Jim Margrove - "Ghost"'s page

Ghost (James “Jim” Margrove) - PL 8 (120 pp)
Abilities
Strength 1, Stamina 2, Agility 4, Dexterity 2, Fighting 3, Intellect 2, Awareness 5, Presence 0
Advantages
Equipment (2 ranks), Evasion, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Initiative, Improvised Weapon (2 ranks), Uncanny Dodge
Skills (Ranks)
Acrobatics (4 ranks) +8
Athletics (4 ranks) +5
Close Combat (unarmed) (3 ranks) +6
Close Combat (grappling) (3 ranks) +7
Close Combat (stun gun) (2 ranks) +5
Deception (3 ranks) +3
Expertise (Technician) (2 ranks) +4
Insight (2 ranks) +7
Intimidation (3 ranks) +3
Investigation (3 ranks) +5
Perception (4 ranks) +9
Persuasion (2 ranks) +2
Ranged Combat (Throwing) (4 ranks) +6
Sleight of Hand (2 ranks) +4
Stealth (5 ranks) +9
Technology (5 ranks) +6
Vehicles (3 ranks) +5
Powers
Invisibility - Vanish at will from all senses (cost 8)
Phasing - Fully Insubstantial, Reaction (cost 24)
Teleportation - 250 feet, Change Direction (cost 7)
Equipment (10 ranks)
--Utility Belt (10 ranks)
----Bolas (Effect snare 3, Resisted by Dodge, Hindered & Vulnerable/Defenseless & Immobilized) (6 ranks)
----Brass Knuckles (Damage 1) 1 rank
----Pepper Spray (Close visual dazzle 4, chemical, Sight Impaired/Disabled/Unaware) 1 rank
----Shuriken (Ranged damage 1) 1 rank
----Stun gun (Affliction 5, electricity, daze/stun/incapacitate)
Offense
Initiative +8
Unarmed (brass knuckles) +6 2 Damage
Grappling +7 Effect Grab
Bolas +6 Effect snare 3
Pepper Spray +3 Close visual dazzle 4
Shuriken +6 1 Damage
Stun Gun +3 Affliction 5
Defense
Dodge +7
Parry +7
Fortitude +5
Will +5
Toughness 2
Vitals
Gender: Male
DOB: 08/5/1991
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 173 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Motivation: Justice
Complication: Secret Identity

Power Point Totals: 38 Abilities + 8 Advantages + 43 Powers + 20 Skills + 11 Defenses = 120 PP.

Jim Margrove was born an ordinary, everyday child and lived that way until his teenage years. Everything was normal until the car he and his family were in was t-boned by a drunk driver. Jim found himself lying on the sidewalk next to the car, with naught but minor bruises and scrapes. The car door was swinging open slightly, so everyone, including Jim, assumed his seat belt clasp and the door had broken and he had just narrowly missed being hurt badly. Though hurt, the rest of his family was alive, and driver was sentenced to a nice lengthy prison sentence.

A little while later, Jim was in his neighborhood trying to get away from some bullies. He ducked down an alley, and hid behind a dumpster, hoping that they wouldn’t see him. They turned down the alley and checked everywhere, one of them looking right at his hiding place - but that one either didn’t see him or didn’t say anything to the others. Maybe that guy wasn’t too bad. Who knows.

What really helped him put things together, though, was when he got drunk in college and somehow ended up on the roof of the student union building. When he woke up, he didn’t know how he’d gotten up there, what had happened, the roof access door was locked, and, to top it off, the campus police were standing down below, so he couldn’t climb down without being seen. Jim began to panic. If he was caught, he would probably get cited for underage drinking, trespassing, and who knew what else. He kept telling himself, don’t let them see you, don’t let them see you. He happened to glance in a reflective puddle on the roof of the building, and noticed he couldn’t see himself. Stopping in wonder, he stared at the puddle, and then faded back in. Telling himself not to be seen, he watched as he disappeared. Okay, invisibility. He could work with that. He might at least be able to avoid being caught, and slip through the door if someone came up. The door. He looked at it, remembering that car accident, wondering if it wasn’t happenstance that had saved him that day. He walked up to it, took a deep breath, and, pushing forward, walked through the door, into the stairwell. Heading down, he found that the stairwell only went to the top floor of the building, and he’d have to find another way down. Invisibly slipping through the door, he moved towards the elevators before stopping. There were cameras watching the elevators. He couldn’t just walk up and push the button to call an elevator, even invisible. A security guard watching the cameras might get suspicious. He’d have to wait until someone came up, and then slip into the elevator behind them. Walking towards the elevators, he saw the doors open from the other end of the hallway, and the custodian come out with his cart. He started running towards the elevator as quietly as he could. Who knew how long he’d have to wait for an elevator if he missed this one? He had to catch it. The doors began to close. He wasn’t going to make it! He wasn’t - !

