Punchline (Dante Mironov)
| Punchline | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Player: @randr11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Character Build | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class Focus: | DPS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Power Level: | 40 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Research & Development: | N/A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biographical Data | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Real Name: | Dante Mironov | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Known Aliases: | Dante Jensen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Species: | Human | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ethnicity: | Caucasian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of Birth: | Detroit, MI | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Base of Operations: | Millennium City, MI | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives: | (father) Ilya Mironov; (Mother) Mary O'Callaghan; (Brothers) Misha (24), Adrian (20); (Sisters) Karina (21), Eva (17) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Characteristics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: | 23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5'10" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 163 lbs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eyes: | Blue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hair: | Brunette | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Complexion: | Smooth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Physical Build: | Thin, Athletic (swimmer's build) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Physical Features: | (Tattoos)Key on the inside of his left wrist, 'ABBY' on the inside of his right wrist, Celtic band on his left ring finger, Gun with blind maiden on the grip on his left shoulder blade, a grenade with a smiley face in the center of the pin on the right shoulder blade, Schrodinger's equation formed into a yin yang on his left hip bone, Caffeine Molecule on his left right hip bone
(piercings): bottom lip once, right left eyebrow once, tongue (scars)Right bicep from brush with bullet, Two little ones across is left eyebrow from Karma scratches, One on his left knee from tripping as a child, a four inch scar across the right of his abdomen from having his appendix taken out as a child. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alignment: |
Chaotic Neutral | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reputation: |
Big-time | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Identity: | Secret | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years Active: | 12 off and on in some shape or form
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| Citizenship: | American | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Student and Video clerk/Manager at Jimbo's Vids | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education: | Student at MCU | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marital Status: | Married to Rhapsody | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Known Powers and Abilities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nearly Perfect Shot, Munitions, Demolition, Self-Defense Training, Mathematical Prodigy, Chemistry Wiz, High Intelligence | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Equipment and Paraphernalia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP-443 Grach, Brugger & Thomet Mp9, Heckler & Koch HK 416, F1 and RGD-5 Grenades, Semtex, C4, Ballistic Knife, 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa
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| Attributes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ReldinBox Template | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Contents
Biography
Dante is the second of five children born to Ilya Mironov and Mary O'Callaghan. Neither Ilya nor Mary were born in the United States. Ilya was born in Soviet Russia and had been trained Spetsnaz. Though he was loyal to his country and generally didn't like the US, he felt it was time to leave when the Soviet government started to crumble. Mary's father was a member of the Irish Republic Army. He too loved his country, but he loved his wife more. He finally relented to Mary's mother begging him to move for the sake of the family. This odd combination of combat training in his relatives set Dante up for an odd childhood.
At the time of Dante's birth in 1989 he had one older brother, Misha. Ilya was always very hard on his boys when they messed up or disappointed him. They were not spared physical violence. He told them it was good for them to learn and felt that it would toughen them up. In Dante's mind it did. He can take a punch as well as throw a pretty nasty one.
Before he even started preschool it was becoming clear that the boy had a talent for mathematics. He quickly picked up on numbers and letters. However, what really surprised his mother was how easily he picked up what to do with the numbers. He would go through all the little workbooks she got him at at alarming speed.
When he was three Ilya and Mary where blessed with their first daughter, Karina. Ilya did not treat her the same way he treated his sons. He was much more gentle with his daughter. When the boys made a mistake they were beaten. When Karina made a mistake she was scolded then given a pat on the butt and told to go play. For awhile Dante didn't understand, but then his father told him that girls are more delicate and need male protection. He made his son promise to look after his little sister and any other siblings he might have. It was his job as a elder brother.
The following year his mother gave birth to another child. The couples third son, Adrian. As he grew up he was treated the same way his other broths had been. If he made a mistake he would receive a lashing. There were a few times when Dante tried to interfere only to get them both in more trouble. His father told them that a real man had to learn how to take a beating and stay on his feet.
When his sons were old enough Ilya actually began to teach them how to fight back. He made sure they knew how to defend themselves in case they ran into trouble on the rough streets of Westside. It is a skill that Dante is grateful to his father for.
He entered school life like most children. Most areas he grew at a normal rate, but his teachers couldn't challenge him enough in the areas of math and science. When he was in the second grade his parents were approached with the option of having him take Middle School Math and Science classes. Dante was excited and they allowed him to proceed. By fifth grade they had already moved him onto High School level classes.
