Dr. Kaufmann
| Dr. Kaufmann | ||||||||||
| Player: @kampfykaufmann | ||||||||||
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| "Trust me. I'm a doctor." | ||||||||||
| Biographical Data | ||||||||||
| Real Name: | Dr. Pascal Hugo Kaufmann | |||||||||
| Known Aliases: | The Doctor, Silver Scalpel, Surgeon General, Dr. Leech, Medicus, Medicus, Dr. Hugo M. Locke | |||||||||
| Gender: | Male | |||||||||
| Species: | Human | |||||||||
| Ethnicity: | Caucasian | |||||||||
| Place of Birth: | Unknown (suspected to be Germany) | |||||||||
| Base of Operations: | Millenium City, USA | |||||||||
| Relatives: | Unknown | |||||||||
| Characteristics | ||||||||||
| Age: | Unknown (seems to be in his mid-30s) | |||||||||
| Height: | 6.1 " | |||||||||
| Weight: | 195 lbs | |||||||||
| Eyes: | Dark Brown | |||||||||
| Hair: | Black | |||||||||
| Complexion: | Pale | |||||||||
| Physical Build: | Athletic | |||||||||
| Physical Features: |
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| Status | ||||||||||
| Fame: |
Recluse | |||||||||
| Alignment: |
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| Identity: | Secret | |||||||||
| Years Active: | Unknown | |||||||||
| Citizenship: | Various (through fake identities) | |||||||||
| Occupation: | Gang leader, arms dealer, criminal mastermind | |||||||||
| Education: | Unknown (claims to be a medical doctor) | |||||||||
| Marital Status: | Unknown | |||||||||
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| Equipment and Paraphernalia | ||||||||||
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| Non-Physical Attributes | |||||||||
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Psionics |
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| MaekadaBoxSlim created by @Maekada | |||||||||
Contents
Appearance
Dr. Kaufmann has changed since he suddenly re-appeared in Millenium City. He has cut his black hair short, shaved the sides and usually has the rest slicked back. The large streak of white running through his hair have been joined by some streaks of gray. He is still very pale and seems to have visibly aged in the past year. The dark circles under his eyes and the highly visible veins on his neck remain, suggesting that he still has quite unhealthy living and sleeping habits. Additionally a rather grisly scar is visible on his neck from when a vampire tried to take a bite out of it during the attack of the vampire lord Adrian Arkwright on Millenium City. He has acquired a large number of tattoos covering his torso and arms over the past year, the most prominent being letters on his knuckles spelling the phrase DON'T HARM.
His usual outfit consists of a white dress shirt with a black vest above it, along with black dress pants, both made of a special reinforced nanoweave fabric which allows these clothes to withstand certain amounts of kinetic force. Underneath it he wears a state-of-the-arts kevlar vest for additional protection. Additionally he wears fingerless gloves made of black leather and black dress shoes with a special sound-dampening sole, metal tips and a hidden spring-loaded blade for emergency use. He has switched from his trademark sunglasses to small round glasses with crimson-tinted lenses. However these glasses are still equipped with an uplink to a combat HUD, target identification software and several switchable vision modes. Made from special reinforced materials prevent them from breaking easily in combat. He usually completes his outfit with a crimson-red tie, preferring to leave it casually half-undone.
On his right leg he wears the holster for his customized handgun and he is now rarely seen without his walking cane. When expecting trouble he is known to strap additional holsters and pockets for equipment on his upper arms. In the colder months of the year he also sometimes wears long dark trenchcoats with many hidden pockets to store additional equipment.
Background
Dr. Kaufmann was already an enigma before he mysteriously vanished for a whole year. About 6 years ago, he suddenly showed up in Millenium City, starting to sell his skills and talents to the highest bidder. Digging any deeper has not produced any reliable information but rather rumors and contradicting stories. Some claim to have evidence that he is the result of an government project of the GDR of East Germany with the goal of creating the perfect secret operative, which was abandoned shortly before the Berlin Wall fell. Another story points to a small (and now mysteriously wiped out) clan of vampires which haunted the German-Austrian border during the 1980s. According to a retired vampire hunter, said clan exiled a fledgling vampire after discovering that he could endure sunlight and lacked other typical vampiric weaknesses. Yet another story points to the destruction of Berlin by Dr. Destroyer. As rumors go, one simple physician snapped during the mayhem and started killing the injured superheroes given into his care for not being able to protect his family from Dr. Destroyer's robotic legions.
During his active years in Millenium City, Dr. Kaufmann worked with and against many different superheroes and supervillains, managing to survive in a superpowered world through cunning, skill and calculated ruthlessness. He is responsible for the murder of 7 superheroes and supervillains and the prime suspect in at least 13 more murders, along with a rather extensive list of other crimes ranging from burglary to terrorism. Despite the best efforts of local law enforcement and various superheroes, Dr. Kaufmann has never been detained for longer than a few days and evidence linking him to many crimes has mysteriously vanished, causing many to suspect that he has one or even several influential allies or sponsors. Dr. Kaufmann's last confirmed sighting before his disappearance was at the Millenium City airport when he boarded a private jet to Canada. A list of Dr. Kaufmann's most infamous accomplishments and suspected victims can be found below.
