, and Al could be knocked into the adjacent alley due to Dragoon's strength. Al might say something as simple as "hey" to which Dragoon might irrationally take offense to and try to pick up Al or hit him. At that point Al could transform and the fight would be on.
I suppose Jo would show up, as would Samson and Morgan's character (Karma). Samson I picture doing so for the same reason as the last time; no one else has powers like his to fight the demon. Likewise Karma may think that, but she might also simply be hit by the Demon on accident and then attack. If I recall correctly, originally she would only attack when attacked by another person and usually hit twice as fast.
In terms of brute strength, Al should be the strongest and be able to land quite the beating on Dragoon. He should also be able to simply outlast Karma due to his incredible pain tolerance; so even if they trade blows and hers are stronger Al can simply shrug them off. Jo would annoy Demon the most, because it wouldn't be expecting a normal looking guy to survive most of its attacks. Jo's unexpected durability might could cause the Demon to focus on him, somewhat neglecting the others. It might be Al underneath, but the Demon more closely resembles an animal when fighting. Therefore it can make some questionable decisions at times, relying on its sheer strength and pain tolerance to carry it through.
In terms of defeating it, I suppose the heroes would have to hit it hard and hit it fast. Basically, they'd need some well coordinated teamwork to hit the Demon multiple times without giving it a chance to recover, no matter how short. Additionally, if the Demon were to stumble upon some electrical wires in its ramage the electrocution could seriously weaken it. Finally, we could have Al not be in the best physical condition due to being homeless for a few months; which could bring the Demon's stamina down as well.
Farther down the line, these were some concepts we had discussed regarding the original H&D.
- Initial Arc:
The first part, and perhaps the hardest part, is really just setting up our heroes for success against lesser threats. Some of this may involve training, and smaller regular day to day interactions between our characters, but the main thing is having our group rack up some victories while developing a sense of teamwork and camaraderie.
During this time I think any named metas introduced should end up being recurring characters. It may help us at first to think with long term goals in mind, rather than creating characters/groups for the sole purpose of having them be beat up and thrown in jail. I feel like Kong in the original was a good example of this. It was his character that shone through more so than his powers, at least to me.
After the initial arc there was a small arc planned with one DEMON called "Behemoth" that was meant to be "the end of the beginning" according to John in the original discussion thread.
- Behemoth Arc:
Behemoth would be as big as a house and it would be impossible to stop his slow march towards whatever destination he chooses. Anything in his way is stepped on or moved, sometimes violently but usually not. For a DEMON, he's relatively tame and when it gets to its target it destroys it in an almost methodical manner.
During this time John suggested that perhaps the group does more research into DEMONs. Al would know a lot of the basics, but he'd be reluctant to open up due to the painful memories. Probing around into government business is sure to attract attention as well, and could be what gives Saffore's location away later on.
While the initial arc would be slightly more light hearted and almost "classic superhero", in the sense that the heroes show up and save the day with no real issues, the Behemoth arc would really drive home the point that up until then the group had been big fish in a small pond. Now they see that the world has much bigger fish, and much of it willing to eat them alive.
I'd assume this realization would cause some to doubt their capabilities. Al would probably start to wonder if he could do more to harness the full power of his demon, rather than simply restraining it into a more human like form.
There was also another arc I had planned for Al, somewhat like his own story after the collab. Eventually I brought it up because such an arc would likely spark some sort of response from other metas. I suppose the working title is "the ANGEL arc".
- ANGEL arc:
After seeing the destruction and criminal activities of many DEMONs, project "ANGEL" was created. I think the acronym was something like "Authorized National Guardians and Enforcers of Law". It's a bit of a mouthful, mostly because I really wanted to keep the acronym. Basically they'd be a meta-police force and part of the military, a gendarmie like in France. In terms of heroes we know, think of a supersoldier like Captain America in an Iron Man suit.
The tech wouldn't be as advanced though, requiring actual separate wings so the ANGELs can hold firearms while flying. So think of Falcon's wings attached to an Iron Man suit while the user is firing a weapon with their hands.
Their objectives, in hierarchical order, are: contain/kill DEMONs, contain/kill other hostile metas, support normal police forces when necessary. ANGELS will execute a DEMON in public if the target cannot be reasoned with, no matter the reason. Their relatively large numbers, excellent training, equipment, augmentations, and teamwork gives them an edge over many DEMONs who tend to have a solitary nature. A good analogy would be a pack of wolves taking down a bear.
Beyond DEMON related affairs, they could be called in to deal with regular human affairs should they be the nearest law enforcement unit around. Occasionally one might see them patrolling certain areas, and while they'd never say anything their presence alone means something bad is potentially about to happen.
When Al starts to work for the government, it is very likely that he will be working closely with ANGELs as they will be among the first metas fully under government control.
Bad John wrote:Quick refresher, what exactly ARE Lucifer's powers? I recall him being able to output energy that's on the level of nuclear power; that would make him a colossal threat to Jo, since the bruiser could completely incinerate him if so inclined. I also recall him being able to store and re-distribute any type of energy, even kinetic force (I.E., hit him, and he can no-sell the attack and send the force right back into you).
That was pretty much it; he can absorb any source of energy and turn it into another. The guy produces enough energy to power entire countries, and as such can unleash electricity, fire, or even his "nuclear energy beams" off the bat in a fight.
I also had an idea where Lucifer does have a more bestial form to him, resembling some sort of dragon humanoid. Among the Seven Princes of Hell, only Al and Lucifer use very human looking forms instead of their bestial ones but Al suppresses his demon while Lucifer has seemingly mastered it. This difference between Al and Lucifer explains the massive gap in power between their human forms, but Al's bestial form can close the gap.
One weakness that Lucifer has, which is common across all DEMONs, is a weakness to other DEMONs. Attacks from one to another tend to go through and hurt as much as if the exoskeleton wasn't there in the first place. To give a more concrete example, Al could literally impale Lucifer in the stomach with his claws and Lucifer would fully feel it. A punch from Lucifer to Al would result in Al feeling the full force of like any other meta. I have yet to decide whether such attacks can draw blood, but the sensation of pain is not dulled when one DEMON attacks another.