In the meantime, Ilya and Mary's fifth and youngest child was born. A daughter that the named Eva. Dante was 6 when she was born and made the same promise he'd made to his other two younger siblings, he would always protect her.
Dante had always shown interest in his grandfather's guns, but his mother was always discouraging on the subject. She didn't want her children to grow up and fall into the wrong side of Westside life. She wanted better for them then to become thugs. However, this did not discourage the old man. When Dante was 8 his grandfather started to teach him the basics of gun safety, maintenance, and shooting. For awhile this was all tricky for Dante, but he was excited enough to keep everything written down in detail in a notebook. Pretty soon he started to improve and found a way to use his math savvy to make aiming a simple task for him.
For his 9th birthday his grandfather gave him his own handgun. It was his prized possession and he promised not to tell his mother he had it. It wasn't much later that he took his first kill. In childish innocence he stopped two men from robbing an elderly lady of her purse. The old woman was frighted of him, but thanked him by giving him a mint before quickly retreating from the scene. Confused on how he felt about the situation Dante went to speak with his grandfather. The old man scolded him and told him he had to be more careful.
He kept practicing with the hand gun and moved on to his grandfather teaching him other kinds of munitions and demolitions. The whole experience is one of his best memories. His grandfather was dearly loved by him. However, he secretly continued to try to 'do good' with his guns. Though the numbers of times he used it on others stayed low he still found that killing 'bad people' didn't really phase him.
One afternoon, when Dante was 16, Eva didn't come home from her friends. When the situation was looked into two of her friends had vanished as well. Mary was beside herself and the police didn't seem helpful. Dante wasn't going to let his sister vanish. He took to the streets of Westside to find out anything he could. After days of searching he found out that other kids had been disappearing, too. It all lead back to VIPER. This lead him on a trail that then lead to The Circle of the Scarlet Moon and Vibora Bay.
He 'borrowed' his grandfather's car and went on a road trip with the whole mission in mind of getting his sister back. She was not easy to find, but when he found her he took his time to make a plan of attack before he went in to rescue her. It turns out that he was a little too late. Eva and her friend Kimi had already been altered. Their other friend had been sacrificed. Still Eva was more then ready to go home. Kimi wasn't. Dante took all the other children that wanted to go home and dropped them off at the Vibora Bay police station. With that he took Eva and headed home.
His mother scolded him and his father knocked him around a little for being so reckless, but they were forgiving. It was good to have their little Eva home. This experience lead him to trust his little sister with what he'd been doing and she slowly began to open up about what the Circle of the Scarlet Moon had done to her and some of the others. Dante was so enraged that he vowed to rid the city of both the Circle and VIPER.
He got wind of a meeting between them and slipped in to plant explosives. Blowing the building he successfully caught all attending members in the blast. Unfortunately the explosion was bigger than he'd intended and ill timed. Other people were injured and killed. He was watching the destruction and chaos from across the street when he noticed a pretty girl about to get knocked over and trampled. He pulled her to safety and told her to be more careful. Her name was Abby Wade.
It wasn't long before they finally traced the explosion back to him and he was arrested. He spent his 17th birthday in jail and was tried as an adult. However, with testimony from Abby and a few other people he was let off of most charges. He was found guilty of conspiracy, but was recommended to be placed in a Psychiatric Hospital. He wound up at Miskatonic Psychiatric Hospital. On a whim he wrote a letter to Abby to thank her for stranding up for him in court. It started a chain of them writing to each other in secret. At first it was a little bit of a game to him, but she won him over.
After a few months the arrangements were made for her to be able to visit him on Saturdays. She did so as religiously as she could. However, life sometimes got in the way. His mother, sisters and brothers also often visited him. His father never did. Ilya was upset at his son for being stupid and getting caught. In the meantime Dante was also seeking the help that the state thought he needed. He played nice and didn't fuck around too much with the other crazies. He played nice in hopes of getting out sooner. While he was at the Hospital he received his GED.
He was told he was going to be released at the end of July in 2008. He couldn't be more thrilled. However, he had a bit of an upset when he thought Abby was being unfaithful to him. He cut off his hair and it looked like they might want to keep him for longer. He talked his way out of it, but it was a close call. They released him to stay in the care of a half-way house until he could find a job and someplace to live. His disruptive behavior continued there. For the first week he often brought back a different girl every night.
