Max Dash
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An aspiring tinker, Max Dash (also known by his seldom-used “official” codename of Taiwan Lightning) rose from humble beginnings to become one of the greatest heroes in all of Taiwan.
Contents
History
Max Dash (his true name is classified by the Taiwanese government) was born a mutant, gifted with the powers of super-speed. Already athletic and competitive, his powers first began to manifest in his early teens. While at the time, Max was a member of his high school’s sports teams, he chose to withdraw from them, feeling that his powers were giving him an unfair advantage, as well as not wanting to publicly display them.
Instead, he turned to his second love; tinkering and engineering. Always interested in electronics and mechanics, he spent his spare time working on various electrical and mechanical devices as a hobby. Many of them had no immediate application, instead he built them for the simple fun of building them and seeing what he could create. Over time, he assembled several useful devices, such as a special mask that continued numerous optics and sensors, as well as an advanced communications system.
It was while he was tinkering with his helmet that he accidentally jumped into local emergency services; a fire had broken out in a high-rise office building nearby, with numerous people trapped inside. Knowing the building, he also knew that it would be very hard to get anyone out of there – at least, for normal men. Donning his helmet, he hastily put together a costume and raced to the scene of the emergency. Running past the barricades, he ran into the building, using his speed to rush through the flames and evacuate those inside.
Soon he was using his speed to race across the country, fighting crime and saving lives from disasters, both natural and man-made. Initially relying on just his speed, he began to develop various gadgets to help him in his efforts. As his experience grew, so did his reputation; the media gave him the nickname “Max Dash” after comments form a party of tourists who were saved from a capsizing ferry.
However, it was a moment of national crisis that was his greatest hour. The Taiwanese parliament was invaded and taken over by a villain group called the Heavenly Swords, who were believed to be connected to the Communist Chinese government. The Heavenly Sword(s) demanded that the Taiwanese people surrender, or else they would start executing the nation’s leaders.
Not willing to let the criminals hold his county to hostage, Max took it upon himself to save them from the invaders. Using his speed and his devices, he infiltrated parliament and confronted the villains, disabling them and rescuing the hostages. Realising that their plans were undone, the Heavenly Sword(s) retreated.
Afterwards, Max was approached by the grateful politicians that he had saved who presented him with an opportunity. They would recognise him as the official hero of Taiwan and appoint him protector of the nation. In return for his services, they would provide him with their full support, including access to all the latest technologies to enhance his crime-fighting technologies. Max gladly agreed, proud to defend his nation’s safety and independence. He was given the “official” name of Taiwan Lightning, however, he much preferred simple Max Dash; the name sticking with him.
After several years of helping to protect his nation, Max was approached by the government for a special mission; there had been a sudden and dramatic rise in superhuman activity in Millennium City, including sightings of Heavenly Sword, the leader of the Heavenly Swords. Feeling that these criminals were using the city as a base to launch their evil plans from, the Taiwanese Government sent Max as a representative of his nation and determine the truth behind these intentions.
Max briefly was involved in a coalition of other “national” superheroes who aimed to work together for international peace. However, his relationship with the group was somewhat strained by the fact that they allowed members from the PRC, as well as the group’s leader. An egotistical, self-important loudmouth, he elevated himself far above both his own ability and his country’s standing at the cost of those around him. Max and their leader clashed on a number of issues, with a rift forming between them.
Not willing to let his authority be challenged, the group’s leader appended the organization’s charter so that it would only allow representatives from nations that were recognized by the UN. As such, Max Dash was forced from the organization. Despite this setback, Max has vowed to continue the fight against crime and to protect his nation while searching for the truth behind the Heavenly Swords.
Powers/Abilities
Max’s powers derive from two different areas; the first is his superhuman speed, allowing him to sprint at hundreds of kilometres an hour across great distances without tiring. He also has incredible reflexes and agility, allowing him to react faster then most people can follow. Combining the two allows him to move in and take out opponents before they have any idea of what is going on.
He augments his speed with his technology; the various gadgets and devices that he builds are designed to be used for a number of different purposes. Many of them are built from common technologies but optimised in ways that their original designers never intended; for example, a fletchette launcher built from a CD drive that shoots out of shattered disks. Aside from this and other weapons, he also carried an array of sensory and communications systems, again all repurposed from existing technologies.
If a situation calls for a new device that he does not possess; Max can use his super-speed to hastily break down some of his existing gadgets into their components and then re-build them into something completely different. This makes him very flexible and unpredictable. Careful examination has revealed that much of the technology that he uses is, in the hands of others, simply junk; it is not clear if Max is somehow able to make them faction through his high-speed construction, or if this is some other, currently unknown, mutant ability of his.
Personality
Max Dash is brave and determined, willing to lay down his life if needs be in the service of his nation. He is selfless and heroic, and wants to do what is right by his country and his people. He strongly believes in Taiwanese independence, and does feel that the People’s Republic of China represents a threat to his nation; he has clashed with their agents in past, and feels that future battles are inevitable. He is especially determined to discover exactly what Heavenly Sword is doing in Millennium City and to foil whatever dire plot he is working towards, feeling that whatever it is, it is a great threat to more then just his homeland.
When he’s not running around saving the day and protecting his country, Max likes to work on his various gadgets and devices. He is constantly coming up with new inventions, and enjoys field-testing them to see exactly how they work.
Appearance
In his mid 20s, Max is a rather handsome and athletic man. His costume is bright red and blue, with the Taiwanese sunburst on its chest. He wears silvery metallic gauntlets and boots as well as a utility belt, while his face is covered in a high-tech mask.
Max Dash’s image is well known in Taiwan; he appears on innumerable bootlegged products, from backpacks to lunchboxes to shoes and, of course, action figures.
Enemies
As the national hero of Taiwan, Max Dash is a well known and easily recognised figure. However, his high profile also brings with it a number of dangerous enemies. Max resolutely fights to protect his homeland as well as the lives of innocents across the world from the threat posed by these and other menaces.
Heavenly Sword
An agent of the People’s Republic of China, Heavenly Sword is Max Dash’s first and greatest enemy. The leader of an elite commando team known as the Heavenly Swords, Heavenly Sword himself is a potent fighter, being armed with a pair of ancient, mystical blades that give him superhuman abilities. Heavenly Sword believes that The People’s Republic of China should forcefully conquer Taiwan, and has, with his government’s backing, launched numerous attacks on the free and independent nation. Fortunately, thus far, Max Dash has managed to thwart him each time.
Mekaton
A renegade Bureau 17 researcher, Michiyamenotehi Funana stole a prototype battlesuit and became the super-powered villain known as Mekaton. While seemingly little more than a thief, the destructive weaponry at his disposal makes Mekaton a great threat to innocents, especially given his trigger-happy nature. Max Dash stepped in to drive him off during one robbery, Mekaton flying off and vowing revenge against him. Since then, the two have clashed several times.
Superior
A disgruntled scientist, Gary Stewart decided that he would prove his brilliance to the world. Deliberately aping the style of Doctor Destroyer, he constructed an armoured suit modelled on the Destroyer’s own and, maing himself "Superior" set out to prove his “superiority” to all others. Instead, he became something of a joke villain, easily defeated on numerous occasions.
