Star Harbor Nights

Originally founded in the 1950s by a group of Star Harbor vigilantes and crimefighters who banded together to foil a communist plot (which was later revealed to be a clandestine Portalien attempt to jump start another World War that would finish off the human race), the Star Harbor Champion League has dozens of members if one includes reservists and associate members, to say nothing of their huge civilian support staff. They are headquartered in a fortress-like building on a rise outside of town, with a glittering high rise office building in the city center as their public address.

Though the power levels of the League's members vary considerably, just a few of the "upper echelon" members alone comprise a good chunk of the world's most powerful beings.

Champion

Little is known about the origins of Star Harbor's greatest protector. In December of 1937, a toddler was rescued from the frigid waters of Star Harbor by a couple of brave sailors; who his parents were or how he'd come to be there remains a mystery. Initial medical examination showed the child to be perfectly healthy--remarkably so, considering the manner in which he'd been found--but also revealed some small anomalies. Later tests were unable to replicate these and so they were written off and the boy was placed for adoption and raised in a relatively normal home environment as Jason Jeffries.

Young Jason was considered by all who knew him to be a remarkable boy, a "golden child" who was always respectful, well-behaved, and willing to go out of his way to help others. As he grew, he also developed a remarkable knack for knowing when somebody was in trouble... or up to no good. His parents and teachers learned to trust his hunches in this regard. The young man's instincts lead him to aid several of the city's masked mystery men, even to the point of accompanying them on adventures where his own sense of heroism wouldn't let him sit on the sidelines.

When the loose association of crimefighters decided to band together and form the Champion League, the now-teenaged Jason was invited to be their "mascot". Though nobody realized just how "super" Jason Jeffries was at the time, he showed a remarkable resistance to injury that at first was attributed to luck. The first manifestations of his other powers were similarly overlooked... his nascent flight power coming into play just enough to let him make an "almost impossible" leap, bursts of superstrength being chalked up to a burst of adrenaline fueled by extreme need, and so on. A direct hit from a bursting cannon shell ultimately revealed the truth, that Jason Jeffries was every bit as much a superhuman as the heroes he'd idolized and emulated.

The original roster of the Champion League belonged to an older generation, and one by one they retired or fell tragically in the line of duty until only Jason himself remained. Because he'd been a "mere human" when he joined, he'd never worn a mask or took a code name, but as he ascended to a leadership role the press dubbed him Champion, making him synonymous with the team he's lead ever since.

His powers have grown steadily since his mysterious arrival in Star Harbor, and he now pretty much defines the word "superpowered." He can fly at phenomenal speeds inside of atmosphere and into deep space. His burning gaze can cauterize a puncture wound or level a building. The upper limits of his powers are not known, but it is believed that only the Destroyer of Worlds can outmatch him for sheer physical strength and resilience. He also ages more slowly than usual, now appearing to be in his early thirties. He strives to remain as helpful, courteous, and respectful as he was taught to be as a young boy, but in recent years he's grown a bit aloof and reserved... and a little bit more frustrated in dealing with an increasingly hostile media and jaded public.

His signature greeting and catch phrase is "Good (morning/evening), citizen."

Lady Starshard

Elaine Liebowitz's life story pretty much embodies the sheer randomness of the universe. She was hiking through the woods with her boyfriend one day (her boyfriend's idea, not hers) when she fell a bit behind. In fact, she got completely lost. Just then, a bit of a shooting star struck her in the forehead. Shockwaves from the impact leveled an area the size of three city blocks, but she was left completely unharmed... save for the jewel-like piece of alien mineral protruding from her forehead. The rounded tip that stuck out was kind of pretty, but the other end was long, jagged, and lodged in her brain. The doctors said they couldn't remove it without killing her, but some government scientists were pretty eager to test that theory. Fortunately, the shard had also given her massive telekinetic superpowers, so she was able to put a stop to that.

She gradually discovered other powers, including the ability to teleport objects and people, bilocation, and a form of enhanced perception that's somewhere between clairvoyance and omniscience. Researchers have told her that she appears to be able to effortlessly fold the fabric of space-time and could conceivably manifest any ability given sufficient mental preparation, but honestly, when they start talking like that, all she hears is "Blah, blah, blah." All she cares about is the fact that she's become rich and famous without having to lift a finger (famous as a superhero, rich for the clothing and fragrance lines her fame paid for).

Oh, the boyfriend she was hiking with? Became a supervillain. Totally embarrassing.

Kether II

Some are born great. Others have greatness thrust upon them. If greatness is thrust upon you by a domineering mother, it's kind of like a little of both. Rachel Stein's mother Raphaela was the daughter of two Holocaust survivors, and a mystic of great talent. She found a supernatural artifact known as the Crown of Solomon that gave her enhanced magical abilities, which she used to hunt down other such items in order to become a guardian against the sort of horrors her parents had endured. In doing so, she came to the attention of a mystical entity identified as the angel Michael, who offered her more power for her holy quest (though she was herself not particularly pious.)

Rapahaela retired abruptly in the mid 90s, bluntly informing her twenty-something daughter who had few inclinations towards magic or superheroics that she was expected to follow in her footsteps. In the face of unrelenting maternal disapproval, she gave up her studies as an entomologist ("After all, it's not as though you're a real doctor.") and began to learn the basics of magical theory from her mother. Her studious, intelligent nature helped her make up for lost time in this area, and that coupled with the power of the artifacts she wields and the extra "oomph" she gets from divine patronage makes her one of the most potent supernatural forces on earth.

All things considered, she'd rather be studying bugs.

The Destroyer of Worlds (inactive, possibly deceased)

William Wallace Flagg was a scientist working on the first atomic bomb tests at Trinity, NM. While attempting to expose saboteurs who were in the process of framing him for treason to cover their tracks, he received a massive dose of radiation. Instead of killing him, the energy activated his dormant Calder gene, transforming him into a twelve-foot tall chalky skinned behemoth. The initial transformation only lasted a few hours... long enough for him to put the kibosh on the sabotage plot. Unfortunately, despite the revelation of the true culprits, Wallace Flagg's career was still over. In the fallout (no pun intended) from the debacle, it came to the government's attention that he was having an affair with another man. He lost his security clearance, his job, and his professional reputation... all without anyone connecting him to the "monster" known as the Destroyer, whom he continued to periodically turn into.

Eventually Flagg realized that the transformations were triggered by repression... if he felt an intense feeling... such as hate, fear, or desire... which he tried to bottle up inside him, the transformation would take effect. When he learned to stop fighting his feelings, he gained a measure of control over the process and found he retained more of his intelligence in his altered state, as well. Unfortunately, the "Destroyer body" has a damaged speech center which prevents him from modulating the volume of his voice and also impairs his use of grammar, so people tend to react to the Destroyer as a simple-minded brute regardless.

The Destroyer has been seen as a dangerous beast and a great hero, depending on who's talking and when. He's faked his death many times, notably in the aftermath of the Portal Wars, when many of earth's heroes had died anyway. During that time, he underwent a form of telepathic hypnosis to forget his true identity and try to live the stereotypical "normal life", complete with a wife and kids. As "David Price", he fathered a daughter, Deirdre, who only learned his true identity when she inherited a form of his powers. The shock of seeing her transform for the first time undid the mental conditioning, and the Destroyer was back on the scene.

Flagg has lent his alter ego's immense physical might to the Champion League on many occasions, despite a somewhat antagonistic relationship with the team's leader. At the present time, his whereabouts are unknown, and he's once again popularly believed to be dead.