This changed when he got another note from Abby and felt like a complete fool. He made sure he went to go see her at the Social Pariah concert. From there they just grew closer. They got an apartment together and were happy. Things were looking good, but he secretly carried on with his violent behavior towards anyone he proceeded as a threat. He had a tangle with the New Purple Gang and ended up in Kevin Poe's Debt. He also continued to hunt VIPER.
This was all well and good until Abby found out. Dante came home to find her reading his notebook with all the details carefully written in his own hand. He tried to explain things to her, but she still seemed shaken. Finally he convinced her to go on a raid with him so she could see he was doing good. It was a very bad idea that wound up in a train wreck. While he was skilled, Abby still got captured. He delayed in going after her. When he did go to her rescue she was half dead.
With his grandfather's help he contacted a street doctor known as The Butcher. The Butcher was able to save Abby's life, but at a cost. Dante owed him. It didn't matter to him at the time. All Dante wanted was for Abby to get better. However, when she finally woke up they both found out that she was blind. Frightened and angry Abby ended up leaving. All she said was she needed time.
Dante was beside himself but carried on with his life. He did what he had to do to get out of the debt of both The Butcher and Kevin Poe. Not able to find a job because of his record he sank to the level of selling drugs to make ends meet. He was truly a mess, but didn't want to give up the apartment he'd shared with Abby. He wanted her to have a home to come back too. After six months he'd almost given up on her coming back and started to pick up old bad habits. He started smoking again, drank more, and it wasn't uncommon for him to wake up next to a stranger.
It was just after a year that Abby came back. Dante was unfortunate enough for her to come back while he was with another girl. It made for a rough road, but he promised her to change. He stopped smoking and seeing other girls and did everything he could to win her back. It took time, but she finally moved back in and began to give him more trust. His Grandfather died early in 2010 and Abby was a great comfort for him. He felt like he'd lost a big part of his life with the death of the old man.
In June of 2011 he proposed to her and they were married the following November. The complication was that he didn't want to give up his quest to rid Westside of VIPER. He started to secretly go out on raids as Punchline. It was a desperate attempt to keep things as he felt they should be. He maintained the charade for awhile, but not long enough. Abby put things together by February of 2012. This lead her to wanting to become a Hero to follow behind him to make sure he didn't hurt anyone 'innocent'. She has since gained notoriety as the hero called Rhaspody.
Recently the media has gone from calling him a vigilante, to labeling him a villain. He finds this absurd, but in the end doesn't really care. He knows that he's trying to do something good for Westside and that is good enough for him.
((End of Spoilers))
Abilities
Precise shot/perfect Aim - Dante almost never misses a shot. Almost. This isn't do to any super power. It is due to years of target practice and sharp math skills.
Hand guns, Simi-automatics, Sniper rifles (or guns, guns and more guns) - His grandfather started to teach him how to shoot a gun at the age of 8. Since then it one of the things he feels he is really good at doing. A gun of some type almost always feels good in his hand. It is a comfort for him. He tends to get into a zen like zone when he is shooting. It makes him focus, but it also helps him relax.
Demolitions - Punchline how to make explosives. Those he can't make at home, he knows how to find and buy. He knows how much to use and where to place his explosives for the best results.
Self-Defense training - While munitions is his forte he does have self-defence training for times when people get up in his face. He knows how to defend himself. Since he was very little his father has taught him and his brothers how to throw and take a punch.
Mathematical Prodigy - His talent with math appeared at an early age. It made him a little awkward when in elementary school, but since then he has shown to have an amazing grasp of mathematics and an over all astounding intellect. He is majoring in applied mathematics at MCU.
Chemistry Wiz - He is also very good with chemistry. It is a subject he finds useful in construction of demolitions and overly a fascinating field. He has an impressive talent in the lab. This is his minor.
Armature Painter - Most people don't know this about him, but he isn't a bad painter. He hardly ever uses the skill, but it tends to calm him down when he gets wound up. Abby sometimes asks him to paint more because she feels it would be helpful for him. She is one of the only people that he given any of his paintings.