Activities before disappearance
- Westside, Millenium City: A bomb threat of considerable magnitude caused the city administration to send a team of heroes to investigate and prevent the worst. The heroes managed to track the source of the threat and had to fight through a warehouse full of deadly traps and remote-controlled combat drones, before managing to confront the masked terrorist. In a close battle they managed to defeat and capture him, but before they could unmask him he revealed the location of his bombs: All over the city and already activated. The heroes had to split up to disarm each one in time. When they returned to the warehouse the mysterious terrorist had disappeared. Some of the heroes claim that the voice of the terrorist was very similar to Dr. Kaufmann's.
- Westside Central Prison, Millenium City: Dr. Kaufmann is the prime suspect in the murder of the supervillain Blaster. Several of the assigned prison guards had complained about several incidents including technological malfunctions, unusually rowdy inmates and missing equipment, which kept them occupied with menial tasks and paperwork almost the whole night. Blaster was found in the morning in his still locked cell with his throat slit.
- Project Greenskin, New Mexico: After the infamous German supervillain Offizier 99 tried to steal US nuclear weapons and had been stopped and captured by the US superhero Supreme, a prisoner transport was scheduled to bring Offizier 99 from Project Greenskin to Stronghold. Supreme himself escorted the convoy, which unfortunately never made it to Stronghold. A team of unknown but highly trained black ops soldiers under the leadership of someone resembling Dr. Kaufmann attacked the convoy, freed Offizier 99 and disappeared with the supervillain. Supreme died in the attack from a precise shot to the head with a bullet coated with kendrium.
- Millenium City Convention Center, Millenium City: Witnesses claim that he was sighted in the crowd during a presentation of cybernetics and prosthetics mogul George Verner. The gala was crashed by supervillainess Litany, who Dr. Kaufmann allegedly helped fighting off. He disappeared together with a team of unknown black ops soldiers after relaying a message to George Verner. Mr. Verner still refuses to disclose the nature of the message.
- Duskview Apartment Complex, Millenium City: Allegedly helped a group of heroes investigate the disappearance of a SWAT team in the Duskview Apartment Complex of Westside and battled the responsible supervillainess Spiderling together with the heroes. He disappeared just like Spiderling herself after an explosion brought down half of the building before further law enforcement personnel could arrive. Neither Spiderling's nor Dr. Kaufmann's body was found in the ruins.
- Renaissance Center, Millenium City: During one of Dr. Destroyer's recent attacks on Millenium City, Dr. Kaufmann together with several unknown black ops soldiers has been seen in a black helicopter circling over a battle of several superheroes against one of Dr. Destroyer's Mega-Destroids. He has allegedly participated in the battle on the side of the heroes, taking several shots on one of the Mega-Destroids with a sniper rifle out of the helicopter.
- City Center, Millenium City: Dr. Kaufmann is suspected to be involved with an instance of unusual energy readings that occured here. A group of heroes was sent to investigate those unusual spikes of dimensional energy near City Hall (Maxwell Ave.). Upon arriving at the site of the latest energy spike, the group of heroes disappeared and could not be found in any way, magical or technological. An hour later the group appeared again in the same spot and the energy spikes stopped. Witbesses claim to have seen Dr. Kaufmann in the area, but his involvement is still arguable, since the heroes have no memory of the time they 'disappeared'.
- Old Detroit Memorial Park, Millenium City: Dr. Kaufmann is the prime suspect in the double murder of the superhero Captain Eagle and his sidekick Girlscout II. Captain Eagle and Girlscout II have been found dead (blasted with more thermobaric explosives and shot in the head respectively) in the area after their vehicle, the Patriot Plane, had been shot down by an unknown attacker using a thermobaric missile launcher.
- Westside, Millenium City: According to witnesses, the leader of a group of VIPER agents responsible for a hostage situation near Carl's Gym had a striking resemblance to Dr. Kaufmann. The group of agents assaulted a jewelery store and took the girlfriend of a well-known and highly popular superhero hostage, while her boyfriend was trapped in the sewers of the city during an investigation after several hidden explosives went off. A group of unaffiliated heroes managed to free the hostage, but the group of VIPER operatives managed to escape. NOTE: The hostage's boyfriend was involved with the investigation of the above mentioned double murder of Captain Eagle and his sidekick.
- Place de la Concorde, Paris: Dr. Kaufmann is the prime suspect in the murder of the French superhero Solar. Solar was to hold a speech about the importance of metahumans and baseline humans working together. He died in the middle of his speech from an until then unknown poison in his drink. A member of the catering service for the event was later found unconscious and tied up in his apartment in one of Paris' suburbs.
- Ionizer HQ, Neo-Tokio: Dr. Kaufmann is the prime suspect in the murder of the Japanese superhero Ionizer. After Ionizer had battled against multiple unknown attackers in several areas of Neo-Tokio and investigated a rather large fire in the warehouse district, he was found poisoned and with various severe bone fractures just outside of his partly destroyed HQ on the outskirts of the city.
- Rivertown, Millenium City: Dr. Kaufmann is the prime suspect in the murder of the industrial magnate Cornelius Preston AKA the retired superhero Forgemaster and the disappearance of his daughter Alice Preston. Cornelius Preston was found dead in his luxury mansion in the neighbourhood of Rivertown. No signs of forced entrance or other evidence has been found. Alice Preston is still missing.
- PRIMUS Quarantine Zone, San Francisco: During the outbreak of an unknown virus with mutagenic properties in San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Kaufmann has allegedly infiltrated the PRIMUS quarantine zone disguised as a FEMA special agent. After the outbreak had been contained, PRIMUS officials discovered that blood samples of infected individuals as well a batch of the vaccine had been stolen in the confusion.
