A Big Power Thank You

Just a quick note to all of the Power, Incorporated members who played this last weekend. Paragon City seemed to hit with wave after wave of crime and questionable doings; a challenge met by so many heroes that citizens were overheard saying "even the newest of heroes must have doubled their experience this weekend!"

Some of our members who showed up for the myriad battles with seemingly unending bad guys included Kitten With a Whip, Witch.Witch, Horfrost, L'il Horfrost (and his new monster form), Dora Dementia, Shauka, Electro.Dude, Quiver Me Timbers, Mason Shura, L'il Kittn, and even newer heroes Power.Babe, the big blue Ox and Lil Bunny Foo Foo, a teeny-tiny stone tanker with a 10-foot tall attitude.

And, unfortunately, Kitten With a Whip's worst enemy Sake Bomb -- and now Power, Incorporated's, too -- has been spotted in Cap du Diable kidnapping a citizen with the help of another old enemy, Fire.Widow. Fortunately, the local longbow agents were able to stop the kidnapping, but the two villains got away again.

On the plus side, we also made new friends and created the potential for a supergroup coalition with several other supergroups -- very exciting indeed (Kitten took the lead on inter-group relations, using her flirt and slut powers effectively as usual).

Also, thanks to all of you who helped keep our superbase clean and functioning -- our new zone teleporters to Striga Isle, The Hollows, Crey's Folly and Perez Park proved very successful, and our new resurrection ring was used heavily this past weekend, allowing us to bypass the very public hospitals -- protecting our reputation and pride all at the same time.

So congratulations to all of you for showing up and helping out this past weekend- many of us increased our levels, our strength and our experience, and several of us scored new powers, too -- all important tools to help us in our ongoing fight to protect Pargon City and its fair citizens.

- PW

P.S. Got pictures? If you or your friends have any good photos from this past weekend, please forward them to me for a possible gallery.

Mason and the Monsters

By Herman Merman, Striga Isle Informer

STRIGA ISLE - Paragon City has seen a lot of changes lately, and according to some, changes not for the better.

While our fair citizens are happy -- nay, thrilled -- that its heroes tirelessly defend the city's myriad zones from the plethora of unending baddies out there, they seem to be less thrilled at the number of monsters that continue to appear.

"I mean, I'm like, glad they are here and everything," said Tiffany Gelsax, a young, single mother of three. "But sometimes it would be nice to be saved by a good-looking hero, you know? Like that Lava.Lad. Or even Power.Boy. But have you seen the hero call L'il Horfrost?" Tiffany rolled her eyes. "Sometimes he looks like a really short Santa Claus with goat horns, but lately he's been running around looking like the Abominable Snowman. And it's like, scaring the crap outta my kids."

Many zones in Paragon City have monsters -- just take a trip to the forests in Striga Isle or frankly anywhere in Croatoa.

But happily, not everyone feels that the increasing presence of monsters in Paragon City is a problem.

"L'il Horfrost is a very close friend of mine, and we've worked side-by-side for some time," stated Mason Shura flatly.

"Power, Incorporated doesn't just accept any hero you know. And besides - the warshades turn into monsters all the time but no one seems to have a problem with that. And look at all the wolves and tuatha there are everywhere! But when a hero decides to grow a little fur..."

Mason drifted away for a second with a small smile on his lips before catching himself. Clearly the man likes a little fur.

"Anyway, it's simply NOT a problem for us," he finished firmly before flying away.

Not a problem indeed.

This reporter tried to learn more about Power, Incorporated's plans to include more monsters on its roster, including rumors that a new young hero called Power.Babe is being groomed for membership; that he's really an amputee decendent of the great Babe, the Big Blue Ox.

Naturally, neither Power.Woman nor L'il Horfrost could not be reached for comment.

Power.Woman's Secret Love Child?

by Syliva Praxis, Talos Tattler

TALOS ISLAND - We've all read Power.Lad's official background story: local boy born to average parents wows world when he discovers his super powers and is recruited by his aunt, Power.Woman, to join the infamous supergroup Power, Incorporated. We also know about the rumors that his entrance fees, exams and trials were waived; that he basically got a free ride even though Power.Lad vehmently denies this.

Now's there's a new twist in his story: The Talos Tattler has discovered that his indentity, Jon Prince, may not even be his real name. In fact, we've learned his last name is actually Power.

"Well, I could get into a lot of trouble for this," whispered a Paragon City employee who wished to remain anonymous. "But some citizen data was recently stolen, and there seems to be a genetic link between Power.Lad and the original Power family that proves he can't be the Power.Woman's nephew after all."