Equipment
MP-443 Grach - "Judy"
Brugger & Thomet Mp9
Heckler & Koch HK 416
F1 and RGD-5 Grenades
Semtex
C4
Remote Detonator
Ballistic Knife
2008 Suzuki Hayabusa
Weaknesses
Family - The Mironov family is rather close, although dysfunctional. Dante loves them all despite all the crazy stuff surrounding them all. However, often he forgets that by putting himself out there that he may be placing them in harms way. There are three people who know that he is Punchline. One of them is his youngest sister, Eva, another is his mother. If any of them where in trouble he would take the incentive to do something about it even if it didn't happen to be the smartest move. If anything happened to any of them it would eat at him.
Abby/Rhapsody - Abby is really the only person he's ever romantically loved. He knows that she's risking her life for him and he hates it. She keeps getting hurt for/because of him and it makes him feel terrible every time. He'd walk into hell to bring her out safely. If any of his enemies made the connection she'd be the best way to get him to walk straight into a trap. He will always come to save her if she needs it.
Magic - He doesn't know much about it. They mysterious and secretive nature of the magical world make it hard for him to comprehend. Without real understanding he finds it harder to combat any magic based foes.
His own ego/Jealousy - Dante is often his own worst enemy. Most of the trouble he's gotten into has been do to his own foolish pride. This goes for events as well as relationships. He can't let go of a grudge. Also, his own ego has lead him into situations that have gotten him in trouble with Abby before. So far she's forgiven all his past digressions, but she can only take so much. Another part of that is that he's jealous. He's been hazily faithful to her in the past. When he felt they where broken up he didn't hesitate to sleep with other girls. Even though they are vowed to each other he still gets extremely jealous whenever he hears rumors about her being involved with someone else (even if most of the allegations are ridiculous). It has lead to more than one argument.
Allies and Acquaintances
Enemies
Individuals
Arachne (unknown)
Powers/Abilities: Chains and Poisons/venoms
Occupation: Evil-Scientist working for VIPER
Likes: Experimentation, Finding new 'test subjects'
Hates: False hypothesis, When people mess with her operation/spoil her tests
Info: Dante left her for dead, but since then has received clues that she might have survived. She was the one who took Abby's eyesight. She is the one individual that they would both like to get their hands on. However, Dante/Punchline would be less lenient with what punishment he felt she deserved.
Threat Level:
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Eris (Kimi Yu)
Powers/Abilities: Darkness and Chaos
Occupation:Goddess of Discord with a tiwst
Likes: Messing up lives and creating choas
Hates:
Info:
Threat Level:
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Powers/Abilities:
Occupation: Hero
Likes: 'justice' a.k.a. Being a pretentious prick
Hates: Murder, Rape, Destruction, Punchline
Info: Raven is a hero that sees things in black and white. To him Punchline is every bit of the villain the media says he is and nothing with change his mind about that.
Threat Level:
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Organizations
VIPER
Info: Venomous Imperial Party of the Eternal Reptile, or VIPER for short, can trace its roots back to a time before Atlantis. In the mid-nineteenth century, a society of explorers called the Unholy Order of the Grand Reptile became fascinated with a West African cult that worshiped the snake-god Nama. The Unholy Order had disappeared for a time, only to reappear during times of great wars, when the chance to aid governments and pursue their own secret agendas would present itself.
After World War II, the grandchildren of the original members of the Unholy Order, thirty of them to be precise, decided to reestablish the Order and it is believed that during their initial meeting that the great snake-god himself Nama instructed the thirty to build a new nest in a modern world. The Thirty Founders, took an oath to never betray the other founders or the organization itself and as reward for this oath, they were marked with the sign of the Serpent and thus became VIPER. (from CO-Wiki)
Why he hates them: They are the group that kidnapped Eva to trade her to the Circle of the Scarlet Moon. They are also the group that is responsible for Abby's blindness. He sees them as a general blight on the face of Westside.
What he does about it: He goes out of his way to put a cramp in their Millennium City. His main targets are all on Westside. After planning out a 'raid' he will go in and kill every member of VIPER he can, release any hostages, and then blew up the building to make sure that they don't move back in.
Threat Level:
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The Circle of the Scarlet Moon
Info: A secret mystical organizations. Founded by French aristocrats it was almost snuffed out during the French Revolution. However, it found a new life in Frances American Colonies. For awhile the organizations was very weak. However, recently they have started to come into their own. The Circle has underlying influence through out both Europe and North America. With their evil rites and dark ambitions they cause many in the magic world dread.
Why he hates them: They are the ones that ended up with Eva. He doesn't like that they are willing to harm children to get what they want. Their dark magic gives him the creeps.