- Downtown, Millenium City: Dr. Kaufmann has been sighted during a kaiju attack on Downtown. Witnesses claim that he observed the battle between the giant monsters emerging from the Detroit River and several superheroes and occasionally contributed with precision attacks to help tip the battle in favor of the heroes. After the kaiju were driven away, he disappeared and a thorough search of the area provided PRIMUS investigators with no clue regarding his involvement.
- Halcyon R&D Facility, Canadian Wilderness: According to underworld rumors Dr. Kaufmann has been participating in an attack on a R&D facility of Halcyon Industries in an remote area of Canada together with several other supervillains. The attack cost most of the guards and personnel their lifes, utterly destroyed the facility and unleashed a gigantic monster of unknown type onto the nearby forests. While the threat of the monster was later neutralized by a team of dedicated heroes, the purpose of the attack, the nature of Halcyon Industries' research at the site and Dr. Kaufmann's exact involvement in the affair is still unknown.
- Las Vegas, Nevada: Dr. Kaufmann is one of the prime suspects for the massacre that took place during the wedding of Las Vegas superhero Chevalier and his bride Melissa Wyatt. Both bride and groom were found killed in the garage of the Seraph Gate Hotel and Casino after several fights between two unknown assailants, Chevalier, his best friend and Las Vegas vigilante Night Stalker and the security personnel broke out. The couple seems to have been killed by Chevalier's own questionite sabre. Both assailants fled the scene unimpeded and Night Stalker has also disappeared since then. Investigation by the local authorities show an entry in the guest list of the wedding: Dr. Hugo M. Locke.
Activities after disappearance
- Graham Industrial facility, Millenium City: A surprise attack on the Graham Industrial facility by a mysterious group of white-clad soldiers led to chaotic battle, as the unknown attackers, a large group of Maniacs, two of Millenium City's heroes and Graham Industrial's security forces clashed on the company's property. Witnesses report that the leader of the unknown soldiers identified himself as the Doctor towards one of the heroes. Even though the combined forces of heroes and security personnel managed to prevent the situation from getting out of hand, the Doctor and his forces managed to escape with several samples of potentially dangerous chemicals via a cloaked VTOL gunship.
- Westside, Millenium City/Monastery of the Order of the Mutilated Saint, Romania: During the attack of the ancient vampire lord Adrian Arkwright on Millenium City, the Doctor and his gang settled on an uneasy truce with the city's heroes to help stem the tide of Arkwright's legions and help clean the streets of the magical drug he used to infect the people and increase his own power. The Doctor and his gang - along with members of several other criminal organizations he managed to convince - helped to defend Westside and its population against the vampiric onslaught. According to rumors the Doctor was also sent on a secret mission to Romania along with several heroes to retrieve an ancient artifact which proved to be crucial in Arkwright's defeat. As usual, the Doctor and his troops disappeared shortly after the crisis was over.
Suspected Victims
Blaster
Supreme
Captain Eagle
Girlscout II
Solar
Ionizer
Forgemaster
Personality
The first and most important thing to know about the Doctor's personality is that he thinks he is better than you and anyone else he does not consider his equal in skill, intelligence or simply style. How he expresses that depends on the situation however. Sometimes he will be utterly professional and stoic to show you how childish and laughable he finds you at the moment. At other times all you will get out of him will be smug smiles and empty small talk, like you are not even worth a serious conversation. And sometimes every second sentence out of his mouth will be a sarcastic comment or snide remark to let you know exactly what he thinks of you. And that's the Doctor on a good day.
He also has rather extreme mood swings which become especially apparent when things do not go his way. Cool and consummate professional to throwing temper tantrums that would even make Grond take a step back can happen from one second to the next. The tendency of the various drugs he consumes on an almost daily basis to affect his psyche makes these changes even more sudden and terrifying. Even though he tries to keep his cool around the few friends and allies he still has, they are not safe from the occasional barb or tongue lashing.
Powers
The Doctor was once among the deadliest assassins on the planet. Even though he has officially left this business, the years of training, experience and skills he learned druing this time are still as deadly as ever and together with equipment, resources and manpower of the Men In White make him more than a match for every superhero.
Skills and Abilities
- Genius: The most tragic thing about the Doctor is that he could have put his mind to eradicating most diseases on the planet and suceeded. He is gifted with a level of intelligence rarely seen among non-superpowered individuals. A master of a multitude of disciplines ranging from business administration to pop culture trivia (and of course medicine), the Doctor has the knowledge and skills to deal with almost every problem he encounters with ease. Additionally he is not only book smart, but also able to analyze and react to new situations in record time, outsmarting and outmanouvering his enemies with a level of cunning that borders on precognition.
- Physical Condition: Years of using and abusing various substances, serums and combat drugs along with his training and experience as an assassin have elevated the Doctor's body close to what could be considered superhuman. His strength, endurance, speed and are easily on par with every olympic athlete and in comination with his razor-sharp mind, this allows him incredible feats of precision, accuracy and agility. Deflecting bullets with his sword, easily gaining the upper hand against multiple opponents in close combat or moving before the opponent can even perceive the movement are no bigger deal for the Doctor than walking up a set of stairs is for a normal person.