Suddenly, he was in the elevator, the doors closing behind him. Pushing the button for the lobby, he tried to figure out what happened, but in his still panicked state, he couldn’t process what happened. He got out of the building and made it back to his dorm room, where he fell into a blissful, peaceful sleep.

Over the next summer break, he began experimenting with his abilities. He didn’t know how he’d come to have them, but he knew he couldn’t have them going off when he wasn’t aware and possibly embarrassing him. Eventually, he figured out that he had teleported into the elevator (although discovering that by teleporting up to the roof of his parents’ house wasn’t the safest method for doing so). That next school year, the Campus Avenger, a dashing (he was a guy in a ski mask and hoodie) and heroic vigilante appeared, protecting the denizens of the campus from criminals and hoodlums (he prowled the streets during party nights and made sure people got home safely).

Jim graduated with a degree in computer science and, for a time, stopped his vigilante activities. After all, he was now working for a branch of Wayne Enterprises, with the work being quite demanding. Then, when he was on his way home, he saw a mugger try to accost a man in an alley. He rushed in to help the man, but the mugger pulled a knife and slashed at him. Jim reacted without thinkgin to save his life - by going intangible. The knife passed harmlessly through him, and the confused mugger got a punch to the face before Jim teleported behind him, grabbed him, and disarmed the knife. The mugger ran off, and the man thanked him profusely. Jim went home and, after thinking about it, decided he could do this at least part-time. He had stumbled upon a couple of interesting designs at work on the Wayne Enterprise server, and he could replicate them. Soon, Ghost was born. Though he primarily fought low-level toughs and back alley muggers, he eventually had a brush with Captain Cold. He was able to foil Cold’s heist, and was trying to battle him just as the Flash showed up. Ghost teleported away quickly, since he was an unknown vigilante. He thought he was clear, but the Flash told the Batman about him, and the Batman tracked him down, offering him a position on a new superteam. Initially refusing, for the team would be headquartered in a different city, he was chosen for a transfer to a Wayne Enterprises facility in that very city. Amazed at his luck, he accepted the offer, and now he might do a bit more good than just beating up muggers.

Jim doesn’t know the origin of his powers. They just showed up one day. However, they are actually the result of a rogue scientist who injected several infants with what he hoped would be a super soldier serum. The scientist died before he could learn if his work was successful, but it appears to have at least partially been so, because of Jim’s abilities. Whether the other test subjects have the same abilities, or even survived, is unknown. Though not a power per se, his situational awareness makes him quite adept at noticing things, and is a slight side effect of the injection.

Ghost’s powers make him an excellent infiltration specialist. His invisibility makes him undetectable to all forms of sight, and doors are no obstacle since he can go completely intangible. His teleportation is short-range, but still effective enough for a quick getaway.

His combat style focuses on incapacitation and evasion. He knows he isn’t the strongest combatant in a straight-up fight, so he relies on grappling and other forms of incapacitation to take opponents out quietly and quickly from stealth. If he has to fight directly, he focuses on wearing his opponent down and avoiding injury himself.

When Jim Margrove walks down the street, no one looks at him twice. He’s fairly ordinary, and though he looks to be in slightly better than average shape, he certainly isn’t going to stand out in a crowd. He likes it that way, for it makes it easier to keep his identity as Ghost hidden.

Ghost’s appearance, however, is a matte black form-fitting jumpsuit, boots, gloves, and a mask that fully covers his face with two eye-holes. His utility belt is also black. He chose the colors out of practicality - after all, since he does most of his crime fighting at night, it helps to not stand out.

In personality, Jim enjoys a good joke and spending time relaxing. However, his approach to life is a measure twice, cut once approach. When he would locate a mugger, he would always take the time to make sure the criminal didn’t have a buddy or two who could blindside him while he dealt with one, and always avoided a fight he couldn’t win - after all, he couldn’t help the victim if he became one himself.