Tribe

The TRIBE and (their enemies) the MOB

Allure � Lizzie Yori grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles, soaking up sun and drawing admirers on the beaches of Southern California. She was elected prom queen and class president every year in school, even once when she didn't want to. She had taken it for granted that people always did what she said and that everybody loved her. She is unsure when her powers began to surface - although she is pretty sure they weren't there before she was twelve. She didn't learn about her abilities until she was twenty.
Lizzie happened to be in a bank during an armed robbery. Without thinking anything strange about it, she stroked the cheek of the robber and asked him to give her his gun. He complied, and when the police took him in, several witnesses testified that she must have been in on the crime. When Elizabeth tried to explain herself, she was ridiculed and disbelieved. When her charm wore off, the robber insisted that she must have drugged him in some way. Lizzie slowly became aware that her abilities were more than natural charisma. After a brief stint as a very successful con artist, she found her conscience bothering her. More, she began to wonder whether any of her popularity was do to her own efforts, or if she had unconsciously been using her charm powers to get friends. She sought out the Tribe and offered to join the team as a means of making amends and to try to put her powers to greater use. Also, though this is unconscious, she is trying to find people that will not be dazzled by her powers.
Allure is spectacularly beautiful with long ebony hair and an athletic figure. She enjoys wearing revealing or tight-fitting clothing, and loves to feel the admiration of men and the jealousy of women. Her beauty is of course visible, but her entrancing power is actually linked to touch. She must make contact with her victim, skin to skin, in order to charm them. A male thus charmed will obey any command Allure gives to them that does not directly run counter to self-preservation or other deeply set instincts. The victim will believe that Allure is the woman they have loved all of their lives. This control lasts for a variable time depending on the individual victim. Allure can also charm females, but it does not last nearly as long, and the victim usually finds herself feeling extreme admiration rather than romantic feelings. In combat, Allure must usually rely on her charm power, although she has been forced to fight without it occasionally.
Many of Allure�s allies wonder if they like and trust her so much because of her power or her personality. More to the point, though, Allure herself is unsure. She has a deep sense of insecurity, and wonders whether anybody, including her parents and deepest friends, really cares for her, or if they only THINK they do. This leads to why Allure is in love with her teammate Sponge. Sponge's power negates Allure's ability completely, so she is certain that whatever he feels for her is completely genuine. Sponge admires Allure, and considers her a valuable member of the team, but has never responded to Allure's flirtations.

Bolt � Along with Saber and Cinderblock, Bolt is one of the founding members of the Tribe. Paul Blount III is a second-generation superhero. His father, Paul Blount, Jr., better known as Flashfire, is now deceased and had power to create and manipulate electric charges. His mother, Naomi Blount (Sibyl), has limited mind control abilities. Bolt's power runs much more closely toward his father's line, although his mother's influence can also be seen.
Electric power is his to control. Not only can Bolt create and throw lightning bolts in the gigawatt range, but he can command electricity to flow or not flow. In other words, he can shut off anything electrical, as long as it is within range (roughly twenty yards). His powers do not extend to actually CONTROLLING electrical devices (Running a computer from across a room, and so on), although Sibyl insists that such power is within his potential. Bolt can also transform his body into pure electricity and travel through electric wires or other conductive material. Transforming to electricity also allows him to move at tremendous speed, and Bolt is a fierce hand-to-hand warrior because of it. While actual flight is beyond his reach, Bolt can make huge leaps, and make them so quickly that he appears to be flying. He can also survive for long periods of time in the vacuum of space, and endure extremes of cold or heat.
Bolt�s weakness is water and other liquids which cause his electrical abilities to literally short out his system. If Bolt is plunged into water, he will electrify the entire body of water, after which he will pass out. Bolt can endure smaller amounts of water (a glass or a bowl), but the sensation is unpleasant.
Bolt considers himself something of a mentor for the younger members of the tribe. He considers it his mission to help craft the Tribe into the best hero team of all time, and hence makes it his business to see that each member of the team is constantly improving. Often, he is considered an annoyance by other members of the team, but they recognize that Bolt means well and only wishes the best for them. Bolt defers only to Saber, as the leader of the team, and Bolt has occasionally quarreled even with him about the Tribe's direction.