- Martial Training: The Doctor prefers the quick, precise shot of a sniper rifle or the subtle, clean work of a well-placed glass of poisoned water or - the best option - having someone else do his fighting for him. However this has never stopped him from getting his own hands dirty if necessary and he has the training and skills to do so. While he has not mastered a multitude of different martial arts like other superheroes or supervillains, those few that he actively uses, he has mastered to an impressive degree. His first choice in combat is his sword cane, with which he utilizes Bartitsu, Savate and modern Fencing. Should he lose his cane, he prefers to use knives through Krav Maga and Brazilian Knife Fighting. His extensive knowledge of the human body as well as his assassin training allows him to target weak spots efficiently and incapacitate or kill with a few well placed strikes. Finally, years of experience in the criminal underworld have taught him a variety of dirty tricks and underhanded tactics he is not afraid to use in a fight. Kicking a downed opponent, going for the eyes or kicking a girl in the crotch are by no means beneath him.
- Assassin Experience: On account of having worked in one of the most dangerous businesses for years, the Doctor has learned a variety of deadly skills. He has vast experience in using a variety of common and less common weapons, from handguns to throwing knives. He also has extensive knowledge of nearly every aspect of stealth operations, including espionage, disguises, surveillance, infiltration, exfiltration, crime evasion, assassination and how to mix a damn good martini. Finally, evading the authorities for so long has given him insight into modern criminological methods, allowing him to use a combination of his intellect and his knowledge about crime scene investigation and forensic medicine to conceil his tracks and deceive his pursuers. He can make any kill look like a suicide or unfortunate accident.
- Master Tactician: His genius inellect allows the Doctor to quickly assess any situation, analyze it, compare the possible outcomes and choose the most appropriate plan of action. This skill gives him an edge in many situations. Outside of combat, the Doctor is able to stay one step ahead of his enemies, easily coming up with backup plans and ensuring that even unfortunate situations still have some benefit to him. On the negotiating table it is almost impossible to pin him down as he makes sure that he always has some sort of bargaining chip at the ready. And finally on the battlefield this allows him efficiently use his enemies' physical, mental or emotional weaknesses against them.
- Medical Expert: The Doctor - true to his chosen codename - is an expert in all things medical. As a trained physician and surgeon, he can heal and treat diseases and injuries as efficiently as he can cause them and his scalpel skill has ended just as many lifes as it has safed. His expertise in the many fields of life sciences allow him to develop, improve and utilize many different kinds of drugs, poisons, diseases and other substances.
Weapons and Equipment
- The Cane: While he most definately does not need it, the Doctor is rarely seen without his cane since he re-appeared in Millenium City. It is a black walking cane with a silvery handle made of an extremely sturdy material, which would already be an effective weapon in itself. However, by simply twisting the handle while pressing a button on the cane, the Doctor can reveal its true purpose. Inside is a sword resembling a saber made of cryogenically treated Damascus steel coated by a fine layer of questionite dust. Said saber has been perfectly balanced for the Doctor, making it a highly deadly weapon in his hands. Additionally a second button on the cane itself activates a high-voltage electric charge on the tip, turning it into a powerful shock baton. The Doctor can dual-wield both sword and shock baton at the same time for maximum pain.
- The Gun: During his transition from assassin to kingpin, the Doctor realized that despite their effeiciency his silenced handguns did not have the necessary intimidation potential a drug lord wanted in his personal weapon. This gun is his attempt to remedy that. A highly upgraded and modified Taurus Raging Bull 500, this monster of a gun is definately not something anybody would want to have pointed at their face. Underworld weaponsmith Wayland Talos has almost completely redesigned the weapon to be the pinnacle of handheld kinetic firepower. This weapon is powerful enough to blow the heads of normal humans clear off and can even punch very nasty holes into werewolves and other highly resilient targets while stile maintaining acceptable accuracy and kickback.
- The Knife: During his time as an assassin, knives were the Doctor's melee weapons of choice. Eager to not let his skills and experience go to waste, the Doctor still uses his old knife as a secondary melee weapon if his cane is not available or simply a bad choice for the situation. Said knife resembles a classical bowie knife, but like his cane sword its blade has been cryogenically treated and coated with a fine layer of questionite dust, making it both highly resilient and extremely deadly. The Doctor usually carries it hidden under his clothes as a surprise for those who think they have disarmed him.
- Multi-purpose Explosives: Old habits die hard. His days as an assassin have taught the Doctor that having a few explosives with you at all times is never a bad idea, if just for the intimidating effect. These explosives - crafted by Wayland Talos - take the shape of black spheres roughly the size of an orange. They carry a special fordite charge with impressive destructive power, even against heavily defended targets. A small interface linked to his cell phone allows the Doctor to choose the type of explosive (grenade, mine, remote-triggered bomb) as well as adjust detonation force and timer.
- The Doctor's Bag: The Doctor's Bag is just that. A small bag of black leather which the Doctor usually carries at his belt. It is filled with all kinds of medical equipment which could prove useful on the battlefield. From staples like painkillers, bandages and suture to the more exotic like cryogenically treated scalpels (can and have been used as a weapon of last resort), syringes filled with various poisons and a variety of combat drugs; all that and more can be found in the Doctor's Bag, depending on what is required by the situation at hand.
- Multi-purpose Explosives: Old habits die hard. His days as an assassin have taught the Doctor that having a few explosives with you at all times is never a bad idea, if just for the intimidating effect. These explosives - crafted by Wayland Talos - take the shape of black spheres roughly the size of an orange. They carry a special fordite charge with impressive destructive power, even against heavily defended targets. A small interface linked to his cell phone allows the Doctor to choose the type of explosive (grenade, mine, remote-triggered bomb) as well as adjust detonation force and timer.