What he does about it: Though they don't appear much in Millennium City, he will go after them if he finds out that they will be in town. However, they are super secretive and it is rare he will hear anything about them. In addition there is the problem in that he is weaker against magic because he doesn't really understand it and finds them a more difficult target than VIPER.
Threat Level:
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PSI
Info: PSI was once led by Sebastian Poe, a scientist who worked on a serum that induced and enhanced psychic powers. To be sure, he tested it out on him and his infant son, Kevin (without his wife's knowledge). After a while, he met the accountant, Madeline Bruner, who found out what he was up to. She seduced him, making him inject her with the serum, marry her, and break up with his wife, who took their infant son with her.
As Madeline was married to Poe, she owned half of all Poe's companies. She made him create a group of powerful psionics, who eventually took over the Scarlatti mob organization, as well as a key VIPER nest in Baltimore. They were called PSI. Eventually PSI was taken over by Psimon. (From CO Wiki)
Why he hates them: They have shown interest in Abby. Even though she has refused any offers from them, he knows how aggressive they can be in going after what/who they want.
What he does about it: Not much unless they are threatening Abby or him at any given moment.
Threat Level:
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Millennium City Police Department
Info: Millenium Cities finest. The men in blue and the many departments that are connected. They are good for the city, but very bad for a wanted man.
Why he hates them: He really has nothing against the police, but he is a wanted man. He hates that he has been labeled a villain when he is just trying to help. However, he knows that it isn't really the polices fault.
What he does about it:When he is out as Punchline he tries to avoid them the best he can. He won't hurt an officer unless he is under threat of violence himself. Even then he probably wouldn't shoot to kill.
Threat Level:
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In The News
Millennium City News - March 13, 2013
Soundtrack
3. "Not Your Fault" - Awolnation
4. "Pumped Up Kicks" - Foster the People
5. "Destroy Everything You Touch" - Ladytorn
8. "Trigger Happy Hands" - Placebo (language warning)
9. "One More Murder" - Better Than Ezra
10. "Youth Without Youth" - Metric
11. "Military Fashion Show" - Chaos All Stars (And One cover)
13. "The Wrong Side" - Abney Park
15. "In This Together" - Apoptygma Berzerk
16. "A View to a Kill" - Duran Duran
17. "Bad Reputation" - Joan Jett
18. "Drunken Lullabies" - Flogging Molly
19. "Please Don't Leave Me" - P!nk
20. "Scorch the Ground" - Seabound
21. "Africa" - Toto (inside joke >.>)
Tropes
Appearance
Fingerless Gloves - Perhaps it would be smarter for Punchline to wear gloves that hid his fingers. A fingerprint clue could ruin his day, but he likes the way the trigger feels against his finger. It makes him feel like he has more control. Plus, he kind of like the way they look.
Fun T-shirt - Dante loves fun and Ironic T-shirts. It amuses him to wear a shirt with a bomb on it when no one else gets the joke but him.
Hell Bent for Leather - Most of Punchline's outfit is leather. Much of it, however, isn't black. He does like the way it looks, but the main reason he wears leather is that it provides more padding than cloth, and is easier to maneuver in than metal. It is the pragmatic choice.
Spiky Hair - His hair is a faux-hawk. Don't ask him how much time it takes to get his hair perfect.
Good Scars, Evil Scars, Every Scar has a Story - He does have scars and each one has its own story. Not all the stories are all that impressive and he has been known to like more than once about where they came from. Luckily they are all slightly sexy scars and his wife digs them.
Personality
Really Gets Around, The Charmer - He really is a flirtatious charmer and when he's single he really does get around. He likes sex. There isn't much more to it. He knows how to get it. He's can be an ass, but he's a suave ass. At the moment he doesn't sleep around. He's a married man and off the table, but that doesn't stop him from looking when his wife isn't around. He just isn't allowed to touch.
Hot Blooded, Fighting Irish - He really is hot blooded and easy to offend. His temper can be set off over the slightest thing. This doesn't always work out well for him. Most of the time he will stay and fight. However, he will back off if he feels like a fight is going to cost him more than it is worth.
Cluster F Bomb, Precision F-Strike - Though he is extremely intelligent he still has a vocabulary that would make any old fashioned grandmother want to wash his mouth out with soap.