Cinderblock � Massive and muscled, Cinderblock is tough as a rock. However he is still a warrior of flesh and bone; his strength and suppleness is no greater than any finely-tuned athlete. It is his stamina that is remarkable: Cinderblock can endure most any physical wound with little effect, being nearly invulnerable. Temperature from negative 100 degrees to over 1000 degrees doesn't faze him. Poisons and toxins have no effect on him. He senses pain, but can will it away. He can swim across an ocean and never tire. His endurance seems to have no limit.
As a child, Jeremy Mortensen endured taunts and name-calling from bullies and people bigger than him. He learned to keep his mouth shut and let words and even physical attacks wash right over him. He was an impressive athlete as an offensive lineman, but never distinguished himself off the field. He got a football scholarship to Notre Dame, and graduated in four years with a degree in Criminal Justice. He planned to be a police officer, like his father. He attracted attention shortly after graduating college when he saved three young children from a burning building, escaping without so much as a sunburn. Jeremy recognized that this was unusual, and began testing himself out of curiosity. He took to wearing a mask and seeking out fires, accidents and natural disasters, and rescuing people from dangerous situations. He met Bolt at the scene of one of these episodes, and Bolt recruited him to join a team he had been trying to form.
Cinderblock is soft spoken and reserved. He could, by rights, be considered the team's third leader, but he rarely seeks any glory or credit. He simply does his job, glad to be of service to anyone who needs him. Hence, he is the bedrock and backbone of the team, and every other member of it depends upon him. It is Cinderblock's never failing humility and "go out and do it" mentality that has shaped the Tribe's character and determined its direction.
Cinderblock has no special defense against psychic attacks. Mind control or magical illusions affect him normally, although he does seem to snap out of long lasting effects like hypnosis faster than most. He is also subject to occasional bouts of melancholy, although he has never let this affect him when he is doing his work.

Coffin Shaker � A young mutant who wears face-paint colored as a voodoo priest. He can re-animate recently dead tissue. He must concentrate for a moment to activate this power, and loses contact if his concentration is broken (by an attack on his entranced body for example). It is not known if there is a limit to the number of �zombies� Coffin Shaker can control, but judging by the vast numbers he is known to have controlled, this is unlikely. However, his zombies are purely that, Coffin Shaker cannot access special abilities of those he controls as those abilities will have died with their super hero.
If Coffin Shaker has any greater goal than generally causing mayhem and seeking personal wealth, then he has not revealed it.

Gorgon � Gorgon draws her name from the similarly powered Medusa of Greek legend. She has long black hair, but few last long after noticing this. If she can make eye contact with a foe, she lashes out with a powerful psychic attack that causes instant paralysis. Of course this power is useless against foes that can fight her without looking at her, such as the blind DareDevil. Gorgon relies heavily on her power in combat, but is still fairly good in hand to hand combat as well.
Gorgon is perpetually angry, and has a deep sardonic streak. She mocks anyone who thinks well of people. One can assume that she has had some deeply traumatic let down in her life which caused her to loseher faith in basically anything.
Gorgon was recruited by Master Mystery as a means to further her malignant desires. If she cares for any larger cause, or considers anyone to be a friend, then the Master's causes are hers and the Mob is her family. Even here, however, it is not likely that she feels much loyalty.

Majik � Daniel Smith was always a bit of a show off. Intelligent and creative, he frequently put on plays and magic shows for his friends, family, total strangers, and anyone else who would watch. When he discovered his mutant abilities, the show just got better.
Majik can harness the nuclear power of the very atoms of the air and objects around him to create limited fusion reactions. He generally uses this power to create small explosions or even fireballs. He also can harness this propel himself through the air. He could probably use his power in much more practical and powerful ways, but prefers to act with dramatic flair. He will crack jokes and keep up a patter, give deep sweeping bows to spectators, and distribute calling cards (not that they contain his actual name or contact information - he does know the meaning of the words secret identity)
If Majik views his power with an air of blithe joviality, his enemies have never done so. In fact, when he was recruited by Bolt and Cinderblock to join the Tribe, he was engaged in a fight to the death with an otherworldly wizard who sought to rob him of his powers. It was this wizard's belief that Majik's power alone would enable him to rule the universe. It seems ironic that the power to rule the universe may be held in the hands of a man who would rather use it to perform card tricks, but there it is.

Saber � Neatly-cropped blond hair covers his head, and a long sword is attached to his arm. Brian Tourblade was an Olympic-level fencer, favored to win the gold medal until an envious rival conspired to main him so he couldn't compete. Tourblade was despondent until an old family friend, who was actually the mutant weapon-smith named Tinker, constructed a cybernetic hand that could be linked to an unbreakable longsword. Tourblade entered a tournament that his rival was competing in under the false name "Saber" in an attempt to get revenge. He hid his face behind a mask, and succeeded in defeating and exposing his rival. Later, Tinker introduced him to Bolt and Cinderblock, and the three created the Tribe. Saber's training has caused him to be much more disciplined and rigid than his companions, and he soon found that they would respond to his orders readily. In time, he became the group's natural leader. Saber has a rigid code of honor and justice. He has sworn off of revenge, but he still believes that the wicked should be punished justly. This code is the same for members of the Tribe as well as their enemies; Saber does not tolerate slacking off or any variation of the rules he has proscribed. Saber's rigidity, while earning the respect of his teammates, often causes resentment and distrust.
Though he has no natural mutation, Saber does have enhanced reflexes and an innate understanding of force and counterforce. Because of his mental discipline, he is very difficult to trick or hypnotize, and psychic attacks are often less effective against him (for example, he can snap out of Allure's charm in seconds - usually before obeying any but the most cursory commands). He has no equal in sheer sword skill, and his cybernetic hand and sword are unbreakable, even when presented against bullets, lasers, and other energy weapons (lightsabers, etc). However, the rest of his body is perfectly vulnerable.