Not her nephew? Futher research revealed that Lava.Lad may actually be his real father, and that his mother may be Power.Woman. A scandalous revelation backed up by other city worker.

"We're convinced he's their child," said another anonymous employee. "It's very likely that she and Lava.Lad met during their imprisonment during the war Rikti war. They could have mated then." He paused dramatically. "But we feel that it's more likely that Crey scientists kidnapped them, blanked their memories and cloned Power.Lad from their DNA."

"We do not comment on rumors and innuendo," stated the Crey Laboratories representative flatly. "Now please leave before we have you, uh, removed. Permanently."

"Why, that's outrageous!" shouted Mr. John Prince, Power.Lad's alleged father when confronted on the subject. "We love Jon, he's our, our son. He's not uh, an experiment. Now you all get off my land!" he yelled, cocking his shotgun. "Before I take you out myself!"

But this reporter thinks that these heroes and citizens all know the truth. Even Power.Lad's recent costume change looks suspiciously like Lava.Lad's. His abilities are very similar too. And there have been rumors swirling around Paragon City that Power.Woman and Lava.Lad have been spotted time and again behaving like super-lovebirds, stealing time together on rooftops, in Croatoa's forests and sometimes just hovering high up in the air in a particularly beautiful cloud formation.

"Girl, I seen 'em," says Yola Favrix. "What a sight, too, I mean, honeychil', there's hot, then there's HOT. That girl must be invulnerable, 'cos there they were, making out like bandits surround by a glowing ring of fire. But then I think they seen me 'cos the fire suddenly went out and they flew away!"

Naturally, this reporter tried to learn more directly from the source.

"We have absolutely no comment!" said Power.Woman firmly, "and neither do any members of Power, Incorporated. Please do not broach this subject again."

Ouch. Strong words from a strong woman.

I think maybe, just maybe we've hit a nerve.

In Training: Power, Incorporated's Newest Recruits

by Virilox Gravelax, The Galaxy Reporter

GALAXY CITY - There are many kinds of supergroups in Paragon City, from large to small, from retired to active. And while many of them have a qualification exam, many have little or no entrance fees, skills or power requirements at all. But we all know know there's one supergroup out there that only accepts the best of the best -- and its Power, Incorporated.

"It's important to Power, Incorporated to only accept heroes who are very self-aware, strongly focused and able to utilize their abilities to their full extent," explained Power.Woman, the supergroup's current leader and team mentor. "Even if a hero's mind has been befuddled, they must be able to instictively manage the situation around them -- or perish in the attempt."

And perish they have. Just look at this tally:

• Accupunture - Killed when a warehouse in Kings Row collapsed during a battle with a giant clockwork monster.
  
• Iciee, Princess.Sonix, Shadow.Lass and Infectious.Lass - Killed during a battle with Lusca, the giant octopus in Independence Port.
• Fawkes - Killed by Fire.Widow, who used her extensive magical knowledge to strip Fawkes of her phoenix-like abilities before destroying her permanantly.
• Gravity.Gal - Also killed by Fire.Widow, who used Gravity.Gal's powers to crush her instead.
• Tyronix - Third victim of Fire.Widow, she turned Tyronix's sonic waves against him, shattering his skull.

So why would anyone want to apply to a supergroup with so many casualties? Why not ask their newest recruits: Shauka, an electric blaster, Power.Frost, an ice blaster, and Technical Difficulty (we're still not sure what she is).

"I, of course, am like, extremely to the max over the moon about joining Power, Incorporated," squealed Shauka, snapping her gum. "I mean, like, what's not to love? Fabulous costumes, gorgous members -- Have you seen Power.Lad? I mean, I could, like, die!"

"Look," interrupted Power.Frost. "I am a second cousin of the Power family, and it's my birth-right to join this supergroup. Of course, you'd think that would get me in automatically, but I have to try out like everyone else. But I'll get in, you'll see," she concluded smugly.

"What?" Technical Diffulty looked imperious. "Oh, right, the entrance thing. Honey, they want me and they know it. See my name? Technical Difficulty. That's right. T-e-c-h-n-i-c-a-l D-i-f-f-i-c-u-l-t-y." She folded her arms. "And I can bring it to the bad guys, or I can bring it them, you know what I'm saying? I know my shit, I just have to show them and they'll understand. That's not a threat. I'm just saying."

Indeed.

Powerful words from such young heroes. Will they make the cut? The grade? Or just the grave? Let's all hope their bravada will carry them through succesfully where others in the past have fallen.