Crazy Jealous Guy - It doesn't take much to set him off and to strike up a fight with Abby. Any inkling he has that she may be unfaithful is a trigger, even though most of the time the proof is as thin as tissue paper. Usually it has to do with males she's spending 'too much time with' or rumors that the media picks up on. As of yet she's always been faithful to him and she doesn't understand why he doesn't trust her. It all boils down to the fact he is afraid that he's not good enough for her and that she will realize that. In addition to that he knows that he's had unfaithful moments when he felt that their relationship was 'off'.
There are No Therapists - Dante has a few issues. It is clear to most people who know him. Yes, he comes across has a nice guy, but he has a screw loose. It isn't that he's never seen a therapist for his unbalanced nature, but at the moment he isn't. He doesn't want to and doesn't really think he needs one. It isn't helping things in his case.
Morality and Philosophy
Chaotic Neutral - Mentally he is chaotic and doesn't care much for the law. He won't directly interfere with the police in them doing their job, but he sure as hell is not going to help them either. He doesn't think they do a very good job. Innocent people get sold up the creek all the time, while the guilty walk free. It is madness to him. Though he wants to do good, he knows that he isn't. He will do things that no good person would do in order to get the job done that he has set out for himself.
Never Hurt an Innocent - Punchline/Dante tries very hard to never to hurt an innocent person. Not that anyone is truly innocent, but he will let go anyone who isn't a target or a clear threat. There are several kidnapped scientist who would tell you he saved them. However, he isn't always sucessful in keeping unintended targets out of the crossfire. He will tell you that 99 - 98% of all the people he's killed were bad. That 1 -2% margin of innocents wasn't good enough for his wife, so she trails behind after him to help eliminate that margin of error.
Pay Evil Unto Evil - He doesn't agree with most heroes philosophy of letting the law deal with criminals. He's seen the law fail too many times to see it as being effective. Therefor the only way he see to deal with the situation is to snuff out the problem. A dead enemy (hopefully) won't come back for you and they sure as hell don't end back up on the streets to hurt innocent people.
Leave No Witnesses - He normally will leave no witnesses. If he is on a roll he will kill everyone he views as a threat no matter how much they plead with him or what their reasons for living are. He frankly doesn't give a f***. However, going along with the 'Never Hurt an Innocent' rule, he will let any captives of his targets go.
Greying Morality - He will never claim to be a hero, but he also doesn't think he is the villain that the press is painting him to be. He is a shade of grey. He sees most people this way. He doubts that any hero is nearly as snowy white as they claim to be. He has his vices and flaws and isn't always ashamed of them.
Combat and Skills
Improbable Aiming Skills - Practice and mathematical skills have given him extremely accurate skills with guns. He hardly ever misses a shot.
Impressive Pyrotechnics - KA-BOOM! The one way to make sure that your enemies don't move back in and set up shop in their hideout again is to blow the place up. If you are going to do a job, do it right.
Awesomeness By Analysis - Most of his skill comes from his intelligence and knowing the physics, mathematics, and chemistry behind what he does.
Smart People Play Chess - He is rather good at chess and it is one of the only things he has in common with his father-in-law. This leads to being one of the only actives they ever do together. It usually turns into a battle of egos in their dislike for each other.
Quirks
Fearless Fool - There is very little that he actually is afraid of. Purple Gang? not a chance. VIPER? nope. DEMON? Not really. It doesn't matter who he is up against he has too much bravado to fear for his own skin. He has complete faith in himself. The only thing he really fears is the loss of people that he loves. Thinking of a world without Abby makes him possessive of her.
Cigarette of Anxiety - He used to smoke and whenever Abby leaves he relapses back into the old habit. She won't date him if she feels like she's kissing an ashtray. However, when he gets really super nervous or worried he still has a cigarette to calm his nerves.
I need a F***ing Drink - Yeah, he drinks. When he is pissed off or upset he drinks even more. He can hold his alcohol pretty well, but that doesn't mean that he hasn't gotten sloppy stupid drunk before. There have been mornings where he woke up not to be able to recall the night before or remember the name of the girl next to him in bed (or even at times where he picked her up at).
All Men are Perverts - He looks. He likes to look. It isn't something he would deny. When he's single he might even try to touch. However, at the moment he holds back and only occasionally eye humps passing hotties.
Background and Events
Abusive Parent - Dante's father beat his boys whenever the disappointed him. His excuse was that they needed to learn how to take the pain that life would give them. There were times when this reasoning was the truth. Ilia Mironov was ex-Spetsnaz and wanted to make sure that his boys would know how to take and give a beating. In Dante's mind this was just another stage of his training. He holds no ill feelings against his father. Abby, having telepathically relived some of these events, isn't so sure Dante should be grateful. She thinks it might have messed him up more than it helped him.