_____________________________________ Everything below has not yet been reworked! ______________________________________
- Blattschuss: This weapon may be one of the most advanced anti-materiel rifles on earth and is the doctor's pick for long range combat. It has incredible firepower, a laser triangulation system, a high-powered scope with several vision modes and the options to outfit it with a laser sight and a bipod. Despite its impressive size it is extremely light-weight and accurate and can be disassembled and carried in a briefcase. In the hands of a marksman like the doctor it becomes extremely deadly, even against superpowered individuals. Reinforced glass, common tanks and even most forms of standard power armor provide no shelter from Dr. Kaufmann's favorite weapon. Rumors say that it is based on the Truvelo .50 BMG Caliber Rifle.
- Ammunition: The Doctor uses a wide variety of different ammunition.
- Normal Rounds: Including standard, full metal jacket, hollow point, armor piercing and incendiary.
- Depleted Uranium Rounds: Very expensive and very powerful.
- Remote-Triggered Explosive Rounds: Hold a powerful fordite charge, which can be detonated remotely.
- Poisoned Rounds: Break open upon penetrating the target and release a deadly mixture of poisons.
- Acid Rounds: Work in the same way as the poisoned rounds, but hold a potent acid instead.
- Blessed Silver Rounds: Made out of blessed silver, these are used against supernatural targets.
- Hypervelocity Rounds: A special magnetic flux core allows these bullets to utilize the geomagnetic field of Earth to accelerate to incredible speeds, which allow them to penetrate almost every type of protection. Devastating in conjunction with the Marker Rounds. Limited numbers.
- Phaser Rounds: These bullets contain a small teleportation generator, together with a simple AI. Those two devices allow the bullets to identify obstacles and 'phase out' before hitting one, effectively bypassing armor, forcefields and other barriers. Limited numbers.
- Marker Rounds: These bullets contain an array of monomolecular barbed hooks which activate upon penetrating the target, causing the bullet to be firmly stuck. A powerful magnetic beacon then activates, effectively 'guiding' any further bullets towards the target. Limited numbers.
- Explosives: When discretion is not necessary, the doctor prefers explosives to take care of his targets. Almost all explosives he uses are fordite, which has impressive destructive power, even against the most heavily defended targets. The Doctor uses grenades, mines and (his favorite) remote-triggered bombs. He also uses non-lethal explosives, mostly flashbang, smoke or tear gas grenades.
- The Incisor: The Incisor is Dr. Kaufmann's favorite (and only) melee weapon. It seems to combine aspects of a bowie knife and a surgical scalpel. It is outfitted with a silicone grip and the blade is made of cryogenically treated surgical steel coated by a layer of questionite dust. Additionally it has been perfectly calibrated and balanced for the doctor, making it a highly dangerous weapon in his hands.
- Syringes: The needles of these stainless steel syringes have been reinforced and cryogenically treated, allowing them to pierce metahuman skin in most cases. The syringes themselves are filled with various deadly poisons or anesthetics, most of them adjusted to be able to affect metahuman metabolisms too. Dr. Kaufmann uses commonly known poisons, but has created some specialized ones to deal with metahuman enemies, like...
- Stranglehold: Stranglehold, created of a chemically enhanced version of the common poison ivy's toxins causes rapid respiratory shutdown along with causing painful pharyngal contractions, making it impossible for the target to breathe. It's not unheard of victims of Stranglehold to suffocate in the span of less than a minute.
- Whiplash: Whiplash is an artificially enhanced version of the neurotoxin of the box jellyfish. It amplifies nerve conductivity to extreme levels and causes the thermoreceptors of the target to work on overtime, causing such extreme pain that even moving becomes unbearably painful for the target. The doctor uses it to capture prey alive.
- First Blood: First Blood saturates the bloodstream of the target with an experimental chemical that causes extensive haemolysis and thins the blood of the target to an extreme level, causing rapid exsanguination. The target's blood runs from every wound and orifice in a horrifying display of Dr. Kaufmann's medical genius. He likes it for the psychological shock value.
- Liquid Spite: There is no universal solvent, but Liquid Spite comes very close. Held in magnetic suspension in a specially designed syringe, because he has not yet found any container that could hold it, Dr. Kaufmann uses this potent acid to dissolve the most heavily secured locks, armors and ultimately metahuman flesh and bone.
- Nightmare: Eager in his attempts to weaponize everything he knows, the doctor created this poison as a method of instant psychological warfare. This artificial neurotoxin hyperstimulates the part of the brain responsible for the fight-or-flight response. The target is overcome by an overwhelming sense of panic and fear without any obvious reason. In some reported cases the psyche of the victim actually invented some sort of dreadful imagery to justify the feeling, sometimes involving demonic apparations of Dr. Kaufmann himself. He finds the thought highly amusing.
- Combat Drugs: Though they have devastating long-time effects on his body (and mind), the doctor utilizes combat drugs and stimulants freely in battle to give him that little advantage he needs. He is certain that his own medical genius will prevent him from sustaining any long-lasting damage from the drug abuse. It's still unknown if he is right about that. Commonly used by him are...
- Blitz: This combat drug increases alertness, improves concentration and enhances reaction speed by drastically speeding up the communication between the left and right brain halves. Taken in small doses for short periods of times, it is mostly harmless, but extended use can lead to paranoia and anxiety attacks. The doctor uses it to boost his already impressive reflexes and dexterity in combat to even higher levels.
- Serenity: This drug is a potent cocktail of morphine and amphetamines. A single shot of Serenity is enough to surpress the pain from nearly any injury without the side effects usually associated with similar substances. Serenity has to be handled with great care, as it is highly addictive. The doctor uses it in anticipation of a particulary hard battle, to prevent any sort of pain to interfere with his combat performance.