Skeleton Key � Bill Corell has led a long and checkered life, and there are details which he has yet to reveal to any member of the Tribe. Skeleton Key has the ability to change his body at will to a gel-like liquid state, allowing him to seep through doors or make his fingers into any shape - this is where he got his name. He can also change his hands to make spikes, swords, or other cutting weapons, 'melt' through cracks in walls, travel long distances through pipes or sewer ducts, and drop long distances without harm. He is also effectively invulnerable to physical attacks (punches and kicks, swords, knives, etc). He can alter his face or body mass to blend into crowds, but his fine control is not acute enough to allow him to mimic other people's faces very convincingly.
When he first met the Tribe, Key was working as a burglar-for-hire, never able to quite get under the thumb of the loan sharks that were using him. He has alluded to even shadier dealings in his past, going so far as to call his burglary 'a step toward honesty.' The main reason he became a hero is to provide a more positive influence for his daughter, Emily (The young mutant known as Firefly). When Emily manifested her mutant powers (flight and the ability to create blinding flashes of light), Skeleton Key commented that she 'must have gotten that from her mother.' As far as anyone else in the Tribe knows, these are the only words he has ever spoken about the mother of his child.
Key is cynical and gruff, always expecting the worst possible outcome. This would make him an unpopular member of the team. But, since he can be relied on in any situation and has saved most of the Tribe at one point or another, and since he never asks for any help or sympathy himself, he has gained a family of loyal friends.

Sponge � Kurt Rhodes never knew he had any mutant abilities until he met the Tribe. He happened to be on hand when an evil mutant named 'The Gunkmaster' was pulling a heist. The evil mutant was dismayed to find that his ability to create and hurl slime at his foes suddenly ceased to function. It took some time before the Tribe figured out that it was Rhodes' presence that caused this to happen. He was asked to join the team shortly thereafter.
Sponge has the power to negate other abilities within a spherical bubble extending some 15-20 feet from his body. Mutant attacks such as eye-beams simply cease when they touch the edge. As far as he knows, Sponge has no control over this bubble - it's just there, day or night. As a result, his teammates need to avoid being in close proximity during their battles. In the Rumble, it has been shown to be equally effective in negating other abilities such as the Force, magic spells, and (maybe) the presence of the Matrix (this has not been conclusively proven, but would make an interesting study). Of course this power doesn�t stop natural physical strength, technology, or simple hand to hand combat. But for those who rely upon an otherworldly ability to give them an edge, Sponge can be an annoying pest to have around.
Sponge rather likes the 'leveling' effect of his powers. He is trained in several forms of martial arts, and enjoys using his skills to beat the tomato juice out of someone who thought they could just blast him with a fireball.

Tendril � Ian Roatskiller was once human - an unsuccessful ambulance-chasing lawyer, deeply in debt to bookies and without a single person in his life that thought well of him. In desperation, he agreed to a genetic experiment carried out by Master Mystery, the strangely precognizant mutant mastermind. The result of the experiment was Tendril: half man, half plant, with an intelligence nestled comfortably between the two. His tentacle-like arms hang down to his ankles when at rest, but can lash out as far as 12 feet. If the tentacles successfully wrap around a victim, they will begin to crush them with enough force to collapse a tanker truck. Once the victim is dead, Tendril drags the body toward his main bulk, where it is ingested.
Tendril seems to attack with unthinking instinct, but since he has never attacked Master Mystery, it is possible that some level of conscious thought is still in there.

Wallflower � Jason Child has the mutant ability to blend into any surface. Mix that with a skill for moving very quietly and a good reserve of patience and you see how good an assassin and spy Wallflower is. Master Mystery has made good use of him for this purpose, though he clearly doesn't trust him very far. Wallflower is actually a bit of a coward in a real battle, and avoids confrontation in any form. He would prefer to stab in the back and be done with it. Or better yet, just steal whatever he needs without having to attack at all.
Wallflower is addicted to Hythloam, a dangerous and rare narcotic. He works for Master Mystery primarily because he provides him with his drug

Wyvern � Be careful what you read! Nathan Fleer was a willful teenager who liked science fiction and fantasy. He stumbled upon an ancient magic text which, upon reading it, transformed him into a seven foot reptilian dragon-man. Wyvern can fly with two bat-like wings on his back, possesses incredible strength and ferocity, has sharp claws on both hands and feet, and can breathe flame hot enough to melt glass. He must inhale to breathe out his fire; however once he breathes in, he must let loose the fire or it will explode inside him.
Wyvern is still young - only about 17 years old. He is brave for his youth, but often his age shows in being overly courageous and taking risks. He is also quite headstrong. Once he makes a decision he can rarely be talked out of it.
Wyvern is subject to bizarre fits of anger which he calls 'rage bursts.' These become more frequent when he is at peace (i.e., not fighting). Usually these bursts can be relieved by bellowing out a beastly roar, but occasionally Wyvern has been known to strike out against any who are near him.