Child Prodigy - From a very young age it was clear that Dante had stellar math and science skills. He took interest in both subjects from the start. His other skills were about average. However, he was already taking High School math and science classes while still in Elementary school.
Student and Master Team, Training from Hell - His maternal grandfather was an ex-solider in the IRA. He'd left Ireland because as much as he loved his country, he loved his wife more. His grandmother had begged to move for the safety of the children. The old man became a master and trained Dante in munitions and demolition. His grandfather loved that he had someone to pass his 'skills' on to and was proud of his grandson, but that didn't mean that the training was easy. He made sure to push Dante as much as possible. The harder his test, the more Dante was determined to succeed.
Young Gun- His Kill count didn't grow very quickly, but he fist killed when he was less then 10. It wasn't something he planned on and he was almost too young to understand the implications of what he'd done. Since then he tried to do good with his guns. Over time killing became second nature...but only if the person was too bad to let live.
Boy Meets Girl, Rescue Romance - It was a Sunny day in September when Dante met Abby. There had been an explosion and he pulled her out of the way of getting trampled by panicked civilians. It was an instant attraction for both of them. More so for her. He was her hero. Of course, she didn't know at the time that he's been the one to blow up the building that put her in harms way in the first place. Their friendship and romance was planted then and grew over the next few years.
Bar Brawl - Yeah, he's been in a few of those...
Justified Criminal - Not all of his criminal activities have been due to his efforts to rid Westside of VIPER. There have been some rough times where he ran drugs to settle a debt and sold drugs to pay the rent. Neither are things he is proud of, but he feels like he did what he needed to do.
Hero with Bad Publicity - Recently the press has switched from calling him a vigilante (which he is) to labeling him a villain. It is a little insulting since all he is trying to do is help. Perhaps he doesn't use the normal 'approved' methods of fighting VIPER, but he sees them as a huge plague on Westside. The city is really better without them. He feels that he's doing a service to his neighborhood.
Character and Motivations
Well Intentioned Extremist - So maybe killing every VIPER in a warehouse and then blowing up the building isn't exactly normal. It is a little extreme and makes property owners in Westside cringe. However, his intentions are good at heart.
Vigilante Man - Most of the Gangs in Westside he can forgive. He knows how rough it can be growing up there and that some people feel like the don't have any other choice. He can be forgiving of them and almost always lets them slide. However, if he feels like someone is threatening his neighborhood (mostly VIPER at the moment) he will take them out with extreme prejudice. He is going to protect the Westside.
Declaration of Protection, Protectorate - Many of the gangs will help cover for him because they know he is trying to protect Westside as a whole...and not like any of those crappy better-than-thou heroes, either. He is one of them. He has claimed stake in protecting Westside. He has also promised in private to always protect Abby/Rhapsody and to never leave her behind.
Because I'm Good at It - He does what he does simply because he's really good at it. A gun feels like an extension of his arm at times. It feels good. And he feels that if he's good at it and can help that it would be a crime to sit on his hands and do nothing.
Relationships
Big Brother Instinct - Three out of four of his brothers and sisters are younger than he is. He is very protective of all of them. If you mess with any of his younger siblings there could be hell to pay. He is especially protective of Eva, seeing as how she is the baby of the family.
Abby/Rhapsody
Devoted to you, Marry for Love - Though he has had a wild and promiscuous past he is completely in love with his wife and devoted to her. Despite his volatile moods she seems to stick right there with him and has been forgiving of his transgressions. He really doesn't know how he got so lucky. While she is in his life (and he views her as his) he will not stray.
Insatiable Newlyweds, Making Love in All the Wrong places - They have been married for about a year and a half, but they still can't keep their hands off of each other. When she's away he feels like an addict going through withdraw. She's his crack and he keeps wanting another hit.
Psychic Link - Dante is far from being psychic, but his wife is a talented telepath. She has set up a mind link between the two of them. It allows her to speak telepathically with her. It is still a little odd for him, but he trust her.