- Berserk: Berserk is a drug that stimulates the adrenal gland of the user with acetylcholine, causing it to substantially increase the adrenaline production. Users feel an almost instant boost in strength after taking it, along with increased aggressiveness. Berserk is easily overdosed and can lead to fatal heart attacks. The doctor uses it to surprise his enemies with a sudden burst of strength and speed.
- Prometheum: Prometheum, named after the Titan who endured an eagle eating his liver every day, saturates muscle fibres and makes them extraordinarily resistant to the stress and tension of use, allowing the user to exert himself greatly for a certain amount of time. Unfortunately the pain that this drug surpresses comes back in full after the effects wear off. The doctor uses it to ensure that his combat performance isn't hindered by exhaustion.
- Microfilament Wire: A length of very sharp but still very durable microfilament wire, the doctor keeps the wire on a coil under his sleeve. His gloves can emit a tiny electric charge which activate magnetic properties in the wire and allow it to stick to his fingertips. That way the he can handle the deadly wire without danger of hurting himself. The doctor uses the wire as a garrote, whip or to set up traps.
- Doppelganger: This useful little device known as the Doppelganger is a high-tech holographic projector. The doctor uses it in combat to trick and deceive his enemies. It has a wide range of pre-recorded situations and movements of Dr. Kaufmann available, complete with audio and video. One of his favorite tactics is to let one of his holograms 'shoot' at the enemy, while he synchronizes his shots with the hologram from a completely different direction, confusing the enemy and bypassing shields, armor and other defenses.
- Assassin's Outfit: While he prefers not to get hit at all (which works most of the time), the doctor's usual clothing is made of a reinforced nanoweave fabric, which allows it to withstand certain amounts of kinetic force. For additional protection, the Doctor wears a state-of-the-arts Regor kevlar vest beneath it. The clothes also have limited thermal regulation abilities, which allow the doctor to wear them in moderately hot or cold enviroments, but extreme conditions still require him to wear specialized clothing. They also house numerous pockets and secret compartments to hold his equipment. His gloves are made of resilient black leather and contain tiny compartments of metal to protect his hands and give his punches a little more force. His shoes are also made of black leather, but with a special sound-dampening sole, metal tips and a hidden spring-loaded blade. The doctor's scarf houses a hidden rebreather. All of his clothes are flame-retardant to a certain extent.
- Assassin's Shades: These crimson-tinted shades are a marvel of technology and allow him spectacular feats of accuracy. They are equipped with an advanced combat HUD, target identification software, several vision modes, including night vision, thermal vision and sonar vision and have magnifying properties, allowing the doctor to perceive even miniscule details accurately. They are also made from a reinforced material to prevent them from breaking easily in combat situations. The Doctor possesses several designs purely for style.
- Cell Phone: While many superheroes and villains prefer wrist computers, the doctor likes it oldschool in this field. His cell phone is a standard business blackberry improved in numerous ways by unknown experts. It is heavily encrypted and features a satellite uplink as well as an universal detonator for the doctor's explosives. It also houses an encrypted access link to his personal databases, a web-browser, GPS and a unique almost hack-proof operating system. It also has a high-tech version of Tetris.
- Other Equipment: The Doctor also sometimes uses other, more common equipment. He possesses a notebook with the same capabilities as his blackberry, high-tech binoculars with similar vision modes as his shades, an extremely powerful flashlight with UV capabilities, a lockpick set, questionite zipcuffs stolen from Special Unit Omega of the MCPD, a small rebreather, duct tape (of course), a multi-tool and several other more or less useful gadgets. Most of his equipment (along with his sniper rifle if he brings it with him) is carried in a reinforced steel briefcase with his personal logo (a leech wrapped around the Staff of Asclepios) etched on the side.
- Ghost Touch: Early in his career the doctor figured that something which put most professionals behind bars - fingerprints - would not be a weakness for someone like him. He smoothened the tips of his fingers in a painful procedure using specialized biological acids, so his fingerprints disappeared forever. The tips of his fingers are now completely blank and leave no fingerprints at all.
- Killer Skin: A professional is nothing without his equipment, but sometimes you just cant bring your briefcase full of murder tools with you. The doctor found an ingenious, but horrifying way around this problem. Making a small incision on a suitable part of his skin, the doctor was able to insert some small pieces of equipment under his skin and let the wound heal, creating a subdermal pocket to hold that item. Currently the doctor has four of them. One on his left thigh holds a high-tech lockpick and two on the inside of his upper arms hold a capsule of emergency combat drugs each. Nobody knows where the fourth subdermal pocket is and what it holds though.
Equipment Schematics
Hexenschuss
Schreckschuss
Blattschuss
The Incisor
Weaknesses
Despite his own claims, the doctor is not without weaknesses.
- Not So Super...: Dr. Kaufmann might be one of the world's deadliest men and maybe he is not fully human, but his power level is actually quite low compared to most metahumans. In terms of raw power he is still quite far down on the food chain.
- Combat Drug Addict: While they are his trump card, they are also a big weakness. They have some uncomfortable side effects, have to be dosed carefully and the withdrawal symptoms can be severe. Not to mention that they are also anything than easy to acquire.
- Enemies: During his time in the business, the doctor has made a lot of enemies, heroes and villains alike. There are many individuals and groups who would love to get their hands on him and then make sure nobody else ever does again.
