The Power Corps

The Power Corps is a team of mercenaries originally recruited and trained by the supervillain Mastermind as his agents. He outfitted them with advanced suits of armor, powerful enough to make them a match for heroes like the Freedom League, or so they thought. The Power Corps worked for the Mastermind for a time, going up against the League individually and as a group. Eventually, after the Mastermind suffered defeat at the hands of the League and was missing and presumed dead, the Power Corps decided to go it on their own. They recovered their armor and became super-mercenaries for hire.
Since then, the Power Corps have worked for anyone able to afford their services, which range from bodyguarding to theft, intimidation to assassination, and even the overthrow of small governments. Their list of clients has included crime-lords, drug kingpins, would-be dictators, and, of course, various supercriminals in need of powerful henchmen. They have on at least one occasion fallen under the influence of their original boss, Mastermind. Since then, the Power Corps have adjusted the psionic circuitry Mastermind placed in their armor to telepathically control them. Instead, it now generates a psionic jamming frequency to help shield them against outside mental influence.
A portion of the Corps’ fees goes toward maintaining their armor, and they’ve established safe-houses and supply caches in various places around the world. Occasionally, the team sees fit to replace a member lost in combat or who decides to leave the group, but for the most part they are fairly tightknit, and few choose to leave the Power Corps.
Each Power Corps suit of armor has a number (1 through 8) on its chest-plate, and the armor’s wearer is referred to by number while in the field: Number One, Number Two, and so forth. Number One is the team-leader while Number Two is his second-in-command.

Structure

Members

With eight suits of armor available, the Power Corps typically has eight active members at any given time. Not all of its members will necessarily be active on the same job, and Number One sometimes splits the team, sending another squad under Number Two’s command to handle a separate job at the same time. Apart from Numbers One and Two, who have remained consistent leaders of the Power Corps since its inception, other members have rotated through the team.

Number One

Randall “Rand” Trask earned his dishonorable discharge from the U.S. Army the old fashioned way: brawling and conduct unbecoming. He worked as a mercenary in a number of bush-wars in South and Central America, including a stint or two with SHADOW before drawing Mastermind’s attention. Originally the loyal soldier, Trask saw an opportunity after Mastermind met his defeat and took the Power Corps off in its own direction, and has been leading it ever since.

Number Two

Margaret “Mags” Malinski was as good a soldier, if not better, than anyone in her unit, but because she was a woman, no one acknowledged it, and because she was a lesbian, she got kicked out. She made a name for herself as a mercenary. Trask recognized her skills early on and recruited her, making Mags his Number Two in the Corps and she has been his loyal right-hand. Anyone who crosses him has to answer to her.

Number Three

Dan Sullivan is the Corps’ munitions specialist; the redhaired and bearded Sullivan likes blowing things up a little too much for anyone else’s comfort.

Number Four

Aaron “A.K.” Kendall is an African-American ex-Marine who got involved with the Power Corps so Mastermind’s advanced technology could replace a foot he lost to a landmine as a mercenary working with Trask. A.K. has thought of leaving the Corps but is too deep in (wanted in numerous countries) and too loyal to Trask to make the decision.

Number Five

Darren “Fastball” Larson started out in the minor leagues of baseball before enlisting in the army, where he could toss a grenade as well as a fastball. He was drummed out for an incident involving avoidable civilian casualties.

Number Six

Del Chambers is a brawny bruiser known for penchant for violence and making Number Two’s life difficult by going off half-cocked and not respecting her authority.

Number Seven

Rosa Elzie is the Corps current techie. Her efforts help keep their armor in good operating condition, which is not always easy, nor is being the only other woman in the Corps.

Number Eight

Raymond “Ray Blast” Blair was a military sniper, later a freelance assassin. He enjoys picking off his targets and the sheer power provided by his Corps armor.

Powers & Abilities

The members of the Power Corps are all trained soldiers, skilled in both combat and small unit tactics. Each wears a suit of metallic and ceramic-composite armor consisting of a clamshell cuirass that covers the torso, bulky boots, gauntlets and a helmet over a close-fitting black bodysuit. The boots contain turbofan rockets, allowing the Power Corps to fly, while the armor’s gauntlets contain blaster weapons. The suits have sealed life-support systems and the helmet has a reflective black faceplate that can display sensor information and readouts on the inside. The helmets also have special computer systems that help to coordinate the Corps’ tactical movements, allowing them to operate very efficiently as a unit.

Tactics

The Power Corps know from hard experience that many superheroes outclass the capabilities of their armor. What they lack in sheer power, they work to make up for in teamwork. In particular, they take on foes in twos or threes, using team attacks and their advantages in numbers
Against ordinary foes the Power Corps is fairly fearless, especially if their armor’s impervious durability is sufficient to protect them (as it is against small arms fire). They use their superior speed and maneuverability to deal with military and para-military assets: each member of the Corps is like a human fighter-plane, not quite as fast, but even more maneuverable.
The Corps fights to get the job done, rather than for glory or personal reasons, so they believe strongly in running away and living to fight another day, especially when they’re outclassed or there is nothing to be gained through fighting. They have no compunctions about endangering innocent lives to help cover their own withdrawal, and have been known to damage buildings or even shoot down aircraft in order to distract pursuing heroes.

Type

Guild, Fighter / Mercenary