“Benedict!” Redhawk barked out the name, and the soldier turned immediately. “Fly up there and scout the area. I want recon.”
“Yes sir!” replied the grunt as wings began to sprout from his back. With a leap, he was airborn, and gone.
The voice of command, it is said, can move mountains. That has never been more true than in the case of Lieutenant Colonel Roswell Peterson – codenamed Redhawk. His force of command is such that anyone who is willing to follow his orders gains the ability to carry out the task at hand. If he tells you to smash a tank, you gain tremendous strength. If he tells you to shoot down a missile , you will be able to fire energy blasts from your wrists. If he tells you to walk through walls, by the Gods, you will do it. The abilities last around 20 minutes, but that’s more than enough to carry out the order. Heaven help you if it isn’t, for Redhawk does not expect failure.
Redhawk can bestow powers or enhanced abilities to himself too, but prefers to use his raw skills and tactical talents where possible. He’s neither a fool nor a coward, and if the situation demands his personal attention he’ll power up and be first on the front line.
He travels with his own cadre of 5 loyal soldiers known as Redhawk’s Harriers. Dressed in their distinctive red and black uniforms, they’re all ex-marines and well used to the transformations bestowed by Redhawk’s orders. Redhawk’s military contacts keep him busy feeding intel about possible metahuman hotspots and ensuring that they’re given a clear line of fire – after all, better to risk this band of mercenaries than the lives of good, solid regular troops and their expensive equipment.
Dirty little secret: How can Redhawk bend reality like this? How can he bestow superpowers with mere words? The answer is simple. Redhawk is a New God, though he’d laugh in your face if you suggested as much. He’s a slowly developing deity with the tiniest fraction of his future power. His word is will, made manifest.
Or, as Redhawk himself would say. “I tell my men to do something, and they do it. I expect nothing less.”
Notes: “Boost” is an awesome power in M&M, which allows the character to improve powers, abilities, skills or whatever – even if the recipient doesn’t possess those abilities in the first place. Redhawk can bestow Powers, Abilities or Skills, and the new or increased ability lasts for around 20 minutes. He can issue one order per round, and the recipient must be within 80′ and be able to hear the command. He can bestow one new Power, increased Ability or Skill ranks to himself too, but use Boost no more than once per round. In other words, in 6 rounds he and his team of Harriers could have 6 different super-powers and be primed for anything. Ouch.
Redhawk’s Harriers are 5 ex-marines loyal to his command. The roster is currently Benedict, Peppard, Schultz, Ashley and Tureaud, though there’s a waiting list of able bodies ready to fill their shoes.
They are each equiped with assault rifles, grenades, body armour and a standard issue red motorcycle. Redhawk requesitions additional military equipment if it’s required, but those times are extremely rare.
Their stats are as per the Soldier block on page 229 of the Mutants & Masterminds Core Rules with the addition of a Motorcycle. Because soldiers on red motorbikes is just cool.