- Big Ego: Arguably the doctor's greatest weakness is the fact that he is incredibly convinced of his own superiority - intellectually and otherwise towards... everyone. And he goes out of his way to prove it, which often makes his jobs much, much harder than they would have to be.
- Lonely at the Top: At least the doctor thinks it should be. Not only does he mistrust most people on principle, his arrogance and conviction of his own superiority also often prevents him from accepting help from his true allies, even when it would maybe be wise to do so.
Accomplices
((Should this category be edited with one of your characters? Tell me!))
"Janine"
Nobody knows who Janine is, but she seems to act as Dr. Kaufmann's mission control and handler. He has been observed to communicate with her in a nontypical casual style, suggesting some kind of personal relationship. Otherwise not much about her is known, except for the fact that she seems very capable at whatever her responsibilites exactly are. Dr. Kaufmann himself refuses to divulge any further information about her in front of mostly anyone.
The Middle Men, Organizers of the Mercenary Underworld
((OOC Note: The Middle Men are not my invention, but that of @swedsman. Ask him for more info!))
The Middle Men are a curious organization that handles a worldwide bounty hunter network known as the Bounty Board that works to bring contracts and clients closer to the actual bounty hunters who choose to peruse the Middle Men's services and partake in the ranking. The Middle Men themselves work as messengers and liasons, taking the contracts from client anonymously and passing them onto an interested "Contractor", which is a universal name for mercenaries, contract killers, soldiers of fortune and bounty hunters used by the Middle Men. Once the contract is completed, the Middle Men pick up the money from their client and hands it over to the bounty hunter. If the client refuses to pay... well, then the Middle Men will give up their identity to the unpaid contract killer. That is the only time they will give out the client's identity. They all dress in a similar manner, fit for someone in mourning. A man only known as Smiling Man seems to be their de facto leader. All of them are believed to have been former assassins, and while noone can be certain they are indeed a force to be reckoned with and not to be taken lightly. That said, there seems to be few records of their actual work.
Wayland Talos, Underworld Weaponsmith
Wayland Talos is THE man you want to go to when you need a perfectly calibrated blaster rifle, a set of razor-sharp knives with questionite coating or a custom hoverdisc and dont want to worry about the legal intricacies of such gadgets. He is an arms dealer, inventor and technological consultant, who is eager to sell his wares and services to the highest bidder, especially if that bidder shares Talos' hatred of superheroes. Earlier in his life, Talos' wife Maria died in a terrorist attack a group of superheroes was unable to stop, because the terrorists were much better prepared and armed than the heroes expected. Talos blamed his wives death on the incompetent superheroes and let his hatred consume him. Subsequently he lost his job as a technology designer due to his obsessive hatred and brooding, which he also blamed on the superheroes. He was determined to get revenge on the so-called heroes who ruined his life and began to use his immense technological expertise to provide criminals, terrorists and anyone else who would fight against superheroes with weapons, gadgets and equipment. While none of Dr. Kaufmann's standard equipment seems to be made by Wayland Talos (or any other known black market supplier), he is known to have contacted the weaponsmith on several occasions for more exotic or specialized equipment.
Enemies
((Should this category be edited with one of your characters? Tell me!))
The Competition
The mercenary underworld is a dangerous place. Alliances are formed, then break up after a single quarrel. Partnerships are established before both partners stab each other in the back over the earnings of a job. Codes of honor are held up high, then discarded as the situation makes it necessary. Profits are shared brotherly, before everyone is out for himself again. Nothing is for sure in this world. People change sides faster than bullets and who is your friend today, might be your enemy tomorrow.
Devana Hawke, Dr. Kaufmann's Favorite Person To Hate
Is a super-powered do-gooder constantly throwing a monkey wrench in your schemes? Need them taken down quietly? For the right price, (and if she's interested) Devana Hawke will take on the assignment. Not one to simply go in guns blazing, Devana will take her target down at the most opportune time. Usually when the target is at their weakest, physically and mentally. Whether it means orchestrating situations to break down heroes or get to them through their loved ones, Devana always completes her assignments by any means necessary.
Devana Hawke, master archer and recent addition to the Millennium City supervillain community is quite possibly the one person on earth the doctor hates the most. The two instantly disliked each other over the simple fact that they were stealing each other's business. Since then their professional rivalry has grown into an absurd hatred and subsequent cold war, which turns searing hot instantly when they see each other. They have been fighting their personal little war in the criminal underworld of Millennium City ever since.
Killshot, The Rival
Killshot, or simply K, is one of the currently most active and successful top assassins on the planet. Blessed with enhanced senses, an impressive regeneration ability and years upon years of experience in combat, Killshot belongs to the very best in the business. His most impressive feat is his incredible accuracy and proficiency with firearms, which easily outshines Dr. Kaufmann's own marksmanship. Killshot has been known to do freelance work for various individuals and organizations, but is rumored to be connected to certain unsavory elements in ARGENT.
While Dr. Kaufmann feels mostly contempt for other mercenaries and assassins below him in the ranking (and outright hate for Devana Hawke), he musters a certain respect for the older man, not only because Killshot has proven to be very capable of claiming Kaufmann's rank. In certain circles bets have already been made who will hold the title of '5th Deadliest Assassin on Earth' at the end of the year. Some favor the titleholder Dr. Kaufmann due to him running in the Bounty Board for a longer time, while others cite Killshot's recent streak of successes as a sign of change. Killshot and Dr. Kaufmann have already met during a formal gathering of various kinds of criminals on neutral ground, but have yet to encounter each other on the battlefield. We advise any heroes to not get caught in the crossfire.