Possessions
Cool Bike - His bike is a 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa. Abby gave it to him for his 19th birthday. His bike is one of his 'babies'. He has worked with one of his cousins to modify her. The handle grips are finger print sensitive and start the engine by his touch...and only his touch. The front tire locks at a slight angle so that the bike will only go in circles if someone tries to roll it off. When she's off he has a silent alarm to let him know if she is being tampered with. There have been defense modifications added mostly to keep her from being stolen. Anyone trying to dismantle or hijack his bike without the proper protocol will receive a nasty electric shock. As foolish as it may seem he riders her as both Dante and Punchline. The only difference is that he has a fake license plate to put over the real one when he goes out as Punchiline. It reads Ka-BOOM.
Gun Porn - He has a gun safe in their closet that is packed full of guns. However, the most common ones he uses are listed above under his Equipment section. His pistol is named Judy.
Profession
Mad Mathematician - He can get a little overzealous and sucked into his equations at times. They are like great riddles he is trying to solve. Even when he isn't working on mathematical solutions he can be a bit...unbalanced.
Unscrupulous Hero - He doesn't really view himself as a hero, but he does acknowledge he is only trying to do some good. He is an anti-hero. He will do what it takes to get the job done. He knows that some blood with probably be shed, some lives lost, but it is all for the betterment of the human race. Who will really miss some VIPER assholes anyway?
RP Hooks
- Dante went to Westside High HighSchool until for freshman and sophomore year. Maybe you remember him from there.
- For the next few years of his life he was locked up in Miskatonic Psychiatric Hospital. I doubt anyone wants to remember him from there, but I won't stop you.
- He used to deal drugs. >.> Not any more.
- He is commonly seen around Westside and the pubs there.
- Dante is also a student at MCU in the Math department. Perhaps you go to school with him or have had him as a lab partner in a science course.
- he works at the Jimbo's Vids down the street from the Westside prison. Maybe you've stopped in to get a movie before.
Trivia
IC: Punchline
- He first appeared as Punchline in the summer of 2011, but he was active before that without a name/disguise. Fortunately for him no one other than his wife and mother have figured that out.
- He wears clown face paint to hide his identity. Surprisingly no one else can tell (Besides Abby and his Ma).
- He gets mad when you call his face paint make-up.
- He choice the name Punchline because he felt like life is one big joke and it needs a Punchline to have it make scene.
- He works alone...mostly.
- Most of his targets are on Westside, but he will stray to anywhere else in Millenium City if it is called for.
- His #1 target is always VIPER.
- His outfit is designed to give a nod to all the gangs in Westside. Purple patches - the new Purple gang. Red patches - Dragons. Black leather - Cobra lords. Face paint - Maniacs. His boots are like the black ace's.
- There are various opinions on Punchline. The media has dubbed him a villain. However, most people who live in Westside would say he is a hero there or at least recognize what he is trying to do.
- He is a wanted man. However, even with a reward offered most citizens of Westside wouldn't give him up even if they could find out anything about him.
- When he is Punchline his license plate reads "KA-Boom"
IC: Dante
- He wasn't able to finish High School at Westside High because he was caught and tried for criminal activity.
- He was found not guilty of most of the crimes due to lack of solid proof, but was found guilty of conspiracy. Due to him clearly having an issue of knowing right from wrong he was sentenced to Miskatonic Psychiatric Hospital instead of prison.
- He finished his GED while at MPH.
- He is married to Abby Wade.
- Dante is currently a third year student at MCU. His major is Applied Mathematics and his minor is Chemistry. However, he is thinking about switching it to a double major.
- He will go to about any lengths to keep his loved ones safe.
OOC
- The idea for him came from a dream I had about Rhapsody. He kind of took on a life of his own and isn't nearly as psychotic as he was in the dream. Over all I like the way he turned out.
- Live action casting choice: Zachary Quinto (but open to other suggestions)
Graffiti Wall
"It doesn't matter what the world says about you, moy dorogoy, you will always be my hero." ~ Rhapsody
"He's my hero, too. So, you, like, have to share and stuff, Rhapsody! He's one of the best older brothers a girl could have. I would think he was an even better brother if he, you know, got me a car for by birthday. Hint. Hint." ~ Eva
Gallery
bang! bang!
Say hello of my little friend!
Rhapsody and Punchline by Musingmark
Inside of left wrist (engagement tattoo)
Left ring finger (wedding ring)
Left shoulder blade (back)
Right shoulder blade (back)
- L.jpg
Inside of right wrist
Over right hip bone (front)
Over left hip bone (front)