Spiderling, the Matriarch of Spiders
A peculiar contract made it necessary for Dr. Kaufmann to work together with a team of heroes, much to his dismay. Undercover he joined the heroes to help investigate the case of a disappeared SWAT team in the Duskview apartment complex near the docks of Westside. Not only did they find lots and lots of cobwebs inside the apartment complex, but also residents too terrified to leave their rooms of 'something stalking the halls at night'. For the doctor this contract was beyond annoying. Not only did he have to skulk around in a dirty, low-class apartment complex, he also had to do it together with a group of superheroes he considered 'more than unprofessional' to use his least insulting thought. It all got worse when they were attacked by a huge swarm of spiders, led by their monstrous matriarch Spiderling. After a series of unfortunate incidents during the battle, like one of the heroes sending the doctor falling down a set of stairs accidentally, Spiderling was still defeated. The finishing blow against the arachnid antagonist was struck by a - at that point very angry and very annoyed - Dr. Kaufmann, who used a well-placed high-powered explosive to bring a good part of the apartment building crashing down on Spiderling. She has been assumed dead since then, but is she? And if she still alive, did she take exception to being blown up with a thermobaric mine?
Comments and Rumors
Do you have anything to say about this mysterious assassin? Rumors, gossip, leads for other heroes? Here's the place for it.
- "Dr. Kaufmann, or simply "The Doctor" is considered the 5th best assassin in the world according to the Bounty Board, ranking just behind Jack Knife (4), The Tallyman (3), Andrès Panthanatos (2) and of course, Taipan (1). He's closely followed by the likes of Killshot (6), Devana Hawke (7), Mechassassin (8) and Clownface (9) and competes with Killshot over the title "Meta Hunter", given to the assassin who has taken down the most metahumans in their careers." - The Middle Men
- "Guy needs to remember what got him where he is today. He's holding himself back from what he's -really- capable of." - Clownface
- "Zis man is a Monster, ich vill be on zee vatch for him, und ich vill stop him, ich does not vish for anymore lives to be taken." - Fräulein Über
- "I've heard rumors 'bout this bloke, a very messed up individual. 'ell I remember when I first met the bastard, and all I remember 'bout him is his sellin' of organs from personally killed metas... Still, apart from that I've heard he is a capable combatant. He just best watch it, comin' for his spot on the board." - Killshot
- "He has a reputation, even if he tries to keep it quiet. Impressive. One day, we might have to see who is the better assassin, if a contractor so wills it." - "Crow"
- "If I'm ever going to meet this guy, I better tell him I'm not an Ex-Nazi." - Anonymous
- "He may be useful in the future." - "Doctor A.Z."
- "He freaks me out!" - "Coyote"
- "What happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force? You put this guy, and I, together. He's almost my direct antithesis in terms of combat skill, fighting style, even appearance. I get the nasty feeling the two of us are going to come to blows one day, and it's not gonna be something to write home about!" - Snowtalon
- "Heard about this guy through the grapevine. Real cold-blooded killer type. Master assassin. Probably thinks he's the best there is, too. Heh. He's not." - All-Star
Other Stuff
Trivia
The following information is to be taken with a grain of salt, as most of it either comes from witnesses that observed him during a mission or from Dr. Kaufmann himself.
- Dr. Kaufmann has alluded to having a sister.
- Dr. Kaufmann is not fond of any jokes comparing him with vampires.
- Dr. Kaufmann smokes. His favorites are European import brands like Gauloises, West and Peter Stuyvesant.
- Dr. Kaufmann claims to love playing chess (but apparently sucks at it).
- Dr. Kaufmann apparently once caused an earthquake in Timbuktu. He seems to be moderately sorry for it.
- Dr. Kaufmann is very proud of the fact that during his long career in The Business he has never broken a single bone. However he has strained several joints, sprained his ankles numerous times, has been stabbed in several body parts, once caught an extraterrestrial cold, suffered from insomnia for 3 months after a battle against PSI and has been injured in many more more or less amusing ways.
- Dr. Kaufmann claims his birthday is April 18th.
- Dr. Kaufmann allegedly once managed to convince an alien warlord that his personal rival's underwear drawer is a 'strategically sound ambush position'. Devana Hawke has not yet commented on this.
- Dr. Kaufmann claims to have killed a man using a trumpet, a cactus and a dropkick, but doesn't like to talk about it any further.
- Dr. Kaufmann's normal, unarmored business suits tend to have a spectacularly short lifespan. Somehow they always end up burned, ripped, dunked in strange liquids or otherwise ruined after two weeks at the latest.
- Dr. Kaufmann is a spectacularly bad driver, but does not acknowledge that fact.
- Dr. Kaufmann once claimed to having the power of toasterkinesis. We are pretty sure he doesn't.
OOC Information
- Dr. Kaufmann might just as well be a mix of Roman Torchwick from RWBY, Albert Contiello from Dead Rising 3, Roland from Jumper, Kiritsugu Emiya from Fate/Zero and the Accountant from Drive Angry.
- Themes:
- Syndicate: Casual Encounter
- Underground: Hostile Encounter
- Irregularity Attacks: Hunting (For You)
- Predator: Getting Serious
- The Encounter: Boss Fight
- Should there ever be a Champions Online Live-Action Movie, my picks for the actor of Dr. Kaufmann would be Adrien Brody or Billy Burke.
